***The Marauder Chronicles; The End of Innocence, is a fan fiction. Main characters and some locations belong to J.K. Rowling, as do all publishing rights. Copyright infringement is not intended. Original characters and the IWBI belong to me. This story isn't to be duplicated or sold.***

Note: to set some things straight: Sonja Woods is not Oliver's mother. Jade Yang is not Cho Chang's mother. The only parents in this story are Lily and James. All other last names are a mere coincidence. Please look at the note at the end of this chapter so you can save me the time of answering the same question over and over. I love questions, but this one you need to not ask for I have explained it in the endnote.

Seven: The Order of the Phoenix

Sirius put the letter and envelope back on his kitchen counter. Dumbledore had a way of captivating people, but this was completely different. Sirius really didn't know what to think or to feel. That letter said so much, yet was incredibly vague.

He walked to his chair to pick up his blue Bureau robes, then slipped them on, still consumed by that letter. What did it mean? What exactly was the Order going to do? Why now? Who else got this letter? Certainly James had, right? Dumbledore always seemed to admire James, even though he was constantly bending the rules. He made James Head Boy, so he had to have gotten this letter as well. But why Sirius? Why him? Dumbledore has to know about his attempted murder on Snape. He had to have seen right through that. Practical jokes can only go so far; Dumbledore had to know. But why, then, did he invite Sirius to be part of the Order?

Sirius walked out of his flat and Disapparated to see James. He entered without being announced. James was sitting on his couch, tapping the large envelope on his knee. He held his chin in his hand, and he gazed at the opposite wall.

"You got it too," Sirius said, signaling to it.

"Mmm," he replied, nodding.

"Where's Lily?" he asked.

"Don't know. Norfolk maybe."

Sirius walked over. "And Harry?"

"With her."

"Oh," he said silently. "What does this mean?" he asked, raising the envelope.

James took his eyes from the wall and landed them on Sirius. "I'm not really sure. I guess we'll learn that on Saturday. It sounds like it could be an answer. If there's anyone who can stop all this, it's Dumbledore. I'm going. How 'bout you?"

Sirius nodded. "Yeah. I just can't figure out why he wants me there. You, I can understand. You rescued Snape, you graduated at the top of the class, and you're so damn noble it makes me sick sometimes. But what do I have? What could I possibly add to that group?"

James gave him a calm grin. "Loyalty. Your good nature. Your sense of humor. Sirius," he started, sighing, "you really are a good person, despite everything I've said to you a while ago. I shouldn't have interfered in your life. I'm sorry."

Sirius smiled. "No, that's actually all right. You were sort of right. I seemed to have grown a conscience, though, and I'm not really sure if I'm happy with that. I have these little voices inside my head that argue with each other. It's not just one voice, though. I know that one is my conscience and the other is...me? This is such a pain. I was ready to commit to this woman, you know?"

"You mean sleep with her?" he asked.

"Yeah. The first date, and I didn't even like her personality. I remember the first time I did that and how I felt afterwards... I felt like I had stolen something from her. And I had, actually, now that I think about it. We were way too young, too innocent to be active in such things. And this woman I was with the other night, I can't even remember her last name. And she was extremely boring and superficial. Yet I was ready to take a piece of her, all because she was attractive. What kind of person does that make me? I just can't stop thinking about it. And I know the reason I am thinking about it is because of you and all that crap you told me."

James muffled.

"Well, it wasn't crap. Still, I couldn't help but think that maybe it is time that I grow up and pursue something meaningful."

"Use caution," James said.

"Uh oh," Sirius said.

"Yeah," James remarked, sitting up, "that's a good way to put it."

"So you did talk to her about it," he said, his eyes widening.

"Talk may not be the correct word. I think hollered, no, screamed would be more appropriate."

"You yelled at her?"

"Yes I did. I can't remember yelling that loudly at anyone, not even Snape. I shouldn't have, but I lost my temper. She was acting so selfishly. It's as if she didn't care that she was walking all over me. I told her that's how it was. She didn't deny it, didn't apologize for it, nothing. She hardly yelled back. I think I would feel better if she had yelled back. Then she turned around, with Harry, and left. I assume she went to her mother's, but I don't know. I would call over but I'm not real good with a telephone. I wish I hadn't shouted at her. But everything you said was right. I mean, she has got me on a chain."

