AN. Hey so this is the first time iv tried this so its more than likely shite but reviews would be appreciated, nice ones preferably but evils ones said in a nice way too, constructive criticism and all that. Let me know if i should continue eh (: oh and i dont have a clue what it should be rated as so better be safe than sorry eh. - SKRx
disclaimer: i dont own harry potter and all that jazz, wish i did but.
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She had been feeling it all day. This strange feeling. She could feel it in her bones. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. Leila Evans was known for her good instincts, they had saved her life more times than she cared to remember, yes Leila Evans always listened to her instincts. It was this all consuming unclenching fear that led her to check on her sister.
Her sister along with her husband James and little Harry had been major targets along with the Longbottoms's and their boy for nearly a year and a half now due to a prophecy made by some fraud seer. Stupid bint had to make her first and only real prediction while applying for the divination job while a death eater just happened to be spying. Lily's family had already escaped Voldemort three times just like that damned fraud said and weren't so sure they would manage again and had only two weeks ago resorted to the fidelius charm with the runt peter as their secret keeper. She was not happy about that, the fight she had with James and Sirius over that would be legendary. She did not trust Peter as far as she could throw him. Of course being the fat arse he is that is not very far but Sirius fell back on the very mature argument of two against one, we win. Merlin she hoped her sister was all right.
Leila didn't know what she would do if something happened to Lily. Sweet Lily who was always so confident, bubbly and optimistic. Lily was the only person in the world Leila knew would always support her, care for her, love her no matter what. It was Lily who despite only being five years old herself took on the task of mothering baby Leila when Tuney refused to have anything to do with her, blaming her for their mother's death. That was the only thing Leila had in common with Tuney apart from their blond hair, Leila also blamed herself for the death of Rose Evans. Even at the young age of five months everyone could tell Leila was going to be a beauty with her blond hair that was already starting to curl, her alabaster skin and the same vivid green eyes of her sister. Rose's then best friend Laney doted on the young girl and could often be heard saying with a demented glint in her eye that 'if she ever had a daughter she would want her to look just like Leila'. So when Rose was murdered in cold blood and Leila had been missing for weeks it not at all surprising to find that Laney was discovered to be an insane physco. Their father was depressed for the most part and could not look after himself let alone three girls so it was also not unexpected that he eventually offed himself when Leila was twelve. Not that it mattered much to Leila, he was the one who had 'gifted' her with the scar that ran down one side of her face. Merlin she hoped Lily was alright. It wouldn't do for Harry to grow up without his mother.
Harry, he was such a happy, carefree child. He was also a very loved child with a large if slightly dysfuntional family consisting of Lily, herself, a dog, a werewolf, a stag and unfortunately a rat. Her godson had inherited James' mop of hair and love of mischief but Lilys' inherently kind not so cocky nature. It broke her heart to have that monster out to kill him and the Longbottom boy. As that thought pushed to the front of her mind her footsteps quickened until she was almost running. Damn apparition point, why couldn't it have been closer.
The sight that met Leila's eyes as she turned the corner was devastating. The once pretty little cottage had a large gaping hole in the top floor where she knew Harry's nursery to be. There was an eery orange glow and black smoke pouring from the ruins. Fire. She ran in through the front door only to stop short when she spotted James. James, handsome, cocky, arrogant, pig-headed, James. James who had been in love with lily since their first year, who had bullied her for being sorted into slytherin, who couldn't walk straight for a month after Lily found out. His hazel eyes normally so full of laughter and teasing where now dull and unseeing. She choked back a sob. Pushing James spread eagle body from her mind she ascended the stairs praying to every god she knew in every language she had learned that Lily and Harry were safe but being the pessimist she was attempting to brace herself for the worst.
