Moving
Lily agreed to move in with James, but how will she find the time between Petunia's wedding, the Order Mission, and the usual chaos that surrounds James and his friends? Sequel to Camping (But can stand alone).
Chapter One
"Where is everyone?" Sirius Black whined, fidgeting in his metal folding chair and twisting towards the door. Beside him, Lily rolled her eyes and continued making notes on a seating chart for her sister's upcoming wedding. Peter tapped his foot anxiously, and James simply paced back and forth in front of the other three.
When Lily was positive that Sirius was going go into a full blown melt down, much like a five year old, the door to the small, dark room they were in opened. They were waiting for the other members of the Order of the Phoenix to arrive at the meeting. After Dumbledore had learned of the encounter they had with Death Eaters on their camping trip, he had called an Order meeting right away.
Lily was relieved when the heavy, metal door opened and allowed some light to flood into the dim room. She had been barely able to read what she was writing due to the poor light conditions in the room. She wasn't exactly positive where she was, except that it was somewhere in London.
James stopped pacing and promptly sat down on Lily's other side. Much to Lily's relief, Sirius stopped fidgeting, but Peter continued tapping his foot.
"It's ok, Peter," Lily said, leaning forward to smile kindly at him around Sirius. "I know you're uncomfortable with public speaking, but these are all friends."
Peter nodded and returned a small, shaky smile of his own just as Dumbledore and the rest of the Order filed up through the aisle between the rows of folding metal chairs that Lily and the others were seated on. Quickly, the seats began to fill up and the room, which had a gloomy feeling to it due to it's damp conditions and weak lighting, was filled with friendly greetings and pleasant chatter.
"Don't worry Peter. Just imagine Dumbledore in his underwear," Sirius offered, not daring to make eye contact with Lily.
"Don't be a prat," she scolded. "That's possibly the stupidest thing I've ever heard! What good would that do?"
"She's right, you know," James said. Just as Lily was about to thank him for taking her side, for once, he spoke again. "You should picture Snape in his underwear."
"Of course!" Sirius said, "That's brilliant. You'll be way more relaxed thinking about getting attacked by those nasty shorts." He rolled his eyes and clapped Peter on the back. "Don't worry, mate. We'll be here for you."
Peter's foot began tapping at an even faster rate than it had previously and he swallowed hard. "Thanks, Sirius. I wasn't even thinking about talking to all of these people," he moaned, slapping a hand to his forehead.
James grinned and simply said, "Lily brought it up."
Lily took what she hoped would be a calming breath, and said, "You can't just blame me for everything!"
James shrugged. "Well, considering I asked you to move in with me, and you have yet to actually tell your parents that it even happened, I'm going to blame everything on you."
Sirius and Peter exchanged a look. Lily knew that James wasn't happy she hadn't told her family about her plans to move in with him, but she also knew that she needed to use some discretion. Blurting news like that out over dinner rarely worked out well.
They were forced to put their conversation on hold, though, because everyone was seated in a hard metal chair and Professor Dumbledore smiled sadly around the room at those gathered. This, of course, was all he had to do to capture the crowd's attention. Lily elbowed James who was attempting to whisper something in her ear, and focused on what the old man was saying.
"Thank you all for coming on such short notice. It seems that we have quite a problem on our hands." The old man continued to move his gaze from face to face while he paused, deciding what to say next. Lily gave a small shudder. She didn't like to see her old headmaster this way. It was very disconcerting.
After only a moment, though it seemed like an eternity to the audience, Dumbledore continued. "It seems that there are plans to infiltrate the ministry. While we have already confirmed several prominent members of the ministry to be Death Eaters, it seems there are plans to add several more." He paused again and Lily shifted nervously in her seat. The dark room seemed to be closing in on her. She had always believed that the ministry would be able to protect her and other muggle born witches and wizards, but with high ranking officials joining up with the Death Eaters, it seemed unlikely that muggle borns would have any allies other than Dumbledore.
"I know that I am being vague," Dumbledore said again, giving his audience a small smile, "but there are reasons for this, as there are reasons for everything." He nodded to Peter and Lily could hear him clear his throat nervously as he stumbled up to the front of the room. She smiled at him encouragingly as he turned around to face the audience, his face anxious.
"This is Peter Pettigrew. He would like you share the information with you that he has already shared with me. I feel that this will, perhaps, shed a little bit of light on the subject." With that, Dumbledore took a seat off to the side, and Peter was left standing alone at the podium in front of the large room.
"Hello," he said, his voice higher than normal. He cleared his throat again. "I'm Peter," this time, he sounded more like himself. "Last weekend, during a camping trip, I overheard a Death Eater gathering." At this, several people gasped and a woman behind Lily muttered "Over heard, or attended?"
She was glad Peter couldn't hear the muttered from where he stood, and gave him another encouraging smile. James, she notice was nodding for him to continue.
