A/N: I changed Lily Evan's birthday. Hope you're all okay with that. Also I am going to try really hard to crank this story out because I have the entire outline in my head and I'm really excited about it! So stay tuned for hopefully quick updates!

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, ideas, events, places, etc. are not mine and belong to the brilliant JK Rowling.

WARNING: uhhh….not many warnings for this chapter. Mentioned character death, probably some language, and implied sexual situations. Nothing very warning-worthy.

….

Lily Evans had never felt pain like this before in her short seventeen years of life. But it wasn't the sharp acute pain that one would feel when physical injury was inflicted. No, this emotional agony was much worse. And it hadn't even fully registered in her mind yet.

When the unfamiliar post owl had swooped into the Great Hall that morning and dropped the letter in front of her she'd been confused. She very rarely received any mail and when she did it was only ever in response to a letter she sent first. Her parents were slightly uncomfortable with mailing letters the wizard way so they would wait for Lily to write to them and then would write letters in response and send them back with the same owl she sent to them.

However, she hadn't sent them a letter recently. The large barn owl helped himself to a bite of her eggs before swooping back out of the hall. When Lily saw her sister's handwriting she was – dare she say it? – hopeful. Perhaps Petunia was writing because she wanted to apologize for everything. Or even ask Lily to be her maid of honor! After all, Petunia didn't exactly have any other friends.

Before she could open the letter, another owl landed directly on top of her plate of breakfast food and dropped a second letter in front of her. This one bore the Ministry of Magic seal and Lily's heart dropped. What would the Ministry be writing to her for? She opened Petunia's letter first.

Lily,

Let me start off by saying that I hope this letter finds you. I don't know how mail is sent to your lot but I am delivering this to the local post office in hopes that it will somehow get to you.

There is no easy way to say this, so I will just get it out there. Mum and Dad were in a car accident and they didn't make it. The funeral was three days ago and it has taken me this long to figure out how I was going to get the news to you. Sorry you couldn't have been there, but most of the family didn't miss you anyway as you are rarely at any family functions. I simply told them that you said you were too busy with school to be bothered with this. Don't worry, they were very understanding.

I was willing to take full custody of you as you are not yet a legal adult, but they were worried I would be unable to support someone else as I am myself only nineteen and currently unemployed. Vernon was kind enough to marry me immediately so that we would be better situated to take care of you. He has a stable income and a nice home.

We married yesterday in a very small ceremony and went directly to the government to have your legal guardianship transferred. No need to thank me. I only did it because I didn't think anyone else in the family would take you in and I am not so cold hearted to see my only sister thrown into an orphanage.

Vernon refuses to pay for your schooling, and let me say that I quite agree with him, so any funds you were receiving from Mum and Dad have been entirely cut off. As a result, I also attempted to contact your Ministry and alert them to the fact that as your legal guardians we no longer wanted you to attend that school. We have yet to hear back from them so you may be home before you are able to read this letter at all.

Cordially,

Petunia V. Dursley.

Hands now trembling, Lily dropped the letter and scrambled to open the one from the Ministry. No. No no no! This couldn't happen. Petunia couldn't possibly pull her out of school, could she?

Dear Ms. Lily Evans,

The Ministry has recently been informed that in the muggle legal system, guardianship of your person has been transferred to Mrs. Petunia Dursley. She has requested of the Ministry that we pull you from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. However, as you are a legal adult in the wizard world Petunia Dursley does not have the legal right to change your education. If you wish to leave Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry then you may do so at any time as you are now at least seventeen years of age. Petunia Dursley has full custody of you in the muggle world but not by any of our laws.

Hoping you're well,

Mafalda Hopkirk

It was simultaneously a relief and a sinking dread that filled Lily now. Petunia had not pulled her out of school. Petunia had, however, cut off all monetary funds. Her parents were dead. Her parents were dead and Petunia had waited until days after the funeral to tell her. There had been a funeral.

"…right, Lily?" James Potter rubbed her knee and smiled at her. They'd been having a conversation this whole time and nobody noticed that her whole world had shattered. Everyone at the table was just as they had been a few minutes previously.

