PART II

Lily slowly began to stir. She tried moving a little, but found she was in too much pain. Memories of what had happened came flying back to her, and she opened her eyes with a gasp.

She was in a bed with clean but firm white sheets. The surrounding walls were the same almost blinding white. She nearly jumped out of her skin as she turned slowly and saw a woman sitting in a chair beside her. She looked prim and proper with her hair done up in a bun and her eyes hidden behind thick frames.

"I see you're awake," the woman said. "I am an official from the ministry, and so it is my duty to first of all get the full story from you and second of all to tell you any news I may have."

Lily was slightly intimidated by her. "Excuse me, but can you tell me how long I've been unconscious for?"

"Less than a day, which is surprising considering how much they had to heal you."

"And…and my sister?" she asked hesitantly, inwardly cringing at the scene her sister must have made.

"She came home a couple of hours later. She was of course saddened by your loss but when asked if she wanted to come visit you, I believe her exact words were, 'No! I hope that freak dies. It's all her fault!' before leaving." The woman's thin lip curled in distaste. "The house has a small amount of damage to it. A few items were smashed and a wall has several large cracks through it, but that could be cleaned up with magic, with your permission of course. Your parents left you and your sister everything, by the way. Now it would really help me out if you told me the entire story of what happened last night."

Lily was still spinning from everything she had just heard, but she kept control of herself and told the story. She choked up several times, especially with the deaths of her parents. The woman gave no sign of sympathy or pity. She just sat in her chair with a blank look on her face.

"I suppose I should tell you that the attack has been reported in the Daily Prophet, though names were left out for privacy's sake. Here's the issue," she said handing over a copy. It was front-page news apparently.

Death Eater Attack with Sole Survivor

Last night in Surrey another attack occurred. A muggleborn witch and her family were the intended target. The only catch is- the witch who is currently a student, actually survived the attack.

At roughly 10 p.m. the death eaters entered the house. From what we can infer from leftover magical residue there were 5 attackers. Disarming the girl, they first went for the mother of the witch and tortured her with an unforgivable before killing her. This is where it gets a bit unclear.

There were definite signs of a struggle, and though the father and daughter obviously fought back, they still were tortured. We know that the girl somehow got her wand back and began dueling all 5 of them. Her father was killed next with a phone (a muggle object for communication) in his hand. We can only assume that he was trying to call for help.

This distracted the girl and she lost her wand once again. She was tortured severely and on the brink of death when help from the ministry finally arrived, making the death eaters leave behind an incomplete job. She shows evidence of not only dark pain curses but also being struck by fists. She is currently at Saint Mungos, and is expected to make a full recovery.

Names were left out to protect the victim.

Lily finished reading the article and numbly handed the paper back. It was so strange reading about what had happened. She could hardly believe it herself. It sounded like it was just some other random witch, but it was her. She was the sole survivor or the attack. "Why are they making such a big deal about this attack?" Lily asked. "I mean they're happening every day."

The woman looked at her with a piercing gaze. "It's because you survived. No one ever survives at least no one has survived an attack like this in quite some time. And you are probably the first witch still in school to live after an attack where so many other wizards were attempting to kill you."

Lily shifted uncomfortably, "Oh," she responded softly. "Well when can I leave? I really don't want to stay here any longer than possible."

The woman's lips thinned even more if possible. "Technically you are of age and are free to do whatever you so wish. You may be released as an outpatient whenever you want, though you will have to be responsible for taking all of your potions. You will be sore for quite a few days, but as long as you stick to your medication you should be fine."

Lily broke into a small smile. "Great! Then what do I do first to get out of here?"

After filling out a seemingly endless amount of forms and being ladled down with potions, Lily was free to go. She conjured a bag for all of her potions with her wand that she had just been reunited with. (The ministry had taken it to see what spells she had cast to piece together the attack.) Her first thought was going home, but- no- she couldn't go back there, at least not yet. So instead she apparated just outside of Gringotts. She needed money so that she could buy a hotel room and a new outfit. She was still clad in her hospital gown, though she had a long coat over it.

