A/N: I am sorry for the cliffhanger! But here's some good news - there is NOT a cliffhanger at the end of this chapter...sorta. I guess you'll just have to read on to figure out what happens to Dezzy & Drew.

Disclaimer: I might love the HP series, but I didn't write it. And therefore, I own very little in this story.

Goodbyes on the Balcony

By ByeByeBirdie

Chapter 11: Of Secrets, Attacks, & Negativity

++JAMES++

"Dezzy and Drew have been taken hostage."

Everything that quickly followed was hazy. I can barely remember Lily telling me that they had been abducted by Death Eaters. I can barely remember falling into the kitchen chair as I repeated the word 'No' over and over again. I can barely remember Lily hugging me and trying to provide me with comforting words. I can barely remember her telling me that the Auror department was already sending in reinforcements. I can barely remember my whole body going numb as I thought of my baby sister in the arms of Death Eaters.

All I remember was being overwhelmingly scared and uncharacteristically anxious for so many unexplained reasons as I apparated to the Ministry. I knew that no good could come of showing up there (something Lily had attempted to point out). Seeing as I was too close to the situation, Moody would never let me help. In fact, he would most likely take one look at me and send me home. But I refused to let that be the case. I couldn't just sit off on the sidelines and wait for something to happen. I didn't do so well with waiting. I was a jump headfirst into the action kind of guy. Especially when it came to my family.

I wasn't surprised that the offices seemed empty. Not only was it a Saturday, but the Aurors that had ventured in had probably gathered in a conference room to discuss the recent kidnapping. I stormed down the hallway and heard muffled voices coming from my right. I didn't bother knocking, instead barging immediately into the boardroom. Without so much as a nod to anyone in the room, I started yelling. (This I realized later was probably not the way to get any answers. But I was slightly hysterical.) "Why the hell was I notified by my girlfriend and not by one of my own damned colleagues that my family was in trouble?!"

They all jumped – they being Moody, Sydny, Scrimgeour, Fabian, and Alice. They clearly didn't expect me at all. That didn't deter me from continuing my rant. "My own sister and brother-in-law were kidnapped and no one had the decency to think that perhaps someone should inform me of that little mishap? Might I remind all of you that my family that has already been through so much is crumbling in front of my very eyes? Something I know you're all very well aware of!"

"James," Moody spoke up.

I ignored him. I had no desire to hear whatever excuse he was ready to give. "And what the hell are you all doing sitting around here instead of out there trying to find them? Do you really think there's time for a tea party when there's a kidnapping taking place!?"

"James," Moody spoke louder, standing up from his chair at the head of the table.

"You know that there's only a small window before a kidnapper becomes a murderer!" I barked, my face growing red with anger. I wasn't angry with him but it was a lot easier yelling at them than accepting the inevitable truth.

"James, stop!" Moody shouted.

But I was riled up. "Now who wants to tell me what the bloody game plan is before I start looking for Dezzy and Drew myself!?"

"JAMES!" Moody barked, his eyes wide with frustration. "Your sister and brother-in-law are safe. They're at St. Mungo's right now and your mother is being notified as we speak."

I froze. I wasn't so sure I heard correctly, but there was a feeling of immense relief welling up inside of me. I felt like I was on the verge of tears. Happy, relieved, grateful tears. Only minutes earlier I had been convinced that I was going to lose another member of the family and here, Moony was telling me that they were fine. It was surreal. Chills ran up and down my spine. "They're...they're okay?" I croaked, my voice breaking.

Moody offered me a short nod.

"Well," I said hoarsely, clearing my throat a bit shame-faced. "Why...why wasn't I notified of this change?"

"Well, to be perfectly honest," Moody started slightly coolly, "I wasn't aware you knew that they were kidnapped in the first place."

I shrugged curtly. "Perks of having a girlfriend in the Department of International Magical Cooperation."

"Yeah, well, she didn't have the whole story, did she?" Moody pointed out, his eyebrow shooting him. "I was waiting to tell you anything once we figured out the truth."

"The truth?" I said, confused. "The truth about what?"

I noticed Moody's eyes flicker over to his left and land on Sydny. I hesitated, suddenly wondering why Sydny was there at all. She hadn't been on call. If I wasn't on call, neither was she. Only Fabian and Alice should have been there. Sydny could have been working there on a Saturday, I certainly wouldn't put it past her, but she was in running shorts and a T-shirt and she's never shown up to work without robes.

"Yes," Scrimgeour finally spoke up, not taking his eyes off of Sydny, who was looking rather uncomfortable. "The truth about how Miss Lafevre arrived at the scene of the crime only minutes after Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange attempted to pull off the heist."

My heart sunk. If I was hearing him correctly, I was in debt to Sydny Lafevre. I slowly rolled my eyes over towards her, my lips in a thin line. When she actively avoided eye contact with me, it was then that I realized Moody's implication. Something didn't seem right. "How…how did you know what was happening?" I asked, swallowing hard.

"That was the question we were asking her ourselves before you barged in here," Scrimgeour pointed out. He flashed me a crude smile.

I sunk into an empty chair, sighing. I wasn't going to apologize for my actions. I did have a right to know what was going on in my own family. "Well, please, ask away."

Scrimgeour's gaze lingered on me for what felt like an unnecessary amount of time before he turned back to Sydny. "Miss Lafevre? Do you have anything to say on the matter?"

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out how uncomfortable Sydny was. "No," she murmured, slumping down in her chair. A hint of red formed on her cheeks. I could tell she wished she was anywhere but there.

"Well, that isn't exactly good enough considering you swooped in to save the day before anyone else even knew what was happening," I snorted. I winced sheepishly, realizing that it probably wasn't my place to berate her.

Her gaze finally met mine and there was an expression on her face that I couldn't place. Dare I think it was sympathy? But surely, Sydny Lafevre didn't acknowledge any feelings towards anyone else. "I'm...I'm sorry," she murmured in a small voice.

"Lafevre, we need a better answer than that!" Scrimgeour barked. "Unless you want to be out of a job, I'd start talking."

Sydny was squirming and clearly was weighing her options. Her gaze didn't falter from mine and I was oddly drawn to her, the guilt evident in her eyes. She bit down on the bottom of her lip hesitantly before gazing back up at Scrimgeour. While she normally wasn't one to fold due to authoritative threats, there was clear anxiety resting on her face. "I...I-I was…well…um…I…"

"Speak, Lafevre!"

She cringed and I could practically see her heart sinking with defeat. She let out a deep sigh before blurting out, "I was warned about the possibility of a hostage situation pertaining to Dezzy Potter and Drew Gilmore."

"By who?" I cried out, wincing again when I realized I was talking out of turn.

It went unnoticed, however. I think everyone was eager to find out who as well.

"It doesn't matter. It just-"

"Of course it does!" I snapped, finally earning a look from Moody. "It's about the only thing that does matter as far as I'm concerned."

"James," Moody said.

