Harry Potter 1. An Auror and a Death Eater

A/N: Hi lovelies. I am finally back and ready to update this story. I'm sorry it's been so long. I've edited the first nine chapters of the story. But alas, here we are at chapter one, I'm getting ahead of myself I hope you enjoy and please leave me comments, criticisms and suggestions! xo

Disclaimer: All of it is JK Rowlings!

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Out of Boundaries

Chapter 1

An Auror and a Death Eater

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A young nineteen-year-old witch sighed as she warily eyed the towering piles of paperwork to be sorted through that day. She leaned forwards on her desk, placing her auburn head on her hands, letting out muffled chuckle.

Lily Evans was a witch fresh out of Hogwarts. She was in an advanced specialised program to become an Auror. For someone just out of Hogwarts, the normal procedure was anywhere's between two to four years of deskwork, simulatanesouly training in DADA and shortly after beginning external work.

Lily was a rare exception. As soon as she had graduated she applied directly to begin Auror training. Alastor Moody had sought her out after receiving a reccomendation from Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster at Hogwarts. She also received highest grades in NEWTS for her final year at Hogwarts.

Lily could still vividly recall the day she had first met Moody. She had received a post from a brown barn owl from the Ministry of Magic outlinining an appointment with the Head of the Auror department. It turned out to be an interesting appointment for she knew the name, Alaster Moody, but didn't have a clear image of the famous Auror in her mind.

Lily was a Muggle and for the first part of her life she grew up without any magical influence. She still wore regular clothing and enjoyed shopping at different vintage boutiques. In any case, she was curious of the reaction she would receive if she dressed in muggle attire. Thus, at two pm that Monday, she'd arrived dressed in a black skirt and heels with a dark green short-sleeved blouse.

When she had found her way through the labyrinth of the Ministry, she noted with amusement that the secretary was goggling at her. (She had received a number of reactions on her way up there as well)

"You can go right in M-miss Evans." The elderly lady stuttered.

Lily nodded smiling and headed towards the door confidently, her long sleek ponytail swinging behind her. She kept her expression smooth as she slid into the seat across a man probably in his mid-thirties, hair already greying and a slight stoop to his posture.

Her eyes glanced over his scarred but seemingly intact face. He was immersed in something he was reading for he didn't even look up at her when she'd entered the room nor when she sat down. It was a thick booklet in his hand so she decided she'd better get his attention. She cleared her throat quietly. So this was the infamous Mad-Eye Moody.

"Excuse me-" Lily began but stopped when he looked up at her abruptly then back down at his booklet.

"Oh, you've got the wrong room. Muggle Affairs is done the hall and the first left." He said gruffly, still reading the booklet. Lily looked at him with one eyebrow raised.

"No…I'm not with Muggle Affairs. My name is Lily Evans, sir." She said, now regretting her social experiment of wearing muggle clothes to the Ministry.

The man dropped the booklet abruptly and looked up at her. He stared at her for longer than normal and Lily felt herself grin nervously, something that happened whenever she felt uncomfortable. Finally he banged his fist on the desk making her jump in surprise.

"What does that crackpot old fool think he's doing, sending us a bloody superb model or whatever they call them? And what on earth are you wearing?" He asked gruffly, the first bit was mostly spoken to himself, but the latter comment directed at her.

Lily felt warmth swoop her cheeks and indignation trickling into her stomach.

"I am muggleborn, that is why I am dressed in muggle attire. Don't judge me from my outward appearance. You can judge me after you've seen me do what I've come here for, my Auror training." Lily said heatedly.

The man raised his eyebrows, but there was an almost imperceptible twitch to his lips when he spoke next. "Calm down lassie, not a good thing to blow up on your new boss."

Lily held his stare and he let out a chuckle.

"Well it looks like I don't have an uncertain new student to train, thank Merlin." He said gruffly.

"I don't really care what you wear but once we begin external work I do not want to catch you coming to work in impractical shoes like those." He said pointing to her three-inch black heels.

Lily felt herself laugh, feeling the tension drain from her body. "I don't know, I think they're pretty practical. Good for kicking someone right up the-"

"Alright I get the idea. Dumbledore told me you could be a cheeky bugger. Reminds me of that Black character. Anyways, to business. Here are the forms you have to fill out and then you're good to go. I've got a little office for you in the Auror's wing." Moody grunted and he pushed the forms towards her.

Lily's felt her insides warm in delight. "I have my own office?"

Moody narrowed his eyes. "It's not anything fancy. It's pretty cramped."

She continued to beam happily. She didn't care how small it was, she had her own office!

And that was how her first meeting with Moody had went. He had muttered aloud to himself, while she was still in his office mind you, about how the enemy would go straight to her because of her looks. She shrugged off his pessimism. Once she enrolled in the 'Concealment and Disguise' program and 'Stealth and Training', she would feel prepared.

Her training with Moody most days was difficult and random. Some days she would be working in the office for him, conducting investigations, and other days she would be training in combat, hexes, and DADA.

So far she hadn't left the office for an external job. She was getting antsy. There was only so much one could do to prepare through books and instruction. A lot of it had to do with personal grit and responding spontaneously in the moment.

She only questioned him once about this and his reply had been something she'd expect from her grumpy, brilliant advisor.

"Evans, when the time is ready and you're fully trained then you will go out in the real world. That will be the real test, to make sure that you have the guts for the job and can handle being put under pressure. For now you just train your ass off and hope some of it will come in handy when that day comes."

She had made friends at the Ministry of Magic. It gave her that sense of community that she'd longed for since leaving Hogwarts. Everyone was older than her but only by a few years. The Longbottoms were working there along with Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. The latter were two of her best friends.

That present day, she had to do many reports for Moody. There was one about the 'famous' dark wizards of their century, another on the statistics of Muggle deaths and determining whether they were from magical sources, and finally an opinion-based report on the Unforgivable Curses. It was Friday afternoon and this realization had begun to seep into her pores, draining all of her ambition and replacing it with anticipation of being free for the weekend.

"Why would anyone want to read about the history of these dark wizards? They're dead, it's not like hordes of them are going to pop out of the grave. B-o-ring." Lily said in a dry voice, scratching away in her purple notepad and blowing a wisp of her golden auburn hair from her eyes. She often talked to herself when she got annoyed.

Moody, however, had been walking past her cramped office and popped his head in the doorway, a stern look on his heavily scarred face.

"Evans, no more wasting time talking to yourself! I know it's boring work but we have to get you doing some of the regular paperwork so the Minister of Magic doesn't get too bent out of shape that you're skipping two years of internal work." Moody said brusquely.

"When will I begin external jobs as an Auror? I'm not officially an Auror yet because all I've been doing is practicing spells inside the Ministry and finishing up reports." Lily said. Her amusement grew as he narrowed his eyes at her gall.

"Sometime next week, actually." Moody finally said, keeping his stern expression but she let out an exhale.

"Really?"

"Yes, really! Now get those reports done and into my office by no later than four!" Moody said grumpily.

Lily rolled her eyes. She lazily shook her wand at the radio on the shelf above her desk and soon muggle music was filtering down into the room. She leaned back in her office chair and pulled her fingers through her wavy locks, humming softly to the music.

Even though she had grown up in the wizarding world she still preferred muggle music. There was something comforting and familiar about it. Lily could still remember when her Dad would blast the Beatles in his voltswagon on their way to Kings Cross.

"Knock, knock." A masculine voice said casually and Lily broke away from her reminiscent thoughts. She looked up to see a handsome young man with shoulder-length black hair and enigmatic looking gray eyes standing in her doorway.

"Sirius! Distract me please, I've been doing reports all day." Lily said yawning.

"You poor, overworked child." He said saracastically, shaking his head at her causing black tendrils to fall around his face.

"I am! Three papers due in one day! It's horribly underrated, an Auror's life. I could've been a Healer and doing real assignments." Lily said but Sirius snorted, knowing she was only joking.

"You think you have it bad. See when I began my training as an Auror, I didn't have to do the full three years but I still had a year and a half. Moody is so easy on you, he was always on my case for the littlest thing." Sirius said, leaning back lazily.

At Lily's raised eyebrows Sirius plunged on with conviction. "It's true!"

"Are you saying that I'm getting off easily, Black?" She asked darkly, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not Evans." Sirius drawled.

Lily's face broke into a smile. "I think Moody just likes me better."

"Yeah. Sure." Sirius said with a roll of his eye and then he suddenly poked his head out of her door as if he heard someone call his name.

Turning back in her office with his eyes narrowed, he whispered in a cutting voice, "He just told me to get my arse back to my office and finish MY assignments. You think you have it bad!"

"Bye, Sirius." Lily said, smiling impishly.

Lily turned back to the pending piles of work to be done and sighed. She had been well distracted by Sirius but that didn't get her any farther on her assignments. She might as well get it over with it so she could get on with her Friday evening.

Turning up the music she focused on the papers and begin to scribble away for the next while. She grabbed thick dusty books for reference and plowed through her various history books. Two and a half hours later Lily was rolling up the papers into scrolls and attaching them to the delivery owl that coincedentally hooted its way into her office.

Lily yawned widely as she flicked the music off with her wand and she stood up to stretch. Moody suddenly popped inside her office and she blinked sleepily. What a lazy bugger, apparating when he was two doors down.

"Moody, ever think of knocking?" Lily asked teasingly.

Moody shuffled through his papers and growled, "Evans, don't reprimand me on knocking, I'm your boss! Now, I want you to do some research for me this weekend. I want you to find out all you can and then bring the information back to me on Monday. If you do this, early next week you may be assigned your first external job."

Lily grinned happily. "Sure, Moody. It'll be done for you by Monday. What's it on?"

"James Potter. Now get going before I change my mind!" He said gruffly. Lily didn't think twice of the name. She slid on her thin white sweater that kept her warm enough in the late September weather and grabbed her champagne tinted purse.

As she walked down the hall and the stairs into the main lobby of the Ministry of Magic, she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Remus and Sirius.

"Finally done too, huh?" Sirius asked with a grin and Lily smacked him on the arm.

"I think Moody's quite a dear actually, see we've all been allowed to go at the same time. At least he values erm…camraderie between his Aurors." Lily said lamely and Remus laughed.

"A dear. Hmm that's a new one, definitely never heard anyone call Moody that before."

Sirius just raised his eyebrow. "I think to put it in more accurate terms, Moody just got annoyed with us and sent us home."

Lily rolled her eyes laughing as they made their way outside. "Come on Sirius."

"Always defending Moody! I see where your loyalities lie! Anyways, in more important matters, I have a proposition to make. Would you like to go out to eat with Remus and I? Otherwise it will just be me and the old chap."

Lily slugged Sirius on the arm. "Hmph. What about you Remus? You sure you want to go out with this bugger? We could always go on our own private date."

Remus smiled lightly and Lily regarded him warmly. Remus was one of those friends who could always put you at ease. They had met when she was a first year at Hogwarts. She hadn't known where she was going and managed to get separated from the other first years. Somehow she stumbled upon something…and well Remus helped her out of a tight position.

"Yeah, I spose Sirius can come." Remus said jokingly.

Sirius rolled his eyes and drawled, "Excuse me, but wasn't I the one who proposed the idea?"

"Sassy, this one." Lily said poking Sirius.

The three of them finally agreed to head to a wizarding pub in London that Sirius frequented and vouched for its cheap and tasty food. It was called the Huffler's Hodge. Lily raised her eyebrows at the uncanny name but followed Remus and Sirius inside the tavern.

"What can I get for you three?" Their waiter asked, but his eyes were locked on Lily. She smiled at him and turned to Sirius.

"We'll have three orders of your homemade chili, mate." Sirius said, rolling his eyes at Lily who still had the waiter's captivated attention.

"What would you like to have to drink, miss?" He asked and Sirius let out a sigh of frustration. Of course, one had to expect this when they went out with Lily. Flattering for her, annoying for Sirius and Remus. Well, mostly Sirius. Remus was just amused by the blundering idiots and Lily's inability to deflect them.

"Um, just water thanks."

The waiter nodded eagerly. "Excellent."

"Wait now, you haven't asked what we wanted to drink," Sirius said, gesturing between Remus and himself. He leaned over to the waiter who now looked mortified.

"Between you and me, the lassie is with him. Tough luck just thought I'd save you the humiliation later. I've already been through the heartbreak, mate."

The young waiter fumbled for words and then just turned away abruptly. "Sirius! That was unnecessary." Lily exclaimed, her face red from embarrasment.

"Had to let him down somehow. Otherwise, we were going to have to suffer through him mustering up the courage to ask you out." Sirius drawled lazily as he glanced at at a table of girls besides them.

"Right." Something seemed to strike her for she suddenly exclaimed, "Guess what?"

"You're going to ask the waiter out?" Sirius asked with a smile playing at his lips.

Lily rolled her eyes and then looked at Remus waiting to hear what he would say.

"Umm, you're going to ask Sirius out?" Remus asked jokingly.

Shaking her head she grinned. "Both wrong and very far-fetched. Moody gave me my first external assignment!" Sirius pretended to look affronted at Lily's comment.

They both looked interested so she plugged on. "I have to research a Death Eater by the name of James Potter. Heard of him?" Surprisingly, Sirius's curled his fists together and Remus looked paler than he had a few moments ago.

"Whoa. What's up?" She asked, feeling immediate concern at their reactions.

Lily noticed Sirius was looking off into space, his knuckles still clenched so Remus began.

"Long story. We were best mates with James during our time at Hogwarts until fifth year when something tragic happened in James's life."

"You were best friends with a Death Eater?" Lily asked incredulously.

Sirius's expression hardened and his hand tightened over the glass of water he was holding. "He wasn't always a Death Eater. His parents were murdered by You-Know-Who. James was home and he saw them murdered. It was during the summer before fifth year. When James returned to Hogwarts he was different. Everyone could see the change in him."

"Then, one day in early November he left. We didn't see him ever again. Not with lack of trying either. We owled him and contacted relatives but no one knew what happened." Remus replied softly picking up where Sirius stopped. Their friend's dark eyes had a faraway look in them. Lily swallowed the lump in her throat at her friend's obvious misery.

Sirius sighed. "He disappeared. Even Dumbledore didn't know where he went, and that certainly wasn't comforting. Although perhaps then he had his suspicions. Remus, I, and our other friend Peter Pettigrew continued Hogwarts for the next three years without a single word from him. Until we saw the Daily Prophet one day." Sirius said bitterly.

"What happened?" Lily asked, her emerald eyes fixed on her two friends.

"There was a deadly Muggle raid. This was the first big raid of You-Know-Who back then and it happened in London at a hospital. There were over forty Muggles killed and many others injured. James had been spotted next to You-Know-Who during the raid. He had also been the one who conjured the Dark Mark." Remus said dejectedly, lifting his hands and resting his chin on them.

The lights had dimmed in the pub and the music had changed to a softer rock band that crooned the lyrics in a foregin language. Lily shook her head. Moody had definitely given her a tough Death Eater. And also an emotionally charged assignment, considering how it affected her two closest friends at the Ministry.

It was clear to her now why she hadn't recognized the name when Moody had first assigned it earlier that day. She had only been in first year when the boys had been in fifth year. Lily had been so caught up in adjusting to Hogwarts and focusing on her studies that she hadn't much attention for much else.

"So…his parents were killed by You-Know-Who and then he turned into a Death Eater." Lily mused aloud, twirling a piece of auburn hair between her fingers.

"Basically." Sirius said reluctantly.

The young waiter came to their table with three steaming bowls of chilli and he passed them out to the now forlorn threesome, his cheeks stained red when he placed Lily's bowl in front of her gingerly, his eyes darting down at her and then away.

"Thanks." Lily mumbled, still lost in her thoughts.

