A/N: Luna is going to seem a bit out of character in this chapter and that's because she is. She's grieving still and she's not quite herself. Things will get better for her so no worries.

…..

Everybody knew that something wasn't quite right with Lily Potter. It had been one week since she'd returned home but she hadn't told anyone what had truly happened to her.

"She's depressed," said Ginny quietly as she glanced toward the staircase leading to the upper level of their home, where Lily's room was.

"But why?" asked Harry. "Do you think it has anything to do with Lorcan?"

"She and Lorcan have been broken up for months, Harry."

"Yeah, but maybe it's only just hit her that they've broken up. He's thousands of miles away and she's here, returning to Hogwarts in September…"

"I doubt it."

They were still whispering when Lily herself came trudging down the stairs. "I'm going to go visit Aunt Minnie," she told them with a smile they knew was forced.

"Of course, sweetheart," Ginny went to her daughter, hugged her, and kissed her hair. "Stay as long as you'd like. I bet Minerva would love to see you."

Lily just nodded and crossed the room to the fireplace. In a woosh of green flames she'd gone.

Minerva McGonagall was seated on a patio chair with a large book in her lap and Lily had to exit the house to find her. "Well, hello, Ms. Potter," Minerva didn't move to stand but held out an arm toward the girl who bent down to kiss the elder witch on the cheek.

"Merlin, you've aged nearly forty years in just a few days," Lily smirked but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Ah, so it has just happened then…" Minerva closed the book shut and leaned forward eagerly as Lily took a seat in the open patio chair beside her.

"Yes, it's been a week since I've been home. Yet from your perspective I left several decades ago." Minerva summoned a pitcher of lemonade from the kitchen and poured each of them a glass.

"I have waited a long time for this conversation," she agreed. "I am still unsure where to begin. Do you have any questions for me?"

"Oh many," Lily took a few sips from her glass, excited to finally speak to someone who remembered. Someone who could confirm that it all hadn't been just a dream. "First, I'd like to ask what happened to each of my friends. I know that the Longbottoms were tortured and they are in St. Mungo's. I know that Lily and James died. I know that Remus died in the Battle of Hogwarts and that Sirius…that he…in the Ministry. But I would like to know more details and also what happened to Mary?"

Minerva frowned deeply. "You know the general outline of the past. I am probably one of the only people who can give you the finer details. After you left we staged a fake funeral. People knew you. Not just your friends, but their parents, other Hogwarts students, Death Eaters…Voldemort himself spoke with you at one time. It was imperative that he not know who you really were and where you were really from so we held a fake funeral. Although to your friends and family it felt as if you really had died – you were, to them, gone forever. So their tears were real and the words spoken over the empty casket were heartfelt."

"That must have been very difficult for them."

"It was but they behaved admirably. Frank and Alice married just two weeks later. James and Lily weren't far behind. Right around the time Lily discovered she was pregnant with your father, Mary died."

The tears that had been building spilled over now and Lily dropped her head into her hands. "I knew…that she must have…or else I would have heard of her. But I still hoped…and before James and Lily. Poor Remus."

"Remus was beyond repair. He never dated another woman until Nymphadora Tonks. Even then it took more than a year for her to convince him to try."

"But what happened to Mary?" Lily waved her hand impatiently.

Minerva pursed her lips. "There were Death Eaters in a café in London. Mary witnessed them enter. They were going to kill every muggle in the café just for sport. She saved them all but Bellatrix got her with a deep and powerful slicing hex. She bled out right there in the café and was dead almost immediately. Her acts resulted in the capture of two Death Eaters and saved the lives of about twenty muggles. Eight of them were children if my memory is correct."

Lily was wiping furiously at her eyes, which wouldn't stop shedding tears, and her next question came out thick with emotion. "Where was she buried?"

"Yorkshire, where she was from. I can look up the information if you'd like to visit her grave."

"I would like that, yes." She was toying with her friendship bracelet and Minerva noticed.