"Yeah, and it's only gotten worse now that you're married. It's like a legal chain."

"Almost, yes. She's got to back off or something. Let me have control once in a while. I don't need it all the time. I don't want it all the time. I've seen her job around here, and I don't want it. She's always taking care of Harry and telling me off for getting in her way. But then today she starts telling me I should take more care of him! Well I try, but she just pushes me. 'You don't have breasts.' Well duh. I told her that today, you know. I told her I can't do some things, and she gets all weird on me. Women. You can't live with them, and you just can't get through to them."

"I think they're all like that. Especially the beautiful ones. They know they can control us with sex. They dangle it in front of us like a carrot and tease us with it. If only we could eliminate that desire, then they couldn't control us like livestock."

"So they'll always have control of you, then," James said with a grin.

"That's what's so damn frustrating! Even if I could eliminate that, I wouldn't. Why live?"

James laughed. "She really has me whipped, doesn't she?"

"Yes. It was never really this bad. She didn't have this much control when you first started dating, but it evolved. I'm sure you can fix this with her, it'll just take a lot of time."

James sighed again. "I know. You don't think she'd leave me over this, do you?"

"How can you be so insecure about her? You've known Lily for years, James, do you really think she'd walk out on you?"

"She was really upset."

"She won't. She'll come back. I'm sure of it."

"You're right."

"Of course I'm right. Why don't you try to call over?"

"I've seen Lily use the phone, but I've never called anyone," he said, getting up and going into the kitchen. He picked up the receiver, held it to his ear, then looked down at the phone. "Now what do I do?" he asked.

"Dial, right?"

"How am I supposed to do that? What's the number?" James looked in the drawers for a phonebook, pulled it out, then searched it. "Evans," he mumbled. "Wow, there are tons of Evans's. Here we go, Robert and Amanda. Thank heaven they're listed. I'm calling," he said as he dialed the numbers.

"Be nice," Sirius said, walking over to him.

James nodded. "Hello? Amanda, this is James. I'm fine, I guess. Listen, has Lily dropped by yet? Uh huh. Right. She's right outside the front door," he said looking at Sirius. "She hasn't rung the door bell yet? How long has she been out there? Ten minutes."

The eyes in Sirius's head popped out.

"We sort of had a little row this morning, that's probably why she's crying. Well, it's a bit of a long story, but I basically said that I wanted her to raise Harry, instead of you and Robert. That school of hers is really-yes. I know she's wanted this for a long time. Yes, I know she's very good at it. You do?" he said, straightening up. "Really?" he asked, smiling. "So you think I'm right?"

Sirius grinned and gave two thumbs up.

"I didn't present it the best I could. I actually lost my temper, which is why she's in tears, but you think I have the right idea? That's excellent. I know you stayed home with your girls, and that's all I want for my son; you understand that. It's better if he always has a parent around, and if Lily goes to school, Harry won't even have that when she's here; she's always studying. You have an idea? You think you can pull her around? I know Lily's stubborn," James said chuckling. "She gets it from Robert, huh? I believe that. Yes, he will be going to Hogwarts when he's eleven. He'll be gone nine months out of the year. Thatwould be a perfect time for her to finish school. You think she'll be able to do that? Uh huh, yeah. Great. Can you call me back afterwards to tell me how it goes? Thanks, Amanda, I really appreciate it. Talk to you later, bye."

"Goodbye James," Amanda said, then hung up the phone. She could see Lily standing at the front door, ready to knock, but she didn't. Amanda went to open it.

"Mum," she said surprised. "Hi."

"Hello, dear. What are you doing?"

"I just got here," Lily said, wiping a tear away.

"What's the matter? Lily, come in," she said, taking Lily by the hand and dragging her inside. "Why are you so upset?"

Lily started crying again. "We had a really big fight," she sobbed.

"Oh my goodness," she said, hugging Lily and Harry, who was tucked away in her pouch. "Why don't you tell me about it."

"Well," Lily said, taking a seat on the sofa, Harry sitting quietly for the time. "He wants me to quit school so I can be a housewife," she said, sounding disgusted.

