A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews, they are very stimulating to see that what I write is a little bit appreciated! You guys are the bomb. And now on to the story as there isn't anything more to address.

Disclaimer: The eloquent JK Rowlings…

Chapter 4 of After the Quidditch Game

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Lily crossed the sidewalk to the street where she was heading to. She was working in her little Rose Bisbut café that late Saturday afternoon and then onwards she would head to James. Lily had asked Julia and Elissa if they wanted to join her but Julia told her with a mischievous grin that she had a date and Elissa was working that evening. So it was just Lily going.

She didn't mind though…she was pretty outgoing, meeting James friends wouldn't be that bad. Lily looked up through the hordes of signs and street vendors keeping her eye peeled for the sideways rose protruding from the top of the doorway. Finally it came into view and Lily entered the café with a smile hearing the tinkling of the wind catchers above her head.

Sliding in back behind the register Lily threw her jacket aside and felt someone's hands come up and cover her face. "Guess who?" Came a deep male's voice. She felt herself grinning knowing who it was.

"Hmm…this is a hard one. Josh?" Lily asked in a fake questioning voice.

The hands covering her eyes came off and she turned around to see a very handsome young man. He had curly blond locks and deep-set blue eyes. Josh made the job interesting for her because he was the same age as her and they had a lot of fun together.

"How'd you know?" Josh asked his eyes twinkling down on her.

"Oh I dunno, you're the only one else working tonight?" Lily replied tying up her long hair into a ponytail.

"You never know, a random dude off the street could have came up on done this to you? You didn't think about that." Josh said shaking the hair out of his eyes while looking down at her.

Lily just shook her head and said under her breath, "I'm glad it was you."

It was 4 pm in the afternoon so it was bound to get busy. There were already a few people in the café. Lily filled some pots full of water and put them on their burners to get specialty tea and coffee ready. Josh went out back to the storage room to refill some of the canisters with the specialized tea and coffee.

The tinkling of the wind catchers rang and Lily looked up to see who had entered the shop. A man with long blonde hair and a pointed face walked in with a look of distaste as he glanced around the room. When his gaze fell on Lily she felt her insides twist at the cold gray eyes that seemed to be probing her. She tore her eyes away from him and busied herself in back not liking the look the man with the gray eyes had sent to his cloaked companion.

For the next 5 to 6 hours it was filled with Lily and Josh filling up cups after cups of coffee or tea and passing it on to the customers. The small café was so crowded that Lily couldn't tell if the two suspicious looking men had left or not but they had vanished off her mind when the hordes of crowd off the street came piling in.

Wiping her hands on a dishcloth Lily smiled up at Josh who was wiping a kettle clean.

"Jeesh what a day." She said tiredly rubbing her eyes with her hand.

"I'll say. Remember I had to scare off that teen who was looking you up and down? Kids these days…" Josh said running a hand through his messy blonde curls.

"You were just jealous when he came and flirted with me." Lily said smiling mischievously pulling the elastic out of her hair letting it tumble down.

Josh rolled his eyes and said, "I was rather hoping he would come after me you know, how handsome I am and everything."

"Uhuh…didn't know you were gay." Lily responded laughing lightly. She was relieved to see that those two men were gone and that her and Josh were the only ones in the store.

"Neither did I! See ya later Lily. You okay with locking up tonight?" Josh asked while pulling over a sweater.

"Sure thing Joshy-poo." Lily said giggling at his look of disgust when she voiced his nickname that she and Katrina (other employee) had named him.

"I'm out then. See you on Tuesday then." He said nodding to her and then opened the door the tinkling sound coming.

Lily became aware of how dark it was rapidly becoming and decided she had better step up the pace of getting to James since it was already 10 pm. She turned the lights off in the store but then heard voices speaking very near her, outside? She was just being paranoid…probably just some kids out hanging around. Lily walked to the door, locked it in from the inside and closed the door.

The air was crisp outside swishing itself around her uncovered legs since she was wearing a skirt. Lily walked in silence for a bit humming slightly feeling excited to go to James. Glancing up at the moon that was almost full she began to pull out some gloves but then stopped suddenly. The hair on her neck pricked up slightly as she listened to a vague sound.

She had this feeling that she was being followed and she could definitely hear the murmurings off voices. Trying to be casual Lily dropped her handbag and made sure something fell out of it. Going to retrieve the tube of lip-gloss that fell she spied two men but couldn't make out their faces. Just great.

Shoving the item into her purse Lily set off to a brisk walk her ears peeled listening to their quickened pace as well. I should've gotten Josh to walk me home.

I so don't want to break into a run but James apartment isn't that far away from what I can remember him owling me she thought trying to think rapidly for some solution out. But Lily let one glance back and realized they were perhaps a good length away and let out in a jog. She flushed when she heard a shout behind her and she quickened up her pace.

