A/N: I updated just for you, guest reviewer. And all of you who reviewed/favorited/followed the story so far. Big thank you to all of you :) I would have updated sooner, but I've had a long week, trying to catch up on my homework because I'm a fantastic procrastinator. Anyway, here's the update and this chapter is split in two parts. Not much happens in this chapter, except Alice and Frank are introduced into the story, which I just had to do because I like Alice. It jumps around with the POV's but I hope it won't be to confusing. I've no idea what else I wanted to say because I'm dead tired, so I'll just shut up. Enjoy!


Chapter 3: It Ends Tonight, Part I

The day had started out like any other. Mr and Mrs Longbottom had climbed out of bed just as the sun had risen over the small village of Upper Flagley. They had sat at their breakfast table, and, like every other morning before that, Mr Longbottom had read the newspaper as he sipped his tea while Mrs Longbottom fed their one-year old son. Every so often, Mr Longbottom would relate a particular story of interest to Mrs Longbottom, who would listen with rapt interest. Had anyone been looking through their window at the moment, they would have seen just another happy family.

Not that anyone could, seeing as Mr and Mrs Longbottom where currently in hiding.

"Do you think they've caught them yet?" Mrs Longbottom asked, her voice hopeful.

"I doubt it, dear," Mr Longbottom responded with a sigh. "Moody would have told us if they did; he promised to keep us informed."

Mrs Longbottom exhaled slowly; after one-year of hiding, she was ready to call it quits. She was done; she wanted nothing more than to be able to walk out her front door, without the fear of being killed.

Her son laughed happily to her left and she turned to observe him, a small smile grazing her otherwise tired face.

Even at the young age of one, it was extraordinary how much Neville looked like her. Everything from his round face to his chocolate-brown eyes that twinkled happily as he smashed the Pixie Puffs she had poured out for him, was all her. Of course, he looked like Frank, too. They both had the same wavy, blond hair and ability to make her feel loved and safe with just one look.

Sensing her gaze, Neville looked up, giving her a wide grin as he put a handful of the mushy mess into his mouth. She let out a small laugh as she caressed his cheek; if it was for Neville's safety, then perhaps waiting a few more months wasn't that bad. Even waiting another year would be worth it, if it meant her son's safety.

She looked up then, to see her husband observing them, a sad, little smile playing on his lips. He looked twice his age, his blond hair already growing grey in some places and she wanted nothing more than to reach out to him and smooth down the worry lines that seemed to adorn his face lately. She hated what this war was doing to him, to them; robbing her son of what should be the happiest days of his childhood, robbing them of the chance of actually being a family. And she knew it was for their son's safety that they had gone into hiding, but she wished that it were over. Soon.

"It ends today , Alice," Frank said softly as if he had read her mind, covering her hand with one of his. She looked into his bright, blue eyes, willing herself to believe him, even if he had been telling her the same thing for the past year. "I can feel it."

"I hope so, Frank," Alice responded, letting out a tired sigh.

"It will, you'll see," Frank assured her as he stood from his seat, pressing a kiss to her temple.

She watched as he left their homely kitchen for the privacy of his study, where she knew he would occupy himself with managing the Longbottom enterprises. It wasn't what he wanted to do and she knew he missed his Auror duties, but it helped keep him busy and that was always a good thing.

Alice didn't know why, but she couldn't help but get the feeling that something was going to happen, something big, as she observed his retreating back. She found herself stealing a worried glance at the fireplace, even though she knew that it was nearly impossible for anyone to come toppling out of it without their knowledge first; Frank had taken all the necessary precautions to keep his family safe and had made sure that the only other fireplace theirs was connected to was that of the Order Headquarters and of Longbottom Manor. Even then, he kept it sealed at all times only taking down his wards when Dumbledore or Moody asked for it. But even with these precautions, there was still the ever-present threat of an infiltration.

She let out a small sigh as she gathered Neville in her arms and carried him upstairs to his room, determined to put as much distance between herself and the fireplace as possible.

She spent most of the morning entertaining her son, playing little games with him and such, trying to keep her mind off of the queasy feeling she was getting. This she did until one o'clock when she gathered her son in her arms once more and made her way down the stairs again. After a quick lunch, of which she didn't eat much, she put Neville down for his nap. It was her daily routine and she went through all the steps mechanically; she couldn't say she liked it but the familiarity of her routine gave her life some sense of normalcy the war had taken away from her and normal was safe and safe was always good.

She had just managed to get Neville to fall asleep and was heading back down the stairs, when the sound of voices made her stop in her tracks and she held her breath, taking a step back. She extracted her wand from the back pockets of her jeans, gripping it tightly in her hands. She walked slowly down the stairs, trying very hard to remain unnoticed as she strained to hear what was being said. She could make out her husband's voice, of course, and that of another male, whose deep, husky voice sounded familiar. It wasn't until the man let out a barking laugh that she knew who he was.

