My Apologies, again, on the lateness of this update.


Breakthrough

"Mirror charm," Fabian murmured thoughtfully, sipping at the rejuvenation potion he'd been taking for the last two days. "Mea-dowes… you've held out on us," he teased.

"It's not really a charm," Dorcas replied sheepishly. "It's more like… well… it's based off a switching spell, but instead of switching you make a copy of yourself. I learned it when I visited Brazil; an Amazonian friend of my mother's taught me. The trick to recognizing it is everything the copy does is backwards; the person's wand will be in their opposite hand, scars and other marks will be reversed… you get the idea. It's rather clever actually."

"Clever enough to trick Voldemort," Moody grumbled.

"I don't know how Lily pulled it off," Dorcas said in an awe-filled voice as she stared down at Lily's sleeping figure. "After being hit by that curse, and she had lost all that blood, and ran all the way to where James was… how did she do it?"

"Adrenaline?" offered Remus in a weary voice. "When they finally got her round she was … she was horrified at all the muggles who were dead, and then when Sirius said James had gone off after Voldemort, she took off running. She moved so fast it had to be pure adrenaline."

Dorcas nodded, smiling at Samantha Pitchfield whose hand was resting against Remus' shoulder in a comforting manner. "Black mentioned they called you a 'guard dog,'" she grinned. "That potion must make you completely coherent then?"

Remus nodded, his cheeks flushing with color; Sam's fingers moving to lace through his, a sweet yet sympathetic look on her face. They were in the Hogwarts infirmary two days after the Death Eater assault on Avon. Fabian had been tortured, and then paralyzed from the neck down by some unknown curse, and Sirius, Peter, and Gideon had received minor injuries, but were now back to normal. James had been tortured the longest, though was back on his feet like nothing had happened. But Lily had been unconscious since the event. Remus was the only one who was unscathed, but that wasn't for lack of trying on his part.

"Coherent enough that he was attacking people without biting them," said Sirius with a smile. "I would like to know what Voldemort did to that bloke who ran off after you tackled and drooled all over him. Rumor is that he nearly tortured Dolohov to death after he ran off during the fight in Diagon Alley; he must not like his followers abandoning their 'tasks.'"

Remus shrugged. "To be honest… I don't want to know," he said. "What he … all of them… did to all of those muggles was enough."

Everyone in the room nodded, glancing surreptitiously at the papers lying at the foot of Lily's bed. "33 people killed and 14 injured in gas line explosion in Avon. Piper Utilities being investigated for poor maintenance on pipe lines," read the muggle paper. "33 muggles dead and fourteen others injured after Death Eater attack on Avon," read The Daily Prophet. It didn't matter that they were from different worlds, both stories showed the same result: more death and destruction that no one seemed able to stop.

Lily inhaled sharply, her eye lids fluttering as she shifted uncomfortably against her pillows, and then relaxed back down, still asleep. Almost as if there was a psychic connection between them, James rushed through the doors of the ward and over to her side. "Did she wake up? Did she say anything?" he asked frantically, his hands stroking Lily's hair as he watched for signs of life.

"No," Sirius replied, watching James' posture slump as he sat down on the bed and began smoothing out her sheets, then his fingers running through his hair as though he would pull it out if he could. "Madam Pomfrey said that curse did a lot of damage," Sirius reminded him. "She was surprised we were able to wake her up at all."

Moody grunted. He'd dropped in to give Fabian information about another Death Eater they'd been tracking, and had stayed for a bit to talk to James about more upcoming assignments. "If it hadn't been tempered by her guardian charm, that curse probably would have killed her… I'm surprised it didn't," he grumbled, examining Lily's pale face over James' shoulder.

"Don't say that," James mumbled quietly. "She's going to be okay… she's always okay. She's strong, she's going to-"

"She's going to be fine, James," Dorcas reassured, patting him on the shoulder.

"She's certainly going to need a holiday after this," Fabian suggested, giving James a wink.

"Yeah," he agreed, a small smile crossing his face.

"She's definitely got a sturdy spine," Samantha added. "That took guts… to run in there and watch You-Know-Who kill you. I mean, even if it was just a copy of herself, she watched him murder her… that's… I can't even imagine."

The group nodded in agreement, watching as James smiled down at his wife. "She's the bravest person I know," he said quietly. "I don't think there's anything that scares her."

"Spiders," Sirius said, grinning when James laughed for the first time in days.

Madam Pomfrey came out at that moment and shooed everyone away. "You as well, Prewett… I trust you to keep taking that potion and send me an owl when you run out. But she needs her rest," she said, bustling over and examining Lily. James flinched as he watched Madam Pomfrey pour another potion through Lily's lips, forcing her to swallow by pinching her nose and pointing her wand at her throat. He hated that she hadn't woken up yet. The reassurances from Madam Pomfrey, Dumbledore, the Order and all their friends were nice, but James' heart wouldn't be unfrozen with terror until Lily's eyes were open and she was talking again.

Dumbledore had insisted on James staying at Hogwarts with Lily until they could nail down exactly how much the Death Eaters knew about where they lived. The recent attacks seemed designed to draw civilian witches and wizards into fights, not necessarily Aurors, making Dumbledore suspect that perhaps Voldemort was aiming to take down the public resistance before taking on the Ministry. James had tried to convince Dumbledore that he and Lily would be safe at home, or even at his parent's house, but Dumbledore insisted they stay.

"As soon as Madam Pomfrey gives you the okay, you can leave," he assured James. "This will give us time to make sure your home is properly protected. Alice and Dorcas are working on getting everyone connected with the Order under heavier protective enchantments; they have to be Ministry approved."

"My mum and dad-"

"Your mother and father already have that protection on their home, which is why I've had Sirius relocate home for the time being," Dumbledore explained.

James felt a little relieved by this, and when his parents came to visit Lily, they also invited Remus, Sam, and Peter to stay as well. "If they're after you now, it's best we stay close," his mother had said.

Lily stirred in her sleep and inhaled deeply; James leaned up on his elbows, tense until she relaxed back down and resumed her slow breathing. He let out a marginally frustrated sigh… he couldn't sleep; he was too wired up from all of her movement and shifting today. He didn't want to miss it when she woke up.

