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 Three

"Look, Rick, I'm sorry that everything is going to take me so long here." Lily said to her fiancé on the phone. Floo connections were too insecure to be used across continents, and this was the only way they had figured out to communicate. "The death eaters, they're Voldemort's supporters, have come up with some new curse. It's called the Cruciartus Curse or something like that. It puts the receiver in immense pain, and we have no idea how to stop it."

"Don't they have people over there that can take care of it? Why does it have to be you?" Rick, also known as Richard, answered. Lily had decided that Richard sounded too old for him, and so she dubbed him Rick. He hadn't been pleased when she said she had to go to England. She knew why, but she just wished he'd be more understanding.

"No, Rick, they can't. I'm the only person with the expertise to do this. I'm sorry."

"And is there anyone I should know about over there?" Rick asked. He was never confident in her ability to stay away from other guys. It was one of the things that bugged her most about him.

"Honestly, you need to trust me more." Except for my ex-boyfriend who I never really stopped loving, Lily thought to herself, but had the sense not to say aloud.


"Why me, Padfoot?" James asked his best friend while pacing around the room. "What did I ever do?"

'Maybe you killed the Dalai Lama in a former life or something?" Sirius offered unhelpingly.

"Be serious for once in your life!" James yelled across the room

"BUT I'M SIRIUS ALL THE TIME!" Sirius roared with laughter.

"Oh please that joke is so over used." a voice said as a door opened to reveal Remus.

"Remus, you were always the girl-savvy one, help me! What on earth did I do to deserve all of this?"

Taking a seat on one of the chairs in the room, he sighed. It wasn't fair to James that Lily was getting married, but, after all, the girl had to go on with her life! Remus hadn't expected them to break up, no, but it seemed as though she was really set on never seeing James again. Breaking from his reverie, he spoke.

"Prongs, do you love her?"

"Yes, of course I love her. You know I do. I'd run through frickin' fire for her!"

"Yes, oh course I know that. But the question is, does she?"

"I don't know. But how could she not?" James cried.

"She did seem to think that your going out with her was all a joke." Sirius put in.

"But I gave her that note, I told her."

"James, this is Lily. She had her heart torn out of her chest by you. Would you put it past her to throw it away?" Remus reminded him.

"No, but, well…" James stammered.

"James, you say that you love Lily. Well, think about it. If she's happy with whoever her fiancé is, then doesn't she deserve happiness? Who are you trying to help, her, or you? What if she doesn't want your help? What if she wants to leave all of this, and you, behind?" Remus asked. It might not be his place, but James really had to grow up, and think about what he was doing.

Remus grabbed Sirius by the arm, and walked out of the room, leaving James to ponder those questions that he had just been asked, and wonder what he really wanted, and what Lily wanted, also.


The next day found Lily and James hunched over stacks of text, researching. It was the part of the job that Lily hated most, but she knew it had to be done. It was just so boring.

James, finally, broke the silence that had bound them. "So, you're getting married. When's the date?"

An odd topic of conversation, thought Lily, but she was too anxious for anything to break the mundane to question it. "Well, it's up for debate at the moment. It was going to be in a few months, but it's been pushed back, since I'm here. Why?"

"Well, you are my partner, and it works better if we know what's going on with each other. Anyway, so, what does he do for a living?"

Lily was very suspicious now, but continued. "He's a , well, um..." What did Rick do for a living? She knew... where was it? Oh great, she knew but she could not remember.

"You don't even know what he does? That might be a problem when you can't figure out where he goes every day..." James teased her, that old playful sarcasm drenched his taunt.

"I do know what he does, he's an auror," she said, finally remembering. Terrible timing, memory.She scolded herself.

"Oh. So he's a wizard at the French Ministry I take it?" he asked innocently

"Yes! Do you have a problem with that?" she snapped too hard back at him. The papers she was shuffling smashed together violently as a result of her annoyance. Lily wanted to think that it wasn't his fault, that the poor guy was just asking her a question, but something in the back of her mind warned her that these questions were most likely not just questions. James wanted to know what was going on with her fiancé, but that was something for her to know, and for him to possibly never find out.

