The sound of light knocking was what caused Lily to stir awake. She could hear her mother speak her name through the wood, followed by more insistent knocking, beginning to increase in loudness.

"I'm awake," she called out, shifting to lie on her back. She kept her eyes closed, squeezing her lids shut tightly as a dull ache resided between them. Her hand rubbed her forehead achingly as she rolled onto her side.

"You should probably start getting up soon. I was hoping you'd help run some errands with me," her mum's voice drifted through the door.

"Okay," she rasped, speaking just loud enough for her mother to hear. She listened as her mother's footsteps led away from her bedroom door down the hallway, then sighed loudly, rubbing at her face tiredly. Unhurriedly, she sat up, glancing around her room in disinterest. She felt dazed.

Tenderly, she scratched at her scalp, wincing as she pulled out the ponytail that held the tangling bun on the top of her head. The lack of pressure lessened her headache but the dull pain pulsed just behind her eyes and at her temples.

When she turned, she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. The collar of her shirt had been stretched widely, gaping awkwardly over her collarbone.

Her stomach churned uncomfortably.

Pulling out a sweater from a drawer, she changed swiftly, tossing the ruined shirt into the corner of the room. She bent to riffle through her box of toiletries, locating her brush on the top easily and ran it through her hair, attempting to smooth down any fly-away hairs.

She winced as the bristles rubbed against the knot on the back of her skull and with two fingers, she massaged the spot gently, trying to soothe the ache.

Dropping the brush back into the box, she breathed in and exhaled slowly, trying to shake off the events of yesterday.

Would it be appropriate to disassociate? From a reasonable place in her mind, Lily knew that it could be easy to be scared of the unknown. Vernon's being afraid wasn't abnormal – but his visceral reaction to her had been fucking mad.

And to know that Petunia had told Vernon about her without asking first. Maybe she could have helped explain. Make him less afraid… If he reacted like that when she hadn't even been doing anything…

Lily twisted the doorknob of her bedroom, stepping out into the empty hallway just as Petunia was exiting the bathroom. Her older sister looked pale and worried.

"Lily," she said in a pained voice.

"I'm going to tell mum," she countered, angry that she already felt her throat tighten.

"You can't!" begged Petunia, reaching forward.

Lily stepped out of her grasp. "Vernon – he's dangerous, Pet. He's going to hurt you!"

"He won't," her sister insisted. "He has anger problems – but he would never hurt me. He's just scared."

"I'm your bloody sister!" Lily snarled. "I would never –"

"He doesn't know what you can do."

Lily snapped, offended. "Then you tell him! You tell him I wouldn't harm a damned soul!"

Petunia scoffed. "I can't – not really –"

She reeled back, as if she had been hit. "You can't honestly mean that –"

"You've been gone for the last five years, Lily! And how am I supposed to know who you are any more? You act like you're better than all of us –"

"I do not. You're the one who won't speak to me. You shut me out!"

"You've got no role in my life any more anyways – ever since you left for that – that school," she spat out the word like dirt. "And when you started hanging out with that – freak."

"Stop," Lily snapped. "You can't bring up the same argument! I have been here for you – I'm always waiting for your returned letter – for you to –"

Petunia howled in anger. "Expect me to send you a letter via a bloody rodent? Do you know how mad that is, Lily?"

"Don't blame the owl! That's besides the point. I've been here –"

"You have not! You haven't!" Petunia shrieked. "Vernon has. He's been here! He loves me."

"He's a bloody psycho, Pet! You can't be with someone like that!"

"You've lost the right to have any say in my life. You can't tell me who I can or cannot be with –"

"Pet –"

"And if you do, I will never speak to you again. Ever. You'll be dead to me."

"Petunia," she gasped, overwhelmed with pain and grief. "You can't mean that."

"I do," she snarled. "Now leave me and Vernon alone. If you tell mum, just know that you'll never see me again."

Petunia gave her one last glare, retreating to her bedroom and slamming the door shut loudly.

It took Lily a moment to gather her bearings enough to walk away, feeling dazed.

Her mother was standing in the catching, working on breakfast with the radio turned on. She smiled sympathetically when she caught sight of Lily standing in the door.

"Another tiff with Pet?" Rose asked.

"Something like that," she answered, throat tight.

For a brief moment, she thought about telling her mother all that happened the night before; putting a stop to her sister's engagement.

From the living room, the sound of Petunia's footsteps could be heard, loud and angry. Lily winced as the front door slammed, the china in the hutch rattling from the force of it.

Rose huffed a laugh. "That'll be her heading to brunch with Vernon. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," she rasped, pulling the tea kettle towards herself.

Her mum gave her a long stare, but Lily was grateful when her mother instead shrugged, turning back to the stovetop. "We can talk about it when you're ready."

"What errands did you need to run?" she asked instead.

"Have to make a trip to London; I need to drop off grandmama's earrings off at the jewelers. Pet wanted to wear them for the wedding but they're missing some pearls."

Lily hummed. "Do I have to go?"

"I would like it if you did," Rose replied, dishing a pair of cooked eggs onto a plate. "We've got the day. You don't have to go back to the station until tomorrow morning, you know."

"I know," she said quietly, watching as her mother set the plate in front of her. Her stomach still felt unsettled. "And I'm not really sure if I'm up for going out."

"At least come out with me to the jeweler's. Please?"

Lily sighed, an amused smile breaking through as she caught sight of her mother's guilt-inducing look. "Okay."

"Thank you," Rose said with a grin. "A little fresh air wouldn't hurt, would it?"

"Mum, it's London."

Her mother waved her off. "You know what I meant. Finish your eggs and go get dressed. We can head out when you're ready."

Finishing her plate did make her feel better, having eaten under her mother's watchful eye. Excusing herself, Lily came back into the kitchen approximately ten minutes later, having washed her face and changed into a new blouse and her favored jean jacket.

"We've got to get you a pair of shoes so your pants don't get ruined," her mother insisted, grabbing her own purse from a kitchen chair.

Lily looked down where her bell bottom jeans dragged over her shoes. "I know, mum."