I cut him off, continuing to glare at Sydny. "This is my family we're talking about, Lafevre. I'm grateful that they're safe, don't get me wrong, but I'd like to be reassured that this won't happen again. So if you were warned by someone that my sister was in danger, I deserve to know who!"

She met my gaze and the strong, confident look in her eyes that I had become accustomed to seeing suddenly disappeared. Vulnerability stared back at me. She quickly turned away without saying anything.

"Miss Lafevre, I advise you give up that name now," Scrimgeour warned in a deep voice.

None of us particularly respected Scrimgeour in the same way we respected Moody, but you definitely didn't disobey him when he ordered you around.

I saw Sydny glance ever-so-slightly up at Moody who pursed his lips and produced a single nod. Barely noticeable but to me, it seemed rather odd. Sydny turned to face Scrimgeour hesitantly, taking her time to deliberate her options before speaking, her voice barely above a whisper. "It was Regulus Black."

The room went deadly silent as we all digested that information. "Regulus Black is a Death Eater," I said coolly.

"Not anymore he isn't," she defended quickly, shaking her head. "After he got acquitted for the United States damage, he had a change of heart. He's going into hiding with…well, with who doesn't matter." I definitely noticed a brief glance in my direction, but she continued before I could comment. "But...but he was desperate to warn someone of Voldemort's immediate plans before doing so."

"And why would he choose you?" Scrimgeour dared to ask, uncertain he wanted to hear the answer.

She paused. "I don't know," she said, her voice wavering slightly. It was obvious that she was lying.

Scrimgeour's eyes narrowed and I saw a flicker of angry determination in his eyes, a look that was rare for him. "Lafevre, you are on thin ice right now. If you have any more information, I'd seriously recommend you give it up."

Her eyes met mine again and didn't stray. But she remained silent.

Scrimgeour then asked the question I wanted the answer to most. "Are you working for someone else?" he barked, his eyes filling with rage. I cowered at the sheer volume of his voice.

I had to give Sydny her props. Scrimgeour didn't get angry often and when he did, most people bowed down to him and obeyed with whatever requests he had considering he was the Head of the British Auror Department. Sydny, however, chose to held her own. "I'm not working for the other side if that's what you think," she responded, slightly offended by the accusation. "I'm not a double agent. I promise you that I do not, never have, and never will work for Voldemort."

"Oh, gee, sorry if a promise isn't terribly comforting but it's clear you know more than you're letting on and frankly, thinking you might be a double agent shouldn't come as a surprise to you right now," I drawled sarcastically. I didn't even care that I was bordering on out of line. She was being completely evasive and Merlin knows I wasn't going to stand for it, especially when it came to my family.

"James," Moody warned, giving me a look.

"What?" I cried back, perturbed by Moody's softened look. Dare I say he looked guilty? "She is not giving us any information and I think we all know she has some. And I think after the hell that my family has been through over the years, I deserve some answers!"

"James," Moody said, his tone full of pleading, "Please calm down."

I stared back at him, my eyes blazing with immense frustration. "Did you ever notice how telling someone to calm down has the opposite effect?" I barked, trying not to blow up at the Second-in-Command. "Another member of my already-diminished family came this close to getting murdered and you're seriously asking me to...to calm down?" I seethed. "I don't think you realize what I'm going through right now." I was livid, that much was obvious. There were people in that room that clearly had some answers and were refusing to give them up. Even Alice and Fabian, who sat silently at one end of the table, looked rather eager for answers. And at that moment, I was ready to throw around some hexes no matter how out of line that might be.

Moody winced and I turned away, ignoring the aching expression on his face. "You're right," he said softly. "I don't know how you're feeling. But maybe right now you should just be thankful that your sister and brother-in-law are safe. Let's not focus on why they are."

He definitely knew something. "I am thankful that they're alive so don't insinuate that I'm not," I snapped, bordering on an unacceptable tone. "But that woman knows something she's not telling us and I'll be damned if I'm going to be leaving this room without some form of a bloody answer!"

Moody's eyes turned hard, his patience clearly dispersing. "Answers aren't going to solve our problems right now, James." His voice was cold. Frustrated. "And I really don't think anything is going to get resolved by yelling at each other."

I was so over this nonsense. I clenched my fists and counted to ten, knowing it wouldn't be wise to blow up at the Second-in-Command's face. "Fine," I said coolly. I pushed back my chair and stood up. "I'm heading to St. Mungo's. If-"

"No," Moody pleaded. "We need to keep this under wraps and Merlin knows the Daily Prophet will be swarming the hospital once this news leaks out, especially if they see you arriving there. We don't need them bombarding you right now."

"Why do I have to stay?" I questioned. "I didn't do anything wrong."

Since day one, I had only seen Moody look helpless once. It was when he found out Marianna Humphries was killed. And now he was giving me a look that told me that I was obviously allowed to do what I please but that it would be considered a huge favor if I stayed. "Please, James."

I sighed, knowing I would obey. I wanted more than anything to tell him to go screw himself and blow off his request, but I respected Moody too much for that. It was clear he knew something I didn't, so I reluctantly obliged. "Fine," I muttered. I glanced back towards Sydny. "You going to do any more talking or am I just better off returning to my desk?"

She avoided eye contact with me, shifting uncomfortably in her chair.

"I guess that answers that question," I snapped, whirling around and rushing out without another word.

I tried finishing up a background check on my desk, but I knew only five minutes into it, that it was a lost cause. I chucked the report across my desk out of anger. Anger towards Voldemort. Anger towards the Lestranges. Anger towards Sydny. But mostly anger towards myself.

What did I ever do to Voldemort to deserve such retaliation? Would he not stop until every single member of my family was gone? What did that accomplish? Why did it seem he was deliberately going after the people I loved?

Everyone around me was in danger. And it appeared that there wasn't a whole lot I could do about it.

As my eyes grazed towards a photo of my friends taken at one of our Friday Night Dinners in the corner of my desk, I couldn't help but depressingly wonder who was going to be next.

"Hey."

I lifted my eyes slightly but chose to remain mute. I didn't have a whole lot I wanted or needed to say to Lafevre.

She sighed, taking her own seat at the adjoining desk. "I'm being taken hostage, too."

"Yeah, well I think you probably deserve it more than I do." I didn't intend to sound so vehement, but I wasn't surprised that it came out that way.

She winced. "I deserved that," she murmured.

I whirled my chair around to glare at her. "Who the hell are you, Lafevre?"

"What?"

"I mean it," I demanded, my anger teetering on pure detestation for the secretive woman in front of me. "You have done one hell of job disguising who you are since you started here, but it's time for you to come clean. How the hell did you know my brother and how the hell do you know Regulus? You sure as hell didn't attend Beauxbatons so what are you hiding there? Why did you become an Auror and why are you so determined not to tell me? I think I deserve some answers considering you're my partner!"

I was surprised to see that a look of sorrow crossed her face. She remained silent for what felt like eternity, but I could tell she was considering answering me. Eventually, she sighed. "Potter," she said softly, "It's not that I don't want to provide you with answers. It's that…I-I don't want to put you in danger."