Luna was still feeding Sirius bites of her bacon. Remus was still reading out of his Charms textbook out loud to Mary. Alice was still writing her potions essay furiously as she absentmindedly dipped her sausage into her glass of pumpkin juice. James and Peter had still been involved in their discussion about N. .s.

"What?" Lily asked stupidly.

James chuckled with affection. "I said that Wormtail won't be able to use his Spell-Correction-Quill in the exams because they're considered cheating, right?"

"Oh..uh huh," Lily couldn't handle this. She really couldn't. They were only a couple of months away from their N.E.W.T.s and then what? She would go home to an unfamiliar house owned by Vernon Dursley and live a miserable existence with her sister and brother-in-law until she turned eighteen on August 29th. She was seven months away from beingeighteen.

With a tight knot in her throat she realized that two weeks ago had been the last time she'd heard from her parents. It had been just a quick letter reminding her how proud they were of her and how much they loved her. It would be the last time she ever heard from them again.

"Lils, are you okay?" The concern in James's voice grabbed the attention of her friends and they all looked up from their respective activities and gazed at her. She couldn't tell them. The words, so foreign in her mind, definitely could not yet come out of her mouth.

"I…I…" she stuttered. Then her eyelids drifted closed and she slumped over onto Remus who turned quickly to catch her before she slid to the stone floor.

"Help!" James screamed as he jumped to his feet and lifted Lily into his arms, out of Remus's embrace. "Lily's fainted!"

Madam Pomfrey was there immediately and conjured a gurney before rushing her to the hospital wing. As all of the seventh year Gryffindors began to follow, Professor McGonagall spoke up, "Stay right where you are! I know you are all concerned about Ms. Evans, but I will check on her myself and report back to you lot. Madam Pomfrey will not take kindly to you seven barging in there while she is with a patient!"

"But-"

"No 'but's, Mr. Potter! Now finish your breakfast and go immediately to your first class of the day. I will let you see Ms. Evans as soon as Madam Promfrey allows it."

McGonagall's eyes locked with Luna's and they communicated silently. Technically, as her granddaughter, Luna was the only one in Hogwarts who had the right to any information regarding Lily Evans. It was a strange, unheard of, unprecedented situation but McGonagall wouldn't deny Luna knowledge of Lily's wellbeing and they both knew that Luna would relay any of the information to their friends without hesitation.

"What happened?" Sirius asked James.

"I don't know, mate," James was so upset his voice squeaked and his hands were shaking as he ran them threw his hair. "She kind of spaced out for a minute then she tuned back into the conversation then she got very pale and fell over!"

"Um, James? Have you read this?" Alice timidly held up the letters that were still lying open on the table beside Lily's unfinished breakfast.

"No," said James in a tone that clearly said he thought they were unimportant at the moment.

"James," Alice insisted sternly, "this letter is from her sister. James…Lily's parents…they died."

….

Dear Dad,

Today is the worst day I've had so far while being in the past. Lily's parents – your grandparents – they died last week. Lily only got the news today as your Aunt Petunia waited until after the funeral to contact her. I don't know what to do, Dad, and I wish that you were here. You always know the right thing to do and the right thing to say.

How can I comfort her? What can I say to make this better? Merlin, I don't know what I would do if something happened to you and Mum. I miss you both so much today that it actually hurts. Today is January 30th which means I've been in the past for almost five months. Can you believe it's only been such a short length of time? I've gone longer without seeing you and Mum before but I've never felt more homesick.

Professor Dumbledore said I would be here at least until graduation. Perhaps longer. My only wish is that I could somehow combine the past and the present. Lily, Mary, Alice, Remus, and James have become my best friends and Sirius has become much more than that.

Petunia said it was a car accident that killed your grandparents but somehow I just don't think so. Wasn't that the same lie she told you about your parents?

I need to stop writing now because visiting hours are about to start and Lily is in the infirmary as she fainted upon hearing the news of her parents.

I love and miss you more than you know, Daddy!

Love Always,

Lily Luna Black

Luna closed the journal slowly, hugged it to her chest, and cried.

