Discl: The work of J.K.R in the book Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows is quoted in the chapter below. I do not own any of the material quoted.


A/N: This story needed some fire in it so … I took my old idea to use in this chapter, you do have to comment the twist in this… no more talking from my part about it.
Do inspire me though because frankly, I am on edge of trashing this, this thing – my sweet chapter fic baby.

(Contains, a lot of Next Gen, the answer to why the book cursed James Sirius Potter, Lily Potter in a foul mood, Lily Luna in a lazy state, two secrets and only one of them is a breathing thing.)

XI:
Dame in distress

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"Oi – cousin," I heard an unwelcomed voice yell from the living room. How I loathed the never ending floo network that always found a way to disturb my sleep. I preferred broomstick but not my cousins; floo was the thing to use to annoy the only one who chose to live on the muggle side of London.

"In here," I yelled back to whoever interrupted my sleep. Into my room stepped Rose Weasley with a black plastic bag in her hand and a cheeky expression that let me know that she enjoyed this morning torture.

"Lily, it's almost three o clock, I know its new years eve but you sleep too much!" Rose said rapidly and tidied my room with her feet instead of caring for my reply or objection, "Oh, and hi by the way."

I was busy admiring her laughing face that the bushy red hair framed carefully instead of answering her properly. Roses laughter died out but her blue eyes still smiled at my dumbstruck face.

"Have I told you that you are beautiful lately?" I asked, not knowing where that came from.
Rose looked suspiciously at the little piece of me I revealed from the under the sheets but she burst out in laughter and blushed reddish across her cheeks just like Uncle Charlie did.

"I don't know, with Auror exams, Healing exams… the question should be have you ever met me lately?" Rose countered, "There isn't a boy taking my time, is it?"

I thought about it, for a split second and answered her truthfully, "No, no boy – but you're still beautiful."

"Too bad, but thank you. If I'm beautiful then so are you – we all look alike don't we?" Rose said proudly still shoving my mess around with her feet.

"Not entirely," I stated and watched her crash onto my bed happily with the black plastic bag in her hand. "You are slightly cuter but I still have the Quidditch advantage to brag about."

"Oh shh you!"

I've missed Rose, if Hugo was my best friend Rose was the big sister I always begged Mum to give me. She was the one who taught me about boys, the one who scolded them when they treated me badly, the one who charmed Dads newspaper when a slightly embarrassing picture of me and a certain someone on one knee circulated and even supported me when I decided to tie myself to the beech tree mugglestyle with the extreme Hufflepuffs as a protest to house rivalry, basically she did anything a big sister would do.

"What's in there anyways?" I asked her, still under my covers.

Rose eyes shone towards the black plastic bag, "I am so glad you asked. This is your potential New Year dress. There is this charity ball for New Year and as usual we are all on the guest list."

"No surprise there," I interrupted.

"Let me continue please Lily, as much as you despite fame and all that comes with it we could actually do something," Rose started and fumbled a little with the shiny pin she had on her traveling coat. "You're avoiding it enough by being in Muggle London and not subscribing to the Daily Prophet anyways so what is one New Year with the cameras going to do you?"

"Fine, what are we changing or helping, what am I wearing and so on," I nagged.

"The magical animal rights, this dress in the bag or you could follow me out and shop for a new one?" Rose asked joyfully. "If you have some time to spend I mean."

I looked at her, my big sister, and I felt that somehow I had to go out with her, drink tea at a small shop, being forced into all kind of dresses and listen to her healing or activist talk but there was something that wanted me badly. Or that I wanted to want me badly.

"I'm sorry, but I have much to catch up with after the break with the Extended Auror training and…" my lie trailed off.

"I figured that much out," Rose said smiling and stood up from my bed to straighten out her traveling coat. "I'll leave you to it while I find the 'it' dress, ten sharp. I have a surprise. Oh, and wear that dress with a pony tail – it looks better that way."

