The next day Lily sat in class, but her mind wasn't there, she seemed unable to keep concentrated on her work at all, and never mind how much she tried to focus she simply couldn't.

"Miss Evans, you're Newt's are coming up before you know it, and you are barely paying attention." McGonagall snapped at Lily for the third time.

"I apologise Professor, I'm not feeling well, may I be excused." Lily asked, and McGonagall knew she was a well behaved student, so she let the girl leave. Lily didn't go to the Medical Wing however, she made her way out onto the school grounds, letting her feet take her somewhere, anywhere.

Somehow she ended up sitting in the stands of the Quidditch pitch, she stared up into the sky, grey as winter rolled in, there was no sun, and it seemed the clouds dancing hauntingly above her were turning ever darker, but it seemed almost comforting, she lay down on the stands looking up with a small smile on her face, watching as the clouds passed over her, menacing.

"It's going to rain soon you know." An all too familiar voice said, she hadn't spoken to him since the party, she wasn't sure if she wanted to talk to him now.

"Hopefully so." Lily replied softly, still lying on the bench, she felt him sit down by her feet.

"Sirius is worried about you." Remus informed her.

"He's always worried about me." Lily replied lazily.

"Regulus is really worried, he wanted to get you himself when Dorcas mentioned you disappeared." Remus added, he looked at Lily warily.

"I've hardly disappeared." Lily replied with somewhat of a laugh.

"Do you know how long you've been gone?" Remus asked now slightly confused, hadn't she realised how long she'd actually been gone?

"Not really, a couple of hours." Lily replied.

"Try five."

"WHAT?" Lily exclaimed sitting up right. She looked at Remus who nodded she checked her watch and cursed, it was freaking seven o'clock already.

"Sirius is searching the seventh floor. Dorcas and Mars the common rooms and prefect bathrooms and all that. Nay and Lucius are searching the dungeons. Regulus is going to the owlery, then to Hagrids cabin. Severus is checking the great hall and the kitchens. James is flying around the school grounds." Remus informed her. "We checked the map, but you didn't show up, we weren't sure why, so we've been looking for you." Remus said just as they heard a shout above them, James flew down and jumped off his broom, he suddenly engulfed Lily into his arms and held her tight; Lily was too shocked to react.

"You've been gone ages; we were looking all over for you." James said his voice was scared and angry and relieved all at the same time.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realise." Lily murmured. James nodded and picked a mirror up out of his pocket.

"Sirius! It's Prongs, Moony found Lily, she's alright." James said to the mirror, Lily tiptoed up and looked at the mirror to see Sirius' reflection.

"TWICTH!" Sirius yelled joyfully. "OH Merlin, never scare me like that again! Do you hear me! I'm telling you twitch if you ever disappear like that again I- Well I'll tell your dad!" Sirius barked down the Mirror at Lily who nodded dumbly. "Go to the Gryffindor Common room, we'll meet you there."

"Come on Lily." Remus said softly, leading the girl towards the stairs so they could get to the school, but James stopped them.

"I can give Lily a ride." James said, and Lily was left there standing between the two boys, best friends, and she was simply standing there between them.

"No, why don't you walk with us James?" Lily asked, James looked at Remus who grinned at him in a friendly manner, James grinned back.

"Alright then." He said, and so he walked with Lily and Remus, Lily still between them, but this time with her arms linked with theirs, it must have been a funny sight since she was so short, but she didn't care as they walked through the grounds and back to the school.

"Lily we were so worried." Mars said as Lily walked into the common room with James and Remus.

"Sorry Mars." Lily said quietly.

"Just never go missing again." So-Lo said a bit miffed. "My legs are killing me."

"I didn't really go missing." Lily replied. "I was still on the school grounds."

"Please Merlin don't say that in front of Sirius, you're lucky he went upstairs, he have killed you with a freaking hug, he was seriously going bonkers not knowing where you were." Peter said. Lily looked guilty, she sighed before walking to the boys dorms.

"Where are you going?" Sev asked.

"To apologise." Lily replied without looking back and made her way up the stairs until she reached the seventh year dorm, she knocked twice before walking into the room. She found Sirius sitting on his bed facing away from her. "Sirius." Lily said softly, but he made no motion like he had heard her. "Please, Sirius." Lily said again, she gasped when he turned around and looked at her. His eyes were red and puffy and tears stains ran down his cheeks.

"I kept saying you would return in five minutes. But you never came back. And I wanted you to come back, but you didn't. And then you're name didn't appear on the Marauders map. I thought you were dead. It was the only reason I could come up with. I looked around the school, I wanted to find you, I knew you hadn't left the grounds, but I couldn't find you." Sirius said quietly.

"Oh Sirius." Lily murmured, she sat down beside him and wrapped her arms around him, he was shaking slightly.

"I'm meant to look after you, I'd promised mum and dad I'd look after you, but I keep failing. I can't do it." Sirius muttered.

"Sirius, you don't need to look after me, but I'm grateful you do." Lily said quietly hugging her brother. As hard and controlled as Sirius liked to appear there were a few things he really cared about, Lily, Regulus, his mum, Mars, his step-dad, James, Remus, Peter, the guys, the girls. There wasn't an order to it, but everyone knew he'd be devastated if Lily went missing or was killed.

"Regulus panicked when you went missing, and I just didn't know what to do. I wanted to tell him you'll be alright, but I didn't know. I just didn't know." Sirius muttered.

"I'm fine, you'll be fine, so will Regulus. Everything is ok. I'm here now, I'm not going anywhere, and I promise you I'm alright." Lily murmured, Sirius nodded and disappeared into the backroom, he was in there for a few minutes before he reappeared looking better.

"I'm good." He said he walked to the door and held it open for Lily before following her out and down to the Gryffindor Common room where their friends waited. "Who's hungry?"