Lying back against his pillows and staring up at the all too familiar ceiling of the Hogwarts hospital wing, James let his mind begin to wander freely. He thought of Moody's explanation of where they were headed next, and the tracking missions he and Lily would be going on when she was better. Moody had automatically assigned Lily to partner him and Sirius on their next mission, explaining that they needed her level headedness to temper their aggressiveness. After hearing she was going to make a full recovery, James decided that she was right; he couldn't protect her from all the danger of war by keeping her hidden away. Voldemort's threat to murder him repeated itself through his head like a bad song, making him completely aware of the danger he was in as well. Even though James was pureblood, the Death Eaters wouldn't hesitate to kill him if they got the chance.

Knowing that made him felt strangely vulnerable. It was arrogant and prejudiced of him, but he had still believed - even after the deaths of Alice Longbottom's parents and so many other purebloods - that the Death Eaters would avoid killing them since Voldemort preached that they were sacred.

"We cannot afford to let our blood be desecrated any longer. The rise of squibs and mudbloods is a result of the oppression put upon us by the muggles. We cannot afford to let our race die out; we must keep the blood of the oldest and purest families alive, and help them thrive once more!" Voldemort had shouted during his rant in Diagon Alley.

The fact that Voldemort was willing to destroy any witch or wizard who stood in his way – no matter the purity of their blood - made what James' father had said so long ago perfectly clear for the first time. This war wasn't really about oppression from muggles, or about muggle-borns ruining society. It was about Voldemort, and his lust for power. Voldemort, and his desire for control. Voldemort, and his desire to never face the uncertainty of death.

Death didn't frighten James. He knew that beyond this world lay another one full of adventure and peace. What frightened him was being left here alone… without Lily or Sirius, his parents or his friends. That's what frightened James – not his own death, the death or suffering of the ones he loved.

It confused James to think about Voldemort fearing death. It seemed he cared for no one, not even his own followers, so he was only afraid of himself dying. This was the thing that frightened him the most? That simple thing? The unknown? If he were confronted with a boggart would he see his corpse, and that would be the thing that terrified him?

Lily moaned and James sat straight up in bed. He watched her chest rise sharply, then listened to her slow exhale before she moaned again.

"Mmmnnaahughh," Lily groaned, her fingers flexing against the blanket as she lifted one hand to her head and pushed her hair from her face. "Wha… where-"

"Lily?" asked James, rolling off his cot and tripping over his trainers as he rushed to her side. Lily looked confused, her eyes narrowed as she took in her surroundings. "Lils? Oh, thank God… are you okay? Are you in pain? What's wrong?" he asked, sitting down beside her and stroking her hair.

Lily looked up at him, her eyes full of confusion as she licked her dry lips. She coughed, wincing in pain and moaning a little. "Are we at Hogwarts?" she asked finally, her voice cracking from lack of use.

"Yes," James replied, a relieved laugh escaping his lips. "Yes… we're in the hospital wing."

"Are you hurt?"

James shook his head. "No, I'm fine."

"You're sure? You had broken bones at Gid's house… are they-"

"My arm and collar bone are fine," he assured her. "I've got a few bruises but-"

"You were tortured though… are you sure-"

"I'm all right," said James, gently pushing Lily back down on her pillows. She relaxed and closed her eyes for a moment; one of her hands found James', and she laced her fingers into his. "Are you okay?"

Lily sighed and opened her eyes. "I don't know… am I?"

"Where does it hurt?"

She shifted against the mattress. "My ribs are killing me; my back… and my chest… but otherwise I think I'm okay," she said. "What happened?"

"What do you remember?"

Lily chewed her lip. "I was trying to … I got that little girl out of her house and sent her to her parents, and then something… whatever hit me hurt like hell, and then everything went black."

James nodded. "I don't know what you were hexed with, but Sirius said they had a hell of a time waking you up," he explained. "When you did, he-"

"Sirius… he… he said you'd gone after Voldemort," she replied slowly, as though the memory was coming back. "And… we all ran down there, but he and I got there first. I told him to wait and then I set that mirror charm up. I had to stand at a funny angle so Voldemort wouldn't see that there was … that I was in two places at once," she said. "That hurt too… oh, God that hurt-"

"Dorcas said it takes a lot of effort to do that spell," James interrupted, wincing as Lily shuddered at the memory. "And you were already weak from whatever else they cursed you with…"

"Right but… I had to get you out. I was panicking… I couldn't let him kill you, that would… I think that's the only reason I could do anything," she replied, closing her eyes and wincing as she tried to adjust her position. She rested her head against James' leg. "It was for you, I didn't want you to die … I guess that was what drove me…"

James exhaled slowly, his hand tracing circles on her back. She curled around where he sat, her body softening into his. James wanted to pull her into his arms and never let her go. "You are the bravest person I know," he whispered, leaning down to kiss her.

Lily laughed. "I'm insane… not brave," she replied. "You make me insane. You have to go off and be all brave all the time, and scare me half to death," she continued, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

James chuckled. "I suppose I have been a bit reckless as of late."

"It wouldn't be a problem if I didn't love you so damn much," Lily muttered, smiling when James laughed. "Seriously though… all this stems from me being in love with you. My life would be so simple if I had just stayed in denial."

James laughed but then sighed heavily, hanging his head as he thought about how he did have a hero-complex, and a need to prove himself no matter what the cost; he'd been delusional in thinking he wouldn't be killed because he was pureblood, and she was in more danger because she was muggle-born. He cringed, remembering how he'd knowingly put her feelings aside just because he thought it was for her own good, even though he knew it would hurt and upset her when she found out.

Lily rolled onto her back, wincing again and closing her eyes. James curled himself against her, his head resting on her stomach and his arms wrapped around her hips. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to let her scent and body warmth absorb him into nothingness. "I'm sorry, Lils. I shouldn't have tried to keep you out of things, and I should keep a cooler head and not try to … prove myself or… I'm sorry. I'm sorry you're hurt and that your life is messy and-"

"James," Lily whispered, her slender fingers running through his hair. James hugged her tighter, thankful that she was alive and breathing and able to run her fingers through his hair the way he loved. James felt thankful for the scent of her skin and the feel of her body against his… his emotions overwhelmed him. He sighed and began kissing her hipbones and stomach repetitively, trying to communicate what words couldn't express.

