Before the Boy Who Lived

A/N: Woo Hoo! It's an update!

Dedications: To all of my readers, because there'd be absolutely no point in writing this if no one's reading it.

Disclaimer: Sadly, no, I don't own a thing.

Chapter 28: Ain't No Mountain High Enough

"Listen, baby—

Ain't no mountain high, ain't no valley low
Ain't no river wide enough baby…

If you need me, call me, no matter where you are

No matter how far, just call my name

I'll be there in a hurry, you don't have to worry

Cuz baby, there ain't no mountain high enough

Ain't no valley low enough, ain't no river wide enough

To keep me from getting to you baby

Remember that day I set you free?

I told you, you could always count on me, girl

From that day on, I made a vow

I'd be there when you want me, some way, somehow."

(Ain't No Mountain High Enough, Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell)

It was a clear, starry night. The moon was full. A wolf's mournful howl could be heard on the wind. The Evans home was quiet and still. Furtively sticking my head out into the hall way, I grinned to myself as I watched Dad finally turn out his light and go to bed. "About time," I murmured mischievously.

Being exceedingly careful to keep my bedroom door from squeaking, as was its custom, I shuffled quietly into the hall and shut the door behind me. Then, taking my time, I made my way through the hallway, past Dad's room, holding my breath until I reached the stairs. Rushing down the stairs as quickly as my feet would carry me; I burst into the kitchen and laid my forehead against the soothing coolness of the refrigerator, letting out a long sigh of relief. Thank goodness I hadn't been caug—

"Hi ya, Lily!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of someone's voice, spinning around only to come face to face with my cousin, Laney. Shoot. So much for not getting caught. "Laney!" I hissed, trying to catch my breath, "You scared me. Go back to bed."

Completely ignoring my demand, Laney edged around me, grabbing a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie from the plate that I had left out earlier and asked through a full mouth, "Whatcha doing?"

I sighed and replied with an exasperated smile, "Don't talk with your mouth full."

She made a face, quickly swallowed her cookie, and retorted, "Yeah, yeah…so whatcha doing?"

Grabbing a handful of cookies for myself and stuffing them into my jacket pocket along with the sheets of parchment I had been carrying, I answered reluctantly, "I'm going out to the lake, and no, you can't come."

Laney pouted and placed her hands squarely on her hips. "Please? I want to go too!" she whined stubbornly.

"No. You'll fall asleep," I added as an afterthought, standing on tiptoe to retrieve the flashlight that Dad stashed on top of the refrigerator, "It's late, and I'll probably be there for a while."

Stamping her foot petulantly, Laney objected, "No I won't! I'm nine years old, I can stay awake! C'mon Lily, please? Let me come, I'll be good!"

Sighing, I took a longing, exasperated glance out the window at the stars. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Laney still standing with her hands on her hips, firmly rooted to the spot and begging me with big puppy dog eyes to let her tag along. Sighing again, I smiled slightly and stated, "Go get your jacket."

With a victorious squeal, Laney dashed out of the kitchen, returning with her jacket wrapped snuggly around her slender shoulders. Placing a finger against my lips, I motioned for her to follow me out the back door and into the night.


It was not a very long walk to the lake, and it wasn't hard to find even without the flashlight; for we had been there so often, spending many of our laid back summer days there swimming with the other kids in town that I knew the route like the back of my hand. Reaching the water's edge, we settled ourselves down and lay back on the grass. Just as I had suspected she would, Laney fell asleep within about ten minutes of our arrival.

Chuckling under my breath, I put my hands behind my head and looked up at the sky expectantly. It was a mid August night, and the main reason I had decided to come out to the lake was to have a place where I could lay back and watch the meteor shower that was allegedly occurring that very night, eager to see some shooting stars, which had greatly interested me since I was a little girl.

Suddenly, a small star shot across the sky directly above me, shining brilliantly, and I smiled, closing my eyes and making a wish. I didn't even care if it came true…I had everything I could have ever wanted.

After a while of watching the velvety dark blue sky light up with the radiance of countless diamond-like stars, I sat up and rested my back against a tree, keeping a close eye on Laney as I pulled one of the now rather crumpled pieces of parchment from my pocket.

