Chapter edited and reposted – 24th July 2006

Okay, I've added a lot more description and there's a little more 'what Lily and James feel about each other' now. And a lot of spelling changes.

Disclaimer: Lets see… I own Tash, Bali, Apollo, Ramton, Amie, Invocatum, Cestor Morandum, Tracostor Maxima, Cantareus (this is one of my favourites!) And Carpe Retractum…oh no wait, that belongs to Warner Bros, it's from several of the HP games. Okay there is the list. I don't even own the title! Lady Mearle thought of that, along with Jenny who therefore is also not owned by me.

A/N: K I haven't done reviewer responses because a little elf named Legolasgurl88 told me that we can't do them anymore. And I don't want to risk having my story deleted so sorry guys but I won't be responding any more. But that doesn't mean that you still can't review! REMINDER If the story were to be deleted I'd repost on mugglenet.

Thanks to the following reviewers: Thank you soooooo much guys!

Tai Greywing, MoonylovesFlo, Sparrowgurl66, obsessivescottishdemocrat, bl, Ashley, WhiteCamellia, iluvgerardbutler, Alex, Fairy-GYAKUTENNO-MEGAMI and jazzmatazz

Chapter 13

Lily dragged her trunk up the stairs to her bedroom. She unlocked the basket and let Apollo out before sitting on her bed. She was glad to be home. She missed her family and the house she had grown up in. There was a light dusting of snow falling outside. She saw her father's car pull out of the driveway again. He was going to pick up Petunia and Vernon for dinner.

The only bad thing about being home was that she was away from James and the rest of her friends. She missed Hogwarts, and this was her last year. After this she and the rest of her friends were on their own, fending for themselves in the middle of the war against Voldemort. They were already having their families ripped apart around them, how long before the same evil tore into her own life?

Shaking the dark thoughts out of her head, Lily got up and went back downstairs. She glanced around at the front hall and at the photographs on the walls. She inhaled the scent of lavender water and baking and she finally felt home.

Her mother was in the kitchen filling the kettle. She looked up and smiled as her youngest daughter entered the room.

"Hot chocolate Lily?"

"Please," Lily sat down at the table, looking around the kitchen.

"You've repainted," she said.

"Yeah I decided I was in a decorating mood," her mother said. "So I just went out and bought the paint and got started. Your father was surprised to find the kitchen blue when he returned from work."

Lily smiled again. She could just picture her father's face. She rather liked the colour. It was slightly refreshing especially after worrying about the war plaguing the wizarding world.

"So how has school been so far? I barely received any letters," there was a twinkle in her mum's eyes and Lily had a shrewd suspicion that she knew the reason for so little correspondence.

"I would have written more but we got a lot of work this term. And all goes towards our NEWTs," Lily said. "Plus head duties."

"Ah I can see why that would cause an absence of letters," her mothers eyes twinkled even more. "I suppose any remaining time was spent with James wasn't it?" Lily couldn't help but smile.

"I guess," she said. "We hang round with him and his friends quite a bit. And he's head boy too. So we started talking a bit during patrolling."

As she said it, Lily couldn't help think how quickly everything had happened. It seemed only the other day she had been in sixth year and she had hated him. The concept was foreign to her now. She was truly happy when she was with James. Had it all happened in the space of three months?

"He seems nice," Lily's mother said.

"D'you think Dad liked him?" Lily asked feeling concerned. "He's not going to go all fatherly and protective on me is he?"

Lily's mother laughed.

"Don't worry love, I think he likes James. He impressed him just by having the courage to face him. Plus, he knows his daughters are growing up. Petunia has shown him that in the last few months. But I think somewhere inside him you'll always be his little girls."

Lily smiled. Her mother was good at analysing people's emotions.

"So how are Natasha and Jennifer doing?" her mother asked sipped her drink.

"Fine," Lily said. Her mother always enquired after her friends. "Tasha's going for Auror training next year and Jenny's applied for training at St Mungos so she can go into healing."

"And do they have boyfriends yet?" her mother asked.

"They're dating two of James's friends," Lily told her. "Tash's dating Sirius and Jenny's dating Remus. They're both really happy."

"Ah were they the other two you were talking to on the platform?" her mother asked.

