A/N: Look at that! I updated on time! Isn't that exciting? And I couldn't have done it without the help of-you guessed it-Olivia! My beta, not Lily's friend.

But in case you've forgotten, just thought I'd brush you up on some of the facts: last chapter, Lily & Co. said she'd visit Cokeworth today and the last thing we saw was an argument between Lily and Severus.

Before we get on with the show, I'd like to give a shout-out to my new friend, not really sane fairy on Fanfiction, whom you all should pay attention to because she's got a cool Jily story coming up!

Oh, and guys, I started this story like two months ago and I've got over sixty followers now on this site alone, so thank you all very much!

(By the way, James is bolded and Lily is italics. What could that mean?)

Lily sat chatting with Severus for half an hour before he got pulled away by Countess Alecto. They talked of light, easy topics, but not the way she had with James. Just about things that existed for the purpose of talking about them: the weather, how she was adjusting to life at the Palace, what her plans were for the upcoming week, what his plans were for the upcoming weeks, if she had decided on a University yet ("Er, no."). Lily didn't dare mention her weaving, because she didn't trust herself to not also talk about James' crocheting.

When Countess Alecto came and turned her nose up at Lily and haughtily told Sev his presence was required upstairs, so would he get a move on already?

Lily smiled at Severus as he left, still remembering their argument, but she wasn't one to hold a grudge (too much).

Only a few moments after Sev and the countess left, Sirius entered the room, looking more upset than she had ever seen him. He looked positively revolted.

"What's wrong, Sirius?" Lily asked him, concerned. "Are you sick?"

"Not physically," he said darkly. "Were you with him?"

"Severus? Yes, I was."

"Like... Voluntarily?"

Lily smiled a little and cocked her head to the side. "Why wouldn't it be voluntarily?"

"Because he's Snape," Sirius said, sitting down next to his sister. "I can't imagine there's anyone on the face of the planet who would talk to him voluntarily."

"Isn't Regulus talking to him voluntarily right now?"

Sirius waved a hand airily. "You know what I mean," he said. "Our darling family doesn't count."

Lily frowned. "Why don't you like our family?"

Sirius sighed. "They're elitists, Lily. I'm so glad you grew up away from all that."

"What do you mean 'elitists'?" Lily asked, slightly hurt that he was glad she grew up away.

"It's sick, Lily. It's just sick. Trust me on this. You trust me, don't you?"

"Of course I trust you-"

"No, I'm sorry, that was an arse move. I'm not going to guilt you into this..." Sirius said. "You know what? I won't tell you anything about our family. You'll see for yourself. You're plenty smart, Lil, and I know you can work things out for yourself." Sirius smiled at her.

Lily closed her eyes and turned her head away. Then she looked at Sirius and smiled, too. "Thanks, Sirius. I appreciate that."

"But just," he said, rather suddenly. "Just be careful. Be aware of your surroundings, all right? Listen to what people around you are saying. Don't be afraid to ask questions."

Lily nodded. "Okay."

"I'm meeting Peter now," Sirius said, getting up to leave, "but you have fun with your mum and you sister. Tell them hullo, and we'll have to meet sometime."

"I will," Lily grinned. "Tell Peter hi from me."

"S'later, Lil."

"Bye, Sirius."

Sirius met Regulus in the doorway.

"Where are you going?"

"To meet with Peter," Sirius said. "Don't leave with them."

"I wasn't planning on it," said Regulus, upset.

"Just checking." With that, Sirius left.

Regulus sat down by Lily. "He told you to ask questions?" Regulus asked her, eyebrows furrowed.

"Yeah," said Lily. "I think he's worried. He saw me talking to Severus. You know he doesn't like him."

Regulus scoffed. "That's one word for it. What else did he say? To pay attention to your surroundings? Figure things out on your own?"

"Sort of," Lily admitted. "How did you know?"

Regulus shrugged. "I've heard it all before, haven't I?"

"I don't think he means anything by it," Lily said. "He's just looking out for us, you know?"

"I know he thinks he's looking out for us," said Regulus.

"How do you mean?"

"I dunno..."

Lily put a hand on Regulus' knee. "Come on, Regulus. You can tell me anything."

Regulus looked at his sister. "Sometimes I'm just not sure what we need looking out from, you know? I mean, Sirius is my-our brother, but our family... They can't mean us harm, can they? And Sirius isn't exactly objective on the matter. I reckon half the things he says are just the opposite of what our parents used to say. Not to mention Sev..."

Lily was silent for a moment. "I think... I think we can definitely say for certain Sirius only wants best for us."

Regulus nodded. "Okay."

Lily smiled at him. "If you're feeling confused, Regulus, you can come straight to me, all right? I'm always going to be there for you."

