Author's Note: Lily and James should be together sometime soon, but not too soon. Perhaps in their seventh year. You'll have to see.

Previously: Tom and Lily reminisce about their first kiss. He wanted to remind her how much she meant to him, and she meant a lot. They are still at the tree. We pick up from where we left off.

Tom and Lily stood there, by the tree. They did not move. They did not speak. All they did was intensely stare at each other. Despite the bitter wind and the shivering cold, they stood there, immobile. It was two days into November, and people would have stopped going outside to loiter, to hang out, to do anything. But fortunately, there was no awkwardness within the silence between them. There were only warmth, love, and comfort between them. All they did was stand there and look at each other without saying a word. The weather and the temperature did not seem to bother them.

After a long moment, they have finally decided to go back inside, hand in hand.

That night, before Tom was to go out to meet his minions, he sat on his bed, thinking deeply once again. He loved this woman. He really did. But they both carried great pangs of guilt. Hers was the treacherous sort while his was most dangerous. She betrayed him and his love in the most horrible way. How was it the most horrible way? It was because she shared a kiss with a man whom she cared the least about. There was nothing more horrible than that. And how was Tom dangerous? He killed. He murdered. He slayed. He had people working for him, people doing his dirty job, completing his horrible tasks. Those horrible things were only done to innocent people. And the worst part was that love has not changed him or turned him into a good man. They said love won over evil, but it has not. Love simply resided with evil. He could not understand what was bothering her. He knew she was hiding something, but what? Something must have happened over the summer, but what? He knew she would give him no answer. And even though his reason for his guilt was ultimately dangerous, he did not felt it bothered
him...until now. He loved her. Of course he did. But if he loved her, then why did he continue with his evil deeds if he knew it would hurt her? If he knew it would frighten her? He realized he could not decide which he loved more. Lily or power? But then again, what kind of power? The power he wanted to gain? The power that would make everyone fear his name? Or did he want the power that would surge through him every time he saw Lily? The power that grew in the kiss he would share with her? He could not decide.

Tom was outside on the edge of the Forbidden Forest once again at midnight. He waited as his followers arrived.

"So?Have you brought me their bodies?" he first asked.

"Yes sir," a boy replied as he brought one body wrapped in a large black garbage bag up to his leader.

Another boy brought up the other body in the same wrapping as well.

"What are we going to do with them, my Lord?" the boy asked, curious.

"I will use a spell to vanish them completely."

"Whoa, that's brilliant!" the purple haired girl, Violet, cried ecstatically.

Tom gave her a dirty look which silenced her.

"So, what are we going to do now?" another boy questioned.

Tom paced around before speaking. "Last year, I was strong and powerful. This summer,

I have read a great deal of books full of magic spells and magical potions. My mind was filled with such brilliant knowledge. Now, I am almost twice as stronger and more powerful as before. Have I not improved?"

Everybody gave each other glances, unable to answer.

"Tell me, did you realize an improvement?!" Tom bellowed.

Murmurs of yes travelled across the group, along with numerous nods of the head.

"Good. I know so many more spells now that could be much to my advantage. So what I want you to do is...to feed me with knowledge. I want you to find me more books of spells and potions. I also have a list." He handed one boy a list. "A list of things I need for the potions that are in process. I cannot find certain ingredients and I would very much like it if you found them for me. They do help lead my way to greatness."

"Oh yes, we understand, Sir," Peter Pettigrew said.

And as always, James was unseen, hidden in the bushes, watching the evil ones discuss.

The next day, James awoke to remember the things Tom and his friends have said the night before. But there was something odd, something not quite right. There was one voice whom he heard that sounded familiar, particularly familiar. But whose voice did it belong to? He could think of noone. It was too bad that he did not know the voice belonged to his own good friend, Peter Pettigrew.

He wondered whether he should tell his best friends, Remus, Sirius, and Peter about his eavesdroppings upon Tom and his gang. He was afraid that they would not believe him, and to him, rejection was the worst thing of all. It had been the worst thing ever since Lily Evans rejected him.

Author's Note: I'm sorry this chapter is so short and that I have provided you with very little. I will try and do better next time.