A/N: Thanks to everyone that reviewed! I have the next two chapters finished, but I'm going to need some more reviews from my lovely readers before I update again. I just started my new semiester this week and it's not going to be an easy one, but I'm going to try my hardest to make time to write. Don't forget to review!!!

Chapter 2

Goodbye Love

Rachel looked up from the chart she was reviewing when she heard footsteps coming closer. It was Lily, who smiled as her. But it wasn't the face of someone who just got engaged. Rachel looked at Lily's left hand...there was no ring on it.

"What wrong?" Lily asked.

"Wh – oh, nothing, nothing," Rachel replied, making a mental note to talk to James. "So, how was your night?"

"Great," said Lily, though her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Okay, spill," Kacey said seriously.

"There's nothing to spill,"

"Bullshit, I've been you're best friend for years, you can't hide anything from me."

"It's just – last night – James was acting...odd,"

"Was he not being very...attentive?"

"Oh, no – just the opposite, in fact – but he just seemed different. Like something was bothering him."

Now Rachel understood...James was just nervous about proposing. "I'm sure it's nothing," she said kindly.

Lily sighed. "You're right, I'm just worrying to much."

"What else is new?" Rachel mumbled. Lily hit her arm playfully.

000

The next week was absolute hell for James. He tried to put some distance between him and Lily, but it was killing him. Finally, he had two days left...and he knew what he had to do.

He sent Lily an owl when he was at work, saying that he needed to talk to her. James had gotten off work twenty minutes ago – and had been pacing outside of Lily's apartment for the last twenty minutes. How could he do this?

Finally, he knocked on the door. His heart ached to see Lily's smiling face answer the door.

"Hey," she said as she kissed him. This is going to be the hardest thing I've ever done, James thought bitterly as she pulled him into her kitchen. "You want some eggs?" she said, gesturing to the frying pan that was sitting on her stove.

"You're having eggs for dinner?"

"Yeah," she replied as she turned down the heat on the stove. "So...what did you want to talk about?" she looked excited; her green eyes were lit and she was smiling brightly.

James took a deep breath before he took a step closer to Lily. "These past two years have been the happiest of my life. But last week, I realized something. But before I tell you...I just want you to know that I don't want to hurt you, Lily...that's the last thing I want to do."

"James," she said softly, putting her hand on his. "What's wrong?"

He took a deep breath and looked at his feet before he quietly said, "I don't love you anymore,"

Lily pulled her hand back as if she had been shocked. He looked up to see hurt, betrayal, and anger shine through her green eyes as she backed away from him, nearly colliding with the stove.

"What?"

"I told you that I didn't what to hurt you, but I can't lead you on anymore."

Lily's bottom lip quivered before she turned her back to James. Tears fell down her eyes as she gripped the counter for support. "Is there someone else?" she asked barely above a whisper.

"No." And there never will be, he thought sadly.

Suddenly, Lily's emotions shifted from sadness to pure anger. "Get out of here, James." she said in a deadly calm voice.

"Lil–"

She grabbed the frying pan and threw it at James, missing his head by a mere few inches. "Get out!"

He wanted to tell her the truth, wanted nothing more than to tell her that he did love her...but now, at the very least, she would be safe. He gave her one last look before he Disapparated. Lily stood there, shaking from head to foot. She stumbled over the egg splattered floor and collapsed on the couch as she sobbed.

000

Rachel was beginning to panic. She hadn't seen Lily in two days, not even at St. Mungo's. Fearing the worst, she knocked on Lily's door. No answer. She knocked again, this time with more force. Again, there was no answer. She tried the door, and was surprised that it was open.

"Lily?" she called.

"I'm in here," Rachel heard her friend reply from her bedroom.

She walked into Lily's room, but all she saw was a pile of unmade covers on Lily's bed. But when she saw that they were moving slightly, Rachel pulled back the covers, and was surprised by what she saw. There was her best friend, curled up in bed, with red, puffy eyes. Her hair looked like it hadn't been brushed in a few days; in fact, she looked as thought she hadn't moved from that spot in a few days.

