Be Here Now

Disclaimer: Harry Potter has always belonged to Joanne Rowling.

A/N: Well, this time it worked out better! I got two reviews within two hours of updating! Thanks!

OliWest: Glad to hear that, where did you go? I did! Thank you and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Temy the Bloodedge: Yeah, I have a feeling I'm missing something in it. :/ I requested you. Thank you, thank you, and thank you! Hope you enjoy it!

iluvhedwing4ever: Thank you so much!

ElPotato101: Thank you!

And now, chapter nineteen!

x.o.x.o.x.

Half the group (Sirius, Hilary, and Alice) land on their butts, hard. The other half glide down gently and smirk at the three that had plopped down.

"Nice and elegant," Lily remarks jokingly.

Hilary grumbles. "Shut it, Evans."

Lily laughs and is joined by Remus and James.

"Let's just get this over with," Alice says softly.

"Lead the way, Lily," Sirius says, not bothering to add a humorous comment.

Lily nods and steps to the front of the group, analyzing her surroundings. "Hmm, okay." She turns to the right and begins walking at a brisk pace, ignoring the Muggles that stream by. Finally she slows, and the others catch up.

"Wow, Lily, couldn't you have made it closer?" pants Remus.

Lily smirks. "Need to get in a workout or two, don't you, Remmy?"

Remus scowls. "I'm perfectly fit, thank you, and how many times do I have to ask you not to call me Remmy?"

Lily giggles. "At least a thousand more times, because I'm not going to stop."

Rolling her eyes, Hilary says, "Get a move on, Lils."

Lily nods and sets a slower pace, heading to a row of alleys. Now analyzing them, she nods and sets off for one in the middle. Once she is at the top of the alley, she stops.

Hilary is the first to get a good look. "Oh Merlin, Lily," she sighs, stepping into the musty, dirty, littered alley that smells terrible.

James is the second. He gasps. "Lily."

Lily smiles sadly as her other friends step into the alley. All of them (except maybe Sirius) had always been well-sheltered by their parents and such. But seeing the lifestyle their close friend led had an impact on them, a very harsh impact.

"Lily…"

"Guys, stop, please," pleads Lily. "I didn't bring you here to take pity on me. I took you here to see my home, like I will be doing for the rest of you. I won't be repeating your name pitifully, will I? No, because you don't want it or need it. So please return the favor."

They sigh and let it go, but stare around in terrible awe of the place one of their dearest friends called home. It was terrible that Lily had to live like that.

"Lily, after Hogwarts, you know you are always welcome at Potter Manor," Hilary offers quietly. "And I want to do it because you are my friend, not because I do pity you."

Lily tilts her head, studying Hilary closely. "Thank you, Hilary, but I plan on working hard and using my savings to buy a nice, cozy flat someplace. But I would love it if that offer stood."

"Always," both Potter teenagers promise. "And that goes for the rest of you, too," James adds, gesturing to Sirius, Remus, and Alice.

All three smile gratefully. "Thanks mate," Sirius says.

x.o.x.o.x.

Once they arrive in Diagon Alley, the boys split from the girls at both Hilary and Lily's insistence.

"None of you can see our dresses before the actual event," Lily says sternly.

"Aw, Lily-flower, I wasn't aware that you had agreed to marry me! I knew our wedding day would come someday!" James cries, putting a hand to his heart.

Lily's stern exterior slips for a bit as the corners of her mouth threaten to turn up, but she fights the urge and gets the shield back. "Potter!"

James winks and heads off, saying, "You'll come around someday, Evans!"

Lily shakes her head, grinning, and turns back to her friends. "Want to hit Madam Malkin's first?" she suggests.

Hilary shakes her head. Being a pureblood, she knew Diagon Alley very well, as did Alice, but Alice didn't know where the good dress shops were. "Madam Avila's Dress Shop for Young Women. It just opened in our fifth year, and it is owned by Madam Avila, who is a terrific dressmaker and has the most amazing fashions!"

"Sounds like the place to be! Are you alright with that, Alice?" Lily asks.

Alice grins. "Anything you want to do, Mistress."

Laughing gaily, they head off for the acclaimed dress shop.

x.o.x.o.x.

With pink cheeks and windblown hair, the six teenagers stumble into Potter Manor at eight that evening, after having a nice dinner in a shop in Diagon Alley.

"Kitty?"

Crack. A house-elf with the classic wide eyes appears in front of the group at James's call. As he was the eldest and only son, he would inherit all the house-elves, all the money, and all the estates, doling them out as he wished to his sisters.

"Yes, Master James?" Kitty squeaks.

