Author's note: Sorry I'm slowly updating this, but at least it's being updated. I'm TRYING to finish all my projects and battle real life.

Here's the next chapter for you all! Thanks for sticking with me. :)

It's short, but more is to follow.

Obscurial Flower

Chapter 13: Building New Bridges

Sirius grimmaced looking at 12 Grimmauld Place, his ancestral home. There was no joyful memories of this place. He wished he could just let it burn to the ground...instead, he opened it back up and decided to change it's ways. Thanks to the help of Lily, Remus and Harry, the place was transformed into one for good.

Lily was currently looking out the window deep in thought. Since news spread like wild fire of Sirius being innocent and Lily being alive, everyone in the Order had come to visit them. In fact, Dumbledore brought back the Order of the Phoenix and declared this place to be the new headquarters.

Knowing the news would put them in far more danger, they had to be prepared NOW!

Looking outside the window, she noticed some familiar faces in the crowd of people; The Weasley's, Hermione, and Dumbledore himself. Taking a breath in, she knew this was something she would have to do eventually...even confront Petunia. For now this would be the first step.

Making her way downstairs, she caught the attention of the others who all looked to her. "So it is true...you're back!" Arthur Weasley stated.

Everyone observed her rather surprised, taking in the existence of her again before cheering. It made Lily feel rather uncomfortable, but she welcomed the warmth.

"It's good to have you safe and sound dear." Molly Weasley said, taking her into a hug. "Harry needs you."

Lily brought the boy to lean on her shoulder. "I'm glad he has friends like you to watch over him all this time. Thank you."

Meeting the rest of the Weasley's and then some other faces, Lily spotted Severus out of the crowd, choosing to stay back in the shadows of course. It all made sense as to why now. She would have to question him all on it later, but now wasn't the time.

The Weasley's put together a feast and everyone celebrated despite knowing the new danger they would currently be facing soon.

"It seems you're still the same, at least in the aspect when it comes to a crowd of people. You never did like interaction much." Lily giggled.

She had found Severus after the feast just as he was getting ready to leave. He had been quiet and in the shadows for much of the time, something that hadn't changed since youth.

"Sorry, but I must be heading off." He said, trying his best to leave.

Lily stopped him however, grabbing his hand as he reached for the doorknob. He jumped from the touch. "Sev, please, just talk to me. Stop trying to avoid me again."

He stayed still, until they both noticed right in the middle of the doorway where the others could hear their conversation probably wasn't the best idea. Severus would never open up to her then.

Still holding his hand, Lily yanked him upstairs with her, finding themselves in one of the rooms. Shutting the door, the redhead turned to him. "Look, I just want to make sense of everything. I want to rebuild everything I lost once again, at least give me the satisfaction of that."

Severus nodded, looking a little uncomfortable.

"Good, now I have a question for you." Lily paused, hesitating. "Are you still a Death Eater?" His eyes widened, wondering how she knew that. The look seemed to make Lily afraid seeing she hit a nerve in him. "Sirius said you were one, but Remus explained you no longer were and that's why you're part of the order now. I- I just wanted to know what happened, that's all."

Severus went to walk out the door again, but Lily predicting it, blocked his exit. Those green eyes of her bore into him, just making the feelings of regret and guilt eat into him more. Why did she want to know about this subject so bad? She wouldn't want to know the truth, in fact, he didn't want her to. It would destroy them both.

"Why did you reform from the Death Eaters, Severus? What changed?" She asked. Obviously seeing that he didn't want to answer, Lily sighed. "If you think you're going to get a lecture from me on how you're such a terrible person for joining them in the first place, you can forget it. I don't know what caused you to change your ways, but I wanted to let you know that you're brave."

He looked back to her with wide eyes before raising an eyebrow. "It takes a lot of guts to switch side like that, I'd almost say it's Gryffindor like." She smiled, knowing that would get to him. A word at least needed to come out of him.

"You're just like Dumbledore with all that nonsense." He said, surprising her.

"Isn't that a good thing?" She asked.

"Maybe."

Lily began to burst out laughing from his comment before gathering herself. "If he says the same, then it must be true." She grabbed his hand again, smiling brightly. "You're a good person Sev, you just don't believe it for some reason, or maybe you're afraid to admit it."

A slight blush was on his cheeks, proving to her that one of those statements must be true.

"I'm proud of you." Those words seemed to take him by surprise. "I know you're hesitant about telling me what happened, but I'm proud you were able to see that their ways were wrong and bring yourself out of it."

"I did it for you." He admitted, making Lily look just as surprised. "I was only to realize it because of you."

"Sev..."

"I'm sorry, Lily." She could tell he was by the look in his eyes; that apologetic, guilty, remorseful look. However, she missed some of the meaning behind his apology, the deeper truth left to be told.

"It's okay, I forgive you." But would she once she knew the truth of what he'd done to her?

Harry and Lily took a breath in looking upon 4 Privet Drive, the place were Harry had been living after her death. Lily was beyond nervous to face her sister. Not only had their relationship not gone well in this world, but in her original world as well. Could she ever mend her relationship with her sister?

Harry grabbed his mother's hand and smiled. "You got this. We are going to face them together."

"Right you are." Lily said, feeling reassured.

They both took a step and rung the doorbell. As expected, Petunia opened the door and immediately dropped the flower vase she was holding. It crashed to the floor and broke into pieces, but the rose managed to be fine.

Lily looked at her sister with the same shock, noticing how different she looked. She was older than her, that was for sure now.

"VERNON!" She shrieked, alerting her husband who came to the door and looked in equal shock.

"H-Hi Tuney, Vernon." She didn't know what to say, the words just slipping from her mouth. "I know I have a lot of explaining to do."

Vernon blinked his eyes before glaring at the boy. "What have you done, boy? Is this one of your magic tricks?"

"I can assure you I am very real and alive!" Lily said.

And just as a surprise, Lily found Petunia hugging her the next minute. It was silent between them for awhile, neither talking about it, even after they got inside the house and explained the situation.

Granted, they may have left out some detail's that their muggle brains wouldn't be able to process, but they still told the truth.

Lily was back and alive, that was enough.

"There is something else I would like to talk to you about as well," Lily said, green eyes becoming serious now that they were down to business. "I've heard of the way you've been treating Harry." She could have sworn she saw Vernon gulp.

"What about it?" Petunia said, finally gaining her stubbornness again.

"YOU KEPT HIM LOCKED AWAY IN A CUPBOARD UNDER THE STAIRS!" Lily yelled, standing up and losing her patience. Some lights flickered around the house and she realized she'd have to try and keep it together. However, the act seemed to scare them a little. Vernon stayed silent expecting that to happen, but Petunia wasn't afraid of her sister.

"It's not like I wanted him, nor was I expecting to be given my own sister's son."

Lily sighed. "Geez Tuney, you could have at least treated him like you cared! He was entrusted in your care after all. If you didn't care, you could have given him to someone else who would have treated him better, but instead you kept him..."

Petunia's cheeks flushed red, eyes going wide. Now she was the one who was speechless.

"It doesn't matter anymore." Lily said, grabbing Harry's hand as he smiled at her. "He's coming to live with me again. We'll see you whenever you're ready."

As they left, Harry looked to Lily and laughed. "I've been waiting for someone to tell them off for so long."

A/N: This chapter was all about Lily (and Harry) reconnecting with others and making new things happen in their lives (and others.) It's still going to follow events of Goblet of Fire (with a twist) despite the Order being brought back now.

Let me know what you thought of this chapter. I'll try my best to update as often as possible.