"Sirius!"

She didn't know she had spoken out loud until both men turned around to greet her, but she didn't care; she flew down the stairs and into the grey-eyed man's arms.

"Oh, Merlin, I can't believe it's you, Sirius," she said happily as she hugged him tightly. Ever since her mother, the late Lucretia Prewett, had revealed to her that she and Sirius were related, they had grown quite close. She had missed him, of course, missed him dearly as she had the rest of her friends. "Oh, it's so good to see you!"

"Of course it is. You've obviously missed me, not that I blame you; it's hard not to, really," Sirius said and, although she couldn't see him, she knew he was wearing his trademark smirk.

"Still the same arrogant prat, I see," Alice said as she pulled away, a tinge of amusement in her voice.

"Just how you love me," he said, grinning at her and Alice rolled her eyes giving him a grin of her own as she observed his appearance. She could see the faint sadness lingering behind his grey eyes and her grin dropped.

"What's wrong, Sirius?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.

Sirius hesitated as he looked to Frank, who looked even more tired than ever.

"Where's Neville, dear?" Frank asked even as he made his way toward the stairs.

"Upstairs, sleeping," she called after him, a frown appearing on her forehead. She turned to look at Sirius, searching his eyes. "What's wrong?" she said, her gaze not leaving his as she urged him to respond to her.

Sirius sighed, passing a hand through his tired face as he avoided her eyes.

"Regulus," he said simply, the pain evident in his voice. And, although she hadn't necessarily been close to him, she felt her stomach drop as he said the words she hadn't realised she dreaded: "Regulus is dead."

Her breath caught in her throat as she watched one of the men she loved most rapidly blink away his tears and it was hard to see him like this, because in all the years she had known Sirius Black, he had never cried once. Not even when he had left home and his mother had all but disowned him.

"I'm sorry, Sirius," she finally managed to whisper out.

Sirius pinched the bridge of his nose as he took a deep breath to compose himself, while holding up his other hand to her. He finally looked back at her and she could see his eyes were bloodshot and he was trying very hard not to cry.

"It's alright," he said, his voice hoarse from not crying, although she knew it was anything but.

She knew, Sirius having told her on several occasions, that he loved his brother dearly, despite their differences. And this was surely killing him. But she knew Sirius and knew that he would talk, whenever he felt ready, so she didn't push it.

"How's everybody?" she asked softly, hugging herself.

"Everyone's alright," Sirius said, grateful for the change in conversation. And, just like that, he was all business again. "I've come with news."

"Good or bad?" she asked, not really sure if she wanted to know the answer.

"Good." He hesitated. "For the most part."

"What is it?" she asked.

"Well, for one, the Order has received information that there is to be an attack staged on your house by three Death Eaters. Tonight."

"How can they?" she said, her voice fearful. "They don't know our location, do they?"

"Well it seems that Voldemort had people working for him, within the Ministry and with connections to important Ministry officials. Like Barty Crouch Jr., for instance."

"Barty Crouch's son?" Alice asked incredulously. "As in the Head of the Department of Magical Enforcement's son?"

She couldn't believe it; she had talked to Crouch Jr. on a number of occasions and yes, he had appeared to be less than normal to say the very least, but she would have never guessed he had it in him to wander into the Dark Arts. Not with Barty Crouch Sr. as his father; it just wasn't plausible.

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it either, at first. But we've got two witnesses that are willing to testify on his involvement with Voldemort." She exhaled loudly, collapsing onto the nearest armchair. "We need to get you out of here. Take you somewhere safe."

"Where?"

"The Order's Headquarters. The Potters are already there, per Dumbledore's orders. We're not taking any chances right now. Not when so many lives are at stake."

Alice sighed again, rubbing a hand across her tired face.

"Don't worry, Al," Sirius said, trying to comfort her. "The good news in this is that we know of the attack."

"How is that good news?" Alice asked as she put her head in her hands. "You're telling me that my son's life is in danger. Good news would be telling me that all those bloody bastards are safely locked away in Azkaban."

"It's not as bad as you think, Al. It's actually a good thing."

"He's right, love," Frank said softly, as he walked back down the stairs, Neville safely in his arms.

"We know about the attack, right? That gives us an advantage. We could stage a counter-attack; the Death Eater's won't even see what hit them."

He paused, the mechanisms of his brain working out all sorts of strategies, like the Auror he was and Sirius took the opportunity to speak again.

"There's something else. And I promise this is better news."

"What is it?"

"We've managed to capture a handful of Death Eaters, thanks to my informant, who also revealed the exact location of where the rest of them are hiding."

