Lily

An image of what appeared to be Lily Evans stared blankly back at her. Though the reflection had her face, she had trouble convincing the mirror that this young woman was actually her. The simple way her vibrant red hair fell over her shoulders, the prevalent curves around her waist, the piercing nature of her emerald eyes; it all seemed so over done, so fake. Over the past couple months, she supposed she had gotten used to it; dressing into something she wasn't. But it never really sunk in; just how different she looked dressed this way.

Lily wore layers of makeup around her eyes and lips, done professionally, of course, by a team her mother had hired this morning. She never had the girly instinct when it came to that kind of thing. She stared with cautious eyes at the reflection. It wasn't her. It was the woman her parents wanted her to be.

A tall man no older than twenty-two tousled with her hair, groaning impatiently.

"You know, Miss Evans, if you actually took care of your hair like I had asked you to, this process wouldn't be so difficult." Mark, her very much appreciated stylist, said as he ripped a brush through the last knot in the Lily's long, curly and overgrown hair. She stared at him through the mirror, her eyes narrowing on his as he worked. She smiled and refrained from shaking her head at him. Though there are many people on the team of pretentious snobs that irritated her, Mark was rarely one of them. He was young, and handsome, and not quite as rude as some of the others. He understood the kinds of pressure going on in Lily's life. Her father had been appointed Prime Minister at the start of the summer, and those years before it he was one of the highest men in the British government. Lily had grown up in a house of honor and was always taught how to behave in public. She was nameless. She was only the Minister's daughter.

It was strange growing up in her home. As a witch, she was able to inform her father about the Other Minister before he took office. It was much less awkward for him when they met. Her mother on the other hand, always found Lily's magic shameful. She was always trying to find a way to put her down.

"What is this meeting even about?" She said as she pushed a clump of hair away from her porcelain face, only to have it fall right back.

Mark attempted a smile, holding back a little. He grabbed the strand of hair, twisted it around his finger and tucked it into the bun he formed behind Lily's ear. "Miss Evans, I'm sure your father would appreciate your attendance. I don't believe he would ask you to come along unless there was a profound reason." His voice quaked, like he wanted to say more but stopped himself. Lily sensed this, but let it go.

Just as Mark pinned the final strand of hair into the complex bun behind her head, her older sister Petunia strode in. With messy, curly hair and the dullest brown eyes you'd ever encounter, she looked almost nothing like Lily. A frown was plastered across her face.

Noah Bagnold, Lily's most cherished friend, came running in behind Petunia. They met almost ten years ago when Lily's father's career took storm. Noah's father happened to be the Minister of Magic, but of course Lily didn't know that bit of information until she turned eleven. They basically grew up together, always finding adventures to go on when their parents were stuck in meetings. Once Lily received her letter, Noah sat by her side as Professor Dumbledore explained the concept of Hogwarts to her family. A long and anticipated train ride later, Noah was thrilled to have Lily be sorted into Gryffindor, his own house. But that was so long ago now. They had grown up a lot since then.

Noah was now a handsome twenty year old man with shaggy brown hair and palest blue eyes she'd ever seen. He wore a genuine smile and a classy grey suit, strutting about as he walked.

Mark bowed at Noah came up to his side, quietly muttering "Mr. Bagnold… Miss Evans" in a rushed and off guard tone.

Noah waved him off, smiling at the sight. "Mark, I've known you for years. You really don't need to do that every time I walk in the door. Honestly, just call me Noah. It's not like I'm royalty or anything."

Petunia on the other hand, huffed and strode over to Lily, arms folded against her chest. Mark nodded silently, whispering a thank you and walked over to the closet to pick out what Lily would be wearing in the evening. Mark was clearly intimidated by Petunia though she could never understand why.

True, being the children of the Minister they held high ground in Britain, but in Lily's mind, that caused no need for such intimidation... especially for Petunia.

She supposed it was the way her mother taught them to act in the presence of others; the way she must always hold herself, keep her chin up, stomach in, chest high, and walk with intent. It was maddening, though it seemed to fit Petunia's personality quite well.

Petunia bent down and tried to see her own reflection in the mirror, pushing Lily out of the way. Lily looked up at her, eyes darting. Petunia groaned and stepped back. "Wow, you almost look like a girl."

"Very funny Petunia."

