...I look forward to speaking to you and Nicole. I hope that I will be able to help ease some of the problems for both her and you. Until then,

Father

Avery sighed as he read the last lines of the letter for yet another time. He lowered his arm allowing the letter to rest on his stomach as he laid on his bed. His feelings were a jumbled mess of uncertainty and confusion.

He had hoped that talking with his father about what had happened with Nicole and the accident would allow for some sort of clarity, not only for Nicole but for himself as well. Though the accident was months prior, everything about the accident seemed to still be on the forefront of many people's minds including Avery's.

The person who caused the accident had still not be found and the reason behind the attack also remained a mystery despite the many theories that the Ministry and others had concocted.

Avery ran his hands over his face and placed his hands behind his head. His father would have the answers. He would know the who, if not the who then most likely the why. His father would know something, Avery was sure of it.

While his father knew, Avery wasn't quite sure if he was ready to know himself let alone if Nicole was ready as well.

"You keep moving," Nicole said sleepily. She rolled over so that she was on her side facing him, her eyes heavy and barely open.

Avery looked down at Nicole in her half-awake state.

"I'm sorry," He said brushing hair back from her face. She raised herself so she could look around the room.

"Where is everyone?" Nicole asked.

"Probably off studying or doing homework," Avery said. Nicole laid back down on the bed and moved closer to Avery.

She placed her hand on his chest, her elbow brushing against the letter. She picked it up.

"From my dad," Avery said taking the letter from her and placing on the bedside table.

Avery wrapped one arm around Nicole's shoulders while he held her hand on his chest with the other. They laid there for several minutes in complete silence and bliss.

Nicole listened to steady rhythmic beating of Avery's heart that seemed to pulse in time with her own. It was a soothing lullaby that with every pulsating beat seemed to remove all thoughts of worry or stress. He was the only person she knew to have such an effect on her, and she reveled in it. Reveled in the feel of his body so close and in sync with her own.

"Are you looking forward to seeing him?" Nicole asked, trailing her fingers along the skin on the back of his hands.

Avery smiled at the familiar sensation of Nicole's fingertips across his skin. It sent chills down his spine and made his hyper aware of just how close they were to each other. How good her hair smelled. How soft her skin felt. How her breast felt pushed against his chest...

Nicole looked up at him questioningly.

"Oh right," Avery said drawing his thoughts back to the Nicole's question that he hadn't yet answered.

"I think it will be great to see him. I love when he came make time to come to the quidditch matches. He's always so busy with work that anytime I can see him is welcome," Avery explained, playing with the ends of Nicole's hair.

"But?" Nicole started.

"But…" He looked down at Nicole.

"But I can think of other ways to spend my Valentine's that would be more enjoyable," Avery said.

Nicole felt her heart skip a beat as she saw and heard the intensity of Avery's words. Laying there like that, she couldn't help but think and feel the same way.

Valentine's was a day of romance and love and there was nothing more that Nicole would love to do than be with Avery completely.

Nicole ran her hand up toward his cheek and their lips met. A soft kiss, that lasted seconds.

They both sighed and snuggled back into each other's arms. This was not the time nor the place to act on their desire not matter how much their bodies said differently.

"What will your father tell me?" Nicole asked breaking the silence.

"What do you mean?" Nicole turned onto her stomach so that she could look at him face to face.

"Last week, we were talking and you said that your father could help me. You said it with such certainty that…." Nicole trailed off not quite sure how to ask what it was she wanted to know.

"You think I'm hiding something from you? About the attack?" Avery asked.

"Are you?" Nicole asked staring down at her hands that were twisting around each other.

There was silence. Nicole looked up at Avery to see him staring up at the ceiling, not looking at Nicole.

Nicole felt tears prick at her eyes. Sometimes no answer was an answer and this was definitely one of those times.

Nicole moved so that she was sitting at the edge of the bed, her back toward Avery. She leaned over placing her hand in her hands. She wanted to yell, to cry, to start a fight. There were a million different scenarios that were playing through her head.

She should be angry, should be upset. That was what she kept telling herself but there was part that wasn't. A part of her that wanted to crawl back into the bed with Avery and to leave all the worrying about the attack and the what-ifs in the past. She just wanted to be over the whole thing.

"Nicole." Nicole felt the bed shift as Avery moved to sit behind her. His arms wrapped tightly around her waist and laid his chin on her shoulder.

