A.N. / Hey everyone! I know some of you are very disappointed in James and his memory loss and him with Paris…but life goes on. The next few chapters are going to be sad. And please don't hate me for the way the plot is twisting. Read, review, and enjoy!

Chapter 28

Lily woke up late that afternoon, and the only reason she woke up was because she heard her mother yelling for her from downstairs.

"LILY! You've got company!"

Lily figured it was one of the girls, so she hurriedly brushed her teeth and pulled her hair up into a messy bun and ran downstairs in her pink pajamas with penguins. But when Lily got downstairs she turned as red as her hair when she saw who it was.

"I thought you were decent Lily?!" Her mother said in outrage.

"It's just my pajamas mum, and you didn't specify that it was a boy…I figured that it was one of the girls."

"Sorry Lily if I came at a bad time."

Lily threw her hand up, "No Tyler don't worry about it. What time is it?"

"Lunch time, Lily." Abigail interjected.

"Can you wait for about thirty minutes and let myself get decent?"

"Sure."

"Yes of course, and while you're getting ready Tyler and I will get acquainted." Abigail said smiling, "Come on Tyler. Let's go talk in the kitchen."

While Tyler got to be under the wrath of Abigail Evans…Lily took a quick shower, got dressed, and began to blow-dry her hair. This instantly brought Lily's spirits down, she remembered the first time she'd used a blow-dryer when James first stayed with her family. He'd freaked out because he thought it was eating her hair.

Lily shook herself, "Forget him Lily. Just forget him…hell he's forgot about you." 'Yes, but he doesn't know what the two of you had. You forget that he has no clue what is going on in his life.' The voice inside her head said to her. Lily finished drying her hair and began to apply light makeup on.

At exactly the time that Lily told Tyler it would take her, is all that it took. Tyler looked relived when he saw Lily come into the Family room.

"Done torturing my friend mum?" Lily asked entering the living room in a dark green sweater that matched her eyes perfectly and a pair of jeans.

"I wasn't torturing him Lily. I was only wanting to know what a twenty-one year old man has a common with my sixteen year old daughter."

Lily rolled her eyes at her mother, "I'm not Petunia. I'm not going to make the same mistakes that she's made."

"I'm not looking out for you because of that. I'm looking out for you because you've ran into some real bastards…such as Mitchell and Amos."

"Diggory?" Tyler asked looking at Lily oddly.

Lily nodded, "Long story and I really don't want to talk about it right now."

"That's cool."

"So what did you want to do today?"

"I'm up for anything Lily."

"Want to go out for lunch?"

"Sure!"

"Get your coat," Abigail said with a tone in her voice that Lily didn't appreciate.

Lily obeyed her mother and grabbed her coat and then she grabbed Tyler's arm and dragged him out of her mother's house.

"I don't believe your mum likes me at all." Tyler said looking at Lily and being amazed by the beauty in front of him and that she was actually hanging out with him.

"She just thinks you're a bit too old for me. You know with you being twenty-one and me being sixteen. But it shouldn't matter I am an adult in the Muggle World. Plus she absolutely loved James and how he treated me. She really thought we'd date for a few more years and get married. She'll probably tell me when I get home that I should just hold out until James is well and get back with him."

"Does she know you're not an adult in the Wizarding World until you're seventeen."

Lily shook her head no, "And it's going to stay that way. Okay?"

Tyler nodded, "Deal. So how did James get so close with your parents?"

"He'd protected me from Amos and he took care of me after I got out of St. Mungo's. He always was there for me when my Grandmother died. He's really been there for me. They thought he was the perfect man for me."

"What do you think."

Lily paused and thought for a few minutes, "I use to think that too, but obviously I was wrong. It just wasn't meant to be."

"You don't really know that."

Lily shrugged, "It's alright though I'll be fine."

"Of course you will," Tyler said smiling at her. "You've got me to help you anytime, no matter what."