"Well I think she looks beautiful." Noah stepped forward, nudging Petunia out of the way. He smiled encouragingly at Lily, knowing the stress her older sister caused her. Lily whispered a 'thank you' and looked back to the mirror.

"Oh, and Benny and the guys wanted to know if you'd like to come out to another scrimmage next week. You were fantastic last night! The guys were in such shock, they could hardly move!" Noah pranced around the room, imitating the game that took place the previous evening; jumping over end tables and rolling around the carpeted floor. "We should make that a permanent play!"

Lily rose from her seat, pulling the sides of the robe closer to her chest. "What can I say? I love quidditch."

The look across Petunia's face carried the upmost disgust. She blinked her eyes rapidly, holding her hands in the air. "You are a disgrace Lily!"

Noah came to an abrupt halt, staring daggers at Petunia. Lily just sat in her chair, trying to ignore her sister.

"Playing matches in the mud and this… horrid freak game… it's ghastly. You are supposed to be a proper young lady. But you wouldn't know anything about that, would you? You've always been shipped off to that stupid freak school. I'm surprised Dad hasn't found a more permanent solution for you…"

Lily stared in shock. But she began to understand she was never like the other girls in the hierarchy family. She'd rather be playing sports in the mud, or flying high above Britain playing Quidditch than go to some fancy Ball. She's observed they way her new 'friends' behave; how they strut about the town, talk up to the boys always while a smile on their face. Being what Britain considered Royalty, Lily knew it was all a façade. The way they walked, batted their eye lashes, laughed at every disgustingly lame joke; it was all part of the act. You must be liked in this town; there is no way around it. She had missed her friends at Hogwarts much more than she could say. True, they wrote often and tried their best to keep in touch, but after the graduation everyone seemed to go their separate ways. Marlene and Mary had gone straight into Auror training, meeting up with Alice who had graduated the year before. Lily thought of the Marauders, wondering where they had ended up. She knew that James and Sirius had wanted to be Aurors, but she had no idea about Remus or Peter. Perhaps, she should write. Remus had always been a good friend to Lily, even through her spats with James. With his, well, condition, it must have been incredibly difficult to find a job. A pain went through Lily as she thought about how unfortunate it was. Remus was such an intelligent, kind man. There was no reason not to hire him. Then she thought of herself. What was she doing? What did she have to show for? Nothing.

Her father had assumed the Minister position shortly after graduation. With all the ceremonies and events it was difficult to even think of a career path. She needed to support her father. Her family had grown wealthy through his position and her mother saw no need for Lily to get a job. "Jobs are for poor, ordinary people. You are none of those things, Darling."

After a while Lily realized she had wondered off in thought. She looked to Noah, whose arms were crossed firmly over his chest. That look on his face… he was trying very hard not to explode. Petunia drove him mad, especially the way she treated Lily. He bit his lip, breathing loudly. After a while he must have stopped trying to fight it.

"You know what Petunia? You aren't needed here. So why don't you just go crawl back into whatever black corner of this mansion you live in and stay there before I jinx your sorry ass into next Sunday."

Petunia stared at Noah, both with serious expression; neither wanted to budge. They were both so stubborn. But Noah stepped forward; squinting his eyes just a bit more. Petunia gave up.

"Ugh! Fine! I'll go." Petunia exclaimed. "It's not like I want to be here anyway."

"Sure you don't." said Noah.

Lily could hear Petunia's heels clicking the entire way down the hall. She looked to Noah, who seemed to glow with pride. "You didn't have to yell at her."

"Who yelled? I just threatened her a bit, is all." He shrugged, grinning wildly. "She was being mean to you."

"I appreciate it, Noah, really. But you don't need to baby me. I'm a big girl. I can handle Petunia." Lily said. She glanced up at Mark who nearly tripped over a pile of laundry in the middle of the room.

Mark stumbled back over to the siblings. "Pink or gold?" He asked as he held up two dresses, a tone of worry in his voice. The pink one was almost unbearable to look at, and the gold one had so many sequences Lily's eyes were wide with shock.

"You can not be serious. God knows I can't wear pink with this hair." Lily pointed a finger at her head, rolling her eyes.

Mark looked at the dresses, with the same face as hers, suggesting he didn't like them much either. "I'm sorry Miss, but Lady Annabelle suggested you look girly and presentable."

Lily grabbed the golden dress and held it next to her body. She snuffed at the possibility. It looked like an outlandish dance costume she wore in the 2nd grade. "Yeah, presentable, not tacky."

