AN/ Once again I don't own the characters or universe, that credit goes to the beautiful JKRowling and SCollins. They are the bees knees! Reviews always make my day! B xx

Nine Years Later.

The half-light of the sunrise trickled in through the gaps in the wooden slatted windows and landed directly where Lily's eyes lay, shut, her head against her pillow. As they registered the offending disturbance they screwed up and a hand emerged from under the blankets, to rub distractedly at them, as if that would take away the irritation. But this was deliberate. The sun woke up Lily from her appropriately placed pallet every morning, signalling another day had begun. She pushed herself sleepily up into a half sitting position, her hair an orange cloud where it had mussed up in her sleep. She brushed a hand half-heartedly through it and glanced over to where her mother's pallet lay. She was still sleeping soundly, thank goodness.

Pushing off her blankets Lily trudged over to the nearby chair and pulled the morning's work clothes off it. Once clothed in her old striped shirt and dirty brown trousers she sat down and pulled on her boots. She sank into the chair dejectedly, her head in her hands. With a sigh she reached behind her and ran a comb through her hair before quickly plaiting it down her back. Standing up she crept over to where her mother slept and stroked the hair away from her sleeping face. Her mother stirred and Lily quickly leant closer to her. "Sorry to wake you momma but I'm off to work." she smiled as her mother reached up and squeezed Lily's hand softly. "I didn't want you to worry" With a last squeeze of her mother's hand Lily stood up and headed for the door, stepping out into the early morning light.

The pale light cast over District 10 that morning reminded Lily fiercely of their last tragic night in District 4. She swallowed and pushed the thoughts down, striving to maintain a straight face as she marched away from the house towards the dairy barns. It had taken her a long time to be able to form her mask but now it came almost effortlessly. Keeping the mask was far easier than remembering at any rate. A stream of other workers moved in the same direction as her. If Lily really thought about it she could almost feel the tension in each person's step.

Because today was Reaping Day.

The reaping would begin at 1pm that afternoon but the cows didn't pay attention to what occasion it was. As always, like every other day, there was work to do. Lily saw of few of her classmates and they exchanged tense smiles before quickly moving on. Almost all the milkers were made up of those her age and younger. Once they entered their last few years of school at 11, they were all assigned early morning work placements. Of course, the boys almost always ended up working on the farms or apprenticing with a butcher, but the girls were left to become milkers, with very little chance of moving elsewhere. They were too fragile the authorities would say when questioned. However the questions had stopped at least five years ago when people realised nothing was going to change, after their hope and spirit had been crushed from watching their children battle each other and ultimately die in the arena. Watching suffering like that affected the whole populace.

Once Lily entered the barn, her wrist was scanned and she was allocated a section of cattle to milk. Today she would be in block G with cows 1178 to 1198. Twenty today. It was a short day today, what with the reaping taking place. Normally they'd have to get through anywhere up to fifty before they could go to school. But after all, it was a special occasion and they called in those who needed the extra work to cover the leftovers. Lily could imagine that after this year that would be something she'd have to take on, once their family no longer received the tesserae she had signed up for.

She made short work of milking her cows that morning, allowing her voice to join the others who sang whilst they worked. Perhaps it would be the last time she'd have that opportunity. And about three and a half hours later she was stepping out into the mid-morning sunshine. Shading her eyes from the sun she made her way across the town to their barn. It had been abandoned a few years ago because it was structurally unsound and they didn't have the resources or the skill to fix it. So now it served as their meeting place.

Avoiding prying eyes Lily walked quickly towards the dilapidated building, crept round the back and started the task of climbing up the broken slats to the second floor where a small portion remained intact, unseen by peacekeepers and neighbours alike. Her arms had grown strong from the exercise they'd received over the last couple of years and, though short in stature, Lily had a strength few expected. As she hauled herself through the opening a voice came from the corner.

"You're late" he said dryly. Lily rolled her eyes as she stood to her feet.

"Shut up Sev, I had a moody cow this morning, she took longer than normal" but she smiled at where her friend sat in the shadows. "Besides you're one to talk, you're the one who's late more often than not" she smirked and slipped down to sit next to him. "Did you get breakfast?" she asked.

Severus pulled out a couple of strips of old dried meat from his pocket. "This is all the bastard would give me" he said, but they both knew, getting any meat at all was a bonus. As they ate, Lily pulled out the book from where it had been covered in cloth and hay. It was her mother's. She had put it together whilst grieving when they had first arrived in District 10 all those years ago. In it she had made notes of every edible plant she and Lily's father had learnt about in their trips to the woods, as well as all the poisonous ones they'd discovered. Both Lily and Severus had spent hours poring over the book and its pictures and descriptions in an effort to prepare them if they ever found themselves in the arena. At least then they'd have some knowledge that might help them.

They sat together in a half silence, every now and again commenting on a particular plant as they turned the pages. They were both specifically interested in the poisonous plants. If used correctly they could change a non-lethal blow into a deadly one and that might make all the difference if they were in the arena.

But it's the last year they qualify. At 18 their names will be entered the most times it could possibly be. Lily sat up straight against the wall and sighed. Severus looked up and gently touched her arm.

