Disclaimer... these characters belong to JKR

Prologue

Of course, Lily didn't know it at the time, but this was the last fight she would ever win against Voldemort. She'll think about this fight, as the door of Harry's nursery is blown open. She'll remember the fierce, victorious joy flooding through her body, and she'll remember placing a hand on her stomach, where her baby was just beginning to live. She still has a year. Over a year, in fact, and that year will be filled with happiness. It'll end in horror, of course, but she doesn't know that yet, and she won't know it until she's five minutes away from death.

But this fight… Lily dreams about this fight, afterwards. She and James have always been reckless and she knows that's not a particularly good thing, especially now that they're about to be parents. Still, she can't quite help herself from flinging herself headlong into the middle of every battle.

February 20th, 1980

"Why is Voldemort even here?" Lily shouted across to James.

They were standing in the huge foyer of the Lestrange mansion, ducking under curses and blasting away spells.

In one corner, Bellatrix Lestrange stood with her back against the wall, laughing madly as she flung curses at them. She was darkly beautiful, and she looked very much like Sirius, with the same dark sleek hair and hooded eyes. On Sirius though, his good looks were friendly and warm. Bellatrix's were deep and tangled, like roots on an elegant old tree.

Emmeline Vance was with them, and the three of them were severely outnumbered. Bellatrix's husband stood on the stairs duelling with Emmeline who was fighting another hooded Death Eater at the same time. James was fighting Bellatrix, and Lily could tell it was taking all his skill.

And Lily was fighting Voldemort and in the spaces between spells she didn't even have time to breathe.

"I dunno" James shouted back, somehow managing to sound nonchalant despite the snarl on Bellatrix's face. "Maybe he's vacationing with them"

Lily smirked at that and ducked under a bolt of green light, fighting her way up the stairs, her head down. Finally she stood at the top, opposite Voldemort.

He was even more inhuman looking than the last time she'd seen him. His nose had flattened into slits and his eyes were redder and madder.

"You're strong," he called across, over the tumultuous music of magic. "You and your husband both. I could use people like you."

Absently, Lily's hand flattened across her stomach.

"You want us to join you?" she asked incredulously.

"You would be protected," Voldemort said. "Honoured. Your husband is a pureblood – and you – witches of your power, whatever their – undesirable beginnings – are rare."

"Hey James!" Lily shouted, not looking away. "Fancy joining the Death Eaters?"

"I'm good!" James called back, and Lily shrugged.

"Sorry. Guess you have your answer."

Voldemort's thin pale lips drew back in a snarl and he raised his wand again. Lily took one faltering step back before pressing forward, whispering and shouting and urging the magic on. It was glorious. Her veins were aflame and she was burning perfectly and purely in the grip of all that power.

And Voldemort fell back. She could see it on his face, what he was going to do a second before he did and she leapt forward, crashing into him. The two of them toppled backwards over the low railing of the balcony.

The robes in Lily's fists whipped away as Voldemort Disapparated and she fell down, alone to the ground. The hard marble floors surged up to smack her and she curled around the pain until there was a warm hand on her shoulder.

"That," James said, sounding faintly awed. "Was the stupidest thing I've ever seen."

Lily groaned and sat up. "When I tell this story, I'm definitely telling people I threw Voldemort off the balcony."

"Of course," he said, helping her up. "I think you deserve that."

Emmeline Vance hurried down the stairs, looking concerned. Her sleek hair had fallen down around her face and there was a smudge of dirt on one cheekbone, and an ugly scrape on the other.

"They all just left!" she said, sounding rather indignant. "I was winning, too. Are you alright Lily? That was quite the fall"

"Yeah, I'm ok." Lily rested an anxious hand on her stomach. It hadn't been that hard of a fall, but she was still concerned.

"We should get to a Healer," James said, following the motion of her hand. Lily could see tense worry in his eyes and tried her best to smile reassuringly. "Emmi, can you debrief the Order? They should know about this."

Emmeline nodded quickly, giving Lily a gentle hug before hurrying out the door. Lily heard the muffled crack! as she Disapparated and leant back against James.

"We could just take the Floo," Lily said, eyeing the black marble fireplace.

"You'd throw up."

"Probably," Lily admitted. Now that the adrenaline had dissipated, she was feeling rather shaky. "Are you alright? That hex Bellatrix got you with looked nasty."

"I'm fine. And I got her back with the Bat-Bogey hex."

Lily sighed in relief. "Oh excellent, now Fabian will stop bothering me."

The two of them were silent for a moment.

"Did he really want us to join him?" James asked.

Lily looked up at the high vaulted ceiling. It was cold and dark in the Lestrange mansion, and she wanted to leave.

"I think so," she said. "He seemed serious. And – impressed. If we had wanted to, I think he would've taken us."

"That's really weird. Right – we should get you to Mungos, yeah?"

"Yeah," Lily agreed, as a wash of nausea went through her.

James took her elbow gently and the two of them left the deep silence of the empty Lestrange house.

A.N. Thanks for reading!