Eventually, Lily had begun to settle in at the Potter house. It took a bit to get her bearings, but now it felt strangely natural. Agatha and Charles trusted her immensely, waving off the incident with Sirius as a mistake that only had to happen once. James was, well James, and would stumble downstairs in his pyjamas at around ten in the morning, Sirius would trail behind him not long after.

Lily was having breakfast alone, enjoying her eggs and toast, when she heard the unmistakable sound of floo. "Godric, that's worse than usual," a familiar voice complained. Getting to her feet she hurried to the study to find Remus standing in front of her, dusting off the shoulders of his t-shirt. "Lily, he replied with a bit of cheer, then his face fell a bit.

"Hullo, Remus," she replied. "Are you hungry? Mopsy made me up breakfast, but she can put the kettle on."

"Oh, Lily." He dropped his bag and walked forward, enveloping her in a warm embrace. "I read the Prophet, but never in my wildest dreams…"

Remus had always been her friend. He was the most mature out of the bunch, but never could stand up to Sirius and James. For some reason he feared that if he did, he would lose their friendship. Lily had told him it was preposterous, but he never listen. In spite of this one disagreement the two had gotten much closer being a prefects together. She knew that he would always listen to her and would never tell anybody, no matter how juicey of a secret she spilled. "I'm doing better now. The funeral is in a week," she mumbled. In his arms she felt safe and comfortable, despite the fact she was getting sooty. "I'm going to start crying and get tears all over your shirt."

"It's the price to pay for being your friend," he replied softly, pulling her in even tighter.

The two were still hugging when they heard clammering and exclamations of delight. "Moony!" and "Remus!" could be heard before the boys were even seen. The next thing they knew James and Sirius came scrambling in looking like children at Christmas time.

Lily pulled away suddenly drying her tears and dusting off the soot. "I...Well, I'm going to go."

"I'm staying here for a bit, if you need to talk," he called and then greeted his two friends like he hadn't seen them in years.

Heading up to her bedroom she felt lonely. How badly she wanted her friends here now or at the very least Remus for a few more minutes. Lily knew she shouldn't be greedy, in fact she knew that a handful of girls would start salivating if she told them about spending the summer with both James Potter and Sirius Black. Sitting on her bed she pulled a book out and began reading, only hoping that soon Remus Lupin would come up for a nice discussion.

When Lily stumbled down the stairs on Saturday morning she heard more voices than usual. She hadn't bothered to get dressed, just put on a bra beneath her pajama top and threw her hair in to a messy bun. However, she was surprised to see all of the boys-all of the Marauders-at the kitchen table with Agatha and Charles.

"Good morning, Lily," Agatha said. "Sit down, come eat," she said, gesturing to a chair between her and James as a filled plate.

"I didn't realize I was late, I'm sorry."

"You're not late, don't be silly. Peter popped in early and all the boys got up, or rather Remus got them up." Agatha laughed and waved over the reluctant young witch.

"Evans, I don't want to pry...but why are you here? Did James do something underhanded?" Peter asked between bites of food.

"Nothing like that, Peter," she told him kindly as she sipped on her glass of Pumpkin juice. "There was a series of rather unfortunate events and Agatha was kind enough to let me stay here." She looked at Agatha and took a bite of her breakfast.

Peter smiled at the response and began to talk to her, not noticing the looks on his three friend's faces. He relayed a tale of staying at a relatives house, telling her all about the villages and the sights. Lily asked questions and nodded her head in all the right places, looking quite interested in his story.

"Lily, can we talk in Charles' office after breakfast?" Agatha asked.

"Of course."

"Dad are you going to unlock the brooms?" James questioned. "We want to go flying."

"I think Sirius should stay off of them," Charles said, a smile quirking at his lips. "Yes, I will unlock them, but only because Agatha is here to patch up your wounds."

"Are you going to tell us what happened?" Peter questioned as he looked at Sirius' with his still bandaged arm and stiff movements. "I'm gone for a matter of days and already I'm behind!"

