James, Peter, Remus and Sirius arrived at the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix precisely when the meeting was scheduled to start. Lily was ecstatic to see her husband and embraced him enthusiastically. Sirius and Remus both looked for Annicka's face among the other members, but didn't find her. Before they could ask any questions Dumbledore called the meeting to order, and the boys had to wait until the meeting was over. "Lily, have you seen Annicka?" Sirius demanded to know the second Dumbledore excused them.

"Not since yesterday," she answered her voice betraying her worry. "She said she would be here, but maybe something came up at work," she added hopefully.

"Let's go see if she's at home," James suggested.

"We'll all go," Remus added. The group all agreed and made their way to Annicka and Sirius' flat. Nothing seemed out of place at first, but as they moved further into the flat they all felt that something was slightly off. "Ann," Remus called out but there was no answer. Sirius had just stepped around his friends, heading toward the bedroom when Lily gasped. Sirius turned back at the sound, and that's when he saw her. Annicka lying on the floor, eyes closed, not breathing.

"Annicka!" he called out rushing to her side. The others stood in shock as Sirius tried desperately to wake her up. After several minutes Remus found his voice, "She's gone," he stated, his voice vacant, emotionless. "Sirius stop, she's gone. Ann is gone." They all watched as Sirius froze, looked up at them hoping someone would contradict what he already knew. The bleak looks hey gave him only confirmed it, he pulled Annicka close and began crying. "James get him out of here," Remus ordered.

"Take him to our place," Lily added gently. James nodded and with considerable effort was able to pull Sirius away. "Remus -"

"Do what you have to do," he interrupted her. "I'll take care of the authorities. We have promises to keep," he finally turned to look at her, his eyes full of sadness and determination.

"She told you?" Lily asked trying to understand how he could have known.

"You have a journal to hide," Remus reminded her, "Go." Lily nodded, went to the bedroom, pulled up the floorboard Annicka had mentioned grabbed the journal and left. She made her way to the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley in London as quickly as she could without drawing too much attention, deciding to go by Muggle transportation hoping to avoid the wizarding world as much as possible.

Once in Diagon Alley she made straight for Gringott's Wizarding Bank and the Potter family vault. While the Goblin who had accompanied her waited outside Lily took the journal to the darkest corner of the vault. Just as she was about to put it on the ground, two envelopes fell out. Lily stooped down to pick them up and noticed the names on the outside, Remus and Sirius, they were in Annicka's handwriting. Assuming they were written for them before she died Lily was determined to deliver them. She set the journal down gently and began her return journey.

Lily arrived home emotionally drained, the events of the day finally catching up to her. She stepped through the dor tho the sounds of arguing. Remus and Sirius were standing several feet apart shouting at each other. "You have no idea-" Sirius was shouting but Remus cut him off.

"You are not the only one who loved Annicka!" Remus argued.

"Stop it!" Lily ordered her voice rising over theirs. "What is wrong with the two of you? We just lost Annicka, my best friend – and the two of you are having a shouting match? Do you really think she would have wanted this? To see her best friend and her boyfriend fighting?" the two of them became very still and quiet in the face of her anger. "Oh, I found these," Lily pulled out the letters Annicka had left behind, "there's one for each of you. It may interest you to know that she didn't say goodbye to the rest of us." She handed them each their letters and stalked past them and up to her bedroom slamming the door behind her. James followed Lily leaving his two best friends to read Anncika's last words.

Dearest Sirius,

If you're reading this then I have died, and I didn't get the chance to say goodbye to you. I don't know how or when it will happen, but I hope it's quick. If it was an accident then I don't want you to blame the other person, some things are just out of our control. If it wasn't an accident – if I was murdered then I want you to remember that even if you had been there then there is probably nothing you could have done.

I know how it feels, the pain and anger and regret. You will spend hours and days going over it again and again trying to find something, anything you could have done. Don't torture yourself, I am at peace. Now if I know you, you're also itching to go out and find whoever killed me and make them pay. Don't. taking that path will not bring me back, and it will not make you feel any better. Vengeance is a lazy form of grief, and once you pursue it you will never be able to fully move on.

