Sorry this was late! So this is the last official chapter, but I'll put up an epilogue soon! Remember, reviews make my day... :)

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Age Thirty, Charity

Life in the Warner household had, once again, become overwhelmingly busy. A few months ago, Lily found herself weary of staying in the house all of the time and not working. Money from her various books was still piling up. So, instead of merely filing it into charities as she had always done, Lily decided to do something to raise money herself. She decided to hold a charity ball to raise money for orphaned children.

She was in no large hurry to get her project up and running, but then she discovered that she was going to have another baby. After years and years of trying and failing to conceive, now, it seemed, Lily could have babies with no trouble at all. This second pregnancy was a complete accident, though it was not unwelcome by any means. All it meant was that Lily had to speed up the charity project while dealing with her horrible pregnancy symptoms. It was lucky for Olivia that, at one year old, she would not remember her mummy acting so crazy.

Olivia had a way of getting into everything, whether it should be accessible or not. She had just begun to run, and it was her new favorite thing to do. Lily and Scott had to make their house completely baby-safe. They had to cover all corners of tables and chairs. All glass was put high out of reach. They added more pillows around the house; in case Olivia decided to run into walls (which she often did) she wouldn't be too damaged.

Lily's second pregnancy was not too far along at the moment; she wanted to have her charity banquet before her mood swings became too intense. After all, she had to speak in front of all who attended the event tonight. She had managed to sell one thousand tickets at three hundred pounds a piece, so that brought in a good chunk of change for the local orphanages. It was really lucky that she had some pull with the writers and artists of Europe. She imagined that, if she was not a celebrity, never in a million years would she have been able to sell so many tickets. She had rented a banquet hall in the center of London, along the same avenue that the ball of the foreign Ministers was held every year. It was going to be filled with fifty tables, each seating a score of people, as well as an open bar, a stage, and a large dancing area.

All of her friends and family were attending, thanks to her father, who had purchased tickets for the lot of them. Lily was extremely excited. She had spent uncountable hours on the phone with caterers, bands, servers, and many others to prepare for this occasion, but it was all going to be worth it, especially because she could still fit into the dress she bought six years ago for another grand ball. Sure, she had to make a few minor alterations, but it still looked more fabulous on her than anything else she had ever owned. Lily was currently squeezing into said dress, while Scott debriefed the baby sitter downstairs on Olivia's nightly routine.

This was only going to be the third time that Lily was leaving her daughter to the mercy of a babysitter. It was very difficult for her to leave her little girl to a stranger, but it was a necessity. Besides, she hadn't had a great night out on the town in ages.

Lily was putting in her diamond stud earrings, leaning close to the mirror to see the holes in her ears, when Scott entered the bedroom. He looked exceptionally smart in his tuxedo, a bowtie fastened around his neck. "All right, the baby sitter's all set with Olivia. And you are absolutely not wearing that tonight. Change right this instant," he said.

"Why, is something wrong?" Lily asked, looking at herself in the mirror, trying to figure out the problem.

"You look much too hot to go to that banquet filled with fife hundred men. They will all stare at you, and I cannot have that," he replied seriously.

Lily grinned. "That's right: the last time I wore this dress, you were lying unconscious in a hospital bed."

"In fact," Scott continued, ignoring his wife's comment, "I don't think we should go to this banquet at all." He was approaching her slyly, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face in her neck.

Lily giggled girlishly, swatting away her husband. She knew when she bought this dress six years ago that it would get this reaction from Scott. Of course, this was two pregnancies ago. "Come on, darling, we've got to get there so that I can make sure everything is ready."

"Well if that's your decision, then I cannot take responsibility for anything I may do to any man that lets his eyes wander too long on you," he said, giving Lily a kiss before releasing her.

Between taking care of Olivia, maintaining a household, dealing with another pregnancy, owning the bookstore, and organizing this charity ball, Lily had very little time to work on her next book. For ten years she had been constantly writing, and this was the first time that was not happening. It was upsetting, but she just did not have the time or energy to come up with new ideas to put into words. The most frustrating part of the situation was that she had no idea when she was going to have time to write. With another child on the way, even more of her time was going to be taken up by taking care of her children. Of course, children were not an inconvenience or unwanted in any way. It was merely that writing had been her life, (besides Scott), until a year ago, and it was difficult to break that habit.

