DC: I don't own it.

Thanks to my reviewers.

Basically right now, Voldemort isn't quite at the pinnacle of his power. That's A, why Lily didn't recognize him (among other reasons) and B, he's interested in her…abilities. I had some comments about that so I figured that I'd share some info.

Chapter 4,

Lily took a step back slowly. "I…I…uh…"

"Until next time, Lily." Voldemort said. He touched her cheek lightly before leaving.

When he returned home, Voldemort had a unusual grin stuck on his face. He popped into the torture room and zapped each of the three captured aurors just because he was in a good mood.

His jolly stride slowed to a frustrated storm as his stomach began to ache. To cure the pain he went to the kitchen and picked up an apple. He walked the halls of the manor eating the fruit.

"Sir, will you be attending the raid on Godric's Hollow?"

"No. Far too much work to do, Malfoy." Voldemort turned into his chambers and found the orb waiting for him. He saw Lily sitting on her bed, her cheeks as red as her hair, obviously replaying the days events in her mind. He knew that between her daydreaming and studying for the NEWTs it would be hard to talk with her. He would leave her to study unless Potter made another move. Then he would step in. But until then, he had nothing to worry about.

One month after graduation, Lily moved into an apartment. James had helped her move in and forced Sirius to help as well. When everything was moved in they all sat down with bottles of butterbeer.

"Thanks for helping, James." Lily said taking a sip.

"It's only 'cause he has the major hots for you." Sirius said dully. He wasn't happy spending his Saturday moving boxes. "Maybe one day he'll realize he's aiming too high."

"Sirius, shut up!" Lily giggled and James hit his friend. Sirius looked at his watch.

"Oh, crap, I gotta go meet Candy for…dinner."

"Great." James muttered. "Have fun."

"Oh, I intend to." Sirius said standing. He turned to Lily. "Lils, it's been a pleasure moving your junk now I'm off to have some whoopee."

"Just go!" James groaned.

"Bye Sirius." Lily said suppressing a giggle. After he left James turned to Lily.

"Sorry about that, Paddy just doesn't get it sometimes."

"James, I'm far too used to your friend's being weird." Lily assured him. "After all we did go to the same school for seven years."

"Yeah, we had fun."

"You two drove me insane. Remus was alright though."

"Yeah," James said with a fond smile. "Lily there's something I have to ask you."

"James…"

"Will there ever be a time that you'll love me like I love you?" Lily put her hand on his.

"James, you're really great." Lily said uneasily. "But I love someone else."

"So perusing you…"

"James you could find someone so much better then me." James leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"Nobody's better then you." With that he stood up and left. He was at the door when Lily stopped him.

"James wait," James turned and looked at her, "I am sorry." James smiled sadly.

"See you around." He said before leaving.

About and hour later Lily left her apartment for Dumbledore's office.

"Ah, Miss Evans how are you enjoying the real world?"

"I just moved into my new apartment." Lily said happily. "And I begin auror training next month, along with James and Sirius."

"I have no doubt that you'll excel in that field." Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling.

"And I wanted to know if you know of any resistance forces against the dark lord."

"Ah, I knew there was an ulterior motive of your visit." Dumbledore said with a knowing smile. "Your friend James came and asked me the same thing." Lily blushed a bit.

"I see you aren't aware that I have started a…resistance as you call it…called The Order of the Phoenix, and I would be thrilled to have you join our ranks. However I will require that you begin your training as an auror. After the first month of training, come back and we'll see if you're able to handle it."

"Thank you, professor."

"You need not call me professor, any longer, Miss Evans. You aren't a student."

"Yeah, well I guess its habit." Dumbledore stood.

"It was a pleasure meeting with you, Miss Evans, but I'm afraid I must attend a meeting," He extended his hand and Lily nervously took it. "You need not be so intimidated." Lily's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "All the best in your training and I do hope to work with you one day."

"Me too." Lily said. "I won't let you down."

"I know." He walked her to the door. "Take care, Lily."

"Bye." Lily walked down the stairs and made her way to the exit. She walked to Hogsmead and decided to stop for some coffee. She ran into professor Slughorn near the Hogshead pub.

"Ah, Lily Evans it is a pleasure to see you!" he exclaimed. "I was just meeting one of my old students."

"I was just up seeing professor Dumbledore." Lily said. The beefy man grinned and it was a tell tale sign that he was about to begin a tale about how pleased he was to see her and how he was about to brag to her how well she did as a student.

"Surely I don't need to tell you just how bright you are. But I would like to introduce you to one of my favorite former students. You're brains and wit, rival his."