I couldn't help but burst into laughter. Danger was apparently my middle name. "My family apparently has a huge target on its back so from what I can see, I'm already in danger."

"I know."

"No, I don't think you do."

She sighed, biting down on her bottom lip. "I-I do, James," she muttered sincerely, slowly shaking her head. That flicker of vulnerability once again flashed through her eyes as she slowly locked eyes with me. "I know you're in danger. Trust me, I do, and I don't want-"

There was something in her tone that made me interrupt her, confused. "How the hell do you know I'm in danger?"

Panic played across her face. "I just mean I know how much you've suffered."

She was so obviously hiding something. "Liar."

"Excuse me?"

"You're lying. You know more than you're letting on and it's about bloody time you start talking, Lafevre. I'm getting pretty damned tired of wondering who the hell I'm dealing with. What are you so determined to hide?"

She turned her gaze away from me, frowning. Eventually, she spoke. "Please let it go, James," she said softly.

I hesitated. I didn't even realize she knew my first name. I glanced over at her and saw a sense of desperation seeping from her eyes. "What's going on, Lafevre?" I pleaded.

"Nothing you need to know," she responded a little too quickly, turning around in her chair so I was forced to stare at the back of her head. "Please just let it go."

"This is my family we're talking about here, Lafevre. I can't let it go," I argued. "I won't let it go."

"Well, you're going to have to because I'm keeping my mouth shut," she snapped.

I glared at her. "Why are you so determined to keep secrets from me?" I barked. "How the hell am I supposed to trust you if I don't know anything about you?"

She hesitated, glancing over her shoulder curiously. "You could just thank me, Potter."

I scowled. "For what?"

"For saving your sister's life."

I stiffened, suddenly despising the girl sitting in front of me. "Maybe I'll thank you once you actually tell me what you were doing there."

She pursed her lips. "You're the most ungrateful person I know," she scoffed, whirling back around.

"Yeah, and you're the most secretive person I know," I shot back, narrowing my eyes.

"You better start getting used to it."

I could tell she was getting angry, but so was I. "I'm already used to it!" I argued. "But I'm beginning to realize that you don't care. That you work for someone other than this damned Auror department. I just don't know who. The French Ministry? Voldemort? The Death Eaters? A particular Death Eater?"

"If I was working for them, do you honestly think I would have saved your bloody family?" Lafevre snapped, her eyes gleaming with anger. It was obvious she didn't appreciate being accused of being on the dark side.

I ignored her. "Then why the hell did a known Death Eater seek you out? How did he know where to find you? Why did he feel it necessary to warn you but not anyone else?" I barked, not caring that my voice was rising by the second. I knew that I could probably be heard from the conference room, but I was determined to figure out what Lafevre was up to. "And how do you know that I'm in danger? And what does Moody know that you know? God help me, if I do one day find out you're on their side, I will personally hunt you down and murder you in your sleep."

"I am not working for them, you son of a bitch," she snarled. "But maybe you could show a hint of compassion considering I'm here in London to protect you!"

That caught me off-guard completely. I had to blink a few times before I realized that I had heard her correctly. That's why she was transferred to our office? To protect me? Was that why Moody seemed to know more than he was telling?

Instead of asking these questions, I pursed my lips angrily. Because being a surly son-of-a-bitch was my defense mechanism apparently. Especially around her. "Yeah, well you're not doing such a good job at it, are you," I snarled.

I wouldn't have been surprised if she had slapped me or thrown a file folder directly at my face. But she didn't. Instead her look softened and her eyes filled with something I couldn't place. Sorrow? Guilt? Sympathy? "I know," she admitted, sighing deeply.

I quirked an eyebrow. It was unlike Lafevre to admit defeat. "I don't need your protection, Lafevre."

"Maybe you don't, but your family and friends could certainly use it," she said softly.

It was like she was reading my mind. I couldn't even argue because it was clearly true. "And apparently part of that protection is befriending known Death Eaters?"

She frowned. "I didn't know Regulus before tonight. He sought me out."

"Why?"

She didn't respond. Big shock, right?

I sighed. "Who sent you here to protect me?" I asked.

She hesitated. I could see the wheels turning in her head. "Look, Potter," she said slowly, "I have no idea what's going on around you but I'm here to help figure it out."

"Wow, way to actively avoid my question by responding with a vague statement," I retorted sarcastically.

"I've already said too much," she admitted pleadingly.

"Really? Because it feels like you've said nothing."

She simply shrugged. "Your sister and brother-in-law are safe, Potter. Can't that be good enough for now?"

My heart skipped a beat. I still couldn't believe that they were alive. The moment Lily informed me they had been kidnapped, I thought for sure I would soon be mourning the loss of another sibling. "Please just answer me one question."

She didn't respond, but glanced up at me curiously.

"Why did Regulus warn you?" I dared to ask again, my voice filled with desperation. At that moment, it was the only question I truly wanted an answer to. I didn't care that she was apparently sent to protect me. I didn't care that someone from the Dark Side was obviously out to get me. I didn't care that Sydny was determined to keep her past hidden from me. I just needed to know why and how Sydny was able to save Dezzy. Because I wasn't about to thank her unless I knew for certain she hadn't been involved in the first place.

She sighed. I thought she'd avoid the question but she surprised me. "I meant what I said before. I-I...I never met him before tonight," she admitted. "He just…" she trailed off, gazing at me curiously. "He just knew that I would be able to help him without having to explain himself."

That clearly didn't answer my question, but I could tell it was her way of trying to give me some information to go off of. "How? Why you?"

She swallowed hard. "That I can't tell you," she pleaded.

I clenched my fists tightly, turning back around to face my own desk. I picked up my quill and stared down at the files in front of me, wanting nothing more than to continue berating Sydny. But it was clear no matter how much I begged for answers, she wouldn't give them to me. My eyes fell upon another photo on my desk. A photo of my family, a photo taken nearly nine years earlier at Wyatt's graduation. The last day I ever saw him. My gaze lingered over Dezzy, who was only nine at the time. But even then, she still looked as wise and mischievous as she was today. She was one of my best friends. I had no idea what I would do without her.

I bit down on my tongue to stop me from lashing out at Sydny. "Why do I bother even pleading with you?" I murmured hollowly, glancing over my shoulder at her. "You couldn't care less about anyone but yourself."

Sydny's eyes flickered with resentment. "If I really only cared about myself, would I have saved your sister?" she sneered. "I don't think you realize how much I put myself in jeopardy by going after Bellatrix and her little sidekick. My whole cover could have been blown and-"

"Why the hell do you even have a cover, Lafevre?" I barked.

Her lips formed a firm line, but before she could retort, I interrupted angrily, "Oh, let me guess, you can't tell me."

She averted her eyes towards the ground guiltily and for a moment (just for a slight moment) I almost felt sorry for her. It was obvious she was holding a lot in. But then I remembered that I had a lot laid out on the line and it seemed as if she had all sorts of answers that she was unwilling to divulge. I didn't realize I was gripping my quill that tightly until I saw a light stream of blood ooze from my palm. The top of the quill had dug into my hand; I threw it on to my desk with an irritated grunt. "I am so tired of feeling like everyone around me is conspiring against me. When you want to be a true partner, you can come find me in the training facilities."

