**ten years later**
Lily Evans walked out of the flat she shared with Martha in London on a cold and windy night. She stopped for a moment to check her appearance. She was wearing a simple black dress her mother had bought her for the occasion with a long white coat. Over the years, white has become her favorite color. Her long red hair was cut short now, just below her neck, and it framed her face perfectly. Years had taken none of her beauty away, but added maturity and a womanly scent about her. And those gorgeous green eyes were still gorgeous as ever, but at moments, only certain moments, one can catch a cloud of sadness come over them.
Lily looked down on her watch. She still had 20 minutes, and that should be plenty of time to go to restaurant where the party was held. Martha had insisted to go with Lily, partly because everyone was afraid Lily was going to be late. However, Lily wanting to spend a few moments alone before the party, told Martha to go without her.
The wind blew a strand of Lily's hair into her face. And just then, she caught the glimpse of a tall figure who looked so familiar to the one carved onto her memory across the street. Lily quickly wiped the hair out of her face. No, it couldn't be, Lily thought to herself. It just couldn't. It couldn't be James, but he looks so much like James. Without hesitation, Lily turned to cross the street to chase after the man she just saw. There were too many cars on the street. Lily's eyes followed the man as he walked down the street. Finally it was green light, Lily ran as fast as she could, but he seems to have disappeared.
Lily ran down the street, and there was no sign of him. Then Lily decided to check all the shops on that street. Maybe he went inside one of them. Exhausted, Lily came out of the last shop on that street, and then she caught a tall figure wearing the same coat as the man go inside a bar two blocks down. Lily ran to follow him, and grabbed his shoulder, afraid he was going to disappear again.
"Miss, is something wrong?" asked the man who slowed turned around.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I thought you were someone else," Lily said to a stranger's face. It wasn't James. Of course it wouldn't be James. James was dead. He has been dead for 10 years. Overwhelming tears swelled up in Lily's eyes as she slowly walked down the street. This is not the time to think about James. This is the worst time to cry about James. Lily had walked several blocks before she realized that she was walking in the wrong direction.
Without any expression on her face, she slowly turned around to walk to the restaurant where the party was. Still, she walked slowly, not caring if she was late. Thoughts of James swirled in her head. She arrived at the restaurant with a faraway look in her eyes. She didn't even realize that she was an hour late to the party.
"Lily, where did you go?" cried Martha as she spotted Lily at the door. "Oh my god, why are you sweating like this?" Lily looked up to see the questioning look on everyone's faces: her mother, her sister, Martha, Charlene, Emily, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and especially Justin and his parents faces. Lily couldn't take it anymore as she felt this overwhelming force drop down on top her, and she fainted dead away. Shocked voices were heard everywhere inside the restaurant.
A pair of strong arms caught her before she hit the floor. "She needs to lie down and some quiet, please," said the voice that belonged to those arms. "Thank you all for coming, but this is an emergency."
Lily felt herself get carried into a room with a bed, and it felt good to lie down on a soft sheets. The door closed a few minutes later. Lily slowly opened her eyes. She didn't know how long she was lying in that bed, but then the door opened again.
"Lily, are you awake now?" asked a voice. It was Lily's mother.
"Mom, come in," said Lily, not really knowing how to face her mother now.
"Lily, I don't mean to lecture you, but how can you come so late to your own engagement party?" scolded Lily's Mom.
"Mom, I didn't mean to," said Lily quietly, looking at her hands. "I was just caught up in something."
"I want you to go outside and apologize to Justin's parents," said Lily's Mom. "They are very upset at the turn of events."
"It's okay, Mrs. Evans, I already told my parents to go home," said the handsome man at the door who carried Lily away a few moments earlier. "Besides, Lily clearly needs some rest."
"Justin," said Lily. "Thank you, and I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It's just a dumb engagement party anyways, we can always have another one," Justin reassured Lily. "Don't worry about my parents."
Lily put her hand on Justin's and gave it a quick squeeze to show him how much she appreciated this.
"Can I just have a few moments alone please?" asked Lily to her mother and Justin. "I need to think about some things."
"Lily." said her mother.
"Okay, I need to take care of some of the guests," said Justin, who then kissed Lily's forehead. "I'll come and take you home after I'm all done."
The room was quiet once more. Lily thought back a few years ago. She had met Justin not long after she graduated from Hogwarts. They were both working in the Charms department at the Ministry. They had both came from muggle families, and they quickly became friends. The friendship lasted for a few years. He was so dependable and secure. He was so caring and kind. At first, Lily still was grieving over James' death, and Justin was the always- dependable friend who cheered her up and who let her cry on his shoulders. Somehow, their friendship turned into a relationship. Lily chuckled to herself as she thought about this. They didn't really know when the dating had begun. Everyone around them assumed they were dating, and they never corrected them, so they started dating. Theirs was such a quiet relationship. It was really more like a friendship than a relationship. Lily thought that she was so reluctantly to let Justin hold her hands because to Lily, those hands had already belonged to James.
"Forget about him," Lily suddenly yelled out loud. "He's dead. He's dead. He's dead."
