**A/N: Thanks to all the people who replied and reminded me I needed to get
another part out to you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**
~*~
The-Mother-Who-Lived 2/?
~*~
Knowing it would be too dangerous to monitor Harry while he was at the Dursley's, Lily had spent many years waiting in the nearby wizarding district, Diagon Alley. She'd chosen it because she could easily slip into the Muggle world to glimpse her son, and still receive necessary information in the wizarding world.
It wasn't exactly pleasant, spending her life as a cat, roaming the streets, but at least she was able to keep her ears open for any mention of her son. The day he first set foot into the wizarding world still held strong in her mind. She wanted so badly to be there sharing it with him. Instead, all she could do was watch him with Hagrid as he prepared for a life he'd yet to know anything about.
Since Harry had first started at Hogwarts, Lily'd made certain to know every detail she could find about him and his life. She'd done this by taking up residence at a pet store manned by an elderly witch. Many people, especially Hogwarts students looking for a pet, came into the shop. She'd been careful to make herself seem fairly unadoptable as to not be purchased by anyone. The old witch treated her quite well and she lived a comfortable life while gathering information from the store's customers.
Then it happened, one day, he walked through the door. She could hardly believe her eyes. She was so thrilled, her son was there, and so close she could touch him. Before she could do think what to do, Ron produced the bane of her existence, Peter Pettigrew. She knew his animagus form instantaneously. Wild rage had overtaken her as she attempted to attack.
After being shooed away, she'd fretted she'd lost her chance to leave with her son. That's when she noticed the girl. Hermione, one of her son's best friends, just happened to be looking for a pet. To her luck, the girl fancied her, especially considering her general dislike for Ron's pet rat.
Leaving the pet store and traveling to Hogwarts was like nothing she'd ever hoped for. Here she could see her son daily, maybe ever get the chance to reveal herself to him someday.
Unfortunately for Lily, after Peter's escape and Voldemort's rise, she knew revealing herself would only put her son in more danger. She longed for the day when Lord Voldemort was to be defeated, Sirius's name cleared, her son safe, and for when she herself could return to the life she wished for so dearly.
~*~
"I just don't see why you have to bring that stupid cat with us to see Snuffles!" Ron eyed Hermione. She had Crookshanks happily over her shoulder as she, Ron, and Harry made their way down a long, dark tunnel leading out of Hogwarts toward the city of Hogsmeade.
"Just say Sirius you dimwit, there's no one besides us here," she rolled her eyes at their dark surrounding. Her voice echoed of the walls of the tunnel in a hollow tone.
"But the cat..."
"Ron, Crookshanks and Sirius are friends, remember? Who helped to find Peter when he was hiding with you," she said matter of factly as they continued down the tunnel.
"Just because your stupid cat chased my.chased Peter, doesn't mean it's best friends with Sirius! Besides, that's what cats do! They eat small, furry creatures!" Ron had never quite gotten to like Crookshanks, even after it had been revealed that Peter was an animagus.
"Would you two quit," Harry sighed, "There's the entrance to Honeyduke's cellar, now shut up so I can get us in."
Ron and Hermione sighed; yet quit their bickering and followed Harry.
After quietly slipping on Harry's invisibility cloak, the trio made their way to the outcropping outside town where Sirius currently resided.
Entering a dark cave and pulling off the cloak, they were greeted by a large, black dog. The dog quickly shifted into human form upon seeing them, and rushed over to embrace Harry.
Harry, never having known his father, had grown extremely close to Sirius and considered him to be the next best thing.
"How's everything at school?" he immediately questioned.
"Fine," Harry replied.
"I haven't heard anything either," he hinted about Voldemort, "but I'm always listening."
"We brought you some mince meat pies from the kitchen," Ron interjected producing and basket containing the pies.
Sirius thanked him and took the parcel. After putting it away, the looked back up to see Hermione and Crookshanks.
A strange look the three could not place swept across his face, "You brought her."
