A/N: Wow did I update on time? I'm shocked! I would say Merry Christmas, but alas, this isn't your Christmas present, dear readers of mine.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter! And thank you for all the reviews! I really enjoy reading them all–they almost make me cry sometimes, you guys are too nice.

P.S: Hope this cliffhanger doesn't make you want to jump off a cliff!

Muggle Studies Classroom [November 20th]

"I hate her, I hate her, I hate her!"

Lily Potter sighed quietly as she set down the quizzes she had just begun to grade, turning her full attention to her son as he stormed into her classroom. She winced as he slammed the heavy wooden door shut with so much force that it almost rattled at the hinges.

He dragged a chair over to her table, throwing himself into the seat and propping his legs onto her desk angrily, ignoring her disapproving stare.

"Who is it this time, Alexander?" She questioned, praying he hadn't impulsively cursed some poor first year in the corridors again.

"The new defense professor, that horrid Umbridge cow," Alexander fumed, "She's a bitter old woman!"

Lily tried hard to fight the grimace that appeared on her face. She'd suspected her son would not have been a fan of the new defense professor this year. Though she doubted the woman had any fans to begin with.

But despite her intense dislike of Dolores, the woman was still technically a professor. She frowned at her son, "Please don't speak about your professors that way, sweetheart."

"Who let her be a professor?" Alexander complained, "She clearly hates children!"

"I wouldn't say she hates children, dear," Lily hedged carefully, "She just simply doesn't know the joy of having her own children."

"She has those cats," He pointed out. "She treats them just fine. Frankly, her obsession with her cats is a little disturbing."

"Yes, that is a bit odd," She admitted. "I suppose–"

"The only good thing she's done so far is put Riddle and his crew in their place," Alexander cut her off. "She's the only professor who sees past his goody-two shoes mask."

Lily felt her grip tighten on the papers in her hands, "What do you mean, dear?"

Alexander smiled gleefully as he retold the highlight of his week, "Well, last class Longbottom threw an absolute fit because he claimed the old bat wasn't teaching us anything relevant to defense. She made an offhanded comment about his parents, and Longbottom almost ended up hexing her on the spot. Riddle stood up to defend him and Umbridge threw them both into detention."

"What did she say," Lily asked in a low voice, "About Frank and Alice?"

Alexander bit his lip, "She said Neville couldn't know anything about defense against the dark arts because his own parents didn't know anything about it, since they couldn't defend themselves from an attack from one dark witch."

Lily gasped, "She said that?"

"More or less," Alexander shrugged.

"Poor Neville," Lily wrung her hands in her lap. "He's already suffered so much. He doesn't deserve to be spoken to like that."

Alexander frowned, "Poor Neville? I think the residue of the dark magic from the attack on his parents might've affected him as a baby, because now he's part of Riddle's gang. He's as dark as they come, mum. It's been five years, and I still can't believe that he chose Riddle over me. He chose Slytherin over his parents' Gryffindor legacy. Sometimes I think it's better his parents aren't here to see how awful he's turned out today."

"Alexander Albus Potter!" Lily shouted, uncaring if she could be heard outside her classroom. "How dare you say such a thing!"

"It's true!" He insisted. "I don't think Longbottom even cares about our side anymore. For Merlin's sake, he's dating the daughter of his parents' murderer. How do you explain that?"

Lily's eyes widened, "He's what?"

Alexander nodded vigorously, "He's gone absolutely mad, mum. But good thing Umbridge put him and Riddle in their places. I heard that she made them use a blood quill as detention."

"She did what?"

"She made them write lines with a blood quill," Alexander waved his hand uncaringly, "I think she should've made them clean the Gryffindor toilets or something equally as nasty, but I suppose a blood quill is alright punishment."

"That's inhumane!" Lily exclaimed, "She made my s –s-students use a blood quill?"

"Uh, mum, neither of those two pompous gits take your class. They're pureblood royalty, remember? They hate all things muggle," He pointed out.

"This is unacceptable," She fumed. "I was against hiring that crazy woman in the first place, but this is too far."

"What's the big deal? I heard Riddle didn't even go through with it, he just walked out of the classroom with Longbottom. Umbridge was furious."

"Good," Lily nodded, "She should be ashamed of herself. The sheer nerve of that woman. A blood quill? Absolutely despicable. Her behavior is appalling, really."

"Mum," Alexander whined, "You're missing the point. She put those two gits in their place. Somebody had to do it."

"Perhaps you should focus more on yourself and less on other students, darling," Lily suggested, "How is your training going these days?"

