Disclaimer: Everything in the Potterverse belongs to J. K. Rowling. I am simply an interloper.

Remember: James … Lily

.o.O.o.

Chapter 36

March, 1977

"And that concludes today's meeting." Lily said stiffly to the room full of prefects. "You're free to go." James watched as she quickly grabbed her bag and walked as quickly as she could to her room. He hesitated for a moment before running after her.

"Wait a minute, Lily." he as he caught up with her. She froze at the foot of the stairs leading up to her room. "Can we talk a minute?"

"Talk?" she asked coldly without turning around.

James's heart sank at her tone. He had hoped that by leaving her alone for a bit she would be able to come to terms with the fact that he was Prongs and look past the deception to realize how he much he cared about her. How many times had he written 'I love you'? How many times had she written it back?

He had explained to her on the first day that they talked that he wouldn't be able to tell her who he was. He had repeated it time and time again. Couldn't Lily see that her anger wasn't entirely warranted? While he was able to understand her initial reaction, he had felt certain that she would come to understand. Lily wasn't usually unreasonable.

"Why would I want to talk to you?" Lily continued, turning to face him.

"Because we had something." James said carefully. "We were happy together. We could be again."

"No, I don't think so."

"Why are you still mad?" James asked. "I've apologized. Many times."

"Why are you trying to make us happen again when you've so obviously moved on?" Lily asked.

James froze. "What are you talking about?"

"It seems as though you've had no troubles finding someone else's kisses to keep you warm." Lily scoffed as James continued to look confused. "Or have you been kissing so many girl's that Rosmerta's just become another notch on the bedpost?"

James's expression changed from realization to horror. "No! Lily, no, you don't understand-"

"Save your explanations, Potter." Lily spat. "I'm done." She turned as stalked up to her room, slamming the door shut behind her. She dropped her bag in the middle of her floor and collapsed onto her bed, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

Even though Lily had seemed furious, more than anything, she was hurt and she was just tired. She was tired of Hogwarts. She was tired of war. She was tired of James and she was most definitely tired of feeling betrayed.

When her relationship with James had started, it had felt like the elusive of Happily Ever After. The boy finally gets the girl after chasing her for the better part of five years. For once in real life, the fairy-tale ending came true, like Snow White and Prince Charming, but without the poisoned apple.

Lily felt like the universe had betrayed her. It had promised her happiness and then taken it away just when everything seemed to be falling in place.

It bothered her that James could go and be with other people so easily, despite his constant assurances that she was the only one for him.

Lily glared at her ring as it started to warm up. She took it off and hurled it across the room. A few minutes later, she thought the better off it and got up to retrieve it. She sighed, turned it over in her fingers a few times and then replaced it. Cautiously, she walked over to her desk and retrieved the Transfiguration notebook, now battered and almost falling apart from being handled heavily for the past year. She sat on her bed and flipped it open.

Lily, please, you have to let me explain. It's not what you think.

Lily glared at the book before summoning her quill and ink bottle.

Oh, so you weren't snogging Rosmerta on Valentine's day?

You responded!

No shit, Sherlock.

No, I was snogging her, but not for the reasons you think.

So you didn't want to?

It was Remus's idea.

Excuse me?

Remus thought it would be a good idea for me to get out of my room and stop moping. So we went to the Broomsticks and I had a bit too much to drink and I had a brilliant idea to prove that I was over you by snogging someone else.

So you're over me?

The farthest from it! I love you more, Lily. I know it sounds stupid and like I'm making stuff up but, 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder,' and all that. I love you, Lily, I really do.

Lily took a breath. I love you too.

James felt his heart soar until he read the next line. But I can't trust you.

I'm sorry, I just can't. Not right now. You really hurt me, and Marlene's of the opinion I should never forgive you. I think it's impossible for me to not forgive you, but I can't trust you like I could before.

Lily…

I'm sorry, James. I just can't.

.o.O.o.

"Hey." Lily said the next morning as she sat across from Alice and a very pregnant Mary.

"How are you?"

"I'll be alright." Lily shrugged.