Reaching the top of the stairs she heard shuffling. Pulling her wand from her messy bun, her blond curls spilling down her back as she did, she cautiously made her way to what used to be Harry's nursery. Her whitened knuckles and clenched jaw where the only signs to those who did not know her, that she was less than calm, she wasn't sorted into slytherin for nothing. She threw open the door wand drawn waiting for the attack. When none came she let her guard down a little to survey the scene. Lily was spread out in front of Harry's crib, the same blank unseeing expression as her husbands. She could tell right then she had gone down defending her child. Said child was shuffling around trying to get his mummy to wake up. Her heart broke at the sight and she could no longer hold back her sobs, she collapsed to the ground beside Lily and began stroking her silky blood red hair. Even in death Lily was still easily the most beautiful person in the world, at least to Leila she was. So caught up in her grief she did not noticed the pile of smoking black robes that where all that was left of the darkest wizard since Grindelwald, nor did she notice another person had entered the room until Harry shouted, "PAFOOO! Mama seep an Ayla sad, shh."
Her head whipped around so fast she was sure it would hurt later. Sure enough there was Sirius Black standing there with an expression of utter heartbreak and grief on his handsome face which she was sure was reflected back at him from her own. And that look was all it took for her to fling herself into his arms and for the first and probably last time in her life completely break down. Distantly in the back of her mind she noted that he smelled good, like citrus. Eventually numbness overtook her and she pulled back as if she had not just lost control and cried all over his expensive robes.
A soft 'ahem' brought her attention to the crib, Albus Dumbledore stood there in all his crazy purple robed glory, normally twinkling eyes sad and dull, "Miss Evans, i know that now probably is not the best time but we only have around 24 hours to discuss and set up safety precautions for Harry. Maybe we should go to your flat?"
Which is where she found herself a few hours later, in Sirius' comforting embrace, sad eyes watching her sleeping godson as Dumbledore erected some questionable blood wards around her flat. At some point Dumbledore left what was remaining of their odd dysfunctional family to mourn and heal, not that she noticed, she was numb. Merlin she hated feeling nothing, that was probably one reason she did not stop Sirius' soft kisses or stop him as he lead her into her bedroom. Yes later she would blame the numb for her fucking Sirius Black.
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It had been two years since the death of the Potter's and though she was still terribly depressed but she would be strong for her children. Leila gazed fondly at a dark haired little boy who was currently giggling madly as he watched his cousins hair turn a vivid green. Although Harry James Potter was not her child she would treat him as such, just as Lil's had done for her. Turning her eyes to a little green haired girl made her think of Sirius, poor Sirius locked up in azkaban without a trial, with only a picture to prove he had a beautiful little girl out there. Lily Jaymee Evans Black had been born three months premature on April 1st 1982 with her mothers hair and eyes but her fathers aristocratic features. She found it quite fitting that any child of Sirius' be born on a day famous for pranking subsequently pulling her first prank a hour later when her hair had mysteriously turned a shocking purple. Yes her little Lily was a metamorphagus like little Nymphadora. Harry took great delight in watching Lily's appearance change. The sounds of Harry's giggles and Lily's gurgled attempts of speaking brought a soft smile to her face. Despite all the pain and bad things that had happened they were happy. Although she wasn't sure for how much longer.
For the past week she had been having recurring nightmares that someone was going to kill Harry and Lily. That would not be happening while she was around. She had spent the last week looking up charms and enchantments that most wizards had never even heard of. And after days of intense research she had found an ancient spell that would activate upon her death, it was stronger than Dumbledores wards that he was sure to use as an excuse to send them to Tuneys. But she had a plan. She signed the letter she was currently penning to one Severus Snape telling him her plan, he would agree she knew because underneath that cold greasy exterior Sevvie was a big softy and could never say no to Lily or herself.
"Hey love, could you take this to Severus?" she asked while handing the letter to Remy, her beautiful midnight black owl. Remy had beautiful amber eyes that reminded her of Remus Lupin. Nipping her finger affectionately Remy took of out the window in to the setting sun.
Leila knew that her time was coming to a close, she could feel someone picking at the wards. "Lily, Harry come here quickly please!" she called picking up two black rope chains as she went to meet them in their shared bedroom. The chains where charmed to be unbreakable and could only be opened by herself, the children or Severus, they each had a little white gold animal on them. Lily's a big dog resembling a grim and Harry's a beautiful stag. Once activated they would turn into a trunk each filled with pictures, books, letters, clothes and everything else she thought they would need.
