a/n - soooo terribly sorry for the delay. This whole childbirth/new mom thing really takes a lot out of ya. Anyway, here it is. Thanks for sticking with me.

One Year Later

"Okay, so no going to the bathroom here unless it's an absolute emergency. I've never been so traumatized by a room in my life," the short blonde girl declared, throwing her clutch onto the high top table currently occupied by her two roommates before joining them.

"Nightclub bathrooms don't generally have a reputation of being upstanding, Em," Lily replied as she sipped her drink. "Not even the magical ones."

The room was dark, with people scattered throughout. Their table was one among many on the left side of the room, while couches and coffee tables were set up on the right. A large dance floor separated the two. Despite the seemingly low level of attendance, the music was blaring and the three girls had to practically shout at each other to be heard.

"Still," Emily responded, pushing her bangs out of her eyes, "you think they'd at least charm the mirrors to stay smudge-free."

"Most people who visit nightclub bathrooms aren't able to see straight enough to care how smudgy the mirrors are," replied the tall, black girl to Lily's right. She stared broodily at her companions' drinks. "We wouldn't be able to see straight right now, if you would do this properly."

"I'm drinking, Katherine, look!" Lily held the drink up for her friend's inspection. Katherine snorted. Lily went on. "I don't see why inebriation and a night out have to go hand in hand for you, anyway."

"Because you are too bloody safe. We've lived together for what, almost a year now? And have you once flooed for me to come and side-along you back to the flat at three in the morning because you were too drunk to apparate without splinching yourself?"

"No, but you have quite a fe-"

"Exactly!" Katherine went on, ignoring the latter part of Lily's reply. "Not once have you ever let loose!"

"I let loose, just not in ways I'd regret afterwards."

"But those are the best ways."

"I don't think you're too safe, Lily," Emily chimed in. Lily shot Katherine a look as if to say, 'see?'

Katherine rolled her eyes. "You're only taking her side because you're already behind on your share of the rent," she shot back, stirring the ice in her empty cup.

"I still haven't settled in!"

"It's been two months!"

"And you guys did just fine without a third flatmate before that!"

"Okay, so maybe I'm starting to see how alcohol can make these lady's nights more enjoyable," Lily interrupted, downing the rest of her drink. She rose from her seat. "Anyone want refills while I'm up?"

"Yes, please!"

"Of course."

Lily left, dodging between tipsy patrons as she made her way to the bar.

"She really doesn't let loose all that often, does she?" Emily asked once the redhead was out of earshot.

Katherine shrugged. "She's just guarded."

"How come?"

Another shrug. "Not sure. I've only known her for a year. It took me a while to catch on, but eventually I started to notice that any time the topic got close to her life before that she'd change it. I know she went to Hogwarts. Gryffindor. And she has a sister in Cokesworth, but they don't talk." Katherine poked at the ice in her glass. "Other than that…she might as well have just popped out of nowhere when she answered my advert."

"Haven't her friends let you know anything?" Emily watched Katherine intently, her enrapture caused partly by the topic and partly by her own tipsiness.

Katherine shook her head. "I haven't met any."

"She doesn't have them over?"

"I don't think she has any at all."

"What? Of course she does, she has to know people other than us! And she's probably the nicest girl I've ever met, if a bit reserved."

"I'm telling you Em, unless she's been sneaking out at night the only thing she ever leaves the flat for is work. And she always comes straight home. I'd go mad if I followed her schedule, but she seems…fine. I used to bug her about it, but I could tell it upset her. So I stopped. And since then, it's just been a lot of the same."

"You have to be toying with me, she doesn't look anything like a hermit! I'll bet she has loads of friends, they just-"

"I may have spilled a bit, but it was only because some dodgy bloke kept knocking into me on my way back. Next time I'll need some reinforcements," Lily declared loudly as she returned. Emily stopped talking quickly. Katherine noted the two drinks in Lily's hands.

"Where's yours?" she asked with narrowed eyes.

"I've decided I'm done for the night."

Katherine groaned. "You're going to be the death of me, Evans. I asked for one night, just one night-"

"And I'm giving it to you! I just want to remember it tomorrow, is all. You, however, have no such obligation. So drink."

Katherine shot her a dirty look but wasted no time in complying. "You won't drink," she started in as soon as she swallowed, "you won't dance, and you won't go anywhere too crowded. Remind me again how this is going to be fun?"

Lily smiled with faux sweetness. "Because I'm here, that's why. And there's nothing wrong with avoiding crowds, for your information."

"There is when it limits your available venues to this place and the post office."

"You know, you pout far too much-"

"Er, excuse me?" The interrupting voice caused all three girls to swivel in its direction. It was the bartender, emerged from behind the bar with a drink in hand. She looked toward Lily. "Sorry to interrupt, but this is for you." She held the drink out. "It's from the bloke on the couch over there."

Lily looked in the direction she indicated. A man was watching, not much older than her, with sandy blond hair and kind eyes. She didn't recognize him from Hogwarts, something she was inwardly glad of. She turned back to the bartender. "What's his name?"

"He didn't say, he just ordered this. Said you should have something to match your eyes. It's green apple, by the way," she added as Lily took the drink."

"Oh…no thank you." Lily quickly gave the drink back as the bartender raised her eyebrows. "That is, I don't like apples." Lily bit at her lip. "Thank you, though."