Noah began backing up towards the door. He stepped back, inch by inch. "You know what? I'm going to leave this little argument to the two of you. Have fun!" He was already down the hall before Mark could get in another word.

Suddenly, he threw the dresses on the floor and ran back to the closet in a rush. He fell to his knees and rummaged through the clothes. "Now, I know this may get me in some trouble, but I'm sure you'll back me up after you see this."

Mark tossed a simple black dress at Lily. "Put this on."

Lily snatched the dress from the air. Mark smiled and turned his back as the redhead released the belt around her robe. She allowed the sleeved to fall down her arms and suddenly the air felt cold against her skin.

"Almost done Miss?" Mark turned his head slightly to the right.

"Oi! Turn around!" Lily shouted throwing her arms across her body. Mark quickly turned back around. She quietly giggled to herself as she watched Mark's ears turn red. She grabbed the black fabric in her hands, feeling the smooth texture. Gently, she pulled the dress over her head, being careful to not mess with the delicate bun behind her head. After some quick adjustments she walked towards her friend. Lily tapped him on the shoulder. "How's it look?"

Mark smiled. His eyes lit up. "You look stunning. Take a peak." He grabbed her hand and walked her to the full length mirror. The dress was simple, but it was gorgeous. It was strapless, and wrapped tightly around her figure. A green belt set delicately around her curves. "It's amazing Mark, thank you."

He smiled and placed green stilettos at Lily's feet, clearly thrilled to hear redhead's approval. "It took me all night to make it. I figured you wouldn't wear those other dresses if I forced them on you."

"Amen to that." Lily said as she slipped her feet into the shoes.

Mark handed her a white cardigan. "Just put this on. We don't want you looking too sexy."

She smiled, placing the white sweater around her shoulders. Suddenly, a voice rang from the hallway. "Lily! Let's go! The meeting starts in five!" It was Noah. Always the patient one, she thought.

Lily turned to Mark and gave him a quick hug before running off to meet her brother. It was a lot harder running in high heels than she thought. The clicking against the floor echoed throughout the halls. Lily wasn't used to standing in heels, let alone running. Her ankle nearly gave out a few times before she met up with Noah.

Noah smiled, his eyes gazing over Lily's body subconsciously. "Wow, Lil, you look amazing."

"You don't look half bad yourself."

They stood together at the entrance of the conference hall. Albert, her father's personal Auror stepped in front of them. "Allow me." He grabbed the handle and pulled the door open. Inside, sat about twenty middle aged men in suits. The Minister of Magic sat next to her father. The two men chatted quietly in the corner, worried looks covering their faces. This had to be about the Wizarding War. What other reason was there to call a meeting with both ministers?

They all stood as Lily and Noah entered and took their seats next to their fathers. The room had a strange air about it. It was different. Her father seemed… troubled. Noah must have noticed too, because he grabbed Lily's hand and squeezed it.

The Minister of Magic stood, brushing out the wrinkles of his suit before beginning. "Many of you know why we have gathered here today, many do not. I am here to clear the air." He took a deep breath. "The rumors are true. Voldemort's followers are continuing to rise. He is indeed a serious threat and we can not ignore him any longer. Especially now. A particular threat has been made that I had to inform our friend, Minister Evans."

He pointed to a white envelop sitting at the center of the table. It had previously been opened and in black ink read To the Prime Minister. Lily stared at the envelope, curious as to what its contents read. Her father gestured for the mysterious paper. Lily grabbed it, and slid it down the long table. The Prime Minister waited a moment and then picked up the letter, and removed the envelope.

Before he read, he turned to his daughter. "I have brought you to this meeting because this letter concerns you. I am so very sorry my dear."

Lily became very tense. Suddenly, nothing else seemed to matter. If the letter had come from Voldemort, she knew it could not be good. She's heard of the things that man was responsible for; the deaths of many brave aurors, her neighbor Mrs. Carlton and a few students' parents from the other Wizarding Schools.

She looked to Noah. His eyes were incredibly sad but he forced out a smile. He knew something. He knew exactly what the letter contained.

Her heart beat quickened as her father cleared his throat.

