Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot.

Lenners: Thanks! I loved writing the movie bit. I'm going to have Remus put it off for a couple of chapters because there is so much else that has to be in these next few though. I'm nervous for him too!

Loslote: Thank you! And I know, it's probably my second favorite (or maybe even first) Lily/James fanfic.

hmweasley: Thank you very much! Remus is one of my favorite characters. I hate when fanfics don't give him any attention.

IAMSOAP: Thanks! I had to pick a movie from 1978, and that was the one I knew the best haha. I'm nervous for Remus too! Sorry for the inexcusable wait!

the potter family: Thank you!

Forgive me for the wait! Writer's Block is a brutal condition. But I'm cured now, and I promise to post again soon. Also, I hope this makes up for the wait. This is my longest chapter to date! 17 Microsoft Word pages! Also, in my absence, I wrote the epilogue because I've had that idea in my head since the very beginning.


Chapter 29: Meetings, Preparations, and Wedding Surprises

A sharp knock on my office door interrupts my planning to take Marlene to sample foods for the wedding.

I sit up and smooth down the front of my blouse. "Yes?" I call, stacking my papers neatly on my desk.

Dorcas walks in briskly. "Morning, Lily," she greets curtly.

"Hey, Dorcas," I reply. "What's up?"

She tosses a packet of paper down on my desk. "This is all you need to know about that meeting I want you and Evan to go to."

I pick up the packet as she talks. It includes the address of the meeting place, names of various identified or suspected Death Eaters, and possible reasoning behind this meeting.

I nod and look up at Dorcas. "And James? It's still all right for him to come along, isn't it? I don't know if he'd let me go without him."

Dorcas nods with a bit of a grimace. "It'll be a bit conspicuous for three previously unknown Death Eaters to show up at some meeting."

I wince. "Er, Dorcas?"

She raises an eyebrow at my tone. "Yes?"

I look down at my folded hands. "Erm, well, you see, Sirius kind of wants to come along as well. He says that he's perfectly qualified to go, seeing how he's working to be an Auror and he's a part of the Order. He, er, says that he'll go to Dumbledore to get permission if you'd like."

Dorcas nods absently, thinking this over. I continue rambling.

"Plus, he could really help us out with this case. His brother, Regulus, is known to be a huge Death Eater supporter."

Dorcas sighs. "Four is really pushing it, Lily."

I finally look back up at her. "But it's James Potter and Sirius Black. They can more than look after themselves and disappear when they need to. James even has an Invisibility Cloak!" I throw in as a last-ditch attempt to persuade her to let Sirius go with us.

Dorcas exhales again. "Lily . . ."

Breaking out of what little businesslike tone I was using, I get up and walk around my desk to look her in the eye. "Come on, Dor, you know Sirius. He wouldn't be able to stand being left behind while James was off hunting Death Eaters."

She is silent, contemplating. I wait as patiently as I can for a full two minutes as she undoubtedly goes over every possible thing that could go wrong with yet another person added to the party.

At last, Dorcas nods very slowly. "Fine, he can go," she snaps. "But if he screws this mission up, tell him I'll have his head for it!"


"Mmm . . . this one's my favorite," Marlene declares after swallowing a mouthful of salmon.

Sirius nods in agreement with bulging cheeks. "Dishuns va besh wiwwy."

James and I snort as Marlene lightly smacks the back of her boyfriend's head at his manners. "What was that, Padfoot?" James chortles.

Sirius swallows his food with a bit of difficulty. "This one's the best, Lily," he repeats, though discernably this time.

"I honestly don't know how you can still stomach more food. You've eaten nearly all of it!" I exclaim, gesturing to the almost empty platters set before us.

James leans over to stage-whisper, "Just wait until he sees the cakes."

Sirius's eyes grow round. "Cake?" he questions eagerly.

Marlene rolls her eyes. "Honestly, Sirius, I don't know how you aren't about fifty pounds heavier."

"Hey! I take offense to that," he proclaims indignantly.

Marlene opens her mouth to make a witty retort, but she's interrupted by Anthony, the chef.

