Disclaimer: To the advantage of Ms. Rowling and the demise of myself, Harry Potter (and all characters not as important) do not belong to me. The song briefly mentioned is "Can't get you out of my head" (I think) by Kylie Minode (sp?). Ah, well you guys know it doesn't belong to me, I just heard it on the radio.

*****************

"This is the most popular nightclub in Paris," said Remus with a smile, waving his hand to take in the expanse.

"Yes, it most certainly looks it," said Lily, in awe. The club was compromised of two vast floors, a ground level that made a sort-of balcony circling a basement floor and branching off backwards into various rooms, each with their own DJ. The basement floor itself was one huge dance flat, a spectacle of lights and riot of colors, vibrating with rhythms that the DJ was playing. Although the building was incomprehensibly large (if you spent the whole day there, Lily thought, you still wouldn't be able to explore all of the rooms) it was packed with people. They were crowded into every room, and mobbed the main dance floor. They bumped and jived under strobe lights, bathed in smoke, danced under lights of every color fathomable. Poles suspended on platforms above the crowd housed particularly exotic-looking dancers, dressed after the manner of France in cutting-edge fashion and heavily made up. In fact, most of the people present were dressed in outlandish garb. Lily had to be careful not to stare.

"This is great!" James cried over the music- a harsh beat that almost drowned out the woman singing in another language. "I'm glad we decided to come."

It was Christmas Eve. In an effort to cheer up Remus from the depression he had been in ever since his parents had died (although he denied that he was depressed, he had been acting strangely) the group had planned an excursion to the nightclubs of Paris. With a promise to Marie to be back before dawn, and to be careful, they set off with the spirit of the holidays alight in their hearts.

"Alright," said Sirius in an aside to Lily, James, and Peter as he pushed Remus ahead of him, "I'm going to go get him drunk. It'll be good for him." He winked and pointed to the bar.

" 'Good for him?!' " exclaimed Lily.

"Good luck," said Peter wryly.

James just laughed. "He'll be the one getting wasted, believe me," he told Peter and Lily when Sirius traveled out of earshot (which wasn't very far).

"James…I don't know if this is such a good…" Lily started, but James silenced her with a kiss.

"We'll check back on them later. Don't worry. Let's go dance!" James grabbed her hand and pulled her down the balcony steps to the basement dance floor. Peter trailed a little bit behind them, gawking at the surroundings.

They found a spot to squeeze in, and Lily laughed as James danced horribly on purpose. He stopped when they started to draw strange stares from the people around them. The music in the background then switched to an English singer.

*I just can't get you outta my head

Boy, your loving is all I think about…*

"Oh, I like this song!" cried Lily, grabbing James's hand and pulling him close.

"Uh- you've heard it before?" said James.

"Yes, it's very popular in the muggle world." Lily then smiled seductively at him. "So let's dance then," she cooed.

James smiled back at her. "Yes, let's," he growled.

Peter, in seeing his other friends otherwise occupied either drinking or dancing, found other people to spend time with. If only he could speak French.

*****************

The night sped quickly away. Lily soon found herself exhausted from her exertions, and had to drag James off for a drink and a place to cool off.

"Besides," she had said, "we should check on Sirius and Remus anyway."

They made their way up to the bar, and found that that was indeed where their friends were spending their time.

"Wasted yet?" asked James after they had picked up some soda and went to join them.

"Naw," answered Sirius, "this stuff is weak. It's more water then anything."

"You two looked good out there," observed Remus.

"Mainly thanks to me," teased Lily, fanning herself.

"Too true, too true," sighed Sirius. "James, old boy, I hate to break it to you, but she is definitely hotter than you."

James smiled. "I know," he said.

Lily was dressed in a tight spaghetti- strapped red dress that flared out to the knees. Her hair was highlighted perfectly by the dress, and was pulled intricately back from her head. She made a lovely picture.

As James continued to talk with his friends, Lily scanned the crowd once again, soaking in the sights. Somehow, she knew that this night was important, and she wanted to remember every detail of it, right down to the last fantastically dressed patron.

One particular person caught her eye. He was cowled all in black, and standing back in the shadows- oh, God. Lily stiffened, clutching her drink tighter. Oh, God, it was Voldemort- that was why he had caught her eye. He was waiting- for her.