Lily Evans walked out of the flat she shared with Martha in London on a cold and windy night. She stopped for a moment to check her appearance. She was wearing a simple black dress her mother had bought her for the occasion with a long white coat. Over the years, white has become her favorite color. Her long red hair was cut short now, just below her neck, and it framed her face perfectly. Years had taken none of her beauty away, but added maturity and a womanly scent about her. And those gorgeous green eyes were still gorgeous as ever, but at moments, only certain moments, one can catch a cloud of sadness come over them.
Lily looked down on her watch. She still had 20 minutes, and that should be plenty of time to go to restaurant where the party was held. Martha had insisted to go with Lily, partly because everyone was afraid Lily was going to be late. However, Lily wanting to spend a few moments alone before the party, told Martha to go without her.
The wind blew a strand of Lily's hair into her face. And just then, she caught the glimpse of a tall figure who looked so familiar to the one carved onto her memory across the street. Lily quickly wiped the hair out of her face. No, it couldn't be, Lily thought to herself. It just couldn't. It couldn't be James, but he looks so much like James. Without hesitation, Lily turned to cross the street to chase after the man she just saw. There were too many cars on the street. Lily's eyes followed the man as he walked down the street. Finally it was green light, Lily ran as fast as she could, but he seems to have disappeared.
Lily ran down the street, and there was no sign of him. Then Lily decided to check all the shops on that street. Maybe he went inside one of them. Exhausted, Lily came out of the last shop on that street, and then she caught a tall figure wearing the same coat as the man go inside a bar two blocks down. Lily ran to follow him, and grabbed his shoulder, afraid he was going to disappear again.
"Miss, is something wrong?" asked the man who slowed turned around.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I thought you were someone else," Lily said to a stranger's face. It wasn't James. Of course it wouldn't be James. James was dead. He has been dead for 10 years. Overwhelming tears swelled up in Lily's eyes as she slowly walked down the street. This is not the time to think about James. This is the worst time to cry about James. Lily had walked several blocks before she realized that she was walking in the wrong direction.
Without any expression on her face, she slowly turned around to walk to the restaurant where the party was. Still, she walked slowly, not caring if she was late. Thoughts of James swirled in her head. She arrived at the restaurant with a faraway look in her eyes. She didn't even realize that she was an hour late to the party.
"Lily, where did you go?" cried Martha as she spotted Lily at the door. "Oh my god, why are you sweating like this?" Lily looked up to see the questioning look on everyone's faces: her mother, her sister, Martha, Charlene, Emily, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and especially Justin and his parents faces. Lily couldn't take it anymore as she felt this overwhelming force drop down on top her, and she fainted dead away. Shocked voices were heard everywhere inside the restaurant.
A pair of strong arms caught her before she hit the floor. "She needs to lie down and some quiet, please," said the voice that belonged to those arms. "Thank you all for coming, but this is an emergency."
Lily felt herself get carried into a room with a bed, and it felt good to lie down on a soft sheets. The door closed a few minutes later. Lily slowly opened her eyes. She didn't know how long she was lying in that bed, but then the door opened again.
"Lily, are you awake now?" asked a voice. It was Lily's mother.
"Mom, come in," said Lily, not really knowing how to face her mother now.
"Lily, I don't mean to lecture you, but how can you come so late to your own engagement party?" scolded Lily's Mom.
"Mom, I didn't mean to," said Lily quietly, looking at her hands. "I was just caught up in something."
"I want you to go outside and apologize to Justin's parents," said Lily's Mom. "They are very upset at the turn of events."
"It's okay, Mrs. Evans, I already told my parents to go home," said the handsome man at the door who carried Lily away a few moments earlier. "Besides, Lily clearly needs some rest."
"Justin," said Lily. "Thank you, and I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It's just a dumb engagement party anyways, we can always have another one," Justin reassured Lily. "Don't worry about my parents."
Lily put her hand on Justin's and gave it a quick squeeze to show him how much she appreciated this.
"Can I just have a few moments alone please?" asked Lily to her mother and Justin. "I need to think about some things."
"Lily." said her mother.
"Okay, I need to take care of some of the guests," said Justin, who then kissed Lily's forehead. "I'll come and take you home after I'm all done."
The room was quiet once more. Lily thought back a few years ago. She had met Justin not long after she graduated from Hogwarts. They were both working in the Charms department at the Ministry. They had both came from muggle families, and they quickly became friends. The friendship lasted for a few years. He was so dependable and secure. He was so caring and kind. At first, Lily still was grieving over James' death, and Justin was the always- dependable friend who cheered her up and who let her cry on his shoulders. Somehow, their friendship turned into a relationship. Lily chuckled to herself as she thought about this. They didn't really know when the dating had begun. Everyone around them assumed they were dating, and they never corrected them, so they started dating. Theirs was such a quiet relationship. It was really more like a friendship than a relationship. Lily thought that she was so reluctantly to let Justin hold her hands because to Lily, those hands had already belonged to James.
"Forget about him," Lily suddenly yelled out loud. "He's dead. He's dead. He's dead."