A/N: Thanks for keeping up the great reviews, guys! This story is quickly wrapping itself up, just to warn you. Please stick with me until the end—I promise not to disappoint. Keep reviewing, I beg you!

Chapter Twenty-Six: Goodbye

Lily had been pondering what could possibly make Edith risk everything she and her family had been working for over a boy. The conclusion she continued to draw made her not only uncomfortable, but more and more uneasy with the idea of using the information against her.

It was clear now, Lily thought to herself with a bit of an ache in her heart, that Edith was in love with Sirius Black despite all of her previous snide comments.

She knew perfectly well also that Sirius was in love with Edith. How could Lily possibly bring herself to ruin that? Taking that away from him, well…it just wasn't in her.

She couldn't do it…even if that meant giving up wholeheartedly on James Potter—not that she cared about that prat. After all, he had been using her. As for Madeline, well, she would just have to think of something else.

The owl post arrived a bit earlier than usual on Friday night as Charlotte and Lily were chatting amiably about hemlines.

Rue crudely stepped in her mashed potatoes upon his landing, interrupting their conversation and her dinner. Lily cast him a disapproving glare before taking the scroll from his outstretched leg. Haughtily, he fluffed his brown feathers, turned, and fluttered off.

"What a queen," Lily grumbled as she unraveled the letter.

"Gross," Charlotte glowered at the owl dropping which had landed conveniently atop her next forkful of salad. She dropped it and shoved the plate away. "What are you looking so pleased about?"

"It's a letter!" Lily proclaimed, her eyes darting delightedly over the scroll. "From your cousin, Melinda."

"Oh. Her." Charlotte rolled her eyes and watched as her plate disappeared. She snatched a roll and began picking at it. "So what's it say?"

Lily,

I can't wait to hear all about your time at school that I've missed. I think it's wonderful you've made friends with Charlotte. I think you'll be an excellent influence on her. As per the article, well, I've come quite far, but it is difficult to find strong enough sources.

There have always been rumblings regarding the Baldrics as supporters of You-Know-Who, but nothing can be confirmed; no one is brave enough to step forward and solidify the claims— at least, not in the current climate, what with the continual uprisings.

What I could tell you I wouldn't dare communicate through owl post, I hope you understand. But your interest concerns me—please don't involve yourself in anything dangerous, Lily. Take care.

Melinda

Lily's smile rapidly faded. The brusque ending of the letter irked her. Melinda, of all people, should know she wouldn't seek out danger…er…well, intentionally anyway.

She quickly crumpled the letter and stuffed it into her cloak pocket. "Nothing important."

"She just makes me so mad," Charlotte grumbled, stuffing a chunk of bread into her mouth.

"Melinda?" Lily frowned, trying to think how anyone could possibly dislike her.

"No, Helen."

Lily followed Charlotte's angry glare over her left shoulder to where Helen Halverson was seated with Edith Baldric, James, Florence, and several others. Strangely, Helen was staring straight at them. It was unnerving, her pale blue eyes scouring them calculatingly. She didn't look away even when Lily raised an inquisitive brow.

Lily turned back to Charlotte. "Did you do something to her recently?"

Charlotte shook her head. "On the contrary. I helped her out. She's become Edith's eyes and ears lately…it's the reason she traded me those shoes for the details about Edith and Sirius."

"Right…" Lily casually glanced back over her shoulder. Helen was still staring as she popped another forkful of roast into her mouth. Lily's gaze traveled inadvertently toward James' back. He was leaning towards Edith and whispering. She giggled and took a sip of her pumpkin juice. Suddenly Helen nudged her and nodded in Lily's direction.

Both Edith and James turned. Edith just scoffed while James' eyes lingered a moment. Lily whipped around, her cheeks heating up.

"Pathetic, if you ask me," Charlotte said, her eyes still narrowed in Helen's direction. "I never would have stooped so low." She tore into another roll with her teeth. She spoke through a full mouth, "She thinks by pleasing Edith she'll move up the social ladder. But you just can't scramble out of the shallow but slippery hole that is upper-middle class. She'll never be me."

Lily folded her napkin and stood. "I'm going to the library."

Charlotte quickly followed, scurrying after her down the hallway. "Hey," she said, trying to keep up with Lily, tottering in her heels. "Have you thought at all about what I said yesterday?"

"I…have." Lily was curt.

Charlotte stared at her. "That's it? You 'have?'"

Lily didn't respond. She rounded a corner and began to climb the staircase when Charlotte snagged her sleeve.

"Lily, this is serious! We need to come up with a plan!" she whispered excitedly, peering over her shoulder to make sure they weren't being watched.

