Lily and Harry finished their desserts and butterbeers in high spirits. All was Harry's doing. They'd been laughing together, saying silly jokes to make his mother forget her worries and sorrows. She looked curiously out the window and saw a couple of Order members on guard duty.

The night air shifted uncomfortably around Lily as they got ready to leave. She turned her attention back to her son who was busy rummaging through his cloak.

"Harry..." said Lily softly. "I love you."

"Oh, I love you too." Harry smiled, not really paying attention at Lily's sudden change of tone as he straightened his cloak.

"I want to tell you why I love you. I have to tell you this and you need to hear it," she said over the music in the background. Harry stopped whatever he was doing and looked at her suddenly.

Lily was trembling slightly but she tried to calm herself in spite of the fear that was coming out slowly. "I've loved you since you were born… even after your father died… but I wouldn't allow myself to truly feel it until today. I was always thinking ahead. Making decisions out of fear." She looked at Harry's emerald green eyes with pure love and sadness.

"Today, because of what I learned from you… every choice I made was different, and my life has completely changed. And I've learned that if you do that you're living your life fully. It doesn't matter if you have five minutes or fifty years –" she paused, trying to have strength in the tone while her eyes streamed and did not leave her son's gaze.

"Harry, if not for today… if not for you… I would never have known love again. So thank you for being the person who taught me to love… and to be loved." She finished quietly, her voice shaking with emotion.

Harry held Lily's gaze as tears silently started to roll down his face. "I don't know what to say..."

Lily smiled weakly and kissed his forehead lovingly. "You don't have to say anything, sweetheart. I just wanted to tell you."

"Thank you, mum." Harry embraced her for a few moments. He wiped away his tears and said, "Let's go home."

He started to walk away but stopped suddenly when he turned around and saw Lily didn't leave her spot.

"Mum…" Harry called out to her gently. "Are you coming?"

Her face was filled with pain and sadness as she looked at her son but she forced a smile on her face and said, "Yes."

The silent air changed abruptly the moment they stepped out the Three Broomsticks.

Black shapes were emerging out of thin air around them as though an invisible alarm set them off from their hiding places, blocking their way left and right; eyes glinted through slits in hoods. Death Eaters dashed across the street to where Lily and Harry stood. Lily gave a gasp of horror.

A light whizzed like a bullet from behind her, stunning one Death Eater and blasting off its back until it smashed on a nearby window. She heard footsteps running closer in their direction; The Order members stood with their wands aloft, looking furious.

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The Death Eaters stopped in their tracks, seemingly surprised of the sudden retaliation. In response, a multitude of lights started flying along as spell after spell hit in their direction.

Lily felt the unnatural cold begin to steal over the street. She raised her wand, ready to fight back.

"We've got this, Lily!" Arthur yelled a few feet away from her. Lily and Harry ducked as another spell whizzed past on top of their heads. "Protect Harry and go!"

There was no time to spare. They retreated down the side street as screaming people moved past them in different directions. The footsteps of the Death Eaters were becoming louder. They'd cast their charm to prevent people from Disapparating and Lily swore under her breath.

She could see the Order members battling against a nearby street. She looked frantically around, trying to decide what to do and where to go.

"Mum, look out!" Harry shouted from behind Lily. Another spell almost hit her. Lily tried to calm herself, to concentrate on protecting Harry. They saw Arthur run along with a stained frown and disappearing from a corner.

The ground shook violently from where they stood, and broken pieces of glasses fell like shrapnel a little closer behind their backs. Lily looked over worriedly to where Arthur had just gone, realizing that that must have been where the explosion occurred.

She grabbed Harry's arm and they ran in the opposite direction. Debris scattered the ground. They turned a corner and slowed down when they reached a nearly deserted street.

A mirthless laugh echoed around them. Lily stopped abruptly; she knew that laugh. She had heard it before. Bellatrix!

In response, she cast the protective charm Dumbledore taught her. It created a bubble-like barrier surrounding them.

Lily looked around while trying to grab hold of Harry from behind, shielding him. The realization hit her as she scanned the street. This was exactly where Harry was stabbed that night. Chill instantly ran down her spine making her heart throb loudly.

Suddenly she saw a glint of metal moving fast from the darkness. To her horror, it passed through the barrier, unhindered. Lily yelled "Down!" to Harry as they lowered themselves quickly onto the pavement.

There was silence as though the sound around them were suddenly muted on the spot.

Lily and Harry stood up and looked around, searching for more attacks, but they didn't come. It looked like the Death Eaters just Disapparated.

"Are they gone?" Harry asked.

"I – I think so…" said Lily quietly. But a moment later she collapsed, gripping Harry's shoulders.

"Mum –" Harry stumbled back a little in surprise. He caught her by the arms, shocked to find blood seeping through her dress. He laid her on the ground, slowly checking her back. Right in the lower side was a silver dagger.

"No…" Harry looked stunned. He screamed silently as it suffocated him to see his mother lying there with the dagger. He felt nothing but fear and numbness, pleading for his mother's life. His heart was broken and shattered.

He grabbed the wand on the floor to try and heal her, but Lily shook her head and called his name.

"Harry –" she croaked, blood rushed through her mouth.

Harry kneeled next to her. He shifted his hands under Lily's back to get a better grip and lifted her off the ground. "We must get you to Hogwarts, mum…" Lily couldn't help but let out a groan of pain and Harry immediately put her down.

"Harry," Lily said. Harry kept trying to find a more comfortable position for her. "Sweetheart," Lily said firmly. He looked her in the eyes. "It's –" she coughed more blood. "– alright."

"No. No, it's not…" Harry's eyes filled with tears. "I will get you to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey can heal you fast." But Lily just shook her head.

Harry's tears fell. He had been holding onto his mother's hand this whole time. Slowly, Lily's grip started to slacken but she tried to wipe away her son's tears and held her hand to his cheek.

Lily was crying silently as the life in her eyes slowly faded away.

She stared at Harry, her hand fell with a thud, and her chest moved no more.

Tears leaked out much harder from Harry's eyes, his hands soaked with blood. He held a firm grip on Lily's hand, doing his best to not look at her mother's still face and vacant eyes.

"Harry," A hand laid gently on his shoulder.

He looked up and saw Mr. Weasley. He crumbled and broke down.

"I'm sorry." Arthur closed his eyes, the picture of Harry cradling his mother's body close to him and pleading, begging her to come back, etched into his brain.