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A lovely thank you to, TaylorxxSue, ..Seraphina.x., Kaladelia Undomiel, FaithfulHPReader, PT. LadyBug and native-soul for the reviews. Much appreciated, on with the chapter, Penny
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Chapter Twenty-Six: Forget the Birthday
Lily
My parents were missing. And I was ready to kick arse. No one else thought I should as I was not an Auror nor was I trained in combat. But I'd flipped James plenty of times, wiped the floor with him, escaped from Deatheaters and all sorts of things without even having to use magic. I had no intention of just barging into Voldemort's lair, mainly because I didn't know where it was, but also because I'm not stupid.
James had taken me to his parents. I'd heard him get up hours ago but hadn't followed. I had assumed it was for work until I'd looked around and saw it was midnight. He was probably doing as well as I was in trying to sleep. It was my birthday tomorrow, or today I should say. I'd spent many without seeing my parents as I was usually at Hogwarts but it'd be the first time I knew I would get no letter from them. I sat up on the bed and stared out the window. The moon shone beautifully through it bathing the room in an odd ethereal light. James had explained plenty of times there was nothing the Aurors could do as my parents were Muggles. I had argued, a lot but knew it was futile. It just seemed so unfair. I understood why of course but it hadn't really registered so I argued. I felt kind of bad now though, our last argument was what landed me at his parent's house, like a form of punishment. His parents weren't all that bad, it just seemed whenever I upset him I was taken here.
This morning we'd been in the kitchen of our house and I had stared at James miserably; he was reading the morning paper. Just sitting there like my parents weren't in the hands of some sick psycho. You know how the little cretin had told me, on my birthday! 'Hey gorgeous your parents are missing do you like coconut cake for your birthday?' who does that? James Potter that's who. So we sat in a stony silence while I fumed over his lack of action.
"DO SOMETHING" I had screamed and the glass in front of me shattered. James flinched and stared at me, his glasses cracked from my outburst. "How can you just sit there?"
"Because, the Muggle police are doing stuff. I'm bound by my laws and unfortunately your parents are bound by theirs" he said calmly. We'd argued this a hundred times for the past few days.
I tried a different route; my shouting wasn't working "Well can't you drop hints?" I had pleaded. He sighed and looked at me sadly.
"It took us three whole days to get to Alice and she was a witch" he said
"So because my parents are Muggles they don't get saved?" I snapped furious once more.
"They do, just… not as quickly" he said I could hear how delicately he spoke. He was trying to be delicate with me, trying to understand. I didn't like that.
"That's stupid" I snapped
"Yes, yes it is. And it sucks Lily but it's just the way the world works all right? Muggles are governed by their laws ok, so until the case dies down or is cold cased we can't intervene"
"WHAT! That could take years!"
"Look if Voldemort contacts us then we can step in, but till then…"
"He hasn't contacted you?" I asked suspiciously. My parents would be the ultimate bargaining chip. Why he wants me I have no clue but using my parents is a good way to go about it.
"No" James said. I froze, his eyes had flickered. They always did when he lied
"You liar" I said he didn't look at me. "What did he say?"
"We don't negotiate like that Lily"
"Don't give me that! What does he want? It's me isn't it?" I asked. James said nothing I narrowed my eyes at him. Well if Voldemort wanted me then me he shall have. I stood up, determination coursing through me.
"Sit the fuck down!" he snapped. I turned to glare at him and it was then he had taken me to his parent's house and I sulked in silence. All day I had sulked in silence and even when he'd tried to talk to me when he got back from work I ignored him. I felt like a child for doing it but right now I was. I was a child, Amy and Nathans child, and they had helped me grow into the person I was. Right now they needed me.
I climbed out of bed knowing I should apologise to James for behaving the way I was. I knew he would understand but I still needed to say sorry. I walked through the Potters impressive home and stopped when I heard the unmistakable sound of a violin. I walked into the music room and found James he stopped immediately and grinned sheepishly.
"Vivaldi" I said he nodded. "Autumn?"
"Winter" he corrected.
"Knew it was one of the four seasons" I said "I'll have to hear more of it when you get over your crippling shyness"
"Are you ok?" he asked
"Yeah, kind of cold in that big empty bed" I said he gave me a small smile. "Sorry"
"What on earth for?" he asked
"Being whiny and annoying and not being very understanding. I know you'd do whatever you could to help them… its not like you enjoy this, you're just as helpless as I am"
"Yeah" he said nodding I smiled and stepped closer.