…

"How are you?" Luna and James were the only two in the room with Lily.

Lily said nothing. She turned her head and looked out the window. Luna was glad. She didn't think she could stand looking into those almond shaped green eyes for a moment longer as they reminded her so much of her father.

"Lily," Luna's voice cracked. It was the first time she'd attempted to engage the girl in conversation. When visiting hours had first started all of the seventh year Gryffindors had crowded into the room. However once it was discovered that Lily wouldn't speak a word in front of them, they all left except James and Luna.

Lily turned back to look at Luna as she heard her granddaughter speak. "If you can talk to anyone, it's James and me. We know about your parents and we are so sorry. They were my-" here Luna paused to take a shaky breath, "they were my family, too. Even though I only met them once, they were my family, too."

Tears built up in Lily's big green eyes and she opened her arms wide. Luna flung herself into the embrace and both girls sobbed together as James stood off to the side, unsure of what to do with himself.

"James," said Lily and reached an arm out to him as well. The small Potter family sat huddled on the hospital bed together, all three crying and sharing their sorrow, for the first time all three truly felt like they were family.

…

"What am I going to do?" Lily rasped as James sat beside her with an arm around her shoulders. Luna was asleep in a chair next to the hospital bed but hadn't left Lily's side all day.

"We're going to keep moving forward, love," James replied swiftly with a kiss on the top of her head. It didn't go unnoticed by Lily that James had said 'we.'

"But James, did you read the letters?"

"Yes."

"I don't have any money. I have a savings account, of course, from my parents, but if Petunia is my legal guardian then I will not be able to access it until I turn eighteen and even now she might be able to transfer all of that money into her own bank account…"

"Lily," James chuckled weakly. "I'm only going to say this once, but you're a bright girl so I don't expect you'll forget it. You will never have to worry about money. Not for a single moment of the rest of your life. You're with me, darling. Presumably forever. And I am filthy rich."

"I'm not some kind of mooch! I won't spend your money, James Potter, so you can just – umph!" he cut her off with his lips over hers. After a few minutes of intense snogging he pulled away. He smirked down at her, glad that his plan of distraction had worked.

"Look at her," Lily motioned to Luna. "She's beautiful, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is. I'm rather proud to be her grandfather," James mused thoughtfully.

"I'm so very glad we got to meet her, James. I wish, of course, that we could have met the others as well. But at least we got to see them. At least we know that someday our son will grow up and live his happily ever after. Even if we're not in it," Lily barely resisted the urge to reach out and run her fingers through Luna's hair.

"I will do my best to make sure that we are in his life for as long as possible," James promised.

"I know. But we can't escape reality. The future cannot be changed and do you want to know something? I'm okay with that," Lily twined her fingers with James's and brought his hand up to her face to lean her cheek against. "After everything we've seen, I'm more than happy to die if it means that some good can come of it for our son and grandchildren. When she returns home, she'll know us. She'll tell stories of us to Ha-Harry…. and her siblings. Even dead, we won't be truly lost. We'll live on through our family and in the memories of those close to us."

"My brave, sweet, little Lily," James hugged her tight to his body and she could feel it tremble at her words. "No matter what happens, I won't regret a single moment of our life together."

Lily wrapped her free hand around the back of his neck and tilted his head down so their lips could meet. "Agreed."

…..

Headmaster Dumbledore granted James, Lily, Luna, and Sirius permission to visit the graves of Lily's parents the following Saturday. Lily had refused to write a letter in response to Petunia's and had not alerted her sister to the fact that she would be visiting the graves of her parents.

Luna felt an odd sort of déjà vu about the whole thing. She'd visited the graves of James and Lily every year with her family and this felt exactly like that. Only so much worse. Because Lily had known her parents. Had grown up with them in her life for seventeen years. Lily never had a chance to say goodbye or to see their faces one last time. For Lily Evans, this truly was the end of her parents in this life.

She crumpled as she reached the graves and Luna knew that Lily hadn't truly accepted the truth until that moment. James half-caught her and they both sunk to their knees at the joined headstone.