Whenever I got stressed, I hit the gym. And I was most definitely stressed at that moment.

She didn't respond, slowly turning around in her chair to face her own work.

I don't know what I was hoping for from her, but she clearly was done speaking to me. So without another word, I walked out.

++FABIAN++

I wasn't surprised when James sauntered into the weights area only a few minutes after I found myself down there. Whenever he felt emotionally drained or he felt like the world was only seconds away from crashing down on him, he used exercise as a way to soothe himself.

"Hey," I greeted awkwardly. What do you say to a guy whose sister almost died?

"What the hell happened today?" he blurted out.

I hesitated, slowly putting down the medicine ball I was holding. I guess I should have expected that question. "Honestly?" I murmured, wiping my brow that was dripping with sweat. "I don't know."

"You know more than I do," James retaliated.

I slowly sat down on the nearby bench. "I was sitting at my desk finishing up my evaluations on the training session held on Thursday when chaos erupted. Moody came flying out of the elevator yelling so many different commands. The only one I heard was Dezzy Potter so immediately, Alice and I were alert. He instructed us to apparate to this tiny village outside Sao Paulo immediately and to prepare for a battle while he summoned other Aurors. Alice and I were heading out of the Ministry ready to apparate when…when Sydny suddenly appeared," I murmured, racking my brain to remember all of the details. "She told us Dezzy and Drew were fine, minus a few bruises here and there, and that they were being sent to St. Mungo's. Alice and I had no idea what to believe. We quickly followed Sydny back up to the Auror Department where Moody seemed to be waiting for us and…well, that was that."

"What do you mean that was that?" he asked, frustrated. "What did she say?"

"I don't know," I admitted with a guilty shrug. "Moody rushed her into his office where they remained huddled for the next fifteen minutes or so. Until Scrimgeour showed up. He ushered us all into the conference room for some explanation and that's when you entered."

James sighed, rubbing his temples bemusedly. "How did she know?" he muttered.

I knew it was rhetorical. "I don't think she's working for Voldemort, if that's what you're worried about."

He shook his head. "I-I don't think she is either," he admitted slowly. "But she's definitely working for someone. And it doesn't appear to be Scrimgeour all the time."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

He sounded so bitter, I wonder if he knew something I didn't. I clapped him on the back, wishing I could provide him with some sort of reassurance that everything was going to be okay. But that wasn't something I could reassure him. "Dezzy and Drew are safe," I said softly. "Let's just be grateful for that."

He sighed. "I wish that could just be it," he murmured, desperation seeping through his words, "But I just…"

"Just what?"

He was silent for a long time, but I could see distress resting in his eyes. He almost lost his sister today and I could tell he was scared that this wouldn't be the first time she'd be targeted. "How did Rodolphus and Bellatrix even know where Dezzy and Drew were in the first place?"

"What?"

He shrugged. "It's not a coincidence," he murmured. "It can't be. Dezzy and Drew must have been followed or they were tracked down. But…but how? How did Bellatrix and Rodolphus know they were in South America? How did they know exactly where they were in South America unless they had their itinerary? An itinerary that was only in the hands of a select few. And why were they chosen to kidnap Dezzy and Drew? Why them? And why were they choosing to kidnap them instead of just…kill them?"

It had been a long time since I saw James look so overwhelmed and distraught, but he was clearly feeling tormented in that moment. I know that James often felt helpless when it came to the unfortunate tragedies that seem to have been directly affecting him. And I know that he didn't deal well with helplessness. Control and manipulation was something he actively desired. And something he suddenly didn't have anymore. "James, we can't know what's going through Voldemort's head. Or the Death Eaters'. They torture for fun. There's no…no real plan."

"Then why does it feel like everything always happens to me?" he murmured.

A twinge of agony fluttered in my heart. "It doesn't," I said softly. "My brother died, too, if you recall. At the same time that Brite did."

He winced, glancing at me with a sigh. "I need to stop living in self-pity, don't I?"

I shrugged. "I think self-pity just makes it that much harder to-"

"Live?"

I met his gaze. "Yeah."

We sat in silence before James climbed off the bench and headed towards the punching bag. Minutes later, he was smacking the shit out of it. I had a feeling he was visualizing Voldemort.

Or maybe even Sydny.

We worked out in silence, needing that time to ourselves. James was waiting for anyone to relieve him so he can rush to St. Mungo's to be by his sister's side. And I just needed it to figure out what the hell happened today. Why Regulus sought Sydny out. Why she had spent so much time in Moody's office. What she was so determined to hide.

Since Alice and I were the only two Aurors here when the tragedy struck, we thought we'd have some insight. But Moody didn't seem the least bit interested in what we had to say once Sydny arrived on site. I think James was right. She was working for someone. And I think Moody knew who.

Alice was upstairs with Moody so hopefully she could get some answers from him. If anyone could persuade Moody, it was her. We all knew she was one of Moody's favorite.

"Looking good, boys."

Both James and I turned our heads towards the entranceway where Lily stood leaning casually against the doorframe.

"Lily," James whispered, his voice filled with desperation.

She smiled. "I just spoke to Nyger. Your sister and Drew made it safely to St. Mungo's and your mother is with them. I told Moody that your mom wants you there. He's letting you go but only if you promise to stay away from the press. He wants to keep this all under wraps."

James let out a huge sigh of relief. "How is Dezzy? And Drew?"

"Dezzy's good," she responded hesitantly. "She's awake. Just a few bumps and bruises. Drew is…" she trailed off awkwardly. "He's not conscious right now but the Healers think he will be fine. Nora is on her way over here to talk to Moody and Scrimgeour before she'll be heading to the hospital."

James sighed, grabbing his wand and cleaning the sweat off his face. "C'mon, let's get to St. Mungo's."

"The only way you're going to St. Mungo's is in a body bag."

Chills ran down my spine as my attention was drawn to the two people standing directly behind Lily.

"Your security sucks on Saturday," Bellatrix Black sneered.

++BELLATRIX++

I hated them all. I hated them in Hogwarts and I still hated them four years later. They think they're so smug and superior when in fact, they're just a bunch of wannabe warriors who really have no fight in them. I wanted them dead.

Of course, the Dark Lord insisted on keeping James Potter alive. I had no idea what his agenda was but I wasn't about to question it. To question the Dark Lord would be putting a death sentence on yourself.

I didn't know how that woman found out about our abduction plans, but I knew that the Dark Lord wouldn't be happy. I was a little peeved that he had wanted me to only kidnap Dezzy Potter and not kill her immediately. I had no idea why but he had wanted to have a conversation with her and he never gave me an inkling as to why but the plan went horribly awry when that bitchy formerly France Auror (who had ruined a number of our plans over the years and I was beginning to put her on top of my Shit List) had entered the scene and thrown me and Rodolphus for a loop. So if I couldn't have Dezzy, I decided to take matters into my own hand and went directly after James' weakest link: Lily Evans. She was always going to be the ultimate plan in Voldemort's mind anyway so I was ready to put her on top of the target list. James Potter had fawned over her for practically ten years. It had been disgusting to watch. But I will certainly enjoy watching her die in front of his very eyes.

