***The Marauder Chronicles; the End of Innocence, is a fan fiction. Main characters belong to J.K. Rowling, while other characters and the concept of the IWBI belong to me. No copyright infringement is intended.***

Author's note: sorry it took so long. I had it done a little bit ago, but my editor was very busy. Now before you ask me tons of questions, which I love anyway, but I know you'll probably be wondering 'how did she come up with this,' or 'can this possibly be?' My answer, which will make sense only upon completion of this chapter, is yes, it can. I have done much research for this story and for this chapter I have done the most. But for the most radical concept of this one, I had to look up into one of Rowling's novels to make sure the numbers are correct...they are. One is missing...that's I will say about that. Also, this is my fan fiction and I can do with it what I wish. I have few limits.

It also took me a bit longer because I had to find some procedures for certain *rituals* and certain modes of transportation. Not to mention that I have also started making inquiries, doing some research, getting familiar with a very large concept which will hit this story in about two chapters from now, I believe, unless I make them longer or shorter. But you will be happy to know, that I am about seven pages in to the chapter 26.

I have also started a yahoo! group by the name "The Marauder Chronicles." It is still under construction, but please join. As an incentive, I will be posting some hints, previews, and fan art, yes I can draw, on the page and you are also welcome to do so. You don't need a Yahoo Address to join, I don't think. Happy trails, this is the best cliff hanger yet!

Two: A New Era

Bright, warm sunlight poured into the large flat and onto the rich wood floors. Standing in the living room, one could hear the sound of doors being opened repeatedly, windows being locked and unlocked, and the occasional intermittent "Hmmm" after finger tapping.

"So...what do you think?" a short balding man with glasses asked. He held a file in one hand, an organizer in the other.

Lily spun around to face him. She had her finger in her mouth, chewing the nail. James walked about looking up, down, and to the side with his hands casually in his jean pockets. Lily turned back to the kitchen and ran her hands over the island.

"Well," James said with a sigh, "it's a bit pricey for such an inconvenient location." He turned to look at the realtor and smirked.

"The price could come down a smidgen," he suggested, as he gazed into the file.

"A smidgen? How much would that be?" James asked.

"Oh say...thirty pounds less a month?" he said.

James walked toward him with an irksome look. "Fifty less," he said.

"Thirty-five less," the realtor said. Lily smirked.

"Forty," James said. The realtor nodded his head.

"I'll ask the landlord," he said, and he left. Lily jumped up and ran into James's open arms.

"It's perfect!" she yelled. She held him tight as he spun around excitedly.

"Now we have to look uninterested when the landlord comes up with the realtor, right?" he said to her politely but formally.

She put her hands to her smiling mouth, tried to stop her feet from dancing, and relaxed. "Right," she said. As James predicted, both the realtor and landlord came back in. James did some haggling with them; Lily crossed her fingers behind her back.

"Forty less, or we walk," he said. Lily went over to James and grasped his hand.

The landlord made some thoughtful clicks with his teeth. "Deal," he said. Lily tried as hard as she possibly could to keep both feet on the ground. "No pets, no parties, and no teenage bands, got me kids?" he said.

"Not a problem," James said, though the thought of Artemis, Nimbus, and Snowball (Lily's owl) crossed his mind. But they weren't really pets...they were more like necessities. "Could you give us some time to look at the place once more before we take the plunge?" he asked. They both nodded and left. Lily started jumping around and did several cartwheels in the large living area.

"We have a place to live!" she squealed. James laughed. "The sofa is going here," she said standing in an area facing the fireplace. "The king-of-the-house chair I'm going to have to get you, will go here," she said smiling at him. "Let's go and arrange the...bedroom," she said slyly. She grabbed him by the hand and dragged him inside. They had a walk-in closet and a large bathroom. "The bed," she said importantly, "goes here. Chest of drawers go here and here." She ran out of the room and yelled at James. "And the guest room," she said loudly, "will be adorned in fresh flowers!"

"Do I have a say in any of this?" he asked, smirking.

"Yeah," she said, coming back into the room. "You can help decide everything. I get the final say in the decorating...that is unless you want the job," she said, as she wrapped her arms around him.

"No, I trust you for that," he said, brushing her hair out of her face then kissing her. "When is it that we have to stop seeing each other?" he asked, moving away from her lips to her neck.

"Couple of weeks," she said.

"That'll be tough," he said.

"Yeah, but worth it in the end. We should go sign those papers," she said, drawing away from him and taking his hands. "Our home as the cute married couple. We should get a mat that says 'Welcome,'" she said with a giggle.

"I like 'Go away' better. We'll work on that. Now off to sign, sign, and sign some more. I'm so glad your father is paying for your school."

They walked out of the apartment, hand in hand, to the office to rent their first home. Lily spent the rest of the day telling everyone she knew about their newly acquired apartment. She then scheduled days of furniture shopping with Jade and Liz. James declined the invite but told Lily to remember that a man would also be living with her. "So keep the cutsie pootsie stuff to a minimum. Nothing pink, nothing frilly, and absolutely no lace," he said to her before she left. She promised she'd behave.

Artemis slipstreamed through James and Sirius's flat later that day. James had given her free reign to the park down the streets (whose pigeons were getting thinner each day Artemis hunted there) because something about seeing a pigeon's feathers fly off it's body as his bird stuck it upset his stomach. Today, however, she was carrying a dead gray pigeon in her talons. She dropped it on James's lap and then landed on the top of his chair.

"Awww," Sirius said sarcastically, "she's showing Daddy her catch. Isn't that sweet?"

"Isn't it though?" he said with a funny expression. He picked up the dead bird by the legs and handed it back to his falcon. "You have it," he told her. "I won't be able to eat anything ever again, but please, you go right ahead to your lunch." She took the head by her sharp yellow beak, then fluttered down to his knee where she tore her lunch apart. "That's nice," he said.

"She likes you," Sirius said with a grand smile. "It's only nature."

"Yeah many things are only nature, but it doesn't mean I have to enjoy watching it. She's gonna get bird guts all over the place."

"Who cares? You won't even be living here in a month. Don't worry about it. I wish I could have one."

"You have your owl, though."

"Not nearly as cool. So," he said in a tone that signified the subject change, "getting married in three weeks, aren't we? Nervous?"

James smirked but shook his head. "Not yet."

"No second thoughts? No 'I've never even dated anyone else, or thought of dating anyone else. What if she's not my match?' None of those thoughts have filtered into that brain of yours?"

"No," James said firmly. "I know it's the right thing. Don't you think it would be weird for me to marry anyone else? I've always had my eye on her, so leave me be. She's the one, Sirius, I've known it for years, and so have you."

"I'm just trying to make conversation. Have you decided about the ring issue? Are you going to give it to me or what?"

"I'm afraid you'll forget it," James said with a quick smile.

"Ouch," Sirius said back. "I won't. Give me something to do other than tell you to ditch her and run to Iceland."

"I'll give it to you," he said closing his eyes and leaning back into his chair.

"Good. You know, we should do something before you take the plunge."

"Like what?" he asked.

"Something without Lily. We should go to a match or something and stay out late, because this will be one of the last times."

"We could do that. I don't know if anyone's playing today, but we can still go somewhere. Let me check the Prophet for game listings." He got up and picked up the paper. The front-page headline read: "Death Eaters plunder Muggle town!" Under it were pictures of a town with buildings in smolders. James read it briskly. He found phrases such as "Eleven murdered" and "City church is now nothing but ash," but the most disturbing was "Muggle children subjected to Cruciatus Curse; now in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies." James shook his head and sighed. Why won't he stop? he thought. There was nothing to this, no point in it all other than scaring everyone. He gained nothing from Muggle killings. But James knew it was merely a sport for them. He suddenly didn't feel up to a Quidditch match.

Sirius came back into the room with his light jacket and a grin. "Well?" he asked.

James tossed the paper to him. Sirius read; James didn't take pleasure in watching his face drop.

"My God," he said solemnly. "What a monster. Children is crossing the line."

James agreed. What kind of danger could a child possibly possess against them? Sirius threw the paper down angrily, rested his hands on his hips, and walked to the window. "You know what really scares me?" he said.

"What?" James asked.

"They're everywhere. His ranks increase with each day. We probably know some, but don't even know they're his minion."

James mumbled and nodded.

Lily was to meet Jade and Liz in a common Muggle furniture store in Norfolk. She told them to wear appropriate clothing so they didn't draw extra attention to themselves. She was wearing a light sweater, blue jeans, and had her hair up in a neat ponytail. Her purse was slung around her left shoulder; her right arm swayed as she moved.

A cool breeze swept her face and a prickling sensation crawled on the back of her neck. She turned around quickly. A man had been looking at her, but he, too turned when Lily felt him stare.

"Excuse me," a woman said, as she bumped into Lily to get by.

"Sorry," she said, as she looked at the woman. When she turned to face the man again, however, he had disappeared. She scoured the crowd for him, but he was gone. Maybe I'm just imagining things, she thought. Only a wizard could disappear that quickly.

Jade and Liz were both standing in front of the shop waiting for her. They smiled and walked to greet her.

The actual shopping was fun for them but boring to discuss so I won't bother. However, interesting things did take place. Liz and Jade were bickering about what color sofa was better while Lily looked at a leather recliner for James. She sat in it and closed her eyes as she tried to think of James sitting there. Upon opening them, she witnessed a rather bizarre scene. Two men, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, were silently arguing. She could only see one of their faces as the other had his back turned to her. Lily concentrated on hearing what they were saying, but they were speaking a different tongue. Why would foreigners be in an English furniture store? That was interesting. She got up and went to Liz and Jade.

"Hey," she said with half a smile, "what do you two think about those guys?" she asked, pointing to the men over her back.

Liz tightened her lips. "What guys, Lily?" she asked. Lily sniggered. She turned around quickly.

"Those-" but they were gone. "There were two foreigners over there. They were talking-over there-you didn't see them?"

Liz and Jade looked at each other then back to Lily. "No," they said.

"But-"

"Are you feeling alright? Is this making you nervous?" Jade asked.

"I'm fine. Let's just pretend I never asked you, okay?"

They nodded slowly then when back to falling on beds and couches.

....September 8, 1978....

In a small, clean, white building which rested in the middle of a beautiful, green garden full of multicolored flowers, there was a woman, a woman who was no longer a baby, no longer a child, no longer alone. She stood calmly and silently in front of a mirror, her arms resting at her side; her hands occasionally smoothed the white silk beneath them. Two girls dressed in blue hung about her. One fitted a veil onto the woman's dark red hair, the other fiddled with the white gown.

A father sat in a chair facing the woman. He smiled benignly at her, though she wasn't looking at him. He thought of her first day into the world, the first day she walked, her first words. He remembered how she looked at him when he would tie her shoe, how she would laugh when he tickled her, how she would say, "I love you daddy," when he tucked her into bed. He saw her first day of school, her first family portrait that was drawn in blue and pink crayon. He would never forget her happiness when she got that letter, her tears when she left on the train, her running jump into his arms when she came back from her first year.