"Charlotte…"

"Because I was thinking, there's this fundraiser being held at the Potter's this month in honor of his birthday—I think it's something about rescuing the endangered Blue-Snouted Ukrainian Ironbelly—I mean, my parents won't be invited, but I know someone who could get us guest invites—"

"I can't do it."

Charlotte froze mid-sentence, her wide eyes narrowing. "What?"

"I'm sorry—"

"Lily, you do realize this is our only chance to exact revenge," she hissed, clenching her fist. "Is this because of Sirius? I mean, really, Lily—"

"It's just…" Lily began, "I don't want to hurt him. He's been so good to me—"

"Oh Merlin," Charlotte threw her arms up in the air. "Now you like him? Lily, make-up-your-mind! James—Sirius—James—Sirius. I have a headache."

"Charlotte, it isn't that—I just don't think I can do it."

For a moment Charlotte looked blank, then realization crossed her features and her eyebrow twitched. "I knew it. I knew you didn't have it in you." She was shaking her head as she folded her arms. "And I thought you'd changed…"

"It's the means that bothers me! I feel so sneaky and cruel—I don't want to stoop to Edith's level. There has to be another way—"

"Lily, the end always justifies the means!" Charlotte exclaimed. "If you want to play in the big leagues, you have to get your hands a little dirty. I thought you knew that when you claimed you wanted to get even with Edith."

Lily frowned and smoothed her robes absently. "You just don't understand."

Charlotte grabbed Lily's shoulder suddenly, forcing Lily to look her in the eye. "I don't understand?"

"I didn't mean—"

"No," Charlotte narrowed her eyes. "Let's get one thing straight: Edith may have taken James away from you, but she took everything away from my family. I have a stake in this too, you know."

Lily was suddenly ashamed. "I'm sorry."

Charlotte shook her blonde curls and frowned. "Forget it. If this is what you want, then fine. I won't say anything."

"…Thank you."

"Whatever. I have to go to work."

Lily nodded. "Okay…I'll see you later?"

But Charlotte was gone before Lily even finished her sentence. She peered up at the portrait above her. The group of darkly suited old men peering at her quickly shuffled and looked away, clearing their throats. Lily sighed and climbed dully up the stairs to the library when her foot caught on the lip of a step and she tumbled ungracefully to her knees, her books scattering everywhere.

Talk about déjà vu. Grumbling, she brushed off her skirt and began gathering her things to the sniggering of the suited men in the portrait. She was about to snap when she noticed a pair of dark shoes right across from her nose—they were much less raggedy than Kenneth's sneakers. In fact, they looked very expensive.

She peered up cautiously and nearly toppled down the rest of the staircase when she locked eyes with James' father. "You might be more careful in the future, child." He nudged a stray book aside with the leather toe of his shoe and clopped down past her without another word.

"Right. I—" Wait a minute. Why was she apologizing? "You know, you could learn to say excuse me once in awhile." Immediately she regretted her words.

The man turned his silvery head around to meet her livid green eyes with his hazel ones. He surveyed her briefly. "Evans, correct?"

Yes, she thought bitterly, the one you tried to blackmail. She nodded tersely, keeping her expression impassive.

He smirked and turned back around. "No wonder…" he muttered to himself.

She was about to question him when he called brusquely over his shoulder, "James. Now."

Lily froze as James clopped down the stairs past her as well. She tried her best not to look at him, but curiosity got the best of her. She followed the back of his black robes as he trailed behind his father. She wondered what business James' father had at the school, but she figured it had something to do with the Governing Board or some such.

Just as she was turning back to her scattered books, James cast his eyes back over his shoulder, watching her for the longest moment. There was something unreadable there, but the moment abruptly came to an end sooner than she could digest it; the next second he had rounded the corner with his father.

Scrambling to gather her things, she scurried up the staircase and found the library, her only safe haven. With relief, she found her usual table in the corner and set out to find an Arithmancy text she'd heard Professor Vector mention during a lecture on the Chaldean Method.

The shelf she was perusing was thick with dust which frankly boggled Lily's mind since it was one of her favorite subjects. She found the equations thoroughly satisfying to solve and the answers far less dubious than Divination—

"—news to me," a girl on the other side of the shelf was whispering—not very quietly. "So did James have a say? Maybe he was embarrassed about the last Quidditch match."

"That's ridiculous," a higher voice chimed in.

"What about this one?" said a third. "Brittana and Gareth are supposed to finally get together in this one—"

"Greta! Will you put that book away? We're talking about James Potter here," said the first voice.

"Anyway," the second, high-pitched one piped, "Where did you hear it from?"

