Love and Sacrifice
A/N: This fic was considered AU cause the scene her described is not exactly canon (and might even contradict some canon evidences). However, it flashed in front of my eyes like a film when I was listening to Evanescence's "My last breath". I recommend you listen to it too while you read it You'll understand why I felt inspired! This is dedicated to my lovely friend Naty Potter Wood (Luv ya, mates!), who has been my idea of a Lily for a long time and who has encouraged me to show my humble work to the world =]
Lily opened her eyes. She felt very dizzy, her sight was unbalanced, a piercing growing pain in her neck, as if someone had just stabbed the back of her head. She tried to move her legs, but she could hardly straighten her body up. Flashes of light were flying from everywhere to every place in the small living room. Bookshelves were nothing but huge pieces of timber piled up messily on the floor. Torn pages were being thorn to the air. She couldn't recognize her home, her hiding place anymore. The voice that echoed in the room, however, was very familiar to her.
"Leave my family alone, you piece of scum! "
Another flash of light. A wicked laugh.
"Let them go! It's me who you want, Voldemort! It's me you should have! "
"Oh, no, Potter. You're definitely not a tiny bit as bright as they say you are. You're just an arrogant little prick, aren't you? Like all of you. Like all those who bare this dirty blood of yours. Dirtier than any mudblood on Earth. Dirtier than your beloved wife. " - the wicked laughter echoed again. "But no, you're no use to me. I want your little boy... I'll kill him, James Potter. Right after I finish you. I'll torture you and your little son to death. But I shall have you first, for leisure. And who will protect the baby then? "
"LEAVE HARRY OUT OF IT! " James screamed in return. She could feel the ire, the hatred in his tone of voice. She was fighting hard to put herself... her Harry...her little baby... Something struck in her head: standing up was absolutely not important now. She dug inside her robes for something. She grasped her wand.
"Oh, you and your family have bothered me enough, Potter. Avad- "
A ray of light silenced the cold voice for a second. Lily raised her head and hazel surprised eyes met hers.
"Oh Merlin, Lily... " he meant to run to her.
"Keep...fighting...I'm...fine... " she said, dully and with difficulty. James rapidly looked back to the wizard that had just been stunned in front of him, but he was gone. Lily saw as he spun his head from side to side, searching through the room. She had never seen him so bold but frightened before.
"Go to him, Lily. Now. " he whispered, without facing her. "Go to Harry! "
Lily summoned all the strength she had and stood up. The pain in her back was now racing through her spine and reaching her upper leg. She leaned on the wall for support and made her way through the room toward the stairs. Her mind was racing faster than the stinging on her back. They have been betrayed; Peter was the spy after all. Godric's Hollow was no longer safe. Voldemort was fighting hard, eager for blood. And they seemed to be losing the battle. Her husband and son, all that were dear to her, all that mattered in her life, were endangered. And there was nothing she, severely wounded and weak, could do about it.
Suddenly, the pain in her body left her. She wasn't in her cottage anymore, nor was she wearing the torn and bloodstained purple robe. She was standing in front of a lake, her feet splashing softly in the cold water. She stared down at her reflection and saw the 17-year-old Hogwarts student smiling sweetly back at her. Someone caught her hand. She looked at the shadow beside her and saw a 17-year-old boy, in Quidditch uniform, round spectacles, beaming at her.
"You can do it, Lily... Don't be afraid... I love you no matter what... "
In a blink of an eye, she was back at her cottage. Something was soothing inside of her.
"You can kill me, you can destroy my family, but you'll never win, Voldemort! You'll never win! You're nothing but a mad obsessed bloody murderer! "
A scream of pain crossed the room and reached Lily's ears. "No, no... don't make him suffer, please... have mercy... "
"Always so proud of yourself, weren't you, James Potter? Always so self- assured. Certain that the noble blood that runs through your veins would make you invincible. Sure that your lineage and your naive ideas of equity and justice would save you. However, Salazar was never defeated! He passed on this task to me, and tonight I proudly finish his pleasuring work. I proudly vanish from this world the two Heirs of Gryffindor! "
Lily went down a few stairs. She took a glance of her beloved husband, down on his knees, trying hard to catch his breath. His wand was lying inches away from his reach. He raised his chin to the hooded horrid figure in front of him.
"The blood in my veins means nothing to me, Voldemort... the Gryffindor spirit... will live on... and the sense of justice, bravery and peace of mind... that lies inside of us... purebloods, half bloods, muggle-borns... no matter the race or the crest in our robes... that, you cannot vanquish... "
"Beautiful words, Potter. Touching. So sad no one can hear your lovely speech now. Mind you, words are mud next to the powers of my kind. Farewell. " The man pointed his wand at the young man. His face curled up in a smirk. "Avada Kedavra! "
Lily felt her head spin. She held her breath as she saw James soulless body rise inches from the ground and hit it back with a thud on the reddish carpet.
"James! No! "
She ran to him, her heart beating fast, her sight blurred. Her friend, her companion, the love of her life was dead.
"Jamie, my dear, don't leave me... please, don't leave me here... I can't do it without you... I could never..."
