HELLO MY WONDERFUL READERS! AND A BIG THANKS TOO...THESE GUYS! AND MY OTHER REVIEWERS THAT DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO UPDATE BECAUSE I HAVE TOO MUCH TIME ON MY HANDS!!!!

Taylin: no prob. sirius is insane. nobody knows what goes on in that crazy head of his. : )

Sweet Misery.23: i'm glad you really liked that chapter. i hope you like this one just as much. maybe a little less 'cause the lst chapter was my favorite too. ; )

secludeddark: good. here 'tis!

cherokeegirl47: i'm glad you really like it and that you found this story!

lilred-07: thank you!

Citronella: trust me, it is so-o-o-o not like a typical LJ fic. : )

Marauders-Wzrd10: here's the next chap just for u!


CH. 4

Keely stood on a step stool in the kitchen of their small two-bedroom apartment helping her mother wash dishes. She would turn four tomorrow and she was still upset about something. She stared down the long, dark, marble countertop and sighed. She was very close to her mother, but she knew her mother had secrets. 'I'm almost four and I know so much about life.' Keely thought and sighed.

"Mommy?" Keely finally asked. Lily looked at her daughter as the young girl dried a dish.

"What is it sweety?" Lily asked, scrubbing a cooking pan. A few bubbles soared into the air and danced around until they ran into each other and popped. Songs of a bird flew through the open window and seemed to hang there until Keely spoke again.

"Why doesn't daddy live with us?" Lily stopped scrubbing and stared into the soapy water. James had asked the exact same thing a week ago. Lily thought back to that day.

Flashback

It was a cool January day and Charly and Sirius were watching Keely so Lily and James could go out. Lily sat on an old swing in the park as James pushed her higher and higher. Wind blew through Lily's hair as she laughed. A few leaves fluttered down the street and the merry-go-round creaked. A large oak tree shaded a small pond filled with water lilies. Lily laughed as she went higher until she could see the backyards of some of the nearby houses. A small dog ran around in the grass of one backyard and tow small children played in another. The sky was dappled with fluffy white clouds and bird songs. Lily loved the sensation of being in the air with and just lost herself in the moment. The swing stopped as it came down again and James wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck.

"I love you." She whispered and he sighed.

"If we love each other as much as we say we do, then why do we live in separate apartments? Why don't we wake up next to each other every morning? Why don't we make ice cream Sundays with Keely? Why don't we sit at home at night and eat dinner? Lily, I don't want to go to bed wishing you were there with me. As my wife." James said. Lily stood up and shook her head.

Flashback

Lily hadn't been able to answer James then, she had only said she wasn't ready yet, and couldn't think of an answer to give her daughter. Dropping the pan back into the soapy water Lily quickly dried her hands on the dishrag Keely held and swept her daughter up into her arms and walked out the front door, not bothering to lock the door behind her.

"Where are we going?" Keely asked slightly surprised.

"I need to ask your father something." Lily answered and buckled Keely into the backseat of her are and got into the front. Starting the old buick Lily smiled to herself and began to drive to James' apartment. Lily's smile faded as she got closer to James' apartment as a dire feeling came over her, she began to drive faster. Keely sat straight up in her seat as Lily began to race down the empty streets.

"Mommy, what's wrong?" she asked softly and Lily ripped around a corner and into the parking lot of James' apartment. Lily turned in her seat as she unbuckled her seatbelt and looked straight into the childs frightened eyes.

"I don't know. All I know is something is not right. Honey grab my invisibility cloak and put it on." Lily ordered. Keely obeyed and unbuckled her seatbelt and shuffled around in the seat pocket for the cloak. As soon as she had pulled it around her shoulders Lily pulled out her wand.

"Keely, I'm going to make the cloak stick to you, but I need to be able to find you so I want you to stay buckled in your car seat. I'll put a heating spell on the car because it's cold outside. Can you be a good girl and do that for me?" Keely nodded and pulled the hood over her head and watched as her mother said the spell. She climbed into her car seat and buckled the latch.

"Thank you baby." Lily said and before she exited the car, taking the keys, she heated it with a quick spell.

Lily locked the car as she slammed the door and rushed up the stairs to James' apartment. As she got to the door she pounded her fists on it and yelled for James. There was no answer. She knew James was home because she had spoken to him earlier that morning and he had said he'd be home all day. Worried sick Lily pounded on the door again, but this time she heard a thump, as if someone had been thrown against a wall. Lily whipped out her wand and blasted the door open. There stood a chuckling Death Eater and James slumped against the floor. When the door was blasted open the Death Easter froze for a moment. This gave Lily the perfect opportunity to curse him.

"Stupefy!" screamed Lily as the Death Eater stood there puzzled. The Death Eater fell backward hard onto the wood floor. "Incarcerous." Lily said smoothly and thick ropes flew from the tip of her wand, binding the man tightly. Bending down she grabbed his wand and walked over to James. It seemed that the only damage done was him hitting the wall and knocking him out. Lily bent over him and kissed his lips.

