AU where Harry hasn't been born before the Fidelius Charm is place.
Written For:
Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition: Round 10 - Beater 1 - Write a story, inspired by the song, Theme From 'A Summer Place' — Percy Faith / Prompts: 1. (location) Godric's Hollow / 9. (emotion) fear
Are You Crazy Enough to Do It?:
Prompt 114. (character) Lily Potter
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Gobstones
Pink Stone - Stress
Prompts - (word) dire, (song) "Only You" by Yazoo, (weather) lightning
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Writing Club
Showtime - Legal Assassin - (dialogue) "I am lost without you here."
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Writing Club
Book Club - Elara Merandus: (word) whisper, (word) sadistic, (word) mysterious
Beta'ed by Sophy.
xXx
Only You
There's a summer place
Where it may rain or storm
Yet I'm safe and warm
In your arms, in your arms
When Sirius showed up at Godric's Hollow one night, a couple of months before the Fidelius Charm was placed, no one knew how much would change.
X
"How can we trust him?" James demanded. "Padfoot, I know he's your little brother, but he's also a Death Eater. He could have been sent to spy on us."
Lily watched Regulus carefully.
There was no sign of haughtiness. His eyes were on his knees as he nervously played with his robe. There was nothing even close to resembling the once confident Slytherin he had been at Hogwarts. "I think we can trust him," she finally said.
James quickly looked at her. "How can you be so sure?"
"Call it instinct. Call it whatever you want, but I think we can trust him."
"We don't put our lives in danger because of instinct," James argued.
She finally looked away from Regulus. "Why not? Sirius thinks we can trust him. And Sirius would never put us in danger. And if what he says is true…"
Sirius nodded emphatically. "Reg betrayed him. Gave us information that we can use. If we turn him away, he'll be killed. You-know-Who is sadistic. He doesn't care who he kills or tortures, as long as he wins. And I would never forgive myself if I let that happen. Would you forgive yourself if you read about Regulus' death in the Daily Prophet?"
James looked away. "If Regulus betrayed him, who says he won't betray us if it's our lives for his?"
Regulus abruptly stood up. "If you're going to talk about me as if I'm not even here, I might as well not be here."
Sirius moved to follow the younger Black.
Lily wasn't having any of that. She stood up with her hands on her hips. "Stop, Regulus, Sirius. I live here as well, and I say they stay. James, I trust that he's being honest."
"I don't like this," James finally said after a beat of silence.
She smiled. They had won. Regulus was staying.
X
"I don't know," Regulus said.
James glared at him. "You don't get any input. If Sirius thinks Peter should be the Secret Keeper—"
"I just don't know if he can be trusted. He's hiding something. I can't be the only one who's noticed it."
Lily slowly raised her hand. "I've noticed."
"Of course. Once again, Lily takes Regulus' side."
She glared at her husband. "It's not about taking sides. It's about being safe."
"You preaching about safety, but you invited a Death Eater into our house."
"Get over it. You're acting like an immature child. Regulus hasn't done anything suspicious since he's been here. Peter, on the other hand, has all of these secret meetings, and we don't even know who they're with. And we don't know because he won't tell us. If you weren't angry about Regulus, you'd be agreeing with me right now."
Instead of admitting Lily was right, James asked, "Okay, if Peter and Sirius can't be our Secret Keeper, then who can?"
"Remus. He's one of the most loyal people I know," Lily said without a moment of hesitation.
"Fine," James acquiesced, "Remus will be the Secret Keeper."
X
There was a knock on the door. "Come in," she called.
The door opened a crack, and Regulus peeked his head through the door. "Are you okay? I heard James and you fighting."
She brushed away a stray tear. "We're always fighting lately. Sometimes, I think we got married too soon. But with the war…"
Regulus nodded. "A lot of people were getting married because they were afraid of dying."
She flinched.
"Sorry, I guess that didn't make you feel any better. It could just be the stress. And the fact he still doesn't like that I'm here—"
"Stop," Lily interrupted, "This isn't your fault. We always fought. Before we dated, while we dated, while we were engaged, and after we got married. I used to think it was passion, but now I'm not so sure anymore."
