Please don't leave me:

1978

-

Lily's footsteps echo along the damp cement of the abandoned London underground tunnel. She holds her wand above her head, casting its small beam of light around as far as possible in a vain attempt to see into the dark corners and vanquish the shadows around her.

"Gid?" she calls softly behind her. "Gideon, you still there?"

The two have been sent out to scour for possible meeting places for the Order; Moody had oh-so-cleverly thought of the long unused tunnels beneath the outskirts of the city and asked for volunteers to check them out. And Gideon had volunteered because he was Gideon and because he loved the damp and dark and the occasional danger without real threat. Lily hadn't volunteered because she'd missed the meeting, but James, wanting her to stay out of the thick of fighting for a day, had volunteered her himself.

"Right here," he replies. "Am I the only one who thinks Moody's gone loopy for even thinking that we could possibly meet here?"

"Loopier than normal, you mean?" she asks. "No."

A rat skitters across the tracks in front of her and Lily shrieks, throwing her hands up in the air before realizing how nonexistent the threat is. She sheepishly bends down to gather up her wand again, then continues forwards more cautiously.

"Don't like the dark much, then?" he asks, laughing. Lily shudders.

"No. Nor are spider webs, rats, and echoing tunnels high on my list of loves. In other words, please don't leave me alone here! Not even," she adds, fixing a sharp glare on him, "In pretend."

Gideon grins. "Dorcas told you about my little joke?"

"You scared her half to death!"

"What, she doesn't like the dark either?"

"What respectable girl would?"

This time, Gideon's laugher reaches the vaulted ceiling. "Marlene."

"Much as I love her—what do you consider respectable, Gid?"

"Fair point."

The two move on through the tunnel. They make light conversation and joke around, laughing and shoving and being young. In the belly of London, it's easy to forget there's a war on.

They remember when they come up. They remember because while they were in the underground, there was an attack. They remember because while they were making light conversation and joking around, Fergus Abbott was killed by Rodulphus Lestrange.

They'll never forget to remember again.


Aaaaaaaaaand introducing Gideon Prewett for a second time :-) Also, Dorcas = Dorcas Meadowes, a member of the First Order who was killed personally by Voldemort. She will be popping up in more than mention later on :-) Fergus Abbott is competely made up.