He remembered his soft chuckle when she mentioned a boy she liked, then his shock when he saw a ring, and a pang of fear when he saw the boy who'd given it to her, the boy who would take her away. The father heaved a sigh and looked back up at his baby girl, his princess, through his teary eyes. Eighteen years, he thought, don't they go by in a blink?

A mother sat next to him, too emotional to utter a simple word. She grabbed her husband's hand and smiled at him. He smiled back.

A girl dressed in a blue, pulled the veil over the woman's face and smiled at her. She grinned back then turned from to the mirror and faced her parents. Her dress was gorgeous; it was sleeveless, so it cropped just under her shoulders. It fanned out at the waist, giving it a bell affect. Her hair was up in an elegant bun; the veil attached at the base of the knob.

"What do you think?" she asked, as she spun around to show her crying parents. They were lost for words. She smiled and almost laughed, not at them but at the happiness that was swelling inside her like a balloon.

In the same building down the hall, a man paced a room and mumbled words of meaning under his breath. He was dressed in a formal black suit, much like a Muggle Tuxedo, a neat, black robe over it. One of his friends smiled at him, saying everything would be fine and run smoothly. The man ignored him and tried focusing on his vows. There was a knock at the door.

He walked over and opened it. "There you are! I've been worried about you!"

"James, relax. I was here three seconds ago, remember?" Sirius asked.

"It was only three seconds? You do have the ring don't you?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's right here," he said, taking it from his pocket. "Don't worry about it."

"I'm sweating," James said. "All over. I can't make it stop. What if I start to smell?"

"Stop panicking," Sirius said, as he adjusted the boutonniere on his friend's suit. "You'll be fine."

"I think I'm having second thoughts," he said. Remus and Sirius took no heed. "I've never dated another girl. What if she's not the one? What if I'm making a mistake? I'm only eighteen, that's too young to get married."

"You're just repeating everything I've said to you," Sirius said calmly. "Remember what you told me: you've always been quite taken by her, you've never thought of any other girl, you'll always love Lily. Now, let's try fixing this hair of yours," Sirius said, as he whipped out an extraordinary comb. Sirius tried it on James, but the hair still stood in funny directions.

"Don't bother with it," James said. "What time is it Remus?"

"Five minutes 'til," he said, looking at his watch.

"Oh," James said, closing his eyes. And at that moment, the wedding planner peeked in through his door.

"Is the groom ready?" she asked him. The groom. That sounded very official and important. It was hard to believe this was real. He had thought about this day for so long, and it was finally here. He was going to be a husband in a very short time. A husband. That word also held so much meaning to him, a meaning that hadn't been there before.

"Yes," he said. "I'm ready. Are you two ready?" he asked Sirius and Remus.

"You bet," Sirius said to him. The three of them walked out of the building together. They would slip into the front by the side garden. Weeping willows lined the way; their branches draped the green grass that made their floor. Once they rounded those, James saw the garden for the second time. The minister for the wedding was standing ready, checking over his notes. He was standing in front of a white wicker archway, adorned with beautiful blossoming flowers which seemed to have woven themselves into the arch. In front of him were the guests, sitting on white benches under light shadows cast by the willows. James saw Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor McGonnagal, Hagrid, and Peter in his section; they were all smiling at him. Amin Mohammed and his wife were also there, as well as Guy Burgess.

James took his position. Sirius stood to his left, Remus next to him. James stared around at the scenery. Hydrangeas of bluish purple and white were scattered all over. Roses of pink, yellow, and white were spotted in a very un-orderly fashion around the garden.

"You okay?" Sirius mumbled to him.

"Sure," James said. Sure. His hands were sweaty, his heart was ready to explode, and if he kept it up he would surely develop a twitch in his eye.

Wizard weddings were not that different from Muggle ones. The only real difference was a charm set on the garden to make it cooler and the sun less harsh. James was thankful for that. The Muggle guests also paid no heed to the wizards in robes in James's section. This wasn't coincidence. But other than that, it was the same. There was no need to add further magic; the love between the couple to be married was by far enough.

The band to James's right started to play; the wedding was going to begin. Heads turned to the back to see the first of the procession: it was Liz. Remus smiled slightly at the sight of her. Her strawberry blonde hair was in neat curls which hung around her doll like face. Jade followed closely behind her. Sirius had never seen her look so good. Her long hair was also in curls, but unlike Liz's, hers were shiny and black. She gave a quick glance to Sirius then stood beside Liz and faced the guests.

She would be coming soon, James thought. A small Asian girl, no more than four years old, dressed in a very fluffy and frilly white dress walked down next, tossing pink rose petals every step. Jade smiled especially brightly; it was her cousin. She was the cutest girl anyone had seen; her short hair framed her beautiful round face, which was smiling sweetly.

And then the band struck that famous chord everyone has heard; Here Comes the Bride. James took a deep breath and didn't release it. Everyone stood up and turned their heads to the back.

Mr. Evans was walking slowly with Lily on his arm. She moved like a goddess in a cool breeze. Her veil covered her face, though it could still be seen.

James let his breath drop into a relaxed sigh. Sirius could see James smile in the corner of his eye. Lily saw him too; she beamed. They had been separated for the past week, and now they were brought together. James took a few steps forward to take her from Mr. Evans.

"Thank you," he whispered to him. Mr. Evans nodded with a slight grin. Lily took her place, looked up at James and winked. They walked forward together. It was time.

"Dearly Beloved," the minister began. "We are gathered here today to witness the joining of Lily Mary Evans and James Byron Potter in holy matrimony. In presenting yourselves here today to be joined in this most holy union, you perform an act of faith. This faith can grow, mature, and endure, but only if you both determine to make it so. For a lasting and growing love is never automatic, not guaranteed by any ceremony. It is only the power of your love which can guide you through life.

"If you would have the foundation of your union be the love you share for each other, not just at this moment, but for all the days ahead, then cherish the hopes and dreams you bring here today. Resolve that your love will never be blotted out by the commonplace nor blurred by the mundane in life. Faults will appear where now you find contentment, and wonder can be crushed by the routine of daily living. But in each other may you always find adventure.

"Devotion, joy, and love can grow only if you nurture them together. Stand fast in that hope and confidence, believing in your shared future just as strongly as you believe in yourselves and in each other today. Only in this spirit can you create a partnership which will strengthen and sustain you for all the days of your lives."

James took hold of her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. He could feel her happiness radiating.

"If there is anyone among you who thinks these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace," he said. No one objected. Then he read a short reading. It went like this:

Love is the simplest of all earthly things.

It needs no grandeur of celestial trust

In more than what it is, no holy wings:

It stands with honest feet in honest dust.

And as the body's blossoming in clear air

Of trustfulness, and joyance when alone

Two mortals pass beyond the hour's despair

And claim that Paradise which is their own.

Amid a universe of sweat and blood,

Beyond the glooms of all the nations' hate,

Lovers, forgetful of the poisoned mood

Of the loud world, in secret ere too late

A gentle sacrament may celebrate

Before their private altar of the good.

James and Lily smiled to themselves. It had taken them forever to find a passage they liked, but this one screamed at them. The minister nodded to each of them to face each other.

"James," he said, "do you come before this gathering of friends and family to proclaim your love and devotion for Lily? Do you promise to love her, respect her, affirm her during the times of joy and hardship? Do you commit yourself to share your feelings of happiness and sadness with her? Do you pledge to remain faithful to her till death do you part?"

"I do," he said with a soft smile to her.

"Lily," the minister said, now looking to her, "do you come before this gathering of friends and family to proclaim your love and devotion for James? Do you promise to love him, respect him, affirm him during the times of joy and hardship? Do you commit yourself to share your feelings of happiness and sadness with him? Do you pledge to remain faithful to him till death do you part?"

"I do," she said back. She squeezed his hands.

"James, will you now look into Lily's eyes and into her heart and repeat after me?"

Well, he did of course, but why do we want to hear the minister first. Don't you love written word?

"I commit my life to your partnership in marriage. I promise to comfort you, to encourage you in all walks of life. I promise to express my thoughts and emotions to you and to listen to you in times of joy and in times of sorrow. Lily, I love you; you are my closest friend. Will you let me share my life and all that I am with you?"

"I will," she said. Then it was her turn; they never broke eye contact and hardly blinked.

"I commit my life to your partnership in marriage. I promise to comfort you, to encourage you in all walks of life. I promise to express my thoughts and emotions to you and to listen to you in times of joy and in times of sorrow. James, I love you; you are my closest friend. Will you let me share my life and all that I am with you?"

"I will," he replied.

"From the earliest times," the minister started again; Sirius and Jade both reached for the rings, "the circle has been a symbol of completeness and of committed love. An unbroken and never ending circle is a commitment of love that is eternal. As often as either of you looks at this ring, I hope that you will be reminded of the commitment to love each other, which you have made today."

Sirius passed the ring to James.

"I, James, give to you, Lily, this ring as a symbol of my commitment to love, honor, and respect you for as long as I live." He slipped the ring onto her finger, which now held two: the three diamond engagement ring and now his gold band. Jade gave Lily the ring.

"I, Lily, give to you, James, this ring as a symbol of my commitment to love, honor, and respect you for as long as I live." James tried to keep a straight face as she slipped it on his finger. When she was done, she held his hands.

"This is a moment of celebration, but let it also be a moment of dedication," the minister said to the congregation. "The world does an excellent job of reminding us of how fragile we all are. Individuals are fragile; relationships are fragile too. Every marriage needs he love, nurture, and support of a network of friends and family. On this wedding day I ask you not only to be friends of Lily or James, but friends of Lily and James together.

"In the moment of silence that follows, I ask each of you, in your own way to confer a silent prayer, blessing, wish or hope upon this wedding."

Everyone in the congregation closed their eyes; some bowed their heads.

"May the love you have found grow in meaning and strength until its beauty is shown in a common devotion to all that is compassionate and life-giving. May the flow of your love help brighten the face of the earth. May the source of all love touch and bless us and grace our lives with color and courage," he said silently, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

They each knew what was coming next, the best part.

"By the powers vested within me," he said as he raised his right hand to them. "I now proclaim you husband and wife. James, you may now kiss the bride."

He couldn't help but give the biggest grin he had. Lily cupped his elbows as he lifted her veil over her head. He pulled her towards him, arms around waist. She encircled his shoulders and lifted her head to his and kissed him.

With the tiniest of tears, ones James would never see in his life, Sirius started the applause. Jade's eyes were glistening, but no one was in a state like Mr. Evans, who had just seen his girl grow into a woman right before his eyes. Everyone was clapping and standing when James and Lily finally broke apart.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the minister said, "I present to you James and Lily Potter."

"We're married," James said to Lily with the brightest of eyes. She couldn't stop grinning but nodded.

They both started down the aisle, cheering and clapping pouring in from both sides.

Sirius took this time to silently wipe the small tears from his eyes; he didn't want anyone to see him crying.