"Did he say that?" she asked.

"Not exactly like that, but that's the gist of it," she said angrily.

"I can't see him saying something like that, Lily. He's not that type of man."

"That's what I thought until this morning. I don't want to stay at home all the time and be his slave or something."

"Lily you're really blowing this out of proportion. What did he ask you to do? Tell me without all the emotion."

Lily took a deep breath. "He wants me to quit school so I can be with Harry. I told him that you were going to take him when I went to school, and he went to work. It's not as if I'm leaving him with a stranger. And I only have class four times out of the week."

"To start," Amanda interrupted. "But it will become much more demanding as time goes on, you know that. Lily, the older children get, the more difficult they become. This right now," she said, pointing to Harry, "this is easy. Look at him. He's quiet, almost asleep. That's all he does right now: eat, sleep, and dirty diapers. That's all. He'll start to crawl, then walk, then talk, and before you know it he'll be starting preschool. This really isn't about your husband, Lily, it's about your baby."

Lily sniffed. "You think I should drop out?"

"Let me ask you this. Do you think you should?"

Lily stared at her, as if seeing her mother for the first time. Amanda reached down, unfastened the pouch Harry was in, then lifted him out and cradled him.

"He's fine with you," Lily said, smiling at her.

"Yes he is. But how are you without him?" she asked. She kissed Harry then looked back at her daughter. "Can you leave him here? Can you go to class without having him around? Maybe you should try it, Lily. Leave all of his stuff with me and I'll take him until your done. Go to class and leave him with me."

But Lily didn't move.

"Say goodbye to your mommy, Harry," Amanda said, smiling. She took Harry's hand and waved it at Lily. "Say bye-bye, Harry. Lily, it's the first day, you'd better go if you want a seat."

Lily put the diaper bag, and Harry's other bag, down on the sofa. Then she stood up, very slowly, constantly watching Harry watch her. Amanda got up and walked her to the door.

"Goodbye," Amanda said. "Have a nice day in class, sweetheart. Kiss your baby goodbye, Lily."

Lily bent down and kissed her son, squeezed his hands, then backed away. "Bye," she whispered, fighting back her tears. "Be good for grandma," she whispered again.

"You have to go if you don't want to be late," Amanda said, pushing Lily out the door. "Have a nice day." And with that, the door closed.

Lily stood there, facing the closed door, her baby inside without her. Lily put her hand to her mouth and started to sob. Then, after ten minutes of bawling and arguing with herself, Lily Disapparated.

* * * * *

James and Sirius said goodbye for the day, as they worked in separate offices. Sirius tried convincing James that everything would work out, though he secretly doubted it. Lily was very stubborn.

Since Amin's death, James had slowly moved into his office. There was a small desk label that read "James Potter, Director of Operations." He didn't really know if he liked it, especially today. In any event, he sat down and pulled up some files to work on.

He couldn't help but notice that the missions he would assign were not going very well. He had personally lost contact, whatever that meant these days, with six different agents. Missing in action was never a good sign, especially considering most of them were probably dead or were in such a condition they would probably welcome death.

"Good you're here," Director Narayan said, as she burst into his office and took a seat. "We have to talk."

"I'm listening," he said, dropping a file on his desk.

"I'm having some problems with infiltration. It's like I'm blind to everything. You have to recruit more people who are already on the inside. He's getting clever; I can't send in new people anymore or he'll kill them."

"I can't recruit spies," he said.

"Let me rephrase it then," she said, seeming to be slightly irritated. "I have someone who is very good with persuading people, someone very perceptive. Talk to him. You two have to be on the same frequencies for this to work."

"Who is he?"

"Morris Burg. He's actually a part time Quidditch player now, very influential. You know him."

"I do?"

"He was one of the men you saved last year in the forest of Albania. I'm sure he'll listen to you."

James leaned back in his chair and pondered for a while. "You want me to ask him to recruit new agents? And send them in where? The Fortress of Shadows has been completely blocked off to anyone new. It's nearly impossible to get anyone, even Muggle agents, into Albania. Bangkok is a complete mess. The safe house was over run last month, and we suffered severe casualties. England is a complete disaster. The Ministry of Magic has added on extra security because they fear an invasion. The only reason the Bureau isn't making changes is because it's impossible to break in here."