Lily wasn't sure where this new burst of sisterly-affection was coming from, but she knew her heart was about to burst when Regulus said, "Me, too."

"And Lily," Regulus said, as he was about to go back to whatever it was he and the others were doing.

"Yes?"

"I know that Sirius cares about us, but about Sev... he's definitely wrong. He's a good mate of mine, and you two... you've got nothing to worry about with him."

Lily smiled again. "Thanks, Regulus."

"You're welcome," Regulus said, with a small smile of his own.

There was something about siblings, Lily thought, as she sat alone, that made you thank them for letting you listen.

She didn't think she had that much with Petunia, who nearly never stopped talking. She rather liked it.

Number Eleven, Goatweed Court, was a one story beige-coloured house with brown shingles and a bright white door. Her mother's garden had long since been the play-place of Lily and Petunia's, but the bench hung on the tree still swung lazily, as if the girls had just jumped off.

Lily thought the sleek black car Garrett was driving was out of place in the small town of Cokeworth, but she didn't care. She was excited to be home.

She waited patiently for Garrett to come around and open her door, but as soon as he did, she leaped up and dashed to her house.

She turned the old bronze knob, Garrett right behind her, and called, "Mum?"

Her mother poked her head through the kitchen doorway. "Oh, Lily, dear!"

Lily embraced her mother as if she hadn't seen her for years."Hi, Mum," she said, keeping her voice even. She pulled away, drinking in her mother's face: the same dark red hair Lily had, the pale blue-grey eyes Petunia had inherited, and crinkles around her eyes (which she now had even when she wasn't smiling). "This is Garrett."

"Good afternoon, Garrett," said her mother, smiling at him.

He nodded respectfully. "Good afternoon, Ms Evans. Princess, I'll leave you now. Call me when you're ready."

"Okay," Lily said happily.

Garrett left the house and Lily's mother took her into the kitchen. She wanted to give her some cookies she had made and she told her that her mates would be over in a bit.

Sure enough, just as Lily had finished telling her mother about the sheer size of the Slytherin Palace, there was a knock on the side door, and Ella opened it directly after. Her

If Ella was furious with Lily, she didn't show it. She smiled broadly at the sight of her and said, "Lily! You're back!" She hugged her tightly.

"I'm back!" Lily said.

Sarah, David, Michael, and Clara all came in as well. Lily hugged them all tightly, and as she let go of Clara, she remarked, "That's a new necklace."

Lily looked down. "Oh, yes, it's the Slytherin crest."

Clara inspected it. "I guess it's cool. Personally I think Ravenclaw's prettier. You know green makes me look sick." She tried to look stern. "So don't you dare make me wear it for your coronation ceremony," she warned.

Lily laughed. "I won't. Promise."

"When is your coronation ceremony?" her mum asked.

"I don't know. I'll ask Bethany."

"Who's Bethany?"

And so Lily began to tell her friends about all the new people in her life: Sirius, Regulus, Bethany, Garrett, Dee, May, Ethan, Tina, Liv, Charlie, Remus, Peter, and James.

"And he crochets," Lily said excitedly.

Ella rolled her eyes. "Rolling my eyes."

"Here we go," said Michael.

"Trust Lily to find the only bloke who can crochet within a week of leaving home," said David.

"I think it's sweet," Sarah said.

"You think everything's sweet."

"This is really sweet."

"When do we meet all these people, Lily?" Clara asked.

"I don't know," Lily said. "Sometime soon, I hope."

"Yes, I want to meet your brothers, dear," said her mother. "Perhaps we'll have them over for tea one day."

"I'll tell Bethany," Lily said. "So, what's been going on here?"

"I've finalised all my university papers," Ella said. "It's settled. Stanford University, here I come."

"I did my first tour of Edinburgh," Sarah said. "I met my roommate. She's really sweet!"

"Yeah, mine just sent me an email," David said. "He's also from out of France. His mum is from Dijon, though, so he doesn't have to go through that whole visa mess."

" I can't believe all the Jeffersons are leaving us," Michael said.

"I don't know what we'll do without you," Lily agreed.

"But I still don't see why you all have to go,"Lily tried, not for the first time. "As if there are no schools in England.

"Drop it," said Ella. "We've told you. We've chosen our schools and we're leaving England in September. I don't know why you're all so worked up about it. Sarah's only in Edinburgh; she'll be around at least once a month. And the train to France is-what? Six hours?"

"But you'll be in California," said Clara. "How much farther away can you get?"

"Oh, relax," Ella said. "I'll visit loads. But do try to fit any major royal events into this summer, won't you, Lily?"

"I'll see what I can do," Lily said dramatically.

"But I see what you're doing," Clara said, pointing a finger at Lily. "You're trying to distract us all from the fact the you still haven't picked a school."

