Disclaimer: We don't own the Harry Potter ship, that belongs to J.K. Rowling. Plus, we're not even British. We do own May and Isabel and Andrew.

Authors Note: Enjoy this and please review. If you have any questions, please ask them in a review, we're very nice people, we won't bite. Thanks.

Abarraine and Charmelite. 2005.

When She Smiles:

Cinderella

November 1 - Lily

Why do all good things have to go bad? I get accepted to Hogwarts but lose a sister, I reach my goal in climbing the huge elm in my back yard, but fall and break my arm, May has a wonderful life, loving parents, but with Voldie's quick word, they disappear in front of her very eyes. I hate life.

But most of all, I hate seeing May hurt both mentally and physically.Never in my wildest dreams (and I have a huge imagination) would I have thought someone would try to abuse May in that way. May's my sister, her pain is mine. I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Last night, I fell asleep in James' arms. It was so secure. He was sitting on the couch and consoling me, and the next thing I know, I'm asleep in his arms. He was there for me when I was lost. What I said to him earlier was the truth, but I still needed his friendship. I'm so confused right now. Love, what is it really?

James woke me up about 1 in the morning when Sirius came down. I immediately went to see May.

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"May?"

"hmmm." May was laying in her bed, head propped upagainst her pillow and mine. Her dress was still on, flowing gracefully over the bed spread like a large, golden canopy. I tried to be strong for her, although at that moment I felt anything but strong, I'd never seen her so banged up.When I finally found the courage to look at her face, I was surprised to see that she was smiling.

"Lily, calm down," she asked casually. "It's not that big of a deal."

I was shocked, "Strong one, eh?" I forced a laugh as I sat down next to her.

"¡Claro! But whoever survived on strength alone?"

My heart swelled with emotion. How could May keep such strong faith in spite of all that was falling apart around her. I looked deeply into her clear and bright eyes, searching for something that might tell me whether or not she was being completely honest. I found nothing but truth, so I demanded one last answer from her. "May, how can you still manage to smile, how can you be so strong?"

May's eyes flicked towards the window for a moment and she began to respond slowly, "Lil, I saw my parents die..." She took a deep breath then met my eyes and smiled at me once more. "I prayed."

I smiled back, May was so faithful. I grabbed her and gave her a huge hug.

"Maya, I'm gonna grab some ice for you, unless you want that bruise to get even bigger."

"Kay. I'll probably be asleep when you get back...and Lily, I'm not as strong as I seem." She smiled a sad smile then turned on her side, her back towards me.

"No one is, May." I kissed her head and headed down to the common room.

()(while Lily was with May)()

"I'm gonna kill that ! Sirius muttered as he sat in the seat that was just vacated by Lily.

"I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to Lily. I think I'd have killed him." James glanced at Sirius. His eyes were red and he was leaning on the arm rest of the couch.

"She told me...she told me it was all her fault. How could it have been? She was deceived!" Sirius whipped his head back up to glare at Remus and James. "And that...that how the heck do I deal with this! First off, he hit on my girlfriend, then he bloody hit--"

"I never realized you cared that much for her." Remus said.

"I'd ask her to be more than friends, but... Dang it! She probably doesn't find me trustworthy."He responded half-heartedly.

"Who would?" Muttered Peter.

"What?" James asked after hearing half of Peter's comment.

"I said...I umm... I said... Why wouldn't she?"

"Idiot."

"James, what would you do?"

"Me? I told you, I'd have killed him."

"Seriously." Sirius grinned in the awkward moment.

"Give him a piece of my mind... and my fist. Anyone touches Lily, they pay."

"I'm gonna go find that bloody !" with that Sirius jumped up and marched out of the porthole, but not before Remus yelled his piece of advise.

"Padfoot, remember May... you commit a murder or get yourself expelled, how are you gonna protect May? Or start a relationship with her? Padfoot, don't do anything stupid. Please."

Sirius just looked back and nodded.

James, Peter, and Remus were still sitting on the couch discussing the episode when there was a soft noise on the girls' stairs.

"Lily? What are you doing?"

"Ice, I was gonna grab some from the kitchens for May's head. Helps with the swelling." James couldn't keep his eyes off Lily. She was still dressed in her gown and her hair was beginning to loosen, ringlets were falling down her back. She was beautiful, even then, and so caring. He couldn't picture Lily not looking beautiful.

Immediately he got the image of Lily in May's position. His face darkened for a moment. Lily was his life, even if she had rejected his question. He couldn't let anything happen to her, he made a promise to himself right there, that even if she may not be his, he would still protect her until the end. Forever.

"I'm coming." He jumped off the couch and grabbed her hand.

"Okay." James pulled her towards the door, but stopped abruptly when she let go of his hand. "Where's Sirius?" the look of question was written all over her face.

"Well... let's just say he went to pay some revenge." Remus said in the deepest seriousness.

"Your kidding? He'll get expelled! He should have just taken this up with Dumbledore! James," Lily turned to look at James once again. Her eyes pained. "We have to find him before he goes and kills that dirty piece of ."