"You're welcome. Enjoy!" He chirped cheerfully, speeding away with one last glance, and tripped over the extended foot of one of his fellow waiters.

Remus and Sirius snorted and Lily bit back a smile. They ate for a few minutes in silence, enjoying the warm hearty chilli and the soft music playing in the background.

"Moody definitely gave you an interesting first assignment." Remus finally said, breaking the silence.

Lily took another bite of her chilli and nodded. "Yes, he certainly did."

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A/N: Wow, the first draft of this chapter had been sitting here forever collecting dust, I'm glad I'm finally done. I'm very excited of where this story is going. Yaay. Little slow for the first chapter but let me tell you it gets hot when Lily and James meet. James is going to be a brooding dark character so Lily will have her hands full. Haha.

Review!

Edited: July 2012


	2. Playing Journalist

A/N: Hi everyone. For those who are wondering what happened to the other seven chapters, don't worry, am just rewriting them so they fit in with where the story is headed now. I've plotted and outlined the remainder of the story so there were some things I had to fix. Don't worry, the chapters will be out in a quick succession once I've finished editing them. For now, enjoy and let me know what you think. Much love and thanks for the support.

-Lioness Amythest

Disclaimer: JK Rowling's.

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Information Gathering

Chapter Two

Out of Boundaries

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Lily had decided to go head home after the hearty pub food with Remus and Sirius. Her mind was brimming and humming with thoughts of James, intrigued by the mystery of how he had come to be a Death Eater. Why was he working for the man who had killed his parents? And then to immerse himself so deeply into the Dark Arts? Something didn't add up.

She walked quietly along the dimly lit road in the direction of her flat in London, humming softly to herself. Remus and Sirius had been proper gentlemen's and dropped her off at the corner of her street but not without trying to first convince her to come to Sirius's flat for a round of fire whiskey.

The moon shone mysteriously like an opaque crystal orb against the dark navy sky speckled with twinkling shards.

"It's so beautiful out tonight." She said softly, walking up to her flat and unlocking the door with her key.

Her foot collided with something hard. She looked down at the potted plant next to the entrance of her door and cringed guiltily at the parched limp plant. Her mum had always been the one in the family to have the green thumb. Lily had tried, hoping she possessed this gift, but sadly didn't. She often forgot about watering them and this plant was evidence of that.

"It was temperamental anyways. I'd water it and the next day it would be dry again. Too needy." Lily snorted and closed the door behind her.

Her flat was a one bedroom apartment. She'd painted the hallway and living room a rich cocoa with complementary beige decor and an old fashioned turquoise couch was the central piece. She kicked off her shoes and headed down the hallway, pausing for a moment to look at her tired reflection in the lattice framed mirror.

Her kitchen walls were painted a soothing mint green and adorned with a pair of twisted cherry wood wall hangings that her best friend, Amerila, had created for her. There was a small circular table in the corner with a neat pile of the Daily Prophet's and a surviving spiky green cactus.

She tapped her one-cup coffee maker with her wand. It coughed and sneezed then started to drip coffee into a round olive green mug. The strong aroma of coffee filled the kitchen and Lily sighed happily, feeling perked up just from the scent.

She headed into her lavender and white themed bedroom and shrugged off her work clothes. After sliding into loose sweatpants and a sports bra she dragged her workbag over to her desk and pulled out her notepad, itching to get started on her case.

She hadn't felt this inspired in a long time. Her assignments at the Ministry had just consisted of written reports and stealth and disguise workshops. Of course all useful but this had really perked her interest. It was probably due to the personal nature of the project. For the sake of her friends, who both looked haunted when discussing it earlier that evening, she wanted to find out what happened.

Flipping on her rustic table lamp she pulled out her wand and yelled, "Accio Coffee!" The cup came floating into her bedroom and she grabbed it midair before it slopped all over the place.

Lily looked at the name she'd written on the otherwise blank page in her notebook and wondered how significant this case would be. Would she find out what happened? Was he really a Death Eater by his own accord or was there something more? Shrugging her shoulders she began to summarize in point form what Remus and Sirius had told her that evening about James.

Five minutes later she'd summed up this,

_**Name: James Potter**_

_Age: 22 – 23_

_Occupation: Death Eater, before this was a student at Hogwarts _

_Traumatic life event:: Parents were murdered by YKW, James witnessed it._

_-Shortly after disappeared in Nov. of his fifth year at Hogwarts._

_-Lost complete contact with best mates _

_First sighting: Three years later, seen at a muggle raid of YKW's._

_-Conjured the dark mark._

Lily bit her lower lip and placed her pen down. Now she needed to do some digging to help her theorize how he went from Hogwarts to Voldemort.

"Amerila!" Lily breathed, an idea igniting in her mind.

Her best friend, Amerila Owens, was a journalist for the Daily Prophet and might know some facts about James Potter. If she didn't she could help Lily get her hands on some old editions with stories on him. Lily checked her watch to read ten pm.

"Not bad." She said with a grin. Lily locked her front door and then apparated to Amerila's house.

C

Lily managed to apparate in Amerila's kitchen and found her curly brownish blonde haired friend propped up on her counter eating some dessert that looked delectable. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun with a bright pink headband and she had her work glasses on, black rimmed but decorated with pink roses.

"Hey. Bad day at work? You're binging." Lily commented, grinning at her friend when she walked over to see what Amerila was munching on. It was their favorite, chocolate caramel cheesecake.

Amerila stuck her tongue out at her. "For your information, this is a perfectly innocent and guilt free session of eating cheesecake. No breakups, no crotchety people at work or periods."

Her face brightened and she adjusted her glasses. "In fact, I'm celebrating! I interviewed the hottest bloke today. What a body! You know the match in a few weeks between Ireland and Bulgaria? Guess who got to interview the famous Irish chaser, Niall Stone? Me! Although they didn't tell me in advance. I was wearing minimal makeup and the drabbest outfit but what can you do?"

Lily laughed. "I'm sure you two had a perfectly charming time and exchanged numbers afterwards."

Amerila's eyes sparkled. "Better than that. We're meeting for drinks early next week."

"Are you kidding? You have all the luck with men." Lily said, cutting a slice of the cheesecake and leaning against the counter.

"If it goes well I'll introduce you to some of his mates. The Irish accent is to die for. And anyways, look whose talking. Ever since you've started work at the Minstry I know for a fact Gideon Prewett wishes he could be your cuddle buddy."

"Cuddle buddy?" Lily quipped. "He's fit and all but not my type."

Amerilla groaned. "Lily, what is your type? You haven't been with anyone since Hogwarts and that stint with Jeremy was more of a fling."

Lily winced, flashes of the final party at Hogwarts, her night of too much tequila and lowered inhibitions.

"I don't think I've met the right bloke." She said thoughtfully. "Anyways, I haven't come here to analyze my love life or lack of. I have my first case and you're going to help me!"

Her friend just stared at her blankly. Lily raised her eyebrows at the silence. Amerila took another bite of her cheesecake then opened her mouth to speak.

"I don't see how I, a journalist could help you, an Auror. Completely different professions." Amerila commented, waving her fork.

Lily smiled. "You're burnt tonight. I should have just waited till the morning."

"Go on then." Amerila said a cranky tone in her voice at being called burnt.

"Well, I have to dig up some information on a certain Death Eater."

"His name would be most helpful. And question, any reason for your lack of clothing?" Amerila asked with a wink. "Late night shag session?"

Lily ignored her last comment and proceeded. "James Potter."

Amerila's dark blue eyes sparked with interest when Lily said his name and she nodded.

"James Potter is You-Know-Who's top Death Eater." Amerila said, placing her empty dish on the counter beside her.

"Really? Interesting." Lily mused, her thoughts jumbling together at this new addition, but Amerila shook her head.

"Potter is one hell of a good Death Eater, and that's the bad thing. On a completely unrelated matter, he is one steamy bloke. He's like the ultimate bad boy."

Lily looked at her friend. "Oh yeah? Well what information can you give me on him other than that he's hot? I know you've only been working at the Prophet for a year but you must have heard little tidbits."

Amerila nodded with a small smile on her face. "Yes, I have heard things about him. Come on then, I'll show you a picture of him."

She nodded for Lily to follow her to her writing room. Amerila's flat was about the same size as Lily's. Instead of having a living room she converted it into an office for work.

There was a white desk inside the room that was littered with crumpled papers and pictures. Above the desk was a large bulletin board spread across the wall with a large calendar pinned to it. The room was painted a vivid electric blue and billowing white curtains sprawled from above the windows.

Amerila went to her desk and started shuffling through several of the different compartments and pushing past various documents.

"Aha." Amerila said triumphantly and she pulled out an old Daily Prophet that was dated three years ago. She handed it to Lily and pointed to the front picture.

To Lily's surprise Amerila was spot on. He was handsome, much too handsome. His build was tall and lean. He had dark black messy hair with a few lopsided curls that shaggily went past his ears. Her breath slowed when she looked into the moving picture's face. It wasn't his smooth pale skin or the brown stubble on his jaw that made him look so dangerous. It was his eyes. His eyes looked to be a shadowy brown or hazel but it was the raw emotions swirling in his eyes that made her catch her breath.

"Damn." Was Lily's only response and Amerila snorted.

"Here, let's go in my bedroom and you can have a turn at being the journalist. Ask away." Amerila said with a wink and Lily followed her friend to her bedroom.

She pulled out her purple notepad and black pen. "What are the theories about him, why did he become a Death Eater?"

"Well some idiots said that he was frightened by You-Know-Who into becoming a Death Eater after his parents' death. I don't believe that for a second. Others believe that You-Know-Who brainwashed him or blackmailed him into becoming a Death Eater. That has a little more plausibility. You-Know-Who knew James Potter was a bright student; he was at the top of his class at Hogwarts and was especially gifted in the DADA. No one really knows why You-Know-Who didn't kill James when he killed his parents." Amerila said.

"Good point. Now, any news of James lately?" Lily asked as she scribbled down points of what Amerila had said.

Amerila furrowed her eyebrows thinking. "Well, we haven't spotted James or You-Know-Who. Those are the only two we know in their band of Death Eaters. Course everyone has their suspicions of who is in the group, like that slime ball Lucius Malfoy and Rookwood. No one sees James except when he's in action during raids. Maybe he has a disguise when he needs to go out in public or maybe he just lives in a hole with all his other Death Eater buddies."

Lily nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, Lucius is definitely suspicious. He hates me, I can tell. I always make a point to wear Muggle clothing to work to piss off all the racist wizards and witches. But they're nothing compared to him. Lucius is a nasty piece of work."

The two of them talked a little longer about who else they thought were probable Death Eaters. By midnight Lily was ready to head home and Amerila had loaded her up with old Daily Prophets to look through.

"Thanks, sorry about randomly popping in and eating all your cheesecake." Lily said with a cheeky grin.

Amerila just rolled her eyes. "No problem. I'll send you an owl next week, the girls at work found this new club in London and they all want to check it out. Oh and we must go for coffee so I can fill you in on how my date with Niall goes!"

Lily hugged her friend and then apparated back to her flat. Exhaustion was setting in fast so she dropped her work on her kitchen table and dragged her tired body to her bedroom.

Before she fell asleep a picture had formed in her mind. His face loomed in the darkness and she could see his eyes, his shadowy hazel eyes, and they were watching her.

C

It was Monday morning and Lily was ready to hand in the information to Mad Eye about her case.

"Moody! I've found a ton of information." Lily said enthusiastically, shifting her weight from one side to another on the heels of her suede baby blue ankle boots.

Moody took one look at her and then barked out, "Evans, quit moving around! Sit still for a moment would you? Come to my office in ten minutes. I need to go take care of something first."

Lily pretend saluted him and then walked upstairs back to her office humming softly. She nearly bumped into Sirius outside of her office. He was reading a letter of some kind with his eyes furrowed.

"Hey Sirius, I have a meeting with Moody in ten minutes." She said happily.

Sirius turned around and his eyes brightened. "Read this. I just got this memo in my office a few minutes ago. We're beginning a serious case. Go and see if you have one in your office."

Lily unlocked her office door and there floating midair was a green envelope. She took it and opened it quickly. Her heart leaped when she saw Moody's name on the top of the letter addressing her.

She read it quickly and summed it up. They were going to start investigating the Death Eaters and their whereabouts. They were also going to try and find out what their upcoming plans were. There had been so many surprise accidents lately dealing with You-Know-Who that the Minister of Magic had decided it was time that the Aurors go into some undercover work.

She was paired with Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and Gideon Prewett.

"Wow!" Lily exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement.

Remus slipped into the office and said, "Brilliant eh?"

"And what a team." Sirius said, clapping his friend on the back.

Lily laughed. "What a dear Moody he is, he put us all together. He is a dear Sirius. You can't deny it."

Sirius just rolled his eyes. "Dear is not a word I would use for Mad Eye."

"Evans. Come to my office" Moody barked from down the hall.

Lily waved to the two and followed Moody up to his office with her purple notepad tucked under arm. She was ready to show him all the information and show him the report she had about the devastatingly handsome James Potter.

Moody waved her to sit down in the chair in front of his desk.

"Moody, these chairs are so rigid and uncomfortable." Lily said as she gingerly sat down.

"Whoever I'm talking to will hear everything I say Evans. Constant vigilance!" He barked out but Lily was so used to this phrase that she didn't even jump. When you had worked with Moody for a year you got used to certain disconcerting things about him. She even found was less nauseated by his whirling eye.

"Right. Well here's the report." She said nervously, handing him the notebook.

"It's purple, Evans." Moody said gruffly, eyeing the outside of the notebook.

Lily narrowed her emerald eyes at him. "Come on; don't judge a book by its cover Moody. You alone should know that."

"Yeah, yeah."

Moody's eyebrows furrowed as he began flipping through the pages of information. She rubbed her cold hands together and looked around the room while he read to distract herself from the many different expressions on his face. There were many Dark Arts detectors in his office that created an eerie feel to the room. Pictures of You-Know-Who were pinned on a small bulletin board and Lily noticed at the edge there was a small one of James.

"You've done good work Evans. I've managed to get a hold of some information of where the Death Eaters meet. I haven't told anyone but you, Sirius, Remus and Gideon. That will be your responsibility to go and try to find out if what I have is accurate." Moody said gruffly as he finished reading the report and handed it back to Lily.

"Thank you." Lily said and she left his office feeling elated. She felt like jumping in the air like a schoolgirl but was fairly certain Moody would fire her on the spot if he ever caught her doing that.

She headed down to Remus's and Sirius's offices to share the good news when she caught sight of Gideon walking towards her with a grin on his handsome face.

"You've heard the good news I presume?" Gideon inquired and Lily nodded her head. Sirius and Remus popped up from behind Lily and shook hands with Gideon.

"Should be an interesting time with Black and Lupin." Gideon said good-naturedly and Lily laughed.

* * *

A/N: So there it is. I encourage you ALL to review, never know, you might see chapter three crop up soon and you all know whose going to be appearing in that one ;)

REVIEW! Please leave comments, criticisms and suggestions. Much love.


	3. Assignment

A/N: WOW. I really appreciate the reviews from chapter two. And I want to point out 'Guest' ( hehe lots of guests reviewing but one in particular) who gave constructive criticism, this is EXACTLY what I am looking for. Thank you so much, it gave me much to think about and also pushes me to strive to make the writing better. So thanks again.

Comments, suggestions and criticism are welcome :) Cheers!

Disclaimer: JK Rowling's.

* * *

In the Field

Chapter Three

Out of Boundaries

* * *

"EVAAAAAAAAANS!"

The familiar roar echoed from inside Lily's office down the hall. Curious looks and whispers were exchanged and people in the Auror Department poked their heads out to see what was infuriating the infamous Mad-Eye Moody.

