Chapter Eleven
Chapter Eleven

I dedicate this chapter to my amazing reviewers and I want to tell you all that I'm writing a five chapter Lily fic that's positively evil, be sure to look out for that in the near weeks. { No shel, that's not "our" fic -this one is completely different –when are we writing ours?} I love you all! Peace, love, and coffee! : )

Jenny, Lily, and Felicia stood in front of the mirror in their gowns.

Jenny was biting her fingernails.

"This whole cap thing isn't working with my hair, here." she said to break the silence. Jenny was in her white gown with black shoes "to make a statement" she had said. Her brown curly hair was in its usual ringlets, making it difficult to fit the hat over them. Her brown eyes were red, almost as if she was about to cry, but no, not Jenny. She grinned and flopped down in a chair that Felicia was hovering around, touching up their makeup. Lily sat in the next chair and soon enough Felicia was applying who-knows-what to her delicate creamy face. She coughed, and Jenny {who was allergic to everything} sneezed ad-infinitum.

"Felicia, seriously, this is just wrong, I hate makeup." Lily said

"You guys! Its graduation for cryin' out pity sakes!"

"Easy Tiger" Lily laughed.

"Felicia, I think I swallowed a brush from you jamming that crap down my throat!" Jenny coughed.

"Fine, but….but…I'm sorry guys…" her lips trembled, "I was just trying to help. We don't have much time left."

"Aw Licia, its okay. Just because school is ending doesn't mean our friendship is." Lily stood up and hugged her.

"This is like some sad, disgustingly corny soap opera." Jenny smirked.

"Shutup Jen!" They both yelled at her; laughing.

"Well, I guess we better look in the mirror now, and face the fact that no matter what we look like, we graduate today." Lily sighed.

Jenny pulled her gown up and sat indian style on the chair. Her black spike heeled shoes pointed out at her sides. She sighed. Her tassel hung in front of her eyes. She huffed and threw the cap across the room. She opened her eyes wide, in surprise and stared at Lily and Felicia with a large grin on her face she was trying to suppress.

"GUYS! Did you see that!? My hat! It like, flew across the room, and WHOA!" She stared at them.

"Jenny?" Lily said.

"Hmm?"

"Get a hobby." Lily laughed.

"She has one." Felicia grinned, "its annoying us."

Then Felicia approached the mirror. She had always resembled a mouse, short, thin, quiet, and quick. Her layered blondish-copperish hair hung to her chin and framed her face. Her mellow blue eyes and girlish giggle only she could pull off made her, well…made her Felicia. Her white gown was smoothed nicely, matching the other two girls. She smiled weakly in the mirror. A diamond necklace hung from her neck and her shoes, unlike Jenny's were white heels. Her makeup was rather heavy, but she was excellent at preparing it, so no one could tell. Her eyes dusted a light white, rosy cheeks, and pink lips grinned back at her. She sighed and stepped back from the mirror.

Lily approached it. Her white gown looked stunning against her fiery hair. She had pulled it halfway up and secured it with a gold hair comb her mother sent her off to Hogwarts with when she first started. She reached back and touched it lovingly. Her mother. She'd be proud. Lily's gown was different than the others. A large golden sash lay over her shoulders in a v. She smiled. Valedictorian. Her mother always wanted her to be. She looked into her reflection at her green eyes, now misted with tears, and allowed one drop to slide down her cheek, she caught it in her hand. "Where ever you go, there I am," her mother whispered to her.

She smiled, and looked down at her white sandals, pretending to be studying them, rather than talking to her dead mother. "I love you." she thought back to her. Lily felt strong arms around her in a hug, a warmth spread all over her, and then…just as it had never happened. It was gone.

She looked into her reflection and smiled, she greatly resembled her mother. Something green glittered in the sunlight off the mirror. She reached down and held the small stone, an emerald that hung delicately on the end of a gold chain. James had given it to her. She whispered a quick charm under her breath {so Felicia wouldn't hear} that corrected her face back to its natural glow. Lily Evans stood tall, straightened her tassel and faced her friends.

"Time to grow up." She grinned.

"Yeah, that'll happen." Jenny laughed and they all linked arms.

