21st July, 1981

Marlene Apparated to the destination depicted on the photo with a loud crack, disturbing the quiet that had fallen over the ruin. An owl shrieked, flying low as it sought to escape the unseen danger. Instinctively, Marlene ducked, then swore at her paranoia. Once, she would have laughed at her ability to produce such an effect. Now, she wondered if she could even truly call herself a Gryffindor anymore.

She shivered despite the balmy nature of the evening. The lengthy summer day had drawn to a close, the sun just set over the horizon, but the July heat still lingered over the earth. She hurried over the broken stone walls, wand aloft, but not alight. Only when she reached the gloomy doorway of an intact tower did she dare interrupt the night once more.

'Lily?' she hissed, peering through the gloom.

'Lumos.'

The circle of light nearly blinded Marlene, and she stumbled back, taken unawares.

'Marlene? Oh thank God, I was worried you wouldn't come.'

Marlene's eyes adjusted to the light as Lily lowered her wand, revealing her pale face framed by dark red hair. The fear was plain on her freckled features, but Marlene had been tricked before. She pointed her own wand squarely at Lily's chest, speaking with a conviction that would not betray the pounding of her heart.

'What did I say to you when you confessed you had a crush on Emma Vanity in third year?'

'You didn't say anything,' Lily replied, the ghost of a smile on her lips. 'You pushed me into the Black Lake.'

'And you eventually saw sense and married a Gryffindor,' Marlene replied, a hint of sarcasm to her tone. After all, House rivalries seemed so petty in the scope of the war.

They shared a laugh at that.

'What are we doing in this ruined old dump?' Marlene asked, waving a hand to their surroundings. As if they needed any more fear in their lives, Lily was playing at haunted houses. Then, an unmistakable cry came from the adjacent room — if it could be called that — and Marlene felt her heart constrict once more.

'You brought Harry?' she asked incredulously, brushing past Lily to shine a light on a bundle of blankets in the corner, previously protected by a Disillusionment Charm. A wave of panic rushed through her veins as she took the child in her arms. If Lily hadn't answered her security question, she would have expected a trap. 'Lily, what's going on? Is James—'

'James is fine,' Lily interrupted, and her voice wavered. Lily's voice never wavered. Not even when facing Lord Voldemort himself.

'The house, then—'

'Everything's fine,' Lily said, waving a hand as if to brush her off. Her green eyes stared into Marlene's, her mouth pursed and eyebrows drawn into a quizzical line, as if assessing what she saw.

Marlene opened her mouth to speak, then thought better of it. Lily had been sequestered for months in hiding, in a place few of the Order knew of. All because of the prophecy.

That fucking prophecy, Marlene thought. It had changed her best friend, more than even the war had.

'I need your help,' Lily said eventually, breaking Marlene's train of thought. 'But you're not going to like it.'

'When do I ever like people needing my help?' Marlene joked, nudging her friend lightly to show she didn't mean it. She would die for Lily, and die gladly. A better person she had never known. When Lily didn't react, her face fell. 'Lily?' Her voice was uncertain.

'You're not going to like it,' Lily said, and raised her left hand. In it, she held a large book that looked as ancient as the ruins they were standing in. 'It's Dumbledore's. Initially, it was a bit of light reading to keep me from going mad, but I stumbled on some powerful spells. Ancient magic only activated in old wizarding places, such as here. It is said that Merlin himself lived here once.'

'Blood magic?' Marlene asked, her voice breaking on the last syllable as she understood what her friend was implying. Get a grip, she told herself. Her courage might have deserted her, but she was brave enough for this. She took a deep breath, rocking Harry absently in her arms. It wouldn't do to have him hear them yelling, though Merlin knew he'd had enough of fear and anger in the past few months to last him a lifetime. 'You can't be serious.'

'I am,' Lily said simply, and those words seemed to open the dam. 'I need you for a ritual, Marlene, one that will ensure Harry's safety if Voldemort comes after us. James can't know, he can never know. You know how he feels about dark magic, and besides,' her features contorted as she glanced down, 'he'd never agree.'

'You're damn right he'd never agree!' Marlene said heatedly. 'And why should I? Lily, we've not lost yet! Don't give up just because—'

'I can feel it, Mar,' Lily interrupted again, and this time, her face was deadly serious. 'Something in my bones... call it a mother's intuition. That prophecy… What chance does Harry stand against Lord Voldemort himself? He can barely string a sentence together! I need to give him a fighting chance! I owe my son that much, even if…'

'Even if what, Lily?' Marlene forgot herself, her voice echoing around the stones. 'Divination is a load of bollocks, and besides, you and James are the best protected wizards in the whole of Britain, except maybe Frank and Alice Longbottom!'

'You say that because you are a witch, born and bred,' Lily replied, her voice trembling. She took Harry from Marlene's arms, casting heating and muffling charms with such ease that Marlene was taken aback. It was easy to forget just how powerful her friend was when she always opted for the peaceful resolution. 'I'm a Muggleborn, Marlene. Do you know what that means?'

'Absolutely nothing,' Marlene said stonily. 'There is no difference between you and I, and I would challenge anyone to a duel who dares say otherwise.'

Lily gave her a sad smile, filled with a wisdom that reminded Marlene of how fast they had all had to grow up during the war.

'And that is why I love you, Mar,' she said. 'But I wasn't talking about that. You were raised with magic, saw it every day, breathed it in for every moment of your life. I grew up thinking magic only existed in fairytales. And once something from your childhood stories turns out to be true, you have a hard time disbelieving the rest. Why shouldn't destiny exist? I'm not going to dismiss the power of Divination simply because someone does not possess it, or even understand it. And I'm not going to stake the life of my child on it.'

Marlene faltered under Lily's steady gaze, her eyes dropping to Harry, now sleeping peacefully in his mother's arms. What wouldn't I do for the boy who could save us all? she wondered. And if he does not, what wouldn't I do for my godson, to give him a life worth living?

'I'll do it,' she said. 'But James has to know. He's better at protection magic than me; I'm sure that if you just explain…' She trailed off as Lily resolutely shook her head.

'I'm not going to tell him. And neither are you. I can't…' Lily's resolve wavered as her eyes filled with tears. Instinctively, Marlene moved forwards, putting an arm around both her best friend and godson. Lily sniffed once, then drew herself up. 'I can't make him choose between his wife and his son. It would break him. I would die for Harry without a second's thought. But I cannot ask James to sacrifice me when his love is what keeps us all strong.'

'I can't kill you,' Marlene sobbed suddenly, her tears streaming into Lily's red hair. 'Merlin forgive me, I would do anything for Harry, but I cannot murder his mother.'

'And I'm not asking you to,' Lily replied, and this time it was she who pulled Marlene into an embrace, Harry between them. Marlene shook her head, the tears coming even faster. Trust Lily to comfort her friend over her own impending death. 'This ritual, it will only weaken me — us — for a few days, a month at most. I don't plan on leaving Godric's Hollow until my magic is fully returned, and you should stay in hiding too. You'll barely be able to cast Alohamora for at least five days. If all goes well, the magic will never be needed. And if not…'

'If not, you will die in his stead,' Marlene finished the sentence, her eyes on the book. 'And James will be left to pick up the pieces. If he's not dead already.'

'But Harry will be alive,' Lily replied. 'And you and Sirius will be there to take care of him. Please, Marlene, promise me you will.'

'I promise,' Marlene said. What else could she say?

MARLENE MCKINNON

Born 6 April 1960 Died 31 July 1981

Faithful Friend and Fierce Fighter

Death is but the Beginning of a New Life

QLFC: Captain, Pairing: Lily Potter and Marlene McKinnon