A/N: Hello again! Thank you to those who have followed/favourite(d) my story so far. I hope you all enjoy the second chapter.

Story rating: M (violence, language and mild sexual references)

Chapter rating: T (reference to violence but no graphic description, mild language)

Disclaimer: All characters, settings and the general fantasy world belong to JK Rowling. I claim no ownership or profits whatsoever. The only purpose of this story is for my own enjoyment, and hopefully the enjoyment of those who visit this site.

Lily Evans sat cross legged on the floor beside her suitcase, frowning at the neatly stacked piles surrounding her. At precisely 4:45 am, Lily had awoken in a state of panic, and had began the biggest packing frenzy of her life. She had divided everything she owned into categories of use, and now all of those categories lay on the floor taking up every inch of space.

How am I going to fit all of this into my suitcase? she thought helplessly, looking around at the mess she had created.

It was the same issue every year. Lily always failed to remember that she was in dire need of upsizing the trunk she had owned since her first year at Hogwarts. She groaned inwardly as she remembered that it had taken several undetectable extension charms, plus a couple of rucksacks, to get everything home for the summer. Lily was not looking forward to carrying it all to the train station without magic.

A determined expression crossed her heart-shaped face, as she resolved to begin the seemingly impossible task of packing. She began to leap gracefully across the floor, artfully dodging the flying objects that she sent zooming towards the trunk. Her petite, slender frame weaved and twirled, as the magical energy caused her copper hair to suspend around her.

One would never suspect that the girl dancing around the room was, in actual fact, terribly clumsy. Lily Evans had always had issues with her coordination and balance, to the point where walking down a corridor could easily turn into a death trap. Whenever she used magic, however, she was temporarily cured and became as sure-footed as a lioness.

Despite wanting to complete her packing quickly, Lily had to work more cautiously than she would have liked so as not to wake her still-sleeping friends.

After Lily had been released from St Mungo's with a clean bill of health, she had decided to stay at the Leaky Cauldron for the remainder of the summer holidays. Marlene McKinnon and Mary Macdonald, her two best friends, had chosen to join her for the final week, seeing as Lily had refused to come and stay at either of their homes.

It had been quite the surprise when her two friends had turned up at the Leaky Cauldron with their suitcases, and both declaring that they would be staying in her room. At first, Lily had been annoyed - she had made it perfectly clear in her letters that she wanted to be left alone. It wasn't until her friends had forced their company on her however, that she realised that alone time was the last thing she needed.

Just as Lily was squishing the final thing into her trunk, a gold diary with a lion prowling around the cover, the sun was just beginning to peak in through the wall-length window. She got up and pointed her wand at the bulging trunk.

"Colloportus!"

An odd squelching noise sounded to signal that the trunk had been sealed shut. Lily beamed and did a little victory jig on the spot.

"Lily," a voice groaned from behind her, penetrating the silent room, "what are you doing?"

Lily jumped violently and yelped in shock. She turned towards Marlene's bed, clutching her frantically beating heart and holding an accusatory glare in place.

"Merlin! You gave me a fright."

Marlene merely yawned in response and ruffled her choppy, black hair. The girl sat up in her bed, swaying dangerously as she silently battled to keep herself awake. Lily's glare swiftly melted into a look of amusement as she watched her friend's head flop forwards and then instantly jerk back again, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"Need some help there, Marlene?" smirked Lily.

Marlene shook her head vigorously, blinking several times. She forced herself out of the bed and into a standing position before her eyes could droop shut again.

"Shower," she grunted, trudging lethargically past Lily with her arms swinging low like a gorilla.

Lily chuckled to herself before turning towards the other sleeping beauty. She walked over to Mary's bed and leant down to gently shake her shoulders.

"Time to get up, oh-sleepy-one."

Mary, who had the most amicable relationship with the early hours out of the three girls, gave a delicate sigh as her topaz eyes slowly fluttered open. Her neatly shaped eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion, as her brain worked to clear the sleepy fog that resided there. After a few moments of allowing her brain to ease itself back into the real world, she pushed herself up into a sitting position, letting her dark blond hair fall in front of her shoulders in the process.

"Morning, Lily," she said softly, raising her arms up in the air and stretching out her willowy figure. "How long have you been up?"

"Since quarter to five," muttered Lily. "I couldn't go back to sleep, but now I feel like I could sleep for England. Sods law I suppose."

Mary smiled tiredly, "You always sleep for England."