"Here you are," Anthony announces as he sets down a tray of smaller plates. "The cake samples." He waves to them with a flourish and points out which is which. "The one in the corner is your basic white cake, vanilla frosting. This one here is chocolate. Over here, we have the vanilla and raspberry number you requested, and that one is a tasty twist on the original with a twist of strawberry in the middle."

Anthony hands each of us an individual plate to distribute smaller pieces of the cake. Sirius reaches for the chocolate cake first, as does James. Marlene goes for the strawberry twisted slice, while I sample the raspberry cake.

Merlin, this stuff is good. The rich, soft, two-layered cake is vanilla, and the creamy frosting between the layers is interrupted by a stripe of smooth raspberry filling. The outer icing has an intricate, flowering design in deep magenta over white frosting.

James and Sirius seem to be enjoying the chocolate cake, and Marlene looks as though her opinion on the strawberry cake is the same as mine for the raspberry cake. We chew over our options in silence for a few moments, sampling each cake. After finishing off his last bite, James sets down his fork.

"I like the raspberry one best, I think," he says.

Sirius frowns. "What about the chocolate one?"

Marlene shakes her head. "Personally, I liked the strawberry twist cake."

James looks at me. "Lily?" he asks. "D'you have a favorite?"

I tilt my head back and forth slightly, pondering. "Yeah," I decide. "The raspberry one was my favorite. I mean, the chocolate was good, but not for a wedding. And I've never been one for the traditional white cake, so that one's out. And the strawberry one was good, but raspberry is my favorite."

James grins. "Ha," he quips, sticking his tongue out childishly at Sirius.

James and I give our list of favorites to Anthony before heading off to my flat with Sirius and Marly. Mary and Remus have taken a couple of personal days off from work to get away to the Canary Islands, so neither of them is around at the moment. I do hope he tells her about being a werewolf soon. Mary is too kind a person to change her opinion of him based on that. Right?

We sit around the coffee table as Sirius cracks open a bottle of firewhiskey and pours us each a drink. Marlene sips hers thoughtfully.

"Tell me again about this Death Eater meeting you three are going to," she requests, tearing her gaze from a mark on the table.

Sirius puts his glass down. "It's this Saturday night. There won't be many of the more experienced Death Eaters present, just mostly ones like there were in Hogsmeade last . . . what was it, October?"

James nods. "Yeah, it shouldn't be anything big. They're probably just meeting to discuss the next Anti-Muggle-Born Law they can try to force on the Ministry."

I hear myself make a noise of disgust. The Ministry is changing, fast. New laws are being passed left and right, causing both an increase in blood status discrimination and for more and more people to disappear. James has even told me that some Aurors are disappearing or going into hiding because they're Muggle-Born or married to someone who is Muggle-Born. He says that Moody has been considering graduating James's class a year early from the Auror Academy so he has more people out on the playing field.

"What's the latest report you've got on it, Lil?" Marlene asks softly.

I shrug. "Nothing different from what you know, I'm sure. I've heard that someone tried to get the Minister to pass a law requiring all Muggle-Borns to submit to questioning about their lineage and magical power. It's just disgusting, if you ask me. How are we different from anyone else?"

James stiffens slightly as he always does when he can tell I'm upset. He tightens his arm protectively around my waist.

Sirius shakes his head. "It's people like my family that are supporting this stuff."

Sirius doesn't often talk about his family, so it's a bit surprising that he has mentioned them.

James goes to defend his friend. "No, Padfoot–"

"I'm serious, James!" Sirius insists without a trace of a grin on his face at his usual pun. "Look at them! My dear old mum was so bloody disappointed that I was in Gryffindor and not Slytherin that she disowned me and blasted me off of the family tree! My dad's not a Death Eater, but he's an open supporter of everything that Voldemort stands for! And look at Regulus, James. He's all lined up to be one of them. I wouldn't be surprised if we see him Saturday at that meeting. They're the type of people that are causing and supporting all of this." Sirius finishes abruptly, breathing hard. James doesn't look as stunned by his best friend's outburst as Marlene or me. We've never heard him talk about these things in detail before.

