Chapter 5: Forever Changed

"James!" Lily begged, tears streaming down her face. James had never seen her cry, not like this. "James, please!"

James grabbed his hair in frustration. He was not going to leave Lily here to die, but time was running out. They must have accidentally tripped a spell and it was only a matter of seconds before the Death Eaters arrived. James could not find a way to get Lily out from the silvery orb she was now suspended in. He had hexed it, charmed it, transfigured it, and even attempted to apparate inside of it, but nothing worked.

"James," Lily whimpered, hands pressed up against the side of the orb. "They're coming, I can see them. You need to leave! Please, James, go!"

James looked around the trees hoping to find a place to hide. But it was too late for that, he could hear the crunching of footsteps across the leaves. He looked up into Lily's distressed face and focused on all those images that helped him through his transformation. His body immediately reacted and morphed into his animagus form. He was unsure if Lily's scream was from the cloaked figures that had emerged from the trees or from watching him turn into a stag. In this form, his emotions had simplified. There were no complicated emotions such as sacrifice or anxiety, just the urge to flee from the hooded figures. He fought that instinct and scampered behind a tree just close enough to watch what was going to happen to Lily.

"Ah, let's see who has decided to visit us!" A sinister voice carried through the woods as one of the figures emerged from the trees. "And what are you doing here little girl? Were you lost in the woods?" The man's eyes and nose were pinched as he squinted up at her. His eyes widened in delight and his laugh came out as a sort of squeal. "Dumbledore is sending me students as part of his army? His own Head Girl captured! That must mean his Head Boy isn't too far. Gentleman, take out your wands and find him." James could see Lily's shock from where he stood. Ten cloaked men spanned away from Lily and started searching through the trees, casting spells such as "humanum revelio." Of course with James in his animagus form, nothing was revealed. The man speaking to Lily raised his wand towards the orb and it disappeared, dropping Lily to the ground. "Tell me," the man asked as he watched Lily sit up on the ground, "Do you know who I am?"

James watched Lily's back straighten slightly as she glared at the man in front of her. "You are Voldemort."

Brave Lily, smart Lily, strong Lily, thought James. He was proud to note her voice responded with no fear.

Voldemort's laugh was bone chilling. But it was nothing compared to his voice that was shrill with excitement. It was uncanny how similar Voldemort's voice was to a snake with the way he stretched out the 's'. "Correct! I am Lord Voldemort. And yes I know who you are, Lily Evans. Yes, you are a curious one. I have had my eye on you ever since I heard of your recent run in with Mulciber. It is curious that someone of your bloodline has the kind of talent you possess. I really am a merciful lord. You could prove quite useful to me. I have use for someone of your … talents."

Lily glowered at the man and pushed herself up from the ground. "And help you destroy others like me? Help you destroy families by ripping them apart? By murdering innocents? I will never support someone who uses fear to gain power." Lily spat, venom dripping with every word.

"Even if that someone will destroy everything that you cherish?" Voldemort asked with a sneer. Lily inhaled sharply but did not respond. "Will you continue to refuse me if I murder your family, torture your friends?"

"I will not play a part in your genocide." Lily bit out.

Voldemort stood there with his head cocked to one side, a half smile on his face as he considered Lily. James knew this was when he had to act. This lull in the conversation where both parties were pondering what to do next would be his only window of opportunity. He knew it would be extremely tricky to try to achieve this absurd plan he had concocted in his head, but there was no other way.

James cantered as close to Lily as he dared without drawing attention from the searching Death Eaters. Ducking behind a tree, he transformed back into his original form and quickly drew his wand. "Incendio," he whispered and aimed his wand at another tree that was only two away from Lily and Voldemort.

The tree shattered in a loud crackle that had every Death Eater drawing their wands and whipping their attention away from Lily. James took that opportunity to sprint forward and wrap both arms around her, one around her mouth to keep her from screaming and the other around her waist. Before the Death Eaters had a chance to turn back to Lily, James twisted on the spot and apparated out of the woods with Lily safe in his arms.

