Lily finally agreed to go out with James, just the once. It was sixth year, and she was about to turn down yet another of his invitations to Hogsmeade when she suddenly said yes. On the proviso he find a date for her friend, Mary.
Remus and I took one look at his face and fled the common room. When he and Peter came back upstairs some time later, James's eyes were dancing, and even Peter looked cheery.
'We have dates,' James announced. 'I recognise that you two are immune to the wiles of women, but Peter and I will be walking beside goddesses this Saturday.'
'Evans said yes, and she has a friend!' Peter summed up far more succinctly.
'Good for you, Wormtail,' Remus encouraged. 'Show Mr Smooth here what a real date's like, yours will probably still be talking to you at the end of the day.'
Peter grinned, then scuttled over and asked Remus for tips.
Saturday saw James and Peter dressed to kill, with Remus and me in our usual combination of school and Muggle attire – mostly worn to annoy McGonners, but also because we knew we looked good in tight trousers.
We met up with Lily and Mary in the common room. Lily was wearing a flowered smock that effectively hid her figure, but Mary had popped on a spot of lipstick. Peter was awed. I was about to tease him, but Remus stopped me.
'Look at them,' he said, quietly. 'They're happy.'
And they were. James was quiet and attentive, Peter told his best stories, the girls laughed all the way to the village. It was a lovely day. Remus and I slipped away halfway through the afternoon, but we caught up the others on the way back to the castle. We weren't the only ones.
'Pettigrew? Macdonald is dating Pettigrew?' Mulciber's voice could be heard a hundred yards away. 'Why?'
'She's probably doing it for a bet,' drawled one of the other Slytherin seventh years.
'One she lost,' Mulciber brayed.
'Ignore them,' Mary muttered through a tight jaw. 'Let's just keep going.'
Mulciber blew a kiss. 'Come on Macdonald, you were better off with me than with that little runt.'
Mary shuddered.
'What is it?' Remus asked, noticing.
'I had a run-in with him at the beginning of last year,' she said, quietly.
'He Imperiused her,' Lily fumed.
The four us of stopped in our tracks, shocked.
Mary was flustered. 'That's what Lily thinks, maybe it was just hypnotism, or a potion, but he had me following him about and … doing things …'
She caught the expression of horror in James's eyes, and blushed deeply. 'Not as bad as it could have been, more taking my blouse off while he watched.'
'That's bad enough,' Lily muttered. 'If I hadn't come by …'
Mary smiled at her. 'But you did. That's what matters, isn't it?'
'Evans is a good one to have in your corner,' James agreed.
'Are you sure you don't want me to hex him?' I offered. 'It'd be no trouble at all.'
'You should report him,' James advised. 'That's an Unforgivable. Even at school, they're not allowed.'
'That's what I said,' Lily agreed.
'Quite right,' said James, without any thought for ingratiating himself, which, of course, meant that he did.
'I'll show him!' Peter vowed.
'Please,' Mary said. 'Just leave it.'
But he had already stormed over the small distance towards the two tormentors. They were both taller and older than him, but he more than made up for any disadvantage with righteous indignation.
'You think you're so tough, but you're just bullies,' he told them.
'This from one of Black's bumboys? That's rich,' Mulciber sneered.
'You won't see us picking on anyone who didn't start it, and never a girl.'
'Only because none of you are the least bit interested in girls.'
Peter drew himself up to his full five-foot-five. 'Well, that's why I have a date and you don't, I suppose?'
'Shame your date's gone off with Potter.'
It was true, Mary and Lily were hurrying up towards the school gates with James. She'd missed all of Peter's bravery.
Mulciber and his friend laughed loudly. 'You should have been in Slytherin, Pettigrew. We'd never steal your girl,' the seventh-year told him.
'We'd get you a girl, which is more than your face will ever manage,' Mulciber added cruelly.
'Ignore him,' Remus advised, steering Peter after the others. 'You did very well.'
'Fat lot of good it, no Mary to be impressed.'
