"James Aldan Potter, I am going to kill you!" Lily shouted as she chased him through the mansion. Since they'd become engaged, his parents had moved Lily into their wing of the house in an effort to "avoid incidences" as his father called it. To be respectful, they had cut down on their sexual activities for their sake and James had begun spending more time than ever with his friends. Unfortunately, this extra time was only causing him to revert back to some of his more unsavory habits.
"It was a joke, Lily. You love me," he defended as he shot out the back door of the kitchen into the cool October afternoon. He spun once he had gained a clear space to make his stand and held his wand in front of himself defensively. "Now let's just calm down and think about this rationally."
"You're right," she bit out sarcastically, "let's rationally consider why I shouldn't kill you for transfiguring my bra into a weasel in front ofyour friends while I was minding my own business in the library."
James couldn't help the amused grin that tugged at the corners of his mouth when he spotted his mates peering eagerly out of the kitchen window, which only served to prod her rage to greater heights. "In my defense, I tried to get your attention before."
Lily rolled her eyes, waving her wand dangerously as she gesticulated. "Oh yes, let's not forget about the past four hours of you following me around the house trying to play Guess Where Your Hand Is!"
"I just got my invisibility cloak back from Dumbledore and wanted to make sure it still worked," he replied reasonably, backing up a few paces as she advanced on him. She glared at him imperiously for another moment before suddenly spinning away and heading toward the hedge maze. Caught off balance by her sudden retreat, he loped after her. Under the cover of the foliage, he transformed into a stag and kept pace with her as she tried to lose him.
Finally, she turned and he could see that she was just barely hanging on to her laughter, a fact which only served to irritate her further. In an instant, he was a man again and they stood smiling at each other until Lily started chuckling and moved forward to hug him. "Why do you feel compelled to act like a fourth year lately, James? It's not nearly as cute as it used to be."
"Are you sure about that?" he asked smugly, leaning his forehead against hers and grinning down at her.
"Yes," she replied without hesitation. "We're getting married in under a month, James, and there's so much to do for the wedding, not to mention helping Alice with her wedding and family problems, finding a place for us to live, shopping for furniture-"
"My parents said we could stay here," James reminded her gently as he took her hand, leading her out of the maze.
"I know there's plenty of space here, James, but I want us to have our own place and your parents understand that too. I want the chance to set up my own house. Do you understand?" Rather than answer, James put his palm to his mouth and blew an enormous raspberry, which caused his friends, who had been clandestinely stalking them for the past several minutes, to burst into raucous laughter. Lily emitted a sigh of long-suffering as the boys tumbled out of the bushes and turned away from them again. "If you guys don't find something mature and productive to do in the next ten minutes, I am going to shoot you!"
"Any suggestions?" Peter called sardonically as the boys followed after her, tumbling and wrestling with each other like werewolf cubs.
"Play Quidditch! Clean your dad's laboratory! Learn a new spell! Write an opinion article for the Daily Prophet! Reorganize the library by color! Anything! Just stay the hell away from me for a few hours so that I don't try to murder you!" she shouted angrily, suddenly transported back to school and wondering how cruel fate had conspired to lump her together with these guys for the rest of her life. Oddly enough, she didn't even consider making a different choice, though there was still time.
"Are you boys behaving yourselves?" Adele asked with a knowing smile as she calmly stirred a cup of tea in the kitchen doorway.
In an instant, the boys' faces grew cherubic and Lily had to fight laughter once more. "They're being evil, Adele," she tattled remorselessly, drawing betrayed glares from the young men.
Adele smiled at her sympathetically and put a comforting hand on her arm. "Lily, dear, would you do me a favor if I could get rid of these louse's for the time being?"
"Thanks, mum," James said shortly.
The women ignored him and Lily nodded. "Yes, of course. What do you need?"
"Aldan has been feeling a little under the weather for the past few days and I just thought, with your training in medicine, maybe you could take a look at him. He refuses to go to the doctor and I..." She broke off anxiously, blinking away tears that sobered the young people.
Lily hugged her future mother-in-law tightly before smiling at her. "It's probably just a cold, Adele. Don't worry. I'll fix him up."