"Crookshanks is a boy," Hermione said flatly, releasing her cat to the ground. It had been squirming to be released since they'd entered the cave.
"Right, of course," he said and the cat quickly moved over to Sirius and jumped into his lap, taking a dainty seat on his knee. He looked at the cat silently for a moment then turned back to the trio.
"I...I um, I left some firewood down by the edge of the forest. Would it be asking too much for you three to bring it up to me? It's been getting rather cold at night recently," he said a bit shakily.
The three didn't seem to notice and agreed, leaving almost immediately to help in any way they could. None of the wanted Sirius leaving the cave in his human form and suffer the risk of being spotted.
As soon as they did, the cat hopped from Sirius knee, to the cold dirt floor of the cave. Moments later in its place stood a lovely adult woman.
"It's been too long," Sirius's eyes watered as he pulled Lily into a tight embrace.
"I know," she held him tightly back.
"Two years now?" he said with a heavy note, as they pulled apart.
"Nearly. At any mention of your name, I've tried to hint. Finally, Hermione decided to bring me along," she sighed, stepping back and rubbing her arms. With a now lack of fur, she was suddenly colder than she'd been before.
"How's Harry?" he asked immediately.
"He's doing fine. His grades are up, he's a prefect now you know," she beamed. "He's well liked." She faltered.
"I know. I'm worried too. It's frightens me too," he put a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"I know Harry can take care of himself, but the fact that V...Voldemort's," she choked out the name, "been lying dormant for so long.It really frightens me what he may be planning, Sirius..."
"Don't ever forget that your son is strong. He's beaten Voldemort three times to date, I have no doubt in my mind the boy can hold his own," Sirius attempted to comfort Lily, though he knew words would never be even to ease her angst.
"It's a mother's prerogative to worry," she lowered her gaze to the floor.
"We'll find Voldemort before he has the chance to do anymore harm. You know every member of the order is working on it right now," he smiled, watching her with kind eyes as she let her gaze shift back up to meet his while he spoke.
"I wish I could do more," said Lily. She let herself give in to another small shiver.
"You're doing all that you can," Sirius sighed. "Everything you've done since Harry was born was solely for him. Sometimes, I think you do too much."
"I want him to see me," she spoke suddenly and without warning. Her expression changed to that of a very serious nature.
"Lily.you know what I think about this," Sirius had already talked her out of the idea on multiple occasions.
"What if when the time comes, he won't forgive me from keeping this from him for so many year?" The hint of fear in her voice was unmistakable.
"Harry's not like that," he reassured her.
"Still, he deserves his mother! My being alive will not put anymore of a threat on him than is already poised. And just because I want to return doesn't mean I'll put myself in any more danger than the rest of the Order is in. I can't stand hiding anymore when all of you are still out there, fighting!" Lily threw up her hands in exasperation as she paced around the cave.
"All right, I'm not going to stop you this time," said Sirius, very calmly.
"What?" Lily stopped in her tracks. She'd at least expected him to attempt putting up a fight.
"You're right, the boy deserves his family," he offered her a heartfelt smile.
"I.are you sure?" she was still surprised he wasn't fighting her on this anymore.
"Are you suddenly unsure?" laughed Sirius.
"I.No, no I'm not," she spoke slowly, mainly to herself, as she absorbed what she was saying.
"Then all I can suggest is that you wait until you and Harry can be alone to do it. He'll have a lot of questions for you," Sirius walked over to her and put a supportive hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you," she smiled, pulling her dear friend into a hug. As she pulled away, her eyes lit up. "Do you realize what this mean?!"
"That I do," he smiled heartily.
"If I'm not dead, you cannot be charged for my murder any longer. I'll send Dumbledore for you immediately. I've been getting updates from him as frequently as I could escape the Gryffindor common room unseen. That will be two more of us who can fully join the ranks to help the Order's crusade. We can do this!" her smile was brighter than he's seen in years.
"I." Sirius cut short as some footsteps were heard near the entrance. He glanced at the doorway to see Harry, Hermione, and Ron enter the cave. When to turned back, Lily was gone. Instead, Crookshanks sat looking also toward the trio in the doorway.
