DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER.

Lily, James and Severus were sitting in an empty classroom. It was another day of classes and they had a free period now, which they were using to study transfiguration. They were currently asking each other questions to revise their knowledge. James asked, "Which spell do we use to transfigure an animal into a water goblet?" Lily answered, "Its Vera Verto. Severus, it's your turn to ask a question now."

Just as Severus was about to ask a question, McGonagall suddenly burst into the classroom. They noticed that she had a grave expression on her face as she approached them. She went up to Lily as said, "Lily Evans, please come to the Headmaster's office. There is something that you need to know." Lily asked, "Professor, what's wrong? Is everything okay?" McGonagall replied, "Something terrible has happened. That is what we need to tell you."

Severus got up and said, "Whatever it is, please allow me to accompany her. I want to be by my sister's side." James spoke up, "Me too. I want to be there for her, whatever terrible thing has happened, no matter what."

McGonagall looked at them with concern and said, "Very well, Mr. Potter and Mr. Snape. Please follow me." The three of them followed the professor to the Headmaster's office.

"NO, NO, NO! IT CAN'T BE TRUE! NOT MOM AND DAD! NOOOOOOO! WHY DID THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN?! IT JUST CAN'T BE!" Lily was crying out loudly, her eyes brimming with tears.

Dumbledore and McGonagall had just informed Lily that her parents had been tortured and murdered by Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange. Apparently, aurors from the Ministry of Magic had arrived in Cokeworth after hearing that it was under attack. An auror had reportedly seen flashes in the Evans Residence and his team had entered the house hoping to save whoever was inside. They had barely entered the house when they heard Voldemort and Bellatrix casting killing curses. Voldemort and Bellatrix had left immediately afterwards. Upon examination of the bodies, it was found out that both had suffered from the Cruciatus curse. They had found out that they were Lily's parents and had immediately alerted Dumbledore. Lily was heartbroken to hear that and had broken down, and McGonagall was holding her in a motherly embrace, trying to soothe her.

Suddenly, Severus cried out, "THIS IS MY ENTIRE FAULT! OH LUCIUS, WHY DID I EVER TRUST YOU? WHY DID I EVER ASSOCIATE WITH PEOPLE LIKE YOU? WHY DID I EVER CONFIDE IN YOU? ALL BECAUSE OF ME, NOW LILY'S PARENTS HAVE BEEN BRUTALLY MURDERED! WHY DID I EVER DO THIS? WHAT HAVE I DONE?" With that, Severus broke down in tears and buried his face in his hands.

Suddenly, he felt comforting hands gripping his shoulders. He looked up for a moment and saw that they were Dumbledore's hands and that Dumbledore was looking at him with a fatherly look.

Dumbledore said, "Do not blame yourself Severus. You were much younger at that time. Now you are a different man, Lily's brother and not a Death Eater like Lucius has turned out to be."

"But Lucius was the wrong person to hang out with."

"And you finally figured it out. You know what to say Severus."

Snape looked at Lily with concern. As wrong as he had been to participate in bullying Muggleborns with Avery and Mulciber, and hang out with Lucius Malfoy who was clearly a supporter of Voldemort; as much as he felt bad for it, he knew that he could not blame himself. He realized that he needed to be strong, for Lily.

With that in mind, Severus went and stood by Lily's side in silence. James did the same.

It was now two days since the day Lily found out that her parents had been murdered. Petunia had made arrangements for the funeral. Lily's Parents had been killed during the night of January 12th, on a Thursday night, and the funeral was being held on Sunday at 12 pm. The Marauders were planning to come with her. McGonagall had also decided to come. She wanted to be there for her favorite student who was like a daughter to her. To their surprise, James' parents had written to him that they were also going to be there. Although Fleamont and Euphemia had only met Lily's parents two times, they still wanted to be there as they had quite liked them and had already started to consider them as friends.

Currently, they were all standing in the cemetery as Lily's parents were about to be buried. Petunia was standing next to Vernon who had a rather gruff expression on his face, and Lily was standing in between James on her left side and McGonagall on her right side, with Severus standing behind Lily. Sirius was standing next to James on his left side, Remus was standing just behind James and Peter just behind McGonagall. Fleamont and Euphemia were standing next to McGonagall on her right side.

