AN:
Hey Everyone!
I just wanted to say hello and welcome to this, my first fan fiction. I am not a big fan of long author's notes so I will make this as brief as possible:
This story will mainly be slash
This story will contain swearing
Lily Potter clutched the steering wheel of her small blue station wagon. Her hands shook as she maneuvered the car in front of a small cottage and parked. Laying her forehead flat on the cold steering wheel, she took long slow breaths. Lily's bright green eyes burned with tear, and before long her body was racked by sobs.
Sitting up, Lily brushed her long red hair out of her face and, looking in the rear view mirror of her car, dried her tears and pinched her cheeks. The windows of her car were fogged. Slipping her wand out of her slip she mutter under her breath while making slow figure eights with her wand. Three minutes later, she slipped her wand back in her sleeve and climbed out of her car, not bothering to lock it. After glancing down the country road she walked cautiously toward the cottage, pausing to take in her surroundings as she went.
Lily glanced at her watch as she walked up the cottages front door. After knocking twice, Lily stepped back. A few seconds later, after hearing some rushed movement on the other side of the door, it opened to show a bright-eyed woman.
"Colette?" the woman asked politely.
"Yes, nice to meet you," Lily replied, offering her hand and a soft smile.
"It's good to finally meet you in person." Lily could tell by the sad smile the woman offered her that she had failed miserably at looking like an eager young muggle woman. She just didn't have the energy.
"Yes, I am excited to take a look around the property," Lily tried smiling again as she walked into the cottage behind Emilie.
"Well shall we get right to it? Hm? This is the living room." Lily followed the dark-haired real estate agent walked her through the small cottage. Lily had trouble understanding her heavily accented English, but she was content with what she saw. Three bedrooms, one bathroom. It would be a decent size for herself and her unborn child.
"Well, Ms. Blanchard, would you like to see the garden?" Emilie's question broke Lily's silent contemplation.
"Oh yes, I would love to." Lilt smiled again. It was getting easier.
A tear fell from Lily's eye as she gazed out over the gardens. A wide grassy field littered with wildflowers and a small wood about a kilometer away. James would have loved it, he would have adored it. Another tear fell from her eye.
"I'll take it" Lily said, her face straining to keep a smile plastered on her face.
Sitting back onto her new, second-hand, chesterfield, Lily rubbed her belly. She sighed contently before lying down on her side and stretching out over the fabric couch. Her bright blue eyes drifted lazily around the living room, the wide widow that over looked the front garden and drive way, the elegant standing mirror that separated the front door from the living room, the old creaky wood floors that she had salvage from under disgusting carpet with some skillful spell work. Lily took a deep breath as she eyed the muggle pictures she had hung on the walls, pictures she had taken with complete strangers.
On one of her few trips into the small town south of her home, Lily had confounded a small family into believing that she was their long lost niece from Belgium. They thought she had moved to France to reconnect with her French roots and had been living in her cottage for 2 months. Having placed fake memories of her and their familial history in their minds, she made sure they told plenty of neighbors and friends about her. She was now Colette, Collette Blanchard.
Lily slowly sat up and slipped her wand out of her sleeve. She had been casting all morning, placing wards and charms over her new property. Now that she had given the magic time to settle for a few hours, it was time to continue. Standing in front of her living room window, Lily raised her wand. The charms she placed on her house had to be discreet and yet concrete; she did not want any wizards or witches noticing that there were powerful wards on the cottage. Lily Potter needed to stay dead.
Three hours later Colette Blanchard's wand arm finally came to rest by her side. A thin sheen of sweat covered her pale forehead and dampened her hair. Resting her free hand on her rounding belly, Colette went to her bathroom and turned on the bath. After filling the tub, Colette entered the scathing water with no heed for the hot temperatures. Feeling content with her charms work, Lily relaxed in the water. She had not relaxed since she had heard the prophecy from Severus and Dumbledore. The prophecy condemning her unborn child to a life of misery.
Severus had approached her, asking her to join him and Dumbledore for tea. She hadn't known how to react, Severus – a known Death Eater – inviting her to tea with Dumbledore. Nonetheless, she had been intrigued enough to accompany him from the Flourish and Blotts to Hogwarts. Once she heard the prophecy she immediately understood why Snape had left Voldemort and joined Dumbledore and his Order. She also understood what exactly she had to do. Lily Potter had left Hogwarts and immediately went to her parents. She asked them for a large loan of money before obliviating them and her sister so that they would not remember her visit. After opening a new bank account and transferring her parents' money to those accounts, she faked her own death.
