Be Here Now

Disclaimer: Don't own.

A/N: Hey!

millie da meelster: Thank you so much! And yes, I was rethinking that. I think I will stop that soon. Thank you for telling me your thoughts!

OliWest: I think you were second, but that may just be the order the email came in. Lol! And as I said before, I think I'll stop the certain number of reviews. Thank you, that means so much to me! No problem. :D

Eclare LJ and Percabeeth: Ha-ha I wouldn't dream of it! After all, the story IS about Lily and James. Lol! No, there wasn't! And thank you! Maybe this will deliver more happy moments. :D

twilightstargazer: Thank you for both the praise and the constructive criticism! I will definitely try!

iluvHedwing4ever: We'll see. ;) Thank you so much!

Neogirl31: Haha alright. :D

Weegie-Queegie: Yes I do. :D No, I'm not. I truly had no idea how to do this one! I'm sorry for the wait!

m1347: Thank you! James has a twin…?

x.o.x.o.x.

Lily's eyes glaze over. Sirius pales. Remus collapses back onto the ground.

"There is a very good chance he will not survive. We are calling in his parents, Charles and Natalia Potter, to let them analyze their son's condition. I think you should let his sister and Miss Prewett and Mr. Longbottom know," Madam Pomfrey says. Her voice lowers to a gentler tone. "I am sorry. I will try to the best of my abilities to save the Head Boy."

"Thank you," whispers Lily.

Madam Pomfrey gives a sympathetic nod and disappears back into the wing.

"HE CAN'T DIE!" yells Sirius, as if trying to get out all the frustration.

His voice echoes in the empty corridor. Portraits stir and glare at him.

Sirius glares right back. "My best friend could be dying! I don't give a damn about how loud I am!"

He falls onto the ground beside Remus.

Lily doesn't allow herself tears. She hadn't cried since she'd cried over her parents' dead bodies. "I'll go let them know."

She disappears around the corner. She isn't crying, but the tears blocked up inside are worse than streaming down her face. Suddenly, all those feelings for James returns. Now she faced the terrible task of telling the victim's twin sister.

x.o.x.o.x.

"WHAT?" Hilary screams.

Lily stares at the bedspread. "Snape attacked your twin brother and asked me to join the Dark Side so I could live a 'happy, united' life with him," she replies almost inaudibly.

Alice throws the glass she was holding onto the ground, feeling good as it broke into many pieces. "Did you agree?"

Lily stands abruptly. "Those people killed my parents. They stripped me of a happy, stable home. They killed my mentors. They are responsible for hundreds or even thousands of innocent deaths. They are stripping young children or happy, stable homes. Why in hell would I ever join them?"

"You and Snape shared a bond we could never understand," Hilary adds tentatively. She stands. "Oh, screw it. I'm going to see my brother!" She runs out, stumbling in her haste.

Lily averts her eyes from Alice. "He was the one who told me that I was a witch. He even told me how Slytherin was the best house, and how I'd better be in it." She pauses, and shares a flashback with Alice.

Flashback

The terrified first years of 1971 huddle around the three-legged stool that held the Sorting Hat that had just finished its song. McGonagall begins calling out names, until finally, Sirius gets called up.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Looking immensely pleased, Sirius hurries off.

"Evans, Lily."

Eleven-year-old Lily freezes, scared.

Severus Snape smiles at her reassuringly. "You'll be fine, Lily! You're perfect Slytherin material!"

Lily smiles wanly in return and climbs to the stool cautiously. She slips it over her head.

"Your friend wants you in Slytherin, yes? Why, you are nowhere near Slytherin material. You are, through and through, a GRYFFINDOR!"

Lily pulls off the hat, having mixed emotions. She was thrilled to be in Gryffindor, but it was different from Severus's descriptions.

She tosses a furtive glance to Severus, who looks forlorn and bitter. If only he would be in Gryffindor as well…

Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew join the Gryffindor table.

"Potter, Hilary!"

The hat barely touched a jet-black hair on the head of Hilary Potter when it shrieked, "GRYFFINDOR!"

"Potter, James!"

It was the mean, arrogant boy from the train!

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Snape, Severus!"

There was no pause at all. "SLYTHERIN!"

End Flashback

"But he's a Death Eater, Lily! Let go of your childhood and see that we are in the middle of a war! I don't mean to be bitter or rude, but it's true! He went against your wishes completely! He's interested in Dark Magic, and is serving the man that is killing hundreds of people!" Alice says fiercely.

Lily nods shortly. "I know… but your childhood years are the foundation, you know. It builds up to your teenage years, and then your adult years. So it's quite important."