Peter's jaw dropped, James grinned, and Remus' eyebrows almost reached his hairline, which wasn't much considering his hair was really shaggy.

"You... you... you just... swore!" Peter managed out, but with much effort.

"Your point? We'll be back soon, hopefully with Sirius and ice, maybe Sirius will need ice too..." James and Lily walked out of the porthole and into the cold hallway. All the lights had been put out. It was around two in the morning, the masquerade having ended at midnight; most respectable students were in bed or in their common rooms.

Lily shivered as a soft breeze blew through the hallway. James eyed her and slung his arm around her bare shoulders. Lily looked up and they made eye contact. Lily quickly broke away, feeling as though she had let him down.

"Lily, I just want you to know that I meant every word of what I said tonight. And... well..." James looked at Lily, her pale yellow gown shimmering in the moonlight, half her hair had come out and was falling freely down her small, glittery back. Her dainty wrists held her small, cold hands which were hugging her ribs and her feet were covered by soft slippers that made no sound at all. But most of all, he looked into her eyes. The expression in them was fear and pain.

He never wanted her to feel those. He couldn't express the way he felt about her right now, but he was determined to show her what he was made of. That he wasn't some pompous rich prankster, but that he was one person out of the billions of people in the world... and he loved her. Yes, he'd finally let himself think it. No more denial. After what had happened to May tonight, his love for the little girl beside him had heightened to an extent that he found he was almost incapable of holding in. He, James Potter, loved Lily Evans. "Lily, You'll always be here, won't you?"

Lily stopped, shocked, and looked up at James. His face held the utmost sincerity that she had ever seen. His mouth was partly open, waiting for her answer. His brows were furrowed, probably mentally bashing himself for saying it.

"Why would I leave?" Lily smiled up at him. He relaxed considerably.

"I mean, when we get older, out of Hogwarts. We'll still be friends, if--" He stopped himself from saying it, she wouldn't like that. But what he had meant to say was - if not more. "When your sixty and I'm sixty-one" Lily laughed at his randomness. "I'll floo over to your Victorian house and have a cup of your famous hot chocolate and then we'll go and ski the Alps."

"Of course I'll always be here. We'll always be friends." His face seemed to darken a bit, but then his smile returned.

"Friends." he replied as he took off his over coat and put it around the freezing red head.

"umm hmm."

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"Mum, what's for dinner?" An eight-year-old girl asked her mother while focusing on her coloring book. The princess was going to wear a yellow ball gown.

"Your father wanted spaghetti and meat balls,does that sound good, Mayan sun?" The little girl's mother was shaping meat and placing the rounded balls onto a cookie sheet.

"Mum? Why are you making them like that?" The mother laughed as her daughter drug her chair to the counter next to her mother. "Can I help?"

"Certainly! I'm doing it this way because I went to a muggle workshop and decided to try out the oven. I think of it as an adventure! No! May, wash your hands first!"

May retreated hesitantly towards the sink. "When is dad going to be home?" She asked while running her tiny pale hands under the warm, fragrant water.

"He's busy, he'll be late, he's playing the field tonight, hun."

"Again?"

The mother sighed. "Again."

The mother and daughter spent the following twenty minutes giggling and shaping meatballs into Christmas trees and stars and little M's. After May's mother put the meatballs in the oven and stirred the noodles, May went back to coloring in her muggle Cinderella book.

May's mother was obsessed with Muggles. She had asked for a muggle oven for her 11th anniversary and a television for their 12th. She stongly believed that in order to truly appreciate the gift of a magical life you had to understand and appreciate the alternative; the muggle way of life.

May's mother was breath-takingly beautiful. She had bright blue eyes and long, straight black hair. Her skin had a slightly olive tinge to it, and the most defining, yet beautiful, of her features were her high cheek bones. A gift from Italian relatives. She was of medium height, not much hope for her daughter, and always had a sparkle in her eyes.

Her name was Isabel, she'd come from an all wizarding family and had a wonderful childhood. She was an auror, as was her husband, Andrew. But Isabel worked as an undercover spy and healer, not on the field, as she liked to call it when talking to her daughter; the apple of her and Andrew's eyes.

Andrew held a long standing career at the ministry, he fought battles, took down the death eaters and many times dueled with Voldemort himself. He was one of the top aurors, along with Edward Potter.

Isabel and Andrew had married young, right out of Hogwarts. They had had May after settling down in a nice neighborhood and obtaining a stable auror job.

Isabel was rinsing the noodles when the fireplace in their spacious kitchen grew green. Inside was a head, Andrew.

"May, hun. Why don't you run upstairs and grab your salsa record, we can play it." The Delfin family had grown long accoustomed to salsa dancing around the kitchen during meal preparation.

"Sure Mum!"

"Isa, there wasn't any need to send May away, I have good news! There are signs that old Voldie's power is lessening and I've been given three days off... you too! So I'll be straight home as soon as I finish my report of Xzanderstin."

The man in the fire was handsome, if you could have seen him in proper light, you would have seen his sharp gray eyes and curly dark hair. He had a flashy smile and was grinning as though he were the luckiest man in the world.

