Note: Highly mature situations in this chapter.

SORRY it's been forever. I have no idea where I disappeared to. This is the longest cliffhanger I have ever given...but here ya go. LoL!

Sorry again.

RECAP

Something was definitely wrong. The music had stopped, and people had begun to shriek wildly, the dancers squishing even tighter together.

Lily tried to worm her way through, but her efforts were to no avail. The darkness of the night seemed magnified by the tenfold, except she was standing almost right next to the blazing fire.

Only, the fire wasn't really blazing anymore. Lily was so shocked at this that she turned and saw the fire flash white, sending sparks far into the sky.

She screamed, and felt herself spinning as people crashed against her on both sides. The fire was now a bright, eerie green, but Lily could see something, something...

A black shape had appeared in the fire, flying high into the air before returning to a hovering state directly above the fire. The torches that people had stuck into the ground flickered, and Lily saw the light reflect off the eyes of the person next to her.

The thing that happened next was the most terrifying thing that Lily had ever experienced in her entire seventeen years of life.

The world went black.

The world went black.

Never before had Lily ever felt a darkness so consuming, so entirely terrifying. Like cold, prying fingers, the darkness seeped through her pores, sinking into her very soul.

Something was very, very wrong.

Frantically, Lily began to cry. There was nothing, nobody, absolutely no one. Even the people she had been brushing shoulders with were gone. There was no contact on any side of her. But the feeling of fear and anguish Lily felt then was nothing near what she would experience next.

And then, out of the nothingness, there was a bright flash of green. The wind roared, and Lily at last heard other people. The people around her screamed, and dull thudding noises echoed throughout the now-silent forest as they fell to the ground.

Strangely, Lily remained standing. The tears streamed, but Lily was still standing.

Then, another flash of green. Lily's eyes strained to see what it was, but it was gone too quickly, leaving her once again in quiet darkness.

Finally, the last flash of green, as if someone was striking a match. The flame ignited on something, and it took Lily's eyes a few seconds to realize that the flames were engulfing a person.

In fact, this person was floating above the once-roaring fire, whose embers were now simmering only slightly, their flames tinged with a slight green hue. The green tongues of flame were licking the hem of the person's black cloak, embracing his outfit like...like a lover.

As Lily's eyes traveled upwards, the face of the person was enough to make her scream aloud. It was...it was him.

Interesting.

The voice echoed throughout Lily's mind, and her smart brain quickly concluded that this..this man was a Legilimens. She tried to force the other thought out of her mind, the thought that she was standing face-to-face with-

"Who are you?" she asked, tears running down her face like raindrops. The figure merely cackled, an evil, high-pitched cackle that melted Lily's very bones.

It's interesting, Miss Evans, to think that this would be the place that I meet you for the first time. Indeed, I am quite shocked.

"Who the bloody fuck are you?" Lily screamed, the tears ceasing. There would be no more fear for her. It was now replaced by pure, undiluted anger. If this individual was foolish enough to pretend to know her, she would be foolish enough to stand up to..him, it.

Do you not know?

That was it. Lily sobbed quietly, and it seemed strangely loud to her own ears. This was him. He was trying to trick her into playing mind games until he finally decided to kill her. She braced her muscles, preparing to run fast and far into the other direction.

All around her, the dancers who had been knocked to the ground were standing up, looking confused. Lily willed them with her mind to get down...run, anything!

"RUN!" she screamed, turning on her heel and sprinting into the forest. She didn't look back.

The Dark Lord cackled once again, it's haunting tone flirting with the forest sounds, overriding Lily's own inner strength. She knew she had no chance of escape, especially when other dark, cloaked figures appeared around the fire, jumping into the crowd and attacking anyone in reach.

Lily tried to block out the horrible sounds of agony, and just run. But it was to no avail. The tears in her eyes blurred her vision, and she failed to see the tree stump that stuck obstinately up from the forest ground.

Lying on her face in the mud, Lily shivered. There was nowhere to go, no one to help her. It was strange that now would be the time for her to think about all the stories she had heard about Voldemort.

He had been running amok throughout Britain, killing random muggles with his ragtag group of miscreants. Lily had thought of him as a nuisance, a small occurrence that the Ministry would take care of. But no.

She could tell by the feel of terror, the cold, dead chill that erupted on her skin when he spoke, that this man would be terrorizing the world for years to come. He was more than a nuisance, he was a terror. Hearing about him in the papers was nothing like meeting the man in real life. He was evil incarnate.

