Story: Why Don't You & I
Author: theherbflower
Email: theherbflower at gmail dot com
Chapter One: Sound Off
Playlist: Savior, Audience of One, Ready to fall, Give it all ~ Rise Against Why don't you and I ~ Chad Kroger feat Santanna. Issues ~ Escape the fate. Sound Off ~ Trapt.
DISCLAIMER! I don't own the story or world of Harry Potter. No do I own the song lyrics in the preview. Cheers!
"Lily, there is a deranged psychopath out there trying to find you and James and kill you! Are you really sure that going to the damned muggle market to get frigging chocolate chip muffins is a smart idea?" I snapped at my delusional best friend. "Are you freaking insane?"
"No." Lily huffed before looking back down at the floor with watery eyes. "I'm just having a craving! It wont go away and if I don't get those muffins I'll…" she sniffed back a tear. "I'll just die."
Merlin in heaven help me, here my best friend of fourteen years was eight and a half months pregnant, wanting to go three blocks to the nearest muggle market to get muffins of all things. How could I tell that face no? See now Lily Evans-Potter was always a sneaky one. When she didn't get something she wanted she would do absolutely everything possible in the world to get exactly the thing that she wanted. Including but not limited to; thievery, something she was really into in third year when we were aloud to go into honeydukes in Hogsmeade. She would buy the store down! And then she would steal stashed candies we had hidden in the dormitory; deception, had a bit of a lying streak back in fourth year; bribery, now that was one she never did get out of the habit of; and last but not the least, the puppy dog face. She was notorious at making people do what she wanted, but I was going to have to put my foot down on this one.
Here we've got Voldemort (a very psychotic lunatic hell bent on purifying the wizarding race and wiping non magical/ wizard-like like goblins and everything else off of the face of the planet) running a frigging havoc across the country. Muggle hunting, people killing, building burning, and a loads of other bad shit because he was a deranged nut job. I could not let my best friend who is being hunted down like a dog by that crazed lunatic go out side into the world where she could get killed or worse, just to get a freaking chocolate chip muffin. I wasn't going to allow it. Dumbledore has me here to protect her if anything goes wrong, not drag her into danger eight and a half months pregnant. I can only fathom to imagine what James would do to me if I told him, probably murder me chop me up and feed me to Hagrids fifty foot Acromantula he's got running amok in the forbidden forest.
"Lily. I am not going to let you walk out of this house today. I will stun your ass if I have to so don't push me there." I told her sternly slamming my glass of milk down on the table.
"You really think that He-who-must-not-be-named is really going to be in a muggle market in broad daylight?" she snapped at me. "No! he's not that stupid. So lets just take a damn walk and get my god damned fucking muffin!"
I just sat there in shock. Not once in all of the time that I have known Lily Evans-Potter have I ever heard her swear. At all… Not even damn or shit or… anything. My mouth fell open in aghast at her, holy shit if being a hormonal crazy is what pregnancy is like then I dunno….
"Lilybean, you just swore."
"No shit captain obvious." she huffed at me before shoving her hair behind her back and crossing her arms. "Fine! If you wont let me go walk down the street in the nice sunlight to get me a fucking god damned muffin will you at least go?"
"No." I narrowed my eyes at her. "And leave you unprotected? I'd have my ass skinned by Dumbledore if not worse Mad-Eye." I shook my head and crossed my arms before sitting back in the chair. "Neither one of us is leaving at the moment."
"How can you be so cold hearted Gwendolyn Rose Ackles?" she screeched at me. "I'm your best friend in the whole world, fat and pregnant out to here, and hormonal. All I want is a muffin." she started to cry. "I just want my muffin."
Shit. I had to get her the stupid muffin, and she didn't have the ingredients to make one so that was out of the question. Most if not all of the order members were off at work or doing something important for Dumbledore for except… one person, my favorite person in the whole damned world. Heaven and hell this girl was going to owe me forever if I had to ask help from Sirius Black. And I wont ever forget it. Stupid pregnancy. I am never going to have children. There is no fucking way in all of heaven that I would go through that emotional roller coaster. No way. No how.