Marly takes his hand and squeezes it gently, at a loss for words. Sirius uses his free hand to retrieve his firewhiskey and down it in one gulp. He speaks again, his voice somehow amplified by the drink.

"All I'm saying," Sirius continues, "is that I know how they operate. They have a one-track mindset. They're superior. Anyone who isn't pureblood doesn't deserve to shine their bloody shoes." He spits out the last bit with biting sarcasm and blatant hatred.

We sit in silence, watching his stony face. James seems to be familiar with these talks, so I assume he knows that Sirius just needs to be left to his thoughts after spilling all of that. But I've got other ideas.

I stand up and walk over to crouch right in front of him. I tilt my head so he has to look me in the eye and murmur quietly, "It's a good thing you're not like them, yeah?"

Finally meeting my gaze fully, Sirius's lips twitch upward slightly. "Thanks, Evans," he mutters, nudging my shoulder halfheartedly.

I pat his arm gently. "Anytime, Black," I respond with a small grin of my own.


I sigh, smiling dreamily. It's gorgeous.

"Let me see, Lily!" Marlene calls from the other room.

I glide into the small room where Marly and Helen, the owner of the shop, are waiting for me. The two women sigh when they catch sight of me.

"Oh, Lily," Marlene breathes. A slow smile spreads across her face.

I smooth down the front unnecessarily. "Do you like it?"

She nods vigorously.

Helen stands up and walks over to me, turning me around so I face the mirror. I admire the dress again. It's a strapless white gown with an empire waist and an intricately beaded bodice. A white flower rests towards the left side of the waist. The pure white material falls to the floor elegantly, making my normally clumsy self appear tall and graceful. The short train trails behind me as Helen moves me closer to the mirror.

"You look beautiful, dear," she murmurs in a motherly voice.

I beam at my reflection. Selecting a dress is making this all the more real. I'm marrying James Potter. James Potter and Lily Evans. James and Lily Potter. Lily Potter. Merlin.


Brrrrrring!

"Evan's here, Lily!" James calls from the kitchen. I hear someone traipse over to the door to open it for my coworker.

I walk into the sitting room to greet him as Sirius unlocks the door.

"Hey, Evan!"

"'Lo, Lily, James, Sirius," he returns, nodding to each of us in turn. In his Death Eater costume of sorts, he looks rather intimidating. I don't feel like I appear to be very threatening as the midget Death Eater next to these three tall men.

James pulls his cloak on. "Are we ready to go now? We're due to rendezvous with Moody in ten minutes at his place."

Sirius grabs his mask from the coffee table. Marlene, who has yet to speak, practically leaps off of the couch as he straightens up. She throws her arms around his neck. Sirius drops his mask again and snakes his arms around her waist.

"Be careful," Marlene whispers loud enough for us to hear.

Sirius pulls back and kisses her on the forehead. "Always am," he murmurs with half of a smirk.

"And you too, Lils." She turns to hug me as well.

I squeeze my best friend reassuringly. "We'll be fine, Marly. I promise. I'll be home late tonight." To calm her still anxious face, I add, "If you don't wait up for me, I'll sprint into your room and jump on your bed until you wake up."

Marly grins. "Deal, but you'll owe me a stack of banana chocolate chip pancakes in the morning!"

I laugh and hug her close again. "I'll be home soon."

Evan, James, Sirius, and I back up to face her.

"Love you, Marly," Sirius murmurs before we Apparate away.

We arrive outside of Moody's house. James leads the way as we march up to the door. He taps his wand against the door knocker and mutters, "James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black, and Evan Rugal reporting for information on tonight's meeting."

The knocker twists, revealing a tiny window in the door. If I hadn't come here before, I would be shocked by the electric blue eyeball peering through the glass.

"Black," Moody's voice barks.

Sirius straightens his slouched posture. "Yes, sir."

The eye swivels to stare at Sirius. "The spell I hit you with on the first day of training." It isn't a question. It's a demand.

Sirius pauses to think briefly. "Petrificus Totalus."

"Correct."