Lily finally stopped crying, trying to hear over the screams of people in the distance. If one of the cloaked figures was going to come near her, she wanted to know about it. Above everything, she heard the diabolical laughter of the cat-eyed, devilish fiend that had spoken to her moments before. Lily shuddered again, and would have missed the sounds near her if she had not felt a twig snap near her face.

Her head immedietely snapped up, and Lily was forced to choke back a scream.

"Steven!" she whisper-screamed, crawling over to his prone body. The boy was laying on his side on the damp ground, dark blood staining his cloak. His face had paled, yet she could see his lips standing out strangely from the paleness. His eyes were huge and intense, beckoning her closer.

"Lily." he whispered through his cracked, blood-stained lips. Lily picked up his head and placed it in her lap, crossing her knees under her. She could tell that his side was cut open, along with his cheek. She also realized there was nothing for her to do.

The tears came almost silently, blinding her with their saltiness. They dripped along the edge of her nose, landing on the corner of Stephen's chin.

"Prophecy." Stephen said suddenly, startling Lily. She blinked the tears away and looked back into his eyes, startled again when she saw that they were different, they had changed from earlier.

"Prophecy? What prophecy, Steven?" she asked quietly, stroking the damp hair away from his forehead. Lily had no idea what the Deatheaters had done to him, and she also knew that any charms she tried to administer on him could reverse their healing effect and just kill him quicker. She tried to block out that part of her mind that was thinking about this boy that she hardly knew was dying in her very arms.

"About you and," Stephen broke off coughing, a bubble of blood forming at the edge of his lips. "Potter."

"Potter?" Lily asked, bewildered. She was so disoriented, confused, and frightened out of her mind. The only thing that was going through her mind at that moment was: Potter? I know a Potter? Oh. I wonder where he is right now...

"Yes. Don't let her get at you! She will use the Imperius, Lily!" Stephen then began to cough, and Lily's tears returned with new force. Great, racking sobs issued from the girl as she felt the life slip wordlessly out of this young man's body, leaving nothing in her arms but a shell of a being.

Lily felt herself hit the ground, but she did not feel the gentle fingers that brushed her cheek.

Lily awoke to feel herself squished between two walls. Her head was spinning angrily, (probably an aftermath of the alcohol) and her right wrist was throbbing rather painfully. Upon opening her eyes, she immedietely began to cry again.

"Shhhh..." someone said, and Lily nearly swallowed her tongue. Her quick mind quickly deducted that no, she was not caught in the clutches of a villain, and no, she most certainly could not be where she was at this moment.

Could her life get any worse? She moaned quietly.

A boy had just lost his LIFE! He had been laying in her LAP! Did she HAVE to wake up squished between a brick wall and...James Potter?

She moaned again, but this time a hand clapped over her mouth. Lily struggled for a moment, and then the moments of the previous hour came flooding back to her.

"Quiet." James hissed, his warm breath hitting the exposed shell of her ear. "I've only just gotten us away. Do you want to get us caught again?"

Lily shook her head as best she could, with her head up against the wall and James' huge hand over her face. With the sane half of her mind, she tried to comprehend the situation. The other half just wanted to quail under this boy's strong, hard body and never come out.

Any other time Lily would have fought and struggled until James left her alone, but her very life was in danger. She could see through a small crack between James' hair and ear. She could see the Forbidden Forest in the distance, along with the rippling calmness of the lake.

Somehow, James Potter had managed to lug her unconcious body from its spot in the woods all the way to this niche in the Hogwarts castle (where they were very well hidden by the way).

The night closed in about them, and Lily shuddered again. She was terrified that he would jump out and start speaking in her head again, in that voice of his. It was as if his very voice had murdered Stephen, the Ravenclaw with dead eyes. Lily shuddered a third time, trying to get the vision of Stephen's glassy visage out of her mind.

"Evans?"

Lily heard James' voice again, in the dim corner of the other half, the insane half of her mind. He must have been saying her name for a few minutes because he sounded mildly irritated.

"Yes?" she choked out, her once-pretty voice coming out in a horrible croak.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly. Only now did Lily realize that his hand had slipped from her mouth to her shoulder, where it was kneading her skin slowly, comfortingly.

She was about to nod when she shook her head. She didn't think she'd ever be okay again. To her complete astonishment, James buried his head in her shoulder, his arms slipping about her waist and pulling her away from the wall and completely onto him.

Lily would have collapsed if his strong arms had not held her up. She had never felt so vulnerable in her entire life. And to think, it just had to be him. James Potter.

"Let's go into the castle." the dark-haired boy who was holding her said, after a few minutes of just human comfort. Lily nodded against his cotton shirt, feeling the wetness of her tears that had dampened his shirt front.