"Lily. Shut up and sit there for a minute. I'm going to get you a freaking muffin. Stupid shit! You owe me for this Lily Anne. You will owe me!" I told her before standing up and walking over to the kitchen fire place.
I picked up a handful of floo powder and tossed It into the fireplace. "147 Elmhurst Flats, London." I stuck my head into the fire place and felt the whooshing sensation that was the floo network. After a minute my vision started to clear and the flat of Remus John Lupin and Sirius 'dickface' Black was upon me. It was heaped over with books, news papers, moldy food and clothing that were strewn from one end of the flat to the other. A pink laced bra was dangling quite contentedly from the nearest door knob while Remus's pet cat fluffykins, yes he named his cat fluffykins who was twenty-two and really old, was resting on top of an upturned block style coffee table. Two young male adults living like bachelors in a flat was a nightmare to any and all who should pass. I shook my head and looked around seeing no one.
"Black!" I called out. "Its an emergency! Where the devil are you?"
It was a few seconds before the door knob adorned with the pink laced braw turned and a very irritated Sirius Black stood there completely naked with a bottle of whiskey in his hand.
"What?" he snapped at me before taking another drink from the bottle.
I closed my eyes.
"I need you to come watch Lily for like ten minutes. Its important."
"Fine. Give me five and I'll get dressed." he said before I heard a door click shut and I opened my eyes.
I pulled out of the floo and looked back over at Lily who had an evil look in her emerald green eyes.
"Who'd you call for help?" she inquired with a smirk on her face. she shook here head while she spoke her words before tilting her nose snottily in the air "The only other person available today is your partner in crime."
I rolled my eyes at her,
"He is not my partner in crime. He's just the idiot that I have to spend eight hours of work with everyday."
"You secretly love it." she smirked. "Admit it! You fancy Sirius Black and there's nothing you can do about it." (Authors note: Merlin fans, you know how morgana talked after she came back from being morgouse's bitch. Imagine that for pregnant Lily but much less evil. J)
"I would rather dig my eyes out with a knife than ever conceive of fancying Sirius freaking Black."
"You rang?" a voice came before the afore mentioned person stepped out of the fireplace dressed this time with that ever present all knowing smirk on his stupid scruffy face. "What is the urgency Gwendolyn, I don't have all day here. I've got some places to go, people to see."
"Don't call me by my whole name you stuffed up chauvinistic pig." I spat. "Lily needs someone to stay with her while I go to the market for her for a few minutes. Think you can handle that tuff guy?" I asked with an irritated growl.
"Always so negative Gwendolyn." he clicked his tongue at me. "Never nice a'tall."
"Will you please watch your best friends wife and unborn child so I can go and get her the stupid fucking muffin she wants from the damned market? Please?" I asked rolling my eyes. The child like man before me wanted me to beg. Sick stupid asshole!
"And what will you do for me in return for this favor?" he wiggled his eyebrows at me in a flirtatious manner. He was getting dangerous here, I was just about ready to rip his spleen out and cram it down his fucking throat. All the rest of the women of Brittan may let him have whatever he wanted from them, but I was not one of those women. Arrogant bastard, always wanting the world at his feet. I hated him. Stupid bastard always knows how to frustrate me.
"What do you want from me for watching Lily for ten minutes so that I can go to the store?" I asked steely dead panned. "If you utter anything vulgar, insulting, insinuating, or disgusting, I will kill you."
"Aww nothing special." he waved his hand out at me. "Just pick me up a pack of beer yeah?"
"Fine." I growled out irritated. "I will get you beer." I rolled my eyes before turning to Lily. "Anything else highness?"
"Can you pick up those mint biscuits you got me last Christmas?" she asked with her watery puppy dog eyes.
"Fine." I turned back to Black who was still grinning like a dumbass. "Just keep her safe for ten minutes or so."
He rolled his eyes at me.
"Don't worry Ackles, I'll keep a close eye on her."
…scenechange…
The handsome man sitting across from me smiled crookedly at me.
"Your really pregnant." he stated obviously.
"What is this? Captain Obvious day? Yes I'm pregnant you fool! You cant tell by the fact that I'm as big as a house and still fucking growing?"