"So tomorrow – today. I want to talk to Moody" I said
"Who in their right mind willingly does that?" Sirius asked I jumped and turned to face him. I hadn't realised he was there leaning casually against the piano, he smiled at me and waved his hand so I turned back to James. He was giving Sirius an odd look I quickly turned back to Sirius whose face immediately went expressionless. They were trying to have some secret conversation.
"James" I said
"Lils it's your birthday tomorrow, don't you want to have fun?" he asked I let that comment slide. How could I have fun with my parents in the hands of a psycho?
"My birthday is today" I corrected he glanced at the clock and looked at me sadly. I poked him sharply "We're getting married next week so you had better get used to doing what I say!"
"Aw seven days to go" Sirius said with a smile. I squealed and jumped up and down a bit making him laugh before I settled down.
"So today" I said to James "you take me to Moody and get me four thousand backup people so that I can save my parents"
"Lily" he said
"James" I replied using the same tone he was.
"I don't want you to have to go anywhere near him…" he sighed.
"Well that's too bad; I will be part of this rescue mission. I'm doing it your way, I waited not very patiently but they've been missing for five days! So I will go with you and we will go as soon as Moody can organise something, preferably tonight" I said James hugged me stroking my hair softly.
"Happy Birthday" he said quietly I smiled and hugged him a little tighter. "You should go back to sleep"
"For like what four hours?" I asked
"Yes, I have to talk to Sirius" he said spinning me around and giving me a push toward the door.
"You weren't talking to him before?" I asked
"No I can't talk and play violin at the same time" he said giving me another little push I rolled my eyes.
"Can I hear you play?" I asked he smiled and gave me another push. "But it's my birthday" I whined he laughed and kissed me softly.
"Go to sleep Lily" he said. I sighed dramatically and left heading back up the stairs.
I flopped down on the bed unable to sleep. Even if I were going to help my parents sometime soon I still had to worry about whether there was anything to save.
A few hours of paranoid fretting later I was being fed far too much breakfast by a beaming Mrs Potter. She seemed to be dancing on air right now, exceedingly happy for some reason. I shot James a curious look he shrugged I looked at Sirius who held up his hands showing seven fingers and said in a creepy voice "seven days" which made me laugh.
"I'm so happy" Mrs Potter said
"Whatever you've been putting in your coffee seems to have backfired on poor Francis" Sirius said glancing at Mr Potter who was glaring at the paper.
"Bad news?" Mrs Potter asked quietly.
"This Voldemort is driving me nuts" was all he said.
"More Muggle deaths?" Sirius asked everyone quickly shushed him before shooting me a worried glance.
"It's fine, there are casualties in war" I said. Is that what this was? A war between Voldemort and his Deatheaters against the rest of the world. How could they expect to win? They were so vastly outnumbered…
"We gotta go" James said standing up "but Sirius here is more then happy to stay"
"Hmm?" Sirius asked looking up at James who merely smiled.
"Can we see you sometime before your wedding please?" Mrs Potter asked
"We'll see" James said kissing his mother on the cheek before taking my hand and leading me out the door.
"What do you think about me getting my licence?" I asked casually. I was referring to my Apparating licence I would not need a drivers one if I could just appear anywhere in a blink.
"Absolutely not. I like to know that you can't just travel the globe in a few blinks"
"Translation 'I like having you chained inside my house'"
"You're not chained" he said and pulled me close. "I just think it'd be a little safer if I knew you weren't going to stray to far from home"
"And if I got into danger and couldn't Apparate I'd most likely die…" I pointed out
"Hadn't thought of that" he said I nodded
"Hmm, yeah bet you didn't" I said and we Apparated.
Twenty minutes later James was leading me through the Department of Magical Law Enforcements Auror division. He led me into his office and I smiled remembering the day that Sirius and Remus carried me here trying to get me to confess my love for James.
"Morning Kim" James said Kim sat up and looked around a smile falling onto her face as she saw us.
"Seven days" she said James and I both nodded. "Aw you guys are the cutest come here" she hugged us both and beamed. "What brings you here?"
"Well Lily's parents are missing" James said
"Right. Right of course… yeah" Kim said distractedly. James frowned at her but she didn't say anything.
