A Promise With Dumbledore
Lily drawed her coat tight around her shoulders as she dawdled through Hogsmeade. It was odd to walk through the Hogsmeade snow and not be a student, running back and forth with friends between the shops. And it was even odder to be without the company of James. However, this was something she felt she had to do without her husband. Lily passed a group of students, two boys and a girl, and it hopelessly reminded her of herself, James and Sirius, as they once had been as students of Hogwarts. The taste of snow and Honeydukes candy floated around the vicinity and Lily was amazed that she could still hear the sound of her own boots crunching in the snow over the giggles and yells of the students. Getting into the castle wasn't much of a hassle; at least she hadn't met Filch. Professor McGonagall was striding down the hallway towards her, her eyebrows furrowed, unaware of Lily's presence.
"Hello, Professor." Lily smiled, startling McGonagall into looking up.
"Miss Evans! Why- what ever are you doing here?" Lily chuckled.
"Professor, I'm no longer Miss Evans," She corrected lightly. "You may remember my husband, James Potter?" Professor McGonagall blinked, seemingly at a loss for words. "Unexpected, I know... Is Professor Dumbledore in?"
"Why... yes, he's in his office." Lily nodded in thanks, said her farewells, and carried on. "Mrs Potter?" Lily turned, a butterfly squirming in her stomach. Something about the title 'Mrs Potter' made her feel rather special.
"Yes, Professor?" Professor McGonagall smiled gently.
"I think you'll find that Professor Dumbledore rather enjoys Butterbeer at the moment." Lily grinned.
"Thanks, Professor." And she hurried up to the floor in which Dumbledore's office resided. She stood in front of the stone gargoyles and said 'Butterbeer' before watching the gargoyles spring apart, the stone wall slide apart, and the spiral staircase appear before her. A moment later and she was knocking on the door with the brass knocker.
"Come in." Dumbledore's calm voice was a smooth and inviting as ever, and Lily opened the door and slipped inside. Dumbledore chuckled as she closed the door behind her. "Lily Evans-,"
"It's Lily Potter, sir." Lily corrected with a smile, turning to face Dumbledore. His old face was smiling over his half-moon spectacles and his fingers were clasped together as they usually were. He gestured to the seat in front of him and Lily sat.
"Well, I offer you my word of congratulations. But, may I ask, why marry James Potter?" Lily blinked. She had never been asked that before, but it was the kind of blunt question anyone should have expected from Dumbledore.
"Well...," Lily paused, pursing her lips. "Because I love him, sir." Dumbledore smiled. It had seemed a lame answer when she had thought it through, but why not be truthful?
"Hmm, so it seems," Dumbledore murmured. "You seem a little lost without his company, am I right?" Lily gave a light chuckle.
"You're a very vigilant man, sir." Dumbledore hummed and waited for Lily to continue, as she so desperately wanted to. "Well, you see, sir," Lily began softly. "James and I are expecting a child, and I want to ask you, sir, for a favour of the sorts. I know I haven't done much in the way of deserving a favour from you, sir, but I have to try..." She trailed off, watching Dumbledore's expression.
"Go on, Lily, I'll see what I can do."
"Well, you see, sir, if something bad should ever happen to James and I, I'd like the reassurance that our child will be safe and looked after, most of all welcomed into Hogwarts. Is that too much to ask, sir?" Dumbledore chuckled.
"Not at all, not at all... I think I can promise you that, Lily."
"You will?" Dumbledore smiled, his old face gentle. "Thank you, sir," Her fingers splayed involuntarily across her growing stomach. "I leave my trust in you."
~o~
Lily was sitting at the kitchen table, sipping leisurely at her coffee, when James arrived home. She stood and helped him with his scarf, giving him a welcome-home-kiss as he fiddled with the buttons on his coat.
"How are you parents'?" Lily asked, wrapping his scarf around one of the pegs on the wall. James hung his jacket on a peg beside her.
"They're all right. The same as ever, I suppose. What did you get up to today?" He asked, taking her into his arms.
"I, uh... I went and saw Dumbledore." James frowned.
"Why?"
"I needed a promise," She trailed off, not meeting his eyes, but instead staring at the bump in her stomach. "For Harry."
"For Harry? What kind of promise?"
"That if, for some reason, something was to happen to us, Harry would be taken care of and accepted into Hogwarts." James sighed and tucked a strand of hair back behind Lily's ear.
"Oh, Lily, nothing's going to happen to us."
"But we can't be certain of that, James. And you know that, if anything were to happen, we'd want Dumbledore to make sure Harry was safe, right?"
"I suppose so." James kneeled down and pressed a kiss to her stomach as Lily giggled behind her hand. "We'll aways keep you safe, Harry..."
"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off-!"
"Not Harry! Please, no, not Harry! I'll do anything!"