A/N: Hi Guys. Even though this is not my first L/J fiction, it is the first one I actually like. I think I've fallen for this story. It's my favorite one, so please be nice. Be aware, you can send me flames in your reviews but I don't like them. Constructive criticism yes, flames no. Flames rupture my spirit and steal my will to write, so nice.

Chapter 1: Photo sessions.

Lily Evans sat in the front passenger seat of her mother's Volvo totally lost in thought, wondering 'Is it all worth it?' According to her mother, this was the only solution. In her opinion her daughter couldn't sing or dance and she refused to let her participate in anything athletic.

Rose Evans is one of those mothers who try to push their children into fame. Over and over she told Lily that she was destined for stardom and that this seemed the only way to accomplish that goal, ignoring the fact that Lily could very well be great at something that has to do with the wizarding world, where she was currently going to begin her sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

So lost in thought was she, that she didn't even notice they had long since pulled up to the large building, the photographer's office, the modeling agency. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Mrs. Evans demanded. "Come on."

Lily gulped and allowed the big-haired, blonde woman to drag her into the building, griping her wrist with her long press on nails. She pulled back slightly when they approached the door with a large brass plated sign that read 'Studio' and 'Maxwell Clarks, photographer' engraved underneath that. "I can't do this." Lily pleaded. "I'm not cut out to be a model. I don't want to do it."

"Don't be ridiculous." Mrs. Evans replied, giving her daughter a little push through the door. The stepped into a beige colored room where a tall, thin and eerie man was fiddling with a camera.

On the other side of the camera, a white sheet of material was pinned to the wall and hung down to the floor. "Ah, Mrs. Evans." The man said, his voice thick with some weird accent Lily couldn't recognize. He grasped the woman's manicured hand with his thin and clammy one and kissed it. "This must be your lovely daughter, she's gorgeous." Mrs. Evans smiled. "I told you Maxwell. She'll be a model in no time." She nudged Lily forward a little roughly, making her stumble. "N-Nice to meet you Mr. Clarks." She said both politely and nervously.

Clarks waved his hand in the air. "Call me Max. You certainly are beautiful Lila." He added, staring at her a little too flatteringly. "Lily." Lily corrected quietly. Mrs. Evans elbowed her in the back. "T-Thank you." She added. "Alright then. Let us begin." Clarks said. He put a simple three- legged stool in front the white sheet and directed Lily to sit on it with her ankles crossed. Lily tried to smile but felt a queasy feeling as soon as Clarks stated snapping pictures. Mrs. Evans stood behind him with a threatening look on her face. 'Smile' she mouthed.

Afraid of her mother's wrath, she smiled a little unconvincingly. Mrs. Evans expression deepened. Lily looked into the lens of the camera and imagined that her friends were right inside of it, joking with her. "Very nice Miss. Evans." Maxwell said, but he was stopping. Lily sighed in relief and stood to go, thinking he was finished. "I think perhaps Lily would be more comfortable without an audience." He said to her mother. "Don't be silly." Mrs. Evans insisted. "She's got to get used to being watched, and besides I'm her mother. I'd rather stay."

"And I'd rather you leave." Clarks said with an authoritative tone to his voice. Lily begged her mother with her eyes not to leave her alone with this man, but her mother only ignored her and walked out of the room with a cloud of superiority over her head like she was the bloody queen herself. After she was gone, Clarks knelt beside Lily as if she were a toddler of 4 instead of the teenager of 15 she really was. "How are you today Lily?" he sounded as if he really wanted to know. "Okay." Lily answered quietly. This man was invading her personal space and was a little too close for comfort. She wanted him to get as far away from her as soon as possible. He was overly nice and smelled of cheap cologne. It made her sick the way he looked at her.

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From the passenger seat of her mother's car, Lily stared out of the windows at the tree's that passed. She hummed quietly a sad tune that she had learned from her father. Other than that, she was quiet the whole ride home. Scared as she was to talk to her mother, she made her presence known when they stepped inside of the house. Her mother jumped at the sound of Lily's throat clearing. "Yes? What do you want?" Lily took a breath. "I don't want to do those sessions with Mr. Clarks. He makes me uncomfortable. And he tou-."

"LISTEN!" Rose interrupted, yanking her daughter's arm. "I paid a good price to get those sessions done specifically with Maxwell. You're going to go to be on your best behavior. Smile and keep your mouth shut." Lily yanked her arm away and gently massaged the sore spot. "No one asked you to. You did it of your own free will." She said quietly, regretting it a moment later when her mother swung her fist into Lily's chest.

"You WILL go to every session. I don't care if you want to or not. And you'll tell your father how much you enjoy them. Do you understand me?" she added venomously. "Yes Ma'am." Lily answered breathily. Then she turned and ran up to her room.

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Knock, knock. Lily got off of her bed and opened her bedroom door, two hours after the whole fiasco with her mother. "Hi Daddy!" She said happily, hugging Richard Evans tightly. Mr. Evans laughed and patted her back lovingly. "Hello dear. Did you have a good day?" Lily nodded. "Yes sir." She lied. Mr. Evans smiled. "Good then. So you've got a birthday coming up. Sweet sixteen. Do you want a party?" Lily's eyes lit up. "Oh! Can I?" Mr. Evans laughed. "Of course dear. What's wrong?" he added when Lily's face fell. "All of my friends are guys. I don't have any girl friends. Not any that I know that well anyways, besides the nice ones I share my dorm with."

Richard frowned then. "They still giving you a hard time at school?" Lily told of almost everything that happened at school in her letters home. Her father understood perfectly about things like Quidditch and the four houses, almost like he was a wizard himself. Mrs. Evans, however, couldn't care less about what happened at that school. She personally wished to stomp the 'abnormality' that was her magic right out of her. Lily's older sister Petunia had turned out exactly like her. (Mrs. Evans I mean.)

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Over the remainder of the summer, Lily continued to go to Maxwell Clarks' studio. She almost got a nasty surprise every time now. One particular time was exactly two days before her birthday party. She fled from the studio and launched herself down the street. Mrs. Evans got into her car and sped away, looking for her. When she finally pulled to a stop next to her daughter, she was more concerned with the fact that she was crouched on a fire hydrant that happened to be a few yards away from a homeless man, than with the fact that she was pale, clammy, and teary-eyed.

"What's wrong with you?" She demanded. Lily blinked her eyes and silently got into the car. "What's wrong with you?" she repeated harshly. Lily attempted to hide her tears but failed miserably. Mrs. Evans patted her back in a manner, which she must have thought consoling. It made Lily feel like a child who had fallen and scraped her knee. "Don't cry." Mrs. Evans went on. Lily almost liked her mother for a second before she said this: "Believe me it's happened to me many, many times. You just have to learn to deal with them." Lily pulled away from her mother and strapped on her seatbelt.

It turns out, the way Mrs. Evans dealt was to buy two burgers from a drive- thru window. It might have settled the aguish-y hollow feeling in Lily's stomach if she would have eaten it. But she threw it out of the window when they drove past a dumpster.

As soon as she was through the front door, Lily ran up stairs and the slam of her bedroom door could be heard.

A/N: How do you like it? I think it turned out nicely. Please review! Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please, Please! * Clearbrook *