James released her, and Lily felt a strange sense of loss. However, his warm hand reached out and grabbed hers, his fingers stroking hers as he gently tugged her out of their crevice. Lily realized that she was covered in a silvery cloak of some kind. An invisibility cloak, her sane mind concluded.

James Potter owned an invisibility cloak.

She shrugged mentally. Details, Evans. Minor details.

The walk from the niche in the wall to the doors of the Great Hall seemed entirely too long, and Lily clung to James the entire time. She was sure he was getting some sort of sadistic pleasure out of this, but she didn't care. Didn't care.

She couldn't remember how James had opened the door, couldn't remember walking up the stairs, but somehow they did, and here they were.

Lily came to her senses again just when they were about to enter Gryffindor common room. There was the portrait hole, there was the fat lady. Everything was normal-perfect even. All untouched by the evil that was happening outside.

James was about to open his mouth to say the password, but something stopped him. His dark eyes traveled down to hers, and Lily gasped.

She knew what he was offering, she knew. And she wanted it. She didn't want to go into the common room, not with everything perfect and pristine and her being so...so dirty and wrong. She didn't want to ruin that perfection, not after what she'd seen.

Lily twined her fingers even tighter against James' and nodded. She let her eyes lock with his for a few seconds, and saw something flick through his brilliant orbs. It was...triumph? Joy?

She shrugged mentally again, willing herself not to care, not to think. Tonight was for her.

James led Lily along an unknown corridor, lifting her up the trick stairs and sheilding her from the gaze of the poltergeist, Peeves. Lily had no idea where they were going, but it didn't matter.

James still had her hand, and he was leading her along a dark hallway.

When he reached a spot in the wall, he stopped so suddenly that Lily went 'thunk', her head hitting right between his shoulder blades. She looked up at his shadowed face, wondering what was going through his mind.

He seemed to be concentrating hard enough, but on what? Lily hadn't the faintest idea what was contorting his face into that thoughtful expression. She looked over at the door and jumped when she saw the door that had appeared out of nowhere. It was a curious door, with runes and moon-markings scratched into the top, as if by the work of an ancient artist.

The wood was gently polished, and a silver moon carving stood out plainly of the oak, mezmerizing Lily. She nudged her enemy gently in the ribs, wondering.

"What is it?" she asked, meaning the door.

"The entrance to the Head boy's room." James said, and Lily wondered why she did not know this already. Oh, yes! That's right. This was her enemy. This was James Potter. They didn't normally converse about topics such as these. Actually, they didn't really converse at all.

James touched the wall, and Lily noticed how his fingertips slid into small impressions in the door, opening it automatically. The door was soundless, opening inward into a circular, well-decorated room.

Lily's head spun once more. What was she doing here? Her hands tingled at the remembrance of the past few hours, and unbidden, the face of Steven popped into her mind.

She stopped just before going over the threshold of the room. James tugged on her arm, but Lily would not budge. James finally resorted to hooking one arm under the back of her knees and one under her back, lifting her small form easily into the room.

The room was painted a dark chestnut color, and Lily was oddly reminded of Tevyn's vibrant hair, but she quickly shook this thought away, thinking dimly about the boy who was currently holding her. The lights were not turned on, and she could not see what he was thinking by looking at him.

He carried her all through his room and into an ajoining room, which turned out to be the bathroom. James instantly sat her down and turned on the tap to the bathtub, coming over to her and beginning to peel off her clothes, layer by layer.

Lily did not even think twice about this, her mind still miles away, thinking about death and destruction. What would happen if Voldemort's ilk managed to get ahold of her family? What would she do in this world?

She was still thinking about this when she felt herself being lifted gently into the warm water, feeling a sponge run all over her body. James washed away the blood, (Stephen's blood, Lily thought grimly) the dirt, and the grime from being shoved up against a brick wall.

He slid his calloused fingers through her long hair, cleaning it with a sweet-smelling shampoo that smelled like something familiar that Lily could not place. Afterwards, he pulled her out of the tub, drying her thoroughly with a fluffy, huge towel.

He then carried her back into his room, depositing her on his four-poster and putting one of his long, clean smelling t-shirts on her. Lily only paused to think about all of this when he pushed her under the covers, pulling them up to her chin.

James turned to walk away, pulling off his shoes and switching out the light. Lily sat up, suddenly afraid.

"James!" she cried to the darkness. She did not want to be alone on this night, this horrible, horrible night. She heard him pause, heard his stockinged feet pad lightly back over to the bed. "Don't leave me." she whispered, clutching the bedclothes.