Lily turned to James and shot daggers at him with her eyes, daring for him to say anything about what happened the night Sirius came. He pretended not to notice and launched into a humorous, fabricated tale. Remus' eyebrows knitted in confusion, and Lily knew that he too only had part of the story. For some reason all the details were only privy to select few and Lily had been in the right place at the right time, or rather she stumbled into the situation.

She managed to polish off her breakfast and Agatha popped away her plate, along with her own and the pair of witches went to Charles' office. As they did this the boys got into a rousing debate about Quidditch.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"The funeral, your sister contacted me about it. It'll be next Wednesday, would you like someone to accompany you? With the history of you and your sister I think it would comforting to have a familiar face to help deal with it."

"My family will be there," Lily told her. "Really, I'll be fine."

"Are you sure? I hate to send you alone."

"You and Mr. Potter have done so much already, I hate to impose. The two of you have work-"

"We can miss a day," she told Lily. "If you don't want us we could send James."

"No." Lily shook her head. "He would be much too uncomfortable. How about Remus? The two of us have been friends and I can ask him."

"Alright," Agatha said, then looked away for a minute before looking back at Lily. "James doesn't come to me about matters, but I see how he looks at you. We haven't spent much time together, but I can see you are a charming girl...There is no delicate way to say this, but you seem...I don't want you to break his heart."

"I've broken his heart several times already. Or at least he feigns heartbreak every time I turn down his advances." Lily managed a chuckle at that. "James is a wonderful person that will make someone very happy, but I'm not that person." She looked at her lap, her mouth sliding into a frown. "Do you have something I can borrow to wear for the funeral? The only thing I have that's black is my school robes."

Agatha Potter looked confused and then smiled. Lily Evans didn't seem the type of girl that would want to go on a shopping trip to buy something, especially for a funeral. She would tell her she got a dress from a niece or charmed one of her own old ones. Buying a gift for Lily, though, was something that would make her feel better. The girl was hurting and she would do anything to make it feel any better.

Lily looked in the mirror. The dress was a modest, well-fitting a-line dress with cap sleeves. It was so beautiful that Lily had a sneaking suspicion that she bought it and tried to pass it off as a hand-me-down. Standing in front of the mirror Lily smoothed her dress as she stared at her hair. The loose locks would get in her way, especially with the funeral being at the cemetery. Not wanting to waste time she threw it into a neat bun and smiled at the figure mirror.

Hardly ever wearing jewelry she picked up a necklace her mother had gotten her. It was a locket, very ordinary in the shape of an oval with a floral design engraved on the gold.

"Do you need help with that?"

Spinning around, Lily let the locket drop into her hands as she saw James Potter leaning against the doorframe. His hair was messier than usual and in ripped jeans and a faded shirt, he didn't look a bit like Potter heir in a rich neighborhood.

"The clasp is tricky," Lily said and held out the necklace.

"It's beautiful," he whispered as he stood beside her. As his hands fumbled with the clasp, they grazed the back of her neck. There was something so intimate about this act. Lily shut her eyes remembering walking on her father helping her mother, her hand rested on his as they stood there. She recalled blushing and backing away. "Remus is having trouble with his tie." James said softly, breaking the spell.

"I can do it," Lily told him. "Whose room is he in?"

"Mine, come on."

Lily followed James to his room, hesitating at the door way. She had seen Sirius' rooms, but she hadn't entered James' room. When she did she was surprised to find it wasn't Gryffindor like in the least bit. The walls were pale blue, his bedspread navy blue and his furniture all dark wood. All in all it was masculine and understated, and surprisingly neat.

"I cleaned a bit, can't stand a messy room," Remus told her, as if reading her mind. "Can you do this? My mum has a spell she uses and I can't use magic." The lanky boy spun around and Lily laughed as she walked forward.

"My dad was all thumbs, I learned to tie a tie the muggle way from my mum." She looked up at Remus, smiling at him. "Thank you for this."

James cleared his throat leaning against the wall observing the scene. When she was done, Lily backed out the room providing some excuse about a sweater and purse. James looked at Remus in the as he sat down on the spare bed to lace his dress shoes. "I can practically hear the wheels turning in your head, so tell me what's on your mind," Remus said dryly.

"Lily, I've tried so hard to get her to like me and you...Well, you don't compliment her or give her gifts and she…"
"James we're friends."