"James," she whispered through numb lips.

"Lily?" he asked, putting down their drinks and gripping her shoulders. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"It's Christmas Eve." James caught on immediately, and just as quickly found Voldemort in the crowd.

"You don't have to do this," he said urgently. "You don't have to do this. I don't want you to. Please, I don't want you to."

"But, if I don't, then you'll die," she said thickly, speaking as if in a daze.

"No, please don't. Maybe I won't die- maybe we…"

"No!" she cried, awaking from her daze. "No, you'll die James. I know it."

"How do you know?"

"I just do. Some things- I just know. I can't explain it. But, I have to do this. Come what may, remember?"

"No," said James, shaking his head vehemently.

"What's going on?" asked Sirius, but he went unheeded, and he and Remus were left in the dark. James and Lily were in their own world at the moment, unconscious of anything around them.

Lily reached out to James and drew him toward her slowly, pressing her cheek to his. "Yes. You promised. You promised me."

"I…" he started, but Lily shushed him.

"Everything will be alright, I promise. It will all be fine."

"No," he repeated again, unable to think of anything else to say to convey his feelings. Lily couldn't do this…she just couldn't. She was *his*, they were each other's. They belonged to each other. Voldemort shouldn't enter into it, he didn't belong, he shouldn't be able to control them like this. Shouldn't be able to control Lily. Because…because she was his. It won't be all right.*This wasn't right.*

But before he could protest further, she was gone. Her hand slipped through his, a wisp of smoke caressing his skin, and she backed into the crowd, a ghost-like apparition. James felt like he was falling, deep, then deeper into a black void, with no one there to pull him out. He felt as if he'd never see her again.

Dimly, he perceived someone gripping his shoulder, and then shaking him vehemently.

"Huh?" he said thickly.

"Where the hell is she going?" Sirius demanded urgently, still gripping his shoulder. "Who's that she's with? James? James, come on, this isn't a good time for your brain to take a vacation!"

"He's really out of it," said Peter, who had just arrived when he sensed trouble.

Sirius turned James around sharply and slapped him across the face in one smooth quick motion. "Snap out of it!" he cried.

James staggered, bringing a hand up to his face, and then came instantly back to reality.

"Ow," he moaned.

"Sorry, mate, I had to," apologized Sirius. "What just happened here? That didn't look like such a pleasant personage for Lily to run off with."

"Voldemort!" James cried. "Voldemort…Lily's gone…and run off with Voldemort!"

"Shhh, not so loud," said Sirius. "Voldemort? C'mon."

Sirius took James's wrist and hauled him through the crowd, running at breakneck speed. Peter lagged behind. Soon, they reached a door and shoved through. It led to a narrow dark, dank alley. The buildings towered above it, and trash was strewn about the ground.

"This was the way that Remus went," Sirius murmured, almost to himself.

"Where is Remus?" asked Peter anxiously.

"We saw Lily leaving with that guy- Voldemort, and figured that something was up. So, Remus agreed to track them. I know they went out this way, problem is, which way did they go after that?"

"Well, there's only one of two ways they could have went," said James, pointing right and then left down the alley. "Why don't we split up and…"

"Doggy!" James was cut off by the sound of a little girl's voice. Rosie the ghost came running down the narrow passage, her ethereal body lighting up the alley, all smiles. She stopped in front of Sirius, hands clasped behind her back. "Doggy, I found you!"

Sirius had shown Rosie his transformation once, and since then she had favored him, nick-naming him "doggy."

"Sorry, Rosie, I can't play now," said Sirius. "We have to find our friend."

Rosie looked disappointed for a moment, then she smiled again. "Oh, the nice pretty lady. I know where she is!"

"You do?" cried James, forcing his way in front of Sirius. "Can you tell us? Can you take us to her?"

Rosie made a face. "Not if you're going to be *rude* about it," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Rosie," said Sirius gently, "let's play a game. Follow the leader, okay? You take us to Lily, and we'll follow you."

Rosie clapped her hands together. "I like games!" she cried. "Okay, follow me!"

And with that, Rosie went flying down the alleyway, leading the group in the chase of their lives. Hopefully, they weren't too late.

*****************

It wasn't that hard to track them, Remus decided. Since the time that they left the club, Remus had pieced together by hearing snatches from their conversation that it was Voldemort Lily was with. However, there were no signs of the Death Eaters. He guessed Voldemort thought he would be safe enough here without them.

