A/N: this is going to be a Dramione fic. I promise, but the first chapter needed a Jily interaction and, well, I couldn't help myself.

Enjoy and don't forget to leave a review!

This was beated by Lna Anwar. (Love ya, sis. This chapter is for you :*)

Chapter 1:

This was not happening.

Lucius crossed the dark hallways of the palace still not believing he's just stepped out of that room alive.

"It will happen tonight." The sear's spoken, "the one whom the dark lord have dreaded for too long will have his companion tonight." Her throaty voice added as Voldemort's eyes fixated on hers. "A witch will be born tonight to those of the mud. She shall have the power from within. The Dark Lord will mark her as the brightest and she shall be the Dark Lord's demise."

The sear has spoken those words a few hours ago and the palace has not been busier. Only Lucius has been there to hear the prophecy and see the Dark Lord's utter horror at the woman who started coughing and holding her throat in her hands once she was finished. She seemed completely unaware of what she's just said and certainly not aware of The Dark Lord's own pale face—which got paler upon her words if that was even possible, as he spoke the words that ended the woman's life.

Lucius prepared himself to hear the same words spoken in his direction, but they never came. What he heard was only order The a Dark Lord has spoken to him: "go to the house of every muggle in the city and kill any female child born tonight."

Lucius hadn't mad much sense of the order then, all what he felt was deep relief that once again he was out of the Dark Lord's wrath. He only made sense of what he had to do once he was walking away from the room the dark lord stood in with the body of the best sear in the wizarding world.

...

Lily Evans crossed the room again and again, she popped her nickels one last time before realizing she's just did that. She referred to biting her nails instead.

"At this rate by the end of the night, you won't have anything to bite." The voice came from behind her and she turned even though she knew who it was.

James Potter stood tall at the doorstep, his messy black hair seeming messier than usual. Did he just step off his broom?

"Did you bring him?" She asked dismissing his comment without a snarky reply of hers. James supposed she must've been really worried which felt weird to say the least, to see such feeling on her. He nodded and signed for her to follow.

She looked at him, questioning, but he only walked out knowing she'd follow.

"Did something happen?" She whispered urgently when they were out. The cold air greeted them and Lily only then realized it was already past midnight. She hugged herself with her arms and looked at Potter slightly in front of her, waiting for his reply. She could see him well in the moonlight despite the dark garden.

Potter didn't look at her at first, then seemed to decide something "Lily," he said suddenly and she found herself slightly surprised of the way her first name rolled down from his lips. When did they begin talking to each other on first names bases?

Potter turned and looked at her, he must've seen something in her eyes because he came closer and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Don't worry. The healer is with her, Kate is going to be alright."

She had told herself that sentence over and over again on the span of past few hours, even since Kate started to have her first contractions of labor, but the way he said it. It somehow made her believe it. She was scared. She would never admit it to him, but she was. Somehow, losing so much in the past made her weak to things she's never thought she'd ever be weak to. Losing Kate felt like it was going to be the last blow and she knew she wouldn't be able to take it. And now, Jame's words were comforting her. She didn't know if she liked it or it was the relief of having someone to rely on. Godric, did she just associate the word rely with James Potter of all people?

Lily shock her head to clear it, realizing she's been staring at him all along. Potter smiled and somehow it wasn't like the teasing one he's always worn around her.

"Thank you," she found herself whisper. "Not just for the healer, but for everything else. You didn't have to take us in, you didn't—"

"Lily," there it was again, the feeling that hearing her given name from his lips caused her. It silenced her and she looked at him. "You don't have to thank me for anything. Haven't you realized yet that there's nothing I wouldn't do for you?"

Lily couldn't look at him any longer and she looked down to his chest. She realized they were too close that she could just place her head on his chest without much effort. She looked away from him, ignoring her thoughts.

Has she gone mad? This was James Potter that she was considering—James Potter who had teased her mercilessly for the past seven years at school. James Potter who's bullied her best friend for as long as she's known him (well, her ex best friend, but still). But he was also James Potter who's taken her and her pregnant friend in when they didn't have to. It was true that Dumbledore has asked him to, but he still didn't have to, he could've just refused. She's never really thought how much he was endangering himself by having a muggle-born and a pregnant muggle in his house in one of the most famous pureblood neighborhoods in the city. One of which being of the most wanted muggle-borns. He didn't have to do any of that and yet he still did.

He hid her and disguised Kate as a servant after they had nowhere to go. Lily has strongly disagreed with Dumbledore on that plan, hiding them in the enemy's den. Potter was pureblood, he was a spy but he was relatively safe, but he insisted and she couldn't leave Kate. So she agreed to move to his house temporarily. Kate was officially being there as a servant though. That was all what Muggles were now in the city, servants to the Purebloods and Muggle-borns even lower, for they were seen as Muggles who stole magic from rightful wizards and so were even beneath Muggles.. In that moment, vulnerable to the pain of losing everything she held dear, she realized how foolish they were..

