A/N: Hi everyone! Well here we go the next installment in ALWL! I'd like to say a big hello to my 25 follower ndahake96- Hi!- Welcome to ALWL! A big thank you to my faithful reviwer Weird'smyname not only for favouriting this but for your constant support and reviews it's what keeps me going to write this fic! If it wasn't for you I think I'd given up by now tbh! Oh and to my guest reviewer 'Juliana' Thanks, I'm not so good with making things difficult I always take the easiest path to things lol Also I just wanted to show more of Lily's cheeky side in that particular chapter :)

Okay I've had an idea for a oneshot about Slughorn finding 'Francis' anyone interested in me writing this pm me and let me know what you think...

Lily was the first to realise what the screaming was about as she looked at the windows all around the Manor black cloaked figures were apparating into the grounds.

Death Eaters.

"James?" Charlus yelled loudly.
"Dad?".
"James, take all your friends and go you know where I mean! Go! Now! Move It James!" Charlus commanded.

James didn't argue. He grabbed Lily and yelled for all his friends to follow him. The wards were failing fast around the house and it wouldn't be long before the Death Eaters penetrated the inner wards around the Manor.

James led them all into the library, in one corner was a small concealed trapped door in the floor. James and Sirius quickly pulled the heavy slab up and ushered everyone down the steps into the tunnel below. It took both James and Sirius to put it back in place. It was now dark as pitch.

"Everyone you might want to light your wands" Said James quietly his voice wavering with worry.

'Lumos' Everyone muttered and immediately the darkness vanished and the tunnel didn't seem so crushing.

"Come on we have a bit of a walk in front of us" Said James quietly.
"James? Sweetie? How are me and Lily supposed to walk miles in these dresses and heels?" Piped up Hestia.

James felt his irritation flare and without a word James flicked his wand and all the girls were now in Jeans and jumpers and flats.

"Right can we move now?" James asked sarcastically.

Lily noticed Hestia turn a light shade of pink and bite her lip and her eyes fill with tears. She tried to give Hestia a plactating smile but it came out more like a grimace. She knew James hadn't meant it his dad was up there in the thick of things and James' worry for his dad was paramount. They walked on in silence carefully and cautiously as the floor was a bit pitted in places. The tunnel twisted and turned and eventually became a rather steep climb.

"Darling where are we going?" Lily whispered.
"Save your breath for the moment Lils and I'll explain later" Said James curtly.

Lily fell silent again but carried on walking. What felt like a lifetime later (when if fact in been about 40 minutes) they began to asend up a set of steps. This James used his wand to levitate a piece of the floor above his head to one side before cautiously checking that the Death Eaters hadn't found or penetrated this place, despite the fact it was unplottable and had tenfold the wards on it than the Manor. Once James was happy that the coast was clear he quietly motioned for everyone to follow him up. Once everyone was up James replaced the slab and lit the dull burning torch in the room.

Once the shadows started to vanish the room became clearer in was a smaller replica of the Manor's library, just not so lavish in decoration or books. Finally James began to explain.

"This is the 'Chateau' it's my family's strong point hide out. This place is hidden deep in the woods quarter of a mile away, this building is unplottable and the wards are tenfold the strength of the ones on my family's home. Thankfully we've never had to use this much till tonight..." James trailed off.

Lily was by James' side in the space of a heart beat.

"It'll be okay James, It'll be okay".
"How can you be so sure Lils?".
"Because for a start Dumbledore and McGonagall was there, I have a feeling that most of the Order was there and probably at least half the Auror office" Said Lily trying to sound confident.

James seem to perk up ever so slightly at these words.

"Come I'll show you around, keep your wands lit I don't want the torches burning just in case. It might give away our position" Said James uncertainly.

The 'Chateau' consisted of a library, a den, a kitchen, a living room, and dining room on the ground floor. On the upper floor was 5 bedrooms and 3 ensuite bathrooms. They decided on congragating in the den as it was cosier and closer to the library tunnel as no one could apparate in or out.

James insisted that everyone go to sleep that he would take the first watch. Then he would swap with Sirius in 4 hours, and so on. Lily conjured up blankets for everyone as they made theirselves comfortable, she figured they might as well, she had no idea how long they'd be here for.