"Lily love, now just calm down and take a chill. I was only noting that your getting lovelier with each passing day." he grinned at me. "How's dealing with the harpy?"
"Don't call my best friend a harpy Black." I narrowed my eyes at him. "And just fine." I huffed. "Speaking of my best friend, when are you to stupid fools ever going to get your heads out of your arses and tell each other that you love one another? Its really painful watching the two of you constantly argue and deny that oh so obvious fact that your in love? When? Just watching the sparks fly between the two of you makes me want to demand James upstairs so that I can…" I was cut off.
"Lily please stop it!" he whined dramatically. "Don't go there! I don't want to know about yours and James's love life!"
"Fine. But really," I sighed. "When?"
"Well Lily love, I think your crazy and the hormones are inducing your craziness cause there is no way the harpy" he winced as I glared at him again. "Sorry, Ackles, and I have any sparks going off other that the need to kill each other on a regular basis." he grinned tilting his head to the side. "I hate her, she hates me. Its very simple really."
"Whatever." I huffed. "You can choose to believe anything you want, but I know the truth. I know you Sirius Orion Black, and I know that you love her. So go ahead convince yourself its not true, but that's just your choice to believe whatever you want. Not reality, and certainly not the truth."
He just stared at me for a few seconds caught off guard. Then with a gust of laughter I've never known, he broke down into hysterical laughter.
"Lily you crack me up. Love." he barked another laugh at me. "With Ackles? Moody'd have my balls. Your crazy there sweetheart. Sure Jamey's been doing his job right?"
"Whatever." I repeated rolling my eyes up the ceiling. "Fine."
"Well come on now Lily darling, can you imagine what Moody would do to me if he knew I was pinning up to Gwen? His little Gwendolyn that he oh so loves and adores cause she's his freaking only niece and family? He would castrate me, and then pin my balls to little boards like those muggles do with bugs. I will seize to be Sirius Black, but a specimen on his wall of hatred towards Gwen's suitors."
I rolled my eyes at him as he gesticulated being strung up on a noose.
"Are you forgetting that Moody likes you. And has even asked you if you'd like to what…" I paused and grinned narrowing my head close to him. "Court her. So don't tell me that he would kill you, that's just an excuse." I smirked. "So go ahead, I wont say anything. Admit it! To yourself, to me, and to reality."
"How can I admit something that isn't true?" he countered. "I can assure you the only feelings going on between the two of us are feelings of pure unadulterated hatred."
"More excuses." I told him evenly. "You know and I know. And for the moment." I smirked at him evilly. "That's all that matters. One day you'll own up and recognize, and that day will be sweet satisfaction to me."
"Lily darling, would you like some tea?" he asked evenly with a smile. "I'm parched. I'm thinking earl grey if you would prefer something else?"
"Change of subject Sirius? So quick and effective." I sighed and rolled my eyes. "I'll take a cup a earl grey thank you. Ooh and some of those mallomars that are sitting next to the sink?"
"But of course my lady." he puffed his chest up and walked over to the kettle sitting on the stove. He quickly took the green liquid container from its perch on top of a burner and rushed over to the sink where he filled the kettle full up of hot water. He then returned to the stove and sat the kettle down before reaching into the cabinet to grab down the tea jar. It took five minutes for the water to boil and be served up into two of my mahogany colored mugs that my grand dad bought James and I for our wedding gift. The tea was then added by the teaspoon and brought over to me with a whole large plate of mallomars which were these awesome little muggle pastries that were half cookie half banana marshmallow. And oh heavenly light, they were soo good. I pulled one up from the plate and stuffed it into my mouth before chewing it up and swallowing all the while being in pure taste bud heaven.
"Uh Lily." Sirius asked looking at me with worried eyes. "I don't think your supposed to love food that much. Now James." he sat his mug down after taking a long drink. "I can see that but food… that was a bit much."
I felt my eyes water and my lips quiver.
"Are you telling me that I'm fat?"
"No darling, I am not calling you fat. You just go ahead and eat that whole plate of your cookie things and I'll just smile and keep my mouth shut." he grinned taking another drink of his tea.