"And the new era begins," Remus said with a formal smile to Sirius. Jade, teary-eyed, took Sirius's arm then started down the aisle after Lily and James. Remus and Liz followed them.

In the small entrance room of the garden room, Lily lost all dignity and jumped into her new husband's arms. He swung her around and around saying "I love you," repeatedly in her ear.

"There they are!" their friends said as they came in. "Congratulations!" they all said. Sirius gave a back-slapping-man-hug to James, and a friendly kiss on the cheek to Lily. Remus followed suit. Jade had silent tears but hugged everyone she could. Soon, the entire congregation was moving through the doors, offering congratulations and blessings to Lily and James.

Jade wasn't the only one in tears. Professor McGonnagal, whom none of them had seen even blush, was crying freely. Mr. Evans had since dried his face and was trying to stand straight and proud.

After James and Lily had thanked everyone and been congratulated, the wedding procession went back into the garden for pictures.

"It finally happened," Sirius said to them. "I am glad to say that I was the one to introduce the two of you," he said smiling.

"Okay, where's the best man?" the photographer said. Sirius raised his hand. "Please stand next to the groom and smile," he said casually. Sirius gladly obeyed and stood next to James.

"You pose pictures like no one I know, Sirius," James said.

"You think I'm a camera hog, do you?" he asked with a jovial smile.

Lily took James's arm, and he looked back towards the camera. "I don't think, Sirius. I know," he said with a smile. Sirius grinned widely and laughed quietly just as the camera clicked.

"I think I blinked," Sirius said as he batted his eyes after the flash. "Hopefully no one important will see that picture."

"The picture will move you stupid prat," James said quietly. "You won't always have your eyes closed."

"Well," Sirius said, trying to look offended. "The pictures, I happen to know, reflect upon personality and-"

"Sirius, be quiet and let us finish the pictures will you?" James said, as he encircled Lily with his arms. Sirius saw that Lily looked so happy, happier than he'd had ever seen her before. He left them to their picture taking and went outside to the gathered crowd.

"Okay," he said to them, "I hope you have tons of rice to pelt at them when they come out." A black limo was waiting in the drive, cans strewn on the back bumper, which would emit sparks of assorted colors when they would bounce on the road. "Just Married" was written in flashing white on the back window.

After a few minutes, James and Lily came out with smiling faces. They were bombarded with rice from all sides. James did his best to shield Lily from it all, but she was still getting hit, laughing hysterically, but still being bolted. The entire congregation was yelling, laughing, and cheering at them. The chauffeur opened the back door and they leapt inside. He walked back to his driver side, got in, and drove off. Lily and James waved to them all through the back window.

The reception that followed was an enjoyable affair. Lily was, of course, the center of all attention. After the formalities had been taken care of (the wedding line, all presents being left on the table) everyone sat down with wine glasses clinking as the bride and groom entered and sat at the head table. After the food had been served, more clinking began. James and Lily kissed, as requested, and the congregation clapped.

"Alright!" Sirius said loudly as he got up with his glass in hand. "I need silence for my concentration." James grinned. "I of course knew right away when I was made best man, which was over a year ago I might add, that I would have to give a little speech. I spent countless hours thinking for the right words to say, but only comical phrases like 'you two are crazy,' kept popping into my mind. But, and I will tell you this over the years, that is exactly what you two are. I wish to tell everyone here that I saw these two wonderful people meet, and it was magic at its best. We all knew, the entire school knew, that James and Lily," he said looking down at them, "were made for each other. Whether it be by destiny or compatibility, they are perfect for one another. Like I said, both of you are crazy, and I'll never think otherwise, but you're crazy about each other, and that is special.

"It seems inappropriate to wish for things I know you'll have such as happiness, endless love, and a good partnership. But I will anyway.

"James, you are my best and greatest friend and always will be. I know you'll be blissful with Lily, for you always have been.

"And as for you Lily," he raised his eyebrows and smiled devilishly, "I wish for you patience, because James is, as you know, extremely stubborn and a bit obsessive. Not to mention," he said over the subtle laughter, "impossible not to love. He doesn't go a second without thinking of you, Lily. Trust me, I know. I had to hear about you for seven years straight, all good things but for seven years, and I'm sure it won't stop."

He raised his glass, "I love you guys, and wish you all the happiness and love that there is in this world."

Everyone applauded as he sat down next to James.

"That was wonderful," Lily said to him. Sirius could see her eyes glistening which made his heart a little lighter.

"I'll remember how unkind you were to me for your wedding, Sirius," James said jovially with a grin.

"Oh I'm so scared," Sirius retorted. Other speeches were given throughout dinner, including Mr. Evans. His wasn't very clear. He stood up and called for silence, looked down at Lily and looked like he was going to talk, but he was choked with tears. The words "Proud, love, and happy" could be discerned, but the others were muffled. Mrs. Evans couldn't even stand up to say anything.

After everyone finished with dinner, and James and Lily had kissed at least twenty times upon request, they had their first dance. Lily was quite surprised with how well he did; James had made Sirius teach him how over the summer.

"They look so happy," Jade said. And that they did. It was if everything around them had drifted away and the only thing they saw was each other.

"My princess," Sirius heard her father say to himself as he watched her float away on her emotions. He jumped out of his seat when it was time for him to dance with her. Sirius took Jade's hand when everyone went to the floor. They talked of nothing but how lovely the wedding was and wondered what the future would bring.

"I can't wait to get married," Jade said without knowing she had said it. Sirius then found an excuse to sit back down. Jade saw this as a good time to talk and dance with Remus. Sirius went back over to the head table and sat back down next to James, who was deep in conversation with Lily. She looked over at Sirius and suddenly stopped talking.

"Oh, that kind of conversation. I get it," Sirius said. He took Liz to the dance floor.

"Well," she said, "it's been quite a while since you and I last conversed."

"That it has," he said back. "So, how are you?" He cocked his head to the side and smiled.

"Oh you know. It was a great ceremony. They look so happy. Sometimes I wonder about settling down. Not anytime soon, but perhaps some day. What about you, you think you'll ever get married?"

"I don't know. I can't see myself married."

"You know Jade has her wedding all planned out and you're the groom," she said grinning.

"No way," he laughed.

"It's true. She even has the names of your children, the place of the wedding and your honeymoon location."

"You're not serious," he said. "She hasn't even said she loves me and she's got our wedding planned out?"

She nodded. Sirius felt a sweat build up all over his body. Liz snickered quietly to herself as she watched him panic.

"You'll be fine," she said.

"Can we change the subject?"

"Sure."

"How's Remus?" he asked. Liz made her lips go thin. "Oh, not good?"

"Well he has a.....condition. Do you know about it?" she asked.

"You mean him being a-"

"Yeah, that." She closed her eyes and lowered her head.

"I've known for years. Does it bother you so much?" he asked.

"I actually believed him when he said he had to see his mother or he was ill. Deep down I knew something else was up, but I didn't want to believe something was really wrong. But Remus is a good person, I know that much. Still..."

"He didn't ask for it, Liz."

"I know. Lately, however, he hasn't really been himself. No one will hire him, he's still living with his mother, and he's depressed about it, and I can't say I blame him but..."

"Why should you tie yourself to him when you don't have to?" he said.

"Exactly. It sounds horrible, but I want someone who will go places and make me happy. Does that make me a bad person?" Sirius looked into her eyes and sighed.

"No. You're eighteen. Feeling tied down, guilty, and obligated to someone at our age is, well, a bit mental if you ask me. But at the same time, Remus is in a state of unease. They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. We'll have to wait and see what goes on with him."

"Perhaps," she mused.

"There's someone else, isn't there?" he asked after several minutes of silence from her.

"How can you tell?" she asked.

"I just know that look in your eyes."

"He's like Remus in some ways. He's not as good looking as Remus but just as smart, refreshingly optimistic, and always cheerful. But if I tell Remus, I know it would be the last straw. All the same, I think he suspects something."

"Does the new guy know about Remus?" Sirius asked.

"No idea."

"You need to let Remus know, Liz."

"Yeah. Oh," she said looking around, "they're going to cut the cake." Sirius dropped his hands from hers and looked over. Indeed, Lily and James were moving over to the mountainous cake. Sirius and Liz made their way over to get a better look. They cut out a piece together, and like tradition dictated, smashed it into each other's faces. Plenty of pictures were taken of that scene. Then everyone else was served.

When Jade prompted her tiny cousin to ask Lily to toss the bouquet, Jade was the one who caught it. Sirius felt as though he might faint.

"So," James said to him as the reception was drawing to an end, "here are the extra keys to the apartment. Take the presents up, and lock it when you leave. Don't try and reach us unless there is a killer emergency like a fire or something. Get hold of me by way of Nimbus if you need to, Artemis has to go with me. Got it?" he asked.

Sirius nodded. "Good," James said. "Looks like Jade caught that bouquet. You do know what that means, don't you?" he asked with a grin.

"I'm not stupid, James," he said.

"Really? Well, it's not a big deal anyway because I know you love her," he said with a sock to the shoulder.

"Do not," Sirius responded. "What makes you think that?" he asked.

"What's her greatest pet peeve?" he asked.

"She hates it when heavy set people wear skimpy clothing. Wait...it also really bugs her when Disk Jockey's talk through a song. And she really doesn't like communists, or anyone who tilts too far left. Well it also-" he stopped as he saw the devilish grin on James's face. "Hey, it doesn't take a lot to know those things about her."

"Whatever you say, my friend. I'll give you a few years to figure it out, how about that?"

"Don't even say things like that. I'm not anywhere near as crazy as you are. I don't love Jade, I'm telling you!" he whispered yet yelled.

"Okay, Sirius," he said in an unconvinced tone. He nodded simply, smiled, and continued to give that amused look. "So, let's review. You don't know where our hotel is, don't have the number if you ever felt like calling, you've got the keys to our place...am I forgetting anything?" he asked himself.

"No. Just go, James." Sirius pushed him out of the way. "Ladies and gentlemen!" Sirius shouted. "They're finally leaving for Rome. We won't see them for a week and a half."

People cheered despite Sirius's fake tone of despair. The band struck up a very energetic tone, and James and Lily took leave. It was a very boisterous affair, but special nevertheless. Sirius made sure he saw them off to their limo; they would be driven to an undisclosed location then Apparate to their hotel. Lily looked so happy as she jumped into the car with James following her. When the car sped off and left, everyone waved and some ran after to continue waving. The engine's roar got softer and softer; they were gone. Sirius heaved a sigh as he saw the colored sparks dance down the road after them.

"You're going to miss him, aren't you?" Jade asked, as she came over and held his hand.

"It's kinda weird. Not a day has gone by that I haven't seen him, but there he goes."

She looked into the distance, then back at him. "Let's go for a walk," she said, "it's a nice evening." So they did. He kept telling himself that he knew her well and enjoyed her company, but it didn't stretch to love. She was pretty, sure, and yes she was rather fun to be around...he liked the smell of her hair and her fast wit, but that wasn't love.

