Be Here Now

Disclaimer: I'm not going to write this.

A/N: OH MERLIN, IT'S THE LAST CHAPTER! I just want to say thank you to ALL OF YOU, people who've read and reviewed, read and put me on story alert, read and put me on author alert, read and pressed favorite for my story, and who've just read. I wouldn't have made it anywhere without you all, and most certainly not to this last chapter! So thank you all of you! This chapter is dedicated to you, all of you, because you've made plenty of my days. I hope I can deliver.

Temy the Bloodedge: Thank you!

MaNyMiNdGaMeS: Ha-ha, eat some chocolate.

QueenKittieKat: I'm prolonging their lives in the sequel, but he'll still fit the prophecy.

Lozzi3101: I will, and I can't either! You will get through it. :D Good luck! Thank you!

twilightstargazer: You probably won't love me after this, then. ;)

x.o.x.o.x.

Lily wakes up as the sun rises over the Hogwarts grounds on the last day of May. The sunlight pours into her room, illuminating her home for the past nine months. She lies there, still and silent, as she appreciates what has gone on this year. Everything had made her stronger. Memories of the past seven years flash across her eyes and she finds herself laughing and crying at the same time. This castle, in its ups and downs, had been her home for the past seven years. You got attached to a place after seven long years of bloodshed, homework, exams, tears, and friendships ending and beginning. She climbs out of bed. The graduation ceremonies would begin in two hours, and Hilary, Alice, and Dorcas were coming to her room to get ready just about… now.

Knock, knock.

"Come in," Lily calls.

Her friends stumble into the room, holding dresses and shoes and makeup bags.

Lily chuckles. "You could have shrunk all that stuff."

Hilary mock-glares as she dumps her stuff with the others' onto the ground. "Let's get started, girls!"

x.o.x.o.x.

Standing in front of the mirror, Lily is pleased with her final dressy outfit in Hogwarts. She wears a white strapless mini-dress that puffs out slightly and a green flower clipped above her right hip. In her ears are dangling diamonds, and her deep red hair spills down over her shoulders. On her feet are white wedge sandals, and her nails and toenails are done in French manicures.

Hilary joins her, also stunning in a purple strapless dress with a high black waist that also has a flower attached, this one purple. She wears no earrings. Her dress is a lighter shade above the waist and a slightly darker one under. On her feet are purple pumps.

Alice joins them, wearing a fantastic red dress that sweeps the ground with ruffles along the bottom. No flower for her, or earrings. Her brown hair is swept up into a bun, and her feet are clad in red sandals.

Finally, Dorcas joins the group. She wears a simple yellow sundress that stops at her knees, revealing her yellow sandals that cover her feet. Her hair is swept to one side and clipped.

"Let's go," Lily says, and they step into the Head Common Room.

x.o.x.o.x.

"The class of 1978 is a special one, and you can tell by our Head Girl and Boy, who will be making their speeches now. First is our Head Girl, Miss Lily Evans, who has graduated with the top marks in the school," Dumbledore announces, his voice carrying over the Black Lake and above the heads of the graduating class and their families.

Lily steps up to the podium, smiling around. "I am Lily Evans, this year's Head Girl. I've wanted this position since third year, and I did get it. I am Muggle-born, and truly not afraid to admit it, because we are all human beings. We should be treated the same.

"When I first got to Hogwarts, I was thrust headfirst into a brand-new world, a world full of magic, love, happiness, prejudice, unhappiness, and loss. I experienced the last three, the bad ones, the summer after I got out of fourth year. I had gone home and found my parents' dead bodies lying in my house. I heard my sister screaming at me to get out. No child should have to feel that way. And Hogwarts protects us from that. It is not only our protector, but our home. I have made and lost many friendships over the years, but I treasure each and every one of them. I conquered obstacles thrown in my way.

"We live in dark times indeed, but with pure love, we can stop Voldemort" – a ripple of flinches go through the crowd – "but only if we all try and just love. Because we have a power that he knows not: love. We love our peers, our children, our siblings, our friends, our spouses. We would do anything for them. These are dark times, but if you can find that light switch, switch the light on. It could reach further than you can imagine. And don't be afraid to fail. Because mistakes can teach you more than perfectness could ever teach you. So thank you, Headmaster Dumbledore, professors, and above all, my classmates, for giving me these past seven years to treasure and cherish for the rest of my life."

Clapping rings around the grounds and Lily lowers her head and raises it again before heading back to her seat. The claps continue as Dumbledore reclaims the podium.

"And next we have this year's Head Boy, Mr. James Potter."