"Nearly impossible," she said. "I'm not asking for anyone new, I'm asking for men who are already on the inside and want to play with us. Things are getting dicey right now. People are starting to back out, even though it's near the end."

"Near the end of what?" James asked.

"Precisely. He's winning, James. He's winning, and he knows it. This can work to our advantage if we can play him right. He's getting cocky, a little too confident. If I know Voldemort, then he'll slip up somewhere along the way. It's human nature to get so close to your goal, to be so sure of it, that your arrogance takes over. We just have to learn when he does this. I hope it's something big."

"What does he want?" James asked. Everyone had talked about Voldemort and his evil ways, but no one had really said what his goal is; there were only rumors.

"The same thing Hitler wanted in the second world war. The same thing Ghangis Kahn wanted: the drive of the Roman Empire. He wants total control. That's what drives all evil, I believe."

"He wants to rule the world?" James asked.

She nodded. "Yes. I'd hate to think of what he'd do if he got there. But even more so, he has to become immortal so that he can rule the world for all time. That will come first, and my scarce sources are telling me that he's close. He's getting there. We can't let him get it, James. We'll lose everything if we do."

"Dumbledore," James started, but Ashika interrupted.

"Dumbledore is slow. He used to be a great sorcerer back in the forties. Then he started teaching, and he really mellowed out."

"Then why does Voldemort fear him? Why hasn't he tried to overtake Hogwarts?"

"Because he shares the same abilities. Dumbledore is, because of his great wisdom, his kind manner, his aura of power that he has maintained for all these years, very persuasive. He can change people's minds. He's annoyingly trustworthy of people, even of those who don't warrant it. It allows him, however, to turn people his way. He has a good name. People know what he has accomplished. He's cooking something up as we speak, actually."

James wondered if he should tell her about his letter, then decided against it.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you were asked to join the Order of the Phoenix," she said, smirking at his expression. "I assume, of course, that you will join."

James tried to hide his shock that she knew, but was unable.

"I've been in this business for too long to not know some things. I have all your records. He likes you. He would have to in order to appoint someone with so many detentions as Head Boy. And he recommended you with such a glowing letter. He is forbidding any of you to tell of what happens in those meetings, but my door is always open."

"Well, I-"

"You'll be a good boy, won't you? That's fine with me, I guess. Get on that with Morris Burg, and let me know how things are going, though I might already know." Ashika stood up and left, just as quickly as she had come.

James pulled out a file containing the names of some field agents and flipped through for Morris Burg. He ran across a picture of him. He was a little man, but very sturdy. His hair was dark and curly and he had a rather large nose. James didn't really recognize him as one of the men he had rescued, but then again he wasn't really looking at faces.

James left the Operations Unit and went across the way to the Field Agent Security house. The female receptionist asked what he wanted.

"Where can I find Morris Burg?" James asked.

"Um," she said, searching through some files, "he's in Bulgaria right now."

"Why?" James asked. "Quidditch season is over."

"The after parties aren't," she said, raising her eyebrows.

James found himself outside a small tavern that morning, just outside Ruse, Bulgaria. "Nice place," James said as he admired the broken windows boarded up with wooden planks. The door to the cavern squeaked when it opened, and a putrid smell emitted from its depths.

Artemis gripped James's shoulder. "Yeah, that's how I feel," James said. He went inside to find it rather dismal. A skinny, bald, elderly man was cleaning the insides of beer mugs at the bar. The tables were all of different sizes, with mismatched chairs, and the dirty wallpaper was peeling off. James walked up to the bar tender, careful not to touch anything.

"Is a Morris Burg here?" he whispered.

The man didn't say anything, but pointed to a corner of the bar where several men were playing poker. James nodded to the old man, then sauntered over. He suddenly felt out of place; he was dressed in blue robes, had a peregrine falcon on his shoulder, and was actually clean. He wasn't the only one to notice this.

"Who'd 'ell are you?" a Bulgarian asked.

"I'm looking for Morris Burg," James said.

