I am sooooo sorry about the lack of updating. I take SATs on Saturday and my AP test in next week so I've been stressed out trying to juggle sports, school, and studying. Not to mention that my mother basically kicked me off the computer. The only thing I could do was read a few chapters over this week and the previous.

Thanks for understanding and I'm sorry for any grammatical mistakes, I was kind of rushing to get this up. I tried to get any.

Enjoy!

Part II: Ominous Propinquity

Lily took a deep breath as she carefully passed Logan to Peter. It was her first day back working with the Order and James had persuaded her into letting Peter watch their son. She would have felt more comfortable with Remus watching the baby, even if the full moon was only a week away. But, Remus had declined and both Sirius and Michelle were working, so she was forced to let Peter watch the infant.

"Mummy and Daddy will be back, Logan, I promise," she whispered, kissing his forehead and looking into his blue eyes.

Logan looked from Lily to James with fear in his bright eyes. He had never been without one or both of his parents and Lily felt like she was betraying him. She felt James grab her hand, and she looked up at him. "He'll be fine," he said quietly.

"Yeah, Lily," Peter told her with a smile. "We'll have fun."

Logan didn't look convinced as he looked up at Peter with an expression that clearly stated, "No, we won't!" Lily shook her head, knowing she was imagining things because her son was only a few months old and not thinking like that.

"Lils, Frank and Alice are probably waiting for us," James spoke in her ear. His arm slid around her waist and then lightly ruffled the small tuft of black hair on Logan's head with his other hand. Reluctantly, Lily allowed herself to be dragged across the room and out the door by James. She hated the confused look on Logan's face; he was clearly wondering why she was leaving.

"Where are you two going anyway?" Peter asked casually.

James shrugged. "We've just got Alley duty," he said. "Nothing special."

Lily sat down in the car and watched out the window as Peter held on to the baby. She kept her eyes on the pair, even as the two were becoming smaller in the distance.

"Lily," James said as they began to drive away and she was craning her neck to get a last look at Peter holding Logan and waving his little hand as tears were flowing down the little boy's face. "I know Pete's not your first choice, but at least we're not leaving him with strangers."

She turned to look at him. He was a much better driver than she had imagined him to be and wondered for a brief moment if he had bewitched the car to drive itself. She shook her head. "It's not that," she muttered. "I just have this sinking feeling in my stomach."

"What do you mean?"

She shrugged, keeping her eyes on the side of the road as they drove out of town. "I don't know. It's probably just my conscience telling me that leaving Logan is wrong," she stated. James pulled over and they stepped out of the car so he could shrink it and they could apparate to their destination. Once the car was secure in James's pocket, the two disappeared as two popping sounds filled the air.

When Lily opened her eyes she was in the apparation point in a building across the street from The Leaky Cauldron. The room was small and dark with a damp feeling that seemed to encase her. She walked to James and quickly latched her hand onto his. She had grown to like the different pace of life that accompanied motherhood. There was no imminent danger in fixing meals or singing lullabies.

The two walked out of the building and across the empty street. The Leaky Cauldron's sign swung in the breeze, threatening to fall on the heads of passersby. James opened the door and they walked into the crowded pub, quickly passing through and into Diagon Alley.

For a day in the middle of summer holidays, Diagon Alley was relatively quiet and Lily thought she could see more people she thought were in the Order than those who weren't. She could see the Prewett brothers walking down the street and she could barely make out the form of Marlene McKinnon sitting outside of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor.

James nudged her and she looked up at him. He was looking across the alleyway. From a distance, she could make out two figures arguing in front of Flourish and Blott's. One figure she recognized as Sirius, the other, she couldn't quite see. The figure was a woman, tall and slender with blond hair that reached her waist.

"What's Sirius doing talking to Narcissa?" James asked quietly as a few little boys ran passed them, laughing as they played tag in the street.

Lily looked back at the duo. She could barely make out Narcissa Malfoy's angular features and her scrunched up nose. James walked forward, pulling her with him toward the two feuding cousins. Lily tried to stop him, feeling like they shouldn't interrupt, but James was adamant that the two may kill each other if they didn't. Sirius and his cousins, especially Bellatrix and Narcissa, did not get along in the slightest.

"I just thought you should know," Narcissa hissed, her blue eyes glaring at Sirius through tiny slits. "I thought it would please you to know that you almost lost your position as the only Black brother to get blasted off by Aunt Wally."

"Well, thank you for the update, Cissy," he sneered her name, "but I couldn't care less about the lost cause of my dear brother Reggie."

Narcissa groaned. "You are despicable, Sirius!"