"It dress, Ten sharp, surprise, pony tail. Got it!" I repeated and smiled towards a waving Rose that Apparted out of my room.

I sat up in my bed and pulled it out from under my covers. How shamefully I thought but I had to stand up Rose for this, I needed this and Lily Potter had secrets I needed to know.
With rufsy hair, a regretful mind, curious mornings eyes on the bindings of the book and a wand in my hand I did the ritual to open the book.

.

Dear Secretbook
I'll get right to the point. I won't write a lot but I have two things to hide.
Secret number one – I don't want Sev to know that Potter read too many things of those I wrote, it might get ugly.
Secret number two – I don't approve of Sev's new found fascination or friends. I thought they were strictly theoretical at first but I'm not sure that it will stay like that.

I pour two memories in here, two I'm hiding from Sev, Potter and perhaps myself.
Those two will do.
Lily.

.

The first memory I found myself drowning into was played out in the Gryffindor common room and I stood at the top of the stairs, glancing down at a particular odd scene. The familiarity of the Gryffindor Common room with the velvet sofas in deep reds, the fire sparking comfortably in the middle of the room and the few students left sitting in various corners of the room buried in different papers or books was crushed by the sight of the often kind and sensitive Lilys flare-up.

"Potter!" shrieked Lily two steps down the stairs. I looked down at James on the bottom of the steps with guilt written all over his face and both hands behind his back.

"Evans," James said too softly.

Lily rushed down the steps rapidly and James started to run around the common room sofas with the black book in his hand. He got hold of the secrets; but why did Lily fear him reading it? It wouldn't open for him either way.

"Give that back!" Lily said and tried to ambush James behind a velvet red couch.

"So you wanted to kiss Snivellus?" James tone disguised and jealous, he flipped a page in the book and let his eyes widen,"You kissed Child-Snivellus!"

Lilys eyes were burning now,"You read my book?!"

"You shouldn't leave it in the common room if you didn't want it to be read Evans" James said with a cocky tone and waved Lilys black book in the sky.

"I was going to get a quill!" Lily exploded and analyzed the room quickly with her eyes, it was clear she calculated before she draw her wand at seconds before James did.

"Evans. Don't make me hex you," James said carefully, his wand shaking slightly.

"Give back my book Potter," Lily replied dangerously, her wand pointed too close to James heart.

"So how was Snivellus when you pecked around as kids, did his nose get in the way?" said James and took it too far when tilted his head to the left and smirked, "I didn't read the whole page after but last words were quite awful. You? A bad kisser? I doubt that."

Lilys eyes were slits, "Potter…"

"I could be your first little kiss if you let me," James said, grinning a million galleons smile."I could train you too if you'd like?"

I didn't react as quickly as they did – meaning that my Auror training was a total waist – because there was a purple flash shooting out of Lilys wand and James ducked quickly, stood up and shot the same kind of purple towards Lily who reshot it. Both of them fell to the floor like stones, limbs wrapped in purple threads and curses filling the almost empty common room. Somehow nobody in the common room made a remark about the ongoing duel between these two.

"Sorry Evans but you left me no choice," said James, still grinning in his defeated state.

I started to get very annoyed by him and so did Lily. "Choice, Ha – can't you just admit that you have no moral in your body?"

James kept grinning towards the carpet he laid on, "Why yes, I can admit that I have no moral what so ever but on the other hand I wouldn't find out your deepest wishes".

I saw how Lilys eyes narrowed down so much that the green pools looked dangerously black,
"What are you trying at Potter?"

James hesitated before he spoke and I saw him blush slightly against the red carpet."That black haired boy you dream of –"

Lily yelled out loud, she had probably awoken the whole Gryffindor tower by her voice and stood up, released from the spell James put upon her.

"Weak spell," Lily mocked and walked towards the cursed James knee to get the book that lied there, "Surely you could've cursed me better like you do to any Slytherin passing your way?"

"I didn't want to hurt you," James explained more to the red carpet his face was turned towards than Lily's teary eyes.