He rolled his eyes, "What training? Dumbledore has been so busy this entire school year that he hasn't kept up with my lessons. He's been cancelling them for a while now. I think it's because he's so caught up in the Ministry's investigation."

She shook her head, "Investigation or not, that should be no excuse for Albus to miss your lessons. Have you talked to your father?"

"Dad said he was too busy to come down every week," Alexander sighed. "He said I should just practice on my own."

Lily arched her brow, "And have you been practicing?"

"I can't just practice on my own. What am I supposed to do, read textbooks and just test spells in my room? That's ridiculous. Not to mention horribly boring," He complained.

He crossed his arms across his chest angrily, "Why did Dumbledore have to mouth off about You-Know-Who? Why couldn't he just shut up about the whole Dark Lord thing? The Order is taking care of it, people don't need to know what is going on. If he had just kept quiet, then the Ministry wouldn't have started this whole investigation on him and put that horrible Umbridge here to keep an eye on things."

"The wizarding population needs to be aware of the danger that is around us," Lily explained. "They need to know."

Alexander rolled his eyes, "Why? I'm the Chosen One. I'll get rid of You-Know-Who before they even realize he's here."

"How do you plan on doing that if you aren't training?" Lily pointed out.

"Everyone has told me that I've had the power to defeat You-Know-Who since I was born. I know I can do it," Alexander shrugged. "And in regards to my training, I can't do it myself. So, until Dad or Dumbledore decides to resume my lessons, I can't do much."

Lily was about to respond when suddenly the door to her classroom slammed open without warning.

She stared at the doorway in confusion as the tall blond stepped into her classroom, looking equally as uncomfortable as she felt in this moment.

"Malfoy?" Alexander spat, "What the bloody hell are you doing here?"

"Language!" She scolded her son instinctively.

"Yes, Potter," Draco Malfoy drawled as he walked towards her desk, "Listen to your Mother. She knows best, after all." He approached her with a tight smile that made her shift uneasily in her chair.

"Isn't that right, Professor Potter?"

She blinked, startled that he was speaking directly to her. There was an unsettling gleam in his pale grey eyes that made her shrink further into her seat. Despite her nervousness, she cleared her throat and asked, "How may I help you, Mr. Malfoy?"

"You see, Professor, I find myself in need of your assistance," He smirked, leaning back against one of the nearby tables across from her desk. "If it isn't too much trouble, of course."

"She's busy, Malfoy," Alexander interrupted. "Can't you tell when you're not wanted?"

"Alexander, please," Lily sighed, pressing a hand against her temples. She turned her attention back to the Slytherin and raised an eyebrow, "What can I help you with?"

In one smooth motion, Draco Malfoy reached into his bag and slowly withdrew a rather wrinkled page which–judging from the torn edges–clearly had been ripped out of a book of sorts. A very old book, she corrected herself as she saw how it was nearly yellowing with age when the Slytherin passed the page over to her.

"What is this?" She frowned as she tried to read the scrawled handwriting on the page, but it was almost impossible to decipher. The ink seemed quite blurry around the edges, and she narrowed her eyes slightly as she realized it was probably due to a powerful concealment charm to disguise the words.

"You see, I thought I'd try to recreate this complex brew for extra points in Potions, but clearly I can't ask Professor Snape for his help," Draco began to explain, "It's such a difficult potion to master, and I was about to give up a few days ago. But then a dear friend of mine suggested I ask for your advice, as he mentioned you were brilliant in potions back when you attended Hogwarts."

"How come this is the first I'm hearing about extra points in Potions?" Alexander Potter piped up. "It sounds entirely made up."

Draco shrugged, "If you don't believe me you can always ask Professor Snape." He smiled forcefully, flashing his sharp white teeth, "I'm sure he would love to explain things to you."

Lily shook her head, "As much as I'd like to help you, Mr. Malfoy, I'm not sure I'm the right person. This potion seems incredibly old, are you sure you want to try your hand at this one?"

"Yes, that's the one I want you to help me with," Draco said evenly, staring at her with cold eyes. "My friend said you would jump at the chance to try this tricky potion."

"Who is this friend of yours?" Lily raised an eyebrow, leaning back in her chair curiously.

Draco felt his lips quirk up into a ghost of a smile, "Hadrian Riddle."

Lily felt herself stiffen and her hands curled around her chair. Her nails dug into the wooden armrests. An involuntary shiver ran up her spine and she shakily exhaled a breath she hadn't even known she was holding.