…scenechange…
The muggle market place was packed with people. And it was sweltering hot outside, almost unbearable. I sighed as I made my way though a throng of elderly muggle women to get to the muffin stand that held the largest variety of muffins I'd ever in all my life seen. I quickly picked up a tray of chocolate chip before picking up a tray of banana nut, which were my favorite but since I'm hear anyways. I smirked to my self before turning around and walking back to get Black the damn beer he wanted so much. I was half way back to the beer section when I noticed something odd out of the corner of my vision. A tall dark shape ducked behind a row of canned vegetables and out of sight. I slowed my pace down and did a double take of my surroundings. There were people all around me all chipperly going about they're shopping. I kept walking towards the beer section feeling the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. Someone was watching me, and I've got the biggest sensation that its not a good thing. I stuffed the muffins in my right arm as I picked up six pack of Newcastle. I turned around and headed back up towards the counter to pay for my purchases. I dipped behind the candy isle and picked up a can of mint biscuits before heading to the only available cashier.
"Will this be all for you today miss?" the old man handling my purchases asked me cheerfully.
"Um actually can I get a pack of smokes. And that'll be all."
"Of course. Just a moment." he told me before walking off towards the cigarrette wall to grab what I wanted. "Any particular type?" he called over to me.
"Nah, just whatever." I told him before looking around me again due to my gut feeling that someone was there when the shouldn't be.
"Here you are." he handed me a red and gold pack. "That will be 10 pounds even." he smiled.
I handed him my muggle money and picked up the bag he'd placed what I bought in and the beer. "Keep the change." I told him before walking out of the market.
Instead of heading the way I came to the market from Lily and James's, I headed the opposite direction towards the park. I ducked quickly behind an alley way and sat my purchases down on the ground before taking out my wand. My uncle who took care of me after my mothers death always told me 'Constant Vigilance' and I take that to heart. Its helped me out a few times. Saved my ass during some death eater raids. Just as I am positive that its going to save my ass right now because I know there is someone that will round that corner in the spit of second and it will not be a friend. Quickly I crouched behind a dumpster and peered around to watch. And I was right, a dark robbed individual came around the corner before looking around confusedly. They were approximately five foot seven and looked to way a good hundred and seventy pounds. The robed person started to make they're way down the alley way with they're wand out. He, as I could identify them now as a male due to the fact that I see no breast indications, kicked a large box which was housing an old looking dog that looked to be half dead. I stood up quickly and walked out pointing my wand at him.
"Looking for someone?" I asked tilting my head. "Did your master send you out to trail a wee little girl?"
"Avada Kedavra." they yelled sending a jet of green light at me which I quickly dogged and countered with a stunner. The imbecile calling himself a member of the death eaters fell to the ground stunned. I walked over to him and obliviated him before turning my attention to the dog who gave me a sad whine. Upon further inspection I realized that the dog was by no means old, but very mistreated and starving. I swore under my breath before walking over to my purchases grabbing them in one hand before walking back over to the dog and picking it up with my other. I then made the long trek towards the house.
…scenechange…
"Sirius would you please just sit." Lily barked at me as I was pacing the length of the parlor room. "I'm sure she got distracted in the chocolate section. You and I both know she's addicted to the stuff."
"No. She said ten minutes Lily. Its been forty. Something is wrong." I told her bringing my pacing to a halt. "I've got a bad feeling."
She just rolled her emerald green eyes and me and flicked a strand of her auburn hair behind her in her usual snottish attitude
"Your just over reacting. Gwen is fine." she sighed. "Though I'm getting irritated cause I want my damned muffin."
"Is that all you can think about?" I snapped at her. "What if death eaters found her? What if she's dead or worse? Just because you wanted a muffin."
Her eyes began to water and her lips to quiver. Merlin pregnant women were a pain to deal with. I crossed the room and sat down next to her before slinging my arm around her comfortingly.
"I'm sorry Lily darling, I'm just worried about Ackles. She's been gone to long."
"Sirius." Lily sighed at me. "Please just calm down." she told me rubbing my back soothingly. "She'll be fine."
