"A prank?" Des asked.

Lily was trying to look amused. Neville looked relieved that Lily had come up with the idea.

The two girls burst into laughter and Neville put his face in his hands.

"Who?" Des asked, Lilah and Amanda, listening in.

"My cousin Molly, probably, I pranked her yesterday" Lily explained.

The bandages that wrapped around her chest itched but at least they weren't bleeding through.

Word of the fake blood fiasco spread like fire. Lily had to explain to Molly the details of a prank she hadn't pulled. Des and Chase had learned that Lily was an infamous prankster of the Potter house.

"Hi Amanda," Lily said, sitting down next to her fellow first year. Amanda looked up,

"Oh, hi. Silly that whole fake blood prank, glad it wasn't real" she said.

Lily nodded, "Our family has always loved to prank each other. It used to be Rose, Molly and I, pranking each other all the time. I was the one that it really kept with. I love to prank".

Amanda laughed lightly, she didn't seem to be very comfortable with Lily. She kept glancing away and scooting further down the bench. Des saved her,

"Neat fellow Lysander. Just had a chat, he thinks your amazing, I think he fancies you." Des said.

"Oh, I suppose now that we're over all the pranks and horror we're supposed to chat about boys and gossip about who likes whom?" Lily said. Des laughed, "What else are we supposed to do?" she said.

"Dunno, I hardly know a thing about you. I've got a few inquiries" Lily said.

"Look who's got a big vocabulary," Des said, "Alright, shoot".

"Why was everyone whispering about you when you first got sorted?" Lily asked. It was a question that had been bugging Lily for a while.

"Oh," Des said. The question seemed to have caught her off guard, "Well, my parents were in the prophet a while back" she said.

"I thought they were muggles," Lily said, "Why were they in the prophet?"

Des sighed, "They were the subject of an article, they're squibs you see. They used to-" she stopped herself and took a deep breath, "they were big supporters of Voldemort, in the day. But they ended up selling out other people that worked for him, they sort of got better. But about two months ago, people found out that they were a major part of something really bad" Des stopped.

"What?" Lily pressed. Des looked like she might be sick,

"I didn't know what was going on, if I did I would have said something!" Des was in tears. Lily draped her arm around Des,

"It's okay," she said, "Out with it. You'll feel better"

"They've been leading an anti-werewolf movement. And worse, about 5 years ago they loaned a country home to death eaters so that the death eaters could torture someone." Des wept into Lily's shoulder. "I tried to tell someone but they locked me up in the basement. When they got found out, I told the Aurors everything. My parents are in Azkaban" Des said.

Lily dropped her arm from around her. A country house 5 years ago...

Lily wasn't sure what to do. Was Des to be trusted? A million questions flashed through Lily's head. So she instantly started the questions.

"I thought Voldemort hated Muggles, Muggle-borns and squibs," She said.

"I guess they were very helpful. Lily, didn't you hear what I said?" Des said. She seemed shocked that Lily was so calm.

"Yeah, but you're obviously not your parents," Lily said.

Lily saw how it was hurting her. She saw Des's regret and remorse.

"It's okay" Lily whispered, wrapping her arms around her. Des froze in shock,

"You don't hate me?" she asked Lily. Lily rolled her eyes, "It wasn't your fault. I have zero reasons to hate you. Besides, you're an awesome friend" Lily said.

Des smiled and sobbed at the same time. Lily laughed and hugged her friend again.

Des was too tired to do anything else that day and Lily agreed so they walked back to the common room and sat on the plush cushions.

Des was out like a light, but Lily couldn't sleep.

Lily walked down the halls, exploring the castle. The classrooms were all empty and a few students lingered in the halls. It was a warm day. Not many people were indoors.

"Lily!" Chase shouted catching up with her. Lily had been on her way out to the courtyard. His tall frame lumbered beside her. Lily had to take two steps for his one. "Hey!" she said.

"Where's Des?" Chase asked.

"She wasn't feeling very well so she went back to the common room," Lily said.

"Pity," Chase said. "So, how was your mum's game?"

"It was awesome! My mum is the best player ever. She did this thing, where she jumps and stuff! It was epic!" Lily was quite hyper about the game, but she'd never been the best at explaining. She spent the next 10 minutes talking about it.

Chase was sweet, letting Lily speak and smiling when she tripped over herself. Lily finished her rant and looked at Chase.

"You probably know loads about me, my life is in a newspaper. What about you?" she asked. Chase shrugged,

"I grew up in a flat in London. I played football, I went to school, I had a few accidental magic moments that were described as freaky occurrences" Chase didn't seem to find his life interesting. "

"Tell me more. What was the first 'freaky occurrence'?" Lily laughed.

"Well, the first one, I was about 7, my mum had her boyfriend over. I didn't like him very much. So at dinner, I kept thinking about a cartoon I'd seen, where the person slams their fist on a spoon and the spoon flies up and hits them. Except he never hit his spoon, it just sorts of twirled up and smacked him on the head!" Chase laughed.