I watched Lily examine James for a good while and regaining composure in both eyes and voice before she spat, "Like you care Potter", and turned to walk out of the common room with James slowly twiching his way out of her fully preformed curse.

Lily walked straight out of the portrait hole into the empty hall; the rage was visible throughout her body while she rushed towards the corridor that would lead her three corridors away.

"Evans!" yelled James in front of the Fat Ladys portrait with arms stretched out. "Lily Evans."

Lily froze at the end of the hall with me almost crashing into her.
"What is it?" Lily spat furiously but didn't turn around.

"I do care," James said matter-of-factly, "I like you a lot but you won't date me."

"Care?" Lily turned around, gritted teeth, fixed stare and her wand dangerously playing between her fingers. "You go around, passing curfew, skipping class, embarrass me, loose house points, hexing anyone who look at you twice until they end up in the hospital wing and never take anything seriously and you say that you care?!"

"I care about you," James groaned, one hand over his forehead like he's been through this conversation with Lily before.

"YOU DON'T CARE!" Lily yelled, "You would never hex Severus if you cared!"
She turned around, leaving me in chock and James in a state of chock and hesitation.

"You're meeting Snivellus aren't you?" James accused finally, yelling to her back "Fraternizing with the enemy, aren't we?"

"It's Severus for Merlins sake!" Lily burst, turning around with both hands on her hips and two eyes dangerously at James, "Enemy? He is more my friend than you'll ever be!"

"He is not even a Gryffindor!" said James harshly.

"Slytherin for all I care but he is still more mature than you'll ever be." Lily blazed, "Grow up Potter!"

"Really, well, ask Snivellus how got himself almost killed by crawling in the tunnel bellow Whomping Willow playing the supervising adult," James mocked, laughing rather unnaturally he continued, "How's that for growing up Evans?"

Lilys anger flashed out of all her features, both her hands went to her mouth and her eyes were showing of nothing but chock and fright.

"What – how did? I…" Lily shuddered, "Who saved him?"

James fists clenched, his mischievous browns darkened and his faces features twisted into something that resembled a madman's look, "I did" he told her and turned around to enter the portrait hole again, leaving Lily with the fresh fright of almost losing her best friend to death plastered all over her face.

The Fat Ladys complains started to buss while the Hall where the scene played out turned dizzy and dim. The scene dissolved and so did we.

.

"I know your theory," said Lily, and she sounded cold. "Why are you so obsessed with them, anyway?" Why do you care what they're doing at night?"

The new scene started on the grounds of Hogwarts, it was defiantly past curfew and along Lily was Severus, husking closely next to Lily while she swayed across the grounds with a self-confident walk that made both me and Severus feel unworthy of her presence.

"I'm just trying to show you they're not as wonderful as everyone seems to think they are."
The intensity of his faze made her blush.

Still, I thought that with all that confidence, intelligence and fire in her Severus made her blush, rethink and feel outsmarted at times but she never dropped her morals.

"They don't use Dark Magic, though." She dropped her voice. "And you're being really ungrateful. I head what happened the other night. You went sneaking down that tunnel by the Whomping Willow and James Potter saved you from whatever's down there –"

Severus face contorted and he spluttered, "Saved? Saved? You think he was playing the hero? He was saving his neck and his friends' too! You're not going to – I won't let you – "

"Let me? Let me?", Lilys green eyes narrowed down dangerously and Severus seemed to think off another approach to tell her what he really wanted to say.

"I didn't mean – I just don't want to see you made a fool of – he fancies you, James Potter fancies you!" Severus said struggling with letting the words form in his mouth. "And he's not… Everyone thinks… Big Quidditch hero –" Severus tone was dripping of bitterness while Lily rose her eyebrows slowly.

"I know James Potter's an arrogant toerag," Lily said, "I don't need you to tell me that. But Mulciber and Avery's idea of humour is just evil. Evil, Sev. I don't understand how you can be friends with them."