Lily smiled at Tyler, he really was a really good friend. She decided to change the subject, "So what do you want to do today?"

"You suggested lunch, remember?"

She smiled at him, "Oh yeah I did, didn't I?"

"Know of any good places around."

Lily nodded, "There's a pizza place and a coffee shop."

"How about the coffee shop."

"Sounds good to me!"

Lily had a fantastic time with Tyler and she was only too sad when it was time for her to go home. She would have offered him to come in and spend the day with him, but she knew he had some paper work he needed to get done for The Order and he also had to study for Auror school. During their lunch he'd mentioned to her that he had a test soon that he had to take. Plus add that Lily didn't want her mother to harass Tyler anymore that day.

They stopped in front of the door, "You know it's three o'clock now." Tyler said with a smile.

Lily was confused and frowned, "Okay?"

"Your mum invited me over for tea at three."

Lily looked at him surprised, "You really want to have tea with that woman after this morning?"

Tyler began to laugh at her, "I knew you'd act like that. Besides I have Auror and the Order things to do."

"I figured that."

"Then I guess I'll see you later Lily."

Lily hugged him, "Thanks for being such a good friend to me."

Tyler inhaled the lovely fragrance of Lily, "Of course. No problem. Don't lose touch with me just because your mum doesn't like me."

Lily laughed, "Trust me I won't."

While Lily was at the Coffee Shop down the road with Tyler an owl came flying through the room. It sat on the kitchen table waiting for Lily, much to Abigail's frustration. No matter what she tried the owl wouldn't get off of the kitchen table and hand the letter.

"Mum, I'm home!" Lily yelled coming through the door and hanging her coat up and walking into the kitchen. Lily didn't spot the owl at first, but she did spot the frown upon her mother's face.

"Look Mum, I know you don't like him. But there's nothing going on between us we're only friends."

"Yes, yes. You always say that, but your friends always end up your boyfriends. That's not what I'm mad about. There's a live owl on my kitchen table waiting on you, Lily Evans."

"Sorry mum!" Lily said running in the kitchen.

Lily took the letter from the owl and began to read the letter:

Dear Lily,

This might be a little odd for me to be writing you. When you and James were dating I'm sure he brought up Christmas Eve dinner and our annual New Years Eve Ball. Even though James and you are not an item anymore, it would mean the world to Harold, Sarah, and me if you would come to the New Years Eve Ball. I figure you probably have plans on Christmas Eve, but if you don't have any plans I hope you will come to the Ball. Inside there are two tickets that you have to have to get in. One for you and one for a date.

If you do come, and I hope you do, please remember that it is formal attire. Please R.S.V.P. by Christmas Eve.

Always,

Grace Potter

Lily just stood there and stared at the letter from Grace and didn't know what to do.

"Is everything alright Lily?" Abigail Evans asked looking at her sixteen year old daughter oddly.

"I…I don't know."

"Well what does the letter say?"

"It's from Grace…"

"Grace who?"

"Potter."

"James's mother?"

Lily nodded, "Yes that's here."

"What does she want with you? Doesn't she know that James and you have broken up?"

Lily nodded again, "Yes she knows. But James's whole family loves me…"

"So what did Mrs. Potter want with you?"

"She wants to invite me and a guest to their annual New Years Eve party, it's the most exclusive and fancy ball of the season."

"And you're going to go?" Abigail asked with her eyes raising to her eyebrows.

"Yes. Grace, Sarah, and Harold want me to attend."

"Okay…who's Sarah and Harold?"

"Sarah's their daughter and Harold is her husband."

"I thought you told me that James's father was missing."

"He is, but The Order knows where he's at and they'll be going in and getting him in a few days."

"Oh," her mother said flabbergasted. "So are you actually going to go?"

"I don't know."

"WHAT?! What do you mean you don't know! You shouldn't go at all! You'll look desperate for that Potter boy."

Lily shook her head no, "Everyone at school knows how close Sarah and I are."