Lily smiled at his stories. The two of them soon found themselves on the old wooden footbridge.

"You know, for an old castle, this bridge looks pretty new," Chase remarked.

"It is"

Lily and Chase turned to see James behind them.

"Are you stalking me?" Lily demanded.

James put on a look of phony surprise, "Me?!"

Lily glared daggers at her brother.

"Yes," James said quickly, joining them, "I missed my baby sister"

Lily rolled her eyes, "He's not going away" she told Chase.

Chase nodded, "So what did you mean?" he asked James, "that the bridge is new"

James shrugged, "During the battle of Hogwarts 21 years ago, a bunch of students blew up the bridge to prevent snatchers from getting on the grounds. Professor Longbottom, Mr. Finnegan, they blew it up"

"Who's Mr. Finnegan?" Chase asked.

"He's my dads' friend, he blows things up," Lily said, smiling at Chase's look of confusion.

"What are you guys doing out here anyway?" James asked, "I was actually studying when I saw you pass".

"Why did you stop studying?" Lily asked, her voice cracking.

"Well, I had to make sure my baby sissy was alright," James said in a babyish voice.

Lily punched his arm.

"Ow, watch your strength Lils" James teased.

"No," Lily said flatly.

James leaned out one of the opening, dangerously close to falling all the way out.

"Mum and dad sent letters back" James added, leaning back in, "I've got them in my bag"

Lily was about to ask for them before she remembered that she wouldn't have the time to read them.

"I'll get them tomorrow" she muttered.

Chase stopped looking out the bridge to glance at Lily,

"Are you feeling better?" he asked he suddenly

"What?" Lily was caught off guard by the sudden question.

"Des said you'd been in the hospital wing the 2 nights ago, that's why you didn't come from the common room in the morning," Chase seemed to believe that, so Lily was satisfied with her family's lying skills. She was about to announce that she felt much better before she remembered that she would be unable to enter the castle tonight as well.

Before she could open her mouth, James jutted in with the most perfect excuse.

"Oh, Lily," he started, "that reminds me, Professor McGonagall wanted to see you in her office before sundown. You'd better get going,"

Lily had to stare at James a moment before understanding that she actually was supposed to see the Headmistress.

She bid her brother and Chase goodbye and hurried up to the castle.

When Lily approached the giant gargoyle that marked the entrance to McGonagall's office, she paused.

"Hello?" she said quietly, "Professor?"

Nothing happened.

She knew it required a password, but what? And how could she possibly know it?

An idea wedged its way into her brain, something that might just work.

She'd known that Lily was coming.

"Kitty," Lily said, more loudly so the statue could hear her. Did it hear?

Before she could ponder that question any longer, the creature began to spin, revealing a winding set of stairs following it.

"Well," said a crisp voice from behind Lily, "I'd hoped to run into so you wouldn't have to wait, but it would seem that you know me better than I thought."

Lily turned and found the headmistress standing and smiling a few feet away, her emerald robes lightly brushing the floor.

"Hello Nan- Professor," Lily corrected quickly, "James said you wanted to see me"

McGonagall smiled, "In my office," she said as she put a hand on Lily's back and guided her up the stairs.

The office itself was incredible. Portraits hung all over the place, some sleeping, some missing, some watching carefully. Near the back, Lily could see a portrait of the previous Headmaster Dumbledore, Albus's namesake, hanging on the wall. He watched her intently as she crossed the room. McGonagall joined her and lead her up to the desk, where Dumbledore's painting could now be clearly seen.

"I dare say that you are the spitting image of your father's mother," the portrait said, "Unless I have been transported back in time"

Lily blushed, she'd been told before that she looked like her paternal grandmother, but never by someone who had watched her grow up.

"Thank you," she said shyly. Dumbledore smiled and put his back to watch the conversation.

McGonagall rounded the desk and took a seat, motioning Lily forewards.

"As you can tell, my office is a bit untidy. It gets like this every so often," she said.

"I suppose," Lily muttered, not understanding, "What has that got to do with me?"

McGonagall smiled, "You need a cover story," she said as if that explained everything, it didn't.

"I still don't understand," she said.

"Well Lily, to your friends best knowledge, I have employed you to, once a month, clean my office with me for I yearn for your sweet company. Sometimes it may take two or three nights, and sometimes we stay up all night and get distracted by gobstones or intriguing conversation" McGonagall smiled.

"How am I supposed to clean your office tonight?" Lily asked.

McGonagall rest her head in her hands, "You won't," she explained, "That is the story you are to present to your friends when they question you monthly absences"

"Ooooohhh" Lily nodded, finally understanding.

McGonagall smiled, "You'd best be off my dear," she said politely.

Lily nodded, "Thank you," she said quickly, and walked briskly out the door.

