Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the god of writing, aka J.K. Rowling


Part Two Wildfire

All the devils are here


Chapter 9 Teenage Wasteland

(Sweet Home Alabama)


Lily breathed in the salty ocean air. She smiled and looked at the endless blue expanse in front of her. She hadn't been in Greece for over three years, and her memories had not done it justice. Lily's feet dragged against the sandy beach and her light dress billowed out around her.

The sun was just starting to set; it was dusk. Lily loved dusk. She watched passionate berry pinks and moody oranges swirl into the horizon. Lily's skin bid the sun goodbye as it lowered into the sky.

" Some things don't change do they? You're still obsessed with the sky," a voice teased from behind her. Lily wrapped her arms around her chest and frowned. That wasn't Selena's voice. It was deep and masculine. An accent laced into the English words.

Lily turned and met a pair of baby blue eyes. She grinned and stared at the muscular body of her old crush, She almost didn't recognize him. His tawny brown hair wasn't stuck in a buzz cut. It was long and stuck up in defined clumps. His skin was a rich tan that looked like the color of fawn wood. His eyes had crinkles and a few laugh lines surrounding them. Lily didn't recognize the tall sunny man in front of her. But his eyes gave him away. She knew of only one person with those lively sky-blue eyes.

" Gale," Lily asked. The man in front of her grinned a crooked smile. Lily ran towards this man and he held his arms out in an embrace. She stuck her head in the crook if his shoulder and inhaled his sea-salt scent.

Galen Kingsmill wasn't the free-spirited teenager she remembered him to be. The last time Lily saw him he was a joyful fifteen year-old boy. Now he stood in his nineteen-year-old glory.

" Where have you been," Lily demanded once he let go of her. Galen rubbed his neck and Lily could see a flash of a fresh scar.

" It's complicated Rose," Galen murmured in her ear. Lily smiled at his use of the nickname he gave her when she first came to Greece. He said that she was the utter and complete epitome of an English Rose, and that it would be his immense pleasure to change that.

" We have time," Lily pointed out. Galen smiled and led her up the stone pathway to the airy Kingsmill Manor. The two walked inside and went out to the patio. Lily took her old perch on the railing and Galen stood next to her twisting his fingers.

" After I graduated, back when I was seventeen, I was accepted into the auror department here. After a year of training I was sent on missions. I just got back from one up in Edessa. There's been a lot of Dementor attack lately," Galen explained. Lily sighed and faced him.

" Selena wrote to me in June. Why have you been avoiding your family," Lily asked. Galen sighed and stretched his arms. Lily could see scars staining his sinewy arms.

" I heard about your parents and brothers. I'm sorry," Galen announced. Lily frowned at him ill attempt to change the subject. But it did deter her. Lily had been able to block all thoughts of her life back in England out. She came to Greece an hour after leaving Platform 9 and ¾ and had stayed for the past month. It was late July and her skin bore the sign of her time in the sun.

Lily hadn't heard from any of her friends or brothers since she got here. She thought that had something to do with the distance. Lily pitied the owls that had tried to get to Athens.

" Gale don't change the subject," Lily scolded. Galen relaxed at her use of his nickname.

" I dunno what happened. It's the war. That bloke in England started reaching out to the continent during the past four years. It must have been worse in France," Galen explained. Lily flinched at the thought of her life in France.

She had sold the Auclair manor and all the stuff in it only a few weeks ago. Lily had left everything she knew in France. Her ghosts were too present there. It would take time for her to ever consider returning to France. She nudged her old friends and indicated for him to continue.

" I became an auror because I wanted to be a hero. I didn't want to be plagued with seeing people drained of their souls. I didn't think I would spend my days battling Dementors all the time," Galen clarified.

Lily felt something inside of her stir. It was so dangerous of her to come to Greece. She still didn't know how to produce a Patronus Charm; she was defenseless here.

When Lily first arrived in the Greek Ministry from the British one, that had been freshly rebuilt using magic, she went to her mother's family's villa. Her grandparents died over three years ago; but it still pained her to stay in the large villa with only the house elves for company. The next day she knocked on the Kingsmill villa, across the street, and was immediately engulfed in one of Selena's tight hugs.

She spent the next month with Selena. Her father was often at the magical hospital in the center of the city. Lily went at least once a day ever since she came to visit the ailing Apolline Kingsmill. It broke her heart to see her old piano teacher, and mother-like figure so ill. Lily knew that she wouldn't live to see the end of the summer.

Lily spent her days at the beach attempting to get a tan. Her plan had worked a bit. There was a golden glow to her normally creamy skin that reminded Lily of her family's rich tan skin. Then she blocked out memories of her family and swam in the beach.

The one member of the Kingsmill family that Lily had never seen since she first came to Greece was Galen. Selena frowned at Lily's questioning about her older brother. She told Lily that ever since Galen started his work with the aurors something had changed inside of him.

But as Lily watched the physically and mentally scarred man in front her, she didn't see anything different about the boy who had taken her second kiss. He looked a bit down, but the minute Lily made eye contact with him, he seemed to relax.

" Do you know where Lena is," Lily asked him. Her old nickname for her sister-like friend had returned the minute she saw her friend.

Selena looked different. Her skin was still the amber hue that Lily remembered. Her eyes were still the serene ocean-blue that twinkled with joy. But there was a hidden sadness in them. Selena's hair was longer. It was a light caramel hue with blond highlights that reached her stomach. Selena was still annoyingly beautiful and graceful. Lily didn't care though; she missed her friend too much to be envious of her friend's good looks.

" She slammed the door to the house in my face and apparated to the hospital," Galen admitted with a rueful chuckle. Lily looked at him sympathetically. He managed to block out his family due to his attempts to numb the world around him.

" I promised your mum that I'd go to the hospital today. Do you want to come with me," Lily said with a pleading look. Galen's face crumpled into a frown. According to Selena he had managed to not visit his mum once since she had been emitted to the hospital.

" Rose I'm not too sure," Galen muttered. Lily frowned and jumped off the balcony.

" Well unlike Lena I'm not of age yet and I need a ride Gale," Lily sniffed. Galen looked at her with an amused expression.

" Fine, but only for you Rose," Galen stated. Lily grinned and grabbed his hand. Her hand was much smaller than his. She felt a tug at her navel as they apparated to the hospital.

" Lily darling is that you? Oh who's that with you," Mrs. Kingsmill weakly said from her bed. Lily entered the room and pulled Galen in. He wore a sheepish grin and let Lily tub him over to his mum. Mrs. Kingsmill looked like a child on Christmas morning as she stared at her son.

" Galen come give your mom a hug," Mrs. Kingsmill ordered with a wide grin. Galen smiled at her shyly and leaned over. He pulled him mother into a hug and Lily watched them with a grin. She managed to reunite a son and mother; it was a good summer.

" Oh Lily come here," Mrs. Kingsmill demanded. Lily blushed as she leaned down and was enveloped into a hug by both Galen and Mrs. Kingsmill. It was a good summer indeed.

" Lily get your ass out of bed! We're going to the beach now," Selena barked. Lily groaned and turned over from her bed. After much begging from Selena and Galen she was forced to move out of her villa and into the Kingsmill one.

" We go to the beach everyday," Lily shouted. She heard her door open and felt the covers ripped from her body. Lily glared at her pillow and sat up. She could see that it was early morning. Lily slept in a lot lately. Unlike in France or England, Lily wasn't plagued by nightmares here. She decided to make the most of it by sleeping for long hours. Selena had nicknamed her the cat that wouldn't do anything but sleep and eat.

" Lily Marie Evans," Selena threatened. She had been one of the few people to immediately accept Lily's plans. Lily informed Galen a few days ago and he seemed proud of her.

It was a week after Lily took Galen to see his mother in the hospital. Ever since that day, he worked from dawn till dusk. But he came back to the Kingsmill villa, to the utter shock of Mr. Kingsmill and Selena. Lily met him at the beach everyday at dusk.

She had forgotten how much she loved Greece. The Kingsmills taught her the true meaning of family. She found a place in their house and family. Lily loved the beaches and of course the views. In England beaches were rocky strip of gray water. Here they were sandy expanses with bright blue water.

" Galen I tried it's your turn," Selena barked. Lily sat up and watched her curiously. Selena winked at her and sashayed out of the room. Lily heard footsteps and saw Galen in her doorway. He watched her with a smirk.

" I remember a time when you had this absurd crush on me. I can't believe that you're turning down the opportunity to spend the day with me," Galen teased. Lily frowned at him and rubbed her eyes.

" Why aren't you at work," she mumbled. Galen ignored her and grabbed a dress from her closet. He threw it a her and smiled.

" I took the day off so we could do something. And if you remember Rose, I don't take no for an answer. Meet me down in the patio in ten minutes, otherwise I'll drag you off to the city in those lovely pajamas," Galen threatened. Lily blushed at the thought of going into public wearing her short shorts and tank top. She shoved Galen out of her room and quickly showered. Lily slid into her dress as she brushed her teeth.

She placed a hair-drying spell on her hair as she walked down the stairs. Lily was grateful that the Kingsmills had a clearance on their home for housing two of age wizards and two of age witches. Here in Greece, school ended in the English equivalent of one's 6th year. Selena would be finishing school this year.

Lily walked out to the patio and found Galen sitting there wearing a button down shirt and khaki shorts. She could see a wicked scar on his leg that looked like a large bite.

" Let's go," Galen ordered. He grabbed her arm and Lily's world spun. She leaned over and Galen watched her in amusement when they landed. She groaned and stood. They were in central Athens, and it was filled to the brim with bustling people.

" Never do that to me again," Lily groaned. Galen smirked and led her to the nearby market. He bought two containers of pomegranate seeds and handed one to Lily. She accepted it with a smile and popped the juicy seeds into her mouth.

The two walked through the city reminiscing about old things and talking about what happened to them in the past few years.

" Ugh why would you date Arielle Mendel," Lily groaned. Galen shrugged and grinned.

" For the record, she may be a right bitch, but she has quite the tits," Galen explained. Lily shoved him as they crossed a street. The sun was high in the sky and beat down on them. Lily was happy. Being with Galen allowed her to forget about her crappy life. Lily had a limited number of days where she would be free. She planned on using them all.

" My mum always spoke about this place," Lily murmured. She and Galen were in the National Gardens. Lily saw a moonflower and touched it. The petals opened up and she smiled.

" Same with mine. Hey let's go to the Plaka and see if that restaurant you were obsessed with is still there," Galen suggested. Lily nodded and grabbed his outstretched hand. They apparated to the famous Plaka and walked to Lily's favorite restaurant in Athens.

Lily laughed at Galen's mockingly gentlemanly show of pulling out her chair. She sat and he sat across from her. His knees bumped hers affectionately and she smiled. After they placed an order for a plate of pita bread and Lily's favorite hummus Lily looked around the small and quaint restaurant.

She started coming to this restaurant ever since she was ten. It was a place that held fond memories of her life here and not in England. Well until Galen Kingsmill decided to take her there that July day.

If he hadn't taken Lily to that restaurant, Lily may have been tempted to stay in Greece and never leave. Potter couldn't find her and as long as she kept their betrothal a secret she was safe. Lily never held any romantic feelings for Galen. He was her best friend; he was closer to her than even Selena.

The kiss they shared back when she was eleven was purely experimental. Both of them had never kissed anyone and wanted to get it over with. But Lily loved that kiss. Galen had made it special for her. He took her out flying and kissed her over an infinite expanse of water and sunlight.

Lily was sure that if what happened next didn't occur she would have probably stayed in Greece. She would forget about England and her brothers and let them fade into her past. She would marry Galen; they always say that you should marry your best friend, and raise a household of children with his tawny hair and her emerald eyes. But that wasn't what fate had in mind.