"A Chapter in a book. Most people usually refer graduating with a chapter in the book of life that has been closed. I don't like to think of it that way. I think that graduation is an ocean. The sun rises, and sets, but the waves never stop crashing into the shore. I feel that the life lessons we learn here, we will continue to use to our individual lives for years and years to come. And Friendships. The memories we created, will haunt these halls forever. Whether its simple things, like breakfast in this very hall. Or memories that we'll never forget, like balls, and Quidditch matches that won us the house cup." Lily paused at the outburst of cheers from the Gryfinndor table. "We walk these halls, and take them for granted. Every step, every tear, every laugh, this castle became all of our homes, and we left so many things left unsaid, because we always thought. "next year" There is no next year for this class. We made it. Through death, devastation, smiles, tears, cheering, sobbing, laughing, dancing, skipping, and soaring around on our brooms torturing Mrs. Norris, we made it. I hope you all remember these years with a deep fondness. Cherish them. Tell you children about them, teach them what this amazing place has taught us. This was so much more than a school to me, especially after my parents death. The school became my home, the one place where I fit in. The teachers…my parents, and the students, my sanctuary. Today, we all stand unified in white. Despite yellow hufflepuff, green slytherin, maroon Gryfinndor, and blue ravenclaw. We are no longer individual houses, but one unified color…..white. We are a group now, no longer individuals. I'll never forget these cool echoing halls, the warmness you feel when you enter into your common room on a winter night, and every laugh I took for granted. So go out unto the world guys, make a difference, make a moment, make an improvement, and do it for Hogwarts. For the school that taught us, to accomplish great things, one must not only act, but dream. I want to personally thank every single one of my professors, you've taught me so much. I'll never forget any of you. Now, in closing, I want to say one thing that I need you all to know. Every student in the room knows what went on a month ago. Voldemort is not a fairy tale, he's not a legend, and he's real. But we all need to remember," she paused again, about to make her most important statement. "love is more powerful than hate. Never forget that. We can't sit around being paranoid though., Whats coming will come and we will meet it when it does. As I end my speech, I want to thank these professors, students, halls, floors, secret passages, and my friends. May life bless you all richly, and I leave you with my prayers."

Lily turned from the podium, then stopped dead in her tracks. There was James, on his feet clapping. Followed by Jenny, Sirius, Remus, Felicia, and Sarah. Soon enough the entire room was filled with tears and applause. Lily cried herself, then remembered a very important part of her speech. She returned to the podium gracefully.

"And…ahem…LETS GO GRYFINNDORS!" she smiled and the audience roared with

approval. She laughed. And Dumbledore hugged her. Professor

McGonagall,

tears in her weary eyes, enveloped Lily in her frail arms and whispered

"I wish you and Potter luck. You are a brave woman." Lily looked into

her

eyes, filled with respect. "Thank you."

Dumbledore took the podium.

"I have a few awards to give out. First off, most trustworthy,……" he droned on and on with awards until he reached the most anticipated one. "And last but refuses to be least is The Detention breaking award, which I present to……none other, but James Potter." Everyone exploded in laughter and applause. "And Sirius Black." Sirius and James leapt from their seats and raced to the podium.

"WOO HOO!" Sirius yelled.

"We dedicate this to Mrs. Norris, who will have elephant ears for years to come!" James laughed and swung his arm around Sirius.

"Kidding Filch, kidding!" Sirius laughed.

"Sirius, I'm telling you, you can't fall asleep on my bed. No!" Jenny yelled holding a pillow over Sirius's gleaming face. The girls dormitory was alive with laughter and hushed voices. Sirius, James, and Remus had joined the girls for once last night. They all sat on beds in pajama's laughing and remembering. Sirius laid on Jenny's bed, Jenny sat beside him yelling. Felicia and Remus were snuggled up together in her bed. Those two were getting married, there was simply no getting around it. James was sitting up, leaning against the headboard and Lily was brushing her hair, pacing.

"Lils, I think you have everything packed. You've double checked eight thousand times. SIRIUS BLACK! You get out from under my covers right now!" Jenny yelled.

"Come and get me."

"Oh! You are something else." Jenny yelled.

The others laughed.

"This our last night together." Felicia whispered. "Its over after this."

Lily walked over to her bed and sat next to James slightly leaning on him. It was so warm, the friendship and trust almost laying like a haze.

