Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise.
Written for the Reserve League: S1, R4, Captain - Colour: Blue
Other challenges listed at the bottom.
Written for CarrieKelley17 - I hope you enjoy it :)
Word Count - 5992
In Another Life
Admittedly, getting lost in the middle of an apocalypse torn London hadn't been Lily's finest moment. In her defence, it wasn't entirely her fault that James and Sirius hadn't run the same way she had, but still.
The problem didn't change, no matter who's fault it was.
She was alone, miles away from the safe point, and well… she had all the directional ability of a broken compass.
Lily sighed, shifting slightly against the wall she was sitting against. She'd found an abandoned shack and took the chance that it really was abandoned, because sleeping outside was an even worse idea than entering a shack without a weapon.
It was, blessedly, empty, but it only really solved one of her many problems.
Water, food, warmth… all things that she was lacking at the moment, and all things that she sorely needed.
Her boyfriend and friends would be a plus too.
She shifted again, wincing at the pain that shot through her back. One too many falls had left her aching and dirty, and the hard wall really wasn't helping matters.
Zombies.
It was like a really bad sci-fi horror movie, and Lily was still half convinced that she was going to wake up at some point, comfy in her bed.
Zombies weren't supposed to be real. They were supposed to be something that you watched on a screen in the comfort of your own home—and maybe threw popcorn at, if you lived in the same house as James Potter and Sirius Black.
Closing her eyes, Lily let her head fall forward to rest on her folded up legs. She needed to get at least a little bit of rest before she moved on—not that she really knew where she was going when she woke up.
…
Lucius eyed the ramshackle building for a moment and then sighed. It would do, he supposed. Plus there was a possibility of supplies though he doubted that. Surely if there had been anything, it would have already been ransacked.
He pushed the door open gingerly. He'd long learned his lesson about barging into buildings—you never knew what was waiting for you on the other side, after all.
Sure enough, when Lucius stepped into the seemingly empty shack, he found the shelves and cupboards bare.
Sighing, he pulled his gloves off and unloaded his pack from his back and placed it down on the floor. The roof looked sturdy enough to protect him from the elements for an evening before he continued onto the safe point on the coast.
Before he settled, Lucius stepped through the small doorway to check the other two rooms of the shack, and paused.
The shack wasn't quite so empty as he first believed.
A young woman was curled up in the corner, her arms around her legs and her head resting on them. Red hair splayed around her shoulders like flames, and Lucius took a moment to admire the artistry of the moment before he coughed, loud and pointed.
Sure enough, the young woman's head shot up, looking around as a flare of panic entered the greenest eyes Lucius had ever seen.
When she caught sight of him, she seemed to curl in on herself even more, making herself even smaller in the corner of the dusty room.
…
Lily stared up at the man by the doorway, her heart beating painfully fast in her chest. He wasn't doing anything; just standing there, watching her, but Lily pulled herself in even tighter, her fear probably obvious.
She knew that she shouldn't show such weakness, but the state that she was in negated her ability to protect herself and she knew it.
"Who might you be?" he drawled. His tone was amused more than anything, and Lily wondered what about the situation could possibly be funny.
"Lily," she replied quietly. "Who are you?"
He took a few steps towards her and then dropped into a crouch, his arms resting on his knees. "I'm Lucius. You're going to exacerbate your injuries if you try and curl yourself any smaller. Believe it or not, I have more self control than the monsters currently ravaging the country. I won't hurt you."
Lily unfurled herself a little, but remained where she was, eyeing Lucius. It was an odd name, she mused, but even with his jacket ripped and a cut across his cheekbone, she could tell that he was different to her.
He looked polished in a way, and his way of speaking was certainly posher than what she was used to.
"Are you heading for the coast?" Lucius asked, when it became clear that she wasn't going to say anything.
Lily nodded. "I got separated from my friends on the way there."
Lucius tilted his head slightly and regarded her thoughtfully for a long moment before he nodded. "Well, I'm sure this shack is big enough for the both of us for the evening. I'll be out of your way at first light."
