Summary: Lily Evans has a charming and debonair boyfriend and great friends. But one summer, her life is turned upside down and she can't begin to imagine the ripple effect it'll cause on her life. Meanwhile, James Potter has always had eyes for only her but events cause him to make the heartbreaking decision of forgetting his unrequited love...

Author's Note:

freshie: Haha, I know. And thanks!

Celina Black: Since you're review is so big, I'll have to address it in parts – I love long reviews by the way D. First of all, it's cool. We all get caught up in summery things. I was inspired to write Majed's character because of something Anne Rice wrote in one of her novels (but he isn't just there for the sake of it; he actually has a purpose). I'm glad you liked the prank. I added it to make them more like the Marauders we know and love (despite the things happening in their lives). About the Voldemort-Holocaust connection…I have no idea how I realized it. I just remember telling my friend AnjaliMalfoy one day when we were walking to my house (and we saw the love of my life and he waved to me – lol). I know, it is a morbid twist. I don't know where I thought of it. Hmm…maybe that says something about my mind jkjk. Haha. Don't worry, I'm not usually a morbid person.

Skittles624: Haha, I didn't want anyone to suspect it.

Author'sNote (2):

Chapter Ten: So Lonely Inside

"If you want to,
I can save you.
I can take you
Away from here.
So lonely inside
So busy out there.
And all you wanted
Was somebody who cared."
-Michelle Branch, All You Wanted

"And Professor Dumbledore didn't want me to be on the committee for the Winter Ball?" Lily asked indignantly.

"Your Head Girl duties take up enough time, according to him," Amirah said. "We told him we wanted you to be on the committee with us, but like I just said he thinks you're too busy."

"Oh," Lily said, slightly crestfallen. Then again, Professor Dumbledore had chosen her as Head Girl. She groaned and tried to get comfortable.

"Are you all right?" Amirah asked, concerned.

"Yes – well – no…" she sighed. "This is really embarrassing, but my breasts have been hurting quite a bit."

Lily flushed as James and Sirius entered the room, but they obviously hadn't heard her.

"You look cute when you blush, Lils," said Sirius with a grin. "To what do we owe that honor?"

"Nothing," Chelsea interjected quickly. "Girl stuff."

She smiled wryly and turned to Amirah, who nodded in agreement.

"Nothing you guys would be interested in," Chelsea finished.

"I'll be right back," said Amirah, excusing herself.

She hurried over to Madame Pomfrey and told her about Lily's ailment.

"Ah," Madame Pomfrey said, knowingly. "They're full of milk. I'll get rid off it when she sleeps."

"How?" questioned Amirah with alarm.

"With a spell," Madame Pomfrey said, then raised her voice. "Now all of you better shoo! Lily needs her rest!"

"We just got here," Sirius said indignantly.

"Out, out, out!" commanded Madame Pomfrey. "Out now, or I'll throw you out!"

"We'll see you later, Lily love," Sirius said, rolling his eyes at Madame Pomfrey.

"Rest, darlin,'" James told her gently.

"Amirah, we've got to report to Professor Dumbledore anyways," Chelsea reminded her. "Bye, Lily. Don't worry, we'll be back tomorrow."

"I'm planning on being up as soon as possible," said Lily, forcing a smile. She grimaced then. "It feels like by cheekbones have been bruised."

"Ah," Chelsea said sympathetically. "Rest up, Lils. We'll see you tomorrow then."

Amirah and Chelsea hurried to Professor Dumbledore's office, Amirah brimming with guilty elation. She adored babies and would be able to care for this one as her own!

"I can't believe we have to keep Celina a secret from Lily, her own mother," Chelsea muttered, shaking her head, so her silky brown hair fluttered.

"Will this make it easier on you?" Amirah asked, her heart palpitating wildly. "Lily may be her biological mother, but I am her real mother."

"You're really into this idea, aren't you?" Chelsea questioned with a smile. "I'm glad you are. There'll be someone to properly care for her."

Amirah nodded and smiled, but the smile was evanescent. Lily loved children too. She had always dreamt of marrying young and having a baby at a young age. Currently, Lily was unmarried, but the child she so desired was there. Yet, she had no idea, and Amirah was basically…stealing this child from her mother.

The thought caused goosebumps to travel down her arms.

"Professor Dumbledore," Amirah said quickly, after entering the office. "I can't do it. I can't adopt Celina."