"I'm sorry," he whispered again, his apology muffled against her navel.

"Stop apologizing," Lily laughed. "My life might be a little messy, but it would be extremely boring and empty if you weren't in it."

James smiled as Lily affectionately tugged at his hair, lifting his face to look at her. "You mean that?"

"'Course I do," she whispered. "Why else do you think I keep running to battle to save your arse?"

James grinned, gently moving higher so his face was level with hers. "I assumed it was just because you like looking at it," he teased, grinning when Lily let out a real laugh, though it was cut off when she winced in pain and bit her lip. "That hurts?"

"Yeah, it does," she admitted. "You shouldn't be so funny."

"I'll stop that," James grinned.

Lily shook her head. "No, don't. Don't ever stop being comical or exuberant. I love it."

"All right."

"And… James," Lily said, cuddling closer to him and kissing his neck. "Don't stop trying to save me, or trying to be a hero… just let me try to be one too."

James grinned, feeling thankful that Lily was brave, and honest, and so in love with him that she still liked it when he did things to impress her. "You already are one; you don't have to try," he whispered, kissing her eyelids and holding her tightly until she fell back to sleep.

The following morning when Lily woke again, Madam Pomfrey was also relieved and began giving her a regimen of twelve different potions to help heal the damage the curse had caused.

"What exactly is the damage?" asked Lily, trying to hide the worry in her voice.

Madam Pomfrey frowned. "If it's what I suspect, as that curse moves through you, it's as though you're being bludgeoned from the inside out."

Lily nodded, her eyes wide as she drank one of the potions and James rubbed her back. "But you'll be okay, Lils…" he reassured her, trying not to let her see his eyes flicker to Madam Pomfrey's for reassurance.

"Yes, you'll be fine. You'll feel weak until you finish the regimen and there will be some pain, but you should be able to go home in about a week and resume normal activities," she said in a very clinical manner. "And there will be no long lasting effects on your… er… 'womanly capabilities…' should you two decide-"

Lily coughed and choked on the potion, causing James to jump and Madam Pomfrey to rush forward. She shook her head as James patted her on the back. "Are you all right, Miss Ev-… I'm so sorry, Lily. I'm just not used to your new surname yet," Madam Pomfrey apologized.

"No, it's not a worry… and thank you," Lily nodded shakily, her cheekbones a firey red. "Thank you… we'll… keep that in mind for when we-"

James cleared his throat. "Yes, when we-"

"But not now," Lily said, glancing surreptitiously at him.

"No… what with the war-"

"-there's too much happening for-"

"-And all the troubles going on and-"

James and Lily paused, realizing that they were talking over each other and saying the same thing. He squeezed her waist and smiled when she leaned into him. "We're not ready yet," they murmured in unison.

Madam Pomfrey nodded, though there was a small twinkle in her eye that made James feel a little nervous. She wandered back to her office, leaving James and Lily sitting in silence on her bed.

"When do you think-"

"I … I don't know, Lils," said James. "But now isn't the time. Please don't think I don't want to have a baby with you… I love you, and I want to have a family, but there's just so much going on and-"

"James, it's all right," Lily reassured him, kissing his cheek before she turned to lie back against her pillows. "That isn't what I was going to ask."

"Oh… sorry," James apologized, ruffling his hair nervously. Lily slid sideways and reached out for him, smiling when James lay down beside her and held her close.

"I was actually going to ask when you thought people would stop asking us about having kids," she explained, curling into his neck.

James chuckled, his emotions calming themselves as Lily's warm breath tickled his neck. "I don't know that either."

Lily nodded, leaning up on her elbow with a curious expression on her face. "You said Sam was home?"

James nodded. "She came back when she heard about the attack. Her brother lives in Avon and she got a bit panicked, but he's all right," he explained.

"Oh, I thought perhaps something had happened to Remus."

James chuckled. "No…Moony is fine, save for his ego. The Death Eaters called him a guard dog."

"And that bruised his ego?" asked Lily.

"Just a bit… he's worried that they know who he is by association, which would ruin his credibility with the werewolves and make his whole mission pointless," James explained. "But I don't think that will happen… there are numerous werewolves and he can't be the only one taking that potion. Besides… the Death Eaters hate werewolves anyway… they hate part-humans."

Lily nodded, biting her lip as she turned to look out the window, James snuggling into her neck this time. "They hate everyone," she murmured, feeling him nod against her before he drifted into a light slumber.

Lily spent the next two weeks under Madam Pomfrey's watchful eye. Though their relationship had matured beyond student versus teacher/nurse, Lily was still stubborn, and Pomfrey was intent on nursing her back to full health.

"Nineteen or no, Lily Potter, you are staying here until I know for certain that you're no longer in any pain," Madam Pomfrey scolded Lily as she escorted her back to her bed. Lily had gotten up and been to visit Slughorn when the nurse had found her, scolding her for not taking the time to rest.

"I'm fine, I'm not in any pain at all," Lily reassured her.

"Oh, is that so? Then why were you whimpering during your nap?" Madam Pomfrey asked suspiciously.

"Because I miss my bed; I miss my house, and my sheets and pillow and my husband beside me," said Lily in an exhausted voice. "I want to go home!"

"Your husband has been here every day to see you, and this is the first night he's spent away," Madam Pomfrey muttered, rolling her eyes. "Surely you can survive for a few nights without him. Besides, it sounds as though he had work to do."

Lily made a face, acquiescingly walking back to the hospital wing and lying down in bed. When the nurse had retreated back to her office, Lily dug out the letter she'd received from James via Daisy that morning, her fingers tracing his boyish handwriting as she reread his exuberant words.

"To my little strawberry filled crepe,

"Moody stopped by just now (he's actually, glaring at me while I hastily compose this letter) to let us know that they've got enough evidence on hand to arrest some idiot Death Eater named Dugan Knill from Manchester. Rather than issuing yet another warrant, we're just going to head up there and see if we can catch him before he vacates his house. Moody wants us – Sirius and I - along for 'moral support,' among other things… having been part of an arrest will give us the power to arrest others should we encounter more of them – which does seem to be happening frequently – but anyway, you understand what I am saying since you are so brilliant and clever and able to discern what Sirius fondly refers to as 'Prongs-speak.'