And if he did fall in love, with someone, eventually, would it really be that bad?

Yes, that voice said. Remember what you told Liz. Being tied down to one person isn't your style, my boy. Be free!

But be free with whom? James wasn't free, and he never would be....again. Because Sirius would soon find out that James would grow up...soon. One day he would leave childhood behind and join the adults in their fast and complex world in a matter of minutes. Sirius was grateful that he would witness it, James's transition. Sirius was the only one who would see him grow from a boy to a man, but James would welcome that change, that lifestyle. He would be so happy to have it.

Sirius, later on in years, would realize that as soon as James first kissed Lily, his life went too fast. There never was a dull moment, a time period of five minutes, or even a second that wasn't filled with some emotion, task, or breathtaking splendor from here on out.

But here Sirius was, walking casually along a street with Jade. James and Sirius had been an entity, two peas in a pod, best pals, brothers, however you choose to see it, that's how they were. Seeing one without the other was enough to start an inquiry. Remus was right; a new era had begun. It would never be the two of them out on the town. Sirius knew this. He knew that while James would seek his company, it would only be a short period of time. Even though they worked across the hall from one another, lunch was the only time they met.

As they walked down the street in a comfortable silence, Sirius wondered how different things would become when James came back. He had thought about this before, of course, but he never really would quite grasp the radical changes that happened from here on out.

"I know what you're thinking," Jade said silently.

"Hmmm?" he said.

"How things are going to change. They're like our central nexus- if they change, so do we. It's weird but true. Don't worry so much, though. He's still your best friend."

Sirius nodded. Yes, he is your best friend, he thought. No one could or would ever replace James...ever. He had never thought of how things would be if there was no James. It was ridiculous to think about. Not a single day had gone by, after all, without James being there for him.

"So it's just you and me," he said swinging her hand in the air.

"What will we do with all this time?" she said.

"I can think of a few things."

"Jade!" a man said, as he came out of a café. Sirius looked up at him instantly. The man was a few inches taller than he was, older, and seemed to have a very deeper voice.

"Kevin," she said taken by surprise.

"Kevin?" Sirius said.

"Kevin," Jade said. "He works in my office with me."

"Oh really?" Sirius said moving for him. "I'm Jade's boyfriend, Sirius Black," he said trying to stand taller.

"Nice to meet you," he said politely. "So Jade, you ready for your presentation?" he asked, completely pushing Sirius out of the way.

"No. I figure I'll wait till the last minute."

"Well this is fun, but Jade and I have to be pushing on," Sirius said, taking her by the hand and moving quickly down the street from which they came. Jade pulled him back, or at least tried to, but he was quite determined to keep moving along away from Kevin.

"What is the matter with you?" she asked hastily.

"Nothing, I just want to go back and take the gifts back to their apartment, that's all." He kept pulling her along, but she still resisted.

Sirius turned around to face her and smiled. She smiled back.

"You're jealous!" she said.

"Am not," he replied shaking his head. "They're depending on me to get them their things."

"Sirius is jealous," she said, smiling and now going along with him freely. "I can't wait to tell everyone who knows you," she said, almost singing.

"That is ridiculous."

"Yeah, sure it is. So should I cancel that luncheon I have with him next week?"

Sirius whipped around so fast he might have turned three hundred and sixty degrees.

Jade laughed herself hoarse. Sirius tried asking her questions, but when she tried to say words, she snorted with laughter again. Sirius eventually gave in, but never admitted he was jealous.

Sirius walked down a busy London street. He had be sent by Matthew, his trainer, to scope out the average avenue. He gave Sirius a common Muggle camera, spending money, and simple clothes so he would blend in.

"Isn't this for the spies and operatives?" he asked.

"Why, can't hack it? Just take a few pictures like a simple tourist, and bring them back," he said in return.

"But why?" Sirius pressed him. Matthew didn't answer him. Sirius couldn't help but think these intelligence people were a little cracked.

So here he was, casually walking down a street in London, watching the passers by. He couldn't help but notice how at ease they seemed to be, not knowing that a Dark Lord was hunting even them. He tried not to think of Voldemort, however, and pressed on.

He saw a few funny things; a Muggle woman was screaming at a man, who upon further inquiry was her husband. This made Sirius think of Lily and James, who had yet to return. Sirius chuckled, took a picture of the bickering, and walked past.

Venders on the streets tried to sell him trinkets he didn't need, food that smelled bad, and tickets to the latest 'sold out' play. He tried ignoring them and snapped a few shots across the street.

Click. Click. Click.

Sirius pulled the camera away slowly but didn't divert his eyes from the street. Perhaps one more picture, he said to himself.

Click.

He hadn't ever seen anything like it. Well, that wasn't entirely true, but this one was superb. He rested the camera on his chest, crossed the street without checking traffic, and stood before it.

A motorcycle, decked out in chrome and leather seating, sat before him. Sirius kneeled down to get a better look. It was actually quite large in size, yet that didn't bother him. He ran his hands over its smooth steel frame. "Harley Davidson" was written in orange on one side. Sirius took a close up picture of it, ran to a phone booth, and looked up numbers.

He had been briefed, both by the Bureau and Lily, on how to use a phone book. He loved both of them for it. He searched for the nearest motorcycle shop and made his way there.

It wasn't exactly as he imagined it. There was loud and very obnoxious music playing in the showroom, and it might have hindered him if he hadn't seen it.

A motorcycle, the same model he had just seen only black, was revolving on the showroom floor. He walked over to it, his eyes like those of a small child waiting for candy, and ran his finger from the large headlight, to the rear wheel well.

"She's a beauty, isn't she?" a man asked. Sirius spun around on his heel to look at the man. He was wearing a yellowish suit and a very bad tie; green plaid.

"Yes," Sirius said, as he looked back to the bike.

"The Harley Davidson FXS Low Rider 1200. Debuted in Daytona Beach, Florida. It has a 74 CI V-twin engine with four speeds and includes factory custom styling, and, of course, the drag-style handlebars to really give you the feel of speed."

"Of course," Sirius said, though he only understood about half of what the man said.

"You interested in her?" the man pressed. "I can get you a great deal."

"What year is it?" he asked.

"1977. Latest model, actually. Why don't you step into my office, and I'll have you ordered for one of these, alright?"

"No. I want this one," Sirius said.

"This one?"

"Yeah. I'll give you the retail price, don't you dare," he said, pointing his finger at the man and furrowing his brow, "raise that price." It was the one thing he had inherited from his mother, that scary 'don't mess with me' tone. Even the Muggle salesman didn't argue. He scrambled into his office and started with paperwork and loan applications while Sirius took a look around.

Helmets, jackets, pants, boots...this motorcycle thing was more like it's own culture. He, of course, had to have everything. He couldn't remember the last time he bought anything for himself. Sirius, though he was many things, wasn't a frivolous spender. He had quite a bit of money saved up, and he thought it time to give his vault a good cleaning.

"I'm going to need to see your license," the salesman said.

"Even though it's not going to be mine?" Sirius asked, which was a complete lie.

"Oh! Who is it for?" he asked. This was a toughie. He was too young to have a son old enough to drive it, what kind of kid gets his parent a motorcycle, and he wore no wedding ring to say it was a gift to his wife.

"My best friend," he lied. "He just got married, and soon he'll be held down, and he'll need a pick up, you know?"

"Tell me about it," he said rolling his eyes. "My wife drives me crazy. And when we got married, she weighed half of what she weighs now. It's fine for your friend, but we'll have to ship it to his address and get his signature."

"That's fine. How should I pay?" The salesman grinned, took Sirius around the shoulders, and led him to his office for money matters.

...later that evening....

Sirius parked his new motorbike in the downstairs garage. He was clever enough to put an anti-theft charm on it before he went up to his flat. He had also bought, of course, a heavy bomber jacket made of thick, dark brown leather with fake brown fur lining the collar. He decided against the helmet, so instead he wore the sunglasses Lily had given him for Christmas.

He fumbled around his new jacket for his wand so that he could open his door, but as he was leaning on the door, it slipped open. Sirius made an effort not to go straight to panic. He found his wand, stepped inside, and silently shut the door behind him.

There was definitely a change to his home; it was clean. No dirty clothes, or clean clothes for that matter, were strewn all over the couch, chair, and floor. Wow, he thought, he could see the floor! He couldn't remember what color it was, but there it lay. Blue. The kitchen, he saw, was absent of the dirty dishes, rotten fruit, and fruit flies. The place was clean.

Well, whoever the assailant was, they were useful. Sirius lowered his wand, but then heard clinking coming from his bedroom. He raised his wand again. The door opened-Sirius threw himself flat against the wall-a foot came out...a high-heeled foot which seemed to be attached to a nylon covered leg, a nice leg. Sirius looked up at her face; it was Jade.

She wore a small, black dress with spaghetti straps and a low back. The dress fell a good three inches above the knee. Her hair was down, straight, and shinier than Sirius had ever seen it.

"Hello, Sirius," she said with a seductive smile.

"Hi," he said quietly.

"I thought I'd drop by and see how you were doing. But then I saw the state of this place and decided to do a little tidying up."

"Oh," he said, trying to make his feet move forward, but they wouldn't. She, however, had full control. She walked over to him, moved her hands up his chest to around his neck, pulled him toward her, and kissed him.

How could the day end better? he thought. He let his hands pass over her bare back and move up to her soft shoulders.

"I love this jacket, Sirius," she said, touching every part of it. "It's very..." she didn't finish. Instead, she kissed him again, withdrew, and walked into the kitchen. Her heels tapped the tile floor. "I prepared filet minion for dinner, if you don't have any other plans, that is," she said, as she turned to see him.

He shook his head. He knew he probably looked savage, staring at her like she was made of gold, but she was simply gorgeous.

"How was your day?" she asked, trying to bring him back to earth.

"Fine," he said. He walked over to the counter stool and sat down. "Actually it was very good."

"Oh?" she said. "What did you do?" she said, pouring some drinks.

"I have acquired something of great interest to me. And I would show you, but then we'd have to leave, and I don't want you escaping."

She grinned. "What did you get?"

"Guess," he told her. He placed his hands around her small waist; she covered them with her own.

"I don't know, tell me," she commanded.

"I purchased a motorcycle," he said. "A fast, loud, and truly amazing motorbike."

"No way," she said. "But how did you get it?"

He beamed and looked up to the ceiling. "Well, I pulled some strings, forged some signatures, and lied about some other things. Nothing too big: just my name and address. They don't care as long as you pay cash."

"Sirius," she said, slapping his shoulder. "That's illegal, and you know it!"

"Oh come now, Jade. You need to learn to live a little. You're not going to tattle on me, are you?"

"Don't you think the Bureau knows what you did?" she asked.

That was a good point...

"I'm sure they'd be fine with it. I doubt that everything they do is legitimate. Besides, I'm not going to use it for harm, only good."

"Really?" she asked, though it wasn't really a question.

"Yes. You want to see it?"

She hesitated, bit her lip, and held his hands. "Oh what the hell," she said.

