A/N: I hope that those of you who are reading this will remember to review. It really does mean a lot to know what you guys think.
Thank you, as always, to Loki's Symphony, SomethingBorrowed, Tristan and Megan.
Disclaimer: I don't own so don't sue.
Lily travels to the Leaky Cauldron, unaware of the danger before her, and two worlds collide.
The Leaky Cauldron was no longer the place it once had been. Lily remembered the first time she had been there with her parents after receiving her acceptance letter from Hogwarts.
"I can't see it," her mother had complained, peering at the spot between a book shop and a record shop where Snape had told Lily the tavern would be. Lily had to admit that there was nothing there; perhaps they had made a mistake? She had looked around at the people that bustled past her down the busy Charing Cross Road but no-one else seemed to take any notice, or see what she couldn't see.
"Has that Snape boy got it right?" her father, a tall, strong-faced man with red hair asked, smiling down at his daughter in confusion.
"I'm cold and I'm hungry" Petunia had complained, tugging on their mother's coat tails. "Let's just go!"
"Wait a minute!" Lily interrupted, spotting an unusual family crossing the road at the traffic lights. They were undoubtedly wizards, Lily thought to herself, trying to suppress a giggle at the ways they had obviously attempted to blend in with the Muggles. The witch, who was tall and lean, was wearing a long fur coat with a pair of bright red, Wellington boots. The wizard, who had a curly black moustache, was no less inconspicuous. He had a on a long, white lab coat and a Deerstalker hat. The short, round boy that was hurrying to keep up by their side looked suitably embarrassed.
"Excuse me? Excuse me?" Lily hurried over to them, ignoring Petunia's squeals for her to come back. The wizard halted in his tracks and looked down at Lily. "Erm...hi...we were just wondering," Lily waved her hands in her family's direction, "how we get to the Leaky Cauldron?"
The witch smiled. "Of course. Muggles, are you?" she asked inquisitively and Lily nodded. The man and woman pushed passed her and introduced themselves to her parents leaving Lily face to face with young boy.
"My name's Lily," she said with a smile.
"Peter Pettigrew," the boy replied, his piggy eyes darting around nervously, fixing on anything apart from Lily's face. It made her feel nervous.
"Dear lord! Lily! Come look at that," her father called and on turning round Lily watched as a squat, grubby pub seemed to push its way between the shops.
Lily remembered the times when the tavern had been fit to the bursting with magical people of all kinds. Muggleborns like herself on their first shopping trip to Diagon Alley, teenage wizards trying the latest temporary ageing potions in attempt to get served Firewhiskey or old, hook-nosed witches sitting alone by the fireplace and chattering incoherently to their toads. Now, as Lily pushed open the door, the place was virtually deserted. A figure shrouded in shadow, their hood raised, sat huddled in one corner. An old wizard wearing a monocle sat at a low, wooden table, pushing what appeared to be Cottage Pie unenthusiastically around his plate. The barman flashed Lily a gummy, friendly grin and as she approached he put down the glass he was cleaning and leant on the bar.
"Afternoon Tom," Lily said.
"Well, well, Lily Potter," Tom replied. "It's been a long time since we've seen you round these parts. I still remember your James' stag night." He chuckled to himself and Lily winced at the memory.
"Is Mary here yet?" Lily asked and Tom nodded, wiping his hands on the front of his trousers and walking round from the bar.
"Been here for about half an hour. She's waiting in the parlour for you." Tom led the way and Lily noticed as she exited the room that the wizard with the monocle had left.
Mary was sat with her back towards Lily in a low, bow-backed chair beside the fireside. Lily approached rapidly, eager to see her friend but as Tom closed the door behind them and Mary rose to her feet Lily was stunned at how physically altered she appeared. Her eyes were dull and lifeless; her once prettily plump mouth was drawn into a difficult smile. As Lily drew her into an embrace she could feel her friend's shoulders protruding through her blue jumper and as she sat down in the chair opposite her Lily couldn't help but noticed that her hands trembled slightly in her lap.
"It's...it's so good to see you," Mary said quietly. She flicked her blonde curls behind her ear in a gesture Lily vaguely recognised from the past. "I suppose you were surprised when you received the letter."
"A little," Lily conceded, carefully watching the vacant expression in her old friend's eyes. "But I was pleased to hear from you." As she spoke Lily rested her hands carefully on the arm rests of the chair, feeling the comforting outline of her wand concealed in her jacket pocket. Something wasn't right.
"No James?" Mary's eyes shifted apprehensively towards the door.
"He'll be here soon," Lily lied, knowing full well that it could be hours before Sirius' business was concluded at the Ministry. She was alone. There was a muffled noise from the bar beyond and a muted thud and Lily's heart raced inside her chest as she manoeuvred her hands slowly into her pockets to grasp her wand.
"I...haven't seen either of you since the wedding." Mary was very visibly shaking. Her eyes were fixed down at her hands as she struggled to bring them under control. Her top lip was twisting as though she was attempting to speak but something was forcing her against her will to remain silent. At that moment Lily realised – she recognised the signs that she had seen on so many people before. Mary was not acting of her own free will. She was being manipulated, controlled by someone else. Whoever that was had probably planned for Lily to be here alone and vulnerable. And she had fallen for it.
"Mary?" Lily asked in a rapid whisper, knowing now that in all probability that there wasn't a lot of time - that any minute now the Deatheaters would be here - that they were coming for her. "Mary, listen to me." Mary raised her eyes from her lap and Lily asked, "Are they coming for me?"
Mary made no response. Lily hadn't expected any but her silence spoke volumes and at once Lily was on her feet and running to the window. She drew her wand and with a cry of "Reducto" reduced the window to a pile of shattered glass and twisted lead. In one swift, movement she leapt onto the ledge, casting a quick glance to make sure that the courtyard that led to the entrance to Diagon Alley was clear. But before she could leap down and make her escape the door to the parlour blasted open, sending wood flying across the room.