'I was impressed,' Remus assured him.
'No offence, Moony, but I really don't want to snog you.'
'None taken, but I will report your gallantry to the lady in question, with suitable embellishments.'
'Cheers, you're a mate.'
'And don't listen to him about your face,' I added. 'Mary wears glasses in class, I'd bet she only sees a blur.'
Finely honed Quidditch skills saw me evade Remus's punch to the arm, but I did feel a little bad for saying it. It was hardly Peter's fault the rest of us were so very young and beautiful.
........................................
The debriefing after Ackerley went on for days. James was convinced it had been a turning point, Moody was not so certain.
'The whole thing could have been feeling us out, we used most of our best tactics, they've seen our arsenal of new spellwork and potions. I agree that most of them were there that night, but not all. And – if you were Him – why would you sacrifice some of your best witches and wizards then retreat? You'd pull them out sooner, or you'd fight through to the end.'
None of us had more field experience than him, not even Dumbledore, and the mood of victory quickly turned to one of apprehension. They didn't make us wait long. At four o'clock in the afternoon on the twelfth, Minister Millicent Bagnold's voice interrupted the wireless broadcast. Aurors had spotted a massive force assembling near Tinworth. Wizarding Britain was under attack. Giants and Imperiused Muggles were among the army. All Aurors were called in for duty, and any witches and wizards in or near Cornwall were advised to pack their belongings and prepare to evacuate.
'Gather together in small numbers in places you can defend. Reinforce your wards. The Muggle-born are encouraged to consider heading abroad for the duration; France, Germany, Italy and Spain have all agreed to suspend travel document requirements for the duration. Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Holland and Finland have offered refuge in Auror-protected sites for those who lack the funds to travel of their own accord. The British Wizarding Government thanks our allies for their support in our time of need.
'The Ministry calls on all to be prepared and to work for each other's safety during this time of uncertainty. We have multiple lines of defence in place, but we face an enemy more ruthless, more vile, than any to threaten these shores in the history of our island. If each of us keeps our head, and gives aid to those who need it, we will survive this crisis strong and sure, though it may take time to secure the victory.
'But I say this with certainty: we will not fall. No matter what the outcome of this battle, no matter what happens to any individual, myself included, that which makes Wizarding Britain mighty and great will remain, and we will triumph at the last.'
'So, we're probably doomed,' I muttered to Remus as I switched the wireless off.
'Good speech, though,' he replied.
'Yes, quite. Tinworth?'
'Tinworth.'
Moody had been right. They had been feeling us out, and now they had our measure. We assembled a few miles from their forces, and looked for a patch of ground that would give us a good chance. There were precious few, they had chosen their location well. If we moved to high ground, we would be too near the cliffs, if we looked for a choke point, too close to the road to Hellesveor and St Ives. It was the open land outside Tinworth or the village itself, but there were still families unevacuated there. We took to the fields, though we stayed close to the town, ready to run for its cover.
'Watch your feet!' Edgar shouted to all of us. 'Before you take a position, check that you have enough defensible ground around you. Look out for gravel and trip hazards. Stay close, we'll fall back to the town when it's empty. Make use of the hedges, the walls and the trees. We have perhaps twenty minutes, use them to make cover.'
At fifteen minutes, Moody took control. 'Those with brooms, make sure you're loaded with Giant Sleep. In the air as soon as you can. Aurors take the front line. Everyone else behind. Oblivators to the rear, we'll end up with Muggle casualties the way this looks to be going. Our intelligence says we outnumber them two-to-one, but that means nothing with this lot.'
Lily and James arrived just as he started outlining his plan. Evans shrugged a brief apology. 'The whole morning in morning sickness is just a lie,' she said.
'You're with Peter, Alice and Frank, yes?' James checked.
'Yes,' she assured him. 'And you try not to fall off your broom.'
'It's my one skill,' he replied with a kiss.
I held Remus's hand tightly, at least we were usually beside each other in a battle.
