TW: MENTION OF DEATH, LOSS, WAR, NIGHTMARE, TRAUMA, BLOOD TORTURE

On the way to heaven

Disclaimer: Everything you might recognize from the Harry Potter world belongs to JKR and her team.

The rain pattered softly against the car, little droplets racing down the windows. Bright orange and white lights reflected on the wet ground, tracing mysterious shadows and shapes which danced on the side doors. The car's headlights pierced through the darkness as it raced along the mostly empty highway. If one looked through the windows, somewhere far in the night, the dim, flickering lights of buildings could be seen amidst the darkness. Aside from the music, silence reigned inside of the car, only interrupted by the occasional swift whooshing noise of a passing vehicle. James drove carefully, warm brown eyes fixed on the road ahead, gently humming along to Queen. Curled up on the seat next to him, Lily was peacefully dozing off, a stray strand of dark red hair fluttering lightly over her pale freckled face with every breath. Tearing his eyes off the road for a quick second, he gazed at his beautiful wife, who appeared almost ethereal in the flashing white lights. She looked so calm, so fragile, as if the faintest wind gust would shatter her into pieces like a porcelain doll. James knew though, that Lily Potter was far from being a doll in need of delicate treatment. On the contrary, every inch of her five foot stature was pure fire, passion, kindness and untameable power waiting to be unleashed. He and she had chosen this summer to finally go on their well overdue, deserved holiday, leaving Harry behind with the Weasleys at the Burrow for a couple weeks. So far, the road trip through Italy had been nothing short of marvellous, every city more beautiful than the other. They were now lost somewhere in Tuscany, on the way to Milan.

Suddenly, Lily grunted, turning around in her seat. Reaching over, James turned off the music, but it did not calm her in the least. She whimpered, curling into a metal position. "Lily! Lily! Wake up, sweetie, it's ok, I'm here!" He whispered, but it did not have any effect on her.

She was now thrashing wildly in her seat, straining against the seatbelt, whimpering, red locks splayed messily across the soft black leather of the carseat. Her eyes were sealed shut, as if trying to escape some kind of nightmare, and her face contracted into a horrid mask of pain. She was clenching her fists tightly, nails digging into her to soothe her, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. She screamed and everything went dark.

*Lily was walking down an ancient, dimly lit, cobblestone street, lined with ancient buildings. A strange, green light, emanated from a cemetery far in front of her. She was heading there, dark fog swirling around her feet as she shivered violently, her flimsy sweater barely protecting her from the harsh, cold wind. A bizarre, wet earth smell mixed with a foul scent, as if something where rotting somewhere nearby, filled the air. She walked faster, finally reaching the end of the street. The iron gate opened with a screeching, eery sound. The rotting smell was stronger here, and the fog thickened as she advanced between the old carved headstones. An old oak tree grew next to a marble shrine, its thick, heavy branches weighing on the cracked marble slabs. And behind it, the green light was stronger than ever. Just as she made her way around the tree, a cold hand grabbed her and darkness swallowed her, leaving all of her questions unanswered*

*She woke up in what appeared to be the living room of an old manor. The dark wooden parquet was cold and hard under her back, impossibly smooth, and if she looked up, she could see marble columns rising high up, supporting the painted ceiling. Other than a big, cold, unlit fireplace, the room was empty, and she was alone. Nevertheless, she couldn't shake off the feeling of being watched, observed, studied as if she were some mere lab rat. Then the pain hit. Sudden outbursts, punctuated by red flashes. Sometimes her whole body was engulfed in unbearable agony, at other moments, the torture curse hit very precise spots, concentrating all of its energy in one single place. It was the worst thing she ever experienced. She couldn't tell if she had been thrashing and crying on the floor for hours, or mere minutes. Neither time nor space made sense anymore, it was just pain, pain, and more unsurmountable pain. Somewhere not far from her, a mad, high-pitched cackle resonated in the cavernous room, and then darkness overcame her again. This time it was merciful bliss.*

*Warm golden light lit the frosted windows of the Potter house. The snowed garden glistened and shone softly under the silvery starlight, its plants frozen in time. She pushed the heavy wooden door open and entered the house. Inside, everything was oddly silent, when it should have been filled with joyful talk and laughter, it was after all, Christmas Eve. Cautiously, she wandered through the long, sinewy corridors, which appeared to be never-ending, which was quite strange, as she did not remember it being this way. Finally, after turning around yet another corner, she found the living room. Half empty platters of cookies were abandoned on the dining table, and the logs crackled loudly in the fireplace. The room smelled of cinnamon and sweets, tarnished by a strong metallic scent. And in the middle of it all, the lifeless bodies of Fleamont and Euphemia Potter, as well as Remus' and Sirius', bathed in pools of scarlet blood. Behind the giant Christmas tree, James' hand peeked out between the gifts, still cradling his glasses. He too, was dead. Lily screamed.*

James woke up, startled. His mind was all foggy, his memories unclear. Slowly looking around, he saw Lily in her seat, head limp against the window, passed out. Rain clattered loudly against the car windows, they were plunged in semi-darkness salve for the flickering lights of the headboard, and they were in what appeared to be, an empty highway. Then, he remembered. Lily had screamed, and startled, he had lost control of the car, slipping along the wet road. Miraculously, they had only bumped into a barrier without causing much damage, as he had been able to cast a Cushioning charm before the crash. They were safe.

*A lady, dressed in white took her hand, as Lily woke up yet again in another place. This time, it seemed to be a green-house, but it was empty. Sunlight filtered through the glass panels, falling on her and the unknown woman, making them glow ethereally.

"Who are you?"

"You may call me Aila, sweetheart. Now, we don't have much time, we need to get you to the Further Realm."

"Excuse me but—"

"I will answer your questions in due time. Do not fear, you are safe with me, it is time for you to go," she answered gently, squeezing her hand.

The witch was confused, but strangely…at peace. She did not remember much, she just knew one thing: her name was Lily. All of a sudden, a voice echoed through the empty room, it repeated her name, over and over again. The sun shone brighter.*

"Lily! Lily!" James shook her. "Wake up! Please, wake up!"

Slowly peeling her eyes open, she glanced up at him. He breathed a sigh of relief: she was fine, his wife was fine. He kissed her. It warm and soft, full of kindness and love. Yet something was wrong; he felt a tear stream down his cheek. Lily was crying, her green eyes full of tears which slipped past her long lashes.

"You were dead," she whispered, trembling. "You were all dead!"

She was now sobbing uncontrollably, panicked.

"Shh," he murmured against her hair, hugging her tightly and rocking her gently against his chest. "It was just a bad dream, it's over Lils, I'm here now, perfectly healthy, it's over now."

"It's over," she repeated shakily. "It's over."

Somewhere far in the distance, sirens of police cars and ambulances could be heard.

Author's note: This Jily one-shot just kinda came to me while I was out on a walk on a rainy day, kinda inspired by my roadtrip in Italy. As always, all of my stories and more can be found on my fan account marauderswriting on Instagram. Read and review!

b-bye, daya