"He said you might find it especially interesting. Who knows, it might even be useful to you in the future," Draco Malfoy continued. "Come now, Professor Potter, how many more chances do you think you're going to get?"

He knows, Lily Potter thought to herself as her heart began to beat faster in a panic. She didn't know how, but the Malfoy child knew about the deal her other son had offered her in exchange for his forgiveness. How many more chances was she going to get?

"Perhaps you need some time to think about it," Draco suggested with a smirk. "If you read over the page I handed you, you'll see that the instructions provide a detailed layout of the techniques and strategies that might be useful to you."

"She's not going to help you with your project, Malfoy," Alexander Potter scoffed. "She has better things to do. More important people to talk to."

Draco Malfoy locked eyes with Lily Potter as he picked up his bag and zipped it up. "Oh, I'm well aware. I'm simply giving her a choice. The decision will ultimately be hers in the end."

Alexander Potter watched as the blond exited the classroom without another word and he made a face as the door slammed shut. "What a strange bloke," He snorted. "Obviously you're not going to help him, right Mum?"

He stared at his mother as she quietly folded up the piece of parchment with shaky hands and slipped it into the pocket of her robes. "I-I just need some time to think, Alexander," She stammered.

"You never help me with my potions assignments," He huffed, crossing his arms across his chest. "Why in Merlin's name would you help him?"

"He won't give me another chance," She whispered to herself, staring blankly at the half-graded papers in front of her.

"So?" Alexander scowled, "I bet he's secretly trying to kill half of Gryffindor with that potion. You know Snape would definitely give him extra points for that."

Slytherin Dormitory [December 5th]

"We have a problem," Daphne announced, gracefully sitting down on the couch beside Hadrian. She handed him the file she had been reading through for the past few hours. "Look at this."

"We were in the middle of a conversation, Daph," Draco Malfoy sighed, barely hiding the irritation that had seeped into his voice.

Daphne waved her hand at him unconcernedly, "This is more important. Trust me."

Hadrian pursed his lips as he quickly flipped through the pages in the thick file, "What exactly am I supposed to be looking at?"

She stared at him and her eyes widened, "Isn't it obvious?"

"Clearly it's not." Draco snapped.

Daphne sighed, leaning over to point to a number in the file, "That is the number of marked members on our side a year ago. Two hundred and twenty-four."

She flipped the page for Hadrian and pointed to a different number. "This is the estimated number of marked members we'll have left after we finish vetting and disposing of the old guard."

"A hundred and six," Hadrian whispered. "That's less than half."

Daphne nodded, "Exactly. Our numbers are down. I completely stand by our decision to reevaluate the old guard, but that doesn't leave us with many people in the end. We won't be able to face the Order if we're this small. They'll easily outnumber us if they have the entire Auror force at their disposal."

"So, what do we do?" Hadrian frowned. "We definitely can't invite some of the dismissed members back, they're too much of a liability."

"And also, I think Bellatrix killed them already," Draco added sheepishly.

Daphne bit her lower lip worriedly, "Our only choice is to recruit more, I suppose."

"But everyone that would have been sympathetic to our side already joined us years ago," Draco pointed out. "Where are we supposed to get new members from?"

"Where's Neville?" Hadrian muttered, "He's probably has some decent ideas." He craned his neck back as he scanned the sea of faces, looking around the common room for his friend. "Do either of you know where he is?"

"Probably off with his tongue down Destiny's throat somewhere," Draco replied flippantly. He shrugged when Hadrian shot him an irritated look. "What? You're the one who asked!"

Daphne rolled her eyes as the two began bickering with each other. She was about to get up to go find Neville herself when suddenly an idea struck her.

"Both of you, stop talking," She demanded, ignoring their matching looks of annoyance. "Look around."

They stopped launching insults at each other long enough to glance around the room, both turning back to her after a couple seconds with confusion written all over their faces. "I'm sorry, what am I supposed to be looking at?" Hadrian asked finally.

"There's at least forty people in this room," Daphne spoke quietly. "Probably another twenty scattered throughout the castle. A handful in Ravenclaw, too. Imagine if they were all trained and educated in the dark arts enough to fight for our side. They're already loyal to you, you know that."

Draco made a face, "You want to start recruiting firsties now, Daphne? They can barely wipe their own arse."

"No, you idiot," Daphne snapped. "What if we started training them now so that as they get older, they'll become stronger and more of a threat to the Order? We could say it's a dueling club, of sorts. The first and second years are too young to pick up on complicated magic, but I think the third years would be able to keep up."