A few scrapes of a lock later, Moody's door swings open, revealing the Head Auror himself. "Inside, quickly," he commands.

We follow his gestured hand down the hall and into his study. Evan, unfamiliar with the surroundings, takes it all in warily. The four of us sit in the chairs facing a cluttered desk. I steal a glance at the files and papers, noticing several Daily Prophet clippings.

Muggle Family of Four Found Dead in Birmingham . . . Ministry Insists, 'All is Well' . . . Muggle-Borns to Submit to Mandatory Questioning . . .

The titles become bleaker as my eyes sweep across the desk. I look away, letting my hands fall into my lap. Moody clunks into the room, shutting and locking his door behind him.

"Now," he growls, taking a seat in the large wooden chair behind his desk. "This meeting tonight should go without a hitch. You four will slip in through this side door here," he directs, producing a map from his messy files and pointing to the door. "I want you to Apparate so you arrive here," he points to a cluster of trees near the door. "Once you're in, I just want you to sit and listen. Do not draw attention to yourselves, do you hear me?"

"Yes, sir," we reply in unison. Evan glances at me with a slightly worried expression, something Moody does not miss.

"Don't worry, boy," he barks, causing Evan to jump. "This is an amateur meeting. The Death Eaters will be twenty-three, at the most. Voldemort himself will not show up. We are sure of this."

Evan nods, looking slightly sick. He's never done this type of thing before.

Moody continues. "Just stay on your toes. Remember: CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

James and Sirius exchange a tiny smirk at his words.

Moody stands up and trudges around his desk to be nearer to us. "The meeting is set to start in fifteen minutes. You will not be the first ones there. It is also imperative that you are not the first to leave. It would draw too much attention."

The four of us nod simultaneously.

"Any questions?" Moody prompts.

James speaks up. "Sir?"

Moody's beady black eye and his electric blue one both focus on James. "Potter?"

James frowns, weighing his words. "What should we do if we're found out?"

"I trust you can handle yourselves well enough to hold them off until you escape the house wards so you can Apparate back here," Moody answers, fixing each of us with a confident stare.

James nods curtly.

"It's nearly time for you to be going," Moody announces.

Sirius, Evan, James, and I stand up. I pull my cloak's hood up over my head and put on my Death Eater mask as the three boys do the same. My hair is pulled back and charmed to be brown rather than red, as red would have been a dead giveaway. Other than that, none of us have undergone physical changes, seeing how the cloak and mask cover us almost completely.

Moody hands Sirius a smaller version of the map he was showing us. It's very clear in this moment that Moody trusts Sirius and is very confident in his abilities. Sirius pockets the small slip of parchment with a nod.

Moody sighs. "If you're not here in two hours, we're sending back up."

The scarred Auror steps back. "Good luck to you all."

The last thing I see before Apparating to our destination is the pile of depressing newspapers on Moody's desk.


"Damn it!" I hiss, trying to see some discernible shape in the darkness surrounding me. How could I just miss my target like that? I stumble forward with my hands out. I don't really want to light my wand in fear of being discovered, but after a few seconds of pressing darkness, I decide it's unavoidable.

"Lumos," I whisper, pointing my wand at the ground. I shuffle along in silence for another moment before the beam of light streaming from the end of my wand highlights a pair of feet.

I stiffen noticeably. I don't know whether this is a real Death Eater or one of my friends. Luckily, two more pairs of feet show up behind the first. A soft whisper comes from one of them, so soft that I'm not sure I really hear it.

"Lily?"

Hesitantly, I reply, "James? Is that you?"

I hear three people sigh audibly.

"Yeah," James's voice replies, laced with relief.

"We thought we lost you," Evan's voice explains.

"Come on," Sirius says, bringing us back to the matter at hand. He pulls out the map, lighting his own wand. "We should be very close to the door."

The four of us proceed forward slowly, following the light of our wands. After a moment, we come across a tall wooden door. Just as Moody previously promised, it's unlocked. We file into the dark hallway silently. Soft light, like that of a fire, is spilling out of an open door at the end of the corridor. James beckons us forward. He squeezes my hand once before dropping it as we reach the open door and peer inside.