Rodolphus and I followed that Sydny hag back to British the Ministry surreptitiously, knowing that James and Lily would end up back there. They were so predictable. And Lily made my job a hell of a lot easier when she traipsed down to the training facilities where James was residing at the time. I'm telling you, the security on a Saturday was lackadaisical at best. Between the two of us, Rodolphus and I muttered a simple Avada Kedavra spell and the security guards hit the ground in seconds.

I couldn't help but enjoy the frightened looks on the faces of all those now standing in front of me, and was surprisingly overjoyed by the appearance of Fabian Prewett as well. They knew they were trapped. There was only one door and I was blocking it.

I saw Fabian reach for his wand, but I was too quick for him. "Crucio!"

He crumbled to the floor, fighting the screams he was clearly too proud to let out.

Lily raised her wand towards me, shooting a stinging hex towards me. It attacked my arm, but I ignored the pain as I sent her a fire-searing spell at her. I cackled humorously as she fell forward with a shout. I knew a burning sensation was covering every inch of her skin. I ignored James' shouts to leave her alone. How sickeningly valiant of him. But as James started towards me, Rodolphus began dueling the prat.

Rodolphus was sending puny spells at the guy, nothing that would substantially kill him. I knew it was killing Rodolphus to be playing such amateur games with him, but we had all taken an oath that the only person who would ever be murdering James Potter was the Dark Lord. And not for quite some time. I couldn't be sure of what or why, but the Dark Lord had a special plan in store for goody-two-shoes James Potter.

Which was fine by me. I was determined to go after Lily Evans.

Fabian was attempting to catch his breath, my Cruciatus Curse interrupted by the advances of Lily. He shared a sideways glance with Lily as he stood up off the ground, his wand pointed in my direction.

Jets of light flew from all five wands in the room, a display of fireworks spilling throughout as we dodged and deflected and ducked as best we could.

"Get out of my way, fool!" I shouted at Fabian as he attempted to shield Lily, who was still searing with pain from my fire-searing spell. "I am not here for you but I have no trouble killing you if I need to," I snarled, ducking as a weak orange light came soaring towards me.

On the other side of the room, James was doing a bloody good job at dodging the pathetic curses Rodolphus was doing. As the seconds ticked by, I could tell Rodolphus' spells were getting more and more dangerous. He gasped as a slapping spell hit him straight in the nose. I watched as blood poured from my husband's nose. "You filthy blood traitor!" he snarled, raising his wand high above his head. "CRUCIO!"

I hugged a column in the middle of the room as Fabian tried to stun me, watching as Lily screamed loudly as she was forced to survey her precious boyfriend writhe painfully on the ground in front of her. "Dammit, Rodolphus, let him go!" I sneered. "We need to keep that ingrate alive! We're here for the girl, remember?"

He pulled his wand off of him, sending him a mere stinging spell to the face.

"Arabambra!" I shouted, my wand pointed directly towards Fabian, who had attempted to catch me off-guard while I turned my attention towards James. Fabian was suddenly soaring through the air and slamming against the mirrors on the other side of the room. They shattered around him as he crumbled to the ground with a loud groan.

Out of the corner of the eye, I noticed I had Lily all to myself now. I grinned wickedly. "Usually, I like to play with my prey before killing them mercilessly," I snapped, my wand pointed in her face. "Suffacato!" I shouted, a wisp of air wrapping around the girl's throat. "Unfortunately, I don't have time for that," I sneered, my wand pointed determinedly at her throat. She gasped for air, trying to cry for help with very little success. Her wand fell to the ground soon followed by her knees. Her face was turning purple and I knew in a matter of seconds, she'd be unconscious enough for me to finish her off.

I was thrown off balance when James came charging at me, knocking me to the ground the old-fashioned way. I glared down at the fool. "You want to be next?" I sneered, sticking my wand in the middle of his forehead.

"What happened to not killing him?" Rodolphus grumbled, a gash now joining his broken nose on his face. James Potter certainly knew how to inflict pain upon others when necessary.

I rolled my eyes, knowing he was right. I let Rodolphus continue fighting James as he muttered a fire-searing curse. James tried ducking, but the jet of red light shot across his legs and he cried out in pain.

As I once again returned my gaze upon Lily Evans, whose eyes were fighting consciousness still, I took pleasure out of knowing I would finally be able to finish her off. Her wand was pointed towards me, but her eyes were too glazed over to know what she was doing. She was a strong fighter, I'd give her that much. But after today, she would have absolutely no chance to ever fight back again. "ARAHAMBRA!" I cried out in pleasure. I grinned as she shot across the room and her body slammed across one of the columns with a sickening crunching sound. She fell to the ground limply and I knew she was still fighting consciousness as I watched her eyelids droop in and out with light groans escaping from her lips.

I started to once again advance towards her when suddenly I heard footsteps behind me. I whirled around but before I could register Alice Fisher standing there, I was thrown against the wall by a blasting curse. I panicked slightly. I knew that we must have been making a ton of noise and she would have called for backup. Rodolphus and I probably only had two minutes before a slew of Aurors came barreling through the door.

"Rodolphus!" I shouted as he continued to smack around James. I ducked as an orange light was shot at me by Alice, who had rushed to Lily's side. I knew Lily wasn't dead (which would be yet another thing the Dark Lord would reprimand me for later), but I didn't have time to finish her off. "We've got to get out of here!"

He muttered another curse towards James, who was on the verge of passing out and yet still advancing towards Rodolphus, and rushed my way. Rodolphus stunned Alice, who was so busy keeping one eye on Lily and her other eye on me didn't realize Rodolphus was behind her, and she was rammed into the mirror unexpectedly. For a second, I considered killing Lily in the corner, but James was making his way towards me that I knew I had no time. He hit me with another painful stinging hex, one straight to my face, and as I screamed, I blasted him off the ground and he slammed into a column. Without bothering to see how hard I hit him, I frantically grabbed Rodolphus' hand and hurried out of the room. I could hear shouts and screams behind me and knew that if we had stayed for even a few seconds later, we would have had a one-way ticket to Azkaban.

++KAY++

I was finishing up my twelve-hour graveyard shift at St. Mungo's and about to apparate over to Potter Manor to help with the move when my coworker, Reynolds Baker, came rushing into the employee locker room to inform me that Dezzy and Drew Gilmore were being transported to St. Mungo's after some sort of kidnapping gone wrong in South America. I immediately hurried back into my hospital robes and raced back up to the lobby area with Reynolds. I was so grateful to find out that Drew finally awoke and both he and Dezzy were going to be alright, except for a few minor scrapes and bruises from dueling the Death Eaters (with, from what I could tell, the help of Sydny; not sure why she was in Brazil or why she wasn't in the hospital wing now, but I've learned not to ask questions), and after speaking to Maya, I was back down in the locker room. From what she told me, James was still at the Auror offices with Moody, and Lily was coordinating with her boss, Nyger, and the South American Ministry, but I knew that they'd probably be showing up shortly. I was rushing out of my hospital robes again in order to apparate to Lance's bookstore, knowing he needed to learn that his brother almost died, when Reynolds reappeared to inform me that Death Eaters had broken into the Ministry and attacked some Aurors in the basement training facility. I didn't even have to ask him who he meant. The only reason he would have been frantically telling me this is if one of them was James.