Lily hear the ring by the door jingle and glanced at it unconsciously. What she saw was like being electrocuted. Lily stood and turned. Galen looked at her in concern. But she didn't notice him. Lily gaped at the person who entered the restaurant that held such fond memories.

" Pericles," Lily choked. Her brother looked over at her and frowned. He took a step towards her.

" Lily where have you been, " Pericles said with a baffled expression. Galen turned to her with a question. Lily felt her heart clench. She felt as though a bolt of lightening had hit her. Seeing someone from her life had woken her from the dream-like state that Greece forced her into.

Memories poured into her mind. Each one pierced her like a gun. She gasped and leaned over. Pericles made a move towards her and Galen jumped towards her. Lily brushed them away and breathed in. No matter how much she tried to run, her life would always find her.

" Galen this is my brother Pericles, Pericles this is Galen Kingsmill his mum was mum's classmate," Lily introduced. The boys watched each other warily and briskly shook hands. Lily sighed and turned to Galen.

" I'm sorry but do you mind if we continue this later. I think I owe Pericles an explanation," Lily asked. Galen nodded and placed some muggle money on the table.

" I'll meet you outside then," he said. Pericles stepped in before Lily said anything.

" That's not necessary. I'm sure that I'll be able to escort Lily to the Lilius villa," Pericles clarified. Lily sent Galen a pleading look to not tell Pericles that she was staying with him and his family. Galen nodded and placed a kiss on her cheek. He clapped Pericles on the back.

" It was grand meeting you. Lily, you know where to find me," Galen finished. Lily gulped and watched him leave the restaurant. Pericles moved and took Galen's seat. Lily bit her lip as she sat across from them. Their food arrived and Lily picked at it. Pericles didn't touch anything.

" Why are you in Greece," Lily finally asked. Pericles looked up. Lily could see a faintly hidden trace of mourning in his eyes.

" I was offered a job in the magical hospital here. What about you? Lily we were so worried when you didn't show up to Lucian's funeral or the family meeting. Jason even contacted some of your friends to see if they knew where you were," Pericles explained.

Lily bit her lip and looked down. She felt guilty about what she did. It wasn't right of her to just bolt out of England. But she wasn't thinking rationally when she read that letter.

" I dunno. I just needed to escape for a bit I guess," Lily mumbled half-heartedly. Pericles snorted and crossed his arms.

" Lily if you want to be treated like an adult you need to start acting like one. I'm your guardian; if you died or got hurt it would be on my hands," Pericles scolded. " I'm sorry," Lily mumbled. Pericles sighed and accepted it reluctantly. The two ate quickly and left the restaurant. Pericles sat with her on a bench and they spoke.

" Are you staying here," Pericles asked. Lily rubbed her arms and answered.

" No I may have consider it at one point; but I can't stay here. I've got obligations in England. You're welcomed to stay in the villa," Lily explained. Pericles nodded.

" Thanks I've been staying in a rundown inn for the past week," Pericles stated. Lily nodded and looked at the sky.

" Lily I've got to tell you something if you're going back to England. I'm staying here and working here. I can't stay in England anymore there's too many ghosts there," Pericles announced. Lily swallowed and nodded. He ran a hand through his wheat-colored hair and sighed.

" Cassius was accepted to the Montreal School of Euro-Glyph School of Extraordinary Language. He moved to Canada last week," Pericles added. Lily frowned at this.

" Isn't he betrothed to some pureblood," Lily asked. Pericles nodded and looked down at his long fingers.

" Natasha Goyle. She went with him. So it's just Jason in England now," Pericles finished. Lily frowned at this. Jason wouldn't survive by himself. If he were living alone that would not end well. Jason grew up surrounded by a huge family; and now he was alone.

" How did Voldemort feel about you and Cassius leaving," Lily asked. Pericles sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

" He was looking to expand so he supported us for leaving England," Pericles explained. Lily wrung her hands and looked at the sky.

" Oh I guess that's good for you," Lily mumbled. She stood and brushed some dirt off her dress. Pericles stood and stared at her.

" When are you going back," Pericles asked. Lily cracked her neck and bit her lip.

" Before school starts. The villa is nearby we can go now," Lily suggested. Pericles nodded and she hailed a taxi. After a twenty-minute ride she gave the driver some muggle money and waved to him as he drove by.

Lily turned and faced her grandparents, no her, house. It was a creamy color with large windows and a red-slate roof. Flowers grew in elegant designs all over the house. She led Pericles to the house and opened the wood door. Lily stepped inside and immediately smelled a flora scent.

" So this is where mum grew up," Pericles mused. Lily nodded and looked around. She hadn't been here in over a week, but the house elves had managed to keep it in good condition. The rooms were airy and had modern furniture. Lily took Pericles on a quick tour and showed him to a guest room.

After her grandparents died, three years ago, her mum inherited the house. In her will she left it to her one child who grew up here; Lily. Lily loved the house but she could still see the ghosts of her grandparents. She could see her young grandmum wearing a chic dress and her red hair up in a sophisticated bun. Lily could smell the scent of her grandmum's baklava. She could still see her granddad sitting in the living room listening to Lily play the piano while sipping a cup of scotch. She could see his rich mahogany hair and his joyful grassy-green eyes.

But those were only memories. Lily blinked and her grandparents disappeared. She cleared her throat and told Pericles to make himself at home. Lily left him and told the house elves to make some of her grandmum's grilled mix recipe. Lily grabbed a broom from the shed outside and shouted to Pericles that she was going to visit someone.

Lily flew over to the Kingsmill villa that was next door and landed on the patio. She smiled when she saw Galen standing on it.

" Hey," Lily greeted. He smiled and turned. Lily left her broom by the railing and walked over to him. They watched the beach for some time and the door opened.

" Lily what's this about ditching my brother," Selena chuckled as she walked over to Lily and Galen. Lily blushed and wrapped her arms around her chest.

" It's not her fault. Her brother mysteriously showed up in the middle of the restaurant," Galen explained.

" Which one," Selena asked. Lily rubbed her arms and answered.

" Pericles. He's the healer. He got transferred to the hospital here in Athens. He's staying at the Lilius villa," Lily explained. Selena nodded and grinned.

" Well I'm heading off to the hospital Galen you coming," Selene asked. Her brother nodded and Lily looked up.

" I'm sorry but I can't exactly stay with you anymore. It'd seem rude to my brother," Lily interrupted.

" It's fine, family first I guess. Here you can take your stuff whenever you need to," Selena answered. Lily pulled her into a hug and watched the Kingsmill siblings leave.

She headed inside the house and gathered all of her belongings. Lily rode her broom back to the Lilius villa. Lily felt something change. She knew that with Pericles' arrival things were going to be very different. But something seemed off, something was wrong.

Lily said goodbye to the late July air as she entered the villa. She spent sometime at the beach that day. July was almost over and things were changing. Selena and Pericles met and became quick friends. Selena planned on applying to the magical hospital in Athens when her school year ended. Pericles, being a healer, became her newest fascination.

Lily spent her days at the beach with Selena, at the hospital playing the piano for Mrs. Kingsmill and other patients, or with Galen. She and Galen spent the evenings and weekends exploring Athens. She forgot how much she missed him. Galen's original bitter attitude changed as they spent more and more time together.

Mrs. and Mr. Kingsmill were so thankful that Lily had brought their son back. But Lily didn't understand what happened. She knew that being an auror was dark work. Yet Galen spent his days saving people from Dementor and werewolf attacks. He didn't deal with the horrible death eater massacre in England. Lily shivered as she walked into the Kingsmill villa.

Today, she and Pericles were having dinner with the Kingsmill family. Mrs. Kingsmill had been discharged from the hospital that morning due to some improvement in her condition. Lily was so happy.

" Lily why do you insist on never being punctual. Your charming brother showed up at least seven minutes ago," Mrs. Kingsmill mockingly reprehended from her seat at the head of the dining room table. Lily blushed and bit her lips. She may have daydreamt while basking in the summer sun for a bit too long.

" Punctuality has never been my specialty Mrs. Kingsmill," Lily explained. Mrs. Kingsmill clicked her tongue as Lily took a seat across from Galen. Her knees hit his and she mumbled an apology. Lily looked at Apolline Kingsmill as she ate. Her face had a bit more color to it and her eyes had retained their sparkle. But illness surrounded her like a mist.

" Darling will you play for us. My hands aren't feeling up to it," Mrs. Kingsmill asked. Lily smiled and nodded. After everybody finished a light conversation and their food, the group headed to the open living room. Lily sighed when she saw the familiar glossy black pianoforte of her childhood.

Ever since she came to Greece, she had spent a few minutes each day with it. Then Selena would drag her off to meet with some of their friends from school. Lily's old schoolmates from the Athenian School for Sorcery had been delighted to see her. She spent days with them reminiscing and catching up on gossip.

Lily missed Greece so much. Being here only reminded her of everything she left behind when she left. But she couldn't stay here for the entire summer. Lily had to go back to Hogwarts eventually. Her dreams may have been free of her life in England, but her thoughts weren't.

Lily walked over to the piano and slid the lid up. She sat on the bench and straightened her back. Her fingers hovered over the keys in a greeting. Lily waited until everybody was seated and then she started to play.

Lily lost herself in the piece. She let her mind relax and focused on the music. Notes pummeled from the piano in a dance. Her thoughts broke free and her mind was clear. Lily's eyes glanced at the sheet music occasionally as her fingers twirled and danced with the keys.

She lost all sense of reality when she played. There was only Lily and the piano. Lily knew that she was talented enough to play professionally, but she never wanted to. Her heart yearned for the adrenaline of a battle. Yet that didn't mean that she couldn't play for pleasure.

Lily let the last notes of the song fall in a synchronized dance. When she finished, reality slowly came back to her. She heard clapping and turned. Mrs. Kingsmill's hands tapped against each other in a gentle pattern. Selena smiled at her and applauded her. Pericles watched her with a curious look. Mr. Kingsmill smiled before turning back to his book. Galen grinned and whistled.

" You've improved," Mrs. Kingsmill commented. Lily nodded and closed the lid of the piano. She sat next to Galen and felt his fingers play with her hair as she spoke with their company. Overall the summer was going spectacularly.

But fate works in interesting ways. Things were about to change. As always there is a calm before the storm starts. And that storm would start at 5 in the morning the next day.

The next morning Lily woke with a scream. She leaned up and wrapped her arms around her chest. Lily ran a hand through her hair and shivered. She blinked back the fear and gulped. Lily had her first nightmare in over a month. She stood and heard a loud clap of thunder.

Lily closed her windows and got ready. She rubbed her eyes and saw that the bags under her eyes were returning in her mirror. Lily wrinkled her nose and threw her hair into a ponytail. Other than the loud storm outside, the house was silent.

Pericles had started working a few weeks ago. Today he had been on call and worked through the night. Lily sighed and walked down stairs. She ate some toast and read a novel. Lily heard a pounding at the door. She had given the house elves the day off so Lily bookmarked her novel and went to the front door.

She opened it and met a pair of agonized sky-blue eyes. Lily immediately knew what happened as she looked at Galen Kingsmill's pained and mourning form. She pulled him into a tight hug and felt his sobs against her shoulder. Lily closed the door behind him and led his water-covered body to a couch.

" When," Lily croaked. She felt pain and sorrow wrack her body. There was only one thing that could have sent the usual joyful Galen Kingsmill into body-heaving sobs.

" In her sleep. She and dad were in bed and he woke up and noticed that she wasn't breathing. He took her to the hospital and she was declared dead," Galen choked. Lily nodded and blinked the tears away. Her mother had been so brave and strong. Delphina Gastor had chose to give her only daughter up. But Apolline Kingsmill didn't deserve to leave her family at such a young age. Lily almost couldn't believe that the willowy woman who cared for her in her youth was dead. The person who made her realize that music was one of the things worth fighting for was dead.