"Why?" Sirius shouted as she turned on her heel and stormed away. "If you recall correctly, you all kicked me out! And now you want me to care?"

Narcissa pushed passed Lily and James without a second glance and James rushed over to Sirius. "What was that all about?" he asked.

Sirius leaned against the building, running a hand through his thick black mane. He rolled his eyes. "Apparently, Regulus got scared and panicked. He tried to leave the Death Eaters and ended up getting himself killed."

"I'm sorry, Sirius," Lily said, remembering her own run-in with Regulus Black a few weeks before, the note I see now suddenly made sense. She wondered if she should tell Sirius, but he wouldn't believe her, wouldn't believe that Regulus wasn't out to save his own skin.

"Ah, I say good riddance. Wish the lot of them would kick the bucket actually, either that or leave me alone," he muttered. "For hating my guts, I feel like Narcissa and Bellatrix are constantly on my back for something."

There was a whistle and the three looked up. Sturgis Podmore was walking down the street, waving to Sirius and motioning for him to follow. Sirius turned to his friends. "Well, have fun here," he joked. "Nothing ever happens."

"Where are you going?" James asked. "Fifth and Main?"

Sirius nodded. "You get taken off? You were supposed to go, right?"

Lily watched the cryptic exchange in confusion. She didn't know what was happening on Fifth and Main, James hadn't said anything about it. In fact, he hadn't told her much about the Order since Logan was born. Sirius left quickly, following Sturgis down the street at a distance. When he was out of hearing range, she turned to James.

"What's happening on Fifth and Main?" she asked quietly as they pretended to walk down the street like an oblivious couple to the war.

James turned to her with a look on his face Lily recognized well. It was the look he had when he didn't want to tell her something. "James," she urged.

"There's a planned attack. An inside source told us that Voldemort will be there," James told her in hushed tones. "We're trying to ambush them."

"And you were supposed to go?" Lily asked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He shrugged. "It's dangerous. I didn't want you to worry, what with leaving Logan and wondering about the Wolfsbane, you already have a lot on your mind." He smiled. "Dung Fletcher really had this duty. We switched so I could do this with you, and he's taking my spot at Fifth and Main. I don't think Moody will be too happy, but..."

The two laughed and continued their walk. Duty at Diagon Alley was pointless for the most part. Of course, there was the risk that Voldemort would attack, but he never had and most of the older members of the Order believed that he didn't have the courage to do it.

Lily looked around the alley and saw it was rather quiet, even when compared to the less than crowded nature they had found it in when they arrived. The usually bustling street was strangely vacant with only a few souls in the entire area that appeared as if they were on their way out. It struck her as odd, but she had never been to Diagon Alley regularly and figured that, like Muggle stores, it had its lulls. Lily looked up at James to gauge his reaction to this and saw that he was just as confused as she was.

"Well, well, well," came a sly voice behind them. "James and Lily, we meet again!"

Lily turned around as her wand escaped her fingers, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. She should have known something was odd when she noticed Diagon Alley nearly empty. She had only seen Lord Voldemort in person once, during her final Hogsmeade weekend at Hogwarts when Michelle had nearly died. He looked different now, only a year later. His hair, which had once been only slightly graying, was thin and wispy. His skin was translucent, but his eyes were still murky brown.

There was a woman behind him in the distance pushing a baby stroller. Lily wanted to open her mouth and yell out to her, but at the same time didn't want to give away her place to Voldemort, who would have no qualms killing both her and her baby. She could see Frank and Alice running down the alley and they were approaching the woman, telling her to leave. But the woman merely laughed a high-pitched cackle and transformed into Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Ah, Bella, don't leave Frank and Alice out of this," Voldemort laughed, twirling James's wand through his fingers and keeping Lily's in his other hand. "It can be a four-for-two special."

"When you don't show up at Fifth and Main, they'll come looking for you!" James yelled. Only Lily could notice his hands shaking, showing his age and inexperience. "They knew you were coming!"

Voldemort only laughed at James and withdrew his wand. Bellatrix now stood beside him, her curly black hair a mane around her head and her eyes crazy with delight. "I know, I planned it, James," Voldemort said calmly. James must have looked confused, because Voldemort continued to grin. "It's not hard to get a little information out to Dumbledore's precious Order and have all of you think it's true. Pity, too, that your cute little boy will have to be an orphan."

"What do you mean you planned it?" Frank demanded, his wand outstretched and pointed at the two dark foes.

Bellatrix turned on him and pointed her own wand at him. "Hush," she sneered.