"I assure you, in due time you're position will no longer be needed. For when my plan has been completed, only I shall be in charge. Even the Minister of Magic will be discarded. The mudbloods and muggles shall be ridden and the pure bloods will stand tall. In due time, my course will take its path. It needs time. But you, my dear Minister, need not worry for I have no need to kill you, yet. It is my understanding that your daughter is your most cherished possession. If circumstances were different and her blood wasn't filthy, I would consult her to join my forces. But instead, I am writing this letter to inform you that I will take your daughter, torture and murder her at the next conceivable moment. The fact that Miss Lily has dirty blood will make the task much more pleasurable for my servants. Do not misunderstand, commoner. This is no warning. You have no control over the upcoming events; do not try to stop them. Your daughter will die at my hands, Minister.

Lord Voldemort"

The room filled with silence as each member stared at the siblings. Lily couldn't fathom what was happening. The idea of her life in the hands of an unstable man frightened her. Lately not much could. She knew the war was beginning. She had never been naïve to the idea of Voldemort. But this felt all too real. Her breath quickened and suddenly the world began to spin.

The Minister of Magic stood up. "Now, as most of you know, we received a similar letter only a few days ago concerning Noah." He gestured towards his son. Lily spun around, wondering how on Earth he could have kept something like that from her. Noah's face was stern, but he didn't seen disturbed. He looked upon his father. "What are we going to do?" He asked in a flat voice. Noah was always one to keep it together.

"The only thing we can do." Lily's father replied, gently placing the letter back onto the table. "Both of you will be placed in the protection of the best aurors the Ministry has, and you will be sent away. You will have to travel for a while; never staying in one place for too long. You will be… on the run, I suppose."

Lily finally snapped back to reality. She pushed the chair out from underneath her, rising to her feet. "What? You can't do that!"

The Minister placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "I know this is hard, and it's sudden. But we must do everything we can to protect you." He cleared his throat. "The both of you."

Lily nodded, sitting back down. She didn't quite understand what why going on but she knew her father always had her best interests at heart. "At least we'll still be together." She said, referring to Noah. Noah's face was blank, knowing what Lily didn't. "What?"

He turned to face the redhead, a sincere look in his eyes. "We won't be together. If there happens to be an attack, they would lose both of us. It's safer for us to travel separately."

Lily shook her head. "No! I just… I don't… why can't we all just stay together?" Tears began to fall down her freckled face as Noah took her in his arms. He ran his fingers through her hair, trying to calm her down. But instead, her breathing became more and more labored as she clutched onto his back.

Her father walked to their side. "Do not fear my darling. We will find this man, this Voldemort, and we will bring him to justice. You will be home in no time. I promise."

Lily wanted nothing more than to believe the words her father spoke. But somehow, she knew that things would not be that easy. Voldemort had been around for years, and had plenty of time to gather enough followers to take his place. Things would never be easy again.

"Now," The Prime Minister began. "There is a banquet outside that Lily and I must attend, if you all will excuse us, Minister Bagnold. I appreciate your help in this matter greatly. It will not be forgotten."

Noah was the first of the two to speak up. "Sorry, Mr. Evans sir, but don't you think Lily should rest? I mean, she could really use a break."

"I'm sorry Noah, but this is a very important event. We can't allow the public to know the content of this meeting. To them, nothing is wrong and we must assure them of that. After its conclusion, Lily can return to her room and pack and I'm sure you will do the same. Both of you will leave in the morning."

Her father's words came out much more stern than he intended. But Lily was beginning to understand. He needed to start backing away. He needed to say goodbye to his daughter.

The room began to pour out into the courtyard where refreshments were served and classical music was played. Lily grabbed a cup of water and strolled aimlessly around before taking a seat in front of the musicians. They played tunes such as Mozart and Beethoven. She found it difficult to concentrate on anything.

"How sick would it be if I just busted out my electric guitar right now?" Noah sat down in a seat next to her. He smiled reassuringly. Lily could only assume he was trying to help her forget what had just happened.

"Only if you want to get cursed" She added.

He laughed. "It would be pretty fun though. I'm sure it would liven up this party." He turned around scanning the crowd of people mingling. "Though, the intensity might kill that one." He pointed to an old woman, yelling at a waiter. She had a respirator on her and she leaned on a wooden cane.

Lily forced out a soft smile. Noah's eyes lingered just a bit before he let out a long sig.

"We're going to be ok." Noah whispered, bending his head, as if it finally became real. "It'll be hard as hell. But we'll be ok."