"You promised me, you would tell me the truth," Nicole said as she leaned back into Avery's arms.

"If I had a truth, I would tell it to you," Avery said.

"I don't know any more than you do. I don't know a who and I don't know a why. I could think of reasons. Speculate as to why something like this happened, but that's all it would be. Pure speculation. I don't think that that would help with anything much," Avery explained. Nicole looked at him.

"You said that your father could help me. What could he know about what happened that you don't? I don't understand what your father even has to do with this," Nicole said.

Avery tightened his arms around Nicole's waist. He kissed her hair and took a deep breath.

"You're afraid to sleep," Avery started.

"You're afraid to sleep because in your dreams you see who caused the accident. Crouch said that you knew more than you were saying and your dreams prove it. I don't think that you were even aware at first at how much you had seen but now….something's changed. Something has clicked in your mind and it's all coming back to you."

The two of them sat in silence not looking at each other. It was true.

It was everything that Nicole couldn't speak but everything that she felt. Everything that she was afraid to confide with others about. Nicole had swore up and down that she had no idea who was responsible for the accident and while technically speaking she still didn't know, she could find out. All she had to do was open her eyes.

"If you don't sleep, then you don't have to feel like you're lying to anyone. But you don't owe anything to anyone," Avery said.

"How can you say that?!" Nicole asked.

"Someone's dead. I owe it to him and to his family to bring his killer to justice. That's all the ministry wants and the only thing that's standing in their way is me," Nicole said sadly.

"It's not your responsibility to do the ministry's job," Avery said.

Nicole shook her head and got up from the bed. She didn't believe that, not for a second.

It may not have been what she got paid for or not necessarily what her job description said but that didn't mean anything to someone like her. She had a responsibility. That had been ingrained in her head since the very beginning. Everyday people are responsible for each other. She was responsible.

Avery moved to reach out to her and to pull her back to him but she shied away. She stood leaning against the bedpost while Avery still sat on the bed.

"You're angry because of what I said," Avery said. Nicole hesitated.

"I'm not angry. I just don't agree and honestly I don't get how you can think like that either. How you can think that it's okay to keep information like this to myself?" Nicole explained.

Avery frowned at Nicole.

"You don't understand why I think that it's not your responsibility to figure out who caused the accident? Why I don't want to see you stressed and distraught over the entire thing?" Avery asked.

"You make it sound as if I'm conducting some covert investigation into what happened. It's simply facing my nightmare and telling the truth. Isn't that what I should do?"

"I'm just saying that you don't have an obligation to turn whoever it is in," Avery explained.

"Why are you saying this to me?! I don't get the purpose of all this no obligation, no responsibility crap."

"I just don't want you to feel pressured into betraying the people you care about. Feel backed into a corner where whichever way you turn you're hurting someone. You don't have to feel like that. You don't have to say anything," Avery said softly.

"In order to tell the truth about who caused the accident, you're saying that I would have to betray someone I care about," Nicole said her voice shaking.

"You say it with such certainty..." Nicole began. Avery got up from bed and stood in front of Nicole. He took her hands in his and laced their fingers together.

"It's a possibility. We both know that. That's why you are so afraid to open your eyes in your dreams. Why this whole thing scares you so much. Your mind is trying to protect you, shield from something that could only do more damage. There's only one logical reason why that would happen," Avery explained.

Nicole knew that what Avery was saying was the truth. The more she thought about it the more it made sense. It had been someone who she had known who had caused the accident. Knowing that did nothing to ease Nicole's mind.

As much as she hated it, Avery had a point. With it being someone she knew, she would have to betray them, to turn them in for what had happened.

The shopkeeper is dead. Nicole thought. While it should make things easier for her, it didn't. It simply added to the complication and made her more unsure of what to do. How could she willingly hurt someone she cared about?

Nicole looked into Avery's eyes.

"Who is it?" Nicole asked. Avery shook his head.

"I don't know, that's the truth," Avery said.

"But you're father does. He knows," Avery looked down at their interlaced hands.

"I think….I think that my father can help you."

"That's not an answer," Nicole said. Avery remained silent.

Nicole took her hands away from Avery, her head reeling. There was something that he wasn't telling her and she was sick of it. She walked away from Avery without a second glance leaving him alone.

Avery sank on the bed and ran his hands over his face.