"Lily?" he said quietly, "We've got just one more year. It's half an hour of our lives to live through. It's not going to be us. We've been lucky. This is the last time"

Lily scoffed slightly, "Severus, you know as well as me that it's not that simple. My name is in that bowl twenty five times not just 8."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Well if we're making it a competition of who out of us has the most chance of being picked I win." he smiled bitterly, "My name is in three more times than yours remember"

Both of their families wouldn't have survived without their tesserae entries and they knew it. Severus had to sign up for tesserae from the time he turned twelve. For Lily when she was thirteen. Her family had struggled for the four years before that, but had just been about getting by. When her mother fell ill though just before her thirteenth birthday and became unable to work as much, Lily took it upon herself, without telling anyone to sign up. To her it was a way of paying back out of the guilt that still ate away at her, knowing that if she hadn't left the house, her father might've been alive that day to help provide for them. As it was, he wasn't, and neither Lily nor Petunia, who was then in her last year of eligibility for the games, were working enough to provide for them. Lily had had to enter her name extra times every year since then but had only told her mother when she broke down crying the night before the reaping the next year. But there was nothing to be done. If she hadn't they would've starved.

In the last couple of months Petunia had moved out of their little home to marry one of the butchers in the middle of town. She provided some of their food when she could but at least they didn't have to provide for her anymore.

Lily sighed, "You're right Sev," she said taking his hand, "I'm sorry. It's just..." she let out a groan of frustration. "I hate this" she muttered.

"I know," he wrapped an arm around her, "Me too"

They sat like that for a while before they noticed the time. They hid away the book and started climbing down from their hideaway. Part way down Lily pushed herself away from the side and jumped. Severus scowled at her, "You shouldn't do that, you could hurt yourself" he lectured as he always did. Lily just smirked and they both headed back towards home.

When they reached the crossroads where they parted ways they stopped and faced each other. "I guess I'll see you later" Lily said.

Severus nodded and Lily gave him a hug. His arms seemed to hesitate before wrapping fully around her, his face pressing into her neck. Lily pulled away and squeezed his hand. "May the odds be ever in your favour" she said with a sad smile.

"And yours" he replied.

When Lily returned home she found her mother, up and dressed with lunch on the table and a bath prepared for her. Lily quickly stripped down and let herself soak in the warm water they so rarely had for their baths. Her mother had made an extra effort for her today. After scrubbing off the dust and dirt from her body and from her hair she dressed in her reaping day outfit for this year. An old dress of Petunias, altered to fit Lily's smaller frame. It was a pale green with a bow at the back. She glanced at herself in the mirror that hung in their bathroom and combed out her hair before allowing it to hang down her back. The day was hot enough that it would dry by the time the names were drawn.

They ate their sparse meal of bread and a small amount of cheese in silence. Lily swallowed back the tears of anxiety that threatened to fill her eyes.

"You look beautiful Lily" her mother said with a sad smile, after they'd finished their meal and prepared to leave the house.

"Thanks," Lily said, trying to smile but her mouth twisting into more of a grimace. Her mother quickly pulled her into her arms and held her tight.

"I'm so proud of you sweetheart" she whispered into her ear. "I need you to know that" She pulled away a little to look into her daughter's face, "You are my daughter and I am so proud of the young woman you have become" she smiled. "Now let's face what today will bring"

Outside the street was already lined with people moving towards the district centre. Lily and her mother held hands as they walked in silence. As they neared the registration desks her mother let go.

"I'm going to go and find Petunia and Vernon, we'll see you when it's all over and we can celebrate escaping the games unscathed." she smiled and touched Lily's cheek softly before turning away and joining the other adults who were separating from their children.

Lily strode towards the desk, her mask firmly in place and allowed the peacekeeper to take her blood and mark her as present. Avoiding eye contact with the woman, she moved towards where her peers stood. She smiled and exchanged nods with some but mostly they kept to themselves. They had other things on their mind. Lily ran a hand through her now almost dry hair that hung over her shoulders and attempted to smooth the kinks out of it. She looked across to the opposite side of the square, searching for Severus. There he was, his black hair hanging against his cheeks as normal, dressed in a black shirt and trousers. They exchanged smiles but turned their attentions to the front when a woman in impossibly high heels and the most ludicrous dress Lily had ever seen tottered onto the stage and tapped the microphone. Her skirt ballooned out from the waist, coming tight together just above her knees and it was the brightest shade of yellow Lily had ever seen. She saw some people shading their eyes against the glare.

"Welcome, welcome!" she said in an appallingly trill of a voice "Welcome to the 8th annual Hunger Games and may the odds" she paused for effect and clasped her hands together, "...be ever in your favour" she smiled widely before continuing. "Before we begin today's selection we have a special film for you all the way from the Capitol!" she gestured towards the screen to the right of the stage with a flourish.

As the now familiar voice of President Riddle and the pictures flashed upon the screen, Lily let her gaze travel across the stage. The Mayor was sat looking pompous but an empty seat sat next to him, presumably for a Victor. However in the 8 years the Hunger Games had been in motion, District 10 was yet to come out victorious. She turned back to the screen and grimaced internally at the voice accompanying the horrible pictures. President Riddle's voice was at once silky smooth and venomous, making you want to listen but also plug your ears at the same time.

Before long the presentation was over and Rhyad Prince as Lily belatedly realised the woman's name was returned to watching over them, the smile still plastered on her face. "Right then!" she cried, "Ladies first!" she reached towards the bowl on her left and rummaged around for a name. Lily's heart started beating wildly and a couple of the girls around her grabbed her hands till they were all surreptitiously linked.

Please don't let it be me, please no please let it be someone else, Lily thought desperately. Rhyad's long finger finally curled around a piece of paper and pulled it out with a flourish. Clearing her throat and opening the slip of paper she spoke out the name.

"Lily Evans!"

Lily felt her knees give slightly as the name hit her.

No.

After all this time, when she was so close…

She swallowed, aware of the cameras that would now be trained on her face and walked with feigned confidence through the parting crowds towards the stage.