"Were you talking to someone?" Harry inquired, dropping his arm load of wood near the entryway. "We thought heard voices."
Sirius panicked for a moment, but upon looking at the three again, and seeing their still innocent expressions, he realized they didn't think much of it.
"Not unless you count Hermione's cat here," he smiled, bending down and giving Crookshanks a soft pet to the head.
"Now, why don't the four of us sit down and play a game of team wizard's chess?" Sirius smiled as the three nodded in assent.
~*~
"So, I'll see you at dinner?" Harry called to his friends as he climbed the stairs up the to him room.
"Of course," Hermione called, stepping through the portrait hole, her arms full of books. She was heading off to the library to study.
"Ya.uh huh," Ron barely mumbled in acknowledgement. He was deep into another game of wizard's chess, this time with Dean Thomas, their fellow Gryffindor.
The three had returned about an hour prior from a nice visit with Sirius. It always put Harry in a better mood, having spent time with his godfather.
"All right, see you then," he called as he opened the door to the room he shared with Ron, Neville, Dean, and Seamus. He was the only one there at the time. All he wanted to do was lie down and take a quick nap before they had dinner in two hours. It had been a busy week, and with class again he next day, he'd yet to enjoy and rest.
He'd barely slipped his shoes off and flopped down on his comforter when he heard the door to his room creak open and shut.
"Ron is that." he sat up to see who'd entered, "Oh, it's you." He frowned as Hermione's cat stopped dead center in the room. It flipped its tail and tipped its head in curiosity as it watched Harry. "What are you doing here Crookshanks? Shoo now. Go back to the girl's room."
The cat simply stared back at Harry unflinchingly.
"I said." but Harry cut short as right before his eyes, the cat shifted into the form of a human.
END OF PART TWO...sorry it took so, long, I've been really busy with classes! It will be a much sooner turnover for the next part, I promise!
Please R/R! It's all you people who remind me I need to get this done!!
~*~
The-Mother-Who-Lived 2/?
~*~
Knowing it would be too dangerous to monitor Harry while he was at the Dursley's, Lily had spent many years waiting in the nearby wizarding district, Diagon Alley. She'd chosen it because she could easily slip into the Muggle world to glimpse her son, and still receive necessary information in the wizarding world.
It wasn't exactly pleasant, spending her life as a cat, roaming the streets, but at least she was able to keep her ears open for any mention of her son. The day he first set foot into the wizarding world still held strong in her mind. She wanted so badly to be there sharing it with him. Instead, all she could do was watch him with Hagrid as he prepared for a life he'd yet to know anything about.
Since Harry had first started at Hogwarts, Lily'd made certain to know every detail she could find about him and his life. She'd done this by taking up residence at a pet store manned by an elderly witch. Many people, especially Hogwarts students looking for a pet, came into the shop. She'd been careful to make herself seem fairly unadoptable as to not be purchased by anyone. The old witch treated her quite well and she lived a comfortable life while gathering information from the store's customers.
Then it happened, one day, he walked through the door. She could hardly believe her eyes. She was so thrilled, her son was there, and so close she could touch him. Before she could do think what to do, Ron produced the bane of her existence, Peter Pettigrew. She knew his animagus form instantaneously. Wild rage had overtaken her as she attempted to attack.
After being shooed away, she'd fretted she'd lost her chance to leave with her son. That's when she noticed the girl. Hermione, one of her son's best friends, just happened to be looking for a pet. To her luck, the girl fancied her, especially considering her general dislike for Ron's pet rat.
Leaving the pet store and traveling to Hogwarts was like nothing she'd ever hoped for. Here she could see her son daily, maybe ever get the chance to reveal herself to him someday.
Unfortunately for Lily, after Peter's escape and Voldemort's rise, she knew revealing herself would only put her son in more danger. She longed for the day when Lord Voldemort was to be defeated, Sirius's name cleared, her son safe, and for when she herself could return to the life she wished for so dearly.