What I didn't expect was to see Lily being levitated into the ER as well.

I was trying to help stabilize Fabian while Lily and James were rushed into surgery by a team of Healers. Alice was fine, just a drastic cut on her head from being slammed into the mirrors, and she was insisting that she didn't need any more medical help (screaming, more like it) and that she wanted to see James and Lily. Fabian awoke from his brief coma only minutes later, but I knew he would. Although he had been slammed around a few times and his face was swollen and covered in blood, he was far more stable than James and Lily were. It was clear they had been the targets.

"Where are they?" Fabian murmured, clearly panicked. "Where are James and Lily?"

"That's a damned good question!" Alice cried out, swatting away one of the mediwitches' hands. "Stop poking and prodding me, I'm fine! Where the hell did they take James and Lily?"

"Alice?" Fabian muttered, clearly confused. My guess is that he must have fell unconscious before Alice arrived on the scene. "Is that you? Why are you here? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" she cried out for what must have been the hundredth time in a span of five minutes. "Just a few cuts and bruises. What about you?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said hastily, turning back towards me. "Kay, tell me that James and Lily are okay," Fabian said softly, flinching as I raised his arm over his head. I could tell he was in serious pain, but it was clear he was more concerned about his friends.

I locked eyes with his, panic setting in. I had been trying to focus on stabilizing Fabian so that I didn't have to focus on the fact that two of my oldest friends were lying unconscious on a hospital bed about to be probed by multiple Healers. I was about to reassure Fabian they'd be fine out of habit's sake, but the desperate look in his eye kept me from lying. So I chose to avoid the question. "It looks like you have a cracked rib and a fractured collarbone, which will be easy enough for us to fix, but I'm more concerned with the bruises on your face and the bump on the back of your head. We'll need to keep you here for a few days to keep an eye on the swelling."

Fabian groaned. "Why am I always the one who has to stay for observation?"

I tried laughing, but laughter seemed impossible in that moment. "Sorry. Hospital rules."

"Can I at least see James and Lily before you admit me?"

I hesitated, glancing over my shoulder to where Alice was now staring at me as well. She somehow got the mediwitch to leave her alone, but there was now a bandage wrapped around her head to suppress the cut. I let go of Fabian's arm with a frown. "They're both being examined by our best team of Healers right now. I don't know how long they'll be with them."

Neither said anything, most likely afraid of that implication. It was common knowledge in the wizarding world that most people who are unconscious either wake up or end up dying quickly after. Comas weren't a common thing Curses and hexes and spells are dangerous to a body and while the pain can render a person unconscious fairly quickly, it's often tough to bounce back after. When someone comes into St. Mungo's in a coma, it takes much manual and instrumental technique to find and diagnose the problem in order to inevitably fix it.

"How are Dezzy and Drew?" Fabian asked, choosing not to dwell on my comment.

"They're both doing well," I said with a strained smile. "Drew's leg will take some time to heal, but Dezzy should be fine."

"Has…has anyone told them about…" Alice spoke softly.

Fabian and Alice met my gaze. "Caleb?" I whispered, the word catching in my throat.

She nodded.

"Not yet," I said, a lump forming in my throat. "I-I didn't think it was my place. Nora is with Scrimgeour and Moody now but should be on her way to the hospital shortly. She…she's going to tell them."

Alice nodded gloomily, tears springing to her eyes. "This has been a horrible day," she whispered, lying back down against her pillow defeatedly.

"No one died today," Fabian spoke softly.

"Unfortunately, that's not true," I spoke with a sigh. "There were four security guards that were killed."

Alice turned to look at me and I could tell she was fighting to keep the tears from falling. "This day really needs to end."

I couldn't agree more.

I was so grateful I nearly cried when I finally saw Lance walk through the door with his mother right behind him. I held on to him for so long, feeling intense comfort and security in his arms. It didn't change what happened to Drew and it didn't change what happened to Caleb and it didn't change what happened to Fabian and Alice and Lily and James, but it made it easier having him by my side. I tried so desperately to not think of Lily lying in a hospital bed being poked and prodded. I tried not to gather any horrible thoughts, trying to believe that she would be alright. But as much as I tried to think positively, I failed. She was my best friend. I needed her. With Riley gone, she was all I had left.

Nora went into the room that Dezzy and Drew were sharing, insisting that Lance and I join her. I didn't know if it was because she couldn't do it alone or if because she wanted Dezzy and Drew to have support when they found out that Caleb was gone and they didn't even get a chance to say goodbye to him. Whichever it was, it was so difficult reliving it again. I held on to Dezzy as she sobbed in denial, watching Lance and Drew grasp tightly to each other as the silent tears slipped down both their faces. Instinctively, I reached out my hand to Lance who grabbed it and squeezed it. We would always be there for each other. Even in the most difficult times, I would always have him. I kept reminding myself of that as thoughts of Caleb trounced my memory.

Lance's entire family eventually all showed up at staggered times and at one point, Fabian and Alice traipsed into the room to lend their support. Not so surprisingly, Frank, Sirius, Remus, and Peter wandered into the room. I wasn't even surprised when Shane Redford walked through the door either. I have no idea who had told them all that Dezzy and Drew had almost been kidnapped, that Fabian and Alice had been attacked and that James and Lily were nearing death (my guess is a mix of Maya and Sirius), but there were over fifteen people crowded into that small room. Which, naturally, the Healers couldn't accept. Anyone that wasn't blood related to Drew or Dezzy was kicked out pretty soon thereafter and hung around the waiting area for news on Lily and James. Except for Alice and Fabian who were admitted to the hospital for observation, much to their protests.

Being a mediwitch at St. Mungo's, you'd think that I'd be able to obtain information, but no one seemed to know anything. Or if they did know, they weren't telling me. I was trying so hard to act calm and composed, knowing that everyone was looking to me as a mediwitch for some reassurance, but inside, I was screaming. Lily was my oldest friend. I didn't know what I'd do if I lost her.

I know that Lily didn't have any immediate family left, but looking around the waiting area at all the worried people that had gathered, I knew she was lucky to have so many people care about her well-being. Every day, I stood by as unconscious wizards and witches were levitated into the observation frooms And every day, I saw some who didn't have anyone pacing around the waiting area praying for their full recovery. And 85% of the time, those with loved ones came out alive and those without didn't.

I just prayed that Lily was a part of that 85%.

