Blurred Lines
AlwaysPadfoot
Beta: silver-nightstorm
A/N: Welcome new readers and old readers!
Okay so this is the rewrite of the Marauder's and I changed Rose's name to Perry, mainly because Rose seems to be the most common name on the fanfiction website at the moment. The fic now begins in fourth year instead so I can tackle some more serious topics as well. I've changed a few things, bear with me, but I hope that this meets you guys' expectations :)
Please enjoy.
Prologue
Good Blooms from the Bad
September 13th 1959
Kathy sat quietly alongside her husband, Alfie O'Brien, in their Healer's office on the maternity ward of St Mungo's. She knew already that something was wrong because Healer John had gone quiet as he looked at the result of her first scan.
"Well, Kathy, Alfie, congratulations, you're having triplets," he said with a small smile. Alfie's eyes widened in shock as their long-time friend and Healer spoke.
"Triplets, as in three," he stammered.
"Yes, three babies, but as you may be aware triplets can cause certain complications for both mother and her babies."
Kathy knew this, triplets ran in the family. She herself had been a triplet, but both her mother and her sisters had died as her mum gave birth. Kathy always denied the fact that this could happen to her and now this had become real.
"So consequently, for the last ten years we've been using a staggered birth system. This means that two of your babies will be put into a stasis for five months until your first baby is born and then the stasis is then removed and you are left to give birth to your twins five months after your first child is born."
It all seemed so simple; there was no downside to the staggered birthing system, not really. Her babies would be safer, she would be safer and she wouldn't have to look after three new-borns at the same time. It was perfect.
"And it's safe?"
John turned to Kathy a confident smile on his face, "Nothing is completely safe but this is five hundred times safer than the alternative."
And didn't Kathy know it.
February 3rd 1960
"Okay, Mrs O'Brien, are you and Lily ready to go home?"
Kathy cradled her first born in her arms for the third day in a row and smiled wearily down into the huge green eyes of Lily Kathleen O'Brien. It was worth it and it would be worth it again when her two other babies were born. The other two babies inside of her had been taken out of stasis and were growing well without any complications from the birth of Lily. The nurse was holding out her arm for Kathy to use if she needed.
Dorea Potter, Kathy's best friend from Hogwarts was here with her, helping her as much as possible even though only three months previous she'd given birth to a beautiful baby boy, James William Potter. She was stood at the door, a broad grin on her face and Kathy's bag under her arm. Alfie and Charlus, Dorea's husband, were out in the corridor waiting to take them home and it was moments like this that Kathy couldn't wish for better people to be her children's Godparents. She stood up, slightly weak but she help baby Lily close to her chest and the nurse helped her into a cardigan.
"Come on Lily, it's time to go home," Kathy whispered to the sleeping girl.
"Two more to go," Dorea smiled and she laughed slightly albeit quietly. She didn't want Lily to wake. Once they were out in the corridor, Alfie looked straight up from his conversation with Charlus and almost tripped over his own two feet to reach his wife. He was soon smiling down at his daughter, one arm wrapped around his wife's waist and the other on Kathy's hint of a baby bump.
He smiled, "Just five months and there will be five of us."
April 27th 1960 - 10:14am
Kathy and Dorea were in Diagon Alley searching for baby clothes for the twins, who were due in two months, when they started kicking wildly inside of her. Ignoring the mild discomfort, she smiled and caught the attention of her friend.
"Oh Dorea, come and feel this," Kathy smiled, sitting down on a nearby stool and resting a hand on top of her belly. Dorea wasted no time in hurrying over with seven month old James taking a few wobbly steps behind her before resorting to crawling. She put a hand on Kathy's stomach and frowned.
"That's unusual, James never kicked like that and he was quite the kicker."
It was a bit strange, after all Kathy hadn't really experienced the two babies kicking together. All of a sudden one of them kicked too hard and she felt a pain much like a cramp spread across her abdomen. She knew immediately what it was, because she'd felt the same with Lily and she knew that this wasn't right. Kathy stood up abruptly, trickles of fluid running down her legs as her waters broke and in a panic she looked at her horrified best friend.