"You're not heading for the coast?" she asked, when he stood up.
Lucius looked down at her. "I am."
And then he turned and left the room, leaving Lily to watch after him.
…
Lucius settled down in the empty second room, wrapped up in the dark blue sleeping bag he kept in his pack. Despite his need to sleep, his mind remained active, his thoughts on the waif of a girl in the other room.
He knew that the gentlemanly thing to do would be to offer to take her with him, but Lucius had never been a gentleman, not really.
Lily looked like she wouldn't last a day out in the world, and Lucius didn't really need the extra baggage—not to mention a second mouth to feed.
And yet… he found himself curious about her.
There was something interesting about her. Perhaps it was how attractive he found her—even beat up as she was, he could see her beauty clearly in her fiery hair and her bright green eyes.
Lucius shook his head and tried to focus his thoughts on Narcissa instead. His wife to be, likely awaiting him at the safe point, fearing for his safety. She was the reason he was fighting so hard to get there, after all. She was to be his future.
Eventually, Lucius dropped off into an uncomfortable sleep.
His dreams, usually filled with blonde hair and grey eyes, were instead red and green and bright.
…
Lily woke to the sound of footsteps and was already watching the door when Lucius entered the room. It was early, the sun was only just peeking through the bare windows.
"I'm leaving," Lucius said. "If you want me to take you to the coast, you'll have to be ready in five minutes."
Lily blinked up at him. She'd gotten the idea the previous night that he had no plans on letting her travel with him, and she couldn't help but wonder what had changed his mind over night.
Part of her wanted to refuse him. She got the feeling that he thought her pitiful, and she didn't want his pity. Another part, the more sensible part, knew that Lucius would be the best chance she had of getting to the coast.
She nodded and pushed herself to her feet, wincing at the pain in her limbs. She'd already been sore, and sleeping on the cold, hard floor all night hadn't helped at all.
Grateful for the small bathroom in the shack, Lily quickly relieved herself and washed her face, before she stepped out into the small kitchen to find Lucius waiting for her impatiently. He had a large pack on his back, and when he caught sight of her, he spun on his heel and out of the door, checking the surroundings before he walked out.
Lily followed behind him, grateful for the sun on her skin, warming her slowly.
She wasn't sure if conversation would be welcome, so she stayed silent, a couple of steps behind Lucius as they walked along the deserted road.
Lily didn't even know how far they were from the coast. In fairness, she didn't really have any idea where they were at all. Growing up, she'd stuck to the city, and even when she'd met James, she tended to avoid any trips to the countryside.
While James loved the outdoors and frequently went on camping trips with Sirius, Remus and Peter—his best friends—Lily was much happier and at home in the library, or on the occasional girls trip into the city with her friends.
Most of the time, she was a homebody.
When they'd had no choice but to strike out for the safe point, James had promised to keep her safe and get her there in one piece. She hoped that he wasn't feeling guilty for losing her—as much as she groused in her mind, she knew it wasn't his fault.
She only hoped that they hadn't gone back for her and gotten themselves in trouble. She was counting on James being there if she ever made it to the safe point.
It was the only thought that made her put one foot in front of the other to keep moving.
…
The silence was unsettling. Lucius had never spent time with people who were as timid as Lily was being before. His family, his friends, the people he associated with, they were all loud and proud, sure that whatever they had to say was the most important thing.
Lucius himself was the same, after all, they were all bred from the same well made cloth.
Unfortunately, Lucius didn't actually know what to say. It wasn't like this was a common situation, after all, and he'd never really been so good with new people. He'd grown up with the same crowd, and anyone new that he did meet was usually with a purpose.
They walked for miles, the sun rising overhead and making sweat trail down the back of Lucius' neck. Not once did Lily complain about the walking, despite the fact that Lucius knew she must be in pain. She was tiny, and he'd seen the bruises and cuts littering what he could see of her skin beneath the threadbare shirt and ripped jeans she wore.
Eventually, his own stomach clenching in protest, Lucius slowed his pace, looking around for somewhere they could rest. Lily followed him into the wooded area he spotted without complaint, though he did hear her gasp as she stumbled over a branch.