'Movement!' came a cry.
Remus, James and I were poised to kick off from the ground when Moody's voice cut through the air. 'Stay on the ground. Their Giants are in reserve, they've sent in Muggles.'
And it was true. As the enemy strode into view they were not masked and robed figures, but dressed in Muggle clothing, carrying clubs, sticks, knives. And most of them were children.
James swore bitterly beside me.
'He's emptied one of the schools,' Remus realised.
'They're in there!' James said, shocked. He was right, amid the figures dressed in maroon and blue uniforms and the adults in their jeans and anoraks, the occasional figure in robes and a mask was visible.
'Moody!' James shouted to relay his discover, but Moody had already seen.
'Aim carefully!' he ordered.
'No,' said Remus beside me.
I turned sharply to him, he was staring out and shaking his head.
'Stun them all. They have weapons.'
And of course he was right.
With shouts of Stupefy we knocked down the first row of children. James shouted at us to stop. 'They'll hurt themselves falling down!'
'Better than being dead,' I replied.
It took only a moment for the others to realise our strategy and follow it. The Death Eaters broke from the ranks and fled, and soon the field was littered with the unconscious bodies of several hundred Muggles.
Aurors ran out and cleared them, Apparating two at a time back into the town. I could see why Moody ordered it, because the battle would have been fought on top of them, but it put fifty of our side at risk and out of the defence for ten minutes. Dumbledore would never have forgiven us if we'd left them, though. His man, Rubeus Hagrid, was there, too. He collected six Muggles at a time, physically lugging them back behind the town's cover.
They sent the giants in before the job was finished.
'In the air! Hold them back!' Moody shouted, and some of us were already up. We flew in coordinated sets, two to distract, one to throw the potion in their faces. For all that Giant Sleep was an uncannily good potion, it needed a direct hit. There were more giants than I had ever seen before, it looked like dozens, though it could have been only twenty or so.
One by one they dropped, our people ran out from the line to make sure they fell back, away from the Aurors and Hagrid collecting the Muggles. Though once the field was clear, we let them fall wherever, they would give us some degree of cover at least. Fabian's broom was sent careening by the smack of a club, but he landed safely. I was amazed to see that we had nearly finished the job without a single casualty on our side, though I knew that these were just diversionary tactics, designed to tire and occupy us.
And then I heard Benjy Fenwick scream. He was above me and to the right, and had just delivered a successful attack on the last giant. It was falling, senseless, to the ground, but he was spinning wildly away, clutching his side, even though I couldn't see how he'd been hit.
Remus was there beside him, grabbing him from the falling broom and hauling him onto his. I flew up beside to help steady them both.
'Is he all right?' Remus asked, but I couldn't see.
Then Moody's amplified voice rang out over everything. 'Fall back! Fall back!'
We came into land ahead of the others running back to the town wall. It marked our point of assembly, more open than the field, but with reinforcements streaming down the streets.
'What is it? Why are we running?' A half-dozen voices questioned Moody.
'There's something in the air, and it's not brooms,' he shouted to everyone. 'Stay alert! Constant vigilance!'
And that was the moment that I grew afraid, because Moody was panicked. He was afraid. As I looked from face to face I saw it catching, though James frowned against it and Remus lifted his nose to the air, tasting the wind for a change.
And then the cold came again and we all felt the change he could sense. I looked out, expecting to see Him striding across the field, parting the mists, as he had the last time, but there was no sign.
I glanced at Remus. He had stopped sniffing with his face tilted up, and it remained there, frozen, horrified. I followed his eyes and saw what he did: a long streaming figure flying without a broom, robes raven, face pale and bleak and beautiful, shining down on us like an agent of destruction.
I saw, in that moment, how Bella and the others had mistaken their reaction to him for love; amid the horror there was awe. He was so close now that the breath chilled in my lungs. Even Remus and James – always the first into the fray – moved slowly to raise their wands, mouth their spells.