"When they buried her she was still wearing hers. You four…I try not to pick favorites, you know, but your family…" she chuckled. "And the friends you Potters pick! Gracious."

"Can you give me more details about the lives of the others? I want to know everything that I missed."

"Let me think. Sirius gave James and Lily your home after you left and they married. He said he couldn't stand being there any longer. He said he still sometimes heard your laughter ringing through the kitchen or still smelled your perfume in his pillows."

"I knew that he gave our house to them. I knew it would be the house with the shrine," she acknowledged.

"Yes, they did add the plaque afterwards. The original Order of the Phoenix was quickly and ruthlessly nearly completely stamped out. Marlene and her parents were killed just before James and Lily. Fabian and Gideon Prewett went down together, which is how I think they would have wanted it. I sometimes pitied your uncle George because he had to go on without Fred. I'm sure you've heard much about your uncle Fred and what they were like together and they were very similar to the uncles after which they were named. Professor Dumbledore spoke of you often. Whenever anything major happened – another death, a turn in the war, he wondered how much you knew that you didn't tell."

"Almost everything," Lily confessed. "I knew Peter would be the one to betray James and Lily and that it would be blamed on Sirius. I knew Sirius would escape only to…to die…the way he did. The people who I met in the past that I didn't know from the future I assumed had died or I would have heard of them by now. Of course I knew that Remus would end up with Tonks and have a son. Do you think I was wrong for not changing things when I had the chance?" It was the biggest and scariest question that had been keeping her so depressed. Had she made a mistake? Should she have warned them about Peter? Should she have told Dumbledore about Voldemort's horcruxes?

"No. I think you did everything exactly right. Nothing was your fault and had you acted differently then you probably wouldn't be alive today. It was always Harry's destiny to defeat Voldemort. Had anything been different then we might be under Voldemort's reign still. You were so brave," this was when Minerva began to cry.

"How? What did I do that was so brave?"

"You held your tongue. You let things play out the way they were meant to, even knowing that all of your friends would die. That you would lose your husband…"

"That's why you really told me about Dougal. Because you left him to keep him safe and you knew I would have to make a similar choice. That I would have to leave Sirius because he was needed there and I was needed here."

Minerva said nothing, silently confirming Lily's assumption. When she did speak, she changed the subject slightly. "Severus wishes to speak with you."

"What? How? He's…he died in the war."

"His portrait, as you know, hangs in the Headmaster's study at Hogwarts. His last request of me during my time as Headmistress was that he speak to you after your trip to the past. The current Headmaster and I are rather friendly and I know he would allow us to spend time in his study without question or complaint."

Lily knew this was true as her 'uncle' Neville was the Headmaster. Without another word they were both up and moving to the fireplace in the sitting room of Minerva's small but cozy cottage.

They came spiraling into Neville Longbottom's private study. He was sat at his desk with his reading glasses perched on the end of his nose, grey streaking through his hair and Lily's heart felt as though it constricted in her chest to see how closely he resembled his mother.

"Professor McGonagall," he stood with a smile. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Honestly, Mr. Longbottom, when will you start calling me Minerva?"

"When you start calling me Neville!" they laughed and embraced briefly. "Ms. Potter," he ruffled her hair affectionately.

"We are sorry to disturb you, Neville, but may Lily and I please have a moment alone in your study? She wishes to speak to a previous Headmaster in private."

"Of course. I'll take these reports with me from the Board of Governors and go to my old office. Come and find me before you leave," he scooped up the parchments he'd been looking at and left quickly.

"Minerva," said Dumbledore.

"Albus," Minerva gently motioned Lily forward and Dumbledore smiled.

"Ah, I have long awaited this moment. How many times I have seen you in this study before your trip," his twinkling eyes brimmed with tears. "You were so brave, Ms. Potter. I doubt that even I could have done all that you did. Gave so much of yourself to those you loved yet held back the crucial information."