It was a quaint graveyard in Cokeworth. Luna tried to glance around casually as she didn't want to intrude on Lily's grief. Graveyards had always been a source of comfort to Luna but she'd never told anyone in fear that they would find such a quirk to be quite odd. However now she wondered if somewhere deep down she'd always known that she was going to be sent to the past. After all, didn't graveyards represent a time long ago? Maybe what she'd really felt drawn to were ghosts of the past.

It was freezing cold but no snow was on the ground. There were wreaths of flowers all over the large headstone and Luna was glad that so many people had loved the Evans family. After she'd finished saying her goodbyes to the graves of her parents, Lily led her friends through the graveyard and pointed out the place where Severus Snape's father, Tobias Snape, lay. She talked of a few other graves of people she once knew and then the four found themselves back at Hogwarts.

The air in Gryffindor Tower had been somber all week because of Lily's news. Now, however, after removing her long black witches robes, she smiled at her dorm mates and they all knew that everything was going to be alright.

…..

"I'm just saying – I don't think it was a car accident," Luna threw her hands up in exasperation.

"Why would her sister lie about it?" challenged Sirius.

"Maybe they were killed by Death Eaters. Petunia hates everything connected to wizards and she'd lie through her teeth about how they really died! Even to her own sister!" Luna persisted.

"Then why don't you ask her?" Sirius suggested as he sat up and propped his head in his hand.

"Maybe I will someday," Luna sighed. "I don't exactly have a good relationship with her in the future, you know, but she dotes on me more than she'd admit because I'm the only girl. She has a son and he has two sons. My dad grew up in her house and he has two sons and me."

"Well there you go then. You only have to wait five more months and you'll have your answer," Sirius's reply was casual and he was only half-listening to his wife's rant anyway but something he'd said must have upset her because she was suddenly much more silent than normal.

He glanced up from the essay he'd been working on and quirked an eyebrow at her curiously. "Don't say that," she told him fiercely. "Don't tell me I only have five more months with you."

"Oh love," he sat up and brushed a thumb across her cheek. "I didn't mean to upset you. But that's why we got married so soon, isn't it? Because we really don't know how much more time we will have together and we wanted to make every moment count."

Luna nodded in agreement and they were snogging heatedly when they heard someone clear his throat. They reluctantly pulled apart to see none other than Severus Snape standing before them. He had a traveling cloak around his shoulders and a trunk was at his feet.

"I passed all of my NEWTs and I'm on my way to the Headmaster's office now to floo home. I came over here not only to say goodbye but also to relay some interesting news. Do not ask me how I came by this information as I will not reveal my sources. However, I can tell you with absolute certainty that it was his brother, Regulus Black, who slipped you the love potion."

Sirius's body went rigid and his mind was whirling. He'd been trying to figure out who had drugged her ever since it happened. He hadn't realized that Snape had been doing the same. "I appreciate-" he began but Snape cut him off.

"I did not reveal anything for your benefit, Black," Snape turned his dark glare on the wizard beside him for a moment before turning back to Luna. "You have been a true friend to me, Lily Luna Potter – or did I just overhear that it's 'Black' now? Either way, I want you to know that you and yours will always have me as an ally."

Luna threw herself into his arms and hugged him. "Thank you," she whispered before kissing cheek. "I will come visit your portrait when I return to the future and I imagine we will have much to talk about, old friend."

"I imagine we will. Until then," he brushed his hand over her hair softly before turning and striding purposefully out of the library.

…

"Sirius!"

Luna was chasing her husband through the bowels of the castle as he headed straight for the entrance to the Slytherin common room. He didn't reply. Just kept walking at a brisk pace. Luna had to take three quick strides to every one of Sirius's as his legs were so much longer.

"SIRIUS ORION BLACK!" she hollered. Still, he didn't pause.

When they reached the brick wall Sirius pounded four times. "REGULUS!"

It was Avery who appeared at the entrance. "Brave of you, Black, for showing up at the door of the snake pit," he hissed. Luna, always quick to fire up, stepped forward to move in front of Sirius as if to shield him from the menacing Slytherin but with one arm Sirius gently pushed her body back behind his.