As the coffins containing the bodies of Lily's parents were being lowered into their respective graves, Lily fought the urge to cry. The coffins were lowered and immediately covered with mud in order to fill up the grave. A few minutes after the completion of the last rites and the burial of Lily's parents, Lily burst into tears. James put an arm around her and Euphemia went to Lily and kissed her cheek saying, "Dear child, I'm so sorry." By then, except for the group, plus Vernon and Petunia, everyone else had left.

Suddenly, Petunia shouted at Lily, "IT'S YOUR FAULT THAT OUR PARENTS ARE DEAD YOU FREAK!" In the midst of sobs, Lily cried out, "Tuney, please listen. I…"

But Petunia would not even let her say anything. Instead, she cruelly cut her off saying, "They were actually proud of you, but I alone saw you for what you truly are, what you have always been: a freak. And now your freakishness has led to this."

Fleamont tried to intervene, saying, "Look here. Whether you're magical or not, you're still her sister. She's still your sister. How can you say something like that about her and blame her for your parents' deaths? Are they not her parents as well? She had nothing to do with it. If you want to blame someone, blame Voldemort. He was the one who killed them."

Petunia did not even acknowledge him, but instead shouted, "I DON'T CARE WHO KILLED THEM! ALL I CARE ABOUT IS THAT WHOEVER DID IT WAS A FREAK, JUST LIKE YOU LILY! IT IS YOUR FREAKISHNESS THAT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR DEATHS YOU MORBID FREAK!"

Severus could not keep quiet any longer. He strode over to Petunia and slapped her shouting, "Your own sister, your own flesh and blood, weeps for her dead parents, your parents as well, and you speak cruel words to her and label her a freak! Shame on you!"

Vernon suddenly interjected angrily, "I will not have you speaking to my wife or treating her like that!"

Severus turned to him and said, "So your wife can treat her own sister, your own sister in law, in any way she wants and speak vile cruel words to her, but when it is pointed out, you object to it and allow her to continue?!"

Vernon loudly declared, "PETUNIA IS RIGHT. HER FREAKISH SISTER DESERVES THIS! SHE'S A FREAK THAT SHOULD BEEN DROWNED AT BIRTH, DISOWNED THE MOMENT IT WAS LEARNED THAT SHE'S A FREAK, LEFT TO DIE IN THE STREETS!"

Suddenly, Severus' fist shot out and he punched Vernon in his face and stomach. As he fell onto the ground with a bleeding nose, out of breath, on his back, Severus cried out, "DON'T YOU DARE TALK LIKE THAT ABOUT MY SISTER!"

Petunia suddenly snapped, "She's not your sister."

Severus looked at her threateningly, fighting the urge to curl his fingers around his wand and curse her, and declared, "Listen here. Lily is my sister in all but blood, and as her brother, I won't allow anyone, not even you or your swine of a husband to speak cruel words towards her or treat her badly in any other way, NEVER! You're the real freaks! No, you're not just freaks, YOU ARE MONSTERS!"

Severus turned around and left her, heading towards Lily and pulling her into a brotherly hug. He then said, "Lily, I'm sorry but I think we should leave."

James said, "He's right Lily, we really need to leave. I won't let you suffer any more of her cruel words."

McGonagall held Lily and said, "They are right dear. It's not safe to stay here for too long. We must go."

Lily continued to cry, but nodded and went along with them. The group went and took the portkey that had been reserved for them, back to Hogwarts.

Fleamont and Euphemia stayed with them for while in order to console Lily before leaving.

It took several days for her to accept her parents' deaths. Dumbledore told her to take the week off. James and Severus wanted to be by her side, but could not do so all day as they were not given the option to skip classes. However, immediately after classes finished for the day, they would head over to Lily to try and comfort her. The other Marauders as well as Alice, Dorcas, Marlene and Emmeline tried to help her in whatever way they could. The teachers expressed their sympathies in any way they could. Slughorn gave her a big hug and said, "If you need anything, say the word."

One night, Severus stayed for a long time in the Gryffindor common room trying to comfort Lily. As it got late, McGonagall came and informed him that Slughorn was waiting for him outside and that he needed to get back to his quarters. Before leaving, Severus pleaded with her, "Please stay with Lily. I can't bear for her to be alone right now." She responded, "I will. Don't worry."

But eventually, Lily knew that she had to move on. After that week was over, she resumed her studies and prepared for her NEWTs as seriously as she could. It was what her parents would have wanted to do after all. Besides, she had James, and Severus.

And so, Lily eventually managed to learn to live with her parents' deaths and move on.