A man with his back turned to James, suddenly turned around. He looked very drunk, and smelled it; his face was rough, and his eyes were bloodshot. "What do you want?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

"I need to speak with you," James said. "Alone."

"I'm busy right now," Morris said, turning back into the game.

James looked over his shoulder. "There's no point in continuing with only a pair of threes," he said, taking a quick step back.

Morris threw his cards down, pushed his seat back so that it scraped the floor, and stood up to meet James. "I hope you can entertain a better offer," he said.

"I'm not here to make you an offer, Mr. Burg. We need to talk alone."

"Who sent you?" he asked. James looked around the table and saw that all of the men were watching him.

"Ashika Narayan," he answered, silently.

Morris scoffed. "I'm through with that bitch. I dropped out of the Bureau right after my accident. I'm not into that crap anymore. You hear me, boy? I'm through!" He turned around and sat back down at his table. "New hand, boys," he said. No one argued with him.

"My name is James Potter, Mr. Burg. I saved your life last year because you were foolhardy and didn't think. The only reason you're alive is because I risked my life to save yours."

Morris turned around and squinted at James. "Is that how you get people's attention? You lay a guilt trip on them? Look, James Potter, I didn't ask to be saved by your good graces. If you want to keep out of trouble, just walk through those doors and leave me be. You hear me, son?"

"Don't call me son, you bloody coward," James said calmly.

Morris turned around to laugh with his friends, then got up suddenly, picked up his chair and swung it at James's face. Artemis flew off, but James felt the blow. He was struck so hard he fell to the floor with such a thud that the floor shook. James staggered to get back up, but he was hit again. James didn't move; he pretended like he was unconscious, but was actually going for his wand.

"No one calls me a coward!" he yelled.

"Averte Stature!" James bellowed as he thrust his wand at Morris.

Burg's eyes expanded. The spell hit him right in the gut, and he flew across the room, landing on a table and breaking its legs. James stood up, pointed his wand at the other poker players, then walked toward Morris Burg. James could feel blood trickling down the left side of his face; it was also swelling and making him a bit light headed. James held his wand to Morris's chest. "I need to ask for a favor, that's all."

Morris sighed, then nodded.

"What a hangover this is going to be," Burg said, taking a sip of his third cup of coffee. "I always tell myself I'm gonna stop drinking, but I never do it."

James held an ice filled rag to the side of his face and started on his tea. "You didn't have to hit me so hard."

"So how old are you?" he asked.

"Twenty."

"Christ," Burg said, laughing. "You're just a child. What kind of favor could I possibly do for some kid?"

"I'm an operations director, Mr. Burg, try to have a little more respect. And it's not my idea. Ashika Narayan said you would be good to talk to."

"Did she now? That's irony for you. She was the one that advised me to leave the Bureau. So what does she want me to do for you all now?"

"Recruit new agents. We're running low, it seems."

"Ah," he said, breaking out into a large grin. "You need people who are already on the inside, is that right?"

"That's about it, yeah," James said.

"How much money am I getting for this?"

James choked. "Money? We're trying to save people, here."

"Really? So you're doing your job for free then?"

"Well, no, but... Fine, I'll ask Ashika about it. How much do you want? Make it reasonable, please."

"Oh, how about a thousand galleons. I can get you people. That's not the problem, see. A few of my Quidditch teammates are in that kind of game, but they're sticking their tails under their legs. This Dark Lord guy is really getting some influence, and a lot of these supporters that he's got are wanting more power, but a few want out. They're scared, they are. Lots of them are having their families put in danger. So getting these people won't be hard; what will be hard is finding someone who's actually useful. Someone that's more on the inside."

"Do you know anyone like that?" James asked.

"Nope. I'll find someone, though, don't you worry."

James sighed. "Well how long will that take you?"

He shrugged. "Don't worry so much. I'll get on it as soon as I can. I can be very persuasive some times," he said, then belched. "Excuse me."

James couldn't help but think that if he was putting trust into this man, they really were losing a war.

* * * * *

The great lecture hall was nearly full by the time Lily got there. She had to crawl over several people to get to a chair in the middle of the front row.

"Hey pretty baby," one young man said.

"Don't make me hex you," she mumbled as she landed in the seat.

"Lily!" a woman beside her said.