"I knew I would regret wearing this skirt." She muttered under her breath while running quickly in the uncomfortable skirt that was rising up while two men were chasing after her.

Slipping in between an alley and up a different street Lily kept on the alert her eyes wide trying to perceive anything through the darkness. She heard voices coming down her way and she began to panic. Looking around wildly she looked for an escape or someplace to hide.

Oh my, here I have been panicking about where to hide and I'm a witch. Thinking of the spell to charm her invisible Lily grabbed her wand just in time and flicked the wand in a sharp complicated twist hoping it worked. She held her breath as the two men came down the alley looking around.

Good lord, it's the men from the café this afternoon she thought feeling her heart pumping quickly. They were wizards for they were holding out their wands and had omitted Lumos.

"Where the hell did she get off to? And she's a filthy mudblood, how did that piece of scum outsmart us Augustus?" The man with the slick blonde hair asked with a sneer looking around. At one point it seemed his eyes locked with hers and she waited with bated breath but he looked away.

"I don't know Luscius but we have found the girl he has been searching for. Lily Evans." Augustus said his eyes gleaming.

"No doubt Dumbledore has already recruited her to the little Order of the Phoenix. I'm sure with a bit of persuasion and seeing things from a different angle she will come willingly." He smirked and then jabbed his head for Augustus to follow him out of the dirty alley.

Lily breathed a sigh of relief sagging against the brick wall breathing in and out slowly. Her brow furrowed when she began thinking about what they talking about, about how "he" needed her and then mentioning her belonging to a secret organization.

The Order of the Phoenix, doesn't really sound familiar she thought. Something nagged at her that the sooner she got to James the better. She had a feeling he knew something about this Order. She did not know herself why she suspected this. She just did.

Pushing herself away from the wall she decided not to life the invisible charm until she got to James. Those creeps could still be on the look out for her and she definitely did not want to chance anything from the way they were speaking. She felt a prick of fear when she remembered once again them saying someone needed her.

Glancing around the street to make sure no one was in sight she began to run the last distance between herself and to James flat. She really needed to get there. Keeping an eye out for the flat he had described in his note she finally saw it come in view.

Running up to the door she looked around making sure no would see a girl randomly appearing in the air since she was lifting the charm. Not feeling the need to wait for him to open the door Lily quickly opened it and slid inside the door.

Someplace out there in the dark a voice spoke barely above a whisper. "She is the girl we are looking for all right. The Dark Lord will be pleased."

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Lily had just closed the door when she heard Sirius say, "Lily! What a delightful surprise. You won't believe how many times James asked me what time it was tonight. Someone was anxious for your arrival eh?" Sirius asked his eyes twinkling mischievously but then turned solemn looking when he caught her expression.

Before he could say anything to her James appeared by her looking rather embarrassed at what Sirius said. "Don't mind him Lily I was just-- wait are you okay?" James asked looking down at her worriedly.

The after effects of having just escaped from potentially dangerous Wizards were beginning to have its effects on Lily. Her skin was pale and her eyes were large. Trying to cover it up she hastily said, "Oh it was nothing. Just a little encounter with the occasional weirdo on the street. Nothing too serious." She said trying to look truthful.

"An encounter with some random weirdo huh? Somehow I think there's more to this then your saying." Sirius said suspiciously looking at her.

Lily looked at James and Sirius who were both looking at her with suspiciousness. She sighed and figured she might as well tell them. They might know a two or thing about what the Order of the Phoenix nonsense was about. "Okay well can we go sit down someplace so I can tell the whole thing?" She asked tugging at her skirt self-consciously.

"Course. Did I tell you, you look stunning tonight?" Sirius asked slipping his arm in between hers. Lily laughed softly knowing this man would end up being a good friend of hers. He had a gift of making people feeling better. James had a small pout going on and Lily quirked her eyebrow.

So the three of them sat down in the slightly messy room. Lily turned to James and asked, "Didn't you say you were having a little get together tonight? You can't be telling me that Sirius is the only person you know to invite? Lily asked innocently widening her eyes at him.

"Are you insulting me?" James asked pretend glaring down at her.

"Y'know Prongs I think she just might be." Sirius replied. Lily raised an eyebrow at the usage of Padfoot and stored it in her mind for later.

"What d'you propose we do Padfoot?" James asked his devious friend.

"She's laughing at us Padfoot. Time to get her." Sirius said standing up with a mischievous look in his eyes. Before the two could execute their brilliant plan Lily flicked her wand up and she was gone from their eyes.

"She's gone! Where'd she go!" Sirius asked looking around as if to spot her someplace hiding.