Chelsea turned to her, stunned.

"I understand," Professor Dumbledore said mildly. "Would you mind telling me why?"

Amirah explained her feelings to him.

"Perfectly understandable," he said, "but telling Lily is out of the question. I'm not sure she would be able to bear it. And wouldn't you want someone who cares about Celina and knows Lily to raise the child?"

"I guess," said Amirah uncertainly. She wanted this baby so much! And yet in the back of her mind it felt wrong. At the same time, she knew none of this was her fault. "All right, then."

"Would you like to feed her?" he inquired pleasantly as baby Celina began to wail.

She nodded and lifted the practically weightless babe into her arms. Carefully, supporting Celina's head, she sat down and took the bottle of milk Chelsea handed to her. Amirah felt her heart swell with joy as she sat cross-legged on Professor's Dumbledore's sofa and as Celina sucked on the milk bottle and swallowed up the milk. The baby held up a chubby little hand and waved it in the air with the adorable awkwardness all babies have.

One furious sweep of his hand contacted with Malfoy Junior's cheek. Lucius fell to the ground with a yelp of pain.

"Your foolish son ruined my plans," hissed Voldemort at Malfoy Senior.

"I had no part in this scheme," Malfoy Senior said stolidly, fixing his master with an unblinking eye.

Lucius glared at his father and wiped blood off the corner of his mouth. Damn that man for dragging him into Voldemort's circle of Death Eaters! If this hadn't happened, he would still be happily with Lily. Then again, it was partially his fault for driving Lily away, using his entrance into the ranks of the Death Eaters as an excuse to sleep with her.

"He has never been loyal to me," Voldemort said, lifting Lucius up by the neck. "You will be completely loyal to me. Say it, 'My lord, I will be completely loyal to you.'"

"My lord, I will be completely loyal to you," Lucius managed to choke out as Voldemort squeezed his neck.

Disgusted, Voldemort dropped him. "Your damned hormones. You were supposed to be there to take the baby and bring him to me, but that fool, Dumbledore got to her first. You know what that means, don't you?"

"No, my lord," Lucius muttered.

"Well, you'll know soon enough."

"Steady, there," James said, helping Lily up. Her shaky legs gave away, and she almost collapsed to the floor, but he caught her. Chelsea supported Lily from the back.

It was a couple of days later, and Lily insisted on being able to attend her classes, promising that if she fainted, she would agree to stay in the infirmary for a week or as long as necessary. She seemed on the way to fainting now, after trying fifty-odd times to stand and walk.

"Throw your arm over James's shoulder," instructed Sirius. "Use him as your crutch."

She clenched her teeth, trying to rid herself of the pain and did as he instructed. James helped her walk, and they inched out of the infirmary. Her friends, who included Sirius, Cerise (both were extremely polite to each other), Trevor, Chelsea, Remus, Peter, Helga, Majed, and Alice all clapped. Amirah was in Professor Dumbledore's office, although, according to Chelsea, she had wanted to be with her best friends.

"I feel like some sort of freak show," Lily sighed, gazing around at the friends who had accumulated about her.

"We all love you, Lils," said Cerise. "Isn't that right, Trevor, baby?"

"Yeah," Trevor agreed, as though he had known her all their lives.

Sirius rolled his eyes at Lily and said, "Sorry, Prongs. Looks like you've got another weight on your shoulders."

All of them at least cracked a smile at Sirius's pathetic joke.

"Can I ask you something?" Lily inquired of James.

"You already are," he said with a grin. "But go ahead."

"Where did your nicknames come from? I mean, where did Prongs…Padfoot, Moony, and…is it…Slugtail? No wait…" she trailed off confusedly, trying to recall Peter's nickname.

"Slugtail!" hooted Sirius. "It's becomes you, Peter."

"Sod off," Peter said, but he was smiling.

"It's Wormtail," laughed James. "You know what, darlin?' I just may tell you someday."

She honestly didn't know where Prongs, Padfoot, or Wormtail came from, but she had figured out in the fifth year that Remus was a werewolf (hence the nickname Moony).

"All right," she said. "Oh, and James – or, may I call you Prongs?"

"Definitely, Lils," he responded.

"Well, Prongs, with the promise that our relationship is purely platonic, I would like to tell you something," she said.