Lily closed her eyes and winced when she felt two unfamiliar arms wrap tightly around her. She felt her insides squirm as her body was squeezed through space and time that indicated she had been apparated to a new location. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself standing on a beach, large cliffs reaching up behind her. The hand at her mouth fell away though the one at her waist still clutched her tightly to the rigid chest behind her.

James barked a laugh from behind Lily, the hand that was at her mouth was now running through his hair. "I can't believe it. We got out."

"I can't believe you're an animagus." Lily breathed out. She turned around in his arms and looked up into his face.

James actually looked sheepish. "Uh, yeah, unregistered though, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention this to anyone."

"For how long?" Lily asked, scrutinizing his face. The image of his stag was stuck in her mind and now she could clearly see how the frame of James' glasses had rimmed his stag eyes.

James looked at Lily for a moment, churning something over in his mind before answering. "Ever since third year." He finally answered.

To James' surprise, Lily's eyes widened in amazement. He was waiting for her to chastise him, not to be impressed by him. "No wonder you are so good in Transfiguration." She said with a small smile. It was in that moment that the two of them realized that James had not released Lily. They immediately jumped apart and looked away from each other, their faces flushing.

"So, where exactly are we, Potter?" Lily asked, toeing the sand.

James sighed. "Back to Potter now, are we?" He asked sadly. Lily looked at James imploringly but didn't get a chance to answer before James continued, "We're at a beach my family used to vacation. They drilled this place in my head after I had passed my apparation test. Said if I was ever in trouble to come straight here. There's a cottage just over the hill that belongs to the Prewett's. We'll be safe there."

Lily nodded and followed James over the sand dunes to where a quaint cottage with two large chimneys stood. As soon as he neared the cottage, a cranky middle-aged woman waving a dish towel stomped out of the house and marched up to the two of them. "You lot are up to no good, I tell you!" She said by way of greeting, shaking one knobby finger in their face.

"Hello, it's nice to see you too Mrs. Prewett." James greeted cordially with a polite bow.

"You egotistical kids thinking you can go trot off and save the magical community by spitting sparks out of your wands? Well look at the lot of trouble you stirred up!" Mrs. Prewett continued, beckoning James and Lily with the dish towel back into the cottage. "I'll be darned to know what your parents were thinking, letting you get mixed up in this whole mess. I ought to have a chat with them when they get here."

James perked up at this news. "They're coming here?"

"Any minute now." Mrs. Prewett nodded. "I let them know the minute you had set foot onto my property."

James breathed a sigh of relief and fell against one of the beams that separated the entry hall from the kitchen. A small pop had sounded outside and two wizards entered the house.

"James!" Cried the woman, running forward to embrace her son. She was a tall, strong woman with unruly black hair. The man that came with her had the exact same eyes as James and he looked around the room with a calculating glare. Though once his eyes landed on Lily, his eyes brightened and Lily saw James' crooked smile emerge from his father's lips.

"Dorea," Mr. Potter said sternly, coaxing his wife to move away from their only son. "Let's return the children to Hogwarts. It will be safest for them there."

Dorea nodded and pulled away from her son. She then noticed Lily for the first time and shot her a bright smile. "Oh, hello dear. I didn't mean to be rude. I'm Dorea Potter, and this is my husband, Charlus."

Lily returned the smile. "Lily Evans."

Charlus and Dorea exchanged a knowing glance before reaching out their arms to pull in Lily, James and a tea kettle. "Now hang on tight and we'll return you to Hogwarts." The tea kettle must have been a port key for Lily could not pull her hand away from it as it pulled them away from the cottage and back into the office of their awaiting Headmaster.

The first thing Lily noticed was that the scene in Dumbledore's office was eerily similar to the one before they left. Order members sat subdued in their armchairs, still donned in dark though tattered clothing. It was obvious by the three empty armchairs in the room that Benjy Fenwick was not the only casualty that evening. The memory of the flash of blue light, Benjy's face frozen in warning as his body burst into a million pieces, had Lily gripping the closest thing to her in horror.