Lucius dropped his pack and crouched by it, seeing Lily lean back against a tree from the corner of his eye. He tugged the sleeping bag out and unfurled it on the floor, before he pulled out three nutrition bars and a small bottle of water.
"Come and sit down," he said to Lily, nodding at the sleeping bag.
She hesitated slightly but did as he said, lowering herself onto the plush material. Silently, Lucius handed her one of the nutrition bars and then opened the water, sipping it himself before he handed that over too.
"Thank you," she murmured, taking the water gratefully. He saw her close her eyes as she sipped the water, and he sighed, pulling another bottle from his bag.
"You can finish that one," he said, nodding to the bottle. "I don't have a lot, so we're going to have to ration both the water and the food, but you look like you need it."
Lily nodded. He saw her open her mouth to speak and then hesitate, but he waited her out.
"How far are we from the safe point?" she asked eventually, fingers fiddling with the wrapper edge.
Lucius wrinkled his nose. "I think we're a day or two out, if we can keep up the pace we kept today. Perhaps three days at most. If our luck holds, we won't run into any of them."
Lily shuddered but nodded her head.
"Did you run into trouble before? I can't imagine you started out on your own?"
Lily swallowed hard, but when she answered, her voice was a little stronger. "I was with my boyfriend and his friends, but we got separated just as we hit the city limits. I ran the wrong way, but I was too scared to go back and find them."
Lucius nodded. "Probably a wise decision."
They sat in silence for a while longer, before Lucius sighed. "Do you think you can walk further today?"
He watched a range of emotions cross her face before she seemed to settle on determination. "I can. I'll rest when I'm dead, right?"
Lucius' lips turned up in a small smile. "Well, let's hope that doesn't come anytime soon, shall we?"
…
Lily was surprised that they hadn't run into anyone else. She'd expected to come across other survivors striking out for the coast, but the bare country roads were eerily empty. The only sounds came from the occasional bird tweet, or a rustle in the bushes from a small animal hiding away.
Lucius kept glancing back at her, and after the fourth time he did it, she sped up just a little to walk by his side instead of behind him. The lack of cars on the roads took away the danger of walking two abreast on the country lane.
"I'm impressed you've managed to keep going," Lucius said softly, as the sun began to lower in the sky. "Not many of the women I know would have walked even half of the distance you've managed today."
It was somewhat sexist, and Lily thought about challenging him but decided against it. From the little conversation they'd shared, she'd gathered that he was from a very different world than she'd grown up in, despite the relatively small distance between them geographically.
"It's not like we're walking for fun," she said eventually. "I certainly wouldn't want to walk miles for no reason at all."
Lucius snorted. "I share the sentiment. I've never understood hiking as an activity."
"Nature isn't really my bag," Lily admitted.
Lucius smiled at her, and it was a different smile—this one seemed more honest than any he'd offered her so far.
"We should find somewhere to rest for the night," he said, looking up ahead of them. "I don't think we're going to be quite so lucky as we were last night to find that little shack. I believe the woodland is going to be the best we can get."
Lily nodded, glancing at the slowly darkening sky. "I don't suppose you know how to make a fire, do you?"
"Even if I did, drawing attention to ourselves wouldn't be a good plan," he said after a pause. "You can sleep in the sleeping bag."
Lily shook her head. "I won't take your bed."
"It's the only option we have," Lucius said, his pace slowing as he looked at the tree's lining the side of the road. "Through here."
She followed him through the tree's, wincing when the branches snagged at her already injured skin. Eventually, he found them a clearing and dropped his pack to the floor. It was darker in the trees, and Lily shivered.
All she wanted was to have James there to curl up against. He'd wrap her up in his arms and keep her warm, and she'd be allowed a reprieve from the worst of the fear, because if James were there, she'd know she was safe.
She perched herself on a tree stump as Lucius pulled his sleeping bag from the pack and unzipped it as far as it would go. She frowned as he lay it down on the flattest ground he could find.
