Disclaimer: Harry Potter, Hogwarts, or anything that has ever been mentioned in the Harry Potter books does not belong to me. I would like to own them, and make billions of dollars every year, but the only thing in this story that is mine is my plot, if you can call it one. I am simply one of those very sad people who obsess over something that isn't real. Thank you for your time.

Chapter Three

Lily sighed to herself as she watched the small boy run aimlessly around the park. She loved coming home, loved the break from her everyday life, but it was just so, well, boring.

And her sister didn't make things much better. Blabbering on and on about that stupid boyfriend of hers. Personally, Lily couldn't care less. If someone was really stupid enough to want to go out with her horse-faced sister, it really didn't matter to her. Petunia, on the other hand, thought that everyone should rejoice over her "good fortune."

So Lily attempted to get out of the house as much as possible. She babysat for all the families whom she knew growing up. The child she was watching right now, David Evans, was the little brother of one of her best muggle friends. She had been watching the Evans's, who, by the way, were no relation to her, since she was around 14.

Suddenly, Lily noticed that David was gone. She whirled around, just in time to see him disappear around the corner, trotting as fast as his little feet could carry him.

She raced after him, but by the time she got to the edge of the park, he had vanished. She cursed mightily for a few minutes, and then saw a tiny bit of bright red cloth, the same color as David's sweatshirt, disappear into the house across the street from hers.

I wasn't aware that anyone had moved in. Lilt mused to herself as she hurriedly scampered to catch the young boy before he got into any serious sort of mischief.

All her fears were to no avail, however, for she heard someone laughing, and David's all-knowing toddler voice explaining that he was avoiding his baby-sitter.

Then whoever it was answered. It had to have been a man, but something sounded strangely familiar about that voice.

When David began talking again, Lily gathered her wits and walked into the next room. She calmly picked up David, who immediately began to squirm, and looked up to apologize to whoever it was.

One look into the stranger's eyes silenced her, however. It was James Potter.

"Lily?" James asked, flabbergast. He hadn't expected to see her. He couldn't deny that this was something he'd been wishing for since they left school, but something was strange here. How did she happen to show up exactly where Sirius had "mysteriously" decided to rent a house? He tore himself from his thoughts to listen to her response.

"Hey, James." She said, blushing slightly. He had always loved that blush. It reminded him of roses in the spring. She continued, "So, you found the little rascal."

"Yeah, I did. He was going on about his evil baby-sitter. He didn't say she was so cute, though."

"Well," she said, blushing, if possible, more than she had been before before, "I... I'd better go...Arabella and I are staying with our folks, and they're probably going to be freaking out soon so… bye."

She turned to leave with David on her hip, still wiggling about, when James called after her.

"Lily-"

"Yes?" she whipped back around a little too curtly.

She wasn't mad at him or anything, it was just that the little gold ring on her left hand seemed to be burning her conscience. It seemed as though James might tell her something that would make it near impossible to keep her engagement without dying from the guilt.

"I just wanted to tell you to try and keep the child you're supposed to be watching out of stranger's homes. After all, it could have been Sirius who found him, and we all know what a disaster that would be." James replied with a characteristic grin.

She rolled her eyes at him and slowly turned away, her laughing smile apparent. Sometimes she wondered how on earth they had broken up, but then a tremor of pain would shake her as she remembered. It wasn't really her fault.

Ok, it was completely her fault, but she did it for a good reason. It was for the greater good. She knew that, she believed it, but that didn't make it any easier to talk to James.

James watched Lily leave, cursing at himself for missing his chance to tell her how he really felt. But he knew it wasn't the time or place to do so. But he didn't know how much longer he could wait. Just looking at that ring on her finger made him feel ill.

Knowing that he couldn't dwell on Lily, he went back to trying to figure out why exactly she was here. And then it dawned on him.

"SIRIUS!" He yelled, striding into the kitchen where Sirius and Remus were setting up appliances.

"Ye-es?" Sirius answered in as innocent tone as he could.

"You are aware that Lily and Arabella are staying in this neighborhood, right?"

Sirius put on a innocent face, "Arabella's here? I must ask her to dinner."

"Stop lying, Sirius. I know you too well. You knew that something was going on. You knew it." James pointed a finger accusingly at Sirius.

"Fine, you know what, maybe I did. Maybe I did it for a reason, too. You're so hung up on her that you don't notice that she feels the same way. You're so scared of rejection that you're not going to try again. So, yes, I did know that she was going to be here. But I did it for a good reason."

James looked at Sirius incredulously, and said, quietly, "But she doesn't. She's engaged." And then he left the room.

"Do you think that he got the idea, Moony?" Sirius asked.

"It's Prongs, Padfoot. He wouldn't realize that she still loved him if that fact was dropped on him like a 100 lb. anvil. But he'll come around. Pray, for our sakes, his own, and Lily's, that he'll come around."

Oh, we love prophet moony, now don't we?

YES, I AM ALIVE! IT IS TRUE!

I need inspiration, so if you have any idea what you think should happen, review and tell me.

Reviewing is good. Reviewing gives me feedback. Reviewing makes me happy. (Except that I can't be happy so don't even start, Anna)

But seriously, reviewing makes me write faster, for then I am inspired. It's fun.

To answer my reviewers-

SilverPassion- But that's why we love him.

ourlittlesecret7- this one should, Maybe. But that's what I said about the other, too, so we never know. (evil grin)

Reina del Noche- Thank you. It's all true.

EmeraldEyedEvans- It's Ida I feel sorry for, having a friend like you. NOOO NOT THE MALE SOPRANO! I like, "The show must go on"

PinkyTheSnowman- Thank you

Hikaru- THEY"RE NOT GAY!

DramaQn621-ONCE AGAIN, THEY'RE NOT GAY!

The all mighty and powerfulM- it's good that you see where this is going, because I sure don't.

Rose Lily Potter- Sorry about not updating. Bad me.

Padfoot1987- In Sirius's world, there are no such things as coincidences.

Harrys 1 Fan- Aw, thanks.

Ciao-ness to the third power platinum edition!

Sally