"Then I wouldn't have to buy you so many pants," Rose continued, wrapping an arm around Lily's shoulder and squeezing her. "Grab the keys for me."

"I can't wait til I can Apparate," she murmured once they settled into the car.

"Remind me again what that is?" Rose asked, turning instinctively to check for any cars behind them.

"It's one of the ways wizards can travel, like teleportation? Like in Star Trek," Lily said. "Can't do it til I'm seventeen anyways," she added, with only a touch of bitterness.

"That's only three months away," Rose reminded, pulling out of the driveway and navigating through the neighborhood. "Besides, you're more than welcome to learn how to drive."

"No one drives in London," she complained.

"We drive out here in the suburbs."

"Only because you need to."

Rose hummed in agreement. "Well, maybe you can apparate me around once you're able to. It'd save on the car bill, wouldn't it?"

Lily snorted, then frowned. Was she even allowed to apparate with a non-magical person? She'd have to look it up.

"That's the church Petunia's getting married," Rose pointed out.

Lily turned her head sharply to search where she was waving towards. Beyond the rooftops of townhomes lined along the other side of the road, she caught sight of a tall dark steeple peeking over.

"She's not getting married at our church?" she questioned, a spark of irritation flashing in her stomach. "That's where you and dad got married."

"The Dursleys are really pushing for it," Rose said. "It can hold more guests."

"How many people is she inviting?" she asked, brows knit together.

"The last list I had seen was a little over 300."

"Three hundred?" She demanded. "Why would she invite so many?"

"You know Petunia," Rose answered, readjusting the purse in her lap. "She likes to make things grand. And the Dursley's have a big family. They take things like this seriously, apparently."

"I'll say," she murmured bitterly, absentmindedly brushing a hand over her tender collarbone.

"What happened between you two last night?" Rose inquired. "Petunia seemed quite upset."

Lily looked out the window, overwhelmed with the desire to spill all that had happened. She couldn't answer right away.

You'll be dead to me.

The words rang in Lily's ears.

"I was still upset that she moved all my things under the sink. Didn't really even apologize," she finally answered, staring ahead at the road. Her voice sounded flat even to her own ears.

"Are you sure that was it?" Rose asked gently.

Her stomach turned over and Lily slightly regretted eating those eggs. Why was she so weak when it came to her sister?

"Yes," she answered resolutely. "She can just get on my nerves."

"If you say so," Rose replied, not pushing the matter.

She exhaled quietly, lost in her thoughts, grateful when her mum tuned into the radio, turning on a station that played the latest hits. She involuntarily grinned when Eleanor Rugby filtered through the speakers.

"I hope you don't mind walking," Rose commented a few songs later. "We'll have to find a car park a little further away."

"That's fine," murmured Lily.

Rose hummed, turning the car into an empty lot. "You know, isn't this near that pub – the Dripping Cauldron?"

Reluctantly, she smiled. "It's 'Leaky Cauldron'," she corrected, focusing on her gaze outside the window to study where they were. It was familiar, she realized, recalling the spot where the pub was situated only a few blocks over.

"Maybe we can stop by Diagonal Alley?"

"Mum," she complained with an grin. "Now you're just purposely annoying me."

Rose laughed, unbuckling her seatbelt once they'd parked. "Is it working?"

"It doesn't take much from you," she jabbed.

"Well, let's get this over with before you get too angry."

She rolled her eyes, following suit as her mum exited the car.

"The jeweler's is just this way," her mum pointed as they navigated around the cars. Just as Lily expected, the sidewalks and storefronts were busy, filled with weekender shoppers.

"You remembered to grab the earrings, right?"

Rose gasped in shock, pressing a hand to her chest in horror. "Oh, no –"

"Mum," she bleated. "You didn't check before we left?"

"They're right here in my purse," Rose laughed, holding it up for inspection. "I'm not your father, am I?"

With another unbidden smile, Lily laughed again. "Hilarious joke, mum. And no, you're definitely not."

"Remember when we drove all the way out to Brighton and your dad claimed to have forgotten the keys?" Rose stuttered in laughter, pressing a hand over her mouth to cover the sound politely as others around them looked curiously.

It was an easy memory to resurface. Her father had been frantic, searching through the totes and luggage they had hauled with him.

Lily giggled as they side-stepped a street vendor. "And he'd just dropped them under the brake pedal? How could he forget how we'd gotten out there?"

Rose laughed again, wrapping an arm around Lily's shoulders as she shook with mirth. "At least we'd made it to the beach first. We got to spend some time at the beach before he called the locksmith."

"Was dad telling the truth when he said the locksmith gave him a refund after finding the keys on the floor mat?"

"He was so lying," Rose cackled, reaching up to wipe a tear from the outside corner of his eye. "But he couldn't show his wounded pride in front of you girls."

Lily giggled, recalling the way her father had been solemn, convincing him that the locksmith had been a very nice man – and had decidedly not jipped him out of 100 quid.

It had been the beginning signs, they then realized later. The forgetfulness. His absentmindedness.

It was a sobering recollection.

Her mum squeezed her shoulders again, nodding her head at a storefront up ahead. "There it is. The only place that would repair something with pearls this small."

Lily glanced up to spot a small shop, with blue signage above it. It was a small, nondescript shop. She held the door open for her mum as they entered, the sound of a bell chiming throughout the store.

"Greetings!" an elderly gentleman called from behind the counter at the back of the shop. "How can I assist you?"

Rose was already walking towards him. "Yes, I rang earlier this week – about the set of pearl earrings that you might assist in repairing?"

"Ah, yes, the heirloom. Please, let me take a look."

Rose pulled forward her purse to retrieve them, catching sight of Lily glancing around the store shop. "Go, walk around. See what they have. Maybe you can find something for the wedding."

She shrugged, but meandered away as ordered, running her hands over the glass countertops, peering through the glass as the countless styles of rings, earrings, and bracelets.

Her eyes glazed over, not really paying attention as she slowed her pace, just to kill time.

"That's real goblin silver," a voice cut through her idle thoughts.

