And here we have my first Lily-centric chapter! I wanted to check in on what she was up to while the Marauders were busy getting up to their mischief. Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoyed!

Lily Evans was a lot of things. At Hogwarts she was the perfect student, the perfect friend, a leader for students her age and younger. At home she was the perfect daughter, the perfect friend to Severus for as long as she could be while maintaining her sanity. She was the cute little redhead who lived at the house off the main road with the white picket fence, and in her later years the beautiful young woman who had blossomed like her mother's rose bushes while off at that mysterious boarding school she attended. But there was one thing Lily wasn't, and that was the perfect sister. Of course, sisters were wont to fight, that's practically in the job description, but Petunia and Lily were different. They just found it impossible to get along from the moment Lily received her letter from Hogwarts.

Petunia had spent so many years watching her sister continue to achieve so much, being made Prefect, straight A's in subjects which Petunia could not begin to grasp, along with the fact that she was a witch of course, perfect Lily with her ability to turn animals into tea cups and make things disappear out of thin air. Her parents were always fascinated by the tales she spun every break she returned, while Petunia sat at the table grinding her teeth down to the enamel in fury. Petunia was not a bad student, A's and B's, but she wasn't as good as Lily. She wasn't prefect, but she was founder and president of a club at her school for young women interested in science, a huge achievement for a young woman growing up in the 1970s. And sure, Petunia wasn't as beautiful as Lily, but she liked to think that she was at least pretty, and that somewhere out there someone worthwhile would find her even more beautiful than her perfect little sister.
Meanwhile, Lily had made a bad habit of basking in her parents' praise, often shunting Petunia to the side and making her feel even lesser by comparison. She didn't mean to do it exactly, but she certainly never attempted to shut it down, maybe ask Petunia how her school year had gone. Of all the things she was Lily was still a Gryffindor, and although she would never admit it, actually had a lot more in common with James Potter than anyone would have expected, particularly a love for attention. Lily, however desired positive attention while James didn't seem to care what he was doing so long as the attention was on him.

It was for all of these reasons that for Lily returning home for another summer was particularly painful especially given the recent loss of her best friend just across the road. Lily arrived home to a cold shoulder from Petunia which was typical but had continued growing colder these past few years until it infected everyone in the house. They sat at dinner the first night of Lily's return in complete silence, their parents glancing between their two daughters nervously before Lily's mother decided to try and make an attempt at conversation.

"So, Lily you had some important exams this term correct?"

Petunia snorted, and Lily bit her lip before putting on her warmest smile. Her father gave Petunia a stern glance, silencing her.

"Yeah, the OWLs," Petunia made another snorting noise at that before Lily continued, "Er, ordinary wizarding level, I should have my results towards the end of the summer, but I think I did well."

"I'll bet you did," Petunia said with a bite in her tone that was not lost on Lily. She glanced at her sister, but continued trying to keep conversation going.

"What about you Tuney? Mom and Dad said you've signed up for a typing course in London."

Lily took a bite of her chicken as Petunia looked up.

"Yes, it should be quite useful." Petunia replied icily.

"Good," Lily said trying not to let her hurt show.

"Well shall we retire to the living room for tea?" Mr. Evans, always the mediator between his two daughters spoke up clapping his hands together.

"I actually have some work to do Father," Petunia said, "Thank you for the lovely dinner Mother." Petunia turned to her mother and father in that oddly formal way she'd adopted over the past couple of years, making her way to her room.

Lily watched after her, turning towards her parents with a bright smile.

"Well, Mum, could I help you with the tea?"

She turned to her mother who nodded, a saddened look on her face. Lily pulled her into a hug, ever the perfect daughter. Her mother held her tight.

"I'm glad you're home." She whispered into Lily's dark red hair.

"Yeah, me too." She said, trying so hard to mask the dishonesty in that statement.

Her mother beamed at her which Lily interpreted as a success. She turned away, allowing her smile to fall for just a moment before taking a deep breath and busying herself with the kettle. Her mother spoke up from the living room where she'd settled down next to Lily's father.

"Oh, Lily we're going to have a little get together tomorrow for all the neighbors. Why don't you invite that friend of yours who lives down in Spinner's End?"