Inside the office Lily looked up at her boss innocently. "Yes?"

Moody's face twitched as he focused both eyes on her, including the whirring one. Lily smiled nervously under his vibrating stare and tugged on a stray piece of her hair.

"I thought I already told you to wear appropriate attire for external work! We were just discussing this last week. Or have you already forgotten? I recall that you were looking forward to finally getting out of the office." He began in a dangerously low voice.

Moody was having his weekly outburst over her impractical fashion choices. This week she was wearing her favorite camel knee-high boots. In her defense, she didn't know they were going out that particular day to do external week. Otherwise she would have opted for her trainers.

"Now Moody, I wasn't aware that we were going out to investigate James Potter today." Lily said, hiding her irritation from her boss, as she continued to twirl the strand of auburn hair between her fingers.

"Merlin Evans, we're not going to investigate James Potter! We are going after suspected Death Eaters and aiming to gather information on their upcoming raids." Moody said gruffly and he threw down a pack of stapled papers on her desk.

Lily eyed the thick booklets with a sinking feeling in her stomach. More reading? Her eyes already felt sandy and scratchy from pouring through old Prophets that morning, trying to gather more information on Potter.

Moody pointed to the booklets, "Those are Black's, Lupin's and Prewett's reports. Go through them carefully and see if anything is missing. I wasn't able to judge the timing of this external job much in advance. We're heading out at six. Make sure you have some decent footwear by then."

"Yessir." She said nodding seriously and hiding a giddy smile. When he was out of sight she looked down at her boots and laughed. Poor Moody, he probably was experiencing all kinds of new conflicts and frustrations at work because of her fashion choices.

Sirius stuck his head in her doorway and clearly had been eavesdropping for he said incredulously with a hint of envy, "You have got to be Moody's favorite! How is it that all you get is a brisk talking to and at the end aren't reduced to a puddle of tears?"

Lily felt herself erupt into giggles. "Puddle of tears?"

Sirius sent her a stony glance and she had to muffle her giggles into a choking laugh before continuing, "He just came in to talk about my shoe choice. But more importantly he said we're leaving here by six. I didn't realize we were going out tonight otherwise I would have been more mindful about my attire. Did you know beforehand?"

"Nope. Moody times our departures according to hunches of where the Death Eaters will be. I've heard of these type of expeditions from other Aurors. I have a feeling it's going to be intense tonight." Sirius said thoughtfully, a glimmer of recklessness and anticipation sparkled in his dark eyes.

Lily let out a soft exhale, her stomach suddenly churning uncomfortably at the forthcoming evening. "D'you think I'm ready for this?"

"Moody wouldn't have picked you for this assignment if he didn't think you were ready for this. He's not only a good Auror himself but has an excellent eye for those who are in training. And besides, I'll be there, the bait, eye-candy, what have you! Obviously they will go after me." Sirius said winking, a smile breaking across his features and lighting up the darkness in his eyes.

Lily snorted and leaned back in her chair, with her arms behind her head. "Right. Completely reassured now. You're the obvious choice for those Dark Art fanatics. I'll just be an eye sore."

Sirius smiled crookedly and Lily felt her heart skip a beat. He was so handsome with his shoulder length silky black hair and deep set gray eyes. But there was a piece missing from him, something haunted and broken, that made her ache and want to take care of him instead of becoming romantically involved with him. It could be that what she saw in him she also recognized in herself, thus causing her to shy away from ever having that kind of companionship with him.

"I know I'm dashingly good looking but I do charge a price for my services." Sirius said breezily, interrupting her musings.

"Services?" Lily sputtered out, sitting up in her chair suddenly.

"Fulfilling one's fantasies, even if it is just day dreaming." Sirius said wickedly.

Lily dashed up out of her seat to sock him in the arm but he had already slipped out of her office, loud laughter ringing in his wake.

"I'm going to get you Sirius" Lily said, grinning despite herself. She tapped her coffee pot and then settled down to read the reports.

Sirius had specifically written about the rise of Voldemort and the history of his power. Lily noted with a wry smile that throughout the report he only referred to Voldemort with his given name and not the various nicknames used in the magical world. He was one of the select few she heard say Voldemort's name aloud and not shutter. She herself used his name but that was more out of stubborness. It didn't mean she still didn't feel that twinge of fear in her stomach.

She was impressed with his write up from the sources and information he had to work with as there wasn't a lot known about Voldemort. As of yet, no one knew his past or where he had come from. Surely he couldn't have always been called Voldemort?

"Think of the torment he must have received from his classmates with a name like that." Lily said with slight shutter.

A voice spoke from above her softly. "But he wouldn't have always been called that.

Lily swirled around on her chair and saw that it was Remus who was now staring down at Sirius's paper with a pensieve expression in his eyes.

"I wonder who he was before becoming Volemort. Why did he go down that path and immerse himself so deeply in the Dark Arts?" Lily asked aloud, combing her shiny hair through her fingers.

Remus chuckled. "I wondered as well. When I was researching I read in a few sources that it was rumored that Voldemort had been a previous student at Hogwarts. I wouldn't doubt it either, Hogwarts had some great teachers there, it was the foundation for what he was planning to do."

"The only clever thing I can think of is that the end of his name is 'mort' meaning death in French, how fitting." Lily said sarcastically, underlining his name a few times in her report.

Remus leaned back against the door of her office. She studied his face closely and could see he still had the dark circles below his eyes causing him to look more pale and drawn.

"Are you nervous for tonight?"

Lily shrugged her shoulders. "Not yet. I'm sure tonight I will be but for now I am anticipating it and trying to remember all the important defense spells and disguise tactics. How about you?"

"A little nervous. It's odd because we've been chasing these Death Eaters and Voldemort for a few years now but lately I feel things are getting more serious. The Ministry's realizing we're going to have to start getting in the middle of things if we want something to happen." He said seriously, and Lily saw the far-away glaze in his eyes that left her with the feeling that there was something more he was worrying about.

She figured she knew whom he was thinking about. "Was…was James a good person?"

Remus smiled slowly and momentarily eased the pain in his misty blue eyes. "Incredible. When he had found out what I was he didn't reject me, rather he embraced me for all that I was."

Lily stood up and brought her arms around him, squeezing him tightly. "We'll find him and we'll find him to be a good person still."

C

"So where do we expect them to be?" Lily asked Moody, followed closely by Sirius, Remus and Gideon. They were headed to the Protection and Arms room for Aurors.

Moody tapped the doorknob with his wand and it flew in a fearful manner. She raised her eyebrows at the door and then looked at him in expectantly, waiting for him to answer.

"From sources, we expect them to be in an old abandoned warehouse in the countryside." Moody said shortly as he began handing out various objects to the four Aurors.

Lily saw Moody suddenly point his wand at her, his face in a contorted grimace. Before she could duck out of the way (because that had become instinctive now no matter if it was Moody at the end of the wand) she felt a cold flush shiver through her bottom from top to bottom.

"What the hell did you just do Mad-Eye?" Sirius asked breathlessly from beside her, obviously also been just doused with whatever spell Moody had cast on them. Lily felt her voice echoing his in the back of her mind.

Moody just chuckled darkly. "That is a spell that will help you greatly tonight. It is new and is an advanced piece of magic. It's not something you could master overnight. It's a repelling spell that will protect you from severe Dark spells. It won't stop the Unforgivable ones. You three can already throw off the Imperius curse. The Cruciatus curse will still hurt like hell but not as bad with this repelling spell. Avada Kedavra cannot be repelled. Be careful tonight, all four of you. Don't let the other one fall behind. Stay together. It's Evans's first night so watch her."

Lily rolled her eyes at the other three but they were nodding seriously to Moody. "If one of you gets injured I want you to get back immediately. I've got two Portkeys ready-you'll be able to split up in pairs tonight. I'm giving you four a pocket charm. When it heats up that means get the hell out."

A familiar feeling was starting to brim in the pit of her stomach and extend throughout her body. She was starting to feel excited, her body beginning to pump full of adrenaline with the fear but mostly excitement. Wild excitement.

She shared a look with Sirius and he had a familiar crooked grin. That's what they both had in common; bad family lives at home had caused them to be a bit on the reckless side. They didn't fear life and its obstacles as depression had hung heavily making them thirst for a different emotion.

"Ready?" Sirius whispered into her ear, she nodded giving his hand a squeeze.

"Good thing you changed your footwear eh Evans?" Moody commented as they made their way back downstairs ready to grab another Portkey that was situated a few miles out of the way from the warehouse.

Lily looked down at her navy trainers and nodded, smiling. "Sure is, in case I have to be the bait, right Moody?"

Moody glared at her and mumbled under his breath as Sirius and Remus grinned at her. Gideon began to look alarmed and when he saw the others smiling he then realized she was joking.

"Right. Is everyone ready? Everyone have their wands?" Moody asked, his lips twitching and Lily had a funny feeling that an Auror in the past had once forgotten his or her wand.

'That's horrible!' she thought with a grimace. Poor Moody, he must have made it a habit from then on to ask that before every time they went out, no matter how ridiculous of a question it seems.

Sirius coughed and Lily could have sworn he had covered up a laugh. When she looked up to see Moody's glaring face she was grateful that Sirius had covered it up.

"Alright. On the count of three we're gone. One, two, three."

Lily's clasped hand on the old cloak yanked her up off her feet and soon she felt her body flying about in the air, her eyes barely making out Gideon, Sirius, Remus and Moody around her, also clutching the cloak. Her stomach churned uncomfortably but she bit down on the sides of her mouth, closing her eyes tightly.

And then suddenly she wasn't moving. Her emerald eyes blinked open and she found the five of them standing near the border of a thick forest.

"Great." Lily muttered to herself. The sky was darkening and the sun was down. Light would soon be scarce if they were going to be heading through the dense woods.

Moody's face curled into a dark grin. "Evans has got it. We're heading in that mess. The warehouse is quite far in. Should take about twenty or thirty minutes to get there. Charm your clothing to a dark green or black. Try to blend in."

Lily's once dark purple sweater was charmed a dark black and she pulled the loose hood over her slippery auburn locks. She tucked them in and made sure her sneakers and slacks were black as well.

"We're walking. Keep all eyes peeled. If you feel that someone is around then squeeze the charm I've given you. Evans, you're with Black when we come to the fork where I want you to separate. Prewett, you and Lupin are together. Don't separate, stay together at all costs."

Those were Moody's departing words of wisdom then they were off, trekking through the forest and its path.

The air was cool. Lily was grateful for the temperature and was glad that it wasn't too hot or cold. It smelled fresh of tree sap she noted as they walked through the crunchy forest.

Pale light was streaming into the forest and Lily could see that the moon was half-full, lying nestled in the dark sky. She looked over to Remus who was pale but with a determined look in his dark eyes. Even if the curse was approaching he was going to fight it. Always.

They walked in silence for a long time and Lily soon lost track of time that she had tried to keep count.

"It's time. The warehouse lies ahead. I'm going straight. Remus and Gideon take this fork while you two take this one. I want one of you to come ahead and find me when you know you're near the warehouse. When you're talking amongst yourselves use codenames. Good luck." Moody said gruffly, and then he started forward on his path without a backwards glance.

Sirius took Lily's elbow and motioned her to start walking. They set off at a quick pace on their right fork from Moody's path. They walked in silence, their anticipation building with each step and each breath.

"What's your name going to be?" Lily asked him with a silly grin.

He looked out into the dark and seemed to think about it before whispering, "Call me Padfoot."

Lily looked at him with a questioning glance which he couldn't see. "Then I'm Flower."

He reached over and clasped her hand encouragingly. They continued on for about ten to fifteen minutes on their path.

Lily's eyes had adjusted to the dim light and now it didn't seem quite so dark. The moon was sending down bright rays and she could see quite clearly in front of herself.

"We're nearly there. There may be Death Eaters lurking about so you stay here. I'll nip over to do a quick scan." Sirius said and Lily nodded.

She watched his back march onwards and soon the dark trees and shadows seemed to swallow his figure. Lily sighed and leaned up against a thick tree resting for the time being. Excitement was churning in her stomach. She was ready for this job. She could feel it.

Lily must have waited there for a mere five minutes when she suddenly heard a crunch of a twig from her right.

"Padfoot?" She said aloud, her hands immediately slipping into her sweater and around her wand.

Someone chuckled deeply and humorlessly. And it didn't sound familiar. "No. Someone else."

A tall lean figure emerged in front of her eyes and Lily felt her stomach tighten as he approached to where she was leaning on the tree. He looked even better in person. With his shadowy hazel eyes fixed on her, he walked with his wand pointed at her until there was but a foot of space between them.

C

A/N: There it is! The newly updated chapter three. Let me know what you think! Cheers, hope you are enjoying summer vacation. I've been working lots but writing in the mornings so I have nothing to complain about :)

Lioness Amythest


	4. An Encounter in the Forest

A/N: Trying to update these in a quick succession so I don't have old readers waiting too long for the new forthcoming chapter, C.10. So thank you for your patience lovelies, onto the story!

OH! And new readers, love the reviews and support so far! Glad to hear people like the story. Cheers.

* * *

Encounters

Chapter Four

Out of Boundaries

* * *

James's shadowy hazel eyes traveled across her unabashedly, his eyes meeting hers for the briefest moment, causing her heart to flutter unevenly. Her stomach wriggled uncomfortably at the intensity of his stare but she felt her body responding in an embarssingly eager manner. Her breath quickened as he stepped back soundlessly in the forest brush, his wand still extended. Her eyes sought the dark circles that haunted his otherwise handsome face and she felt her heart squeeze.

The musty smell of earth and crunchy leaves hung heavily in the air as Lily inhaled deeply and tried to think of what she should do next.

"What're you doing in these woods at this time of night?" He asked deeply, his eyes never wavering from hers. She felt her stomach twist warmly at the tone of his voice and had to bite the insides of cheeks to keep from smiling.

She wasn't going to play dumb, he knew why she was there. Lily raised an eyebrow at him and said airily, "Oh, just going for a walk. What's it to you? Is this private land or something?"

He chuckled lowly and as he fiddled lazily with his wand between his strong fingers Lily felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. No matter if he had been Sirius and Remus's best mate once upon a time, the man standing before her exuded a dangerous vibe. She wet her lips with her tongue as her emerald eyes darted around their surroundings.

"An odd time to go for a walk. And yes, this land happens to be private. I'll escort you from here." James said smirking.

Her left hand that had been in her sweater pocket had tightened over her wand. She flexed her fingers and then backed away from the tree smiling coyly at him as he watched her every move. "I don't think that will be necessary."

She whirled out her wand and flicked it upwards, casting a nonverbal Disorienting hex. It hit him squarely in the chest and then she tore off running, her heart beating wildly.

Her thoughts were scattered. She had felt collected at the beginning but now she realized this was serious. As she was running a thought struck her.

What had happened to Moody, Gideon, Remus and Sirius? Where had they gone? Had something terrible happened to them? Something must have happened to Sirius because it was James who had returned instead of her friend, Padfoot.

"I hope they're alright." She muttered.

Her heart was beating irregularly and at every twitch or crackle it bumped unevenly in her chest. She had hit him with the first thing that came to mind, a Disorienting hex, but she reckoned that didn't give her much time to find the others. Lily wiped away the cold sweat that had collected at her brow.

The large warehouse loomed eerily behind droopy vines and dark shadows cast from towering trees. Streams of moonlight illuminated the front of the warehouse but she noted it appeared otherwise abandoned.

"Where could they be?" She whispered, shifting weight on her trainers, wondering what to do.

Before she had concreted a plan her emerald eyes fell on an advancing figure in the darkness. The moonlight from afar cast its light on the handsome face and she felt a cold flush of fear.