More clapping.

"I am James Potter, this year's Head Boy. I never thought that I would get this position, unlike Miss Evans here, and I honestly suspected that Headmaster Dumbledore was off his rocker while picking me." Appreciative laughter breaks into his speech. "But I've survived, and I've loved this year. I was born into a magical family, but there was still so much Hogwarts taught me. I was only eleven, so I learned more at Hogwarts in seven years than from my parents in eleven, no offense, Mum." More laughter. "This year, my father died."

Everyone bows their head in a moment of silence for the Head Auror, except for the Slytherins and their parents.

"He was a respected man and all that. It was a shock, nothing less, when Mum's letter reached me. I was very sad, but my friends were there to pull me through.

"As Miss Evans said, we do live in dark times. And I'm certain that we can pull through. Thank you."

James felt that his speech was inadequate next to Lily's eloquent one, but he is still awarded with equal applause as he steps down from the stage to sit in his row.

"Thank you, Miss Evans and Mr. Potter. And now, we will begin the diploma handout," McGonagall says, taking the magical microphone.

The first of them to graduate officially from Hogwarts is Sirius.

"Black, Sirius," McGonagall calls.

Sirius jumps up and heads onstage, hugging McGonagall. "Thanks, Minnie! I would kiss you, but Hilary would not be pleased!"

Laughter rings around as McGonagall hurries Sirius on his way. Winking at the crowd, Sirius leaps offstage and heads across to their tree, where he would wait.

"Evans, Lily!"

Lily stands and accepts her diploma, hugging McGonagall. "Thank you for everything, Professor."

McGonagall smiles fondly. "You are most welcome, Miss Evans."

Lily steps in front of Dumbledore, shaking his hand. "Thank you for everything, sir."

Dumbledore smiles, his eyes twinkling. "Don't mention it, Miss Evans."

"Prewett, Alice!"

"Lupin, Remus!"

"Meadows, Dorcas!"

"Pettigrew, Peter!"

"Potter, Hilary!"

"Potter, James!"

It was like the Sorting all over again, but this time, instead of joining the Gryffindor House table (or in Dorcas' case, the Hufflepuff table), the group headed for the tree, where they stared out into the lake.

"It's over," mutters Lily.

"And done," Hilary adds.

Natalia comes running up, dragging Isabel.

"Congratulations, all of you! I can't believe you're all done!" cries Natalia, hugging her children and surrogate child. "How are your relationships?"

Sirius and Hilary simply beam as Alice raises her left hand.

After she finishes squealing over Alice's ring, Natalia says, "What about you two?"

Lily and James avoid eye contact with either Natalia or each other.

Natalia's eyes narrow. "You broke up?"

"Technically, James broke up with her," Hilary helpfully declares.

As Natalia turns murderous eyes on her only son, the others find it fit to escape, carrying Isabel along.

x.o.x.o.x.

That night, every seventh year falls asleep sad, even Slytherins. As Lily punches her pillow into a more comfortable position, she sighs. Seven years, and it had turned out this way. She couldn't have wished for a better ending, except, of course, that she and James were still together. They were so cold to each other now, and it broke Lily's heart. She had no idea how her heart was still operating after so many breaks. But it had made her stronger, and she would push further on, using her skills and knowledge and seven years of education to the best of her ability. Because she owed that, at least, to her parents. At the thought of them, tears begin streaming down her face. Instead of Natalia questioning her, it should have been her parents, swooping in for a hug after she graduated, clapping with pride as she finished her speech, and bragged to the other parents about her marks.

In the next room, James's eyes are wet at the thought of his father, who should have been there to applaud and congratulate them, not just his mum. He knew that Hilary was also crying in the Gryffindor dorms, trying to hide it from Alice, Marlene, Kate, and Naomi. It wasn't supposed to be a day for crying. It was a day for celebration. They had finished Hogwarts.

x.o.x.o.x.

As the train speeds away from Hogwarts for the last time in Lily's life, she sits alone in the Head compartment, watching the countryside whip past. She touches the glass windowpane lightly with her fingertips. James was with the Marauders. If only her parents and James, her three most loved people, could be here now.

x.o.x.o.x.

A/N: DONE! Whew! I was so involved in this story, I can't believe it's finished! I've loved writing this as much as I hope you loved reading it! I will be replying to reviews in the first chapter of the sequel! I hope I delivered, and that you enjoyed it! Thank you for staying with me, and the sequel should be up tomorrow or Thursday! Until the sequel, which will be found in my profile…

~Ashley, aka TrueLoveIs4ever