The one where James bets Lily a Coke
Lily folded a napkin in her lap and made her expression as happy as she could. She hated having dinner with Peter, it always made her angry and sad. Angry, that he could sit there and be the wonderful host when he is preparing to betray her family to his master, and sad because there was nothing that she could do that would bring Alexia out of the mix.
Alexia was chatting brightly; being around people she knew and loved making her easy to talk to. She was telling her guests all about the baby she was going to have, when the due date was, all the normal things any happy soon to be mother would tell total strangers. No one would ever guess what was going on in the pretty head of hers. No one would guess at the things she truly wanted. Things that did not involve the completion of the nursery in time for the baby.
Peter and James retreated to the "study" which was now a recreation room since Peter did not want to study any more than he had to and Alexia had a personal library for all her books. Lily was led to a room down the hall (the long, long hall decorated with paintings of both sides of the family.) that was as cold and as emotionless as the rest. She had been quite shocked when she entered, feeling like the place was a house, not a home. It was quite eerie; the place had no warmth at all, although the fire was blazing.
'I'm glad we can have this time to chat, Lily.' Alexia said, smiling brightly as she offered her some refreshments.
'So am I, Alexia. We hardly ever get to talk anymore. What, with our husbands always being with us.' Lily gave her a small smile, feeling like she was walking on thin ice. It surprised her that she thought of talking to one of her best friends as uncomfortable, yet, here she was, wishing James would hurry up and take her home. Instead of fleeing from Alexia's company, she bounced Harry on her knee and took a sip of the wine in her goblet.
'I know, it is quite distressing. I almost feel like I don't know you anymore.' She laughed and Lily forced herself to chuckle as well. What was wrong with her today?
'Are you looking forward to having the baby?' Lily asked, her arms tightening around Harry subconsciously.
'Oh, I am!' Alexia announced, slapping her thighs as a thought came to her. 'Do you think I would be allowed to hold Harry for a bit? Just the get the feel for it?'
Lily shook her head without thinking. The action shocked her and she made a up a lie to go with it. 'He's being fussy lately. He's pinching and kicking everybody who tries to hold him, other than his parents. Sorry, Alexia. Maybe when he has had a nap.'
Something flashed in her dark eyes, but it was gone before Lily could figure out what it was. She looked crestfallen, though. 'Oh well, maybe later.' She smiled and started talking about her new job that seemed to be bringing in the big dollars.
After all the avenues of conversation had been well and truly used, James appeared in the doorway. 'Lily, it's time to go home. It's passed all of our bedtimes.' He smiled and held out his hand for his wife. She stood up and accepted it, saying good bye to Alexia over her shoulder. James took her to the living room where the fireplace was.
'I don't know what was wrong with Peter tonight.' James mused, hanging his coat on the hook by the front door. 'He seemed really nervous around me.'
'I had a weird feeling around Alexia too. Almost like I didn't want to be near her. It was weird.'
'I think,' he said, pulling her into an embrace; he loved having his family encircled in his arms, 'that it could have something to do with what we both know is going to happen soon.' James' voice was not angry, merely weary and sad.
'I think it is worse that we actually know what is going to happen. I want to see Harry grow up so much.'
'So do I.' He paused, as if debating whether to say something or not. Finally, she said, 'I don't know if Peter has it in him to betray us.'
'James, you must be joking. Everyone knows that he does in the future.' Lily broke out of the hug to put Harry in his crib. 'You aren't thinking of using him as our --,'
A loud pounding cut her off on the door. Sharing a look with Lily, James went and opened it, letting in an exhausted looking Remus carrying an unconscious Sirius. 'What on earth happened?'
'Death Eaters knew where he was hiding.' Remus said, shaking.
'James, go put on the kettle and make some tea. Remus, are you hurt?' Lily took over and knelt by Sirius' form, checking for any wounds.
'Nothing much, really Lily.' He said, collapsing on the couch.
