FIC--It's a Wonderful Life? (Ted/Lily Luna) NC17

[fics_by_aj]

Title: It's a Wonderful Life?
Pairing: Teddy/Lily with Harry/Ginny and Remus/Tonks in the background.
Summary: All is not well when Lily wakes up to a life that both thrills and devastates her. Alternate Universe for most of the story.
Rating: NC17
Word CounLength: 11,368
Author Note: I am taking a bit of artistic license in this story with Lily's hair colour. For the purposes of this story, she has dark brown hair that she changes to ash blonde with a glamour charm.
As far as the AU-ness, I'm sort of going off the premise of the film, "It's a Wonderful Life" but not because Lily was never born. Rather, I based it on one of JKR's comments in that Arthur Weasley received a "reprieve" in Order of the Phoenix, which made it necessary to kill off Tonks and Remus during Deathly Hallows.
I hope you enjoy this, Tosca. Your prompt sparked a bunny that wouldn't let go. I hope I did it justice.
Beta: rose_starr and lunalovepotter



"I've never fucked Scorpius Malfoy."

Lily Potter took a shot of Firewhisky.

"God, Lil, who haven't you fucked?"asked one of the girls; Lily was too wasted to tell which of her friends had said it.

Lily ran a hand through her long, ash blonde hair and smirked at her friends. "Hmmm…let me think."

In the two years since she started having sex, Lily had, in fact, worked her way through most of the desirable young men at Hogwarts and even some of the less desirable ones. While she kept her sexual liaisons primarily to herself and her immediate circle of friends, drinking games demanded honesty.

"The one that got away-Ted Lupin." Lily smiled as an image of a naked Ted sprawled out in her bed took hold and a familiar, delicious feeling swept across her.

"Ted? Isn't like practically your brother?" asked another friend.

"Most definitely not. Can't you just imagine," she began with a dreamy tone to her voice, "someone who can change his body to suit your needs? The possibilities are endless." She took a drag of her joint, blowing the smoke out of the side of her mouth. "And I would never fuck my brothers. I don't even know how anyone could."

"So is that your never statement?"

"Hell yeah. I've never fucked Jay or Al Potter. Gimme another shot just to wipe that image from my brain!" She reached for another drink and tossed it back.

One other girl reached for a shot, Poppy Nott, if Lily wasn't mistaken.

"Oooh, which one?" asked another friend.

"Has to be Al. No girl's ever slept with Gay Jay." Lily rolled her eyes.

"Lily, I thought Al was the gay one!"

Lily waved off the girl. "Don't give a shit. They both could be for all I care." She inhaled again, feeling the effects of the magical marijuana begin to take effect.

"James is definitely not gay," stated Poppy calmly while Lily groaned.

"Al could fly for both teams," pointed out Tabitha Goyle. "I heard that he was caught in a cupboard at school with Johanna one week and Gareth four days later."

"No, no, no," Lily interrupted. "Gareth likes girls. I was with him five times Al's last term."

"I dunno, Lil. I saw him with-"

A loud, screeching came into the room from the French doors along the south wall behind them. The girls gasped and spun around toward the doors. Some scrambled to their feet in preparation to leave.

"Hey, it's okay," Lily reassured them. "It's probably Al. He was at a concert and didn't have plans after."

"You-you're sure?" asked Poppy in a panicked voice.

Lily waved her hand nonchalantly. "Mum and Dad always stay late at the Ministry shit. I think Dad gets off on it." She watched the girls sit down again, returning to their drinks and smokes.

The French doors opened revealing not Al, but Lily's parents. They were laughing as they entered the room, but as they took in the scene in front of them, Harry Potter's face changed dramatically into one of shock, visible anger, and disappointment. Lily looked around the room, taking in the ashtrays with butts of joints and a pile of the stash she kept in her trunk, two empty bottles of Firewhisky lying discarded on the floor, and a half-full bottle sitting on the coffee table next to the drug paraphernalia.

"What. The. Hell," he growled as he drew his wand and waved it about, causing the girls to go stock still, all except Lily.

"DAD!! Let 'em go!" she wailed, scurrying over to stand toe to toe with her father. She set her jaw and stared at him.

"Lily, what were you doing?" demanded her mother to her left, causing Lily to break eye contact with her father.

"Having fun with my friends. You should try it sometime." She felt the pain in her cheek before she realized her mother had slapped her.

"Don't you ever speak to me like that again, young lady!" Ginny said through clenched teeth. "I've had enough of your irresponsible behaviour and disrespectful attitude!"

"You've been told time and again that it needs to stop-"

"Well, I guess I didn't listen to you," Lily answered with a sneer, earning her a pointed index finger in her face.

"You're earning yourself a trip to-"

"Whatever, Dad. I've heard that threat before." Lily turned around and began cleaning up the mess, eyeing her Petrified friends with exasperation. "Can you let 'em go, at least?"

"Mmm hmmm," Harry answered. "When I get them home to their parents."

"You will NOT do that!"

"Watch me." Harry took two strides over to the four girls, linked their hands, and placed a hand on Poppy's shoulder. With a last glance at his wife, he Disapparated them away.

"That is so typical of him! Cast a spell and ask questions later. I hate him!"

"I said, that's enough!. We didn't need to ask questions to know what was going on. Where did you get the drugs?" Ginny demanded. Lily crossed her arms over her chest and shut her mouth tight. "I'm very disappointed in you."

"Ooooh, I'm scared."

"Damn it, Lily, grow up! I'm tired of fighting with you and hoping you will change. What do you want?" Her mother's face looked worried and scared at the same time. "We want you to remember who you are."

"Mum, I'm reminded of who I am every time I look in the mirror. Why do you think I glamour my hair?" Lily waved her wand, changing her hair from the ash blonde she preferred to the natural dark brown, which nearly matched her father's. "Thank Merlin I don't have green eyes. It's bad enough for Al, you know."

"I know. I understand."

"No, you don't! I'm not the perfect little girl Dad wants me to be and he never lets me forget what a mistake I am." Her hand went to her wand in the leg pocket of her jeans.

Ginny shook her head. "You are not a mistake. We love you-"

"Dad doesn't do anything with me, he scares my friends and intimidates any blokes that come over here. I'm pathetic on a broom and he looks at me like I'm the biggest waste of time in his life." Lily wiped a tear from her cheek. "I wish I wasn't Lily Potter sometimes."

"You don't mean that," Ginny said softly, reaching for her daughter.

"Yes, I do! I'll never live up to you, Dad, Grandma or Granddad Potter, or even Nana or Pop. I don't fit in and I can't stand living here anymore!" The lights in the room flashed with her spark of unintentional magic. "And then there's you. Everyone tells me how strong you were, but all you did was wait around for Dad to notice you and then quit your dream job just because he knocked you up. I sure as hell don't want to end up like you!" Without thinking, she drew her wand at the same time her mother did.