"I can't professor, I have to meet someone in an hour and…"

"Now, he's a pureblood and like most Slytherins he doesn't care much for muggle born wizards, or witches, but I know that like me, your superior intellect will make him see otherwise about you."

"I really appreciate…"

"Come, come!" He took Lily by the arm and led her into the dingy pub.

The pub was pretty empty. The old bartender was cleaning a glass with a grimy rag. Mundugus Fletcher was sitting near the back buying drugs and in the back corner there was a figure in a black hooded cape. "There he is." Slughorn steered Lily to the cloaked figure. "Riddle my boy." He said jovially. The cloaked figure stood and turned.

Lily's breath caught in her chest as he removed his hood. "Professor, it's been too long."

"Far too long." Slughorn said shaking the man's hand. "But where are my manners, Lily Evans, this is Tom Riddle." Lily was too surprised to say anything.

"You're Tom Riddle?" Lily said through her shock.

"Yes, I am."

"You're father's name?" Lily asked, still with a surprised expression on her face.

"Yes, I thought you would have forgotten that."

"You two have met?"

"On occasion." Voldemort said.

"I have to go," Lily said quickly. "I have to meet someone." Voldemort nodded and gave her a knowing look. "It was a pleasure seeing you again professor." With that Lily rushed from the pub and returned home.

"So now you know my name." Voldemort said as Lily walked into her apartment. He was sitting on her sofa. Lily squeaked as she jumped. "My most terrifying nightmare has been realized."

"I don't think learning your name will be so bad." Lily said, her heart still thumping quickly against her ribs. "Coffee? Tea? Water?"

"Tea, if you will." With a flick of her wand Lily began heating water.

"So," she said sitting on the sofa making sure that one cushion was between them, "you don't like people like…me."

"Normally I don't. I've made an exception for you." He paused. Voldemort debated briefly about whether or not he would tell her who he was before she began speaking again.

"I'll begin my auror training in a month. And then I want to join a resistance against the dark lord."

"Now why would you do that?" he asked. "It's dangerous."

"That demon is killing people for no reason!" Lily cried. "Take me for example," she said her voice fiery, "the dark lord wants to kill me simply because my parents are muggle. I mean how unfair is that? It was just like Hitler with the Jews! He punished them for what they believed. Do you know what he did?"

"I'm not well versed in muggle history." Voldemort said dully.

"He locked them in camps and tortured them by putting them in gas chambers and doing sick medical experiments on them! Useless experiments! And for years he got away with it! Now tell me, Angel, where's the fairness in that? Children were taken from their parents because of their race and religion!" Lily was on her feet in a passionate rant. Voldemort watched her, not really caring about what she was talking about. Not even keeping some of the tortures she mentioned for his own use. He saw the fire in her eyes and for the first time in a long time he wished that they had been students together. Oh how he would have loved to debate facts and theories into the wee hours of the morning. He would have been delighted to debate the theories of potions and their uses until the cows came home.

'Soon I'll be able to turn her mind to see things the way I do.' He thought. Lily looked at him, her eyes were fiery and passionate. Her flaming red hair was thrown about her shoulders. The summer heat was making her sweat a little and the droplets glittered on her brow like stars.

He remembered when he was a lonely teenager. He would have given anything to have someone like her around.

"Lily," he said quietly. She didn't hear him. She was on a roll and there was no way to stop her.

"The dark lord is just like those men!" Lily cried. "Killing innocent people for no…" she was cut off as she was taken into Voldemort's arms and his lips silenced hers. The adrenaline from the rant was still pumping through her veins along with something else. She clutched desperately at the front of his robes.

Lily parted her lips and let his tongue dominate her mouth. His taste was so strong, so masculine. Lily wanted so much more while feeling afraid of what may happen.

Voldemort couldn't believe what he was doing. He was kissing a silly girl and felt like he never wanted to let go. Jealousy consumed him as he thought of James Potter. Anger filled his being as he thought of the nameless man who crashed into her mother's car, killing her. And anger for anyone who made her angry, dead dictators included.

He didn't know why this woman, who was supposedly everything he was against. She was muggle born and a Gryffindor. It was inconceivable that such things only served to arouse feelings (that in itself was something strange to him).

When they broke apart Lily looked weakly into his eyes. His beautiful scarlet eyes. "I love scarlet." She whispered. Voldemort cupped her cheek with one hand and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear with the other. "Tom…I…I think I'm in love with you."

TBC

I don't know when I'll be able to update again. The movers are packing up the stuff tomorrow and I'm pretty sure that means my wireless router goes into a box sad face but I'll be working on the next chapter. Review!