An: sorry its taken so long for me to update, but college had been a nightmare already. Anyway here's my longest chapter ever, hope you enjoy it.

Chapter 3. something's not right.

Lily Evans woke with a start, sitting bolt up right, gasping for breath; her urban hair sticking to her face, covered in sweat. She ran a thin bony hand through her matted hair and looked around her room while trying to bring her breathing under control.

Her room was the second largest bedroom in the 4 roomed Victorian house. Her parents had painted it a deep rich red before she was born; they had hated the traditional blues and pinks. A queen sized bed draped in expensive silk covers and hangings the same colour has her walls.

Opening her drapes, Lily saw that the housemaid Miranda had already been in and had opened the curtains covering her floor-ceiling French windows which lead onto the balcony of the 3rd floor. The same colour theme ran through Lily's room, with a dark ebony desk between the windows. 2 doors to the left led into the marble on suite bathroom and a walk in closet.

There was nothing on the walls like posters of boy bands or celebrities, no pictures of friends or relatives. Nothing in the room could tell a person that a soon to be 17 year old teenage girl lived in the room.

Before Lily could analyse the dream she had just woken from, her older sister Petunia Evans soon to be Dursley, burst into the room, not that this was unusual, but what was for her sister to be smiling.

'Good morning my dear sister'

At this Lily's mouth dropped, although she closed it quickly not letting her sister scold her for her lack of proper manners.

'What do you want Petty? And why are you so happy this early in the morning?'

Her sister just carried on smiling even being called 'Petty' obviously wasn't going to spoil her good mood.

'There's some woman downstairs to see you.'

And with that still smiling she left the room and while humming made her way back to her own room. Lily gaped at her for a few moments before dragging herself out of the bed to put on her dressing gown, not being bothered to get changed just yet.

Walking along the maze of corridors and stairs Lily wondered who the woman could be. Maybe she was here to tell her Hogwarts was closed due to the sheer amount of families attacked last year, many of her friend wouldn't be returning, they wanted to stay with their families, even though Hogwarts was the safest place to be. She was almost right; Professor McGonagall sat straight backed in the dark green sofas of the main living room.

'Professor!' she was Lily's favourite teacher mainly because she knew exactly how to keep James Potter under control, threaten with a Quidditch ban. She smiled at the memories of the leader of the Marauders closing his mouth so quick you heard his teeth hitting each other.

'Miss Evans, i'm sure you can guess as to why I am here?'

Before she could answer another woman came trough the door talking to her father. Lily turned and watched almost horrified at the woman, dressed in full wizarding robes that almost sparkled in the light. The woman was far too familiar to Lily.

'. . . and if any of the bad guys tried to get into the ground or house an alarm will go off at our offices and we will get here using a portkey specially designed so only auros can get in to protect you. Is that ok?'

'That's fine, thank you for doing all this Mrs. Potter, it seems all a waste on us non magic folk.'

'Oh no it's no problem at all and it is most certainly not a waste, we have hundreds of muggleborn families using this service, it's not just the people who can use magic that are at risk Mr. Evans. You need protecting too.'

'Thank you again Mrs. Potter. Ah here is my daughter Lily.'

Lily was frozen in shock. This was not happening. James Potter's mother was not standing in front of her. She shook her head slightly and plastered a smile on her face and curtseyed to the older woman who did the same back.

'It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Potter.'

'Oh no my dear it's all mine you are all that James talks about.'

Lily tried not to scowl at the image of him sitting in his kitchen telling his parents all about her. Instead she smiled slightly. They both sat opposite Professor McGonagall and Miranda served tea. After a few minuets of pointless chit chat the sever woman turned to her star pupil.

'Miss. Evans I must be frank here, unless we have at least half of the student coming back to Hogwarts this year it will close. This is to be your final year; it's the most important before you go into the adult magical community. Will you be returning on September 1st?'

There was no hesitation; she knew where she belonged, as did her father.

'Yes.'

Her head of house smiled a very rare sight to anybody.

'Wonderful. Then I have great pleasure in telling you, you will be head girl this year. Now as to the head boy, I know you do not get along, but i'm hoping that will change this year, he is not all bad, he can be very charming when he's not amongst the females of the student population! Albus has chosen Mr. Potter –'

'WHAT?'

Lily turned in shock to Mrs. Potter who had shouted out. Lily had been too shocked to speak.

'Minerva really, you have to be joking, I mean this is James. When has he ever done anything to help someone else? He's incredibly irresponsible and can't look after himself let alone the rest of the students. You've seen all the cuts he manages to get over the year from doing heaven knows what; please get Albus to change his mind!'