"There, there." Professor Dumbledore said while gently easing Lily's grip on his arm. "Here, eat some. Madam Pomfrey will have my hide if I did not offer you some chocolate." Lily took the offered slab and broke off a piece before handing the rest to James. With every bite, the memory of Benjy and her panicked feeling seemed to gradually ebb away until she was left feeling drained.

"Constant vigilance." A gruff voice sliced the thick silence. The speaker was the auror Mad-Eye Moody. "That's what we must live by, and today, how some of us died by. May no act of ours be in vain. May their memory be a reminder to us, a light when these days seem terribly dark."

"So let's raise our wands together, to shed light on the darkness." Dumbledore said and each member raised their wand into the air. Lily had never seen anything like it. Each wand tip emitted a faint glow not only filling the room with light but filling each person with warmth. Lily raised her wand to join the others and she felt the feeling intensified. What was it?

"Love." Dumbledore said, as if in answer to her thoughts. "The greatest of all magic. And the one thing that Lord Voldemort does not understand. It's only with love that we can defeat him. And it's with love that we will remember those we have lost tonight. Jackson Binns. Landon Dippett. Benjy Fenwick."

The Order members paused for a moment of silence. In that one moment love was a tangible thing. Lily embraced it, letting it sweep through her and fill her with warmth. Though Lily still felt very sad, she also felt very appreciative. She recognized that what she experienced was terrible, but it only made her love for the people around her stronger. The room dispersed quietly as Order members murmured their goodbyes. Lily made an effort to look into each member's face as they left. There went the Prewett twins with identical frowns, Professor Doge stoically walked past, and was that Frank Longbottom who was limping by? James hugged his parents farewell before pulling Lily out of the Headmaster's office. Hand-in-hand they walked silently back to their shared dorm. James spoke the password, held the portrait door open for Lily, and followed her up the stairs. But it was not Lily's bedroom that she entered. Rather it was his.

James did not question Lily. He followed her into his room where she kicked off her shoes and stretched out on his bed covers. James slowly walked towards her. The heavy feeling of warmth and contentment still hung about him. As he laid himself on the bed next to Lily, she curled her body into his. James wrapped both hands about her waist and rested his chin upon her shoulder. It wasn't until their breathing matched that Lily spoke again. "I don't think I'll ever be able to sleep again. Not after tonight."

James stayed silent. How were you supposed to respond to a statement like that? He would not lie and say everything would be alright, because who knew if it really would be. If anything they learned just how fragile and short life could be. All he could say was what he did know for sure. "Lily, I will always be here for you. We do not need to be alone when we have each other. Together we will help each other through it."

Lily gave a deep sigh. James relaxed at the confirmation that his honest answer was the correct answer to give. With Lily in his arms he tried his best to let his thoughts drift away to sleep a dreamless sleep. It did not stop Lily from waking up hours later, screaming as she relived what Benjy endured in her own dream. James smoothed her hair and said soothing words until she fell back to sleep. It wasn't long after that Lily had to do the same for James as he thrashed about in his sleep murmuring, "No, take me instead, no!"

"Ssh, James," Lily comforted as she pushed back his hair and cupped his face. "I'm here, we're here." James opened his eyes to stare into Lily's calm emerald eyes. It was as if the warmth from Dumbledore's office was enveloping him all over again. It was also in that moment that James knew without a doubt that he was, and forever would be, in love with Lily Evans.

When James woke the next morning, he quickly realized that things were not as they usually were. For one, he woke up fully clothed. Maybe that was why he felt so unbearably hot. Or maybe it's because Lily Evans is using me as a body pillow, James thought once he had reached for his glasses and looked down at the sleeping red head. She was laying on her side, leg tossed over his hip, arm draped across his waist, and her head pillowed on his chest. James carefully eased his way out from her grip and walked to his dresser to change his clothes. Just as he pulled his undershirt over his head he heard a very feminine moan. James turned around to find Lily's large emerald eyes blinking up at him.