"If we huddle together on top of it, we should both be able to get at least a little rest," he said when he was finally finished placing it.
The idea of hudding up to him made Lily feel a little bit uncomfortable, but James would understand. He had too, right? She was only trying to survive, and it wasn't like anything was going to happen.
"Thank you," she whispered.
He could have simply wrapped himself up in the sleeping bag and left her on the cold hard ground with no protection from the elements at all. She was grateful for all Lucius was doing for her.
He just… wasn't James.
…
Lily snuggled closer against him, shifting slightly in her sleep. Lucius tightened his grip on her and moved to fit her better to his chest. She felt… right, in his arms.
It was disconcerting.
Narcissa had never felt like she belonged quite so much when he'd held her close.
Lucius tried to push the thoughts away in order to get some much needed sleep, but he couldn't help but draw the comparisons. Holding Lily was how he'd always imagined holding Narcissa should feel.
One thing was for certain; Lucius wouldn't be telling his future wife anything about this when they were finally reunited.
If they were reunited.
He closed his eyes and let himself drift. For the second night in a row, red and green were the shades of his dreams.
…
When Lily opened her eyes, she almost squeaked. Lucius was spooned behind her, his arms wrapped around her—one beneath her neck and the other over her waist—and she could feel the little puffs of breath on her neck.
For the smallest of moments, she'd wanted to push back into his embrace.
Instead, she freed herself from his grip as carefully as she could, sliding her feet into her trainers.
She'd never longed for a shower quite so much as she did right now.
She walked deeper into the trees and found a spot to relieve herself, grimacing as she squatted in a bush. This was why she didn't enjoy nature. It was easier for men, who only needed to point and aim.
Feeling a little better—she could at least walk without pulling her thighs together—she returned to the little area they'd set up camp to find Lucius sitting up on the sleeping bag. His hair was a mess, and his eyes were still bleary with sleep, but she found that she liked it.
It was much better than his polished appearance when she'd first met him. He looked more human like this; more approachable.
"Good morning," she greeted softly.
"Hmph," he grunted, and she couldn't hold in a little giggle. Clearly he wasn't a morning person.
She sat on the same stump she had the night before while he woke up some, and by the time thirty minutes had passed, he was more alert, and his bag was repacked. He handed her a bottle of water and another nutrition bar, scarfing his own down quickly.
"Are you ready?" he asked, holding his hand out to help her stand. "I'm hopeful that we can possibly make it by tonight."
Lily accepted his help, and followed him from the woods. The sun wasn't quite so warm, the cloud cover blocking the much desired heat. She could only hope that it would clear up as the day progressed.
"Did you sleep okay?" Lucius asked, as she fell into step beside him.
Lily nodded. "Much better than I expected too actually. You?"
"Well, it wasn't a five star mattress," Lucius quipped, grinning at her. He seemed freer somehow, and she couldn't deny that his smile made her own widen.
Perhaps, despite the situation, today could be a good day.
…
Lucius found that he wanted to know Lily.
He wanted to know her likes and dislikes, her childhood stories, and her school life. He wanted to know what she did for fun, and what had hurt her in the past.
He wanted to know everything.
So he asked. He framed it as conversation to pass the day faster, and she engaged him in a way she hadn't since he'd met her. She asked him about his own life in turn, and he told her of growing up with a silver spoon firmly in his mouth.
Unlike most other girls he'd met in his life, she wasn't impressed with his money or his breeding. She was more interested in what made him tick, who he was as a person.
It was a novel experience.
And then, because his curiosity got the better of him, he asked about this 'James' that she hoped to find at the safe zone.
"I met him at school," she said, grinning slightly. "I absolutely detested him when we first met. He was arrogant, and a bit of a bully, and he and his friends were more interested in playing pranks than they were learning. He asked me out when we were eleven, and I was horrified."
Lucius quirked his eyebrow. "You speak so highly of him."
She laughed. "It was only when we were older, when we got into sixth form, that he grew up and proved to me that he could be a decent person. We started dating then, and now, I can't imagine my life without him."
"Do you live together?"