Which made tracking them easy. As they walked along the various alleyways and streets, Remus ran along the rooftops, his wolf-enhanced eyes gathering the dim light and keeping sharp watch over the two. He was very, very careful to keep himself hidden.

That was the hard part. Because all he felt like doing at the moment was jumping Voldemort and wringing the life out of him, for killing his parents. He had to keep reminding himself that that was quite impossible, and he would be doing better watching over Lily.

Just when his meager self-control was about to snap, Voldemort led Lily into an old, tall tower, rather resembling a cathedral. Remus leapt from his current rooftop and hurried after them.

They weaved through hundreds of ancient passageways, going up, up, until at last they were at the very top chamber. Voldemort led Lily into the room and shut the door. Remus stalked up and pressed his back against it, blowing out a breath. Now what? Should he go back to get his friends, or just wait here? Should he help Lily? He wasn't sure if she needed his help…she didn't seem like she was being mistreated in any way. She was behaving more like an accomplice than a prisoner.

Well, decided Remus, if she did need him, he would be here.

Remus sat down against the door, pulled his knees up to his chin, and waited.

*****************

Lily surveyed the room with an imperial air, and then strode over to the fireplace. She didn't want to seem weak in front of Voldemort. She needed to be the one in control tonight, or at least pretend to be, she knew. Or else everything might not go as planned.

Voldemort glided up behind her, offering her a glass of champagne. She took it gracefully.

"You were with him again," said Voldemort.

"Yes," she said simply. "Am I not supposed to be?"

Voldemort was so close behind her that she could feel his breath on her neck. "I told you that you were not to date him."

She tutted, and took a sip of the champagne. "Please, my Lord. I do not date him. I only hang around him and his idiot companions because they are powerful." She turned and smiled wickedly at him. "Neither Lucious nor Severus make that cut, I'm afraid."

Voldemort returned her wicked smile. "Yes, that is true. They are weak servants."

"Then why do you listen to Severus's suggestion? My Lord, he is just using your power to gain his own personal ends. It is no secret that he shares animosity with James and the others, but he is too weak to be rid of them himself. Of course he would turn to you."

Voldemort looked thoughtful for a moment, sipping at his own drink and striding over to the balcony that the room offered. Lily followed close behind him. Finally, he spoke. "They are my servants, Lily. When one of them asks a favor of me, I shall make it so."

"Of course, of course my lord, I understand completely. But why should someone as powerful as you are be subjected to the petty troubles of an underling?"

Voldemort set down his glass and looked her straight in the eye. With the flick of a hand, he conjured up the most beautiful diamond necklace that Lily had ever seen. For a moment she was breathless, her fingers dancing across the smooth, cool stones.

He fastened it behind her neck. "I will do my best to satisfy the needs of my servants, if they offer me their loyalty and efforts," he whispered in her ear. "Do you understand?"

"Yes," she breathed.

"Good." Lily stifled a shiver of disgust as she felt Voldemort's lips press against her neck. "We could be the ultimate power in the universe, you and I, Lily. You possess extraordinary powers, extraordinary powers that even you do not fully realize yet. We shall be royalty. A king, powerful and merciless, and his queen, terrible in her power and her beauty. All shall love you and despair, Lily. I could give all this to you if you'd only agree to join me. I could give you a life of majesty. No one will forget your name, ever."

Lily gasped. She could be a Queen, a ruler. The fate of the world would rest in her hands. She would never need or want in her lifetime again. Power. Ultimate power. The only price would be spending her life with Voldemort. Maybe that wasn't so bad, after all…

Dimly she remembered that there was another reason she came here tonight.

"Nnnn," she sighed. "So, with you and I joined together, could we then forget about James?"

"Whatever you wish, my Queen," growled Voldemort.

Queen. That title sounded good, Lily thought.

What Lily failed to realize was that she was no longer the one in control anymore.

*****************

Rosie finally halted on the steps of an ancient edifice. It towered up into the gray storm clouds, slimy in the freezing rain that was falling. With that impish smile of hers, Rosie pointed upwards. "She's up there, in the *very* top," she said.

"Thank you Rosie," smiled Sirius, hugging his jacket closer to himself so as to block out the cold wet rain. "Maybe we can play later."