James turned around and went to ruffle his hair and Lily noticed several things all at once. First she noticed how the corner of his shirt lifted enough for her to get a peak of his bronzed skin pulled taught over lean muscle. Second she noticed how his bicep hardened, straining against his sleeve as he reached for his hair. Third she noticed the way his hair clung to his fingers for just a moment, leaving the strands ruffled and standing on end. Lastly, she noticed the way his hazel eyes flicked to the ground and then back up to her to hold her gaze in a move that showed her how vulnerable he really was.

Lily narrowed her eyes in anger. No, she could not think about James Potter that way! This was James Potter! The arrogant toe rag! Not this seventh year hottie who also happened to be ridiculously clever. Her confusion and rage built up until it snapped at the only other person in the room.

"And just where are you off to?" Lily said dramatically.

Lily watched James tense up defensively. "Big quidditch match today. First one of the season, or did you forget? Funny since I thought you helped create the schedule." James was opening and shutting his drawers a little more forcefully than needed as he pulled the pieces of his Quidditch uniform together.

"How could I forget?" Lily said back, though she had indeed forgotten, "That's all you do, isn't it? Always down on the field, every day, rain or shine, until the sun goes down each night!"

James knew better than to flare out at Lily. Obviously something was the matter, but he wasn't going to get into a row with her the morning of his first Quidditch match. "Fine then, Lily. Yell at me all you like. But you'll find that there are plenty of people in our House that feel the same way about Quidditch as I do, Marlene being one of them." He stormed out of the bedroom, slamming the bedroom door behind him.

There was a pregnant pause before James came storming back into the bedroom. "And this is my bedroom, Evans!" He cried out angrily. "You can get out! And just do Gryffindor a favor tonight and not crash the party in the commons tonight."

It was Lily's turn to stomp out of the bedroom this time. "Fine!" She shouted back, shoving James on her way out of the room and slamming her own bedroom door behind her. Lily fell back against the frame and slid down to the ground. She sat there on the floor biting her lip and thinking about just how much of a fool she really was. Lily waited until she heard James exit the dorm before she stood to get ready herself.

By the time she had collected herself enough to go down to breakfast, the Gryffindor team had just risen to walk to the pitch. Lily's eyes automatically caught James' and she quickly looked away, ashamed. She recovered enough to wave good luck at Marlene who grinned back with a big thumbs up. With a sigh, Lily sought out Dorcas and Mary at the table for breakfast and followed her best friends down to the field for the first Quidditch match of the season.

The click of Lily's heels bounced off the stone walls as she made her way to the Gryffindor common room late that night. Their Quidditch team had clenched their first win in the opening game of the season and the older students latched onto the opportunity to celebrate. Lily had watched the game excitedly in the stands with her two friends Mary and Dorcas. Before the game, Mary, Dorcas and Lily constructed a sign that blazed red and gold and read in sparkly letters "Chase 'em down, Marlene!" They hollered and cheered her on until their voices were hoarse. As they filed away from the game, Mary grabbed Lily's hand and pulled her away from the crowd. "Please Lily, come to the party tonight."

Lily's mouth opened in protest but only managed a stuttering, "I-I can't."

"Please Lily!" Mary was insistent, waving Dorcas over for support. "We never see you anymore because of all your Head Duties. We miss you."

"She's right, Lily." Dorcas said, her arms crossed as if she were trying to block Lily's path until she agreed. "You know, your bed is still there up in the dorm. You can sleep there tonight. It'll be like old times."

Mary nodded enthusiastically. "I want my Lovely Lily back."

Lily rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Ok, fine. I'll go." Mary jumped up and down and cheered while Dorcas gave her trademark grin. "But you will have to tell me what I should wear." Lily said as she linked her arms with Mary and Dorcas and tramped up to the castle.

"Deal." Dorcas said. "We'll stop by your room first and pick something out."