"Yep," Lily smiled. "They're pretty good for Tash and Jenny. Sirius can more or less handle Tash's moods and Remus can look after Jenny when she's feeling down."

"Well they sounded like nice people," her mother said.

"I'm surprised you didn't see Tash earlier," Lily said. "One of the Slytherins greased the wheels of her trolley and she went straight into the wall."

"Oh so that was what all those people were laughing was about," her mother smiled. Lily scowled.

"Those 'people' were the gits who did that to her!"

"Lily please don't call people gits," her mother said.

"Sorry," Lily said reluctantly. She knew if her mother could see how the Slytherins acted around school that she would definitely change her mind about them.

"So how have things been here?" Lily asked. "Nothing changed? Apart from the kitchen walls?"

"Same as always really," her mother sighed. "Petunia spends nearly all her time with Vernon so your father and I have the house to ourselves. It is peaceful but it can get a bit lonely after a while. I'm glad you're home Lily."

"It's good to be home," Lily agreed.

OOO

Later that evening just before dinner, Lily was helping her mother out in the kitchen. Lily loved helping her mother prepare meals and using magic made the task a lot easier. Currently Lily was directing the plates, knives and forks onto the table when her father's car pulled back into the driveway. Sighing Lily finished arranging the cutlery and put her wand away, knowing that if Petunia and Vernon saw it there would be trouble. Not only was Vernon unaware that Lily was a witch, but Petunia would probably hit the roof if she saw Lily using magic. Privately Lily thought it would be worth it just to see Petunia hit the roof.

"Oh good they're back!" her mother smiled. Lily sighed again as her father came into the kitchen. Lily gave him a quick hug. As she broke off she saw Petunia clinging to Vernon's arm. The very sight made Lily feel sick.

"Oh, you're home," Petunia said acidly, as Vernon greeted Lily's mother politely, and a little pompously in Lily's opinion.

"Hello Petunia, nice to see you too," Lily said in a sarcastic voice that her father noticed. He shot her a warning glance from the counter.

'How the hell am I going to survive this?' Lily though to herself as they sat down to dinner. However it was easier than she thought. Lily found that all she had to do was sit, eat and not say a word. She made a mental note to do this at every dinner she was forced to sit through with Petunia and Vernon present.

She thought instead on what she would be doing if she were still at Hogwarts. She and her friends would probably be catching up on work and eating tonnes of chocolate. The Marauders would be taking advantage of the free time to plan or execute pranks on the Slytherins. Maybe they'd all be outside the castle enjoying the snow. Lily amused herself by picturing a snowball fight with the boys and made a mental note to suggest it if there was any snow left when they got back to school.

As desert was being served, Petunia and Vernon got to their feet together.

"We have something to tell you all," Petunia looked very smug all of a sudden. Lily had a strange feeling this could mean nothing good.

"We're getting married," Vernon said proudly. Lily's mother almost dropped the pudding before throwing her arms around her eldest daughter. Her father got up smiling and shook Vernon's hand. Lily however didn't know how to feel. Part of her was in shock that her sister was actually marrying the stuck up git, and the rest of her was jumping for joy since this would at least mean Petunia would be permanently moving out.

Then again, she couldn't see why she was so surprised. Petunia and Vernon had been dating for almost eight months. She should have seen this coming. And if it made Petunia happy then Lily supposed she should be happy for her sister, but it was hard when Petunia had spent the last seven years making Lily feel miserable.

"Lily don't you have something to say?" her mother asked after she'd hugging Petunia. Petunia looked, if possible, smugger than before.

"Congratulations Petunia," Lily said trying to force a smile, which was actually rather painful.

"Thank you Lily," Petunia was obviously making an effort to be nice in front of her parents at this point.

Lily listened dully to the wedding plans that her mother was issuing at top speed. Petunia was glowing through out the rest of the meal. By the end of dessert, Lily was feeling sick of the constant wedding talk and decided to make herself excused. She headed to the hall and picked up the phone, needing to talk to someone who wasn't squeaking with excitement.

"Epsom mental institution, how may I help you!"

"Hey Tasha," Lily said accepting her friend's bizarre greeting. In the background Lily could hear the sounds of loud rock music and she concluded that Tash was taking advantage of having a house to dance around in.