"It's too early!"
April 27th 1960 - 10:26am
Alfie O'Brien was proud of his three month year old daughter, and it was even better when he could go and show her off at the old Muggle Church he used to go to. The ladies that visited the church daily were already gushing over the bright eyed girl and he was happy to be back in his old home town.
His family, being Pureblood like Kathy's, had a hidden home in a Muggle town not far from the city of Belfast and as a kid he remembered making friends in the neighbourhood and going to church every week except for when he was at Hogwarts. It wasn't that Alfie was religious, but he found sitting there somewhat comforting.
"My dear, what's her name?"
"It's Lily," he smiled, "Lily Kathleen O'Brien."
"What a beautiful name."
He smirked at the group of elderly women cooing over the child in his arms. Alfie was never quite sure what constituted as a good father and he wasn't sure he'd ever really know, but he right now, he must be doing something right.
April 27th 1960 - 11:47am
"Somebody find my husband, for merlin's sake!"
Kathy was practically screaming at every official looking person that she was rushed past as Healers tried to get her to the Maternity Ward to make sure that her babies were okay. Despite the pain ripping through her abdomen currently, she was managing to grip onto a nearby Healer very well. Dorea was on her other side, James held tightly in her arms as she hurried alongside the trolley.
"I've sent him a message he should been on his way as soon as possible," she reassured her panicky friend. Kathy was in awful pain right now and Dorea couldn't bear to watch it. The Healers stopped her from following them into her friend's side room.
"Please Dorea," Kathy called.
"You're going to be fine," Dorea whispered as her friend disappeared from sight.
April 27th 1960 - 12:03pm
Alfie carried Lily through to the cloakroom of the church where he collected his jacket and stepped out into the sheltered porch of the foyer. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew his hand sharply as he felt something hot burn it. Knowing that it was only his message receiver, he quickly pulled it out and read the words carved into the orb.
St Mungo's, now.
Alfie's blood ran cold, he knew immediately Kathy must be having problems with the twins and he cursed silently, knowing he should have renewed his apparition licence yesterday when he'd had the chance. It'd run out a few days ago. He pulled his collar up to protect himself and pulled Lily's blanket up around her and ran out into the rain, clutching Lily to his chest to keep her warm.
Alfie's only thought was getting to the house so he could Floo from there to St Mungo's with Lily. It couldn't get any worse. Panicking he raced through the streets. It was too early for the twins to arrive; they were due early July so what could have gone wrong?
The house was up ahead now, just across the road and without even thinking Alfie stepped off the curb. It was the worst mistake he ever made.
April 28th 1960 - 9:15am
"Thanks for coming in today, Mr and Mrs Evans."
"I just hope you've got some good news for us, Mrs Howarth," William Evans smiled, holding his wife's hand as they sat across from Debbie Howarth who had been handling their case at the adoption agency.
Unfortunately, Elizabeth Evans, due to complications in the birth of her first child, Petunia, could not conceive another child. Consequently, the Evans had been trying to adopt for a year and a half now, but they'd yet to be successful.
"Well I have some news, but it's going to need a lot of thought in not a lot of time," Debbie responded. The couple shared an anxious look as Debbie pulled a folder from her desk drawer and opened it up.
"This case came up yesterday, late afternoon and when I was informed of it my thoughts immediately fell to you," Debbie smiled, "I've got a three month old girl in Belfast who has just lost her only living parent when he was hit by a car yesterday. She's currently in a temporary foster home, but she needs a permanent home and she needs a decision made today."
"Oh my gosh, today?"
Elizabeth turned to her husband who seemed to be frozen in shock at the prospect of gaining another daughter within twenty-four hours.
"You definitely need a decision today," William eventually asked. Debbie nodded and Elizabeth looked to her husband, who turned to her his hands holding hers.
"Are we ready?"
"It's very short notice, but William, what if we don't get another chance? What if we have to wait another year or even three or four?" Elizabeth said, "I know we can give that baby girl a wonderful home and a comfortable lifestyle."
