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. So please, don't sue me, all I have that is of any value is a cello and a computer. Thank you for your time.

Chapter Six

Three years had passed since that fateful day. James Potter had never returned, and the majority of the people who knew anything at all about it said he was probably dead. The first year, Lily had bee continually waiting for a sign, for some proof that he was coming back.

Then, finally, she decided she should move on. He wasn't coming back, and she would never see him again. A few weeks after she had figured this out, she ran into Amos Diggory, and he asked her out to dinner. They had been dating ever since, and Lily was content with her life, even though thoughts of James still haunted her at night.

On this particular December day, Lily, who had just been having lunch with Amos, was hurrying back to the office to get there on time, and, since she wasn't paying attention to where she was going, she ran straight into a stranger.She quickly stammered, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I just had a date, and I only have 10 minutes to ge…" This was as far as she got before she looked up into the strangers face, and gasped.

"I thought you said you would never forget me, Lily."

Shock reeled through Lily's body, and she stammered out, "James, what, why, you're supposed to be dead…"

James laughed, and the coldness and the bitterness in his voice scared Lily more than anything else she had ever heard in her life. "Well, if I'm supposed to be dead, Lily, then how is it that I am standing here talking to you on this fine afternoon? But forget that for the moment. Come, walk with me."

"James, I have to get to work…" Lily started, wanting an excuse to get away from him. He was scaring her now, and she knew that there was something wrong.

"I know, but I'm headed to the same place, so I figured that we could walk together. Unless, or course, you would rather think about your precious Amos…"

Not wanting to hear any more of it, she started walking, and she felt James stride along at her side. It wasn't the safe feeling that this used to be, though, there was something cold and heartless in James's eyes, and Lily knew that whatever was the matter would come to light, sooner or later.

"…Now you, James," droned the head of the auror department, a balding man in his fifties, "have been trailing suspected death eaters for the last three years, and you, Lily," he directed his gaze to the startled redhead, who was staring at James incredulously, "have been working on the Gripling Case for the last six months, and I've decided that it is time to switch both of you around.

You both have very impressive records, and a new case just came up, one which will require the very best that we have. Children of various Ministry officials have been disappearing, and I'm partnering you to together in the hopes that you can figure out who precisely is doing this, and why." He shoved a large manila folder at them and swept them out of his office.

"So," Lily began after they were both settled in her office, or rather, now their office, "You could have mentioned something about being an undercover auror, couldn't you?"

James stiffened visibly before answering. "Actually, no, I couldn't have. The ministry values the anonymousness of their undercover agents too much to allow any of us to tell anyone at all.

"On a different subject, how's life been treating you in these last three years? I heard that you had a new boyfriend, Amos Diggory. You do have a thing for quidditch players, don't you? First me, then that David, now Diggory. Is it your way of making yourself feel important, your way of making yourself noticed?"

Lily stood up, outraged. "What is your problem, Potter?" she spit out with as much venom as a diamondback. "Why do you seem so bent on trying to hurt me? I've noticed ever since I ran into you in Diagon Alley? What did I do?"

James laughed, bitter and cold. "You want to know what you did," he repeated, as though not believing she had asked so stupid a question. "For two years, I had to watch you and Diggory as the famous couple of England.

"The only woman I will ever love, the woman I thought loved me. I was starting to hope that I would get killed on the job, so I wouldn't have to face the thought of you and him ever again. That's what you did, Evans." With that, he disapparated out of the office.

Later that night, Lily was writing furiously in her journal, trying to understand everything that went on between the two of him that day.

Dear Diary,

James Potter came back today. However, I don't know how, but he's changed. He's bitter and cold, and acts as though the world is in one great conspiracy against him. He acts like he hates me, and I wonder what exactly happened to him. He's no longer the James I love.

I wonder whether the thought that we ever loved each other is only a dream, and we have broken apart, as the dream sifts to a nightmare. I'm lost, and I have no one to turn to. I'm scared, and I must brave the danger alone.

James Potter sat stooped over on an armchair, looking as though he had just battled the world and lost. Sirius and Remus, the only people who had known what he had done, looked woefully at the chair, as though willing James to become his normal self again.

All three knew that it wouldn't be that simple, though. In order to become himself again, James had to have Lily back, one last time.