That was not how he had imagined the day or the conversation to go. He had to prepare Nicole for whatever it was that his father might say. He wasn't just preparing Nicole but also preparing himself. The more it seemed that his father was involved in the whole mess, the more Avery was scared. Nicole might not be the only person who knew the one who caused the accident.

The time is coming to make a choice, for both of you. Avery's fathers words played over and over in his head.

The more that Avery's father spoke to him about choice, the more Avery felt like he had none. His father had made his decision a long time ago. Not only for himself but the others who bore his name. What choice was there really with the friends that his father had?

Avery had no choice, and with each passing year it became more and more clear just how much of his fate and future had already been decided for him. There was no choice for him to make. Only a family legacy to uphold and a duty to carry out.

How will I get Nicole to understand? Avery thought to himself.

Deep down Avery knew the truth, he couldn't get Nicole to understand something that he was so unsure of himself.


"Bloody hell! I hate this!" Lily said throwing her wand down on the ground. She plopped down on the floor folding her arms across her chest. She stared angrily at the pot in front of her that was still very much intact.

Severus picked up Lily's wand and handed it to her. She took it as Severus sat down on the floor beside her Lily.

"Don't worry. We'll get it," Severus said comfortingly.

"This is a completely ridiculous assignment. I don't know what Professor Tessler was thinking!" Severus chuckled slightly at Lily's outburst.

"I thought you were the one who said that this whole idea was 'innovative and brilliant'. I even remember some talk about him possibly being the best Defense teacher yet," Severus said. Lily rolled her eyes at Severus.

"Well that was before he gave us this bloody spell!" Lily groaned.

To give the fourth year students more hands-on practice, Professor Tessler had decided that each pair would be given a spell that they had to learn themselves. They were to develop a technique and write about what worked and what didn't work while trying to learn the spell.

So far, Lily and Severus had a long list of all the things that didn't work in trying to cast the Reducto Curse and nothing whatsoever on what did work.

Severus reached into his pocket and pulled out two pieces of candy.

"Sherbet strawberry?" Lily asked taking the candy from Severus' hand.

"Your favorite," Severus replied

Lily laid back on the floor looking up at the ceiling as she ate her candy.

"Do you remember how many times we used to lay on the grass and watch the clouds in the sky?" Lily said lost in thought. Severus laid down next to her so that they were side by side.

"I remember you were so scared that you were going to be sent to Azkaban for doing magic," Severus said laughing. Lily smiled.

"It was because of all those stories you told me about the Dementors...For the longest time I couldn't even imagine a place like this to be real," Lily said. They were both silent as they thought about their past together.

"It was always so pleasant and peaceful." Lily turned to look at Severus.

"Why don't we do that anymore?" Lily asked. Severus looked at her as his heart pounded against his chest.

Her green eyes were full of light and wonder with loose strands of hair falling gracefully in her face. He wanted to reach out and brush the strands back from her face and let his fingers linger upon her cheek. He imagined what her skin would feel like under his touch.

Soft and smooth like silk. Severus thought. That was always how he imagined his delicate Lily. He flexed his hand that was by his side, acutely aware of how close his fingers were to Lily's. All he needed to reach out. Move inches toward Lily's hand that seemed to be calling out to him.

"Sev?" Severus blinked several times.

"Are you okay?" Lily asked. Severus nodded.

"Yeah I was just lost in thought about home." Lily smiled.

"We should do it. When the weather gets warmer and all the snow melts. We should lay out by the Great Lake and watch the clouds. It will even better than at home. We could use magic and turn the clouds into animals and watch them race each other. Wouldn't that just be fantastic Sev?" Lily said excitedly.

Until people saw us. Severus didn't saw it out loud but then he didn't have to. It was written clearly on his face exactly how he felt about Lily's idea.

Lily turned her face away from Severus and looked up at the ceiling.

"Excited for the Quidditch match?" Lily said abruptly changing the subject.

Severus opened his mouth, wanting to explain himself but he wasn't sure if he should let alone could.

"Um….yeah it should be a good game. The team has been practicing non-stop," Severus said still looking at Lily.

"I bet. Dearborn is pretty amazing on a broom. He even gave Potter a hard time when we played against Ravenclaw," Lily said.

"Well I think Avery can handle himself against Dearborn even if Potter couldn't," Severus said smugly. Lily didn't comment.

