Disclaimer: As has been pointed out to me that my stories may be reported for being a complete rip off from J.K. Here is the disclaimer. Yes, the premise, universe, characters, backdrop and larger narrative belong to J.K. Rowling, the minor details have been imagined by yours truly.

Petunia's nose flared up as she watched Lily walk out on Platform nine with a gaggle of freaks around her. Lily waved at Petunia and turned to hug all her friends. Petunia tapped her feet impatiently. She was glad to see Lily, but she could do without knowing the other freaks.

"Hey, Tuney!" Lily said, smiling hesitantly, "How are you?"

"Fine. Thank you. How was your term at school?"

"It could have been better. My grades slipped, I am ranking 4th now." Lily said sheepishly.

"That's not so bad. Now, are you ready to go?"

"Yes. But, would you like to meet my friends?" Lily asked tentatively.

"I already know the girls from their stay over the previous summers." Petunia replied, "Maybe you can invite them over later? We really have to get going."

Lily shrugged and followed Petunia out. They chatted about little things here and there as they drove out. It was sometime later that Lily noticed that they weren't driving down the road to Cokeworth.

"Hey, this is not the way to home." Lily said, "Where are we going, Tuney?"

"My home. Remember I told you about this place we bought in Privet Drive. Its closer to Vernon's work."

"Will we go back home, this summer?" Lily asked anxiously, she wanted to go home.

"You can visit Cokeworth whenever you want. It is an hour's drive from home. If you want, stay there for some time. I will set up for everything and check in on you from time to time."

"That sounds fair. Thanks Tuney."

They drove in silence for a while before Petunia decided to broach the subject.

"I received a letter from Mr. Dumbledore a few days ago." Petunia said idly.

Lily paled. "What did it say?"

"Nothing much really. Just that you were injured in a skirmish and that you were wounded and while you would be returning on time, you may need some medical assistance for some time. He asked me to contact a place called St. Mungo's in case you face problems."

Lily didn't say anything.

"Are you going to tell me why did you get involved, when you promised me you wouldn't?" Petunia asked.

"I didn't get involved." Lily said timidly.

"You think I am a fool?" Petunia seethed, "Tell me what happened and now!"

Lily took a deep breath and narrated everything. She knew Petunia would smell out her lies, so she told her everything, including the fact that the curse used to cut her up was created by Severus.

"I knew that boy was bad news!" Petunia said triumphantly. "Now do you believe me?"

Lily nodded.

"You should have listened to me back then." Petunia continued.

"He was not so bad when we were young." Lily defended.

"Not bad in front you. He was a complete beast to me."

Lily said nothing, just looked ahead.

"I know what would be best for you." Petunia said suddenly.

"All this magic business and learning magic is fine. But it would be better for you to just return back home once you are done. Meet a nice boy, settle down and hopefully, stamp out this nonsense from passing on to your child."

Lily stared at Petunia in shock.

"What are you on about?"

"Look, I figured it out." Petunia said euphorically, "You being that thing was just a freak accident. Even your kind doesn't think you belong there. You weren't supposed to have this nonsense. Might as well stamp it out of you."

"I can't stamp it out of myself." Lily stammered.

"I can help you stamp it out." Petunia said, stopping the car in a driveway and getting out. Lily hastened out after her.

"How do you plan to stamp it out?" Lily asked helping her pull the trunk out.

"First off, we get rid of that bird." Petunia said, wrinkling her nose at Athena's cage. "Second, we can just lock up your things for the summer and not remind you of anything. No touch with that world should be able to help reduce the damage. If you want, we can ensure that you never return. Now come on, I have made strawberry scones for you."

"I am not coming in." Lily said.

"What do you mean?" Petunia asked.

"You don't accept me as I am." Lily said angrily, "You want to correct me by making my magic go away. But it won't. It is a part of me and I belong to the magical world. You think if I stop writing to my friends, they will stop trying to contact me? You think no one will come looking for me if I don't return to Hogwarts? And even if no one comes for me, I am a witch and proud of it. How can you even think of cutting me off from the wizarding world?"

"I am doing this for your best." Petunia snapped, "Now come inside and don't make a scene. We can talk about this inside."

Lily followed her sister indoors.

"Now, let's set this nefarious creature free. Shall we?" Petunia asked sweetly.

Athena screeched in alarm as Petunia jostled her cage.

"Stop!" Lily said with more confidence than she felt. "Athena is my owl. A gift from mum and dad, she is not going anywhere."