She glanced up to catch sight of an older woman – possibly the store owner's wife. She had spoken with a thick accent, once Lily couldn't quite place. She was smiling merrily at her, glancing back down at the bracelet on display.

She glanced around surreptitiously, unsure if she had heard the woman clearly. "I'm sorry?"

"Goblin's silver," the woman repeated, popping open the back of the case to pull out the bracelet in question.

Surely this was a joke. Lily's eyes narrowed as she watched the woman pluck the bracelet from its display. She wondered if this was a gimmick the store put on, in an attempt to attract more customers.

The woman held it out for Lily to inspect, turning it sideways to present the inscription on the inside. "Gobbledegook," she explained. "Murak Vuchun umidvor."

Lily's mouth dropped open. "You know Gobbledegook?" she asked the older woman.

She smiled and winked, the skin around her eyes crinkling with merriment. "It means, 'inter spem et metum' in latin. 'Between hope and fear.'"

"It's beautiful," Lily observed. She shook her head vehemently when the woman silently offered her to take it to try on. "Oh, no, no. Thank you, though."

"Looking for its owner," the woman insisted, turning the bracelet over in her hands. "Good price."

Lily wanted to laugh aloud – Goblin silver at a good price? She'd never been jewelry shopping in the Wizarding world, but she knew about Goblin gold. It wouldn't be cheap.

"That's gorgeous," Rose said from behind Lily's shoulder. "Do you like it?"

Lily laughed. "Oh – I was just looking – I don't want –"

"Try it on," her mum insisted, smiling at the older woman behind the counter. "Can she?"

"Of course," the woman responded, handing over the bracelet.

Rose accepted it, slipping it over Lily's wrist. It was a delicate piece of metal, so light Lily felt as if it weren't even there.

She turned her arm over, feeling it jangle against the bones of her wrist.

"Beautiful," the woman insisted with a smile. "Won't come off for anyone except the wearer – impossible to lose."

Rose was still admiring the bracelet, smiling placatingly at the woman. "How much is it?"

"Five galleons."

Rose's expression blanked, eyes going to Lily's, who shrugged sheepishly. "About twenty pounds," she translated.

"That's not bad," her mum considered. "Would you like to get it?"

"Oh, no, really. I was just looking at it. It's Goblin made, apparently."

Rose's brow arched. "Is it?" she said mildly, unsure if she was supposed to be impressed.

Lily laughed, slipping the bracelet back off. "It means that her claim about it not coming off for anyone else besides the wearer sounds accurate. Maybe for Christmas?" she offered to the woman as a way to decline.

The woman shrugged, accepting the objection with class as she accepted the bracelet from Lily and sliding it back into the display. "Come back, we'll still have a good deal."

"Thank you," Lily said sincerely.

"We'll be back," Rose assured, waving back towards the man who had taken the earrings for repair. The two Evans women departed the store. Her mum stooped low to her ear, "Were they – you know?"

Lily gave a laugh. "I guess so? I mean – we are close to Diagon Alley. It wouldn't be too surprising if we found some shop owners that are – you know."

"Speaking of – would you like to visit the Leaky – the pub?" her mum offered. "It's that way, isn't it?"

It was easy to recall the reason why they hadn't visited over the summer, Lily thought. Thinking of the current tumultuous state of the Wizarding World.

"Uh, you know, maybe we can just go back? I don't think I got a good night's sleep last night. Maybe we can just go home?"

Rose leveled her with a stare. "Are you sure?"

LIly nodded earnestly, "I didn't really need to go anywhere else, did you?"

"Well, no, but –"

"Lily!" a voice called from behind them. "Lily? Is that you?"

They turned to find an older woman running up towards her. Lily recognized her immediately.

"Mrs. Mckinnon," she greeted warmly, stepping into a hug of her friend's mother's arms.

"I knew I'd recognize that gorgeous red hair anywhere," Mrs. Mckinnon said in a pleased manner, releasing Lily from a tight hug. "And you must be Lily's mother," she greeted just as warmly. She held her hand out.

"You would be correct," Rose replied with a similar, returning the handshake. "You've raised a wonderful young daughter from what I've heard."

Mrs. Mckinnon shook her head. "From the way I've heard it, I need to thank you for raising yours so wonderfully. I don't know how else I'd be able to keep my daughter in line during her teen years."

Lily was barely able to hide an amused smile behind her hand, catching the same mischievous look in Mrs. Mckinnon eye as she found in Marlene's often.

"Well, I'll tell you it was a lot of work on both of our parts, I assure you. But it is a pleasure to finally meet you after all of these years," Rose said sincerely.

"Same to you," Mrs. Mckinnon replied, smiling just as brightly.

"Soph!" another woman called from just outside of a shop that was a bit of a ways down. "I thought I lost you!"

Mrs. Mckinnon laughed heartily with the same genetic disposition to throw her head back like Marlene tended to. She turned to wave on the other woman, inviting her to join them.

Lily's attention turned to Mrs. Mckinnon's shopping partner as she came closer.

This woman appeared to be a few years older than Mrs. Mckinnon, the lines of her face only giving away her mature years. Her thick, dark hair had been pulled back into an intricate braid atop of her head. Lily suspected the color was natural. She was quite a deal taller than the three other women, standing gracefully before them.

Her face looked familiar to Lily.

Mrs. Mckinnon placed a hand on the woman's elbow, giving away her familiarity. "Euphemia," she introduced to the Evans women.

"Rose," Lily's mum supplied when prompted, reaching to shake the woman's hand. "Wonderful to meet you."

"You, as well," Euphemia said genuinely.

"Lily," Mrs. Mckinnon cut in. "Her son is one of your classmates. He and Marlene grew up together quite close"

"Lily?" Euphemia repeated, her eyes studying Lily with bright wonder. "It's wonderful to finally meet you, ma cherie."

It was the French that gave it away.

Lily gasped. "Mrs. Potter?"

She nodded, pleased, holding out her hand to Lily. "I've heard so much about you from Sirius and James. I believe you deserve un merci after keeping them in check."

Lily felt a bit awestruck, being in the presence of James's mother.

