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Also, we got some parent action going on here! Mrs. Evans to the rescue, perhaps?

CHAPTER SEVEN 'Wedding Talk and Intervention'

Lily pushed a chunk of steak around on her plate, contemplating how to begin her little speech that she had been rehearsing since James left. She looked up at her mother, her father, and Petunia sitting around the dinner table.

They were all chatting about their day: the people her mother saw while running errands, how romantic Vernon was on Petunia's date today, her father's clients{he was a lawyer}.

Lily put down her fork. She was afraid that her family would be able to tell that she wasn't enthusiastic about James' proposal. But she had to tell them, she couldn't just leave, and have them wonder what happened to her.

"I have something I need to tell everyone," Lily said, and her family looked at her. "Um, well I'm going to be moving out,"

Mrs. Evans looked shocked, and Mr. Evans said, "Where? How come we didn't know about this before? Did you find someplace already?"

"Actually, I'm going to move in with James." Every time she said his name now, or even thought it, she felt a bubble of fear inside her, and she felt a twinge in her abdomen where her rib was broken.

"Absolutely not!" Mr. Evans said, being the usual protective father. He was not going to let one of his daughters move in with a man.

"Well, he actually asked me to marry him, and I said..I said yes." How Lily wished she could tell her family the truth! But she didn't want them to get hurt.

"He's that wizard freak, that you've been going out with, isn't he?" Petunia sneered. "I guess he's the only one who would have you, huh? Freaks stick together."

"Petunia, not now," Mrs. Evans said, then looked closely at her other daughter. "Lily, is everything all right?"

"Yes," Lily said. Had her mother sensed her revulsion, her shame, her disappointment, at marrying James?

"Do you really want to marry him?" Mrs. Evans asked, prodding more.

"Yes, I'm very happy, and excited. I've been waiting for a proposal forever," Lily replied, remembering what James had told her to say.

"When did he ask you?" Mr. Evans asked. Mr. Evans didn't know much about James. Lily didn't really talk about him too much, unlike Petunia, who was always talking about Vernon Dursely, and how wonderful and romantic he is. He was usually at work when James came to pick Lily up, and Lily usually came home alone.

"He came over this afternoon, and proposed."

"And he just left, without staying to tell us with you?" Mr. Evans said. In his days, the groom actually asked the father for permission to marry his daughter. They had some manners. He would like to talk to this man and learn more about him before his daughter was whisked away.

"Well, he had some things to do..." Lily said, knowing that it sounded stupid. She was making it sound like an errand James was running: pick up groceries, check, go to the bank, check, propose to Lily, check.

"Did you discuss anything about the wedding yet?" Her father prodded, now thinking about weddings costs.

"No, not yet, but I'm going to start packing tonight and James is going to pick me up tomorrow, and help me move."

"Don't you think you should wait until you're married?" Mrs, Evans asked, still studying her daughter.

Lily shook her head. "No, Mum. We belong together, so why wait?"

"If you're sure..." Mrs. Evans did want to tell her daughter who she could marry, but she had hoped something would have come of the nice man that had visited that afternoon.

"So I can talk to James tomorrow?" Mr. Evans said. "I would like to know a little more about him before he becomes my son-in-law."

"Yes, but he's just coming over to pick me up, then we have to, ah, do some shopping for the wedding. He can't stay that long." Lily said. She didn't want her parents talking to James. If they found out more about James, they might try and convince her not to marry him, and then what would she do? "I think I'm going to start packing now, actually. I can't even eat, I'm so excited!" She couldn't stay here for one more minute, or she would start crying again. And she didn't want to take the chance of blurting everything out. Lily pushed her chair back and stood up, not noticing her mother and father's stares. Lily walked as quickly as she could to her room, closed the door, and took a deep breath. She tried to ignore the burning in her throat and her eyes, but she couldn't stop the tears. Lily pressed a pillow against her face, trying to block her sobs.

Back downstairs, Mrs. Evans turned to her husband. "Could you leave us for a minute, Petunia?"

Petunia did so, for once not arguing, but mumbling to herself, "Precious Lily, always about Lily,"

"Henry," Mrs. Evans said quietly. "Something's wrong."

"Of course there, is Kathy. The boy couldn't even talk to us first." Mr. Evans said. "The manners today.."

Mrs. Evans rolled her eyes. "I'm not talking about manners. I'm talking about Lily. Usually, when a girl is getting married, they can't stop talking about it, and planning. But Lily doesn't want to talk about it at all. It seems like she just wants to forget about it."

It was Mr. Evans turn to roll his eyes. "Honestly, she was just talking about it."

"Yes, but not in detail, just the facts. 'I'm getting married.' 'I'm moving in with James.' Nothing about the wedding, like she doesn't even care."

"Are you sure this isn't another of your crazy assumptions?"

"You're not a woman, so you wouldn't know what I'm talking about. But I'm sure something isn't right. I'm going to talk to Lily." Mrs. Evans said, getting up suddenly.

"Don't go upsetting her," Mr. Evans called after his wife, and he returned to his dinner, his thoughts on wedding bills and son-in-laws without manners.