"So you're going to go dateless?'

"No."

"Then who are you going to take with you?"

"My best guy friend."

"Oh no…"

"Yes, I'm going to ask Tyler."

Abigail rolled her eyes, "I knew he was trouble."

Lily then rolled her eyes at her mother, "I have no clue what you're going on about but drop it. Tyler and I are just friends…and if there is something else between us and something else happens between us…then it was just suppose to happen."

"What do you mean if something else happens?! Lily I don't like this…"

"Whatever mum," Lily said going upstairs to her bedroom to owl Tyler.

Dear Tyler,

I got an invite from Grace Potter, you know James's mother? Anyways she sent me an invite today, after you left, to their annual New Years Eve ball. Since you were raised up in the Wizarding World I figure you've heard about it. Grace and I get along well and she wants to invite me and a friend to go to the ball no matter what James thinks.

I wasn't going to go, because I wouldn't have anyone to go with. Then I remembered how good of friends we are and I'd have a ball with you if you'd like to go.

I usually don't do this, but I'm going to go out on a limb. Would you like to be my date for that night? If not I'll understand. Let me know your decision.

Lily

Lily reread her letter and then sent it out with her owl. She hoped that this would work out right…that Tyler would accept her and go as her date to this ball. She really didn't want to go. Lily had been so happy when the Christmas holidays hit, she knew she wouldn't have to see James or Paris until after the New Year.

Lily knew how much it would mean to Grace, Harold, and especially Sarah if she went to this ball. Sarah had finally understood what had happened. That James had broken Lily's heart and James was the slut…and that he was now with a slut. Since then Sarah had visited Lily every day and since the Christmas Holidays Sarah would owl her every other day.

Lily decided she wouldn't owl the Potter's back with her decision until Tyler owled her and told her if he was going to go or not. Lily sighed and decided to take a long bath and the go to sleep. Today had been a long day for her and there was no way she'd be able to start her homework tonight. Hopefully tomorrow.

At the Potter Mansion…

Sarah Juliet Potter sat in her bed giggling none stop, and wishing so badly that the plan that she'd come up with would work out. Sure Sarah Potter wasn't as mischievous as her Marauder brother and she wasn't as smart as the Head Girl or the intelligent Lily Evans. Sarah developed the plan while she had been Christmas Shopping with her mum today.

After shopping she thought about it more and more and went downstairs to ask her mother what she thought. Grace smiled and said, "I guess James isn't the only mischievous Potter in this house is he?"

Sarah giggled and shook her head no, "I may not be as bad as James and I'm not as smart as Lily Evans. I've got smarts and I do carry a little of that Potter mischief. But unlike James…I won't get caught. So do I have your blessing on my plan? I've already owled Lily but signed it with your name."

Grace Potter nodded, " Cleaver. And of course you have my blessing, my dear. Anything to get our sweet Lily back and get rid of that slutty Paris that is in my Parlor snogging my son. By the way it is ten o'clock can you your mummy a favor?"

Sarah smiled knowing what was coming next, "Can you tell your brother's slut of a girlfriend it is time she went home with her family." Sarah giggled and ran out of the room and on her way to ruin her brother's snog session. If Sarah's plan went right Paris would be out of her brother's life and Lily would be back in.

There was one problem Sarah Potter was forgetting…James had to restore his memory. Hopefully James seeing Lily in a fancy dress all dressed up at the ball would at least jolt his memory a bit.

Sarah realized that this plan might take a while, depending on how quick James's memory came, but Sarah knew in the end her plan would work out.

Sarah didn't even mind knocking on the parlor door, so of course she just walked right in.

Paris unglued her lips from her boyfriend and sneered at her boyfriend's bratty little sister. "What do you want you little brat?" Paris asked with an ugly look upon her face.

Sarah smiled, "The same thing I want every night at ten o'clock, the same thing my mummy sends me in here for at ten o'clock."