"Where is Mum, please, Kitty?" James asks kindly stooping to her level. The Potter house-elves were never mistreated; quite on the contrary, which could not be said for, for example, the Malfoy house-elf or Lestrange house-elves.

"Mistress Natalia is in her lounge, Master James. Master Charles is in his study, and Mistress Isabel is in her room," Kitty informs her master-to-be.

James smiles, straightening. "Thank you, Kitty. You may go."

With a deep curtsy, the house-elf disappears with a crack.

Lily smiles approvingly at James and Hilary. "I'm glad your family doesn't mistreat elves," she remarks, relief clearly etched in her voice.

James acts hurt. "Do you think that lowly of me, Lily-flower?"

Lily giggles. "Yes, James, and don't call me Lily-flower!"

"Why not? It fits," argues James.

Lily sighs. "Fine," she relents.

"Hey, Lily-flower?" Sirius calls.

Lily turns her Prefect Glare That Would Perish All on Sirius. "Don't call me Lily-flower, Sirius."

"But Prongs can!" argues Sirius.

"James can, but only Alice and Hilary can call me Lils. So think up your own nickname, and perhaps I will let Remus into it," Lily says, smirking.

"You have to be in power of everything, even your nicknames!" grumbles Sirius. "How about Lily-petal?"

Lily scowls and opens her mouth to decline, but James saves his friend by saying, "Let's go see Mum."

The group heads into a lounge just off the living room to find Natalia Potter lying calmly in a chaise lounge chair.

"Hi Mum," greets James first.

"Hey Mum," Hilary adds.

"Natalia," the others greet warmly.

Natalia smiles at all of them, sitting upright. "How was your shopping trip?"

"Great. Us girls just need shoes," Alice responds.

"Good. And you, boys?" Natalia asks.

"Well, you see, we didn't know if we needed Muggle suits or dress robes, so we didn't get anything," Remus answers slowly.

Natalia jumps off the chair. "You have one day before the ball, as tomorrow is Christmas Eve." She pauses. "Although I do suppose you could go shopping on Christmas Day…"

"Mum, are they requiring dress robes or suits?" James interrupts.

"Yeah, Mama P," Sirius chimes in.

Natalia glares at Sirius. "For the past seven years I have told you not to call me Mama P, Sirius! Dress robes."

James pouts. "I hate dress robes."

Lily rolls her eyes. "Shut it, Potter, just be glad I won't hex it to make it look like you're wearing dresses. All three of you," she threatens.

The three Marauders yelp and run away, clinging on to their dignity.

The four women burst out laughing, and Lily twirls her wand threateningly. "BE SCARED, BOYS!" she screams after them before succumbing to the laughter that was wracking her body.

"You should have came years ago, when Jamie first found those friends of his. Lily, you keep them in line like not even Minerva McGonagall could!" praises Natalia.

Lily just grins. "I've been in the same House as them since first year, Natalia. I have some practice."

"And she'll need it when she marries me!" James yells from a few rooms away.

Alice and Hilary double over laughing, Natalia looks bewildered, and Lily shouts back, "Keep on dreaming, Potter!"

"How can I if I'm awake?" James retorts cheekily.

Lily falters for a moment before screeching back, "Daydream, then!"

They can hear the boys' laughter as James yells, "You'll come around someday, Lily Evans, mark my words!"

Lily shakes her head and turns back to her fellow females. "Potter."

Natalia grins. "He's got his sights set on marrying you, doesn't he?"

Lily nods slowly. "Right now, yes."

Three pairs of eyebrows go up. "Right now?" Hilary repeats with a growl.

Lily simply shrugs. "He's wanted to marry me since first year, but at the beginning of this year… well, you know."

Natalia's eyebrows stay up as the others descend. "What happened at the beginning of this year?" she asks sharply.

Lily stutters slightly as she replies, "Nothing."

Natalia's hazel eyes bore into Lily's green ones. "Something happened and I will find out."

"Where's Dad?" Hilary questions.

"At the Ministry as usual. Death Eater raid happened today, and as Head Auror, he has a lot to do," Natalia responds.

"What about you, Mum? Aren't you also an Auror?" Hilary asks suspiciously.

"Well, you see, dear, after their raid here, Dad and I decided that it would be best for me to stay here and watch not only the house and the elves, but also Isabel. So I am no longer an Auror. We have quite enough money to live off of without my working, what with not only the entire Potter family fortune, but your father's considerable earnings."

Hilary nods, accepting this.

"Now go on. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve!"

x.o.x.o.x.

A/N: A sort of short, rambling chapter, with not any important details except the 'unveiling' of Lily's home. Don't expect the usual Voldemort-attack-on-the-ball scenario, okay? I want, again, three reviews before the next chapter. Until chapter TWENTY…

~TrueLoveIs4ever