"What's wrong, babe?" Rachel said gently as she sat on Lily's bed.

"James broke up with me,"

Rachel's mouth hung open in shock. "What?"

Lily sat up and told Rachel everything that James had said those two days ago as she choked back tears.

"So you've been here ever since?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah...I don't even have motivation to get out of bed, eat, anything. I'm crushed...I–I can't believe he could do something like that...How do you wake up one morning and not love someone anymore?" Lily said before she burst into tears.

Rachel hugged her friend. "I don't know Lily, I don't know."

000

Lily had called of the next week off from work, trying to pull herself together. Everyday, Rachel would come over to Lily's apartment to check on her, bring her food, and so on. By now, Lily had finally gotten out of bed, but still lounged in her pajamas and had not left her place. And while she was eating, usually it was chocolate, ice cream, or any combination.

Rachel felt terrible for Lily. She couldn't understand why James was planning on proposing to her one week and completely ended things the next, but she was going to find out.

She walked determinately through the Ministry of Magic, towards the Auror Department. But before she could get there, she saw James and Sirius walking out in the corridor and went right up to them.

"Hey, Rachel," Sirius said, "Long time no–"

But he stopped in mid-sentence because she and walked straight up to James and smacked him across his face.

"What was that for?" James asked as he rubbed his cheek.

"How could you wake up one day and decide that you didn't love her anymore?!"

"Do you think this has been easy on me?"

"Well, considering that you were the one that ripped her heart out–"

"You don't think that it killed me to do what I did?"

"Then why did you do it?"

James looked at Sirius, who nodded briefly before he turned back to Rachel. "Come with me, and I'll explain everything," he said quietly.

000

"Next!"

Lily stepped forward, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. It had all of her clothes, shoes, toothbrush, and her other necessities – all minimized so they fit in her bag.

"Can I help you?" a young blonde asked Lily.

"Where is your next flight to the States?"

The blonde typed on her computer before she said, "New York City in three hours. Would you like to reserve a seat?"

"Yeah," Lily nodded. "I'll take a one–way ticket,"

000

Rachel sat in a stunned silence as James's apartment as he finished telling her the real reason he had broken up with Lily.

"So they would have killed her?" she asked.

James nodded. "She might be miserable and she might hate me for the rest of her life, but at least she's safe...that's all that matters."

He must really love her if he's putting her safety in front of their happiness, she thought sadly. "James...I know this is just as hard on you as it is on her, but you should at least talk to her,"

"I can't do that. First of all, she threw a frying pan at my head – which came about an inch from hitting its target. Second, the Death Eaters are probably still watching her...if I go over there, they could kill her."

"Let me talk to her...I'll tell her everything, and maybe we can think of something."

James still wasn't sure if this was a good idea. "Just be careful, okay?"

She smiled and left.

000

"Lily!" Rachel called as she opened the door to her best friend's apartment...but she wasn't there. She looked through most of the apartment, noticing that the bedroom was nearly empty. Had Lily decided to go on a vacation or something? Could she be at her Mum's house? But then why was everything gone. Rachel was just about to leave when an envelope with her name on it caught her attention. She recognized it immediately as Lily's handwriting.

Dear Rachel,

I want to thank you for everything you've done for me. You have been my best friend since we were eleven...which is why I'm telling you instead of anyone else. Goodbye.

And, no, this is not a suicide note. Do you think I'm so upset over Potter that I would actually kill myself? Anyway, the point is that I'm moving...as far away as I can.

Please, do not – I repeat, do not – try to find me. To be honest, I'm not even sure where I'm going. I've packed most of my things – I'm sure by now you've noticed my apartment is practically empty. I don't know when, or if, I'll come back. Right now, I need...a change. And as much as I don't want to...I need to move on with my life, and I can't do that in England.

I promise to owl you when I get settled. I miss you already!

Love,

Lily