"When you entered my home, you agreed to being away from magic." Petunia replied calmly, "I will not have that freak business in my home."

"Put Athena down." Lily said drawing her wand.

"You can't perform magic out of school." Petunia said with a brittle laugh. "Put that away."

"Try me, Tuney." Lily said, "Now, put Athena down."

Petunia threw Athena's cage with such force that the latch gave way and Athena flew out, screeching indignantly, perching herself on Lily's shoulder.

"Get out then." Petunia hissed. "Your unnaturalness is not welcome here. Get out and don't ever come back."

"Petunia-"

"Out!" Petunia screeched. "Vernon was right, you never loved me as your sister. Get out of my house. I will not tolerate your freakishness here. Go!"

"Where will I go?" Lily asked.

"I don't care." Petunia replied, "Should have thought about it before picking the other side."

Lily had, had enough! In the last year, her world have been turned upside down, she had lost her parents and Severus. She had heard of and felt more pain than before and had no one to share it with, and now she just couldn't take Petunia's rejection.

"Fine!" Lily yelled. "I forgot you are too jealous of me to ever feel any love for me. Good bye."

Lily dragged her trunk and marched out. She dragged her trunk to a nearby park and sank on a swing, thinking about her options. She could always go to her aunt, but her aunt knew nothing about the magical world and Lily didn't want to risk another rejection.

She could write to her friends for help, Alice and Marlene had told her that with the war intensifying, their families would be busy handling the situation in Britain itself. She scratched that idea. She didn't want to burden them with her presence. She could always go home. Maybe that would help her sort things out first.

Lily wondered where the nearest bus stand would be before remembering about the Knight Bus. Remus had told her that Sirius and he had taken the Knight Bus to attend her parents' funeral. Lily walked out of the park and lifted her wand arm, as if she was trying to flag down a taxi.

A purple bus screeched to a halt in front of her.

"Welcome to the Knight Bus." A stout old man said, "I am Whitebeard. Where would you like to go?"

"Err… Cokeworth. Please." Lily said timidly.

"That would be 5 Knuts."

By the time Lily got off the bus, she was cursing herself for not mastering apparition yet. Her stomach grumbled with hunger and she knew there won't be any food at home and she had no muggle money. She wondered if Petunia had found her secret stash of muggle money at home.

As Lily stepped inside her childhood home, she felt nauseated. The house reeked of abandonment. Lily ran up to her room, which looked alien, like no one had ever lived there. She took out her wand, being of age, she set to task of restoring her room to its former glory. Luckily Petunia had not found her secret stash of muggle money.

Over the course of the weeks she spent at home, Lily never let anyone know what had happened to her. She worked as a waitress at a nearby restaurant, collected some muggle money to pay for her school needs. Kept re-stocking her groceries with magic, she knew it was for just a month, the next month would be spent visiting each other and she can hold out till then. She saw it as a test, if she could make it, she knew she would survive this war.


James sighed as he looked out the window, home didn't feel the same. His uncle was back in England to help with the war, Percy was travelling the world with Alexandra but he was supposed to be home by Christmas. Sirius was living here too and yet the manor felt devoid of its soul. He avoided passing by the portrait of his mother. That portrait just didn't feel real. He refused to accept that his mother had died and the only memory of her was in a portrait. He wished he could escape from his home. He shook his head, telling himself that he should be grateful that he had his dad. So many people had lost their parents too. He fervently looked at his door, hoping Lily would materialize in his room like she did last Christmas. He covered his face with a pillow and let out a frustrated scream. Sleep still eluded him, he felt trapped in his own home.


Two weeks, into her new independent life, Lily returned home after work to find Alice at her doorstep.

"Alice! What are you doing here?" Lily shrieked, giving Alice a hug.

"Where were you?" Alice asked, "Are you alright? I was worried about you. I just wanted to check if your wound was giving you any trouble and I have been waiting here for hours. I was almost tempted to crash into the ministry and report that you were missing."

"Thank Merlin, you didn't! I took up a summer job. I was at work."

"And you didn't think about mentioning it even once in your letters?"

"It just didn't feel like it was important enough."

"Where is Petunia then?"

"Err…"

"Are you telling me that you live here, all alone?" Alice asked horrified.

"Err…"

"Why didn't you say something?"

"I didn't want to trouble you, especially in these times." Lily finished, sheepishly.

"You idiot! You absolute fool!" Alice shrieked. "Did you even think for a moment that you are defenceless and could be attacked? Anything could have happened to you in this one month. How crazy can you be, Lily?"