"Oh, uh," she said eloquently. "Well, I hope they at least shared some good things, too."

"Oui, Lily," Mrs. Potter said with a wink. "All good things, petit cherie."

Forget Marlene and her mothers' genetic disposition – the similar mannerisms between James and his mother were striking to Lily. Even down to the teasing glint in their eyes.

"What are you doing in muggle London?" Lily couldn't help but ask.

"Just some additional clothing shopping," Mrs. Mckinnon answered, waving in the general area. "Needed a break from the usual monotony of life at home."

"Right," she replied, as if she had any clue of what she was referring to.

"What are you doing out of school, Lily?" Mrs. Mckinnon asked. "Not sick, I hope?"

"Oh, no," Rose assured. "My other daughter, Petunia, is getting married. Lily's in the wedding party. She came home for the weekend for a dress fitting."

Mrs. Mckinnon nodded enthusiastically. "That's wonderful news! Please tell her congratulations for us."

"Would you two like any chocolat frogs? To help the celebration?" Mrs. Potter offered. "I picked up some for Mont – James's father – but I think I picked too many. He couldn't possibly eat all of them."

"Oh, sure," Lily said, catching her mother's eye. It would be impolite to decline, wouldn't it? "That's very kind of you."

"Of course, cherie. Take some back to school if you can." The woman handed over one of her bags and Lily peeked inside the bag curiously.

"This is too much," she said immediately, pressing the bag back into the woman's hand. "We'd only take a few, really – I don't wish to steal them all away."

"Absurdité," Mrs. Potter said. "Nonsense. Please, have some. I've got a whole other bag. I think this is sometimes all Fleamont is willing to eat."

"If you're sure?" Lily said weakly. "I'll give some to Sirius and James when I return."

"Merci," Mrs. Potter said, handing back the bag. "Use it as blackmail to keep them in line, if you must. James has told me Hogsmeades' stores are low."

Lily laughed. "I'll try it."

"We should probably be on our way before the apothecary closes for the afternoon, Euphemia," Mrs. Mckinnon cut in. "I'm happy we were able to meet, Rose."

"Likewise," Rose replied, shaking both of the woman's hands.

Lily turned to Mrs. Potter, suddenly shy. "It was really lovely meeting you," she offered, shaking Mrs. Potter's hand again.

"It was," Mrs. Potter agreed, nodding goodbye to them both. The two women turned and walked away and both Rose and Lily watched them as they went.

"Huh," Lily breathed, watching until the two disappeared into the crowd.

"Is it just me... or did they seem rather... well, a few more years older than me?" Rose asked Lily.

"It's the norm in the wizarding world, I think," she answered delicately. "I think that since wizards and witches generally have a longer life span, they don't marry as young?"

"Ah," Rose said in understanding. "And 'James'... Potter? That boy who you'd always complain about during the summer hols?"

"Yes," Lily confirmed in a clipped tone, feeling her cheeks warm. "We should probably head home."

"Eager to return to Hogwarts and pass along those chocolates?"

"Mum," she complained in a warning tone.

"Alright, alright – don't get touchy."

Lily glanced once more over her shoulder, hoping to catch sight of the women once last time. James Potter's mother. She had to smother her smirk.

When they settled into the car, Rose frowned. "What's that noise?"

"Oh," Lily started. "It's the frogs." She reached into the bag that Mrs. Potter had given her, pulling out a box. She unwrapped it, where the frog could be heard skittering inside. Lily plucked it from the box and handed it over.

"I don't think I can eat it," Rose said uneasily, holding it between her forefinger and thumb. She watched as it struggled.

"It's not real," Lily insisted, reaching forward and breaking off one of its legs. The frog continued to squirm, under no obvious pain. She held back a giggle as her mother leaned forward and took a tiny bite out of the frog's side with a grimace.

"Too bizarre," Rose told her, shuddering as the frog continued to struggle. "Though the chocolate is delicious. Are you supposed to keep the card?" She held up the novelty piece that was leftover in the box, turning it slightly in her hands. "It reads... 'Circe'. Does that mean anything?"

She hiccoughed lightly, snapping her head towards her mother. "Circe? Well, that's a brand new one. Can I have it?" she asked out of habit, sincerely interested.

Her mother gazed at her, unimpressed. "Please," she said in a dry voice. "You can have it. I'm not sure any of my friends will enjoy a moving picture of a witch."

Lily laughed, grabbing the card from her mother's hand and stuffing it into her jacket pocket for safe keeping.

"Would you bring him?"

"What?" she asked confused, having reached back into the bag for her own chocolate frog. "Bring who where?"

"James. To the wedding."

Lily nearly choked. "Why?"

"I just wanted to see if you had thought about it." Rose shrugged shoulder, leaning forward to start the engine. "You're allowed to bring a date."

"I – have not thought about it," she was quick to assure. "And definitely not James – Potter."

"Only asking," Rose said mildly, pulling out of the car park. "No pressure."

She scoffed, turning to her chocolate frog, immediately putting the idea out of her mind. That was decidedly something she would not consider.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

"Lily," her mother's muffled voice filtered through the wooden bedroom door. "You need to wake up."

She moaned and rolled over, feeling angry at herself for falling asleep so early the night before - and sleeping through till morning

"I'm up," she croaked, chucking the covers off of herself. She yawned and stretched, taking a dazed look around her room before standing.

"We'll leave in an hour," her mother continued. "I'll have breakfast ready for you!"

"Thanks, mum."

She picked a clean outfit; something comfortable for the ride back to Hogwarts, and headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower. She toweled off and dressed swiftly, pulling on a pair of leggings and a long cream sweater, before brushing out her wet hair.

As she returned to her room, she could hear voices coming from the living room and she peeked around the corner curiously.

Petunia and Vernon sat on the living room sofa, watching the telly. Lily pulled herself back around the corner and rushed back into her room, stuffing the rest of her belongings into her knapsack, mindful not to break her wand as she realized she wasn't being too gentle.

She released an uneasy sigh, glancing around her room uncomfortably. The bag of chocolate frogs Mrs. Potter gifted her was set on her desk. Grabbing it gingerly, she pulled her bag over her shoulder and took one last look at her room before shutting the door behind her.