"I don't know, Daphne. Dumbledore has let me freely walk through these halls because I haven't given him anything to suspect me of yet. If we start this little training practice and get caught, he'll expel us all for spreading the dark arts," Hadrian frowned. "Especially with Umbridge here, it's too risky to start a dueling club centered around the dark arts."

"So, we don't get caught," She said firmly. "Think about it. This is a chance to start building their loyalty from an early age. If you can secure their support now, they'll never turn their backs on you. Most of the students in Hogwarts– they already adore you– "

"Wait a minute," Draco interrupted. "Most of Hogwarts? Daphne, even if we do start this little training group like you're suggesting, we can't open it up to the other houses. Have you gone mad? We can't teach them the dark arts and keep the group a secret. They'll run off blabbing to the entire world."

"It's not as though we're inviting just anyone to join us," Daphne shook her head, "No, we only invite the Slytherins and a few others we know that would be loyal to us. I have a few Ravenclaws in mind who I know wouldn't mind selling their soul to the devil in return for some power in the new world."

"Not, that you're the devil," She turned to Hadrian with a smirk. "Think about it, darling. If we take action now, we can ensure we have hundreds of loyal soldiers for us in the future."

He seemed a little hesitant, and so Daphne pressed on, "It's not as though we're learning anything from Umbridge, anyways. If we can secure all their loyalty now, we won't have to worry about any oppositions to our regime down the line."

"Or," Draco interrupted sharply, "We could just try to take over the Ministry. That's what your father was planning before his accident. The plans are already laid out."

"That plan failed," Daphne pointed out with narrowed eyes. "We need to try something new."

Draco scoffed, "Be serious for a moment. Even if we did go with your disastrous idea, who is going to be the one training this so-called little army? Hadrian doesn't have the time for that, he's got better things to do."

"But we can–"

"And," Draco continued on as though he hadn't heard her begin to protest, "Where are we going to do it? Invite everyone to the Slytherin common room? Don't you think that's a little suspicious?"

She tossed back her golden hair and fixed him with a glare, "This is a perfectly practicable plan of action. Hadrian doesn't have to always be there, I can help teach the younger years, Neville can help, and I'm sure even you've picked up on somethings in the past five years you've been here that you can teach."

Hadrian held up a hand before the two blonds beside him could start to argue again. His dark eyebrows knit together in thought and he leaned back against the couch, lazily tossing an arm around Daphne's shoulders. There was a tense moment of silence before he turned to Draco and asked, "How are we going to go through with my father's plan to take over the Ministry? Even he wasn't able to execute it perfectly."

Draco suppressed a triumphant smile. "We don't have to go through with his exact plan. Clearly, there were some issues with it last time. I'm sure we can learn from those mistakes and you, Neville, and I can work together to come up with a better method."

Hadrian remained silent, and Draco heaved a sigh. "I'll start working on new plans right away, I'm sure we can get a new course of action by the time we leave for the holidays. This is the fastest tactic to gain power over a large amount of the population."

He rose up from his seat, picking up the scrolls he had been discussing with Hadrian before Daphne had interrupted them so rudely.

"How?"

"What?" Draco frowned, turning back to face Hadrian.

Hadrian remained still and his dark gaze were calculating as he repeated, "How do you plan on taking over the Ministry?"

Draco faltered, "Well, I'm sure we can figure it out. All we have to do is–"

"Draco, dear," Daphne cut him off sweetly, leaning away to look at him from where she had instinctively curled into Hadrian's side. "I believe he means how do you suggest we take on the ministry, if we have less than a hundred soldiers at our side?"

"How hard could it be?" Draco retorted. "When we planned the original mission–perhaps you don't know because you weren't there, Daphne–we only had forty of our guard involved. We don't need more than that."

Hadrian pursed his lips. His tone was firm as he finally decided, "Daphne, if you can find a place for us to practice, then I think your idea would suit our needs better at this time."

"I already have a few places in mind," Daphne smirked. "I think we need to stir up a little bit of excitement about this first. We can truly turn this into a secret society that these students are killing each other to get an invitation to join. By the time they realize what or who they're fighting for, it will already be too late."

"How are you going to do make a dueling dark arts club–whatever it is–fun? People aren't tripping over themselves to do more work," Draco snarked.

"Once people see certain individuals are getting the prestige and attention they themselves desire, they'll do anything to be a part of it," She explained.

"How do we keep it a secret, yet develop such an ambitious reputation?" Hadrian cocked his head to the side, "It seems like an oxymoron."