Lily's eyes fluttered opened as the tension began building up inside her. The beginnings of an orgasm built up inside her and she closed her eyes, ready to give into the pleasing sensations. She felt his hands squeeze her breasts and slide to hold her hips steady as she and her lover met each other in frantic thrusts. She exploded with mind-blowing pleasure and thrust her hips upward until he finally released himself inside her.

"Damn, Lil..." he muttered before peppering her neck with kisses.

Opening her eyes once again, Lily looked into the tender, loving brown eyes before running her hands through his silky turquoise hair.

"I love you, Ted," she whispered as she sighed. She was about to say something else when a sharp throbbing in her head caused her to groan before passing out.

When Lily awoke for the second time, a pounding headache greeted her and she immediately wanted to go back to sleep, but the urge to pee won out and she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her eyes adjusted to the light and what she saw confused her.

"Where the hell am I?" The room was completely foreign to her, yet she knew instinctively that it was hers; everything decorating the room fit in with her taste. On the bedside table was a framed photograph of her and...

"Ted kissed me? Brilliant!!" She grabbed the photo and stood up, spinning around with glee. Unfortunately, she fell back onto the bed when a fit of dizziness overtook her.

She regained her balance and slowly stood again. Several other photos of Ted decorated the shelves of her room, interspersed between knick knacks, plants, and books. On top of her bureau was a single photograph of her mother, who looked more sorrowful and care-worn than she'd ever seen her and Lily picked up the frame. A finger traced the many lines of her mother's face.

"What happened, Mum?" Lily had always admired her mother's peaches and cream complexion, along with her nearly unwrinkled face. The Ginny Potter in the picture was one she barely recognized. Looking away from the photo in her hand, Lily searched for pictures of her father. Sadly, not a one was found.

Thoughts swirled through her head as she tried to riddle out what had happened. Her mother, she knew, wouldn't curse her intentionally, and Lily doubted that even Voldemort would think of changing someone's life with a flick of the wand. It must be a dream, she reckoned-a fucking wonderful dream in which she was getting a piece of Ted's ass on a regular basis.

She turned the knob on the door, searching for the loo. She looked to the left, where the bathroom usually was, only to find a small kitchen. Frowning, Lily looked right, found a narrow door, and hoped it was the bathroom. Once opened, she sighed in relief and dashed inside, only to stop short as she saw her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was styled in a pixie cut and it was ginger. Not the ash blonde she preferred to her natural brown but...Weasley red. Lily ran a hand through it and scowled; there was no thick texture and no life to it.

"What the hell! Accio wand!" Her wand flew into her hand from the bedroom and she cast the reversal spell on her hair. Nothing happened. She repeated the spell before casting her regular glamour charm and seeing her 'normal self' looking back at her in the mirror.

"Sweetheart, don't change what Mother Nature gave you," the mirror said.

"No...this isn't right. My hair is dark brown. Finite Incantatum," she muttered as her hair changed back to the red she had encountered earlier.

"That's the colour it's been since you've lived in my flat."

Lily groaned and sat on the toilet. When she finished, she forced herself not to look into the mirror as she washed and dried her hands and then made her way into the sitting room.

The small room had a two-seat sofa that looked like something out of Nana Weasley's attic, flanked by two mismatched tables. The sofa faced a large television surrounded by a dark wooden shelving unit. On the left of the television was a large glass door that gave her a beautiful view of...

"Paris! What the fuck am I doing in Paris?" She stepped toward the door and took in the cityscape of classical buildings and the Eiffel Tower. She always hated visiting Paris with her parents and sure as hell wouldn't want to live there.

Lily sat down on a rickety wooden chair and put her face in her hands, trying to figure out what happened.

"I got caught by Mum and Dad. Dad took my friends home. I fought with Mum...then what?" She racked her brain trying to recall what had happened, but between the fight and waking up with the headache there was...nothing.

The door of the flat flew open and there stood a dishevelled Ted, his turquoise hair mussed by the wind and a frantic look upon his face. He rushed into the room and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"My God, Lil, you're okay!" He peppered her face with kisses and when he reached her lips, the kiss deepened and became sensual and absolutely perfect. And absolutely wrong.

He's like a brother, she told herself.

But he's not, remember? she argued back. He's not acting very brotherly. Just give in. It's just a dream, isn't it?

Lily gave up the fight and opened her mouth as his tongue worked its way inside, tracing her lips and teeth. She moaned into him and felt herself melt against him. This was more than she'd ever dreamed of in all the years she yearned for him. His hands travelled down her back and up inside her t-shirt, brushing the underside of her breasts and sending shivers through her heated body. Her hips moved against his, sending a shock of pleasure through her as she became aware of his arousal. Desperate to feel more of him, her fingers swept up into his shirt and pulled it up toward his shoulders. They parted long enough for his shirt to whisk over his head and for hers to do the same before crashing back together.

She threw her head back at the sensation of his chest hair against her naked breasts. Ted moved his mouth down to suck a hard nipple into his mouth while holding her tight against him. She could feel every inch of his chest against her hypersensitive naked chest.

"More, please," she begged. "I've wanted this for so long."

Ted stopped sucking her breast and looked up at her curiously. "Are you okay? Should I stop? You've been sick."

Stopping was the last thing in the world that she wanted and she swiftly yanked down her pyjama bottoms before leaping up, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"I'm fine. Now fuck me!" She reached down and grabbed his erection over his jeans, bringing a deep moan from his chest.

With a growl, Ted pushed himself off the wall and took three steps before tumbling them to the sofa. He quickly pulled off his jeans and boxers, stumbling a bit as he tried to pull his feet through. Lily valiantly tried to suppress a giggle, but it came out anyway.

"Sorry. You just look a little funny jumping around there with your cock bobbing up and down," she giggled.

"Are you sure you're all right?" he asked, hovering above her on his hands and knees. "You seem a bit off."

Lily rolled her eyes and reached up to caress his cheek. "Ted, don't ever doubt how much I want you." She smiled and moved her hand around to the back of his head, pulling him into a kiss.

Her tongue parted his lips and slid long his lightly. The kiss went on until he finally settled his weight onto hers, eliciting a delightful moan of pleasure. All along her body, her nerves tingled with the feel of his skin, hair, and muscle against her own. His arousal lay heavy between them, sandwiched between their bellies. Lily moved her hands around to rest on his buttocks, squeezing and kneading the mounds of flesh before sliding up and down along his back. She wrapped her legs around his waist, moving until he was poised at her entrance.

"Now? We usually-"

"Trust me, I'm ready."

"Okay," he agreed with a half-smile and rose up on his knees, preparing to enter her. His thick cock slid easily inside her, bringing forth a groan deep from within her throat.