"How is Avery?" Lily asked sitting up.

"What do you mean?" Severus asked.

"Well I know that with the Quidditch game coming up it's pretty time consuming. I just didn't know how he was handling that and Nicole. You know, just wanted to make sure that everything was going good between them," Lily said trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

"Well….yeah...I mean everything is good as far as I know. He was kinda bummed out that his dad was coming…"

"Why? I thought Avery and his dad got along really well," Lily said.

"No it's not that. He's coming for Valentine's day and wanted to catch up with Avery and Nicole. Valentine's day with your dad and girlfriend is not ideal," Severus said. Lily laughed.

"No. I'd imagine not….What about you? What's your plans?" Lily asked playing with the end of her hair.

"I'm actually meeting up with Avery's dad later," Severus said not looking at Lily.

"What for?" Lily asked. Severus sat up.

"Oh...um...we just had some things to talk about."

"You're really close to Avery's parents, aren't you?" Lily asked. Severus nodded.

"Their house is like a second home to me. His parents, they look out for me. Protect me….

"From your dad," Lily interrupted. Severus looked up away as his cheeks turned red.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that," Lily said. Severus waved it off.

"Does Avery know? About whatever goes on with your parents?" Lily asked. Severus nodded.

Lily was silent as she thought about that.

The two of them had been friends for years. She had known Severus longer than Severus had known Avery and yet Avery knew more than her. Lily had her speculation about what went on with Severus' parents but that's all it was pure speculation.

"Lily…" Severus reached out to touch her hand.

The classroom door opened.

"I really do have perfect timing," James said gesturing to Severus' hand on Lily's.


"What are you guys doing?" Adrianna asked as she walked into the boys dormitory with Adrianna behind her.

Marlene and Remus were sitting in the center of the floor while Sirius and Peter watched from their beds.

"Marlene is trying her hand at the utterly useless skill of reading tea leaves," Sirius said sarcastically.

Marlene stuck out her tongue at Sirius.

"Are you okay Sansa?" Remus asked. Sansa nodded.

"Yeah...um….Peter could I talk to you for a second?" Sansa asked nervously.

"Not if you're gonna yell at him again," Sirius said. Everyone glared at him.

"Everyone was thinking it," Sirius said holding up his hands.

"Well?" Sansa prompted looking at Peter.

Peter wasn't sure what to do. Lately all the talks that the two of them had, weren't really talks at all. It was full of confusion and blaming. Peter looked to Remus for support who nodded his head.

Peter took a deep breath and got up from the bed.

The two left the room together.

"If he comes back with anything less than a smile on his face, Sansa's gonna get it," Sirius said jokingly.

"Oh please, like we would let you do anything to her," Adrianna said sitting down on the bed next to Sirius.

"I don't really think any of you could stop us. I mean it hasn't worked so far," Remus said. Adrianna threw a pillow at Remus almost knocking into Marlene who was intently staring at the teacup.

"Adi! Come on!" Marlene exclaimed while Adrianna tried to contain her laughter. Marlene went back to staring at the cup that she twisted and turned in her hands.

"This is complete rubbish," Sirius said.

"No it's not. It will help tell your future," Marlene said defensively.

"What's the point in knowing the future? It will be the present soon enough," Sirius said knowingly.

"That was very insightful of you," Adrianna said impressed.

"Thank-you. I have my moments," Sirius said putting his arm around her shoulders.

"Yeah. They're now and again and sometimes virtually nonexistent but they are there...mostly," Remus said sarcastically. Sirius flipped him off.

"Interesting," Marlene mused as she continued to stare into the cup.

"What does it say?" Remus asked trying to peer into the cup. Sirius rolled his eyes at Remus' enthusiasm.

"Well?" Marlene prompted eyeing Sirius.

"Well what?" Sirius said.

"Want to know what the future holds?"

"Not particularly." Adrianna elbowed Sirius in the side as Remus snickered.

"Humor us mate," Remus said.

"Fine. But she's doing your's next. Give it to me McKinnon." Marlene cleared her throat.

"You see here?" Marlene said showing off the cup to the others.

"You mean at the blob of wet tea leaves?" Sirius said sarcastically. Adrianna elbowed him again.

"That 'blob' is actually an acorn," Marlene explained. Sirius took another look. He could see the outline.