"I will be home this evening and I will come collect you from Madam Pomfrey's Prison of Pristine Clean Pillows and bring you home to the familiar sights, scents, sounds, and feel of our humble abode – which, I am sorry, is terribly messy since you've been gone. Please do not worry, there will be plenty of other idiot criminals for the two of us to arrest once you are rehabilitated and your 'womanly capabilities' are ready to perform their duties… or something along those lines.

"I love you beyond all human comprehension,

"James"

Lily sighed and laid back against her pillows, staring up at the ceiling and feeling irritated by being unable to get out of the hospital. She wasn't in pain, she hadn't been in pain for days, but Pomfrey insisted on keeping her under watch just in case her body started to swell, or she neglected to take her potions. Like I'm still eleven, she thought to herself. I remember to take my bloody contraceptive draught, I can remember to take these bloody potions at my bloody house.

"I want to go home!" she shouted to no one in particular.

A quiet voice laughed and Lily looked over toward the door to see Alice Longbottom walking in, her face sad but amused as she approached where Lily was lying. "I don't think talking to yourself will get her to let you out any sooner," she muttered with a smile before sitting down on the end of Lily's bed.

Lily smirked and nodded, sitting up to talk with Alice, though she paused upon observing her appearance. She looked tired, worried and rather bedraggled Lily thought. Alice was staring at her trainers, fiddling with her wedding ring as she chewed her lip. "You look a bit tired," Lily said with a small smile.

"You do too," Alice replied, not lifting her eyes. "You know, you should listen to Pomfrey. You should listen to her and not… not… just stay here, and make sure you're all right before you go back out there and get hurt… again."

Lily cocked her head to the side, chewing her lip as she watched Alice. "I'm listening to her. I'm fine though; I am. It's been more than a week that I've been doing on all these potions, and I'm ready to go home; you'd feel the same way. Besides that, it's not like I'm going to walk out the door and get hurt right away-"

"Oh, no… of course not. You'll just get hurt again when James does something stupid, because he's the only one of you two who behaves irresponsibly," Alice muttered sharply.

Lily let out a long, low breath and folded her hands in her lap. "I am not irresponsible, Alice. If anything-"

"You two… you have no idea what- It's just a big adventure to all of you, still. You don't realize that… the Death Eaters… they - people are dying left and right, and you all think it's just some big adventure. You're all so selfish still and-"

Lily rallied, her cheeks reddening as a spike of anger rose in her chest. "I am not selfish! I want this ended just as badly as everyone else, if not more! How am I being selfish, exactly? They're hunting people of my birth – witches and wizards like me – and I'm trying to fight it… and you're calling me selfish?" asked Lily indignantly.

"You are! You're just so… so young and-"

"You're only a year older than I am! Don't start talking about how young-"

"Lily! Voldemort is hunting people down… he's got your name on a list; you're a target! James is a target! He wants everyone who's standing in his way dead, and he'll do anything to make sure it happens!" Alice shouted, a little hysterical as she slammed her fists against her knees and began to cry. "And everything… everything you want or need… you have to put it aside, it has to be put off. Because he's after you… you can't go on holiday like it's a break from the war or… shop and have family get-togethers… you can't write to people you miss or… even… you can't even go outside anymore! If you do… he'll just find you on the street and -"

"Alice," Lily interrupted. "You're not making any sense. You're talking about how we can't write to anyone or have little parties or gatherings? I have no family outside of James'. They're the only ones we write to, and that's few and far between since it's easier to just stop over and visit. What does that have to do with me being selfish?"

"You …just… you can just get away from it if you want… because you're not tied down. You're not employed by the Ministry and you can do whatever you want… you can just take off, or get a cat, or see James' parents anytime you wish or… or… have a baby now if you wanted and-"

"But I don't want-"

"Well I did!" Alice shouted, sobbing hysterically as she buried her head in her hands. "I did! And now I've lost my parents and a baby and I want them both back!"

Lily still felt angry, but pushed it aside as Alice began to sob uncontrollably, Lily wondering what could possibly have her so upset. As Alice sobbed, Lily slid closer to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let's… let's back track, all right? You said you couldn't go shopping? Voldemort found you on the street?"

Alice nodded. "Frank and I… we'd just gotten off duty and we went… into London. We just wanted to go shopping. Not in Diagon Alley… just… about. And he found us… he found us before he went to Avon for that attack where you got injured," she breathed, starting to shake slightly as she lifted her eyes. "Lily, we almost didn't make it. We almost … he almost got us. Again. That was the second time we - I swear to God I don't know how that Killing Curse missed Frank, or me… but it did… and we ran and ran and he chased us… but we finally were able to Apparate away.

"We can't go home," she continued. "We've had to rent a flat... Our house had the Dark Mark above it because the Death Eaters were so sure he'd get us. But we escaped… and now we have to move everything and… it's just all fallen apart."

Lily nodded, still gently rubbing Alice's back as she listened to her story. "You… you don't look hurt. Was Frank hurt?"

Alice shook her head. "We were lucky but… I fell while running… I fell so hard and Voldemort got close enough and… he tortured me, and then when I still wouldn't give up he kicked me in the stomach… and… I just…" she sobbed, tears falling fast down her cheeks.

Lily's lip found its way back between her teeth as what Alice was saying sunk in. She rubbed her back for a few moments before speaking again. "You know… you can take a holiday. You can try again… you don't have to wait," she murmured.

"You are."

"By choice, Alice," said Lily. "If you two are ready to have a baby-"

"I was so ready, Lily… I was so ready," she said in a desperate sigh. "At first I was scared, but then even with everything going on… I wanted that baby so badly. And then rumor got round that you and James don't want kids because of everything-"

"Woah, woah, woah…" Lily interrupted. "We don't want kids now. It's not like we never want them… both of us want them, a few of them actually. It just seems a little … well… it's not even like we don't want kids now, it's just… we haven't even been married a year, you know? And… what if something happened? What if something happened to one – or both – of us? What would happen to the baby? What if something happened to the baby? I don't think I could… I'm not sure I could live through that."

Lily lowered her eyes as Alice lifted hers and nodded sadly. "That makes sense… and I did agree – I do agree… but… I didn't want one until I realized I was pregnant… and now that I'm not… I just feel … angry at everyone who is putting off living because of the war."

"I noticed."