She did not relax until she felt the left side of the bed sag under his weight, felt him roll beneath the covers.

"Scoot over." he said, his voice silky. Lily obeyed, feeling her knees brush his under the sheets. She cowered for a moment, but finally her eyelids drooped from exaustion, and her grip on the covers eased.

Lily awoke a few hours later to a horrible nightmare about the eyes of Lord Voldemort. She whimpered, nearly jumping out of her skin when she felt someone touch her.

She relaxed, however, when she was pulled up against a warm, strong body. James stroked her now-dry locks, which were lying unbound on the white pillows. He softly crooned to her, bringing her back from the world of dreams. As he played with her loose locks, he realized what a perfect fit she was for this bed.

Her creamy skin was set off by the starkness of the sheets, her vibrant hair spilling softly like warm, shining toffee atop the pillows. He felt muscles tighten as her soft body nestled up against him.

Lily's eyes were wide and fearful, and she looked up at him in surprise. She dried her tears for what seemed like the hundredth time that night, her brilliant green orbs gazing deep into his.

"James." she whispered, deathly quiet. Her eyes burned his with an unspoken question, a need.

James groaned inwardly, fearing for his sanity. He knew he should not take advantage of her vulnerability, her fear. It would be to comfort her, to drive away all the fear and pain she had just witnessed. How could he turn down an offer like that from a girl he had been in l-no. had fancied for the past seven years?

He shrugged. He couldn't, and that was that.

Lily was not expecting The Kiss. The Kiss happened with frighting speed, containing an air of gentleness and tenderness she had never experienced before. She had been kissed, oh yes, but nothing like this. The Kiss was different, it was James. Her lips parted instantly, allowing his tongue to push past them and enter her warm, moist mouth.

His tongue traced every tooth, inspected every corner, and Lily groaned against him, her mind whirling in passion. The Kiss was special, and she was certainly not denying that.

James' hands came up to her waist, pulling her against him and letting his hands explore her body. It was just as he had always imagined, with Lily eagerly helping him at every turn. His mouth finally left hers, leaving them both gasping for breath.

Lily felt his lips on her eyelids, her cheeks, her chin, and she nearly moaned again when he began to explore the swanlike column of her neck with his lips, teeth, and tongue. Gently, his fingers gripped the edges of the t-shirt she was wearing, pulling it up and over her head and throwing it away from them.

Lily shivered at the sudden exposure to the night air, but James quickly warmed her by covering her with his body. His hands sneaked up to her breasts, cupping them and kissing them gently. Lily looked at him in wonder as his mouth fastened onto a nipple, but there was no time for thought when he began to tug on it with his lips and tongue.

She arched against him, her arms snaking up and her fingers raking frantically through his hair, fiddling with the buttons on his shirt. She actually managed to open a few before James moved to the other breast, wreaking the same havoc on her senses.

He then stopped, and Lily wanted to cry. It had been so good. He looked at her, his eyes smouldering. She reached for him, but he stood up, quickly divesting himself of the rest of his clothes.

Lily pulled him to her with eager hands as soon as he got back onto the bed, and their two bodies locked together, every curve fitting perfectly. She had never felt so alive in her entire life. She wanted to kiss him, but James leaned down again, continuing his exploration of her torso.

His hands moved across her waist, spanning it and gently caressing the soft skin there. His finger even dipped into her navel, and Lily arched again, moaning. But she stopped moving altogether when she felt his fingers tap along the insides of her thighs. He then moved closer, his mouth going along the same route.

Lily shuddered when she felt him slip a finger oh so slightly into her, and it was then that she realized the magnitude of the act they were about to perform. This was James Potter...James Potter who was making her feel so good. Lily had a feeling she was making a huge mistake, but right now, she was beyond caring.

His finger pushed in and out of her a few times, and Lily felt herself teetering, teetering...then oh yes. Her body shuddered with such an intense pleasure that it hurt. James felt her finally go over the edge and pulled her to him, not nearly finished yet. He was extremely aroused, and he knew that there was no turning back now. He fastened his lips to hers again, pressing her against his naked body.

Lily gripped his arms tightly, and without warning he plunged into her. Lily got the strangest feeling of tearing, and a bit of pain, but then he was inside of her with wonderful fullness. It was mildly uncomfortable at first, but then James began to move, sending Lily completely over the edge.

The two young people both flew high that night, both experiencing a depth of passion they had never even imagined. When it was over, James rolled away, pulling Lily into his arms and falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.