"Were you here all night?" James asked as we looked her up and down. Her hair was slightly messy, her make-up faded and her clothes were creased and rumpled.
"No, I just really like this outfit" she said "I'm going for coffee" she then left and James smiled at me "she's been working really hard lately"
"And you haven't?" I asked he grinned
"No, I get by on natural talent" he said I put my hand on his face and gave him a light push before hoisting myself up to sit on his desk. I grinned and bit my lip giving him my best seductive look, it seemed to work because he stopped and just stared.
"Oh it'd be so hot to do it right here" I said conversationally, he gave me a look and I smiled "but I won't" his face fell and I laughed. "You shall have me soon enough" I reminded him
"Yes I most certainly will, in every way I can" he said going to kiss me but I leant back.
"Quick pause on the gutter talk Jimmy" Kim said startling us both. I gave her a shy smile while James grinned arrogantly.
"Should we go to Moody?" I asked Kim dropped her coffee cup.
"You're letting her?" she asked I stared at her then looked at James and slapped him.
"Stop keeping me in the dark" I said as he held a hand up to his cheek. He stared at me for a few moments and sighed.
"They're going to do a trade. It's imperative that we keep up secrecy laws and while we've been distracted Voldemort has taken more people, even Muggles" he said quietly and handed me a copy of the Daily Prophet. I flipped through the newspaper and found an entire page of names of the people he'd taken. There were half bloods and muggle borns on it I frowned not recognising some of the names and assuming they were the missing Muggles.
"Eighty people? Who does he want to trade for eighty people? Surely you're not going to give him eighty wizards in exchange"
"No he only wanted one" James said I looked at him
"Me?" I asked that guy had a ridiculously unnatural attachment to me.
"He wants to see how we plan on rescuing all these people without giving you up" James sighed
"You aren't. It can't be done"
"It so can!" James said stubbornly.
"Eighty lives for mine? James…" I trailed off. He knew what I was going to say. Kim quietly left the office to give us a little bit of privacy. James took my hands in his and stared at me his hazel eyes projecting every ounce of love and desperation they could so I'd change my mind. "Lily no, I didn't spend so long pissing you off by protecting you only to loose you now. We've come too far"
"I'll be ok James. I'm a Potter, we're survivors" I said reassuringly. He didn't even look remotely convinced. I gave him a small smile before I slipped out of his grasp and walked off to where Moody's office was to tell him I would agree to the trade.
So I found myself several hours' later standing on the pier of Shell Port, near a large factory that appeared to have been closed for years and the docks. The sun had started to set and I stood stone still watching the ocean slowly crash to the shore. I was surrounded by dozens of Aurors all intent on capturing Voldemort and taking him out for good. Sick of his little mind games and his reckless warped way to change the world for his liking. I could feel their eyes on me, watching from their various hiding places and frowned. I was surrounded and had never felt more alone. Funny how things go sometimes.
I wondered if this would be my last birthday… surely Voldemort didn't expect them to rescue me once more knowing I would only be taken again or something. No, in exchange for eighty people's lives I would stay there. That would be the deal; Moody hadn't mentioned coming to rescue me in a few days time. So I wouldn't be, when Voldemort realised that I would most likely die.
The whole day I'd stood with James. I'd waited for him to do something, whatever he needed to be ok with this. He wasn't, he wouldn't be, it just wasn't like him. If he wanted to ignore me, he could, if he wanted to plead, he could. He had done neither. He just held me. The entire day he never left my side for more then a minute, never let go of my hand for more then thirty seconds. It was the best and worst birthday I'd ever had.
There was a flash and I screamed and leapt back away from a cloud of blue smoke. A little package sat in the smoke. It was a present. I stared down at it but I didn't move I just looked over at where I knew Moody was hiding with James. Neither would compromise their position in case he showed up so I had no choice but to pick up the brightly wrapped present with a blue bow on top. I kept my eyes on where the two of them stood for a few moments knowing something wasn't very right so I said goodbye with a glance. I picked up the present having seen far too many action movies I held it up to my ear to listen for ticking. It might just be directions to the hostages or something but I refused to open it for fear of getting sprayed in the face by some unknown toxin. Unless the little card on top said I had to open it I wouldn't.