"But you're going with her!"

"To a funeral, because she wants someone that knows the truth there with her. You know how Lily is, she didn't her parents to take off of work."

"Why you?"

"Because my mum's muggleborn, if she took you her sister would get even angrier and her relatives would wonder if she stopped by the mental institution for an escort."

"Well, I'll just come along too!" James exclaimed marching over to his his closet for suitable attire. He could prove to Lily that he was the man for her.

"James…" Remus said.

"I'm acting ridiculous, aren't I?" James sat on his bed, head in hands as they heard a commotion and shouting. "Sirius and Peter are at it again," he muttered.

The door opened and he saw Lily, a purse across her body and a cardigan draped over her arm. "I think we should be leaving now, if you're driving."

"Yes, quite right," Remus said.

"Driving?"

"That's the real reason I asked him," Lily explained. "Remus has a license, my parents were supposed to take me to get a test this year, but here...here I don't really need one." Lily looked down at her feet and then back up at Remus. "Can we go?"

"Of course," he said and walked towards the door. James sat on the bed, watching them go and waiting for his two friends to pop in.

The car ride was pleasant for Lily, however Remus seemed a tad bit uncomfortable as he sat beside Lily. "I'm afraid James is a bit jealous of me. I had to stop him from throwing on dress robes and stowing away in the trunk."

"Really?" Lily asked with a laugh.

"Yes, I about let him go, he was making so much fuss."

"Potter can be a bit a childlike," Lily admitted, but she saw Remus' face. "You're one of his best friends, I don't know why you worry about pleasing everyone."

"I don't," he argued.

"You do. I see you at school and you disapprove of their antics, but you never intervene. The second Potter or Black or Peter seems unhappy with you-"

"Stop." Remus' hands gripped the wheel tightly, his eyes narrowed and his voice was forceful. Lily was shocked, she had never seen him as anything other than a thoughtful, quiet person. "Lily, James and I went into his father's office to retrieve the practice Quaffle." By retrieve, Lily knew he meant sneak it out. "Charles would let us have access to the brooms, but he thought playing Quidditch would be too tempting for Sirius. I saw that file on his desk, the fabricated one from Holmstrom Academy. I saw it had your name on it and wanted to let it go...James looked inside." He shook his head and looked over to take in Lily's face. "Why do you pretend to go to a school for delinquents?"

"It was Petunia's way to spite me," Lily replied. "Mum and dad were so proud of me, but they kept it rather quiet when I left. Petunia was jealous and made up these outrageous stories."
"Why do you go along with them?"

"It keeps peace between us or it used to," Lily muttered.

"Precisely, it's the same with me. I fear if I speak out against them…" Remus shook his head, eyes full of sadness and pain. Lily swallowed harshly and looked out the window, how she wished she could take it back.

"Well, I suppose it's good that you know my story. Half of my relatives think Petunia's lying through her teeth and the other half stare at me like I'm an animal in the zoo."

"I understand more than you could comprehend."

There was a row of cars when Remus pulled up at the cemetery. Lily left her sweater in the car as she got up. It was ironic that the day was perfectly nice and it was the day her parents would be buried. Getting out of the car she immediately went to Remus' side, looping her arm through his. "Hold tight to me, I need some restraint when I see my sister."

"Of course, Lily," he softly replied. Sweet, unassuming Lily did have a temper befitting her hair. "What is my cover story?"

"Tell her them you work at the school, you look mature enough. We'll tell Petunia the truth, or at least the half truth. If she finds out your a wizard…"

"I'll be the muggle next door neighbor," he suggested.

"My, my, James and Sirius are rubbing off on you." Lily smiled.

"What about you?" he questioned and began to lead her over to where her relatives congregated. There were quite a few of heads of hair that rivalled Lily's vibrance. She had described her sister to him. Petunia Evans was supposed to be a girl with a long, thin face and large teeth. Her hair was as thick and as long as Lily's, but light brown. It didn't take long to find her, she was in the arms of a large fellow.

"Vernon Dursley, they're engaged to be married," she informed him, grip tightening. "We better say hello before the service starts."

