"It's been getting worse," she thinks to herself as her eye catches her latest black and blue. Worse she thinks to herself his her past birthday. She's never worried about her bruises before. Her body always healed itself rather quickly, yet now she's getting worried, for her supply of ointment is running dangerously low and she has no money to replace it. She can no longer pretend and hope that her life is all just a bad dream, that one day with hope she'll wake up from. Hope without reason is useless. In her case it can be deadly.

Her father was recently told that due to his constant disheveled appearance and frequent lateness, the GREEN BOWLING DAILY could no longer employ him. The sad and pathetic(ness) of Mr. Evans life suddenly hitting him, as he stagers to the local bar a block away from his former job. Lately he's been here so many times that he's actually friendly with the bar man. Gazing around the bar as he sits on an empty bar stool he wonders how his live has ended up being what it is today. He can't deal, he's never been strong, he's never had the strength and courage that his wife had, that his beautiful Lily has. What wouldn't he give to be anyone, anyone who wasn't him. He would give anything to see and be with his late wife just once more. He's smart enough, though to know that if he spend his whole life waiting for something or someone to rid him of his sorrows his life would pass him by.

The bar man walking over to Mr. Evans bar stool. "What will it be today, Mr. Evans."

"Marty, hit me with a Manhattan followed by a 777 and then a double shot of whiskey and just keep 'em coming."

"Sure thing, Mr. Evans."

"Good man, Marty."

At 4:53 pm Lily awoken from her trance, by a loud thudding sound. Quietly as possible she tiptoes downstairs, so as not to disturb the vacant house. Somehow though she ends up tripping instead.

"So much for trying to be quiet" she thinks to herself. "Thank God Tuney isn't her to nag me about being an uber freaky klutz." she mutters to her she. Once downstairs she discovers that loud thudding sound was just her passed out father, passing out on the sagging couch. "Figures." she thinks

Today Mr. Evans got fired.

Today Mr. Evans didn't physically abuse his daughter.

Today Miss. Lily Evans got accepted to Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Today Lily Evans has hope again.

Looking back Lily can't remember quite exactly how she got her Hogwarts school supplies, she only remembers the feeling of release. The release of dreams, and being able to escape. To break free of the chains that have bound her for the past 11 years of her life.

The countdown began, for her departer date to arrive. For her and her father.

Lily's never felt this way before, her happiness endless. Before she got her letter she use to wonder what her life would be like without her father, with out pain. Now she no longer has to wonder, it is with in her grasp to have that life. The days are numbered and then she's off.

Lily would never say this out loud, but sometimes she wonders if maybe she'll ever be alright. If anyone could ever love someone like her. Just before Lily was set out to leave, every night Mr. Evans would crawl into her room and get down on his knees to be level with her.

Every night he'd say "A Hug for all the good things to come for you. A kiss for all the times I'll never be able to kiss you again. And a scar to remember me by." It was in those moments that she was afraid, afraid of what her father would do. She could she the what looked like a piece of a broken beer bottle in his hand. He'd humm the words "Don't cry baby, the aftertaste is guna break my heart, feels like it's over before it starts, while carelessly rubbing his right hand on her inner thigh. Then, though she couldn't see this but some sort of switch was made. The next second she felt in the same spot that he'd been rubbing her thigh, glass was pressed against it and then pierced. Blood spouting, seizing his chance he dragging the glass across the area of her thigh that he'd just been rubbing. "Inner to outer" he'd always be muttering. His hand covered in blood after the deed was done."

"Good night my love," he'd say as he closed the door, encasing Lily in darkness.

Having gotten to KingsCross Station hours to early, she sits on her new school trunk on platform nine and three-quarters, waiting for the train to appear.

She isn't noticed, for everyone else has someone to say goodbye to.

She wishes her mom was here, instead of watching from uptop.

Getting so caught up in watching all the tearful goodbyes, she almost didn't notice the fifteen minute warning to get on the train.

Dragging her trunk along, onto the train she finds an empty compartment. Sitting down, facing the window watching the the station become nothing more then a speck in the distance. A faraway look appering on Lily's face.

The Phoenix must burn to emerge

Thanx LILYXJAMES for review. And all those new people reading you know you want to review right. So come on it'll only take a couple seconds. I'm sorry is my story is going at such a slow pace, but don't worry it'll pick up really fast, just please bare with me. Thanx