"Morning, Pet," she greeted quietly, walking through the living room into the kitchen where her mother stood.

The couple decidedly ignored her, paying her no mind.

She bit her cheek hard, feeling her hands shake as she clutched the bag of chocolates tightly as she entered the kitchen.

"Thanks, mum," Lily sighed, sliding into a seat at the table.

"I'm glad you're showing some sort of emotion at leaving," Rose teased, sliding a piece of ham onto a plate.

She smiled weakly, accepting the plate from her mother as she stirred sugar into a cup of tea. "I'm not all that excited to go back," she mumbled, taking a sip. But probably more excited than she should be, she thought to herself.

"You'll be back home before you know it," Rose comforted, mistaking Lily's quiet answer as sadness.

She nodded without correcting her assumption, realizing the wedding was only a few months away. She took a bite of her meal to hide her grimace. The food on her plate was gone rather quickly and she accepted a second cup of tea as her mother cleaned up the kitchen.

"Almost ready to go?" Rose asked, collecting her purse and keys.

"Let me just go brush my teeth," Lily answered, collecting the bag at her feet.

"I'll go start the car," her mum called to her back as she retreated back through the living room.

"That's horrible," she heard Petunia murmur from her place on the sofa. Curious, Lily glanced towards the telly, where a local newscaster was reporting a story.

".. the town of Sudbury has experienced disaster late last night when a gas line exploded, the casualty count at more than two hundred.."

She frowned in concern, recognizing the town that was only an hour away from their home.

"That's near one of your father's offices, Vernon. Do you think everything's fine?" Petunia asked, clutching onto his arm tightly.

"He'll be fine," Vernon grumbled as his eyes remained glued to the screen.

"I can't believe that happened," Lily said in quiet horror, watching as the telly switched from the newscaster to the small town, large billowing pillars of black smoke growing into the sky.

Vernon turned at her voice, surprised to see her standing there. His expression slid instantly into an angry one as he glared at her. "Can't be too far off from what your lot does, isn't it?"

It struck something inside of her.

"You are not marrying my sister," she said viciously, hoping to convey more confidence than she actually felt.

"What did you say?" he spluttered, red creeping into the sides of his neck and cheek.

Petunia sat frozen between them, shocked into silence by the situation unfolding in front of her.

"You cannot marry my sister," Lily hissed. "You horrible, despic–"

"Lily!" Petunia cried, jumping up from her spot. "Stop," she pleaded, grabbing Lily and leading her away.

Vernon remained seated, stuttering in anger with his hands in fist.

Petunia had pulled her back into the hallway towards the bedrooms and turned to Lily, promptly slapping her.

Lily cried out, shocked by the action of her sister's actions. Tears wet her eyes as she nursed her cheek and looked back at Petunia, who she, herself, looked as if she had been slapped.

Petunia quickly recovered from her own shocked reaction and glared at her sister.

"Petunia," she whispered, betrayed.

"You can't tell me I can't marry Vernon. We're getting married no matter what, do you understand? I love him. I am happy with him. Something you'll probably never understand, freak," Petunia hissed, promptly turning on her heel and leaving her alone.

Dazed, Lily turned to walk into the bathroom and shut the door behind herself, stomach rolling painfully. She felt like retching, but her mother knocked on the door moments later.

"Ready?" she asked as Lily opened the door.

"Yes," she replied quickly, covertly trying to rub the pain away in her cheek.

"Say goodbye to your sister," Rose requested to the two girls as she headed towards the front door.

"Goodbye," she muttered, crossing her arms.

Petunia said nothing, glancing over at Lily with no emotion.

"Pet," their mother warned.

"Bye," Petunia spat out, clutching onto Vernon's arm even tighter.

Lily was forcibly pushing her mother out the front door before she could say anything else, following behind her closely and shutting the door with a sharp snap.

"There'll be traffic," Lily muttered as she noticed her mother's look.

Her mother merely sighed and unlocked the car doors, sliding into the driver's seat.

She followed suit, taking her spot in the passenger's seat and placing her bag between her feet.

They fell silent as their journey back to King's Cross began and Lily turned on the music out of boredom, hoping that maybe the distraction would lessen the desire to spill her guts to her mother. Just over halfway there, Rose leaned over and lowered the volume, turning to give her a prompting look.

"What?" Lily asked defensively, crossing her arms childishly.

"I just want to make sure you're alright. Did something happen between you and Vernon?"

"No," she snapped quickly, turning to glare out of the window.

"That doesn't seem like a no," Rose replied, smiling slightly in humor.

"Nothing happened," she repeated, forcefully keeping her tone neutral. "I just hope he can make Petunia happy."

"She seems sure he will," Rose answered with a sigh as they entered London's city limits. The traffic began to thicken as they traveled towards King's Cross.

As they pulled into one of the only available spots, Rose turned to her youngest daughter with a sorrowful look.

"Mum," Lily assured with a strained smile. "'I'll be back before you know it.'"

"You better behave yourself," Rose threatened. "Or I'll convince Pet you'll look even better in an electric pink bridesmaid dress."

"Don't do that," she said, horrified.

Rose laughed loudly at her daughter's reaction. "I won't," she promised, reaching over to hug Lily over the middle console. "Unless you don't behave yourself."

"I will," she swore vehemently, returning the hug tightly. "But I better go. The train'll be taking off any moment."

"I love you," said Rose, pulling her daughter even closer.

"Mum," she complained, trying to release herself from the woman's tight grip.

"Okay, okay," Rose mumbled, finally letting her go. "Dear lord, grant me the strength," she murmured. "I don't know what I'll do without you around the house while the wedding gets closer."

"You'll survive," she said wryly, opening her car door. "I love you, mum. I'll see you soon enough!"

"Write me!" Rose called through her open window as Lily took off towards the station by herself.

"I will!" she shouted in response, accidentally surprising a few around her. She shot them an apologetic look before turning and heading inside the station.