Lily raised her eyebrows mockingly, "I've recently been named their star player, didn't y'know? My talent has finally been recognised."

"I am so happy for you," Mary replied sarcastically. "Now leave me alone so I can organise my brain."

"Ouch!" exclaimed Lily dramatically, holding a hand to her chest, "is that any way to treat a friend who saved you from the perils of sleeping in?"

"You're right," sighed Mary seriously, "what I meant to say was BUGGER OFF!"

Lily fixed her friend with a disapproving stare and worked hard to keep from smiling, "You will rue the day that you took my noble and kind deeds for granted. Rue I tell you!"

Just as the two girls burst out laughing at their own silliness, Marlene exited the bathroom and regarded them grumpily. In Marlene's world, it was considered a prisonable offense to laugh or smile before 10am.

"Oh. My turn," said Mary brightly as she bounced out of bed and made her way towards the vacant bathroom.

Lily watched as the tall girl skipped gracefully across the room, envious of her excellent posture and the way her smooth hair fell neatly to the small of her back. It was a wonder that Mary had alluded the claws of model scouts for as long as she had with those large, almond-shaped eyes and high, prominent cheekbones. Alas, Mary had no interest in the modelling business - her passion lay with getting her hands nice and dirty with a spot of gardening.

When Mary had disappeared into the bathroom, Lily allowed her eyes to wander to her other friend.

"Wow, Marlene! Planning on breaking a few hearts today?" asked Lily, taking in her friends attire for the first day back at Hogwarts.

Marlene Mckinnon had styled her short, choppy hair so that it spiked in all directions, complementing her pixie-like face. Her amber eyes were decorated with a light dusting of beige eyeshadow, and her lips were stained with a minimal amount of red lipstick. For clothing, she wore a pretty summer dress, in comparison to the usual baggy jumpers and loose-fitting jeans she adopted. Lily was not used to seeing Marlene, the closest thing to a tomboy in their little group, put so much effort into her appearance.

At Lily's exclamation of approval, Marlene blushed in embarrassment, but her lips quirked upwards nonetheless.

"Well y'know - first day back and all," she grinned, her eyes flashing with excitement. "Are you ready to put us all in our place, Miss Head Girl."

Lily laughed nervously at the reminder of her new position, and glanced shiftily at the shiny badge lying on her bedside table, "Nope. Not at all."

Marlene rolled her eyes, "Lily, I have told you a million times - you were born for this job. You were the best contender by several lightyears."

"Thanks, Marlene," she smiled appreciatively. "It just feels like a big step up from being a Prefect."

"You'll get used to it," Marlene reassured her, "before you know it, you'll be barging around the castle on a massive power trip."

"Ha!" Lily snorted. "If that ever happens I give you permission to hex me until I'm reduced to green goo."

"Deal," Marlene sniggered, "Hey - who do you think the Head Boy will be? I bet it's Remus Lupin."

"It's not Remus," grumbled Lily, "I overheard him asking Professor McGonnagall if he could be taken out of the running."

"Oh? I wonder why that is."

Lily shrugged in response, and walked towards her bed where her clothes were laid out ready for her.

"I don't care who it is," Lily said quietly, "as long as it's not Snape."

A few hours later, Lily, Mary and Marlene were sat in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, finally on their way to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for their final year.

Lily sighed with relief as she flopped onto one of the cushioned seats, closing her eyes tightly and inhaling the magical energy that laced the air. She found herself being able to breathe easy again, now that she was reentering the world in which she truly belonged. Of course, Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron had given her a satisfactory fix, but there was nothing so rich and electrifying as the atmosphere of Hogwarts.

"Our final year," said Mary nostalgically, looking around the compartment as though she was trying to commit every little detail to memory. "Where has the time gone?"

"It needs to slow the bloody well down," mumbled Lily.

"Are you kidding?" Marlene scoffed, "I can't wait to leave. You know - we should all go travelling after we've graduated."

"And then move in together?" added Mary hopefully.

Marlene nodded enthusiastically, "Of course. Hasn't that always been the plan?"

Lily felt a little bubble of joy swell in her stomach at her friends' words. Since her parents death she had given a lot of thought to life after Hogwarts, and had secretly worried that her two friends wouldn't be as committed to sticking together as she was. She felt her eyes prickle with tears as sudden gratitude swept through her.

Luckily, at that moment there was a knock on their compartment door, and Lily used the distraction to wipe her eyes free of any tears. The door rattled open noisily to reveal an elderly lady, who was pushing a cart full of Honeydukes sweets and Hogwarts merchandise.