A light knock sounded on Lily's door. "Lily?" Mrs. Evans called. "I'm coming in,"

Lily hurriedly wiped her face with the pillowcase as her mother opened the door. Mrs. Evans closed it behind her, and took in her daughter's red eyes. "Lily, tell me what's going on. I know you're upset about something."

"Nothing's wrong. Everything is fine."

"Lily, I am your mother. Don't lie to me. Tell me, now!" Mrs. Evans demanded. She wanted to help her daughter, and felt frustrated that Lily wasn't being honest.

"I can't!" Lily cried, finally breaking.

Mrs. Evans stared at her red-haired daughter sobbing uncontrollably on the floor, and felt scared.

She bent down next to Lily and pulled her into a hug. "Of course you can tell me, you can tell me anything."

"No," Lily looked up, her green eyes full of fright. "I can't."

"Is it something with James?Is he forcing you to marry him? Did he threaten you in some way?" Mrs. Evans asked. She didn't like James, and it seemed like he might do something like this.

Lily didn't answer, but that was an answer in itself.

"Well, you're not going to marry him. Your father will stay home from work tomorrow, and we'll talk to him," Mrs. Evans said sternly. She would not let her daughter marry a horrible man.

Lily paled. "You can't!"

"We are your parents, and we are here to protect you."

"But, I'm protecting you! If I don't marry James, I'll have to pay the consequences! And that means he's going to hurt my family! And I can't even defend you, because James took my wand! So I have to marry him, to protect you all." Lily said, willing to tell her mother everything so she would understand. "And he gave me a potion so I can never leave him. He also put a charm on me, so he can control me."

"I can't let you marry him." Mrs. Evans was touched that her daughter was willing to sacrifice her life for her family, but she wouldn't be able to live with herself knowing that Lily was miserable. And how dare that man control her daughter with magic? The pig. Who could help them, though? She suddenly remembered the young man from the afternoon. "What about that young man who was here today? He's a wizard isn't he? He can help. He can take the charm off."

"Who, Severus?" Lily said. "I can't bring him into this, too. I don't want him to get hurt."

"Severus?" Mrs. Evans said. "Severus Snape, who lived on Spinner's End? That's who the young man was?"

"Yes. And I can't drag him into this because I..." Lily had been about to say love him, but she had a feeling her mother would smile, even in this horrible situation.

But Mrs. Evans knew anyway. "You have feelings for him, don't you?"

"That's not the point right now." Lily felt herself blushing a bit. "I can't let any of you get hurt because of something stupid that I did."

"Well, I can't let my daughter marry someone just because they threatened her. What kind of life would that be for you?"

"Mum!" Lily cried, exasperated. "Please, just forget about it!"

"No, I will not! I'll go find Severus, and he can help."

"He doesn't live at Spinner's End anymore. He moved. And I don't have an address or anything."

"Is he coming back to visit you?"

"I told him to come back tomorrow!" Lily gasped, remembering. What would happen if Severus was still here when James came? He abused Severus so much in school, and now that they were adults, who knows what James would do to him? Maybe Crucio him until he begged James to stop? Maybe James would use some other dark curse?

"That's perfect! Severus will be here to help when James comes."Mrs. Evans said.

"No, he won't. I'll tell him to leave. And you don't say anything to him about James!" Lily said stubbornly.

Mrs. Evans raised her eyebrows. "Really? You think I'm not going to say something to someone who can save my daughter?"

Tears streamed down Lily's cheeks. James would destroy Severus, and Lily wouldn't be able to handle that. "Please, I'm begging you, don't. He'll kill Sev."

"No, he won't. If there's anything I learned in my life, it's that love is strong. It makes you powerful, determined. I can tell Severus loves you more then anything, Lily. I even had a hunch when he was younger, the way he looked at you, and talked about you, but you can't tell for sure when children are that young. Then he stopped coming around, and you told me that the two of you just drifted apart. But now I'm sure, after seeing him today. And I can tell you feel that same. I don't want you to marry someone you don't love, and who treats you horribly, when the perfect man for you has been waiting his whole life to be with you."

Lily opened her mouth to argue again, but Mrs. Evans shushed her. "I will be here when Severus comes, and I will tell him everything."

Mrs. Evans left Lily's room, closing the door behind her. She was afraid for herself and her family, but she couldn't let her daughter marry James. She knew in her heart all along that James was no good, and felt a strange satisfaction knowing that she was right. Her only hope was Severus Snape, and Mrs. Evans believed that he could help them.

Lily felt like her insides were going to explode. Her mother would tell Severus, and Severus would stay to deal with James{Sirius would probably come too, just in case James needed help} and she would lose everyone she's ever loved. She couldn't let her mother tell Sev. She would stop her somehow...lock her in the closet or something. She had to protect her family.

I hope this chapter came out okay. For some reason, I had trouble writing it. I was having trouble writing Mr. and Mrs. Evans...

Oh well,*shrugs.* If it's not good, I'm sure somebody will let me know.

Please reviewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! ;) :) :0