"I didn't think so far. It was an impulsive decision in the beginning and then I just sort of settled in."

"I want to hit you with the end of my broomstick!" Alice snapped. "What happened to your reconciliation with Petunia?"

"That is a long story. Come on in, I will tell you everything."

Over several cups of tea Lily told Alice about everything that happened with Petunia, and once she started, she couldn't stem the tears she had kept in for so long. After what seemed like an eternity, Lily calmed down.

"How do you feel now?" Alice asked softly.

"Better." Lily hiccupped.

"Good. Now pack your things, we are going home."

"What? Alice, no. I don't want to become a burden on you. I am doing fine here."

"Lily, don't make me do a James and jinx you into coming with me." Alice said firmly.

"Do a James?" Lily asked incredulously.

"Sirius tried to move out this summer." Alice explained, "His uncle had left him enough money for him to afford a place. James lost his temper and jinxed Sirius, he threatened to do worse. So, Sirius stayed."

"What jinx did James use?"

"Stunned Sirius and glued him to his bed." Alice replied, "And if you don't move, I will be putting you under the Imperius. Don't think I won't."

Lily smiled warmly at Alice and before she could help it, she jumped up and hugged her friend, who was acting more like a sister to her.

"You are sure there won't be any problem at your home because of me?" Lily asked.

Alice rolled her eyes and smacked Lily upside on the head before heading upstairs to Lily's room. Lily rubbed her eyes, and started packing away everything in the kitchen before putting a complicated stasis charm on them.

She walked around all the rooms downstairs, putting up charms to protect the house from the elements, as Alice packed her things. Once they were done, Lily swiftly pocketed a picture of the four of them from the mantelpiece and held on to Alice's arm as the latter side-along apparated them away.


Severus Snape sat anxiously at his regular table at the restaurant. Today he sported brown hair and brown eyes, which belonged to some muggle living in London. For the past two weeks, Severus had dutifully woken up early, apparated to London, and taken away samples from random people and visited the restaurant Lily worked at. He didn't keep the same look for more than 2 hours, and watched Lily from afar as she worked at the restaurant.

He had gone straight to the Evans residence upon returning from Hogwarts, but it looked abandoned. Disappointed and slightly panicked, he had spent three hours waiting near her home to see if they came back here and he was rewarded. Lily had alighted the Knight Bus in the end, and she was alone. It didn't take much for Severus to know what had conspired between Lily and that worthless waste of space she called her sister. Briefly, he had wondered if he should just anonymously leave some money for her, he had rich friends and everything could be achieved for a well placed exchange.

But Lily had marched out of the home that evening, and found herself a job. Severus was gleeful, she planned to stay here for a while, giving him ample chance to approach her without any interference from the brats she called friends. It was just a genius stroke of luck that he had prepared a rather large batch of Polyjuice potion for the Death Eaters, to assist them in their efforts of taking over the ministry, or keeping tabs on certain problematic individuals like Charles Potter. Surely, no one will come to know if he used some of it for himself. So, Severus had been enduring that unpleasant potion for the past two weeks to keep a closer tab on Lily, he kept telling himself that he was keeping his distance to allow Lily to heal properly first. He had time this summer to approach her later.

He looked at his watch again, she was late by thirty minutes already. Had something happened? Was there a relapse? A side effect of the curse he hadn't comprehended or counted? He pushed to his feet and ran out. When he reached the Evans residence, he was visibly out of breath, two quick spells told him that no one was home but recent wards had been set up to protect the home from the ravages of time. There were no signs of struggle or a dark mark over her home, which meant that she had left of her own volition. But where would she go? Had Potter or Black come here to take her away? Maybe Prewett had stepped up, or McKinnon or that Mudblood friend of hers, McDonald.

Severus' knees gave out and he sunk to the ground. Lily was gone and he didn't even know where. He rubbed his face angrily. He hated them all, all of those pesky Gryffindors she stuck to, had conspired and separated them. They had filled her head with lies about him and stupid notions about altruism and fairness. How could Lily believe them in the first place? As if he would do something to hurt her. He jumped to his feet agitatedly and walked out, if Lily had really chosen to abandon him, he had nothing to lose. He will show her, he will show them all about how wrong they were, power and money turned the world. Lily would soon realise that, Severus would make sure that she did.

AN: So, here we go, another chapter, the story is developing at snail speed, why aren't Lily and James dating already? Worry not, it will happen soon or soon enough! Till then read, review and send your love! Happy Reading.