She accepted the comfort gratefully, but the fear in her hazel eyes remained as she took a deep breath. "As much as he assures me I'm being silly, I can't help but worry about him."
"I'll go see him now," Lily assured her quickly. She cast a suddenly solemn look at the four boys before stepping over and catching James in a fierce hug, kissing him hard. Suddenly, she wasn't so eager to be rid of him. Their eyes met and they exchanged a moment of silent communication.
"Hey, mum, do you need any help in the green house today?" James asked as Lily retreated into the kitchen.
"Real help or help like the time you tried to teach my fanged geranium to fetch?" Lily heard Adele ask dryly before she was swallowed up by the cavernous house.
She found Aldan in his study, staring listlessly out the window in front of a desk full of ignored papers. For a moment, she just watched him and realized for the first time that he really wasn't a young man anymore. His gray, untidy hair was fading to white and his handsome face was growing more weary and wrinkled; his shoulders stooping more prominently. She tapped her knuckles on the open door, drawing his attention. Aldan beamed at her in welcome and invited her in warmly.
"What can I do for you, my dear?" he asked kindly.
Lily smiled, working up her courage as she took a seat across from him. "I hear you're not feeling too well lately, Aldan. Adele was worried about you and asked me to come check you over," she told him straightforwardly.
His smile was instantly replaced by a deep scowl and he looked down at his papers before transferring his gaze to the window and finally returning his eyes to her face. "I'm fine, Lily. Dely's just getting a little overprotective."
Lily stood and moved around the desk, taking his hand in both of hers and looking down at him earnestly. "We all just want to be sure you're okay, Aldan. I think we both know you can't stay forever, but we want to keep you around as long as possible."
Aldan Potter's eyes suddenly clouded and he looked down at her hands and sighed. "I'm so glad that my son found someone as special as you, Lily." He looked up and smiled at her. "You're right. Adele and I won't be around forever, but it gives us comfort to know that James won't be alone, whatever happens."
Lily flicked her wand and the door closed slowly. She crouched in front of James's father and looked up into his face earnestly. "Is there something you're not telling us, Aldan?"
He smiled and put a hand on her cheek. "I'm old and tired, and this weather is getting into my bones. Don't worry about me. You kids have enough on your minds with the wedding and James..." He trailed off, leaving James's vigilante activities hanging unspoken between them.
"I'll keep him safe, Aldan. I promise," she swore suddenly, feeling a small thrill of fear in the pit of her stomach as she recognized what she was pledging to.
Her words gave him little comfort and he stood stiffly, drawing her up as well. "It's so difficult to keep people safe these days, love," he said cryptically. "Just promise me that you'll take care of him."
She said she would as he led her to the door and they both agreed to tell Adele it was just a cold. Lily felt a small twinge of guilt lying to the worried woman, but didn't want to cause any problems between her and her husband. She found the boys working diligently in the conservatory and caught hold of James before anyone noticed, dragging him back into a cupboard that smelled strongly of soil.
"Lily, what-" he began, only to be cut off by her pressing her lips firmly to his. He only hesitated for a moment before putting his arms around her waist and leaning back to sit on a large crate. She sat on his lap, pressing herself up against him and kissing him fervently. Finally, she drew back and put her hands on his face, scrutinizing him critically while he tried to get his brain to work beyond a vague feeling that something was probably wrong.
"James, I want to come with you tonight," she told him firmly, referring to his work with the Order. "I know I haven't been very supportive, but I really want to be there for you... just in case..."
James frowned and reached up to touch her cheek. "It's okay, Lily. I don't need you there. It could be dangerous tonight."
She kissed him again, drowning out more protests as she tightened her legs around his waist and ground into him seductively. She broke off with a gasp when he grabbed her ass and continued, "You see, I can't really expect you to change your life just because we're getting married. I am going to have to do things to make you happy, too, and I'd like to start here."
"With the Order or... here?" he asked cautiously, feeling a little confused about the mixed signals he was receiving. At the moment, he wasn't sure if she was offering to follow him into danger or give him a lap dance.
Waving her hand dismissively, she said, "With the Order. I mean it, James, I really want to give it a chance."