"Brilliant," she moaned and gripped his hips, pushing against him. It wasn't like the other boys she'd had sex with before. With them, it was all rather frantic and hurried. But with Ted, the rhythm was an easy one. He thrust, swirled, and paused before withdrawing and repeating the process. He hit spots she'd only grazed in solo sessions. Lily arched her neck as pleasure quickly began to build up inside her again, starting at her toes and making its way past her knees, where the tingling concentrated at her hips and built to a frenzy deep within her hips.

"Oh..." Lily whimpered before letting out a harsh cry as her orgasm overtook her senses.

Ted continued his pace, increasing the speed and pressure throughout her release, prolonging it far more than she'd ever experienced before. He kissed her along her neck, sucking the thin skin into his mouth. Lily knew there'd be a mark, which she usually hated, but she'd wear this love bite with pride. As the throbbing inside her slowed, Ted tensed and let out his breath as if he'd been holding it. She felt his cock throb and then shoot off inside her, while Lily came again. Never before had she felt so loved.

Lily picked a book off one of the bookshelves in her room. Ted was sleeping in her bed, the scent of sex and his cologne wafting through the room on the light breeze filtering in from the open window. Opening the book, she was surprised to see her mother's writing.

"Her journal," she said to herself. She knew that her mother had kept a diary her first year at Hogwarts, which everyone later learned was a Horcrux. Her parents had often regaled Lily and her brothers with the tale as bedtime stories. It wasn't until she and her brothers arrived at Hogwarts that they realised the magnitude of the situation.

Lily licked her fingertip and turned the page, headed "25 December, 1995."

I hate Christmas. Daddy died today.

"Papa? No, no, he didn't die!" He held her the day she was born; he helped her learn to ride a Muggle bicycle and built model aeroplanes with her brothers. She had Papa Weasley's nose and his laugh and couldn't imagine life without him.

Her eyes filled with tears as she read the rest of the entries from her mother's fourth year and half through the fifth, noting marked differences along the way. This Ginny Weasley never went to the Ministry of Magic with Harry, Ron, and Hermione but rather stayed behind while the others fought Death Eaters; she never made fun of Aunt Fleur but rather spent much of her time in the kitchen with Nana; she never dated Dean Thomas and focused on school rather than playing Quidditch.

"Mum...Quidditch was your life," she said through tears that she didn't recall shedding.

Lily grabbed the next journal and scanned the pages, looking for any mention of her father. He was mentioned in passing, but there was nothing in regards to them dating, kissing after Quidditch, or anything remotely familiar. Was Harry Potter even her father in this world? Her stomach clenched and she nearly vomited at the prospect. Even though she often said she hated being a Potter, there was always a veiled amount of pride in her background.

The last entry in this particular book was from 2 August, 1997, the day after Uncle Bill got married and the war began.

Mum sent me to France with Fleur's parents for my protection. I don't like it here at all. I can't talk to anyone and now I have to go to Beauxbatons with Gabrielle, who just won't stop talking about Harry and the kiss he gave her as they danced yesterday. I'm going to hate it here, but I know why Mum did what she did...

"Eww, Dad would never kiss Gabby," she hissed before realising that the Harry in the journal and her father weren't the same people, and it appeared that the death of Arthur Weasley had changed everyone.

The remainder of the book was filled with her mother's struggle to learn French and find her place with the Delacours and at Beauxbatons. She didn't have any boyfriends and spent much of her time alone, although there were mentions of letters from Nana and Ted's mum. Lily smiled when she read that Mrs. Lupin had talked about baby movements and watching her belly as the tiny Teddy would hiccup.

"Lily?" came Ted's groan from the bed behind her. "You okay? Sounded like you were crying."

She turned around and melted at the sight of him leaning against the headboard with the sheet barely covering his lower half.

"Our mums were friends," she whispered from the foot of the bed.

"Yeah, I know. She was my godmother."

Was? She was his godmother? Please, Merlin, please don't let her mum be dead. Tears filled her eyes and she stumbled over their clothes as she made her way back to the bed. He opened his arms and she curled up beside his warm body as he ran a hand over her hair.

"I'm sorry. I forget she's gone sometimes."

The floodgates opened as his words hit her like a ton of bricks. Her mother was dead and she wasn't Harry Potter's daughter. She'd gleaned that much from reading the journals. The world she'd woken up in this morning was a cruel one and she didn't want to be here any longer. She needed to find people she knew. She needed something familiar, not this version of her life.

"I wanna go home."

"Lily, this is your home. Our home," he whispered into her hair as she clung to him.

"The Burrow. Take me home to The Burrow. Please." Lily looked at him with wide eyes, begging him to just listen to her and do what she asked. It didn't matter if her mother wasn't going to be there. She wanted something familiar and that was the only place other than her home with her parents where she felt completely herself.

"Okay, Lil. Whatever you want," Ted answered with a worried look. "I'll just have to let Mum and Dad know I'm coming back to England."

"Mum...Dad? Oh, hell."

Two days later, Lily found herself clutching Ted's hand and standing outside of The Burrow. It looked exactly as she knew it always did but she'd never been more frightened to enter because she had no idea what she'd be walking into. Her grandfather and mother were dead, and Ted's parents were not; it all felt like a walking nightmare, one from which she had yet to wake.

"Do...does Nana know I'm coming?"

"Nana? Oh, Molly." Ted ran a hand through his hair, which turned to a dull brown as he did it. "You don't seem like yourself and every time I ask, you say you're fine. But Lily, I know you and this is not fine. You've never called Molly 'Nana' and if I remember, this is only the fifth or so time you've ever been here. Please, love, tell me what's wrong."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Sorry. I just miss my mum." He nodded and together they stepped up to the door, and Ted knocked lightly. Her voice caught in her throat as the door swung open and her grandmother stood before her.

"Oh, Lily, dear. I missed you," said her grandmother softly. Lily launched herself at the woman and held onto her tightly. She took a deep breath, taking in the familiar scent of baked bread and apples. She sunk into the familiar curves and cushions that belonged to her grandmother. At least she feels the same.

"Nana," Lily whimpered, hanging on for dear life. Her grandmother pulled away and looked her in the eye.

"Who are you?" asked Nana.

"Molly..." Ted interjected. "It's Lily."

"She may look like my granddaughter, but she doesn't act like her. What's happened to her, Ted?" Nana stepped backward and all emotion had left her face; Lily was crushed.

"Please, Nana, it's me." Lily stepped forward, hoping to convince her grandmother who she was. "Why do you think I'm not me?"

"Lily, let's go, okay?" Ted said from beside her, trying to pull her away.

"NO! I want my grandmother! I miss my mother and I want my family!" She stamped her foot on the floor like a three-year-old, but she didn't care. "You're the only one who's the same."