"And what would that be?" Paris asked hoping the brat would have forgotten by now.

"That it is time for your slutty arse to go home!" Sarah said sticking her tongue out at Paris.

Paris gasped dramatically, "How dare you talk to me like that!"

Sarah smiled at her, "Like I do every night at ten o'clock!"

"Sarah don't talk to my girlfriend like that," James said with hardly any effort.

"This isn't your girlfriend. Your girlfriend is Lily Evans, but for some odd reason you think this bimbo is."

"I don't have to take this," Paris said storming dramatically to the fireplace. "I'm going home! I'll see you tomorrow Smugger bugger!"

Sarah looked grossed out, "She calls you Smugger bugger?"

"Yeah," James said shrugging his shoulders.

"Do you even care for her?!"

"She's an easy snog."

"You sound like Sirius before he got with Cassidy!" Sarah said outraged.

"Where is he?"

"On a date with Cassidy."

James rolled his eyes, "Go figure. Now his girlfriend is red's best friend right."

"Yes! And her name is Lily not red!" Sarah yelled outraged.

Sarah closed the Parlor room door and smiled to herself as she walked up the stairs to the second floor and opened the door to Sirius's room.

"Hey munchkin," Sirius said smiling at the youngest Potter. "So did you lie to James about where I was at."

Sarah smiled nodding, "Of course I did. Right now you're my favorite brother."

"Good to know. So was he in the Parlor again snogging Miss Waters?"

Sarah nodded, "Of course it's become his favorite sport."

"Yeah, he doesn't even want to play Quidditch. I really wish his memory would come back. I mean yeah he tries to be friends with me but you can tell he doesn't know anything. He's like an empty body walking around without it's soul."

"Yeah and Lily is his soul," Sarah sighed.

"Yeah I'd really like the two of them back together."

"I formatted a plan and mummy is helping me out with it. Care to hear what it is?"

"Sure…you sound like you're taking a page out of the Marauder book."

Sarah giggled, "Or more like take a book out of the Marauder library."

Sirius nodded, "Yeah I like it better that way too. So what's your little plan, sis?"

"Well we owled Lily and invited her and someone else to the ball."

"And?"

"Maybe after James sees her looking absolutely exquisite that he'll get his memory back…dump that slut and fall deeply in love with Lily again." Sarah said smiling and feeling as if the was the only way to go.

"Impressive, but what if it doesn't work out."

"Then I run to you, my other big brother, and get you to help me get these two lovebirds back together."

"Well with both of our heads together we can achieve anything."

"Like what?" James asked standing at the door.

"Um, like trying to convince mummy to let me have a banana split."

"You're crazy there's no way she'll let you have icecream this late at night," James said walking out of Sirius room.

Sarah's eyes almost fell out of her head, "How did he remember that?!"

"Maybe it's slowly coming back."

Sarah smiled, "And not seeing Lily and then boom! See her looking extremely beautiful will hopefully jolt him back to reality."

"Hopefully," Sirius nodded.

The next morning Lily was woken up by an owl pecking on her bedroom window and she suspected it to the owl that brought her daily issue of The Daily Prophet. But when Lily crawled out of bed and got to the window she recognized the owl as Tyler's. Lily let Tyler's owl in and left the window open and she took the letter and began to read….

Dear Lily,

Of course I'd love to accompany you to the Potter's Annual New Years Eve Ball. My grandfather goes to it every year and since I'd never been invited to one of these I owled him about it, you see that's what took my response so long. He told me that it is very formal and that the dates like to match one another. Since today is the twenty-third and the Ball is on the thirty-first I suggest we go shopping…maybe today or on Boxing Day?

Let me know when you want to go shopping, alright?

-Tyler

Lily smiled at this letter, she was going to the ball and Tyler would be her date. She knew that the Potters, minus James, would be thrilled that she was going to the ball and so would her friends. Lily sat down at her desk and decided she need to owl everyone. The first owl she sent out was back to Tyler.