I looked to Remus, wanting to fix his face in my mind at the end, which was how I came to see that Moody had fooled us all. Dumbledore was there, striding through the town gate, standing tall, raising his wand and shouting a ringing, 'Incendio!'
A powerful umbrella of flame rose above us, throwing back the cold and sending Voldemort burning and screaming into the distance.
Chaos followed, as half of his force broke forwards seeking revenge, but it was a mob, they fought with emotion but without order. The others fled in fear, or looked for their leader. Bella's screams of anguish rang out even over the sounds of battle
It took hours, not until after midnight could we really say that we had won. And then, we realised. We had really won. This had been their do-or-die moment, and many of them had died. Others were on their way to Azkaban. We had lost four all-up, it was a victory of Shakespearean proportion.
James and Lily found us sitting against the wall, Remus almost asleep on my shoulder.
'You two reprobates still alive?' Lily asked, hugging me gently.
'Couldn't leave your sprog without moral guidance,' I told her.
She leaned on my other shoulder, and James leant against her.
'How are the others?' I asked.
'Peter sprained his ankle,' Lily recounted. 'Frank and Alice are fine, except that she's in trouble for ending up on the front line. Or at least, she would be if she hadn't saved his life by doing so. I suspect it's just an excuse for make-up sex.'
'Who has the energy?' Remus groaned from my lapel.
Lily laughed, and reached out to pat his hand.
'Is it really over?' James wondered, looking out at the bodies that littered the ground before us.
I looked with him. 'I think it is,' I told him.
The Minister appeared then. She had brought fresh Healers, and food and drink, and more Obliviators to help with the Imperiused Muggles. We joined the crowd around her and ate and drank mechanically, too tired to even enjoy the repast. I was onto my second venison pie when Remus stormed away from my side. I took it with me as I chased after him.
'Stop it!' he yelled at Emmeline Vance, who was standing over a giant.
'Sorry, Lupin, Ministerial orders.'
'The war is done now, he's defeated. We can repatriate them to wherever they came from.'
Vance shook her head. 'Too risky. They were happy to rise up against us once, what if they choose to again?'
And with that, she killed the giant.
Remus looked away, sickened. I took his hand, and Apparated us home.
He glared at me. 'I'm going back. I'm going to stop them.'
'You can't, Remus,' I told him. 'It's policy. By the time you change it, it'll be too late anyway.'
He took a deep breath. 'Well, then you tell me where we're better than them. Because right now I can't see it.'
How do you reply to that? I couldn't. I made him sandwiches instead. Because at least there was nothing shameful about sandwiches.
.........................................
In my mind, at school, most of us stood on clear sides of the Voldemort question. But in reality most of our fellow students were just studying for their NEWTs and wondering if they'd ever have sex. Remus and I were entirely fortunate that the Hogwarts founders had only ever worried about heterosexual encounters when they set up the Castle's charms.
I joked with him once, about how we'd benefitted from their naiveté. He shook his head and told me I was looking at it the wrong way.
'Did you never hear the stories about why Queen Victoria made no bans on lesbians? She wanted to keep her own Ladies of the Bedchamber happy. I think we're looking at a similar situation. To my mind, Salazar and Godric had quite the thing going and didn't see why like-minded students should be thwarted.'
'That,' I said, 'is disgusting. And besmirches the fine name of our beloved Gryffindor.'
'But you're thinking about it now, aren't you?'
'Stop it! Godric would no sooner shag Slytherin than I'd shag Snivellus.'
Remus clutched his hand across his eyes. 'I am bleaching my brain to remove that mental image, I'll have you know.'
'You're the one who's always saying I should be nicer to him.'
'Not that nice!'
'And he's very lonely since Evans took up with Prongs.'
'You can stop now, I promise to never speak of the Founders' sex lives again.'
'See that you don't.'
Of course, it meant that the next time we saw Snivellus, both of us burst out giggling.