"Annie!" Lily said back. "Oh my gosh! We have this class together!"

"Yes! How are you?"

"I'm good. And you?"

"Great. It's so good to see you. I was hoping we'd have at least one class together. So how's James?"

"Good," she said. Her stomach lurched a bit. "He's working today. Are you seeing anyone new?"

"No one. Oh!" she said, slapping her head. "You must have had your baby. How is he, what did you name him, details, Lily, I need details!"

Now she really felt a guilty lurch. "He's almost four weeks now. We named him Harry James. He's so cute, Annie. I have pictures of him," she said, rummaging through her bag for them. "Here's my baby," she said, showing her a picture.

"Aw," she cooed. "He doesn't look anything like you."

"No, he doesn't. It's so cute though, he'll stop crying if James blows in his face, and he always smells so good. He's not a squirmy baby. I held him all day once, just cradling him," she said, putting her arms in the right position and looking down at them. "He's such a good boy," she told Annie, feeling her eyes starting to swell. "He's such a good baby," she whispered.

"Lily," Annie said, holding Lily's arm, "are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said casually, wiping a tear away. "I just miss him, that's all."

"Where is he?"

"With my mother. He's really good with her, though, you know? He likes her; he's good with her. He's not too fussy. Sometimes all I have to do is just talk to him and hold him and he gets real quiet and looks up at me," she said, trying to stifle her tears again.

Annie looked concerned now. "How many classes are you taking today?" she asked.

"A few," she said, sobbing. "I'm just like this because it's post-pardon depression."

"No, I think you really miss him. You've had him with you, inside and out, for ten months now. This is hard for you."

"Do you think I'm being a bad mother?" she cried. People sitting close by started to listen in on the conversation. "I mean, do you think leaving him makes me a bad mom?" she asked, hysterically.

"No, Lily," Annie said soothingly.

"Oh, but I do," a woman in the row behind them said.

"Pipe down!" Annie yelled at her.

"Then you tell your friend to stop blubbering. She's making so much noise everyone can hear her."

"No one's making you listen," she snapped back. "Well," she said, talking to Lily again, "if his grandmother is watching him and James doesn't mind it, then I don't think there's anything wrong."

Lily put her hand over her mouth then began to wail so loudly, everyone in a twenty-foot radius of her stood and looked to see who was crying.

Then the doctor came in and walked to the front of the class, placed his briefcase on his desk, and started to talk. He was interrupted, however, by the distraught woman.

"Miss," he started. "Is there something terribly wrong?"

Annie spoke for her. "Sir, I believe she is experiencing strong hormonal flux, since she is a very new mother."

"Miss, will you please calm her down so we can get on with the lesson," he said. Annie nodded curtly then tried to silence Lily. She tried desperately to stop her wailing, but then she started to hyperventilate.

"Deep breaths," Annie told her. "Shh, deep breaths."

Lily nodded and obeyed. "Good," Annie told her. "Now calm down. Let's take some notes about this lecture so we can do the lab tomorrow."

"He wanted me to stay with Harry. He didn't want me to come here. He's so mad with me, and I hate it when he's mad at me!"

"Shut up!" the woman in the row behind them yelled.

"You shut up!" Annie yelled back.

"Ladies!" the doctor said. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave if you can't keep it quiet!"

Lily tried stifling it down a notch.

Annie then took out her quill and notepad and took copious notes while Lily drew up a chart filled with pros and cons for finishing med school.

In the pro column she had: fulfilling a dream, helping people, pay increase.

On her con side she had: being without Harry, James's disapproval, being without Harry, missing the big baby moments like crawling, walking, talking, the first time he smiles, not being able to feed Harry, missing him grow up, putting most of the responsibility on James and on my parents, regretting later on the time lost with my family, risking divorce from my husband, suffering from separation anxiety, Harry's first calling my mother "mama" instead of me, Harry thinking I care more about my job and strangers over him.

The words of her mother came floating into her mind as she looked at the uneven list. Should she drop out? Was she really all right without Harry? Then her own questions started to pop up. Would it get any better as the time ticked on, or would these feelings get worse as he got older? Would he think she cared more about her job rather than him? New doctors were always working and on call. She would be at work more than with her family. And he'd only be a few years old, right? Children don't think like adults do, he wouldn't understand her desire to fulfill a dream. The only thing he would want is to have her around, right?