Dear Tyler,

That would be great! I'm glad you decided to go with me! I swear we'll have a blast! I have plans with my friends on Boxing Day, so I think we should go today. Come by my house at sometime after lunch, alright?

I need to owl the Potter's to let them know that I'm going and you are coming as my date. I'm also going to owl my friends and tell them that I'll be there.

See you later today!

Lily

Lily smiled as she reread the letter she'd just written and then sent it on it's way to Tyler.

Dear Grace,

I would be honored to attend your Annual New Years Eve Ball. I will be attending and my date will be Tyler Smith. Thank you for inviting me and a date it was really sweet, even though James and I aren't together anymore.

Thanks again!

Lily Evans

Lily really didn't know what all to say as she looked at this letter, she was hoping it didn't sound too stupid. Lily shrugged and sent her owl out to the Potters.

Hey Cass,

I'm going to the ball after all. Mrs. Potter owled me yesterday and asked me to attend and I could bring a date with me if I wanted to. Tyler agreed to come with me. So I'll be able to hang out with you on New Years Eve and we'll talk about it more on Boxing Day! Can't wait to see you! Pass the good news on to Sirius for me!

Lily

Gabby,

Hey girl! Got good news! Mrs. Potter invited me to the ball, I'll be attending it with Tyler. Can't talk much, I'm about to go out and buy my dress. See you on Boxing Day! Tell Remus the good news for me!

Lily

Dear Alice,

Got good news! I'll be at the ball with all you guys! No I'm not going with James, I know you're wondering that. Tyler is going with me! Talk to you about it when I see you on Boxing Day!

Lily

By the time Lily was done with all the letters her owl was back and she instructed her owl to send all the letters to her friends. Then Lily headed towards the shower so she could get ready to go shopping with Tyler that day.

Meanwhile…

"Sirius! Sirius!" Lily said busting into his room.

"Ah! Sarah what's up?!" Sirius asked groggily.

"It's ten in the morning! Get up!" She said jumping on his bed, "Plus I got Lily's response!"

Sirius sat straight up, "And?!"

"She's coming!"

"Yes!"

"But there's one problem."

"I don't like that Sarah."

"She's bringing a date…"

"Smith?"

Sarah nodded.

"I should have guessed."

A little later….

Cassidy had just finished reading the letter and gasped, "This can't be happening!" Cassidy said shaking her head and then traveled through Floo Powder to Gabriella's house.

"Cassidy! What brings you here?"

Cassidy held up her letter, "This."

"About the ball?" Alice asked and Cassidy turned around and surprised Alice was here.

"You got one too?"

"We all did," Gabby spoke up.

"So Smith's going to be her rebound until James wises up?" Cassidy asked.

"Looks that way doesn't it?" Alice spoke.

"This could be really bad," Gabby said starting to fidget a bit. "I mean what if James's memory comes back and he goes after Tyler?"

"He has no reason to," Alice said with a face that was hard to place.

"You're right Alice, James has no reason to get mad. He's the one doing all this."

At the Evans House….

The door bell had just rang and Lily was done getting ready and she ran down the stairs, but Abigail got the door before Lily could even get down all the stairs. "Tyler?" Abigail asked shocked and surprised to see him. "Did Lily know you were coming?"

"Yes mum. I just got done getting ready and I hadn't had time to tell you yet."

"Well what do the two of you have planned for today?" Abigail asked with her right eyebrow raised up.

"Well mother, we are going shopping."

"For?"

"Christmas presents that I haven't gotten yet and a new dress for me and get a tux for him."

"For?"

"The Potter's Annual New Years Eve Ball."

"You're going to that?"

Lily nodded, "They owled me and asked me to come and that I could bring a date. So Tyler agreed to be my date. So now we have to go shopping! Later mum."

Abigail waved her hand, "Yeah yeah."

And with that Lily closed the door and was off to Diagon Alley with Tyler Smith.