"Yes, but would it be a good idea to associate yourself with a Death Eater?" Alice reasons.

Lily sighs. "No."

Alice sees her face and scoots over, slipping an arm around her. "I'm sorry, Lily. I didn't mean to sound so rude or fierce."

Lily nods and smiles. "You aren't a rude person, Alice."

And the young women sit there together, minds racing.

x.o.x.o.x.

Lily doesn't say anything during dinner that night. She doesn't eat, talk, or blink even. She stares straight ahead, until Hilary explodes, "Does anyone want to come curse Snape with me?"

"Yes!" Sirius and Remus and Peter chime automatically.

"Er…" Alice stutters.

"Um…" Frank adds.

Lily sits stone-still, still not saying anything.

"Is she okay?" Hilary asks in a hushed voice.

"I can hear you." Lily's voice is not much more than a whisper.

All eyes turn to her.

"It would not be a good idea to curse Snape, not with the whole faculty watching, including I, the Head Girl, and multiple prefects. Of course, I wouldn't do anything to stop the cursing, but the professors probably would."

Hilary stops. She sits back down. "Okay."

The meal resumes.

x.o.x.o.x.

Lily pulls on her cloak and steps into the corridor. It was her weekly patrol time, and she felt lonely without James there to crack jokes and whatnot. Three corridors are empty and in order. She begins patrolling the fourth.

"Lily."

Lily whips around, her wand out.

"Stop," begs Severus.

Lily's eyes narrow. "You killed James!"

Severus keeps a steady face. "Potter is dead?"

"Good as!" Lily spits fiercely.

"The same spitfire as always," Severus observes fondly.

"Do not speak of me in a fond manner!" snaps Lily.

"Lily, please, I-"

"Want to apologize?" Lily laughs sarcastically. "Just like you wanted to when you called me a Mudblood?"

Severus flinches. Lily ignores it.

"Both you and I know that it will not be genuine in any sense. I want to curse you right now, and if I weren't on patrol, I'd gladly risk detention for it," growls Lily.

"Suspension?"

"Gladly."

"All for Potter?" Snape spits the name.

Lily glares. "Yes. All for my love."

"Love? I doubt Potter knows what that is," Snape snorts. He becomes serious again. "Lily, please join the Dark Lord's ranks! Please! If you value your life, which I do, please just join! It will be worth it! Completely and utterly worth it! We can get you away from those Marauders and those two witches! Please! We can get married and have beautiful children!"

Lily had turned and began her walk away. She stops and revolves slowly on her heel. Then she begins responding to his points in order. "Yes, he does. He's loved me since first year and we met him on the train. As we were leaving, I heard him say that he would marry me someday. I told you, I'd rather die than go to the Dark Side! And how will it be worth it? I get life in prison; I can't see happy children running around in a carefree manner! I don't want to get away from the Marauders and my best friends! The Marauders are charming and funny and wonderful, loyal friends. And I could never leave Hilary and Alice! Why in hell would I want to marry you? Your children beautiful?" Lily snorts. She storms off.

x.o.x.o.x.

Late that night, Lily stands by James's bedside. He is in a coma and is pale white. Lily still doesn't cry. She stares blankly at him. Completely blankly. Blankly staring at the love of her life, who could be dying at that very moment. He didn't even try to hex Snape! The hospital wing is dark. Madam Pomfrey was in her office, waiting for the Potters' arrival.

Knock, knock.

Madam Pomfrey hurries out of her office, throwing a quick glance at where Lily is standing stock-still, and swings open the wing doors. In burst elegant Natalia and composed Charles, both completely untangled.

"Oh my baby boy!" wails Natalia, running over. "Just after the manor, too!"

Lily steps back, watching from afar. Madam Pomfrey retreats to her office after speaking with Charles.

Moments later, Natalia looks up from her crying, noticing Lily for the first time. "Lily, dear, why are you here?"

"Because I love your son," Lily says quietly.

Charles has hints of tears in his blue eyes as well. "I always knew that. He's a lucky young man, then."

Lily smiles softly and sadly.

Natalia's eyes, which are so like her son's, look depressed. "If he makes it."

"He will." Lily's voice is fierce. "He will make it, because he is James Potter. He'll get through this. He'll survive."

Natalia and Charles both smile wanly. "Thank you, Lily," Natalia whispers. "He's in good hands."

Lily smiles again, in the same way. "And I thank you, for giving me two of the most important people in my life: James and Hilary Potter. I would honestly be lost without those two. I love them both, in different ways, more than life itself. And I have you to thank for that."

x.o.x.o.x.

A/N: Well? Liked? I hope so! Until chapter twenty-five…

~TrueLoveIs4ever