Happy Birthday Lily. I noticed you didn't come alone, that wasn't very nice. But you're a smart girl, I'm sure it wasn't your fault, good thing this present is a Portkey, the Dark Lord
Before I could even think of dropping it I felt the strange tug from my navel and was sent hurtling through space in a blur of colours. I landed with a thud on a cold hard stone floor and sat up quickly.
"Oh fuck!" I said
"Language!" my mother scolded.
I stood up and stared at my parents. I had never been so happy to see them. I burst into tears and ran forward pulling them both into my arms. They hugged me back and I sobbed helplessly into my dads shoulder.
"We knew you'd come" mum said softly. I sniffed and pulled away from them staring at both of them in turn. They seemed fine, a little dirty and shook up but not physically harmed in anyway.
"Happy Birthday Lily"
I turned at the sound of the familiar chilling voice and stared at Voldemort.
"You agreed to let your prisoners go" I said sounding a lot braver then I felt.
"Of course. Number twenty Pillar Road, they're all there" he said I stared at him. What was I going to do with that information? I couldn't communicate with anyone. He pointed a long pale finger to my parents. I turned to them and they both stared at him before looking at me, realisation dawning on their faces.
"Take the present ask for Alastor Moody, tell him the address" I said.
"We're not leaving you" dad said I shook my head
"You have to, he has other people! Please! Go you have to go… I'm so sorry… I'm so, so sorry"
"For what?" mum asked stroking my hair softly as I cried.
"For everything!" I said. I didn't know what to say to them,
"Lillian, you sound like no ones coming to get you. What about that fiancé? Surely love can conquer all walls, even my well guarded ones" Voldemort said sounding slightly amused.
"I'm not going to get saved" I said quietly.
"No!" mum said.
"What? No! Lily it doesn't work like that!" Voldemort said I shot him a look.
"Why bother saving me? Your just going to kidnap me again no?" I asked Voldemort screamed in rage and grabbed my arm pulling me up.
"I wouldn't test my patience" he said quietly. Even though he was staring at me with his cruel dark eyes I knew he was addressing my parents.
"Go! Please just go!" I begged. They both exchanged a glance "take the present, you both have to be touching it or you know just…"
"Ellie" dad said
"Oh for Christs sake just go!" I said. Dad took mums hand and then picked up the present. A second later they were gone.
"Seriously, no ones coming?" Voldemort asked. I shook my head tears still spilling from my eyes. "That's no fun at all. Guess I'll just kill you" I nodded and closed my eyes "Not now silly girl. Gotta find out what you know"
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James
I stared at the spot Lily had stood in seconds before my mouth hanging open in shock. I was unable to register what had just happened.
"Crap" Moody said
"No hostages and no bargaining chip" Chase sighed I felt a hand take mine and looked down at Kim. She wasn't looking at me, she was just staring out across the docks a sad look on her face. We stood in silence; I didn't know what to say to her so I said nothing and just squeezed her hand tightly. I felt exactly the same way I had when I was five and I'd lost my parents in a large crowd. I felt like screaming and crying, kicking everything and anything, I felt like I would give anything I had in the world just to see her smile for a second. She'd stood on the pier looking serious and oddly dark, out of character for herself. It wasn't right, and when she'd glanced over at Moody and I, like she knew something was up. Still she'd picked up that little present and faster then you could say 'NO' she was gone.
"Search every building!" Moody ordered. I clung to Kim desperately, we both just stared, each of us kind of lost in our own little worlds. Then suddenly Mr and Mrs Evans appeared on the pier and both crashed to the floor. Mrs Evans began to scream hysterically and everyone quickly ran over to them to see if they needed medical attention.
"Amy, calm down" Mr Evans said grabbing his wife's shoulders. He glanced around at the thirty Aurors surrounding him wands pointed.
"It's Lily's parents" I said. A few wands were lowered
"They could be imposters" Moody said and everyone quickly put their wands back up.
"WHAT?" Mrs Evans screamed.
"Ask them a question" Kim said everyone looked at me expectantly. I turned to the Evans'.
"Uh…" I said uncertainly "Ah! Why did you move house when Lily was sixteen?"
"Because you showed up smashed off your face and broke three of our windows at four in the morning" Mr Evans said
"Yeah it's them" I said, a few of my co-workers were giving me odd looks.
"Is there a Moody? Alastor Moody?" Mr Evans asked looking around at all of us.
