"Did you find the list?" spoke the cold high-pitched voice.

"No my Lord, but we believe it is in the store. The girl who was there at the time was a new employee and would not have been aware of what is hidden there," Bellatrix said confidently.

"Very well, you will go by yourself and finish the job Bella."

"Yes, my Lord."

"Tell me, how did our young Mr. Snape do on his first real assignment?"

"He did well my Lord, but he still has much to learn. I do not believe he succeeded in killing the mudblood."

"He will learn. You and Lucius are to continue to keep an eye on him, until I feel he is ready. Do I make my self clear, Bella?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Good. Now go find me that list."

Lily Evans looked up from the bed she had been resting in as Professor Dumbledore entered the room. He was followed closely by James Potter. "Jillian, if you could please leave me to talk with Lily about the events of this afternoon," Dumbledore said addressing Mrs. Potter.

"Certainly, come along James."

"Actually, I would like to keep James with me. He was the one who found Lily and perhaps they can help each other to remember any tiny details that may seem insignificant but could be a clue to the larger puzzle," Dumbledore said. Jillian did not protest; she had known Albus Dumbledore long enough to know that he had his reasons for everything. "Now Lily, please tell me what you remember about your attack?"

"I was watching the store while Andromeda went to get some breakfast with Sirius and James. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary when all of sudden I heard this loud commotion coming from outside. I turned and I saw that there was several Death Eaters right outside the entrance to the store. I went to block the door but one of them was already crossing the threshold. I raised my wand to duel him, but he was too quick he cast a nonverbal incarcerous spell on me and he carried me back to the back of the storeroom. He cast some sort of spell on me that cut me open, and that's all I remember." James was staring at Lily as if he was waiting for her to add something to her story, when she did not he turned away from her in what seemed like disgust and waited for Dumbledore to continue his questioning.

"Did the Death Eater question you about anything, Lily?" Dumbledore asked after a moment's pause to reflect on what Lily had recollected. Lily searched her memory, trying desperately to remember what Severus had mentioned to Bellatrix and the others.

"Yes, um he asked me about the whereabouts of a list?" Dumbledore leaned forward a fraction of an inch; it seemed that this was the answer he had feared.

"Lily, did they find the list?"

"No, sir not while I was conscious," Lily answered.

"Lily," Dumbledore said speaking very gravely, "I need you to think very hard and tell me if you recognized your attacker or any of his accomplices." James turned around and looked at Lily; this was the moment of truth.

"No sir, my attacker kept his mask on the entire time. I did see Bellatrix Black, sir, but the rest kept their masks on the entire time." Dumbledore seemed satisfied with the answer, but James was not.

"Surely Lily, you recognized the voice of your attacker?" he asked, barely able to keep the anger controlled in his voice, "or can give us some detail that might lead to his capture?"

"I wish I could James, but after all I don't normally associate with Death Eaters, how could I recognize the voice of someone I never met?" She answered his angry outburst with a cool tone and an icy glare.

"Very well then, that is all we can ask of you. Please get plenty of rest, Lily." Dumbledore said with a bow as rose to leave. "Are you coming James?"

"No sir, if its all right I'd like to visit with Lily."

"Do not keep her too long James, she needs her rest." Dumbledore said as he left the room. James waited until he heard Dumbledore descending the stairs before he started in on Lily.

"How can you do that? How can you defend a Death Eater?" He snarled.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Lily in a tone of clear defiance.

"Like hell you don't. Snape! It was Snape that attacked you."

"You're ridiculous! Severus couldn't do that. Just because you hate him, Potter, doesn't mean he's to blame for every bad thing that ever happens."

"I'm not ridiculous, if anything you're bloody naïve. Just because you were friends with that monster, you think you know him, well let me tell you something Evans; I know it was Snape that attacked you because I know that spell. He invented that spell, I would know I'm the one he's used it on before." Lily sat stunned for a moment before rallying again.

"Severus could never have invented that spell."

"Why do you insist on defending him?"

"I don't! I just know he's not guilty."

"If you didn't see your attacker, how do you know it wasn't him?" James asked sarcastically.

"Potter, get over yourself! I told you it wasn't Severus, so just drop it."

"Not a chance in hell. If you think I'm going to let him get away with what he did to you…you could have died Evans!"

"Potter, I know you are trying to be noble, but stop! I know what happened and I know what I saw."

"Yet, you're willing to protect a Death Eater. I never would have thought that of you Evans."

"Stop acting like this is so simple. Like it's all black and white. Real life has gray areas Potter!"

"Not with this. Snape is a Death Eater. There's no protecting friends if their Death Eaters anymore, Evans. This isn't some prank at school, he's working for You-Know-Who. Who knows what that list was they were looking for, it could be something really serious. This is black and white, Evans. You're either with the Death Eaters or you're against them, and it looks to me like you're with them."

"How dare you! How dare you suggest that I would ever be a Death Eater!"

"I just call them as I see them, Evans."