"Anything off the trolley, dears? she chirped cheerfully, smiling pleasantly at the three girls.

They placed their orders, buying more than enough to last them until their first Hogsmeade visit. After the trolley witch had left, Lily wasted no time in opening a pack of treacle fudge - she couldn't get enough of the things.

"Oh my!" exclaimed Mary suddenly, effectively distracting Lily from the heavenly fudge melting in her mouth. "They've done it again."

Lily looked over at Mary who was reading the Daily Prophet she had just bought, a look of fierce concentration on her face.

"What is it, Mary? Death Eaters?" asked Lily, feeling bile rise up her throat at the thought of her parents' murderers.

"No, no," muttered Mary distractedly, "the other ones."

"Seriously?" gasped Marlene, scooting over to Mary and peering over her shoulder. "Who was it this time?"

"Billius Lestrange."

Lily watched the exchange in confusion. She wondered what Mary could have meant by 'the other ones', and hoped it wasn't what it sounded like. Lily, being muggleborn, didn't think her chances of survival would be very good if there were two groups of pureblood fanatics out there.

"Guys, what's going on?" asked Lily fearfully.

Mary and Marlene both looked up at Lily in astonishment.

"Have you not been reading the papers?" asked Marlene incredulously.

"Not recently," admitted Lily. "Why?"

"Well," began Mary, leaning forwards excitedly, "there is this secret group going around - nobody knows who they are - but they call themselves the Order of the Phoenix."

"And what are they doing exactly?"

"They kill Death Eaters," replied Mary, her eyes sparkling.

Lily raised an eyebrow at her friend, "So they are like Aurors then?"

Marlene snorted at this, "Definitely not. Yes, Aurors can kill Death Eaters, but only if it is in defense. These guys - they kill how the Death Eaters kill."

"They hunt them down like animals," added Alice, a venomous smile spreading across her lips, "and slaughter them."

"Merlin, I wish I knew how to join," said Marlene breathlessly, her eyes glazed.

"Me too," Mary nodded in agreement.

Lily stared at her friends in shock. She had never seen them act so - well - Slytherin.

"You guys are kidding right?" Lily said aghast, "that's sick. They are murderers."

"The Death Eaters deserve it though, Lily," Mary argued.

"Yeah," Marlene cut in, "they shouldn't be allowed to live after what they have done."

"But still, is cold-blooded murder really the answer?" questioned Lily in a low voice.

"It isn't a perfect answer," conceded Mary, "but have they really left us much choice?"

"Maybe not," said Lily, "but I am certain that it will cause more harm than good."

"Well lets not argue about it," Mary waved a hand dismissively and quickly changed the subject. "Lets talk about something more interesting like -"

"Which guys have blossomed over the summer?" Marlene offered, grinning cheekily.

Lily rolled her eyes, "As intellectually stimulating as that sounds, I should probably start heading to the prefects carriage."

"Good luck," supplied Marlene.

"I shall very much need it," Lily grimaced, standing up and walking towards the exit. "See you later!"

"See you, Lily!" they chimed in unison, just as Lily closed the compartment door shut.

As soon as her friends were obscured from view, she allowed a worried frown to infiltrate her face.

Well that was weird, she thought, wandering idly down the train corridor.

Lily was confused by the bitterness and hate with which her friends' had talked about Voldemort and his supporters. Of course, they had always been against Voldemort's evil agenda, but it was quite something else to act genuinely excited by the prospect of hunting and slaughtering Death Eaters. They had always been quite naive and innocent in their views of the world up until now, and Lily wondered what had changed while she was looking the other way.

As she reached the prefects carriage, she gave her head a slight shake to rid it of any distracting thoughts. She then took a deep breath before opening the door to the prefects compartment.

"Hey, Lily. It's nice to see you again."

Lily jumped slightly, not having expected anyone to be there yet. She looked towards the source of the voice to find Remus Lupin, smiling shyly up at her from his seat.

"Thanks, Remus. Nice to see you too," she stepped forwards to give him a quick hug. "Good holiday?"

"Relaxing but uneventful," he replied simply.

Lily noted how he didn't ask about her holiday in return, and silently awarded him brownie points for it. Remus had always been a natural at saying the right things and steering clear of the wrong, a talent of his that Lily was secretly envious of. She hoped that everybody had the sense to act like Remus: with tact and thoughtfulness. In a school full of dramatic, socially awkward teenagers however, she didn't hold much hope of that.