Lily tore off running through the brush, her heart beating like a caged butterfly. The cold wind embraced her and goose bumps rose on her neck and arms. Suddenly she picked up on another sound, muffled footsteps. He was following her.

_Guess it was a good idea that I switched shoes_. Lily thought wryly to herself as she ran.

A new sensation was filing through her body now. The immediate panic lie dormant and now wild adrenaline was replacing the jittery feeling that the fear had left in its wake.

_Whoosh. _

She felt something fly past her cheek and her hair blew in the breeze. A jagged bolt of light struck a tree and her eyes widened as she saw it split in two. He had sent that her way, intending it to hit? Lily whirled around, knowing now that she couldn't keep running because he was going to end up hitting her with an Unforgivable Curse.

"Decent hex from an ordinary girl who was just going for a walk." James said without a trace of fatigue in his voice. He was in good shape she noted, impressed.

Lily looked at him, her face devoid of any emotion as she whirled out her wand to hex him effectively. But he was ready for her this time.

"Expelliarmus." He said sharply and with a sinking heart she felt her wand fly out of her hand. She had a strong urge to slap the cocky expression off his face as her wand fell into his receiving hand.

Lily glared at him and folded her hands across her chest. "Well? What d'you want?"

James laughed huskily and started walking towards her. "I want you of course."

Her cool demeanor was gone as she felt her cheeks flush in the darkness and a shiver trickled through her body as she edged away from him. _I'm going to have to Apparate. I'll come back with the other Aurors to find them. I'm not staying alone with him in the forest defenseless._

Lily closed her eyes and mindfully concentrated on the Ministry of Magic. She prayed it would work. She didn't want to be alone with a virile Death Eater, no matter the reaction he raised in her.

"Now." She said aloud her eyes still closed shut. Nothing happened-that familiar uncomfortable feeling of being tightly squeezed through a tube didn't come to pass.

"Ah, I'm skilled." Lily said happily to herself. She eagerly opened her eyes really believing that she was in her office at the Ministry of Magic with thousands of miles set between her and James.

Unfortunately that wasn't the case. James was staring at her, amusement lighting up his face and easing the dark edge to his handsome face. "You can't Apparate here. You can only Apparate outside the forest and I think we're quite far from there."

Lily balled her hands tightly into fists. "Damn." She cursed, feeling the adrenaline drain from her body to an invisible reservoir.

"So you see, we're quite alone." He added. He really was trying to intimidate her. Seeing as she didn't have her wand to defend her, she'd have to do it the old school way.

She slowly raised her hand to her lips and wet them with her tongue, feeling a twist of satisfaction as he leaned forwards, his eyes darkened with desire.

Lily suddenly swung her leg to catch him beneath his knee but he jumped out of the way just in time. She tried again but when James shifted sideways she sliced her elbow at his head but his nimble hands grasped her elbows, jerking her forwards roughly.

Lily tried to pull herself free from him but he pulled her close to him and held her in a tight embrace, forcing her to look up at him.

"That wasn't a smart move, Flower." He said darkly and she glared at him, realizing he had been listening to her and Sirius.

Hot anger sizzled through her. In a renewal of energy she knocked his lower calf inwards and they both fell to the ground in a tangle of limbs. Damp musky leaves flew in her face and Lily tried to wrench herself free from his tight grasp but he didn't loosen his grip, instead he rolled up and pushed her down to the ground so he was on top of her.

James captured her wrists with his strong hands and held them down side by side her face, his legs pinning her down. Lily breathed in tightly as she looked up into his stormy hazel eyes that were swirling with desire and curiousity. Instead of feeling fear she felt a deep yearning, but who wouldn't when an attractive man was pinning you down to the ground?

Lily looked up at his messy black hair and admired his straight nose. Her eyes traveled down to his lips and she wondered what it would be like to-! Lily closed her eyes tightly at the treasounous thought that streaked through her mind. She was attracted to their enemy!

"Like what you see Flower?" He asked and Lily's eyes snapped open. He was just an arrogant Death Eater who thought he could do whatever he wanted. That wouldn't be the case with Lily.

"Get off of me!" Lily said angrily, disregarding what he said, struggling to move from underneath him but he kept his grip strong.

James smirked at her struggling. "No can do Flower. I need to know why you and a few of your companions were here tonight."

"Companions?"

His stormy eyes narrowed. "Don't play dumb. I know you weren't here by coincidence. Don't come back, it's not smart to get mixed up in this."

At that last comment Lily wondered what he meant by 'this'. Was he drawn to her as she was to him? Before she could muse any further, his grip pushed into her wrists warningly and then he propped himself up off her and stood up. For their recent activites he looked relatively unwrinkled in his loose gray slacks and short sleeved navy shirt. Lily gulped, feeling a flush of warmth heat her up from top to bottom.

She retrieved her wand from the ground, grateful that he hadn't taken it with him or destroyed it. Before she could say anything else to him he turned away and seemed to melt into the darkness.

She vaguely heard him say, "Next time you come here you won't get off so easily. Don't assume because of my past I'm good. You shouldn't want to have anything to do with me, nor should the others."

And then he was gone. Lily squinted her eyes into the darkness but couldn't see his receding figure.

As she walked to the outskirts of the forest, her thoughts strayed to when he had pinned her down to the ground and the electric tingling she had felt when he straddled her. She shivered in the darkness.

C

"Thank Merlin!" It was the first thing Sirius said before hugging her tightly. Lily hugged him back and then looked at Moody, Gideon and Remus with her hands folded across her chest.

"What happened to the team spirit? You know, watching out for one another?" Lily asked in a touchy voice. She had Apparated directly to her office after reaching the outskirts, only to find all four of them waiting for her.

"Well you see-" Gideon started but Moody interrupted him.

"Let me explain sonny. Evans looks pretty steamed and I need to explain what went on tonight. Black and Evans went together but Black had an unforeseen complication tonight." Moody explained and Lily looked over to Sirius, who looked unusually shaken.

"Potter was there that evening. The others were probably there earlier, possibly even Voldemort, but at the time we arrived it was only Potter. Seeing as Potter was his old school friend, I'm sure you wanted to confront him. Am I correct in assuming this Black?"

Sirius nodded and Lily saw he looked miserable. On a closer look his usual smooth smile was in place but Lily knew he was covering up what he really felt. It would be a blow to his self-esteem that he let himself get emotionally involved with the case.

"Well I had to pull him back. Potter isn't stupid, he headed down the path that Black had been to with Evans. When I realized that it was only Potter there I decided on a whim that this would be your chance to prove to yourself and myself that you are qualified to be an Auror. Congratulations Evans."

She beamed at him as she realized this was her last test as a student and now she was finally an Auror, a dark wizard catcher.

_I'm coming for you Potter._ Lily thought to herself as she left her office.

* * *

A/N: There you have it. Lily's first steamy encounter with James! Please review, am trying to post a chapter a week, but you never know, the next one could pop up earlier :)

Cheers!


	5. Bedlam

A/N: Hiya! Hope you are having a relaxing Friday. Or have plans to relax this weekend haha. Here's the newest chapter. Cheerio :)

Disclaimer: JK Rowling's.

* * *

Chapter Five

Bedlam

Out of Boundaries

* * *

Lily's night was restless-sleep escaped her as she tossed and turned in the tangled sweaty blankets. Her mind was humming with scattered thoughts: James, her first assignment, becoming an Auror, and back to said Death Eater.

When she had finally conked out, her dreams were riddled with James, James, James.

_She squinted and sought the familiar hazel eyes. The two of them were walking down a street, hand in hand. James was looking down at her, a hidden emotion diffused across his face. _

_They seemed to be heading purposefully someplace. A beach materialized in front of their eyes and Lily let out a delighted squeal. Her feet sunk into the white sand, warmth radiating up her legs. _

_Inhaling deeply she relished the salty air and feeling inwardly cleansed, she ran towards the choppy water. Before she reached the water she felt nimble hands slide beneath her back and she let out a gasp as she was swung up into James's arms. _

_She glared at him, trying to pull free from his strong hold but with an amused expression he tossed her in the water. The one thought she had before falling in the water was that his current expression suited him more than his dark smirks._

And then she was awake. Cold sweat had collected underneath her eyes and around her mouth.

"Oh." She echoed desolately.

Hot tears began to slip down her clammy cheeks and her chest heaved with disquieting agony. She twisted in her bed sheets and wiped her wet face. Why did she feel so unsettled by the dream?

Sighing, she plumped her pillow up and fell back onto her bed. She proceeded to wipe away the stray tears still sliding down her face until she fell back asleep.

C

"Lily!"

Lily shifted in her sheets and felt a prickle of irritation. Who was here on a Saturday morning? This was her one chance to catch up on lost sleep.

She groaned as she sat up in bed, blinking away the gritty tiredness from her emerald eyes.

"Coming." She called, rubbing her face with the back of her hand.

Lily pattered into the kitchen and yawned widely at the culprit. "What are you doing here?"

Amerila crossed her arms. "Someone's cranky! I took it upon myself to see how you were after your first assignment. Find anything on Potter? Glad to see you're still alive, catch you later!"

Lily felt her mood plummet and darken at the mention of James.

"Yes. Last evening with Sirius, Remus, Gideon and Moody. They left me to deal with him by myself." She pinched her nose, feeling a headache coming on. Memories swirled in her mind's eye: how he had pinned her down to the ground, his shadowy hazel eyes, and the sensation of his legs on hers.

"It was an unusual encounter." Lily finally said aloud.

Amerila raised her eyebrows. "Where's the perky optimism you usually exude? I can't have Niall meeting you and thinking I have a moody best friend. He'll think I'm secretly a moody, drama-seeking bitty."

Lily snorted. "And you aren't?"

"I suppose I can be moody. I have had my bouts of drama. But that gets one no place so I've hung up the rag on that one." Amerila commented airily, her interest apparently gone from the conversation and now on the contents of Lily's fridge as she swung the door open.

"Merlin, when have you last gotten groceries? We're going for brunch, don't you dare argue! You need someone to cook for you and I need to tell you about Niall." Amerila threatened at Lily's open mouth, suspecting protest.

Lily let out a giggle. "Whew. Let me throw on something presentable at least."

"Are you kidding? You would look good in a paper bag. But tonight no paper bag princess. A new club, Bedlam, is having its first event tonight and we are going! I have V.I.P. tickets from Niall, he's owled them to me already!"

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Living the high life already are we?"

Amerila giggled. "He's so dashing. I can't wait for you to meet him. Go on then, get dressed!"

She scowled at her friend. "I thought you said I looked good in anything?"

"I was just saying it for the sake of cheering you up. But I am not going to brunch with you wearing raggy sweats and a t-shirt that could fit me, you, and a couple children."

Lily let out a loud lough and slipped into her bedroom. The two left her apartment chatting animatedly about the evening, the dream evidently forgotten.

C

Lily and Amerila parted ways after a two hour brunch date as both had unfinished work to be done before the evening's events. Lily gathered all the information of James she had and organized it in her notebook.

It was now early evening and she couldn't recall how many times her emerald eyes had scanned through her purple notebook. She blinked and let out a wide yawn, looking down at the wrinkled picture of James from the Prophet.

"James you prick, why are you ignoring Sirius and Remus? They miss you terribly." Lily said confusedly, combing her fingers through her silky hair.

Her thoughts circled back to the question that had bothered her from the beginning: why was he a Death Eater, how did he end up working for Voldemort? She slid her hand underneath the front of her notebook and snapped it shut.

Lily slid into her steamy shower and scrubbed her auburn hair with coconut scented shampoo, trying to keep her thoughts devoid of anything related to work. Anticipation of going out dancing was starting to fill her with a light-headed excitement. It had been so long since she had gone out with Amerila due to their post-Hogwarts jobs.

She whirled a towel over her sopping hair and toweled off quickly then slipped into her white bath robe. To her surprise, Amerila was already rifling through the contents of her closet.

"You didn't show me this new top!" Amerila said in a muffled voice, her head deep in the closet but her left hand brandishing an emerald green silk wrap-around.

Lily laughed. "Yes, well I just bought it this week and am going to wear it tonight. Don't get any ideas, missy."

Amerila withdrew from the closet, her hand clamped down on a navy baby doll top and a pair of black leggings.

"Success!" She said triumphantly, plopping down on Lily's bed and proceeding to detangle her curly hair.

Lily laughed. Her spunky friend didn't have the luxury of wearing muggle clothing to the Prophet. Her fashion choices were cut down to black dress robes or cloaks. Administration believed that muggle borns who worked in a wizarding occupation were obligated to adorn 'appropriate wizarding' dress.

"This becomes such a nest in the wind." Amerila said grumpily, pulling at the stubborn knot at the back of her head.

Lily shook her head, trying to hide her smile. "Why don't you just use a charm to smooth it?"

"I've tried in the past. Honestly though, I think my hair has a mind of its own because whenever I try that, it always resorts to curling up tightly after I've showered the next day. Then it's a real mess."

"Temperamental hair, that's a bit odd." Lily snorted.

Amerila glared at her. "It is!"

She dodged the pillow Amerila chucked her way and headed to the bathroom to apply some makeup. After outlining her eyes with soft brown eyeliner Lily slid into her favorite navy skinny jeans. The silk green top tied around her neck, covering her completely in the front but open in the back till the waistband of her jeans where it tied.

Lily released her silky auburn locks from the ponytail, letting them flow down her back. When she got to the club she'd pull it back in a high ponytail because it would undoubtedly get hot. Amerila fixed on a pair of dangly silver earrings and tossed Lily her champagne colored flats.

"Let's go."

They exited Lily's flat and apparated to a dark alleyway in London that was near Bedlam. Lily grabbed Amerila's hand and squeezed it.

"This is perfect timing. I need to distract myself from my thoughts. I had such a shitty time with the assignment." She said truthfully, her insides squeezing gently at the memories that filled her consciousness.

Amerila nodded. "AND you'll get to meet Niall and his sexy mates!"

They rounded the corner to the street where Bedlam was and Lily's eyes widened as she took in the scene. The line was incredibly long, with hundreds of men and women, adorned in sparkly clubbing attire, some more scantily clad than the other. The smell of firewhiskey and imported cigars filled the air.

Lily let out a cough. "This line is massive! We'll be lucky if we get in before they close."

"Ah but you are forgetting something important." Amerila said, her brown eyes sparking with excitement. She flashed the V.I.P. tickets at Lily and then grabbed her hand, pulling her past the long line-up.

The burly long-haired bouncer eyed the two of them up and then nodded when Amerila passed him the two passes. Lily felt her eyes travel across the sea of people waiting outside Bedlam, her insides constricting with anticipation.

"When is Niall coming?" Lily asked in Amerila's ear, the music swallowing up any attempt at conversation in the club.

"Soon."

A sprinkling of neon lights sliced through the air, lighting the floor up and illuminating the long bar on the opposite end. There were two dragon statues on either end of the bar and gargoyles fixed on the wall where the liquor was displayed in an array of expensive crystal bottles. A male bartender was zipping back and forth, sliding different drinks towards each customer.

Lily glanced over at the dance floor and was impressed by the amount of people already dancing. The DJ was on an elevated stage above the dance floor, busy mixing beats and shaking his head to the music.

The strong scent of incense was burning in the air, distracting one from the stench of body odor that would become more prevalent as the night went on.

"This place is brilliant." Lily commented, her eyes roving across the club, taking in the upstairs, a balcony with a bar. People were milling about with their drinks, glancing down at the dance floor and chatting amiably.

"Come on then, about time we made our way to dance hm?"

The infectious music was wrapping itself around Lily enticingly, luring her to the dance floor. She followed Amerila to the middle of the floor, her arms coming up over her head, swaying to the trance beats that the DJ was mixing.

