Hey, it's my sweet sixteenth today!! So I decided to give you a gift. A tiny one-shot. About two pages.

Summary: No-one knows, no-one cares. Except him. A birthday she'll never forget. LJ AU

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. But I did write this from my own head.

R/R

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Sweet Sixteen

What a birthday. Melanie's parents had taken her out of school that year, saying school was not safe with Voldemort on the loose. Sally-Anne was dying of lung cancer and Muggles and Wizards alike were powerless to save her. Mummy and Daddy had been killed by Voldemort that day. Petunia hated her and refused to acknowledge her existence. Nobody noticed her.

Sweet Sixteen, Lily! she told herself. Enjoy…

Lily Marie Evans, youngest of two daughters, was an orphan turning sixteen. Today.

Not like anybody noticed.

Mella and Sally had only ever noticed her. The popular; girls and boys alike, ignored her. But her two best friends weren't there anymore, and so she had to look after herself now.

She sighed and flopped on her bed in the Sixth Year girls' dorms where she was residing and would be staying in next year. Technically she should be at home, but when Voldemort had arrived, she'd been so scared and had hurried away to King's Cross in order to go to the safest place she knew; Hogwarts. It was July 21, school had been finished for a short while and everything had been going fine.

She didn't even get to open her presents.

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He sighed. Why did this happen to him all the time? First his mum, then his dad…and now…

Evie.

His prized baby sister had been murdered that day, but that squirly evil demented thingy who wanted people to call him by the title `Lord'. `Lord' my fucking ass, he thought.

He'd been sixteen for eight entire days; he didn't deserve this mess!! Though he'd been thirteen when his father was died, and nine when his mother had passed away, so he guessed he was used to it.

It didn't stop the pain from hurting any less.

So James Harold Potter, oldest of two, one his late sister Evelyn Alexandra, did what anyone else would do.

He went to Hogwarts.

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Lily hurried downstairs as she heard the portrait click open. She was intrigued as to who it was.

The first thing she saw was a head of messy black spikes and she watched as James broke down before her. She rushed down the remainder of the stairs and went over to him.

“Hey,” she whispered. “What happened?”

James shrugged. “Evie,” he said.

Lily frowned. “They're all dead now,” he explained. “Mum; I was nine. Dad; thirteen. Evie…” He raised a hand to his eyes and wiped away a tear.

Lily nodded. “My parents today.” Tears cascaded down her cheeks as she remembered.

James reached out to give her a hug and she reluctantly allowed herself to be gripped to him tightly. “I'm sorry,” one of them whispered, and neither knew who it was. It seemed they were both saying it. But maybe it was neither; their grief was shared. Emotions so strong that they didn't know if they were feeling each others'.

James pulled back when Lily whimpered. The pin from her badge was pricking her chest. She undid it, but not before James read.

“Happy birthday,” he told her softly. “What did you get?”

Lily shrugged. “I don't know.”

James looked around him for something to give her, and then decided on one, remembering their sharing of emotions. After all, the most spontaneous were often the best gifts.

Taking her head in his hand, he kissed her.

Sweet Sixteen.

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Yeah yeah, I know!! Completely unrealistic and unlikely but that's what I wrote so you'll have to deal!! *grins* But hey, I'm sixteen!!

ly,

x Cazzy x