Lily woke up and looked to the spot beside her. "Good morning, honey."
She smiled and wiped the sleep from her eyes, revealing an empty place.
"Oh."
Every morning was the same. She would dream a happy dream, where she was married to the love of her life, and wake up to find her bed cold and empty.
She got up and went to the kitchen, almost expecting to find her beloved sitting at the table, reading the paper.
He wasn't.
Sighing, she poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down. She looked at a picture on the wall of two laughing children as she sipped the strong brew.
What happened to us? she thought.
Suddenly, there was a green flash in the next house over. She remembered that there was a war on, and quickly grabbed her wand.
The Death Eater invaded her house and raised his wand.
"Do you swear your allegiance to the great Lord Voldemort?" he demanded.
"Never," she said, aiming her own wand at him.
The eyes behind the mask flashed with recognition and travelled to the picture on the wall. The man lowered his wand, slowly.
"Just this once... I'll let you live." He turned to go.
Lily recognized his walk. "Severus?" The man stopped.
"Lily."
"Oh, Severus... you're working for him?"
"And you're not."
She looked a bit proud and stood up straighter. "Why should I?"
"He could kill you."
"I live in a living death already."
He turned to her and fell on one knee. Taking her hand in his, he said, "Then join him, Lily, and you can be mine!"
She pulled her hand away. "Never. I once loved you, Severus. But I can never be with someone who will kill innocent people like you do. Voldemort is evil, and if you can't see that..." She turned away. "I ended our friendship a long time ago."
Angrily, he stood up. "Then I'll leave you to die."
"You do that," she said coolly.
He Apparated away, and she was once again left to her thoughts.
She went to the headquarters of the Order quietly, hoping that there would be an assignment waiting for her. There wasn't.
"Lily," said Remus, something akin to a smile on his face, "We've a new recruit today. An old friend from school. I'm sure you remember James."
She shook his hand. "Pleasure."
"Yes, it is, isn't it?" He grinned. "I'd be glad to know me too."
She glared. "You're as self-centered as ever, aren't you, Potter?"
"And you're just as stuck up, and just as beautiful? Dinner tonight?"
She whirled away. "I have plans."
Behind her, he actually looked disappointed. "Of course. Pretty girl like you, probably married with six or seven kids by now, right?"
"Something like that," she said, looking at a blank wall.
"What's his name, so I can congratulate him?"
She didn't meet his eye. "You don't know him."
The truth was, the only men she'd ever thought anything of were both selfish jerks, on separate sides of the war for their own egotistical reasons.
The truth was, Lily Evans had never married.