Rosie's smile broadened. "Okay! But first, you have to save the pretty lady."

And with that, she disappeared. Sirius and Peter hurried up the steps and threw open the door, rushing inside. Sirius skidded to a stop as he realized that James was no longer beside him.

He was standing out on the street, staring frozen up at the tower.

"Damn," cursed Sirius under his breath. "James!" he hissed, trying not to be loud so as not to draw unwanted attention to them. "James! What are you doing?"

But James did not heed him. Because there, at the top of the tower, was Lily. His Lily. In Voldemort's arms. James was enraged and shocked beyond the point of awareness. He had known what Lily had come here to do, but the actual *sight* of it was driving him mad. "Lily," he whispered through numb lips, and knew somehow that his love for this woman would be the death of him, and wished that he could stop loving her. But the simple truth of it was he could not, and so he simply stood there and stared.

Up on the balcony, Lily froze at the sight of her lover on the street. She locked eyes with him, and time slowed. As she continued the contact, she began to remember everything. Warmth. Love. Happiness. They seemed like a dream, so very far away, so unreal. She… couldn't have felt those things, could she? This was her reality…wasn't it? This cold, power hungry….thing behind her was her reality. She was going to be his queen. She was going to be powerful. But she wasn't going to be happy.

However, if she chose a life with James, she could feel those things again. Warmth, love happiness, a home, and a tiny baby boy.

Slowly, unwittingly, lips moving as if talking in her sleep, Lily formed ones harp word: "No!"

"No?" hissed Voldemort. "No?"

Then he followed her gaze down onto the street, and there saw James standing. "Oh, I see. I see!"

He whipped out his wand in a swift clean movement and cried: "Avada Kedavara!"

"NOOO!" Lily pleaded, hanging onto his wand arm, but she was too late. It was done.

Voldemort took her and threw her into the room, shutting the door to the balcony behind them.

Lily crumpled to the floor. "NO! James, oh god, how could you, how could?" she whimpered hysterically.

"You sniveling woman," Voldemort cried, his voice rising to a high pitch in his anger. "If I can't have you, then no one can! You lied, you lied to me! You'll pay!" He held his wand in front of him, and cried "Cruciatis!"

Waves of pain coursed through Lily's body, adding to her ardent despair and grief. She screamed, weeping and helpless for once in her life. And alone. Alone…

*****************

A scream tore at Remus's ears, horrible and tortured. He gasped and put his hands to his ears, until he realized that it was Lily who the scream belonged to.

He turned, and in one powerful motion kicked down the door. It took him a heartbeat to absorb the scene- Lily, sobbing on the floor, and Voldemort standing in front of her with his wand in the air- and then he moved.

He *willed* the change to come, called the wolf to him, and it came. One moment he was human, and the next he was wolf, moving with a hunter's clear, trained mind, none of the human weakness holding him. Except, since it was not the full moon, he was not in a frenzied rage. He had full control of himself, and he knew what he wanted. That thing's blood in his mouth, the sweet taste of revenge.

Moony snarled and leapt. One hundred and fifty pounds of muscle hit Voldemort, and then he was knocked down, pinned to the floor beneath the wolf, too shocked to move. His wand skittered across the smooth stone floor, meters out of reach.

Moony smiled- a twisted, stiff grin on the wolf's face, and growled softly. All too easy. Now, now his parent's killer was at his mercy. He brought his jaws slowly down upon his prey's neck, enjoying every moment, playing with his prey.

Lily gasped for breath and struggled to her feet. She knew at once whom it was that had saved her, and she was grateful to her friend.

Lily hurried across the room and took up Voldemort's wand, holding it at ready in case Remus failed.

Now Voldemort was going to pay for all the things he had done, one way or another.

*****************

It seemed as if the moment was in slow motion to Sirius.

He heard the curse echo down from the tower, bouncing around the surrounding buildings and amplifying the sound.

And then a bright, sickly green flash of light was heading towards his best friend in the entire world.

"NOOO! JAMES!" yelled Sirius, rushing toward him, willing himself to move fast, but he couldn't move fast enough- it was as if he was caught in a nightmare. This couldn't be really happening. Any moment now he would wake up, and be back in the Gryffindor tower, and getting ready to play another prank with his friends. They were only seventeen years old. None of them should be facing a life and death situation.

