Disclaimer - No part of the Harry Potter series belong to me, other than any of my OCs, and of course the plot.
Enjoy :)
Love of an Aunt
A Harry Potter FanFiction
Prologue
2:34 pm, 17th May 1980
"Good news! I've finally decided that this kid must be yours."
Lily and Elena approached the table where James was sitting by the windows of the Three Broomsticks. He glanced up gives a small grin.
"Done a paternity test in the toilets?"
"Simple logic," Lily replied, when they reach the table. She placed a hand over her stomach. "Since the little monster so clearly finds it utterly hilarious to sit upon my bladder and cause me to pee every forty-five seconds, who else's kid could it be?"
"I beg your pardon, wife," James chided as Lily dropped slowly into the chair next to him. His arm moved instantly around her shoulders. Elena retook her seat across the lovebirds, watching her brother and sister, amused as always by their bickering. "I am far too clever to be amused by something as dim as toilet humor."
"Oh. Well. Mystery's still on, then." Lily gave a small hum as James pulled her closer and pressed a quick kiss against her temple. She picked up the menu lying flat across the table, scanning the familiar dishes with nostalgia. Elena did the same. "Have you ordered?" the eighteen years old Potter asked.
"Waiting for you two," James replied.
"Oh, good. This kid is going crazy for something greasy and disgusting. So you order that and I'll order something dainty and I'll just eat off your plate." Lily muttered.
James's laughed against his wife's hair. "You order what you want. I'm not hungry. I'll pretend to eat whatever you need."
Elena's head shot up in surprise. She had never heard the words "not" and "hungry" uttered together by her brother before. She wasn't surprised to find him staring down at the letter again, the fingers holding the parchment white with tension. She frowned at him as Lily placed her hand on his arm.
"James, please stop. You've read it a thousand times. The words aren't going to change."
Hazel eyes flash back up, but they were not the warm, twinkling pools of color they normally were. James was worried, and that had Elena's insides cramping up in knots.
The heavy sigh escaped from his lips slowly. "I know," he said, folding up the letter. "But I can't help thinking why Dumbledore asked us to meet him at Hogwarts. And why's his note so terse? 'There is something that I recently gained knowledge of that you should hear'. What does that mean?"
"I don't know, James. But you're probably fretting over nothing. It's probably some kind of Order business—"
"Something he couldn't have told us at the meeting?" James was clearly dubious, pulling a face. He shook his head. "No, it's something else. And I have a bad feeling about it."
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now," Lily said, giving his hand a squeeze. "Let's just eat, and then we'll head up there. What comes will come. We'll face whatever it is together." Elena swallowed.
"James. Look at me," she commanded. Once she was sure she has his attention, she continued. "We all will deal with this together, okay? Remember, you and me against the world?" James smiled a little, remembering the childhood promise he made to her. "And now we have Lily too. So it's going to be the three of us against the world. And all three of us will be there to protect Baby. Alright?" Her brown eyes bored into his hazel ones.
After a small staring contest, James conceded. "Alright."
Lily pressed a quick kiss on her husband's chin, but his jaw remained grimly tight, and both ladies were thankful for the distraction Rosmerta provided when she sauntered up to take their order. The barmaid made some small talk and cooed over Lily's pregnant belly, but the lunch crowd was steadily pouring in, and the barmaid had to move on. James remained more or less quiet throughout the entire exchange.
Elena tried to quell the feeling she had in her gut. A feeling that she knew could possibly mean nothing good.
12: 15 am, 31st July 1980
Elena was enchanted by that bright green. Her nephew's eyes, Lily's eyes, peered out at her from a face that was completely James. She smiled, and tried to shake off the dazzled feeling she got from him.
"He's beautiful, Lily."
Her sister in law smiled; exhausted from the six hours long labour she went through. She was slumped back on the bed, her eyes closed as the doctors and nurses in the Muggle hospital they chose rushed around, clearing away instruments and whatnot. A doctor addressed Elena, asking her to follow the nurses to bathe and weigh the baby. She did as instructed, all the while keeping her eyes on the baby boy in her arms. He had gone to sleep by now, but he was still covered in blood and fluid, wrapped in a blue towel.
Elena handed Baby Prongslet off to the nurse and headed out to where she knew her brother would be going crazy. And she was right. He was pacing the hallway, while Padfoot and Moony looked on. All their faces were worried, and James practically rushed to her as soon as she turned the corner.
"Well?" He had this eager look on his face. Padfoot and Moony were no less eager.
Elena smiled brightly. "It's a baby boy!"
James shouted happily and wrapped his arms around her, twirling her around while laughing crazily. She was also laughing, as were Moony and Padfoot, all drowning in their own and the other's feelings, thankful that Prongslet and Lily were both fine.
Eventually, James put her down and got his emotions under control. Elena took this opportunity to ask, "What about Alice?"
"She had a son as well," Moony replied happily. "He was born around five minutes before midnight. They named him Neville."
Elena was even happier now. She now had two baby boys to dote on, and that gave her a feeling she cannot describe. With a happy laugh, she said, "I'm going to go back in to Prongslet and find Neville now. A nurse will let you know as soon as Lily's settled in, alright? She'll be in the same room as Alice, so you might as well go wait there. Frank will be kicked out when Lily is brought in." She left after she got three enthusiastic nods, which quite honestly; made the boys look like bobble heads.
For once, the prophecy wasn't on her mind.
10:43pm, 31st October 1981
"Alice, you need to stop thanking me. I'm glad to help when it comes to Harry and Neville. You know you can ask me anytime."
Her boys - as she called Harry and Neville – were the most adorable people on Earth. So why should she mind helping out their parents? And going from Longbottom house to Godric's Hollow every two weeks was a nice change of scenery.
Tomorrow Elena returned to Godric's Hollow to spend the first two weeks of the month with her big brother and his family. The next two, again would be with the Longbottoms. She could honestly say that even through the war, and losing her parents, she was lucky enough to have a family she loved, and who loved her.
After putting Neville to bed, Alice, Frank and she spent some time in the living room of their cozy little house. Hardly as large as Longbottom Manor, but safer since Voldemort would never suspect the Head of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Longbottom to live somewhere like this, just as he would never suspect the Head of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter to live in that little cottage in Godric's Hollow.
Alice turned on the Wizarding Wireless and the three settled down to listen to another war report, silently hoping none of their loved ones would be among those attacked this time.
"…reports that You-Know-Who is dead! This happened approximately an hour ago. He was found in a small house in Godric's Hollow," all three straighten from their slouched positions at this, "at a small cottage where James and Lily Potter resided with their son Harry…"
Elena could barely breathe. Her mind was blank, waiting for the horror to come yet.
"…James was found dead in the living room…"
She gasped.
What?
No.
NO!
"…Lily was found upstairs in what is believed to have been the nursery…"
She was looking at the radio, completely frozen now.
James and Lily were dead.
Her brother and sister are gone.
She was all alone now.
"…but the miracle is that one year old Harry Potter was found crying in his crib…
She blinked. Harry is alive?
"…with a lightning shaped scar on his forehead…"
"...suspected to be from the Killing Curse…"
"…only survivor of this tragedy…"
Elena looked up at Frank and Alice. Both were staring at her in stunned silence. She blinked and swallowed repeatedly, and jumps up. "I need to go there. Now."
She turns and rushes out of the house and apparated to Godric's Hollow.
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