Lily pushed her sorrow and angst away. Instead she anchored Galen to reality and prevented him from loosing himself.

Three days later was Apolline Kingsmill's funeral. Her body was cremated and the ashes were released into the Saronic Gulf. The mosaic jar, which held Apolline Kingsmill's ashes, had an inscription on it; Music is beyond all the magic in the world. Lily thought it was perfect. Lily in between Selena and Galen and let them cry of her shoulders. After the funeral Lily headed back to her home with Pericles.

The next week was filled with her supporting the Kingsmill family. Lily did her best to keep Selena from spending the summer crying and moping around the Kingsmill villa. But it was really Pericles who helped her. Lily could see that her brother had taken an interest in Selena, but most males did.

But Pericles was different. He took Selena to work with him and they spent the evenings speaking about Milton's works. Lily knew that Selena no longer needed her. Selena was like a sister to her. But time had changed that. Her relationship with Selena Kingsmill would never return to its old state. They were best friends, but not sisters.

Lily let Pericles stay with Selena and focused on Galen. He spent his days alternating between work and hiding from his family. It took Lily a day to find his apartment in the central of Athens. She didn't force him into explaining his feelings. She knew that never helped. Instead Lily waited for him everyday after work. She spent the evening with him walking through Athens.

Lily was there for him and that made a difference in her future. Ten days after the funeral, Lily spent the day in her room. She was on a reading binge. Lily tour through her favorite authors and books. She delved into Austen and the Bronte sisters even though she could hardly stand them. Right in the middle of her newest fascination with Keats Lily heard a tapping at her window. She looked up and saw Hestia, her owl, by her window.

Lily frowned at this. She sent Hestia to her townhouse in London. Why was Hestia at her window? Lily flapped the page of her book down and stood. She opened the window and Hestia hooted indignantly at her. Hestia's expression seemed to express her anger that her owner had left her in an urban jungle for a month.

Lily smoothed Hestia's feathers. Her owl was larger than before. Lily offered Hestia a sunflower seed from her pile. Hestia took it and hooted at Lily. Lily felt guilty for neglecting Hestia. Hestia was used to long flights, not being copped up in a townhouse for months.

Lily saw a letter attached to Hestia's leg and frowned. She removed it and let Hestia fly around the house and enjoy the Greek air. Lily walked to her desk and cut the letter open. She recognized the handwriting and almost threw the letter out. But curiosity got the better of her. How did he know where she was staying?

Lily opened the letter and her eyes scanned it.

Lily,

I spent a good four weeks trying to figure out where you lived. Thankfully you told me that Black was you neighbor. I had to grovel for him to give me your address; you owe me big time. So when I get to your house the bloody house elf informs me that Lily hasn't been home for a month. She stopped by back in June with a set of instructions and an address. I used your bloody owl, which looked tortured to write to you. Why would you leave your owl in the city anyways?

If you don't respond to this letter I will travel to bloody Athens Greece hunt you down and curse your hair off. Why did you just disappear? Marlene and I almost went to the auror office. I had to go to the bloody Gastor Manor and asked your brother where you were. Even Jason fucking Gastor didn't know where you were. We were about to set out a missing persons report, when I finally figured out where your house was.

Lily care to explain why the hell you're in Greece? Even Frank has dedicated a good three days to looking for you. Why didn't you bother to write to anyone? I'm so bloody mad at you, I considered not even writing to you.

But Benjy would have wanted me to tell you this. It's wrong of me to tell you this in a letter, but I honestly couldn't care. We've been doing some stealth missions for Dumbledore and the Order this summer. It's nothing too big. We're still getting training for fieldwork. Literally all we do is file things and let aurors wipe us out in dueling.

A week ago, Benjy and I were the only ones available to go on a mission. We were scouting the Lestrange Manor and then death eaters attacked. They let me go, but they took Benjy. He was missing for an entire week. Yesterday the death eaters sent his body parts back in a box. Benjy is dead Lily.

His funeral is on Friday if you even care to come. You've got a lot of explaining to do Evans.

Michael Wood

Lily's fingers shook as she read the letter. She let it fall to the ground and fell with it. Benjy Fenwick couldn't be dead. He couldn't be dead. Benjy with his cropped sandy hair and brown eyes couldn't be dead. Benjy Fenwick who should have lived to see his OWLS scores and become a healer.

Lily stood and grabbed her things with shaky hands. Her mum was right. No matter how far she ran, England would always pull her back into pureblood society. Lily shoved her belongings into her bracelet with shaky hands.

When she was done Lily sent Hestia back to England and looked at her room. She packed all of her belongings; Lily didn't know if she would ever return. Lily closed the door behind her and walked downstairs. She closed the door to the house behind her and locked the memories of her grandparents inside.

Lily grabbed her broom and kept it inside her bracelet. She had never bee more thankful for expandable charms. Lily crossed the street and knocked on the door to the Kingsmill villa. The date on the letter said that she had a day to get to England and go to Benjy Fenwick's funeral.

Lily knew that once she returned to England, she couldn't come back her. She had obligations that she left behind there. Going back would mean facing them and dealing with the possibility that she would never come back to Greece.

The door to the villa swung open and Lily met Selena's eyes. Selena analyzed her figure and pulled Lily into a hug. Lily sobbed into her shoulder and felt Selena lead her to the living room. She told Selena what happened.

" When will you be going back," Selena asked. Lily sniffed and rubbed her arms.

" Now. I just wanted to see you and your family one last time. I don't know if I'll be able to come back," Lily explained. Selena nodded and grinned.

" If this James Potter bloke you've told me about doesn't let you visit I'll personally go to England and hex his legs off," Selena announced. Lily laughed lightly and wrapped her friend in a tight embrace.

" I'm gonna miss you Lena. Are you sure that you'll be all right here," Lily asked. Selena nodded and picked at piece of dust off her dress.

" I'll be fine Lily. It's going to take some time for me to get over mum's death but I think I'll be fine. Dad has had time to deal with the idea. I don't think he'll ever truly heal but he'll learn to live. Galen. Well I dunno. When you came it sort of transformed him. He turned into the boy I grew up with. After mum died he's been slowly turning into auror Galen," Selena explained. Lily nodded and followed Selena into her dad's study.

She said her goodbyes to Mr. Kingsmill who hugged her with teary eyes and informed her that she was always welcomed back to the Kingsmill Manor. Lily wrapped Selena in a tight goodbye hug before taking a taxi to the magical hospital.

She found Pericles and told him that she was leaving. Lily informed him that he was welcomed to stay at the Lilius villa, but he declined. He said that he needed to get his own home instead of staying with his baby sister. After a tight goodbye and a warning to stay safe, Lily left him. She went to the Greek Ministry of Magic and bought a ticket to use the international floo station.

As Lily waited in line for the English floo travel she heard someone call her name. Lily looked up and saw Galen running towards her.

" Rose, did you really think that you could leave without saying goodbye," Galen teased. Lily blushed and smiled ruefully.

" I don't want to say goodbye to you Gale. It would hurt too much," Lily sniffed. Galen smiled and pulled her into a tight embrace. She tried to absorb his sea salt scent as he held her.

" This isn't goodbye Lils. I don't care about bloody James Potter. We'll find each other again that I can promise Rose. You saved me from falling in on myself, I'll do the same," Galen vowed. Lily blinked tears back and kissed him lightly on the lips. She let go and he stared at her in shock.

" I just wanted to see if you were still a good kiss, you're even better," Lily explained. Galen smiled and pecked her cheek. She smiled sadly as her turn to use the floo station arrived.

" We'll write," Galen promised. Lily nodded and waved to him. She grabbed some floo powder and turned to the floo station.

" English Ministry of Magic," Lily shouted. She turned and fell into the green flames; the last thing she saw was Galen Kingsmill's sky-blue eyes twinkling with sadness.

Lily gritted her teeth as the flames enveloped her. Memories she worked so hard to block out returned. She screamed as Michael's bloody back and the explosion filled her vision. Memories that had been blocked out of her mind for close to a month returned.

Lily felt her body fall out of a fireplace. She fell to the ground and closed her eyes. What was happening to her? Lily felt her heart speed up and harshly thump against her chest. Her head spun. Lily remembered that she had a similar reaction after flooing from St. Mungos to the Ministry back in June.

Lily felt someone grab her and a spell hit her. She slumped in relief and let her heart return to a normal beat. When Lily opened her eyes she met a pair of concerned brown eyes. She saw a ginger-haired man attached to the eyes. Lily blushed when she saw that people were watching her with concern.

Lily sat up and stood with the assistance of the ginger. She thanked him and brushed the dirt off her dress.

" You're welcome. My wife suffers from post traumatic stress disorder too. Usually she gets panic attacks after apparating though," the man explained. Lily froze and stared at the man.

" I'm sorry sir but I don't have PTSD. Thank you for your help but I must leave," Lily said. She turned from the man and walked briskly away from the man. Lily avoided the stares pointed at her.

She didn't have PTSD; she was Lily Evans how could she be traumatized. Sure, going through the kidnapping changed her for the worst, but she wasn't crazy. Lily told herself this and tried to prove it, she couldn't convince herself.

Lily looked around the newly erected Antechamber of the Ministry. Rebuilding had been a speedy process that took a week. But she could see that nothing was the same. Lily grimaced at the ceiling; she could see the wards kept up on it. Lily remembered how she destroyed the ceiling of the room and quickly walked through the building.

She could see that there was more security now. There were also less people. Employees held their wands out and walked briskly through the room instead of stopping to talk; Lily didn't look out of place here. Lily could see wizards and witches wearing the golden robes of the aurors. She frowned and tried to blend in. The last thing she needed was someone recognizing her and dragging her off to Bishop or Moody.

Lily sighed with relief when she exited the Ministry. She looked around bustling London and smiled; some things never changed. She hailed a taxi and gave the driver instructions to Grimmauld Place.

" So has there been any strange things happening lately," Lily asked. The driver snorted and honked at the car in front of them.

" If you mean that there's been a surplus of deadly events then yes," the driver muttered. Lily looked out the window and saw the sunny sky; it was rare for a day like this.

" What types of things," Lily pressed. The driver looked at her incredulously through his mirror.

" Miss have you been out of the country or something," the driver snorted.

" In a manner of speaking yes," Lily answered. The driver nodded and took a sharp turn.

" Well there was that huge forest fire up in Lancaster back in June. Then there was the freak thunderstorm in Glasgow that took out power for a week. Sheffield is suffering from some serial killers. Err I think that there was an earthquake in Bristol," the man listed.

Lily paled with each event he listed. The death eaters were getting bolder. She swallowed and thanked the man. When the taxi stopped, Lily handed the man an extra five pounds and told him to keep the change. She exited the car and watched the taxi drive away. Lily bit her lips and smoothed her dress as she walked up the stairs to Seven Grimmauld Place. She opened the door and heard a popping.

" Mistress Lily is back," Daisy the house elf announced. Lily smiled at her and followed the house elf into the house.

" How were things Daisy," Lily asked. Daisy showed her the clean furniture and stocked cupboards.

" I kept the house in tip-top shape! No one came by, except for a tall boy with brown hair and eyes. He asked for Mistress Lily so I gave him the address you left me," Daisy explained. Lily nodded and thanked the elf. She told Daisy that if she was up for it she could make dinner, Daisy agreed and smiled at Lily.

Lily headed upstairs and went to her bedroom. She opened the door and frowned. Lily gasped at the huge black piano that sat in the corner of the room. She went over to it and found a note on it.