The pair made their way over to where the family stood, white folding chairs were arranged while two caskets stood at the beginning. Lily moved closer to Remus, already tears pricked at her eyes as she approached her sister. "Hello, Petunia," she greeted.

"Lily." Her smile tightened as she looked her over. "And who are you?" she questioned looking at Remus.

"His name is Remus, he works at the school and was kind enough to escort me," Lily told them. "You look well given the circumstances." She smiled kindly at the pair.

"He looks awful young to be a teacher," Vernon said. "What kind of school are they running?"

"He's not a teacher, they hire past students for the summer session to help mentor current students," Lily lied smoothly. "Let's sit down, please."

Vernon Dursley looked strangely at his fiancee's young sister. There was something quite peculiar about her and that man, but he let it drop. Today was not the day for a discussion like this, no he would be respectful of the dead and get to the bottom of the freakish girl later.

Lily took her seat in the front row, reluctantly separating herself from Remus and heading over to her cousin. "Lily, I haven't seen you in ages. Are you alright?" Her cousin breathed deeply before enveloping here. "Of course you aren't alright, what a stupid thing to say."

"I'm doing as well as to be expected. Thank you for asking, Amanda."

Her cousin's green eyes were already filled with tears. The girl was a year older than Lily, but known for being very emotional and crying at the drop of the hat. "Sit next to me, please. I know this must be even harder because of your falling out with Petunia."

"How did you know about that?" Lily questioned. While Petunia went sewing seeds of deceit wherever she went, other than her parents the family was blissfully unaware of any disagreements.

"Everyone knows, I'm dreadfully sorry Lily. Petunia told us everything when mum and dad helped her with the funeral. I know how hard it must be to be away from your sister at a time like this, but it really is for the better." Amanda's were glistening, and she let her blonde hair fall in front of her eyes to cover them. "Uncle William and Aunt Bethany always told us how proud they were of you...It didn't matter to them where you went to school and I'm sure they would be delighted that you are getting the help you need." Amanda hugged her cousin was once more, leaving Lily very confused. What had Petunia told them about her? If she couldn't play the part well enough, she would be exposed. How could she tell her family who, or rather what, she is?

After some time, Amanda pulled her over to the front row where the family was supposed to sit. Amanda sat next to her mother, the sister of Lily's father. Petunia begrudgingly sat next to her sister as the service began. It was simple and no fuss, exactly what her parents would want. The pastor was from a local church her parents regularly attended and was able to deliver a lovely joint eulogy. Lily was practically sobbing by the time her parents siblings came up to talk about each of them individually.

As she was wiping at her eyes the most puzzling thing was said. "At this time, those wishing to say a final goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Evans you may do so." At that the casket lids were opened. Lily looked to her cousin.

"Aren't they badly burned?" Lily inquired and then realized that the question may come off slightly inappropriate that way.

"No, they didn't die in the fire, they got trapped trying to escape. The fireman said that it must have been smoke inhalation, there wasn't a mark on them." Amanda looked her over very curiously.

Lily froze and the more she thought about it, the more she felt sick to her stomach.

"Dearie, I didn't mean to upset you. Petunia gave mum and dad the details, I would have thought...Oh, I probably wasn't supposed…"

Their death wasn't an accident. Lily didn't even notice her cousin left when she saw Remus standing in front of her. "Lily? I think it's time to go." He knelt down beside her, trying to look her in the eyes.

"I'm afraid it's my fault, I let something slip…" Amanda shook her head. "Should I get anything?"

"We should leave," Remus said.

"Of course, get her back to Holmstrom, she'll be better off there."

Lily stumbled to her feet as Remus held her elbow. Relatives tried to bid her goodbye, but she couldn't process the information. In the car she mechanically went through the motions of the putting on her seat belt as Remus pulled out.

"They were murdered. It was an accident, it wasn't a warning."

"Lily?"

"They didn't die in the fire, they didn't have a mark on them." Lily cried, burying her head in her hands. "It's all my fault! How can I go back to Hogwarts, how? Petunia was right." She smacked her hands against her thighs as her face twisted into an expression of pain.

"Lily…" Remus had no idea what to say, instead he just drove.