++SIRIUS++

I had been attempting to piece together a dresser (with some major help of my wand, that's for sure), when Frank came barreling through our front door. His words were jumbled and frantic, but it didn't take a genius to realize that Fabian, Alice, James, and Lily had been attacked. I was more confused by the short explanation of how Dezzy and Drew were supposedly kidnapped but somehow, Sydny showed up and saved them. I had a feeling there was more to that story, but the moment I heard James and Lily had been attacked, I barely heard another word.

Only a few hours had passed since we found out about the attacks, but it felt like an eternity. I was trying hard to keep a smile on my face, mostly because people expected it of me, but it was difficult knowing that my friends' lives hung in the balance. James was my best friend in the entire world. He was like a brother to me. I didn't know what I would do without him in my life. Even the thought of it was enough to fill me with panic. And Lily. She, too, had become a member of my family. She was like that annoying little sister who you absolutely adored even when she was bugging you and interrogating you. I loved the girl. Not in a romantic way. But in a protective-best-friend kind of way. She and I had a similar story. She lost her family and in a way, so did I. We understood each other and often we knew what the other was thinking before our thoughts were already formed. She had to be alive. And not just for my sake, but for James' too. His life would be over without her. That much I knew.

At one point as we all sat around that waiting room, I had to excuse myself to the bathroom. There, I let a small flood of tears succumb me, desperately trying to blink them away. And for the first time in years, I found myself praying to God. I needed them both to wake up. They were all I had left in this crappy world.

When I returned, my worries were interrupted by Alice's voice. After a few more tests, she had been discharged, the Healers believing her to not have any substantial injuries, which provided her and Frank with immense relief. "Has anyone talked to Keegan?" she asked curiously. "Does she know about Fabian and Lily?"

I sighed. "Yeah, I spoke to her."

Shocked gazes stared up at me.

I shrugged. "I figured she might wonder why Lily hadn't shown up to start the moving process." After Frank had barged into our apartment, he and Remus hightailed it to the hospital, but as I was about to apparate with them, I realized that Keegan needed to be told. So I made a quick pit stop across the hall.

"Gee, how unusually thoughtful of you," Shane said with a smile. A strained smile, but a smile nonetheless.

"So where is she?" Peter asked.

I frowned, not sure how to answer that. As it turned out, my arrival at Keegan's door was coincided with an urgent owl from the Daily Prophet. The Sunday edition had already been sent to press for a final edit but seeing as the kidnapping and the attack had occurred, naturally, Jasper Malone wanted to capitalize on that and demanded all available journalists to report to the office for further instruction.

"Outta my way, Black," she had barked, whipping past me.

"Wait, you can't go," I had pleaded, grabbing her arm before she could apparate.

"Why not?" she had asked bitterly.

I hesitated. "Did that letter from Malone happen to say who was kidnapped or who was attacked?"

She pulled her arm back, confusedly. "No. Why?"

I had gone silent, hating that I was the one to tell her the unfortunate news. "It was Dezzy and Drew in Brazil. They were the ones the Death Eaters were after."

Her face grew white. "What?" she whispered hoarsely. "Are they-"

"There's more."

She reached out to steady herself on the wall, shooting me an inquisitive look, one filled with panic and fear.

"James, Alice, Lily and Fabian were attacked in the training facilities," I said, my heart beating a mile a minute. "They're at St. Mungo's now."

I don't know what I had expected her reaction to be, but it certainly wasn't complacency. Her facial expression barely changed and her eyes didn't stray from mine. In fact, I was convinced she hadn't heard me and was about to repeat myself when she finally uttered, "Oh."

I stared at her, confused. "Oh?"

"Are they…" she trailed off, not being able to finish the word 'okay.'

"No, not really," I muttered, my harshness motivated by her lack of feeling. "I don't know the whole story. Only what Frank told me."

"Oh."

I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. "But from what he said, Fabian and Alice are awake and fine for now, but Fabian has to stay a few days for observation. James and Lily are…are being examined by Healers, both still unconscious. Dezzy and Drew should be getting released today. Neither have any substantial injuries."

"Oh."

"Is that all you can say?"

She shot me a withering glare. "I'm processing, Black. Give me a break," she snapped.

I cringed. I knew I was being a tad cruel, but I blame that on my overwhelming worry for my friends. "I'm sorry," I murmured.

She looked at me in surprise.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, you heard me right. I'm sorry. I'm just…I'm worried, I guess," I muttered. "Listen, Remus and Frank already went ahead to St. Mungo's, but I'm heading there now if you want to tag along."

Panic reflected on her face. "No, I have to get to the office."

I must have misheard her. "Er…what?"

"Malone is expecting me. In fact, I'm running late. If I don't show up, it will just be another reason for Malone to berate me for being a horrible employee and it will give him a reason to fire me."

"Your boyfriend was just attacked and your roommate is on her deathbed," I said, narrowing my eyes. "And you're going into the office?"

She sighed. "You already said that Fabian was fine. And how is me showing up at the hospital going to help Lily at all?" she muttered, staring down at the floor awkwardly.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "It's not about helping her. It's about supporting your friends who are worried about her and it's being there by her side so that when she wakes up, she'll realize she has-"

"If."

I froze. "What?"

"If she wakes up."

So help me God, if I wasn't a moral guy who didn't believe in hitting women, I would have smacked her right then and there. I knew it was the cold, hard truth of what could happen, but I didn't need her bluntly throwing that in my face. I sure as hell didn't need the reminder that two of my best friends could die. Not from Rouge. "Is…is that supposed to make me feel better about the situation?" I blurted out in a hurt whisper, my face slowly growing white at the possible prospects.

"I'm not trying to make you feel better. I'm just…I'm facing the possible reality of the situation," she muttered defensively, but I saw something in her eyes that bewildered me. It was nostalgia. Not panic or guilt or remorse or regret. Just a wistful longing. Believe me, I knew that emotion all too well. I just didn't know why it was gleaming in her eyes.

"I don't need reality," I retaliated, my tone cold and scathing. Maybe it was foolish of me to ignore the truth, but I couldn't even fathom the concept of them not waking from their comas. "None of us do. You don't think we realize that…that they might not wake up?" My voice cracked, trembling at the thought. I quickly turned away, not wanting Rouge to see my vulnerability at the moment. I didn't need it to be something else she could mock me for. "We're not idiots. But we're staying positive. At least, I am. With all of the turmoil that the wizarding world is going through right now, positivity is the only thing keeping me going."

"Yeah, well, all that turmoil has turned me into an eternal critic. Sorry that not all of us can be as jovial as you, Black, but I choose to live in a world of reality, not fantasy."

I narrowed my eyes at her. I've taken a lot of crap from Rouge, but I wasn't about to let her tell me how to live my life. I had been in a really negative place after Riley left and it took me a long time to get to a point where I not only stopped depressing everyone around me but I stopped depressing myself. While my upbeat attitude and optimism may sometimes come across as fake, it was the only way I could really get up in the morning. If I focused on all of the bad that had happened to me and all of the bad that's happened to those around me, I'd be stuck in one hell of a never-ending depressing bubble.