"Lily, or whoever you are, how would you know what I'm like? The last time I saw you was at your mother's funeral, which was three years after the previous time, and then you went back to France as soon as she was buried. I needed you and you left me," her grandmother said. "You've ignored my owls and moved in with him," she spat, pointing at Ted, "as soon as you got your inheritance. Why would you need me now? I love you because you're my granddaughter, but I don't think you care much about me." She took a deep breath stepped back and reached for the door handle. "Now, if you find my real granddaughter, perhaps you can tell her she should think about what family really means." The door shut in Lily's face and she turned around and ran down the hill before tumbling to the ground. Ted knelt beside her and put his arms around her.

"I'm so sorry, Lil," Ted cooed as he stroked her hair. "Mum said she hasn't been herself lately. Told me not to bring you."

She lifted her eyes and saw his hair had changed to his natural light brown, something that she knew happened when he was confused, worried, or feeling out of sorts with things.

"What aren't you telling me?"

"Lily, we should go."

"Tell me, Teddy! What's going on with my nana?"

He pulled out of her embrace and stared at her with an open mouth while his hair turned almost white, the colour of confusion.

"I think I'm beginning to believe Molly. You're not really Lily. You barely speak about your mother or your grandmother, and you only keep in touch with Bill and Fleur.But now, all of a sudden, you want to see Molly, and you want to come here." He bit his bottom lip. "You've been acting strange ever since your fever broke."

"Fever?" Lily asked. "What fever?"

"The one that knocked you out for a day and a half. I was ready to take you to hospital, for Merlin's sake!"

"Oh...I don't remember."

"I get that. You were in and out, talking about some blokes named Al and James and your parents."

"Yeah, my brothers," Lily reminded him.

"Since when? Since when do you have any brothers? And if you'd have found out who your father was, you would have told me," Ted said with a hard edge to his voice, and he grabbed her around the shoulders. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Lily took a deep breath and shut her eyes. Normally, she'd take the bait and continue the argument, but this was not her normal life.

"Do you love me?" The question caught him off-guard and the anger vanished from his face.

He nodded and answered, "Yes."

Lily took his hand. "Something's not right with me. I don't think I'm in the right...place." She stopped when Ted began to speak. "Let me finish. I don't know what happened, but something happened to me with the...fever."

"I don't understand."

"Neither do I, but you need to trust me. Do you know anyone who'd have an open enough mind to believe in the impossible?"

"Wanna go to Hogwarts?"

"Who's there?"

He shook his head. "You really have no idea."

"No."

He sighed and stood up, holding out his hands. "Well, at Hogwarts, we'll find the three people I trust most in this world, who happen to be experts in all sorts of mysterious things," he told her as he wiggled his fingers when saying 'mysterious.'

Lily growled in frustration and cocked her head to the side, silently repeating 'who.'

"My parents and Harry Potter, you dolt."

"Where are we going?" Lily asked as Ted guided her through the corridors of Hogwarts.

"Mum's office," he answered matter-of-factly. Lily though he sounded irritated and she didn't blame him. She had asked questions that "his Lily" should have known the answers to, all the while answering each one politely with a smile that bordered on patronizing.

They stopped by a collection of barrels, and he tapped the second from the left twice.

"The Hufflepuff Common Room," she whispered to herself. She'd been inside a few times while at Hogwarts with friends, but she'd forgotten how earthy and comfortable the room could be.

A door appeared as a barrel slid to the left, and the two of them stepped inside. The room was empty, most likely because there were still classes going on.

"C'mon, Mum doesn't have a lot of time between classes today," Ted reminded her and pulled her toward the fireplace, pulling a book off the mantle to reveal a door leading to the office. The room was round with a large oak desk and two comfortable looking easy chairs facing it.

"She teaches Transfiguration, right?"

Ted rolled his eyes. "Advanced Transfiguration. Special classes for Auror trainees and Animagi."

"Nice office. Big desk." Lily found herself imagining one of her fantasies playing out right there. She smiled as Ted's face flushed. "Whatever is the matter, Mr. Lupin? Are you thinking naughty thoughts?" Lily stepped toward him, making his backside press against the edge of the big desk.

"Not...naughty per se," he answered huskily. "I just sort of always-"

"Me, too." She reached up and began unbuttoning his shirt. His nipples hardened once exposed to the air. She didn't bother telling him that in her world, she'd had sex twice on her father's desk in his study at home. Once she finished with his shirt, her hand went to work on his button and zipper.

"Mum..."

"Shh. Don't worry,. I'll make it quick. And good," she stated before capturing his lips with hers. Her hands began to tug on his jeans and then dipped inside his boxers. He hissed when she took him in hand.

Ted groaned and tilted his head back in pleasure. His hips thrust forward into her grip. She squeezed harder, moving her hand down to fondle his balls. Placing her tongue between his nipples, she traced the line of soft hair down his torso towards his belly button, dipping her tongue inside the little divot. She lowered herself onto her knees before him and surrounded his stiff cock with her mouth.

"Fuck," he muttered while she sucked and pulled on his shaft, slowly at first, then quicker.

Lily dipped her tongue inside the foreskin, which brought forth another moan of pleasure from him. One of her hands inched back and one finger began to caress his back entrance, teasing the rim. He gripped her shoulders and started to thrust deep inside her mouth and throat. She relaxed her jaw to accommodate him as she increased the suction of her lips. He began groaning and swearing, urging her on under he bellowed and filled her mouth with his seed. After swallowing, she looked up at him and grinned with great satisfaction. His face was relaxed and his hair was a mishmash of colours she'd never seen before.

Unfortunately, the door opened and banged against the wall. Lily spun around, leaving Ted's partially naked body fully exposed to his mother.

"Mum-"

"Shit-"

"Long time no see, Teddy. You, too, Lil," said Mrs. Lupin before turning around to give them a little privacy. "Fix yourself up there, son. Your dad rarely sees the humour in these situations. And Lily, you missed some. On your chin."

Lily's hand flew to her chin and yes, she found a glob of semen dangling from it. She quickly wiped it off and licked her finger as she heard Ted zip his jeans and put himself together.

"All done?"

"Yes, ma'am," he answered quickly and then sat on top of the desk.

Lily took in the face of the woman she'd only seen in pictures. Her hair was bubble-gum pink, worn in a short, manish cut, which looked rather nice on her. Her eyes were a kind blue with a few wrinkles around them. Her nose was like Ted's and there was a small stud in one of her nostrils.

"Mum, I'm sorry." Ted's hair turned mauve, which obviously meant embarrassment.

"Like I said, your father wouldn't be so...friendly about it. Although," she began, turning her attention to Lily, "I should be disappointed in you, Miss Weasley. Godmother privilege, you know."

Lily straightened at the revelation and began to speak, but Tonks cut her off.

"I was beginning to worry about you, to be honest. You're usually so straight-laced." She sat in one of the chairs and crossed her legs, waving a foot in the air. "But I hear you haven't been yourself lately."

Lily moved to the other chair. "No, I...I haven't."

"What's been going on?"

"Mum, can we wait until Dad and Harry get here?" asked Ted. "It's...complicated."