'I don't believe you.' She gave him a reassuring smile. Pointing her wand at Sirius, she said: "Enervate." He sat up with a start, eyes wide and looking dazed. 'Lie still for gods' sake, Sirius.' Lily murmured. She whispered healing spells for the broken leg he had sustained, the nasty bruises on his upper arms and the long gash on his chest.
'Thanks Lils,' he said thickly, running a hand through his hair. 'Bloody Death Eaters. Think they can get one over on me.' Sirius sat up but made no move to stand.
Lily turned to Remus. 'You look so pale, Moony!' She exclaimed.
He nodded and stood unsteadily. 'Can I use your bathroom?'
'Of course!'
Remus walked out of the room at the same time that James entered with the tea. Sitting down next to his best friend, James handed him some tea and inquired after his health.
'Not beaten up anymore, thanks to Lily and her wand.' He had his hands wrapped around the cup, taking small sips. 'James, Lily, you can't use me as the Secret Keeper.'
Lily almost dropped the "something a little stronger" that she knew they all needed. 'Why, Sirius!'
'Because I'm too obvious. Everyone knows I am your best friend. He would torture me, or kill me and then the Fidelius Charm would stop working.'
'He has a point, Lily.' James said, his eyes burning into hers.
'No! We need you, Sirius.' She placed the alcohol on the coffee table so that she could take Sirius' hands. 'Are we putting too much on you?'
'No, I just want you to be safe. I want to be able to flirt with Lily every time I see her. I want to go to the pub with you on a Saturday. I want to give Harry beer when he's sixteen and lead him to a toilet while he throws it up again. If I am your Secret Keeper, none of that will happen.'
She flung her arms around his neck, sobbing. 'No, Sirius. No. Come on. You have to.'
Sirius awkwardly hugged her, letting Lily cry. He looked at James and the man shrugged. 'Lily, use Peter. No one will know and he can use my connections to get out of the country.'
Lily drew back, wiping her tears away. 'I want no part in this. James, you can give our lives to Peter. You know what will happen if we do.' Before they could reply to her dramatic words, she stood and went to look for Remus.
'Hold still, please.' Lily said, blinking away tears. Remus froze his fidgeting and let her finish checking him for injuries. 'You're in shock. No wonder you're pale and you were so sick.' On a whim, she brushed hair from his face.
'Thanks Lily.'
She smiled painfully and handed him some chocolate. He took it with a grimace, but ate it dutifully. After he consumed the sugary treat, he looked at her and almost jumped. 'Oh my stars, you're crying. Why, Lily?'
Using her sleeve to wipe the tears, Lily sat down next to him on the bed. 'Oh, it's just James and Sirius. They are so stubborn. Its going to get us killed one day. I'm getting sick of it, Remus.'
'What are they being stubborn over?' He asked, taking her hands in his.
'Nothing,' Lily said immediately, then realized how fake it sounded. 'And everything. They are just being stubborn. Sirius thinks he's well enough to stand up. James won't give up Quidditch for a few months. All of their "quirks" are getting annoying. I don't know if I can handle it anymore.'
Remus kissed her. If Lily had expected anything from him, it had not been that. She moaned softly under his lips, knowing how wrong it was for him to be kissing her, but not breaking away. James and Sirius had decided that the Dark Lord was going to kill her. She might as well get the most out of the life she had left.
'You once told me that James was your life. I can not do this to him, or you. You don't want me. You don't love me.' Remus told her, standing up and wiping away the lipstick she had left on his mouth.
'I'm sorry, Remus. You must think I'm a whore.' Lily held her head with her hands.
'Of course not, Lils!' He cried. 'I only think that you are beautiful and that you need to get away from it all for a little while. Unfortunately, that isn't going to happen with You-Know-Who running around. I hope you can take a break after this is all over.'
She looked like she was going to cry again. 'Remus, I'm going to get the biggest vacation known to man once this is "all over".'
'And that is why we want you to be our Secret Keeper, Pete.'
James finished his speech, leaning back into the leather seats that did not even have dents yet. Everything in his friend's house was new. It irritated him.
'Really, Prongs?' His voice was as hopeful as it had been when James had asked him to join the Marauders.