"I don't see Niall." Her friend said in her ear.

"Maybe he got mobbed by fans outside." Lily said back with a grin and Amerila rolled her eyes, laughing but uncertainty still rested in her eyes.

After a few songs played Amerila tugged on her hand. "Want to go get a drink?"

They headed to the bar where the bartender was still flitting back and forth. When he finally stopped in front of them and pointed, waiting for them to order, Lily had to squash the urge to laugh. The guy was drenched in sweat and looked stressed out of his mind.

"Need another bartender huh," Amerila said flirtatiously and then waved her hand, "You're doing wonderfully. Can I have two whiskey sours, please?"

Lily snorted when he zipped away from their sight. "He sure is quick."

He deposited the two limey drinks in front of them and Amerila passed him the money then waved the money back when he came back with the change.

The two leaned back against the bar, sipping their drinks and glancing around the club.

"I wonder where he is." Amerila finally said and Lily felt her heart go out to her friend. She also wondered where he was.

Lily shook her head. "Come on, let's go dance some more. Either way, we got sweet entry tickets to the new hottest club in London. I'm sure he has a good reason why."

Amerila nodded and her face brightened as if a thought had struck her. "I'm just going to go and ask the bouncer if he's seen Niall."

"Alright, I'll be on the dance floor."

Lily made her way back to their spot and felt herself pulled into the music, elation spilling through her body. Her eyes momentarily closed as she moved to the music and swayed her hips. She felt her arms come up above her and a wide grin broke across her face. Dancing was such an outlet for her; she felt on top of the world.

Suddenly Lily sensed someone come from behind her and begin to move in synch with her own body. Whoever it was had incredible taste in cologne and could really dance. His movements were smooth and complementary to hers, not in the least bit awkward or choppy. Strong hands rested below her waist on her hipbones and he pushed her into him as they danced to the music.

Intrigued, Lily wondered whether she should turn around to see who this confident man was.

Unexpectedly she felt him lean down and whisper deeply in her ear, "You're not the only one whose been doing research Flower, or should I call you Evans?"

Immediate alarm flooded her stomach and Lily whirled around to face James. Her eyes roved across his face and took in his shaggy appearance that added to his appeal. He was adorned in club attire, a simple black shirt and black slacks.

The black accentuated his brooding demeanor. An inner voice gripped Lily from her reverie and she tried to pull away from him. He proceeded to pull her tightly towards him, his dark hazel eyes fixed on her and Lily felt as if he could see right through her.

James slid his hands to her back to make it appear as if they were dancing intimately together like a couple. His hands were rested on her bare skin and she could feel tingles traveling the course of her body from his touch.

"I just want to let you know," He whispered huskily, weighing out each word heavily, "that I've been watching you."

"Get your hands off me." She hissed, trying to sound menacing.

He merely chuckled. "Don't worry Flower, I won't tell anyone at the Ministry that you're turned on by the enemy, wouldn't want that breaking across the Prophet, now would we?" This last sentence he spoke in a low voice and Lily shivered at the truth of the words.

She opened her eyes and was shocked. The tall handsome bloke was gone. She whirled around, half-expecting him to be standing there with an infuriating expression on his face but he wasn't.

"What the-"

"Lily! Who was the steamy bloke you were dancing with hm? Is that why you were in such a hurry to get back on the dance floor?" Amerila interrupted but Lily shook her head frantically.

"James Potter was here!"

"What?"

Lily nodded vigorously, her eyes still searching for James. "I'm not kidding. He was here just now dancing with me. I didn't realize until I turned around."

Amerila regarded Lily skeptically. "Are you sure you didn't have a double whiskey sour because now that I think of it, it did look a little-"

"I swear it was him! Look where he gripped my wrists." Lily said and flipped out her forearms, red blotches lingered where he had held her.

Amerila looked at Lily with alarm in her eyes. "What the hell was he doing here, Lily?"

Lily bit her lip uncertainly. "I have no idea. He told me he was watching me."

"Great, that's just great. Voldemort's second hand man has been following you." Amerila said with an exasperated sigh, her hand immediately pulling at her brown curls.

Lily laughed half-heartedly. "Whatever Amerila, it's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal? Lily, that guy's been known to terrorize the world along with Voldemort and now he's following you? That's concerning, or at least in my book it is. You haven't been an Auror long enough to have gotten used to this kind of stuff, have you?" Amerila asked incredulously and Lily shrugged her shoulders.

"Come on then, let's go. Niall hasn't shown up yet and I've rather lost the drive to be in this sweaty stinky club." Amerila said crossly.

Lily smiled and hooked her arm in Amerila's as they made their way back to her flat, lost in her thoughts about what had just happened.

She couldn't really explain how she felt. James didn't terrify her per say, rather he gave her this incredible urge to prove to the wizarding world that he was a good man. Somehow, deep down she knew he was. Lily wasn't going to stop pursuing him until she'd proved it to herself and him.

* * *

A/N: LOL, I really love to dance. There always seems to be a club scene in my fics bahaha...anyways please review :) Suggestions, criticisms, and advice are always welcome!

Lioness Amythest


	6. James

A/N: Hi! Here is a chapter from James's perspective. Hope you enjoy it, sorry if it gets too repetitive :( Let me know if you would still like to read from his POV. Cheerio, loves.

Disclaimer: DEF not mine! Wahhh...

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Chapter Six

James

Out of Boundaries

* * *

Restlessness had unexpectedly replaced his usual dull stupor that evening. Since becoming a Death Eater he had perfected this bleak lifestyle: waiting for Voldemort's next order, staying hidden, losing contact with everyone he loved.

That particular evening felt like eternity for James. This was rather unusual for him because he had lived like this for the past eight years. What had caused him to feel so antsy on that Saturday evening, he wasn't sure.

His head suddenly jerked up. "What the hell…?"

A small snowy bird was tapping its head on the decrepit glass window of his small flat on a quiet street in London.

The bird had a newspaper in its beak so he opened the window tentatively; his ears peeked for any suspicious sound. He had to be careful not to be found out-he was just as wanted as Voldemort or any other Death Eater was.

Once it gained entrance into the flat the bird zoomed around the ceiling, dropping the newspaper promptly and then hooting loudly as it fell on James's head.

"You bloody-" James began furiously but the owl just hooted insistently once more and then sped out the window in a flurry of snowy wings.

There was a small note attached to the Prophet and James rolled his eyes, knowing who the sender was.

_Potter,_

_Read this newspaper thoroughly and pick out the Aurors that we are going to be picking off in the upcoming weeks. I expect to see a compiled list next week as the Dark Lord unfortunately gave us this project to do together._

_-LM_

James eyes narrowed as an image of Lucius Malfoy swam in his mind's eye, what a slimy git. His hands clenched the note tightly and crumpled it into a ball.

He turned to the item of interest - the Daily Prophet - and unfolded the paper on his makeshift coffee table, an old wooden box. A careful reading of the newspaper would distract him for the time being. It was rare that he got his hands on a Prophet or heard anything of the magical world other than bits and pieces he gathered from meetings.

He could easily be caught as articles were written up weekly in magazines and papers. He took care not to make a habit of going out often. He did not want Mad Eye Moody, of all Aurors, locking him away in the dreaded wizarding prison, Azkaban.

Severus Snape had snidely said to him during one meeting that it was terrible that he had to hide behind a disguise to go out in public. This infuriated James and being stubborn as he was, he refused to go under disguise to buy a newspaper or leave his house. Pride could be a terrible thing sometimes.

His eyes scanned the special edition colored front page and wonder what warranted the splurge. His brow furrowed as he realized it was a special edition article on the new Aurors at the Ministry of Magic.

Suddenly he caught sight of a witch with startling emerald eyes and glossy auburn hair. It was the young dame from the forest.

"Lily Evans." He read out loud, immediately liking the sound of her name.

He leaned closer to the article, fumbling for his wand and said, "Lumos". Bright light flared from his wand and he aimed it at the front page. The sun had descended hours ago and it was getting late.

The article revealed her quick transition from Hogwarts to the Ministry to study under Moody in an advanced program for Aurors. Of course there were a bunch of pictures of the attractive witch.

"Her pretty face must sell loads." James said sarcastically when he found a large portrait of the enigmatic girl on the second page.

Grudgingly, he had to admit he felt impressed at the brevity of her training. Clearly she was a gifted witch as Mad-Eye Moody was a good judge of character.

James's eyes roved across the page, pausing at a familiar looking face, when he leaned for a closer look his wand fell from his hand as his brain registered what he was seeing; the light extinguished leaving him in darkness.

"Lumos." He whispered his wand hand shaking slightly as he cast light over the page again.

There waving happily in a shot was Sirius, Remus, and Lily. Lily was sandwiched between the two men and had her arms around both of them. Remus and Sirius were saying something and she was laughing loudly, joy filling her face with a liveliness he hadn't seen in her when they interacted in the forest.

An odd coolness flooded his stomach and he grit his teeth. He flicked to the next page and skipped the entire section on the Aurors, clearly ignoring any more reference to her.

The other featured story was on the grand opening of a new night club in London that was run by a wizard but was opened for Muggles too. The manager was spouting off a load of bullshit, in James's opinion, about strengthening unity between Muggles and Wizards, but unknowingly for the Muggles of course. _Right, load of sense that makes,_ he thought venomously.

"Bedlam indeed." James said darkly, shaking his head as he sped read through the remainder of the article, now impatient to finish the paper.

Flipping it shut, his eyes once again returned to the shot of Lily.

"Wonder what our precious little Flower is doing tonight." James pondered a loud. Suddenly he whirled away from the paper, his dark hazel eyes darkening as an idea formulated in his mind. Perhaps he should get a little head start on the project?

Ten minutes later James had exited his flat, his hands shoved in his pant pockets and his gaze downcast. He refused to wear a disguise, call him stupid but he was stubborn as a mule when he made up his mind.

He grinned darkly as he slouched down the abandoned street, thinking of how she would react when she saw him. It had been such a long time since his interest had been perked this strongly. Glad to have something to occupy his thoughts, he continued down the street in the direction of Bedlam.

It had been almost too easy to find out where she would be that evening. Consequently when he had read the article the author mentioned at the end that her and her best mate, Lily Evans, would be attending the opening night of Bedlam as they had acquired V.I.P. tickets from a generous source.

"It was meant to be." James commented humorlessly to himself.

His shadowy eyes glanced at the raucous loud line of people but he just smirked. He hadn't been taught extensive spells and charms for nothing, had he?

Without a second glance he pulled out his wand and waved it in an intricate twirl towards himself, it was a spell that would keep him invisible for a few minutes.

He made his way up past all the giggling girls, macho guys, and drunken teenagers trying to sneak in underage. There was a gaggle of people getting their tickets verified with the bouncer and he grinned. Simple as that.

As James entered Bedlam he was surprised to find himself liking the set up. It had been so long since he had been out in a public area like this, meant only for leisure and play. His life ended the same day his parent's had it seemed. Sometimes James wondered bitterly why Voldemort didn't kill him then too.

It was time to shake the red head up a bit.

The bar was well lit and an anxious looking bartender was bouncing between customers. He stifled a laugh as he continued to gaze around, admiring the upper balcony and trance music that was being mixed.

He could see a few women already eying him up appreciatively and he could tell by their looks that they wanted him. Smirking, he ignored them and slid his hands into his pockets, turning around then stopping abruptly as recognition filtered across his face.

There she was at the bar with a curly haired girl, both holding a drink in their hand and laughing together.

A rush of heat raced through him as he took her appearance in. Her silky auburn hair was spilling out on her pale slim shoulders, framing her face softly. She had on a pair of slim jeans with an exotic silk green top. Her pale back was exposed and he admired how the green fabric contrasted against her porcelain skin.

One of the customers was leering at her and nodding to his buddies. James felt his hands clench into fists and he shook his head, disgusted with the lot.

"Must happen a lot." He muttered to himself and he unpredictably felt a strong surge of anger when one of them leaned towards her.

What he wouldn't give to go and throttle the idiot for even looking at her or thinking the thoughts he most likely was entertaining. There was so much pent up anger and frustration coiling tightly around his muscles that if he were to let himself go there, it would be a terrible mess.

Inhaling tightly he turned away for a moment then looked back. The curly haired girl said something to Lily then walked off. So that must be her journalist friend, Amerila Owens, he thought. James slipped off his sweater and dropped it on the chair nearest to him still watching Lily carefully.

Lily walked away from the bar and disappeared into the dance floor. He grinned cockily. It was time to go and have a little bit of fun with the spunky redhead. James carefully made his way in the direction she had gone.

She was dancing alone in the middle of the floor; her slim arms were up above her head as she swayed enticingly to the music.

He was glad he had deposited his sweater on the chair. It was sticky and humid in the center of the floor where it was the most crowded with couples grinding together and groups of people in circles dancing. As James edged closer he could feel the heat emanating off the young woman.

He slid behind her and slowly slid his hands around her waist then moved them just below the hem of her silk shirt. James moved in time with her, fascinated with how their bodies melded together perfectly, his heart beating rapidly as he looked down at the gorgeous woman in his arms.

Her scent filled his senses and a strong unfamiliar feeling stirred deeply in the pit of his stomach. Without thinking about what he was doing he pushed her into him, grinding slowly behind her.

Impulsively, he leaned towards her ear and whispered slowly, "You're not the only one whose been doing research Flower, or should I call you Evans?"

She spun around to face him and James registered alarm in her eyes and desire as she took in his appearance. When she suddenly tried to pull away he smirked. He wanted to play a little longer.

He grasped her small wrists tightly and wrenched her towards him, pressing her close to him. James's hands rested on her bare back and he could feel a strange tingling filling his body.

"I just want to let you know," He said huskily into her ear weighing out each word heavily, "That I've been watching you."

"Get your hands off me." She hissed.

He merely chuckled. "Don't worry Flower, I won't tell anyone at the Ministry that you're turned on by the enemy, wouldn't want that breaking across the Prophet, now would we?"

James smirked as he felt her shiver. It was time for his grand exit. He cast a momentary Befuddlement charm that would last five seconds, enough time for him to slip away from her but still catch her reaction.

"What the-" He heard her say before he slipped between a throng of people watching someone spinning and balancing on their head in the middle of the floor. _Muggles_, he thought as he shook his head.

James grabbed his hoodie and turned around to catch one last glimpse of Lily Evans. He looked to where he had just been and he looked for her.

There she was. And she was talking to her curly haired friend, her eyes wide with shock. He watched with interest as she showed her friend her wrists.

Then she laughed at something her friend said to her and James wondered why she was smiling as she was now. It was now her friend's turn to look frantic as Lily just shrugged her shoulders, a calm look on her face. What the hell? He hadn't shaken her up enough?

He exited before he could get caught up too much more in the drama, it wasn't smart to think too much of the bright witch. He had to curb his interest in her otherwise he would be in trouble.

* * *

A/N: Yay, only a four day wait! What'd you think? I couldn't give away too much on James's POV because of the plot but you'll see soon enough why he is a Death Eater teehee... :)

BTW: Just found out that the Hobbit is being made into a trilogy ? What do you all think? Regardless, I'm pumped and intrigued haha! Cheers! PLEASE review loves!

-Lioness


	7. Inadequacy

A/N: Hiya all :) Thank for the encouraging reviews from the previous chapter. Seeing as its my birthday tomorrow - oh yes, I am requesting this haha - could you pleeeeease leave me a review? As an early prezzie ? :)

Lioness Amythest xo

Disclaimer: JK Rowling's…

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Inadequacy

Chapter 7

Out of Boundaries

* * *

It was a Tuesday afternoon and Lily was tired of writing silly reports on the effectiveness of polyjuice potion and other disguising strategies. Her mind was darting all over the place, not aided by reimagining's of her and James's previous encounter.

