Welcome to Chapter 2!

This chapter is again totally new material, so I hope you enjoy the turn this story is beginning to take from my old version.

I also want to say thank you so much for the response this has gotten so far. I cannot believe that in a week and a half I somehow have the privilege of 75 people following along with me on this journey. Your comments have been so incredibly appreciated, and I hope you enjoy :)

Disclaimer: Harry Potter isn't mine!

This chapter is again dedicated to my Mother. Thank you for everything :)

"Hello, Professor!" Lily smiled at the man who had saved her son's life – the first time she had seen him since her first few days at the hospital. The old man smiled, his eyes twinkling.

"Lily, it is so good to have you here. I hope you found good respite in the hospital. And look who we have here." The old man's smile widened at the sight of her child on her hip. Looking over, she could see he was covered in soot – the floo had not done him well. Her heart smiled at the fact that he looked just like James did after a muddy quidditch match. "Minerva should be here any minute to show you to your quarters for the moment – she selected rooms right next to hers." The twinkle in his eye somehow seemed to grow.

"I can't thank you enough for taking us in, Albus. I know we could have gone to any of the other Potter homes, but as we discussed at the hospital it feels like too much to sort everything out at any of the houses we would need to fix up first. I know we have the house elves, but James set them up well while we were in hiding. Once we've picked out a nice home out of the way of everything, I'll be much more prepared."

Albus smiled again. "As long as you need it, Hogwarts will be here for you, Lily. And when Sirius and Remus are done with their escapades, they are more than welcome here too."

"Oh, Lily!"

The voice of her former Head of House broke their conversation. She looked over at the source just in time to brace herself for the forceful hug that came their way. Harry was smothered first by Minerva's body, while Lily was squeezed tight by her arms.

"Professor – "

Releasing the pair from her arms and backing away, Minerva seemed to realize her loss of decorum and straightened, brushing off the invisible dirt on the front of her robes. "Oh, none of that now, Lily. It's Minerva. I thought we went over this in the Order. And Harry! You look so much like your father. We haven't met yet, but I was the one who made sure your father stayed on a broom as long as we could have him on the team. By the looks of it, hopefully you'll be taking his place as star chaser in a couple of years." She stretched out her arms. "May I hold him?"

In all honesty, her day had been exhausting. She had gone from being in a hospital bed this morning to adventuring through Diagon Ally and carrying her son around all day. As the healers had put it, she had gone through a traumatic injury and theoretically was supposed to not exert herself too much today. Well, healers are the worst patients, as they say. The thought of Minerva taking Harry was more than welcome, she suddenly realized. Not only that, but he still hadn't had a nap today. And according to Albus' clock it was already... 4pm?! "Maybe a little bit latter. It's been quite the day. Would there be any way that we can see our quarters so I can put him down for his nap and maybe grab us some food?"

Minerva smiled. "Of course, follow me. The students have been released from class, so they may be around the halls, but I'll make sure you don't get any comments. Good day, Albus."

Lily followed the tail of McGonagall's green robes down the familiar stairs and down the halls of the school she called home for 7 years. She had been right – there were plenty of students she could see staring at her son in her peripheral vision. Choosing to be the Gryffindor that would make James proud, she kept her head up and smiled at them. The whispers were quieted as soon as they walked near, but they loudened again behind her. Once she was in the safety of their temporary quarters, she could hide from the world.

As she followed her former professor, she was surprised by their path. It was identical thus far to the walk she took every day for seven years towards Gryffindor tower. A sharp turn before they reached the tower itself led her down a corridor that had never been of much significance to her beyond being a landmark when she was finding her way to the tower in her first year. "This is the hallway that leads to the Gryffindor Professor's quarters. There are a few rooms down here, since we only have a few professors that came from our house, and I thought that it would be convenient since you already knew the way to Gryffindor tower."

She winked at Minerva. "So, this is how you were always able to come into the common room so quickly when James and Sirius were up to something."