Alice looked up at Sirius then, her eyes wide and hopeful. She looked over to her son, who was sleeping peacefully in Frank's arms, oblivious to what was happening around him. Could it be, that after one-year of hiding, this could be over? That they could finally be free again? She turned back to Sirius, not daring herself to get her hopes up, lest this be just another dream.

"Please tell me you aren't joking, that I'm not dreaming."

Sirius smiled. "I'm not. It ends tonight, Ali."


Lily had been pacing in front of the fireplace for the past half-hour and James was surprised that she hadn't managed to burn a whole in the rug. He found it a bit annoying, to be truthful, but he said nothing about it; he knew his wife was anxious as well as excited about the possibility of finally being free after a year of imprisonment; that and seeing one of her best friends again, after almost a year of hiding. He bit his tongue as she passed him once more; he knew exactly how she felt and he wasn't about to ruin this moment for her. From the corner of his eye, he could see an obviously annoyed Narcissa determinedly trying to ignore his anxious wife.

Of course, he could always count on blunt and outspoken Marlene to say something.

"Will you stop that, Lillian?" Marlene asked, momentarily extracting herself from the game she was playing with her godson. "It's getting on my nerves. Or I swear I'll tie you to that bloody armchair if you don't."

Lily turned around, her red curls whipping the air around her, glaring at her best friend. "First of all, do not call me Lillian. My name. Is. Lily," she said through gritted teeth and James couldn't help but bite back a laugh. It had always irritated his wife greatly whenever anyone tried to call her any other variant of Lily and had gone as far as hexing them if they dared; James was living proof of that. "Second—"

But whatever Lily was about to say was forgotten as the fireplace to the Order Headquarters burned green. She took a step back, wrapping her arms around herself and she held her breath in anticipation. Marlene too rose from her seat, gathering Harry in her arms, whom she handed to James, before going to stand next to the redhead. Soon, they were joined by Emmeline Vance, fellow Order member and best friend to Alice, as well as Lily and Marlene. The women held their breath as a figure came toppling out of it, only to let out a disappointed groan.

"Nice to see you, too, ladies," Sirius said, his ever-present smirk in place.

"Bugger off, Sirius. We're waiting for someone," Marlene said and Sirius barked out a laugh as he placed a kiss on her cheek.

"She'll be here any moment."

As he said this, the fireplace grew green once more and, before the petite woman who came out of it could react, she was engulfed in hugs. James could barely make out what they were saying, only catching a few phrases like "I've missed you" and "Look at you!". Other than that, it was all just one unintelligible, teary, shrieking mess. Frank came out of the fireplace seconds after, with Neville in his hands, looking around the commotion in surprise.

A few curious onlookers had entered the sitting room, attracted by the commotion the women were making, all with confused expressions on their faces as they observed the teary reunion.

"What the hell is going on?" Remus asked in bewilderment as he came to stand next to them.

"Your guess is as good as mine, mate," Sirius said with a clueless shrug.

They carried on like that for what seemed like ages as the men stared uncomfortably at the scene before them, at loss of what to do. Finally, they paused long enough for Sirius to clear his throat as they wiped his tears and all attention turned to him.

"Alright, I know you're all excited to see each other and you'll have time for more of that," he gestured to them with a wave of his hand, "but we really do need to get ready."

"Sirius is right," Emmeline sniffed, wiping her tears with the sleeve of her robes. "We really should get going. There's plenty to do."

"That and we really would love a break from all that shrieking." Fabian Prewett stepped out from behind Remus, an impish grin on his face as he regarded his younger cousin. "Nice to see you again, Al."

Alice let out another shriek as she ran to him, throwing her arms around the redheaded man, much to his amusement.

"Oh, Fabian, I've missed you! Where's Gideon?" she asked as she stepped away, looking around for Fabian's twin brother.

"With Moody, trying to gather our people. From what we've gathered, we're going to need plenty of capable people to bring those Death Eater's down."

"In that case," Frank spoke up and all eyes turned to him, "I want to join."

Alice's face, which had been full of untold joy just moments before, fell dramatically as she stared at her husband.

"Are you sure, Frank?" she asked, her voice quivering slightly.

"Yes," he said firmly, standing tall, like the Auror he was.

He turned to the other Order members, as if daring them to disagree, before Sirius finally nodded his agreement. Frank turned to Alice and they both stared at each other, him in determination and she in defiance, until finally, Alice turned away, taking Neville from her husband's hands.

"Well, we should get going," Sirius said tiredly, after an awkward silence.

James turned to Lily just as the Order members turned to leave, and she shook her head resolutely, as if reading her mind. He gave her an apologetic look, before calling out to Sirius.

"I'm coming, too."

"No, James! You can't!" Lily said fiercely, her chest heaving.

