"If you want to, I can save you..

I can take you away from here.

So lonely inside

So busy out there

And all you wanted was somebody to care."  

                                    ~ Michelle Branch

Chapter Six

Lily's sundress flew about her legs, and she smiled contently, gazing up at the burning sun lighting the streets of Rome with such gratitude she felt her heart warming in its long fingers. Greg and Lily looked like models, someone sees on the cover of a tourist magazine. Her right arm was wrapped around his left, Greg sporting his usual "I have the kind of money you dream of" outfit. He wore khakis with a light blue Versace shirt, and a pair of black sunglasses, pushed up on his brown hair. His skin was tan by nature, and his only hint of being out in the sun was a tiny red patch of skin on the bridge of his nose.

Lily wore a thin strapped light purple sundress that complimented her frame, and stopped just above the knee. She had left her fiery hair down in its usual kinky waves, but tied a light purple piece of silk over her hair like a flat headband to keep her hair from falling in her eyes. Greg had teased her about it, but she had ignored him, she rarely listened to his comments anyway. She now was shading her eyes and staring off into the distance with a large smile upon her face.

Seventh years at Hogwarts commonly took a week off before the month of April as a reward for their hardwork and in preparation for the N.E.W.T's and graduation. Now she was touring the glittering streets of Rome with Greg and his family, before returning to the welcoming halls of Hogwarts. She grinned blissfully. If only Greg wasn't so oblivious to her loves, her passions, her dreams. She smiled, despite her painful thoughts, and walked into a small bistro with the Windmiere's. She sat down across from Mr and Mrs Windmiere, both high time executives of huge enterprising companies that not only reached the muggle world, but the magical realm at that. They were far from discreet about their riches. Greg was an only child and a spoiled one at that. The Windmiere's were kind enough, in fact they were sending her mother out to meet her tommorow, and spend the day with her. Of course, she would be leaving the next day. Mrs. Evans was always terribly busy fussing about her home and job, she was quite a miserly woman. There was a keen spark beneath her eyes that very rarely surfaced. She had remarried for money, but her husbands business had hit bankrupt early into the marriage. She stayed with him out guilt, and fear of being alone. Lily loved her mother for what she was, not what she wanted her to be, even though she missed her merry laughter that used to dance through the halls of their old home, whenever life was simple, and laughter was sincere, and happy. Lily cherished the memories of her childhood, but more than any memory with her mother or father (or their respective wives or husbands) she cherished the breath of life the memories of her grandmother. Her sweet fragrance of outside - Her incredible beauty, despite her years of tiring work - Her ageless optimism, regardless of the pain of her past, and her sometimes unclear future. Everything that embodied goodness fell deep within her grandmother. Her sparkling eyes, warm smile, and tender arms that were stronger than any man, but gentler than any woman. Lily loved her Grandmother with such adoration and warmth she felt that when her grandmother had left she had lost apart of her heart, buried it with her…under the cold soil of a thoughtless earth. She could never recover what she had lost, she could never feel the warmth radiating off her face. In fact, since her grandmothers parting she could not remember the last time she had truly smiled and meant it. Her heart ached now with the childhood need to be held, by someone who loved her, who understood her, and who cared about her, sincerely. Lily wondered if that was why she had become so hard, so relentless, so cold. Had her very heart been cast to stone? Then again, when one looses the one person that loved them unconditionally for what they were, its hard to find good in the world. How can you be happy when the one person that ever brought you happiness has passed on to the shining, glittering, peaceful gates of heaven - leaving you behind in a cold, dark, realistic world?

"I suppose your mother will be arriving shortly …this afternoon Nancy?" Mr. Windmiere commented.

"Yes..this afternoon. But I must tell you darling, your mother said she would have to be leaving this evening as well."

Lily ignored her condescending tone and responded with a smile. "That is just fine."

Sure enough Mrs. Evans arrived that evening, and entered the grandiose hotel room with enchanted eyes.

"Lily! Darling! How lovely to see you!" She announced too loudly.

"I'm fabulous, Mom." She responded with a fake laugh she was sure no one could see through. After all, the only woman who could ever see through her fake laugh was gone…was dead.

"That is just great dear. Where are we going for dinner? I'm just famished."

"Well, I thought about this nice little café on the main stretch. Just the two of us."

"Just the two of us? You mean the Windmiere's aren't coming? How terrible. I love listening to their stories."

"Come on Mom, the café is just down the lane." Lily said taking her by the arm and ignoring her blatant disinterest in her life.