"There weren't any names mentioned, and they were all wearing their masks, so I don't know who they were," Peter said, placing his shaking hands on the podium. "But, they said that they already had fifteen spies in place at the ministry, and that they were planning on getting fifteen more in very soon." Whispers erupted throughout the hall as people expressed their shock at the high number. No one thought that it would possibly be that high. They only had seven names of Death Eaters at the ministry, which meant that there were still potentially thirteen people they did not yet know about.
"What else did they say?" A man that Lily didn't recognize called from the back of the room. "Why do they want that many spies?"
Peter shook his head and said, "I don't know…They said that there was too much resistance at the Ministry, and that they needed to get fifteen more people in to be able to pull something off. I don't know what they were talking about. That's all they said."
This answer didn't satisfy the crowd, though, and the whispers turned into full on talking. Dumbledore stood and moved towards Peter, causing the anxious crowd to calm a little. "We are in the process of finding out everything we can. We are going to have to work doubly hard to find these people." He looked pointedly to several people that Lily knew worked in the Ministry.
"If you please," Dumbledore said over the din of the crowd, which quietly almost instantly at the tone of his voice. "I ask of you only this: make sure you know who you can trust. Do not assume anything of anyone."
With those obscure words of advice, Dumbledore stepped down and moved towards were James, Sirius, and Lily were sitting. As members began filing out of the room, still murmuring and talking amongst themselves about the news they had just received, Dumbledore said, "I would like to speak to the four of you in my office."
Later that afternoon, Lily, along with James, Sirius, and Peter, found themselves gaping at Professor Dumbledore from their seats across from his large, cluttered desk in Hogwarts.
"Surely you can't be serious," Lily said, shaking her head ever so slightly. "Won't they know something is going on?"
Dumbledore studied the four carefully before he spoke again. "It is imperative that you believe this will work, Miss Evans. If you do not, there is a high likelihood that you would be found out…" The old man trailed off meaningfully and Lily couldn't help but wonder why she had agreed to go on a special mission for the Order of the Phoenix anyway.
Well, she did know. It was because she was unemployed and might as well commit herself fully to a cause other than planning Petunia's wedding. Of course, now, it seemed that she was going to be working in the same Ministry which she had been trying to get a job in, but kept receiving rejection letters due to her status as a muggleborn witch.
Now, as Lily sat surrounded by her friends, she wondered how she had even managed to relax after the encounter with the Death Eaters on their camping trip. They had been incredibly lucky that no one had smelled the smoke from their campfire or heard them as they tried to hide quietly in the woods.
"Professor," Peter said, frowning, "what exactly is it that you want us to do once we get into the ministry?"
"Ah, good question, Mr. Pettigrew. I want you to observe without being observed."
What? Lily exchanged a glance with James who shot her a quick smile. At least, Lily thought, it wasn't as dangerous as some of the missions other people were going on. Actually, it sounded quite tame. In a way, she was a little bit disappointed. This mission seemed to lack the grandeur of some of the things the others were doing. Remus, for example, was away doing something highly top secret that he wasn't able to speak to them about. She could imagine him dressed all in black, holding his wand and then rolling in front of a doorway like in Muggle spy movies.
"How should we communicate with you, Sir?" Sirius asked. "I'm sure that our mail will be monitored."
Dumbledore nodded, "Do not worry about communicating with me. I shall know what is happening at all times."
Lily was confused. If Dumbledore knew what was happening at all times, what did he need them for?
As though he was reading her mind, Dumbledore said, "At night, you will each find the time to write in your journals. A little bit of reflection is good for the mind, I find." He produced four small leather bound books and distributed them.
Lily flipped through the blank pages, taking in the scent of new paper and the leather binding. "We write about our days?" Lily asked incredulously, holding the journal up and frowning a little. "That's how you are going to know what is going on?"
"That is correct. Now I believe that you will find your first entry is already written for you. Please, you must excuse me. I have to be going now." Dumbledore stood, and the others followed quickly.
"Professor?" Peter said, clearly confused about the situation, just as Lily was.
"I'm confident that you will better understand your assignments after a good night's sleep, Mr. Pettigrew. You start tomorrow."
With that, Dumbledore disappeared into the fire behind his desk, leaving Lily and the others slightly dazed.
Lily sighed and looked from James to Sirius and finally to Peter. "What do you reckon we do now?"
James frowned and then rubbed the back of his head in thought. "I suppose we go figure out what exactly it is that we're supposed to be doing. He wasn't very forthcoming with information, was he?"
"Is he ever?" Sirius asked, standing up and moving towards the door. "Ice cream ought to help our situation," he said solemnly.
Lily couldn't help but smile. It was so like Sirius to decide they should go for ice cream after being told that they were to go into the Ministry and spy on all of the highest ranking officials to find out who was a Death Eater.
She had to admit that ice cream had been an excellent choice on Sirius' part. They sat huddled around a table outside of the ice cream shop in Hogsmeade eating their ice cream and discussion how exactly they were supposed to pull off their mission.