Dear Lily,

How are you? I've been meaning to write for ages, but I simply couldn't find the time!

You see, Dad's found a new job, one that lets him spend more time at home without sacrificing too much of his income. It's so nice to be able to spend time with him again; you'd never believe how much I missed it! We still have our fights now and again, but it's nothing at all like it was before.

And Mum's spending more time with us too—she decided that the country club could get along well enough without her. Isn't it simply wonderful? Right now we're on the first family vacation we've had in forever, in Spain. It's so beautiful here, and the vacation is really bringing us together. We're like a real family again. Looks like the Three Musketeers are back in business, huh?

I do hope you're well, and I want to say again that I'm so thankful for everything you've done for me. You're the best friend anyone could ask for! Write back if you have time and if not, well… I can't wait to see you and the girls at school on September 1st

Lots of Love,

Natalie

In high spirits, I refolded the letter that I had read countless times since I got it. It was so nice to know that things were working out well for Natalie. I couldn't wait to talk to her again, or any of my friends, for that matter. I missed them horribly.

On that note, I pulled out another letter that I had stashed in my pocket, held the flashlight up, and began to read.

To My Dear Lilykins,

Hi ya! What's up at the Evans household? Having a good summer? Doing anything other than the summer homework, that is. I'm well, save for the fact that I am bored out of my mind and that my mother is driving me up the wall. I can't even walk into a room without getting into an argument with her lately. Do you reckon I could come stay with you for a bit? It's all right if I can't, I understand, but…Merlin and Agrippa, Lily, if I stay here much longer I think I'm going to loose my marbles entirely. Write back and let me know if I can stay, ok? Talk to you soon!

Your Bestest Pal,

The Lovely, Amazing (and modest) Adara

With a laugh, I turned off the flashlight and deposited the letter back into my pocket with the other one. I glanced up at the sky upon noticing a pair of shooting stars and grinned widely, thinking to myself. Tomorrow morning Dad was going to take me to Diagon Alley where someone would be waiting for me to let me into the gypsy hideout, so that I could collect Adara after reassuring her mother that it was perfectly all right for Adara to stay with us for the last to weeks of the summer. It was going to be great.

Although I couldn't wait for her to come over, I couldn't help but feel a bit concerned for Adara. She must have been having some pretty bad rows with her Mum if she had to resort to trying to leave. No matter what, however, was going on I was there for her, just like she was always there for me. We were best friends, and I'd do anything to help her.

Stretching and letting out a long yawn, I got to my feet and moved to hover over Laney. Something told me that I was going to have to carry her back to our house, despite the fact that she was getting far too big for that and that I really didn't want to at the moment. Sigh.

"Laney," I muttered, nudging her in the ribs with the toe of my sneaker, "Laney. C'mon, wake up. Laaaaaney."

She murmured something in her sleep and rolled over on her side, turning her back on me. Grr. This was going to be harder than I had expected it to be. Moving toward the lake, I cupped as much of the cool water in my hands as I could and swiftly tossed it on Laney's sleeping form.

Don't look at me that way, she deserved it. She was being difficult.

And yet even the sudden blast of cold water didn't wake her up, only causing her to let out an obscure moaning sound and roll into yet another new position. Curse heavy sleepers.

Finally, I reluctantly ended up throwing her over my shoulder to carry her back to the house myself. Thank Merlin she was small for her age, or I wouldn't have been able to manage to lift her.

As we approached the house through the blanket of darkness, Laney did the worst thing she could have possibly done at the moment. She began snoring. Quite loudly. I groaned slightly. "Shhhh, be quiet. You'll wake up Dad. Do you want us to get caught?" I ordered despite the fact that the person I was speaking too was clearly deeply asleep, thus rendering her incapable of hearing a single word I said to her. Was it just me or did the snoring get louder?

Hoping for the best, I eased open the back door and stepped into the kitchen.

"Gee, thanks for carrying me, Lily! I don't think I could have walked all the way back on my own!"