"Here" Moody said
"Number twenty Pillar Road. There are people there or something" Mr Evans said
"You lot with me" Moody said pointing to ten of the assembled team "everyone else back to the ministry, Chase interview the Evans' then you know what to do"
"You aren't suggesting what I think you are" I said a little too loudly. The Evans' stared up at me shaking slightly and glanced at Moody who was glaring at me furiously.
"It's the law, a Muggles memory is modified when they have suffered in any way at the hands of magic" Moody said.
"That was the last time they will ever see their daughter" I said my voice shaking with pent up rage. I could almost feel the air crackle as I tried to keep my temper in check. "You cannot take that from them"
I felt a hand grasp my arm and turned to stare at Mr Evans.
"James, you are a wonderful boy… and I am extremely sorry that I won't get the opportunity to know you better. My wife… has been through far too much. If she has to dwell on it I have no doubt she's going to go crazy" he said "please, if you ever get a chance just tell Lily I'm sorry that it didn't work out with us and make sure she doesn't contact us"
I stared at him for a few moments and watched him help up his wife who was shaking rather violently by now.
"Can you… take… everything?" Mr Evans asked quietly. I stared at him a strange sadness ebbing through me.
"No, not everything!" I said desperately turning to Chase. "Lily died in a car accident when she was ten" Chase nodded and took Mr and Mrs Evans walking off with them down the pier followed by a few Aurors.
"All right, move out" Moody called "you take the rest of the day of Potter, you too McKay"
Then Kim and I were standing alone on the docks. I sat down near the water and just stared out across the vast blackness of the sea. Darkness had fallen; the only lights were the security lights glaring down at us. I took off my shoes and socks slipping my feet into the icy ocean and frowned. Kim sat down beside me and stared up at the sky. We sat in silence for what felt like only minutes but was in fact hours. It was rare that time went so quickly for me… usually it took forever. I stood up still trapped in some kind of disbelieving state. I knew the ministry would not save Lily. It was what Moody had told me, what Lily had told me with her eyes and tiny little smiles through out the day.
"Thanks" I said to Kim. She stood up beside me staring at me with a curious expression on her face.
"I have to go save my fiancé" I said she jumped up and down in delight.
"There we go! You save her… need help?" she offered
"I got it" I said and kissed her cheek before I Apparated leaving her alone on the docks.
I appeared in my front garden and frowned, sometimes I could make it right into the house sometimes I couldn't. I headed inside and stopped short when I saw Moody sitting at my kitchen table. Near him stood Remus, Sirius and Peter, just down the table I recognised the Longbottoms Frank and Alice, there were a few other people I didn't recognise and Dumbledore stood near the kitchen sink a smile on his face.
"Um…" I said
"James" Dumbledore said as if surprised to see me in my own house "Meet the Order of the Phoenix"
"Finally got round to scheduling that meeting huh" I muttered.
"Well what a better task for our first gathering then rescuing one of our members" Dumbledore said a few of the people looked at him a little wearily.
"Dumbledore most of us don't even know what this organisation does" someone said. I didn't even bother learning the guys name, I'd find out if it was necessary and remember it only if it seemed important.
"Brings down Voldemort" Dumbledore said
"Isn't the ministry doing that?" Peter asked
"Yes. But they are bound by a lot of rules and restrictions. We're not" Dumbledore said every one in the room eyed him suspiciously.
"All right so let's go help Miss Evans"
"How?" Sirius asked
"Wing it" Dumbledore said. There was a ringing silence as everyone stared at him but he was already walking out of the house. None of us were very keen on him walking to his death on his own so we all quickly followed.
"Uh Professor is this really a good idea?" Alice asked glancing at me quickly. I knew she didn't want to cause me offence as it was my fiancé stuck there but she was concerned about the not dying thing.
"It's an excellent idea. It's better then excellent, what's better then excellent?" he asked no one in particular.
"Exceptional?" Remus tried "or brilliant?"
"Brilliant of course brilliant. And well we all know I'm brilliant so I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't absolutely confident it could be done. Does that ease your mind Alice?"
Alice looked like this do not even remotely ease her mind but she said nothing.
"We will Apparate to here and walk the rest of the way" Dumbledore said holding up a map before disappearing in a flurry of flamboyant purple robes. Everyone followed suite and we were soon trudging through some woods all feeling nervous at our lack of a plan and the high chance of not coming out alive.
