The eight of us sat at the window, watching the orange sun slip behind the hills. We were exhausted; our day of decorating proved to be difficult. It was summertime, meaning we weren't allowed to use any magic. Ladders and stools became our main appliance when we had to put up embellishments, our wants becoming useless pieces of material, locked in our trunks at home.

The Alice's home looked fantastic. The foyer was clear of all clutter, creating a warm invitation into the Calls' ballroom.

The Call mansion had two spacious levels, branching from the foyer. Long, twisted banisters led stairways to the second floor, leading into several wide halls split into different rooms. The ballroom was the biggest of all. The marble floors shone as if they were bought and installed that day. The walls were a pale pink. Deep purple curtains shrouded the twenty tall windows, blocking a breathtaking view of rolling hills.

"Don't forget, Lily, that flower will always be a portkey here." Alice reassured me.

Now, we were relaxing. I was saying goodbye to Alice, Mary, and Penny. Potter was talking to Peter quietly, a frown on his face. Rebecca had, apparently, misplaced something and was thoroughly searching Sirius's mouth with her own.

"I'll be back soon—I promise." I hugged my friends in turn. At the end of the line, Potter held his arms out. I scoffed to myself. As if I would actually carry out his request. "Yeah... I suppose I'll be seeing you a little too soon then, too." He didn't make an attempt to drop his arms. I reached out, carefully, as to not provoke him in any way, and shook one of his hands.

I had an uneasy feeling, so I waved and picked up the glass lily. I started whirling. The rosy light of the ballroom intermingled into the dark halls of my house. I slumped down into a kitchen chair.

A severe wash of regret hit me. Why did I feel this way? As I left, when I shook James's hand, his eyes revealed a look of extreme hurt. I knew that he had feelings for me. He had been chasing me around for about four years now, but in all the time that I had known him, he never let down his emotional barrier. The hurt only reached his eyes, but I saw it. His playful smile may have fooled my other friends, but I saw it. He may have looked innocent when he shrugged off my refusal, but I saw it. I saw the mix of lust, hurt, and... love. I always thought it was the chase he loved about me. It was clear from his attitude that he had a wealthy upbringing. He always got what he wanted on a silver platter. Everything but me. Girls threw themselves daily at his feet. He always declined, though. Could it be, possibly, that James Potter really did love me?

My thoughts were broken by a satirical hiss. "Oh, the freak's awake now. Joy."

"Nice to see you too, Petunia." I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever. Vernon's coming over tomorrow, so do the world a favor and keep yourself locked up in your room."

"Who's Vernon? Your next victim?" I shot back.

"No," she sniffed, "he's my boyfriend. Not that you would know. No one at that freak-show you call a school fancies you, then?"

I bit my tongue to prevent the sardonic reply I had waiting; my father walked into the room. "Hey, Dad..."

"Lily! Thank goodness you're alright." He sighed and rushed over to give me a hug. He kissed my head and prepared a cup of tea. "Would you like some tea? Your mother said you've been over at your friend's home... Alice Call, right? Have you gotten nourishment over there?"

"I'm fine. I think I'll head to bed, though. I'm exhausted."

He nodded, understanding. "G'night, sweetie."

"'Night, Dad. Petunia." I regarded her with a glare.

I walked towards my bedroom. The stairs seemed to get steeper with every step I took. Finally, I reached my door. Collapsing on my bed, I drifted into a deep sleep. While I slept, I dreamed...

I awoke in a room. Everything in the periphery was blurry, uncertain. A dark figure loomed before me. Its cloak was covering its face. The walls behind it were made of stone, no windows or doors. No escape.

I was aware of several other presences around me, but my head wasn't capable of moving to the side.

"She's a pretty one..." a man's gruff voice sounded somewhere next to me. I could feel long, bony fingers tucking my hair behind my ear. "Is she really worth all this trouble?"

"You know our orders," came the simple reply. It was a man's voice, but it was different than I had expected. It was smooth and dulcet, not the rough voice like the other man's.

What was I doing here? Where was I? But, most importantly, who brought me here? My thoughts were swimming around in my head, not completely being put into thorough contemplation.