"I shouldn't have snapped at you," Alice apologized. "You have the right to have kids, or not have kids, and I just… I haven't talked about this because everyone – everyone – is pressuring us to start. And we didn't want to, but then we did, and now we're not… it's so confusing."

"Don't apologize," Lily said with a small laugh. "I know all about the pressure."

Alice nodded, the two of them sitting quietly for a few moments before Lily spoke again. "I'm glad you felt like you could tell me," she murmured.

Alice laughed. "I wasn't planning on it, but it just kind of came out. Fabian just told me James was practically shaking when he was teasing him about conceiving a baby at Hogwarts… it just kind of hit hard. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Lily smiled. "I'm sorry as well… I really am. But there isn't any reason you can't try again."

Alice nodded. "We're thinking of it. I have to wait a few months… but we're thinking."

Lily chewed her lip and nodded again. "So… is that all you needed?"

"Oh, actually no. I came to spring you."

"Spring me?"

"Yes," Alice laughed. "Dorcas and I are heading down to Crawley to interview this bloke who's been following Lucius Malfoy around looking rather fretful. We think he knows something so we're going to pretend like we're arresting him and see if we can get him to crack about plans."

"And you want me to come along?" Lily asked, her eyes brightening.

"Yes, Dorcas and Fabian thought you'd be good since you seem to be able to tell when people are lying or not… you have this instinct, James says," she explained. "Do you want to-"

"Hell yes! Let's go… get me out of here!" Lily shouted, cringing in embarrassment as Madam Pomfrey peeked out and gave her a curious look while Alice sniggered uncontrollably.

The sun was warm even though the February air was still cool; Lily kept taking deep breaths, savoring the smell and taste of the air compared to the hospital wing she had been confined in for the past two weeks.

"Are you sure you can breathe all right?" asked Dorcas in a mildly amused voice.

"I can breathe fine, I'm just glad to be outside again," Lily explained.

"You act like you've been in Azkaban rather than Hogwarts for two weeks," Alice mused, scuffing her heels as they walked up the long path to a grey house.

"Have you ever had Madam Pomfrey watch over you?" asked Lily. "She's sweet, but my God is she strict. She tried to insist that I couldn't even get up to use the loo the first few days I was there… which I was absolutely not having. Honestly, she's serious about her healing," she finished, rolling her eyes as her companions laughed. "You need to fill me in on the details here. What exactly are we looking for or going to be talking about?"

"We are going to be visiting Nigel Pugsly," Dorcas explained. "He's been seen hanging around with Lucius Malfoy and we think he's being used as a smuggler."

"Smuggler?" asked Lily.

"He buys Dark artifacts – cursed necklaces, keys, various things – and passes them off to the Death Eaters to use or send to people. Either that or the Death Eaters are using is somewhat 'innocuous' position in society to pass off cursed objects to people who trust him."

"I take it he knows a lot of people?" Lily asked.

"He's a member of the Wizengamot, has been for years; and before that he was Head Boy at Hogwarts. Now he owns an owl post store, similar to a muggle post office. He's got lots of connections through the Ministry, which is why I think the Death Eaters either sought him out or… maybe he's been one of them all along," Alice said quietly as they approached the front door.

Alice tapped her fist against the man's door, her official Auror uniform giving her a very impressive appearance, especially when backed by two other witches. After a few moments, a bald head peered around the door frame before opening it slowly and staring at the three women with wide brown eyes.

"Nigel Pugsly?" Alice asked.

"Y-yes?" the man replied.

"I am Alice Longbottom, from the Office of Magical Law Enforcement," responded Alice with a stern look. "I'd like to speak with you about a few things."

"I'm… er… I'm rather busy right now-"

"I have a warrant," Alice advised, holding up a piece of parchment. Pugsly paused, allowing the door to open slightly as he stared dumbfounded at the parchment.

Alice handed it to him and boldly walked inside. Dorcas followed and Lily entered last, her eyes narrowing as she looked around the sitting room of the man's house. There were papers everywhere, many with detailed drawings and maps, others that looked like correspondence he had received or was about to send off. Lily wandered over to a table, staring curiously at a set of chess pieces lying on top of a board. There were numerous other items beside the chess set: a pearl necklace, a delicate looking ceramic bowl, a small collection of buttons, and other random knick knacks that were stacked in boxes atop the large table.

"Don't touch anything, Lils," Dorcas warned, picking up Pugsly's wand from the table and putting it inside her cloak. "What is all this stuff, Pugsly? Collecting random trinkets to add to your shop?"

The man stammered incoherently, he had been busy reading the warrant but now ran over to where Alice was, attempting to snatch the parchment she was holding. "See here now… those are…they're my private… um… I … it says here that you want to speak to me, not to-"

"If you read past that first paragraph, you'll see that the warrant also gives us the right to search your home for suspicious artifacts. Unless you have something to hide, in which case we'll simply head down to the Ministry to start our questions," Alice responded, setting down the parchment she had been examining and picking up another.

"But I don't understand- I haven't - you can't just-"

"My, you've been busy haven't you, Pugsly. This letter here says you've got a little get together to attend. The guests include an … an Igor Kakaroff? Along with Lucius Malfoy and Rastaban Lestrange…?" she continued, ignoring his protests. "It seems Mr. Malfoy seem awfully interested in a … chest you have. Apparently its storage is limitless."

Pugsly began to argue, stammering and babbling about how he didn't know them, and the correspondence had been in response to an advertisement in The Prophet, while Alice continued reading. Lily picked up a piece of paper off the table full of objects, realizing with a start it was a list of names. She began reading through them and feeling a spike of fear rise through her at the sight of several familiar families. The McKinnons, the Bones, Tottleham, Fenwick, Prewett …

"- I don't know any Kakaraoff," Pugsly was arguing, sweat pouring down his forehead as Alice continued shuffling through his letters. "Mr. Malfoy… he's simply interested in my trunk for storage. He and his wife were… moving… they're moving into a new house and-"

"You've got a letter here from Charles Mulciber… he and Malfoy murdered numerous innocent people at the end of June last year… I'm sure you heard about it, the attack on the train station?" asked Alice. "Perhaps you helped them plan it with all your little drawings here," she continued, gesturing to the parchment containing the layout of King's Cross station and the entrances to Platform 9 ¾.