And yet here he was, and there was James, and it was real. And he was too late. The green was inches away from James.

Just when all hope had left him, just when Sirius was collapsing to his knees, then suddenly a ghostly little girl appeared.

It was Rosie. And she was standing, arms and legs spread wide, before James.

The green flash of death hit her, and sparked, and fizzled, lighting Rosie with a green aura, but not moving past her. And then it was over, and James was alive, and Rosie was- disappearing.

"It is over," she sighed happily. "Now I'm going to see my parents. Goodbye, Doggy!"

"Rosie! Wait!" called Sirius. "What just happened?"

Rosie smiled. "Since I am not alive, the Avada Kedavara curse does not affect me. In fact, when the spell hits a ghost- like me- it is neutralized, because we are one in the same- an embodiment of death."

Sirius marveled at how old she seemed, all of the sudden.

"I have done what I was sent here to do, and now I can go back to my parents. Goodbye, Doggy, and good luck!"

"Thank you Rosie," murmured Sirius, as the last of the ghost sparkled in the air and then disappeared.

"James!" he cried, jumping to his feet and embracing his friend. "Are you all right?"

James hugged Sirius in return, and said dreamily, "I'm alive."

Sirius laughed. "Yes, you are. Now come on, let's go kick some Voldemort ass!"

James smiled, at last coming back to himself. "Yes, let's, Padfoot my friend," he said, half-jesting, and took his friend's hand, leading him up the steps and towards the balcony.

*****************

Moony was finished playing. Voldemort was starting to fight back, so now it was time to kill.

Just as he was about to, Sirius and James burst through the door, Peter hanging back behind them.

"Moony?" said Sirius, confused. But as he saw what the wolf was about to do, the confusion left him and he moved.

"Moony, no!" he cried, and transformed. He tumbled over the wolf from Voldemort and the two went rolling across the floor. Moony blinked at him, as if to say "What did you do that for?"

"James?" said Lily, numb with disbelief. That wasn't him. It couldn't be! He was dead.

But the apparition turned and smiled at her, throwing open his arms. "Lily!" he cried.

"James!" It really was him! She ran and threw her arms about his neck, tears blurring her vision. "How?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later."

Voldemort had climbed to his feet, burning with anger. "You'll pay!" he cried. "All of you!"

"I don't think so," said James, raising his wand. Beside him, Lily raised Voldemort's wand that she had procured. Peter, in the doorway, raised his (although he was trembling a lot). And across the room, Remus and Sirius, both de-transformed, raised theirs. He was trapped, with no way to defend himself.

"You will be the one to pay, Voldemort," said Sirius. "Pay for all the evil that you have done, right here, right now."

Five different curses shot out and met in the center of the room, assailing Voldemort and lighting the entire room in a brilliant white flash. For a moment, the company was blinded.

And the next moment, Voldemort was gone.

"What happened?" cried Sirius.

"His wand- it's gone!" gasped Lily, staring at her empty hands and then searching around the ground.

They all stood silent and stunned, until Sirius spoke up.

"That's a good thing isn't it, though? I mean, that he's gone."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. He can't bother us anymore, anyway, if he's not here," agreed James.

Lily reached out and took James's hand into her own. "Let's go home," she said warmly.

And the five friends, hand in hand, traveled home for the holidays. Together.

*****************

A/N: I'd like to thank She-wolf and all of you guys who reviewed and gave support for the whole S/R thing. This story, I knew, was going to be as much S/R as J/L, but I listed under J/L anyway. I understood that most of the people who were reading this would not have come into contact with S/R before, so I toned it down and wrote it as best as I could, to try and introduce people to it as I was introduced. It still required you to be open-minded about some things, though, and a pat on the back to those of you who were. You really are fine people!

This was a long time in coming (though not quite as long as last time!) but I really put a lot of time and effort into this chapter. It really was very involved, and I've been working up to this point for months now (my favorite part of the story!). I was going for *quality* not quickness.

If you liked the werewolf thing, I recommend you read "The Silver Wolf" by Alice Borchardt, which I took most of my ideas from. (It's a really good book, especially if you're interested in history i.e. Ancient Rome!)

And finally, look for the last chapter, in which I will tie up loose ends and a lot of things will be explained…. Cheers!