"You still haven't picked a school?!" exclaimed Michael. "Blimey, Lily, I thought you had settled on Oxford!"

"I-well, it's a big decision!" Lily said, trying to defend herself.

Clara put her head into her hands. "The deadline was ages ago, Lily!"

"They've given me extra time," said Lily. "I've got... ugh, until next week."

"Well?" Ella demanded.

"Well..."

"Lily!" said Sarah and David at the same time.

"I've made a lot of progress," Lily insisted. "I've talked it over with Sirius a lot! And basically everyone I've met."

"And?"

"I reckon I'm, like, seventy percent sure I'm going to Oxford."

"Then go for it!" said Ella.

"Lily, when a school gives you a special deadline, they don't want the answer just as it ends, they want it before," Sarah said timidly. "So perhaps you should call them sometime today?"

"I don't know," Lily said. "Cambridge is... apparently it's a Slytherin school."

"Doesn't Sirius go to Oxford?" Michael said.

"Yeah. He's... yeah, he goes to Oxford."

"Then go," Michael said, as though this should be obvious.

And perhaps it should've been, but Lily couldn't help thinking... maybe she was meant to go to a Slytherin school? She was a Slytherin, after all. Sirius' words echoed through her mind. Be aware of your surroundings...

"I'll make a decision by the end of the week," Lily said. Probably, she thought.

"Oh, Lily," Clara said.

"Commencing eye-rolling sequence: now," said Ella. She then rolled her eyes slower than Lily had ever seen her do before. "Am I clear now, Evans?"

"Crystal," Lily said.

Lily's mother walked into the kitchen. "You'll all stay for dinner? I've got to go back to the hospital at seven, so an early tea, yeah?"

"That sounds lovely, Marie."

"Sure, Mum."

"Yes, please, Ms Evans."

"Wonderful." Lily's mother beamed. "So you all go to Lily's room while I cook in here."

"Hey, Mum," Lily said suddenly. "Where's Petunia?"

"Oh, work, I expect," she said, waving her hand. "She works all the time now, the poor dear. Can't seem to get her out of that office. Her boyfriend's doing, I think. Not that she isn't a good worker. Your sister's always been very good at following directions and giving them out."

"So Petunia's still at that office job?" Michael said in a low voice.

"Yeah," Lily said. "She's really enjoying it."

"Can't fathom why," Ella said. "Nine-to-five routine, answering phones and taking messages. It's got to be the most boring job in the world. Oh, wait. Never mind."

"Be nice," Sarah said. "Someone's got to do it. Petunia enjoys working at that office. What do they do, Lily?"

"Haven't the foggiest," Lily said.

Lily and her mates all piled in her room, and they all kept talking about boring jobs and what jobs they hoped to have, but Lily just watched her friends. Sarah, Ella, and David, with their cool black skin and their identical wide brown eyes, were so obviously siblings, but their hair was different. Ella's was straight, inherited from her Scottish father, and Ella's was curly halo around her head. David kept his hair cropped short, and always had, so Lily never knew how to describe it when she was younger. She had always said, "like little black knots". Ella and David had long noses, like their dad's but Sarah's was short.

Michael always described himself as "peachy-brown". How he had found that phrase, Lily didn't know, but she figured it had to do with his parents, who were both artists. His skin was a light olive shade, his hair was dirty-blond, and his eyes were honey-coloured. His ears stuck out a bit, which Lily found endearing.

Clara dyed her hair very often, which she could because it was thick and healthy, but right now it was golden blond with pink and blue streaks. Her eyes were hazel, a mix of brown and blue. She had freckles sprinkled lightly across her nose and a bit on her cheeks.

Lily moved in and out of the conversation, just looking about her room and wondering if she should take some more things with her. Before long, it was time for tea, and all too soon, that was over.

Just as she and Michael were clearing the dining-room table, the side door opened.

"Mum," she heard her sister call. "I'm ho-oh, hi, Ella. Didn't know you were coming over."

"Yes, you did," said Marie. "I told you your sister would be here."

Lily handed David the plates she was holding and crossed the room to the kitchen where her sister stood, still next to the door. She gave her a big hug. "I missed you!" she said.

Petunia was rather stiff as Lily hugged her, and this hurt her. She drew back, head lowered slightly.

"When did you get back?" Petunia said.

"Few hours ago." Lily wanted to talk to her alone. "Could you help with some stuff in my room? I have to... see what I can bring to the P-to London."

Petunia nodded slowly.

"Back in a minute," Lily said over her shoulder.

Lily closed the door behind her sister. "Why have you been avoiding me?"

"I haven't been avoiding you."

"Yes, you have, and don't pretend like you haven't." Lily was growing cross. "Why? What have I done wrong?"

Petunia stared at her. "What have you done wrong?"