"How do you know?" I asked with a sigh, I mean sure Ackles got under my skin, but I couldn't imagine not working together with her. Sure we fought a lot, well more like all the time, but I still sorta care for her. And I know something is wrong.
It was at this moment that the front door swung open and in stalked a very red and angry looking Gwendolyn Ackles. She was carrying beer and a bag in one hand and a wounded animal in the other. I just sat there and stared at her. She made me worry over her because she had to save a stray dog?
"Lily Anne!" she barked. "If you ever again ask me to go to the market for anything I will kill you!" she sat the stuff she had in one hand down and set the dog down out of her other. She gave Lily a scathing look before picking up a wrapped tray of muffins and handing it to her with a glare. Then she walked back over, picked up the dog and went into the kitchen.
"Ohh muffins." Lily cheered before opening the package and pulling out what she wanted. "So beautiful." she smiled at it before eating it with really slow gusto. I mean how can someone eat something with passion? It was almost like she was making out with it. I shook my head at her and stood up before walking into the kitchen.
"What the hell took you so long?" I snapped as I stepped into the kitchen. "You said ten minutes! Its been over half an hour!"
"Oh shut up Black." Gwen rolled her eyes at me before kneeling down to feed the dog something she'd gotten from the fridge. "Nothing I obviously couldn't take care of easily."
"What the hell does that mean?" I demanded walking over to her. "You didn't run into trouble did you?"
"Kind of." she sighed standing up and walking over to the cupboard and pulling out a bowl. "Just some clueless death eater that was following me. Nothing important." she filled the bowl up with water and walked back over to the animal that was now eating the meat Gwen had given it with gusto.
"You could have been killed and you say its not important?" I snapped at her. "Are you fucking insane woman?"
"Don't." she growled standing up and glaring at me. "Call me woman Black."
"So then you admit to the fact that your crazy?" I raged. "Your uncle would fucking kill me if I let you walk out of here into the arms of death. So don't say its not important."
"Why are you being so over protective you git?" she snapped at me while narrowing her eyes and holding her right arm on her hip. "Why do you care?"
"Why do I care?" I yelled. "Why do I care?"
Wait a minute, why did I care?
"Yes you dumbass! Why the fuck do you care? And don't use the uncle excuse."
"Because you were gone too long and I got worried." I sighed at her before walking over to Prongs's liquor cabinet and pulling out a bottle of whiskey. "Cause as much as you fucking drive me up a god damned wall, I care." I sighed grabbing a glass and pouring the amber liquid into it. "I don't want you to get hurt." I turned back around and narrowed my eyes at her. "Now what exactly happened?"
She glared at me before sighing and handing the dog another piece of meat.
"I walked in the sweltering heat down to the store. While in the store I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and realized that someone was watching me. So I finished up in the store and took the opposite direction as to not lead them to Lily and the baby. I ducked behind an alley and waited them out. It was just some lackey that was sent to tail me. I quickly stunned him and obliviated him. It was no real biggy Black. So take a chill pill."
"No I will not take a chill pill. What if it was someone like Malfoy or Rosier? Someone skilled enough to take you down single handedly. Its not 'no real biggy' you need to protect yourself! You shouldn't have left in the first place! I could have gone instead of you."
She rolled her eyes at me before leaning against the counter next to me.
"Really? Like Malfoy or Rosier would go out into broad daylight in a muggle infested area just to follow me? Really Black? That's what your sticking to?"
"Why do you always have to be so damned stubborn?" I asked her with a glare. "You are way too 'I'm gonna kick ass' when you should remind yourself that sometimes you cant always win in a fight! It could have been anyone! You could have died! Does that mean nothing to you?"
"Not really! If I died in battle trying to protect someone that I loved, I would do so gladly."
I just stared at her. Long gone is the timid girl I knew in Hogwarts. And in her place was a mini version of Moody. I shook my head at her and sighed again.
"Just don't go out again alone." I told her before looking over to the dog sleeping in the sunlight from the back door. "And how'd the dog come about?"
"The doucebag following me kicked a box in the alley way and discovered him. He was about to kill him when I popped up from out of my hiding spot behind this big old smelly garbage can. Saved the dog, stunned the idiot." she grinned. "All in a days work."