"Exactly," Draco agreed.

"We simply give the illusion that we're opening up our circle and inviting a few more people to join our court. Then the rumors will automatically spiral. All we have to do is deny the existence of such a society and the allure will only grow."

"That's not a bad idea," Hadrian murmured. "How do we start?"

Daphne smiled. "I think we should invite some of the Slytherins and a handful of the more pragmatic Ravenclaws to the annual Malfoy Ball. The Minister is always there and so are all the powerful politicians in the Wizengamot and Ministry. If we can give our fellow classmates just a taste of the power they could have on our side, I'm sure they'll all fall in line soon enough."

Hadrian squeezed her shoulder gently, "You've clearly thought a lot about this, haven't you?"

Daphne peered up at him through her lashes, "You could say I'm a little invested in our side winning this war."

"A little?" He arched a brow.

Daphne laughed, "I'll start writing to Lady Malfoy to begin the preparations. I know it's rather late notice, but I'm sure between the two of us we'll be able to accommodate for a few more guests this year."

"She's my mother, so I think I'll write to her," Draco sneered.

"Don't be ridiculous, Draco," Hadrian shook his head, looking down at his girlfriend with a small smile. "I'm sure Daphne can handle it."

The sound of the common room door sliding open made him glance up, and Hadrian stiffened as he saw Theodore Nott step into the common room. He unwrapped himself from Daphne and pressed a kiss to her cheek before abruptly standing up from the couch. "You two play nice, I need to discuss some things with Nott."

As soon as Hadrian had stepped away, Draco whipped his attention back to Daphne. "What are you trying to do?" He hissed.

Daphne adjusted her skirt, tucking it around her legs before fixing him with a calm stare, "I'm sorry, what is that supposed to mean?"

"It means stop inserting yourself into these matters. I'm his best friend, and I know more about our side, our mission, our history, and strategy than you."

Daphne's eyes darkened, "You're not the only one who knows things, Draco. I'm not daft, I know how pureblood politics work. Hadrian wants me at his side."

Draco rolled his eyes, "You're just his girlfriend. That's it. He's not going to take your advice seriously. You don't know anything about our side."

"Careful, Draco. You sound a bit bitter there."

"What would I be bitter about?" He scoffed.

"You're just annoyed I have better ideas than you," Daphne crossed her arms across her chest. "You know for that, you have to use your brain, Malfoy."

"He's not going to listen to you," Draco informed her. "I know more than you. Your stupid ideas are just going to distract him from what's important."

"He's been listening to me so far," She pointed out smugly.

"You don't even know the half of what we've been planning," Draco gritted his teeth.

"Perhaps you're right," Daphne sighed dramatically, letting her eyes wander over to where Hadrian seemed to be in a deep conversation with Theodore Nott. She turned back to Draco with a slight frown and worried at her lip, "You know, I really hope Theodore doesn't get too carried away with his mission."

He snapped his head up. "You know about that?"

She rolled her eyes, "Please." She let out a sharp laugh, "Hadrian tells me everything."

"Everything?" Draco repeated skeptically.

She gave him a confident nod.

He snorted, "I doubt that."

"He does," Daphne insisted, "He told me all about Theo's mission and his plan to get close to Hermione."

"Uh, what?" Draco let out a strangled sound and she struggled to hide her smirk.

"Something about making her see the benefit in our side," She waved her hand dismissively as though she couldn't remember the exact words.

"And he plans on doing that by prostituting himself?"

"Don't make it sound so crass," Daphne wrinkled her nose. "He's just courting her. Hermione could use some romance in her life, anyways."

"And what happens when she finds out he only liked her because Hadrian wanted to test her loyalty?" He narrowed his eyes, "Don't you think it's a bit harsh getting her hopes up only to crush them?"

"Don't be so dramatic, Draco," Daphne complained. "Besides, Theo actually likes her. He said he 'really enjoys her company'. Who knows, this could be the start of a whirlwind romance."

"Stop reading your trashy wizarding romance novels," Draco snapped. "Theo would never have a serious relationship with a muggleborn. At the end of the day, he's still a Nott."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," She said hesitantly. "His father is dead now and you know Theo never really cared much for blood in the first place, unlike you. Theo sees Hermione for her power and intelligence. If you pulled your head out of your arse for a moment, you'd notice that Hermione Granger is quite a catch. Theo's smart and I don't think he'll give her up."

"She's not his," He sneered.