Lily passed her hands through her hair. The doctor was talking about the cadaver they would be examining tomorrow. So, Lily, she thought to herself, what do you want to do? Look at a dead person whose problems are over, or be with your baby, whose life has just begun? It was one of those decisions that reminded her that she was no longer a child, but a full-blown adult with a baby and a husband. Lily wanted to have both, but she also knew that it was impossible. James was right. That thought killed her because she was always right, not him. But this time, she admitted to herself, he had a point.

For the rest of the lecture she wondered. If James hadn't said a word this morning, if he had wished her a good day and kissed her goodbye, like they always did before, would she still feel this way? A pang in the region of her stomach said 'yes' she would because the fact of the matter was she had left her baby with someone who was not his mother. Oh sure, the grandmother, but it was still leaving him with someone else. Was it really fair? Thinking about it, she never asked to be pregnant, she never wanted a baby this soon. They had a calendar, they did. They were going to have a baby after she became a doctor, when the timing was perfect. They were going to have children when they were used to being married a bit longer, when they were old enough to take on this kind of responsibility, not now. Now was all wrong.

'But it's not Harry's fault,' she could hear her mother and James say. 'Why should he be punished for your mistake? He didn't ask to be conceived; he didn't ask to be brought into the world, dear. You did that. Why must Harry take the fall for your error?'

Then Jade came floating into her mind. Certainly Jade would advise her to drop out for Harry. 'Lily,' she would say, her eyes alight and glowing, 'you created a life. I mean think about it. Your love for James and his love for you created a new life. You have a baby, Lily, a baby. You are the most important thing in his life right now, and will be for many, many years. Don't you want to care for him and love him all the time? You can be a doctor in a few years. Drop out now, with your credits, and go back when he's at Hogwarts. You can't ever get those years back with him, but school, and the reward of being a doctor, will always be there.'

Lily wiped tears out of her eyes and off her cheeks with the end of her robes.

"Are you okay?" Annie whispered.

Lily nodded. Annie looked at the list on Lily's notepad and smirked. "Med school will always be here, you know," she said. "He's such a cute baby. Knowing you, you'll think about him every second you're not with him."

"If you have any questions," the doctor said, "my office is open in the afternoons." People were starting to get out of there seats and shuffle out. Lily looked at her watch; it was ten minutes after twelve.

"I've gotta go," Lily said, putting her chart away in her bag.

"Where to?" Annie asked.

"My parents's house. I've gotta see him."

"Lily," Annie said, holding her back, "I know I'm not in your situation, but you're young. You can be a doctor whenever you want. This school will always be here, and there will always be a need for good doctors."

Lily started to cry again. "I was never this emotional in my life," she said, throwing her hands in the air. "Look at me! I didn't realize I could carry this much water!"

"Go be with your baby," Annie said, giving her a big, strong hug. "Give him a kiss for me?" she asked.

Lily nodded. "I'll see you around," she said.

"Sure you will. Bye Lil."

"Bye," she said back with a weak smile. "Good luck."

"You too."

They went separate ways, Annie towards her next class, and Lily outside so she could Disapparate to her parents's manor. She reappeared right outside the front door, to be polite, and knocked.

Her mother opened the door, a wailing baby in her arms.

"What's the matter?" Lily asked, rushing inside and taking Harry.

"He's hungry. He won't take the bottle so he hasn't eaten for hours, Lily."

Lily started to unbutton her blouse under her robes. "Could you go get a towel, please?"

"Yes," she said, then went down the hall.

"I'm sorry," she said to Harry, whose face was red; tears were in the wrinkles of his face. "I know you're starving."

"Here you go," Amanda said, giving Lily a hand towel. Lily put it on her other breast, then gave Harry the free one. He stopped crying immediately.

"That's better," Amanda said, sitting down on her couch. "Did you know he wouldn't take the bottle?"

"I've never heard of that before," Lily said, sitting down next to her mother. "But I didn't try it on him ahead of time, I guess, because I didn't have to."

