A/N: Written for the Quidditch League fanfiction competition.
Title: Going Deeper
Rating: T
W/C: 3024 according to gdocs.
Captain of Pride of Portree.
Theme: Captain: (Dimension beneath the Earth) Write about a secret world or society that exists and operates beneath the surface of the Earth.
For at least thirty years the world's Governments had known it was coming, but they had never told anyone that they were digging deep into the earth. They never admitted that the tsunamis were caused by the digging; they'd blamed global warming. Until they had to come clean.
There was a televised broadcast saying that an asteroid the size of Texas was set to collide with Earth, so they moved everyone deep under the ground. The people didn't have time to panic, the military and police were in control. Everyone was allowed to take one suitcase of clothing; nothing more. Then people were taken to gathering points and transported to the world they'd created hundreds of miles below.
Lily Malfoy awoke with a start. Her green eyes seeing nothing but the grey metal ceiling above her. It must have been six in the morning; the lights always came back on at six. She turned to see her husband still peacefully sleeping beside her.
"Scor? Scorpius? It's time to wake up!" yawned Lily.
Scorpius peeked a blurry eye at his wife and groaned.
"Five more minutes, Lils?"
Lily smiled. This had become a part of their morning routine. Scorpius would ask for five more minutes, and Lily would tell him no, it was time to get up. Scorpius would then grab his wife and cuddle and kiss her before slipping from the bed to go and get ready to start their day.
Lily's eyes scanned the sterile metal walls and ceiling as she did every day in the hope that maybe today she would wake up and find that this underground community had all been one horrible dream; it wasn't. Sighing, Lily slipped from the bed. She moved to the digitised window and chose a setting. She chose brilliant sunshine; she'd ever seen real sunshine before; her mother had been pregnant when they moved below the Earth's surface.
The asteroid had hit two weeks after the evacuation. Despite how deep they were, the walls had still shuddered on impact–that had been twenty-five years ago.
Lily had been born into this barren world two weeks later. Everywhere one looked you saw miles of dark grey metal, huge ventilation systems, security cameras, and domiciles full of families.
Their particular corner of the world was dedicated to the Weasley family, as there were so many of them.
Lily shuffled to their 'outside area', which was just a huge rectangular room with holographic images of blue skies, trees, grass, flowers, and a soundtrack of a light breeze accompanied by birdsong. Here, as with every morning, noon and night the entire Weasley clan gathered to eat before they left for their various jobs–which included medical, scientific research, teaching, electrical engineering, and maintenance.
Lily was a crèche manager, and her husband a doctor. Lily loved her job, and the little ones loved her. Lily and Scorpius were yet to be blessed with a child, partly because Lily was loath to bring a child into this bleak world, but also because she loved her independence–well, as much of it as they were allowed in this place.
Entertainment was in short supply. A cinema repeated the same old movies, a small bandstand had been put together by older residents who played songs that used to be popular, and the digitised park was only available a few hours each day. But everyone made it work.
The day went on as normal, until Scorpius came home with exciting news. In three weeks he and a few others would accompany the scientists that went to the surface to check the radiation levels–this was all in vain since it was the same news each and every time. Radiation levels were always the same; no oxygen, and nuclear winter was still in full force.
Lily looked at Scorpius worriedly.
"Hey, come on Lils, it's okay. I'll have my radiation suit and helmet. I'm only going 'in case,'" said Scorpius using his fingers in quotation marks.
"I know, I know. It was silly of me to worry," said Lily sarcastically before rolling her eyes. "You're my husband, I'm allowed to worry!"
Scorpius grinned at his wife. God, he loved this little firecracker. Grabbing Lily by the waist he pulled her closer and kissed her.
"Fancy an early night?" asked Scorpius suggestively.
Lily laughed out loud.
It was the day the scientists were heading to the surface. Lily was paced the compound awaiting news of the mission's success, and that Scorpius was safe. She had waited for what felt like forever, and was ready to head to the scientific quarters when an official arrived at the compound with the news that her husband was dead. Apparently a violent storm hit moments after the team broke the surface; the entire team was killed–blown away by the most powerful tornado they'd ever seen. Lily screamed in agony before collapsing.
Hours later, she woke to her mother holding her hand and the steady beep of the heart monitor.
"Did I dream it?" Lily whispered.
Ginny simply shook her head. The monitor went haywire as Lily started to cry again, causing a nurse to come bustling into the room.
"Ah, you're awake," said the nurse. "I'll be right back."
Ginny did her best to comfort her crying daughter. Minutes later the nurse reappeared with Lily's father-in-law in tow. Draco Malfoy was the head of their particular medical section–the man whom Scorpius had worked for.
"Mrs Potter," Draco greeted soberly. "Lily."
"When can I take her home?" Ginny asked immediately.
"We want to observe her overnight, Ginny," said Draco as soon as the nurse had disappeared.
