"What in bloody hell is this?" James spat, tossing magazine after magazine after magazine at Sirius.
Sirius gulped. "What's what?"
"The thing that destroyed any hope of Lily and I.. I was this close." James sat down with a heavy sigh. "I guess it's hopeless."
Sirius patted his friend on the back. "I guess it is."

  The next morning James walked into the Great Hall with his friends and his jaw dropped. The entire painting was finished.
  "Oh, James? Get the best Transfiguration students to prepare the number of dark blue, dark green, golden yellow and dark red tables I have written down here, and the same amount of chairs that I have written down. I'll handle the menu and then we can meet again later for decorations.. Um, what else? Oh, I still need you to help me put up the finishing coat on that painting there." Lily flashed him a short and sweet smile. "Oh, well, look at the time."
  And she hurried off.
  "Hm." Sirius murmured before they sat down for breakfast.

  "The mural looks great, Lils." Coco said with a grin. The two of them sat on a bench in Hogsmeade Park eating ice cream.  

"Thanks. I finally figured out a way to avoid James for at least another week." Lily seemed proud of herself.
  "So you sent back the necklace?" Coco asked.
  "Yeah. Had to. You should start packing, you know? I'm sending most of my treasures home. Now I know they won't be sent back." Lily muttered bitterly.
  "It wasn't her fault, it would have happened anyway." Coco told her with a scolding glance.
  "I know. I just kind of wish it had been delayed." Lily explained. 
  "You would have felt guiltier if it hadn't been." Coco said, shaking her head.
  "Yeah, I guess."

  "I refuse to let Lord Voldemort to rule this country. Our magical citizens will not be subjected to the torture, pain and heartache that come with Dark Magic. We will not let history repeat itself. We will divide the following of the Death Eaters, conquer Dark Magic and we will survive." Queen Godrica said defiantly, her speech being sent on magical air waves around the world.
  "Queen Godrica is making an enemy, my lord." Lucius Malfoy hissed.
  "True, Malfoy, true. But we all know that Godrica's number one priority is the safety of her heir. Her nephew." A soft voice floated through the room. Even if Malfoy had been a follower since he was a young man, the voice still sent chills up his spine and goosebumps up his arm.
  "Potter." Severus Snape murmured.
  "Very quick, Severus. Thank you for bringing him here, Lucius." The soft voice said once again.
  Severus's eyes widened.

  "Explain this whole Lily situation again." Munguldus asked. "I'm feeling there's something more than she's telling you."
  It was Saturday and in a couple of minutes, James would be going to help Lily for the last time.
  "What do you mean?" Sirius demanded. "I know everything there is to know about Lily."
  "When was the last time she was this upset about James, her and the press?" Remus asked.
  "Last Halloween, why?" James answered. Sirius and Munguldus exchanged a glance.
  "Do they keep periodicals in the library, James?" Munguldus asked.
  "Of course." Remus replied with a shrug. Sirius and Munguldus scrambled out the portrait hole.

Heirs to Magical Fortune Narrowed Down Once Again

  Lily Evans, one of the five heirs to the Evans fortune, is now one of the three. Her stepmother is to receive seventy-five percent of the fortune on Lily's twenty-fifth birthday if Lily is married to a person she does not love. Mrs. Claire Evans certainly realized this, if Miss Evans's appearance at the Napa Valley Massacre earlier this year is any proof. It was said that Miss Evans was engaged to a Slytherin of her age, Severus Snape, whose family owns a Potions company. Seeing as Miss Evans is now a feisty sixteen year old Gryffindor, one would probably be correct in assuming that she was trapped into the marriage.
  The two other heirs, the ones that were cut off as of yesterday, a Maria Patterson and a Petunia Dursley, were both children of Mr. Evans, Lily's late father. Petunia was Lily's sister and Maria her half-sister. Why were the two cut off from the will? Mrs. Dursley had a settled home and Mr. Evans's trusted lawyers and advisors were given the power to cut off her allowance once she had been settled. Maria Patterson was Mr. Evans's daughter, the result of an old college fling. Oddly enough, a college fling of Maria's cut HER off from her money. Mr. Evans's lawyers and advisors were like him, conservative rich people that followed the rules of society.
  Maria's college fling involves a young man named Rupert Ravenclaw, seen on page fifteen with Lily Evans at a Ministry benefit. Mr. Evans strongly disapproved of the match of his daughter Maria and Rupert, and said so until his death. Maria Patterson married Rupert in a small ceremony at Easter. And who are the three remaining heirs, and why does one of them not even seem to exist?
  Lily Evans, third daughter of Mr. Charles Evans and second daughter to his wife Rose. Lily's parents divorced when Lily was young, before she began her studious and industrious years at Hogwarts. Intelligent, athletic, social, pretty, hard-working, involved prefect Lily maintains a job at the popular tavern, the Three Broomsticks, and is in her third relationship with a Ravenclaw seventh year David Morales. Recently, Lily lost two of her friends to the Napa Valley Massacre. Claire Evans- Not much to say- She was a smart cookie who hung around rich and powerful men until she 'snagged' one. She has yet to confirm rumors that she had never loved Mr. Evans, her late husband. The third and final heir is an unborn child of James Potter, confirms a prophet. Harry Aries Potter has one third of the fortune if born by Miss Evans's twenty-fifth birthday. If Miss Evans is happily married and the son of James Potter is born, Mrs. Claire Evans will have nothing. We will see this drama unfold as a stepmother, a stepdaughter and an unborn child compete for riches.

  "That's right.." Sirius murmured. "Lily was extremely upset when the article was published."
  "Unborn child of James? Lily wasn't even talking to James, then." Munguldus looked very confused. "What happened after that?"
  "The Halloween dance, then Claire came and admitted her defeat--.." Sirius figured it out. "And that was when Lily broke up with James, because she knew that James was in danger!"
  "Does James know that?" Munguldus asked. They exchanged a look.

"Ladders" Who would have thought magical royalty would have thought of such a Muggle way to do things?? Lily sneered.
  "Just paint, Evans." James commanded flatly. Lily rolled her eyes and started at the bottom.
  An hour or so later, while Munguldus and Sirius were still making their way across the castle, Peter and Severus Snape wandered in. Both Gryffindors were on the top steps of their ladders and they were ALMOST done.
  "Hello, Peter! 'Lo, Snape." James snarled.
  "Hello, Severus! 'Lo, Peter." Lily spat.
  They both merely nodded and each conjured up mats that lined the floor around and under the ladders. Then they brushed past Lily and James's ladders with a forceful bump. The two seventh years fell to the ground and felt tugs at their bellies before they blacked out.

  Lily woke up. The place she was in- It was like a cave. It had white stone walls and a dusty floor covered in white powder. And, and- And she was laying on mats. Mats that looked oddly familiar.
  She pushed herself up and felt pain immediately. She remembered- She remembered falling. And- And James.
  She looked around. And there he was, laying there, his glasses nearly broken, and he was bleeding from his forehead.
  She walked closer to him and stooped down. She delicately wiped away the small stream of blood with her forefinger.
  "Oh, James. I'm sure this is all my fault." She murmured, lying down next to him and bringing him closer. He was breathing, which relieved her. But only a little bit.
  A single tear rolled down her cheek as she moved even closer to him, keeping his shivering but unconscious body warm.
  "Ah, Lily Evans. It is quite a blessing to have you grace us with your presence."                A soft voice hissed and Lily's head immediately snapped up, her eyes widening with something no one had ever seen her have before- Fear.