Of course they would never discuss the mission in plain terms so publicly, and soon everyone became confused and the conversation inevitably turned towards Lily and James moving in together.
"I can't just drop that kind of news on them!" Lily cried, "Petunia is getting married, for heaven's sake. They're going to be heart broken to lose both of us at once."
James rolled his eyes. "Well I'm heartbroken that you don't want to live with me."
Sirius and Peter exchanged a look and then burst into laughter. "You're pathetic, the both of you." Sirius said, taking a bite of his mint chocolate chip ice cream. "Here's the deal. Lily, if you don't tell your parents tonight, I will tell them."
Lily's eyes widened at the prospect of Sirius Black breaking such delicate news to her parents. Sure, it wasn't as thought she was getting married, like her sister, but in a way, she almost felt like that would be easier to tell them. Her parents were still old fashioned, and she was afraid that they would not support her decision.
"You don't want him to do it," Peter said, shaking his head. "Don't you remember what happened last time Sirius met your family?"
"Oh, merlin. How could I forget?" Lily smacked a hand to her forehead and sighed. "I'll do it tonight. I promise."
Sirius smiled and winked at her before saying to James, "See, Prongs, you just have to know how to bribe them."
"That wasn't a bribe, Black," Lily said, twirling her spoon around in her melting ice cream. "That was more like blackmail."
"Actually, I think it was extortion," Peter piped up. The other three turned to look at him curiously. "I'm just saying," he muttered, taking a bite of ice cream.
"I hadn't realized," James said, an amused smile on his face, "that you were so familiar with such types of coercion, Peter."
He simply shrugged and said, "You pick things up hanging out with you lot."
Lily laughed but she was distracted. So far she had put off telling her parents that she planned on moving in with James at the end of the month for nearly a week. Now she had no choice but to bite the bullet and do it, especially with Sirius' threat hanging over her head.
Lily sat awkwardly at the kitchen table with her parents. She had asked them to meet her there to discus something important, but after giving them the speech that she had practiced on James earlier that afternoon, they still seemed skeptical.
"If you've never been honest with us in your life, Lily, now is the time."
What? Lily started at her father in bewilderment. He was acting as though she lied to him on a regular basis for the past 18 years of her life.
"What do you want to know, Dad?"
Her parents exchanged a look that Lily knew from years of experience meant that they were mentally battling it out to see who had to ask. Her mother had clearly won since her father cleared his throat and wrung his hands together awkwardly.
"What is it?" Lily asked, wishing that he would just spit out his obviously embarrassing question.
"Er…" he started but trailed of, wringing his hangs together once more. "I'm going to be frank, darling. Now, don't be offended…"
Lily's confusion tripled as she stared across the kitchen table at her father and his quickly reddening face. Her mother nodded encouragingly towards him, but still refused to speak up and take the burden of the horribly awkward question, whatever it was, for herself.
"I won't be offended, Dad. Just ask me what you want to know, already," she said, getting desperate.
After a final deep breath, her father finally managed to ask her, "Are you pregnant?"
Lily stared at the carefully guarded faces of her parents for a moment while the words sunk in.
They thought she was pregnant? Oh, lord.
Lily felt herself blushing a red to rival the shade of her father's face and she vehemently shook her head. "No, I'm not pregnant!" she cried, trying to hold back the laughter that was threatening to spill over.
Relief flooded her parents' features instantly and her father loosened his tie. "Oh Lily…Why are you moving in with that boy then?"
Lily rolled her eyes. "You guys love that boy, and I already told you. I need to be closer to the magical world." She had explained all of her reasons for moving moments before the awkward question tainted the air of the kitchen.
"But, can't you just pop up anywhere you'd like?" Her mother asked, speaking for the first time, her face lighting up. Her parents had always been amazed by the whole idea of apparition. Lily couldn't blame them, though. Sometimes she still felt like the giddy eleven year old who was just discovering an entire world hidden neatly inside the world she had always known.
"I can, Mom, but it's tiring to go long distances," she explained for what seemed like the thousandth time.
Her parents exchanged another look, but this one, much to Lily's relief, wasn't the pinched, no-you-tell-her look from before. It was more relaxed, more defeated, almost.
Slowly her father began to nod as he turned his head back to face his daughter across the table. "You're an adult now," he said, sounding almost sad about the fact. "If this is what you want to do…" he trailed off, looking expectantly at Lily.
She was positive that he was waiting for her to change her mind and cry out that she would never leave them. She only smiled, though, and said, "I knew you'd understand! Thank you so much!"
She jumped out of her seat and ran around the table hugging both of her parents while they still sat in their seats with the dazed look that parents tend to get when they realize their children aren't five years old anymore.
A/N: Hello again! I know that this is horribly late, and I offer my infinite apologies. In the next chapter, the whole Order Mission is going to be cleared up. This chapter pretty much served as an opening to the different plot lines that will run throughout, so the next chapter will see some more action, and definitely some more humor, and of course, Remus will come back from his mystery mission to join in all of the fun.