Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize in this (all of it). Also, on the cover is Lily Potter, who I did not film.

A/N: So I was having a bit of trouble with this new round of Test Your Limits II, where we had to write about the most painful moment in a character's existence, physical or emotional. I had been thinking Lily from the beginning, because I've written so little of her, but I still wasn't sure. Then, Remi posted the new round of QL, and we Seekers had to write about Harry's scar. The pieces fell together in that moment. I really want to thank my fellow Harpies for encouraging me with this. I was unsure of myself, but because they wanted to read it, I wanted to write it :D This is a bit of a new realm for me, as its more poetic, and has a balance of dark and love that I'm not used to, and it features one of my favorite characters contemplating a dark decision, and bringing myself to question the ethics of one of the characters I love most was very difficult. I really hope I portrayed this well :) Written for: (skip over this)

QLFC: Harpies' Seeker: rnd 7: write about a horcrux- Harry's scar; test limits ii comp: rnd 2: coctyus: single most physical or emotional painful moment in a character's life, bonus prompts- "I hate you and everything about you", Glass Skin by Dir en Grey, lacerate, viscera; delirium comp: easy: lauren oliver quote; disney character comp: bambi's mother: write about a character whose death saddened you; hunger games comp: rue: write about a character whose death saddened you; five prompts in a week challenge: history; chp 4 acrostics comp: e: lyric prompt- echoes of love are started all over;

I guess that's just part of loving people: You have to give things up. Sometimes you even have to give them up. - Lauren Oliver

Each Moment

Echoed through the small home was a scream, and a bang and a thud, and as Lily Potter registered that her husband was gone, there was a choked sob.

Breaking completely down in tears as she rushed to her baby's nursery, she found that Harry was already awake and crying. She wanted to lift him, hold him, love him, but just as she reached out, almost meeting her baby's fingertips, Voldemort appeared in the doorway, laughing maniacally as she was held at wand point. Lily backed away from the wand, pleas of mercy falling from her lips as she moved to the crib so Harry could reach out and grip her shoulders, cry into her hair, feel her there, so he knew she and James loved him more than anything. She could not, would not look away from Voldemort. James had fought for her to get away and if these were her last moments she refused to back down.

Lily looked him right in the eyes. "I hate you," she growled as he laughed at her, dismissed her as less than human, "and everything about you. How- how dare you? Pretend you're better than the lot of humanity out together? You're nothing. You're spineless, pathetic, cruel, and you will not touch my son." She turned and picked him up swiftly, holding Harry tight to his chest. Harry's tears dripped onto her, and she wanted to collapse into tears. All she wanted to, in that moment, was hold on to her baby and never let go.

Voldemort smiled in a way that sent chills to her heart. "Give me the child, and no harm will come to you, however much it is deserved."

She was not going to make it through the next hour alive, Lily realized. These moments were her last. And then that disgusting, cowardly man was going to take her baby, her Harry away.

She could give her entire existence to him, and it would mean nothing.

"Not Harry, not Harry," she said firmly, staring down his wand. He shot a curse at her, one that ripped across her stomach and lacerated her flesh, and she cried out in pain. "Please, not Harry!" she gasped out.

His cold look did not waver. "Stand aside you silly girl... stand aside now."

She shook her head frantically, thinking, wishing, begging she could do anything to save herself, save her baby.

Lily didn't want to be without Harry. He was all she had left. But Voldemort was going to kill him, and she had no escape, and she wasn't giving up, of course not, but what could she do? She didn't have her wand, she was at a dead end.

She was trapped.

If Harry was to die, Lily would not go without him. He would die in his mother's arms. She wasn't going anywhere.

She wanted her Harry to live. She would happily die if it meant he could survive and live, because she loved him so, so much.

And like a curse, the answer pounded through her.

Love.

An ancient magic, one that had not been used in the past thousand years.

One that would change history if she succeeded.

But would she?

"Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead..."

Voldemort struck her again, and it felt as if her viscera were on fire.

Love.

She breathed deeply, touched her baby's forehead against hers. Looking into his mother's eyes, Harry gave Lily the tiniest of smiles, even as his eyes shined with tears. The sight made Lily sob. "Harry, you are so loved," she whispered, cries in her words, holding her baby tight. "Mama loves you. Dada loves you. Harry, be safe. Be strong."

She turned, putting herself between Harry and Voldemort. Looking over her shoulder at him, she pleaded hopelessly one last time. "Not Harry! Please... have mercy... have mercy." Voldemort laughed his cold, cruel laugh, and sent a flash of green light flying.

In that moment, everything went black, and she felt James' arms wrap around her. As soon as they did, she could see again. Together, they looked on the scene. "My baby..." she whimpered. James held her close.

They watched as Voldemort raised his wand high-

James growled-

Lily sobbed-

he sent the spell flying-

and light exploded around them.

As it cleared, the scene before them was a bawling Harry. An alive Harry, looking at his dead mother with longing, curling his tiny fingers around her hair. On his forehead was a lightning bolt shaped scar.

A mark. An awful reminder of what that horrible man did to her darling boy.

But more so, a reminder of what that monster made Lily sacrifice. Her life- her family, her son. Every time she would look upon that scar, she would see he bravery of her son, the strength within him, but on the other side of the blade would be everything that she lost.

Harry would have to carry that forever. When he looked at it, he would not see his mother's sacrifice because he would never know of it. He would see a man who wanted to kill a baby, a curse he had to endure when he could barely speak.

Lily could not look upon her son's forehead, because there she would see the cruelty of Voldemort.

James' tears of relief dampened her hair, and he spoke for the first time.

"Lily, you did it. He survived."

Harry Potter was alive, but every life has it's price.

A scar to carry forever.

"I shouldn't have to. He did this to us. He destroyed our family."

"Our son is alive, and loved. We will always be a family."

But he would always have his parents' love, so he would be okay.

I would love if you could let me know what you thought!