"I'm sorry, Lil," he said, trying to reach a hand out to her, but she took a step back.

"Tell him he can't," she hissed, turning to look at Sirius.

Sirius looked helplessly between them both, rubbing a hand across the back of his neck.

"I—well, erm, I'm sorry, Lil. But I can't do that. If he wants to go, he has every right to."

"Then I'm coming, too."

Despite her stubbornness, James could hear the fear creeping in her voice and he let out a tired sigh. He felt somebody slip Harry from out of his arms and he took a tentative step toward his wife.

"Lily, love, you can't go," he said gently, becoming vaguely aware that their friends had left, leaving them alone. "It's too dangerous."

"Oh, so what? You can?" She narrowed her eyes at him, crossing her arms tight across her chest. "So it's perfectly acceptable for you to go out and put your life in danger, but not me? Is it because I'm a woman? Well, let me tell you something, James—"

"It's not that, Lily!" James cut her off, raising his voice over hers. He sighed, lowering his voice as he passed a hand through his dishevelled hair. "It's not that, love. I just don't want you to go. Please."

"You cannot expect me to stay here!" Lily yelled. She sounded angry, frustrated and the tiniest bit scared. He took another step toward her, glad when she didn't step back. "You cannot expect me to act out the part of the concerned wife and sit around doing nothing while the man I love puts his life in mortal danger! I can't do that, James. I can't sit here not knowing what's going on."

"And I can't either, Lily! I've been doing that for the past year. But enough is enough, you know? And I know we did it for Harry's safety, but that's why I want to go. I want to make sure myself that we get all of them. For Harry. For you." He looked at her, trying to get her to understand as he took another step in her direction. Lily sighed, hugging herself, but said nothing. "And I can't just stay here, not doing anything."

He took another step, finally reaching her. He reached out a hand to cup her face and her shoulders slumped in defeat, her anger dissipating. She looked so small and scared that James almost decided not to go. But he didn't. Instead, he gathered her in his arms.

"Please come back, James. Come back to us," she pleaded against his chest, her voice desperate. "Please."

"I will." His voice sounded less sure than he would have liked.

"Promise me you will," she said, taking a step back to look at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "Promise me."

He wiped a stray tear from her face and placed his hand gently on her cheek.

"I promise."


Outside, Sirius prepared his team as he always did before a mission, glancing every so often at the closed door of the Order's sitting room. He had been tempted to deny James permission to accompany them on this mission, but he had decided against it; he knew his best friend would have never forgiven him if he did. He just hoped he could forgive himself, because if anything happened to James—he didn't think he could carry around anymore blame.

"It'll be alright, love," Marlene said, coming to stand next to him, laying her head on his shoulders.

"I hope so, Mars," he whispered. He turned to his girlfriend, trying to determine the best way to ask her to stay behind, just this once, but she spoke first.

"You know, I think I ought to stay here, with Lily. She'll need someone to hold her hand through all this."

Sirius barely managed to contain in his sigh of relief.

"If that's what you want, love," he said as the door was swung open. James came out, giving him a nod, just as Moody and Dumbledore made their appearance.

"Is everyone ready?" Moody barked, his magical eye whizzing around in its socket.

"Yes, sir," Sirius responded, before turning back to Marlene. "I'll see you when I get back," he said, just as he always did whenever he went away for a mission.

"We'll be waiting for you," she whispered, reaching up to kiss him. Sirius gave her a small smile as he went to join his team. "Come back to us," Marlene said, just as he placed a finger on the portkey that would take them directly into Malfoy's hiding place.

The portkey had been Narcissa's most important contribution to their operation; it had been given to her by Malfoy and she had promised that it would take them directly into the château. Snape was already there, trying his best to get down as much wards as possible, without getting caught, of course. Sirius was still a bit doubtful about trusting him, but Dumbledore had given him his word that he was working for their side.

It wasn't until Sirius felt the familiar sensation of someone pulling behind his navel, when Marlene's words finally caught up to him. We'll be waiting for you? Come back to us? What in the bloody hell did she mean by that?

He couldn't ponder on the meaning, however, as he came spiralling back down. He landed with a soft thud, both feet on the ground. They had landed in a large sitting room that, fortunately for them, was empty. They stayed quiet for a full second, straining to hear whether or not their intrusion had been noticed. To their relief, they hadn't and they all let their guard down a bit as Moody signalled them to get moving. Remus led half of their team outside through one of the large glass doors, to aid in bringing down the wards so that the rest of the Order could join them, while Sirius and the other half of the team, along with James, joined Moody.

Moody motioned Sturgis Podmore to open the door, which he did cautiously, before stepping tentatively outside. And at that moment, all Sirius saw was green as a dozen spells came rushing toward them.


A/N: Stay tuned for the next update ;) It'll be soon, I promise.