Lils,

Mum left you the piano in her will. I had it delivered to your house as a surprise. I've left a bottle of some potion dad got for me from a veela booth at the market. It's supposed to make hair more vibrant and have more volume. But I really think you could use some; my hair is a mess of curls and yours is great.

Hugs and Kisses,

Selena

Lily blinked back the tears and lifted the lid of the piano. She let her fingers graze the keys but didn't play them. Lily smiled and placed the lid back on. She turned to her room and found it mostly empty. She quickly unpacked and sat by her bed. Lily dug through her closet and pulled out the black dress she wore to her parent's and Darcy Auclair's funeral. She left it by her bed and went down stairs.

After eating a quick dinner Lily headed upstairs. She knew that sleep wouldn't come. She turned the lights on and entered her room. Lily sat on the bench near the piano and opened it. She let her fingers pound the keys with vigor. Lily lost herself in the song. Her fingers leaped and sang to the keys. Music vibrated in her ears. Lily stopped in the middle of the piece. She closed her eyes and grabbed her wand from her pocket.

Lily felt tears starting to come, but she couldn't let them come. She stepped away from the piano and looked at the door to the balcony. Lily sighed and hoped that Black wasn't out on his. She went outside and looked at the plants.

Lily hummed as she touched the flowers. She couldn't believe that Benjy was dead. He was vibrant and full of life. Lily realized that his death would change everything. Benjy Fenwick had been one of the glues that prevented all out fights from breaking out in their group. Without his calming nature and responsibility they would be lost.

Lily headed inside and saw that potion Selena got for her. Mr. Kingsmill often stopped by booths in the magical market for hospital supplies. Sometimes he found some rather useful cosmetic potions.

Lily grabbed the potion and went to her bathroom. She took Selena's note with her and kept it by the sink as she drank the vial of potion. Lily waited for her hair to become curly, but it never happened. She watched in shock as her hair lost its original curls and fell in sleek drapes down her back. The color started to change. Lily's usual fiery red hair turned to the color of dark blood. She grabbed the note Selena left her and turned to the back of it.

P.S. I experimented with the potion before I sent it to you. Instead of the two-day time period it should last for about four to six months enjoy.

Love,

Lena your favorite Greek girl

Lily groaned and clutched her hair. It was usual wavy with a few graceful curls here and there. But now it was an unnaturally straight. It used to be a soft crimson with copper highlights. Now it was the color of a bing cherry.

Selena didn't have the greatest aptitude for potions and it was highly apparent in Lily's hair. Lily ran a hand through her hair. It came out without a fight unlike with her thick and graceful curls. Lily groaned and pulled it into a ponytail. She quickly showered; hoping that leaving it in a wet braid would allow her hair to curl again. Lily went to her bed and tried to sleep. It didn't come for a few hours and when it did, Lily was engulfed in horrible nightmares.

Lily woke early the next morning and went to the bathroom. She showered and looked in the mirror. Lily groaned. Her hair was still stubbornly straight and the color of dried blood. She dried it and changed into her black dress. Lily checked her reflection when she was done changing.

She looked different from the girl who came to this house in the spring. She was no longer so ignorant about pain and suffering. She lost something over the past few weeks, and it would never come back.

Lily's hair usually reached directly under her breasts. Now her hair touched the tip of her last rib. Lily's eyes had lost their child-like gleam. They were set in a morose emerald-green that showed open sadness. She had grown at least an inch and her body had grown. Lily's dress was tighter around her chest and she worked to keep it from being too slutty. The dress used to end right before her knees. Now it ended at her mid-thigh. Lily pulled on it and frowned. She didn't trust herself to transfigure this dress to a more appropriate length.

Due to ample time in the sun, Lily's skin was still a creamy color, but it had a light golden glow that made her feel like a Gastor. Lily tugged on her bracelet and checked the time. She had an hour before the funeral started. Lily planned on flying to the graveyard on the outskirts of London where Benjy lived.

She sighed and rubbed the small circles under her eyes. Lily slid a pair of small earrings on and grabbed her wand. She ate breakfast quickly and bid Daisy a quick goodbye. Lily ignored the copy of the Daily Profit sitting on the table and headed out. She looked around the neighborhood and quickly boarded her broom.

Flying in England was different from flying in Greece. Here, there were large clouds to obscure the flyer. In Greece the sky was clear and open. Lily had to use a disillusion charm to follow the Statute of Secrecy.

Lily flew for about thirty minutes. When she saw the graveyard, Lily flew down and placed her broom inside of her bracelet. She smoothed her hair and pulled her dress down. Lily entered the graveyard and saw a group of people standing in an open area. Lily could see plastic seats lined up and walked over to them.

The ceremony was almost starting so most of the seats were taken. Lil slid in an empty one towards the back. She blinked her tears away and rubbed her eyes as the priest spoke about Benjy Fenwick. Lily gasped when she heard him call Michael up to talk about his friend.

Michael's appearance hurt Lily so much. He stood in front of the podium and limped. Lily could see fresh scars staining his arms. He wore a black button shirt and dress slacks. Lily wore a muggle dress since Benjy was a half blood, thankfully most of the people here had.

Michael's hair was long. It reached the tips of his ears and concealed the jagged scar on his face. Lily gulped and looked down. She hoped that no one would recognize her. Lily heard the names of her friends called up to speak about Benjy. She looked down and stared at her hands. Lily couldn't face them. She felt a tear run down her face and rubbed it.

Soon the funeral ended and people started to leave. Lily looked up and saw that most people were gone. She stood and walked over to Benjy's grave. Lily felt a sob wrack her body. She wrapped her arms around her chest and bit her lip. Benjy Fenwick was too good; he didn't deserve this fate.

" Orchideous," Lily murmured. She moved her wand in a circle and a bouquet of flowers appeared. Lily knew the risk of underage magic but she didn't care. Benjy, her friend, was dead. Lily looked at his tombstone and read the carved letters.

Benjamin Fenwick- 1960-1976- The world is full of magical things.

Lily stifled a sob and squeezed her ribs with her arms. She brushed her hair from her face and whispered a goodbye. When Lily turned she met a pair of brown eyes. Lily sucked a breath in and brushed a tear off her face.

" Michael," Lily whispered. Michael clenched his fists and grabbed Lily. He pulled her out of the cemetery and towards a nearby park. Lily could barely keep up with him.

" Michael stop, you're walking too quickly," Lily said. Michael ignored her and pulled her into the park. It was silent inside. He turned and faced her. Lily could see rage and anger in his eyes.

" What the fuck happened to you," Michael ordered. Lily flinched at his tone and tugged on her hair. He looked at her hair and groaned.

" Do you know how worried we were? Lily we had plans to spend the first week of the vacation with Marlene and then you just disappeared! At first we thought you were at your family's house or something. But after two weeks you never responded to any of our letters. The owls carried them back unopened. I thought you got kidnaped again, " Michael shouted. Lily looked down and clenched her fists. She didn't know if she had the courage to tell him what happened.

" Michael I can't tell you," Lily explained. Michael snorted and ran a hand through his hair. Lily could see the puckered scar from their kidnapping. His chest looked constricted and Lily could see a bandage peeking out from under his shirt.

" Lily I thought we were past the secrets," Michael announced. Lily nodded and wrapped her arms around her chest. She could feel herself breaking.

" This isn't some lie I've told. I found out about it on the train ride. That's why I left, I wasn't thinking rationally," Lily clarified.

" Lily you're never thinking rationally," Michael scoffed. Lily balled her hand and looked up into his eyes.

" Don't be so judgmental Michael I don't know if you'll feel that happy about this," Lily proclaimed. Michael reached for her hand and squeezed it.

" Lily do you know what the past month has been like? No that's because you were of in Greece doing who knows what! We've been working with the Order. Benjy's death it's my fault! If I were able to watch my back then the death eaters would have never discovered us. We were caught and they released me once they recognized me as Michael bloody Wood. But since Benjy was a half blood they decided to have some fun. I could have done something; I could have stayed with him and fought them. But I was so scared, I remembered what happened when we were kidnapped and I ran. I'm not even a good Gryffindor," Michael exclaimed.

" Michael that's not your fault. You're just one person. Even if you stayed behind and tried to save Benjy they would have killed you. You're brave, there's no doubt about that," Lily argued. Michael sighed and leaned back.

" It's been hell here. The attacks have increased and the Ministry's in chaos. The purist used to try and be conspicuous, but now they're out in the open Lils. Dumbledore has gotten so desperate that he is using 6th years to fight," Michael sighed. Lily squeezed his hand and leaned against him. She could feel his scars against his thin shirt.

" I shouldn't have left. I just couldn't stay here it was too much," Lily announced. Michael wrapped his arms around her and frowned.

" What happened Lily," he asked. Lily sighed and looked into his eyes. She could see an explosion of emotions in his eyes.

" I don't know if I can tell you," Lily murmured. Michael looked into her eyes and sighed. She could feel his lips inching towards hers. She leaned her head back and he spoke.

" Lils do you remember that conversation we had right before we were kidnapped by that wanker Auclair," Michael whispered. Lily could feel his breath on her cheek. He leaned down and tightened his grip on her waist. Lily relaxed in his grip. She made a noise of agreement.

Michael's lips inched towards Lily's. She leaned up ready to kiss him. But then reality hit her with a deafening slap. Lily's eyes bolted open. She couldn't kiss Michael; she couldn't kiss anyone. Being in a relationship wouldn't end well for Lily; and it was all James Potter's fault.

" Michael no I can't kiss you," Lily mumbled. She shoved out of Michael's hold and took a few steps back. Michael's eyes watched her with pain and hurt present. Lily gulped and blinked away her tears. She wrapped her arms around her chest and held herself together.

" Lily why? You have feelings for me, I know it," Michael demanded. Lily rubbed her arms and looked up into his eyes.

" I don't," Lily whispered. She internally flinched at the lie and Michael froze. His face turned deadly and he glared at her.

" Don't lie Evans. There's been something going on between us ever since I first met you, you can't deny that," Michael barked. Lily knew that he kept up defenses when he was hurt, and she understood.

" I never had feelings for you," Lily whispered. She didn't know if that was a lie or not. Michael groaned and turned away from Lily.

" You're lying," he snarled. Lily felt a tear form in her eye. She blinked furiously and looked at the sky.

" I'm not. I'm so sorry Michael," Lily mumbled. He turned to her with a deadly expression. Michael grabbed her and pulled her towards him.

" You're an evil bitch Evans. I love you and you made me this way. You ruined my friends and me. Emmeline cried; she bloody cried when they thought you were missing. Marlene hasn't gone a day without smoking. I've been up day and night trying to find you," Michael shouted.

Lily gulped and looked away from him. This was for the better. If she got any closer to these people then it would hurt even more when Potter took her from them. Lily drew in a shaky breath and looked Michael dead in the eye.

" I never asked you guys to do any of those things," Lily coldly stated. Michael let out a mocking laugh.

" That's right you don't even know what a good friendship is. You were friends with a death eater for your entire life and never even realized it," Michael sneered. Lily looked up at him and balled her fists. She held her chest; Lily could feel herself unraveling again.

" You're demanding for me to tell you all of my secrets? Well isn't that a bit hypocritical Wood? I've let you keep secrets why won't you let me keep mine," Lily jeered.

" Evans your secrets are too big! I thought you were dead," Michael shouted. Lily regretted her words; but there was no taking them back. She could see the fear and rage in his eyes.

" Michael," Lily whispered. He looked up with a crazed gleam and walked away from her. Each step he took unraveled Lily's heart a bit more.

" Don't call me that! In fact don't bothering contacting any of my friends or me. I wouldn't want them to see what a traitorous bitch you are," Michael sneered. Lily watched him stalk out of the park. She didn't try to call him back.