"Your part of the Order sir?" I asked Moody as we walked.
"Of course. Nothing would make me happier then taking down a psycho like him"
"And someone with a heart would have said it was all about protecting the people" Sirius said skipping past us. Yes skipping. Moody fell back to talk to Alice and Frank so I was left with my three friends.
"Why are you so giddy?" I asked Sirius, he beamed and glanced over his shoulder. I looked over to where he was looking and smiled at Remus who was pale and looked mortified.
"They didn't" Peter said
"Damn it they're more annoying then Ross and Rachel" I sighed Peter raised his eyebrows.
"You know, they were the Ravenclaw Beaters" I said.
"We're here" Dumbledore said. We all quietly snuck forward to the edge of the woods and stared out across the large field to Voldemort's castle like fortress of a lair.
We all hurried over to the wall and easily climbed over the top of it landing softly behind the cover of some hedges. There were two Deatheaters standing on guard in front of the front door and we snuck as close as we could without raising their suspicions.
"Do these robes make look fat?" one of the Deatheaters asked.
"Yes" Sirius said. They both looked over and Sirius and Remus hit them both with a stunning charm. We casually climbed over them and slipped inside the house.
"Where would she be?" Alice whispered.
"We might try asking someone because they're sure to tell us" I said.
"Split up" Dumbledore said and so I walked off with Sirius, Remus and Peter while the others split off into fours and headed off in different directions.
"This way" Remus said
"How do you know where she is?" Peter whispered.
"Full moon tomorrow" Remus said quietly.
"You following Lily's sent?" I asked
"No Greybacks" he said and leant around a corner.
"Well he's excited for some reason" Remus muttered distractedly. The rest of us were fascinated by this glimpse into Remus' werewolf characteristics.
We hurried up a staircase and followed Remus down a dimly lit stone hallway and then he stopped and we all ducked into a room quickly. The sounds of footsteps grew louder then faded as the group of Deatheaters walked past.
"Remus?"
We all spun and stared at Fenrir Greyback who was staring at us hungrily. Remus screamed and we all joined in before quickly running back out into the hall and locking the door of the room we'd been hiding in.
We made sure no one was following us and quietly ran down the hallway following the Deatheaters at a distance. We stopped at a stone railing, a chandelier was opposite us and we glanced down at a large dining room. Lily was lying tied to the table glaring at Voldemort who stood next to her.
"What is Dumbledore planning?" Voldemort asked.
"I don't know!" Lily cried venomously. Voldemort waved his hand and a Deatheater put a wooden spear through her arm. She screamed a long string of obscenities before falling into a whimpering silence. She had four spears stuck into various parts on her body including her right hand.
"You're really annoying you know that!" Voldemort said Lily gave an exasperated sigh as if she was bored. That seemed to annoy him more. "Why aren't you being rescued?"
"Because I couldn't bare to be parted from you!" Lily said Voldemort frowned at her then turned to glare at the wall.
"My Lord, I shall collect more spears" the Deatheater said. It was only him and Voldemort in the room and as he left it was only Lily and Voldemort in the large room. Sirius stood up on the little stone railing and leapt on to the chandelier silently. Once he'd secured himself he held out his hands to us. I glanced at Remus who shook his head violently and then to Peter who shook his head even more violently. Suppressing a sigh leapt and let Sirius catch my legs. I was now dangling a few feet above Lily. Her eyes were closed tightly and she was breathing raggedly. I looked at Peter desperately and he knew what to do. He turned into a rat and Remus picked him up tossing him gently to me. I caught him carefully and then dropped him on top of Lily who flinched. She opened her eyes and then stared at us then looked at Voldemort who was still staring at the wall.
"You know I think the least you could do is answer my questions" he said as Wormtail the rat began to bite at the ropes trying Lily down. "I let your filthy parents go. I've never let Muggles go. You should be grateful to me"
Lily was freed and she quietly stood up, Wormtail secure in her pocket. She reached up and grabbed my hands. With considerable effort Sirius pulled us up slowly and quietly. I swung Lily up and she flew through the air landing safely on the landing beside Remus, Peter appeared beside her a second later. Sirius swung me up and let me go, I landed a little less gracefully then Lily and turned to face him. He rubbed his arms and cricked his neck before jumping almost effortlessly to us.