"So why did you drag me into a cupboard to snog and... seduce me to tell me this?" he asked slowly, not wanting to put her off whatever she felt she was accomplishing with such tactics. They hadn't had sex in over a week, mostly due to Lily's self-control, and, though he enjoyed her company, James's rambunctious behavior might be more related to that fact than either of them realized. In truth, he was ready to go with the slightest provocation.
"I just need to feel close to you right now," she explained quietly, threading her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck and giving him a small smile.
"Okay," he agreed quickly, not needing any more encouragement. He promptly stood and turned her back to him, bending her over and reaching around to unzip her pants before she slapped his hands away.
"That's not what I meant when I said close," she told him sharply, turning back to put her arms around him. "You're not going to take me from behind in your mother's conservatory with your friends probably listening at the door."
"No we're not!" Remus instantly denied from the other side of the door, causing the pair to laugh. They moved out into the public and continued helping James's mother for the next several hours. Unfortunately, James hadn't realized that Lily was actually serious about joining the Order and the brief tranquility did not last long after dinner.
"Just because we're getting married doesn't mean you can tell me what to do, so for the last time, I'm going," Lily argued as James followed her into her bedroom. "I just want to go talk with Dumbledore, James," she reasoned as he glared impassively at her from the doorway of her bathroom as she pulled her hair back into a low ponytail. She made eye contact with him in the mirror and pursed her lips at his mulish look. "It's not like we're going out to defeat You-Know-Who tonight. The most dangerous thing I'll probably encounter is Hagrid's rock cakes!"
"You're not going," James insisted as he pushed himself away from the doorframe and followed her back into her room, watching irritably as she pulled on her shoes and socks. "I don't want you involved in this, Lily, it's too dangerous."
Lily stood and crossed the room, planting herself in front of him and glaring up with glittering green eyes. "So it's fine for you and your mates, but too dangerous for me?" she asked sharply. "You've got to examine your double-standards, love. What if I told you that I wouldn't allow you to go anymore?"
"You can't stop me!" he spluttered.
"And why is that?" she spat victoriously. "You know it bothers me. You just don't want me to go because you're afraid I'll get hurt, but if you're going, I can't sit back and let you put yourself in danger."
"That's completely different!" James countered heatedly, his face reddening. "You know Sirius and the guys have my back! I won't be able to concentrate if you're there."
Lily's face burned at the insinuation and shouted, "Why? Because you don't think I can take care of myself?"
James raked a frustrated hand through his hair. "It's not that you can't take care of yourself, but this isn't school, Lily. These people are dangerous. They kill and torture innocent people without the slightest provocation, and we're really provoking them. I don't think you understand how serious it is."
"Somebody call me?" Sirius stuck his head in the doorway with a rakish grin.
"No!" Lily and James shouted simultaneously.
Sirius merely shrugged and ambled into the room, ready to enjoy the fight, but Remus quickly stuck his head in the doorway and called, "I'm sorry to break up this little love fest, but it's time for us to go."
"Fine," Lily replied quickly. "Just let me get my cloak."
"For the last time, Lily, you're not going," James shouted as she moved to the wardrobe.
"Honestly, Prongs, I don't quite see you stopping her at this point," Sirius interjected confidentially. "You know how stubborn she can be."
"Shut up, Sirius," Lily snapped irritably as she swung a black cloak around her shoulders. Glaring imperiously at James, she repeated, "I'm going," before disapparating.
James dragged an angry hand through his hair before turning to his friends, including Peter who had joined Remus in the doorway, to find them smiling at him sheepishly. "Would it have killed you lads to have been a bit more helpful?"
"Better you than me, mate. She's just getting to the point where she can stand being around us for long periods of time. You ready then?" Sirius replied cheerily, pushing a lock of dark hair out of his eyes.
James nodded grudgingly and seconds later they were standing outside a dilapidated-looking mansion on the outskirts of a sleepy-looking town. The boys hunched their shoulders as they made their way up the rickety steps to the enormous double doors of the rambling Victorian. "I still can't believe Frank convinced his mum to let us meet here."
His friends agreed emphatically as they stopped on the porch and rang the bell. They were admitted by a kooky-looking old man who they had learned was Uncle Algie, and were led into an enormous parlor where half a dozen people were already milling around impatiently. Lily was absorbed in conversation with Frank and Alice and didn't even glance in their direction as they entered.