I jumped a foot in the air, scared out of my wits when Laney suddenly began speaking in an undertone in my ear. I lost my grip on Laney and she fell out of my arms, landing on the floor with a soft thunk. For a moment, I just gaped at her, speechless and utterly confused as to how I fell for her little act.

"But—you—you mean you—that whole time?" I sputtered wildly, waving my arms in a crazed gesture.

Laney smirked craftily, teasing me by crooning softly, "Shhhh, be quiet. Do you want Uncle Chris to catch us?"

And with that, she left me standing there in the kitchen, gaping like an idiot as she skipped smugly off to bed. I, Lily Evans, the top student in my year at Hogwarts, have been bested by a nine year old.

Boy, was she good.


"Lily."

Snore. Go away. Turn out the light so I can sleep. Nobody gets up at this ungodly hour!

"Lily. Come on, Lily get up. It's twelve thirty."

Err…ok, maybe it wasn't so early, but still! I was tired! And I needed my beauty sleep! I didn't want to force myself out of my nice, comfy bed just yet. Sigh. I snuggled into my pillow and snored again, hoping the annoying person giving me my midday wakeup call would get the hint and go away.

"Lily Marie Evans, get up! Don't you know what today is? We have to go pick up Adara!"

This got my attention immediately. Slowly, I cracked open a single green eye, leaving me staring into Dad's big blue ones, a hint of mirth dancing behind them. "Good morning," he acknowledged with a wry smile, "Or should I say good afternoon?"

I yawned widely. "Hey, Dad."

He raised a suspicious eyebrow. Uh-oh. I did not like where this was going. "What's up with you today? Usually you're up before the birds."

Grinning in a way that I hoped promoted my innocence, I replied hastily, "Oh, I dunno. Just felt like sleeping in, you know? Acting on a whim."

"Uh-huh," he nodded, still looking at me suspiciously, as if X-raying me, searching for the truth, "And this whim would have absolutely nothing to do with last night's meteor shower, right? The one I explicitly told you not to stay up late to watch, for this very reason?"

"Yes?" I squeaked, hoping Dad would believe me and yet knowing that he'd never fall for it.

He rolled his eyes and threw a pillow at my head, causing me to fall over on my bed. "What am I going to do with you?" he muttered more to himself than to me.

I smiled widely, batting my eyelashes at him. "You're going to still let Adara come over and not get mad that I went out last night even though you told me not to?" I supplied hopefully. He sighed and shook his head.

"Get dressed, Lily Flower."

Score!

After getting dressed and grabbing a bagel and orange juice for breakfast…err, lunch, I hopped in the car with Dad and we set off for Diagon Alley. "You're sure it's in London, Lily?" Dad asked as we drove into town, "I don't know that I've ever heard of a place called The Leaky Cauldron, and that's not exactly a name I think I'd forget."

"Yes Dad, I'm sure," I repeated for the thousandth time, "And besides, you wouldn't be able to see it anyway, Muggles can't see it unless someone tells them its there."

"I see…" he mused aloud, "Lily, dear?"

"Yes?" I sighed, running a hand over my face.

"What's a Muggle?"

Merlin, this was going to be a long day.

As we pulled up to the sidewalk to park, I smiled widely and tapped Dad on the arm, pointing to the old, small building that was shoved in between a couple of Muggle shops. It was the Leaky Cauldron, the secret entryway to Diagon Alley. "Look, Dad. Just there. Do you see it?" He blinked a few times, as if seeing for the first time and just sort of gaped as the pub materialized before his very eyes. I giggled.

"Dad?" I questioned with a smile, "Dad? Are we going to go in or are we just going to sit here all day?"

He shook his head wildly, pulled the key out of the ignition and muttered, still a tad dazed "Yeah, sure."

Still grinning, I slipped out of the car and took his hand, leading him into pub. It was incredibly crowded inside, and we had to push past numerous hags, warlocks, witches and wizards young and old, and the odd goblin here and there before we could even get out of the doorway. Dad stared around in slack jawed amazement at it all; for it was the first time he had ever really been immersed in the magical world.

"Why little Lily Evans, is that you?" called the barman Tom from across the room.

Smiling, I gave him a friendly wave and replied, "Hello, Tom. How are you?"