"Remus'll be here soon, but Harry had some appointments with fifth-years and won't make it for a while. I want to know if you're over your fever, Lily. Ted was frantic on the Floo when you took ill."

"I don't remember much. I guess I was talking in my sleep."

"Do you remember when the fever started?"

Lily shook her head but Ted cleared his throat.

"We were sleeping," he said quickly. "She had the fever when she woke up."

Tonks smirked. "Ah, I get it. Sleeping." Lily felt her face heat and Ted put his hand in his face. "Oh lighten up, you two! I know you live together and you're both healthy, if you know what I mean. Besides, you should be married already."

"I'm only seventeen!" Lily shrieked. Tonks' smile faded and Lily knew she'd said something wrong.

"See? I told you! She remembers things wrong!" Ted leapt off the desk and stood in front of the fire.

The door opened again.

"Sorry I'm late," said Remus Lupin in a cheerful tone.

Lily stared at him with an open mouth. Her father had pictures of Remus with Sirius and Grandpa Potter when they were young, but the Remus before her looked much happier. He still had the scars on his face, but the world-weary look was gone. His twinkling blue eyes reminded her of Pop Weasley and she longed to have him hug her and give her some hot cocoa.

"So, what's been going on?" Remus asked as he conjured a settee in the middle of the office. "Sit down, Ted. You sounded anxious on the Floo." Ted sat down next to his father and crossed his arms.

"Ted was telling me that Lily's had trouble recalling things since the fever broke," Tonks summed up.

"Really? How did the fever start?"

"Coitus," quipped Tonks.

Remus fought to maintain control of himself. "Alright then, what else has gone on?"

"She remembers things wrong," Ted blurted.

"They're not wrong!" Lily shouted back with a force that surprised her. "I lived them!"

"She calls Molly 'Nana', says she has brothers," Ted supplied with irritation, "and she thinks she's seventeen!"

"I was NOT having sex before the fever, either! I was fighting with my mum!"

"She's dead!" Ted shouted. "She's been dead for four years!"

Lily sat stone-faced with her mouth open, unable to speak.

"Remus, go take him for a walk. Find out his side. I think Lily and I need to talk alone," Tonks said softly.

"That's a good idea. Come along, son. I think we can conjure up some biscuits in the kitchens." Remus and Ted walked silently to the door; Ted looked back at her with sad eyes.

Once they had left, Tonks sighed and turned to her. "Do you want to go first or shall I?"

"What do you mean?"

"Tell me what you know about yourself, and then I'll say what I know."

"Okay, then. I'm seventeen."

"Twenty-two."

"You're kidding." Tonks shook her head. "My mother is Ginny Weasley and she's married to Harry Potter. Both of them are alive."

Tonks' left eyebrow rose. "Yes, you're her daughter. You look just like her. But Ginny never told me who fathered you and she stayed single."

"I have two brothers. Al is nineteen and James is twenty-two."

"You're an only child."

"I live at number twelve Grimmauld Place."

"You grew up three blocks from the Eiffel Tower."

"Grandpa Weasley taught me to ride a bicycle."

"He died in '95."

"Yeah. I read Mum's journals. Everything changed once he died. It all goes back to that." Lily pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them.

"It was really hard on your grandmother but Ginny was there with her. She almost didn't finish her fourth year because she was too worried about her mum." Tonks sighed and the two of them enjoyed a few moments of silence. "Anything else you want to tell me?"

"My dad is overprotective and an old fuddy-duddy," Lily said with a smile. Truth was, she really missed him.

Tonks laughter echoed in the room. "Now that sounds like Harry."

"My middle name is Luna."

"Muriel."

Lily gagged. "Really?" She shuddered. "What about Ron and Hermione?"

"What about them?"

"Are they married?" Tonks nodded. "They're my favourite aunt and uncle."

"They are. But I think Bill and Fleur are your favourite. You don't see Ron and Hermione much." Tonks uncrossed her legs and leaned forward. "Ginny only brought you here a few times and stopped all together once Harry took over for Remus."

"Tell me about her," Lily said, turning to Tonks."What was she like? Here, I mean."

"Here?" Tonks crossed her arms and furrowed her brows. "It's time to stop the questions. You really need to tell me why Ted brought you here."

Lily sighed and collected her thoughts. "Before the...fever, I was fighting with Mum. She and Dad walked in on me and some friends smoking and drinking. He used Petrificus Totalus on them and took them home."

"Wave the wand and ask questions later."

"Exactly!" Lily let go of her legs and leaned forward again. "Then Mum and I fought, said some things we shouldn't have. I think we drew wands and then I woke up in the bed in France. Alone." Lily bit her bottom lip, trying to hold back the tears that threatened her. "I love my parents, I really do. I don't mean to do those things but they smother me and treat me like a baby! I feel like I'm a disappointment and I'll never live up to any of them!" Lily leapt to her feet and began pacing. "They get mad at me for having fun and act like they're so high and mighty. I'm not perfect and they always rub my face in it!" The tears came now, clouding her vision. She felt rather than saw Tonks wrap her arms around her in a comforting, motherly hug.

"You're a normal young woman, Lily. I remember feeling the same way. But it took a while to figure out that all they did was out of love. Look at me," she said, raising Lily's chin. "Charlie and I got up to a lot of similar shit, you know. Molly had kittens and my mum went spare every time I told her I was going somewhere with him. I'm sure both your parents are proud of you and want nothing but the moon and the stars for you."

Lily nodded and sniffed. "They've said that much."

"But even if you do your best it doesn't seem like it matters, does it?"

Lily shook her head. "James plays Quidditch like Mum did. Al is a curse breaker for Gringotts. I have no clue what I want to do with my life."

"You'll figure it out, sweetheart." Tonks stroked her hair and rocked back and forth like her mother used to do. After a few minutes, Tonks pulled away. "Now you want to know about the Ginny Weasley that I knew?" Lily nodded eagerly and the two of them sat down on the settee, hands clasped.

The door of the office opened again, making them both jump.

"Sorry I'm late." It was her father. "Is that you, Lily? Wow, you look just like Ginny."

"DADDY!!" Lily leapt from her seat without thinking and jumped onto Harry, wrapping her arms tightly around him. He patted her lightly on the back but didn't return her hug; he felt stiff in her embrace.

"Lily, let him go," Tonks urged from beside her. "This isn't your reality, remember?"

Feeling her stomach sink, Lily pulled away and looked at the man. He had more gray hair and wrinkles than she remembered. His green eyes looked sad behind his glasses. "Sorry." She went back to the settee and tried to keep her emotions under control.

Tonks pulled Harry aside to speak with him and Lily knew what they'd done. She was familiar enough with the effects of Muffliato to know the spell had been cast. Harry's eyes widened as Tonks relayed her story. Lily stared at the fire, wondering how she would get through the next few minutes. It was so strange not to have Harry as her father or be on the receiving end of his affection. Even though she was of age and often said she didn't need his protection, there was still the part of her that would always want her daddy.