The Hogwarts Express greeted her as she emerged from the brick pillar and ignoring the oddity of the once-again empty platform, she rushed forward to find the nearest compartment.

As soon as she sat on the cushioned bench seat , the train shuddered and began moving, the engine roaring loudly as they left the station.

Lily watched as the buildings outside of the window began to disperse, the landscape slowly morphing into open green fields, sprawling out to find a comfortable position.

"Lily," someone murmured, their voice muffled. "Lily, ya got ter wake up."

She groaned and rolled over onto her side, wincing at the soreness in her neck.

"Come on now, ya'll be late fer dinner," the gruff voice insisted.

"Hagrid?" She wondered aloud, blinking rapidly as she opened her eyes against the compartment's low lighting. "Am I already at Hogwarts?"

"Nearly ten minutes now," he told her. "Nearly had me a heart attack when you didn't jump off straight 'way."

He was standing in the train's corridor, stooped in what appeared an incredibly uncomfortable position, hunching over to find inside the train's corridor.

"I'm so sorry, Hagrid," she rushed to say, standing from her laid position on the bench. "I didn't mean to make you wait!" She grabbed her knapsack and the bag of chocolates.

"'s alright, Lily," he assured, backing up the corridor to exit the train. "I'm just thankful you didn't choose a compartment further down the train – could've been a bit trickier."

"It must be late," she said aloud once they vacated the train, noticing the darkening night sky.

"A li'l after eight," he confirmed, pulling an oil lantern from inside his jacket. "We'll be walking up to the castle, if ye don't mind. Thestrals were on their nightly flight when I lef' this time."

"I don't mind," she said honestly.

Hagrid smiled kindly down at her, holding the lantern forward. "Mind if ye light it? Can't quite do it myself." He winked at Lily. "I won't tell if you won', not being on the grounds yet and all."

She smiled, pulling her wand from inside her bag. "Incendio," she cast, the wick catching alight.

"Shall we?" Hagrid prompted, motioning the way towards the castle.

"We shall," she agreed, following in his footsteps, letting him lead the way with the light.

The crickets had already come out, chirping loudly against the quiet night. Lily peered out into the darkening woods surrounding them, imagining unseen creatures watching them.

"Anything happen while I was gone?" she asked, in more of a hope to distract herself from her nerves. It wasn't often she traveled near the forest at night, not if she could avoid it.

Hagrid's demeanor shifted slightly, his shoulders dropping quite low. "Not at Hogwarts, at leas'," he muttered.

"Why? What's happened?" she asked, immediately filled with concern.

"Maybe 's not best if I tell ye," he murmured nervously, his steps involuntarily became quicker, his long legs taking longer strides as he led the way towards the castle's gates. "Migh' be better to hear it from one of the professors or somethin'."

"Hagrid," replied Lily, trying to match his nervous pace. "I'm sure it'll be okay for you to tell me. I don't mind. It just makes me nervous not knowing."

"It was all ov'r the papers this mornin'," he said, not noticing she fell behind slightly due to his longer strides. The light of the lantern casting long shadows as it swung in his arm.

"What's happened?" she repeated, nearly tripping over a broken branch. "Hagrid."

""s the worst," he continued, his voice dropping lower so that she couldn't hear the next words over the sound of his heavy footsteps. " – like tha'. Gone. Can ya believe?"

"Hagrid," she admonished, nearly jogging to keep pace, but stumbling over the uneven ground. "Can you please slow down?"

He seemed lost in his thoughts. "Can hardly believe it, meself. 'Over a hundred'," he murmured, scratching at his beard.

"Hagrid, please," she said loudly, having caught up enough to reach out for his arm.

"'M sorry, Lily," he muttered, turning abruptly to twist around to face her, the lantern swinging in his left hand.

She was unprepared for his hasty stop, catching sight too late of his lantern as it swiveled in Hagrid's grasp towards her.

It struck her in the face, hard.

She cried out as the impact blinded her, collapsing backward onto her back from the force of Hagrid's swing. She groaned, clutching at her injured face.

"Lily!" Hagrid cried, dropping to his knees quickly. "Oh, blimey," he cursed as he set the lantern down beside her. "Sorry! I'm s' sorry! Are you alrigh'?"

She couldn't respond immediately, laying back as the tears began to spill down her cheeks as she kicked the ground in pain. The right side of her face felt numb, but her nose was definitely broken; she could feel the stream of blood rushing from her nose and from the side of her mouth her lip felt busted.

"I'm fine," she croaked, trying to prevent her voice from sounding as if she was crying. Her face bloody hurt. "It's fine."

"Oh, Lily," Hagrid lamented.

She let him help her sit up slowly. "It's fine," she insisted once more, wanting to lessen his obvious guilt. "It was an accident."

"Lemme get a professor," he said shakily, moving to stan. "There's 'lot of blood."

"No, no," she tried to assure him, wincing through the pain. "It's alright, Hagrid. It'll be fine."

Hagrid brought the lantern closer and lifted it towards her face. He grimaced immediately. "Lily–"

"I've had worse. I'm just in shock," she murmured, though tears continued to stream down her face. "Would you help me up?"

He didn't even answer, grabbing her by the waist and lifting her onto her feet with ease. She swayed a moment and he grabbed onto her shoulders, looking into her face with concern.

"Can ye walk?" he asked.

"Yes," Lily answered, still lightheaded from the impact. She leaned heavily into his offered grip as she laughed dazedly. "This is totally my luck."

'"M sorry," Hagrid repeated miserably. "I should'a been watchin' more carefully."

"No, it's okay, Hagrid. Really, it's not your fault. I should've been more careful."

"Here," he said, stopping to reach into one of his pockets and pull out a worn handkerchief. "Pinch your nose wi' this."

She accepted it graciously, using the cloth to compress the bridge of her nose.

It quickly became saturated.

She tried not to think about how she could taste the iron of her blood in her mouth, feel it soak into the collar of her sweater. The sleeve of her hand that pressed the cloth to her nose felt wet to the elbow.

The Entrance Hall was gratuitously empty when they entered. Lily wondered idly how many were left at dinner during this later hour.