Lily was only half-listening. "Thank you, Professor Dumbledore. You filled my last request and it means more to me than I can express."

"What request?" asked Minerva sharply.

"That she be allowed to visit Sirius while he was still in Azkaban. Of course your note left me completely baffled, my dear. All it said was to grant you permission to visit Azkaban. Then when Sirius was carted off without a trial even I believed him to be guilty. I assumed you wanted to confront him while he was there. But you didn't want to confront him for his actions; you wanted to comfort him. There is no better witch, no better wife, to anyone than you were to Sirius."

"Merlin, I told myself I wouldn't cry once I finally had the opportunity to thank you properly," she sniffled self-consciously.

"You saw him in Azkaban? Lily Potter! That was highly dangerous! Dementors swarming the place day and night! Not even the guards stay inside the prison – they're all stationed outside."

"It's 'Mrs. Black' now, professor. Besides, it was something I knew I had to do. I needed to give him hope, show him love, in that awful place…it was the least I could do, really, I mean –"

Minerva interrupted, "Gracious! Lily, you're right! It is Mrs. Black now, isn't it?" she scurried around the office until she reached a cabinet which she opened and began sifting through. "Thank heavens he kept using the same filing method that I did." She brandished a thick folder and slapped it down onto the desk.

"What is-"

"Your file, Lily, look!"

Lily glanced down and written in an elegant scrawl across the front were the words, "Lily Luna Black (nee Potter)". "But I don't understand. How that happen?"

"Magic. Marriage bonds are deep and ancient magic. I imagine your medical records may have changed. Then again, they might not have. St. Mungo's sometimes makes up patient charts by hand but Hogwarts always uses magic. This has always been helpful for arranging alumni events as students marry and surnames change. But when your professors see your name on the roster this year…"

"Change it!" she squealed. "Quickly, Professor, before Uncle Neville comes back."

Minerva waved her wand and the name reverted. "Now, please note that I have only changed this one particular file. The marriage bond on you can still be detected by anyone looking for it," to illustrate this point she waved her wand over Lily. "Ah, yes, severed marriage bonds were strongly detected."

"Severed marriage bonds?"

"Of course. After all, Sirius is…not here," she stated delicately.

"Changing student records. Shame on you, former Headmistress," both witches whipped around to find the portrait of Severus Snape staring down at them with a touch of mischievousness in his face.

"It was necessary, Severus," Lily sneered while crossing her arms. "Merlin, you look old now."

His lip curled and his eyes narrowed. "Yet you are still just as annoying as you were in the 1970s."

"Clever. What was it you wanted to speak with me about anyway?"

"Nothing of dire importance, Luna, don't worry. I mainly wanted to ask how you are coping."

"Not well. My family can tell something is wrong with me but I can't pretend to be happy. I'm quite lousy actually. Thanks for asking. How's being dead?" her scathing and sarcastic question told Severus just how much she was hurting.

"I have found my peace with it," he admitted. "I never wanted to outlive Lily, let alone for nearly 17 years."

"You were a good friend to her most of the time," Lily consented.

"Yet here is something that not another soul knows…I waited until I could speak to you face-to-face before I would admit this. You recall how James and Lily were prophesied to have thrice defied Lord Voldemort? I was there the second time. I saved both of their lives that night."

"What? But then why didn't I know that? Wouldn't someone have said something?" Lily asked, looking from Minerva to Dumbledore's portrait, both of whom looked just as surprised as her.

"The only one who knew of my hand in their survival was Lily. She never would have told anyone, especially James who hated me. I imagine she took that secret with her to the grave."

"Tell me about it. Please, Severus."

"There's not much to tell, old friend. They were in trouble. They were outnumbered and outmatched but they wouldn't give up. I Apparated Lily away and she begged me on hands and knees to go back for James. I grudgingly assented."

"But…if you saved James's life then your debt was repaid. My father said you saved his life to repay your debt to James because he saved you from Remus when he was a werewolf."