Neither of the other women could understand why this woman was so against her son being head boy. Wouldn't a parent be proud of their child's accomplishments; not forbidding them to get any. Lily looked to Minerva and saw a look she had never seen before on her Professors face, it was almost a motherly sort of look but then it changed to anger before becoming neutral.

'I'm sorry Lucy, there is nothing I can do, its final and Albus doesn't change his mind easily. He thinks James is up for the job, and you never know this may teach him to take responsibility for his actions and if he is to ever become and Auror he needs some sort of experience in looking over large amounts of people. Anyway he wont be on his own he'll be helping Miss. Evans here and she him.'

Mrs. Potter looked like she had been slapped but she too regained her composer. She stood up and brushed down her robes which had a symbol of a phoenix on the right.

'Right, well then, I better be off, I'll need to be checking in back at the Ministry and Harold needs to be having dinner early tonight. See you soon then Minerva. Miss Evans.'

The women bowed to each other once more and she left. Lily turned to her favourite teacher and said the first thing that came to mind.

'She looks way too much like her son.'

Lily was still unnerved when she was getting changed to go to Diagon Alley a few days later. After Mrs. Potter had left, she had had a long talk with McGonagall and found out that the older witch was very worried about James. She had been round at the Potter estate a few times over the summer, had had been going there since before James was born, but this summer she hadn't seen anything of him not even any of his Hogwarts things around the house, it was like he had just disappeared. Neither of the elder Potters seemed worried although James's sister had been scowling at them most of the time Minerva had been there. She was due to start Hogwarts this year. Minerva hadn't been able to talk to James about returning but had to talk to his parents who had been very . . . enthusiastic about his return to the school.

Lily brushed her hair and didn't realise she was brushing the same bit over and over, she was too wrapped up in the memory of the stern and solid women who had been in such turmoil over what was happening and why the prankster hadn't been seen all summer. She hadn't visited the other Marauders yet but Minerva McGonagall was worried and that unnerved Lily.

She was still scowling at the memory as she walked through the crowed street trying to find any sign of her friends and get all her supplies for her last year at Hogwarts. After giving up any hope of seeing her friends today and feeling a little claustrophobic she went to get an ice cream and just as she sat down at the only free table, she heard the unmistakable voices of the other Marauders from behind her. Rolling her eyes in exasperation and not feeling up to having an argument with any of them, she slid down in her seat and closed her eyes enjoying her ice cream, and planned on drowning out the laughter and the mischief making planning they were no doubt doing. But when none of that could be heard Lily frowned, what was going on? She strained her ear in an attempt to hear who she thought was Black speaking.

'. . . Haven't heard anything from him. McGonagall was round yesterday and even she seemed worried. I mean she's on really good terms with the Potters and she hasn't seen him either. Melissa's been owling me asking if I've seen him. Apparently neither of his parents is worried.'

Lily stopped licking her ice cream and turned around to stare at the prankster and womaniser Sirius Black. Without thinking and not caring about her status she said

'When the hell did you get so serious?'

The boys turned around sharply and they too stared at her. Their eyes widened as they all took a look at each other. Everyone seemed to be paler than normal and had circles under their eyes. Worry etched their faces, even Lily's and she couldn't stand the sight of their leader. Sirius narrowed his eyes at her. He looked the worst out of the lot. He had obviously lost weight and he could barley keep himself upright with either tiredness or lack of food, or both.

'What do you care Evans. The arrogant pig-headed git as you put him is out of your life so leave it. It's got noting to do with you so bugger off and leave us alone.'

And with that he stormed off and disappeared in the crowd. Lily looked back to the other two boys.

'I didn't mean to –'

'Look lily it's ok, just leave it. He's just really worried. We all are.'

The most sensible Marauder Remus Lupin spoke to her gently knowing all to well that her temper could rise from nil to exploding in a matter of seconds and tried to make sure that didn't happen.

Lily started to think. Something was certainly not right, that much was obvious especially if the Marauders hadn't heard anything and they were closer than brothers, they had a bond that couldn't be broken. She thought of Voldemort and then of the Potters who had been opening going against the feared Wizard. What if he had James? What if Mr and Mrs Potter were under the imperious curse? What if they weren't and Voldemort still had James?

Stopping her mind running away with her, she turned back to Remus and she remembered when she first met James Potter, when he pushed her into the lake, when the boy's around her had laughed, at the pain etched upon his young face all through the year when he tough no one was looking. She may not like him but she knew something was wrong and not just this summer. She remembered the dream she had of their 'first meeting'; she remembered Mrs. Potters response to hearing her son was head boy; she remembered the words spoken to him before he boarded the Hogwarts express 6 years ago.

'I'll help you find him.'