Voldemort's grin spread from ear to ear. "Look, you Order members put yourselves on top of the world; you think you're so special. But, I infiltrated your system, I fooled you!" he said quietly. His voice grew volumes. "Then you two decided to ruin my plans!"

"Glad to be of service," James smirked.

Bellatrix didn't look pleased with James's sarcasm and lifted her wand from Frank to him. Acting on impulse, Frank turned his wand on Bellatrix and yelled an incantation. The witch was lifted from her position and flung against the brick wall. Voldemort turned and Lily felt James push her away from the group. There was a frustrated howl as Voldemort noticed the two running away and he immediately switched his focus to them. Alice muttered a simple spell under her breath and both Lily and James's wands flew into her hand.

Voldemort decided he needed to pick one battle and chose the wand-less Lily and James. He began to fly through the air, something Lily had never seen happen before, while waving his wand at them. A flash of green light hit the building behind her and the two were covered by bricks. But, Lily found herself physically unharmed. They had a shielding charm placed upon them, most likely by Alice. James pushed the bricks off of them and they peaked through the pile. Frank and Alice were fighting Voldemort skillfully, but Bellatrix was beginning to regain consciousness and the two-against-one advantage would soon end.

That's when Lily noticed it. Alice had artfully dropped their wands on the ground out of view and had pushed Voldemort back in their duel. Lily nudged James and pointed to the sticks on the ground. If they could get out of the brick pile and to their wands before anyone noticed, they could help without drawing any attention.

James carefully pushed the bricks so they wouldn't make any noise. When there was a hole in the pile, Lily slid through and ran to the wands, tossing one back to James. Just as Bellatrix came to, Lily and James had rejoined the battle.

Curses were flying in various directions, one swiftly flying passed Lily's ear, when she heard faint popping noises. She didn't want to turn as she and James were already in full combat with Voldemort, but felt a small smile creep onto her face when she heard the unmistakably gruff voice of Alastor Moody. Voldemort didn't seem to mind the added company until Dumbledore approached, then the powerful dark wizard retreated backwards, like a dog with its tail behind its legs.

"I'll get you!" Bellatrix screeched at the Longbottoms before disapparating after her master. "I'll get you for what you did!"

Lily looked around. Aside from a few cuts and bruises, all four were fine. Moody and Dumbledore were walking toward her and James. Moody looked ready to explode, his normal eye filled with emotion.

"I told you!" he roared, pointing his finger at James. "I specifically assigned you to Fifth and Main because we needed you there, and what do you do? Do you follow directions? No! You go around my back like the child you are and sent me Fletcher to suit your own needs!"

James opened his mouth to complain, but Moody wasn't finished. "What if we had needed you? What if one of us died because we didn't have your skills like I had planned for? I told you that you would never change." He took a breath. "Your father would be rolling around in his grave at this moment if he could see what you did!"

"But Voldemort was here," James cut in.

"I don't care!" Moody shouted. "You knew we had set a trap for Voldemort at Fifth and Main and you sent Mundungus Fletcher – of all people, Mundungus Fletcher! – as your replacement! Honestly, that's like leaving that son of yours in the hands of a Death Eater!"

"I wouldn't go quite that far, Alastor," Dumbledore said softly, entering the group. "Mundungus Fletcher is hardly a Death Eater. He's actually very loyal."

Moody growled. "He's a con-artist," he muttered. "And I was just using it to make a point that might go through Potter's thick skull!"

"Now, Alastor, I believe that's enough," Dumbledore said, smiling at the man before turning to James and Lily with a much different expression. Their old headmaster was frowning and Lily thought for sure he was disappointed in them as well.

"I'd like to speak with the two of you as soon as possible," he said in a hurried tone. "Tomorrow, after you're both settled down from today's events. We have some important matters to discuss."

James looked up worriedly. "What matters?"

Dumbledore just smiled and said, "You can just floo directly to my office, or if not, I do quite enjoy lemon drops."

Lily turned to James as Dumbledore walked away. She had had enough for the day and just wanted to go back to Logan as she had promised him. "Can we go home?" she asked.

He smiled. "Sure," he said, resting his arm on her shoulders. The two walked away from the crowd of people and disapparated into the woods were they could enlarge their car. The street was quiet with a few Muggle children playing in their yards. They pulled into their driveway and walked up to the house, but as James made to grab the door handle, the front door flew open and a very distressed looking Sirius Black stood before them.

"How the hell did the two of you manage to get yourselves onto Voldemort's Most Wanted?" he demanded.

So, just a heads up: keep an eye on Peter. You can see, even in the beginning of this chapter, that he's turning in to the little weasel we all know and hate.

Any one catch the ironic line by Moody?

What did you think?

Review!