"It had to be," Gideon stormed as he walked back and forth in the great hall of Hogwarts, they had amassed here for the evening, uncertain where else was safe. "Fabian and me worked so hard to secure everything, the only fault that was possible was from in the inside."
James looked around, most of the guests had dispersed, gone to seek the safety and comfort of their own homes, of course that was not the case for his family. Instead he was sat on the table in the great hall, feeling utterly exhausted, and completely relieved. Lily had been healed quickly, her wounds were severe but not magically inflicted, they hadn't caused masses of damage to anything important, for which James was grateful. He would have to suffer through the aches and bruises, but it was a sacrifice he was willing to make to have his wife beside him.
His eyes scanned around the familiar face in the room, they had been lucky. Tillie was refusing to let anyone hold Kara, or come near her daughter. Sophie was holding up only slight better with her new born son Daniel, who was in the arms of Leigh.
Everyone shifted uncomfortably at the thought, no one said a thing. It was one of them. One of the people in this room. James looked from his three best friends to his brothers, his sisters, their partners, his parents close friends. It was one of them. One of them. Someone he loved and cared for deeply, they had threatened his life, that of his wife and of all those they all collectively loved. One of their own.
He held onto his wife, burying his face in his hair, unwilling to let his eyes wander form face to face with a look that was sure to only reveal pain. It was their wedding day.
Lily moved and he found himself looking into her familiar emerald eyes.
"Can we just go home?"
It had been intended as a surprise, a happy, brilliant surprise. A small three bed cottage, nestled in the countryside, away from everything. It was white with a dark thatched roof, beams exposed, pretty little windows, with a pretty little garden out front. It was a prefect little house. But both of them were too tired to enjoy the moment.
They simply fell into the bed, on their wedding night, and started to snore.
"That's what the third time now that Voldemort has gone for them directly?" Lucas commented as he pushed the front door of the small house open, letting Sophie walk in with their son Daniel still in her arms. For a moment Sophie just looked at Lucas, confused by his comment. "Well you have you admit babe, three times… I don't know many people who've faced him directly that manner times and have had the opportunity to walk away. There's got to be something about James and Lily, I mean, there has to be, doesn't there?"
"Lucas, they're just really talented," Sophie responded tiredly, handing her son to him with a small smile. "Anyway, I couldn't imagine either of them ever succumbing to him."