"That's my girl," he said excitedly, pulling her to and out the door. When he got to the garage door, he made a huge deal of the presentation by standing in front of it, grinning hugely, then said "Ta da!" when he opened the door.

"This is all yours?" she said walking over to it.

"All mine. You want to take a ride?" he said, as he got on and patted the seat behind him.

"I can't ride this with what I'm wearing," she said, blushing slightly.

"Aren't you a witch?" he said. "Disapparate, change, come back, ride with me, Apparate back, change back into the dress, and we'll have dinner," he said taking her hand.

"You have such a way with words," she replied. "I'll be back," and in a 'pop' she was gone. Sirius sighed and smiled, his one hand on the handle bar, the other still in the air.

Jade reappeared in minutes, her hair still long and shiny, but she wore blue jeans, black boots, and a suede jacket. In seconds, they were zooming down the streets of Leeds. Cars swerved out of their way, innocent pedestrians had to dive for cover, and several bicyclists swore loudly at them.

"Whooohooo!" Jade yelled, as they flew over several trash bins when Sirius had used a rather large speed bump as a ramp.

"Hoodlums!" a man yelled at them, his fist raised in protest. Jade heard him, but waved at him, a large grin on her face.

"You want to go back?" Sirius yelled.

"No!" she yelled back. Sirius laughed to himself. "Just one more time around the country!"

"How 'bout one more go around the city? Would that do for you?"

In answer to his question, she kissed his cheek and tightened her grip around him.

They ended up speeding through the city a few more times, actually, as Jade simply loved it, and Sirius couldn't remember a time when he had more fun.

Laughing and occasionally kissing, they made their way back up to the flat. It took Sirius a while to open the door, as Jade stood against it, and he couldn't resist kissing her. Once they did get in, Jade reheated their dinner with the use of magic, set places for them, and poured drinks. They couldn't seem to stop talking about their ride on the motorcycle, especially the funny looks they got from all the citizens of Leeds. After that, conversation moved towards work: how's it going, what's interesting, so and so says this, and all that jazz.

Jade had made fudge brownies, her all time favorite, for dessert with French vanilla ice cream to top it off.

"All right," she said, taking out a stack of cards and began to deal them, "Egyptian War time," she said.

"That is a violent card game," he said.

"Precisely. Are you man enough to take me on?" she asked, grinning.

"I'm afraid I might hurt you," he said.

"No you're afraid I'll beat the pants off you. Come on," she said, "play."

"Fine, but your butt is mine, Yang," and he took the cards.

Despite Sirius's quick reflexes he had gained during his Quidditch years, he just couldn't get his hand on the double cards fast enough.

"Oh no!" he said, slapping his hand down on two aces. "My hand was here first, these are mine!"

"No, no, no," she giggled, shaking her head at him. "My fingers are under yours, so my hand was there first. My aces," she said.

"I think you cheat," he said, throwing the cards at her. "Look, I have about five cards and you have a thousand. You must be cheating or using magic to get all of these-damn don't take my queen, please, Jade let me have my queen!"

"Let me think about that," she said, raising a finger to her chin. "No." She quickly took up his queen after a battle. "No, she has to take residence with your king, Sirius. I can't deny them that. You could quit, you know, I mean I'm clearly winning this game," she said, holding up her thick stack of cards.

"Give me that queen back," he said, reaching for it, but she pulled back. "Jade, give me my queen or I'll take it from you by force."

"Such big words from so little a strategist," she teased, holding the queen behind her. Sirius chuckled lightly, then quickly got up and started for her. Jade let out a soft scream and ran to the other side of the room.

"Give it to me," he said, laughing, "or you'll regret it."

She scoffed and flashed the card in his face. "No," she said. He jumped over the couch, grabbed her around the waste, and tumbled to the ground with a very loud, very painful thud.

"Ouch," he said, half laughing, rubbing his head; he had sustained most of the fall.

"Are you okay?" she asked through her giggles. She leaned over him, ran her fingers through his hair, and kissed his forehead.

"I think I'm done for," he laughed.

"Well, I have all your cards now," she said, holding up his remaining ones in her other hand. "So the game's over; I win," she said.

He grinned and touched her face. "Yeah," he said, "you win."

She lay on his chest, rising and falling with his breath for several minutes, each staring into the others eyes. He took his hands and put them around her neck and pulled himself up to her lips. He tried desperately to convey his strong emotions for her in that kiss, and it worked. She slowly leaned back as he rose so that soon they were both in a close embrace.

"Sirius," she whispered happily in between kisses. It wasn't the beginning of a phrase or a question, just his name. He smiled in his kiss to her. It was something about the way she said his name; it gave him this very funny feeling inside of him, something he hadn't felt before.

"You taste and smell like chocolate," he said lightly.

She smiled.

A high pitch beeping noise sounded through the flat. Jade pulled her wrist to her eyes; it was her watch. "Oh my," she said, pushing the hair out of her face.

"What?" he asked.

"It's nearly one in the morning. I have work tomorrow. I've gotta go," she said, quickly getting up.

"Can't you owl in sick?" he asked, also rising and trying to hold her back.

"No. I'm sorry, Sirius. Owl me, or I'll owl you. I'll see you later," she said, heading for the door. He took her by the hands, and kissed before she left.

"Thanks for coming by," he said lightly.

"You're welcome," she said back. She kissed him one last time, then left. Sirius locked the door once it had closed. He leaned against the door, took a deep breath, and then sighed. He smiled to himself. Then, quite suddenly, he popped his eyes open, drew away from the door and hit himself on the forehead, actually causing him pain.

"Oh no," he said.

* * * * *

The warm sun crept into the windowsill and fell onto Lily's face. She was in that place, that place between sleep and awake where everything feels so good. But the sun was trying to break open her eyes; she squinted.

James rolled over, no longer asleep, and wrapped his arms around her. She grinned and put her hand on the back of his neck. She could feel his rough face on her cheek, but she didn't mind it.

"What time is it," he mumbled softly into her ear.

She opened her eyes and reached for her watch on the bed stand. "Seven forty," she said.

"That's a bit early," he yawned. She dropped the watch back down, rolled over, and wrapped herself around him, burying her head between his neck and the pillow. "I love you, wife," he said.

She smiled into his shoulder. "I love you too, husband."

They had done this several times; it always brought smiles.

"Maybe I should make breakfast," she said.

"No," he said suddenly. "Perhaps we shouldn't try that so soon."

"Oh James," she said, drawing back and looking him in the eye, "I can make toast."

"You sure you feel up to it?" he asked, propping himself up.

"I can handle it," she said, kissing him.

Toast wasn't made for at least a half an hour. Saying more would be far too rude. But by the time they did rise and made toast (the third attempt to make toast; Lily burned the first two slices) it was well past eight. James started going through the owl post as Lily was scrapping butter onto her well-browned bread.

"Did we miss anything?" she asked.

"Nothing totally interesting."

"Not that it would have mattered," she said, unable to contain a smile. James chuckled, also unable to restrain himself from a good grin. "I need to get those pictures developed," she said.

"We took pictures? Of what?" he asked.

"The Coliseum, inside and outside the Vatican, the Roman aqueduct, quaint little towns, and Coreleone, Sicily, upon Jade's request. I took the pictures, you were clearly not paying attention to Italy."

"No I wasn't," he said, staring at her with hungry eyes. She stared right back.

"Maybe we should stop breakfast for a short while," she said walking towards him.

"I might be able to handle that," he said before attacking her neck.

There was a loud pounding at their door.

James and Lily didn't stop. The pounding continued. James looked at the door.

"They'll go away, ignore it," she said. But he couldn't concentrate with that racket. "James, don't," she said, trying to hold him back.

"I can't function properly knowing someone is out there. I'm sure it won't take long," he said. He went to the door and opened it.

"Sirius?" he said. "What are you doing here? Are you alright?" he asked. Sirius nodded.

"So how was it?" he asked weakly. "I feel terrible doing this to you both, but I couldn't stop myself from coming here."

"It was more fun than any human being is allowed to have," James said beaming. Lily giggled in the background then rested on her husband. "Is there something wrong?" he asked.

"Yes and no. If you want me to leave, I will, or I'll try. I couldn't stop myself from driving here. You know how we said we'd always be there for each other, no matter what or when?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah, it was a really long time ago, but yeah, of course."

"This is one of those times. If you want me to wait, I'll be glad to."

James looked at Lily, who nodded. "I'll get started on the presents," she said mischievously, then went off to the untouched pile of gifts.

"Alright Sirius, what's up?" James asked, showing Sirius inside.

"Well, it's your fault, that's what it is. I figure it must be contagious or something, because I was fine before the two of you," he said pointing at Lily.

"What did we do?" Lily asked, as she ripped open new silverware.

"As if you don't know. Something terrible is happening to me! I actually think I'm...I'm..." he looked like he wanted to say the words, but he didn't. He clenched his fists and held them above his head, his eyes shut tight.

"Sirius," Lily said, getting up and walking over, "what's the problem?"

"I can't stop thinking about her!" he yelled. "She won't leave my head, and everything she does, and I mean everything, it's just so damn endearing!"

"Who?" James asked.

"Jade?" Lily said.

"She sort of does this humming dancing thing when she eats chocolate, and then when there's the tiniest of noises in the room, she scours the place looking for it so she can stop it. And she does this nostril-flaring thing, that used to really creep me out, but now it's the cutest thing in the world. I can't stop thinking about her!" he said as he crumpled to the floor, his arms over his head.

"Well, well, well," James said, nodding, his arms crossed. Lily couldn't stop smiling. "So the mighty tree has fallen," James said.

"Please tell me you put a spell on me," he pleaded, grabbing James's shirt.

"Nope. No spell," he said looking down on him. Sirius truly looked pathetic, as if he was suffering from a serious illness.

"You're so evil!" he cried, falling to the floor again and groaning.

"You're in love with her," James sang quite happily. "You're in love, Sirius!"

"That isn't it!" he demanded. "Maybe it's just an infatuation."

Lily piped in. "No. Infatuation is loving someone you don't know, like building an image of them inside your head and loving the idea. You know Jade, and you know her well. You love her," she said, grinning. "Thank you so much for coming over and telling us."

"Best present so far, wouldn't you agree my darling?" James said, putting his arm around Lily's shoulders.

"By far," she said.

"No," Sirius continued, "I can't be in love. This is crazy. You two are the crazy ones, not me. I'm Sirius Black; I'm not James Potter."

"How long did it take you to figure that one out?" James asked. "Oh this is fun," he said, laughing. "So when are you going to tell her, Sirius?

"I'm not. I'm going to break the whole thing off right now. I'm going to her office today, looking her in the eyes, and tell her I don't love her and I want to break this thing off. Yeah," he said nodding his head, "that's what I'll do. I'll break up with her. Ha! What do you think about that?"

"You won't be able to," Lily said. "You'll look into her smiling face, and you'll spurt out your true emotions for her."