"What does all that stuff mean?" Sirius asked.

"Well, I see an acorn, a sword, and a violin for certain. The other symbols are a little more uncertain," Marlene said handing the cup for Sirius to keep.

He twisted the cup trying to make out the images that Marlene saw.

"What do those things mean?" Remus asked.

"An acorn means unexpected money or gold. The sword cautions you against revealing too much information," Marlene explained flipping through her book.

"What about the violin?" Adrianna asked taking Sirius' cup.

"That one means you should let your true feelings surface," Marlene said closing the book.

Sirius thought about what Marlene had seen in his cup. He had no idea what any of those things referred to and yet there was a part of him that was worried about what was said. He got a bad feeling from her words as if she was giving some sort of prophecy about what was coming up.

"Who's next?" Marlene said excitedly looking from Adrianna to Remus.


"What do you want Potter?" Severus said taking his hand from Lily's.

"Not you obviously," James said casting a sneer at Severus.

"Go away Potter. We're trying to work," Lily said. James gave her a look.

"Is that what people are calling it these days?" James said sarcastically.

"Do you have to be such a tosser!?" Lily said exasperated.

"Jeez such language Evans, that's not really becoming of a future prefect," James said smiling. Lily rolled her eyes at him.

"If you don't mind Potter, we do need to get back to our assignment," Severus said standing. He helped Lily to her feet as well.

James walked around the pot with an inquisitive look on his face as if he was analyzing a piece of art.

"What spell did you get?" James asked his eyes landing on Lily.

"What's it to you? Trying to steal it?" Severus asked before Lily could speak.

"By the state of this pot here, it seems like you are having trouble with whatever spell it is that the two of you are working on. Now most likely it is a spell that I have already know, which means I can teach it to Evans here," James explained with a flourish.

"That's cheating! Besides Sev and I are partners. We're supposed to learn the spell," Lily said folding her arms across her chest.

"On the contrary, Tessler said to use any available resources. I'm a resource and I'm available. I teach the spell to you, and then you teach it to Sev. Both of you will still learn it just by different methods," James explained.

"Why wouldn't you just teach it to both of us?" Severus snapped.

"Because I want to get Lily by herself. You really need to keep up Snape," James said.

"Well that's definitely not going to happen anytime soon Potter," Lily said as she began pushing James toward the door.

Behind her back, he saw Severus wave goodbye to him with a smug look on Severus' face.

You smarmy bastard. Waiting until her back's turned. James thought to himself as he narrowed his eyes at Severus.

"Would you just hang on there Evans!" James said. Lily stopped pushing him and stood there with her arms folded across her chest, glaring.

James was more than a couple inches taller than Lily and yet he felt unusually small under her intense look.

"We need to talk," James said sincerely.

"There isn't anything that we could possibly have to talk to each other about," Lily snapped.

"It's about Nicole," James said lowering his voice so as not to be overheard by Severus.

"Why would I discuss her with you?"

"You're the one who decided to tell people about what happened last night."

"I...I don't know..."

"Don't lie. It's beneath you," James said. Lily blushed slightly.

She had no idea exactly what story had been relayed to James about Nicole. The fact that he was standing here confronting her about it told Lily just how complicated things were about to become.

Its your fault we are in the mess to begin with. Lily thought to herself.

Lily turned toward Severus who had been watching the whole encounter. She walked over to him.

"Would you mind terribly if we worked on the spell some other time?" Lily asked. Severus looked from Lily to James, his face full of disbelief.

"We need to work on this assignment for class. James can talk to you later. I mean you guys live together so what's the rush?" Severus said pleadingly.

"Dramatic much," James said under his breath which earned him a glare from Lily.

"Its not about James. It's about Nicole. You know how crazy things have been for her recently. We can work tonight after dinner. Ok?" Lily said. Severus nodded reluctantly.

He left the room and gave James a look that promised retribution for disturbing his time with Lily.

"Was he serious with all that rubbish?" James asked as soon as Severus left.

"Shut it Potter," Lily snapped.

"Control freak much." Lily raised her eyebrow at James' comment.

"Him, not you," James clarified.

"It's completely understandable. We were doing something and you completely interrupted," Lily explained.

"So what?"

"You would have acted the same way."

"Me?! Act like Snape?! Highly unlikely there Evans," James said. Lily rolled her eyes.