Their heels clicked on the brick sidewalk as they made their way into the café. The city seemed to take on its own being in the nighttime. Every brick was illuminated by a melting moon, and every person wore a smile of utmost contentment.

"You are being a gracious guest?" Mrs. Evans spoke as she took her seat.

"Yes Mother."

"Now…lets get down to real matters."

"what?" Lily asked, slightly taken aback.

"Marriage." Mrs. Evans said smiling. "Don't be childish Lillian, you knew it would come to this."

"Mom, I'm eighteen. Please don't start this again!" she said laughing.

"You're nineteen, Daughter!"

"I am not." Lily said, resting her head on her hand hopelessly.

" You were born….July…"

"January."

"Exactly what I said….January…seven.."

"First."

"Same difference. Regardless, you will shortly be nineteen, and that is precisely the age I married at. Its proper, and oh darling, do you have any idea of the opportunities of marrying a Windmiere will offer you?! Oh, you can't imagine!" she said dreamily, now sipping her coffee.

"Mom. I don't want to get married. I'm going to be an Auror."

"What? That is ridiculous, you won't even have to work if you marry Greg!"

"But I want to work, and I want to make a difference." Lily said smiling.

"This isn't really up for conversation darling. I've already spoken to the Windmieres, and they think you are a splendid choice. They really are quite taken with you."

"Have you lost your mind? I'm just beginning my life..marriage is a permanent thing that I'm in no means ready for. No."

"What do you mean no?"

"No." Lily whispered.

"As I said, this isn't up for debate Daughter."

"You need my consent to marriage!" Lily argued, turning several heads in the café.

"Now hush Lillian, don't you cause a stir."

"I will not hush! I am not your puppet! Fulfill your dreams through some one else!" Lily yelled, her emerald eyes boldly staring at her mother.

"You take your voice down." Mrs. Evans scolded.

"No. Not anymore." Lily rose from the restaurant and ran all the way back to the hotel. She had decided on her mad rush to the hotel that she would back her bags and meet  Jenny at the train station early the next day.

"Lily!" Greg announced, clearly happy at her return. Poor thing, he honestly did care for her.

"Hello Greg. I hate to tell you dear, but I'm not feeling well, and I'm afraid that I'll have to return home. I'd hate to ruin your trip, so I'll return alone."

"Oh you poor thing, come here, let me help you."

Lily walked to his open arms, glad for a moment of peace. But just as her head reached his chest he pulled away laughing.

"Silly girl, I meant let me help you pack."

Lily lay in bed that night staring up at the ceiling, miserable. She just wanted to die. Right here in this very bed. She wanted to die, and never come back. She didn't want to hurt Greg, or let her mother, or the Windmieres' down, but she could not take this anymore. She never did anything right, and she just wanted to die. To end it…once and for all.

            Something stirred in the dark, empty room. Lily's eyes darted to adjust to the light. The bed -  The curtains - The floor -  The walls. What was that?  As she pulled her slender legs from the covers of her bed a lamp collided with the floor with a piercing shatter. Orange and purple sparks jumped from the broken bulb before fading back to the ground..hopelessly. Lily squinted..her heartbeat now so strong in her chest she could nearly fell it pounding against her rib cage.

Greg stumbled over her sheets upon the floor.

            "Quiet Lily, it's okay honey, it's me."

            "Greg! How'd you get in here?" She asked as he pulled her into his arms.

            "Look at me." He said smiling, holding her out at arms reach. "I won't ever let anything happen to you."

            Lily smiled awkwardly. "You're acting odd."

            "Collapra Expecto!" he yelled…and Lily crumpled to the floor…being drown in her own screams of pain.

When Lily awoke she felt warm blood upon her head. She winced slightly, and tried to sit up, but she could not…she could not move…her entire body felt as if it was on a dull fire. She looked about her…. the room was gray everywhere, large gray stones of varying shape created the cold walls. There was a fire roaring in the fire place, but projecting a cold glow, and no wood fueling the fire, just evil. Lily noticed a large stone table, and several ropes around it. There were viles of endless colored potions, steaming, and giving off terrible smells. Her entire body ached with an excruciating pain but she could not tell where it was coming from.

"Look, the flower arises."

Her blood ran cold…that hiss, that whispered evil…she knew this all too well…Voldemort. No…no….no…..this was a terrible nightmare. She desperately tried to get up and run, but she could not pull together her strength. There was no hope.

"Bind her to the table."

Greg lifted her into his arms. There was no loving notion about it, she was going to die, and he was going to help him do it. It was all coming together. The Prophecy, every dream she had ever had….this was it…Lily was to birth the child that would be his downfall, and Voldemort was going to make sure she would not live to create his end.