"That's wonderful! I'm making spaghetti and meatballs! Come quick Andy. I'd kiss ya, but I'd rather not singe off my eyebrows." Isa gave a hearty laugh and turned to see May running into the kitchen.

"Found it! Hey dad! Gonna be home soon?"

"In half an hour!"

"Yeah!" May skipped around the kitchen, doing twirls and ballerina jumps. Her parents just smiled.

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"Wonderful dinner Isa!" Said Andrew, after they had finished their meal. "I think I'm ready for that game of chess, munchkin."

"Okay! I'll go set it up! I think I left it in the closet."

"Hmmm, I'm gonna start the fire in the study, we can play in there, while your mother reads her book."

"Sounds wonderful." Isabel said sweetly while she leaned in to give Andrew a loving kiss. As they locked themselves in each other's arms, they were suddenly interupted by a loud popping noise outside their front door. "Hmmm," Isabel raised her eyebrows in a suggestive sort-of way, "are we expecting any guests?" Andrew shrugged his shoulders while giving her alook of pure amusment. Isabel momentarily lost herself in his gorgeous smile and in his laughing eyes.

A louder thud echoed from the front door way. "Awww, must be important. I'll get it." Isabel reluctantly pulled away from her husband's warm embrace and headed towards the door.

"May, found it yet?" Isabel said to her daughter who was practically inside the hall closet.

"Almost got it." came the muffled reply.

"I'll help!" Andrew opened the closet door wider as Isabel opened the front door. There wasn't even enough time for Isabel to gasp as the green light hit her full in the chest. Andrew whirled around when he heard the curse, shoving May into the closet, trying to close the door. He whipped out his wand, but he wasn't fast enough for Voldemort got to him first.

The closet door never shut. May witnessed the murder of her parents right in front of her eyes. Thankfully, she had been in the closet so far that Voldemort had not seen her. Little May collapsed as the front door was slammed and she cried, too scared to crawl out of the closet. She had heard and seen everything, Voldemort and his death eaters had killed her parents, then in a matter of seconds destroyed nearly everything that she had ever been able to associate with 'home'. May remained motionless in that closet for what seemed like hours until the ministry officials arrived. She was lost within a state of unconciousness, misery, and disbelief. She could smell the smoke of what could only be her house burning, she could see her father's smooth face and her mothers slender piano fingers lying motionless on the floor. The only thing she could comprehend at that moment was one word. Alone.

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Lily and May woke up at the same time...to May's screams.

"May! May what's wrong?" Lily ran to May's bed and hugged the bawling girl.

"No..no..choke...noth...nothing. I.. I.. I just had a night hiccup a nightmare. Lil? Ever felt like you've been thrown away?"

With that last butchered question May collapsed into Lily's loving arms and wept herself to sleep. Lily couldn't help but cry; so much pain.

Lily fell asleep about an hour after May had cried herself to sleep. This day... night... had been horrible.

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November has finally come. I'm sitting here by the lake. I am thoroughly exhausted. Yesterday was too eventful.

May's beside me, sleeping. She told me about her nightmare this morning while I was french braiding her black hair. I'd never known how her parents had died, but when she finished we were both red in the face from crying so hard.

Now it's a little bit before dinner on an average Indian summer day. The pond is dancing in the sunlight. It's been a tough enough day. May seems to have gotten over last night, but then she's most likely just putting up a front. I really wish she wouldn't.

Sirius came back last night without one scratch. It was rumored all around the school this morning at breakfast that Diggory had done the unbelievable and someone had pounded him to a pulp for it. He was now in the hospital wing with a broken arm and a shower full of bruises.

Sirius was so angry. He wouldn't let May out of his sight. In fact, Remus, James and Sirius are here sitting with us. May is sleeping in Sirius' lap while he's running his fingers through the ends of her braids and gently over her bruise. He's twirling her ringlets around his fingers.

I've glanced at him and May enough to know that this is the beginning of a very close friendship for them.

James is reading one of the Lord of the Rings books while laying his head on my legs. I'm still wondering how that could be comfortable in the least! I'm so bony! He says he doesn't mind, maybe its his hair, that unruly hair.

He has also been by my side the entire day. I guess we now know what it feels like to be the Princess of England or even the daughter of president of the USA. We have our own secret service, I guess I don't mind. I mean after what so easily happened to May I fear for myself, especially with the Slytherins who all hate my guts.

Remus is laying on his stomach with a magnifying glass looking at all the creatures in the grass. Makes me squirm. In the last 5 minutes he has spotted eight different insects... and I'm sitting on the grass!

Well, as you can tell today has been very laid back. I've been getting a few looks sent my way from Joe, I feel so bad. I mean after I let him down and then I let James down, I feel like a failure and I don't know why.

For some reason I feel obliged to date him, but I think that's just my nice side, it's so hard to say 'no' to anyone. And the way he gave the rose to me last night scared me... I mean he seemed mad, or maybe he was just really sad.

Oh well, James is here... laying on my legs.

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That's chapter 2: please review. We love hearing comments.

Gracias --- Abarraine and Charmelite : 2005

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