Dumbledore was standing in the corner in earnest conversation with a man Lily recognized with a start as Alastor Moody, the Auror. Without hesitation, James moved over to join them and she quickly returned her gaze to her companions. She didn't notice Frank and Alice exchanging meaningful looks with each other and James while she was distracted. "So, what's wrong with you and James?" Alice asked without preamble.
"Nothing's wrong with me and James," Lily denied automatically. "He's just a prat, like always. I decided I wanted to come and find out what all of this is about and he went temporarily insane."
This earned another look between the couple and Lily sighed. "Actually, Lily, I really wasn't comfortable with Alice doing this at first," Frank admitted quietly. "I'm still not, but she feels really strongly about the cause. I can see where James is coming from."
"He just wants to make sure you're safe, Lily," Alice added softly, reaching over to squeeze her arm.
Lily opened her mouth to reply, but was intercepted by Dumbledore, who invited her to come speak with him. She had become better acquainted with the Longbottom house in the past few weeks helping Alice to make preparations for the wedding, which was only a week away, and caught on quickly when her old Headmaster led her toward the library. She was surprised, however, when they entered to find James waiting anxiously beside the ornate fireplace, which crackled with a merry flame.
"James tells me you're interested in signing up," Dumbledore said without preamble as he led her to one of the darkly upholstered sofas near the fireplace.
"I'm worried about him," she told him honestly as she took a seat. James came over and settled beside her, pulling her hand between both of his own. "I know he feels strongly about all of this, so I wanted to get involved."
Dumbledore's eyes were grave as he regarded the pair. James was holding her hand so protectively, he seemed ready to bolt. Finally, the old wizard smiled at them. "Lily, I understand your motivations, but if you are coming just to protect James, you could put yourself and other people in horrible danger. That being said, you're a smart, talented young witch. You've seen Voldemort and you've read about all of the things he's done, so you know what you're facing. If you want to be a part of our group, I cannot deny you, so long as you understand what you're committing to."
"But Professor-" James began, but Lily squeezed his hand sharply.
"James, I want to do this," she told him softly, turning to give him a gently stubborn look. "I want to help."
"It's settled, then," Dumbledore said quietly as he stood. "James, why don't you take Lily with you tonight? You can keep an eye on her and there will be plenty of people about should there be trouble."
James tried to protest, but Lily clung to his hand and pulled him back down. "Where are we going?"
He sighed, pulling her into his arms and holding her tightly. "We've had a tip from one of the Death Eaters Moody caught that there's going to be an attack on the ministry tonight. It might not even pan out, but a team of us are going to stake it out just to be sure."
"Sounds fun," she said softly, kissing his cheek and standing with him to go meet up with the rest of the members. Nearly two hours later, Lily shivered lightly and blew into her gloved hands as she glanced around the abandoned street. She and Remus had been waiting outside the entrance to the Ministry of Magic for over an hour, yet the predicted attack still had not come. The only thing they had seen was a stray cat that had promptly been chased away by Sirius, who had only just returned to lay obediently next to an invisible James on the far side of the street. She was tempted to question Moody's information, but she shoved the thought away and told herself to remain alert.
Without warning, a loud crash echoed up the pavement and everyone's attention became centered farther down the street where a shop window had suddenly exploded. Following the crash, there was a loud cackle and Lily gripped her wand as she drew herself up into a crouch. She saw Remus tense as well, certain that their vigil had reached its close.
Soon a line of black robed figures emerged from the gloom and approached a single, broken down telephone box. They formed an arc around the red box and held out their wands. Before the incantation could begin, however, the Order attacked. Lily and Remus rushed out with the rest, shooting spells and dodging a return volley. Lily let out a shout as part of the wall exploded over Edgar Bones's head. He turned to dive in her direction as the bricks rained down on him. Lily gritted her teeth and pulled him out of the debris before deflecting a purple ball of light that shot in her direction.
"You okay?" she cried, turning to stand over him in case of attack.
"I'll be fine," he wheezed, stubbornly pushing himself to his feet.
Minerva McGonagall dodged around Lily and turned to give them one of her sharp looks. "Don't just stand there chatting you two, get a move on!" she shouted before flicking her wand and dashing off surprisingly quickly for a woman her age.