Tears rolled down her eyes. He would not come back. Even with all the magic in the world, she could not bring him back. She had failed him.
"No, you haven't failed me, my love. "
She turned her head quickly. The young 21-year-old James Potter was smiling peacefully at him.
"James... you cannot abandon us..."
"Shhhh...", he walked toward her and leaning over, he caressed her face. She felt the cold but sweet touch of his hand. "I haven't abandoned you. I am here. I am waiting for you, Lily. You have to be strong. Do not fear. He'll be fine. He has your undying love, and he'll fulfill his duty. Now all you need is to be brave. I know you can, I've always been so proud of you, my love..."
"I... oh, why?" she sighed deeply. "Why is he not allowed to have us? "
"You know he'll always have us, Lily. He'll understand we'd do anything to make the world a better place for him and for all of our beloved ones. "
"Will you be there with me? Will you help me go through? "
"Always. " he kissed her forehead. Lily closed her eyes and when she opened them again, his spirit had disappeared. His body was still lying in her arms. She acknowledged that Voldemort must still be there, so she rushed upstairs to her baby's bedroom. She found her legs baring a strength she could not guess where it came from. Little Harry and his green eyes stared confused at her.
"Oh, my sweetheart..." she took him in her arms and kissed his forehead and cheeks repeatedly. "I love you so much... always think of me and your father... we have never left you... you may not see us, but we'll always be here... "
Tears still stubbornly running down her face, Lily caught grip of her wand and pointed it at the tiny little boy beaming at her, resting peacefully in her arms. She recognized that smile and that look immediately, for it belonged to the man she knew better than herself. In a shaken tone, she mumbled: "Amoris et Sacrificium. " An icy flash of light sparkled from her wand, and it wrapped around her breast. She felt as if something warm and soothing was filling her body, taking over her soul. The thin silvery light now migrated to the little boy, drawing a heart in his tiny chest, and being consumed by darkness, it disappeared.
She heard floor creeping and footsteps coming toward them, and pressed little Harry closer to her.
"There you are." The cold voice said in a scary, falsely sweet tone. "Give me the boy, mudblood."
"Leave him alone! Spare him! Take me, but spare him!"
"Why would I take you for him?" Voldemort's mortifying, blood red eyes were sparkling. "What use is a filthy little mudblood for me? Give me the heir, now."
Lily felt her mouth dry. She couldn't allow herself to hand him in, she couldn't allow herself to let him murder her son.
"Not Harry, not Harry... please, not Harry..." she heard herself plead. Her voice sounded like a fourteen-year-old girl's squeak.
"Stand aside, you silly girl...stand aside now."
"Please, kill me instead! Do not take Harry... have mercy... please, have mercy..."
"I know about the prophecy, Lily Potter. I will not let your son be my downfall!" his dark, full of anger voice reverberated through the room.
"TAKE ME!" she screamed from the top of her lungs. "I WILL NOT LET YOU MURDER MY SON!"
Voldemort pointed his wand directly at her heart.
"Silly little girl, with your stupid bravery. I'll do it as you wish. Avada..."
Lily never heard the end of those words. She saw herself surrounded by blue misty fog. Her clothes were no longer torn, scratches were not bleeding from her face, her body was no longer in pain. Desperate, looking for an answer, for something familiar, she ran through the fog, barefoot. An image started forming in her head, and now she saw herself in a beautiful place, surrounded by flowers. She saw a lake few meters away from her. She saw someone sitting by it.
"Jamie?" she called.
"You arrived." He turned and gazed lovingly at her. She ran to him and falling to her knees, embraced him with all her might.
"You are here. I knew you would. " she mumbled, kissing his cheek softly. But then, a frightening feeling assaulted her. "What happens now? What about our son?"
"Don't be afraid, Lily. Harry is fine. You saved him. The spell you placed upon him, such an ancient and simple magic, but the most efficient. Voldemort could never understand. He's safe now. And he'll be forever protected. "
Lily took a deep breath, hoping that fate would be kind to Harry. She knew he had a lot to go through now, but as she had promised, they would never leave him. She stroked her hands through James hair, and it grew even untidier. She remembered the old times and laughed peacefully.
"I love you, James Potter." She threw herself in his arms, leaning her head in his chest. She recognized its sense of care and safety. "Forever."
"Forever." He repeated, kissing softly her lips.
My last breath - Evanescence
Hold on to me love
You know I can't stay long
All I wanted to say was I love you and I'm not afraid
Can you hear me, can you feel me in your arms?
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you
Sweet raptured light, it ends here tonight
I'll miss the winter
A world of fragile things
Look for me in the white forest hiding in a hollow tree (come find me)
I know you hear me, I can taste it in your tears
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you
Sweet raptured light, it ends here tonight
Closing your eyes to disappear
You pray your dreams will leave you here
But still you wake and know the truth
No one's there
Say goodnight, don't be afraid
Calling me calling me as you fade to black
Holding my last breath
Safe inside myself
Are all my thoughts of you
Sweet raptured light, it ends here tonight