Lily ignored the strange looks she was receiving. She obviously looked a bit strange. Not all of her injuries were completely healed. She could hardly feel them thankfully because of her pain relievers.

She withdrew a tidy sum of money. She was saddened to see that her once tiny vault was now filled to the brink. Apparently her parents' will had been quite fast acting and half of their money had already been changed into galleons. She shoved the money into her bag and after dashed off to the nearest clothing store.

She bought a dark blue robe that was form fitting. Quickly she threw it on and stuffed her hospital gown into the bag. 'Well as long as I'm here, I might as well get some supplies,' she thought. She walked over towards the bookstore and began picking out the books that she knew she needed. She could clearly remember the list. Could that really have just been yesterday? She stopped as she realized her hands were shaking. Lily took a deep breath and went up to the register. She purchased her books but was having trouble suppressing her shaking. Her initial reaction to something as huge as what had happened last night was to deny it and busy herself. She knew she couldn't truly do that. Her body wouldn't let her. She began walking towards the Leaky Cauldron to get a room and sort herself out, but she slammed into someone on the way. She reeled back in shock.

"Hey Evans!" Black said with a grin. "I can see you're happy to see us," he added teasingly once he saw the look on her face.

"Us?" Lily asked weakly. He moved aside revealing Remus, Pettigrew, and Potter. She was so tired. She couldn't handle seeing them now. Lily just needed to sleep and deal with her new issues.

"Are you ok?" James asked with a touch of concern lacing his voice.

Lily jerked away from him. "I'm fine."

Sirius swung an arm around her and Lily tried not to cringe at the sudden pain. "So what did you buy?" he asked trying to peak in her bag.

She moved her things away from him quickly. "Just some books," she answered hurriedly. She turned towards Remus to say goodbye to the only polite marauder but found him staring curiously at her bag. She looked down and was panicked when she saw a piece of her hospital clothes flopping out. She shoved it back in.

"Why do you have that?" Remus asked curiously.

"Have what?" Lily responded innocently.

"That hospital gown. I've been there plenty of times. I can recognize what the patients wear, you know."

"Are you hurt?" Sirius questioned as he took his arm off of her.

Lily nearly sighed in relief as the weight was removed. "I'm fine!" she snapped. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do than talk with a bunch of annoying gits." She fled to the Leaky Cauldron leaving the boys bewildered at her sudden outburst.

Lily collapsed in her newly purchased room. She took her second round of medication and then sunk down on her bed. Tears streamed down her face. She cried for hours, thinking of all that had been lost. She remembered the love between her parents that she had observed just last night, and knew or at least wanted to think that they were now together in a better place as deeply in love as they were when they were alive. She hadn't been extremely close to them. They were muggles and there were certain things that they just really couldn't understand. But she couldn't deny that she loved them. She was so close to them until she was 11. Slowly, she grew up and away from them. She was the type of person who liked solitude, or who had at least convinced herself that she did. Lily loved them, even if she didn't spend much time with them anymore and knew that they wouldn't have died if it weren't for her. Finally she drifted off to sleep late in the afternoon.


She had been staying at the Leaky Cauldron for a few weeks. Lily was having quite the time shopping and eating out everyday. There was so much of the world of magic she had never experienced before. It was all so new. The Evans family had been very well off and so she had plenty of money. She knew that she had to pace herself though or she'd run out of her savings. Lily finally decided to go back to her house.

Clad in muggle clothes that she had only recently purchased, she apparated to the front door of her old home. Lily's breath caught in her throat and tears welled up in her eyes and she observed the place she had grown up in. She discretely unlocked the door with her wand. The place had not changed at all. It was exactly as how it was that night. Petunia, she knew, would not have stayed here either after their parents' deaths. She was planning to move in with her boyfriend, Vernon, anyway. Lily sunk down on her old favorite chair and breathed in the familiar but fading scent of the fabric. She had sat here right before it happened. She sobbed and shouted. It wasn't fair! Finally Lily got up reluctantly and went on to do what she had came for. She needed to pack her things and find a flat. She certainly couldn't live here.

Lily walked into her room and with a few flicks of her wand; everything packed in her school trunk and a couple of suitcases. She shrunk them down and glanced around the house. She gave it one last tour, checking to see if she forgot anything important. Then she apparated away to the Leaky Cauldron.