Severus didn't take notice of Lilys remark at all but continued to walk next to her calmly across the grounds until they reached a small hill over viewing the forbidden forest. The darkness of the night swooped over them carefully and the clouds above them were plotting something against this peaceful night.

"Potter read them by the way," Lily said darkly and reached out her black book to Severus. Severus fingers trailed over the bindings of the book and looked directly at Lily.

"He can't enter the memories you put there" Severus assured her. "Only you can"

Lily looked slightly relieved. "Are you sure… because he knew things"

"What things?" Severus eyes narrowed a bit and observed Lily's face carefully before he chose to utter his words, "Things I don't know about?"

"No, course not" Lily scoffed, "It's just… I don't know. Maybe this was bad."

"I could put some spells on it, regular protective spells," Severus looked at his wand and towards the black book, "If you'd still want the book."

I watched the book that Lily was rather attached to, that I was rather attached to and watched her nod, smiling vaguely towards Severus who rolled up his sleeves to prepare himself to start casing protective spells. His slim, pale arms looked very controlling when they held the wand pointed, "Have you heard of magical diaries?"

"Yeah, Mary has one," Lily said while she observed her diary carefully, "I reckon that this isn't one?"

"No" Severus shrugged, "But I could make it somewhat better than one".

Lily showed real interest when Severus started to mumble a series of curses and hexes towards the black beaten book.

"There, three questions an intruder have to ask," Severus said, looking towards Lily who was awoken from observing Severus, "And of course the natural enemy won't be allowed access but will be stricken by a small curse I designed."

"Really, nice Sev" Lily said impressed, "Who did you make my natural enemy?"

"Who read the book unauthorized?" Severus said wryly.

"James Potter," Lily scoffed, making Severus smile towards her.

The dark grey clouds above them were slowly preparing for their scheme, Lily and Severus sat in silence most of the time, sometimes sharing a sigh, a glance in secret, a hidden thought of a feeling but mostly observing each other or the night sky, when the small drips of rain started to prickle down from the night sky, causing me even to feel the coldness and the wet sensation of them, they both left the small hill and walked towards the castle. As they went silently into the Entrance Hall they parted, not hugging nor shaking on it but silently walking away from each other and sharing a mutual understanding, Severus clutching his wand as he disappeared into the dark corridors he feared his enemies hid in and Lily clutching her Secret book as she stepped towards the comfort of the Gryffindor Common room.

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Lily

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.

I finally came out from the memory and found myself in the same bed I woke up from, imagining or having damp hair. The only difference from when I entered the memory, my hair excluded, was that the light that snuck itself in through the window this morning was gone. It was pitch black and I stared at the alarm clock next to my bed. Ten moons, four shifts and …

Bollocks.
I was running late, not excusably late.

The black plastic bag rested on my bed where Rose had left it and I stood up, dragged the black bag with me into the shower and shut the door. A good ten minutes later I stepped out the shower, put up my hair in a pony tail with a black ribbon and faced the black plastic bag to reveal the horror Rose was forcing me to wear.

I expected anything but this.

It was simply black, tight and a bit shorter than Mum, Dad, James and Albus might like. I put it on but there was nothing more revealing than the length of the dress and the breeze against my back was highly uncomfortable. I realized when I stood in front of my full body mirror in the hallway that it was an open back dress. I never wear open back anything.
Oh, damn you Rose.
I might have mentioned it once before but I never told anyone except Rose… The secret? I have a tattoo below my neck that is often hidden by my hair. It was silly really so I won't reveal what it is and I could remove it with a whip of my wand or a Medi-wizards aid but I thought that was a bit…cowardly and I am a Gryffindor. Anyhow, a couple of strokes of makeup and a pair of high heels later I was all done, dressed and revealing a tattoo I would get my head chopped off for, sighing I Apparated.

So late.

.

.

So dead.

"Ten sharp!" Rose yelled in the middle of the ballroom. The press wasn't late taking photos of the rage I called Rose Weasley.