"She might as well be," Daphne retorted. "Did you know she almost forgot about the Potions essay last week because she wasted all of her study time laughing with Theo in the library?"

"She almost forgot an essay?" Draco's eyes widened. "She might as well bloody move in with the bloke! What does she see in him anyways?"

"I don't know, maybe it's because he's tall, strong, and handsome," She said sarcastically, "She has a type you know."

"A type?" Draco raised an eyebrow in question.

"I think she really likes the tall dark and handsome type. Think about it. First Krum, then Theo?"

"I have better things to do then think about Granger's preferences in men," Draco spat.

Daphne raised her hands in surrender, "All I'm saying is just because you don't understand her value doesn't mean others are as blind as you are."

He glared at her, "Why are you always meddling? You can't force her to like him."

She arched a brow at his sudden hostility, "I'm not forcing her. I'm just encouraging her."

"Exactly! Stop meddling in everything, Daphne. You don't know anything about what is going on and you're just ruining it all."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," He sneered. "Stop inserting yourself in these matters. It doesn't concern you!"

"Hadrian tells me everything, I know what's going on," She glowered.

"Oh really?" Draco smirked. "Did he tell you about his mother?"

Daphne faltered. "What?"

His cruel smile widened, "Oh, so you claim to be his all-knowing girlfriend and you apparently know so much about him, but you don't even know about his mother? Or who he really is?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" She hissed. "He's the son of the Dark Lord. He's never talked about his mother."

Draco shrugged. "I suppose he doesn't trust you enough to tell you the truth." He leaned towards her with a cold look in his eyes, "Maybe before you start singing about how you're Hadrian Riddle's girlfriend, actually get it into your empty head that you don't know anything about him."

Her perfectly manicured nails dug into the couch beneath her as she said firmly, "He trusts me. I know he does."

"Then why didn't he tell you about his family?" Draco taunted. "Poor little Daphne Greengrass. Didn't anyone tell you? You're a pawn on his chessboard, not the queen."

She averted her gaze, "He's just–"

"Ask him about his real family, Daphne," Draco almost purred. "If he really cared about you, he would've told you the entire story." He stood up from his chair and made a show of stretching out his limbs and yawning widely. He shot her a lazy smile as he walked around the couch in the direction of the staircase.

"Now I'm going off to bed," He paused to pat her shoulder in a faux comforting manner, "Listen, I'm sorry I had to be the one to tell you this, Daphne. I never wanted to see such a deep frown on such a pretty face like yours."

"Who is he?" Daphne whispered. She stared into the fireplace, feeling her head begin to ache from an unknown feeling of uncertainty. "Who is his mother?"

"I'm afraid you're going to ask him that. Since you're so good at thinking and coming up with ideas, why don't you already know the answer? You know I can't go around spilling all his secrets, especially to someone who is just his arm candy," Draco sighed heavily as he continued to walk to the staircase that led to their rooms, "You're a pretty face, Daphne. But you're also pretty replaceable."

Potter Manor [December 10th]

James Potter stared in confusion at the large trunk that was sitting in the middle of his foyer as he apparated home from work that evening. He squinted at it suspiciously, approaching the wooden trunk with his wand drawn just in case. One could never be too careful.

He peered at the golden letters painted across the trunk and took a step back automatically.

LEP

He was fairly certain he was looking at his wife's trunk, but she was supposed to be at Hogwarts. Although he knew the professors were occasionally allowed to visit home, Lily had never made the trip to come back and see him. An unsettling heaviness crept into his chest as he stared at the trunk in front of him. What if something had happened?

"James? Is that you?"

James Potter nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of the new voice. He instinctively bit down on his tongue to prevent the surprised yell that had almost escaped his throat.

The candles in the foyer suddenly lit themselves while he placed a hand against his chest, trying to calm his racing heartbeat. He chalked up his panicked reaction to the terrible fatigue that resulted from the fifty-four hour shift he had just wrapped up.

He tried to smile back as his wife beamed at him from the grand staircase. She walked down to him slowly while James tried to remember if he had forgotten something. She never just dropped by to see him anymore. He was sure it wasn't their anniversary. It wasn't either of their birthdays. If he recalled correctly, they still had a few more days to go in the term before the holidays.

Why was she here?

"I missed you," She spoke softly as she finally reached him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his chest. "I didn't know continuing to teach at Hogwarts would keep me this busy."

"You didn't mention you were coming home," He replied stiffly, even as he circled his arms around her. "Is there a special reason?"