He waved a hand dismissively and responded conversationally, "Oh, just fine. Business is simply booming, as you can see. Going to get your school supplies, I gather?"

"Yes, we're planning on it," I confirmed, gesturing at Dad who at the moment was examining a disgruntled goblin (who was trying to drink a glass of sherry in peace) a little more closely than he would have liked, "We're going to meet a friend of mine."

"Well I won't keep you," Tom said with another smile, "Run along."

Waving goodbye, I turned to find the goblin glaring fiercely at Dad as he tapped one of the goblin's ears in child-like amusement. Oy vey. "C'mon, Dad," I muttered, grabbing his forearm and dragging him far from the goblin, who had raised a critical eyebrow at me. I grinned at him apologetically and disappeared around the corner into the courtyard that would let us into Diagon Alley.

Promptly, I whipped out my wand and turned to the brick wall, tapping my wand meticulously along the bricks so that it would open. As the bricks moved out of our way, Dad stoked his chin thoughtfully, murmuring, "Why this is simply astounding! I wonder how they do that."

"Yeah, it's pretty cool, I guess," I replied awkwardly, giving Dad a patient smile. Having seen so many other things in the magical world, I suppose the moving brick wall just wasn't as impressive to me as it was to him.

The archway was completely open now, and Dad linked his arm through mine, proclaiming in an adventurous tone, "Well then, let's get started!" I beamed up at him, and we set off down the crowded street.


"Ooh! What's that?" Dad exclaimed excitedly as we passed by the Quidditch Supply Store. After weaving through the crowd a bit, Dad and I were able to get a look at the display in the window, the newest broom model, a Lightning Bolt 550.

The cries of excited children and Quidditch fans echoed throughout the area as they crowded even closer to the window, all of them eager to catch a glimpse of the new broom. "Hey Lily Flower," Dad began, turning to face me, "How'd you like to get one? Flying, can you imagine? It sounds fun!"

Thinking back to my first year and remembering vividly just how disastrous my first flying lesson had been, I shuddered and grabbed Dad's hand, swiftly dragging him away. "What?" he exclaimed, "Was it something I said?"

After collecting my school supplies and stopping for a bite to eat at the ice cream parlor, I began going over the path to the courtyard that hid the entrance to the gypsy's hideaway in my vague memory of it. I was about to tell Dad that we should start trying to find it when a deep voice muttered behind me, "Lily Evans?"

With a squeak, I jumped and spun around; meeting the eyes of a tall, rather menacing looking man dressed in old, patched up clothes, a gold earring hanging from one ear. Clearly, this was my guide to the gypsy hideout. Still unable to find my voice, I nodded, confirming that I was indeed the girl he was looking for.

"Good," he replied, his voice heavily accented, "I am Dukker. I will show you to the place. This is your father?"

"Yes," Dad supplied, seeing how nervous I was, "I'm Chris Evans. Nice to meet you."

Dukker shook Dad's hand, peering over at him closely, as if trying to assure himself that we were not his enemies. "Very good," he continued in his raspy voice, "You will follow me."

With that, he turned on his heel and began moving quickly down the cobbled streets, weaving through the crowds of people as easily and as unnoticed as a ghost. Shaking my head, I hurried after him, Dad right behind me, neither of us wanting to get lost.

The three of us dashed down slender side streets and through odd passage ways I never would have dreamed were there so as to reach the courtyard unnoticed. Sooner than I had expected, we had reached the courtyard that I had seen once before, when I had come to Diagon Alley for the first time. It was old and crumbling, vines and ivy climbing up the walls, and a dried up fountain, a kind faced angel with and outstretched hand, as if welcoming you, standing in the center of it.

The gypsy called Dukker looked surreptitiously over his shoulder, peering around in every direction to ensure that the three of us were indeed alone. Clearly, he didn't want to risk giving up the safe haven of his friends and family. After a moment, he walked forward and gripped the angel's right hand firmly and pulled it towards him.

Slowly, a large piece of stone at the bottom of the fountain moved aside to reveal a long, dark tunnel, causing Dad and I to gasp in unison. "Amazing," Dad said under his breath. Dukker looked us over curiously, confused by our sincere interest in his home.