Lily put her hand on Noah's knee. He shook his head, trying to shake the idea away. He pulled his hands to his face and began to mess up his perfectly placed brown hair. He groaned. "Everything has fallen to shit."

Lily nodded. "I couldn't agree more."

Noah smiled at her, though it didn't hide the pain behind it. He wasn't ready for this. He couldn't imagine living life on the road after growing up the way he did. He knew there was no choice. Noah smiled gently at his best friend before he stood up. "I'm going to get some air, would you like to join me?"

"No thanks, I um, I'm good."

"Ok, well, promise me you'll try to take some time to get away from all these people tonight." Noah stared down at Lily. She smiled politely, trying to hide the tears on the verge of falling. He nodded as he walked off into the garden, his fists clenched. She watched as he stared at the crowd of happy people with demon eyes, angry with them for not knowing their pain.

Lily sat alone, staring at the people that aimless walked by her. They felt no pity or mercy for the girl with a death sentence. None of them cared. None of them knew.

She watched as Petunia strolled around, speaking to their mother and a woman she didn't recognize. They smiled and laughed together, clutching their frequently replenished wine glasses. As she watched, more and more hatred built up inside of her. She wanted nothing more than to scream and run began to wonder how her sister could be in such a pleasant mood when her only sibling's life was hanging in the balance.

"Lily! Lillian dear, won't you come here for a moment?" Annabelle called. Petunia was standing at her side, glaring bullets.

Lily groaned for she was in no mood to deal with her sister. But she walked over anyway, knowing the consequences if she didn't. The clearly intoxicated mother put her arm around Lily's delicate frame. "Lily, this is Mrs. Hall. She's a very important member of our community. Be a dear and don't be rude."

The two of them burst into laughter, though Lily found nothing about her statement amusing. She could smell the traces of alcohol on their breath. Her nose cringed and she stood a step back.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Hall." The redhead politely responded.

"What a kind young lady." The woman said.

Petunia grabbed a hold of her friend's arm. "Let me tell you, this would be the first time!"

Once again, they erupted into laughter. Though Mrs. Hall suspected her sister was only fooling around, Lily knew she was not. Her sister had always resented her, and wanted nothing more than to finally be rid of her. She suddenly realized why her sister didn't seem as torn up as she should have.

Lily forced a smile, and slowly made her escape while she still could. She turned back around to watch them. They had gone on as if they didn't even notice she had left.

James

"What are we even doing here?" Sirius groaned in frustration. James glared at his friend, trying to make him take the hint to just shut up already. "I'm serious mate, we're aurors, not tourists. Besides, I've seen the Prime Minister already. We've met Lily's dad at the station before. Can we leave?"

"No. I thought it would be a good idea to tour the Prime Minister's home."

Sirius closed his mouth, avoiding his friend's glare.

James shook his head, a smile forming on his face. "Dude, I'm kidding. All they told us was that our next assignment involved the Prime Minister. I figured it would be to our advantage to sneak about to get some information." Sirius was quite, clearly irritated by his best mate. "Or, you know, steal some expensive plates and sell them in Diagon Alley…" James added with a smirk.

Sirius looked at him, recognizing the devious intensions behind his best friend's motive. James grabbed Sirius' arm and dragged him into the group of busy tourists. "Just try to look enthused."

Sirius moaned and whispered 'fine' as he crossed his arms and kicked the dirt at his feet. "It's not like we're here so you can spy on Lily or anything…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing Prongs."

James nodded, turning his attention to the blonde woman in front of the group.

"Now if you look to your left, you'll see Lady Annabelle's Royal Garden. Though the garden technically belongs to the Lady, she hardly ever enters the gates herself. Sources of mine tell me that it is actually her daughter Lily who actually spends much of her time in the beloved garden." The tour guide, whose name they discovered was Missy, said matter-of-factly. James' ears perked up at the sound of Lily's name. He hadn't seen her since the last day of school.

The Great Hall was filled to the ceiling in balloons and streamers. Red and Gold banners lined the walls, for Gryffindor had won the house cup. It was so perfect, James thought. His final year and his own house not only claimed the Cup but also won the Quidditch final. Everything was coming together. Well, expect one thing.

In the distance he finally saw her. Lily's red hair stuck out in the crowd of blacks and browns. Even the blondes didn't seem so extraordinary. Lily was something else. She was beautiful and smart and well, quite sarcastic. She laughed at something her friend Mary said. He was about to approach her when a hand smacked the back of his head.