She had gone flat searching a few days prior and had found one that she might deem suitable. It was small- one bedroom and one bathroom plus a kitchen and living room, but that was all she really needed. Plus, she would be heading off to Hogwarts soon and wouldn't be spending a lot of time there. It would be nice to already have a place once her 7th year was over though.

Lily contacted the person who she'd be renting from and told them she'd accept the deal. It was rather nice for a first apartment. It was in London, near Diagon Alley, and she had multiple magical neighbors. She didn't fear living in the 'hot zone' for the attacks anymore. After all, she had been attacked when she was all the way in Surrey.

Her things fit in the apartment nicely, and with a few spells, the walls were painted and the rooms were clean. It looked a bit sparse. Lily was trying to save money after all, and so the best way to get furniture then was transfiguration, which was her weakest subject. She didn't dare try to do too much. Charms of course was her specialty and so her new home was lavishly decorated.

Lily had a ton of clothes now, since she had refused to go home for weeks she had to buy several new outfits. Now those clothes added with the ones she already had were quite overwhelming. If someone didn't know better, they could mistake her for being excessively girly.

It was another couple of weeks later and Lily was getting extremely annoyed with her noisy neighbors. She had not met the owner of the home next door, but she knew it was a man and that he liked to party. Finally she couldn't take it anymore. Putting on an expression she usually saved for school when others weren't behaving she marched right up to his front door. She rapped smartly on it. The door swung open, and she gasped. "Oh no! No no no no no!" she said backing away. "Not you! You do not live here!"

Sirius Black opened the door even further. "Of course I do!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here? Are you my new neighbor?" he asked excitedly.

Lily nodded dumbly. She couldn't seem to form words.

"Oh good! We can do each other's hair and paint our nails and gossip about all the hotties…" Sirius joked in a girly voice.

"Why…" Ah, she had found her voice after all. "Why do you live here? I thought the Blacks lived in one of those old manors."

Sirius scowled. "They do. Technically though, I'm not a Black. I've been disowned, and that my friend, is why I am living here. I used to live with the Potters but I bought this place at the beginning of the summer."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I didn't know," Lily responded shocked. She knew he didn't get along with his family but she didn't think that they had disowned him!

"How about you, Evans. Why are you here?" Sirius asked curiously.

She looked down at her feet uncomfortably and then looked back up when she realized that he was still staring at her. "I just…I couldn't live with my parents anymore," she answered. It was the truth. You can't live with dead people.

Sirius actually seemed to sense that she didn't want to talk about it, and so he just nodded. "So what did you come over for?" he changed the subject.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Well I was going to yell at my neighbor for being so loud. I should've guessed that it was you. No one else can possibly make that much noise."

He grinned, "Sorry. This place is party central since there's no parental supervision here."

"Great…" Lily groaned.

"Ooh! And even better!" Sirius continued excitedly. "Remus and Peter and James are here all of the time!"

"No wonder I got my flat for so cheap! No one wanted to live by you!"

Sirius mocked pouted. "I'll have you know that everyone loves me! They're all just too intimidated to get too close. You're not though, because you only have eyes for James, of course."

Lily gagged. "Potter? Yah right. You and your friends make me sick!"

Sirius grinned, "Well look, I've got to go, but here's fair warning. I'm having a huge party tonight; you know one last hoorah before going back to school. You can come if you want. James will be there," Sirius added teasingly.

"Thanks," Lily said trying to be polite, "But I think I'll skip it. See you in a few days."

"Sure Evans!" Sirius called as she walked back to her front door. "But remember you can come over whenever!"

Lily shut her door and sank down on the ground with her back against it. 'Black? Black is my new neighbor? Merlin, I have to move,' Lily thought to herself. ' Remus isn't so bad though, and Peter isn't either. He's just a follower. But Black and Potter! Ugh! They think they're so funny, so sexy, so everything! I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens.' Lily hit her head several times on the door behind her. Thank Merlin Hogwarts was in a few days. She couldn't survive too long with the marauders unsupervised.