Chapter 1

Lily sat at her husband's desk, even now she still thought of it that way. He had passed in the final battle of the war, three months ago, and yet it was still James' desk, James' office. James' house.

Nevertheless, she needed a place to work so here she was. Lily sighed as the stack of papers in her in-tray magically grew again. The tray was charmed to transport the paper work from her desk at the office to here. It allowed her more time to spend with Harry, but it also meant that she couldn't avoid it. Dragging the wizarding world back to its feet was not an easy task but it was something Lily knew they needed to do; especially now that the Statue of Secrecy was broken.

After reading half of a particularly long report from the Goblins Lily stood and walked over to where Harry was sitting inside his play-pen. It was enchanted so that he couldn't climb out of it and therefore allowed Lily to work mostly uninterrupted.

"Hey Harry," Lily said, reaching out to him as he looked up at her arrival. It was safe to say that the child was happy to see his mother and his uncomplicated joy lifted the weight in Lily's heart.

"I think it's time we both got some sunshine," Lily said, picking him up and carrying him from the room. As soon as they left the study Lily heard the locks magically click into place and knew that no one would be able to enter the room, by any means, until a Potter came back to it.

Walking through Potter Manor Lily headed out into the back gardens and put Harry down in the, again enchanted, sandpit. He was nearly 14 months now and was already becoming a very active little boy. Sadly, his words were not coming along as well and still gurgled at her more than anything.

Lily looked up and studied the same sight that had greeted her since the war had ended. Unlike years past the Potter wards were now constantly visible, combating the radiation that permanently surrounded the area. It's wasn't just one layer either, after the bombs had fallen Lily had accessed the property's ward stone and added another two layers of wards, mostly to deal with radiation damage and add a few muggle repealing charms. Normally only James, or now Harry, would have been able to do that but since James' death the family magic seemed to recognize Lily as a caretaker. That status allowed her to do things that normally only a blood relative would be able to.

Looking away from the beautiful, and yet terrifying, sight she sat down next to Harry in the sand and started to help him build things, instead of just running his hands through it.

After about 20 minutes of magically building sand castles, and Harry happily destroying them, their elf, Ditsy, appeared.

"Ditsy is sorry to interrupt Lady Lily and young Master Harry but Mrs Alice Bottoms is in the fireplace."

Lily smiled at the elf, and her continual ability to mispronounce names, and stood, cleaning the sand from Harry and herself with a flick of her wand before helping Harry toddle over to the elf. The boy was just starting to walk but still required a fair bit of help to do so.

"Thank you Ditsy, would you mind putting Harry down for his nap now?" Lily asked.

Ditsy beamed up at her master, "of course! Ditsy is honored to be helping the young Master. Ditsy will make sure he goes straight to sleep."

After handing Harry to the elf Lily quickly rushed through the house to the study, finding Alice's head waiting patiently in her fire-place.

"Sorry to bother you Lily…"

"It's fine Alice, don't worry about it. I always have time for you," Lily said, smiling at her friend.

Alice grimaced, "thanks Lils, but sadly it's not my business that we need to discuss. We've had another incident, I need you down at the Ministry."

Lily swore, "where?"

Alice looked physically pained, "it's not what you think. Look, I-I think it's better I tell you in person. Can you come through to my office?"

Lily nodded and waited until Alice's head disappeared. Calling for Ditsy she quickly instructed the elf to take care of Harry until she returned. Naturally, Ditsy was thrilled.

Quickly Lily threw a small handful of floo powder and stepped through the fire place, ending up in the minister's office.

She was immediately enveloped in a firm hug.

"Alice! Are you okay?" Lily asked, immediately more concerned that she had been five minutes ago. Her friend nodded and pulled back, taking a deep breath before walking over to a crib, hastily set up, in the corner of the room.

"There was an incident in the muggle world. You know we've been monitoring muggle-borns since you gave us that list. Most are taken by their government and we haven't seen them since but this morning, there was an attack that we managed to reach before their government interceded."

Lily sucked in a breath, that was immense. For the last two months since Lily had created the magically updating list on muggle-borns they hadn't been able to reach any of them quickly enough to stop the muggle government from grabbing them. They had no knowledge of where they went or what was done to them but they hadn't been seen by the magical community since. The thing that worried them all the most was the state the houses were left in. Each one showed signs of a forceful removal.

"What happened?" she asked, eyes focusing on the crib.

Alice sighed heavily, "when the aurors arrived the parents were arguing with some sort of officials, they bore the government symbol. They stayed hidden until things escalated. The muggle agents tried to forcibly remove the child from the parent's care. The aurors moved in but before they could apprehend the muggle authorities they-" Alice's voice broke, "the aurors managed to get the child away safely but her parents… Lily, her parents didn't make it."

Tears prickled at Lily's eyes but anger burned in her heart. She kept it suppressed with the beginnings of a plan.

"I'm so sorry Alice," Lily set, portraying nothing of her inner turmoil.

Alice nodded before wiping away a stray tear. "I hate to do this Lily, but you know we are barely functioning as a ministry. We only have two departments for Christ sake! We can't use any proper formalities because there aren't any, Lily this child needs a family. I can't take her, I'm barely surviving with Neville right now…"

Lily suddenly understood, "I'll take her Alice."

A new wave of tears threatened to overwhelm her but the dark-haired woman managed to hold them back.

"Thank you, Lily, I just… I couldn't let her go to some random family, not with the prejudice around muggles becoming so strong… I know she'll be safe, and at the very least well looked after, with you. I just can't help but feel guilty. We never get there in time, we just aren't quick enough."

Lily pulled her friend into another hug before stepping back and looking curiously down at the sleeping child.

"What's her name?" she asked.

"Hermione Granger, though it might be safer for her if you change it. You know, no one has really seen you in the last year or so, it would be so easy to pass her off as your own. Hell, she could even be Harry's twin with that dark head of hair, she would be safer that way."

Lily nodded, she could see the logic in that. There hadn't been a muggle-born registered in the wizarding world for three months now, not since the war ended, and people were very nervous around the mention of muggles, or even muggle-borns, since the bombs had fallen.

"Is there even paper work for something like this anymore?" Lily asked, knowing that the war had screwed up so many different systems in the ministry.

Alice shrugged, "I don't think so, but we will need something if the issue is brought up down the track, I'll contact David, he has muggle family and will be unlikely to protest the idea. He can draw up the contract and I'll act as a witness. No one will dispute that, especially not when you consider the fact that we were recovering from the worst war in wizarding history."

Lily agreed.

"Alright, if that's all Alice I'll take her home with me. I want Ditsy to check her over, house-elf magic is just as good as ours for this sort of thing."

"Go ahead Lily, and again, I can't thank you enough for doing this. It offers me so much peace of mind to know that she will be well looked after."

Lily nodded while reaching down and gently lifting the sleeping child from the crib. The little girl barely stirred in her sleep at the motion. Unfortunately, Lily did have to wake her slightly to place Hermione on her hip. After all, she still needed a hand to use the floo. Lily gasped at the beautiful brown eyes that stared back at her. They were gorgeous but Lily knew she would have to do something about them. No one would believe the child was hers when there was no way a child of hers and James' could have chocolate eyes.

"See you, Alice," Lily said.

"Goodbye, Lily."

Keeping a careful hold on her new daughter Lily stepped in the floo, leaving the ministry behind.