"I won't," Sirius said. "You just watch me do it. I'm breaking this thing off. I'm eighteen, and that is far too young to be getting involved with someone. The both of you have the wrong idea."

"Young marriages are quite common in our world," James said. "Your parents got married right after school, as did mine and Remus's as well as many other people, including us," he said.

"I don't want to get married right now!" he said. "I don't care how common it is. I don't want to settle down and have the old ball and chain, thank you very much."

"Sirius," James said with an evil smirk, "you love her. You looooooove her! You want to smooch her, and hold her, and be with her all the time, and you know it. You can't stop thinking about her and all those quirky things she does because you love her!"

"I hate you," Sirius said, standing up and looking very serious about it. "I will never talk to you again. Ever! Don't call on me for any favors, or to chat, or whatever other things friends do for each other, because you are no longer mine. I'll be friendless. Okay? How about that?"

"I think it's hilarious," James said, laughing. Lily was also giggling freely.

"I am not joking," he said. "I don't love Jade, and I never will. So she's really hot and fun to be around, big deal. Sure she's got a great laugh and personality and the best legs in the world, I'm sure there are others. And you know what, Potters? I'm going to find them. Starting today, Sirius Black will only date women for two weeks at the most."

"Sure you will," James said. "You tell us how well your conquests are going, won't you? That is after you break up with Jade."

"Fine," he said. "I will. But that will be our only communication. I will ask nothing of you anymore and you anything from me!"

"What have we ever asked of you?" Lily said.

"Oh shut up. You will one day. Now I'm leaving you both!" and he did, slamming the door behind him. Lily jumped up and down with glee, James was laughing so hard he was crying.

"I can't wait to tell Jade!" Lily said, running to the owls.

Sirius parked his motorbike in front of Jade's office building. He hadn't ever been there before. It looked like an old museum from the outside, but inside it was as modern as any other wizard building. He went to the front desk and asked for Jade Yang.

"And you are?" the woman asked.

"Sirius Black," he said.

"One moment please." Sirius paced the lobby, thinking of what to say. 'Jade,' he thought of himself saying inside his head, 'you're a really wonderful girl, too wonderful for me, actually. I feel you're too good for me, and I don't deserve you.' Oh she'll never buy that one. 'Jade, it's not you, it's me.' That was dead, too. Come on, Sirius, use your head!

"Sirius," Jade said, smiling as she entered the room. He turned around and smiled at her. She looked very pretty in her business robes.

"Hi," he said, kissing her lips.

"This is a nice surprise. What are you doing here?"

Tell her it's over, Sirius. Go on, be a big boy.

No, don't tell her a lie. James was right; you love her. Tell her that instead.

Will you go away! Damn conscience, can't live with it, can't get rid of it.

"I just wanted to say," he started, looking into her dark eyes.

"Yes?" she said, running her hands over his chest.

"I wanted to ask you out to dinner tonight," he said. Maybe he could tell her then. He didn't have enough time to prepare for right now.

"I would love to. You want to pick me up at my place on the bike?" she asked.

"Is there another way to travel?" he asked.

"Not a better way, but there are others. Well, I'll see you around seven thirty?"

"I'll be there," he said, kissing her again. She waved as she went back to work.

"Oh you are so weak," he said to himself.

Though it was his day off, he decided to go into work and see what he could do.

"Help," he said in the Apparation chamber. The portal appeared and he walked through. It was very busy today, he noticed; people were scurrying about everywhere.

"Sirius!" Matthew Sanders said when Sirius entered the office.

"What?" he asked.

"Did you illegally purchase a," he looked at a paper, "Low Rider Harley Davidson?"

"I didn't illegally purchase it," he said. "I bought it with my own money, which I had saved for many years and earned." He walked to his cubicle and picked up his mail.

"It's a Muggle mode of transportation which requires a license to drive. You're not above the rules, Sirius."

Sirius turned around to face him and smirked. "I know that. I saw it, and it called to me. You can't take it from me, surely there is something I could do to smooth this all over...you know, kinda like the way you smooth over illegal jurisdiction. Like last week when Ashika came bursting in her with hair all in a mess because the Ministry of Magic in Kenya came after us for your ordering Operations to take illegal photos at their embassy." He shot Matthew a very friendly smile.

"That was...well...some damn good negotiating and covering," he said.

"So couldn't you..." Sirius said.

"Black, let me tell you this, you're one of my best analysts, and I truly mean that," he began.

"Ah, now that's nice."

"But that doesn't mean you can play by your own rules. Now I'll cover your butt this time, but that's it. You here me?"

"Would it be alright if I made some modifications to it, you know, magical ones?" he asked.

"What kind of magical modifications?" Matthew asked slowly.

"Oh nothing too extravagant. Maybe I'll install a heads up display which includes a compass, weather reports...such things," he said evasively.

"Such things? Do I want to know about such things, or should I just put this file in a dark drawer where no one can touch it?"

"That dark drawer sounds really good. Thanks," he said.

"Is there anything else I should put in that dark drawer now as opposed to later?" he asked.

"I don't think so. Look, I'm going to look at this stuff for a bit, get ahead of the game." He started shuffling through some papers.

"We've all got a copy of that one. Intercepted it, we did. It's coded, but we think it was sent to a double agent. Ashika has been pushing this on us forever. She's obsessed with catching these people; she'll do anything."

"This is weird stuff," Sirius said reading a copy of the letter.

"Yeah. We've got everyone working on it separately. Operations is trying to look for where it came from or who it was to. So you work on it, and if you come up with anything, let us know."

"Right," Sirius said, examining the letter. Matthew left the open cubicle. Sirius moved to his table and put the letter on the wall, magnifying it five times. The letter didn't make any sense whatsoever. It was unclear whom it was to, for there wasn't even an addressee at the top, or a signature at the bottom. It read:

Traveling yonder ingoing towards crimson orchestras strings steps over. Under aviation by living expensive so flying aviation raging. Making running run I expect direction that extends ripping done doing like ecstasy; grand dueling appeals up go how terrace rim. Needless money, regular time. Keys evaporate prettily over palms even never chasing nimble new like snakes and keepers rustic so utopia opens for it. Easily understand reeking killer aura.

Sirius screwed up his face and scratched his head. He needed food for this. He took the letter off his wall, folded it, and put it inside his cloak pocket. "I'm hungry," he said to the wall and the portal appeared. He walked into the mess hall, which was filled. He decided on American food today; they seemed to eat better. He walked over to the American dishes, took several glazed donuts, and headed to an empty table. He took out the letter and started to read over it.

"Sirius," Guy said, coming over.

"Don't you ever work?" he asked him with a smile.

"I try not to. What have you got there?" he asked.

"Stuff you can't see. Not your sector." He stuffed the letter back into his pocket. "Nothing personal."

"Oh I know that. You counterintelligence guys are all in a wad over something, that's all I know. So when's James due back?"

"He is back. I saw him this morning. He looked very flushed and happy. She'll have him whipped in days." He and Guy laughed.

"You think she'll have him under her spell, huh?" he asked.

"In no time. You know how women are. But he'll be happy, I know it."

"What about that pretty girl you have? Jade, right?"

"She's good. She's happy with work, and all that."

"And all that?" he asked. He looked at his watch. "I've gotta be running along. Tell James I said hello. Good luck with whatever it is you're trying to figure out." He left. Sirius took the letter back out and continued to stare at it, looking for some kind of pattern.

"Traveling yonder..." Sirius mumbled to himself as he read it again. He willed himself to see something that would make sense, but nothing did. There wasn't even a distinct pattern and the clue didn't make any sense. He must have read it one hundred times, to the point of memorization, but still nothing came.

He got up from the table and walked back to his office to drop off the letter, as he wasn't allowed to take it from the IWBI. It was evening by the time he left. He Apparated home, changed quickly, and sped off to Jade's house.

"Who are you?" a short Chinese man asked.

"I'm Sirius Black. I'm here for Jade."

"I'm here," she said, coming to the door. "Thanks dad," she said, kissing her father's cheek. He didn't look happy with the arrangement. He started mumbling Chinese under his breath

Jade walked down the steps, her father watching from the screen door. "I told him it's not China, it's England. When in Rome...but he likes his traditions."

"What about your mother?" he asked, leading her to the motorcycle.

"She's the one who tells him to cool it. She's Hawaiian and more twentieth century if you get my drift. So, where are we going?"

"I thought Hogsmeade would be nice."

"Sounds great," she said and hopped on the back of the bike. Sirius revved up the engine and drove off.

"You ever get an assignment that's written in code?" he asked her as they left the restaurant after dinner.

"Code? Can you tell me about this?" she asked.

"I'm not telling you the content of it, not that it would matter; it didn't make an ounce of sense."

"Well, that's actually Kevin's department. Sometimes the code isn't the actual words, it's the letters."

"Well, that would make anything because it's a long message. There doesn't seem to be any kind of pattern."

"How long is it?" she asked.

"A good paragraph. We've got the entire department working on it so it's not like it's all on me." Then that thought came back into his mind.

"Oh, you hear that?" she asked, putting her arm around him. There was a song being played in one of the places on the street.

"Yeah."

"I love this song. I could sing it all day long," she said. Then she looked at him and started to belt it out. Sirius started laughing. He put his arm around her shoulders then leaned over and kissed her cheeks and neck.

"People are looking at us because of you," he said. "Stop singing," he laughed.

"I love this song too much to stop!" she sang in the same tune. Sirius put his hand over her open mouth, but she didn't stop singing. Instead it sounded muffled.

"You're impossible," he sniggered, kissing her again.

"I'll stop," she said. "So Sirius, I hope this doesn't sound sudden, but things like this have to be discussed."

"And what's that?" he asked, kissing her yet again.

"How do you feel about children?" she asked, looking him in the eye.

"Whoa, that is a bit sudden. Uh...I haven't put too much thought into it, actually."

"Do you want any at some point in your life? A few years from now, maybe?" she asked.

She's looking at the long time commitment, Sirius. Tell her you want to end it now. Tell her now. Now!

"Well it's Sirius and Jade!" a familiar voice said. Sirius turned to see James and Lily walking hand in hand as they came out of a different restaurant.

"Well look who finally stepped outside!" Sirius chanted back. "How long did it take for the two of you to reach the door?"

"You are so funny. Where are you two headed?" he asked them.

"We're just strolling, talking, you know," Sirius said.

"I just asked him his thoughts on having babies," Jade said with a quick glance to Sirius then back to Lily and James.

"Oh really? That's more like a second date kind of question. What did he say?" James asked. He was smirking, and Lily was looking very entertained.

"So, how was Rome? What did you see? Did you go outside at all, see the sights?" Sirius interrupted.

"Yes, so what was your answer?" Lily asked, Jade pushed Sirius.

"Well...they seem alright."

"What kind of answer is that? Come on Sirius, James and I talked about this very early on."

"Well you and James do everything early, don't you. Fine, you want an answer, then I'm undecided at the moment. I could go either way."

"So when your wife tells you you're going to be a daddy, you would be happy, flip-out, or stare into space?" Jade asked.