I groaned, suddenly aware of the burning pain in my left side. Trying to appease the throbbing ache, I turned to the side, curling into a ball.

"Yes, it hurts, doesn't it?" I could hear the smile in his voice as he watched my suffering.

"Hurry it up. We don't have much time. They're looking for her." The gruff man's impatient voice came again.

"Fine..." I saw a long wand point towards my face. Before I was rendered unconscious, the man bellowed "Caedes semestris!"

Gasping, I rose from my bed, sweat erupting from my forehead. It was still nighttime, the lampposts outside illuminating the vacant streets. I thought back to my dream. I needed to know what that meant. That spell. I kept it fresh in my mind, making it easier to recall. Alice would be a huge help. Her capacious house would surely have enough room for me to stay for a while.

I grabbed a small bag and packed it with a few necessities. Then, I scrawled a small note to my parents.

Mum, Dad, don't be worried when you wake up and find me missing. I'm just visiting Alice for a while. I doubt that you know fully what happened at Hogwarts, so I'm going to her house to find some answers. I'll come back soon, maybe a week or so. Feel free to ground me when you get back.

I love you—Lily

The delicate flower lay on my bureau. Clutching it, I was transported, once again, to the Calls' house.

This time, it wasn't deadly quiet in the mansion. I could hear a burst of laughter coming from the common room. Smiling, I started walking towards the room, distinctly hearing Penny's snorts of laughter and Alice's tinkling chuckle.

I walked to the door, shyly peeking through the frame. Everyone from before was huddled in a circle. I stifled a giggle when I saw what they were doing. Spin the Bottle. How original. Evidently, James, Peter, and Sirius had never played. Mary was having a difficult time explaining.

I just stood there, beaming when Penny finally noticed me.

"Lily!"

Everybody turned to me, grinning my way. "Hey, guys."

Alice beckoned for me to sit by her. I walked over, uncomfortable when I saw everyone's eyes following me.

"What're you doing here?" Penny asked happily.

"I... couldn't sleep. Plus, Petunia's boyfriend is coming over tomorrow, so I'm being kicked out. I hope you don't mind."

Alice saw through my half-truth. She would obviously question me endlessly later, asking me why I had actually come. Thankfully, she decided to ask something else. "The horse has a boyfriend?" She coughed incredulously. "You can stay here as long as you need."

"Who's Petunia?" Peter piped up.

"My sister."

"Is she hot?" Sirius raised his eyebrows, earning him a whack in the arm from Rebecca.

Alice and Mary broke into hysterics. They had met her last summer. Alice, Mary, and Emmeline had hung out at my house for a couple of weeks, but we decided that Alice's home would be better after the incessant bickering from Petunia.

"Whatever," Alice said, "we were playing Spin the Bottle. Wanna play?"

"That's okay... I was actually... erm... wondering if you had any nonfiction books that I might look at?" I was itching to know what the curse did.

"Yeah," she sounded curious. "They're over there. Knock yourself out." She pointed to a long bookshelf, filled with dust-covered books. Small lights lightened the range of books.

I murmured a thank you and, nodding appreciatively, I walked over to the selection, cocking my head to get a better view of the spines. Brushing the hard backs of the books softly with my fingers, I browsed the selection. I slid one out that looked promising. The 50th Anniversary Encyclopedia: Volume I. The book had to be at least the weight of one of the floor-lamps we had at home. The aged pages sounded like crinkling leaves as I shuffled to the index. Carefully, almost afraid of what I would find, I flipped to the "C" section. Scanning the page, I targeted the curse. Caedes semestris. One small sentence described its meaning.

I only got halfway through the definition before dropping the book. The blood drained from my face. I could feel cold sweat breaking out across my brow.

I heard my friends' startled voices call my name before everything went black.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Ok... so how was it? It was short, I know. Sorry if I got the facts of portkeys wrong, but, honestly, I wouldn't know that. Also, does anyone know Alice's last name? (Before she becomes a Longbottom) I looked on but it didn't really say anything.

Please review! I'll give you cookies! I see other authors refuse to write... but I'd rather bribe with baked goods. gives cookies to current reviewers