"I still can't believe James did that." Mary said, shaking her head, her hand resting on her swollen belly. "He always seemed so sincere."

"Mail!" someone yelled.

"The awful part," Lily said, ducking as an owl flew over her head and dropped a letter into her eggs, "Is that he is sincere. He does care about me, he just…"

"Makes out with slutty barmaids on Valentine's Day?" Alice asked, catching the Daily Prophet as her owl swooped by. Lily grimaced and nodded, pulling the envelope out of her breakfast and placing it in her bag to read later. Alice unrolled the paper, scanned the article and blanched. "Oh no."

"What?" Lily asked as Alice dropped the paper, grabbed her bag and bolted from the Great Hall. Mary picked it up. She gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh no." she whispered.

"What?" Lily asked, grabbing the paper from Mary's hands and reading the article dominating the front page:

Mirewell Falls

Mirewell, a small and popular retirement spot for aging members of the wizarding community, was attacked yesterday evening. A group of Death Eaters descended upon the town in the early hours of twilight, using the darkening light as cover for their descent into the town. Using new spells that were supposedly manufactured by You-Know-Who himself, the Death Eaters were able to fly into the retirement community without the aid of brooms. The stealth of their attack meant that they were able to set up wards in advance, making it difficult for the locals to get word to the authorities.

As the Death Eaters began set about causing havoc, a retired auror by the name of Greta Longbottom, age 100, managed to fight her way into the surrounding forests and apparated to the ministry while her husband, Charles Longbottom, age 106, covered for her. Charles was struck by the Cruciatus curse as the pair reached the edge of the town and died from its effects. As Greta disapparated, she caught a stunner to her chest. It's effect was weakened by her apparition, however, it was strong enough to induce a heart attack. The great lady was able to deliver the news of the attack before she died, but the heroism of the Longbottoms resulted in the deployment of a team of aurors who arrived in time to catch a few of the Death Eaters as they fled the scene.

Three of the Death Eaters were killed as they attempted to apparated and the numbers of the entire party have been estimated to be between twenty and fifteen. The names of the three who were killed have been released: Andrew Domark, Grant Ailward, and Yolanda Maldonado.

The aurors and mediwizards are still shifting through the ruins of the town and so a casualty list has not been released as yet, however, it has been noted that there appears to have been some sort of relief force who arrived before the aurors and frightened them into fleeing the scene.

Some of the residents have survived the attack. It appears as though the Longbottom's grandson, Frank, age 19, was charged by his grandparents to escort the neighbours into the Longbottom's Panic Room and that he managed to hold the doors against the attackers, rescuing ten of the village residents. Frank Longbottom will receive a medal of Valour and we here at the Prophet wish to offer our condolences for the loss of his grandparents. They died honorably.

Written by: Elvira Goode

Field Reporter, Daily Prophet

.o.O.o.

"Alice?" Mary said softly, knocking on their dormitory door. Sniffling could be heard inside. She tried the doorknob and, when it turned, gently opened the door and stuck her head through. "Can I come in?" Alice nodded. Mary waddled into the room and sat on the bed beside her friend. She put an arm around her and pulled her into a hug.

"He came so close to dying." Alice sniffed, turning her face into Mary's shoulder. "He was so close to dying and I didn't even know."

.o.O.o.

"How is she?" Lily asked as Mary came down from the room.

"She's shocked," Mary said quietly, taking the armchair next to Lily. "She's freaked out. She hates being tapped here while he's out there. For all her brave talk, she's a seventeen-year-old girl who's in love with a soldier and can't bear to be separate from him. They were practically inseparable when he was here and that makes the separation that much more unbearable." Mary shrugged. "I always forget how vulnerable she can be."

Lily nodded and leaned over, taking her friend's hand. "And how are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your fiancée is out there too." Lily said quietly.

"And I'm thanking Merlin right now that he's stuck behind a desk in the ministry." Mary said as tears welled in her eyes. "For both my sake and Cedric's, I hope he stays there."

.o.O.o.