Lily looked down at the dress she was currently wearing. Mary insisted on a flowing yellow summer dress but Dorcas quickly vetoed it for a forest green racer back dress that she herself borrowed from time to time. It wasn't exactly formal but it most definitely was tight. So she paired it with some black pumps and a choker and Lily was off to the Gryffindor common room.

When Lily arrived at the portrait hole, she lingered for a moment. She wasn't exactly sure why she was so nervous about entering. This was her home for the past six years. But her life had changed so drastically in the last day that she felt alien to the other Hogwarts students. "Well. Are you coming in or not?" Interrupted the Fat Lady sitting haughtily in the portrait, a champagne glass tipped precariously in hand. Lily could hear the music thumping from within and once again that feeling of not really belonging settled in. But before Lily made the move to enter or leave, the portrait swung open and the decision was made for her.

Sirius Black's head peaked out from the common room. "Oi, alrigh' Evans?" He called. When Lily didn't make an immediate move to enter, he reached out and hooked her arm with his. "C'mon, in you go. Lemme give you the grand tour!" He waltzed around the Gryffindor common room gesticulating wildly as he pointed out the cramped dance floor, a fifth year juggling records as he disc jockeyed, a makeshift bar crowded with students and manned by Peter Pettigrew, and a cluster of students playing a risky game of truth and dare by the fireplace. "And this here," Sirius gestured to the alcove by the window with a waggle of his eyebrows, "Is where I like to call 'Snogger's Hollow.' Just for the romantically inclined, you see."

Lily giggled and claimed her arm back while she had the chance. "This isn't my first party, Sirius."

"No?" Sirius cried in mock surprise. Ever the theatrical one, he was. He leaned in close to Lily. "Never would've guessed by the way you were pacing outside just a moment ago."

"What?" Lily's eyebrows shot up in shock. "How did you know that?"

"This way, darling!" Sirius had once again took ahold of her arm and was off traipsing around the dance floor. The swarm of dancing students cleared a path for the dashing marauder as he made a beeline for the bar. "Mr. Pettigrew, my good fellow! A shot for our Head Girl." A few curious glances shot her way as Peter smiled and poured a shot of fire whiskey and slid it down the bar. Sirius swept the shot up and leaned in close to Lily, raising the shot as if in a toast. "Now be a good girl Evans and behave."

Lily took the offered shot and raised it to her lips. "Behave how?"

"Like you're just as innocent as everyone else here." Sirius whispered back. "Now down the hatch it goes!" He tipped the end of the shot glass up and Lily dipped her head back to swallow. She could feel the fire whiskey burn down her throat and tingle its way through her fingers. When she placed the glass down on the bar, Sirius gave her an odd smile. Not the charming one he saved for professors, or the mischievous ones for his friends, and not even the "I'm going to shag you senseless" one he often saved for the female species. Instead it was a genuine smile, one that was as sympathizing as it was accepting. Odd. But before Lily could question him further, he had grabbed a butter beer from the bar, placed it into her hands with a wink, and was off to find someone to flirt with on the dance floor.

Strange how Sirius knew exactly what she was feeling. How did he know what she had gotten herself into? How did he assume that she felt separated from everyone because of what she experienced? Was it James? It had to have been. Those two shared everything with each other. But that still didn't explain how he knew what she was feeling. Regardless, Lily did not expect to have Sirius' support for James extend to her. With a tiny smile Lily turned her attention back to the party. Within a few seconds she had located Marlene, Dorcas and Mary by the fireplace and made her way towards them.

"Evans, you're here!" James had just separated himself from a gaggle of sixth year girls looking wildly unkempt. His hair was even more disheveled than normal, his glasses askew, and his Quidditch uniform bunched to one side.

Lily raised an eyebrow. It really was unfair how attractive the Quidditch uniform was on the male species. "Surprised, Potter?"

"Well, yes." James looked her over quickly to gauge how she would respond. When there was no blow up, he sighed in relief.

Lily shrugged. "I s'pose you would be. You should really thank Sirius for pulling me in."