"No, James." She found herself mirroring his use of her given name, she found it weird to say his first name without the usual added Potter syllable. She liked it. "You didn't have to do any of that. It was too dangerous—foolish even, to take us in. You're too valuable to the Order to endanger yourself to help us. We could've managed and yet you risked everything to hide us. To get a healer to Kate. You— why are you laughing?"

James stopped his chuckles when he realized she's cut her rant, "nothing," he shook his head and his smile was back, "I just realized only Lily Evans would thank me while also calling me a fool."

Lily felt her cheeks flame and was glad they were out in the darkness so he wouldn't see her well. She found herself chuckling along as well, her tension turning into fits of laughter that she tried to silence even though there was a silencing charm cast on the house and the garden.

"I shouldn't have," she added a second later, traces of her laugh on the corner of her mouth. "I'm sorry,"

A weird look passed through James's eyes and, if Lily wasn't looking hard enough, she knew she would've missed it and then his mischievous look she knew too well was back. "Well, you also called me valuable." He added and turned back to the house, not giving her the chance to even think of a reply.

...

"Oh, Kate. She's beautiful." Lily said holding the infant girl in her arms and stroked her cheek as she slept.

Kate looked at Lily as she held her daughter with heavy eyes, yet she wasn't tired. In fact, she didn't think she had ever felt better in months. Probably since her husband's death. She accepted the child from her best friend's arms.

She was beautiful. Even with eyes closed, Kate could still see traces of her husband's features in her. She looked every inch like her father. Kate also wished she would inherit his black smooth hair instead of her wild brown curls.

"What are going to name her?" Lily asked a moment later.

"Hermione." Kate said the name her husband has whispered to her a night long ago before she's lost him.

"Hermione." Lily said the name, testing its syllables in her mouth.. It was foreign to her, she's never heard it before, but it had a nice ring to it. "That's going to be one hard name to pronounce." She chuckled.

Kate didn't waver her eyes from the sleeping infant in her arms, "In Greek mythology, Hermione was the daughter of King Menelaus of Sparta and Helen of Troy."

Lily was about to say it was a nice idea when she heard it; a voice from outside that startled her. It was clearly close to the room they were in and before she knew it terror has paralyzed her.

"Lord Potter," Lord Malfoy's voice was saying in greetings. His voice was stiff. Lily blocked the images of the last time she's heard that voice. The last time she's seen her parents before a killing curse came to both of their chests said by that very same voice.

Lily imagined James welcoming smile, trying to hide his horror of their plan being discovered. Her mind was already forming of ways to hide Kate and Hermione before she realized she was supposed to be the one trying to hide. James had already made it clear that one of the muggle house maids was pregnant and was about to give birth. They've came up with that plan when they knew Kate might need a healer and it would be suspicious to bring a one to the house where everyone knew James lived alone after his parents' death.

Kate didn't say anything but Lily still signaled to her to stay silent. She didn't dare use magic right away. Palace guards always held magic detecting instruments with them when they went to suspected houses to arrest someone. She didn't have a reason to think they did this time, but she wasn't taking risks.

She tried to listen harder. There were at least four guards out from the sound of it. She looked around even though she knew each window and door in that house by heart now, preparing for a situation like this. Damn, why did she agree with James on using that room for Kate to stay in? There were no exit except a small window that opened into the river that the house was built beside. She looked desperately at the small window that didn't fit anything bigger than a small box.

She looked back towards the door when she heard James's voice loud and clear, "Lord Malfoy, you don't expect me to know everything about my muggle servants." James said the word the way she's always heard it being spoken by deatheaters, filled with superiority and disgust. It was bizarre heard from him.

There was more talk she couldn't hear, then steps followed. Steps coming closer to the door.

Her hand flew to her wand. She was good, but even she couldn't take four wizards and Lord Malfoy on her own. She was going to lose this, but she wasn't going to go down without a fight. She just wished James wouldn't be foolish to try and help her.

Lily closed her eyes momentarily deciding to wait till they were in the room first to attack. She'd stupefy at least two of them and hope the surprise element would be on her side and that the chaos that would result would be enough for her to run. They wouldn't try to kill her, she was wanted alive.

She'd be damned if they caught her alive.

She was good in defense than direct offense. She ignored the nudge of pain in her chest when James's hopeful look from when she's called him with his given name in the garden minutes earlier flashed before her eyes... hopeful for things that would never be..

"Officers, as you see." James's voice came loudly. His voice was relaxed, nonchalant, but Lily knew better. "The hour is late, can't you come back later to check on some Muggle maid who's just gave birth later?"