"Man your heavy Evans" he said she punched him in the arm with her left hand. She turned to me and threw her arms around me wincing in pain but she didn't pull away.
"Why? Why did you come? I don't understand" she said
"Because I love you stupid" I said as she pulled away.
"How do we tell the others?" Peter asked.
"Well we make enough ruckus escaping they get the hint we were successful" Sirius said
"Ruckus?" Remus said calmly Sirius smiled at him. We all glanced down at Voldemort who was still talking.
"My Lord!" a Deatheater gasped Voldemort finally turned.
"Wha – where'd she go?"
"Oi! Scum!" Sirius shouted. The rest of us all stared at him. It was unbelievable how stupid he was some times. "We got your hostage"
"Run!" I said and we all ran off down the way we'd come from.
"Why are you saving me? He'll take me again" Lily said as we ran.
"No he won't. You told him we weren't coming right?" I asked
"Yeah, then he got mad and decided to start questioning me about stuff. When he realised I didn't know anything he was going to kill me… at dawn. I don't know why he'd want to wait he's confusing" she replied as we round a corner. About twenty Deatheaters stared at us in shock.
"Sup?" Sirius said casually and we then ran down a very conveniently located staircase. (AN: lol 300 pages whoo longest story ever. Dance with me *dance solo* on with the story) We reached the bottom of the stairs and crashed into Alice, Frank and two of the people I'd yet to be introduced to. Alice screamed as we all almost ran into each other and then we all joined her when we saw the Deatheaters chasing them and the ones coming down the stairs that had been following us. It was such a teenaged thing to do that you wouldn't have believed we were all actually risking our lives and about to fight.
"Run!" Frank shouted and no one wanted to try and take down thirty Deatheaters so we all bolted down the only clear pathway. The house was like a maze and I knew we were only getting further from the exit. We all turned left and headed down another flight of stairs.
"Wait, wait" Sirius said and we all skidded to a halt. He pulled out a bag of Gobstones and scattered them on the floor before pushing us onward. The Deatheaters who followed us down the stairs all slipped and fell over on them and the others who didn't fall got squirted in the face.
"Wow that takes me back" I said as we all continued to run down the corridor.
"Our first prank" Peter said a small smile on his face and we laughed.
We all found another staircase and ran up it so we would be on the same level as an exit without having to dive out any windows. We ran out the front door and across the yard easily jumping the fence.
"Outstanding!" Voldemort shouted after us. No one bothered turning back and just continued to run at breakneck speed toward the woods. When we had run for about ten minutes through the safety of the trees we found Dumbledore and Moody with another two people I hadn't learnt the names of yet.
"Well done" Dumbledore said smiling at Lily.
"How did you guys get here so fast?" Sirius asked
"Oh we left after about ten minutes when we had wounded about twenty Deatheaters. We figured you kids could handle yourselves" Dumbledore said. Sirius opened his mouth to say some thing but thought better of it.
"A hospital for Miss Evans I think, then lots of bed rest. Must have you back to your perfect peak for your wedding" Dumbledore said taking Lily's left hand and leading her off further into the woods. We all followed carefully still reeling from the adrenaline rush. I was kind of amazed that Lily had managed to get away from Voldemort three times and was now of course over come with a crippling sensation of worry wondering if there'd be a fourth time.
"Mate, relax" Sirius said almost as if he could read my paranoid mind "your going to marry that girl next week"
"Yeah" I said with a smile.
"Bachelor party!" he cried making me laugh.
"You've already got one planned" I said
"Since you promised you'd marry the lady" he said joyously making me laugh again. I always love it when thing go bad in my life because as soon as it's over fate provides me a nice couple of weeks to recuperate before being evil again.
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Ah! Awesome. Sorry about the dancing but I'm surprisingly giddy right now. It's been ages since I've felt like dancing and I like it. I was listening to Bell Biv Devoe and you know you can't help but dance, then there was some Ben Lee and I got in some head bopping. But yes… drama over phew, Lily all nice and safe now whoo etc. etc. tell me what you thought, even if its just a comment on my atrocious grammar or tell me its unnecessary to tell you when I dance – not that I'll listen to the latter to much *dances to The Veronicas* now time to party! Sorry, kind of hyper, I'll start writing the next chapter now… Penny
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