"Get out!"

"You're forgetting this is my room, Evans."

"Fine, then I'll get out."

"Like hell you will, sit down or I'll call my mother." Lily looked mutinous but she lay back down as she had been instructed.

"Leave me alone, Potter. I'll be gone in two days and after that as far as I'm concerned we're not friends."

"I'm not friends with Death Eaters," he said with glare.

"Fine!" she yelled, "Then the next time you see me, don't talk to me!"

"Fine!" he yelled back as he marched out of his bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

Andromeda was glad to finally be home. She felt bad leaving Lily alone in the Potter house, but after all Lily was the one who told her to go home and get some rest. "Ted?" she called out.

"I'm in here Dromeda!" Andromeda walked in to the sitting room where her husband was waiting for her with their daughter, Nymphadora whose hair was currently a bright shade of yellow.

"Yellow, today?" she asked her husband, she always found it amusing to find how her daughter's appearance changed from day to day.

"Just for a few moments, she's been going crazy all day. Started out the morning with a duck beak for a nose and pink hair, then she had gray hair. It was the funniest thing I've ever seen this little two year old girl with shockingly gray hair." Andromeda had to laugh out loud, after the day she had had seeing her daughter and her husband were the best remedy that could be imagined. Nymphadora, seeming to have just noticed her mother's entrance, wobbled over to her mother and in her happiness turned her hair turquoise.

"How's Lily?" Ted asked with sudden concern in his voice.

"Lileeeee" Nymphadora mimicked with a giggle.

"She seems to be doing alright. Healer Longbottom seems to think she will make a full recovery at any rate."

"Any idea what the Death Eaters were looking for?"

"None, though Dumbledore seems to know."

"Well of course, Dumbledore knows, what doesn't that man know?"

"I was thinking I would take Dora with me to work tomorrow, spend a little quality mother, daughter time together."

"Sounds good to me, I was thinking I would owl Arthur Weasley and see if there were any openings in the ministry, see if he could recommend me for anything."

"Honey that's great, but Arthur just started working there too; I doubt he's in much of a position to give recommendations."

"I know, but he got a promotion from a mail clerk the other day. He's a filing clerk now, and I figure they probably need someone in the mail room to take his place."

"It's worth a try, I suppose."

"I'll say I don't know how much longer we can manage with just the one income."

"Yes, but who will watch Dora if you get a job. It's not like we can leave her at my mother's. Or I know maybe one of my lovely sisters can watch her?"

"Yeah dear old Aunt Bella, she'd be a great babysitter. I don't know Dromeda; we'll have to figure out something though. How are we going to manage two babies with only one income when we can barely manage with just Dora?"

Lily Evans tried her best to sleep, but she had far too much on her mind. She knew Potter was furious with her, part of her could not blame him, could not help agreeing with him. Why was she protecting Severus? Was Potter right? Did Severus invent that spell? Was she really, by not telling Dumbledore, helping the Death Eaters? Why did Severus not kill her? Was he really trying to save her like he said? Why did she have to sleep in Potter's bed, when it annoyingly smelled just like Potter, and even more annoyingly why did a part of her really like being in the bed surrounded by his smell? All these questions raced through her mind, none had satisfactory answers. She hated the way Potter had looked at her today, gone was the look of desire, gone was the look of concern, replaced by a look of disappointment, as if she was somehow less than he had thought. Why was he so infuriating? How dare he think he was some moral authority on right and wrong! Life wasn't black or white; she didn't care what he said. This was not a cut and dry situation. Severus had been her best friend, how could she turn him in? The truth was she did not want to have to admit to herself or anyone else that she had been wrong about Severus, that he really was a Death Eater.

James Potter lay awake in the cot his mother had placed in Sirius' room, thinking as always of Lily Evans.

"What's the matter Prongs?" Sirius asked his best friend.

"Nothing and I thought you were asleep."

"How can a man sleep with you thinking so loudly?"

"Funny, you're a regular laugh a minute."

"Touchy aren't we tonight, Mr. Prongs. Could it perhaps be caused by the presence of the lovely Miss Evans in your bed tonight and you not joining her?"

"I wouldn't want to join her," James said defiantly.

"Yeah right, Prongs, it's not like you haven't been lusting after her since the moment you laid eyes on her. Are you telling me you are going to let her sleep in the room right next door, in your own bloody bed, without doing anything?"

"That's what I'm saying. I don't have the slightest interest in where Miss Evans is sleeping."

"What happened? Did you two have a fight?"

"You could say that."

"So what's new about that? I've never known you and Evan's not to fight. Like a bloody cat and dog, you are."

"This was different; I think she loves someone else."

"Who," Sirius asked all kidding aside. Despite his teasing of James he knew his best friend genuinely cared for Lily and that his friend was obviously in pain.

"Snape," James said, it was almost a growl.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Sirius said with a laugh.

"I am not. I think she loves him."

"What in the hell makes you think that?"