"Prongs, you're staring again." Sirius smiled, punching James' arm.

"Are you done attacking me?" James laughed. Behind Sirius, Remus and Peter quickly joined. "So, do we have a plan for tonight or what?"

Remus shook his head. "None that I can think of. Besides, all the chaos and party related activities are always up to you guys. The last time I planned something, we ended up writing someone else's potions essay. So, yeah, I'm not even going to try."

"Oh don't be so hard on yourself Moony. We had a good laugh! We even added that paragraph about the significance of the banana into Carter's essay. That was gold! Slughorn was so confused. 'This was supposed to be about Felix Felicus Carter!'"

The four boys burst into laugher. Out of the corner of his eye, James noticed Lily picking up her bags. She stood and said quick goodbyes to her friends. Sirius followed James' eyes and shook his head. "When are you going to learn, mate? It's been seven years, give it a break!"

"I don't think so." James smiled arrogantly. "I think I can still do this. One last shot, am I right?"

Sirius shook his head. "Ten gallons says she denies you flat and calls you an arrogant hussy."

Remus slapped a hand on James' back supportively. "One last time. I believe in you Prongs!"

James smiled at his friend before glaring daggers at Sirius.

Peter was the last one to pipe up. "Why bother?"

The three Marauders turn to him in shock. Remus stepped forward. "James has been after this girl since year one. I mean, yeah, it's gotten annoying, don't get me wrong. But I guess he's allowed one more go. He'll probably never see her again."

Peter folded his hand together nervously. He never liked it when the three of them were against him. "Well, Lily, she just, she don't like you Prongs. Actually, she kinda hates you."

James shook his head. "Oh come on, she doesn't hate me."

"She hates you." The three chanted as if they said it a hundred times before.

"I'll prove you wrong, just wait." James yelled as his ran off out the grand doors and down the hall after Lily.

"Evans! Hey, Evans!"

Lily shook her head, her red hair whipping from side to side. She didn't stop walking and kept her head down.

But James was on a mission. He began to sprint. He was closer and closer to her when he nearly knocked her over.

"Come off, Potter! There's no need to attack me." Lily said, bending over to pick up the books that had fallen onto the ground. James laughed, gathering a few in his hands.

"Sorry about that. I just wanted to catch up with you." James handed her the books. She eyed his suspiciously. Suddenly he felt nervous, and ran a hand through his black messy hair.

"What for?" Lily asked.

"I wanted to ask you to come out with me tonight. Same old, same old." James noticed that Lily's expression had not changed and therefore neither would her mind. He knew that. He always knew she would turn him down. But James got used to it and he was fine. Just another blow to his pride, was all. "I promise it'll be fun. Remus and Sirius will be there. Peter too. Look, I even invited Mary and Marlene; I know you guys are practically the female equivalent of the Marauders, save the pranks and jackassery."

She shook her head, but seemed to be smiling on the verge of a laugh. "You're very persistent."

"That I am. Now what do you say? Come on, Evans. One more night and you'll never have to see me again, I swear."

Lily thought for a moment. She stared up at James and he couldn't help but be memorized by her eyes. They were so green, it was almost unnatural. It was incredibly beautiful. He wished he could tell her that, though he knew she would probably back hand him. He laughed internally. She was always so feisty.

"Fine."

James lifted his head up. "Sorry what?"

Lily smiled. "I said I'll go. But this isn't a date." She turned her back and began walking down the corridor. James watched as she walked away. Her head swung side to side effortlessly. It nearly reached the small of her back it was so long. James smiled, looking around the hall to make sure no one was looking before he did a quick and well deserved fist pump.

"Sirius owes me some money."

Missy pointed to the enormous palace that they would soon approach. "Though the British Ministry has been going strong since the Middle Ages, the Prime Minister's position is fairly new. Over three hundred years old, their home contains about one hundred rooms. There is a private residence on the third floor and a kitchen in the basement. The other floors contain offices and numerous conference, reception, sitting and dining rooms where the Prime Minister works, and where government ministers, national leaders and foreign dignitaries are met and entertained. There is an interior courtyard and, in the back, a terrace overlooking a garden of 0.5 acres."

James could hear his friend yawning purposely just to annoy him. Jerk. James smacked his best friend's arm. "Shut up and listen."