"Coward." She whispered bitterly.

"What wasss that?" Voldemort asked, his rotting breath close to her face.

"You can't kill me in good health, or by yourself, so you con idiot Greg to do it for you, while I'm half unconscious and bleeding to death. I'll probably die of blood loss. Sorry to burst your bubble." She mumbled.

"You're never going to change Lily." Greg answered. "You're too stupid to know when to just shut up. Well, as if it wasn't clear enough…let me inform you. Shut your worthless mouth."

"Greg, the day I listen to any useless word you utter is the day when I cut off my own leg and eat it for nutritional value, you hideous, revolting, little prat." She answered bitterly…the warm blood making her vision blurry and her body painfully light.

"Strong words for someone bound to a sacrificial table." Greg responded sharply.

"You better hope I stay bound to this table for your sake, you sorry…."

"Lily, killing you is going to be the most enjoyable experience I've shared with you in quite some time." Greg started.

            "Hmm…at least you've had ONE enjoyable experience. You and those big strong words you coming from the boy who has to tie me to a table to have the balls to insult me."

            "SILENCE YOU TWO!" Voldemort responded. "Give me the knife. Flesh, blood, and bone." ( Authors Notes : Anyone recall this cermony from The Goblet of Fire? If you do, I award your house fifty points!)

He cut a large slit down Lily's arm. The blood ran from her arm with unrelenting speed. Lily's heart pounded uncertainly in her chest. She didn't want to die. Not to these two blithering idiots, anyway.

"For being an unstoppable sorcerer…you had to bind me to a table to do this?" Lily said through clenched teeth.

He stared back, hard. Her heart began pounding uncontrollably, and painfully. Each and every one of her veins stood on end, as if they were about to run away from her body. Searing pain that she could not describe swept over her like diving into a pool of fire. She screamed until she could no longer hear herself. The pain took over, and suddenly the only distinguishable color in her eyes was white….blaring white…fierce and relentless as she envisioned herself breathing her last.

Then, all at once, it happened. There was a huge resounding blast, and the entire gray wall was destroyed. Several voices were heard, she heard screaming, running, spells, and several explosions, but they were very distant, as if she were far away from her body. Perhaps, I've died. She thought. But she was wrong. Soon enough she was being scooped up into two strong arms that were holding her tight against their chest. She felt tear drops on her head, but she could not reach up to tell her rescuer she was alright. She could not tell them to stop crying for her. Perhaps, for the time being, she really was away from her body.

Lily awoke to a steaming potion that smelled of the coffee her Grandmother used to drink - strong, and fragrant, but with a certain warmth to it.

"Nunna?" she whispered as she squinted her eyes open to the merciful daylight.

She was laying in a crisp white bed, obviously in a magical hospital. Several fairies were spinning about and a few house elves were carrying trays of food and medicine to patients. Warming daylight lay on her covers as she tried to sit up.

"No dearie, not now…you just rest. You've had quite a night. Now you just lay still. I hope he isn't bothering you." said a kind old nurse with a smile that blossomed several warm wrinkles.

"He who?" Lily asked, finally finding her voice.

"Oh Him, he's just a mess over you dearie. He's the one who brought you in, and sat beside your bed, leaning on your arms. I saw him crying, but he won't admit to it. Once I left to get your potion and when I came back there he was laying beside you, ontop your nice white sheets, getting them all dirty, but he'd fallen asleep, and won't leave your side, so I shooed off the fairies that were pestering him, and let him stay that way. He's your hero, he is." She said warmly.

Lily slowly moved her head and came face to face with none other than James Potter, dried blood near his hair line, his glasses slightly uneven, his face dirty, and his hair messy, but she thought he had never looked better. He lay beside her on top of her hospital covers that she was nestled under. James was fast asleep but with one hand on her own he had stayed with her all night. She turned and looked at the woman.

"No he's not bothering me." she smiled. "Not at all."

"Well, I suppose he can stay there, the poor thing, he's just sick with worry. Now as for you, you drink this potion and try to fall back to sleep. I'll draw the curtains to keep it dark in here." She brought the potion to her lips and Lily compiled by drinking it. Then, just as the nurse was making it dark, the effects of the potion appeared. Her eyelids became so heavy she felt if she closed them, she may never be able to open them again. She leaned over to James and kissed him quietly before drifting off to dreamless sleep, curled up next to him…the world seemed right. If only for that instant….the world was right.

Authors Notes: There are some things you can never forget, regardless of how hard you try, and sometimes, they are not meant to be forgotten.