Edgar waved her off as he got to his feet and threw out a curse that caused a fire hydrant to explode, knocking one of the Death Eaters against the wall before collapsing to the ground like a rag doll. Lily searched the crowd for James and smiled appreciatively when Dorcas Meadows set off an explosion that threw five Death Eaters in different directions.
Suddenly Lily was tackled off her feet by a tall dark figure just before the wall above her exploded and came crashing down. She was grasped around the waist and dragged out of the way as the remainder of the building collapsed. She turned to smile at her rescuer and found herself looking into a silver Death Mask. Emitting a small scream, she lashed out with her legs, kicking desperately as she reached up to claw at the hood.
She was instantly released and pushed away, but the hood came with her and she stared up in horror at Severus Snape. Glancing around, Severus leaned forward and tugged the hood from her hand. "Get out of here, Lily," he growled menacingly. Without another word, he ran off and there was a loud bang, followed by the distant wail of police sirens. Lily had just managed to push herself up when she heard a series of loud cracks. She looked out onto the decimated street and realized everyone had gone. The fight was over for now.
Lily squatted down and wrapped her arms around herself, shaking as she tried to comprehend what had just occurred. She had just been saved by Severus. Severus Snape was a Death Eater and he had saved her. She felt tears burning her eyes as she tried to understand it all.
Finally she stood and looked around her. Police officers had arrived and they were surveying the scene in abject confusion. One of the officers spotted her and tried to call her over for some questions. He blinked when the young woman didn't even look at him, but simply vanished before his eyes. He shook his head and looked again, but it was as though the woman had never been. 'Get ahold of yourself, man. If you start seeing things you'll end up locked in a nut house,' he told himself, turning back to his work.
"Where is she?" James asked, raking his hand through his hair in pure agitation. Everyone else had arrived back at the Longbottom's in more or less one piece, but Lily was conspicuously absent and James had been pacing for the last few minutes.
"She was fine last I saw, Prongs," Remus tried to reassure him. Despite his dismissals, Remus felt distinctly anxious as well. After all, James had trusted him with making sure she didn't get hurt. There was a loud popping noise in the kitchen and James ran in, almost sagging in relief when he saw Lily, looking dirty and tired, taking a seat beside Hagrid.
"Where the hell have you been, Lily?" he shouted as he stalked toward her. Several other members ducked out as they sensed the coming storm and James reached the table in a tower of rage, just in time for Hagrid to get his legs tangled under the table in his haste to leave.
"I'm fine, James, calm down," she told him in a flat voice, staring blankly at the table.
"You're not fine. It's the first time you've come out with us and you disappeared! What happened? Where the hell have you been?" he cried, still angry and scared.
Lily sighed and stood up, putting her arms around his waist and hugging him tightly. "I am fine, James. I'm sorry you were worried."
"We were all a little worried," Dumbledore cut in from his position near the fire. He was holding a big mug of hot chocolate featuring a fat cat declaring "I HATE Mondays!" He regarded the pair over his half-moon spectacles before standing and waving his wand. Two more cups of cocoa appeared in front of them on the table and Lily dropped back to her seat to wrap her hands around the closest one with James slowly following suit.
James, instantly ashamed at Dumbledore having heard his outburst quickly apologized. "I'm sorry about that, Headmaster. I was just afraid something had happened to her." Turning back, he eyed Lily critically and said, "This is why I didn't want you to come, Lily. It's too dangerous."
The comment was more than enough to spark a violent outburst, but Lily simply acted as though she hadn't heard as she dipped her head to sip the hot chocolate. Finally noticing her taciturn lack of response, James scooted closer to her and put an arm around her shoulder. Dumbledore gave him an enigmatic smile before taking his leave.
James leaned his head against hers and asked, "Lily, what is it? Something happened."
With some effort, Lily shook herself out of her reverie and finally looked at him. "I'm fine, James. I just fell and bumped my head, so I'm feeling a little spacy," she lied. She didn't know why, but she just didn't feel right about telling anyone what had happened, even James.