She stole a corpse from a muggle morgue, a woman about her size with red hair and pale skin who had never been identified. It had taken some dark magic, very dark magic, but she had managed to transfigure the woman into herself. She knew James could have done much better, but she also knew Voldemort and his followers had not seen her closely enough to tell the difference. She only prayed that if James could ever bare to look at her body that he would not be able to notice the subtle difference in the length of her fingers or the thinness of her lips. She hoped that if he did, he would go to Dumbledore before he said anything. She placed Lily Potter in the driver's set of her old car and animated the corpse to drive the car into the middle of the intersection of a muggle street. After Colette checked to make sure Lily "died" from the injuries, alerted Dumbledore, and disapparated – never to be seen again. Dumbledore and Severus were the only two who knew that she was alive and that she had fled to France.
Colette could not help the smile that spread across her face as she waddled up to her front door, a bag of groceries in her hand. She entered her small home and bustled into the kitchen, closing the door with a kick of her heel, eager to put away her groceries. After hastily organizing her kitchen Colette practically skipped into the third bedroom of her cottage.
Rummaging through a cupboard of potions, she withdrew a dark green salve. Opening the jar, she dipped her index and middle finger into the jar. Rolling up her shirt over her belly, she rubbed the green mixture on her skin, inhaling sharply as she felt the salve prickle her skin warmly. It was uncommon for women in the wizarding world to handle a pregnancy alone, without house elves or midwives, but it was not impossible. Colette had begun preparing at the beginning of the month, potions, rituals of preparation, and additional wards were needed to ensure both her and her child's health and safety. It was the last weekend July and Colette knew that, with her luck, her baby would be born right on the 31st, but she could still not contain her excitement and joy.
Rolling down her shirt, Colette grabbed a bottle containing a dark red potion out of the cupboard and downed it as she reentered her living room. Slipping her wand out of her sleeve, Lily levitated the coffee table in the middle of the room into the dining area, and then shrunk the coach and placed in onto the coffee table. After banishing her empty potion container to the kitchen, Colette began.
Murmuring under her breath, Colette's wand flashed in a complicated series of dances. The air in her home hummed with life as she poured more and more magic into the air. Sighing with content, Colette placed her ward arm down. The new wards she had read about last week were complete As far as she was concerned, her baby could come any time it pleased – the only way Voldemort could find them was if Colette herself walked him up to the gates. Perhaps though, it would do to warn Dumbledore that she thought her child would be born soon.
Colette often thought about what was going on in Britain. France was very involved with the war against Voldemort, but where she was, Colette was unable to obtain any information on the Dark Lords crimes. Voldemort knew the prophecy, and he certainly knew of her and the Longbottoms…but did he believe her dead? Would he take wide spread action against unborn children or was he just targeting the Longbottoms? Colette had searched in all her tomes and her oldest books for anything that might protect her from unknown dark magic and she had done her best, but as brilliant as she was, she was one witch against an immortal sadistic bastard.
Papa Richard Smittling,
I have been busy all summer drinking lemonade – as it is refreshing in this summer heat. Still, I wonder what the weather forecast will be for the end of July? I am quite confident it will rain, and I hope it does - I am getting tired of lemonade. Do you have any suggestions for other refreshing drinks I might try?
Love,
Emily Bonaparte Twain
Dear Ms. Emily Twain,
It is truly good to hear from you. I hope you have had a fine time drinking lemonade. I myself find lemons to be quite satisfying, but I do understand your need for another drink to satisfy your palate. I am also partial to milkshakes, a quite interesting muggle invention.
Wishing you the best from way up high,
Papa Richard Smyth
Curling her fingers around her plastic lemonade glass, Colette scanned the crowd of people enamored by the view from atop the Eiffel Tower. She had apparated to a small Parisian alley early in the morning and made her way painstakingly to the famous French landmark. She needed to find Dumbledore quickly, the baby was coming today and Colette didn't have the patience to sit still and wait for her former headmaster to find her himself.
Colette eyed a man at the corner of the platform in a tweed suit. Approaching him, Colette saw the milkshake in his hand and the long white beard.
"Papa? Papa Richie?" Colette tried to mask the relief she felt with surprise in her voice.
"Oh! Why Emily. So good to see you!" Dumbledore greeted, his blue eyes twinkling.
Colette embraced Dumbledore's cold, thin body.
"Listen we haven't got much time, it's coming today. What do you know of Voldemort's plans?" whispered Colette in Dumbledore's ear.
"Why don't we take a walk around the tower and catch up my dear? It's been too long" Dumbledore smiled as he withdrew from the embrace. Lily followed behind him, holding his arm as he led her to an unoccupied area. A notice-me-not and disillusionment charm later and the pair apparated to an area underneath the tower.
"He has been lying low lately," Dumbledore said, his tone more serious as he unwound the charms that concealed Colette and him. "The ministry and the Order have not heard much of him. He has pursued the Longbottoms, as we expected, and he apparently believes Lily Potter to be dead and that threat eliminated."
"Good, good," Lily muttered before looking at Dumbledore in the eyes "And the wards you mentioned?"
"For those, I am afraid, we must return to your property. I must lay them myself."