Lily stood frozen to that spot. She held her chest tightly and tried to keep herself from breaking again. Lily didn't let the tears out. She couldn't. Lily felt so hurt but she couldn't blame any person but herself for that.

Lily could see clouds pulling around the sun. Its warm rays were blocked from her skin. Lily had almost forgotten how gray England could be.

She tucked her wand into her hand and walked. Lily walked on shaky feet towards where she left her broom. She grabbed it and jumped on it. Lily felt so numb. Michael was the only person who understood what she went through. Now she had lost him. Lily blinked the tears back as she glided through a low cloud.

She lost her family, her friends, and even herself. Lily didn't know who she was anymore. She knew that she wasn't Lily Gastor; she was Lily Evans. But who was Lily Evans? She didn't want to be some secretive hidden person. But she had to. If Lily got closer to her friends, then it would hurt more when James Potter pulled her away from them. Even Michael. Lily knew that Michael was a safe choice, but she didn't have a choice anymore.

Lily had eight months of freedom. After that she would a slave. Lily landed behind the Leaky Cauldron. She entered Diagon Alley and looked down. Lily didn't want to draw any more attention to herself. As she walked through the street Lily remembered.

She tired to envision her mum fighting death eaters in these streets. She couldn't. The streets of Diagon Alley were filled with hope not fires and death eaters. Lily dodged a small child dancing through the bright-colored road. She smiled at the mum and continued on her way. Lily saw a wand store. She frowned; in Greece there weren't any wand stores. Instead students chose their wands from a large collection at the Athenian School of Sorcery.

Yet Lily's wand had a different story. She had gotten it from her grandparents who told her that it was a family wand. Lily instantly bonded with the wand and kept it. Her curiosity broke through Lily's depressed and melancholy mood. Lily walked towards the store and read the sign.

" Ollivander's," Lily murmured. She heard of the family. The Ollivander family was famous throughout Europe for wand making. Lily smiled lightly as she entered the shop. She heard a bell ring as the door closed behind her.

The shop smelled of musty wood and paper. It was dimly lit and filled with shelves. On those shelves were thousands of wand boxes. Lily walked towards one gray box and let her fingers graze the dusty surface.

" Excuse me please do not touch the wands," a voice scolded. Lily looked up and dropped her fingers. She let the blue eyes of a man. His hair was a salt and pepper color and he had a few wrinkles. She muttered an apology and the man walked over to her. His eyes traced her figure with crustiness.

" Aren't' you a little old to be in need of a wand," the man grumbled. Lily held up her wand and protested.

" No I've already got one," Lily explained. She felt her wand grabbed from her wands and blinked. The stingy man analyzed her wand with disgruntled respect. He tapped it with his wand and Lily reached out for it.

" Willow wood good for charms work. Quite squishy, with 10 and ¾ inches. What type of core is this," the man mumbled. Lily crossed her arms and tugged on a strand of her hair.

" It's unicorn hair," she sighed. The man made a noise of disagreement. He reached for a book sitting on his desk. He pulled it out and turned to a page. Lily leaned over his shoulder and looked at the page he was on.

" I've never seen this type of wand before. Where exactly did you get this," the man asked. Lily wrinkled her nose.

" Excuse me sir but you've taken my wand without my consent and I don't even know who you are," Lily scolded. The man looked at her in shock.

" I'm Gerrick Ollivander. Now will you tell me where you got this bloody wand," the man explained. Lily sighed and bit her lip.

" I got it in Greece," Lily answered. Ollivander grinned and twirled her wand between her fingers.

" I've never seen a wand like this. But my granddad did. He's got an entry on this. Miss this wand core isn't unicorn hair, it's Griffin feather," Ollivander exclaimed. He thrusted the journal entry at Lily and she peered down at it. He quickly grabbed it and read through the lines.

" See since lions are kings of the beasts and eagles are consider kings of birds, the Griffin is consider to be king of all creatures. It's known as a guardian of divine power. It's hard to come by a Griffin feather since they usually don't befriend humans. Good wand for powerful magic and defensive spell work," Ollivander exclaimed.

Lily stared at him incredulously. Why wouldn't her grandparents tell her what the wand's core really was?

" Great wand all together. You've kept it in pretty good condition miss," Ollivander finished. Lily heard the doorbell ring and he tossed Lily her wand. Lily watched with an amused grin as the frazzled man walked over to a woman and a small boy. She slid out of the store and entered the street.

Once she started walking down the street Lily felt her sadness return. What was she doing out in public? She should've been inside mourning or crying. But she couldn't Lily was too scared to be alone. Lily didn't want to spend her summer locked away inside of her house. But it wasn't like she had much choice.

Lily didn't want to face the Order. She could feel shame at her disappearing act. But Lily didn't understand why. Why did Michael make her feel so guilty about leaving? It was her life and she didn't even have a year of freedom. Lily decided that going to Greece was for the better.

If she hadn't gone, then Lily would have never gotten over her fears and lost herself. Lily saw the entrance to a dark alley. She could see a sign hanging over it. Knockturn alley was its name. Lily froze in front of the entrance. She could feel evil and mysterious emitting from it. Lily turned and quickly walked back to the Leaky Cauldron.

She ate a quick lunch of a stale sandwich and bottle of butterbeer. Lily looked around the small pub. Most of the men were desolate and drinking large glasses of alcoholic drinks. Lily wrinkled her nose when she smelled a man's breath travel across the room.

She finished her meal slowly and pushed her plate away. Lily brushed some crumbs off her dress and tugged on a strand of her hair. She heard the door open but didn't look up. She thought about nothing in particular for an indefinite amount of time. Lily could hear a loud voice and a shout come from across the room a few minutes later.

She looked up with a bored expression and yawned. Lily could see the figure of a tall male arguing with another customer. She sighed and stood. Lily ignored the loud shouts and walked towards the exit. She straightened her dress and pushed the door to the pub open.

Lily scowled at the gray sky. She missed the warm beaches and clear sky in Greece. Here, the sun barely made an appearance. Lily stood languidly by the door of the Leaky Cauldron while she glared at the sky.

Suddenly she felt the wood of the door shove into her side. Lily let out a noise of surprise as she tripped and began to fall. She braced herself for the fall that never came. A pair of strong arms grabbed her and pulled her up. Lily scowled and didn't look at the man. She brushed her dress and frowned.

" It's awfully rude to open a door on someone," Lily grumbled. The man standing over her wore a pair of shorts and beat up sneakers. She heard him snort.

" Well if little pretentious English girls such as yourself didn't feel the need to stand outside of a door than this wouldn't have happened," the man growled. Lily heard an accent twist around his words. But she ignored the sense of familiarity. Rage filled her as she scowled at her dress. There was a small tear in the fabric near her hipbone.

" You've ripped my dress," Lily announced. The man laughed at her.

" I did save you from falling on the ground which would probably do more damage than a small rip on your dress," the man grumbled. Lily felt a blush cross her cheeks. She could feel anger and annoyance fill her. Lily looked up, with a tongue lashing on the tip of her tongue.

" Why you dirty little git-," Lily started. Her accent made an appearance as her emotions exploded. But she paused when she met a familiar pair of sky-blue eyes. Lily could see petty annoyance in those eyes. Both of their anger faded as the pair stared at each other.

" Pinch me," Lily mumbled. The man turned his head in curiosity. Lily blinked and laughed.

" I'm hallucinating aren't I? Why would Gale Kingsmill be in England," Lily exclaimed with a cold laugh. She felt someone grab her and look into her eyes.

" Rose it's me," Galen murmured. Lily released a bubble of laughter and let her head fall into his shoulder. There was no way Galen could be in England. He was an auror in Greece. Where would he get the time to come to England?

She felt him tug her towards a nearby bench. Lily leaned against his shoulder. She knew that she was crazy, but Lily didn't think she was insane enough to start hallucinating.

" Gale, I'd just like to abuse my psychotic capabilities. My life is falling apart. I can't tell anyone about my betrothal before I tell Potter or he tells me. I'd rather not spent my summer tracking down the bane of my existence. All of my friends will want an explanation for where I was and I can't tell them anything. I don't have any family to talk to. And to top it off I'm stuck with James Potter for the rest of my life," Lily moaned.

She felt Galen wrap his arms around her and she groaned against his shirt. He smelled like sea salt and Greece. Lily blinked her eyes in frustration and wrapped her arms around her chest. She was breaking and Lily refused to break.

" Lils are you okay," Galen murmured. Lily gasped and breathed. She felt her heart pound against her chest and her head started to spin. She tried to answer Galen but couldn't. Lily blinked and breathed in. But it wasn't air; it was smoke. Lily moaned and coughed.

She could feel flames crushing towards her. Lily clenched her fists and dug her nails into her sides. She felt her wand fall towards the ground; but Lily didn't care. She was back in that dungeon.

Lily's heart pounded adrenaline and fear into her veins. Lily clenched her eyes shut and could see the fire surround her. She fell further into Galen's arms and heard him shout her name. But Lily couldn't do anything. She was trapped in the past.

Flames licked her skin and Lily fell into their embrace. She blacked out and was stuck in her memories. Lily could feel someone pick her up, but she really couldn't. Lily was lost to the past, a past that would haunt her forever.

Lily could feel her magic escaping in her past memory. It was like she was reliving her entire kidnapping. Lily felt her chest rip open and pain lance through her heart. She felt the tugging sensation of her chains and she could hear Michael Wood's tormented screams blend into hers. Lily fell into the flames and smokes of what happened to her.

She screamed and tried to free herself. But she couldn't. Lily let the flames engulf her and writhed in protest.

Lily's eyes bolted open and she shot up. Lily could see the familiar light green walls of her room. She sighed and wrapped her arms around her chest. Lily was still in her black dress and her hair was matted. Lily grimaced at the taste of her mouth and got up with timid feet. She could feel the morning light beat down on her.

Lily went over to her bathroom and slid out of her dress. She brushed her teeth and loved the minty taste of her toothpaste. Lily took a shower and wrapped her towel around her body.

Lily entered her bedroom and met a pair of sky-blue eyes. She screamed and tugged on her short towel. Galen blushed and immediately turned.

" Why are you in my house? Why are you in England," Lily managed to get out. She clutched her towel tightly and saw Galen inch towards her door covering his eyes.

" You had some sort of breakdown in Diagon Alley. Luckily, Selena gave me your address when I left Greece," Galen choked. Lily nodded and he cleared his throat.

" Umm I'll meet you downstairs then," Galen croaked. Lily agreed and he quickly left her room. Lily leaned against the polished surface of the piano. She slid into a pair of panties and a bra and threw a blue sundress on. Lily walked over to her desk and grabbed her wand.

She sucked in a breath as she fingers knocked over a open bottle of ink. Lily caught it before it fell on the shaggy white carpet. She frowned and vanished the mess it left on her hands. Lily sighed and looked at the curtain on her door. A streak of ink ran across the lace material. Lily removed it from her door.

She could see the flowers on her patio were in full bloom. Lily smiled and sighed; she would have time for them later. Lily grabbed her wand and used a drying spell. She grabbed the curtain and walked out of her room.

Lily could see that one of the guest rooms had been used. She smiled and walked downstairs. Lily could smell the scent of pancakes from the dining room. Her nose seemed to lead her to dining room. She saw Galen sitting at the elegant table reading a copy of the Daily Profit. Lily sat across from him and picked at her pancakes. He kept his newspaper down and looked at Lily with a frown.

" Gale why are you in England," Lily asked. He shrugged and rubbed a long scar on his neck. Lily felt goose bumps form as he traced the ragged scar. It was a jagged line that went from his jawline down to his collar. Lily knew that he got it during an auror mission in Greece, but he never explained how he got it.