"Lily," came Harry's familiar voice.

"Yes," she replied, not bothering to look up. The anticipated lack of recognition was more than she could bear.

"Look at me."

When she did, she first noticed that Tonks had discreetly left them alone; he was sitting next to her with a blank look on his face.

"This must be confusing for you."

"Obviously. I just want to go home."

"Well, that's why I'm here."

Lily scoffed, saying, "You teach Defence. How's that going to help me?"

"I used to be an Unspeakable." At that, Lily gasped, remembering Ted mentioning 'mysterious' knowledge.

"So..."

"I can help your with your temporal distortion."

Lily chuckled. "Sounds like Muggle science-fiction."

He nodded. "Well, it's loosely based on fact, and they happened to get this one very right."

"Fine, what do you want from me?" She crossed her arms and huffed. "Tonks told you everything, I assume."

"Briefly. She told me about your symptoms, when it started, how you are reacting, and the basic idea of what happened. I just have a few questions for you."

Her heart sunk. She wanted to talk to him about her mother and convince him how wrong he was not to be with her. "Go ahead."

"Your wands. What were their cores?"

"Wandlore? I've had enough of that bedtime story." She turned away and rolled her eyes.

"It's important."

"My wand is 10¾ inch acacia with a unicorn hair."

"And your mother's?"

"I don't know. But I think she has a...unicorn hair, too."

He nodded. "That explains why you can't curse each other."

"How did you know? She's never been able to send even a Bat-Bogey at me."

Harry snorted. "She was good at that, wasn't she?"

"So you did know her?"

"Of course. She was one of my best friends," he admitted.

"Just a friend?"

"I admit I would have liked a little more, but when Arthur died, she withdrew and lost her spark. I pulled away, too."

Lily smiled to herself. This Harry wasn't so different than the one she knew and was just as easily distracted.

"What was she like after Grandpa died?"

Harry cleared his throat. "Well, she kept to herself a lot. She stopped playing Quidditch and started to buckle down on her school work. Hermione loved it, but I felt horrible. It was all my fault and I couldn't do anything to help her. I stopped visiting The Burrow about then, too. Molly had to practically drag me there for Bill's wedding and look what happened there," he said, his voice taking on a sharp edge to it. "I never realized how much I cared about Gin until she was sent to France."

"She never came back? Even after the war?"

Harry shook his head. "She said that she'd settled in and that she'd stay there because that's where her mother wanted her to be."

"My mother never would have accepted that. She fought alongside you in the Ministry, fought in the final battle and was good at it, too, even though everyone said she was too young. She fought Bellatrix Lestrange and lived to tell about it." Lily felt herself heat up with anger. "This Ginny was a wimp. And you. You didn't even fight for her. MY Harry Potter would have done anything for my mum or her family." She got up, crossed her arms, and spun around, wanting to say more but unable to do so.

Harry stiffened at her comment. "I practically killed Arthur myself! And then Percy and George, too!"

"What?" she asked as all the bravado disappeared from her.

"The battle at Hogwarts. Percy and George were joking around and a spell hit the wall, killing them both. Fred's still a mess. I was behind the deaths of three Weasleys! How could I go back to them after what I did?" His eyes misted up behind his glasses. "I had no right to insert myself into their lives anymore."

She wanted to scream that it wasn't true, that he hadn't killed any of them and that it was their own choice. She wanted to yell at him and tell him of all the wonderful things and people he had missed out on. That, however, wouldn't do either of them any good.

"I'm sorry you had to make that choice," she said softly while he turned and wiped his eyes.

"I've regretted it every day."

"Are you married?" she asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

"Unspeakables don't get married."

"So why did you leave?"

"Remus wanted to retire and wouldn't trust anyone but me with the job. Besides, there was nothing more for me to do there." He got up and crossed to the mantle, looking blankly at the pictures scattered there.

"What did you work on there?" He turned to her, with a familiar look of exasperation. "Come on, you can tell me. It isn't like I'll be here much longer. I know you'll figure out how to get me back to where I belong."

"How can you be so sure?" he asked.

"Because you're my dad. And this is what I really look like." Lily waved her wand and cast a glamour, changing her red hair to dark brown. "All I need is the green eyes. But Al got those."

Harry studied her for a moment before saying, "You have your mother's eyes."

"Did I forget them? Mine are blue," she answered, casting another charm, which caused her to jump from a quick stab of pain in her eyes. "What the hell was that? That never happened before."

"Here, let me," he said, holding up his wand. She watched as his wand did an intricate movement and he silently cast a spell she didn't know. "All better."

She could have sworn his lower lip was trembling. Harry moved back to the settee and hung his head.

"I visited your mother once. In France," he said, taking her by surprise. "We spent two weeks together. It was almost as if I had the old Ginny back."

"Really? What happened?"

"We got close again. She was even going to move back to England," he said, lifting his head. He looked so sad. Lily knew there was something he wasn't telling her.

"But she didn't."

"She wrote and told me she met someone else. I didn't care after that. She'd moved on without me again." He fell silent, withdrawing from her almost as if he'd shut a door. "I think I have enough to work with and get a plan together." He rose from the couch and left before she could say anything.

"Met someone else, my ass!" she growled. "You took away his child!"

Lily didn't see Tonks, Remus, or Harry much over the next few days. When she did see them, she learned a few bits of information about this Ginny's life. She was involved in spell research with the French Ministry and International Aurors. Gabrielle Delacour was one of her best friends, but the two of them lost touch after Gabby moved to Algeria. This Ginny Weasley was dedicated to her work and encouraged Lily to do the same once she started Beauxbatons. It was as if success in work replaced any connection to the family. Lily couldn't imagine her mother, or any Weasley, putting work ahead of family. She felt sorry for her other self.

Lily and Ted had decided to stay at Hogwarts in case something developed and they needed to put things into action. However, Ted was out of sorts and Lily couldn't drag him out of it. He had stopped morphing and would hardly speak to her. His mother, of course, brought him up to speed with what was revealed to her, and he could hardly stand to be in the same room with her, let alone touch her or kiss her. He'd taken to sleeping on the couch, which only added to his sour mood.

One evening, she went roaming through the corridors, trying to find some semblance of normality. Hogwarts was her second home, and thanks to the Marauder's Map, she knew every nook and cranny. She wondered for a moment if Remus ever gave Ted the map to use.

Along the Charms corridor, she overheard voices speaking loudly, almost fighting with one another. If she wasn't mistaken, one of the people in the room was Harry. She stepped closer and the voices became clearer.

"And how did you come up with that?" Tonks asked sharply.

"She changed herself to her brown hair."

"And?"

"She still had brown eyes. She said hers were blue. When she tried a different glamour, her eyes hurt. I know what causes that sort of reaction and I went to fix it."