"No reason," Lily Potter murmured. "I decided to come home a few days early since I didn't want to give out an exam right before the end of the term. Those poor students already have their OWLs and NEWTs to deal with."

"Lily Potter not adding more onto her students' plate?" James pretended to gasp. "Now I know something must be wrong."

She laughed, "No, nothing is wrong, darling. I just wanted to see you, is that too much to ask for?"

Lily gently reached up to cup his cheek, raising herself up on her toes to press a small kiss to his lips. "I missed you," She whispered. "I'm sorry I've been away for so long."

Though he was confused by her sudden affection, he was never a man to turn it down. He leaned down, burying his face in her long red hair with a small smile. "I can find a way for you to make it up to me," He murmured.

She pushed back gently on his chest, "Maybe later, handsome. I'm still a little tired at the moment, I was thinking we could have a nice dinner first. I think Minnie made your favorite."

He felt his stomach grumble loudly at that moment and he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "I suppose dinner first wouldn't be a terrible idea."

"Minnie said dinner would be ready in a little bit," Lily informed him, taking his hand and leading him towards the parlor. "Why don't we have a drink?"

James rubbed a hand over his face tiredly as his wife left his side to pour him a drink. "Not too much, Lily, I'm exhausted as it is."

"Come on, Potter, don't tell me you're getting too old for a drink," She teased, slipping the wineglass into his hands. "If I recall correctly, weren't you the self-proclaimed King of Firewhisky back when we were in Hogwarts?"

He took a sip of his glass and set it down on the table beside him, "Those days are behind me. I think there's a certain limit to the amount of times a man can wake up on the cold floor outside of McGonagall's office with no memory of the night before."

Lily laughed, shaking her head, "I can only pray to Merlin Alexander turns out like me and not his reckless father."

"You mean you want him to be another nerd with his nose shoved so far up a book someone would need to use magic to surgically remove it?"

She gasped, "You–"

James laughed, wrapping his arms around her small frame and pressing a kiss to the side of her head, "I'm only joking, love."

She rolled her eyes, "Is it so terrible I want our son to be curious about his academics and not spend his time harassing the first years and arguing with Slytherins?"

"He's just upholding his father's legacy," James boasted proudly. "I wouldn't worry too much about it, Lily," He reassured her once he saw the worried look in her eyes. "After all, I turned out just fine."

"That's still debatable," She said wryly.

He clutched his heart to his chest dramatically, "Why must you hurt me so, my dear?"

"James, he's not a little boy anymore," Lily whispered, turning around in her husband's arms. "He's already fifteen. We're in the middle of a war and I can't send him to fight You-Know-Who like this."

"Lily," He began in a warning tone, "We've been training him his entire life for this. He might not be ready at this moment, but he will be soon."

"And if You-Know-Who strikes tomorrow? By some miracle he's kept a low profile for the past year but what if he's just biding his time? What if he's planning something so big, we won't be able to fight back?" She demanded to know.

"Trust me, love. We'll be prepared for anything that bastard tries. Alexander will be ready."

"How?" She dug her nails into his arms desperately and James squirmed in her tight grip. "How will he be ready? I can't send him to fight, like a bloody lamb to the slaughter!"

He forcefully tore his arms out of her hands and ran a soothing hand through her hair, "Ssh, darling. It'll be alright. Trust me–I would never let my son take a path that would kill him."

She stepped away from him and picked up her wineglass with shaking hands. "But you did."

He raised an eyebrow, "I'm sorry, darling did you say something– "

"I said you already did that!" She whirled around, splashing her dark wine all over the pure white carpet. "You already sent one of my sons to his grave! Harry's gone, because of you!"

"And I regret that!" James hissed at her, "But I have moved on to make sure we don't make the same mistake with Alexander. I've tried my hardest to give him a better life, despite the enormous burden he has to carry. A burden that was never his in the first place!"

He marched up to her and grabbed her arm, forcing her to look him in his eyes. "Alexander is just a boy. We can't force him to grow up, he deserves a happy childhood before he's forced to fight a war that we were responsible for ending."

"Harry deserved a happy childhood too!" She sneered. "He was barely a tot when we let him die in cold blood. We made a mistake, James! And you've never accepted it. You've never acknowledged him as your son. You never even grieved for him!"

James scoffed, and Lily continued on with a fire in her eyes he hadn't seen in so long.

"You never even wondered about him. He was as good as dead when we dropped him off at my awful sister's that first night! If he were still alive –"

"Merlin, Lily, not this again. I can't keep having this argument. It isn't healthy for either of us to think about what could have been."