" The Greek Wizengamot has decided to support the British Ministry in the war against you-know-who. They sent me here to work at the auror office," Gale explained. Lily felt dread stir in her stomach. Gale couldn't stay here; being an auror here was so much different from Greece. He noticed her frown and reached for one of her hands.

" Rose, don't worry. I'm not just the best auror in Greece for the sake of it," Galen promised. Lily nodded and bit her lip.

" Gale, Greece is filled with Dementors and dark creatures. Here it's different. There's dueling death eaters," Lily mumbled. Galen frowned and rubbed her thumb.

" Rose I've trained for this. I'm not some teenager going into battle at the last minute," Galen teased. Lily smiled at his joking of her incident at the Ministry in June. Galen and Selena knew about everything that happened to her. They were currently the people who knew her best.

" I know Gale. It's just that I've lost so many people, I don't want to lose you," Lily sighed.

" I'm not going to die Rose. I'll be perfectly fine. You on the other hand have some explaining to do," Galen announced. Lily sighed and pulled her hand out of his. She wrapped her arms around her chest and sat straightly.

" I may have some issues with dealing with what happened to me back in June," Lily murmured. She idly traced her ribs and looked down. Lily could feel Galen's intense stare on her head.

" Lily care to elaborate," Galen asked. Lily bitterly noticed his usage of her name.

" It's nothing but bad dreams and lack of sleep. I'm fine Gale. I just need time to adjust to being back in England," Lily argued stubbornly. She met Galen's blue eyes in a fierce gaze and he relented.

" Fine. I need to apartment hunting today care to join me," Galen asked. Lily frowned and wrinkled her nose.

" Do you mind staying here until I go to school? You could stay here while I'm at school if you wanted," Lily pleaded. She was scared to be alone. Lily didn't want to live as a ghost of herself. Galen brought a drop of light into her lifeless soul.

He sighed and pinched the bridge between his nose. Lily gave him her best doe eyes and he relented.

" Fine but only because I'd prefer not to live in some dingy muggle neighborhood," Galen agreed. Lily let out a whoop and grinned. She ate her pancakes and drank a large glass of orange juice. When she and Galen were finished Lily led him up to her bedroom. He sat on her bed working on some work and she messed around with the large piano. But Lily was happy; she wasn't alone anymore.

Lily's days were spent in a haze. Galen had to go to work during the weekdays and some weekends. She usually spent those days reading or playing her piano. When Galen had a day off from work, they would explore muggle London. Lily was still mourning Benjy's death but she was happy.

She never tried to contact her friends; it was too much for her to handle. Lily's dreams were filled with them though. She could see them dueling in the Battle of the Ministry all over again. She watched Adam fall all over again.

She watched herself writhe in pain and James Potter save her. Lily couldn't do much to keep him off her thoughts though.

Lily groaned and rubbed her eyes. She had just woken from a mild nightmare. Lily knew that even though it wasn't bad in comparison to other ones; yet she wouldn't get any sleep that night. Galen was off on his second mission on that particular day. He was due back from a private location a day ago.

Lily was worried. Auror mission could end up with catastrophic results. Yet most of them were secretive affairs. The auror department would refuse to give her any information. All she could do was wait.

Lily stood and wrapped her arms around her chest. She brushed the cobwebs of sleep off herself as she walked around her room. Lily's eyes flew to her patio. The curtain wasn't capable of being saved; no matter how much Daisy tried to salvage it.

Lily walked over to the door and pulled it open. A warm summer breeze hit her bare legs as she walked outside. Lily rubbed her upper arms and tugged on her shorts. They barely grazed her bum and Lily wasn't that comfortable in them. But Selena had given them and the matching lace, silk camisole to her.

Lily tucked her wand into her hand and closed the door behind her. She yawned and ran a hand through her hair. Lily wrinkled her nose. She still wasn't used to her hair's lack of waviness and the curls towards the bottom.

Lily walked over to the railing and glanced at the flowers. It was close to a full moon, and Lily hadn't done much magic for the entire summer. Surprisingly, her magic didn't leap at the opportunity to be used. It sat languidly inside of her and didn't try to take control.

Lily tapped the petals of a moonflower and watched the petals open. She saw a flash of white and turned to it. Lily looked at this particular flower in shock. She hadn't been the one to plant it there; neither had Daisy. Lily walked over to it and admired the wide and full bloom of the flower.

" Ipomoea," Lily murmured. It was one of the few flowers that preferred to bloom in the night. It was also her mum's middle name. Lily stared at the flower and watched it sway slightly to the breeze. It was rather beautiful in its own way. Lily could smell its sharp and distinct scent.

" Evans? Holy Merlin is that you," a voice questioned. Lily's eyes bolted open and she grabbed her wand. Lily looked up and tensed. She could see the form of Sirius Black sitting in a plastic chair across from her. He was about five feet away from her on his own balcony. He was slouching in his chair with a cigarette in one hand. Lily scowled at him and watched him stand. He leaned against the railing and Lily could see pools of smoke fall from his cigarette.

" Bloody hell what happened to you? I almost didn't recognize you Evans. What's with the hair and tan," Black demanded. Lily felt her heart speed up when she looked at the smoke. She blinked and forced away the thoughts of the fire. Lily looked at the flowers near her and sighed.

" Hullo Black," Lily muttered. Sirius grinned raucously.

" You know your little love struck puppy Wood stopped by a few weeks ago looking for you," Black announced. Lily rubbed her arms and nodded.

" I do," Lily muttered. She tapped one of the flowers and watched it bloom.

" Well where have you been Evans? Not that I care or anything, but Prongs and Worm- I'm mean Jason were pretty beat up over bloody Lily Evans," Black announced. Lily stiffened and frowned. Potter knew who she was and didn't tell anyone yet. Why would he do that?

" I've been out of the country Black," Lily answered with a terse expression. Black snorted.

" That's sort of obvious. No one gets a tan in England," Black chuckled. Lily nodded and bit her lip. She was hoping not to run into anyone from school for the rest of the summer.

" Oi Evans who's the Gryffindor captain? I heard that Wood can't play next year," Black asked. Lily gulped when she remembered Michael's back. She flinched as the bloody burnt mass filled her vision. Lily hissed and closed her eyes. She pushed those thoughts away and forced her heart to resume a normal pace.

When Lily opened her eyes, Black was watching her with a curious stare. Lily straightened her back and turned from him. She could hear his protests but she ignored him. Lily entered her bedroom and closed the door behind her with a bang.

She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall of her bedroom. Lily gritted her teeth and let a scream out as she slid down the wall. She could feel the fire burning her. She was choking.

Lily gasped for air and pulled on her hair. It had grown back unnaturally quickly from its length by her chin. Thanks to Selena's potion, it reached her mid-back in sheets of bloody red hair.

Lily groaned as she saw Benedict Auclair's chaotic grin. She twisted her head back when Michael entered her vision. She could see him writhing in horrific pain. Lily bit her lip and felt blood fall down her face.

Lily didn't know how long she was forced to relive her worst nightmare. But at some point she felt the memories fade away and she fell on the floor. Lily turned her head into the shaggy carpet and moaned. She didn't know why this kept happening; but she intended to find out why.

Lily sat up and brushed the blood away from her chin. She walked to her bathroom with quick breaths and took a shower. Lily slid into a pair of figure-hugging jeans and a tank top. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and wrinkled her nose at its color.

Lily packed a few belongings into her bracelet; she didn't know how long she would be out for. Lily went downstairs and left instructions for Daisy if Galen returned while she was gone. Lily left her house with a grim expression. She could see that the sun had just started to rise.

Lily looked around and took her wand out. She knew one method of transportation that could get her to where she needed to go soon enough. Lily heard a loud screech and looked up. In front of her was a large bus that was painted a dark black. The words, Night Bus, were scrawled across the side of the vehicle.

Lily boarded the bus and told the driver her stop. He sent her to a seat in the middle of the bus and she sat down. Lily leaned her head against the window and watched as the world burred away. She grabbed her armrest as the bus moved suddenly.

Lily's eyes fluttered and she let out a yawn. Even though she was tired, Lily couldn't sleep. She didn't want to face her nightmares right now. Lily reached into her bracelet and pulled out a Potions book from her days at the Athenian School for Sorcery. Lily's wand sat in her pocket as she flipped through the dense textbook.

She smiled at the little notes she left in the margins. Lily's fingers traced her scrawl and she frowned. Unicorn hair should be shaved, not cut. Lily remembered her visit to Ollivander's a week or so ago. She looked at her wand and wondered why her grandparents would lie to her.

She knew that the wand was old. It was much older than the wands of her peers in Greece, France, and England. But it had heart to it. Lily adored the wand from the minute she laid her eyes on it. It was in her Grandfather's library and sat on a podium.

Lily had often walked past the wand and felt something inside of her stir. But the day she got her letter from the Athenian School of Sorcery changed her views. She never had a wand before. Lily's curiosity got the better of her and her small eleven-year-old fingers reached for the wand and twirled it. She remembered the feeling of contentment when she first held the wand.

It looked so delicate and well kept. Yet Lily could see age on the wand. She was never able to guess when it was made. Her grandparents found her a few minutes later holding the wand up with a small burst of light illuminating from it. Her grandmum had been furious that she touched it. But her grandfather smiled at her and let her keep the wand.

Ever since that day, Lily kept her wand in top condition. She knew that it worked better for charms work and certain hexes but she never cared. That is until now. Lily frowned at her wand. Griffins were rare and almost extinct due to hunting missions centuries ago. Lily had never seen or met anyone who'd seen one. She knew that Griffins were used to guard treasures.

Lily remembered the entrance to Professor Dumbledore's office. It had a grand statue of a Griffin that rotating into a staircase. Lily wondered if her wand's core was actually made from a Griffin's feather. She bit her lip and wondered whose wand it had been. It must have belonged to someone in the Lilius line since it was in her grandfather's house.

Lily checked the large clock in the front of the bus. It was almost twelve. She knew that her stop was coming up. Lily kept her book inside of her bracelet and stood. She walked to the front of the bus and grabbed one of the railings.

She tried to keep her body still when the bus bolted to a sudden stop. Lily looked outside a nearby window and smiled. She gave the driver her money and left the bus. Lily could feel the sun beat down on her skin as she walked towards her destination.

She asked the driver to drop her off on the outskirts of the forest. Lily followed a path towards her endpoint. She could feel a crunch of soil against her sneakers as she approached the house. Lily smiled at the familiar sight of the light gold house.

She bit her lip and brushed some strands of hair off her face. Lily walked up the large drive and made it to the grand door. Lily debated whether she should knock or just enter the house. Since she was a member of the Gastor family she could open the door to the Manor house. Lily sighed and grabbed the large doorknob. She opened the door and stepped inside.

Lily crossed the large entrance hall and could hear voices coming from the living room. Lily headed over there and stood in the archway of the door. Lily heard a peal of riotous laughter. She could recognize the deep laugh. Lily peered inside and her eyebrows rose at the scene in front of her.

She could see Jason's golden hair thrown back in laughter. Near him was a bottle of butterbeer. Lily could make out one other voice from inside. She cleared her throat and blushed as Jason's eyes bolted up in surprise. His mouth fell slightly as he traced her figure. That surprise quickly left and was replaced with anger. Lily watched him stand and ball his fists.

He looked taller and his hair was freshly cut. She could make out a pair of khaki shorts and a button t-shirt from her view. His eyes were filled with confusion and a layer of anger.

" Lily where were you," Jason demanded. Lily flinched at his tone and noticed someone else in the room. She met the pale blue eyes of Remus Lupin. His face held more scars and Lily paled. The full moon was only four days ago. Lily gulped and looked back at Jason.