"Oh James, you gotta stop getting into trouble like this." Lily laughed halfheartedly and stood. Dragging the Death Eater to the door she tossed his bound body outside the door and put several spells on the door to lock it. Running to the fireplace Lily tossed floo powder into the fire she stuck her head in and shouted for Dumbledore's office. Soon the swirling emerald flames died down and Lily could see all the swirly thingamabobs and shiny whats-its in Dumbledore's office.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Lily called out from the fire. A figure jumped up from a visitors' chair and turned around. A shiny Heads badge caught Lily's eye.

"You must be Head Boy." Lily smiled at him. He nodded wide-eyed.

"Congratulations. Could you do me a favor?" the tall lanky boy nodded and stepped forward. Lily noticed his Gryffindor tie and mousy blonde hair.

"Could you get Dumbledore for me? Tell him it's an emergency." Lily told the boy.

"He's in an important meeting with the staff." The Head Boy said. Lily sighed. She pulled her head back and threw the floo powder into the fire again. This time she stepped fully into the flames and shouted for Dumbledore's office. Soon she stumbled out into the large office and found the same boy she had spoken to just a moment before. He seemed very startled.

"Hello." Lily smiled cheerfully at the boy. Lily swept the dust from her muggle clothes and looked back at the boy.

"Now, what is your name?" Lily asked him.

"Donavon Casters." The boy replied. Lily smiled and held out her hand.

"Lily Evans. I was Head Girl about five years ago." She shook his hand and then looked him in the eye.

"I need you to take me to Dumbledore now. This has to do with the rising power of Voldemort." Lily said grimly. Donavon winced at the name but nodded his head and began to walk out the door. Lily followed him down the winding stairs and into a corridor. Walking quickly they went to the staff room where Donavon knocked on the door.

"Yes Mr. Casters?" McGonnagle peered around the door.

"Professor, I am sorry to interrupt but there is a Lily Evans here to see Dumbledore." Donavon said motioning toward Lily, standing behind him.

"Miss Evans! What a surprise." McGonnagle said beckoning her to come in. Lily turned to Donavon and thanked him before entering the staff room.

"Professor, I am here about Voldemort's followers." Lily said grimly and watched as the rare smile on McGonnagle's face disappeared.

"Oh my." She said and led her to Dumbledore.

"Albus, Miss Evans is here." McGonnagle told the elderly wizard.

"Ah, Miss Evans, What can I do for you?" Dumbledore asked the grim woman.

"A Death Eater has attacked James Potter. I need you to come." Lily said quickly. Dumbledore nodded and rose. Following Lily out of the staff room and back to his office where they flooed back to James' apartment. James still lay against the wall. Dumbledore looked around and then to Lily.

"Where is…" but he was cut off as Lily took the many spells off the door and opened it to reveal the Death Eater, still bound, laying in front of the door. Dumbledore nodded and whisked his wand in the air. The Death Eaters' mask flew from his face to reveal a scarred and beaten face. Lily turned in disgust and pointed her wand at James.

"Enervate." She said and earned a great moan from James. 'Good, the reviving spell worked.' James looked around wide eyed and sat up.

"How?" he asked Lily as he looked at the Death Eater.

"I was coming over to ask you something and I just had this feeling of impending doom." Lily sighed and held out a hand to help him up. James took it and stood easily. A knock at the open door and Lily turned.

"Albus, you contacted me?" Cornelius Fudge stood in the doorway with his awful bowler hat. Dumbledore nodded and pointed to the Death Eater.

"Cornelius, it has begun. This Death Eater attacked James not to long ago. We are thankful Lily needed to ask James a question and felt it important to get here as soon as possible or Mr. Potter may not have lived." Dumbledore said grimly. Fudge nodded and took the Death Eater away.

"I would like you two to come back to my office. I need to speak with you about an organization." Lily and James nodded.

"WAIT!" Lily screeched and bolted out into the parking lot with the two men right on her heels. Lily unlocked her car and wrenched the back door open, unbuckling the car seat she pointed her wand at it and threw an invisibility cloak off a frightened almost four year old child.

"Keely! Oh, sweetheart. Are you alright?" Lily asked the little girl as she picked her up and held her close.

"Ok, we can go now." Lily said softly, talking to Dumbledore but speaking into Keely's shirt.

"Who is this?" Dumbledore asked. Lily looked up shocked.

"Oh, sorry. This is my daughter. Keely Jamesina Evans." Lily said looking at the elderly headmaster before her. He simply nodded.

"Alright, let us go. I need to contact the others." Was all Dumbledore said and walked away, toward James' apartment. Lily and James looked at each other and shrugged, following Dumbledore to the fireplace. Keely squirmed a bit but stayed in Lily's arms. As she stepped into the floo Lily smiled at Keely.