"Ah yes Tobias Snape's boy. You two normally come off the train together isn't that right?" Her father chimed in.

"Yes, we do." Lily replied, trying to keep any tears from welling up, blinking them back and clearing her throat.

"I didn't see him this year." Mr. Evans remarked.

"He…we just had a fight that's all." Lily said, her hands shaking as she poured the tea.

"Oh, that's a shame. Maybe you can patch things up over the summer darling?" Her mother replied, having stood up to put sugar and milk out on the table.

"Yeah, maybe." Lily replied, bringing the tea into the living room where her mother and father sat smiling brightly…for them because they needn't know why she had no intention of restarting her friendship with the boy from Spinner's End.

Lily made her way upstairs where an owl was perched patiently on her windowsill. She recognized it at once as Marlene's owl Artemis. She immediately let her in, grabbing the note she carried and ripping it open. Artemis hooted indignantly as she pecked at Lily's empty water dish which sat by her bed in case of the arrival of any thirsty owls from friends over the summer.

"Oh, sorry Artie." Lily grabbed the water bowl carrying it to the upstairs bathroom which she and Petunia shared, slightly annoyed that she had to bother filling it up, waiting impatiently for the day she turned seventeen and could finally just cast Aguementi in this circumstance. Better yet she would be able to have her own owl along with a cage that other owls could share from. Her parents generally loved everything magic, finding it fascinating, but having a "dirty, dangerous bird" in the house was something her mother would simply not allow despite Lily's insistence on its importance in the wizarding world.

Lily set the water down on her bedside table, and Artemis drank thirstily from the bowl as she turned back to the already torn apart envelope. She pulled the note out scanning it eagerly having not expected to hear from her best friend so soon.

Lily,
I hope you're doing alright. If Petunia gives you a hard time just politely inform her that you are very capable of turning her into a toad.

Lily chuckled at that.

Anyway, I wanted to invite you to my house this summer for a little bit longer. I know we normally do a week or so at some point with the others, but I asked my parents and they said you're welcome to stay as long as you like. So, if you need a break or anything just reach out. Maybe we can check out a quidditch match! I know you've never been to a professional one. Please don't be a stranger this summer.
Lots of Love,
Marlene

Lily beamed, reading the letter over and over. Marlene had always been there for her ever since they met in first year. Lily had been more nervous than ever having been sorted into Gryffindor away from the only other wizard she'd ever known. She had entered the dormitory hesitantly staying in the common room for as long as she could before nearly falling asleep in the chair by the fire, but Marlene had seemingly immediately picked up on her anxieties.

"Hi, it's Lily, right?" Marlene whispered to her from her bed where she was reading by wand light.

Lily was shocked to see that Marlene was awake, and even more surprised to see her first bit of magic performed on purpose by a wizard her age.

"Yes, that's me." She answered back, making her way to her trunk where she pulled out a pair of pajamas, trying to look busy so she could avoid Marlene's curious gaze.

"I'm Marlene. I've just been trying to read up on everything before tomorrow. I'm sort of nervous." She confided, a sheepish grin on her face.

"I'm sure you'll be fine." Lily said, not looking her in the eye, "You're already using magic, and besides you've known you're a wizard your whole life. I just found out. If anyone's going to be behind it's me."

"Oh, this? It's really a simple spell, nothing impressive." Lily shrugged, pulling on her nightgown over her top, and removing her clothing underneath.

Marlene closed her book and moved to the edge of the bed.

"I can show you if you like." She said, looking warmly at Lily who finally looked up at her and nodded.

Marlene beamed and pulled Lily onto her bed giggling while Lily shushed her for fear of waking their sleeping roommates. Lily pulled out her own wand tentatively while Marlene showed her the movement.

"So, you just wave it and say Lumos. Go on you try."

Lily bit her lip, closed her eyes tight and spoke the incantation, "Lumos."

The girls both yiped and jumped back in shock as Lily's wand tip emitted a blast of powerful white light which erupted into a tiny yellow flame on Marlene's bed hangings. They quickly snuffed it out, and immediately fell into a fit of giggles as their roommates awoke in fright.