" Out of country," Lily murmured. She entered the room and frowned at the fire in the fireplace. Lily shivered and wrapped her arms around her chest. She turned away from the fireplace and faced Jason and Lupin.

" Pericles told me that he saw you in Greece but that you left a few weeks ago," Jason listed. Lily nodded and rubbed her ribs unconsciously. She flinched when she touched the rib that had broken during the explosion.

" I've been in England for about two weeks now," Lily replied. She could feel Jason trace her skin and hair. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. Lily heard a scraping noise and looked up.

" Jason I'll let you guys deal with whatever this is. I think that Padfoot and Prongs wanted to meet up in Diagon Alley later," Lupin suggested. Lily felt guilty for interrupting her brother's summer.

" Sure Moony. I'll meet you guys at Padfoot's house," Jason answered. Lupin shook his hand in goodbye and glanced at Lily with concern.

Lily waited until she heard the door to the house slam shut. She relaxed a bit and leaned against a sofa. She could feel Jason looking at her hair.

" You look like mum," Jason murmured. Lily looked up and watched him curiously.

" That's her hair shade and she always had that gold glow going on," Jason answered. Lily nodded and tugged on a lock of her hair. Jason cleared his throat and motioned for Lily to sit. She didn't.

" Pericles told me that you were in Greece," Jason announced. Lily nodded and frowned.

" What I do isn't any of your business. I'm not here for some Gastor family fun Jason. I wanted to look through some of mum's old stuff," Lily responded briskly. Her brother frowned at her tone.

" Lily you may have renounced yourself from our family but you are a Gastor whether you want to be or not. Mum's stuff are in her and dad's room," Jason answered. Lily ignored his corrective tone and nodded.

" I'll be in there for maybe ten minutes or so," Lily said. Jason nodded and Lily moved out of the room. He followed her up the stairs. Lily saw that some of the bedroom doors were opened. She gulped when she saw that most of the were empty.

" What happened to their stuff," Lily murmured. Jason knew who she was talking about immediately.

" Julius and Lucian's belongings were boxed up and moved up to the attic. Cassius and Pericles took most of their stuff with them," Jason answered. Lily nodded. She looked forward and stared at the grand double doors directly in front of her.

Lily hesitated to open the door. She bit her lip and gathered all of her courage as she turned the gilded doorknob. Jason cleared his throat from behind her.

" I'll be in my room if you need anything," Jason announced. Lily nodded and opened the door. She took a step inside of the room and the lights turned on. Lily's heart froze at the room. Its walls were still the ivory color her mother insisted on. The floor had a thin layer of light blue carpeting. Lily could see her mother's vanity tucked on one side of the room. Large bookshelves coated a wall. Lily walked over to one and let her finger glide along the spine of a book.

A thin layer of dust covered most of the things in the room. Lily looked over at the large bed in the middle of the room. It was a rich mahogany wood with a gold bedspread. Lily could see family heirlooms lining the walls and furniture.

Lily's feet led her to the small sitting room attached to the bedroom. She licked her lips at the sight of the small white balcony adjourning the room. Flowers grew in large bundles on the balcony.

She blinked and looked around the room. The plush sofa was a rich gold and faced a fireplace. Lily glanced at the decorate carvings on the fireplace. She could see a large portrait of her mum and dad on the center of the fireplace. Her mum smiled at her and her dad nodded at her figure. Lily's eyes focused on their figures.

Her mum's hair was the same bloody red that she currently had. It was tossed over her shoulder in soft sheets of red. Lily could see her mum's kind smile with crooked dimples. Jason and Lucian had been the only ones to inherit her mum's dimples. Lily's mum's eyes twinkled with joy and delight. Delphina Gastor wore a light green dress. A hand was wrapped around her shoulder. Lily looked at the owner of the hand with a tense expression.

William Gastor had tousled golden hair. It was curled into elegant twirls similar to the Black family's hairstyle. His hair was shorter though. Only Pericles had been exempt from inheriting his father's curls. Even Jason's shaggy hair curled chaotically. His eyes were a deep gold which all the Gastor boys had inherited. Lily's dad had a rich tan skin that only she had not inherited. Yet, she did inherit his curved grin and the high cheekbones he had. He wrapped his wife to his shoulder in the portrait.

Lily sighed and turned to one of the built-in bookshelves on the side of the fireplace. Unlike most bookshelves, these held pictures of people. Lily frown faltered at the picture of Julius as a toddle. He wore a nightie and was tucked into the crook of their mum's shoulder. Lily's eyes glanced at the family pictures that grew larger over the years.

She noticed the picture of Cassius riding a broom for the first time and the one of Pericles giving Jason a piggyback ride. Lily blinked at the picture of her mum and her in front of the family Quidditch pitch. She didn't realize that her parents had kept pictures of her.

Lily's eyes widened as she noticed pictures of her younger self. There was a picture to her left of Julius holding her when she was just born. Lily blushed at a picture of her and Jason dressed in matching Puddlemere United nighties. Her eyes widened at the picture of her dad working with her younger self-sleeping on his lap. Lily saw a picture of Lucian and Pericles attempting to teach her how to hold a beater's bat. She smiled at the picture of her playing with a small snitch.

Lily wondered why her parents had bothered to keep pictures of her up. They banished her for a reason. Lily sighed and rubbed her eyes. She moved out of the room and into the bedroom. She went over to her mum's vanity. Lily could remember her mum sitting on the soft seat and lightly applying lipstick.

Lily could see rows of makeup and jewelry boxes chaotically arranged on the vanity. Her hands yearned to straighten them out but she didn't. Lily's fingers grazed a bottle of perfume that her mum always wore. She inhaled the scent of orchids and kept the bottle down. Lily looked up and saw a paper wedged into the mirror of the vanity. She tugged it out and gasped.

It was a picture of her mum, but it could have been herself. Lily's mum stood on a beach next to a willowy blue-eyed woman. Lily mind screamed a name at her. It was Apolline Kingsmill. The two girls stood in front of a large bonfire. They looked about Lily's age. Lily's mum was the same height and had the same build that she had. Lily watched as her mum and Mrs. Kingsmill laughed at the camera and grinned.

She knew that this picture was taken in Greece. England didn't have beaches like the one in that picture. Lily blinked away a tear and turned the picture over. She could see a set of words scrawled on the back of the picture. Dellie aka my favorite Pomegranate and Apo the soon to be internationally famous pianist! – JG

Lily wondered who JG was. The handwriting looked distinctively male. Lily tucked the photo into her pocket and turned. She could see her mum's closet from her. Her mum had forbid her and her brothers from opening that closet. Lily bit her lip and walked over to it. She grabbed the doorknob and pulled it open.

Clothing lined the floor and the walls of the closet. Lily could see shoes thrown everywhere. Scarves and sunglasses patterned the floor. She moved inside of the large closet and looked around. It was a normal closet, a bit messy though.

Lily moved further inside and saw a small cabinet. She opened one of the drawers and her eyes glanced at the feminine products inside. Lily carelessly brushed a bottle of cramp relief potion and it moved. Lily watched as the cabinet moved to the side. The clothing and boxes around it moved and Lily saw a door appear before her.

There wasn't a doorknob though. Lily moved towards the door and ran her hands along the wood. She could see a lily carved into the wood. Lily smiled; her mum always preferred verbal passwords.

Lily tried all of her brothers' names and her own. She tried every relative and place her mum ever met or went to. Lily frowned ten minutes later. The door was still closed. She racked her mind for ideas. One popped into her head but it was risky.

" Pomegranate," Lily announced. She recalled the nickname written on the back of the picture. The door opened with a small thud. Behind it was a room. Lily entered it and pulled her wand out.

" Lumos," she whispered. Light filled the area and Lily gasped. The room was the size of a small closet. Lily could see dust swirling in the air. There were no windows and it was pitch black, excluding her light source. Lily could see a small desk crammed in a corner. It was covered in notes and broken quills. Lily looked around. There were stacks of books piled high near a wall. Lily brushed some dust from one book.How to fight the Imperius Curse.

Lily frowned at the title. Why would her mother need to know how to fight the Imperius Curse? She moved and bumped into a large box. Lily rubbed her ankle and bent down. She pulled on the latch of the box and opened it. Lily's eyes widened at the thousands of vials inside. Labels decorated the lids to the vials. Polyjuice Potion, Veristaserum, Draught of the Living Dead.

Why did her mum own so many potions? Lily moved her hands down and felt her finger brush something. A compartment shot out of the box. Lily could see potions ingredients stuffed to the brim inside of it. She pushed it back and closed the box.

Lily stood and brushed dust from her pants. She moved her wand and saw a cauldron nearby. Her mum must have used it to make potions, Lily decided. She moved towards the desk and leaned over it. Lily picked up one of the pieces of parchment. The Cruciatus Curse. Using pleasure? Maybe an extreme pain relief potion could work. Further research must be conducted.

Lily frowned. Her mum worked as an ambassador for the Ministry. Why would she have a room like this?

Lily bit her lips and leaned over the desk. She saw a flash of a symbol and looked up. Lily pointed her wand at the ceiling and gaped. A huge red phoenix adorned the ceiling with spread wings.

Lily's mum had always loved painting. Yet she was too modest to show most people her work. Lily recalled her mum painting portraits of herself and her brothers but never showing them to her. Lily could see her mum's hidden tastes in the phoenix on the ceiling. The curve of its wings, the graceful arch of its neck screamed Delphina Gastor.

Lily's mind burst in realization. The secrecy, the notes, the books, and the phoenix all formed a puzzle and Lily had just pieced the pieces together. This was where her mum worked for the Order of the Phoenix. Her mum was up to something before she died and Lily intended to find out what.

Lily looked down. Lily could make out a small shelf hidden in the shadows. She leaned up and her fingers grazed the shelf. Dust coated her fingers as she groped the wood. Lily felt something.

She bit her lips and moved her hand slightly. She grabbed the object and pulled it down. Lily brushed dust layers off it and saw that it was a notebook. The cover was a deep black. The pages looked ancient and frayed. It smelled like her mum's perfume.

" Lily where are you," Jason shouted. Lily's heart pounded with fear. Her brother was a death eater. But he also had a fragile heart. Lily knew that their parents and brothers' deaths had slowly broken his heart. She didn't want to think about how he would react to their mum's involvement in the Order.

Lily stuffed the notebook inside of her bracelet. She quickly fled the room and shoved the door to a close. Lily watched as the boxes and cabinets previously in front of the door leapt up to it and covered the door.

Lily brushed the dust from her clothing just as Jason entered the closet. He looked at her curiously. Lily could see that he had grabbed a traveling cloak.

" What are you doing in here," Jason asked. Lily cleared her throat and grabbed one of her mum's dresses.

" Oh I just wanted to look through mum's clothing. I think I'm the same size as her. If it's okay with you I wanted to take this dress," Lily answered. Jason crossed his arms and grinned.

" I knew that seeing mum and dad's room would put a sense of family in you! I've got to go to London and meet my friends. We're going to Diagon Alley. You can make yourself at home," Jason said with a smile. Lily felt sadness engulf her; Jason thought that she was returning to their childhood home, but she wasn't.

" Jace I'm not staying. I came here to look at mum's old stuff not to stay with you. I'm heading back to my house in London," Lily announced. She saw a flicker of pain in her brother's eyes. It was quickly replaced with a cold expression.

" Oh do you need a ride to London," Jason asked. Lily could see open sadness in his eyes. She wanted to stay for him, but she couldn't. Lily didn't belong in this house anymore.

" Yeah if that's fine with you," Lily said. Jason nodded and led her out of their parents' room. The door closed behind them with a loud thud. Lily followed him out of the large and lonely Manor. She held his hand when they reached the large drive circled the front of the house and he apparated with a pop.