"Why?" Lily asked feebly. "I just want to go home."
"May I talk to you in private, Lily?" asked her father-in-law pointedly.
Taking the hint, Ginny got up. "I'll be right outside if you need me." Ginny snapped the door shut behind her.
Draco sat on the edge of the bed and took Lily's hands in his, something he never did.
"I'm so sorry Lily," said Draco. "I believed he would be safe. Had I known, I'd never have sent him."
"It's not your fault, Father. How were you to know that a storm would hit?" said Lily softly.
Draco eyed his daughter-in-law for a moment, dropping his gaze. She hadn't missed him bite his lip.
"You knew? You knew, but you let him go anyway!" snarled Lily pulling her hand away. "How could you?"
"I honestly didn't think he would get hurt, the meteorologist said it would be a very mild. We were all taken by surprise."
"You killed your only child! You bloody fool!" cried Lily.
"Not my only child," whispered Draco.
"What do you mean?" Lily asked in shock.
"Lily, you're pregnant," smiled Draco.
Suddenly the room started spinning. Pregnant? She was pregnant? The heart monitor went crazy and she blacked out again.
When she woke it was dark, but a hand was still warm in hers. As she stirred she heard her mother-in-law's voice.
"Rest easy child, you gave us quite a scare earlier."
"Mother? Where's my mum?" asked Lily sleepily.
"Your father came to collect her a few hours ago, after she punched your father-in-law in the face," said Astoria in distaste.
"Oh Lord!"
"I'm not saying he didn't deserve it," murmured Astoria.
Lily grinned into the darkness.
Months went by, and Lily grew accustomed to widowhood. The pain in her heart never left her. As Lily grew bigger, the worse her agitation grew. She felt like she was being suffocated, constantly. The cold, metal walls were closing in on her. Despite never seeing the outside, Lily wished she could sit in the open air surrounded by trees and grass, to hear the sounds of nature. To feel the warmth of the sun or a playful breeze on her skin. At seven months, Lily experienced her first panic attack and she was placed in a medical facility. Draco was seriously worried about his daughter-in-law.
"Harry, we need to do something about Lily. She can't go on like this, she's going to end up…" but Harry interrupted.
"I know. I'm thinking about what to do! It hasn't gone unnoticed, she's my daughter, for Christ's sake. She's refusing to leave her quarters, and I don't have the heart to make her. Besides I remember only too well what Ginny was like those last few months."
"Scared, Potter?" grinned Draco.
"You wish!" smirked Harry. "You're her bloody physician, prescribe 'sitting in the entertainment zone'! Failing that, she could go that enormous courtyard of yours for a little while every day. Having the family around her isn't helping. They mean well, but I think it's just too much."
"Good god, Harry, maybe you should become a doctor," Draco scoffed.
Harry just glared.
It was arranged for Lily to spend her afternoons and evenings with her in-laws in order to help her mental state. This arrangement worked, until just before her due date. At thirty-nine weeks, Lily was starting to suffer from migraines–which meant the onset of pre-eclampsia. Of course, when Draco told her this, Lily to started to panic, which in turn put her in labour. Thirty-five hours later Lily delivered a little boy.
After the birth, Lily refused to hold or nurse her son. She still complained that it felt like the walls were closing in on her. Every time Ginny tried to encourage Lily to take her son, Lily said the same thing:
"I don't want the squalling brat! If you want him, you can have him!"
Lily had said that a few times to often, which caused Ginny to smack her own daughter around the face. She was so very angry and upset that her own daughter could be so callous toward her own child, that she just snapped and lashed out. Lily looked at her mother in complete shock. Her hand flew to her cheek and tears made a course down her face.
"You hit me! Get out! Take that with you and go!" said Lily pointing to the baby.
Ginny sighed, and carefully picked up the swaddled infant.
"I don't know who you are anymore, Lils, and I don't like it," said Ginny sadly to her only daughter before turning on her heel and leaving.
Once Lily was certain her mother had gone, she dressed and headed for the surface elevator. She couldn't stand it any longer, she had to escape this hell. Both her mind and body were completely numb, her all consuming thought was to just get out. Once she reached the elevator she looked about to make sure that no one was around to stop her, completely forgetting about the security cameras, an alarm was triggered causing Lily to jump. She quickly scrambled inside the elevator and started pressing buttons, but the elevator completely shut down, all power was cut, and Lily was apprehended.
"Lily, baby, you can't go up there, it's not safe for you or for any of us," said Harry as he cuddled his daughter close. He'd come to collect her from the interrogation centre where she was being held.
"I don't care!" Lily cried into her father's shoulder.
"So it would seem. Talk to me Lils, you're frightening me," Harry pleaded.
But all Lily could do was shake her head.
"Why can't you talk to me about it?" asked Harry softly.