"What happened?" Mary Macdonald spoke up anxiously.

The two girls were inconsolable, giggling rambunctiously, before Lily finally calmed down enough to speak.

"We lit Marlene's bed hangings on fire."

"Oh God is everything alright?" Susan said next.

"Just fine, it was brilliant actually. I didn't know Lumos could do that." Marlene said.

Alice was laughing now too, "If you aren't focusing it can. Father told me there was a boy whose entire wand burned up in his first year. I'm Alice by the way. Alice Fortescue."

"Nice to meet you. Sorry for the wake-up call, it shouldn't happen again." Marlene said.

"I should hope not, or we're going to have to put a fire extinguisher under your bed." Mary said next, giggling as well.

"Fire extinguisher?" Alice asked curiously.

Mary blushed bright red.

"Sorry do you not have those in the wizard world?"

"Well, not really we would just summon water, wouldn't we?" Alice said.

"So, you're muggleborn, then?" Susan asked, curious as well.

"Yeah." Mary replied.

Lily stayed silent, looking nervously for a response from these two unknowns.

"Cool, I'm pureblood, but it's not all it's cracked up to be. My family is rubbish at muggle stuff. My Uncle Florean got a citation last year for getting stuck on the muggle train on his way to London. He got his apparition license taken away you see and he hates broomsticks, says they hurt his back, so he figured how hard could muggle transportation be? Well, he had the bright idea to try to help the train along, speed it up so to speak and he ended up knocking the train off its track, got stuck for nearly four hours." The girls all began laughing hysterically at the image of Alice's uncle decked out in purple wizard robes, hat, and beard sitting on a muggle train while the muggle workers ran about trying to work out exactly what had happened.

"I'm halfblood, so my dad's worked really hard to make sure we all were well enough equipped with the muggle world. He met my mum in a muggle bar and then had me and my brother." Susan said in response.

"Is your brother a wizard too then?" Lily asked, nervously.

"Yeah of course, he's a third year, Ravenclaw." Susan replied. "What about you?" She asked.

"I have an older sister, Petunia, but she's not a witch." Lily said.

"Well, that happens, especially with muggleborns. I'm sure it'll be fine. There's plenty of cool muggle jobs aren't there?" Marlene asked trying to ease Lily's obvious fears.

"Yeah, I guess so." She answered, although she didn't sound certain.

Before Marlene could say anything more a yawn escaped her throat, leading Alice to speak up, motherly figure as she was: "Alright, we should probably be getting to bed with first classes tomorrow and everything."

"Yeah, I guess so." Marlene sighed, faking annoyance, but settling into a peaceful sleep nearly instantly.

The rest of the girls drifted off one by one, all except Lily. As much as Marlene had tried to ease her concerns Lily couldn't help thinking of Petunia, stuck in regular school with maths and English and science, all subjects that they had complained endlessly about together before Lily had found out what she was. She thought of Petunia who had hardly given Lily a second glance all summer, and had barely managed to choke out a goodbye, their last interaction ending with her labeling Lily a freak and stalking off. Hot tears streaked down Lily's cheeks as she thought of the pain of that last goodbye, and how she wasn't sure if Petunia would ever manage to forgive her for being born differently. She thought of Severus and how he had been the one to convince her to go through Petunia's things, something which had made her so angry, and immediately banished the thought. It was Petunia's own fault for being such a pompous, jealous, know-it-all. Lily felt a red-hot anger overcome her as she decided resolutely that she had done nothing wrong. She was born special, that was all, given a tremendous gift which brought her parents so much joy. Why couldn't Petunia just feel that same joy with them?
Lily rolled over, staring moodily into the dark of her new bedroom, wishing that Petunia would walk through the door and apologize for treating her so poorly. Not fifty feet from Lily's bed another child brooded, thinking of his own sibling and parents all of whom would be furious with him for the events of that evening. As they both lay awake in their scarlet and gold four posters thinking of classes and friends and difficult families they wondered if they could pull off one more stretch of accidental magic. They screwed their eyes up tight and wished to some unseen power for just a little more time between the darkness of the night and the dreadful arrival of tomorrow.