"I'm just here to have a brotherly chat with Regulus, Avery. Send him out. In case you're having any other thoughts, mate, you'd better remember that Slughorn's quarters are just around the corner and I am rather prodigious with the Patronus Charm." Sirius's smile was devilish in that moment and if Luna didn't know him as well as she did it would have scared her. But instead it just turned her on.

The threat of calling a professor seemed to work as Avery hurriedly called over his shoulder, "Oi, Reg, your brother's here to see you."

Regulus Black sauntered out of his common room and the brick wall closed behind him leaving him alone in the hallway with Sirius and Luna. "To what do I owe the pleasure, big brother?" he leaned against the door with a smirk not unlike Sirius's own.

"I know it was you."

"Hmm?"

"Don't play dumb," Sirius growled through gritted teeth. In that moment Luna wondered if he got angry enough if he would involuntarily morph into his Animagus form and tear Regulus limb from limb.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about. You have a lot of nerve showing up down here with your half-blood whore-" POP! Luna let out a small scream as Sirius's fist collided with Regulus's jaw, knowing it out of socket.

Regulus grabbed his dislocated jaw in his hand and popped it firmly back into place before snarling, "You son of a bitch!"

"Insulting your own mother now?" Sirius taunted. "I know you're the one who slipped a love potion to my wife that made her go after Snape!"

The look on Regulus's face could almost be described as comical as his brother's words sunk in. "Your…your what? For the love of magic, Sirius, don't tell me you married the bint! I only slipped her the love potion because I thought…"

"You thought WHAT?" Sirius screamed.

"I thought it might make you break up with her and come to your senses. What is wrong with you, Sirius? Don't you see what you could gain by following the Dark Lord? We'd be fucking kings in this world if we took over the muggles and mudbloods!"

"You damn fool," Sirius didn't sound angry anymore, just sad. "I tired…I tried so fucking hard to convince you that mum and dad have it all wrong. We're not gods, Regulus. We're human beings just like muggles. Yes, I married Luna, and yes, she is a half-blood, but she's the most talented witch I've ever met. I love her not because of who her parents are. Not because she can do magic. But because of who she is. She is kind and brave. She is selfless and snarky. She's got a short temper and a look that could turn you to stone. For those reasons, and many more, I love her. James Potter isn't my best mate because he is a pureblood. He's my best mate because he's loyal and brave. He's good for a laugh and I can always count on him. It's the person on the inside that matters, Regulus. It's who they are – not what they can do and not what they are born. God help you if you can't see that."

Sirius took Luna's hand in his and began trudging his way back up to Gryffindor Tower. When he was well out of sight Regulus pulled back the sleeve of his school robe and looked at the inky black Dark Mark. What had he done? What had he done?

….

"It has come to our attention that you are – er – married," said Professor McGonagall uncomfortably. Sirius and Luna were seated in front of the Headmaster's desk in Dumbledore's office. Professor Dumbledore sat behind his desk with a pleasant smile while McGonagall stood to the side, glaring at the two students.

"We're of age," said Sirius, "it's perfectly legal. I read nothing in the school rules about-"

"IT'S NOT LEGALITY THAT IS THE ISSUE!"

"Minerva," Dumbledore chided.

Professor McGonagall huffed and tried again. "Miss Potter-"

"Mrs. Black," corrected Luna.

"Mrs. Black," sneered McGonagall, "is leaving in a few months. What will the two of you do then? She cannot stay here, that much is certain. If she doesn't return to her own time then we do not know what will happen. Time travel is not something that has yet been studied very thoroughly. A few accidental incidents have occurred, but they were all isolated and no research was done with them. Foolish wizards experiment with spells…" she began muttering to herself.

"What Professor McGonagall is trying to say is that this was perhaps not the best idea in light of the situation," Dumbledore was still smiling.

"Wizarding marriages require a magical bond," said Luna, "with that bond comes so much, Professor, that I had to have with Sirius. I love him. I will always love him no matter what happens in the future. I have his name and-"

"Yes! His name!" McGonagall interrupted. "You do realize, child, that when you return to the future the bond will still be in place? Your name will suddenly change on all records! When you return to your own time you will still have one more year left at Hogwarts and your name on the school roster will change! Have you thought about that?"