Lily nodded. "We bought a place together not that long ago. It's probably ruined now of course but… it was ours, you know?"
Lucius nodded, although honestly, he didn't. He still lived in his family manor. He'd never really seen the point in moving out when it was his to inherit eventually anyway. He couldn't imagine living anywhere else.
"What about you?" Lily asked then. "You mentioned a fiance?"
Lucius inclined his head. "A marriage chosen for me by my parents. Narcissa and I have been betrothed since she turned sixteen. We're set to marry in a few short months; or we were. I have no idea what will happen to our plans now."
"I'm sorry," Lily said softly. "That must be horrible."
"It is what it is," Lucius replied. "Narcissa is a good woman. She's born to a good family, and I like her company. Whatever happens, she is a good match for me."
"I can't imagine being told who to marry," Lily admitted. "It seems so… strange to me. I didn't even know that there were still families who did betrothals and things."
"It's a much smaller percentage than what it once was," Lucius said. "But some families still believe in the old ways, I suppose. Mine is one of those that do."
"Does that mean that you'll continue the tradition?" Lily asked, and Lucius was surprised that she seemed genuinely interested. "If you have children, I mean. Will you choose their spouse for them?"
"Most likely," Lucius said. "It is the way of life in which I was brought up."
Lily made a thoughtful noise. "Do you think you'd have chosen Narcissa for yourself, had you been given the option?"
Lucius blinked at the rather forward question and found himself a little surprised that he didn't have an answer. He thought for a moment about lying, but then Lily looked at him with her bright eyes, and he found he couldn't.
"I don't know."
…
"I think we should probably stop for the evening."
Lily could hear the frustration in Lucius' tone, and she nodded. She'd hoped they'd make it to the safe zone too, but she couldn't deny that she really didn't want to walk any further. Her legs had been hurting with every step that she took, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could have gone before they just gave up on her altogether.
For the second night, they found themselves in a clearing in the forest, hidden from the road and sitting on the single sleeping bag.
Lily had been most excited to realise there was a river nearby.
"I, uh. I'm going to go and clean up as best I can in the river," she told Lucius, her cheeks heating up.
He nodded. "Good idea. I'll go after you. Do you want me to stand close by, just in case?"
She hesitated before nodding, hating herself for feeling so weak, but she knew she'd feel better if he was within shouting distance.
"Thank you."
She toed her shoes off at the bank, then stripped her shirt and jeans away. She kept her underwear on, of course, already uncomfortable with the amount of skin on show, even if nobody was there to see it.
The water was freezing, but it felt amazing to rinse away some of the grime and dirt of the last few days, and she took a moment to just enjoy it. It was a simple pleasure, but not one she was going to take for granted ever again.
To put on her dirty clothes again wasn't the most pleasant feeling, and pulling her jeans up over still damp skin was an adventure all of its own, but she still felt better overall.
Dressed once more, she swapped places with Lucius, leaning against a tree as she listened to him splashing in the water. It sounded like he was taking as much joy from washing as she had.
They'd paused a little earlier than they had the day before, and so when Lucius returned, the two of them sat down on the sleeping bag. Lily was bone tired, but her mind was telling her it was too early to sleep.
"We'll get there tomorrow," Lucius said, patting her hand. "It's only a few more miles, maybe six, if I read the map correctly."
Lily nodded. "It'll be good to feel safe. To see if others made it there too."
"You'll be looking for your James, I know, but do you expect to see anyone else?"
"I… I don't know," Lily admitted. "My older sister, perhaps. She lives in Surrey, with her husband and son. I'd like to know if they're safe, but… we don't talk. I don't know if she'd even want to see me."
"I'm sure she would. Times like this, family arguments mean little, I expect."
"Ah, you don't know my sister," Lily said, smiling slightly. "I've never known a more stubborn person than Petunia. She put our dad to shame, and my mum always said that he was stubborn as a mule."
Lucius wrinkled his nose. "Perhaps she'll surprise you."
"That's if she's there. I wouldn't be surprised if her and her family are still holed up in their house in Surrey. Petunia wouldn't have wanted to leave and put her son in danger—she's quite paranoid, you see. She's uh, very protective of her son."