"Yes! I want to know!"

Petunia looked at her incredulously. "Have you any idea the utter shame you have brought upon this family?"

"What?!"

This was not even close to the answer Lily was expecting. Shame? Upon their family? How had she done anything of the sort? She asked her sister.

"You're illegitimate," her big sister hissed, "and everyone in the world knows."

Lily couldn't believe her ears. "Are you being serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because it's ridiculous!" Lily said angrily, but trying to keep her voice down. "It's the twenty-first century! No one gets married before having kids anyway!"

"Vernon says-"

"Oh, Vernon says, Vernon says! Honestly, Petunia, who cares if Mum shagged some royal nineteen years ago?"

Petunia gasped dramatically. "Some royal? You're talking about the late Prince Orion!"

"I know! And you know what? He wasn't that great! Mum's a million times better! I don't know what she ever saw in him-"

"I wish she hadn't!" Petunia said.

Lily stepped back, feeling as though she had been stabbed and someone had twisted the knife. "You don't mean that," she said weakly. "Because then I never would've been born."

Petunia glared at her sister, a fire burning in her pale eyes like it never had before. "You know what, Lily? I think you would've done us a lot more good that way."

Her sister left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Lily fell back on the bed and started to cry. How could Petunia say that to her? Why would she say that to her? What were they even arguing about? Lily wasn't sure she knew.

Her phone beeped. Garrett was waiting for her outside. Lily swallowed her tears and left her room. She had to keep it together for just a little bit longer, and then she could break down in the car. She was sure Garrett wouldn't say anything.

"Bye, Mum," she said into her mother's shoulder, hugging her harder than she should have.

"You be good, Lily dear," said her mother affectionately.

"Call me," Clara said, when it was her turn.

"Yeah, don't be a stranger, Lily."

"We'll see you soon!"

"Kisses to London!"

Garrett opened the car door to let Lily in, and when they were buckled, and she was about to burst into tears, Garrett said, "Why Goatweed?"

"It's a plant," Lily said, used to the question.

"Oh," Garrett said, nodding.

Lily was about to start crying for real then, but she got a text from a number she didn't recognise.

So how was Cokeworth? Did you find any inspiration for a weaving pattern?

Lily smiled. James must've gotten her number from Sirius.

Because I have got to admit, I'm not finding anything that will let me win and still not hurt your feelings too much. I'm just too good, Lily.

Lily laughed. Is that so? she typed.

Yep. Normally I'd behead you for not knowing, but you're new, so I'll let it slide. This time.

Lily laughed again. Her throat felt as though the lump had shrunk three sizes.

What a benevolent ruler.

Aren't I charming?

Seriously, though, how was Cokeworth?

Lily sighed slightly. She thought for a moment.

It was really nice, mostly, but my sister really upset towards the end. No matter. I got to see my best mates and my mum.

Oh that doesn't sound good! What happened?

You can tell me. You'll feel better.

Lily smiled down at her phone. He was being really sweet to her, this James Potter.

I really don't know how or why it happened, but she sort of told me she wished I had never been born? Which doesn't sound like much, but she's never said that before. We've always been really close.

That's terrible. I'm so sorry, Lily.

Maybe she's a little jealous?

Jealous?

Yeah. You're the new it-girl of the world.

I truly mean no disrespect to your family at all, and I'm not so daft as to get between sisters-here Lily grinned-but it seems enough to make anyone jealous, right? I'm sure she doesn't really mean it.

She'll probably call you tomorrow morning.

Just give her time.

Lily smiled again. Thanks, James. I feel better now.

Ah, least I could do. Someone's got to prepare you for utter humiliation when I beat you SO GOOD!

Oh, you wish, Potter.

I foresee, Evans.

I foresee you're a loser. Oh, wait, no sorry

I'm looking into the present again WHOOPS

This just in

You're also a loser in the future

He didn't answer for a moment. Then-

My mum just asked me why I look like I'm about to cry, so thanks, Evans.

Hahaha! Sorry, Mrs Potter!

Princess Potter?

Duchess Potter?

She prefers James' mum. :)

Can't imagine why ;)

Garrett pulled up to the Slytherin Palace in no time at all.

"When did we enter London?" Lily asked, bemused.

"Who were you texting?" Garrett said, a funny look on his face.

"Oh, James Potter, Sirius' best mate. Why?"

"Never mind."

Garrett lead Lily into the Palace. "Don't stay up too late, Princess. Big day tomorrow."

"Right! The, uh, fundraiser thing. Yes. Goodnight, Garrett!"

"Goodnight, Princess."

So Lily told James-whom she was still texting-that her body guard was sending her to bed now, but she hoped to see him soon. And she really, really did.

A/N: I'd love to hear what you guys think and what you want to see in the future!