No. Luna had not considered that. She had not yet decided if she was going to tell her family the truth of what had happened to her or not. "The bond will not still exist in the future," Luna said quietly. "Because Sirius will die long before I'm born."

A stunned silence filled the room. After long moments of listening to nothing other than the tinkling of a few magical instruments in the room, Dumbledore asked solemnly, "You knew of this, Mr. Black?"

"Yes, I'm aware that I will die before Luna's born."

"Nevertheless, her name will still be 'Black' when she returns to the future and the marriage bond will still exist, but it will show that you are a widow," Dumbledore told her gently.

"What about Sirius? Will his bond still show?"

Dumbledore and McGonagall exchanged a look before Dumbledore said, "We're not sure. You will cease to exist completely, Mrs. Black. It is possible that his marriage bond will dissolve. It is also possible that it will remain intact which means that he will never be able to remarry if he would want to do so."

"I wouldn't," Sirius said firmly. "Marriage is for life. Even when Luna is no longer in my life, the marriage will still exist to me. There will still be legal records of it. I don't want any other wife. I don't care if I lived to be a thousand years old. She's all I want."

"That seems to settle it then, doesn't it, Minerva?" Dumbledore inquired pleasantly.

"And your living quarters?" McGonagall asked. "Or has the marriage not been consummated? Let me remind you that sexual activity is prohibited-"

"We – er – left school grounds," Luna had the decency to blush as she admitted this. "We were wed during the last Hogsmeade weekend and just rented a room there for the night."

"I think the point that Minerva was trying to make was that you are living separately and Hogwarts prohibits sexual activity in the dormitories. However, given the circumstances, we could accommodate a married couple to have their own rooms," Dumbledore offered.

"That would be very generous and much appreciated, Headmaster," said Sirius graciously as he reveled in the idea of shagging his wife without extensive silencing charms and other wards.

"Are there any other issues that need to be discussed?" Luna inquired as she stood and brushed off her school robes.

"No, my dear, I believe that's everything for now," Dumbledore replied with a knowing frown. They both knew that she was actually inquiring about the time travel device and if the Ministry had made any significant progress with it. The answer for now was simply 'no'.

"I'll lead you to your new living accommodations," said Professor McGonagall sternly. Then, just when Luna thought that she was going to get yet another reprimand from her Aunt Minnie, the older witch smiled and said, "Despite the complications of the situation, I am very glad that you two found each other."

Luna and Sirius exchanged smiles and linked hands as they followed their Head of House out of the Headmaster's office and through the castle. "Hogwarts has hosted several married couples over the years," she lectured as she walked, "although that was mostly in the older days when it was socially acceptable for people to marry at ridiculously young ages like fourteen. Most of these accommodations were situated close to the house common rooms so you can still spend time in your house common rooms without having to go across the castle. Here we are," they stopped just around the corner from the entrance to the Gryffindor common room.

Professor McGonagall was standing directly in front of a suit of armor. She waved her wand over Sirius and Luna and then over the suit or armor and the eight foot tall figure stepped aside to allow them entrance into a secret set of rooms. "He will now be able to detect your marriage bond and will grant you access to this suite. There is no need for a password. Have a goodnight, Mr. and Mrs. Black."

Luna went in first and was unsurprised to find that it was very similar to the Gryffindor common room except smaller. A red couch and two red armchairs sat in front of a large crackling fireplace. There were no stairs, just an adjacent door which led into one large bedroom which already held all of their possessions. It seemed the house elves had set up the place while they'd been talking to the Headmaster.

Attached to the bedroom was a lavatory and Luna was relieved to see that the house elves had also gathered up all of her toiletries. How, she wondered, did the house elves know which ones were hers? Magic really was amazing. Sirius came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Ready for bed?"

"Hmm," she leaned back into his chest and turned her head to kiss his jaw. "Am I ready for sleep? No. But am I ready for bed? Yes."

Sirius growled deep in his throat, lifted her off of her feet, and carried her into their new bedroom.

….