He looked down his considerable nose as much as he could for someone who was our height. 'I expect this from Black, but you usually have more dignity, Lupin.'
'You're not going to believe this, but it's not you,' Remus offered by way of explanation.
'Yes, well, you were right about me not believing.' Snivellus swanned off down the corridor in an almighty huff, which of course had us sliding down the wall with tears of laughter pouring down our faces.
We only stopped at a particularly Scottish cough of disapproval. McGonners was looking down at us, her lips pursed.
'Was that necessary?' she asked.
'We really weren't giving him grief this time, Professor,' Remus protested.
'As opposed to the dozens of other times.'
'He started it,' I muttered.
'Oh, I doubt that, Mr Black. I may take issue with much about Mr Snape, but he is not one to start trouble.'
'Just finish it' I muttered.
She looked down at me with disappointment. 'Are you both seventeen yet? Near enough at any rate. Surely neither of you is stupid enough to believe that this is still a game? Mr Snape is a talented, competent wizard. Do you realise what an asset he would have been if you foolish boys had thought to not torment him mercilessly since first year?'
'He's just a Slytherin,' I grumbled.
'They're all just Slytherins,' she bit out. 'And the odd Ravenclaw and even the occasional Hufflepuff, and then they leave here and they decide that the world would be better if we had power and do whatever will gain them that power. Surely it would be better if we produced students who believed that the world would be improved if we had compassion and tolerance?'
I assumed that she'd been into her whisky stash, but Remus looked at her seriously. 'But how would any of us learn that?' he asked. 'Everything's a competition here. And outside of here, everything is at war.'
'Yes, Mr Lupin, my generation has failed yours fairly comprehensively.'
He smiled at her, and she melted a little. 'It's not true. I'd be happy to grow up to be something like you.'
She shook her head, with her lips pursed to keep herself from smiling. 'No house points for outrageous flattery, Mr Lupin. But I thank you, nonetheless.'
We watched her walk away, and I turned to Remus to make a joke, but was stopped by the look on his face.
'She's right. So much of this is about stupid rivalries that should have been stopped before we were old enough for school. Instead we let them fester and then re-badged them as politics.'
I disagreed. 'You can say that because your parents were fair and reasonable people. But if you'd grown up in my house, you'd know how sincerely some of us believe that we should be in charge and Muggles should be there to do our bidding.'
'Some of you, I'll grant. But that's not everyone. You and I both know people who follow You-Know-Who because their friends do.'
'No,' I shook my head. 'Reggie would probably have gone that way regardless. Mother always had him in her hand.'
'What about Snape? He's half-Muggle, he has every reason to be on our side, not theirs.'
I snorted. 'He's an oily lackey who'll follow anyone who tosses him a biscuit.'
'And your brother follows him. Interesting.'
I looked away at that. I wanted to argue, but he was right.
'I think,' I began tentatively, with my head down, 'I think that I should have made more of an effort with Reggie. Because aside from having the most idiotic political beliefs known to Wizarding kind, he's all right. I think I let myself get distracted, and by the time I paid attention, it was too late.'
He brushed my hair back from my eyes, and looked into them, searchingly. 'But you'd forgive him, wouldn't you? If Regulus came back and said he'd been wrong, you'd take him back, wouldn't you?'
'In an instant,' I'd promised. And it took me years to work out that my clever Moony hadn't meant Regulus at all.
..............................................
We honestly thought it was over after Tinworth. The attacks stopped, the Ministry had no sudden disappearances to report, and there was a distinct lack of unexplained dead.
'Bagnold, Aurors, Dumbledore and Plucky Civilians Defeat Death Eaters!' screamed The Daily Prophet, with twelve pages dissecting the battle and wondering whether You-Know-Who was dead or simply in hiding.
I was certain he was still alive; Bella's cries had died down at some point during the battle and she had disappeared. She would have turned on us in all her mad fury had she found a corpse.
But as the days stretched into months, we relaxed. Remus took to smiling again. Alice had her boy, Neville, and Lily and James had a son. They called him Harry.