~*~
"I just don't see why you have to bring that stupid cat with us to see Snuffles!" Ron eyed Hermione. She had Crookshanks happily over her shoulder as she, Ron, and Harry made their way down a long, dark tunnel leading out of Hogwarts toward the city of Hogsmeade.
"Just say Sirius you dimwit, there's no one besides us here," she rolled her eyes at their dark surrounding. Her voice echoed of the walls of the tunnel in a hollow tone.
"But the cat..."
"Ron, Crookshanks and Sirius are friends, remember? Who helped to find Peter when he was hiding with you," she said matter of factly as they continued down the tunnel.
"Just because your stupid cat chased my.chased Peter, doesn't mean it's best friends with Sirius! Besides, that's what cats do! They eat small, furry creatures!" Ron had never quite gotten to like Crookshanks, even after it had been revealed that Peter was an animagus.
"Would you two quit," Harry sighed, "There's the entrance to Honeyduke's cellar, now shut up so I can get us in."
Ron and Hermione sighed; yet quit their bickering and followed Harry.
After quietly slipping on Harry's invisibility cloak, the trio made their way to the outcropping outside town where Sirius currently resided.
Entering a dark cave and pulling off the cloak, they were greeted by a large, black dog. The dog quickly shifted into human form upon seeing them, and rushed over to embrace Harry.
Harry, never having known his father, had grown extremely close to Sirius and considered him to be the next best thing.
"How's everything at school?" he immediately questioned.
"Fine," Harry replied.
"I haven't heard anything either," he hinted about Voldemort, "but I'm always listening."
"We brought you some mince meat pies from the kitchen," Ron interjected producing and basket containing the pies.
Sirius thanked him and took the parcel. After putting it away, the looked back up to see Hermione and Crookshanks.
A strange look the three could not place swept across his face, "You brought her."
"Crookshanks is a boy," Hermione said flatly, releasing her cat to the ground. It had been squirming to be released since they'd entered the cave.
"Right, of course," he said and the cat quickly moved over to Sirius and jumped into his lap, taking a dainty seat on his knee. He looked at the cat silently for a moment then turned back to the trio.
"I...I um, I left some firewood down by the edge of the forest. Would it be asking too much for you three to bring it up to me? It's been getting rather cold at night recently," he said a bit shakily.
The three didn't seem to notice and agreed, leaving almost immediately to help in any way they could. None of the wanted Sirius leaving the cave in his human form and suffer the risk of being spotted.
As soon as they did, the cat hopped from Sirius knee, to the cold dirt floor of the cave. Moments later in its place stood a lovely adult woman.
"It's been too long," Sirius's eyes watered as he pulled Lily into a tight embrace.
"I know," she held him tightly back.
"Two years now?" he said with a heavy note, as they pulled apart.
"Nearly. At any mention of your name, I've tried to hint. Finally, Hermione decided to bring me along," she sighed, stepping back and rubbing her arms. With a now lack of fur, she was suddenly colder than she'd been before.
"How's Harry?" he asked immediately.
"He's doing fine. His grades are up, he's a prefect now you know," she beamed. "He's well liked." She faltered.
"I know. I'm worried too. It's frightens me too," he put a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"I know Harry can take care of himself, but the fact that V...Voldemort's," she choked out the name, "been lying dormant for so long.It really frightens me what he may be planning, Sirius..."
"Don't ever forget that your son is strong. He's beaten Voldemort three times to date, I have no doubt in my mind the boy can hold his own," Sirius attempted to comfort Lily, though he knew words would never be even to ease her angst.
"It's a mother's prerogative to worry," she lowered her gaze to the floor.
"We'll find Voldemort before he has the chance to do anymore harm. You know every member of the order is working on it right now," he smiled, watching her with kind eyes as she let her gaze shift back up to meet his while he spoke.
"I wish I could do more," said Lily. She let herself give in to another small shiver.