"Don't go getting too big headed now." I snorted at her. "Are you gonna keep him?"
"Yeah. I was thinking names on the walk back here. Poor thing, was shivering in my arms Black. I almost started to cry." she sighed grabbing my glass of whiskey and downing it. "On that merit alone I'm keeping him."
"You hate dogs." I reminded her refilling my glass. "They scare you."
"Ok. Your right. I don't like dogs." she rolled her eyes. "And yes I'm afraid of them due to the incident that will never be repeated." she narrowed her teal eyes at me. "But he need someone to love him, and I'm gonna be that person. S'not like I've got anyone else to keep me company at home. Besides Mad-eye but he's usually hauled up in his study going over battle plans."
"Figures. Only your uncle would go over strategy plans while at home when he should be resting and taking in life." I chuckled. "Will Mad-eye even let you keep him? He's not fond of dogs either."
She rolled her eyes and smirked.
"Mad-eye has always let me have what I wanted. I'm sure I can keep the dog." she smiled over at the pooch. "I wonder what breed of dog he is?"
"Looks like a Husky to me." I told her taking a drink from my glass. "Maybe has a little bit of Shepard in him."
"Hmmn." she hummed before walking back over to the snoozing pooch. "He's cute." she said before petting his ears.
"So what's going on in here?" asked Lily's voice from the door way where she stood with the tray of muffins resting lightly on her swollen belly. "And what's up with the dog?" she asked taking another bite of her muffin. "He wont chase Fluffy will he?"
"Doubt it Lilybean." Gwen grinned at her. "If only I could take a picture of this moment." she indicated to Lily's use of her stomach as a table for the muffin tray. "Eight and half months pregnant and using your child as a table for your muffin tray. Boy would I love to show that one about the office."
"Shut up Gwendolyn Rose Ackles, or I just might go and find that picture of you with that old stuffed rabbit of yours." Lily quipped back with a smirk. "Or I might go and find that stuffed rabbit you still to this very day sleep with."
"Burn in hell Lily Anne!" Gwen sighed. "And please stop using the whole name. I really hate it. My father just had to ruin my life all ways around."
"Speaking of your father." I interrupted them. "He wanted to see you yesterday in the office. Came in looking for you with his usual sadistic gleam in his eyes. Told him you were out sick."
"But I wasn't." she said confused. "And what did the stupid bastard want?"
I gulped knowing what I said next would piss her off.
"He left some of your mothers stuff. In a couple of boxes." I told her slowly leaving out the hectic conversation that occurred during the drop off. "I locked them up in Moody's office for you to get tomorrow when your in again."
She growled plopping down on the floor next to the dog all the while petting him. She crossed her legs and put her head down.
"Oh look!" Lily pointed to the window. "An owl." she walked over to the window to let the owl in. After the letter was delivered the small brown owl took back off into the air. "Its from James." she swooned sitting down in a chair and opening the letter.
"What are you leaving out Black?" Gwen looked up and asked with dark eyes. "I know that your leaving something out. That bastard was never one to do things simply. I would know." she growled.
"He said that he had to get rid of the shit, he couldn't take looking at it and being reminded of that slut anymore."
"Figures." Gwen snapped out. "Bastard was always sick in the head. My mother the slut?" she laughed out in a hallow tone. "He's the fucking slut."
"Whiskey?" I held my glass out to her.
She nodded her head, stood up, and walked over to get the afore mentioned drink. Like usual she downed it in one go and refilled it.
"Thanks." she said taking another sip. "I needed that."
I rolled my eyes at her. She always needed it. And she had the nerve to call me the drunk half of the time. Ok well I kinda am most of the time but hey! She is no better.
"The order meetings in an hour." I pointed at the clock next to Lily.
"No." Lily broke in. "There is an emergency meeting right now." she stood up and walked over to the shoe rack next to the back door. "Lets go."
…scenechange…
Authors Note: Hello lovelies! Hopefully you all enjoyed the chapter. Its kinda jumpy, but I'm trying to get everyone in the story. This is mostly cannon and will remain so. J with of course, the alternate ending to the cannon saga. J cheers, thf note: I will update once weekly.