"I'm not living in a fantasy world, Rouge," I snapped. "In fact, I'm the one heading to the hospital facing the reality of the situation. If you want to go to work and avoid facing whatever feelings you're so desperate to hide, then you go right ahead. But I'm going to go to St. Mungo's in order to be there for James and Lily. Because that's what friends do. We're there for each other during the good times and the bad. But I guess this explains why you don't seem to have any friends of your own."

I hadn't even given her a chance to respond to my rant before pushing past her and apparating to St. Mungo's. But I couldn't believe she was choosing work over supporting her friends.

No, what's sad is I could believe it. But I knew there had to be a reason behind it. She just wasn't so willing to divulge that information to us.

"So she's not coming?" Alice asked after I explained to everyone the gist of what Keegan had told me.

I shook my head. "No. At least, not today."

"She must have had a good reason," Remus pondered.

"Oh yeah?" I snorted. "What reason could there possibly be to choose work over being by your boyfriend's bedside?"

Silence followed.

"My guess is that that's exactly what you told her," Remus sighed. "Probably very delicately, too."

I rolled my eyes. "Don't bother reprimanding me. It's not going to do any good."

Remus opened his mouth to respond, but clearly thought better of it and quickly shut his mouth. But that may have been because the Healer who was operating on James had just come up behind me.

We were informed that he was stable and that according to his brain patterns, he should be coming out with a full recovery. They just had to wait for him to wake up in order to complete their assessment. As we all jumped up from our chairs, the Healer warned us that he couldn't allow us all into the room at one time.

Which is how Remus, Kay, Mrs. P, Peter, and I ended up being the ones to sit by James' bedside while Alice and Frank kept Fabian company in his room and Shane continued to wait around in the lobby area for news on Lily.

Kay was talking to Mrs. P about the standard recovery rate for those with similar injuries as James, but I tuned her out and turned to gaze at James. I needed him to wake up. Because I needed him. He had been there for me every step of the way. When I was getting over Riley. When I lost job after job. When I wanted to focus my time and energy on being a Quijudge. When I needed him and even when I didn't need him, he was there. My stare never wavered from James as I willed him to wake up.

Which apparently worked because after an hour of sitting beside him, he suddenly stirred.

"James?!" I said frantically, which probably wasn't the best idea. Wouldn't want to frighten him back into a coma.

His eyes slowly opened and I've never breathed such a large sigh of relief before. Kay rushed out of the room to find the Healer-in-Charge, while Maya burst into tears beside me.

"What happened?" James murmured, blinking furiously, probably to get used to the light.

Remus, Peter, and I exchanged a look. "You were attacked," I said softly. "At the Ministry."

He nodded slowly before a look of realization passed over him. He sat upright, gasping. "How's Lily?" he cried. He clearly remembered what had happened.

No one spoke. What could we say?

James met my eyes. "Sirius, just tell me," he said, his voice hoarse.

"She's alive," I reassured. "But…still being examined."

"Examined?" he muttered, swallowing hard. "But…but she'll be okay?"

I didn't respond. I didn't know how to.

"She should be," Kay's voice spoke from behind us. She walked in with Galvin Fado, the Healer-in-Charge in ward 47. "She's out of the observation room and is being levitated to the room next door as we speak."

"Can I see her?" James demanded.

Kay gave him a look as Galvin chuckled. "How about we focus on you first?" he said.

"I'm clearly fine," he responded, agitated as Galvin attempted to glance over the bruises on the back of his head. "I'm breathing, aren't I?"

"James, just let me examine you," he said insistently.

He scowled. "Is she awake?" he asked.

"Not yet."

"Will she wake?"

Galvin hesitated and I'm certain I could hear every single person's heart beating out of their chests in that moment. "She should. But…but we don't know."

"I don't like the word 'should.' I want to hear 'will,'" James argued.

Galvin sighed. "Listen, you can visit Lily when I'm done observing you. So if I were you, I'd stop talking and start complying."

James pouted and crossed his arms in a huff, but remained silent.

Mrs. P, after much urging from James, left to go tell Dezzy and Drew that James was awake. And thankfully, Kay could tell that the four of us should be left alone to breathe our sighs of relief together, and went to inform everyone else that James was going to be okay. The Healer trainee, some young cute girl whose name I've already forgotten, popped her head in to let us know that Lily just arrived in the room next door. Galvin said he wanted to just run some routine tests before letting us visit her bedside, so after he walked out, it was just the four Marauders. Except we were anything but our usual happy-go-lucky selves.

"How are you feeling, James?" Remus asked, breaking the silence.

"It's not me I'm worried about," he murmured, glancing at the thin wall separating himself from Lily.

"She'll be okay," Peter urged.

"You don't know that," he retaliated, shaking his head. "We…we can never know that."

I had a feeling he wasn't just talking about Lily. "She's not Brite. She's not Jaron. She's not even Wyatt," I said firmly. "She has the chance to fight for her life. You'll get her back. Stay hopeful, James. Don't go all negative on us now."

"How can I not?" he sighed, not perturbed by my mentioning of his family. "I've already lost so much. Lily is next."

"Stop," I said, my voice shaking. I hated seeing James so depressed and brokenhearted. It was hard to see him looking so down when I thought back to a mere four years earlier when he was the most upbeat guy I knew. Four years could really change a guy. "Stop thinking like that. You need-"

"No, I'm not saying that to be negative," he murmured, shaking his head. "It's true. Bellatrix made that clear."

"What are you talking about?" Remus asked, confused.

"They weren't after me and they weren't after Fabian. They wanted Lily. And they wanted her dead. Bellatrix said that she needed me alive and that they were only there for the girl. And considering Lily was the only girl in the room at the time, I'm ninety-nine percent sure they were referring to her."

Even during his most depressing times, he still knew how to be cynically sarcastic. "Are you sure?" I said slowly. That didn't seem right. Correction, that didn't seem fair.

James nodded. "Granted, I had a bump on the back of my head the size of a giant's head at the time, but I know what I heard. I know what I saw."

"Why her?" Peter murmured.

No one responded. But we all knew it was a rhetorical question.

When I eventually traipsed into my apartment early the next morning, I couldn't help but wonder if this is how our lives were going to be from now on. Will we always have to be on our toes? Will we always have to keep one eye open at night? Will we always have to look over our shoulder to make sure we weren't being followed? Will we have to not only fight for our own lives but for the lives of our friends? I tried coming up with a good reason as to why Voldemort would be after Lily, but every thought seemed more unlikely than the next. She had no ties to Voldemort or his past. And how did Bellatrix and Rodolphus know to find Lily in the Auror training facilities? It all seemed so suspect. And it all frightened the hell out of me.

Maybe Keegan had been right. Maybe negativity was the way to go. Because staying positive certainly wasn't getting me anywhere.

A/N: Lots going on in this chapter! But at least we've found out that Dezzy and Drew are in fact alive. So yay! Not so yay for Lily who is still unconscious. And what is up with Sydny and Keegan? What are they hiding?

Coming up in next chapter: Some answers are revealed, some questions remained unanswered, and who's that at the door?