The Winding Road
Everything that you recognize doesn't belong to me but J.K. Rowling.
Chapter One
The last rays of sunlight were just disappearing under the horizon as a cloaked figure scurried across the cobblestone street and up a stone path. Inside the home a witch and wizard felt their wards go down and panic filled their faces. The dark haired male creeped to the window and upon seeing the unwelcomed guest his face paled. Turning to his wife he pulled out his wand holding it out firmly in front of him.
Seriousness and protectiveness replaced his panic as his eyes laid upon his family. "He's here Lily," his voice came out soft but held a sense of calm that only an Auror could pull off. "Take Lexine and get somewhere safe. I'll hold him off."
The young woman hesitated not wanting to leave her beloved alone with the man outside. "Lily you need to go!" From the front of the house the sound of the door being blown from its hinges was deafening. With one final look at the man she loved Lily grabbed her daughter and ran up the stairs completely forgetting about her wand that lied on the wooden table just mere inches from her husband.
The house shook with each spell that was cast until finally all went silent with one final thud. A body hit the floor staring unseeingly up the staircase. The cloaked figure stepped carelessly over the fallen man and silently crept up the stairs toward the nursery.
Lily heard the silence and knew that James had fallen and it was left to her to save their little girl. With no wand she was left with pushing furniture in front of the door bitterly knowing that it wouldn't stop the monster from entering the nursery. Knowing she had only seconds left Lily placed Lexine in her crib and stared down at the beautiful baby girl who stared back up in confusion at her mother.
"Baby," she whispered her throat thick with sadness for what was to come. "Mommy loves you, Lexi. Mommy loves you so much." Her words were thick with emotion cracking at the end. Behind her she heard the click of the lock and a bright light filled the room as the furniture was pushed back away from the door. Shakily Lily pushed herself up from her crouched position and turned to face her fate.
Voldemort stood menacingly in the doorway staring on at the scene in mild amusement. Lily took a step back toward the crib spreading her arms out in a feeble attempt to block the crib protectively.
His lips rose in a mocking smile at her worthless attempt of protection that she could offer. "Not Lexine," her voice broke as she pleaded. "Not Lexi. Please, not Lexi."
"Stand aside, you silly girl," Voldemort sneered. "Stand aside, now."
"Not Lexine," she said once more this time more boldly. "Take me instead, just please, not Lexi." Voldemort took another step into the room towering over her as he stared into her defiant eyes. "Please, not Lexi…have mercy," she pleaded again. "Have mercy."
Voldemort's lips turned from the mocking smile to a sneer at her begging. With a sudden swiftness he brought up his hand that held his wand and brought it down wordlessly, a blinding green light enveloped the room causing Lexine to shut her eyes. With a thud Lily Potter's lifeless body hit the floor leaving her daughter to the mercy of the dark lord.
A sneer crossed his lips as he stepped forward toward the crib and peered inside. Emerald green eyes stared up into his own ruby ones. The little girl didn't utter a sound as he once more raised his wand for the last time and uttered the unforgivable words 'Avada Kedavra!' Once more green light blindly filled the room but Voldemort was the one that felt the pain and knew that something had gone horribly wrong.
The green light had bounced off of the girl and back at the caster causing the dark lord to know no more. The house was left a shell of itself as a baby's cry filled the night's air.
Sadness filled the air as they looked down at the sleeping baby. "Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."
"Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I best get Sirius's bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall- Dumbledore, sir." With a roar of the bikes engine Hagrid disappeared into the night's air.
"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. With a sniff and one last look at the sleeping babe McGonagall turned on her heel and transformed into a cat slinking off into the night. Dumbledore stepped to the corner of the street and raised his putter outer allowing the lights to turn back on.
He glanced back at number four privet drive and could just make out the outline of the basket that held little Lexine Potter. "Good luck, Lexine," he murmured quietly. Then turning on his heel and a flick of his robes he disappeared into thin air.
A breeze ruffled the trees leaves and with it took the letter that Dumbledore had written to explain to Lexine Potter's relatives. Later that morning when the sun was just lighting Privet Drive Mrs. Dursley opened the door and let out a scream at the sight that met her. She knew exactly who the child belonged to. There was no mistaking those eyes or hair.
She knew that if the child was on her doorstep that it meant her sister finally got what was coming to her and she couldn't find the will to be sad over the fact. Petunia always knew her sister would get in a sticky situation that she wouldn't be able to get out of.
Mr. Dursley upon hearing his wives screams rushed out of the house and came to a stop in front of the bundle. His face twisted up in disgust as soon as he realized who the child was. One of them no doubt. The baby's own screams filled the air as soon as she was rudely awoken. Grudgingly Petunia picked up the basket and brought her into the house before the neighbors could see anything.
"I won't have one of them in my house Petunia!" Vernon roared as soon as he was inside the safety of the house. Petunia set the basket aside and turned to face her husband.
