DISCLAIMER: I don't own Hogwarts or anything familiar, that's J.K. Rowling.

Chapter one - Prologue

Lily once again pulled out the now very creased, very worn, piece of paper and read over the few lines on it to make sure she wasn't missing something. She couldn't take it anymore. Running up the stairs she found the seventh year boys dorm. Taking a deep breath, Lily tried to prepare herself for what she might see when she opened the door. Placing her small hand on the door knob she pushed open the door. It squeaked but Lily wasn't worried about that, it wouldn't have mattered if she had run in screaming for there would be no one to hear it. Classes were on so there was no one to witness the perfect Lily Evans breaking down on the floor crying.

The seventh year Griffindor boys dorm was clean. The beds were made and it smelled faintly of air freshener. Lily couldn't take it anymore. Pulling herself off of the floor she ran. She ran past the messy dorms and the empty common room. She ran past the Fat Lady and Peeves. The front doors were open as if expecting her and Lily ran through those too. It wasn't until she reached the beech tree by the lake did she collapse next to it.

Pulling out the letter once more, she tried to figure out what he meant, what on earth he could have been thinking and came up, yet again, blank. Lily closed her eyes, falling onto the soft awaiting grass. She breathed in the clean air that blew through the trees. Nothing like the musky smell she had smelt only moments ago. He was gone. So were her friends. And all they left was a note. Not only was it a crappy note but it had only one paragraph. No explanation. No whereabouts. No feeling or anything. Lily felt so helpless. She hated herself for it too. She had gotten herself caught up in it all, again her better judgement and look where it landed her. In a heap next the the Black Lake.

This year had been so amazing. So eventful, so much better than the others. Until now. She had taken James's offer and trusted he knew what he was talking about, that in itself should have raised a flag in her head. Lily, trusting James Potter? Ridiculous. But that was the thing, that whole year had been ridiculous. As much as she hated to admit it, she had loved every minute of it. And that made her hate it more. Sighing, she started to drift off. Her breathing began to deepen and her hand that held the dreaded letter relaxed.

Dear Lils,

I'm so sorry but this is the only way I think I can say this to you. I have to

leave, I have to go, Hogwarts isn't where I'm meant to be right now. I can't

take you with me, I hope you understand. Don't come looking for me. Don't

write to me. Burn this letter, try to forget me and run. Run as fast and as

far as you can. I'm so sorry for dragging you into this but I thought, well, I

didn't think and that's why this is happening. Maybe one day we'll meet again

but for now, I need to fight, I need to forget.

James

Lily opened her eyes and she knew what she had to do. Grabbing her bag she ran up to her room, there were a few things she would need to collect first.

September 1st - Seventh Year

"So when are you going to tell me how the mighty rule breaker, James Potter, became Head Boy?" Lily asked after all the prefects had left. A grin spread slowly across the boy's face as he leaned back into his seat as if about to begin a great tale.

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me," was all James Potter let slip.

Lily quipped a eyebrow and leaned forward and whispered ever so softly,"Try me." James laughed and shook his head.

"Well, it began 6 years ago when a redheaded girl knocked me over when she practically bolted through the wall between platform nine and ten."

Lily laughed, "Liar, you did not convince Professor Dumbledore to give you the position to declare your unyielding love for me. You do that every other day already."

"Ah, yet, alas, she still does not return the feelings. I told him the whole story and he was so moved he put a rule breaker like me in as head boy just to give me a chance with you. You don't want to let Dumbledore regret his decision now, do you?" James knew it was risky but the grin gave himself away, he knew it was worth a try. Lily looked at him for a while before pushing his shoulder,

"Liar. You are the biggest, fattest, ugliest liar to ever walk the planet!"

"I am most definitely not ugly,"

"You wont deny the rest?"

No response from James.

"You're not going to tell me are you?" Lily resolved. She knew her strategy was pointless, the only way to get the boy in front of her to speak was to go out with him, and that was never going to happen no matter how desperate she was.

"My lips are sealed," James told her while pretending to lock his lips and throw away the key. One last try, thought Lily.

"And here I was thinking maybe we could be friends this year. Well there goes that idea." James's eyes widened and he leaned forward in his seat capturing her hands with his.

"What a brilliant idea! But I can't tell you, Dumbledore's orders." Lily look skeptical then huffed as she got up from the plush red couch. The heads compartment was richly adorned with furniture. The red couch was for the heads and the velvet single seats were meant for the prefects. All placed on deep purple carpet and lined with gold thread. It truly looked magnificent. Lily did not want to spend her year away from the heads towers if they were anything like the heads compartment and if putting up with James was the only option, she supposed she should take it.

"I would say I trust you, but I don't." At this, James's face fell. "But we can work on that as we become friends this year." Lily didn't think she had ever seen James that happy unless he had just completed a well thought out prank. As James jumped up and pulled her into a great big bear hug, she found herself closing her eyes and maybe, just maybe, enjoying it just a tad.

Lily kicked open her trunk and began to pack everything in it. Halfway through she then realised she was a witch and pulled her wand out of its pocket on her arm and everything was packed. Shrinking the truck, she placed it carefully in her pocket. Looking around the room at the other four beds, messy and slept in, she found herself beginning to question her decision. No, she thought, this is what she had to do, this is what James would have done. Except, he ran away, leaving her, abandoning her in her time of need. Pushing the thoughts aside for another time, she tore her gaze from the room and began the walk to outside the castle.

The memory of the train ride, still fresh in her mind, made her stop for a second. Was it real? Was any of it real? It was for her, no doubt about that, but what was going through James's head? She stomped her foot and ran a hand quickly through her hair, she never knew what was going through that stupid boy's mind. So full of thoughts, so full of rubbish, so full of every single detail about absolutely everything.

What an idiot he was. How she missed him. How could he do this to her? Lily took a deep breath and headed back to the front doors she had run through only moments ago, but this time, she wasn't going back in. This time was going to be her last. And for the first time in a very long time Lily dismissed the thought because right away, that wasn't important right now. Nothing was. But him.

A/N Beta'd by ScarlettSunshine, go check out her stories!