James searched her face for some sign, but nodded when he realized this was all he would get for now. He pulled her closer and kissed her hair before resting his cheek on her head. By some unspoken agreement, the couple soon departed for home. They were both drained by the evening's events and immediately headed upstair for bed. James stopped in the hall when Lily turned to go toward her room and followed her into his parent's wing. Without a word he leaned against the doorjamb, watching as she changed out of her robes into flannel pajamas. He frowned when he spotted the beginnings of several new bruises mottling her pale skin. Once dressed, she lifted a brush from her dresser and pulled out her ponytail to brush her hair.
Finally, she settled on her bed and turned to look at him. "I'd like to be alone tonight, James, if that's all right with you," she told him softly.
Resisting the stab of pain her rejection caused him, James shrugged and turned away. "Whatever you want, Lily," he muttered in a hurt tone before closing her door behind him.
Lily waited until his footsteps faded before getting out of bed and dressing in the dark. Silently, she opened and shut her door and stepped out into the hall, tiptoeing down the stairs as quietly as she could. She reached the landing and turned to the kitchen, making her way stealthily out the back door to the yard. Once outside, she cast a glance up at the dark house before disapparating.
She apparated into another back yard, although it wasn't very well kept. There were piles of dead weeds and a rusty bicycle jutting at an odd angle from the ground, as if someone had tried to bury it and given up halfway through. Lily stepped forward carefully, picking her way to the house before tapping gently on one of the windows. She waited a minute before tapping again, this time slightly louder. The back door opened, causing her to jump as Severus exited his house. He was wearing only a pair of jeans and his pale skin shone in the moonlight. "Severus?" she called softly.
His face hidden in shadow, Snape felt his heart careening against his rib cage at the sound of Lily's voice. "What are you doing here, Lily?" he asked tersely. "Won't your fiance be angry?"
Lily stepped closer to him and reached out for his hand. "Why, Severus? Why are you doing this? Voldemort is evil. The Severus I knew would never have helped him."
"Wouldn't I? Don't kid yourself, Lily. This is who I am. This is what I was always meant to do," he replied coldly, pulling his hand away from her. "Besides," he continued in a sad voice. "You have your path and I have mine."
"That's rubbish and you know it, Sev," she cried angrily. "You choose what you do in life, not your family or your blood."
Snape let out a half-hearted laugh and gave her a pitying look. "Believe it or not, Lily, this is what I have chosen."
"You don't have to do this, Severus," Lily argued, reaching to grab his arms.
Suddenly angry, Snape pushed her away from him, causing her to trip and fall backwards, sprawling in the dead grass. He glared down at her and spat, "What are you gonna do about it, eh? You gonna leave Potter and come teach me how to be a good boy? Or do you expect me to become his best mate and just bury the hatchet?"
"Severus, please, just listen to me!" Lily pleaded, pushing herself up and taking a step toward him. When he retreated with a hard look on his face, her temper rose. She advanced on him, grabbing her wand and holding it out for him to take. "You know what? Fine! If you hate mudbloods and muggles so much, what about me? I'm right here, Severus! Have you killed anybody yet? Why not make me your first? And think of how upset Potter will be when he finds out..."
"That's different," he growled, backing up another pace.
"Why, Severus?" she breathed tearfully. "Why am I any different from anyone else?"
"You just are!" He shouted angrily, knocking her away from him. He opened his door and glared at her with such vehemence that she stayed where she was. Taking a calming breath, he opened his door and looked back at her. "I won't change my mind, Lily. Don't come here again or I will kill you."
He slammed the door without another word. Lily sighed despondently before disapparating. She arrived in her own room seconds later and clicked on the lamp on her desk. James was staring at her from her bed and she jumped at the sight of him.
Holding a hand to her throat, she said, "James, you startled me. What are you doing here?"
"Where did you go?" he asked suspiciously.
Lily avoided his gaze as she stripped out of her clothes. "I needed to go talk to someone."
"Who did you need to sneak out of the house to see in the dead of night?" he asked sternly, getting up and moving to stand behind her. "And why don't you want me to know about it?"
She kept her face averted as she put her pajamas back on. "I needed to go see an old friend," she mumbled before pulling her shirt over her head.
"Snape?" James pressed ruthlessly. "It was him, wasn't it? Why would you need to go see him, Lily? He hates you and we're all pretty sure he's a Death Eater. What could you possibly have to talk about?"