"Oh I was busy – I am so sorry… it's not like I missed anything," I yelled furiously.

Rose Weasley rolled her eyes dramatically and burst out."No, you just missed the speech I held to honor our family and you."

"Godrics sword Rose, I didn't know – why on earth would you want to honor me?"

"BEATS ME!" Rose yelled and I realized that my luck was running out.

Our family members closed up to the scene. Freddy and Hugo were busy fighting with the press surrounding us, James and Horsia were trying to calm the chocked crowds, Hermione was fighting Ron for cursing at Roses behavior and Mum was standing at Roses side to use her Weasley spuriousness to try to calm down Rose. Dad approached me with Albus tailing behind him to split the fight.

"You know what – I don't need this," I spat towards Rose.

Her redness took over her face. "Do you have time for anything anymore, even Hugo says that you are too busy to drink with him. Since when was Lily Potter too busy to drink?"

I blinked. "You have no right to judge me your shallow –"

"Enough Lily, I won't let you do this," Albus said with two arms stretched out between us.

My fury rose extremely high now, "Let me? Let me? No listen Sev, I do not need to take…"

"Sev?" I heard my Dads voice from behind my back. He placed his hands on my bare arm and twirled me around.
Sev.
"I said Al"
"No, you said Sev."
"Al."
"Lily."
"I meant Al."
"But you said Sev," Dads eyes narrowed slightly. "Is there something you aren't telling me?"

I was uncomfortable with this new silence that filled the ballroom, all eyes were plastered on me and Rose and the only thing I heard was cameras taking shots every second and my Dads quick breaths.

"No," I lied and looked at Dads questioning eyes.

"Very well," Dad answered doubtfully and let my arm go. "And I prefer that you hide that tattoo before your mother sees it" he added, nodding to my Mum who hugged furious Rose tightly and left the scene, pushing his way through the cameras that followed him until he Apparted out of the room.

I ran out of the ballroom, between tables where rich ladies and men were sitting and feasting on our family problems, passing a bar I could easily have swallowed in one sitting and towards the door with cameras following me like hungry dogs.

I had to turn around and I had to stand up for myself.

"If any of you follow me any longer I will curse you until I end up in Azkaban," I exploded in the lobby, causing the cameras to take even more shots in my defeated state and by that buying myself a series of rants and articles in tomorrow's papers.

They followed me out on the street where fireworks were loudly forming different kinds of animals in all the possible colors I could imagine. I stood freezing, cursing and almost crying in the middle of the street until a white limo drove up to me and rolled down its tainted window and revealed a smiling face I only recognized from some secret dreams I had.

"I never thought that I would see you here," his soft voice said. "Then again if I didn't I wouldn't be here to rescue a dame in distress."

His black hair was carefully put back and his eyes were matching his dark hair. The black eyes glittered in the light of fireworks and cameras I noted and got lost in them somewhere until he broke into a smirk containing a line of white straight teeth.

"Are you jumping in or do you prefer to stand in the cold looking like the prettiest idiot on the face of the earth?" he asked, his eyes were moving up and down towards my inappropriate outside clothes now – to my defense you don't mind the coat when you are trying to escape the cameras or the fury that the Weasleys were – his fixed gaze made me feel like a million.

I don't know if I smiled or looked stupid but I opened the door, jumped into the white Limo and somehow found myself sitting only inches from someone who always made my blood rise, my hands sweat and my mind to lose its touch to reality.

"Sean Nott, long time, no see," I heard my voice say more seductively than I might want it too.

His black eyes glittered back towards me without the light of cameras or fireworks,
"About time we met then".

So -- feedback, is it good, is it bad, is it ready to be thrown away, should I print it out and give it to my parents who doesn't know anything about Harry Potter.
what should I do?
Godrics.. I'm having a fanfiction-breakdown. (And do admit that Sean Nott sounds kind of hot ;) doesn't he?)

Thank you for reading this one to..
Lumos Maximum.