In the corner of the carriage sat another young man, his hazel eyes boring into the voluminous book that lay in his lap. Dishevelled, smoky-black hair stuck out in all directions, made all the more untidy by the hand that regularly swept through it.

Lily found her gaze drawn to him, her eyes trailing over his serious, strong face, and down to his lean and muscular physique. It wasn't his obvious attractiveness that caught her attention however, so much as the mystery that surrounded him. James Potter was, quite frankly, a bit of an enigma.

He only had three real friends, those being Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. Now, having only three close friends isn't particularly unusual - Lily herself only had two. What was unusual, however, was that he spent at least 99.9 percent of all his social interactions with only them. It was a rare thing indeed to catch James Potter speaking with anyone outside his close-knit group. He could have easily acquired an army of adoring acquaintances and friends, what with his good looks and exceptional talent on the Quidditch pitch, but the boy simply chose not to.

In seven years of being in the same house and sharing most of their classes together, it was a wonder that Lily had never really spoken to James Potter before. It wasn't that she purposely avoided interacting with him or anything, but rather the fact that neither had made a concerted effort to get to know each other. She mentally made a snap decision that seventh year was as good as any to break that cycle.

"Hi," she waved awkwardly at him, in an attempt to draw his attention away from the book.

James' head snapped up at the sudden movement, looking a little disorientated by the disruption. He then smiled politely at her and nodded his head in acknowledgement, before immediately returning to his book.

"So how was your holiday?" Lily asked, cringing as she dragged him away from his reading yet again.

He looked a little surprised that Lily had gone beyond a simple greeting. After all, it had never been done before in seven whole years.

"It was fine," answered James hesitantly before continuing, "I spent most of it doing work experience at the Ministry."

"That sounds cool. Which department?"

"The Auror office."

"I was going to do a bit of work experience with Ollivander at the beginning of the -" she began to tell him before coming to an abrupt stop.

She saw Remus shift uncomfortably out of the corner of her eye, but James remained perfectly composed and carried on with the conversation.

"So you are interested in Wandlore then?" he asked curiously.

Lily felt the pain in her chest release a little. She wasn't sure if James was merely unaware of her parents death, or that he excelled in glossing over potentially awkward situations. If she had to choose, she would probably go with the latter. James Potter struck her as someone who could be a very good actor when he wanted to be.

"Yes," she replied, her voice a little hoarse, "very much so."

He nodded, staring at her intensely. Lily found herself intrigued by the look in his eyes, like he was trying to burn a hole right through her skull and all the way to her brain. The inside of her head began to tingle uncomfortably, and she found herself entertaining the ridiculous notion that he was trying to read her mind. She mentally pushed at the tingling sensations, and as she did so, she caught a flash of irritation cross James' eyes.

"So how come you are in here anyway?" she asked, breaking the eye contact. "Emotional support for Remus?"

He chuckled lightly at her joke, all traces of annoyance a distant memory. Lily found herself wondering if she had imagined it.

"Actually, Lily," Remus interrupted, "James has been made Head Boy."

Lily's mouth opened slightly in shock. She looked at Remus questioningly, before turning her gaze back to James and allowing it to drift down to his broad chest where a Head Boy badge was pinned.

"But you -" she paused, her eyes moving back up to his face, "you weren't a prefect."

James shrugged, "Apparently it's not a requirement. Remus didn't want the job, so they asked me."

"Oh, I see. Well if you have any questions about what to do and all-" she trailed off tentatively.

"I'll know who to ask," he finished, flashing her a smirk and a casual wink.

Lily smiled uncertainly back at him, feeling wrong-footed by his sudden shift in demeanour. Not being able to think of anything else to say to either of the two boys, she took a seat and pretended to peruse the notes she had brought along for the meeting.

It was not long before the other prefects began to filter into the cabin, and the meeting was soon under way. Everybody was just as surprised as Lily to find out that James Potter had been made Head Boy, but their doubts were quickly scattered when they found him to be both self-assured and knowledgeable.

Lily found herself watching her counterpart carefully. In truth, she felt a little on edge around him. There were several reasons for this - some of which she was perfectly aware of, and others that her mind couldn't comprehend. The overriding impression, however, was that she found him to be slightly intimidating. Everything from his carefully planned words to his shielded eyes unnerved Lily, sending warning signals down her spine. He was too exact; too guarded; too refined.

There was just something odd about that Potter boy.