"I should probably go to see Pomfrey," she said, wincing as she jostled the hold on her face.

"I'll walk ye," Hagrid insisted, still holding onto her elbow to keep her steady. "You lost a lot of blood."

"Thanks," she said gratefully, feeling faint still.

The Great Hall doors slammed open just as the two advanced past it, the quiet chatter of students eating filtering into the Entrance Hall. Lily turned to check – and sighed dejectedly as she recognized Mulciber and Avery exit the dinner hall into the room.

Mulciber caught sight of them first. "Well, well, well. What've we got here?" he grinned, crossing his arms as he took them in.

"None of your business, Mulciber," she scolded, her voice muffled by the handkerchief. "Carry on to your common room."

Hagrid shifted uneasily and Lily winced, his movements jostled the grip she had on her nose.

"I couldn't quite catch that, mudblood," Avery sneered, walking around them to peer closer to her face.

"Ye shut yer mouth," Hagrid snapped, stepping forward threateningly.

The Slytherin warily pulled back from the larger wizard as he eyed him cautiously. "I see," he hummed, grinning crassly as he looked between Hagrid and Lily. He leaned against the wall casually, spinning his wand between his fingers. "The mudblood whore must've been screwing the half-breed."

From beside her, Hagrid flinched, eyes widening at the insult.

"Mulciber," Lily croaked, shocked by the audacity of the Slytherin.

Avery was howling with mirth. "Not sure we'd want that ride now, eh, Mulc?"

Her glare switched between them. "Sixty points from Slytherin."

The two boys snapped their mouths shut and silence fell over the hall as the sound of gemstones shifted, the hour-glass filled with green stones adjusting itself to the lessened amount.

"You'll regret that, mudblood," Mulciber snarled, "You're lucky I'm in a good mood." He pushed himself off the wall and grabbed onto Avery's cloak to shove him forward, dragging him until they were out of sight.

"The fucking nerve," she nearly growled, voice shaking as she turned to face Hagrid.

He looked incredibly defeated, unwilling to look her in the eyes.

"Come on," she said softly. "Help me to the infirmary?"

"I've got to ge' back to the... to the… grounds."

"Hagrid, don't listen to those two," Lily implored. "They're just two bloody bullies who've nothing better to do than belittle those they think are beneath them. We aren't."

He didn't respond directly, making a gruff sound before turning and nearly knocking into the castle's door. He let himself out quickly, the doors shutting behind him rather loudly.

"Those bastards," she viciously murmured to herself, wishing she could do more than take points away. She wiped at her eyes with her clean sleeve, having not noticed tears were still spilling down her cheeks.

The pain in her face flared and she swallowed past the pain and dizziness. She wished Hagrid hadn't retreated – she resorted to using the wall to help guide her as she focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

"Lily?"

She looked up, terrified that the two Slytherins had returned now that she was alone – but looked up to find James Potter rushing towards her.

His hands fluttered over her, as if he wasn't sure where he should begin to examine.

Lily sighed in relief, leaning into his hold as his hands finally grasped at her arms.

Even in the low light, she could see him study her face, the bloody handkerchief, his eyes trailing down over the rest of her figure, assessing the damage in a frantic manner. "What the hell happened to you?"

"It was an accident," she murmured, trying not to move her lips too much. "Hit in the face – with a lantern – Hagrid."

The amount of worry on his face lessened as he heard her explanation. "You hadn't been attacked?" He glanced around as if suddenly noticing their location. "Heading towards the infirmary?"

She nodded her head forlornly.

"How bad is it?" he asked, pointing towards the handkerchief covering half of her face.

Lily lifted it away, turning her head towards a nearby torch so that he could take a look at her face.

He grimaced, raising a hand to steady her chin. "Your lip is busted. There's a bad cut on your nose, as well. It's bleeding quite badly."

"I'm pretty sure it's broken," she said with her own grimace, pressing the handkerchief back onto her face once he released her.

"It's gonna bruise," he told her, using the hold on her arm to pull her beside him so they could walk to the hospital wing.

Lily released a long breath; she already knew it wasn't going to be a pretty sight.

"Here," he said apologetically once they arrived at the infirmary. "I actually can't stay. Will you be alright?"

"Yes," she said, muffled but grateful.

He turned quickly on his heel and left the way they had just come from.

Pomfrey gasped loudly at the sight of Lily, clucking fitfully at seeing the blood down her front. "So soon?" the healer questioned. "I thought I wouldn't see you for another week."

Lily chuckled, but cut short at the onslaught of pain, removing the handkerchief to reveal the damage to the school's healer.

"Well, I don't have much time, so go ahead and have a seat," Pomfrey insisted, coming around to her side as she sat.

"Episkey," she cast quickly and Lily cried out as her nose set back into place. The healer raised her wand once more and Lily felt her split lip suture itself together.

"You'll be plenty bruised," Pomfrey warned, "But I've no doubt you already knew that."

She nodded, wrinkling her nose to test its recovery. It still smarted, but her eyes were no longer watering from the pain.

"Excuse me, Madame Pomfrey?" a voice interrupted politely and Lily turned towards the Hospital Wings to catch sight of Remus standing in the doorway.

"Come in, Mr. Lupin," Pomfrey responded, standing from her spot next to Lily.

"Lily," Remus said, surprised.

"Hello, Remus," she replied, grimacing more than smiling.

"I didn't know you were back," he responded, shutting the door carefully behind himself. "You weren't at dinner."

"Just got back actually," she answered. "Got hit in the face." She gestured unnecessarily at her mouth and nose, which no doubt was still covered in blood. "Came straight to infirmary."

"You weren't attacked, were you?" he asked with concern, stepping closer. His jaw clenched, as if he were in discomfort himself.

"No," Lily said, confused. "Why would I have been attacked?"

"Didn't you hear?" he asked her, scratching at his arm.

"No," she said, thinking back to what Hagrid must have been referring to. "What happened?"

"Miss Evans," Pomfrey interrupted just as Remus opened his mouth to respond. The healer was smiling pleasantly, but in a way that signaled their conversation was over. "You are discharged. Please let me know if you need anything else."