They arrived at the banquet hall to find everything in order. The caterers had arrived, the decorations were hanging, and the stage was set for the band. To Lily's surprise, she found nervous butterflies fluttering around in her stomach. Her palms were becoming itchy from sweat. If this event tonight was not spectacular, the blame would all be put on her and the press would have a field day. She would lose all credibility as a charity organizer and the orphaned children would never receive more money from the London artistic elite. Suddenly, Lily was feeling the pressure, and she did not like it one little bit.

During her seventh year at Hogwarts, there had been a dance for the graduating class. The Great Hall was festooned magnificently with garlands and fairies, and somehow they had secured a live band to play. Lily had, sadly, gone dateless. She hadn't wanted to go to the dance at all, because Lucile had a date and therefore could not hang out with Lily through the night, but it was actually Lucile who had convinced her to go. It was the last big event before graduation, and Lucile insisted that Lily spend the night with the graduating class. Lily had donned her best dress robes and, hoping to find someone to dance with, headed to face her doom. Scott had also managed to secure a date for the occasion, which furthered Lily's vacillation about attending the dance. For the first part of the night, she stared witheringly at Scott and Haley Grandall twirling around the dance floor, but then a lovely Hufflepuff gentleman had offered Lily his hand, and they danced the rest of the night away. It had been an enjoyable evening, and Lily wished now that she had the same no-pressure, at-ease feeling right now as she had then.

She positioned herself near the door to greet the witches and wizards as they entered the room. Most of the guests arrived on time, and Lily cued the band to start playing as soon as everyone was seated and the food was brought out from the kitchens. She wondered how the babysitter was doing with her darling Olivia. Olivia was very particular about what she would and would not eat. She would only eat certain baby foods, much to Lily's dismay. She tried to keep Olivia on a very healthy diet, but it was difficult to get her all of the nutrients she needed because she wouldn't eat everything babies were supposed to. Luckily, at the grocery, she had discovered a drink for infants that gave them all of the nutrients they needed. This put Lily more at ease, because she was always worried that Olivia wouldn't grow up properly or she would do something to damage her daughter's health.

Lily's parents, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, Garrett, and Lucile, were all seated at two of the tables in the middle of the room. Once she had greeted all of the guests at the door and everyone was happily munching away at their dinners, Lily strode over to those she loved. "How is everyone doing?" she asked, coming up behind Jordan and putting her hand on the back of her sister-in-law's chair.

"The food is wonderful honey," Mrs. Potter said.

"The place looks great," said Albus's wife, Elizabeth. "It must have taken an entire team to decorate this place."

"You look fantastic," said Jordan. "How do you manage to look so fantastic while you're pregnant?"

"Thanks," Lily replied, blushing. "Now, you've all got to promise me that you're going to dance. You know how people don't like to be the first ones on the dance floor. Well, I need this entire table to get up and dance. James, I know you're very clumsy on your feet, but I won't take that as an excuse."

"Hey!" James interjected indignantly.

Lily laughed. "Sorry, brother, but I've got to tell it like it is. At any rate, I really need you all to dance, because if this thing isn't a success, the orphans will never get £30,000 from me again."

"Thirty thousand pounds!" Mr. Potter cried. "Lily, that's amazing."

"Why, thank you," Lily said proudly. "I just hope tonight goes as well as planned. The band is certainly doing their part, and I'm glad the food is good. Now we just need the dancing…and I have to speak after everyone's finished eating."

"Lily, you've spoken in front of thousands of people before, this should be a breeze," Albus scolded. "Don't be nervous."

"Yes, you look stunning, Lily," said Jordan. "So, even if your words are a mess, people will be too distracted by your body to notice."

"Don't let Scott hear you say that," said Lily, chuckling. "Finish your meals; I've got to go visit everyone. Thank you for supporting the London orphanages!"