Guilt squeezed her insides tightly as she thought about what Sirius or Remus would say if they knew. Not only was she putting herself and loved ones in danger, she was also sabotaging her legitimacy as an Auror.

Shaking her head, Lily decided to go for a walk downstairs and get a cup of tea at the cafe in an attempt to clear her scattered thoughts. Her little office had a stuffy and humid atmosphere. Whirling her wand, she created a cool breeze and charmed her dried up carnations into sweet pink roses.

"Romantic." She snorted at the new bundles of flowers. The charm always surprised her with various buds.

Dropping the pile of reports, she exited her office and slouched downstairs. Pulling her hair into a loose ponytail, she handed a bronze coin to the plump cafe lady. She poured cream into her tea and watched the two liquids blend together, creating a delicious toffee shade.

It was around the time Aurors had their mid-afternoon break so she decided to sit down and relax with her cup of tea.

"Then I'll finish that blasted report."

"I second that." Sirius said sourly from above where she was seated. Lily cracked a bleak grin at her tired looking friend and nodded for him to sit in the chair opposite her.

His gray eyes were calculating as he slid into the seat. "What's got you so withdrawn and quiet?"

Shrugging evasively, she didn't meet his probing gaze but looked instead at the long babbling line up of witches and wizards getting their afternoon caffeine fix. "Am feeling a bit under the weather actually."

"Have anything to do with a particular Death Eater?"

Lily glanced over at Sirius and didn't reply. She took another sip of her warm tea. He knows, she thought. And he doesn't look pleased.

Sirius stood up without another word and joined the lineup. Lily watched his receding figure and noticed that he had a slightly stooped posture and seemed not to exude the usual good humor.

When Sirius returned and was settled across from her, he placed his cup down, slopping some of the brown liquid on the table.

"Okay, go on, ask me questions. I know you've been dying to." Sirius took a sip of his hot tea and grimaced, "Watered down sop."

Lily let out a weak chuckle and nodded, rubbing her forehead with a sweaty hand. "You know me too well. Alright, the thing is, I find it hard to believe that James would choose willingly to become a Death Eater. It just doesn't add up."

Sirius's eyes flashed. "Of course it doesn't. Obviously there is a chunk of information we're missing. We aren't dealing with just any dark wizard, Lily. We're dealing with Voldemort. He's scheming and relentless. My own brother joined his ranks and when he came to his senses and wanted out - well it wasn't like he could merrily skip out and be on his way, now could he?"

"I'm so sorry, Sirius."

He waved a hand. "It is what it is. I hope to make up for some of the mistakes my family has made."

They sipped their tea in silence, the cheerful chatters of a couple next to them filling their ears. She glanced at Sirius and a wry smile was playing at his lips as they eavesdropped.

"Lovesick." Lily trilled.

Sirius shook his head. "Making me sick."

Lily leaned her cheek into her open palm and decided to ask the question she had been mulling over for the last few days. "Do you think it's better to leave things as they are then? With James I mean."

"I wish I believed we could help him but I don't. Leave it otherwise you'll go crazy. Merlin knows I almost did when he first disappeared." A distant expression filled his gray eyes.

Mustering a smile, she was surprised to feel a cool tear leak down her face. Hastily, she wiped it away before Sirius saw. Standing up, she took a long swig from her tea and sighed, knowing it was time to return to her office.

"Moody's going to curse me if I don't get this assignment done for him on time. It's on Disguise and Stealth, I mean, come on, we discussed these topics intensively last fall!"

Sirius chortled. "Oh you know Moody: revise, revise, revise. Never can do too much of that."

They headed back upstairs silently. Sirius seemed to be done with the conversation regarding James but Lily didn't feel satisfied. Rather, she felt as if there were more to be done, more research to be pored over, questions to be asked.

Squaring her shoulders, she headed into her office and came to a decision that afternoon. That she wouldn't stop until she uncovered the mystery of James's alliance with Voldemort. Sirius was emotionally too vulnerable and close to the situation. But she still had the energy and fight in her to find out more about James Potter. And she would.

C

_Lily,_

_There's been a raid at a downtown outdoors concert venue. Moody's sent us along a portkey and I've attached it to this letter, yes it is that darning needle. Head over ASAP. _

_Sirius_

Lily peeled the pointy darning needle from the tape and spun away from her apartment, whirling around in a mess of images until she fell to the ground to a now dilapidated concert ground.

Screeching cries and howls echoed across the gated concert grounds - an attempt to keep it separated from the general public - but now stood as the perfect trap for Muggles running amok from the prowling Death Eaters.

The stage had collapsed, beams sticking up at odd angles, and the screen behind the musicians had folded forwards to reveal a large group of trapped people. Cries could be heard as blinding green light lit up the dilapidated stage and fire licked the torn wooden beams.

The stench of smoke and something worse - blood - filled her nostrils. Tears smarted at her eyes at the strong odor and she gripped her wand resolutely, her emerald eyes darting around.

"Lily!"

It was Gideon. His face was scarred, blood sported from the cut and his clothes stuck to him from the sweat.

"I'm going to go behind there." Lily pointed to the stage and dashed off to where the screams continued to echo with urgency.

On her way she tripped over a young girl sprawled across the ground. Lily pushed herself off the ground - her knee smarting and bloodied - and tapped the child lightly on the face.

Horrorstricken, she realized that the glassy blue eyes looking up at her were lifeless. Quickly shutting the child's lids and whispering out a prayer, she sprinted to her destination, heaving slightly at the pangs from her knee.

A group of eight Muggles were huddled together, heads leaning in together and whispering a foreign language to each other.

Lily's eyes narrowed at the Death Eater: it was Karkaroff. She'd heard about him of course, but she had never seen him in person.

In person, he was truly repulsive. Besides his greasy black goatee and tiny beetle like eyes glittering with malice, the aura surrounding him was filled with twisted pleasure in firing the killing curse, Avada Kedavra, to innocent, unprotected Muggles. One after the other.

"Expelliarmus!" Lily snapped. He must have sensed her presence early on for he cackled loudly and disarmed the spell with a lazy flick of his wand.

Apprehension trickled into her stomach. This is going to get messy, she thought. Her eyes darted around the surroundings. If she could distract him the time being then he couldn't fire any more killing curses at the group of Muggles.

With that consoling thought, Lily gripped her wand tightly and hoped she looked braver than she felt. Her heart was fluttering rapidly beneath her chest and she chewed on her bottom lip to distract herself from the nervousness.

"Hello, my pretty."

Bastard, she thought. Lily shot a stunning spell at him but Karkaroff deflected it easily.

The group was watching her, some with hopeful expressions, clearly understanding that she was there to help and not hurt them like Karkaroff. A young child with curly blonde hair clutched her mother's hand fearfully.

Transfixed, Lily watched as Karkaroff began edging closer to her, the hair rose on her neck at each step. She felt rooted to the spot, immobile. Backing up hastily at his sudden closeness, she tripped over a fallen piece of debris behind her.

"Clumsy, are we?"

Suddenly he jerked his wand upright. Lily screamed "Proteg-" but wasn't fast enough. A dark shadow hurtled towards her, knocking the wind from her. The impact pushed her back and slammed her into the wrought iron fence.

Wincing, she pushed herself up, embarrassment curdling in her stomach. Pathetic didn't come close to describe how she was feeling. Her sacrum ached painfully where she had hit into a jutting rock.

"That must have hurt." Karkaroff guffawed and twiddled his wand between his fingers.

Lily flicked her wand and thought furiously, "Stupefy."

The red light rushed violently towards him but it stopped halfway there, evaporating in the smoky space between them.

He said scathingly, "And you actually made it as an Auror. Pity. The Ministry needs to be more selective. And anyways, this clearly isn't your calling. Being so easy on the eyes, your talents could be used…elsewhere."

Rolling her eyes to appease him for the time being, she noticed and was pleased to see that their fight was creating a diversion for the group of people. One by one they were sneaking out behind the stage.

This moment of indiscretion gave him his chance. Karkaroff flicked his wand and her own wand went flying to his widespread hand. She cast her eyes around the grounds, nerves thrumming beneath her skin, what was she going to do now?

In the distance she could still hear the panicked screams but they were becoming less and less as the Aurors battled with the Death Eaters. She couldn't see any of her fellow Aurors in sight. Perhaps this was the end, she thought, icy fear tightening her muscles.

"Care to have some fun, my pretty?"

Adrenaline gradually began to pump through her - she felt the rush of energy swarm her muscles and distract her from the fear. The wrought iron fence was blocking her in and there was no way she could get around him without a wand.

Lily glared coldly at him, raising her chin slightly. He returned her glare with a menacing smile and stroked the end of his goatee with ashy hands, eying her thoughtfully. Thoughts were racing through her mind like short-circuited sparks.

Now, she thought. Her leg swiftly came up and she whacked him hard in the left knee.

He let out a howl of pain; momentarily down she took her chance and sprinted away but stumbled to the ground with a loud cry when a searing hot pain entered her left leg. Her emerald eyes were swimming with pain as she inhaled tight breaths.

"Do play nice now."

Lily felt the cloaking sensation of claustrophobia as Karkaroff began stalking towards her. The pain hadn't receded and darkness was swirling in her vision, threatening to take over.

Struggling, she tried to stand up but not fast enough. Rough hands grasped her injured ankle and yanked her down to the ground in a sickening crunch.

Water flooded her eyes but she blinked and gritted her mouth shut. She wasn't going to let him hear her cry out anymore. Karkaroff leered at her, his hands folded in front of his chest, a malicious look in his eyes.

"Get the hell away from me." Lily threatened.

"Or what? In your state?" He chortled darkly and waved his arm around, "You see we are quite alone."

Tears threatened to spill now as this phrase hit her with a flash of deja vu - of James saying something this to her only a few days ago. But the vibe she was getting off Karkaroff was completely different than James. As Karakaroff extended a dirty hand towards her Lily squeezed her eyes shut, icy fear snaking around her heart.

* * *

A/N: Dun dun dun dunnnnnn! I will post up the next chapter soon! BTW I posted up my first one-shot, entitled Rainfall, go check it out if you are so inclined :)

Lioness Amythest xo


	8. Boundaries begin to blur

A/N: Glad you liked the last chapter. Chapter 9 will cover James's perspective from the past few scenes. Yay! Oh, and you'll understand in this chapter why Lily had such a difficult time with Karkaroff last chapter.

Disclaimer: JK Rowling's

Out of Boundaries

Chapter 8

Boundaries begin to Blur

Karkaroff's beetle eyes glittered, smirking he extended his hand but before his hand made contact a blinding light illuminated his entire being in a ghostly outline. Lily gasped as his heavy body crumpled forwards on top of her.

The searing pain in her leg worsened at his weight on her leg. A dark shadow seemed to jump from the trees. Lily's eyes were still swimming with tears and she wondered if she were seeing correctly.

"James." Lily breathed out when she recognized the pair of shadowy hazel eyes glaring down at her.

Wordlessly, he roughly grasped the Death Eater by the shirt and yanked him off of her. Lily watched in astonishment as James tossed Karkaroff to the ground as if the Death Eater had been weightless.

James turned and slid his hands underneath her, gazing down at her with an inscrutable expression in his eyes. Pulled up to a standing position, she kept her eyes closed, breathing in tightly as fiery pain sliced up her leg in zigzagging arrays.

An odd tingling had begun to creep up her leg; a numbing cooling sensation was slinking through and she slowly sensed the fiery pain extinguishing.

"You're okay now." James growled softly and her emerald eyes opened tentatively.

To her embarrassment, a few tears leaked from her eyes and she snapped them shut, inhaling deeply, the ashy smoke burning her lungs.

"Erm - thanks." She murmured softly, eyes still squeezed shut.

James shushed her. "Come on then, before you're seen by your lot."

Lily let him lead her to the edge of the gate and now she looked him the eye, nerves thrumming from his closeness but also from left over adrenaline from the close encounter with Karkaroff.

"Karkaroff was so difficult. He is so skilled at deflecting and anticipating the next move. I feel like I've soiled Moody's name."

James shook his head, gazing at the smoldering concert grounds, wisps of smoke curling into the night sky.

"Karkaroff is a different cup of tea, if you will. He's heavily trained in the Dark Arts and there's not much one can do to prepare themselves against him."

"I can't just accept that. I need to get better. My job as an Auror is to defend myself and those in danger from beasts like Karkaroff."

James eyed her, his lips curling upwards. "You'll be fine. Try not to let your defences get low and use the Unforgivable Curses. There are other avenues to fighting and defending oneself against the Dark Arts."

"I don't plan on ever using the Unforgivable Curses."

"Usually one doesn't plan to use them. In a moment of weakness, it slips out." James mused, his hands coming up behind his head.

Lily shifted on her weight, unease snaking through her being and choking her. "I need to get back out there. Listen, I need to know what _this_ is." She waved a hand between them.

He looked at her sharply, his eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Come on now. You don't strike me as particularly slow." Lily paused and felt an empty grin tugging at her lips. "Saving me from Karkaroff? Ringing a bell?"

"Listen, Karkaroff is a twisted sick bastard. Maybe I didn't want to see him subject you to the sick pleasure he takes with others at his mercy."

Cold icy fear gripped her. Her head fell forward to her chest as the gravity of his words slammed into her.

"James, I know you-"

If she had been expecting anything, it wasn't what he did to her next. Lily found herself interrupted as he gripped her face with his strong hands and kissed her forcefully, biting her lower lip softly. Her knees buckled as pleasure skidded up her body in a tantalizing grip and she felt James grab her closer to him.

The smell of smoke startled her from their intimate position and she tried to pull away but he didn't loosen his grip around her. James glanced down at her through his dark lashes, an indistinguishable emotion swirling in the depths.

"Thank Merlin you were there." She sought his hazel eyes and searched them. "But I don't think we should encourage this. It's not right. You know it as well as I do. It's going to end badly."

With that she turned away, heading back into the war that waged between Death Eaters and Aurors.

She heard a husky voice call to her. "I'll teach you how to defend yourself properly."

"I'm sorry. But we need to stop this." Lily shook her head and didn't look back, though her heart was singing a different tune, tears sliding down her pale cheeks.

If she didn't stop this, would he? Tonight was an example of what would go wrong. She couldn't fraternize with the enemy, it was selfish. So many lives had already been lost, Lily knew she wouldn't be able to rationalize the inklings of love she felt for this complicated man. At least not yet.

A familiar scarred face stood out to her from the rubble and dilapidated pillars of the stage. Smoke filled her nose and the vomit worthy strong salty smell of blood.

The Death Eaters appeared to have departed from the grounds - none were in sight. A group of Aurors were gathered in the middle of the grounds so she hastily made her way towards them, her heart thudding lightly. Had anyone seen her with James?

"Evans! There you are, we thought you were in some kind of trouble." Moody roughly stomped towards her with Sirius and Remus following behind him.

"No, I'm fine. Had a bit of a run in with Karkaroff but I managed to..." Trailing off for a moment she swallowed tightly, images flashed across her vision. "But I got away. A group of Muggles were able to sneak away as I distracted him."

Moody appeared impressed, his twisted mouth upturned into a smile. "A job well done, Evans."

Nodding curtly to him, Lily kept her gaze from Sirius's probing stare. Somehow she sensed that he knew there was more to her story than simply getting away from Karkaroff.

Moody arranged new Portkeys for them to get home. Lily listened numbly, the congratulations souring in her stomach, knowing that what occurred between her and James shouldn't have happened. Guilt riddled her nerves and she bit her lower lip as she gripped the Portkey, grateful to depart from the smoky grounds.