The woman turned back to Remus. "Now, Mr. Lupin, if you could follow me please…"

Remus shot her an apologetic look over his shoulder as he followed the healer's orders, letting Pomfrey lead the way back into her office.

Lily watched them depart with a mild curiosity before standing from her bed, pressing her fingertips onto her face tenderly. The skin of her cheek still felt numb below the touch, and the sutures on her lip throbbed a bit.

She was tempted to duck into the infirmary cupboards towards the back for a small pain potion, but could see the silhouette of the healer and Remus through the office door.

Sighing heavily, she exited the Infirmary without a glance back and began the journey towards the Gryffindor tower, wishing to change before anyone else saw her. The blood down the front of her sweater was still damp, the dark red a stark contrast against the cream colored fabric.

The atmosphere that greeted her caused immediate concern; the common room was shrouded in a tense silence, a small scattering of students, mostly the younger ones, huddled together. One of the girls nearest to the fire was crying opening, her friends trying their best to soothe her.

The students were too preoccupied to even notice her.

Perturbed, Lily searched the living space for any of her friends but could spot none, heading towards the stairs that led to the dorms.

She looked over at the sudden sound of stampeding steps, catching sight of Sirius and Peter stumbling from the boys' stairwell, clutching a random collection of items; a large piece of fabric – a cloak? – a toiletry bag, and a large piece of parchment.

"What're you two doing?" Lily asked before they saw her. "And what's going on around here?"

Sirius did a double-take, eyes raking over her appearance with a startled expression. "What the bloody hell happened to you? Have you been to the Black Forest?"

Peter gasped, "Oh, Lily –"

"No – I mean, not technically. I've just come from the infirmary. Where are you two going?"

"Sorry, Evs, don't have time to chat. Heading to the – kitchens. We can talk later."

"Sirius," she complained, turning to watch them cross through the common room in a rush, Peter nearly dropping the objects stuffed in his arms, twice.

With an irritated sigh, she headed up to her dormitory, hoping to find her friends. It was empty. She ascended further to the 7th Year girl's dorms, but found the room vacated as well.

Lily debated. If the girls weren't in the dormitory, they may have still been in the Great Hall or in the library. With the late hour, they were bound to return soon.

She returned to her own dormitory, pulling off her soiled sweater over her head and grabbing a clean sweatshirt on her way towards the loo, tugging it over her head as she stepped into the bathroom.

The sight in the mirror was just as she had expected; a macabre version of herself, face covered in drying blood. Purple bruises were already beginning to form around the inner corners of her eyes.

She rinsed the blood off quickly, carefully, waiting until the water ran clear down the drain. It helped; but she noticed the bruising around her mouth was already discolouring beneath the skin. Contrite, she grabbed her sweater from the sink and exited the bathroom, startled to find the others were back.

"Lily," Emmeline said, surprised, catching sight of her first. "You're back!"

"Just got back a little bit ago," she said. "Can someone tell me what's happened?"

"Tell you what's happened? What's going on with your face?" Marlene demanded. "You look like you met a hippogriff playing Quidditch."

"Ha," she said, tossing the dirty sweater into the nearby hamper. "I'll tell you later. Now really, can someone tell me what's happened? I've missed something."

Marlene sat herself onto Lily's bed, her face turned down in apprehension. "There was another attack this morning, just a few hours outside of London. Bigger than ever before."

Lily flinched, immediately recalling the newscaster on the telly she had seen earlier while her sister and fiance watched the news. "Sudbury?"

"Yeah," Alice answered grimly, collapsing into a sitting position onto her own bed. She grabbed a pillow and hugged it tightly to her chest. "Hundreds dead."

"I didn't know Sudbury's a wizarding community," Lily said wonderingly, collapsing beside Marlene.

"Not anymore," Marlene said with a dark look. "It was a newer community built up from a log of Muggleborn families. A lot of families moved there, some of the old Wizarding families. Apparently even they were killed... the Grendersons, the Fenwicks."

"Benjy?" asked Lily, shocked. He had only just graduated the year prior and had been Head Boy. She worked with him quite often to help with the Perfect schedules. "He couldn't have been killed," she murmured in numb disbelief.

No one spoke to deny it, the reality too hard to consider.

"Tell us what's happened to your face," Dorcas said instead moments later, gesturing to the bruises.

"It was an accident," she replied, pressing her fingertips to the tender spots. "Hagrid hit me in the face with a lantern."

"He what?" Alice asked as the others were looking at her with incredulity.

"It was an accident," she repeated defensively. "I got too close and he swung it around when he turned. "

Emmeline hissed in sympathy. "His iron lantern? The one that he makes Fang carry around?"

"That's the one."

"Only you," Marlene murmured, leaning into her.

"So what're they saying? Was it – you know – that one wizard?"

"Yeah. And the Death Eaters."

Lily shivered. "How…"

"I think that's the question we're all asking," Em said quietly. "Dumbledore said some words for the families – a lot of the students had family there. They left right after."

"Yeah," she said distantly. "I just can't imagine – a whole community gone? Not even… just muggle-borns."

"This wizard's disturbed," Alice asserted. "Desperate, maybe. Having to make a statement like this."

"How many could have been there to do something like this?"

Marlene shrugged. "You've seen it. The right spell can do an incredible amount of damage. Whether or not they were all there doesn't seem as important as why."

Lily plucked at a stay thread on her bedsheet.

"We should probably go to bed," Marlene said quietly. "I'm not sure what they're planning for classes, but we have to be up early."

"I should check on the younger students, too," she murmured.

"Right," Dorcas murmured, pushing herself off of the post of Alice's bed frame. "We'll see you in the morning."

Emmeline followed her out, the air somber.

If Lily happened to use checking on the younger girls in the other dorms as means to delay the conversation about her past weekend, she could justify it. It was easy to put others in front of yourself, especially if they were hurting. The events suddenly seemed incomparable to what others were experiencing.

When she'd returned much later, having visited the 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st Year dormitories, the other two girls were fast asleep.

"Good night," she whispered to the room, using her wand to snuff the lights out completely.