There are about fifteen Death Eaters in here, maybe a few more. They don't look to be too old, but their numbers alone cause a trickle of fear to run down my spine. The spacious room is lit only by a roaring fire. In front of the fire in a large armchair sits a man who has that indefinable something about him that marks him as the leader of this group. James turns back to us.

"Okay, let's go," he whispers.

We break off into our pre-assigned pairs. Evan and Sirius edge through the slightly crowded room to the other side. James and I move around towards the man in front of the fire. Evan and I were originally paired together, but James insisted on being with me. Bloody protective prick.

Murmured conversations buzz around us as a few more Death Eaters enter the room. I begin to panic. I didn't bank on this many showing up. What do we do if we're discovered? Four versus twenty? We'll last, at the most, like five minutes!

Lily, get a grip. You've been trained for this sort of thing. You need to stay calm and alert. Nothing will go wrong.

Silence falls around us. I look up to see why.

The man sitting in front of the fire has stood up. He's pacing slowly, twirling something between his fingers. A woman I haven't noticed until now stands off to his right, watching him with scrutiny.

When the man says nothing, the woman speaks. "Rodolphus."

The sinister looking man, Rodolphus, looks over at her. "Patience. They will be here."

"They're late," the woman hisses. I know that voice. Why do I know that voice?

"And they will pay the price for their tardiness," Rodolphus answers in a clipped tone.

The woman smiles wickedly, her face catching the light of the fire. Of the whole crowd of Death Eaters, Rodolphus and this woman are among the few not wearing masks. I notice that Sirius, directly across the room from James and I, tightens his grip on his wand, turning his knuckles white.

Whispers break out again at Rodolphus's words, but they die down once the woman barks, "Silence!"

We wait in tense silence for several moments. All I can hear is the crackling of the fire and Rodolphus's shoes hitting the floor with each step he takes.

Suddenly, three cloaked men burst through the door.

The woman points her wand directly at them. "You three know never to be late to these meetings!" she shrieks.

One of them removes his mask. Travers.

"Beggin' your pardon, Miss Lestrange, but we've got news."

Lestrange! Bellatrix! That's how I know her voice. A low hiss escapes my mouth, and James elbows me discreetly.

Bellatrix doesn't lower her wand. "News?" she demands, arching one eyebrow.

Travers steps forward, addressing the entire room. "Edgar Bones is dead."

The buzzing conversation that breaks out again covers my gasp. But Edgar was such a strong wizard! He can't be dead! What about his wife and his children? His kids are both young; one of them is too young to even start Hogwarts!

As if he read my mind, Travers continues. "They got his family, too. Kids an' all."

My mouth drops open. His family was murdered too? James reaches over inconspicuously and takes my hand.

A smirk is playing its way across Bellatrix's cruel face. "Well done, boys." She lowers her wand at last. The two men behind Travers seem to relax.

Rodolphus clears his throat. "Yes, this is all very well, but we have other things to attend to. If you three will take your seats, we can get started."

Travers and his cronies nod respectfully to Rodolphus Lestrange and make their way around the room. I try not to cringe when one of them takes the open seat next to me.

"Now," Rodolphus begins. "The Dark Lord has heard from a valuable source that Dumbledore's Order is expanding. Of course, we know they are one member short as of tonight," he adds, nodding towards Travers. "But they are getting stronger. The Dark Lord's spy has been to the Headquarters, but he cannot tell us exactly where they are, as he is not the Secret Keeper, so we will have to do this carefully."

A cloaked Death Eater in the corner speaks up. "Do what, Lestrange?"

"Attack the Order of the Phoenix," Rodolphus replies with an evil grin.

Whispers ripple through the group again. James stiffens next to me. Attack the Order?

"An' 'ow d'you propose we go abou' doin' that?" one Death Eater asks through a thick accent.

Bellatrix smiles cruelly. "We go after them one at a time."

"Their places of residence will be much easier to find than their Headquarters, especially with the spy's help," Rodolphus explains, twirling the object between his fingers more quickly.