"The spell that was used on Lily, you didn't recognize it?"

"You think it was sectumsempra? I thought about that, but surely she would have turned him in."

"You would think, but she's protecting him. She loves him."

"I don't think that's it, Prongs. I think she is just protecting him because he used to be her friend, her best friend. It must be hard on her to realize she was so wrong about him."

"How can you defend her? You've turned in members of your own family, your own cousin!"

"Exactly and I know how hard it can be, maybe Lily just isn't ready."

"He nearly killed her!"

"I know, James. I'm just saying maybe you shouldn't be so hard on her."

"I don't have a bloody choice. What if her keeping her mouth shut, protecting that Death Eater results in the death of someone in the Order? My parents even!"

Morning dawned in the Potter household much as it always did with Jillian preparing breakfast for her husband before he set off for work. After seeing Richard off, she made her way upstairs to check on her guest. Though she pretended to be ignorant of her son's feelings, Jillian Potter was very much aware that Lily Evans was the girl in her son's life. It was, therefore, a relief to her when she discovered that she liked Lily immensely. She tapped on the door to her son's bedroom and heard a weak come in as she turned the doorknob to enter the room.

"Good morning my dear, did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you," Lily said with a weak smile.

"That was a silly question. Of course you didn't sleep well, how could you with everything that happened yesterday!"

"It was all a bit overwhelming," Lily conceded.

"Yes, I can imagine. Now, tell me my dear, what is your favorite breakfast?"

"Oh, anything is fine Mrs. Potter. Really, I don't want you to have to go to any trouble."

"It's not any trouble at all, dear."

"Go with the omelet, it's her specialty," James said as he came in to his room to retrieve clothes from his closet.

"Okay, I guess I'll have an omelet then." Lily said as she began to get up from the bed.

"Oh no dear, don't be silly. You'll have breakfast in bed. You need your rest."

"Mrs. Potter I really appreciate everything you're doing, but it's not necessary."

"Not necessary? My dear girl you almost died yesterday. Don't make me hex you into that bed. Sit and I will send one of the boys up with your breakfast in a few minutes. They have nothing better to do believe me."

"Well thank you very much, Mrs. Potter."

"Please, call me Jillian. Come along James, let the poor girl rest." She said as she marched out of the room.

"James," Lily called out, "you don't have to go. I mean it's your room after all," she said with a small smile.

"'The next time you see me, don't talk to me', remember?" James said. Lily looked as if she had been slapped across the face, but she faltered only for a moment before replying.

"Fine Potter, if that's the way you want this to be, that's the way it'll be."

"Oh no, do not put this off on me. I don't want it to be like this. It's you that's chosen the other side."

"Oh that's right I'm just a regular fucking Death Eater in your mind."

"No, I think you're fucking a Death Eater."

"Go to hell!"

"No thanks, it's you that prefers the company of devils like Snape."

"You know what, if I never see you again that will be fine by me."

"Couldn't happen soon enough!" with that James stormed out of his room slamming the door behind him.

Jillian and Sirius heard the door slam from the kitchen below as Jillian prepared Lily's breakfast.

"I think maybe I should have you take Lily her breakfast," Jillian said with a slight grimace.

"Probably a good idea," Sirius said. He was amused by the fight, granted it was more ferocious than their previous fights, but that was okay. "You see, Mrs. Potter, I have a theory about those two", he said waving a piece of sausage at her as if he were a teacher instructing a class.

"Oh really, a Sirius Black approved theory," Jillian said as she pulled out her chair and sat down, she always loved Sirius' theories, "do tell please."

"Okay, well I think all their anger and frustration with each other, as seen through their constant bickering, is because of all their sexual energy and frustration they have towards each other."

"Okay Sirius eww, this is my son we're talking about. Can you please refrain from using the phrase 'sexual energy'?"

"Sorry," Sirius said though he was not the least bit abashed. Mrs. Potter was one of those parents you could really talk to about anything. That is why he loved her. "So anyway my theory is that the reason they are having bigger fights now, is because they are being forced to be around each other more often. So they have more um tension they need to release."

"Hmm…things were so much simpler in my days. I mean Richard never did anything like this, if he was feeling 'tense' as you called it he would just go and…"

"Okay, whoa! Hold on there Mrs. P, that's an image I do not want or need. I'm eating my breakfast here!"

"That is payback for all your talk about my son's sexual energy," Jillian said while holding in wild laughter.

"Okay, dude, Padfoot, why in the bloody hell are you talking about my sexual energy with my mother?" James said as he entered the kitchen.

"One of his theories, dear," Jillian said supplying James with his answer.

"Okay, bigger question, why do you have theories about my sexual energy?"

"I have theories about everything my dear Mr. Prongs."

"If it's all the same to you, I think I'd like to keep my sexual energy private."

"Sure why not? You got that breakfast ready for me to take to the lovely Evans yet, Mrs. P?"

"Right here, Sirius," she said as she handed him the plate with the omelet and sent him on his way.