She tried not to draw too much attention as she walked through the common room and into the dormitories.

"Lily!" she heard as soon as she walked in, "Come on, we're playing MSG"

Des, Lilah, Amanda, and the third girl that, for some reason, Lily could never remember the name of, were all sitting in a circle at the foot of Des's bed.

"I'm sorry, I can't," she said, truly sorry, "McGonagall asked me to help her in her office," she told them.

"Oh, well, maybe when you get back?" Des asked hopefully.

"I probably won't be back until really late, she said to expect to be up 'till nearly morning," Lily told them.

The girls seemed disappointed but they said they understood.

Lily nodded and moved over to her bags, rummaging until she finally found the potion she was looking for. Then she turned to leave.

"What's that Lily?" Lilah asked, peeking around to try to see the bottle.

"This?" Lily tried to think fast, racking her brain for anything, "This is…my…"

Lily cursed herself for not knowing more potions. "Wide-eye potion" she blurted.

"Couldn't remember the name for it" she hoped she was a convincing liar.

"I'll probably need it if I'm to stay up so late," Lily turned to leave again before,

"Where'd you get it?" Amanda asked, her straight black bob moving like a cartoon.

"My aunt, she'd use them sometimes to stay up studying. She thought I could use one of two, I guess she was right," Lily looked around the room awkwardly and her eyes settled on the window.

Outside the sky was beautiful. Red, orange and purple striped the sky as the last inch of the sun disappeared behind the trees…

"It's been a clear day, I hope it stays that way," Lilah said, "It's a full moon tonight and my mum just sent me a stellar scope, I want to try it out"\

That snapped Lily back. She had about 20, maybe 30, minutes to get to the shrieking shack.

"Okay, bye guys!" she stammered and rushed from the common room.

Running for the stairs, she rounded a corner and ran head first into Scorpius. He toppled, with Lily landing on top of him. Glass shattered.

"Well, hello," Scorpius said, helping Lily push herself up.

"Sorry Scorp" Lily groaned, "I didn't see you"

He ran his hands through his now messy, blond hair. "Was that important?" he asked, pointing at the shattered bottle on the ground, the blue liquid steaming up and evaporation.

Lily stared at it in disbelief. There was no way she was that unlucky. But apparently…

"I have to go" Lily squeaked, she started to run but Scorpius stopped her.

"What's the rush?" he asked. Scorpius didn't know about Lily, her family had tried to keep her affliction close to home.

He too, believed her scars to be from a fall out of a tree.

"Please, just let me go" Lily tried to pull away but she wasn't strong, and Scorpius wasn't exactly a pushover.

"What's wrong?" he asked, concern flooding his voice.

"Scorp!" Albus called from behind, "What's going…" his voice trailed away as he observed the scene.

"I'm late for something" Lily scrambled out, looking at her brother desperately.

"Let her go, she's just being crazy," Albus said, trying to act casual. Scorpius released her arm and Lily rocketed down the hallway, not daring once to slow down or look back.

Rounding the bend she stopped short. There, by the whomping willow, was a group of older Gryffindors, James among them.

The sky had darkened significantly, and Lily was starting to panic.

James hadn't wanted to come outside for the assignment that Professor Longbottom had assigned. Couldn't they have done this earlier?

But no, Corban Lewis, James's roommate had managed to convince the other 3 of the boys to go, so James, not wanting to miss, had come as well.

Something didn't feel right though. He felt as though he'd forgotten something important, but he had his books his quill and parchment, so he disregarded the sick feeling he was getting.

The sun had set and soon the teachers would be out, calling them to come to eat dinner and go to bed. There was still just enough light to see the words scribbled in his notebook so Corban announced that they would be staying until the teachers came.

Along the tree line, James could occasionally see the ministry workers that had been employed after Lily had been attacked.

That sick feeling came back, he was most definitely forgetting something.

"Hey James" Howard Danvers, another roommate, said, "Isn't that your little sister?" James followed Howard's gaze to find Lily staring at the group desperately.

"Dammit" James muttered under his breath.

Lily watched as James shook his head, telling her that there was no way he could get his friends out of there. Lily's vision started to wave back and forth. She'd never been through a transformation without her potion. She had a feeling she wasn't going to enjoy it.

Running out of options, she turned her attention to the dark forest. Well, it was her last option. Knowing full well that James's mates were watching, she took off full speed towards the forest, not slowing down once the treeline passed her, but rather speeding up.

Above her, the night sky was showing its first few stars, and to the east, a faint glow could be seen hiding just behind a mountain.

Lily wondered if she could outrun the moon. If she were to apparate to a place where the moon had just set, could she never turn?

But instead, she tripped over a fallen branch and sprawled out onto the ground.

Not wanting to get up, she lay there and curled into a ball until the bright glow of the moon peeked through the branches and touched her skin.