"Come," he ordered gruffly, beginning down the stairs, which lacked the benefit of a railing, and into the gloomy tunnel. Dad and I shared a look. Carefully, I stepped down onto the first stair, Dad following behind me, resting his hand cautiously on my shoulder. Once we had all moved a bit further down the stairway, Dukker muttered a few words in a strange language, and the piece of stone that had concealed the tunnel slid shut quickly and quietly, leaving us in total darkness. I shivered, causing Dad to squeeze my shoulder in a soothing way.

"Stay close to the wall, and don't rush," Dukker advised, himself beginning to feel his way along the staircase and through the darkness of the tunnel. We followed as well as we could, and thankfully my eyes were able to adjust so that I could at least partially make out where I was going.

The tunnel seemed to go on forever, until finally I could make out a light at the end of it. Smiling to myself, I began to walk a little faster. We were almost there.

Suddenly, I slipped on a stair and lost my balance. I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting to tumble down the stairs and break my neck, but it never happened. Cautiously cracking open one eye, I found myself wrapped securely in the strong arms of Dukker. "You ought to be more careful, Lily Evans," he rumbled, his deep voice echoing off the cold stone walls around us.

I nodded slightly, standing on the stair behind him. "Thank you, Dukker," I replied shakily, motioning to Dad that I was quite all right.

"You're welcome," he answered, turning around and continuing along, "Let's keep moving. It's not much further."

Only moments later, the three of us emerged into a huge, cavernous chamber whose walls were lined with torches. Blinking rapidly in an attempt to get my eyes to adjust to the sudden burst of light, I noticed a large door with no handle or doorknob at the other end of the chamber.

"What a walk, eh?" Dad commented as he stumbled into the light just behind me, "I feel like Indiana Jones!"

I smiled at him fondly, and then turned to Dukker. "Now what?" I asked curiously.

"It's just through here…" he told me distantly, "But I must warn you, if you wish to enter, you must swear never to reveal the secrets of the gypsy people."

"Of course!" I replied instantly. Behind me, Dad nodded in agreement.

Dukker nodded and continued, "Very well. If you will follow me…"

After murmuring a few more words in the strange language, a handle appeared on the door, and Dukker grabbed it, pulling the door open to reveal one of the most intriguing things I had ever seen.

The gypsy hideout was, in itself, a city, living and breathing under the bustle of Diagon Alley. It was brightly lit by torches that lined the walls and beautiful colored lanterns that hung from the ceiling. Small home-like structures lined the crumbling cobblestone road, and a spidery waterway slithered steadily through the center city for as far as I could see. People could be seen milling about, pushing carts or sitting in covered wagons, going about their business in a relaxed, everyday manner, and speaking to each other in the indiscernible language that Dukker had muttered in earlier, or else in heavily accented English. Someone must have been cooking for far off amongst the crowd I could see a thin spiral of smoke steadily rising, and I could smell an exotic and pleasant aroma.

"LILY!"

Before I could bring myself out of the admiring trance I had been in to see who had called my name, they had wrapped their arms around me and were giving me a bone-breaking hug. "Hi, Adara," I managed to choke out. She pulled back, holding my shoulders and looking at me at arms length.

"Well look at you!" she shouted, a bit enviously, "How is it that you seem to get prettier every time I see you? The guys at school are going to be tripping over themselves to get to you! Lucky."

I laughed and pulled her close for another hug. "Oh, I missed you, Adara!"

She grinned. "Why thank you, Lillers, I missed you as well. Besides, how could you have possibly gone on with life without me?"

I rolled my eyes at her before complimenting excitedly, "This place is amazing!"

"It's not much, but its home," she replied with a shrug. She shook her bangs out of her eyes and continued animatedly, "I can't believe I'm actually allowed to stay at your house for two weeks! Is this your Dad?"

I smacked my hand to my forehead, "Merlin I'm stupid. Let me introduce you. Dad, this is my best friend, Adara Sadaat. Adara, this is my Dad, Chris Evans."