The bartender, clearly confused and slightly affronted, turned to head back as Katherine sighed loudly. "See? Another opportunity wasted. He is grade-A shaggable, and what do you do? You re-"

"Who said anything about wasting opportunities?" Lily asked with a smirk, bringing Katherine's rant to a halt. "I just don't like apples is all. As for you two, well," she stood and grabbed her bag, "don't wait up. How's that for letting loose?" And she turned away before Katherine could say another word.

She made her way toward the man on the couch, dodging between the occasional dancers, feeling nervous but also slightly free. It had been awhile since she'd stepped outside her comfort zone, and what was more outside her comfort zone than, as Katherine put it, a 'grade-A shag?'

Not that she was working toward that end result, per say. But starting a conversation with him certainly wouldn't hurt. And that was exactly what Lily intended to do when she reached her secret admirer, and was only kept from doing it because he spoke first.

"So, you've come all the way over here to tell me that you're taken? Hm, admirable effort. I respect that." His voice was soft and polite, and he leaned back into his seat as he spoke.

"No, I…why would you think that?"

"You rejected my drink. So if you're not taken, then why? I know it can't possibly be because you're not interested in me. I'm fascinating." His tone was casual and playful, but Lily noted there was no smirk on his face as he spoke. Lily smiled, grateful for that, and sat down beside him, feeling bolder than she had in months.

"It's just…apples aren't really my thing."

"Ah, I see. Strike one, I suppose. But that means I still have a few swings left, no?"

Baseball, not quidditch – another good sign. Lily laughed and offered her hand. "Lily Evans," she informed him.

"Caradoc Dearborn."

"Oh!" Caradoc's eyebrows raised at Lily's exclamation. "Sorry, it's just – I remember you. From school. You were a few years ahead of me."

"Was I? Huh, I don't remember you. I do remember your friend," he said, pointing at Katherine. "She was a year ahead of me. Doesn't seem like she remembers me, though…." Lily almost shared what she did think of him, but thankfully thought better of it. Caradoc continued. "Odd that I don't remember you hanging around her…."

"Oh, I didn't know Kat at Hogwarts. I only met her a year ago. We're flatmates."

"Ah, well then."

They continued like that for about an hour, Caradoc doing most of the talking as Lily continuously pushed the conversation away from herself. Katherine and Emily had left long ago, along with almost everyone else. Soon the two were outside, walking aimlessly down the empty London street.

"So what is it you do, exactly? You never said," Lily asked as they rounded a corner.

"I…uh, well. I'm in London on business."

"Yes, but what business?"

"Oh, right. I, er, I work for a potion supplier. Wholesale cauldrons and the like…." Lily suspected that he wasn't being entirely truthful, but then again, she wasn't exactly spilling her darkest secrets either. "Well, this is me."

"Oh," Lily started as they stopped in front of a gray building. "I guess I didn't realize you lived so close. You're really right in the middle of things, aren't you?"

"Yeah well, this is where all the action is." He chuckled before going on. "Do you want to come up? You don't have to stay for very long or anything, it's just that there aren't many good apparition spots nearby. You can use my flat."

"Sure." Lily followed closely behind as they made their way up to the third floor of the dingy but quiet building.

"It was lucky I found this place, really. When I got sent here…on business, I thought I'd have a hard time finding a place to stay. But as soon as I arrived I found a bloke looking for a flatmate. We might run into him, actually. He's cool, though. You'd like him."

Lily hummed in acknowledgment as Caradoc lead her through his door. The flat was small and on the bare side. The living room held only a couch and an end table, with just a little clutter strewn about. Caradoc must have seen her noticing it, because he said, sheepishly, "Sorry about the mess."

"Oh, don't worry about it, I've seen wor-" Lily was interrupted by the sound of a door opening from within the flat.

"Oh, that must be him. Wonder why he's up." Caradoc turned toward Lily. "I'll just go let him know we've got company real quick."

Lily nodded as he disappeared into the hallway. She remained by the door, waiting. Finally, she heard footsteps and looked up, expecting to see Caradoc. Instead, a skinny man with messy black hair and glasses was making his way toward her, and Lily's whole body went numb at the sight of him. Her head spun as she tried to tell herself that she was imagining things, that she was dreaming, because this couldn't possibly be happening right now...

"So, you're Caradoc's friend?" the man asked,interrupting her frantic inner monologue and extending a hand toward her. "I'm his flatmate, James. James Potter. And you are?"

"L-lily," she managed, her throat alarmingly dry. "Lily Evans."

James smiled. "Nice to meet you, Lily Evans."

"Yeah," Lily mumbled, head spinning. "Pleasure."

One Year Earlier

"Remus…what's wrong?"

"It's just that…well, he got pretty banged up."

"They said he's-"

"He is fine," Remus interjected, but for all his rush to reassure her, he still seemed to be holding back. Slowly, he began to explain. "There were…a lot of curses flying around. And James did his fair share of flying around too, none of which was gentle on him. He got…banged up, and with the physical toll added to the magical injuries he sustained…it made it hard for the healers to figure out exactly what caused it. Which…makes it near impossible for them to reverse it."

Lily was holding her breath, unknowingly, as she asked, "Reverse what?"

Once more, Remus paused, and then, "He…he doesn't remember anything. Lily – he doesn't remember you."