Pugsly swallowed. "I… I wasn't there, I didn't … they … I sell maps in my shop and-"

"Why do you have this list of names?" asked Lily, cutting off his thoughts. "What do these names mean? Why do you have them?"

Alice took the list from her hands, eyes widening as she examined it. "How did you get this?" she demanded. "What does this list mean? What is it for?"

Pugsly looked at the three women, sweat running down his face and his hands shaking as he opened and closed his mouth. Finally he let out a terrified whimper and lowered his head. "They have… they have my… m-my… wife… my wife," he replied, his voice wavering and his eyes darting nervously between the three of them. "They… they wanted me to get close to people since… everyone knows me. Get close to them and… they supply me with these… and they want me to send them out as… as gifts… to people that are interfering… they have my wife, I don't know what they're doing to her!"

"Your wife," Lily repeated skeptically. "The Death Eaters have your wife…"

"Yes! They do… they have her and-"

"Who first contacted you saying they had her?" asked Alice.

Pugsly shook his head. "They came in the night… attacked us... she was gone. Malfoy sent me an owl the next morning. I don't think… They've let her speak to me through the floo network. But… I just want her safe."

"All right," Dorcas said. "If that's the case … come down to the Ministry and we'll see if we can-

"NO! You can't… you can't help me. If they find out anyone is helping me they'll kill her!"

"What do they want you to do?" asked Lily.

"Cursed objects… they want me to send them to people, deliver them. They can't be traced like magic can, see… they don't know who… I run an owl business, my owls deliver things. I've already sent out packages to… the Bones' and… to … the Crouch's house…" he muttered frantically, his hands shaking as he gestured to the window.

Dorcas looked at Alice and ran outside, sending off her Patronus to warn someone of an incoming cursed package to the Head of the Office of Magical Law Enforcement and to Edgar Bones' family.

Alice frowned, binding Puglsy's hands together. "Lily, gather up this stuff. We're going to take you down to the office, Pugsly… you'll still be attending this meeting with Malfoy, but we'll be watching. Hopefully -"

Alice was cut off when Dorcas let out a startled gasp, causing Lily to run out to her aid. "What? What happened?" she asked in a scared voice.

"We need to get back to the Ministry," she said quietly, glancing around her. "I just got a message from Moody, right after I sent mine… he said to round up this prat and come there as soon as possible."

Lily nodded, following Dorcas back inside and flicking her wand to gather up the numerous papers scattered on the floor. Dorcas examined the chess set laid out on the table before waving her wand and encasing it in what looked like a glass sphere. She walked around examining other items, performing the same charm to protect herself from whatever curse was laid upon them.

"Well?" Alice asked.

"Moody sent me a message, right after I sent one to Gideon," Dorcas explained. "We're supposed to take him down to the Ministry and meet up with them."

"The M-Ministry?" Pugsly balked. "No… no I can't… No! I won't go down there… my wife! Malfoy said-"

"Malfoy says a lot of things," Alice muttered, flicking her wand and binding the man's hands together. "Most of what he says are lies. Alastor Moody, on the other hand, doesn't have the ability to lie. So I think we'll be trusting him for what to do next," she explained, pulling Pugsly to his feet. "And don't worry… we'll be discreet about your involvement."

Ten minutes later, Lily was cradling a stack of parchment in her arms while Dorcas walked beside her, levitating the glass balls filled with cursed objects. "I feel like I'm in the circus," she mused, sniggering when Alice shook her head and shunted the trembling Pugsly forward. There appeared to be a small group of people inside of the main Auror office, one of them was bound to a chair and shouting madly as the others stood around watching. Alice opened the door, leading the way while Pugsly followed ahead of Dorcas and Lily.

Moody was standing behind a scruffy man with shoulder length black hair. His eyes were dark and he looked as though he'd been in a scuffle before they brought him in. The man's eyes lit up maliciously at the sight of Pugsly walking in with the three women. "Traitor! The Dark Lord will –"

"Potter, will you shut him up?" Moody snarled irritably. "I want to take a look at what these three rounded up at Pugsly's."

"Silencio," murmured a combination of voices, causing the man's rant to be cut off as he was struck dumb under the double spell. Lily paused, and then smiled as James peered at her from behind a desk where he was sitting with his feet up, his eyes lighting up with joy when they fell up on her figure. Their mutual excitement was short lived, however, as both of them snapped to attention at the sound of Moody's voice.

"Pugsly, what is all that rubbish?" Moody asked, lowering the parchment he'd been reading. Pugsly didn't respond, his eyes focused on the floor, avoiding the malicious looks from the man bound to the chair. Moody looked at Dorcas for an answer.

"They're all cursed," she explained. "From what I can tell it's a paralyzing curse… it's not meant to kill, it's only meant to wound or make whomever touches the object unable to speak and all of that." She waved her wand, allowing the glass spheres to arrange themselves on a desk and then disappear with a small pop as the items settled against the table.

Moody nodded interestedly, pulling his wand out and moving it in minute circles over each object. "It's also meant to spread to anyone within the vicinity of the person who touched it; everyone within the home would be paralyzed… until the person who cursed the object arrived," Moody muttered. "What else did you find?"

"Lists of names," said Lily, handing moody a piece of parchment from the top of her stack. "The rest of these are all maps."

"Maps?" asked Sirius, who was sitting against the desk where James was sitting, staring daggers at the man in the chair.

"Maps of the train station, of London in general," Lily began, laying them out on the floor. "Maps to people's homes… maps of the Ministry…"

"What exactly were you doing with these maps?" asked Moody, his blue eyes level with Pugsly's. "Planning a little party, were we Pugsly?"

Pugsly shook and his lips quivered uncontrollably. "I wasn't… I… I … just my… my wife," he sobbed. "My… they have my wife and-"

"Liar," Lily suddenly interrupted, her eyes darting between Puglsy and the man in the chair.

Dorcas and Alice looked at her curiously, while Sirius and James stood and moved to where she was standing. Moody kept his eyes fixed on Pugsly. "What makes you say that, Lily?" asked Moody, leaning close to Pugsly and watching him squirm.

"Aside from the fact that he stammered about it when the topic first came up, there weren't any pictures of a woman or his family around his house… and this other prat is mouthing that he's lying," James explained, gesturing toward the man bound to the other chair, who appeared to be shouting the words "lying traitor," his eyes wild and full of rage.