"We just talked, James," Lily finally defended, her temper rising at his waspish tone. She finally turned to face him and put her hands on her hips. "We talked, okay? We used to be friends until you and your-"
"Me and my what?" he asked belligerently. "Until me and my friends pissed him off so bad he started hating you? The boy is cracked, Lily, if that's his line of reasoning."
"You tortured him and humiliated him in front of me and half the school!" Lily spat in his defense.
"Yes, we did. And he deserved it! So why does he hate you because of what we did?" James argued impatiently.
"He hates me because of you guys! You drove him insane picking on him all of the time and now you and I are getting married! Why shouldn't he hate me for breaking his heart?" she cried, balling her fists at her sides and ignoring the hot tears dripping down her cheeks.
James gave her a hard look and said, "So... what? He was in love with you or something? And you went to see him tonight and deliberately tried to keep it from me? Use your head, Lily! What am I supposed to think?"
"He saved my life tonight!" she shouted before covering her mouth with her hand and sinking to the floor. Tears puddled in her eyes as she looked up at James' still angry face. She continued in a softer tone, "He saved me from that building collapsing. I thought I could talk to him and get him to see reason. We used to be friends. Severus wouldn't have hurt a fly back then. I just don't understand how he could've gone so far."
Seeing her dejection, James dropped beside her on the floor and gathered her into his arms. He held her as she cried and wondered what to say. James knew she wouldn't get any comfort from his explanation: Severus Snape was just a rotten apple. He'd shown nothing but contempt and aggression toward James, so he honestly couldn't fathom Lily's attachment to him.
Without warning, Lily reached up and pulled his head down, kissing him ardently and fumbling with the front of his pajama pants. Confused, James returned the kiss and reached under her shirt to caress her bare skin. If this was how she needed him to be there for her, he'd do his best.
After finally leaving the Longbottom's for the night, Peter trudged wearily toward his house with his hands shoved deep into his pockets and his shoulders hunched against the cold wind. He had meant to apparate right into his back yard, but had missed by a good hundred meters and landed in a copse of trees well behind his mother's house. Although he had been able to legally apparate for nearly six months, he still struggled with accuracy and was finding that repetition didn't help much.
He stopped and looked up when he heard the sinister slither of leaves nearby. "Who's there?" he called anxiously, hoping it was just an animal startled by his presence.
"Hello Peter," a cold, thin voice replied from the darkness of the woods.
Peter immediately felt goose bumps break out all over his body at the sound of the voice and he froze, staring intently into the gathering gloom. "W-What do you want?"
A figure moved beneath the trees, making small rustling noises as it glided toward him. Halting just beneath the cover of shadows, Peter could make out the shape of a tall, thin man swathed in a black cloak with the hood pulled up to hide his face.
"If that's you, Sirius, I'm going to kill you," Peter announced with his heart in his throat as he stared, transfixed at the mysterious figure. The man chuckled softly, sending a chill up Peter's spine as he suddenly realized it wasn't one of his friends.
"We have a lot to talk about, Peter Pettigrew," the Dark Lord rasped softly as he stepped into the fading light. Peter stared in horror at the pale face and red, snakelike eyes and began to tremble all over. "I am not a patient man, Peter. You have been given two opportunities to prove your loyalty to me and have thus far failed miserably."
"I-I'm doing my best, m-my lord," Peter whimpered pitifully, backpedalling and tripping over a root. He fell awkwardly to the ground and immediately cringed away from the enormous snake that slithered toward him. Lord Voldemort let out another soft chuckle as he moved forward and allowed the snake to wind its massive body up his robes to rest its head on its shoulder, piercing Peter with a glassy stare. The Dark Lord smiled fondly at the snake before turning an intense gaze on Peter.
"You're best doesn't seem to be good enough, Pettigrew. If I didn't need your help bringing down Dumbledore's silly Order, I'd kill you now. But as I said earlier, we have a lot to talk about. Since I am so kind, I will give you a choice: You will hand me one of the members of the Order or you will die," Voldemort drawled with a sharp smile.
Author's note: Please review! It makes me feel good about myself and I'm working with a sinus infection.