Missy smiled at the boys, though it seemed to hide an evil glare. "The Evans family moved in at the start of the summer as Mr. Evans took office. He had been doing extremely well in the face of adversity and I believe we should all applaud him."

"That is so fascinating." Sirius said sarcastically. He turned, grabbing a hold of James's shoulders. "Dude, come on, let's get out of here. We can stop by the local pub and get us some beers, what do you say?"

"Look man, I would like nothing more. But we have to get serious, Sirius." James struggled to hold in laughter as his best friend glared bullets into his head.

"Hilarious."

"I know." James ran a hand through his hair. "We have to get familiar with this place. We don't go to Hogwarts anymore! We are legitimate aurors. That means no more goofing off. We have lives in our hands. Now do some digging and deal with it."

"I hate you." Sirius tugged extensively at James's shirt. Though, it did no use.

"You'll forgive me."

"Not likely." Sirius said and he let go of the shirt.

Missy squealed. "Oh my! Now everyone quiet please! Quiet!" She whispered. Her voice was overly excited. "If you'll turn your attention to the right, you can just make out Noah Bagnold, son of our minister, walking towards the garden. Oh, do you see him? He's just so devilishly handsome, don't you think so ladies?"

The women of the group sighed collectively, nodding and whispering to each other. The young man in a grey suit paced in front of the gates. He seemed to be talking, no rather yelling at himself. His arms were thrown in the air on occasion as he kicked plants and punched the wall. James had remembered Noah when they attended Hogwarts. He was two years older than James and always seemed like a nice enough bloke. James didn't know much about him other than he was Lily's closest friend. He always tried to hate Noah for being Lily's favorite, but it was hard. Noah was a decent guy and always protected Lily when he needed to. There was also the fact that he hated Snape with a burning passion comparable to James', so that didn't hurt.

Missy squealed again. That was going to get on James' nerves rather quickly. He couldn't begin to imagine how Sirius felt about it. "I wonder what's got him so heated." James bent over and whispered to Sirius.

Sirius shrugged. "Man, I'm tired. I don't have the energy to deal with Noah's problems."

James smiled. "Right."

Missy brought the group over to other side of the walkway so she could talk in a normal tone. "If anyone has any questions about the personal life of the Evans family or the Bagnold family, please consult me after the tour."

"God, no one wants to hear that woman talk any longer than we have to." Sirius muttered. James struggled to hide a chuckle.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" Missy asked, clearly aware of what the young auror had said.

His face immediately turned a bright shade of red. "No, um, no ma'am."

Missy nodded. "Good. Now let's continue, shall we?"

The group followed Missy inside the palace. James found himself staring wide eyed at the interior. It was far more beautiful than he had imagined. Portraits hung on the strikingly gorgeous craved walls. Enormous windows allowed sunlight to make the room glow with life. Flowers sat in golden vases upon chestnut dressers.

Missy smiled. "Isn't it amazing? I come in here at least twice a day, and yet I still find it hard to absorb all the beauty."

In the distance, James could just make out the figure of a young girl, no older than he, pacing relentlessly at the end of the hall. From what he could tell, and that was very little, she was undeniably gorgeous. With long red hair, and a black dress that hung tightly around her figure, he could hardly keep his eyes off her. A split second later he realized it was Lily. His pulse quickened immediately.

He watched as the Prime Minister walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She shook it off almost instantly, before crossing her arms in front of her chest. James elbowed Sirius in the side, and nodded in Lily's direction. Within a few moments she had walked outside through the enormous glass gates into the garden party they had seen earlier.

Sirius grinned at him. "What do you say man? You up for crashing a party?"

Missy raised her arm. "Now, if you'll follow me, I'd like you to show you the guest dining hall, that not too long ago, a meeting was held to debate the political future of our dear country."

As the crowd began to walk further down the hall, James and Sirius slowly backed up until they were further than earshot. They began to sprint down the tremendously long hallway until they reaches the glass gates. No more than two feet before, the boys came to a halt, adjusting themselves before making an entrance.

James wore a dark red sweater and kaki slacks. Sirius on the other hand was dressed in black jeans and a blue t shirt. They were in no attire for a party this nice, though they didn't seem to mind. James wrapped a peacoat he found on coat rack around his shoulders, shuddering at the cold breeze.

He strolled into the crowd of elite, scanning the room for any sign of the girl. While Sirius had already made his way to the table filled with expensive pastries and snacks. He grabbed a plate and nearly took two of everything, stacking the contents higher than he should have.