"N-no! I'm not… there were pictures, you saw-"

"We saw a picture… but that was of you and some other bloke," Dorcas interjected. "We didn't see any others… nor did we ask about your family; you brought her up."

Pugsly sputtered, his eyes darting from Moody's hard face over to the man in the chair, who was still violently mouthing curses in his direction. "I… my … I'm not guilty! I swear! They made me… they made me take all these items and… they forced me into it! I was tortured-"

Lily flicked her wand, undoing the silencing charm on the other man to allow him to speak freely. "-Weren't tortured anymore than I was, you lying bastard!" the man shouted. "It was all his idea! He came to the Dark Lord, said that he could pass these objects out to people who oppose him. It's not easy to track the source of a cursed object, he said-"

"NO! I swear! They forced me… Charlie Mulciber, he wanted to use my owl service to ship a package, and he tortured me to let him and-"

"YOU LIAR!" the other man shouted, twisting his restrained body around so violently that he tipped the chair over sideways. "You will pay for this… the Dark Lord does not forget! He'll find out…even if they hide you, when he seizes control you will pay-"

"I haven't done anything wrong! I was ordered to send-"

"- for your treason! You volunteered your services to us and-"

"No wonder Voldemort keeps his closest followers unknown from each other," Moody barked, interrupting the argument as he set Knill's chair back upright. "You're all traitors… to him and each other. Pugsly, it appears you are interested in saving your skin while you, Knill, are going to sit there and wax-poetic, hoping that Voldemort will spare you when he takes over?"

Pugsly quieted down, but the man named Knill sat up tall and proud despite the restraints around him. "The Dark Lord will spare me... He will reward me for killing the Minister," the man hissed before starting to chuckle. Moody's eyes narrowed, and his face still as he watched Knill laugh at the six of them.

"You have no idea do you… do you? Baddlebrock is dead," he laughed maliciously. "He's dead by now… courtesy of Pugsly here who claims to have been forced to send that owl to him this morning!"

Pugsly stammered and shook his head. "I didn't … I didn't want to send it… they-"

"YOU LAUGHED ABOUT IT!" Knill roared, his voice shaking with suppressed giggles. "You laughed… said that Baddlebrock never could resist a good bottle of mead, said he's a drunkard and a coward… too scared of the Dark Lord to fight against him. No, he probably curled up in his home and snuffed it after the first sip!"

Knill laughed again while Pugsly looked stricken and denied any involvement under his breath. Moody stood up straight. "Potter, Black," he growled, looking at James and Sirius. "Get yourselves over to Godric's Hollow, that's where Baddlebrock lives… now!"

James and Sirius moved as one, with James squeezing Lily's hand as he walked past her and out the door. Moody was fiddling with his wand, trying to think of what to do next. "Meadowes… this git mentioned earlier he sent packages to Crouch and Bones?"

"Yeah, this morning he said," Dorcas explained. "I sent a message to Gideon and Ceradoc to head over to the Crouch's, and I messaged Edgar, but we left before-"

"He lives in London, on Tenth Street," Moody mumbled. "Get over there and make sure no one touches anything… see if you can intercept that owl. What did you send them?" he barked, turning back to Pugsly.

"I was told to-"

"You weren't told a damn thing… you supplied it all! It was all your idea… the Dark Lord thought it was quite clever, you were so close to getting a Mark," Knill snarled. "Now you'll be dead… as soon as The Dark Lord takes over you're a goner!"

"You're looking at ten to fifteen in Azkaban as is, Pugsly… spill it and maybe Crouch will show leniency," Moody muttered.

"Spill it and it'll be torture before the Dark Lord rips your spine out!" Knill shouted.

Pugsly looked torn, his eyes flickering from his companion to Moody. "Can… can you protect me? Can you-"

"Why would I want to protect you?" Moody growled. "You've sent a cursed object to the Minister of Magic… you've lied, deceived… it's not my doing that you're now on the wrong side of Voldemort and the rest of his little gang."

"He'll kill me… they're going to-"

"He'll kill you or you'll die in Azkaban," Moody snapped. "At least in Azkaban you might have a small chance of getting out someday…"

Pugsly licked his lips. "I sent him a tea set. It's … I mean… who doesn't like tea, right?" he asked, a frightened smile playing on his lips for a moment. "It was a tea set… and … Crouch… a Ministry banner for all his work. He's-"

"Longbottom," Moody barked. "Get over to Crouch's… grab Frank along the way."

Alice nodded and ran out of the office, nodding at Lily as she passed. Lily sat down on the chair and crossed her arms over her chest, wondering why Moody had kept her here with him.

"Lily," he started. "You mentioned that there was a picture of another bloke in this git's house?"

"Yeah," Lily replied quietly. "It looked like him and James' father… but I didn't mention anything to anyone. Though, our surname was on the list of-"

"I didn't send the Potter's anything… I swear! I didn't-"

"You didn't, but that doesn't mean you didn't plan to." Moody muttered.

Knill chuckled. "He wanted to send them a congratulatory gift to celebrate their son marrying a dirty mudblood… he felt a set of picture frames for any half-breed grandchildren they might end up with would be appropriate."

"I … didn't… I haven't sent anything to them," Pugsly muttered. "But… He… You-Know-Who said that-"

"TRAITOR!" Knill shouted. "Traitor! You'll –"

"SILENCIO!" Lily shouted, flicking her wand at Knill and stepping closer to where they were sitting. She smirked when Knill's expression turned to one of disgust as she looked into his face. "What did You-Know-Who say about my in-laws, Pugsly?" she asked.

"He said that … they deserved to die for allowing their blood to be desecrated," he muttered. "Old family… ancient… one of the oldest bloodlines-"

"And…" Moody pressed, interrupting Pugsly's rambling.

"He wasn't going to waste time with Ambrose or Lindsay… he was more interested in… in … their son," Pugsly swallowed. "Apparently he's very talented and… He wants him."

"Well, that's not going to happen," Lily muttered.

Pugsly nodded. "Of course not… but… He still-"

"Enough about what He wants with James," Lily interrupted, watching Moody's eyes flicker to her. "What were all the maps for? You had maps of London, and of the Ministry… what were the plans?"