"You're doing all that you can," Sirius sighed. "Everything you've done since Harry was born was solely for him. Sometimes, I think you do too much."
"I want him to see me," she spoke suddenly and without warning. Her expression changed to that of a very serious nature.
"Lily.you know what I think about this," Sirius had already talked her out of the idea on multiple occasions.
"What if when the time comes, he won't forgive me from keeping this from him for so many year?" The hint of fear in her voice was unmistakable.
"Harry's not like that," he reassured her.
"Still, he deserves his mother! My being alive will not put anymore of a threat on him than is already poised. And just because I want to return doesn't mean I'll put myself in any more danger than the rest of the Order is in. I can't stand hiding anymore when all of you are still out there, fighting!" Lily threw up her hands in exasperation as she paced around the cave.
"All right, I'm not going to stop you this time," said Sirius, very calmly.
"What?" Lily stopped in her tracks. She'd at least expected him to attempt putting up a fight.
"You're right, the boy deserves his family," he offered her a heartfelt smile.
"I.are you sure?" she was still surprised he wasn't fighting her on this anymore.
"Are you suddenly unsure?" laughed Sirius.
"I.No, no I'm not," she spoke slowly, mainly to herself, as she absorbed what she was saying.
"Then all I can suggest is that you wait until you and Harry can be alone to do it. He'll have a lot of questions for you," Sirius walked over to her and put a supportive hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you," she smiled, pulling her dear friend into a hug. As she pulled away, her eyes lit up. "Do you realize what this mean?!"
"That I do," he smiled heartily.
"If I'm not dead, you cannot be charged for my murder any longer. I'll send Dumbledore for you immediately. I've been getting updates from him as frequently as I could escape the Gryffindor common room unseen. That will be two more of us who can fully join the ranks to help the Order's crusade. We can do this!" her smile was brighter than he's seen in years.
"I." Sirius cut short as some footsteps were heard near the entrance. He glanced at the doorway to see Harry, Hermione, and Ron enter the cave. When to turned back, Lily was gone. Instead, Crookshanks sat looking also toward the trio in the doorway.
"Were you talking to someone?" Harry inquired, dropping his arm load of wood near the entryway. "We thought heard voices."
Sirius panicked for a moment, but upon looking at the three again, and seeing their still innocent expressions, he realized they didn't think much of it.
"Not unless you count Hermione's cat here," he smiled, bending down and giving Crookshanks a soft pet to the head.
"Now, why don't the four of us sit down and play a game of team wizard's chess?" Sirius smiled as the three nodded in assent.
~*~
"So, I'll see you at dinner?" Harry called to his friends as he climbed the stairs up the to him room.
"Of course," Hermione called, stepping through the portrait hole, her arms full of books. She was heading off to the library to study.
"Ya.uh huh," Ron barely mumbled in acknowledgement. He was deep into another game of wizard's chess, this time with Dean Thomas, their fellow Gryffindor.
The three had returned about an hour prior from a nice visit with Sirius. It always put Harry in a better mood, having spent time with his godfather.
"All right, see you then," he called as he opened the door to the room he shared with Ron, Neville, Dean, and Seamus. He was the only one there at the time. All he wanted to do was lie down and take a quick nap before they had dinner in two hours. It had been a busy week, and with class again he next day, he'd yet to enjoy and rest.
He'd barely slipped his shoes off and flopped down on his comforter when he heard the door to his room creak open and shut.
"Ron is that." he sat up to see who'd entered, "Oh, it's you." He frowned as Hermione's cat stopped dead center in the room. It flipped its tail and tipped its head in curiosity as it watched Harry. "What are you doing here Crookshanks? Shoo now. Go back to the girl's room."
The cat simply stared back at Harry unflinchingly.
"I said." but Harry cut short as right before his eyes, the cat shifted into the form of a human.
END OF PART TWO...sorry it took so, long, I've been really busy with classes! It will be a much sooner turnover for the next part, I promise!
Please R/R! It's all you people who remind me I need to get this done!!