Lily Evans had no idea how similar her and Sirius were, particularly in those first few years adjusting to a whole new way of life, adjusting to being hated by family members, adjusting to new friends and new classes. She saw Sirius as James Potter's little lackey, a boy with no opinions of his own who lived to torment her ex-best friend. Although maybe the boy had asked for it on multiple occasions, he didn't deserve it, did he? It was common knowledge that Sirius was a member of the Black family, proud purebloods, but having come from the muggle world Lily really didn't have a full understanding of just how much that meant to a family like Sirius'. She could never imagine him being treated the way he was at home just for being sorted into the wrong house. She, like many, remembered the howler Sirius had received in first year, but she figured it was just a case of strict parents who had a specific way of the life they wanted their son to lead, despite loving him anyway. She had never considered that this letter was far from the last one. She hadn't considered that although trying to keep up appearances Sirius' family loved to remind him of how unwelcome he was in their home. To Lily Sirius was just another arrogant boy who put on a rebel act to disappoint his parents. She never considered that the rebellion was perfectly founded in a desire to escape a cycle of cruelty that he had become desperate to end.
Setting aside her musings about that first night at Hogwarts Lily forced herself back to the present. She pulled out a quill and ink, along with a piece of paper, and wrote Marlene back right away.

Marlene,
Thanks for such a quick report! Honestly, did you write this while we were still on the train? Things are ok here. Tuney's being a priss as usual, but she's leaving in a month for a typing course in London (about the most boring Muggle job out there), so I should be alright. I'd certainly enjoy seeing a Quidditch match, especially one where I won't have to listen to Sirius Black's incessant commentary. Please write soon about dates. I miss you already!
Lots of Love,
Lily

Lily blew on the ink before folding her letter in thirds, and placing it in an envelope which she kept stacked on the desk in the corner of her room. She moved towards Artemis who put out her leg, eager to please as usual, giving Lily a friendly hoot before swooping out of her open window on her way to deliver Lily's letter to Marlene. Lily watched her fly off into the warm evening air, leaving her window open, allowing the breeze to sift through her long, red hair. Her mind drifted back once again as she watched a cloud drift over the moon.

It was the beginning of her second year. She had gone to the Gryffindor quidditch matches in her first year but hadn't really found much to enjoy in them. She had always found sports quite boring, her father having been obsessed with watching football on the television ever since she was a little girl, and saw Quidditch as no different. But it was in her second year, sitting in the common room listening to James Potter of all people that her tune changed.

"Rejected again, honestly Sirius I don't know what else they want."

He kicked a cabinet in frustration, staring out the window at the distant quidditch pitch where the Gryffindor team was practicing. He had tried out for the second year in a row, and once again been denied. Lily felt a smug satisfaction at that, believing that a boy like James Potter could really benefit from being knocked down a peg.

"Honestly, I don't know what you're getting so bent out of shape about. It's just a bunch of wankers flying around on broomsticks. There's better uses of our time." Sirius said, lying across one of the comfy chairs by the fire, legs stuck out at two odd angles.

"Better uses of our time? How can my own best mate say something so blasphemous? Quidditch is only the greatest form of athletic and intellectual feat to ever grace the wizarding world." James said.

"Oh, here he goes." Sirius faked a yawn as James' face heated up with fury.

"You'll be sure to make the team next year James." Peter spoke up; honestly didn't he have any thoughts of his own?

"Shut up Peter." James said, causing Peter to immediately deflate.

"Sirius, when you're on your broom with the wind whipping through your hair, it's like nothing you've ever known, and making that first goal, catching that snitch, that's better than any prank could ever feel. It's like…"

"…coming home." Sirius said in a voice of mock awe. "You've gone off on this rant over a dozen times mate honestly give it a rest. Petey's right. There's always next year."

"Don't call me that." Peter said, quietly so that Sirius might not hear. Unfortunately for him he did, and he responded by flicking Peter in the head.

Sirius just smirked at him. James checked his watch, impatiently. "I'm going to go visit Remus."

"You'll have to be quick there, mate."

"Or not." James replied with a wink.