Lucius Malfoy, distinguishable by his shining blond ponytail, announces, "We already have a significant lead that the Dark Lord is quite interested in."

A masked Death Eater asks, "Who might that be?"

Lucius smirks. "That Evans girl. The Mudblood that always disrespects him."

My body goes numb. James's grip on my hand tightens painfully.

Another Death Eater wonders, "But hasn't she already been attacked? We should already know where she lives."

Bellatrix rolls her eyes. "Yes, she's been attacked, but did you really think she'd leave her home unprotected after that? Idiot."

The Death Eater shrinks back into his seat under Bellatrix's glare.

They want to attack me again. They have a lead. Does that mean they think they can break through my protective enchantments? Oh, no. Oh, no, no, no. What are we going to do? What about Marlene and Mary? We have to get out of there. I've completely missed what they just said. I need to focus. But, God, me? Why me? I know Voldemort doesn't exactly appreciate the things that I say to him, but I'm singled out among the many that surely say things like that to him?

"—works at the Daily Prophet offices. We had someone tail her home one night."

How? I usually Apparate! Or go by Floo Powder!

"She's always with Potter," I hear someone spit venomously. Severus.

Bellatrix sneers. "Yes, the Potter boy. The Dark Lord is particularly interested in him as well. He and Evans have gotten away too many times."

"I hear the Dark Lord has interest in Potter's friends," the Death Eater from the corner interjects.

"Which ones?" another asks.

He steps forward from the corner. "Black and Lupin."

Sirius and Remus?

"Yeah, I hear he wants them to join us," the Death Eater continues.

A smaller Death Eater on the far side of the room speaks up. "Fat chance with Sirius."

James tenses up even more. I notice Sirius go completely still.

Bellatrix sneers at the young man. "Aw, does poor Reggie still care for his brother?" she taunts in a horrible, mock-baby voice.

Reggie. Regulus. Sirius's brother.

Regulus stands up. "All I'm saying is that Sirius isn't like us, Bella, and you know that." His voice remains hard and distant, but I can hear something wavering under that.

Bellatrix's lip twitches. "Yes, well, to hell with him. We're better off without that blood traitor."

Regulus takes his seat again, his hands shaking slightly.

The Death Eater from the corner speaks again. "Even so, the Dark Lord has interest in him and the werewolf."

How do they know Remus is a werewolf?

A loud crack splits the air. We all look around for the source and see a tall, dark man approaching the Lestranges.

"The Dark Lord requires your presence."

Bellatrix's eyes light up and she nods vigorously. Rodolphus pinches the bridge of his nose.

"Very well," he drawls. "You lot may go."

The other Death Eaters in the room stand up and Disapparate or walk outside. James nods across the room at Sirius and Evan before he and I Disapparate.


Moody is waiting for us in his office. Dumbledore is there as well, along with Kingsley and James's parents.

Amelia rushes forward to hug James and me when we appear. "You're safe," she murmurs in our ears.

Sirius and Evan arrive, and Amelia hurries over to embrace Sirius as well.

"What happened?" Moody barks.

Sirius takes a deep breath. "Edgar Bones and his family are dead."

"What?"

"Edgar Bones?"

"How?"

"When?"

"Why?"

"How?"

James looks straight at Professor Dumbledore. "There's a spy. Voldemort has a spy."

Dumbledore nods as if he already knows this.

Sirius supplies, "They want to attack the Order, but they know they can't have a go at all of us at once. They're going to come after us one by one."

Evan adds, "They have a lead to one member."

We fall silent.

"Who is it then? Who do they have a lead on?" Charles Potter presses.

James, Sirius, and Evan all look at me with concern and worry.

I inhale shakily. "Me."

Dumbledore raises his silver eyebrows. "You, Miss Evans?"

I nod silently.

"Why do they want to come after you, dear?" Amelia wonders. She takes my hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze.

James spits, "Voldemort doesn't like the way Lily talks to him. They had someone follow her home one night, and they know where she lives. We think they might be able to break through her protective enchantments."

Sirius mutters, "They said he has interest in Remus and me joining them."

Moody narrows his eyes. "You and Lupin?" he clarifies.