"Nice to meet you, Adara," Dad greeted with a warm smile as he shook her hand.

"You too, sir," she said in an equally friendly way, "Thanks so much for letting me stay with you."

Dukker laid a hand on Adara's shoulder. "Dara, love, I've got some business to attend to. Have fun, all right?"

Adara smiled up at him and gave him a fond hug. "Thanks, Dukker. I'll see you at Christmas!"

With that, Dukker gave a final wave to us and disappeared into the flurry of the crowd. Adara turned back to Dad and me, still beaming so widely I was surprised her face didn't split in half. "C'mon," she instructed, "We have to let Mum know I'm leaving."

She turned and led us down the winding cobblestone pathway and into the very depths of the gypsy's sanctuary. As we walked, Dad and I looked around curiously, watching children play gleefully, palm readers and fortune tellers giving their advice, people cooking and sewing and playing strange instruments. The whole hideaway was buzzing with activity.

Suddenly, Adara stopped and we found ourselves standing in front of an old, slightly crumbling building that resembled an apartment building, a lovely purple silk tapestry slung across the empty doorway, acting as a sort of door. A scowl came over Adara's face as she led us inside, forcing me to think of her letter. Was she still in a row with her mother?

We stood in the small area that acted as the living room for a moment, when suddenly a willowy, darkly beautiful woman emerged through another silk tapestry from another room, a rather young boy on her hip, playing with a strand of her long, dark hair. She jumped when she saw us all standing there, surprised. "Oh!" she gasped, placing her free hand against her forehead, "I didn't know you had come! Please excuse the mess," she continued apologetically, gesturing around the cluttered room, "I've been busy and haven't had the time to clean up."

"That's quite all right," Dad reassured her with a smile, "We don't mind, do we Lily?"

"Not at all!" I agreed, "It's so nice to see you again, Mrs. Sadaat."

With a weak smile, Mrs. Sadaat responded, "It's nice to see you again too, Lily. How have you been?"

"Oh, I've been well," I explained, noticing Adara disappear into the next room only to return a moment later, lugging her school trunk behind her, scowl still plastered firmly in place.

"That's good," she commented before turning to Dad and saying gratefully, "Thank you so much for allowing Adara to stay with you. You're sure it's not too much trouble?"

"It's no trouble at all!" Dad answered breezily, waving a hand dismissively, "Let the children have some fun, I always say…"

Adara came to stand next to me and I looked over at her, raising my eyebrows questioningly. She shook her head with an air of finality, letting me know that we would not be talking about it just now. Oh well. I suppose I'll get it out of her eventually.

Apparently, Dad and Mrs. Sadaat had finished working out any questions they may have had for one another, for they were both staring at Adara and I expectantly. "Well, we must be going. Come along, girls," Dad mentioned, giving a final wave to Mrs. Sadaat and strolling past the tapestry to wait for us just outside the house.

"It was nice talking to you, Mrs. Sadaat," I began, unsure of what to do. The air in the room had suddenly grown tense with electricity flying back and forth between Adara and her mother.

"You too, Lily," Mrs. Sadaat supplied distractedly, still staring at her daughter in an annoyed way. After a moment the annoyance turned to sadness and she looked at Adara with pleading eyes. "Goodbye, Adara," she said softly, hopefully. Adara's face remained stony and silent.

"Goodbye?" Mrs. Sadaat tried again. She sighed as Adara shot one last angry look (a trace of hurt hidden behind it) at her mother and walked out of the house. I looked over my shoulder at her mother with a small frown as I followed Adara outside. She looked very upset.

Much to my dismay, I noticed Adara bore a very similar expression as she, Dad, and I began making our way back to the entrance chamber so that we could leave. Knowing better than to try and press the matter for now, I remained silent. Maybe I could ask her about it later, when she was in a better mood.

A/N: Hi ya! So, what do you think? Let me know in a review, because I really do want to know what you guys think. I know this chapter was a little boring, but it was starting to get long so I decided to split it into two chapters, and it's leading up to something big anyway, which you'll find out about soon. And I'm even working on the next chapter as we speak just for you guys, so review, and I'll post it faster! Wink.

Shannon