"Hey Lils, you miss me already!" The volume of the music went down and from the thump Lily gathered that Tash had thrown herself on the sofa.

"No I just needed to talk to someone with a head on their shoulders," Lily sighed.

"What's wrong with talking to James?" Tash asked.

"I haven't got an owl on me at this particular moment in time," Lily said now wishing that her cat had wings.

"Eh well," Tash said. "So how's your first evening back been?"

"Started out fine," Lily said. "Then Petunia and Vernon came home." She dropped her voice in case her parents were listening.

"So how is your darling sister and her oh so wonderful boyfriend?" Tash asked, sarcasm rolling thickly off her voice.

"Fiancée," Lily corrected grudgingly. Down the other end of the phone Tash did a double take.

"No way!" she gasped.

"Yep, announced it just now," Lily sighed.

"My god! I'll bet they were smug all evening. Poor you!"

"Well Petunia was smug," Lily replied. "And Vernon was just…"

"An pompous arse?" Tash finished.

"Yep pretty much," Lily sighed.

"Sorry Lils. Sucks to be you."

"Yeah well life can't get any worse," Lily said.

"Don't speak to soon," Tash said. "I'll bet anything it's just about to get lots worse."

At this point, Lily's mother called.

"Lily come here! We're discussing bridesmaids dresses!"

"She's not being a bridesmaid mum!"

"Of course she is, she's your sister Petunia!"

"God you were right!" Lily cringed, going back to the phone. "I've got to be a bridesmaid for Merlin's sakes!"

"Oh Lils I'm sorry! Look I tell you what, rather than call me back I'll send you an owl, then you can send it on to James. How's that?"

"Great thanks Tash," Lily said. She had to talk to James soon otherwise she was going to flip, especially with wedding plans inevitably buzzing round her head.

Tash hung up and Lily solemnly marched back into the kitchen. Vernon and her father were sharing a glass of brandy in celebration, whilst her mother and Petunia were brainstorming.

"Come on Lily! We've got a wedding to plan!"

Groaning inwardly, Lily flopped down at the table, fully suspecting that this was going to be a long holiday.

OOO

"Victory is mine!" Sirius grinned surveying the chess pieces with a greedy look on his face. James groaned.

"It's not fair, you always win."

"Can't deny talent when you see it," Sirius said, leaning back on his rear chair legs and stretching.

"I can't see it," James said, directing one of his pawns to go beat up Sirius's castle. Sirius grinned again and put him in checkmate.

"Damn!"

"Ha! See, talent!"

"Whatever," James sighed, but reminding himself never to play chess with Sirius in front of Lily unless he wanted to be humiliated.

"Boys! Dinner's ready!"

"Let's see if you can beat me on foot!" James challenged, running downstairs, followed closely by Sirius. James's mother raised her eyebrows as both of them charged into the dining room.

"Told you you couldn't beat me on foot!" James taunted.

"Shut up!" Sirius said, sitting down at the table and shovelling food into his mouth. James immediately followed suit.

"Honestly don't they feed you at school?" James's mum sat down next to them.

"No," both James and Sirius said in unison, whilst still consuming large amounts of food. James's mother shook her head at them in amazement.

"So how has your year been so far?" she asked.

"Good," James smiled.

"That's not an answer," his mother said. "You two are smiling meaning either you have girlfriends or are crushing on someone."

James paused in eating to look at his mother. She was unbelievably perceptive.

"James has been crushing on Lily dearest since he walked into Hogwarts," Sirius said. James threw him a glare, but couldn't help grinning at the mention of Lily. He wondered how she was doing and made a mental note to send an owl as soon as he'd finished eating.

"I though so," James's mother smiled. "A mother can always tell. So go on then James, what's she like?"

"Perfect," James smiled. Sirius made a funny noise in his food. "Okay that's not an answer. She's gorgeous, smart, talented, and courageous. She's head girl too. And I invited her to the New Years Eve party so you can meet her there. Hope that's okay."

"Of course, I can't wait to meet the woman who's finally stolen your heart," Mrs Potter smiled at him. James rolled his eyes at his mother, whilst Sirius tried to smother his giggles.