"Yes, well, your father has always been a fool," Severus stated this as if it were fact – there was no more malice in his voice when he spoke of Harry or James Potter.

"Be nice or I'll leave and not come back to visit you," she warned and wagged a finger at him.

"Oh no, whatever shall I do, hanging on the wall of the Headmaster's study at Hogwarts. I shall be ever so bored without the company of a smarmy teenage witch," his sarcastic banter was reminiscent of the teenager she had known and not of the man he'd grown into.

For the first time since she'd returned, Lily gave a real smile. "You'd miss me and you know it. I'll probably be the last person alive to remember you as you were."

"Ah, nostalgia," he gave her a real smile in return. "Thank you, Luna Black, for making me feel things I haven't felt in many decades. For reminding me that I once had true friends."

"You're welcome, Severus. I will try to visit you again which shouldn't be too hard. I'll have Hugo cause distractions for Uncle Neville and I'll sneak in from time to time."

"I'll be sure to send along the passwords through the portraits for you," he agreed.

"You've sure changed over the years. You seem much happier and relaxed than you were while alive," she observed.

"Yes, well as I said, I am at peace. I have not been truly at peace like this since I was a child."

"I should get going. Was there anything else you wanted to tell me?" she glanced at Minerva who was doing her best to not eavesdrop now and she spoke quietly to another portrait of an old Headmaster.

"Yes. Visit Alice."

"Alice? Why?"

"She has no memory. She doesn't even recognize her own son. But she still knows when she is visited by those who love her. Lily and James are dead. Mary and Remus are dead. Your Sirius is dead. But Alice and Frank live. Do not forget them, Luna."

"I won't. Thank you, Sev," she climbed on top of Neville's desk to stretch up high enough to kiss his cheek, not knowing if he could really feel it or not, and then she left Hogwarts to return home.

…..

Lily Potter took a long time after her day with Minerva and Severus to think about things. She tried to become more involved at home and she was starting to really feel like she was going to be okay.

She let Albus beat her in chess, she challenged James to a one-on-one Quidditch match, and she cooked dinner for her family one night that her mother worked late.

When she felt like she was in a healthy enough place mentally and emotionally she finally decided that it was time to visit Alice. It had been two months since her return and she was only one week away from her return to Hogwarts.

Feeling as though she were going on a first date, there were nervous butterflies in her stomach as she studied her reflection in the mirror. Simple skirt, white blouse, light traveling cloak over her shoulders. Her long black hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail and her make-up was natural.

Nobody knew where she was going. She hadn't made it a habit to tell her parents when she was going out or where. Usually just if she passed them on her way out the door. This was not the case now as she exited the front door of her home and Apparated to London.

Permanent Spell Damage on the fifth floor was her goal. Yet when she reached it she hesitated. What would it be like to see Alice like this? Poor tiny little Alice had been tortured so badly that she was beyond repair. What kind of horrible monster could have done this to someone so sweet?

Knowing that this, again, would be hard. Like visiting Sirius in Azkaban had been hard. Lily knew that Alice needed her so she pushed the door open and stepped through.

"Hullo, Miss. Can I help you?" a polite nurse addressed her immediately.

"Yes, I'm just here to visit Alice For-er-Longbottom. Alice Longbottom. Familiy friend," Lily muttered with embarrassment.

"Follow me," the nurse got up from her station and led Lily just a little further down the hall to a door with the name "Longbottom" on it. "Frank and Alice stay together. They don't seem to recognize each other and most patients are supposed to have their own rooms but we tried to separate them and the poor dears scream all night if they're not together."

Nothing could have prepared Lily for this. When the nurse opened the door, Alice was seated at a vanity brushing her hair which was snowy white, and Frank was stretched out on the bed looking at a children's picture book.

"They don't speak often," the nurse said quietly. "And never a full sentence or anything that makes sense. Just a couple words here and there," then louder she called, "Come on then, Frank, let's let the girls chat, shall we? You and I can go for a nice walk up the ward and visit some of the other patients. I'm sure Mr. Lockhart would be delighted to sign another photograph for you."