William rubbed the back of his neck in thought. They had been waiting an awful long time now and the smile that lit up his wife's face made him happier than anything else. There was a part of him that had wanted a son before Petunia was born but he already had one beautiful daughter and he would be honoured to have a second.
"We'd love to give her a home," he eventually said to Debbie. She smiled and turned the file to the new parents. Elizabeth was getting somewhat teary, but that didn't matter because finally after a year of waiting they had another child. William looked down at the photo of the tiny baby showing a three month old girl with tuffs of ginger hair and huge emerald-green eyes and he smiled widely.
Debbie gestured to the photo, "This is Lily Kathleen O'Brien."
April 27th 1960 - 11:37pm
Dorea Potter cradled a sleeping new-born in her arms, tears running down her face as she was delivered the news that her long-time friend, Kathy and the other one of her new-born twins had died. Due to major complications and stress during death, Kathy had died as she gave birth to her final child, followed soon after by the death of her one and only son.
Alfie, Kathy's husband had never turned up to St Mungo's and Dorea was sure that something awful had happened to him. She'd sent Charlus to find out what exactly had happened, but right now she was clinging almost to what should have officially been her Goddaughter.
How could such awful things happen to such good people?
April 28th 1960 - 14:51pm
Dorea stayed in the hospital overnight. St Mungo's provided her with a bed for herself and James whilst Charlus discovered what had happened to Alfie and Lily O'Brien. She remained close to the new-born girl as Healers watched over her and kept her alive. After all any premature baby was susceptible to a weakened immune system. As she sat watching, there was a soft knock on the door and Charlus appeared. His face was pale and solemn and Dorea wasn't quite sure how much more she could take.
He sat down next to her, pulling James onto his lap with one arm and wrapping his spare arm around his wife, holding her close.
"Alfie was hit by a Muggle vehicle yesterday," Charlus explained, "He died at the scene outside their house."
Dorea let out a shaky sob, turning her face to her husband's chest, "Oh god. What about Lily? Please tell me she's okay."
"Completely uninjured. However, she was immediately put up for Muggle adoption and I don't know where she is," he replied.
"Can't we ask the Healers?"
"I've spoken to them and they say they can't help in this case," Charlus responded, "But they wanted to know whether they should call Care Services for Perry."
"No," Dorea interrupted, "No, we can't let her go somewhere else."
"I thought you'd say that."
August 7th 1964 - 17:43pm
"Found her, I've found Lily."
Dorea looked up in shock from the kitchen table where James, Perry and her were decorating cakes and stared at her husband, "What?"
Perry frowned, crinkling her nose, which was covered in icing sugar, before asking, "What's Lily?"
"Lily's are flowers, Perry," Dorea responded as Charlus approached the table. James, who had been licking the buttercream from his fingers, looked up at his Daddy who was carrying a lot of paper.
"Can I have some of your paper?"
"Sure you can kiddo," Charlus answered finding some blank pieces of paper and handing them to his two children, "Why don't you and Perry go and do some colouring in the other room?"
As soon of the two kids were gone, Charlus dropped a file on the table and opened it to the first page.
"She's now Lily Kathleen Evans, adoptive child of Elizabeth and William Evans and they live in Surrey with their other daughter Petunia," he explained, "However this also speculates that Lily is, with a 89% certainty a squib, because of the magic used to save her live."
"Gosh," Dorea said, holding her hand up to her head, "That's a lot of information to take in, what do we do?"
Charlus sighed, "The way I see it we have three options, the latter of which I believe is the best solution. First option, we take Lily away from her adoptive parents; second option, we go in and explain to the Evans about everything."
"And the last one?"
"We don't do anything," he answered, "I took the liberty of checking the Evans out, Lily is in a very loving family and it's highly unlikely she's magical so she'll never go to Hogwarts and she'll never meet Perry. We shouldn't get involved because it'll just make everything much more complicated, not only for the Evans' but for us too, Dorea."
Dorea sighed, shaking her head, "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"