Night fell and the moon started to rise, but Lily couldn't calm herself down enough to go to bed. She felt itchy and agitated. The article had riled her up, made her want to join the fight, to prevent Alice from losing Frank and to keep Amos from ever having to leave his desk and leave Mary husbandless and Cedric fatherless.

It helped her to know that her family was safe and well in Cokeworth and that she didn't have to worry about the Death Eaters targeting them, but because she had less stakes in the battle, it made her want to fight all the harder for those who had everything on the line.

She sighed, pacing in circles around her floor before her gaze settled on the envelope sticking out her of her bag. She had forgotten about it.

Lily grabbed her dressing gown, her winter cloak and her letter before stuffing her feet into her boots. She picked up her wand and hesitated before replacing it on her dressing table. Silently, she eased open her door and quietly made her way down through the Prefect Study and out into the corridors outside, careful not to make noise for fear of waking James. She padded quietly through the castle and out onto the grounds.

Lily walked briskly across towards the edge of the black lake, enjoying the cool air and the crunch of her boots on the cold ground. It was late, well past curfew, but the little rush of adrenaline somehow seemed to steady her jitters. She paused as a rat scurried across her path before pulling out the letter, continuing her walk.

Lily,

As you know, mum hadn't really been herself ever since dad died, and she was sick over Christmas. The doctors were all saying that it was flu, but apparently it wasn't. It was pneumonia.

Lily reached the lake edge and froze as a rustle sounded to her right. She turned to look, but it was just a bush. It rustled again. Lily took a step towards it, but stopped as a howl sounded in the distance. A bark sounded from the bush and Lily relaxed. It was just Fang. She turned back to her letter.

She's dead, Lily. Mum died last week. I thought that it would be too much trouble for you to leave school, so we decided to have the funeral yesterday. She's with Dad, so you can visit her when you come home.

Sorry.

Vernon's proposed. We're going to get married this summer. If you want to come, I suppose we should talk about it. I'm not sure how I feel about you being there. Denise has already agreed to be my maid of honour, so you don't have to do that.

Rory sends his condolences and his love. So does everyone else. Have a good term.

Petunia.

P.S. Are you still planning on coming home for Eater? I'd rather you didn't, if it's all the same.

Lily re-read the letter again in disbelief. No. It couldn't be. Her mother couldn't be… dead. Lily bit back a sob and collapsed to her knees.

.o.O.o.

"Finally." Remus whispered tightly as James walked into the bedroom in the Shrieking Shack. "Took you long enough."

"Sorry." James whispered back, taking a seat as far from Remus as possible. "How close are you?"

"Close enough." Remus groaned, his face contorting in pain.

"Just breathe." James said steadily. He sat impassively as Remus's form began to contort and change, accompanied by agonized yells and screams. Eventually, they subsided and the werewolf got to its feet, snuffling and howled when it caught James's scent.

James sighed and concentrated, shifting his form quickly and easily. He shook his head, taking a moment to adjust to the weight of his antlers before trotting over to the wolf. It snuffled him for a moment, confused as to where the human had gone, but its confusion was replaced by happiness when it recognized the stag.

James ran around the wolf in a circle to make sure he had its attention before taking off and leaping down the stairs and through the halls to the kitchen. He paused for a moment to make sure the wolf was following. He quickly transformed back into human form long enough to open the trap door that lead to the tunnel under the Willow before turning back into a stag and stepping aside as the werewolf barrelled past and down into the tunnel. James dropped down and swung the door shut before changing back to a stag and bounding after it.

The werewolf bounded happily through the tunnel and out onto the grounds, making a beeline for the lake which it wadded happily into, despite its near freezing temperature. James stopped at the lake edge and turned his head to glance up at the castle, waiting for wolf to come back to shore. A twig snapped.

James turned his head to see a figure standing by the lake, frozen in the midst of backing away from the shore. A figure with red hair that he would recognize anywhere. Dread filled his stomach as his eyes widened.

Lily.

Time seemed to slow down.

James bolted along the edge of the lake just the wolf turned and stared at Lily. It snuffled and then lunged through the water in her direction.

.o.O.o.

A/N: I like reviews. Reviews are nice.

Tapi