"Aww! Prongsie is in looooove!"

"Shut up Padfoot," James said, deciding to tease him. "You can't talk. Tasha says jump you're already on the highest cliff in Britain."

"Ah so you have a girlfriend too Sirius," James's mother turned to Sirius who was shooting James a glare that indicated he was being 'most helpful!'

"Yep," James continued. "She's one of Lily's friends. And Sirius hasn't removed his eye from her for one second."

"Now who can't talk?" Sirius said. "You've been watching Evans since the first year, like a lovesick puppy."

"Well I hope they both know what they're getting themselves into," Mrs Potter smiled.

"Thanks Mum," James said sarcastically.

"How's Remus?" his mother asked.

"Fine," James said. "He's dating another of Lily's friends. They're really good for each other. He's obsessed with Jen."

"Glad he asked her out already," Sirius said. "I don't think I could have taken another year of him constantly asking 'should I ask her out?'"

James nodded and quickly demolished the last of his meal.

"Thanks Mum. I'm going to send a letter to Lily."

"Give her a big sloppy kiss from me!" Sirius grinned.

"Shut up," James said, hurrying upstairs. It had only been a few hours but it felt weird not seeing Lily. He wanted to check that she had got home okay and to see how she was getting on with her sister. Care and concern rushed through his head whenever he thought of her.

He needed her. He knew if anything happened to her he wouldn't survive.

OOO

"I want lilac for the bridesmaids dresses," Petunia ordered. Lily wished someone would shoot her and end her misery. Three days of constant wedding talk were doing her head in. Her frustration now increased dramatically. She hated pink almost as much as she hated Petunia.

"Fine by me," her mother smiled. "Lily? Do you like pink for the bridesmaids dresses?"

"Not like I've got much choice but to say yes," Lily complained. Petunia looked very smug at the fact she was getting her own way. Mrs Evans frowned.

"Come on Lily, we want your opinion too."

"No you don't," Lily sighed wearily. "I mean we all know I'm only a bridesmaid to keep you happy mum."

"That's not true Lily," her mother replied.

"Yes it is," Petunia muttered.

"Hush Petunia!" Mrs Evans said.

"What, she's right!" Lily said. "You know and I know that if Petunia had her way I wouldn't be going at all."

Lily suddenly felt very fed up and decided to disappear. She marched upstairs wondering why right now fate hated her.

She had a surprise waiting for her when she walked into her room. James's owl Godric was perched on the end of her bed. Lily grinned and removed the letter. Godric hooted and went to sit on Lily's bookshelf in order to wait for a reply.

Lily was about to tear the letter open when Petunia marched in. Lily noticed her sister glance nervously at Godric, who was staring at her from the top of the wardrobe. She looked like she was expecting him to swoop down and claw her. She quickly covered this up however and turned her head back towards Lily.

"I want a word with you."

"You know Petunia, civilised people knock before coming into their sisters room. Especially if their sister has a letter to read from her boyfriend."

"Shut up!" Petunia snapped. "I came to say that you are right. I do not want you at my wedding, but I am being forced to by Mum."

"Alas she's clever!" Lily muttered sarcastically.

"Don't interrupt!" Petunia commanded. "I also came to warn you that on my wedding day I will not tolerate any unnatural behaviour from you, and I do not want you parading your abnormalities in front of my friends."

"Your English teacher deserves to be shot Petunia," Lily said, giving her sister a cold look that she normally reserved for the Slytherins. "The correct term is 'abilities' not 'abnormalities'!"

"Don't you dare lecture me!" Petunia shrieked. "You have no right to talk to me like that!"

"And why do I not?" asked Lily getting off her bed. "I'm your sister I have as much right as anyone to tell you that you are behaving like a right stuck up cow!"

"You listen…"

"No Petunia, you listen!" Lily interrupted. "I have had enough of you. Have I ever given you any reason to hate me? Have I ever once used magic in front of you? Have I ever strutted around like I'm better than you? No, no and no! I'm proud to be a witch and the least you could do is tolerate me!"

"Proud to be a freak you mean!" Petunia sneered. "If you're proud to have such abnormal abilities you're more weird than I though!"