When I say move on, I don't mean that I want you to forget me, all I'm saying is that I want you to accept that I am gone, and go on with your life. I know it wounds impossible right now, but it's not. The sun will continue to rise and set, and as long as you remember me in your heart I will never truly leave you. I will see you again, but I want that day to be far from now. I hope that you will die and old man in your bed, happy to have lived a full life. I want you to live the best life you can. I love you and I want you to find happiness again. I will miss you, I will always love you.

Goodbye.

Annicka

Remus,

I'm sure you can guess everything I want to say to you, you know me so well – except maybe for this. That night when I kissed you, I had another reason for it. What I said was true, but I also wanted you to know what it feels like to have the woman you love in your arms loving you back. I wanted you to know because someday, I don't know when, but someday you will fall in love again. I know what you're thinking, that it will never happen, that you will love anyone like you love me and even if you do it won't matter because she'll never love you back. Well, you're wrong, because I know in my heart that you will find love again, and when you do she will love you with her whole soul. The reason I know all of this is because you deserve love my friend. You are the best person I know, and you deserve love.

So I want you to make me one last promise, you have made so many to me over the years, but I ask for just one more. When you find her, remember me, remember how love feels and don't you dare let her go. Live, love and remember.

Ann

Remus and Sirius stood in silence for a long time, hearing Annicka's words in their minds. "What did you mean?" Sirius finally asked. "When you said I wasn't the only one who loved Ann?"

"What do you think?" Remus challenged.

"You were in love with her," Sirius concluded. "Did she know?" he felt compelled to ask.

"I told her 7th year," Remus confessed.

"Why didn't she tell me?" he wondered immediately becoming suspicious of her motives, "Why didn't you?"

"Because she chose you," Remus explained, still trying to sort through his emotions, "she always chose you. Look at these letters, she knew she was going to die, she knew and she didn't say anything because she didn't want you to die too. Annicka chose you before even her own life. So go on if you want, go out there and get yourself killed. Just remember that if you do, her sacrifice will have been for nothing." Without another glance in his friend's direction Remus left the Potter's going home to grieve in private.

The funeral was a few days later. It was a quiet affair, only close friends were in attendance. The words spoken over Annicka's grave were simple, but heartfelt. The funeral did not last long, perhaps an hour, and as people started leaving Lily remained by the side of her friend's grave. It was there gazing off into the distance that Lily noticed someone watching from behind a tree. "Lily we should get going," James said placing a hand on her back, trying to steer her away.

"You go on ahead," Lily suggested. "I want to stay a little longer," she saw James' hesitation and tried to reassure him, "Just a few minutes, I'll be home soon." He hesitated for a few moments before leaving her. Lily waited until she was sure he was gone before disapperating. The man waiting behind the tree looked out so see if all the mourners had left when he heard a voice behind him, "What are you doing here?" he turned to see Lily Potter with her wand pointed at him. "Regulus Black?"

"I'm just here to pay my respects," he answered quickly, his hands up in the air to show he was unarmed.

"Pay your respects?" she scoffed and tightened her grip on her wand.

"Ann was my friend," he stated with such conviction and sadness Lily was stunned. "I just wanted to say goodbye."

"But – you're a Death Eater!" Lily exclaimed completely baffled.

"We became friends at school, before I joined the Dark Lord," he explained. "She was always so kind, and brave. You should have seen the way she stood up to him, it was the most amazing think I have ever seen."

"Stood up to 'him'? Voldemort killed her?" Lily asked fully understanding the implications. "You were there?" she asked sounding vaguely disgusted.

"I couldn't help her," he desperately defended himself, "There were too many of them. I couldn't have made a difference against so many, but maybe I can make a difference now."

"What are you talking about?" Lily demanded to know.

"I made Annicka a promise that from now on I would fight against the Dark Lord from the inside, maybe I can find way, if not to defeat him, then to weaken him." Regulus and Lily stood for quite some time as she tried to determine if he was lying.

"Well," she sighed finally lowering her wand, "good luck."

"Thank you," Regulus breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, and congratulations, on the wedding," Lily gave him a small smile and disapperated. Regulus said his goodbyes to Annicka before leaving as well. One he was gone all that was left was fresh turned earth and a new gravestone.