Sirius nods. "They also know about Remus's, er, condition."

Dumbledore nods. "I did not expect Mr. Snape to keep that bit of information to himself."

"Any names?" Kingsley prompts.

Evan rattles off, "Travers, the Lestranges, and Lucius Malfoy were the only ones I recognized, sir."

Sirius stiffens. Somehow, I doubt Sirius wants to tell them that his little brother was there. After all, Regulus is only entering his seventh year. He's too young to cause too much damage. Right? Plus, I bet Sirius believes, as do I by the way he was behaving tonight, that there is still some good in him.

"Anything else of importance?" Kingsley asks after writing down the names Evan gave him.

We shake our heads.

Dumbledore sighs. "Then you may go. We will go over the information you have given us and keep you informed. And Miss Evans?"

I raise my eyes from the floor and meet his blue-eyed gaze. "Yes, sir?"

He smiles softly. "The Order is protecting you. There is no need to worry."

The corners of my lips twitch upwards slightly. "Thank you, sir."

The four of us trudge out of the room.

Sirius sighs. "Well, we're headed to Lily's, Evan. Are you coming?"

Evan looks conflicted.

I step forward and hug him. "You were brilliant tonight, Evan. Go home to Sarah."

Evan smiles and wraps his arms around my shoulders briefly. "Thanks, Lil. I'll see you at work?"

I smile. "See you."

James, Sirius, and I wave to him before Apparating back to my flat.

"Lily! Oh, Lily, you're home!" Marlene cries, throwing herself into my arms as soon as I catch my balance.

I hold my best friend tightly. "Yeah, we're okay, Mar," I murmur, breathing unevenly.

She lets go of me and dashes over to Sirius, kissing him full on the mouth. He responds eagerly before gently pulling back to look at her relieved smile.

"So what did you find out?" she asks as I shed my cloak and walk into the kitchen with James to make some tea. I hear Sirius tell her about Edgar and his family.

"Lily?"

"Mmm," I grunt back, busying myself with the kettle. I turn away from his concerned gaze and fetch a few large mugs from the top shelf of their cabinet.

"Are you all right?"

I tense slightly. "Mmm," I repeat. It's a nice, noncommittal noise. Much better than yes or no.

I grip the mugs tightly. I don't turn back to James. He moves to stand behind me, putting his hands over mine and taking the mugs. He sets them on the counter and pulls me into his arms. Against the warm safety of his chest, I allow my blank facial expression to drop. Tears brim in my eyes, though not enough to spill over.

"I'm scared, James," I breathe into his shirt. I inhale his comforting, musky smell.

James rubs soothing circles into my back. "Lily, I know you don't want a bunch of people telling you that you'll be okay because you don't believe that, but I promise you that you will be okay. Don't worry. Like Dumbledore said, the Order is protecting you."

I sigh. "I suppose this means I'll have to move."

I can hear a grin in his voice. "I think I can find a place for you to stay. After all, we are getting married soon."

I frown slightly. "But what about Sirius and Remus? I doubt they really want to room with me. And what about Marly and Mary?"

James laughs, confusing me even more. "I'm not talking about my flat, Lily. I was thinking that Marlene and Mary could move in with Sirius and Remus, only if they want to of course."

"Wait," I speculate, "then what about me?"

He chuckles again. "I've got a surprise for you."

My eyes light up, and I pull back to look up at him. "What is it?" I ask excitedly, my mood completely changing.

"You have to wait until morning." James's eyes are sparkling with amusement. He knows I'm not patient! That's hardly fair!

"Why not now?" I grumble, crossing my arms and pouting.

He puts his arm around me and steers me back towards the sitting room. "Because it's late, love. We can't go anywhere else tonight."

"We don't have to go anywhere. You can just tell me," I persevere hopefully.

James smiles crookedly. "Going there is all the fun of the surprise. We'll go in the morning, promise."

I huff disappointedly, but I can't help but feel excited. Where will he take me?

Marlene and Sirius are huddled on one of the couches. She looks worried.

"You told her they're after me?" I assume, taking a seat on the other couch with James.