A man stood in the shadows opposite Lily's apartment, and silently grinned to himself. Soon, the plan would be complete. Soon, he would have what he was promised. Soon, Lily Evans would be his.
The next day, Lily stared at her hands, completely baffled. She and James had been scheduled to meet at 10:00 for more work on the Missing Children's Case, as the tabloids had dubbed it. Yet it was 10:30 and he still wasn't here. Being late wasn't like James, even when they had been in school.

She was worried about him, even though she didn't want to admit it. She loved Amos, or at least she thought she did, but a part of her still longed for the way James's arms would encircle her whenever something was wrong, and he could chase any bad things away. He had always been there for her, even when she didn't want him to be.

Admit it, Lily; you're still in love with him. An annoying voice in her head stated.

I do not! She replied heatedly.

Yes you do. You always have and you always will. The voice answered with the tone of someone explaining that one plus one equals two.

I have not! I hated him from first year until the middle of seventh year. She thought quickly, and none too convincingly.

That was only because he kept asking you out, and you thought that he was doing it as a joke.

Stop it; I do not love James Potter!

Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourself that.

"I DO NOT LOVE JAMES POTTER!" She shouted, trying to get the voice out of her head.

"I believe we all knew that, Evans, but I would appreciate it if you would not yell it at the top of your longs," came the cold, hard voice of James Potter.

"I'm sorry, Potter, I wasn't aware that you were standing there. If I had, I would have yelled something much more insulting."

James Potter stared at her, hating her, and hating himself for ever leaving her. She had been his world, his light, and now she was no longer his, no longer someone he could depend on, someone who would always be there for him. And there was no way to reverse that. No way to go back in time, no way to break the spell. The game was over.

And he had lost.

"Actually, Evans, I do believe you. And no matter how fun this display of wits is, we have to start working on the case again. The sooner we start, the sooner we finish, and then we never have to see each other again."

"Fine."

They worked for around five hours, only talking or even looking at each other when there was no other option, then, as soon as the clock struck 3:30, Lily picked up her things and apparated out of there as quickly as possible, leaving James to ponder the cruelty of life before he, too, packed up his stuff and left.

Aw, poor James. Poor Lily. Poor everyone. And it's about to get much worse. (Evil music heard behind evil cackling)

I wasn't supposed to say that. I was not supposed to say that. Woops. Just pretend that I said that they're going to have a happy, fluffy existence from here on out.

And then get your head checked if you believe I would do that.

Now go review. It makes me update much faster, and I enjoy getting feedback. I'll accept everything, but I find pointless flames, well, pointless. If you don't like something about the plot, you don't need to read the story. If there's something grammatically wrong, or that wouldn't make sense in this time period, that's another story. I love to be informed of those, but you don't need to yell at me or curse. Thank you.

And remember, you have to be nice to me, because today's my birthday.

And since that puts me in a good mood, all reviewers get a first edition copy of 1001 Ways to Murder a Pettigrew.

To answer my beloved reviewers:

Prongsie-Jamesie-No, I can't tell you what is going to happen. Then you won't bother to read anymore. Tear.

ZombieGurl98- Thank you.

Telwyn Dubois- It was the start of the next chapter, I just had to give some kind of cliffie.

ourlittlesecret7- Because she is too stubborn.

le manchot du destin- Oh yes, I feel evil now. And thanks. I love being told that I'm a good author.

EmeraldEyedEvans- No, you can't kill me, for I hosted a party with you, and gave you fudge. And am helping you survive swim team. Now shut up.

sweetsoutherngal- Aw, but I like being mean.

James-RoxMySox- The sad thing is, the email doesn't really work. That's Allie's email. My own is one that few know. And I don't give it out. So I hold the upper hand, now don't I? ;-)

rachel132- It's very sad.

PinkyTheSnowman- That award was a sarchastic award. Don't really want that one. But if I must have it, then it should probably go to "Of Notes and Bets." But a different award rather than that one would be nice. (I am a shameless begger.)

GoSnOgGaTrEeV- Can French fries have emotions?

Stella Blu- Hate to nitpick, but I must. It's actually Inigo. (I've read the book and seen the movie way too many times. And I didn't make you wait a month, just a week, so :-P

Ciao,

Sally