Knill struggled and his mouth moved in silent curses. Lily grasped his shoulders and turned him to face Pugsly, marginally amused when he cringed and shuddered as though she'd stung him. "Does Voldemort think he can just get a map and walk in? Does he think if he knows the layout of the Ministry and the parks of London that he'll just round up his followers and waltz in undetected?"

Pugsly shook his head. "No… no He… they… they're waiting for the election or some… some sort of gathering. He planned to have a few people crash the event… draw the Aurors there since they seem to instantly go to wherever there is a disturbance… and then, that's when he'd bring the … in all the … his army."

Moody nodded interestedly, glancing at the silently cursing Knill before looking to Lily. "So… he thinks that all of the Aurors will simply go to where ever there is a disturbance and focus on that, and he can just walk in behind our backs?"

Pugsly's tone changed suddenly, he seemed exasperated. "There are only what… fifteen of you? It won't be that hard for him to take over," he muttered, but then froze as though he hadn't meant to say his thoughts out loud. "But… I can help… I…" he stammered, looking at Moody with pleading eyes. "If you protect me… I can tell you where he'll be coming in and-"

"We can't protect you," Moody grumbled. "Nor would we want to… you traitorous coward." He flicked his wand, binding Pugsly to the chair he'd been sitting in. "Lily… outside for a moment," he muttered, nodding toward her.

Lily paused, following reluctantly as Moody stepped outside and shut the door to the office behind him. "Um… I don't mean to be … questioning… but don't you think it's rather unwise to leave them in there unguarded?"

Moody nodded. "You're on your toes… but they aren't unguarded. If they somehow managed to get out of those chairs they'd be stunned if they tried to escape. Guardian locks on all the exits from the office, you see," he explained. "Besides… even if they did struggle out, it's not like they could kill each other; neither of them have wands."

Lily pursed her lips. "You don't need a wand to kill someone," she muttered.

"But they're so opposed to muggles they wouldn't consider doing someone else in without magic," Moody said dismissively. He waved his wand toward the office, and Lily jumped as the voices of the two prisoners echoed out into the main atrium.

"-bloody traitorous git! 'My wife… my wife!'" Knill mimicked.

"I thought I'd get sympathy from a bunch of wenches… I figured they'd take pity on me if they thought I was in love," Pugsly growled.

"You really are daft… what Malfoy ever saw in recruiting you-"

"How exactly did you let yourself get arrested?" Pugsly asked accusingly. "I willingly came down here for questioning; I was prepared to lie my way out of things, but you… you let a couple of eighteen-year-old prats get the better of you?" He laughed once. "Some wizard you are."

Knill made an angry noise. "But I didn't betray anyone," he snarled. "You wait… the Dark Lord will seize power, and all the traitors like you will be dead before you can even mutter an apology or beg forgiveness."

Pugsly was quiet, but Knill continued on after a few moments. "You stupid git… why'd you keep those maps out?"

"They didn't show the field that-"

"They showed several fields around London, and all the towns, and the fact that The Dark Lord knows his way around the Ministry," Knill growled. "We know where to strike and how to get in… and you left our plans sitting wide out in the open. What, were you reading over them? Thinking you'd be involved?"

"His plan has holes," Pugsly muttered. "At the election or anything else, all the Aurors might be there, but something tells me there are more people involved… maybe the resistance is stronger than he-"

"The Dark Lord would know if the Ministry had more people searching for him. And Dumbledore is busy with the school, so that's not a worry," Knill dismissed. "The rest of these gits who like to pretend they're Aurors don't have any clue how to fight us. We won't even need the giants."

"They would be hard to hide if he tried to bring them in by the river," Pugsly muttered.

"They would be… but with that nice long bridge, a couple hundred black cloaked figures are easy to hide," Knill murmured, his voice relishing the thought.

Lily was chewing her lip as she continued to listen to the men discuss the Death Eaters plans. Moody looked smug and was writing down various pieces of their conversation on a tablet he had in his pocket. "Idiotic buggers… if the majority of Voldemort's army is comprised of morons like these… " he mused.

"We can only hope," Lily sighed.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the hall, and both Moody and Lily turned around to see Dumbledore and the Minister approaching them. The Minister looked alarmed and shaky, but Dumbledore looked thoughtful and full of purpose.

"Moody," Baddlebrock greeted, rubbing at his sweaty forehead with thick fingers. "I… Fabian Prewett caught my package, and Albus… he came just after James Potter and Sirius Black warned me… he confirmed it was…"

"The mead was poisoned," Dumbledore supplied. "It is a good thing Gideon happened to have his broom with him and was able to catch that owl after he received Ms. Meadowes' message."

"Yes… quite," Baddlebrock responded.

Alice returned then, followed by a tall stiff looking wizard in a suit, and then minutes later James and Sirius reappeared with Gideon, Dorcas, and Edgar Bones, who looked furious and frightening as he walked forward and began to discuss the events.

Lily backed away from the group, letting them talk as she wandered over to where James and Sirius were standing. "Sirius?" she asked quietly. "You look disgusted."

Sirius smirked and James chewed his lip and averted his eyes. "I'm not… my ego is a bit bruised because this prat had to pull me out of danger."

"What happened?" asked Lily in an alarmed voice.

"Knill," James said. "He put up a fight… we were a little unprepared so he got us with a few hexes and-"

"You liar," Sirius laughed. "He got me with a few hexes. They seem to just bounce off you… always have really, it's a bit intriguing to me actually."

Lily chewed her lip and looked up at James. "Are you all right?" she asked him. "Are both of you all right?"

James nodded, putting his arm around her and pulling her against his chest. "We're all right," he said quietly. "And I think we're about to be thanked by the Minister for saving his life," he added, elbowing Sirius in the ribs. Lily stepped back, rolling her eyes as James' and Sirius' expressions turned smug as Baddlebrock approached, a thankful expression on his aged and weary face.

"It wasn't any trouble, sir," said James, shaking his hand.

"Still… and I feel Barty, Alastor, and Albus all agree with me… this capture and the information you all helped uncover," Baddlebrock said, nodding his head approvingly. "Well… it deserves praise from all of our society not just me."

James nodded, his eyes flickering to Moody who was busy talking with Dumbledore and Gideon, very obviously planning what to do next.