Marly nods. "We have to leave, Lily?" Her voice sounds so small. I know how attached she is to this flat. She's the one who found it.

I smile sadly. "If we don't, they could kill us all." I reach across the arm of the couch to squeeze her hand. "But James has an idea."

Sirius looks up at James. Ten Galleons says they've already discussed this plan. I'll throw in an extra five Sickles if Sirius knows where James is planning to take me tomorrow.

Sirius grins at Marlene. "What would you and Mary say to moving in with Remus and me? That way you won't have to go flat hunting again. And the rent is low. We live right in Diagon Alley, you know. Very convenient if you ask me. Good company as well. You won't find better roommates—"

"Sirius!" Marlene interrupts his babble, placing a hand over his mouth. "You had me at 'What would you say.'"

He grins at her and kisses the side of her head. "Brilliant! I've got two new roommates!"

Marly laughs at his excitement. "But what about James and Lily?"

Sirius flashes me a mischievous smirk. "They've made other arrangements."

I huff again. "He knows and I can't?" I whine childishly. Merlin, I hate being the last to know things. It's really frustrating!

"In the morning, love," James repeats, throwing an arm around my shoulder and taking a casual sip of his tea.

Ugh, that James Potter.


That James Potter!

"Oh, James, it's perfect!" I exclaim, bouncing forward. I lay my hand on the gate, looking up at the place.

The small, cream-colored house is two stories high. The bay window on the first floor offers a spectacular view of the whole town. Ivy has made its way up the side of the house, and a little garden sprouts from the back left corner of the yard. A smooth, stone path leads the way to the front door. The faded, honey-colored door has a golden knocker in the shape of a lion, and the windows sport shutters of the same honey color.

Excited, I push open the gate and grab James's hand, pulling him forward with me as I lope up the pathway. He takes out a set of keys and unlocks the door. There is a staircase on the left wall of the foyer, along with a hallway leading back through the house. An arched opening reveals the living room where the bay window is. The entire first floor, apart from the kitchen and the small bathroom, has hardwood floors. All of the walls are painted light colors, giving the whole place a bright look. The kitchen is down the front hallway and to the right, and it is connected to the dining room by another open archway. A bathroom is across the hall from the kitchen, and there is a door to the backyard at the end of the hallway.

"James," I sigh, turning around to face my fiancé. "It's wonderful, really."

James wraps his arm around my waist. "And you haven't even seen the second floor," he laughs. He leads me up the staircase.

The hallway on this floor also has wooden floors, but the bedrooms are carpeted. That's right – bedrooms. There are two of them. The master bedroom has its own bathroom, and the front window offers the same view as the downstairs bay window. The other bedroom is smaller, yet still roomy. There is another bathroom across the hall from the second bedroom.

Pausing inside of the master bedroom, I turn back to James again. "How did you find this place?"

He ruffles his hair self-consciously. "Mum helped me out a little bit," he admits, grinning sheepishly.

I laugh. "Well your mother has good taste, then. Did she pick out all of the furniture?"

Did I mention it's already fully-furnished?

James shook his head. "No, I did some of that on my own. I took a bit of inspiration from your flat, but this is a bigger space to fill. There's a park not too far from here, and I really think you'll like the town. I've been here before with my parents. Mum loves this place."

I smile up at his flushed face. "It's perfect." I wrap my arms around his waist and kiss him gently.

James whispers in between kisses, "Welcome home, Mrs. Potter."

I grin against his lips. "Not yet," I remind him.

James pulls back to look at me. "But soon."

Laying my head against his chest, I echo, "Soon."


AN: Yes, this is absurdly late. Yes, it may happen again. Just not with the next chapter! I pinky swear! Update by next weekend, if not sooner! I had mad WB for weeks, and I only recently got over it. I wrote more than half of this chapter in the past few days. I hope you guys like it! I feel like I may have crammed too much into it, but I wanted to make it extra long for you guys. Please let me know what you think!

Also, next chapter: THE WEDDING! I'm so excited!

Review, my lovely readers! They mean the world to me!

- Paris