Sirius smirked and remained in his position, eyes closed, as Peter turned back to puzzle over his transfiguration homework. James, on the other hand, made his way up to the dorm, and didn't ever come down, which surprised Lily as he had just said he was going to visit Remus. The only real movement in the common room after he had left happened when two seventh years returning from quidditch practice seemingly tripped on air upon entering through the portrait hole, falling over each other in a tangle of limbs. Lily could have sworn she heard the distinctive laughter of James Potter but figured she must have mistaken Sirius' hearty chuckle for that of his friend; they were so similar after all. Lily waited for hours for James to come down, getting curious now, as Sirius and Peter had long since gone up to bed. She nodded off a couple of times but couldn't mistake the creak of the portrait hole opening again. She blinked her eyes open, noticing the wide-open door, and the heavy sound of recently slowed footsteps and poorly disguised heavy breathing. Her eyes narrowed, she moved forward towards the door, following the noise of someone clearly trying to cover the sound of their breathing as if having just run a marathon. She stuck her hand out and yelped in shock as she came into contact with something quite solid.

"Ickle firsties out past 10, no time to return to their dorms again." The unmistakable voice of Peeves the Poltergeist announced that he was making his way towards the Gryffindor common room.

She glanced at the spot where her hand had just hit something, and reached out, grabbing onto a piece of fabric. With a great yank a sweaty, red-faced James Potter was revealed underneath some kind of cloak that rendered him…invisible. She glanced between him and the open portrait hole, noticing Peeves having almost arrived. She moved quickly, slamming the door shut, hearing a loud raspberry being blown outside in response.

"So, you caught me."

James spoke up, a false smirk overtaking his face. Lily noticed his eyes glance down to her hand where she was still holding his cloak. He made to reach for it, but she pulled back.

"Come on Evans, give me my cloak back." James said, playfully at first.

"No." Lily said it firmly. She didn't know what she was doing, but this cloak was obviously important to Potter and instrumental in much of his mischief making, which meant she had some leverage, which she wasn't about to give up quickly.

"Evans, don't make me hex you." James said that same smirk across his face.

"Go ahead. Then you'll get detention…again." She replied, still gripping the cloak tightly in her right hand.

"But I'll have my cloak back." James said, but in his eyes flickered a warmth that Lily rarely saw from the boy, a warmth that he most often reserved for Sirius.

"You're not going to hex me, Potter." She said, knowing somehow that she was right.

James tightened his jaw, furious that she was calling his bluff.

"What do you want Evans?" He asked, slightly dropping his carefree façade. It was late and, after all, no one was around anyway.

"I want you to lay off Severus." Lily said.

"Snively? Why would I do that?" James asked that goofy smirk gracing his face once more.

"Because if you don't." She moved, holding the cloak over the fire. "I'll burn this."

"No! You don't want to do that Evans, come on." James' panicked expression caught Lily off guard, after all it was just a charmed cloak, but she remained resolute in her choice.

"Say you'll lay off of him." She said it firmly again.

"Alright, alright, we'll lay off him," James said, but before Lily could return the cloak, he thought of something, and adjusted his statement "but if he attacks first all bets are off."

"Done." Lily replied, not considering the idea that her Severus would ever attack first, after all he was the victim of the marauders, right? She handed the cloak over, James clutching it close to his chest as if it was his child.

"Thanks Evans, and you won't go telling anyone that I was out past curfew, right?" James asked, covering his bases.

"I figured that would cancel out our deal anyway." She replied, James nodded, looking as though he was turning to leave once again before Lily spoke up, "You were visiting Remus?"

"Yeah, he's just ill." James said, a little too quickly. Lily pretended not to notice, she didn't have a problem with Remus, not like the others, and genuinely hoped that he would feel better soon. He'd been ill a lot lately. James was about to turn to leave again, when Lily spoke up once more.

"Hey James?" She said, stopping him again, her burning curiosity too much to ignore.

"Yeah?" He said, turning around.

"The way you were talking about quidditch, you really love it that much?" Lily asked.

"Always have, it's not the same when you're just watching. You have to live it." He answered, a romantic look glazing his eyes before he shook it off once more. "Night Evans."

"Night Potter." Lily said, but James was already gone, obviously making his way back upstairs to tell his friends about his latest adventure.