The steps stopped upon a quiet word that Lily didn't make but knew was Lord Malfoy's. Then Lily caught it.

A Muggle maid who's just gave birth?

Lord Malfoy wasn't here for her. For whatever reason, they were here for Kate and Hermione.

...

"Lord Potter, I assure you these were the orders of Dark Lord and not mine." Lucius repeated one last time. He was in no mood to chitchat with Lord Potter. He had never liked the young playboy in the first place but considering he's just finished killing the tenth Muggle newborn in the city, he was in no mood for anything.

James made a gesture and nodded. His easy expression changing upon hearing the Dark Lord's name slipping into the conversation. Lucius would be lying if he said that that wasn't the effect he wanted. Nothing shuts people up like mentioning the name of their new ruler, these days.

"Of course," James said. "The Dark Lord's orders should always be executed the moment they're spoken."

"Very well then, where do your servants sleep?" Lucius wasn't asking, he was ordering.

"Can you give me a second to go to the servants' quarters and see where that Muggle is? I won't be long." James answers and was already walking towards the stairs that lead to the basement where servants slept. But Lucius was quick.

"The soldiers will check for themselves." Lucius said the words with finality that even Potter wasn't able to argue. He just stood aside as soldiers started going through every room in the house.

...

James looked at the soldiers as they made their way to the last room in the floor. The one beside his own. The one Lily and Kate were in. He had chosen it so that he'd be close to them if something happened at night and they needed him. Lily had insisted she'd stay in the same room with Kate from the first minute they stepped into the house and so James had arranged it as such.

He held his breath and prayed Lily has understood what he was trying to convey through his words.

"Soldiers, you're not actually going to search my own private rooms?" James tried to put as much pride in his voice as he could; he tried to make it sound like an offence rather than a question. He knew that it wasn't going to stop Lord Malfoy from searching the room, but buying any time at all for Lily to hide Kate and her child felt more valuable than anything.

Lord Malfoy has looked at him and James returned the look with one he knew the Pureblood Lord would understand, or James hoped he would. He next second that James spent waiting for Malfoy's reaction felt like hours.

"It's alright," he waved the soldiers. "Lord Potter and I are going into his rooms ourselves." Malfoy's words came at last and James almost sighed in relief. Lily, please hurry.

…

Lily sat back in the chair and looked at her reflection one last time as she tried to buff her hair with her hand. She glanced at Kate standing beside her, making sure she was alright for the last time. Kate tried to smile but failed and she only succeeded in projecting to Lily that she was fine. Lily could easily see that she wasn't, but she was fighting hard to hide it. She needed to, both their lives counted on it.

Lily tried to grin to her reflection as wide as she could. She applied the red lipstick (which she just transfigured one of the boxes that were on the table to) to her lips and prayed their plan would succeed.

...

James opened the room door realizing that his hand was slightly shaking and he hoped not visibly. It was a fraction of a second later that he was frozen wasn't for Lily running to his arms and hugging him. It took him a second as to hug her back, it was weird, to say the least, to have Lily Evans in his arms. It was all he wanted for years and considering he was so close to losing her, he almost lost himself in the moment.

"Ahem," a voice came from behind him and Lily quickly let go and ran to pick up a robe that was laid on the bed casually, but not before letting both men fully notice the nightgown she was wearing. James took a quick glance about the room; he couldn't decide what made him more impressed, Lily's abilities at transfiguring every inch of the room so quickly or how good of an actress she was at masking the utter terror she must've been feeling. When she finally wore her robe and looked at the two men leaving it slightly open, he almost believed her, but he realized what she was doing, Malfoy wasn't looking at her anymore, probably fearing James's reaction.

"James, do we have guests?" Lily's voice was so different that James had to look at her to realize she was even talking. She was sitting on the bed and only then he noticed Kate standing beside her in the shadows. If he wasn't looking he wouldn't have realized she was even there.

Before James could answer, Malfoy's voice cam; "no, forgive us, my lady." Malfoy apologized still averting his look, and then James realized he was looking about the room instead of the woman he was speaking to. After all, it was a small infant he was looking for, not a redhead woman in a nightgown.

…

"They're gone," James breathed as he went back to the room. Lily was back to her normal clothes and half the room things were back to their original form. She looked at James, nodded once then at Kate who was setting on the bed and her head to the wall, she seemed silently crying. James's heart jumped and his head jumped to the worst conclusion possible.

"Lily, where's the baby?" He asked the unspoken question that caused Kate's sobs to get louder. She covered her eyes with her hand, trying to calm herself.

"Lily..."

"I threw her in the river."

A/N: Please don't forget to leave a review and tell me what you think! Next chapter depends on your opinion ;)