"So what did you do?" It was clear Tonks was losing her patience.

"I did the counter-charm. She'd had the Identity Altering spell put on her eyes. It's stronger than glamours and is nearly permanent, except to those who know the counter-spell."

"So you're saying that Ginny did that to her daughter?"

"She developed the spell, Tonks. I had to test it here for use by our Aurors."

"Sweet Merlin. What was she thinking? What colour are her real eyes?"

"Green. Just like mine." Both Tonks and Lily gasped at the same time, but Lily nearly fell to the floor. "She's mine, Tonks. All this time, Ginny kept her from me."

"Harry, there's nothing you can do until you get her back. Haven't you been working on it at all?"

He growled in frustration. "I know that and actually figured it out already."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

There was a pause.

"Harry, you can't get attached to this one. She's not your daughter. Well, she's not...Damn, this is annoying! You have to let her get back to her real parents. And you need your real daughter. So what's the solution?"

"She told me that she and Ginny had the same wand core and that they began to draw on one another. Unicorn hair favours harmony and peace, so it naturally wouldn't work against them. But the fact that Lily was angry and thinking about not wanting her family when Ginny was so frustrated at the same time caused a temporal rift. Don't ask me to try to explain it. We don't have time."

"But what about this Lily? The one who..oh, you know!"

"After talking with Ted, I learned they were talking about getting married and having a family. She was angry at her mother for keeping her family away from her. They made love with a contraceptive spell cast by Lily's wand. She has a unicorn hair, too. I know this is all so coincidental, but they're still basically the same women, the two Lilys. The magic from the three wands connected and switched the girls. I've been through the data and even consulted the Department of Mysteries. There was a huge jump in magical energy that night that they couldn't explain. It doesn't really have to make sense as long as the data points in the right direction."

"So what do we do?"

Lily spun around and didn't wait to hear the rest of the explanation. She had to try. She wanted to go home. Ted wanted his own Lily back and was miserable without her. Harry wanted to get to know his daughter. It was time to put her wiles to work for the greater good.

She ran back to the room she shared with Ted and found him skulking on the couch. He'd taken to sleep there since they arrived, saying it wasn't right for him to sleep next to her. His hair was mousy blonde, a far cry from his vibrant turquoise that he preferred. His skin was sallow and his cheeks were sunken. Somehow, she knew her decision was the right one.

"Ted, sleep in the bed. You need some sleep," she said, stopping to kneel in front of the couch.

"I'm fine here."

"No, you're not! You haven't morphed since we got here and I know it's not good for you. I know your mum did that and she got sick," she pleaded. "Please. You know I'm telling the truth. Sleep in the bed. I'll take the couch."

"Like bloody hell you will! You may not be mine, but I'm still a gentleman. Just keep yourself on your side." He rose from the couch and made his way toward the bed.

"Yes, sir!" Lily said as she saluted.

Ted rolled his eyes and sat down on the bed to take off his shoes and jeans. Lily went into the bathroom and changed into her nightgown. Before leaving, she looked at herself one last time in the mirror and removed the glamour she'd cast on herself, restoring her to "this" Lily's appearance.

"What'd you do that for?" he asked as she crawled into the bed, pulling the covers up to her neck.

"You don't talk to me when I look the other way. You can't stand to look at me."

"That's not true. It's just really confusing and difficult to get past some things." He sighed heavily but couldn't take his eyes off of her. He was ready to be distracted.

"How did you two get together?"

"Me and Lily?" He smiled brightly when she nodded. "Well, Mum and Dad took me to France over part of the summer hols. We played together and became friends. We sent owls back and forth, and it just..."

"Happened naturally," she finished for him. "Did she come to visit England much?"

He frowned. "Not as often as I would have liked. And you heard what Molly said. Ginny kept away."

"Did you want to marry her?"

Ted's expression changed, more relaxed than she'd seen him in a long time. "That night...we talked about it. Even talked about having our own family. She wants one, you know, to make up for the one she missed."

Lily reached up and pushed his hair back from his face, smiling when his hair turned turquoise.

"Your hair."

"I know. Couldn't help it. She always does that. Touches me that way."

Lily watched in amazement as his eyes turned dark, almost black. She inched closer to him; she could feel the heat coming off his body and heard his breath come in quick pants. He wanted her.

"You need to feel, Ted. Don't close yourself off. I'm her. It's okay."

Ted pulled her to him and kissed her roughly, their teeth clashing, and it was wonderful. He drove his tongue inside her mouth, finding hers and stroking it with his own. Lily sighed into the kiss and moved even closer, flinging a leg over his thigh. She ground her hips against his, feeling his erection, and desperately trying to move herself even closer. His hands went to her back and caressed her along her spine. One hand dipped underneath her nightgown, searching for her pussy and finding it. She hissed as he slipped a cold finger inside her hot body, parting the folds and rubbing against her clit. She arched against him, urging him on. He moved his fingers faster, slipping inside her and making her insides turn to mush. Her breathing came in pants, fast and shallow, until her orgasm overtook her and her eyes rolled back, enjoying the fluttering of release.

Lily fell back onto the bed, but he wasn't finished with her yet. Ted attacked her mouth again, sliding his lips over hers and kissing her fiercely. Her body was still reeling from what his fingers had done to her. She would gladly have let his mouth do whatever he had in mind, but she had to push those thoughts away; she had a plan, after all. Taking a deep breath, she pushed him off her and straddled him before he could argue.

"It's all about you," she whispered before Summoning her wand from the top of the bureau. Swallowing hard, she cast a contraceptive spell, plus three others, just to be safe. Lily moved to rub her moist pussy over the velvet shaft between his legs. She slid herself up, towards the tip, and swirled her clit over the head. They both groaned in pleasure and she lifted herself up, took hold of his cock, and then sank down, sheathing him inside her. Lily swirled her hips again, sending another shockwave through her.

With her wand still in her left hand and behind her back, Lily waved her wrist to conjure candles, flowers, and music. When each appeared, she rose and then sunk down on him once more, savouring the fullness of him and the shivers in her body. His hips began thrusting faster, causing her to lose her train of thought. She had to keep going, casting spells, and finally, to think about her family. She wanted to go home.

Lily closed her eyes and began riding him erratically, losing the rhythm she'd started previously. Ted's eyes were closed and she took the chance, casting ghostly images of her family members. It was getting more difficult to fuck him, what with her parents looking at her, so she briefly closed her eyes, enjoying what he was doing to her. His hands went to her waist and held her tightly against him, pumping his hips erratically.

"I love you. I love you," she whispered, grinding against him. "I love my family. I want a family."

"Lily!" Ted groaned as he shot into her while she fluttered around him

Her head fell back as her body exploding into what felt like a million pieces. She saw bright lights behind her eyelids; her body tingled in places she never knew could tingle; her heart raced quicker than ever, feeling like it would explode. As she finally reached the precipice, the sensations all combined into one, she screamed as the pain centred behind her eyes. Her wand clattered to the floor and she fell forward onto Ted's chest.