C

A/N: Short chapter but something right? In the next chapter, the story begins to pick up, as you've probably begun to sense. Things get tricky for Lily and James, as they try to balance the growing attraction and interest.

Pleaseeeeee review! Honestly, everyone of your reviews are such an encouragement! Thank you for all the support thus far.

Lioness xo


	9. Unravelling at the Seams

A/N: Hem hem, I was so happy to read the reviews from last chapter. Lily wasn't - nor I for that matter - expecting James to kiss her hahaha...taking matters into his own hands.

Finally we are back to the original number of chapters I had in late 07' before I decided this past May to upload newly edited chapters. Expect some fresh material in the following chapter! Squee! Am excited!

Lioness xo

Disclaimer: JK Rowling's...

Out of Boundaries

Chapter 9

Unraveling at the Seams

James found himself perched up in a crooked dying tree that evening, not an ideal place to be, but rather there than alongside the den of Death Eaters and Muggles who were trying to steer clear of the ravenous lions.

The image that met his eyes left sourness in his mouth. Grimacing, he ground his forehead into the trunk of the tree; crumbling bits of birch imprinted his forehead and lingered in his hair.

What was he doing here?

A shadowy, flitting memory slipped through his mind's eye and a tightening in his chest accompanied the thought. Then it was gone. James brushed away the gritty bark from his bangs and felt his stomach drop. Green light flashed in the distance and strangled screams echoed across the grounds. Silence filled the aftermath.

Twisting away from the trunk, he gazed through the reddening brown leaves to see Lily making her way towards where Karkaroff was staked out. He was killing Muggles one by one in a relentless, obliterating emerald streak. How the hell did she always have to be where James was stationed?

"Don't come this way, you little idiot."

A scowl had fully formed. James shifted from his crouching position on the tree, wincing at the hot cramps that had begun to seize his legs. He inhaled tightly and flexed his toes in his shoes.

His gaze travelled past her body up to her eyes, those luminous emerald eyes that stirred something within him, a soft whisper of the past. It was dangerous to encourage what was developing between them.

Smirking slightly at the course of his thoughts, he wondered how he had gone from cursing the young woman to recognizing the effect she had on him. The stirring of desire mixed with curiousity could be lethal. He flicked his gaze around the stage.

The group of Muggles were huddled near the stage, watching the interaction between Lily and Karaorff unfold. Karkaroff wasn't taking any chances. _She's in over her head_, he thought.

His breaths were short as he saw, with surprising alarm, Karkaroff begin to stalk slowly towards Lily - a predator approaching his prey - not letting a spell hit their intended mark.

"Bastard."

A shout echoed from across the grounds and he momentarily looked away, snapping his head to gaze across the grounds near a food vendor where a blonde-haired Death Eater was on the ground, clutching his leg. A grim smile played at James's lips. _Good for him,_ he thought nastily.

Gazing back to Lily, he saw that she had fallen to the ground. In a split second, she flung up in the air and hurtled towards the iron wrought fence, ending with a resounding smack as she made contact with the hard rails.

Hazel eyes were wide and the shadows had dissipated. His hand hurt from gripping his wand tightly. _You can't interfere, this isn't your battle_, he silently chanted to himself. But he didn't know how long he'd be able to convince himself of this.

Lily was red in the face and her emerald eyes were downcast as she stood up. James searched her face but couldn't make out an expression. Damn his blind eyes. He gripped his wand, weighing the decision in his mind.

Karkaroff said something that James couldn't make out but he saw the sudden flash of red emerge from Lily's wand only to evaporate - a small curl of smoke the only evidence of her Stunning spell.

Surprisingly, she didn't appear to be fazed. James followed the direction of her gaze to where the Muggles were slipping out around the stage, one by one. Of course she would be more concerned with their safety than her own.

_Idiot, he's going to get you, pay attention! _

Karkaroff had snatched her wand with a lazy flick of his wand, a pompous smile curled at the corners of his lips.

"To hell with this waiting around." James grit his teeth and felt his mind calculating the consequences if he came to her aid. Voldemort would know as soon as Karkaroff had a chance to tell him, perhaps he would target Lily, thinking she was -

A strangled cry interrupted his train of thoughts. Hair rose on the back of his neck as he saw Lily crumple to the ground, clutching her leg, eyes squeezed shut.

Crackling energy was surging through his body and he shifted once more. Did it even matter if Voldemort knew? At this point, James didn't really care whether Voldemort thought he was treasonous. She was a target anyways. All the Aurors were, but her especially.

James slowly inched down the tree, leaves scratching his face in an annoying manner. He sailed down when he was closer to the ground and sent a whipping white spell at Karkaroff.

"Yes, Karkaroff. Fall on the lady. You are a charmer." James muttered as he saw Karkaroff fall forwards onto Lily, eliciting another cry from the young woman.

Sprinting forwards, he caught eyes with Lily and felt the disconcerting thrum in his chest that had he had begun to detect whenever he was near her. Lily's eyes were pooling with tears and her complexion was a chalky white.

"James."

He didn't respond but instead roughly hauled Karkaroff off her and threw him back on the ground. Sliding his hands underneath her, he pulled her up into a standing position, shadowy hazel eyes roving across her face.

A spell had begun to form in his mind and he wordlessly flicked his wand at her, a healing spell he had learnt of long ago when a young boy needed the same treatment after a mishap in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts.

Shaking the memory away like an unwanted thought he said to her, "You're okay now."

Transfixed, he watched as pearly tears began to slip from her eyes and she promptly shut them, probably hoping he hadn't seen. The smell of smoke had begun to pervade his senses but he closed his eyes, cherishing the quiet moment.

"Erm - thanks."

"Come on then, before you're seen by your lot."

They walked over to the edge of the gate until they were leaning against its cold railings, facing each other. Just for precautions, James pulled his hoody over his head and caught her staring at him; a disguised emotion resided in her eyes. _She isn't an open book_, he mused. Finally she spoke.

"Karkaroff was so difficult. He is so skilled at deflecting and anticipating the next move. I feel like I've soiled Moody's name."

James shook his head as his gaze took in the smoldering concert grounds and the wisps of smoke curling into the black sky.

"Karkaroff is a different cup of tea, if you will. He's heavily trained in the Dark Arts and there's not much one can do to prepare themselves against him."

"I can't just accept that. I need to get better. My job as an Auror is to defend myself and those in danger from Karkaroff."

James eyed her, his lips curling upwards. So she really wanted to fight Karkaroff? Many Aurors started off with high ideals and never planned to delve into the soulless Dark Arts. But after fighting for years without any tangible results, the Dark Arts began to appear alluring to some, harmless really. But James knew better.

"You'll be fine. Try not to let your defenses get low and use the Unforgivable Curses. There are other avenues to fighting and defending oneself against the Dark Arts."

"I don't plan on ever using the Unforgivable Curses."

"Usually one doesn't plan to use them. In a moment of weakness, it slips out." He rested his hands behind the back of his head and glanced over at her, trying to calculate her expression. What was she thinking?

Lily shifted feet and her eyes appeared troubled, the radiance considerably dimmer. "I need to get back out there. Listen, I need to know what this is." She gestured between them with a hand.

His gaze sharpened. "What do you mean?"

"Come on now. You don't strike me as particularly slow." She grinned humorlessly and looked away before saying, "Saving me from Karkaroff? Ringing a bell?"

"Listen, Karkaroff is a twisted sick bastard. Maybe I didn't want to see him subject you to the sick pleasure he takes with others at his mercy."

Her chest heaved and James wished he could reach over to fold back the escaped lock of auburn hair that was framing her cheek. The invisible crackling energy between them was becoming harder to fight and ignore. It had been so long since he had been with someone. And Lily Evans wasn't just anybody.

"James, I know you-"

Recklessly, he leaned forwards and gripped her face with both hands and kissed her forcefully, softly biting her lower lip. Growling under his breath in pleasure, he gripped Lily closer to him when he felt her falter. Their bodies melded together and a light emblazoned through his mind, igniting the shadowy recesses that he had forgotten existed within him. Alive. He _felt _alive.

Lily jerked away from him suddenly and in his surprise, James didn't loosen his hold on her. Glancing down at her, he tried to slow the warm pressure building in him and instead wondered why she had pulled away from him so suddenly.

"Thank Merlin you were there." She paused, her emerald eyes seeking his, inquistive and curious. "But I don't think we should encourage this. It's not right. You know it as well as I do. It's going to end badly."

James watched her turn away. Was that how they were going to end things? Could they just leave it at that? No, he didn't want that, if he were honest with himself.

And that is why he found himself calling after her, "I'll teach you how to defend yourself properly."

"I'm sorry. But we need to stop this." She shook her head and turned away from him, continuing on around the edge of the stage, until he couldn't see her auburn hair.

A reckless glint rested in his hazel eyes. This wasn't the end.

Somehow he knew, even with what she had said to him, that Lily also felt the connection. James grinned and looked around once more at the grounds before apparating from the dismal smoky scene, leaving Karkaroff behind in a crumpled heap on the ground.

A/N : There you go - a bit of insight into James's psyche, poor fellow. Lily and James are coming to the point where there will be no turning back. I'm SO excited, this is where things get really interesting.

Please, please, review and let me know what you think. What works and what doesn't. Constructive criticism is brilliant, I mean it! Ultimately, the reason why I write stories for fanfiction (other than LOVING James and Lily hehe) is to hone my skills as a writer and develop my voice. Someday I hope to publish my originals works. And you, my friends, can help me by leaving comments and criticism :)

Phew, that may have been my longest A/N! Haha. Much love,

Lioness Amythest xo


	10. Questions

A/N: Whoop whoop, some new material haha! I wanted to say thanks for all the support that the story has gotten so far! It's awesome! I hope you like the newest chapter. I have to say, this was a really fun chapter to write, I'm sure you'll know why by the end ;)

It's such a pleasure to read the comments and reviews. Thank you so much for all your help so far - I had a great review from the last chapter and immediately after I went and corrected what that person suggested. Am really trying to work on improving my writing. Peace and love.

Disclaimer: All JK Rowling's.

* * *

Out of Boundaries

Chapter 10

Questions

* * *

Lily closed the door soflty behind her. Finally, home and safe, at least for now. The encounter with James had left her feeling on edge and exhausted.

Why had he thwarted Karkaroff?

If he was Voldemort's right hand man then he would likely receive flak for what he did. Severe punishment might be in order. Karkaroff undoutebly would be informing their leader of James's betrayal. The question remained: why did he do it?

"What a bloody mess." She whispered softly as she headed to her bedroom, a welcome escape.

Lily didn't bother showering. Ignoring the soot that covered her clothes, she fell back on her bed with a light thump, all thoughts of James cleared from her mind.

But, that evening, she did not evade him completely.

C

_She was back at the dilapidated concert grounds. Smoke was rising and polluting the air with a heavy burning stench. The taste left in her mouth was akin to blood and metal. She grimaced when she realized who was standing in front of her, Karkaroff. He was facing her and laughing, his eyes dark as a cloudless cold night. _

_"Lily Evans. The Dark Lord has spoken of you. He said perhaps he could commend you on the level of skills you have as an Auror, considering how young you are. But of course he would never lower himself and give praise to a dirty little Mudblood, no matter how ravishing to the eyes she is. I'm sure you don't consider that a blessing in your occupation." Karkaroff said, licking his lips pointedly and advancing on her with his wand held out. _

_Lily rolled her eyes and spat on the ground. "You are his Death Eater but can't call him by his true name, Voldemort? It's an embarrasement that you think so highly of yourself."_

_His eyes narrowed and he nonverbaly cast a white blinding spell at her. In her dream state she felt immobile and couldn't draw her wand at that precise moment. She let out a shriek when the light hit her, the sensation of cold fire spreading through her limbs, every cell felt as if it were going to burst. Her screams echoed in the empty space between them. _

_When the pain retreated, Lily was able to finally flick her wand out at him and without a second thought she yelled, "Cruciatus!" _

_His eyes widened with surprise - immobilizing him - unable to deflect it. His screams sliced through the air in a horrific, jarring sequence. _

_Lily looked at the wand in her hand, her heart beating fast._

_"You are no better than us, filthy Mudblood." _

_Karkaroff was in a huddle on the ground, his face ashen and sweaty. Lily felt her stomach clench at the truth of his words. She was no better than them..._

_Suddenly the scene evaporated into a white mist. When it cleared Lily saw James standing before her. His eyes were hooded and mysterious. She took a tentative step towards him, her hand outstretched towards to touch him but her hands crumpled back as she collided with an invisble layer of glass._

_With rising urgency her hands roved against the surface but no matter where she moved them, she kept hitting the glass. James took a step towards her, an unreadable expression in his eyes , his own hand collided with the glass. _

_He spread out his palm so it was in line with hers, so that they would have been touching if not the glass.. _

_She felt a cool tear roll down her warm cheek. Somehow this dream was hitting her meaningfully. They would never be able to be friends - openly - or anything more for that matter. He was a Death Eater and wanted by the Ministry, for whom she worked for. _

_His eyes remained unreadable but she saw the way his jaw was clenched and could see new circles that haunted his eyes. Even with the dark circles, he was still the most handsome and alluring man she had met in her life. _

_"You're not like them. I know you're not. It's not as simple as that." Lily whispered and she watched as his hand moved away from her own outstretched one and curled into a tight fist by his side. He gave her one last look, and she felt a stab of hurt in her stomach. He was looking at her condescnedingly, shaking his head slightly. _

_"You're right, its not as simple as that. But I don't remember what it was like before this. The person I was. I don't know him. I don't remember him." And with that he turned away and retreated into the darkness._

_C_

Lily woke up, her face cold from the wet tears that had gathered throughout the dream. She breathed heavily, trying to quell the tears that were still gathering.

"Shit. What was it he said at the end?" The more she tried to remember the more confused she got. The darkness in the room didn't help so she flipped the light at her bedside.

Sighing she threw her hands up in the air. "Moody would have my head if he knew that I woke up in tears over a Death Eater."

Fifteen minutes later she was showered up and feeling refreshed. Pouring some coffee into a thermos she set out for the park near her flat. It was time to get some fresh air. Hopefully it would help her sort out her thoughts.

C

"What are the odds?" James muttered darkly, shaking his head as a enigmatic red-head walked across the street in direction of the overgown park.

C

Lily hummed to herself quietly, stirring the pot of butternut-squash soup on the stovetop. She couldn't recall the last time she had cooked at home. Ever since her Auror training, spare time had become a rare luxury.

So much had happened in such a short period of time that she hardly had time to digest the new lifestyle since graduating from Hogwarts, let alone come to terms with being an official Auror.

Thankfully, Amerila lived nearby and they went out on much needed coffee dates after work. Someone familiar and comforting.

Musing, she realized she'd never had all of her close friends together for a gathering. But contemplating further, she began to understand. She wanted her work and private sphere to be distinct.

It wasn't solely based on a selfish motive to keep them seperate, rather it was to keep Amerila safe. As an Auror, one had to accept that you were putting yourself and loved ones at risk. One had to accept this before completing training, for the remainder of your life you would always have to be on your toes.

"Enough of these depressing thoughts." Lily looked down at the creamy orange contents of her soup, swirling the wooden spoon around to see flecks of thyme.

It was nice to be alone for once, on a Saturday evening, with nothing pressing or complicated to do but see if her soup would be edible or not. _If it isn't, I'll just have to go down to Bodega, it's a win-win situation_, she thought smiling.

_Thump!_

"Maybe not so alone." Lily muttered, her heart beat skipping at the shocking sound. She grasped her wand and crept forwards-

"SURPRISE!"

Amerila hopped into the kitchen causing Lily to nearly have a premature heart attack. She quicky disabled the hex she had nearly sent Amerila's way.