Lily couldn't sleep. She was too pent up with worry. Worry about James, worry about what was going on at the Manor, worry about whether Charlus would make it through this fight, worry about whether James would even have a home to return too after this was all over. Deciding she couldn't sleep she went for a walk to stretch her legs and found James sat in the library by the hatch rocking back and forth silent tears streaking down his cheeks. Lily quietly conjured up and blanket and gently wrapped it around James' shoulders making him jump violently.

"Lily! Oh... hey" Said James huskily.
"Hey sweetheart".

That was all either of them said. Lily took James in her arms and just held him. That was how Sirius found them four hours later.

"Go on you guys its like 5am, go and get some rest! Lily make sure Prongs gets some sleep, if he doesn't find something heavy to knock him out with!" Said Sirius trying to lighten the mood slightly.

Lily merely nodded as she pulled James to his feet and led his back to the den and a quiet corner away from everyone else. Silently Lily pulled James down next to her and wrapped her arms around him and held him, gently stroking his hair till he was fast asleep. Once Lily was happily sure he was asleep she relaxed enough to go to sleep herself.

She found herself and James being roughly shaken awake by Sirius hours later. Lily looked at Sirius' face he was grim looking and was that tear stains on his cheeks? Lily's stomach clenched, she knew what was coming.

"Prongs, Dumbledore is here get up" Said Sirius a catch in his voice.

Lily was on her feet in an instant. She pulled Sirius into a fierce hug and whispered.

"It's Charlus isn't it? He didn't make it?" Lily asked softly.

Sirius couldn't answer all he could do was nod. Lily felt her heart break. Holy Godric, she knew this was going to be the hardest day her relationship was going to have to endure and mentally she started steeling herself for the announcement and the rest of the day ahead.

"Mr Potter, Miss Evans please sit" Said Dumbledore quietly as he indicated to the sofa opposite himself.
"Tell me the worst" Said James almost harshly.
"It is with the greatest of regret that I must inform you James..." Dumbledore's voice caught.

James knew what was coming, only one thing could have caused a reaction like this in his Headmaster, and for Dumbledore to also call him by his name and not 'Mr Potter'.

James steeled himself, Lily felt him go rigid.

"That's right James, your father didn't make it and the Manor is all but destroyed" Said Dumbledore quietly.
"How?" Was the only words that escaped James' tight tense lips.
"We believe there is a traitor within the Ministry itself James" Answered Dumbledore with something in his voice that Lily couldn't quite indentify.
"Right. I'm joining Albus, I'm joining the Order, right here right now I want to fight! I'm so sick of these Fuckers destroying people's lives and for what?" Said James in the harshest tone she'd ever heard.
"You can't James, I cannot allow it yet" Said Dumbledore.
"Screw school, I've got to do this, I need to fight..."
"I cannot allow it yet, as I have already said, right now it is vengance not bravery you're displaying" Said Dumbledore in a tone close to anger.
"FINE!" James spat. "I'll do this by myself then!" James stormed.
"James no! Please sweetheart don't, Dumbledore is right you need to calm down right now in this state you'll likely get yourself killed before you could kill a single Death Eater and I can't lose you" Said Lily fear in her voice.

James spun around from the window to look at his beloved Lily. She was as white as a sheet, her green eyes huge and swimming with tears a few escaping and coursing a way down her cheeks, and her voice had sounded so fearful he'd never heard his Lily sounding so scared. He suddenly felt the fight go out of him and he sagged, he positively sagged and made for his love, his life, his last remaining anchor to this life, his Lily. He pulled her into a tight hug, she refused to sob, but she did feel racked.

"I'm so sorry James, your father was a great great man and I shall miss him. Just so you know Alastor and myself are willing to do your father's funeral" Said Dumbledore quietly.

James merely nodded his assent and Dumbledore silently left. Once James and Lily had been alone a while, Lily, pulled away and cupped James' face in her hands.

"I just need you to know James, that I'm sorry so very very sorry about your father; he was a lovely man and I shall miss him as much as you will, as will Sirius. But to reiterate you still have me and I'm not going anywhere I vow that here and now I love you so much".

No words could come, so James just held her tight. They eventually went and found the others. They found Hestia and Sirius is a huddle sobbing their hearts out, Remus and Marlene were both very red eyed, Frank and Alice were curled up together on the couch, Frank, was gently rubbing Alice's hair and Dorcas and Amos just looking plain awkward.

"James, me and Amos need to get out of here our parents will be going crazy with worry" Said Dorcas quietly.
"I know Dorcas, but we're going to have to wait for Dumbledore to say it's safe first he'll have let all your families know" Said James with quiet authority.