"You don't sound like you approve?"
Lily shrugged. "I just think that you can't protect children from everything. You have to let them live and make mistakes and even get hurt, or you're just creating a whole world of pain for them when they finally reach adulthood. I can't imagine being sheltered like that."
Lucius nodded. "I understand that. You have to let children stretch their wings somewhat."
"Exactly. Anyway, we fell out because Petunia didn't want James near her son, and it turned into a big argument and now… now she refuses to speak with me. But… she's my sister, so it would be nice to know that she's safe."
They moved onto lighter subjects from there, and it wasn't too long before Lily's eyelids were almost too heavy to keep open.
Lucius chuckled and told her to lay down, following after her. She thought she felt him pull her against him, but she was already asleep before she could see if he actually did.
…
Lucius woke up first the next morning, and he took a moment to watch Lily sleep. She was curled up beside him, her head resting on his arm, her own hands resting on his chest. She looked beautiful.
Worn out, exhausted even, but beautiful.
He knew that his thoughts were inappropriate, but the more he got to know the young woman, the more he saw why her James had spent so long trying to snap her up.
She was just so full of life.
He'd never met anyone like her before.
Lost in his thoughts, Lucius didn't realise Lily had woken up until he saw her green eyes shining brightly at him.
"Morning," she murmured, and Lucius just wanted to kiss her.
"Good morning," he said instead, sitting up when she moved her head off his arm. "We should leave as soon as we can. If we set off early, we should make it there in a couple of hours."
Lily nodded, smiling at him.
They packed up together, sharing a bottle of water and eating the last two nutrition bars in Lucius' stock.
Almost as soon as they were on the road, Lily decided that she wanted to play twenty questions. It passed an hour on, and Lucius indulged her mostly to see her smile.
A commotion in front of them distracted Lucius, and he pulled Lily in towards the hedge.
"What is it?" she asked, and he could hear the fear in her voice.
"I think…" Lucius trailed off as he crept forwards, peering around the corner. "I think it's the safe zone! Lily, we made it!"
He pulled her forwards, all hesitancy gone. They joined the small crowd of people, and were immediately pulled to the side by armed soldiers, separated from one another.
"What the hell?" Lucius demanded. "What is going on here?"
"We need to make sure you're not infected," the soldier holding him said, pushing him none-too-gently into a little portacabin. "Strip and stand with your arms as wide as you can so I can check you."
Lucius thought about protesting, but he didn't. The logical part of him knew this made sense, it was the other half of, the part that said he was a Malfoy and he deserved better treatment, that protested.
Somehow, in the last few days, that side of him had quietened.
…
In the mess of people and checks, Lily lost sight of Lucius. She was led from checkpoint to checkpoint, and eventually, in through a large fence. She paused in her step, amazed at what she was seeing.
All around her, groups of people clustered together. There were tents littering the ground everywhere she looked.
She couldn't believe the amount of people that had made it here.
"Uh," she turned around, looking for an official of some sort. Finally, her eyes lit on yet another soldier and she pushed through the crowd towards him.
"Excuse me?"
The soldier looked at her. "Yes?"
"Is there a… a list of people here? Or, um. A… way to find people, if they're here?"
The soldier nodded, pointing out a gazebo a little way down the field. "Over there. There's a lady named Minerva on the tent, she'll be able to help you find who you're looking for if they're here."
"Thank you," Lily replied, already turning on her heel towards the tent. For a moment, thoughts of waiting for Lucius left her mind. She had to know if James had made it.
"Yes dear?" Minerva greeted her, when she reached the desk. "Who are you looking for?"
"James Potter, Sirius Black or, um. Petunia Dursley?"
The woman pulled a large file in front of her and scanned through the names.
"Ah. Yes, James Potter and Sirius Black. They are here, and have been assigned to plot E7." Minerva stood up, pointing up the field and across. "Just up there, dear."
Lily grinned widely, her heart pounding in her chest. "Thank you! Thank you so much! I… Petunia Dursley?"