"Because I can't explain it, that's why!" sniffed Lily tearfully. "All I know is that I feel like I'm being suffocated, and that the walls are trying to close in on me all the time."
Harry frowned. There had to be something that could be done to help his daughter to deal with these feelings, he just didn't know what.
Once Lily was released into her father's custody, he took her home to see her mother and brothers. Maybe some family time would help he thought. But Harry was wrong, and it wasn't long before he was collecting her from the interrogation centre yet again. After this incident Lily seemed to quieten down. She sat alone in the room she had once shared with her husband. The smell of Scorpius' cologne still hung in the air, she had swept a crumpled shirt up from the bedroom floor, and buried her face in the soft fabric. Her heart felt like it had just shattered into a million pieces all over again. She fingered a photo of the two of them on their wedding day and smiled wetly. Tears coursed their way down her cheeks as she was hit by a complete sense of calm, the kind of calm that came before a huge storm. Little did anyone know that she was plotting to try again, only this time she wouldn't get caught.
Dressed all in black from head to foot, Lily moved within the shadows. She had managed to get a hold of a device that would cause a minor amount of static to interfere with the security cameras. She had also found her old slingshot and some metal ball bearings just in case. So consumed with the thought of getting to the surface, she didn't care whom she hurt in the process.
She made it to the elevator without incident, and had learnt after a flirtatious chat with a maintenance worker that the elevator would only work at certain times of the day. The power was put back on overnight if for any reason there was a problem with the power grid and maintenance needed to go up a level and fix the problem. It was currently midnight and the power was due to come back on any second. Once Lily was in the shadowy interim that led inside the elevator she pulled out her slingshot and a ball bearing and aimed it at the security camera inside of the lift, she caught it and it spun on its axis so it couldn't capture anything inside of it.
As she stepped inside, the power came back on, and Lily stilled for a moment. Did she really want to do this? If she went above she'd never see her family again, but she couldn't rid herself of this feeling that she was being suffocated. Gritting her teeth she pressed the button that would take her to the top.
The climb seemed interminable. Finally, she reached the top. She braced herself when the doors slid open, expecting to be hit by the toxic air and for her skin to start blistering and burning away, but it never came. She was hit by a warm sweet smelling breeze instead. Lily's eyes flew open, and she was greeted by a dark starry night, the only light coming from the open elevator. Lily gasped in shock. She stepped out of the lift and fell to her knees, her fingers caressed the spiky blades of grass. She took her first real deep breath of air that wasn't sterile and manufactured. Almost immediately she felt at peace, no longer did she feel like she was being suffocated. She got up and ran until her legs could no longer carry her and she collapsed back onto the soft green grass. Moments later, when she opened her eyes again, she found herself surrounded by men with guns.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" asked one of the men briskly.
"I'm Lily Malfoy."
One of the men gasped and removed his hood.
"Lily Luna?" asked Scorpius in shock.
"Scor?" Lily almost screamed. "You're alive! Oh my God, you're alive! I was told you were dead," Lily said in a rush.
"I know, I'm sorry, Lily. My father said it was for the best that I came to the surface and put my medical training to good use. I didn't want to go, but I was overruled, and if I didn't, they were going to throw me in the bin," Scorpius explained quickly.
"The bin?" asked Lily.
"The lift goes up and down in. There's a trap in the middle of the floor, traitors are put through it," Scorpius said quietly.
Lily gasped.
"What are you doing up here, Lils?" asked Scorpius after receiving a nudge.
"I had to escape, I felt like I was suffocating, it got so much worse after the baby was born," said Lily.
This time it was Scorpius' turn to gasp. "You had a baby? With who? Seems you didn't miss me all that much!"
"Screw you, dickhead! That baby is yours! It's been a little over ten months since we last… met," said Lily angrily. "I've missed you every damn day! I've never let any other guy touch me, period! We have a son."
"A son? I have a son?"
"As nice as this little reunion is, we need to bring her in, it's not safe out in the open," said the brisk voiced male.
Scorpius stepped forward and pulled his wife to her feet.
As it turned out, the government had made the people move underground due to the threat of a nuclear war that never came. A war had broken out and now was almost at an end. The government was in negotiations, a truce was expected to be signed any day so the people could return to the surface with the rest of the world.
Once the truce was signed, the people reemerged to a very damaged world. It took many years to rebuild to a suitable condition, but no one complained. Being on the surface was so much better than being below.
Lily, once reunited with Scorpius, was able to start taking better care of herself. After six months of proving that she was getting better, she was allowed by her parents to have her baby back–supervised to start with. Gradually, she was allowed more freedom until she got full custody over her son; Remus Graham. His names had been chosen by both Harry, Ginny, Draco and Astoria. Lily and Scorpius renewed their vows, with their son as a page boy. Lily still had the odd nightmare that she was being buried alive, but as the years passed that settled down to the point were Lily only remembered it as being a bad dream.