Lily had a dawning, her parents! Her parents would be going mad with worry and it wouldn't help her father's heart condition any. Lily suddenly began to panic.

"James, I need to go, I can't stay! My parents! My father! The stress is going to kill him James! I can't stay, I'm sorry but I can't" Said Lily with a frantic feeling.

James had never seen Lily so unglued and it scared him.

"Lils, you can't leave not till we've been told otherwise. Please calm down, Lily please" James begged.

He tried to hug her but she was frantically pulling away from him everytime he tried to grab her she'd just wriggle away.

"No James, let go of me! Let go! I have to go my parents, my parents!" Lily was now sobbing by this point.
"Lily I can't I can't let you go, I'm sorry, please Lily, I need you to calm down, please Lily" James was almost as frantic as Lily.
"NO!" Screamed Lily.

She balled up her fist and went to punch James to make him let go of her jumper, he'd just grabbed her to stop her from fleeing. James ducked as she swung so Lily stuck out her leg to make him fall over on his butt. Once he was down she took flight. James yelled "Someone stop her". But her wand work was too good and she stunned anyone who came near her. She legged it to the front door and was gone.

Once James had recovered his wits and 'Ennervated' those that Lily had stunned, James shouted instructions that if Dumbledore turned up, to tell that that he'd gone after Lily, to make sure she didn't get herself killed. Once outside some weak winter sunshine was breaking through the treetops giving him enough light to not need to light his wand. The only way James could go was forward for the moment, but he knew after that, that the path forked left and right. He would need to use the skills his father had taught him if he was to even find his Lily. He guessed she'd probably tried Apparating away the moment she stepped outside but found it didn't work he knew the barrier was up to the big old oak about 50 feet from the front door. He could only hope she'd get lost in the surrounding woods and not find the barrier, because if she did it was game over for James, as he had no idea where Lily lived.

To his left he thought he heard a sob but couldn't be sure. So James took on his Animagus form as his hearing would be sharper rather than in human form. After his transformation he just stood and listened. Yes to his left was a sobbing, he quickly and quietly picked his way throught the trees and came to a clearing. Here he found Lily back against a tree her knees drawn up to her chest her head on her knees and she was sobbing heartily. James hadn't seen her sob this hard since the attack on herself on the train in September. He felt his heart break for her, but at the same time, jealous that she still had her parents to want to run too, for now he had no one.

James accidently stood on a twig, the sound of it breaking sounded like a gunshot, Lily lifted her head immediately wand out in front of her legs. She looked so child like her in her sadness and the fact she was scared too. He came out from behind the tree still in animal form and walked his way over to her.

Lily felt there was something familiar about this stag but right now she couldn't quite place what it was till it came close enough and saw the colour of its eyes.

"James?" She whispered.

The stag nodded.

"James, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have run away like that I should have stayed I was just so scared of losing my dad too, all the stress and worry would have given him another heart attack, and Tuney would have blamed me" The words came out in a rush.

Stag James, took a step forward and with his muzzle stuck it under her arm and nudged it upwards indicating that he wanted her to get up. Lily got up and James turned and looked back to make sure Lily was standing before he started walking forwards and led her back to the house. Making sure that he'd changed before they came in sight of the 'Chateau' so not to reveal himself to anyway who wasn't a Marauder. Upon returning they found Dumbledore and McGonagall waiting for them, at once McGonagall flared up.

"Miss Evans, how foolish a girl you are running off into the woods like that! You could have been seen and worst killed we are not entirely sure if the Death Eaters have left the area yet and as such you're all to stay here a few more days till we can be certain it is safe to let you out of here to return to Hogwarts. I will send someone to check on your father daily if needs be, but for now Miss Evans, I need you to promise me, that you'll not to go running off like that again".
"I'm sorry professor, I won't go running off again I promise" Said Lily in small voice.
"Now as you will all be here a few days I have bought food to last you for the next few days, this Chateau is perfect to accomodate you. You may have fires going and the torches lit and I'm sure you'll be most comfortable" Said Dumbledore genially.
"Wait, does that mean one of us is going to have to cook?" Asked Hestia.
"I can cook" Chimed Lily and James together.
"Excellent, well that seems to be sorted see you all in a few days".

Once both Professors left, everyone sighed and started mumbling and grumbling and groaning about the arrangement, but knew that this was the safest thing they could all do in the long run.