"So you would have been fine with someone coming in here while we were working and talking to me about something?" Lily snapped folding her arms across her chest.

"Lily do you hear yourself? I don't own you. If someone said they needed to talk to you then they need to talk to you. I wouldn't fight you on that," James said simply.

James made a valid point though Lily would never admit that. Severus had always been like that. He wanted her full and undivided attention whenever he was with her.

She thought it cute when they were younger and thought it stemmed from him being an only child. As they got older the cuteness began to dissipate while the annoyance and irritation set in.

"You said we needed to talk so let's talk," Lily said changing the subject. James sat down on the floor and gestured for Lily to do the same.

They sat there on the floor of the empty classroom across from each other. This was one of the few times that Lily and James were completely alone. She felt a slight fluttering in her stomach as she tried to focus on anything but James.

"What did you tell Sansa yesterday?" James asked.

"What do you mean? What are you talking about?" Lily said trying to sound nonchalant.

"Sansa seems to be under the distinct impression that Nicole and Avery furthered their relationship yesterday morning. An impression that apparently you gave her," James said staring at Lily.

"What's it to you?" Lily asked trying to keep her cool despite feeling like she was in some sort of interrogation.

"I want to know why you're starting rumors about Nicole," James said.

"Who says it's a rumor? She and Avery have always been close with each other. They can't keep their hands off of each other," Lily said pointedly. James looked at Lily like he was trying to figure something out.

"You saw us. That's what this is about. You saw me and Nicole together," James said piecing together the puzzle. Lily remained silent.

"How much did you see?" James asked.

"Enough. I still can't believe you," Lily said disgustedly.

"Me?! What did I do?" James asked confused.

"You know that Nicole's been going through a lot lately and you took advantage. You saw she was vulnerable and you let your feelings…."

"Is that really what you think? That I took advantage of her?" James interrupted.

"Tell me something different," Lily said. James shook his head in disbelief.

"Why should I? You have always had your mind made up when it came to me. I don't think that there would be anything I could say to change that. So I'm done trying," James said sadly.

There was a part of Lily that felt bad. She could tell that she had genuinely hurt James feelings but it wasn't completely her fault. James had acted on feelings that he shouldn't have.

James got up from the floor and turned his back toward Lily. He began walking toward the door.

"I lied to protect Nicole," Lily said. James scoffed. He turned to face her.

"Somehow I don't think that starting a rumor is a form of protection," James countered.

"It was better than her having to deal with the alternative. What do you think would have happened if people had found out that she cheated, let alone that she cheated with you," Lily said standing.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lily shook her head.

"You're so obsessed with Nicole that you don't even see what's right in front of you or better yet who."

"The only thing that's right in front of me is you, and I see you perfectly," James said. Lily didn't know what to say to that.

James ran his hand through his hair.

"I know that everyone thinks that I fancy Nicole. I don't. I'm just trying to help her out, just like you," James said softly.

"And snogging her is helping her out?!" Lily asked sarcastically.

"Merlin's bead! You do realize that it takes two people to snog. You keep acting like I was doing it all by myself," James said slightly annoyed. Lily rolled her eyes at James' dramatics

"Look, I did this for Nicole's sake. I had to tell Sansa something believable or everyone would have been wondering why she was left so early in the morning and I couldn't tell them that her…" Lily stopped herself before letting slip Nicole's secret.

"She told you. About her nightmares," James said. Lily nodded shocked that James also knew.

To all the other Gryffindors, Nicole's nightmares had stopped. Her emotional outbursts being nothing more than a fluke that she had learned her lesson from.

"I won't say anything. I'll keep with the rumor," James said walking away.

"Why?" James stopped but didn't turn.

"You say that you don't fancy her. That you just want to protect her. My question is why? This goes beyond just being friends," Lily said.

"For the same reason you are," James said leaving the room. Lily stood there stunned, not quite sure what to make of James' response.

Lily was doing this because she cared about Nicole. She was looking out for her because Nicole's life seemed to be in such a disarray and that wasn't fair. Lily wanted to help because she cared, because she felt bad for Nicole, because she felt...guilt.

It was a major part of her motivation. Not the only part. She genuinely liked Nicole but Lily still felt somewhat responsible for all the mess that Nicole was going through at the moment.

Lily knew why she felt guilty, understood the role she had played in the accident. But what about James?

What could James possibly feel guilty about?