The children came running into the room recognizing her no nonsense voice. Pulling the chains over there heads she told them, "These chains are very special, never take them off. Nobody else can take them from you. Okay?" The wards where weakening, she had only a handful of minutes to hide the kids, "Promise me no matter what you hear or what happens that you will not leave our special hiding place!? Please. Harry it's your job to look after Lily okay my love, i need you to be grown up for me okay. Remember Sevvie? Yes the scary looking one. He will come to get you once it's safe. I love you two, always remember that." She gave them one last bone crushing hug before she carefully pushed them down a hidden door in the floor under Harry's bed. Locking them in as an extra precaution, she left the little bedroom an odd calm washing over her. She would be with Lily and James soon. More importantly her daughter and nephew would be safe and alive. With her resolve firmly intact she entered the sitting room. She counted seven cloaked figures in total.
"Give us the boy and you will be spared Evans," she recognised that to be the silky drawl of Lucius Malfoy, "I may even reward you." Disgust shot through her at that, back in school the shallow bastard thought he owned her.
" Aw Lucy I thought you knew me better than that," she taunted " Unlike you I actually like my family." With that she started shooting spells at the robed men. She managed to take out three before she started weakening, she shot of one more spell finishing of her fourth opponent. She could feel the blood gushing from a deep gash just below her rib cage and another at the top of her thigh. She was starting to feel light headed from blood loss and knew she wouldn't last another round. In some foggy part of her mind she could hear Lucius' mocking,
" Bravo Evans bravo. Not to bad for a mudblood, " Mudblood. Merlin she hated that foul name. It haunted her first two years at Hogwarts until she lost control and cursed a seventh years bits off. She could feel anger bubbling up in her like a volcano just waiting to erupt. "What do you think Severus, shall we just put our little mudblood out her mysery?" Ah, so Severus was here to, she hoped he got her letter before he came. She sought out his eyes. Almost black eyes met her own, sadness, resolve and promise shining through for a moment before his cold indifferent mask was back in place. Good. He would stop Lucius from finding the children.
With that thought firmly planted in her mind, she started sending curses like there was no tomorrow, though for her there wasn't. She sent one final curse at Lucius' legs before she collapsed from exhaustion and blood loss. She could hear footsteps coming to where she lay gasping for breath,
"Such a shame Leila," he had started stroking her hair in a almost tender manner, it was sickening. "Such a waste, we would have been good together, I would have given you the world. So beautiful, even with your unfortunate blood." Anger once again coursed through her veins like fire,
"Go to hell Lucy." Her heart was slowing she noticed with morbid fascination, the pain was leaving and the last sight she saw was Severus bitter amusement,
"Always feisty Lee, right till the tragic end." His voice was oddly soft and cracked at the end, that could have been in her head though she thought, a soft smile graced her face as her heart stopped.
With a heavy sigh Lucius pulled himself up and started looking through her things. "Let's find this child and be done with it shall we?" drawled Severus, he didn't like how Lucius was so interested in Leilas' things. He watched as Lucius searched cupboards and rooms and even some drawers looking for The Boy Who Lived. Not finding any sign of a child having occupied the house other than the shared bedroom, Lucius found it odd that Potter would need two beds, he decided that the boy was in fact not here and left along with the other nameless black robed figure. Neither of the two noticed that Severus did not leave, nor did they notice the only clue that their comrade's carefully constructed mask was cracking in the form of a single crystal tear rolling down his cheek.
He knew right then that he would do what was asked of him, he would buy a house on privet drive and give the kids a safe haven from Tuney's cruelty, he'd put aside the hate for there fathers and treat them as Harry and Lily, he'd protect them as he had failed to protect there mothers and when they where old enough to understand he'd tell them all about their magic and there past. He would not fail them. And with that thought he went to find his goddaughter and her cousin.