'Works for everyone, from princes to Knight Bus drivers,' James told us proudly.
'Princes?' Peter asked.
'We few, we happy few! Though let's hope he never finds himself at an Agincourt.'
Lily shushed him. 'None of that, it's over. He's going to be a happy baby, and have a lovely life.'
She had her wish, he was the happiest baby there ever was. James and I spoiled him rotten, and so did Remus, even as he took me to task. I bought the sidecar for the bike in preparation for taking him on trips, which put Lily into a right strop, until she came for a ride, at which point she admitted that it might be all right, when he was considerably larger.
Dumbledore came to visit her and Alice, checking they were well, clucking with amusement at the timing of the babies. 'Within hours. I suppose we know what you were all doing to relax during the war.'
And I had to try very hard to forget that he'd said that.
The Ministry was grateful to us, at least, most of us. James and I fended off approaches from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Peter accepted one with Sports. Only Remus was told that his particular skills 'did not fit the profile of the Ministry at this time'.
'Bugger that,' he decided, and began a campaign for the rights of other Magical Creatures. I took some delight in knowing Black money was funding it.
In the weeks before Christmas we were all nervous. People would only gather in small groups, convinced that the holiday would see a resumption of attacks. Nothing. Silent nights.
Remus wouldn't tell me what he was getting me for Christmas, while I did my usual trick of pointing out everything I thought he might like and trying to guess what he liked the most.
'Cufflinks,' I suggested.
'No need.'
'New broom!'
'Old one's fine.'
'Robe clasp.'
'You bought me one the year before last. It's my favourite, I wear it all the time.'
'But there's a stone missing.'
He ruffled my hair. 'Just because something's broken doesn't mean I stop loving it.'
'You're a beautiful person, Remus.'
He didn't dignify that with a reply, just sat on me and tickled me until I couldn't breathe, as was right and proper.
We were at James and Lily's beck and call. Peter was around there most days, little Harry seemed to hold his projectile vomiting moments until he was being held by Uncle Wormtail. I could always make the baby laugh, Remus could always calm him to sleep. Lily joked that every visit should start with me putting Harry in a good mood and end with Moony putting him to bed.
It was such a remarkable thing, that these two people, who we loved, had made another person. And if James and Lily were both a little distant now, we understood why. I asked Remus if we should buy a cat, he ignored me.
The Order met once a month now, exchanged news, caught up on events, laughed as the ever-growing collection of babies pulled faces at each other. The older Weasley boys were left in charge of the little ones, which nearly resulted in disaster on several occasions. The Prewetts were enthusiastic, but irresponsible uncles. Remus and I prided ourselves on the fact we were doing so much better with Harry. Though James occasionally let the team down, Lily nearly strangled him when she found him racing Harry against little Neville and the youngest Weasley.
By the time the July meeting rolled around, Marlene voiced what we had all been thinking.
'Should we wind things up?'
'Dissolve the Order?' Fabian snorted. 'Sacrilege! Who will defend the weak, guard the Muggles?'
'Provide us with free lunches and somewhere to catch up with all our friends on Sundays?' Gideon finished for him.
'We can still meet up, just without the need for endless discussions on evil,' Dorcas told them, laughing.
'Speak for yourselves,' muttered Moody. 'I can't get free of you lot fast enough.'
'You love us really,' Fabian told him, cuddling close until Moody swatted him.
Somebody thought it would be a good idea to commemorate the moment with a photograph. You should have seen it, we were all so happy, so certain that this was our promised tomorrow.
Three days later Benjy Fenwick's body was found.
That day had started beautifully, I rolled out of bed around eleven when Remus woke me, returning from yet another of his meetings. We were meeting up with Lily to take her shopping while James minded Harry. She described this as bonding, but in fact I suspect we were there more for lugging.
At lunch she Flooed to say that Dumbledore had sent word that he was coming, something urgent, she should stay home. Remus and I headed out regardless, I think he had plans for ice-cream.