Sirius looked at James and crossed his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow. Lily didn't fail to notice his expression, which clearly asked, 'Can you honestly say yes?'

James pressed his lips together for a moment, then smiled at her, although it seemed slightly hesitant and wavering.

"Yes," he replied. "I promise you our relationship is completely platonic."

"All right," she said yet again, and smiled back at him. "I missed you a lot when you were upset with me."

For a moment, neither she nor James said anything, but both stood there, surveying each other carefully. Then she turned to her friends and Chelsea, Cerise, Alice, and Helga smiled knowingly. Sirius seemed like he was trying to decide between whether he was excited at the implications or ticked off because she wanted them to be just friends.

"Come on," James said. "Let's get to class."

"Yes," she agreed. "All of you should probably get to class too. We don't want to be late, do we?"

"Well, why ruin our reputation by being on time for once?" Sirius asked lazily.

"Get to class, all of you!" Madame Pomfrey said, coming in. "Now! Out, out! Go!"

"That's one good reason," Cerise said sardonically, without looking at him. She rose, and straightened out her mid thigh-length satin skirt, which looked far too fancy to wear on a regular day such as this.

James walked slowly, allowing her to keep pace with him. He really was an amazing guy. Lily wondered for a moment why she had detested him so greatly in the past and realized she didn't want to think about it.

As he undressed for bed, James had no idea what to feel. On one hand, he had never been so happy with his relationship with Lily. She didn't hate him, and they were friends. On the other hand, he loved her and didn't know if he could bear being just friends.

When he thought back to when he had first begun fancying her, he realized he hadn't liked her at first.

"Look at that one," Sirius said pointing a finger down the Gryffindor table. Even as first years and newly become friends, they noticed all the girls.

"The blonde one?" James asked, stupidly, looking at Cerise.

"No, no, the redhead," Sirius said. "I'm going to ask her out."

James eyed her and thought at that moment that she was…pretty, but didn't seem to unique or special. He laughed derisively.

"Do you think she'd agree to go out with you? She looks like too much of a good girl for that."

"You're right," Sirius said. "I'll lure her in slowly. I'll make her jealous and then I'll ask her out."

Sirius had failed, obviously, and given up as Remus began to fancy her for a while, then it was James's turn. Sure, it had been an immature love at first, but at this point, he knew he really loved her and…well…couldn't live without her.

He banged his fist on his pillow allowed himself to fall flat on his bed, chilly air on his bare back, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to wriggle under the covers.

After several days of getting back on her feet (and James's feet as well since he supported her half the time), Lily saw Lucius for the first time since that day. It seemed as though he purposely went out of his way to avoid her, and upon seeing him now, she felt a pit in the center of her stomach first and then she felt this helpless, intolerable rage boil up and consume her. It made her want to pummel something – namely him, or perhaps even herself for melting so surely under his charm (then again, she did believe he loved her).

"He's only a Slytherin," people told her, and she silently accepted it, but inside she knew it wasn't true. He was a human being and he had proved that he had a good, kindly side to him. It wasn't entirely his fault. In fact, it was rather like quicksand. Many people didn't realize they were standing in quicksand until they were up to their waists in it. Then, they struggled and the more they struggled, the faster they were sucked in.

It was the same way with him. The thing that frightened her most about this situation was the fact that Sirius' parents were like Lucius's father. She just hoped and prayed that he wouldn't be as cowardly as Lucius had turned out to be.

Lily also wasn't at all oblivious to the silent plea in James's eyes – a plea for understanding and love, but she had to ignore it because she had sworn to herself not to fall into the same situation again. Sure, James had rescued her, but at one point Lucius would have done so as well.

And now she was so lonely and she couldn't tell a single person about it because nobody would understand. Her heart was broken. She had to do something about it.

Sneak-peek Chapter Eleven:

"Why would Lily run away?" Chelsea asked agitatedly.

"I think she's out to short-fuse my temper," muttered Sirius.

"This isn't the time to joke around," Remus reprimanded.

"We care so much about her and she ran away from us?" Sirius continued seriously.

James just sat on a sofa, his face white. "We have to find her."

Author's Note: As always, please review and tell me what you think! I have a quick little quiz for you guys:

1) All biases aside, what do you think of Lucius Malfoy?

2) What do you think of Amirah and Chelsea?

3) Who do you think Sirius will hook up with?