"Helen Halverson. She just came down to the Great Hall and spilled it."

"Well what does Edith have to say about it?" the third voice added glumly, clearly still stung from being chided.

Lily pressed her ear up against the bookcase eagerly.

"Well," the first voice softened slightly, "I don't know about her, but Sirius Black didn't seem all that beat up about it."

"Do you think he—"

"Maybe. I mean, everyone knows he wants Edith Baldric for himself."

"Look, all I know is that by three this afternoon, James Potter will be long gone. No more Hogwarts for him."

"What a shame…he was so pretty to look at."

"Brittana and Gareth have never faced such adversity," Greta sighed glumly.

Lily dropped her Arithmancy book, her face turning ghostly white. James was leaving Hogwarts? Her mind began to race and she had to prop herself up against the dusty books. She thought about the conversation she'd had with Remus about Sirius and Edith. That he'd caught Edith telling Sirius she was forced to be with James and that, well…

"…it—being with James—" Remus had said cryptically, "was only temporary."

Edith's words swirled around in her head. Could this be what she'd meant? That she would get James taken out of school so that she could be with Sirius?

Awkwardly, Lily began stuffing her things back in her bag. But when her notebooks crumpled up and got jammed, she hastily flung it to the ground and sped out of the library, glancing at the clock on her way: 2:45.

Stumbling down the staircase, nearly repeating the earlier incident, Lily ran. She ran until there was a stitch in her chest, and even then she ignored it and kept running. She shoved past students and nearly crushed a wide-eyed first year, and didn't stop until she'd reached the front of the castle. She took the steps two at a time, and when she reached the bottom, she came to an abrupt halt on the path.

The grounds were empty and silent but for a horseless carriage and a few house elves packing a trunk in it. There they were—James and his father. Mr. Potter had already boarded and was gazing silently out the other window. James had just reached up to pull himself in when—

"JAMES!" she bellowed.

He turned to see her standing there, chest heaving breathlessly. Her face was likely red and sweaty, but she didn't care. He said something to his father who looked displeased, but nodded brusquely nonetheless.

In his normal manner, James sauntered toward her, hands stuffed casually in his pockets.

"You're leaving?" she breathed.

"Did you run here?" James' eyes danced mischievously.

"Answer my question," she said harshly.

He hesitated, then nodded shortly and folded his hands behind his head. "My father says it's too dangerous to be here now that I'm going to be seventeen in a few weeks."

"But…that doesn't make sense—" Lily scoured her brain, trying to follow the reasoning, "Dumbledore is here! There's no place safer!"

"Not according to my father. He's sending me to France with my grandmother. I'm going to finish out this year there and stay the summer."

"But…Do you want to go?"

James laughed hollowly. "What I want doesn't matter. I'm obligated to my family."

"You were going to leave without saying goodbye." It wasn't a question. Lily's eyes traveled to her shoes.

"I didn't think there was much point."

Lily nodded. "And…what about Edith?"

"We'll be married by then."

Lily's jaw dropped; she was certain her face was ghostly white. "M-married?"

He nodded again, but quickly changed the subject. "So good luck with the Head Girl thing."

Lily was more concerned about his brisk marriage at the moment, but she humored him. "I haven't gotten a letter yet…"

"You will." His hazel eyes sparkled.

Lily stood there silently while James turned to leave. "I'll see you around…" he said over his shoulder.

She bit her lip and fiddled with the frayed hem of her left sleeve. "…Right." Wrong. This was all wrong. James couldn't leave. He shouldn't. He was going to marry the wrong person at the wrong time in the wrong place! He should be—she could feel a tear trickling down her cheek and she wiped it away roughly—This was all happening so fast—She never got the chance to—

Before she could finish the thought, James had turned on his heel and caught Lily by the shoulders, pulling her toward him.

He didn't kiss her, though his breath tickled her lips a moment as he hovered there, Lily's heart pounding so hard she could feel it—even taste it—in her throat. And then he hugged her close, his arms comfortingly around her. Lily wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder, tears springing despite her efforts to hide them.

"I'm going to miss you, Evans," he said gruffly into her tangled hair.

She swallowed hard, trying to find the words to reply. "I-I'm going to miss you too, Potter."

He pulled away and peered down at her, his hazel eyes dark and unreadable. "It's been fun. I mean—you never quite caught up to me, but…you came damn close."

"Are you kidding? Close?" she laughed shakily, trying to keep her composure. "I'm unrivaled, James Potter."

He smirked handsomely. "That you are."

With that, he turned toward his beckoning father, stuffing his hands into his pockets, head bowed low. He didn't look back.

And then they were gone.

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