A wicked smile from the woman in front of her confirmed it. Lily heard the sound of a laugh, and realized it was her own. She felt something sink in her gut when she came to the realization that it was the first time she had truly laughed since James had died. Her soul sobered quickly.

"The door we're passing right now is mine – if you need anything while you're here, just go ahead and knock. I'll get you my schedule when you're settled in. And until Sirius joins you, or you leave, feel free to leave Harry with me if you need to get anything done or just need a few moments. I can't imagine life is easy at the moment."

"I appreciate that, Minerva."

Lily could feel herself losing the composure she had gained but tried her hardest to maintain it while she could. They came across a second identical door just a few steps down.

"And this will be your quarters for the time being. You give a password to the doorknob to open it – Ravenclaw set up the teacher's quarters. What would you like the password to be?"

After a moment, she knew the perfect password. "Marauders, I think."

Minerva stiffened. "I think that's perfect." With a wave of her wand, the doorknob glowed for a moment before unlocking.

It took Lily about an hour to get settled in. She had unpacked the few things she had shrunken into her handbag. It wasn't much, but the items Remus had managed to grab from the damaged house would make the difference between her having to face the outside world right now and not. Undergarments for her and Harry, clothes for a few days at least, his favorite stuffed stag and blanket so he could fall asleep. It was the small things that Remus managed to think about that made her life easier in that moment.

The living room was quaint – a couch faced a fireplace to make a homey but small living space. There was a short countertop that separated the kitchen from the living room, and three doors stood behind the living room itself. After exploring, she discovered a small room already equipped with a crib, changing table and dresser while the room adjacent to it held a full-sized bed and another dresser. The third door led to a small bathroom. It wasn't much, but it had a bathtub for Harry's baths and more than enough room for what they needed. She finally put Harry down for a nap to have a moment for herself when she noticed there was no food in the rooms. She hadn't eaten since she'd left the hospital that morning, even after her former colleagues had told her to take it easy today. She had just experienced a traumatic brain injury, after all.

There was no chance she would be finding herself in the dining hall after the experience she had had this morning. And McGonagall had been so kind, but social interaction was the last thing she wanted at the moment. But Harry would need food soon, too. He would need his baby food. Being in the hospital for 10 days had been so convenient she hadn't even considered shopping for food. So, although when she and James were in hiding she hadn't been able to do so, she called the Potter house elves.

"Daisy, Tufty, Finky?"

With a pop, the three house elves that James had inherited were surrounding her – their eyes wide with tears.

"Oh, Mistress Potter!"

Still sitting on the couch, she was engulfed by the youngest elf with a hug. Tears began to soak through her shirt as she patted the back of her elf.

"We's so sorry, Mistress Potter!" Daisy said, snot dripping from her nose. "We's can't believe – I can't believe Master Potter, he's –"

"Hush, young one. It is not our place to overwhelm the Mistress with our emotions." Tufty said, the eldest of the elves from behind her. He was a remnant of days gone by and had served James' grandparents in his prime. He gently tugged on Daisy as she backed down to the floor. "We are so sorry for the loss the Potter family has suffered, and for our young master Harry."

Lily had not seen the elves since she had gone into hiding – Lily and James had wanted to limit the magic in Godric's Hollow to protect the wards, and so had left them to care for the other Potter properties. They were to make sure to keep the rest of the family's properties safe. Now, though, Lily didn't see much point in keeping them away. The attention they brought could no longer be from Lord Voldemort. And she desperately needed someone to get them food. And, Lord help her, to start planning the funeral she still had difficulty thinking about.

"Daisy, Tufty, Finky. Thank you so much for coming. Thank you. I am sorry we had to task you with staying away from us –"

"We's understand. It was for the safety of young Harry. No one could get information from us. There is nothing to apologize for, Miss." Finky smiled up at her.