"Things will get better."
"Is James with Remus and Sirius?"
Regulus nodded.
"That's what I thought."
There was a crack of thunder and a flash of lightning was seen through the window. Lily jumped.
"Scared of the storm?"
She narrowed her eyes, but there was no mockery in his voice. "A little bit. Usually James holds me, but…"
He nervously scratched the back of his head. "I can go get him if you want."
Lily looked at him. "Come here."
He slowly walked fully into the room.
She pointed at the bed she currently sat on. "Over here."
He walked over to her.
She grabbed his hand and pulled him, and he flopped onto the bed. She pushed him so he leaned back against the bed's headboard, and Lily cuddled next to him.
"I'm not sure if this is right," Regulus said nervously, but his arm went around her anyway.
"I know, but right now, I don't care."
X
Lily and Regulus often found themselves alone together.
She no longer shared a bed with James, and neither of them even pretended their marriage wasn't falling apart.
James was usually with Sirius and Remus, and Lily was perfectly fine with Regulus as her sole company. There was something about the younger man. It made her wish she had gotten to know him better in school. She had a feeling that if she had, she wouldn't be Lily Potter right now. Instead, she might have been Sirius' sister-in-law.
Regulus sighed. "If our situation wasn't so dire, I would totally be flirting with you. You know that, right?"
Lily looked up at him. "You? Flirt? I didn't think you knew how to flirt," she joked.
"I don't have as much practice as Sirius does, but I can flirt," he defended himself.
"If you get that angry with me making a joke, then I must have been closer to the mark than I thought."
"Shut up," Regulus muttered.
Lily's eyes moved down to where their hands were joined on Regulus' lap. "Reg, are you scared?" she whispered.
"Terrified, but if I learned anything from Sirius, it's how to make a joke to not feel so scared."
"I'm scared too. I'm scared of dying. I'm scared of never becoming a mum. I'm scared of dying while I'm married to a man I don't love. That's a terrible thought, but all I want to do is get out of this marriage before I die." She looked at him from beneath lowered eyelashes. "Does that make me a bad person?"
"No, it makes you human."
X
"Regulus, can we talk?" Lily asked, a mysterious tone in her voice.
Regulus looked away from the window where the lightning flashed. "Hey, Lils. Are you scared?"
"The first time you held me, the first time we had a really good talk, it was storming like this."
He nodded. "I know. It wasn't that long ago."
"I know, but it feels so long ago because so much has happened since then."
Regulus tilted his head. "Really? Like what?"
"Well, for one, James and I are only married in name. Number two, I find myself wanting to stay in your arms and never leave them. It used to be James, but now it's you. You're my warmth. You're my safety net. And I'm not running away from that. Not when our time together might be cut short."
"Lily, we shouldn't," Regulus tried as she walked closer to him.
Lily stared into his eyes. "I'd be lost without you here."
"Lily, you're married."
"I don't care," she whispered. She leaned closer and her lips sealed over his.
X
"Why are we keeping this a secret? I thought you were only married in name," Regulus said as they walked side-by-side to the kitchen.
"We are, but despite our differences, I still respect James, and I don't want to push my new relationship into his face."
They stopped at the kitchen door, and Regulus gasped at the sight that met his eyes. "I don't think you have anything to worry about." He pointed into the room.
Lily looked. She tilted her head and said, "huh," in a disbelieving, but awe-filled, tone. James was in the middle of a Remus and Sirius sandwich. Lips and hands were everywhere. Kissing. Touching. She didn't know which limb belonged to who. "Wow, that makes things much simpler."
James, Remus, and Sirius all jumped and looked guiltily at the pair.
James said the most cliched thing ever. "Hey, Lil, I can explain."
"Don't bother." She kissed Regulus in front of everyone. "I'm much happier with this new arrangement."
James dumbly nodded and wisely kept his mouth shut.
Sirius looked at the two of them with suspicious eyes. "Do I have to give the big brother talk?"
Regulus put a hand to his forehead. "Please don't, Sirius. Please don't."
xXx
(word count: 1,479)