"Hogwarts!" Lily yelled and with Keely still in her arms they spun faster and faster until they stopped in the Gryffindor fireplace.

"Whoops! Went one too far." Lily laughed at the astonished faces of some of the children doing their homework in the common room.

"Hello!" Keely said to a girl that looked to be in her sixth year. Smiling she introduced herself.

"Hello ma'am. I am Carly Liel. I'm Head Girl. May I help you?" she asked. Lily nodded.

"Yes thank you. I miss this common room. I am going to Dumbledore's office and if it wouldn't be too much trouble, would you get me a blanket for my daughter?" Lily asked still smiling at the girl. Carly looked between Lily and Keely and laughed.

"No problem, she's your adoptive daughter right? You can't have been out of Hogwarts for a year!" Lily laughed at this.

"Nah, she's my real daughter. I've been out of Hogwarts for about five years. Thanks for the compliment though." Lily smiled widely and looked at the girl more closely.

"You're Brian Liel's kid sister aren't you?" Lily asked her. The girl nodded and cocked her head to one side with a puzzled look.

"I was in his year. I remember you. You were the one that almost fell out of the stands at the last quiditch game of the year." Lily chuckled lightly. Carly blushed and nodded her head.

"You must be Lily Evans then. You were Head Girl then." Carly smiled as Lily nodded her head.

"This must be James' daughter too then." Carly smiled brightly at the child. Lily nodded.

"Well, I'd better be on my way then." Lily excused herself from the girl.

"Wait!" Carly yelled as she scampered up the girls staircase. She appeared a moment later with a light green blanket.

"Here go." She said out of breath from the run. Lily took the blanket and wrapped it around Keely.

"Thank you. Tell Brian I said hi." Lily smiled and walked out the portrait hole and down a few corridors to Dumbledore's office. Standing on the moving staircase she reached the large door and knocked.

"Come in Miss Evans." Dumbledore's voice called and Lily opened the door to find James, Charly, Sirius, Remus, Tori, Alice, and Frank standing there waiting for her. Lily gave a false laugh.

"Sorry, got caught up in talking to the new Head Girl." Lily gave a semi-shrug. Keely giggled as she saw the other grown ups role their eyes. Lily stepped up with the rest of the group and set Keely down to give her back a rest.

"I have called all of you here today because I would like you to join the Order of the Pheonix." Dumbledore said grimly. "It is up to you, you do not have to join. I have started this organization because of the rising power of Voldemort. We are like the Aurors but we are more subtle. No one knows about us. And no one must know about that child." Dumbledore said the last part pointing at Keely who sat playing with her mothers shoelaces. Lily looked down at Keely.

"Why?" she asked curiously.

"I cannot tell you that now but no one else must know about this girl until it is time." Dumbledore said with a note of finality about the sibject.

"I'll join." Lily said. Everyone looked at her.

"It is very dangerous Miss Evans." Dumbledore said, not expecting Lily to be the first to join.

"I know. The entire world is at danger. I want to do something about it." Lily said.

"I'll join too." James said with a nod.

"Me too." Sirius said and glanced at James who was looking at him.

"Yeah, and me." Charly said boldly.

"I'll join too Professor." Remus said.

"Us too!" Alice and Frank said.

"I'm joining!" Tori smiled. Dumbledore held out a quill and pushed a piece of parchment with many other signatures toward them. Lily snatched the quill and signed her name. James took the quill after her and signed under her signature.

"Hey, wait a sec. Lily, you misspelled your name." James said poking Lily in the side. She bent over the parchment and shook her head.

"No I didn't. It looks perfectly fine to me. Or it will look perfectly fine to me in a month or so." Lily said seriously. She looked at James who stared at her as if she were mad, then understanding dawned on his features.

"YES!" he yelled as he picked Lily up and kissed her soundly. The others stood there puzzled as to what was going on until Charly pointed to the parchment.

"She gonna marry him!" she said clapping her hands together.

"What?" Sirius asked. Charly showed him how Lily had written her name.

"OH! Lily Rae Evans Potter! Finally Prongs! It's about bloody time." Sirius laughed and clapped his friend on the back.

"Alright, alright, back to signing the parchment!" Lily smiled. Sirius was the first to grab the quill again. Charly laughed and gently swatted his head.

"Geez Siri! Nice of you to share!" she giggled. "Well, now where gonna have three weddings huh?" dead silence.

"What?!? Gosh! Sirius proposed last night over a romantic dinner! Remus proposed two weeks ago and James proposed like five years ago and Lily finally said yes! See! One, two, three weddings!" Charly said ticking her fingers.

"Wow." Lily smiled. "Back to signing!" she snapped back out of her wedding daze and glared at the ones who hadn't signed yet. Hastily grabbing the quill they finished and Dumbledore rolled the parchment up with a twinkle in his eye.

"The first meeting will be in three weeks. We will send word of where it will be held and the time and date." Dumbledore smiled.