Lily smiled warmly back. "I am happy you are here now. I need someone to begin helping me with funeral arrangements and I need someone else to shop for food for us. Tufty, I was hoping you could stop at Godric's Hollow and pick up James' best dress robes and all the baby food you can find of Harry's in the pantry. Try to find his sippy cup, too. Remus got most of what we needed, but it would make meal time easier with it. Daisy – go with Tufty and look for James' old album of Maurader photos from Hogwarts. He kept it on the bookshelf in our bedroom. If it survived, wrap it up and deliver it to Sirius Black for his birthday. Tell him to floo me when he does. Finky, if I made a list and gave you a few galleons, do you think you could run to Hogsmeade for me and do the shopping? I don't expect us to be here for more than a few days, maybe a week or two while Sirius and I search for a house, but we'll need food while we're here. And all three of you should introduce yourselves to the Hogwarts elves – they may be of some help to you while we're here." She knew all about the Hogwarts elves from her time as Head Girl. "For our stay, you can choose to stay with us or with the elves in the kitchens – do whatever you'd prefer."

"Oh Mistress, of course wes can help! And we'll stay here, if yous don't mind. It has been so long since we's seen master Harry."

"Of course. Find some space for yourselves then and get comfortable." As she said so, the space under the counter that divided the kitchen and the living room seemed to widen. A door shaped itself into the end of the cabinet, and a suspiciously large enough space for three elves to sleep revealed itself. She felt her eyebrows raise. "This will be an interesting place to stay. Thank you, you three. Your time is valuable to me."

Tears began to well up in Daisy's eyes again. "Such a kind Mistress!" As she began to blubber louder, Lily could hear a wail coming from the other room.

This would be a long few weeks until she could find a home of her own.

November 12th, 1981

For their first few days at Hogwarts, Harry and Lily hadn't done much of anything. They read a few books she had sent Tufty back for (again), and Lily had mostly focused her time on finally planning James' funeral. The work Tufty had started was good, but there was still so much to plan. Sirius was still tying up loose ends at his old apartment after the full moon, and Moony had a more difficult time than usual after the loss of a pack mate. Staying at his place between their time at Hogwarts and their new home was no longer an option for the next few weeks. McGonagall and Dumbledore had stopped by a few times both days to make sure she had everything she needed and had offered to read to Harry while they were there. While she couldn't say she had ever pictured her old professors reading to her son, she found it a pleasant sight to see. Sirius was finally supposed to join her in the morning, and somehow a fourth door had appeared off of the kitchen. Hogwarts always did seem to know what she needed. She asked Dumbledore about it, and he had only said that Hogwarts will always provide help to those who need it. She supposed it was comforting, in a way.

She had just gotten Harry to bed for the night and finally found some time for herself. She poured herself a glass of wine and landed on the couch, watching the flames of the fire flicker. The full force of single parenting had hit her like a brick that afternoon. It had just been her and Harry – she had sent the house elves to help in the kitchen and with the cleaning for the day, as a way to say thank you for allowing them to stay for the time being. Of course, Harry's teething pains were worse than usual today. Her son was inconsolable unless sucking on an ice cube for the majority of the afternoon. As soon as the ice melted fully, he would scream until he got another. She couldn't help but think that James would have been able to make him laugh, somehow. Make her laugh.

Just as she was about to take her first sip of wine, a knock at the door brought her out of her trance. She looked down at her pajamas, one of James' old sweaters and an old pair of sweatpants, and hoped it was McGonagall.

The face of the man at the door felt like a punch to her gut. "Severus?"

"Lily." Severus' face had changed much from 7th year. She had gotten his letter in the hospital after Halloween but had considered it nothing more than consolation from a former friend. One she hadn't had any interest in talking to for many years. He looked older, the lines in his narrow face were more defined. He had lost weight, his eyes looked sunken. But the one thing that hadn't changed was the look in his eyes. That look of longing and sorrow combined together that he seemed to save just for her.

The space between them felt cold and empty, she realized quickly. "What do you want, Severus?"

He took a deep breath. "I wanted to say hello. And I'm sorry."

She watched him as she felt herself biting her lip. "That sorry is long overdue. I appreciated the note you sent, Severus. But what are you doing here?"