'Yes, Wormtail. I really want you to keep our location secret.'
'Why not Sirius? He was always your best friend.'
'It is too obvious. With you, well, you and I never were photographed together, are we? Everyone will think that it is Sirius who we trusted with our Secret.'
'I'll do it, James. Thank you so much!' Peter looked like he was one step away from kneeling on the floor and kissing James' feet.
'Thank you, Pete.' James stood, shaking the man's hand. 'You have a good day.'
'You too, you two.' He chuckled nervously.
James put an arm around Lily, who was unresponsive to the gesture. She wore all black, as if in mourning, and was trying hard not to weep. 'Good bye, Peter.' Lily said stiffly, removing her husband's arm and walking to the fireplace.
''Bye Pete. Thanks again.' James called, rushing to follow Lily to Floo home.
'What is your problem?'
James ducked as a piece of china went flying through the air and would have made contact with his shoulder. 'Lily, calm down. Please!'
'Why should I? You have just signed our death certificates and Sirius' warrant for arrest!' Lily's face was growing steadily redder as she continued to scream at him.
'Lily, you are being melodramatic, surely.'
'Melodramatic? Melodramatic!' She laughed, the sound bitter and strangled. 'James Potter, you know what happens in the future. All because you trusted Peter Pettigrew and believed in Sirius' doubts.' Lily suddenly burst into tears and let James hold her. 'You should have believed me.'
'Lily, everything will be all right. You're just exaggerating. Peter isn't going to betray us. He isn't in league with You-Know-Who.'
Before Lily could reply, Harry started crying too. James kissed her forehead and ran upstairs to see what was the matter. Lily flopped down on the couch, feeling like she did before one of her Burning Days. She felt like she was at the end of her rope, too tired to go on. Her eyes had closed for what seemed only a minute before James was gently shaking her.
'Look, Lils, if I'm wrong about Peter...I owe you a Coke. Ok?'
She laughed and kissed him softly. 'If you are wrong about Peter, I think you'll owe me more than a Coke, love.'
'They are going to make me their Secret Keeper, my Lord and Lady.'
Peter was prostrate at their hems, his nose to the clean, cold tiles. She looked at him with distaste. She hated the fact that she had to marry him, the fact she had to put up with his presence in her nice, new house and hated the fact that she needed him to get Lily and James Potter. Most of all, Alexia hated that her Lord needed him, because her Lord was all powerful and should not need anyone, least of all a horrid, fat, balding man.
'Yes, I can see that fool Potter doing an act like that. Giving power to the weak. If the weak deserved power, then they would have seized it themselves.' His voice was barely rising above a satisfied hiss. 'You are excused, Pettigrew. Do not let me down or I will give you to my Lady.' Voldemort gave a dry laugh, running a hand over his lover's protruding stomach. Not in a million years would he have let Pettigrew touch Alexia. No, the child in her womb was his.
'You may go, Pettigrew.' Alexia said, stretching like a cat.
'Yes, my Lady. Thank you, my Lord.' Peter crawled out of their presence on his hands and knees, not daring to stand in the same room as both of them.
'We will make the Minister of Magic resign as soon as the Potters are gone. I want the werewolf, too. Lupin. I want him to be my pet.' Announced Alexia, standing out of her chair and pacing in front of him, much to his amusement. 'Sirius will have to be sent to Azkaban. A pity.'
Voldemort laughed again. 'Am I not everything you need in a man, my lover?'
She blushed. 'They were only schoolgirl fantasies. You are better than he could ever have been.'
'I know.'
Author's Notes: First and foremost, I apologize for the huge gap in the production line. I went over my limit and now I'm paying through the nose for the net until Saturday. I'm sorry this isn't as long as it should be for all the time I've had off, but I hardly have any motivation when the net isn't on. Anyway, I thank all my reviewers now, but I will do so in detail next chapter! Thanks for reading! Oh, and I'm sorry I don't know much about that secret keeper charm, but I doubt it'll work if the person is dead. Poetic license strikes again.