Not giving any indication that he understood her words, Frank stood and followed her out of the room with an odd blank look on his face. Lily found it hard to look at Alice. She was so old and so broken.

"Hey, Allie," Lily called.

Alice stopped brushing her hair and turned slowly toward the person who had addressed her. Her brow furrowed as if she recognized Lily but couldn't quite place her. "Lu," she said in a hoarse whisper that made Lily flinch. "Lu-Lu."

"That's what Sirius and James used to call me," she tried to chuckle but it came out in a sob and Lily half fell onto the bed, dropping her face into her hands.

"Sirius…" Alice said the word as if unsure of what it meant or perhaps wondering if it meant anything at all. Then determination set in and Alice's eyes seemed to blaze a little brighter. "Luna…Sirius…"

"Yes," said Lily in encouragement but without any real hope in her voice. "Luna was with Sirius. Maybe you do remember?"

Alice was shaking her head. "Important. Listen."

"There's something important?" Sensing that Alice truly might have something of import to tell Lily she leaned in closely to her friend. "What is it, Alice?"

"Sirius…"

"It's about Sirius?" The elder witch nodded and blinked rapidly as if doing her best to keep hold of what little clarity of mind she had at that moment. Luna's heart leapt. What about Sirius? Had he somehow found a way to come back to her? Had he left her a message? Even a portrait of himself would be some comfort.

"Sirius…" Alice began again and Luna was practically vibrating in anticipation. "Innocent," said Alice assuredly. "Sirius innocent."

Every little bit of hope Luna had burst in that moment like a delicate soup bubble. "Sirius is innocent?" she asked dully. Alice nodded vigorously. "Sirius did not betray James and Lily?" Alice continued to nod. "Sirius should be released from Azkaban?" more nodding. Ah. So the Longbottoms had known that Sirius hadn't been the Secret Keeper. And Alice's seemingly only shred of sanity was holding onto the one fact that could save her friend from a horrible life sentence in prison. "We know that Sirius is innocent," Lily said and Alice's shoulders slumped in relief. "Sirius isn't in Azkaban."

"Good," said Alice and just in that one word for that one second she sounded like her old self again. "Neville?" she questioned.

"Your son is fine," Lily comforted her, taking her aged hand and patting it softly. "Neville is so handsome and brave. Just like you, Alice, you'd be so proud." With Alice's hand in her own, Lily looked down to find they were both still wearing their matching friendship bracelets. Alice's was older, more frayed with time, and Lily knew magic must be the reason why it still existed at all.

Alice was smiling, no doubt thinking of her son, when the nurse walked in. The nurse noticed Lily playing with Alice's bracelet and laughed. "Won't let us take it off of her," she told Lily, "that bracelet and her wedding ring are the two personal items she seems to have any attachment to. No idea why. Just looks like an old friendship bracelet to me. But she never takes it off. The only time a Healer foolishly tried to remove it our Alice did some wandless magic that threw the Healer across the room. We decided to let her keep it."

Lily knew her time was up. The few magical minutes spent here were the most she could handle today. The room was starting to feel too hot and she felt a little dizzy. Maybe she hadn't been ready yet to see Alice like this. "Thank you for letting me in. I can show myself out," she practically ran from the room and stumbled up the hall.

Just as she reached the door, Neville Longbottom stepped in, obviously on his way to visit his parents, and he caught Lily's hand which was already outstretched for the door handle. "Careful there, Lily," said with a smile. That looked just like his mothers. He glanced down and saw her bracelet. "That's neat, my mum has one just like it. Would you like to meet her? I was heading that way – woah!"

This was too much for Lily. The floor felt as though it heaved beneath her feet and she fainted. "Help!" Neville screamed as he caught the witch. "Help!" Healers were already rushing toward them as Neville lifted Lily and tried not to panic.

…