Minerva checked her list again and then shook her head sadly. "Sorry, Dear. There are no Dursley's on the list."
…
"Lucius!" Narcissa stood as he approached them, her eyes wide. "How on earth did you make it here?"
"I walked," he told her, leaning down to press a kiss to her cheek automatically. "You're okay?"
She nodded. "I can't believe you walked. When you missed the bus… I thought that you'd—"
Lucius nodded, letting her drop the sentence. He frowned when he realised Rosier was glaring at him, and then he thought back to just how close Narcissa had been sitting to him before she caught sight of Lucius.
"Oh. Oh, you and Rosier. That… didn't take long at all did it?"
"Lucius, you must understand—"
"I understand perfectly well."
"Now that you're here—"
Lucius walked away without letting her finish her sentence. He just… didn't care enough to fight Rosier for jumping into his place without so much as a mourning period, and he didn't care enough to fight for Narcissa to stay with him.
He… he wanted Lily.
…
Lily made her way across the field, scanning the way until finally, finally she caught sight of a familiar flash of messy black hair.
"JAMES!"
Her boyfriend, sitting at the fireplace with his head in his hands, sat up suddenly and turned to look for her, his eyes widening in disbelief and shock before the look melted away into one of pure relief.
They ran to each other, meeting in the middle, and James picked Lily up, spinning her around.
"I can't believe you made it here! How did you make it here? Oh my god, Lils, I've been so worried about you!"
Lily squeezed James and then stepped back a little, though she slipped her hand into his. "I hid in a little shack after I ran, and then a guy came and he brought me here. Which is probably for the best, since I'd have gotten lost in the first ten minutes if I'd been on my own."
"Guy? What guy?"
"Uh, he was called Lucius. Lucius Malfoy."
James blinked. "Narcissa's Lucius?"
It was Lily's turn to be confused. "How do you know her?"
"She's Sirius' cousin. They don't talk, obviously, you know how Sirius feels about his family, but… yeah. I'm surprised, he doesn't seem the survival type."
"He did really well, James. He got me here in what piece, didn't he?"
"I guess so," James said, tugging her closer again. "I thought—"
"Hey," Lily murmured, when he broke off, too choked to continue. "I'm good, James. I'm okay. Tired, but okay."
James nodded. "C'mon. You should rest some."
He led her to a small tent and gestured for her to go inside. Lily wrinkled her nose. "Is there anywhere I can shower and get some clean clothes?"
"Oh, of course," James said, nodding his head towards the other end of the field. "I'll come with you. I think… I think maybe I'm not ever letting you out of my sight again."
Laughing, Lily let him pull her along beside him. It was so good to be back with him.
…
"Lily."
Lily stopped and turned around, surprised to see Lucius. "Hey! Did you find your people?"
It had been a few days since they'd arrived at the camp, and though Lily had looked for him, she hadn't been able to find the blond man in the throng of people that seemed to be growing daily.
Lucius smiled at her. "I did. I assume you found yours?"
"James and Sirius are here," she replied, nodding. "Petunia… I didn't think she would be."
Lucius stepped closer. "I'm glad you found him. He… He's lucky to have you, Miss Lily."
"I, uh," Lily blushed. "Narcissa is lucky to have you too, you know?"
With another step, Lucius was right in front of Lily and he cupped her cheek. Bending down, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
"In another life, I would make you mine," he murmured, before he put some space between them once more.
Lily raised a hand to her lips and met his eyes. She tilted her head slightly. "In another life… I would have let you."
With a sad smile, Lucius turned away. Lily watched him go, her heart hurting for him. He had so much more to give than he realised.
"You okay?"
She turned to see James walking towards her, a smile on his face.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good."
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Nature Scavenger Hunt: List 4 - Timid
Birdhouse Building: Step 1 - Gloves
Petting Zoo: Petting the Chicken: Lesson
Teacup Ride: Pink Swirls: Apocalypse!AU
Bunny Bingo: Dark Blue
Farmville: The Dairy Barn: Relieved
April Fools: Rubber Snake: Fear