Colette hesitated for a moment, looking into Dumbledore's cold shining eyes before offering the elderly man her left arm and drawing her wand from her sleeve. Flicking her wand up to place a concealment charm on herself and Dumbledore, she apparated them away.
"Ah, France. Such a unique, special place." Dumbledore smiled, breathing in the fresh country air.
"Yes, I always enjoyed the culture."
"The muggles have done some extraordinary things. They often surprise me."
Colette led Dumbledore down the drive way towards her heavily warded cottage. She stopped just before the walkway that led from the gravel driveway to her door. Letting go of her former headmasters arms, she crosses the premises.
"I always said you were the brightest muggle of your year," Dumbledore offered her a sweet smile.
Colette's eye's widened before narrowing at the old man. She drew her wand. Before the imposter realized what he had let slip, Colette was muttering a string of charms.
"AGH!" Colette screamed, confusion warping her features. She had not been hit with a spell. "No!" She cried softly. A grunt escaped her lips as she banished "Dumbledore" from the estate, his body being sent to the limits of her property as a cloud of dust.
Bright red fire leaped from Colette's wand and into the sky. Slowly the fire took the form of a flying bird before disappearing in wisps of smoke.
"AUGH" Colette gasped, another contraction ripping through her body.
Stumbling into her house, Colette levitated the mirror in her living room in front of her door before locking her house and sealing all the wards on the cottage. Shaking, she went to her room and grabbed three potions from her bedside table. Wearily, she changed into a thin birthing gown before taking the potions to the living room and collapsed on the coach. Grabbing a purple lotion, Colette rubbed it on her back, her hand running up and down underneath her shirt. A dark blue salve Colette spread across her legs, making small spirals that moved up towards her hips. The last potion, a watery gold mixture, she poured on her bloated belly.
"Mugh" Colette's lips tightened as she experienced another contraction. "Ah," She gasped, as her water broke, spilling out over the couch and floor. Colette waved her wand, vanishing the mess and empty potions containers. Colette's eye's glanced at her door. She could feel someone coming closer, coming towards the wards. "Voldemort," She spat under her breath. She raised her wand, drawing curtains over the living room window.
Sweat drenched Colette's hair and gown as she screwed her face up in pain. She gripped her hand in her right hand. Colette laid her head against the back of the couch. Her teeth ground against each other and her feet pushed into the floor.
"You want out now don't you? I thought you would, your going to be as much of a pain as your father," Colette groaned, clenching her jaw
Colette's eyes snapped open. She had felt the Dark Lord clawing at the wards for at least and hour and he was making progress. His presence struck fear in her heart. Already exhausted, she had tried her best to reinforce the wards while giving birth but it made no difference to the Dark Lord. Colette hoped beyond measure that her last defense would serve to deter the Dark Lord long enough for her to save herself and her child.
Colette held her new baby boy in her arms. She could not help the smile that spread across her lips at the sight of her child. Wishing she had enough time to truly enjoy having finished the birthing process, Colette brought her baby closer to her chest as she returned her attention to the door. In the last fifteen minutes, the Dark Lord had reached the mirror. He was still standing in front of it, furious. He had tried more dark curses on it than Colette had ever seen before, and with each spell, the mirror grew weaker. It was only a matter of time before he broke through. Her wand in one hand, and Aurelius in the other, Colette Blanchard pointed her wand at the door.
"You vile monster. I will die before I let you kill my son" Colette screamed as she felt the mirror and the magic it housed crack and shatter. The door imploded, breaking in two as it impacted Colette's spelled shield.
"You filthy mudblood, you dare to defy me?" the Dark Lord hissed. Colette could not see his face or hands beneath his black smoke. Only his wand was visible, pointing at Colette with vicious intent. "No one has stalled me so long mudblood. For testing my patience I will kill you slowly."
"I will never join you. I will never let you kill my son."
Dark, malevolent green bolt of light sped towards Colette before colliding with a warm, gold bolt of light.
Colette woke to brilliant bright blue eyes.
"My baby. Where is he?" She screamed, jumping off her living room floor and away from Albus Dumbledore. "In seventh year, you told me that as head girl it was my responsibility to what?"
"To look after the head boy, of course!" Dumbledore smiled, not at all phased by his former student's reaction. Colette could tell that he was straining to keep the twinkle in his eyes. "Your child is fine, Poppy is checking him."
"And, and the Dark Lord?" Colette shivered. Dumbledore put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"You are safe for now, it seems. But explanations must wait."
"Was the prophecy fulfilled?"
"That is, I'm afraid, a question I have no answer for. But here, there are decisions to be made and they must be made promptly," Dumbledore offered Colette a hand and led her to her living room couch. Colette noted the singed fabric.
AN:
So this chapter was just over 3000 words. I hope to make most of my chapters about 5000 words but this is more of a prologue. Also, please forgive the numerous grammar and spelling errors, I am quite blind when it comes to those "trivial" things. KTHNXBYE.