"What would you have me do?" she questioned. "Turn her away? Give her to an orphanage or hospital?" As she said it the idea was much more pleasing than keeping the girl around.
"That's exactly what we're going to do." An hour later Petunia strode into the hospital carrying the bundle in her arms with a frown on her face. She walked up to the front desk with her head held high.
"Can I help you ma'am?" the receptionist asked questioningly.
"Yes, I woke this morning to find this child on my doorstep," she began with a fake sadness in her voice. "The poor thing was left with only a note that told her name and that her parents had died." The receptionist frowned with genuine sadness for the little girl. "I can't take care of the little thing and my husband and I thought best that we brought her here."
"What's the child's name?" Petunia frowned slightly as she tried to remember the girls name. Her sister had sent her a card with the child's name on it back when the girl was first born and then again at Christmas.
"Lexine," she said once the name came to her. "Lexine Potter." The young woman stepped around the desk and as soon as she was in reaching distance Petunia dumped the child into her arms. "Well that'll be it I suppose. Good day." Then without another word she left the poor girl alone with the baby.
"What am I supposed to do with you," she said with a frown as the baby looked up at her and giggled. Just before she was going to take Lexine into the back to find a doctor she spotted Dr. Cullen walking toward the front door. "Oh Doctor Cullen."
The young doctor stopped and turned toward the voice. His eyes found the young receptionist and noticed right away the little girl in her arms.
"Miss. Gretchen how are you and who is this?" He smiled at the cooing child. Miss Gretchen balanced the child on her hip before speaking.
"A woman brought her in just moments ago and dumped her into my arms. She said the girl was left on her doorstep with just her name." Carlisle frowned and grabbed the child when she reached out for him.
"Who would leave a beauty like you," he asked as he allowed her to play with his fingers. "What's the child's name? Perhaps we can find her parents."
"Lexine Potter, sir," she began. "But doctor the woman told me that in the note it said the girls' parents had died." Sadness settled in Carlisle's golden eyes.
"Then we'll just have to call child services." The thought saddened him even more at the thought that the child would be put in the states care but her being so young was a blessing. She shouldn't have any trouble getting adopted into a loving home.
Miss Gretchen nodded and went off to go make the call. Carlisle glanced down at the child and looked into emerald green ones. They melted him and he bounced her on his hip as he cooed at her bringing a smile to the girl. A shrill ring filled the room and he stopped what he was doing to answer it.
"Don't give the girl away!" Alice's bell like voice yelled in his ear. "You're adopting her." Carlisle frowned at the thought of having a human in a house full of vampires. Especially a defenseless human at that.
"Alice I don't think that would be wise." Lexine reached for the phone and tried to snatch the weird device from his hands but he moved it away causing her to start to cry. "Please child don't cry." Immediately Lexi's cries stopped as she stared curiously up at the man who had such a pretty voice.
"She'll be fine Carlisle," Alice said excitedly. "I can't see exactly why at the moment but we won't try to eat her. We won't want to." He frowned as he thought of all the precautions they would have to take.
"Jasper would have to feed more. All of us would."
"Oh please daddy," Alice begged. "It'll be fine besides I've already seen you giving in along with everyone else." Carlisle glanced back down at the child as she smiled up at him and giggled. Alice then hung up before he could try to talk her out of it. Sighing he looked over at Miss. Gretchen as she entered the room once more.
"I'm sorry Miss. Gretchen but change of plans. I need to get a hold of child services myself." At the Cullen household Alice just broke the news to everyone else. She had run upstairs as soon as she was done telling the news. Apparently there was a lot of decorating to do before the new addition arrived. Esme stepped into the kitchen nervously trying to figure out what she should make for the little one.
Emmett was grinning widely at the thought of a new little sister to play with. Edward and Jasper were both mad and afraid of having the human around. Jasper was afraid he would try to eat her and was mad at the thought that his family would test his self-control like this. Edward couldn't believe they would risk their secret this way and their family.
Rosalie was mad that they would even think about bringing a human into the family. It wasn't just dangerous but just plain stupid. Or at least she thought that way until she realized that she would finally have the child she had always wanted. One that would grow throughout the years and not be stuck like they were. Excitement flooded inside her at the thought.
As soon as they heard a car driving up the driveway everyone met up in the living room. Both Jasper and Edward stood in the back of the group for very different reasons. They heard a car door open and close then another. The sound of a child's gurgling reached their ears and Rosalie stood up straighter hoping to catch site of the girl.
As soon as Carlisle entered the room all eyes were not on him but who he carried. Lexine met the stares of the family and gazed curiously at all of the beautiful people. "Oh Carlisle she's beautiful," Esme said with a smile on her face as she glanced at the child adoringly.
They all took in the little girls dark red hair, emerald green eyes that shined brightly, and the strange lightning scar on her forehead. How she got that they were curious. "This is Lexine Potter everyone."