James looked around for the mentioned friend. "So you're not going to break up the party?"

"Do you think I would be wearing this dress and drinking butter beer if I came to break up the party?" Lily asked disbelievingly. Boys. They could be so stupid.

Not trusting herself with these odd flutterings in her stomach, Lily pushed her way past James before he could stutter out a response and plopped herself down beside Marlene. "Great game today, Mar. You were excellent!"

"Oh my lovely little Lily, I'm so glad you're here!" Marlene cooed as she pulled Lily in for what seemed more like a knuckle sandwich than a hug.

Lily slapped Marlene's hands away. "C'mon Mar! If you act like that then I won't stay the night."

Marlene's eyes lit up excitedly. "You're planning to stay the night? Oh this really is the best night ever!" The girls giggled and rearranged themselves to lounge against the wall and remaining furniture.

"Alice made out with who?!" Squealed Mary on her four-poster bed up in Gryffindor tower. Lily winced. They were being so loud that she was sure the Slytherins in the dudgeons could hear them. But they were just so giddy to be reunited after a summer apart. Butterbeers, chocolate frogs, licorice wands, and pumpkin pastries snatched from the party were strewn around the floor as the girls sat gossiping about their holidays.

Marlene lounged back on her bed in her oversized quidditch t-shirt, one leg bouncing on the other's knee. "Alice made out with Frank Longbottom! Remember him from third year? Can you believe that? He must be what…22 now?"

"What is he doing being interested in Alice?" Dorcas frowned. "I thought she was an auror-in-training. Shouldn't she be off limits?"

Marlene shrugged. "If a bloke as fit as Frank Longbottom snogged me, I wouldn't say no either!"

"Oh but isn't it so romantic?" Mary squealed again.

"Thank Merlin I didn't grow up on your muggle fairytales." Dorcas rolled her eyes but sent a roguish wink Marlene's way, "Though I'm sure she's getting extra practice with that wand with Frank around!"

Lily slapped Dorcas' arm. "Don't say things like that! You know Alice would never!"

Dorcas rubbed her arm, "Don't be a prude Lily!"

"Lily's not a prude!" Mary defended her poor friend. "Prudes don't snog blokes like Amos Diggory in broom closets."

Lily gasped, grabbing her pillow and raising it in the air. "Who told you that?"

"Remus, naturally." Mary shrugged, unphased by the pillow hanging threatening above her head. "Wasn't he the one that stumbled upon the two of you?"

"That was last year!" Lily squealed. She swung the pillow down. "I-" FUMP "am going-" FUMP "to KILL-" FUMP "Remus-" FUMP "Lupin!" FUMP, FUMP.

Marlene and Dorcas were rolling around clutching their sides from laughing too hard. "Get off it, Lily." Marlene said, "Feel better?"

Lily plopped back down onto her old bed and brushed the hair out of her eyes. "Yeah, much better thanks."

Mary pouted as she tore open a licorice wand and bit off the end. "Yeah, you're welcome for being your private punching bag."

"And what's got you so uptight lately?" Dorcas asked Lily, catching a chocolate frog just as it attempted to escape from its wrapper.

"You've been running around an awful lot with Potter. Has he been bothering you?" Marlene asked. "If he is, I'll let him have it at our next practice!"

Lily groaned and pulled her knees up to her chest. "No it's not Potter's fault. This Head business is… well it's just…" Lily buried her head into her knees and her voice came out all muffled. "It's a lot more demanding than I thought it would be."

"Oh, Lily," Marlene moved from her bed over to Lily's and wrapped her arm around her shoulders. "You can tell us what's going on."

Mary moved up to sit at her feet and Dorcas came closer and leaned her elbows on Lily's knees. "Yeah, we're here for you. All you have to do is let us in." Mary said as she nudged Lily with her big toe.

When Lily looked up, her eyes were watery. "It's not that I don't want to tell you. I really do. But it's…it's just...I dunno, unpleasant."

"It's not good for you to keep it all bottled up inside else you'll explode like a fizzing whizzbee." Dorcas said, popping one such candy into her mouth.