"No," he hesitantly replied, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be prying,"

She looked up at him; he looked hurt. Maybe he was just concerned about her; after all, she knew that breaking up hurt him possibly a thousand times more than it hurt herself. That was saying something, because for a while after that day at the lakeside, she couldn't shake the images in her thoughts, heart, and dreams of his gorgeous perpetually messy hair, his luminous hazel eyes, and that astounding smile he would always have waiting for her. She broke her gaze and dropped her eyes to the next text she needed to read.

As the time passed, she let her thoughts wander. Scenes flashed through her mind, only seconds at a time. The time he had successfully asked her out that night, writing happily in her diary and giggling girlishly the moment she had read that awful note he and his had written, the itty-bitty pieces of paper floating down and then submerging themselves in the water at the lake.

Guilt suddenly panged at her heartstrings as she remembered that day. Lily had not even bothered to read the note. Part of her wanted desperately to retrieve it from the depths of the lake, piece it back together, and read it but she knew that would never happen. The time had passed, and what was done was done. It was irreversible. She would never know what James had wanted to tell her so long ago.

"Lily?" that smooth familiar voice broke into her slight reverie, "We probably should take a break for lunch. It's near one."

"Let me finish up one more thing." Lily replied.

There was silence for a moment, then James asked, quietly, "I know I've already pried enough, but, do you love him?"

Lily had no idea why he was asking these things, but she knew, she knew, that she had to answer. "Yes, I will." But he's not all I've ever wanted, you are, James. Oh, say something. Anything. Tell me you still love me. I'd give up the world for you to love me again. But he didn't tell her that.

He put his hands in his pockets, and gave her one long, last glance. "Then I wish you all the happiness in the world," he said, and walked out of the room.


Oh no, very sad. It's sad, so sad, it's a sad sad situation. And it's getting more and more absurd.

I had no idea this was coming, but I felt it. I'm sorry for the long wait. I have random bursts of inspiration a lot, and then for weeks or months I'm completely dry. Ah, well, suchly is life

I know this chapter was short, I'm sorry.

Now, I need to get a message across. Reviewing makes me update faster. If you give me inspiration, give me ideas, plot devices, and all that jazz, it goes even faster. SO please, do so, before my writer's block kills us all.

Now, to answer my beloved reviewers,

LostConscience-I'm terribly sorry. My teachers murdered me.

munch010- I enjoy driving people crazy. It's fun.

Prongsie-Jamesie- I was in a rather depressed and poetic mood at the time. I'm glad you liked it.

fred's girl- Thanks. I couldn't remember the exact serenity prayer, so just used what I recalled.

Telwyn Dubois- No, he can't die. I'm sorry.

Mika Rieu- We do, It's very sad.

ourlittlesecret7- YOU GAVE ME INSPIRATION! AND A BETTER NAME! (hug)

munch010- No, there is no need to throw a chair at me. None whatsoever.

Prongsandpaddy- No, normally I try not to use names of people I know. And the names not supposed to be nice. It's supposed to be vile, because he's in the way of Lily and James getting back together.

EmeraldEyedEvans- Anna cannot, or I will hurt her, And you.

sassafras029- Ack. That is all I have to say

The Sweet New Zealander- I know. Very sad.

NorberttheDragon- Yes, disturbingly violent.

Lily of the Valley23- She does. But will she act on it?

Stella Blu- Fun.

ThelovelyladyLily- Thank you.

InLuvWitRupert- It's okay. I actually wasn't sure about that line. I figured some people might be offended, but, no one told me so, so all is well.

PinkyTheSnowman- Yes, changing would work. You don't have to if you don't want to, though.

le manchot du destin- Yes, more on them in the next chapter.

Blah and Blahness,

Sally