Having James and Jordan move in to the neighborhood was wonderful. Lily saw them at least twice a week. Their families normally had dinner together on Saturday nights. Jessica and Julius loved to play with their little cousin Olivia. Lily loved to have her brother there; he supported her now as he had back in their Hogwarts days. The difference now was that he told her things about his life when she told him about her life. Jordan was a fantastic fellow mother to chat with as well. Plus, Lily enjoyed entertaining her niece and nephew. They were the two biggest balls of energy Lily had ever come across, and she loved them.

She wasn't actually going have a chance to eat at this banquet because she had to circle the room and make sure everything was in, and stayed in, order. She had saved a seat at one of her family's tables for Scott to sit and eat, which was what he was doing currently. Lily was too nauseated to think about eating, however, so it was good that she could busy herself with walking around the vast room in her enormous dress. It was nearly time for her to shuffle onto the stage and make her little speech in front of these famous, influential people.

She caught Scott's eye from across the room and he smiled lovingly at her. He had now been a part of her for fifteen years—half of her life. It was incredible to think that she was so lucky to find such a wonderful life partner at the small age of fifteen. She and Scott had been through so much together, especially with their inability to have a child for a while, and they had come out of everything for the better. She knew that most men would be intimidated by her fame, since he did not have any, but Scott had never been anything but supportive of her. Lily didn't know how she had gotten so lucky.

Her footsteps on the way up the stage's stairs were heavy. It was difficult to climb stairs in heels. She waited off to the side of the stage until the band was finished with their song. As the audience applauded for the music, she walked to the microphone, clapping herself. "Good evening," she said, smiling, once the applause had abated. "I'm Lily Warner, the organizer of this function." Lily got some applause at this statement. "I just wanted to thank you all for coming tonight and supporting the children in the London orphanages. With you help, we have managed to raise £30,000." More clapping erupted after this fact. "I would just like to thank you all personally for your generous donations, and I welcome you to read more about the cause you are giving to. There are pamphlets on the local orphanages by the front door, where you came in. I hope you all enjoyed the food, and I invite you to dance when you are finished eating. Thank you again, and enjoy the rest of your evening!"

With that, she carefully walked back across the stage and down the stairs, glad to have that over with. The music started up again and, as promised, her family filed out onto the dance floor. Garrett was sweeping Lucile around the entire floor. He had always been a magnificent dancer. James, true to form, was tripping over his feet while his wife led the dance.

Lily continued making rounds with the various influential people in attendance at the banquet. The night was going fabulously, and a smile broke out across her face. It looked like everything was a success. Other people were dancing now, and everyone looked like they were having a good time. All of a sudden, Scott was at her side, pulling her away from the guests.

"Listen, Lily," he said. "You're not allowed to talk to any more men. I've seen the looks you've been getting, and I don't like them."

"Scott, you've really got to stop with this," Lily said, shaking her head.

"I'll stop as soon as you snog in a broom closet with me," Scott said playfully.

Lily couldn't wipe the happy smile from her face. Tonight was going so well. "I'll snog as soon as you dance with me," she grinned, dragging him onto the floor.

"Oh, all right," Scott said in submission. "I suppose that's a fair compromise."

Everything was going swimmingly. She couldn't ask for a better husband, a better daughter, or a better career. Sure, she had been through her fair share of problems: what with her unreturned love for Scott back in the day, the fire in her flat, dealing with her family and friends move away, her problems with Tim and Samuel, fights with her husband, not being able to have a child, that ridiculous kiss from Brody, and dealing with her husband lying, dying, in a hospital bed, just to name a few. Her life so far had been quite a ride, but she felt that the good far outweighed the bad.

She laughed openly and genuinely, throwing her head back, as Scott spun her around. Her dress flared out impressively. She hoped that the next fifteen years with Scott, and the fifteen after that, were just as wonderful as the first fifteen had been. From now on, they would have two children to deal with, and perhaps even more than that. They were starting a family, and Lily was completely ready for the ride. With such a supportive, loving system of her husband, daughter, family, and friends, Lily was ready for anything.

"Come on, darling," she said to her dance partner, "let's go snog in the broom closet."

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Aww! Did you like the ending? I'll have the epilogue up as soon as possible. Reviews are lovely.