Lily opened her eyes and saw that they were in front of Grimmauld Place. She frowned and looked at Jason.

" When did you get an apparition license," Lily asked. Her brother turned to her and smirked.

" I turned seventeen in June. You didn't give me a present," Jason teased Lily blushed when she realized that Jason's birthday had passed.

" You didn't give me one either," Lily said drily. She turned from her brother and walked towards her house. She heard him call her name and faced him.

" Sorry but Lucian told me about mum and dad' s letters. Did you open them," Jason pressed. Lily gulped and remembered the letters. She could see her father's almost disappointed handwriting in her mind.

" That's none of your business," Lily said tersely. She turned from her brother and entered her house. It was empty; Galen wasn't back. That night Lily didn't sleep. She went to her piano and played until she fell into a fitful sleep against the keys.

An owl's hoot interrupted Lily's reading. She looked up from her book and saw a large barn owl sitting on the edge of her balcony. Lily stared at it curiously. She bookmarked her page and closed her book. Lily pushed the chair of her desk in and brushed dirt from her shorts. She adjusted the strap of her tank top and moved towards the door to her balcony. Lily opened it and shivered. It was an unusually cold summer morning.

Lily felt goose bumps form on her arms and ignored them. She saw that the owl had left a large envelope on the table. She saw it fly away out of the corner of her eye. Lily turned to the envelope and froze when she saw the large Hogwarts emblem on it.

She had two weeks until school started again. Yet Lily was dreading it. Galen Kingsmill and the other aurors on his mission had been declared missing. Lily spent her days filled with dread. She couldn't sleep anymore. Lily didn't want to go to school without knowing if Galen was okay.

She sat on the hanging chair and grabbed the envelope. It was heavy. Lily sliced it open and pulled a letter out. She could see the word OWL written across the top. Lily felt excitement and fear fill her.

She was excited to see her scores yet Lily was scared. Her memories of her OWLS had faded over time. She knew that she had been worried about Transfiguration and History of Magic. Lily felt a pang of nostalgia. She remembered the Gryffindors studying together before the OWLS. She could never do that again. Lily didn't want to feel more pain when she was pulled away from them; Michael was right; she hurt too many people.

Lily sighed and tucked the envelope into her pocket. She held the letter in front of her face and read its contents.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL RESULTS

Pass Grades Fail Grades

Outstanding (O) Poor (P)

Exceeds Expectations (E) Dreadful (D)

Acceptable (A) Troll (T)

LILY MARIE EVANS HAS ACHIEVED:

Astronomy: O

Care of Magical Creatures: O

Charms: O

Defense Against the Dark Arts: O

Divination: E

Herbalogy: O

History of Magic: E

Potions: O

Transfiguration: E

HEADMASTER ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

Lily traced her results with a grin. She was able to be an auror. Lily let out a whoop of joy and placed the letter on the table. She found another letter with a list of materials needed for the next school year and pocketed it. Lily picked up the envelope and letters and stood. She frowned when she noticed how heavy the envelop was. Lily reached inside and pulled out a Prefect's badge.

But there was something inside of it. Lily dropped her letters and badge on the table and reached for something. It pricked her and she pulled it out. Lily found another letter inside and read it with dread. She looked at the badge and saw a large C on it.

Lily was the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain for the next school year. She bit her lip and shoved everything back into the envelope. Lily was going to have too much on her plate next year.

Lily went inside and found a familiar person standing in the doorway to her room. His body looked worn and she could make out a new scar on his arm. He held a basket of pomegranates in his hand and stared at Lily with a rueful grin. Lily dropped her envelope and let out a sob. He was safe. He was safe. He grinned at her and she watched him.

" Hey Rose look what I got," he announced pointing to the basket. Lily smiled through her tears and blinked them away. She ran up to him and they pulled each other into a tight embrace.

" Gale oh merlin I was so worried," Lily whispered into his shoulder. Galen nodded into her shoulder and held her.

" I'm fine Rose. I'm here," Galen answered. Lily pulled herself out of his embrace and faced him. His eyes were crinkled into a smile and he watched her.

" There was some suspicion that Voldemort was using inferi. My team was sent to Wales to check it out. It turns out that he had a bloody army of inferi sitting in some cave up north. We got hold of some fiendfyre and set the whole place to flames. That's when the Death Eaters arrived. About ten of them were guarding the site. Only we didn't know that. My partner, Sam Dearborn and Jake Weston were killed on site. Lucretia Sprout and I managed to apparate away after they disarmed us. But we splinched and ended up in some muggle forest. Spent at least a week trying to get out of it. Lucretia couldn't apparate since she splinched half of her leg off and I still haven't gotten my apparition license for England. So side-along was out of the question. After a week of limping through the woods we found some muggle town and this squib helped us get to the Ministry. They kept us there for another week," Galen explained.

Something about his story bothered Lily. She stood next to him with a slight frown and her eyes sparkled with amusement.

" So you're telling me that two highly capable aurors stumbled around some muggle forest for a week since they didn't have access to their wands," Lily mused. Galen looked at her with an incredulous stare. Lily burst into laughter as he tried to explain that it was worse than just not having magic.

But Lily didn't care that Galen was just a magic abuser. She was just happy that he was alive and healthy. Lily spoke with him for another thirty minutes and leaned her head against his chest. She could hear his heart beating, and that's all that mattered to her.

Lily sat in the Leaky Cauldron with Galen. A haze of alcohol and excitement surrounded the patrons of the pub. It was August 31st, the next day she was to head off to school and he had another auror mission.

She spent the last two weeks in a bubble of joy. Her relief that Galen was alive managed to block out her concern for her friends and her nightmares. Death Eaters activity was at a low so Galen had time off.

Lily went with him to the funerals of the dead aurors. She supported him throughout the entire affair. The Daily Profit had dubbed the aurors who attending the funeral as national heroes. It turns out that those inferi were going to be sent out the next day to create a widespread homicide in Liverpool.

Lily learned that Lucretia had a full recovery but she still never met the woman. Galen described her as a bucket of too much optimism. Galen and Lucretia had been made partners after both of theirs had died.

Lily and Galen sent the week after the funerals traveling. They went down to Bournemouth to see the beach, which Galen detested. Lily agreed. Beaches in England were masses of gray sand and gray water. The pair left Bournemouth within three days and traveled the muggle way back to London. They had an amazing road trip; excluding an incident when a bird left a white, sticky gift on top of Lily's head.

After that, they attended the Wired Sister concert that Lily and her friends were supposed to go to. Lily was reluctant to go since she didn't want to run into anyone from school. But Galen had forced her to go and use some of that famous Gryffindor spunk. They had a grand time at the concert.

After the concert, Lily had taken Galen around London and showed him some of the famous muggle attractions. He thought that they had nothing on Athens though. Soon Lily was forced to address her school supply issue.

Galen didn't support her avoid anyone she knew initiative so he dragged her to Diagon Alley in the dead of the day. Lily appreciated his faith in her. He tagged along and they spent a day in Diagon Alley shopping. Lily managed to buy everything she needed for the next school year by the end of the day.

After that, August seemed to slowly inch towards its end. Lily woke up every morning filled with dread; she didn't want to go back to school yet. But Galen decided that she needed to stop being so fearful. He made her go apartment hunting with her. They managed to find a roomy apartment near Grimmauld Place for Galen.

Lily helped him move in and furniture. They spent a day painting the walls, but that ended with both of them being covered in eggshell paint. He promised to stay with her until she left for school; to Lily's immense relief.

The day before September 1st Lily woke with dread. She had 24 hours before she had to face her friends and foes. She had 24 hours before everything changed. Galen decided to ignore the sense of foreboding that both of them share. He spent the day with her flying around London, with disillusionment charms, reading, and practicing the piano.

When they reached the townhouse in the evening after a flight around London, he made her change into a short, low-cut blue dress that Selena had bought for her in Greece. Then he took her to the Leaky Cauldron and they joined the regular patrons in a salute to the end of summer.

Lily laughed at a joke a young witch made and glanced at her watch. She made Galen promise that they would leave before twelve. It was almost twelve. Lily sighed; she didn't want to leave this summer behind. She didn't want to leave Galen. He was like a dream catcher. When Lily was around him she didn't have any more nightmares or visions. She was happy.

He was like her personal sun. He cleared the clouds of her nightmares and darkness and showed her the brightness of the world. Lily didn't know how she was going to survive without him.

Lily walked around a pair of men and saw Galen. He was sitting by the radio turning the knobs while speaking to an auror. Lily carried her bottle of butterbeer and a cup of firewhiskey to him. His sky-blue eyes twinkled with joy when he saw her.

A song came on the radio and he let it stay. Lily held the firewhiskey out to him and he grinned. He grabbed her bottle and his cup and kept them down. Galen took Lily's hand and led her over to the makeshift dance floor. Young couples danced there and the air was filled with joy.

Galen spun her to him and Lily laughed. She twirled in his arms and the two danced. He grinned at her and Lily smiled up at him. She needed a friend and he was ready to be her friend. Lily didn't care about her betrothal or the fears in her life; she had a friend who wouldn't be in risk of danger because of her or betray her.

" I see that those dancing lessons paid off Rose," Galen teased. Lily blushed remembering her days of clumsy feet in Greece.

"Gale I'm pretty sure that you stepped on my feet at least twice," Lily answered with a wry grin. He laughed and pulled her in. Their bodies leaped and spun into the air with joy.

Lily may have not known it but she saved him the same way he saved her. Galen Kingsmill's life had been a dreary hole of desolation in Greece. Before Lily came for the summer he was trapped in a world of sadness. After his mum's diagnosis was declared fatal, Galen started to inch away from his family. He broke up with his girlfriend and strayed from his friends. He turned to work for solace, but didn't find any there. His work was dark and horrible stuff.

He was falling apart. Galen Kingsmill didn't want to sit around doing nothing and letting people suffer. When Lily came into his life he could see the sun again. The clouds and thunderstorms blocking his view disappeared, thanks to a certain redhead.

She pieced him back together and saved him. When his mum died, Galen had Lily to keep the rain off him. She was his anchor to reality and he would never forget that. After she returned to England, Galen learned about the Greek movement to support the English in the war against Voldemort. He jumped at the opportunity to do something directly to assist the war front and left for England only hours after Lily.

Being with Lily kept him sane. His world was sunny and he was content. Lily was his closest friend, she was his sun, and he was hers. The two of them were lost wanderers who needed a pathway to freedom. They were each other's paths.

" Gale," Lily murmured. He looked down at her with a curious face. The song was a slow song and Lily tucked herself into his chest. She could feel his heart and he could feel his.

" Rose," Galen said with a light grin. Lily smiled and felt her heart pound against his. Their heartbeats were slightly off. His was always a few beats faster than hers.

" I'm going to miss you," Lily said. Galen couldn't help but agree with his friend.

" I'm going to miss you," Galen answered. As the clock ticked down to midnight, the two friends knew that they were going to fall apart without each other. But their lives were not constantly overlapping lines. Their lives were twirling swirling messes of arcs and loops. Only a few times would they intersect, and that was enough for the both of them.

As the clock hit midnight, Lily knew that her summer was over, and with it was the freedom and happiness it held. She was back in her gold cage. She was trapped.


Chapter 9 took me a bit of time to write. I had to understand who Galen Kingsmill would be. His name takes a bit of symbolism, Galen means healer in Greek. Galen heals Lily's broken heart and fear. But he is a medicine that only works in close proximity.

Chapter 10 will deal with Lily's life in Hogwarts. She will struggle with her relationships with pretty much every person she currently attends school with. I'm planning on introducing at least two more ocs in the next chapter. I think that the next chapter is going to be a bit angsty. The war is taking over every student and teacher's lives for the worse.

R&R

- Rin