It was after that conversation that Lily tried to pay attention to quidditch the way James did. She would never tell anyone, but she even tried to watch him just to see the light in his eyes as he watched the players. He never missed a match, James, not even the ones where Gryffindor didn't play, and after their meeting in the common room Lily didn't either. You could see the gears in his brain calculating every play, every throw, every movement. It was fascinating, at least until Marlene elbowed Lily and teased her for crushing on Potter to which Lily stuck out her tongue and made a gagging noise. But still for the rest of that year Lily couldn't help stealing glances at James Potter, and once he finally made the team in third year it was much easier to watch him.

He was right, that light in his eyes when he flew on his broom, scored a goal, blocked an opposing player was unlike anything Lily had ever seen. He had a passion for the game that Lily couldn't help but admire, not that she'd ever tell anyone of course. James Potter was a bully, annoying, and the most arrogant git she'd ever had the displeasure to know. But still you couldn't help but admire the boy as he flew, playing a game that he loved with all his heart, that contagious smile bringing cheers from all crowds, and even pulling a smile from Lily as well, no matter how much she tried to suppress it.

"Lily! How many times have I told you to keep these bloody owls away from my window?!"

Lily broke out of her memories once again, making her way quickly towards Petunia's room.

"Sorry Tuney, I'll take care of it!"

She couldn't believe she'd been daydreaming about James Potter of all people. Sure, he was good at quidditch, and objectively attractive, but that didn't change the fact that he was far too pompous for his own good, not to mention attacking innocent bystanders for the fun of it, Severus not being the only one to receive hexes from James and his little gang. Lily didn't quite care about the rules he broke, so long as it was harmless, but the cruelty of many of his "jokes" and complete inability to avoid attention was something she could not overlook.

Lily made her way into Petunia's room where she was met with a stern glare, which she promptly ignored moving towards the window where she let the owl in to Petunia's firm protests.

"Just relax alright?" Lily said, distracted as she tried to coax the owl onto her arm so she could bring it into the other room.

"I will not relax. It's bad enough I have to deal with your stories on a daily basis without these constant reminders of your abnormality coming to my window."

"Well, I'm so sorry Petunia that my abnormality is such an inconvenience for you." Lily said, ignoring anything Petunia might have to say next, bringing the owl back into her room.
It was carrying a clipping from the daily prophet sent to her by Alice.

Muggle Family Found Dead

In another shocking turn of events
Here in Britain a muggle family has
Been found dead in East Sussex. Their
"Pleasemen" have declared the death
Of a family of four through unknown
Circumstances. Unfortunately, we in
The Wizarding World have seen this
sort of thing far too many times. The
lack of any clear markings along with
any clear motive bear all the signs of
the infamous Killing Curse. It appears
that the Death Eaters have struck again
in Britain, and with these cases growing
ever more prominent, we have to wonder
is anyone safe?

Lily threw the clipping to the ground, rubbing her tired eyes at the sign of yet another innocent family lying dead through no fault of their own. She wondered if they even knew what was happening, if they'd even seen the culprits, or if they had been sitting together, maybe watching the television when suddenly…nothing. She listened to the laughter of her parents drifting up the stairs, glancing at the paper lying on her floor. She stared out the window, feeling that same dread in her stomach of that oncoming storm. The feeling that something was coming that was far out of her control. With more dead muggles and muggleborns every day she couldn't help but worry that the ache in her stomach wasn't unfounded. She knew that Alice was just trying to keep her prepared, as was Alice's way, but this news just left Lily's stomach in knots. She wanted to curl up into a ball and stay there in a perfectly safe word without evil wizards and ex-best friends whose ultimate goal was to see her and her family either dead or enslaved. After being introduced to the wizarding world Lily had never imagined the prejudice that a witch like her would have to face. She was worried of course that she wouldn't know as much spellwork or history to keep up with her fellow classmates, but she had quickly discovered that not only did she survive wizard training but she thrived. And now here she was at the crossroads of a new destiny questioning everything she'd ever believed in, and realizing with a heavy heart, that thriving in school might not be enough to survive anymore. She would have to do better. She was safe, for now, but what about after? Only time would tell, but she knew she wasn't going to be able to do it alone.