Lily groaned. Her head throbbed, her mouth was drier than a desert, and she really had to use the bathroom. Regretfully, she opened her eyes, letting the light pierce her eyes.

"Damn," she swore. "Hogwarts." She looked around the Hospital Wing and only saw the privacy screens that surrounded the bed. "Anyone here?" she tried to shout, but it only came out as a harsh whisper. To her left, she saw a glass of water on the bedside table and smiled, scooting herself up to reach it and swallowed it down in three gulps. Before she set it down, it refilled itself.

When she had her fill of water, she swung around to put her feet on the cold, wooden floor and stood, the blankets falling away, revealing striped pyjama bottoms and a Quidditch jersey with the number '5' on it. She silently padded toward the door of the loo and went inside. Taking a deep breath, she looked in the mirror and groaned. Her hair was red. Sadness welled up inside her and she cried as she used the facilities.

"You have nothing to cry about," the mirror rebuked. "You're healthy and alive. Celebrate life." Lily shook her head. She really hated the Positive Message Mirrors they installed in the school.

"Wait a second." She cleaned up and washed her hands, then looked in the mirror. "Accio wand." Her wand quickly flew to her hand but she paused, somehow, not wanting confirmation that her plan was a failure. Instead, she walked back to the bed and settled in under the covers. She was never one to wait for things, but this time, if she was still in the wrong place, she'd just play along and make everyone think she belonged there. It was the right thing to do, after all. She'd sacrifice that much.

Just as she was about to fall asleep again, the heavy door swung open and her heart began to race. Who would be the first one she'd see? Teddy? Harry? Or perhaps, her mother? She looked anxiously at the screen.

"Oh, you're up," cooed Madam Pierce, the school nurse. "So glad to see you're with us again."

"With us?"

"You were in and out for a few days. Much longer than the last time." She scurried about casting monitoring spells around her. "We were so very worried."

"We?"

"Aren't you just full of questions!" Madam Pierce patted her gently on the head.

"Where's my family?"

"Waiting."

"Why can't they come in?" She tried to peer around the screen, but the matron moved to block her view.

"They'll come in when it's time and when I tell them they can."

"Since when has my father ever listened to anyone?"

"True, true, but we just want to make sure you're where you're supposed to be. Where were you when the headache hit?" Pierce sat down in a chair next to the bed, a paper and quill poised to take notes. This irritated Lily.

"I was at Hogwarts and if you're some sort of reporter, there's no way in HELL I'm talking to you about anything." Lily crossed her arms over her chest.

The matron huffed. "Well, I've never!" She scraped the chair against the floor and stood up. "You're just the same disrespectful little-"

"You better not be talking to my daughter like that!"

Lily's eyes widened. Could it be?

Pierce stepped to the other side of the screen. "She's impertinent and ungrateful-"

"And my daughter! And I am on the Board of Governors, who will definitely be bringing up your fitness for this position. Now step aside."

Heavy footfalls signalled the matron's retreat from the hospital wing. With her eyes still on the screen, Lily watched as the offending item was pulled away, and people emerged from the other side.

"Mum!" Lily threw herself at her mother and held her tightly, savouring her scent, feel and the sound of her breathing.

"But are you--?" her mother asked as she pulled away.

"I broke your World Cup trophy when I was ten and wanted to prove to myself I could fly. But I can't. I'm hopeless on a broom," Lily gushed.

"You never did fix that trophy, Gin."

Lily turned and smiled. It was her father with hardly any gray hair and only laugh lines to wrinkle his face. Before she could move to embrace him, he wrapped both Lily and her mother in a bear hug. Lily allowed herself to be comforted like a child because after what she'd been through, it was what she'd craved the most. She pulled back and looked at her parents.

"My hair...why is it red?"

"Other Lily didn't like it. She said it was 'orrible," her mother answered in a perfect imitation of Aunt Fleur. "Let me change it back." Her mother withdrew her wand but Lily grasped her wrist.

"DON'T!! That's what started it all! You can't set a spell on me! Let Daddy do it!" Lily shrieked, causing her mother to shrink back and pocket her wand.

"I'll do it then," her father reassured her, casting the counter-charm with his old, familiar holly and phoenix feather wand. "Better?" He handed her a small mirror he'd transfigured from the pad of paper.

Lily took a deep breath and grasped hold of the mirror. She turned it over and smiled. "I'm never changing it back. It's perfect just the way it is."

"So are you, Lils. I don't mean to make you feel otherwise, but you're so much like I was at your age," said her mother as she took Lily's hands and sat them both down on the bed. "I was brash and cocky about things, too. Hell, I wouldn't have tried to steal the damn sword if I wasn't."

"I know. I just never realised how alike we were until you weren't around." She put her head on her mother's shoulder. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too. You were here, but it just wasn't the same. You didn't need me."

"And what about you, Dad?" Lily asked her father.

"She...she had no idea who I was. That really hurt." If Lily wasn't mistaken, her father was about to cry.

"But she'll get to know her father. The other Harry..."

"No kidding? Well, looks like no matter what world we're in, we belong together, Gin," he teased.

"I hope so. I'm sorry about that night. A lot." Lily hung her head and bit her bottom lip

"I'm not going to say that it's okay what you and your friends were doing, but I can forgive you," her mother reassured her. "I think you can make better choices in your friends and what you choose to do with them."

Lily felt her stomach knot up. To tell the truth, she didn’t really know why she hung out with those girls other than to piss her parents off.

"I know. I can't take it back but I'll try to do better. You'll just have to be patient with me," Lily said still looking at the floor. "I don't mean to piss you off."

"Liar," Ginny said with a chuckle. "You're seventeen. Of course you want to piss us off. It's in your nature."

"I never pissed off anyone when I was seventeen," Harry said indignantly.

"Oh, and I suppose Voldemort was your best friend," teased her mother. "Look at me, Lily." When Lily did so, Ginny continued. "It's damn difficult growing up. You might not have to handle the sorts of things we did," she said, gesturing between herself and her husband, "but we do understand what it's like."

"Trust me, I'd trade fighting Voldemort for the normal life you're having any day." He kissed her on top of her head. "I don't think it's anger at you, but more frustration at how you choose to do things. Right?"

Ginny smiled. "Absolutely. But that's enough of this talk for now. I think you need to get home. There're two young men who really miss their sister."

"And who thought it was really gross to have her flirt with them."

"Oh, please help me get that image out of my head. Besides, aren't you going to tell me what happened here, with the other Lily? Did you figure out why we switched? Don't you wanna know about Tonks and Remus? Don't you wanna know what I did there?" She wanted to know everything she said and did, how she did them and what she was like. She still had so many questions.

"No, Lily-Bean. Those are stories that can wait for another day."

And Lily was okay with that. For now.