"Its never over." James said. "We'll be friends forever. We made it. Sirius, Lily and I made it. And if we can live through that, then we'll grow old and gray together."

"Oh! These three will be fun when they are old and gray." Lily laughed sarcastically.

"Jenny! Get in the kitchen and make me some PIE!" Sirius yelled.

"Do you want me to kill you or something?" Jenny growled.

"you wouldn't take mercy on a tired old man?"

"I'd shoot you." she smirked.

"So whats going on with everyone after tommorow?" James asked, stroking Lily's wavy hair.

"Well Prongs, we all know that you and I will be living in a flat, being the sexy bachelors that we are." Sirius yawned.

"Heh..right." he laughed.

"dead sexy….uh…is that what you call it nowadays?" Lily smirked.

"Me and Lil rented an apartment to live in while we study to be aurors for about 3 years." Jenny said glancing at Sirius to see his reaction. He smiled.

"We'll be 21 in three years." James sighed.

"Well, um….Remus and I bought an apartment to live in…." Felicia whispered. Remus grinned. Everyone else's mouths dropped.

"Together?" Sirius choked.

"Well, we love each other….and …..um….yeah." She giggled.

They all laughed. Reliving old memories seemed to keep them awake till it was time to get on the train.

"I……..got……..no……..sleep." Jenny mumbled. "Of course I could have if the huge lump wouldn't have been in my bed!"

"You could've gotten in!" Sirius yelled

Lily rolled her eyes. She had fallen asleep leaning on James. James and Sirius talked all night. Jenny was lying. She had curled up on the bed beside Lily and drifted off to sleep, leaning on her. James felt he was getting a bad deal, but didn't wake them.

They all piled into their usual compartment and sighed. "This is were it all began." Lily whispered, she closed her eyes. Mystie had been right there. Her bestfriend….what ever happened? The bus ride back was too much. They all broke down and cried at some point. When the pulled into the station, after many tears and hugs Lily and Jenny aparated to their home. James and Sirius to theirs, and Remus and Felicia to theirs.

Lily pushed her sunglasses on her head. "Well, we are going to need some paint." She laughed.

"Please, I mean we're muggles, but we know magic now!" jenny laughed.

After four hours of searching and remodeling the girls stared at their small apartment. It was neat and tidy and Jenny sighed. "I've always wanted blue stone tiled countertops." Lily sighed, sitting on the counter staring out the window to the cool night air.

"Seriously?" Jenny asked.

"No." Lily laughed, "but they are really nice."

Jenny pulled a soda out of the fridge rolling her eyes.

"You'll never change will you Lily?"

Something that felt like ice swept over Lily's heart. She took a deep breath and sat down on a bar stool. Jenny looked at her shocked.

"Lils…you okay?"

"I just…had this feeling…..the bad isn't over yet….something terrible is going to happen. I just feel it." She stared straight ahead, too scared to speak. Jenny walked over to her and placed her arm around her shoulders, but Lily pushed her away. She didn't know how to be comforted.

Sometimes theres a cold that grabs your heart, and you can't shake it off, and sometimes……it never goes away.

Authors Notes: Thats it! I quit! I can't type anymore. My fingers are bleeding…well, they should be anyway. I hope you liked. Don't worry, stop crying! Its not over! Lol. And I'm working on a couple of lil' fics too. I have to change my penname. I'm not sure why it doesn't come up on the main server…..GRR! No one can find me! Grr…lol, oh well, more reason to add me to your favorites. Thank you to all of my WONDERFUL reviewers, you all really are amazing, you make me cry somedays with your sweetness! {Excluding my babe phoenix cause she scares me! Lol. But I still love you!} Well, there are about….I dunno, four more chapters, then the epilogue, then the sequel which features Harry and his people. I have to say this to Shel and Jayce though HARRY AND HERMIONE FOREVER! Sorry, I had to say that. I'm sorry for anyone I offended when I named Melissa that. I had a reviewer who didn't like that, lol, its okay hun, I have nothing against Melissa's. Anyway. Tired of me babbling? I'm sure you are. Thank you all so much! Email me at Little_aly@juno.com I'm promise I'll reply! Love you all so so so much!

Disclaimer: None of its mine…well its all mine with the exclusion of whats J.K Rowlings, got it? Good, cause I don't.