"Lily!" Mary shrieked, darting across the room towards her, a curse hitting her squarely on the chest and sending her flying. Without hesitation Lily turned back into the room, scurrying across the floor towards where Mary was laying curled on the floor.
"Quickly! Lily yelled, attempting to heave her to her feet. "Come on!" But before she could stand she felt the presence of someone behind her and the sharp jab of a wand between her shoulders. Instantly Lily froze, keeping her eyes fixed firmly on Mary's face as she cowered, crying on the floor as she said defiantly, "If you've come for me then take me! Kill me! Just leave her alone!"
Her captor did not respond. The room filled with a deadly silence broken only by Mary's sobs and the sharp, shuddering breaths of whoever was behind her. Somewhere in the distance Lily heard the sound of a train pulling into Charing Cross station, rattling the remnants of glass in the window frame. Then eventually a voice, a voice that Lily knew so well, a voice that had haunted her and lingered on the fringe of her conscious mind and could still command her, broke the silence with the words, "Drop your wand."
For a moment Lily did not move. Her mind was working quickly to make sense of it all; of James' words of warning, of Mary's betrayal and of her childhood friend who was now standing behind her, his wand pressing threateningly into her back. Her hesitation resulted in his anger and he lowered his voice to a menacing whisper as he said, "I will not ask you again."
Raising her hands above her head in a gesture of submission, Lily eventually said, "It's in my pocket." As she spoke she felt a pair of firm hands grip her shoulders tightly and pull her brusquely to her feet. As soon as she was standing he parted the folds of her jacket and patted her down, locating her wand and removing it. He pulled her body sharply back against his, and she could feel his hot breath on the side of her face. She tried to twist herself around to face him. "Leave her. She doesn't matter."
"Quiet!" Snape bellowed, pulling Lily viciously backwards and away from where Mary was still hunched on the floor. Lily yelped as pain shot through her scalp as he gripped her hair and with great force dragged her away. She flailed her legs, twisted in his arms, dug her heels into the floor. But Snape was too strong yet he would not silence her and as he forced her away from Mary she said, "What are you going to do? Kill her? Are you a murderer now?"
Snape halted and with great fury thrust Lily to the floor. She tried to scramble to her feet but before she could get too far black ropes burst from Snape's wand and fastened themselves around Lily's wrists and ankles. Snape advanced towards her and gripping her face tightly between his fingers and thumb forced her to meet his eyes as he asked, "Aren't you frightened, Lily? I could take your life. Is this how you face death; unafraid?"
Lily pulled her head sharply away and said with a fury that shook her, "I'll never be afraid of you, Snape! Ever!"
Snape gave a merciless laugh and moved back. "Why? So certain that that husband of yours will save you? No-one will save you..." He turned his attention to Mary. "Either of you!"
"No! Snape! Please!" Lily found herself crying despite the resistance she felt in her heart. But it was too late. No words of reason would reach him now and Lily could only watch in fury and despair as Snape cried the words "Avada Kedavra!" and the light left Mary's eyes forever.
Lily's cries as the curse had left Snape's lips had shaken him and he turned round to watch consciousness leave her as her head lolled back onto the floor. In one, swift movement he had crossed the room and was by Lily's side, pushing her red hair from her face and pressing two fingers against the flesh of her neck to check for a pulse. The delicate thud-thud absolved him of his dread and quickly he crossed the room once more and, leaning out of the window and aiming his wand to sky, he uttered the words "Morsmordre". Green sparks burst up into the sky and formed a luminous skull that slowly opened its jaw to allow a writhing snake to twist its way through the clouds. From somewhere down below a woman screamed.
Without wasting time Snape gathered Lily into his arms, relishing the warmth of her body, realising how light and vulnerable she was. Then suddenly he froze, seized by a crippling doubt and regret as he cast his eyes to the lifeless form of Mary on the floor. What had had he done? How could he have killed her? She was defenceless, innocent. He might have allowed her to live. But he would have found out for certain – the Dark Lord would always know such things in the end. How could he have explained away empathy for someone who had been nothing more than a pawn in the greater game that lay before them? There had never been an option. He had no choice. And yet as he looked down into the face of the woman he held - a woman who's memory he had struggled to erase, to keep hidden from not only the Dark Lord but also from himself – Snape felt nauseated by the task that still lay before him. Could he really carry out the Dark Lord's instructions, even if that resulted in torture and death?
He had lingered too long, his doubt had been his downfall and he heard the sound of the tavern door bursting open and people rushing in. James and Sirius were at the doorway, breathless and red-faced, their eyes moving quickly from the Dark Mark in the sky beyond the window to the body of Mary on the floor. It was Sirius who recognised Snape first, saw that it was Lily lying motionless in his arms and threw out his arms just in time to stop his friend rushing into the room with his wand drawn.
James gave an other-worldly shriek. "You bastard!" He struggled against Sirius' attempts at restraint. "I'll kill you!"
The sounds of a familiar voice caused Lily to stir and he struggled to keep hold as she writhed in his grip, her head twisting in vain towards the doorway as she cried, "James! James, help me!"
Snape let out a growl of frustration. He now had no choice. Raising his hood and tightening his grasp on Lily he concentrated on the dark, cold room where he was taking her with the green flocked, wallpapered walls. The familiar pulling sensation tingled through his legs at first but quickly moved through the rest of his body. Lily felt it too and in one last desperate attempt to escape cried out for her husband once more. But it was no use. The faces of James and Sirius were swiftly dissolving before they disappeared completely, lost in a rush of light and noise.
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