"How should I know? It's big news, and I'm not going to hear it for a very long time."

"But if you did?

"Well I'd be sent for a loop, wouldn't I?" he said.

James laughed. "You'd go crazy."

"Do you like them?" Jade asked.

"They're messy and loud."

"Not all kids are like you, Sirius. Could you answer my question please?" she said with urgency. "I want to get married and have babies at some point in my life and if you don't then there isn't any reason for us to continue this relationship."

"But I'm too young to be making these kinds of decisions, Jade," he said. Jade turned to James.

"James, what do you think about kids?" she asked him.

"I love 'em," he said.

"Thanks for backing me up, man," Sirius said. James nodded.

"Well, we'll leave you two to discuss this," Lily said, taking James by the hand and leading him away.

"See you later, friend," Sirius said to James in a way that made James give him a sarcastic wink. "You didn't seem surprised to see them," Sirius said.

"No, Lily called on me this afternoon," Jade said.

"Really?" he asked, feeling sweat break out. "What did the two of you talk about?"

"Stuff. But please answer my question. Try imagining ten years from now, when your twenty-eight, would you want children then?"

Sirius took a deep breath. He knew that if he really wanted to end it with her, which he didn't, this would be a great way to do so. But he didn't want to.

"Jade, I've never been around them before. They seem all right when they're not mine because I just don't have a lot of experience with them. I liked your little cousin, she was very cute, but I can't make a decision right now. It's too soon."

"We've been dating since February. It's more than halfway through September, Sirius. You should be comfortable with telling me things by now. I understand you're afraid of a long time commitment, but we've been, well...committed for quite some time. I want to tell you the kind of life I want in the future, and you should do the same for me. I want a family, Sirius. A husband, four children; two boys and two girls." She took his hands and smiled up at him. "Maybe I'll have a dog, or some horses, or both. I'll have an art studio upstairs with a canvas filled with my babies' feet and hand prints as they grow. I want all those things, and if you don't, that's fine. That kind of life isn't for everyone. Think about what you want from the future."

"How much time are you giving me?" he asked.

"How long will it take you?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," he said.

"That's how long," she said with a kind smile. "Why don't you take me home, Sirius," she said.

"Now?" he asked. "It's still early. Why don't we join Lily and James in the Three Broomsticks, then I'll take you home."

She smiled and nodded. They walked hand in hand into the warm and familiar building.

....September 21, 1978....

James awoke to a very loud thud in the bathroom. He turned over to look in that direction, his vision blurred.

"Is everything alright in there?" he asked groggily.

"I dropped the soap!" she yelled back. James picked up his glasses and checked the time; it was nearly six. He threw the covers back, got up, and went into their bathroom.

"Honey," he said, pulling the shower curtain back, "do you know how early it is?"

"Yes, but I have my first class at eight. I want to be ready."

"But it's not even six. You'll Apparate there so why are you doing all of this?"

"I was nervous. I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep. I'm sorry I woke you. Try to go back to sleep." She put her wet hand through his hair and leaned in to kiss him.

"Ew," he said. "Shampoo…are you okay in there alone?" he asked with a wry grin.

"How so nice of you to be concerned with my well being," she giggled. "I'm too nervous, so yes I'm fine in here by myself. Go back to bed, sleepy head."

"If you need me, call me," he said.

"No matter where you are, no matter how far. Just call my name, I'll be there in a hurry, you don't have to worry, 'cause baby there ain't no mountain high enough. Ain't no valley low enough. Ain't no river wide enough, to keep me from getting to you babe!" she sang. "You see! I can't wait to go get this over with so I can stop bursting into song all the time."

James grinned, threw the curtains back, and went back to bed. He didn't get anymore sleep, however, for Lily continued to make too much noise and stress. She even put on a fashion show for him, though she didn't wear anything that he gave the thumbs up.

"What about my hair, up or down? Braid or flat?"

"Braided knob so it covers your neck. And I recommend baggy blue jeans and my big sweatshirt. Oh, a hat could work, and large, ugly glasses to cover your eyes," he said.

"I have a ring, James."

"You think that matters to everyone?" he said.

He made her breakfast, told her not to panic; everything would be fine. He kissed her goodbye and said he'd see her when he got home, then they both left.

Lily Apparated into a very common looking room full of people of different ages.

"Name please," a woman said to her. Lily walked up to her.

"Lily Potter," she said. "I was accepted as Lily Evans, but I got married a few weeks ago," she explained with a smile.

"Here it is," she said, pulling out an envelope and handing it to her. "Lily Evans-Potter. There's a map, class schedule, and all that other crap if you somehow forgot it over the summer."

"Thank you," Lily said. Her first class was in a large lecture hall, basic biology. She got there very early, so there were plenty of seats. She took one in the middle row. The room was much larger than any classroom she had at Hogwarts. The rows of chairs sloped downwards as they got nearer to the chalkboard. At ten to eight, the room started to fill with eager minds.

A younger man sat next to Lily. "Hey," he said, looking her over. "Name's Jack Kent. And you're...?"

"Lily Potter," she said.

"Nice to meet your acquaintance," he said, as he took her hand. "How long have you wanted to be a doctor?"

"Since I was a little girl. What about you?"

"Since my father became headmaster of this school and told me this was my destiny since I was six years old."

"Oh," she said. "Sorry, I guess."

"Don't be. The pay is good. You married?" he asked pointing to her wedding band.

"Thirteen days now," she beamed.

"Congratulations. But you do know that most doctors divorce their first spouse, don't you? I mean, third year here really gets hard. You'll hardly see him, your husband that is. Then fourth year...well, you might as well kiss all intimacy off, that's for sure. My father told me that the people who don't drop off early on because they care solely about being a doctor, wind up single by the time they graduate. But best wishes to you and your husband." He smiled cheekily.

Lily put her hands under her seat and felt for gum, then pulled her hand back up. "Oh no," she said, "there's gum under my seat. I've gotta switch now." She picked up her bag and moved to a seat closer to the front next to a girl who didn't look much older than she was.

The professor came in late, didn't apologize for it, but went straight into his lesson. He passed the syllabus to everyone as he started talking about cells, mitochondria, and lipids. Lily took notes as fast as she could, eventually lifting her hand from the paper and let her mind guide the quill. After three hours of lecturing, he gave them pages to read and outline in their book.

Lily walked to her next class, Mathematics 1000, which is Algebra to you and me. The school was very lovely. There were many water fountains and green lawns all over the campus. Students were seen studying under trees and on picnic blankets.

Math turned out to be quite a wake up call, but she caught on to the general idea fast enough. She recorded all the notes, then copied the homework assignment.

In her planner she saw that tomorrow she had a lab for biology. She only had two classes but a massive amount of homework. She was done with her first day of work at about one in the afternoon. She decided to walk to the Leaky Cauldron then go to Diagon Alley for some shopping she needed to do.

She thought mostly about her lecture and how much stuff she had to know.

It was nice to walk somewhere as opposed to Apparation. She yawned as she passed several shops, people, and cars.

"Are you Lily Potter?" a man suddenly asked. He seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Yes," she said slowly.

"Thank you. May I take this?" but he suddenly grabbed her bag and ran with it. Lily looked around for some assistance, but no one gave the man a second look. Lily screamed and ran after the man. People moved out of his way like drones, never even looking at him.

"That's my bag!" she yelled at him. "Somebody help me!" she cried. The man took an immediate right and shot into an alleyway. Lily skid to a halt and started to follow him, but a hooded man reached out and grabbed her, covered her mouth, and inserted a needle into the back of her neck. She tried screaming, but she couldn't get a sound passed his gloved hand. She tried hitting and kicking, but she soon began to weaken, her vision fading into blackness....

She lifted her head off her folded arms and looked around. She felt very groggy, her whole body seemed numb, and her eyelids were heavy. She was in rectangular conference room. The ceiling and floor were made of dark gray marble. The walls were royal blue. The table she was leaning her head on was cold and reflective; it was also floating. There were no doors here, only a strange looking plane; it looked like water.

Lily tried standing up, but her head was too heavy and her feet didn't seem to be working at optimum efficiency.

"You're awake," someone said. Lily looked around and saw a very thin Indian woman standing in front of her.

"Who are you?" Lily asked, gaining some of her strength.

"My name is Ashika Narayan. You need to regain your awareness before I tell you more, Lily."

"You're the Director of-"

"Yes. I'm the Director for the Counter Intelligence Sector of the International Wizard Bureau of Investigation. I'm your husband's boss, so to speak."

"You kidnapped me," she said.

"That's a bit harsh. Here, drink this, it'll make you feel better," she said, handing her a purple liquid.

"What is going on?!" Lily yelled.

"Relax," Ashika said. "You need to relax like I know you can."

"You tell me what's going on!" Lily demanded.

"I will once you calm down."

This was too weird. Where was she? What was she doing here, and why did this woman want her? Lily drank the potion in front of her, and, to her surprise, she felt better.

"Why did you kidnap me?" she asked. Ashika chuckled.

"I've been watching you for a while now, you know. I wanted to see how well you blended in. I love reading about the things you have done, the people you have met, the hearts you've won," she said. Lily was confused.

"You've been watching me?" she said.

"Not personally. I had some of my agents following you for a few months now. It took you a while to take notice of them, but at least you sensed it after a while."

"You mean I wasn't imagining things?" she said. "The men in the furniture shop...the man in the street?"

"Yes and yes. They're mine. I wanted to see how you worked, like I said. I've sensed something about you, something I think will prove useful to me."

"What are you talking about? What's going on here? Where am I? Why am I being held against my will?" she screamed.

Ashika stared at her for several seconds before continuing. "Bold," she said at last. "I knew you had to be. Most people are intimidated by me, but you're not; excellent. You are in a top-secret conference room in the Bureau. You are here because it is time for you to go to work."

"Will you please try to make sense?" Lily said.

"Yes. I'll lay it out for you plain and simple, Lily. I need you to be a spy for me." She said this as if ordering a hamburger. Lily opened her mouth in shock.

"A spy?" she said.

"Yes."

"Why? Why me?"

"You're perfect for it. Haven't I said I've been watching you? You fascinate me, Lily. I know you have extraordinary magical powers, superb dueling abilities, a natural talent with complicated charms, and a beauty no man can resist. I've been waiting for someone like you for seven years." Ashika summoned a chair and sat very close to Lily. Her dark eyes bore into Lily's.

"I don't understand," Lily said.

"I need for you to enter the Fortress of Shadows. I need for you to find the moles and report who they are so we can eradicate them."

"What's the 'Fortress of Shadows' and a mole?" she asked.

"The Fortress is Voldemort's residence. A mole is a double agent,; someone saying they work for us but actually pass information to him. I need you to find out who they are."

Lily clutched her chest. "Excuse me?" she gasped.

"You heard me. You have to spy on Voldemort. The mole problem here is becoming worse each day, and we can't find them. I only just found out that a letter we intercepted was coming from this Bureau and being sent to Voldemort."