"But what if he is still alive, James? We never even asked Albus to see his body," She whispered to herself. "He could still be out there."

"It wouldn't change a thing," James insisted. "Alexander was, is, and always will be our main priority. I'm doing my best to make sure he's prepared to fight in this war, but you're spending your time grieving for a son that wasn't supposed to be alive in the first place!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" She demanded to know. "We weren't expecting him, but it doesn't mean I loved him any less."

"Think about the prophecy, Lily," James reminded her. "Albus told us our son would be the one to destroy the dark lord. Not both our sons."

"And that means Harry deserved to die? He was a child, James. He trusted us and we betrayed him!" Lily cried out, feeling a tear fall down her cheek. "We hurt him."

"We didn't kill him!" James insisted. "We had the entire world to think about. We had to make some sacrifices."

Lily wiped her tears with the back of her hand and shook her head, "I already lost one son as a sacrifice. I'll be damned if I let you take Alexander away from me too."

"He's destined to defeat You-Know-Who!" James yelled, "We can't stand in the way of the prophecy. We made a promise!"

"I don't care!" Lily screamed at him as her shoulders shook in hysterical anger. "I will not let you take my other son. He will not be a sacrifice."

"You don't have a choice, Lily," James barked at her. "This is what his entire life has been about. The entire Order has spent years training him to fight the dark side. We can't back out now."

"Please, James," Lily whispered, grabbing his hands in hers. "I'm begging you. Don't take Alexander away from me. We can run away–we can escape this war! You, me, and Alexander, we can go to the States or– or even China, or anywhere else. Please, James. Please don't condemn Alexander to the same fate as Harry."

He pulled his hands away, rubbing his temples tiredly. "That is the coward's way out, Lily. We're Gryffindors, we don't run away from battle. Our family made a promise to the light side. I plan on fulfilling it, with or without your support."

"We'll go without you," She blurted out, "I'll take Alexander and we'll leave without you. If you want to perish in this war, then fine. But you will not take my son into the grave with you."

"I'll track you down," James promised her, a dark look on his face. "If you even step one foot out of this city with him, I will find you." He stepped closer to her and yanked the back of her hair roughly, "I will find you. And I will drag you back to this house by your hair if that's what it takes."

She sobbed silently as he stepped away from her and grabbed his wineglass, finishing it within seconds. "We're done talking about this, Lily. Alexander will fight in this war. And he will win this war for us. Have some faith in us. End of discussion," He said firmly.

He set his glass back on the table and frowned at her, "I'm going to sleep now. I've had a long day and your ridiculous behavior already gave me a horrible headache. Can you bring me some tea while I get ready for bed?"

Lily stared at the fireplace for a moment, trying to stop her silent tears. Her voice was heavy as she replied, "I've told you so many times: tea will only keep you up at night, you shouldn't drink it before bed."

"It calms me down," He snapped. "Either you bring it or tell the elves. I don't care."

"Fine, I'll have Minnie send it up," She whispered, passing him quietly on the way to the kitchen. She walked through the double doors and her shoulders nearly sagged with exhaustion as she leant against the large counter. She turned on the kitchen sink with a wave of her hand and watched as the water shot out of the faucet with full force.

She reached for the kettle and slowly began to make her husband's tea as sharp sobs wracked through her tiny frame. She gripped the counter tightly as his words rang through her ears.

It wouldn't change a thing.

We made a promise.

Alexander will fight.

Lily stared at the nearly translucent color of the tea turn a dark brown as she poured it into the porcelain teacup.

A life with you cost me a lifetime with him, she thought to herself as she pulled out a small vial from the pocket in her robes. Her eyes were cold as she uncorked the tube and slowly tipped it over into the unassuming teacup in front of her. She was sure to only place a single drop into the cup before she slipped the vial back into her robes.

I'm sorry, sweetheart. But I need to make up for what you made me lose..

Her shoulders stiffened as she called out for her houself, stirring the tea with a spotless silver spoon.

I need to protect what is mine.

"Yes, miss?" The houself appeared in front of her with a pop, staring at her with wide eyes.

I will never let you force me to make the same mistake again.

"Bring this up to James," She said distantly, staring at a drop of spilled tea on the counter. She felt her chest tighten with unease, but she shook her head, firmly reassuring herself she had made the right decision.

James had already taken away one son. She would die before she let him send another son to a shallow grave. If he didn't feel the slightest bit guilty about it, why should she?

Her lips curved into an eerily empty smile as she watched the houself disappear with the tea.

Now you've done it.