"Nah she's just messing with us Padfoot. Most likely an invisible charm." James said rolling his eyes as if it was rather childish of her to do that.

Sirius crossed the room and went into the kitchen determined to find her. James stayed where he was looking off into space. Lily grinned evilly and stepped very near to him so he would sense her.

"Invisibility isn't at all childish. It can catch one completely off guard can it not?" She asked sweetly feeling him tense up at her proximity.

"You seem talented enough at Charms to pull off a complex spell that fast without any notice." James said keeping conversation. Taking out her wand she flicked it and reappeared. James looked at her with approval in his eyes. He obviously was impressed by her skills as a witch.

Sirius entered the room and yelled out, "Found you! You could have told me we were playing hide and seek. Geez…" He said slouching over to the couch and sitting down.

"Desoleil mon cher ami." Lily responded in clear French.

"French…pfft." Sirius said grumpily."

"D'you guys know of a group or organization called the Order of the Phoenix?" Lily asked nonchalantly. But then the whole atmosphere in the room changed. Sirius looked up quickly his face masked in a whirl of emotions and James watched her carefully before responding.

"To some extent. Why?" James asked.

"Well I spose it concerns why I arrived here a bit frazzled looking. I heard these guys following me on my way here so I hid in an alley, invisible of course. They came down the alley snooping around and then they started saying a bunch of stuff." Lily said twirling a piece of her hair between her fingers.

"What did they say?" Sirius asked his demeanor totally changed looking at her raptly.

"I dunno…they actually mentioned my name and said how they had found the girl "he" had been looking for. The two men said that I had probably already been recruited to the Order of the Phoenix by Dumbledore." Lily said glancing sharply at the two of them when they shared a glance of shared understanding and recognition.

"So you do know what they were talking about. Spill then." Lily said putting her hands on her hips looking from between Sirius and James who seemed to be communicating without words.

"Before we tell you anything it might be something totally different. Did you get a glance of the men who followed you?" James asked taking off his glasses and wiping them on the hem of his shirt.

"Yeah actually I did…there was one who had long blonde hair and the coldest gray eyes I've ever seen. The

other man I don't quite remember but they were both called Agustus and Luscius I think." Lily said keeping her face plain but her eyes focused on James and Sirius. She could definitely tell what she just revealed to them meant something because Sirius raised his eyebrows at James as if asking him what he thought.

"Interesting." Was all James uttered.

"Good to see you Lily but I actually have to get going. I have a bit of work to get done tonight before tomorrow. I bid you two a good night and don't have too much fun while I'm away." Sirius said winking to her but sending James one last nonverbal message and then he was gone.

"Okay I'm kind of confused right now. If you don't mind I would like to know what exactly is going on here." Lily said starting to become irritated.

"I can't really say anything yet except that the men who followed you work for Voldemort." He spat out the last word as if it was a swear word.

Lily's eyes grew large when she heard the man who was searching for her was Voldemort. The most powerful Dark wizard in the world was after her. What did he want with her? Her respect for James grew as he out of the few actually uttered Voldemort's name.

"I want you to accompany me to a meeting. Would you?" James asked her looking quite tired.

"A meeting? To what association?" She asked already knowing the answer.

"The Order of the Phoenix. I think you would make a fine recruit and it would keep you safe from these men. There are risks that involve you with it obviously. Basically we fight against the dark forces and the destruction Voldemort is creating in our world." James said sinking into a chair.

Lily looked at him feeling somewhat nervous and scared from the night's events. This was a lot of unwanted information and proposals thrown at her.

"Maybe. I'll get back to you?" Lily asked him looking down at him.

"Sure. The meeting is on Wednesday so I can swing around to get you if you choose to go. Just send an owl to me. Sorry that this wasn't exactly the bash you thought it was going to be. Remus was actually feeling a bit under the weather and Peter just left before you came for he had some work to do." James said yawning slightly.

"It's okay. I probably wouldn't have been in the mood anyways." She said honestly looking at him smiling. He had made her feel better nevertheless and she felt safe with him. "I better get going."

"D'you want me to walk you home?" James asked.

"Nah apparating will do the job now. I'll talk to you before Wednesday to tell you whether I'm going to the meeting." Lily said while gathering her bag and slipping into her brown corduroy jacket.

James nodded and kissed her in a friendly way on the forehead and then Lily was gone. James looked at the space where she was and then crossed over and fell backwards on his couch sighing.

"What will she say when Dumbledore tells her he got me and Sirius to look for her? Will she think that's the only reason I picked her out at the Quidditch game." He asked himself breaking the silence in the room but causing even more questions to arise.

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A/N: Yay chapter 4 is up. I really like writing this story and I've been updating quite frequently! We're slowly entering into some plots and such. If you saw some say so in the review. And now onto my English devoir! Tootles.