James weaved in and out of the crowd, smiling passively at the people. He recognized a few important political leaders. On most occasions, James would have introduced himself and said some encouraging words, but seeing as he wasn't invited, he figured he should keep to himself.

Over in the corner a small trio of orchestral instruments played. He walked closer, intrigued. As he approached he saw the back of the girl's head. He recognized the ginger hair that lay messy against her back. She sat alone in a crowd of empty white chairs. Only now that he was up close, did he see how incredibly beautiful she was. He took a deep breath and sat down in a seat three down from her. She didn't seem to notice him.

James coughed, sliding a hand through his black hair. Still nothing. He cleared his throat. "It's a wonderful evening for a party."

"What?" She looked up, startled by James' sudden appearance. She stared at him before saying anything. "Um, yeah, I suppose so."

She didn't even question why he had randomly showed up at this fancy banquet. Something was wrong. He sensed it instantly.

James scooted closer. "What's going on?" She didn't say a word. In fact, she hardly lifted her head. He studied the visible side of her face while they sat in silence. Her eyes were puffy, her nose red, and cheeks flushed. She had been crying. James felt a pain in his chest to even think about it. He had never seen Lily be emotional, ever. It felt odd. "Come on, talk to me Evans. You alright?"

She nodded, still staring at the space between her feet.

James sat there in silence, knowing that it wasn't when he heard a sniffle. He felt as though she expected him to leave, but he didn't want to. He wanted to sit by her side, to make sure everything was going to be just fine, to make her feel safe. James knew that Lily never wanted that kind of thing from him, but he didn't really care all that much.

Suddenly, she spun around in her chair, facing James head on. "You know what sucks?" She asked; her mind clearly raging.

"Please, tell me." James inquired with a devious smile on his face.

"…everything about this God forsaken day!" She threw her arms in the air, and slouched into the chair. "I basically found out my life, however short it is going to last, is on a downward spiral to hell! I have no control over anything anymore! Not mention my horrible excuse for a sister who doesn't even care what is going on with me… all she cares about is whether or not my hair has flyaways or if my dress is wrinkled or if I slip up and embarrass her!"

Exhausted, her head fell into her hands. Although James knew he probably shouldn't, he began to laugh.

Lily lifted her head at once, staring at him. "Is this funny to you?"

"Oh not at all Evans, really, it's just, there's a lot of anger bottled up inside such a petite girl."

Her lips remained perched as she crossed her arms. They sat for a moment like that; Lily staring angrily, James smirking playfully. He quite enjoyed their dynamic. Soon, she relaxed her face and dropped her arms. "Look, Potter, I'm sorry I blew up. It hasn't been a very good day."

James shook his head. He couldn't see a reason why she was apologizing to him. "Oh don't worry about it. I tend to have that effect on people."

She nodded, agreeing as a smile overcame her red stained lips. "Oh, I remember well."

James nodded, rubbing his hands on the knees of his pants. "Ok Evans," He stood up, took a bow, and extended his arm. "Care to take a stroll?"

"I don't think so Potter."

James sat back down next to the stubborn redhead. "Oh come on. You're clearly pissed off, and there's no way in hell you want to be here. Let's face it; I'm a much better option."

Lily shook her head. "You're impossible, Potter."

"So you'll come?"

Lily stood to her feet and brushed out the wrinkles in her dress. She pondered his question for a while. She looked around the garden nervously, as if she was searching for someone but came up empty. When she finally spoke up, James was almost surprised.

"I suppose. But this isn't a date." James knew that behind her seemingly bored and unforgiving tone that she was happy he'd shown up. This banquet was horribly stiff and she needed a night out. God knows how long it's been since she's seen anyone.

James stood up. "You look stunning, by the way." He shoved his hands in his pockets, beaming confidently.

"Don't push it."

James grabbed a hold of Lily's hand before she had a chance to protest led her into the garden, down the extended winding path, and come to a stop at the large metal gates. Lily pried her hand away, eying James deviously.

OK! So that's the first chapter, and I have to say I'm quite terrified to be uploading this since I dont ever share my writing. I hope you enjoyed it and the next chapter should be out soon. I have the majority of the entire story written, I'm just editing and making some changes as I decide to upload.

Thanks so much for reading!

xoxo

Kasey