Lily quirked her lips as Dorcas began to levitate several inches off the bed. "Except fizzing whizz bee's don't explode, do they? But to be honest, there's much more the this Head business than I've imagined. You see," Lily lowered her voice, the other girls instinctively leaning in closer to listen. "Dumbledore asked me and Potter into his office early on this term and gave a great big speech about how we are to act as protectors of the school. Of course I want to protect the students here, but what we're doing is dangerous. And sometimes I don't think I'm cut out for it."

"What does Dumbledore have you doing?"

"Is he forcing you to fight?"

"Is James doing this, too?"

Lily crossed her arms and gauged each of her friend's anxious expressions before continuing. "It's this secret organization with Hogwarts alum and aurors and ministry workers and professors that all go out on missions to prevent You-Know-Who from infiltrating Hogwarts." Lily began soothing the worries of her friends, "And no, Dumbledore would never force us to fight. He chose Potter and I because of our character. Our presence in this organization is more like student representatives rather than soldiers in an army. But we do have the opportunity to do missions if we choose. Actually, Potter is quite good in that area. He's quick, very capable when it comes to dueling, and he's actually quite brilliant."

"You're complimenting Potter?" Marlene asked in disbelief, "I think that is the first positive thing you've ever said about him."

"And possibly the first time I haven't heard you refer to him as a toe rag." Dorcas added.

"Wait. You're saying that you go on missions?" Mary cut in abruptly. "Like missions that aurors normally go on? Like with aurors?"

Lily smiled at Mary, grateful that the talk had moved away from her shifting feelings of James Potter. "Well I've only done one. But yes." Mary had an alarming look on her face and Lily rushed to continue, "But nothing as confrontational as what the aurors are constantly dealing with!" Lily bit her lip. "Speaking of aurors, I actually just saw Frank Longbottom."

"Lily Evans you're lying!" Marlene pointed an accusatory finger at Lily. "You always bite your lip when you lie!"

"So you didn't actually see Frank Longbottom?" Mary frowned.

"No nitwit she is doing some quite dangerous stuff that she has no right to be doing." Dorcas huffed as she crossed her arms.

"I have every right to be doing what I'm doing!" Lily shouted, "If I didn't, who knows how many students would be affected by the things going on outside our walls! It's not at all like what the Daily Prophet tries to make it out to be! It's scary what You-Know-Who is doing and nobody is safe! The least that we can do is provide a safe haven for students while they are here at Hogwarts."

"Calm down, Lily," Marlene placated her by stroking her hair, "We understand. We all lost something because of You-Know-Who." All eyes turned to Mary who quickly looked away.

"I wish you weren't the one that was out there doing the fighting." Mary sniffed.

"We'll all be doing it next year once we've graduated anyway. What's the difference of doing it a year early?" Lily said softly.

"She'll be more prepared, that's for sure." Dorcas said.

"But she will have lost out on her final years of innocence." Mary said resolutely. Those words hit Lily hard and she bowed her head to keep the tears from showing. "I know what it's like out there and I don't want to face it yet. It is dark and it is cruel and unforgiving. I want to stay within these walls where it's safe and warm for as long as I can." Mary reached out and squeezed Lily's knee. "Lily, I'm not angry with you for fighting. But I can't lose you. You three are my closest friends and I need you." The girls paused, saying nothing. They each realized that within this moment in time, the time they spent bonding and binging on chocolate frogs and butterbeer, would be one that they would forever cherish once they left the safety of Hogwarts' walls. And it was a moment when they faced the reality that once they left, things would never be the same. They would never be able to go back to the girls that they were in this one moment in time.

"We are here for you Lily. Please, we will help with whatever you need. You don't have to go through this alone." Mary whispered.

"So," Marlene sniffed and quickly wiped away a tear, "When you said that you saw Frank Longbottom, was there any snogging involved?" The girls giggled and fell back into the routine of drinking butter beer, eating chocolates and sharing stories.