"You must be insane," Lily said, shaking her head. "I will not walk into that place and work for you."

"Why's that, Lily? Are you going to sit at home and read the Prophet about the evils of this world then say 'someone should stop it all, just not me?' Is that what you plan on doing? Nothing? Why don't you practice what you preach and help us?"

"Let me get this straight," Lily said. "You want me to become a Death Eater, work with those monsters, then find out who works here?" Lily asked.

"Precisely," Ashika said with a stone hard face.

"You are out of your mind."

"No I'm not. I'm brilliant. You're perfect for it, Lily."

"See, now you've lost me again. Can't you see the major flaw in this?"

"It's not a flaw," Ashika responded. "It's the perfect bluff. Being Muggle-born will only work for you and for him. He'll be able to use you more because no one will suspect you. You would be the last person to work for him,"

"But he hates Muggle-borns! Listen to yourself!"

Ashika laughed, but her eyes were still cold. "Oh Lily, you are so innocent and fresh from Dumbledore's Academy of the young and naive. You know nothing about the way his simple little mind works. He will love you, Lily, that's why we need you."

"No," Lily said. "You're crazy, that's what you are. He'll sniff me out and kill me, even if I did pretend to go along with this. Don't you know anything about him?" she asked, slamming her fist on the table.

"I know everything about him, Lily. He won't kill you. He'll see you as a huge asset, an easier way for world domination. All you need to do is go in there and tell him you want on board. That is all."

Lily studied her face for a moment, then frowned. "Nothing is that simple," she said.

"You're wrong. Everything is simple if you can piece it together. Everything is black and white if you know how the song begins."

"Nothing is black and white. This certainly isn't! I won't go into this Fortress and join with Voldemort!" she screamed.

"Lily, Lily, Lily," she said shaking her head. "How many times must I tell you? Hasn't it ever occurred to you? Have you never wondered why a half blood is so intent on killing Muggle-borns or ruling the world? All you have to do is look at his past. It's simpler than that class you attended today. He cares nothing of purity, deep down. He's not pure himself. He's just got that 'my father left me, now I'm really pissed' attitude.

"It happens to all of them. The only reason he is so special is because he's a sorcerer. But there are people with the same train of thought."

"What are you on about?" Lily asked.

"The simple explanation for why Voldemort is the way he is. There isn't anything complicated about it. The world wants it to be complicated because complication makes them feel better at night. Something complicated means they have a right to be confused and do nothing about it.

"His father left his mother after he found out what she was, a witch. Tom Riddle was born to a mother who died just after naming him. He was cast into a loveless place where he grew to know and trust only himself. He didn't have a father to teach him how to catch a ball or a mother to kiss him goodnight; he only had himself. Sure, he seemed fine for a while, but then he found out what he was capable of. He found he had extraordinary powers beyond most wizards of the world. He knew how to take care of himself, knew he needed no one, never did after all, knew he wanted revenge for how he was treated and raised for eleven years. He set out to murder his father, the one who had put him through hell as a child, the one person who had denied him happiness like all the other kids had. He killed his father and his grandparents, and he felt good. Why, it felt so good, he could to it again.

"He became quite addicted to it, but nothing was as good as killing his own father, nothing could meet that...high again. From then on, all Muggles became his father, those filthy people who didn't care about the greatest wizard in the world sitting in front of them. He wanted to conquer them all, rise above the rest, and rule over them like a god.

"Because we all need the same things as human beings. What would you be like if you had his history? Children need parents of some sort, they need appreciation, need to be told they're important and loved. They need to know it inside. If they don't, Lily, they grow up to be bitter, tough, angry, and sometimes maniacal. It happens to all of them raised like that. It can take years to happen, constantly delayed. By one day, Lily, they all snap," she said, snapping in Lily's face, "and the only thing important is their sole survival, for that was all they could ever worry about. Or if you want it simpler than that, the world screwed you so now you screw the world." She gave Lily an uncomfortable stare, her dark eyes more like tunnels with no light at the end.

"You seem to have him down to a simple explanation, don't you? That's all well and good, Ashika, it really is, but how could you keep me safe?" she asked. "Even if I did agree to do this, what guarantee could you give my safety?"

"Because he'll really appreciate you. He knows of your talents, Lily. There's an aura about you that no man can resist. Even the Slytherins admired you and they never take to Gryffindors, do they? You're not easily frightened, intimidated, or thrown off course. You could stand up to him and tell it like it is, and he would love you for it. I have spies in there already; they tell me no one stands up to him; they all crumble in fear. And you are so beautiful, Lily. He will truly admire you."

"And what about James?"

"James cannot know about any of this. Knowing that you're going in there would rip him apart."

"So if I did agree to this, I couldn't tell him? How could I go from that environment then go back home and not tell my husband what I had gone through? I can't do this. I won't do this. You'll have to find someone else!" she yelled.

"No. You're the only one. Haven't I made that clear to you? Why won't you do this for our world, your world? He's tearing the world apart, making everyone suspicious of everyone else, and he's killing innocent people for sport, some to further his domination. We cannot decipher which is which, even with our spies on the inside. He keeps so much to himself, so many secrets he won't tell his minions, so much information he won't slip."

"Then what's the point of me?" Lily asked, standing up and pacing the room.

"He'll trust you."

"And how could I get that? I've seen spy movies, I know what they have to do sometimes, and I won't do it!"

"If you're thinking what I believe you to be thinking, then no. It's not his style. He'll probably test you out, see how far you'd take it, but you wouldn't have to give anything to him if you didn't want to. That's all you would have to say."

"But my parents-"

"Muggles, yes, you've said that already. If that's a problem for you, he'll sense it. But like I said before, your powers are too great for him to care about heritage."

Lily let this all sink into her mind. A spy against Voldemort. Finding the double agents in this Bureau. Voldemort's reaction to her. Ashika. James. What to tell James. Should she do it?

"Hard isn't it? Well, I've tried appealing to your logical side, but you're a sensitive heartfelt woman, so now let's go for a trip."

"Pardon?" Lily said. Ashika stood up and signaled for Lily to do the same.

"I said we're taking a trip. There are some people I would like for you to meet before you make your final decision."

"I'm not doing this if I can't tell James. I have to tell him about this."

"Why? Because spouses tell each other everything? He doesn't tell you what he does here, does he? You tell him everything do you?" she asked.

"Yes," she said.

"Liar. You haven't told him your darkest secret, the one that haunts, the one you don't want him to find out. It's what will put you over the edge."

Lily didn't know how Ashika knew about it, though it couldn't be to hard to track. But she hadn't told anyone, not even James.

"How can you be so cold?" Lily asked her.

Ashika grinned as if this was a compliment. "I want to put this world back in order, and Voldemort is the one who needs to be eliminated for me to do so. The only way I can eliminate him is to take the rug from under him." She stared at Lily as she walked to the portal. "I suggest you follow me closely, there's a special invisible charm we use to be unseen. It's the same one we used on Greg when he took your bag."

"Why do you need it?" she asked, moving close to Ashika.

"Just come with me, and you'll find out." She stood in front of the portal and raised her flat palm to it. "St. Mungo's," she said. The portal rippled and turned a bright orange. "After you," she said.

Lily walked through and found herself in a white hallway of a hospital, St. Mungo's. Ashika appeared beside her instantly. "Follow me," she said. Ashika walked down the hallway, nurses passing by took no notice of them. She stopped at double doors, gave one last glance to Lily, then opened them.

"This," she said, "is what he enjoys doing."

Lily covered her mouth to keep from sobbing.

In front of her were three children, two in wheelchairs. One of them, who looked about five years old, had his eyes half open, and he was drooling all over himself. A little girl, younger than the boy, was groaning and hitting her head. But it was the eight year old that was really disturbing. He was strapped down to a bed, shaking his head from side to side and crying for his mother.

"She was killed," Ashika said. "There was a raid on a town not to long ago. The children were subjected to the Cruciatus curse and went insane. There isn't anything we can do for them. They'll have to live like this until they die in a few years or so. This is only the first group; the older children are in another room if you want to see them, too. There's something you can do to put a stop to this, Lily, but you have to help me."

Lily wiped away the countless tears from her eyes and looked back to Ashika.

"You'll be fine. I'll send you with Fox, my most trustworthy agent. You'd only have to go a few times and never participate in his ills. I'll pass you information to give to him, information that isn't useful to me but might peek his interest. And you can't tell James a thing. If you do, his and your welfare will be put at great risk. You have to act as though everything is fine, is that clear?"

Lily nodded.

They walked back to the portal and back into the conference room. Ashika told her she would have to go now to get it over with, rather than thinking it over for however long. Lily agreed.

Ashika gave her a black cloak with a heavy hood; it darkened her face completely.

"You will meet Fox on the corner. Go with your instincts, and you'll be fine. Remember to be strong when facing the Dark Lord, and don't fear to look into his eyes."

"Alright," she said weakly, pulling the hood over her head.

"You'll be fine, but good luck anyway," she said. Lily didn't respond. She tried to concentrate on what lay ahead of her, of the instructions Ashika had given her as guidelines, of how she was going to mull it all over and pretend it never happened when James would ask 'How was your day?'

She walked into the portal and found herself in an alleyway, absent of people except for a cloaked man on a bench. Lily walked over and stood in front of him. Without him looking up, he stood and spoke.

"Follow close behind me. Don't ask questions, and speak to no one but the Dark Lord. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she said. He started walking down the alleyway, Lily in tow. They stopped at the end of a smoked brick wall. Fox took out his wand and touched the wall, mumbling words Lily couldn't understand.

A large, dark purple oval appeared in the center, like a very perverse looking portal. Fox walked inside, and Lily ran after him.

It was as if someone was pulling her in a million different directions. Dark swirls passed before her eyes. A pain was rising in the pit of her stomach-then it was over. She fell face first on wet grass. Fox helped her up and led her to the forest's edge. It was dark here, but Lily knew it was only mid afternoon. Fox mumbled an incantation again and waved his wand at a set of rocks.

From the bottom to the top, a dark building started to take form. It was a small castle, complete with towers and turrets.

"Three towers," he said. "There used to be four, but the third one was destroyed many years ago. Follow me," he said. Lily tried to tell her heart to stop beating so fast, but it wouldn't.

The castle was just as bad on the outside as it was on the inside. There was an icy breeze and a moldy smell about the place.

Fox walked with his hood up, as Lily did. As they walked up a set of spiraled stairs, three more Death Eaters joined the ranks. Two walked behind her, and Fox and another walked in front of her. There was no turning back.

Green torches lit the dark hallway. Two trolls guarded the very large doors to which Lily was led through. She was getting closer to him; she could sense it. There were several doors in the room they entered. The five of them walked up to the one on the left; it lead to another staircase. They walked up it, their steps echoing on the walls. A man, cloaked like the rest of them, guarded the last door. Fox showed him something on his left forearm. The guard nodded.

Fox and the other Death Eater moved aside for Lily to enter the open door. She took a silent breath and walked inside.

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