Lily snickered, her heartbeat still thumping madly. "Bloody hell Amerila, are you forgetting that I'm an Auror? A warning would have been helpful. I could have taken your writing arm off! Your career as a journalist, _over_!"

Amerila laughed loudly, slapping her knee and pitching forward in a tumble of curly brown hair. When she flipped back up, her hair was a mess of tangles and she trilled, "Merlin Lily, Moody will have you regularly shouting 'constant vigilance' in no time."

"And really, a warning? What Death Eater is yelling 'Surprise' at you these days? Wait - let me guess, the roguish James Potter?"

Lily rolled her eyes and snorted. "Roguish?"

Amerila wrinkled her slightly upturned nose, her eyebrows knit in concentration. "Hm. You're right, wrong word. Steamy just seemed so unoriginal though."

Dropping her flamboyant orange purse on the kitchen table, Amerila flicked the fridge open and fished out a can of tomato juice. Leaning against the counter, she popped the can open and took a swig.

Lily waved her wand at the radio on the top of the fridge and a soft rock song by U2 began to play.

"Like it? Got it on sale at Benzi's." Amerila asked, nodding at her purse.

"When you say on sale, do you mean horrifically overpriced ? I mean come on, 300 pounds is not a sale price. To me, a sale is six pounds. Or better yet, free from Aunt Bee."

"Yeah, if you don't mind bedbugs."

Lily shot her a dark look but felt a laugh bubble out of herself. Taking a sip from her glass of red wine she felt herself laugh again at Amerila's incredulous expression.

"Whoa, starting uncharacteristically early, my friend? I'm still working on this can of juice- rather bland by the way."

"It's almost seven. Not early at all!" Lily answered cheekily, disregarding her friend's poke at her juice.

Amerila raised her eyebrows. "Things couldn't have gone that well at that raid if you're resorting to that ghastly red wine Sirius rather selfishly got off his hands - I mean gifted you with."

"I resent that! It was a gift!"

"You mean hand-me-down. That stuff is terrible! Where's the fire whiskey at?"

"All gone." Lily said grumpily and Amerila let out a delighted laugh.

"Whew. Auror by day, alcoholic by night."

"Remus and Sirius came over one night and decided to see who could drink the most of it. Let me tell you - it didn't end well. The bloody fools started a jig contest in my living room and nearly broke their necks _and_ my new coffee table."

Amerila laughed. "That would have been a sight to see. I imagine Sirius wouldn't want that story out, might tarnish his sexy reputation."

"Sexy, hm? Anything else you want to share?" Lily asked, her lips quirking.

"Hah! I'll admit, Sirius is alluring and sexy but not dateable. I went on a date with Niall. Which I will tell you about once _you _tell me about what happened at the grounds."

Lily sighed. "Fine. But we're going to need to go sit down with more libation."

Amerila grabbed a clean wine glass and followed Lily into the living room, settling down in the cozy old leather chair that faced the couch.

"It seems like everytime I think I may be getting the hang of being an Auror, something happens and I feel completely in over my head. No. Hm. That's not it. I guess that was an unfair judgment." Lily paused and took a sip of her wine before continuing.

"Well, actually I might as well tell you what happened so you understand better than me rambling on - then you can make your own judgment." She said with a small grin. Clearly, she had been thinking too much about the raid.

Amerila snorted. "Yeah, I think that's a good idea because I wasn't quite getting the first bit. You sure they didn't send a hex to the head?"

Laughing, Lily shook her head and proceeded to tell her friend about the raid, Karkaroff, their duel then how James had stepped in and helped her. She ended with how he had kissed her passionately.

"Sounds like he has the hots for you." Amerila said with a crooked grin, waggling her index finger at her friend. "You better be careful."

"Yeah, right. Something to amuse him with, perhaps. I'm probably the best looking Auror he's seen in awhile. I mean if I always had crabby MadEye after me, I'd be pretty estatic to see myself." Lily said, laughing but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Well, partly the reason I came here tonight was to give you a heads up on an article they're running within the week." Amerila fingered her wine glass and sighed.

"Can't expect it to be good then."

Amerila nodded solemnly. "The Prophet is running an article about the muggle raid. The gist of the article is that the Aurors were underprepared and too many muggles were killed. They're commenting on Moody and his directorship, suggesting he's too old to be the Head Auror."

Lily's emerald eyes widened with surprise. "They're openly criticizing Moody? I'd understand if they took a few shots at me, being new in the field, but what are they trying to accomplish by questioning Moody's authority? They think that that's going to make the magical community feel any safer? More like alientated and afraid."

"You're telling me, sister. Its a load of tosh. But they're printing it. I'd like to know whose idea it was behind that. I only found out from a friend, who'd heard her superior complaining about it."

Lily sighed. She got up from the couch and to the kitchen where she turned off the stove and ladled the creamy soup into two bowls. She came back to the living room and handed one to Amerila. They sat there silently eating their soup, lost in their thoughts.

Amerila finally turned to her and nodded to the soup. "This is pretty damn good. I'm impressed!"

Lily smiled. "Me too. It's been a long time since I've cooked."

"Cook? Hah. I can't even boil water." Amerila snorted.

C

Lily and Amerila nearly polished off the hand-me-down bottle of red wine from Sirius that night before parting ways. They'd decided, in the advent of the ridiculous article that was to going to be published the following week and Amerila's acquisition of a new hunk, that it was time to wind down with some libation.

Her friend apparted shortly after midnight. Lily placed the dishes in the sink and then headed off to bed in a hazy, liquored daze. It had been awhile since she'd drank that much.

She fell asleep soundlessly and without a thought in mind. But around three in the morning she started to awaken, switching sides of the bed and trying to fluff up her pillow in an attempt to fall back asleep.

Finally, she got up, went to the washroom and brushed her teeth vigurously with mint-flavored past. The aftertaste of the wine was lingering in her mouth leaving it sour and chalky.

She squinted at her pasty expression in the mirror and swept her hair up in a messy bun before heading back to sleep.

"They're going to regret posting that article. They're doing nobody any good." Lily muttered as she fell back onto her bed.

She was starting to drift asleep when she heard a soft crackling sound. Her eyes popped open and she stayed still, listening carefully to try and identify the source of the sound.

Lily didn't hear anything else for a long pause so her eyes slowly closed tentatively. But then she heard another crack - this time closer. Her eyes snapped open and before she could utter a yell of surprise, a dark figure hopped onto the bed.

She suddenly found herself eye to eye with James Potter.

"Flower. I'm impressed. After all that wine I'd figure you'd be out for the rest of the night." He chuckled softly as Lily's eyes narrowed.

"What the hell are you doing? Spying on me? Get _off_ of me."

"Bit feisty there. That's alright. I like my women feisty, if you get my drift." James uttered huskily, his eyes swimming with desire and shadows.

Lily swiftly kicked him, aiming for the groin but he deflected it and flipped her so she was staddling him, his hands locked down on her wrists.

"You are such a chauvinist." She spat out but he only pulled her closer.

"I doubt you believe what you're saying. If you were honest with yourself you'd admit you actually want me." James said, his eyes unabashedly grazing across her figure.

Lily pursed her lips. "Unlike you, I'm not always thinking about sex."

"That's not all I'm talking about." His expression was stiff, hazel eyes unreadable. Lily inwardly gulped. He was infuriatingly hard to read. One minute cold as a stone and the next minute she felt like she was getting a rare private glance into the 'real' James Potter.

Finally she asked, "What are you doing here?"

James sighed. "I told you I'd teach you."

Lily raised an eyebrow at him and then down at her trapped wrists underneath his heated, strong hands. Hands that were probably capable of-not the right train of thought, she thought to herself furiously, blushing when she looked up to his watchful knowing stare.

"Listen, if we're going to talk about this I'd rather we do this in the kitchen where we can talk like a normal pair of adults."

The swirling depths in his eyes shifted and a smirk unfolded at his lips. Somehow she sensed she'd said the wrong thing as he stiffered underneath her.

"This isn't normal for you?"

James sat up and softly kissed her on her exposed throat. The skin tingled pleasurably and she tried to supress the light shudder that reverberated through her body. But she felt herself leaning into him. Quickly, the heat was rolling in and she was losing herself into his capable, strong hands that were gripping her at the hips as he continued to press kisses down her neck.

A voice in her head started to scream incessantly, _He's your enemy idiot! Don't be that easily seduced! Have some respect for yourself!_

Ignoring her mind's incessant chatter she smirked. Two could certainly play that game.

Lily pushed him down on the bed and straddled herself on either side of his muscular legs. A glimmer of satisfaction warmed her insides at the shocked look in his hazel eyes and she felt it deepen as she leaned down to kiss him softly on the edge of his bristly jaw.

"Now, what were you saying?"

Growling, James flipped her over again and stared down at her, his hazel eyes dark and shadowed. For a moment she felt uneasiness prickle through her but then the darkness in his eyes lifted. He smiled, shaking his head marginally.

"That you're not what I expected."

With that he slid off her and nodded to the kitchen, "Come on then, let's try out some spellwork."

Lily exhaled. "You're so hot and cold." At the roll of his eyes she smiled. "Alright. I just need to wash up. Go on. I'm sure you'll find an empty wine bottle in the sink and no coffee but feel free to make yourself some."

"Feisty all the time. I can work with that."

Shaking her head at him with a lopsided grin that she couldn't keep off her face, she quickly headed to the washroom. After scrubbing her face raw and willing the sleepy haze to go away Lily exited the bathroom feeling fresh and rejuvenated.

There was this a small background voice in her mind demanding to be heard - what was she doing? Flashes of the concert came to mind but she pushed it away. For some reason, the sight of James gave her a prickle of hope. Which was odd considering his position.

At this point, she felt the resistance falling away, like a knotted rope holding her back.

If she were ever to reflect about this moment she would realize that this was the reckless, somewhat unstable aspect of herself. This relationship, whatever it was, would call her to risk everything: her Auror license, her life.

But an intuition had been rising inside her since their first fateful encounter in the forest. Something was very much broken about James, and for some reason, she felt like she could help him.

"How do you get this thing to work?" James asked Lily as she entered the kitchen. He was standing next to the coffee pot with a puzzled look on his face.

A smile broke across her face. Shaking her head, she tapped the top of the pot with her wand. It sneezed loudly, coughed, and then began to pour out the caffeinated earthy liquid in a steaming cloud.

"Ah." He had the grace to look embarrased and Lily began to laugh.

"I don't believe I've ever seen you this stumped." At his glare she snorted even louder. "I must say it feels good."

"Yes, well, don't get used to it."

She had poured them two glasses and they sat at the kitchen table, silent for a few moments drinking their coffee.

"So, what excactly are we going to do? Are you going to teach me spells you knew within the circle?"

A tense expression seized James's face and the shadows in his eyes returned in a frightening speed, the light flecks of hazel submerged.

A coolness swept through the kitchen and Lily felt her heart skip and cheeks warm; what was going on? Looking at him closely she said evenly, "Listen, I understand if you can't do that. I just wish we could talk openly."

James looked down for a few moments at his coffee and she felt the warmth increase in her cheeks. A roll of apprehension circled inside. But when he looked up again and caught her eyes she saw with relief that the shadows had cleared.

"So do I." He took a gulp of his coffee and then said, "I'm just not sure how to."

Lily over at him, surprise sprinkled across her face. This was the closest piece of honest information she'd heard from him.

"Okay." Pausing she looked down at the milky contents of her cup, thinking how far she could push him. "Well, you're here aren't you? That's a big step."

"Yes, I suppose it is."

Sensing the conversation was closed, she sat back into her chair, deflated. She should have asked him something more specific. Now she wouldn't know what happened, where things had gone wrong, why he was with Voldemort.

"Alright, might as well get down to it."

James nodded and stood up. "Living room?"

"Yes."

Lily glanced around her lovely living room and cringed inwardly, hoping that it wouldn't be torn apart from their activities.

"Nice place you have here." James said as if reading her thoughts. He turned towards her, a crooked smile at his lips. "Don't worry, it won't be in shambles by the end. At least I hope it won't be."

Lily narrowed her eyes. "If it is then we'll just have to go to that department store on Queen and refurnish! Don't think you're getting off easy if something _does _happen. "

The laughter rippled out of his mouth easily and Lily felt her insides warm deliciously. It was so refreshing to see him relaxed rather than intense and brooding, the shadows that normally shrouded his being.

"The first thing you should know about Karkaroff is that he picks up on an Auror's weaknesses. He knew that you were new and inexperienced - yes skilled - but he knew he could quickly get your wand."

Lily bit her lower lip as he continued. "You need to disarm him quickly and cleanly. Otherwise he will get the upper hand. I learned the hard way."

James shifted and faced her with his wand upheld. "Go on then. I'm going to adapt Karkaroff's method so try and disarm me."

The menacing, shadows were coming again into his aura, she could sense it. Somehow she knew she should disarm as quickly as she could before that darkness seized his being.

Raising her wand in the air she glanced over at him and watched fascinated for a moment, as his hazel eyes lit up when their eyes connected.

"Expelliarmus." James flicked his wand and she cursed a loud.

Pursing her lips she said, "Sorry. Just got distracted"

He laughed gruffly. "I know its hard to pretend I'm Karkaroff. I _am_ more handsome then he is so I can understand how you would get distracted, but do try and focus."

Warmth hovered in her cheeks and she smiled. "Alright. Can we try again?"

He chucked her the wand and she caught it. Straightening up, without warning, she flicked her wand up quickly, _Expelliarmus_.

But he had already sent a rushing, whooshing light spell at her. Eyes wide, she felt a flicker of fear as the light seemed outstretched, hands reaching out her to her, ready to devour her, and then it was gone. Stillness.

Lily looked over at James and his eyes were dark again.

"Faster."

They paced around each other and the fear still resided in the pit of her stomach. Something was gnawing at her conciousness in the background but she couldn't bring it forth. What was it?

Nonverbally she flicked her wand, _Expelliarmus_.

This time she was successful. She grinned as it came whirling towards her. But it wasn't over, for James came at her, in a fighting stance.

"Really?" She questioned, a spark of anger rising.

Meeting him she flipped her leg from beneath him but he stepped out of her way in time. They eyed each other as they paced around the room, James looking for an entry as well as Lily.

"You think he's going to stop just becaue he doesn't have a wand?"

Lily sighed. "You're right." Grinning, she grabbed his arms and knocked him off his feet so she fell forwards again. "This is beginning to become a pattern, Potter."

He laughed huskily. "I think you're enjoying it."

Leaning up to pull herself up off him she lent him a hand to pull himself up.

"Well, that's certainly been informative. I do know you were going easy on me. But at least I know to quickly disarm him."

James nodded. "Yes, I was going easy on you. But that should help." Looking away he checked his wristwatch and then cursed under his breath. "I have to get going."

Glancing at his watch, her forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Its only seven in the morning. Where would you have to be at this time?"

Shrugging off her questions, James looked back at her once more, his eyes clear and warm. "I've enjoyed this, Lily." And then he was gone.

The silence seemed to stretch on forever as she glanced at the spot where he had just been standing. Lily stroked her warm cheek and shook her head as she headed back to her bedroom to catch a few more hours sleep, thoughts muddled together about a particular Death Eater.

* * *

A/N: Oh my goodness - I am SO excited for the next chapter wahhh it's going to be good my dears, trust me on this :) Haha. The plot is taking a while to take off, we know something's going with James but not quite sure what.

BTW is anyone writing for Nanowrimo this November? Let me know :) I am planning to for the first time ever. OH and I went to my first writing workshop today and I really enjoyed it. It was great to get feedback from other writers, suggestions where I can strengthen my writing and so on. But you guys are a great help too :)

Peace and love.

Lioness


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Harry Potter, Drama, Romance