"They are not abnormal!" Lily screamed. "There are hundreds, thousands of people out there, like me who have the same abilities. I am anything but weird! You are unbelievable! You're supposed to be my sister and you've treated me worse than nothing!"

There was a crack and Lily's door fell off the hinges. Lily shook her head. She was doing accidental magic. There was a long silence. Finally Lily got control of her emotions.

"Get out before I do something I regret," she hissed. Frightened by the door, Petunia backed out of the room. Lily sighed and sat on her bed rubbing her head. She hadn't meant to lose control but it was so hard with Petunia. Her mother came up the stairs and gasped at the door, which was still lying on the floor.

"Lily what on earth…?" her mother asked. Before she could say anything else, Lily grabbed her wand and muttered 'reparo.' The door flew back onto its hinges blocking her mother from view.

Lily flung herself against her pillows and let out a shaky breath. She hated moments like that. She and Petunia had been so close when they were kids. But ever since she had received her Hogwarts letter Petunia had severed all links with her. Lily couldn't remember feeling so lonely in her life.

What frightened Lily about what had just happened, was that when she had told Petunia to get out, she had sounded exactly like Bellatrix. It's scared her no end. She hadn't meant to get so angry but Petunia, her own sister, calling her a freak was more than she could bear.

Anger was a powerful emotion. It could drive anyone to anything. She had to repress the anger she felt at her sister for rejecting her. She wouldn't take it out on anyone. She couldn't do that to anyone.

After about five minutes, Lily realised that she was sitting on James's letter. Deciding it might make her feel better she opened it slowly.

Dear Lily.

How have your first few days back at home been? Hope your sisters not being too much trouble,

"You have no idea James," Lily muttered.

It's weird not seeing you everyday. I'll come and visit you sometime during Christmas. I hope your parents don't mind. My mum is looking forward to meeting you at the New Years Eve party.

Have you heard from Jenny or Tash over the holidays? Sirius sent a letter to her a few days ago which is why I had to wait till now to send you this. It's quite funny actually. Every time an owl flies in through the window he keeps leaping off his seat and going to check it. I think he misses her, although he won't admit it.

Missing you. Let me know about Christmas.

Love James.

Lily smiled. She missed James too. Probably more than she was missing Tash and Jenny since they were only a phone call away. She wondered how she could persuade her mum to allow James over after she had just shouted at Petunia like that.

Right on cue…

"Lily Marie Evans I want a word with you!"

Sighing, Lily dragged herself off her bed towards an argument she really did not want to have. She pushed her anger away into a little corner of her mind and headed for the door.

OOO

Lily was up at eight o clock the next morning feeling worn out. Memories of the argument with her mother the previous night were still raging through her head. She had ignored Petunia's smug face through out the snatches of her mother yelling 'honestly I thought I raised a good child!' and 'what happened to you two? You used to be so close…'

Lily knew though that deep down her mother knew the reason that Petunia hated Lily so much. Lily was ostracised because of the simple fact that she was different. She had done nothing wrong really, but in Petunia's mind, she was abnormal because she had powers that the rest of the family didn't.

Sighing Lily wrapped herself in her dressing gown and trudged down to breakfast. Her mother was manning the kettle, and her father and Petunia were eating.

"Morning Lily," her mother said. Lily could see she was going for the whole 'the-conversation-last-night-never-happened' approach.

"Hey," Lily muttered dully before sitting at the table and helping herself to toast.

"We're going to talk to the caterers this afternoon," her mother seemed quite nervous about bringing the wedding up again after Lily had walked out the previous day.

"Fine," Lily sighed. Spending Christmas Eve talking about the wedding was not something she was looking forwards too.

A brown owl fluttered in through the window carrying Lily's copy of the Daily Prophet. Lily frowned as the owl dropped the paper and Mrs Evans shooed it out of the window. Lily was slowly picking up the paper, slightly worried now. The owls never delivered this early unless it was a special edition.

And a special edition these days meant a Death Eater attack.

Lily gasped at the headlines and she was thrown into panic.

A/N: 'Cackles evilly' I know it's a boring chapter but now I have another cliffie (oh don't you just love them really!) Can you review anyway and I will send you virtual sugar!

Next Chapter: Some very shocking news and a lot of visitors.

May Stardust fall in your dreams!