We were on Diagon Alley when the peace broke. And as I tell you what happened, you'll think it took an age, but in fact it was all over in an instant. Remus had stopped to look at new books, and I was looking at him. Something clattered behind us, and after years of the Order, we both automatically moved to the cover at the side of the building.
The clatter was nothing more than a child dropping a toy, but in the glass of Fortescue's opposite, I could see reflected Travers and Rosier, carrying sacks that seemed to be dripping something dark. I moved to apprehend them, at the same time as I saw Snape, looking sick and broken, looking straight at us and mouthing 'Go.'
Before my wand could clear my pocket, Remus had Apparated us home.
'We have to go back!'
He shook his head. 'It's not safe.'
'It's not safe for the people back there!'
'Of course it is. They want to seduce or frighten them, not kill. Not one of their attacks was on a town that wasn't riddled with anti-Voldemort Ministry or Order members.'
'There's only three of them, we can capture them all!'
'We only saw three.'
'Why the hell was Snivellus warning you?'
He pushed his hair back from eyes that were suddenly exhausted. 'I thought he was warning you. For Reggie's sake. Come on, we need to let Dumbledore and Moody know.'
We found Moody first, by the time we reached Dumbledore, he already knew. Benjy's head, right arm and part of his left leg had been dumped in the middle of the street, the Dark Mark set above. Shops had shut and everyone who could had fled before the Aurors even arrived. According to Kingsley, Benjy had been dead for at least a day.
We gave our report three times: to Moody, then Dumbledore – who told us he wasn't surprised, and that Mr Snape had recently changed his views on the issue of You-Know-Who. The third time was to James and Lily, at their new house, hidden in the quiet of Godric's Hollow.
'He was meant to bring me here for a beer,' Lily groused. 'Not to hide out.'
'You could sneak out under James's cloak,' Remus suggested. 'I'm sure the barkeep has had stranger things than invisible requests for alcohol in that pub.'
James pulled a face. 'Can't, Dumbledore borrowed it.'
'The liberty! He can just unborrow it, can't have you cooped up in here all the time!'
'My thoughts exactly,' James agreed. 'Still, with you two visiting, it's not so bad. Lils has a theory regarding this Snivellus business, you know.'
'Severus,' Lily corrected firmly. 'I think he's the one who let Dumbledore know that we were at risk, and that Voldemort was still alive. He may be an idiot, but he was a decent boy when I knew him, and we were good friends. I'd probably do the same if our places were reversed.'
'Which they never would be,' James said quickly.
'Ahhhh-guh!' Harry agreed from his position on Remus's shoulder.
'Explains why he warned us,' Remus mused. 'Would look bad to let two of your best friends die just after he's done something decent for you.'
'Yeah …' I replied. Then looked back to James's bored face. 'So, special target? You are such an overachiever.'
'Not even Voldemort can resist my charms,' he agreed.
'Don't say his name!' Lily protested.
'It's just a name,' James said, surprised.
'It's a name I don't want Harry learning,' she said, and we all understood.
James and Lily guessed they would be in hiding for a few days, maybe a couple of weeks. It was nearly four months in the end, and we were glad they were out of it.
The McKinnons were the next to go. They didn't even have a chance to call for help. Marlene, her husband, Paul, their three children and his mother – all cold and still and frozen in their despair. Frank found them. He stopped in when they didn't answer their Floo. After the Aurors arrived, he went home and packed Alice and Neville up and moved them to his mother's, where the wards were strong and the defences vicious.
It was straight back to the worst days of the war, except that this time we were being targetted more intently than we had ever been before.
When we crawled into bed just before dawn after a night patrolling – when we had meant to be at Harry's first birthday – Remus pressed himself against me chastely, seeking warmth despite the summer air.
'I think they're looking for something,' he told me.
'Someone,' I guessed.
He pressed his face into my collarbone. 'I'll keep you from them,' he vowed.
....................................