He pursed his lips the same way he always did as a kid when he was nervous. "Lily, I knew you were here in the castle, and I couldn't help but check up on you. I wanted to make sure you were okay. With everything going on." He paused. "I'm the Potions master now, the head of Slytherin."

She sighed and looked down, letting silence pass between them while she thought. She was so tired, and honestly didn't want to have this conversation now. But it had to be done. She took a long sip of her wine and stepped aside, waving to the couch with her hand. "Finky?"

The elf popped out in front of her with a crack. "Yes, my lady?"

"This is my former friend, Severus. We knew each other as children. Would you grab him a glass of wine and keep an eye on Harry for me while we talk?"

Finky nodded and moved towards the kitchen. The two adults sat on the couch in silence while the house elf did as he was told, brought the wine over, and went into Harry's room, shutting the door.

Severus looked acutely uncomfortable. His hair, longer than ever, covered his face as he stared at the glass in his hand.

"It has been a long time, Sev." He nodded, keeping his eyes trained on the glass. She took a deep breath and paused. This was a conversation she had played out with James more than once. Their late-night talks about her former friend matured as they found out from Dumbledore that he was doing something to help the fight against Voldemort, but he never said how or why. James' words of encouragement rang through her ears as she began to talk. "The last time we talked, I swore it would be the last. And I don't regret that. But with the war being over, I would like the opportunity to clear the air before we part ways again." He tore his eyes from the glass in his hand. She could see in his eyes that the longing had grown. "I heard rumors during the war. That you became his Potions master, that you became a death eater. Is that true?"

He blinked. "It is."

An old part of her heart she thought had died the day after 5th year ended cracked. "Do you regret it?"

"Yes."

"Why should I believe you?"

He looked down on his glass for a long time, considering his words carefully. "There is much that happened since we stopped talking that I regret greatly. But near the end, Dumbledore hired me. That must say something to you."

"It does." She looked at him carefully. "So, you switched sides."

He looked up at her and nodded.

"Why?"

"He was going to kill you."

The silence of what was unsaid hung in the air. As they sipped their wine, Harry began to cry. They listened to the house elf calm her child, and Severus gently ran his fingers around the rim of his wine glass. He broke the silence. "So, you have house elves now."

She nodded. "Yes, they belonged to James' parents. We inherited them."

Silence won again. She took a moment to truly observe Severus – he really had changed. He looked more than just older. His hair was longer, and there was an obvious look of exhaustion on his face. Clearly the last few years had cut him deeply, just as they had everyone else. She finished her wine and looked up at him.

"This doesn't change things, Severus. I am proud of you. Truly, I am. To change sides, to refocus your efforts on our side must have been difficult for you. After years of being bullied, years of being helped by their side, years of fighting for them. But while I can forgive, I cannot forget. Your words that day haunt me still. You showed a side of you I can't ever forget, and honestly shouldn't forget." She took a moment, put her wine glass down, and sighed. "And we have changed so much since then. To think of discussing trivial topics together, such as house elves, feels like listening to nails on a chalkboard. We lost our innocence. But I can agree to be allies." Lily locked eyes with him. "Dumbledore said at the hospital that he isn't truly gone, and someday I hope to fight him together with you. Until that day comes, we can be civil to one another. Build my trust in you. But it cannot be what it once was. That ship sailed long ago."

Severus took a deep breath and nodded. He put his glass on the coffee table. "You haven't changed at all, Lily. Still the same, beautiful, kind, logical woman I knew all those years ago. Albus believes there will be a long reprieve before we are needed to fight again. I hope we will keep one another updated as the years pass with the knowledge that we both uncover."

He got up to leave and Lily silently walked him to the door. "I hope I can trust you this time, Sev."

He turned and looked at her before opening the door.

"Always."

This week, I have been dealing with a few family health issues. If I am a bit late on the next chapter, I would like to apologize. It's been written, but still needs to be edited.

I recognized a few editing errors with breaks to indicate days. If you got a few notifications from me, I'm so sorry.

Again, I would like to say thank you so much for all the support. It has made re-visiting this world of mine an even more incredible experience.