"He's was crying for hours. I tried everything for him, but he just wouldn't take the bottle. I should have remembered to tell you that, because you didn't like the bottle either. He needs authenticity. He's much happier now," she said, watching Harry suckle away.

"He's really hungry," Lily said, smiling as she looked down at him. "I missed him so much. The only thing I could think about was that I wasn't with him. And James...he doesn't want me to leave Harry with you. As I think about it, I don't really want to either, not after this morning. I drew up a list, a pro and con list, during class. I didn't even listen to my lecture, and my class before that was spent wondering if he was okay and if James was going to walk out on me." Lily went into her bag and pulled out the chart to give to her mother. "Some of those reasons sound a little...silly."

Amanda scanned over them. "Silly? Which ones? They're all true."

"You think so?" she asked, frowning a little.

"Yes. So the con side is much heavier than the pro. Does that mean you're going to quit?"

"I'm not sure. I feel better now," Lily said, leaning her head back.

"You feel better because he's with you. Lily," she said, pinching the bridge of her nose, "leaving your baby is the hardest thing in the world, especially if you know you shouldn't. The hardest times in my life were always when I had to leave you somewhere, or take you to your first day of school. I cried, of course, because you were going on and growing up. But I was with the both of you every day, and it's something I will never regret. We never needed money, so we were happy with our situation. And from what I gather, James has quite an inheritance that he is managing very well, using it only when needed. You're not hurting for money, Lily. You've never been a very materialistic type of girl, so it really surprises me that you're going to all these lengths to be a doctor."

"It's because I want to be one, mum," she said.

"Then you should have considered that before you rushed into marriage."

Lily stared. "That's what James said."

"Your husband is a very smart man. He seems, and pardon me if I sound a little rude, like he understands the rules of marriage a little better than you do."

"What?" Lily said, her mouth open in shock.

Amanda simply made a casual wave of her hand. "It's true."

"No it's not. I know the rules."

"Do you? What are they?"

Lily closed her mouth and pondered for a moment. "Love," she said, "honor, respect, obey-"

"Oh so you know them, but you're just not following them. I have no doubt that you love him, but are you honoring, respecting, and obeying him? It has to go both ways, Lily, and so far he seems to be the only one who's abiding by the rules. Would you agree?"

"No," she said curtly.

"Then what, dear? When was the last time you honored, respected, and obeyed him? Certainly not today, so that's out of the question. So when was it?"

Lily cast her mind out to think, but thoughts like 'I can't believe I'm doing this,' popped into her head. But as those sardonic reflections passed out of her mind, and she was truly trying to think of an occasion where she did as he wished. She couldn't think of anything. Lily looked down at Harry, still suckling away. His little hands were holding onto her breast in a soft yet desperate type of way.

"So...?" her mother said.

"I'm not sure right now," Lily answered back.

"Don't you think James could think of several occasions where he's given you the steering wheel? Lily," she said, shaking her head, "you know I love you very, very much, more than I probably should. But you need to get your priorities sorted out, because right now you're faltering. Let me ask you this: why did you get married?"

Lily let her shoulders fall a little. "Because I love him."

"And how would you define that love?"

Lily contemplated for a while. "I want to be with him. I want him to be happy. I want what's best for him. I care a great deal for him, mum."

"And you can say it to him all day long, but as the old adage goes, 'actions speak louder than words.' Show him, Lily. Show him you want what makes him happy. And now you have another one to love. Does the same definition apply to Harry?"

"Yes," Lily whispered, running a hand over Harry's delicate head.

"Good," Amanda said softly. "Now tell me if your love for your husband and your child conflict with your ambition. It's simple math."

Lily pulled Harry up and started to pat his back, supporting his unsteady head with her other hand. "Yes," she said, after he burped. And, much to her chagrin, she started to cry again. "Why am I crying all the time?" she asked.

Amanda laughed. "Having babies really puts your emotions into overdrive, doesn't it?"

"So what do I do?" she asked.

"Withdraw from school. Stay at home, and do the hardest and most important job in the world; be a good mommy."

There was something in the way she said that, something totally genuine and true, that made Lily relax for the first time in such a long while. She looked at her mother smiling, and suddenly it hit her, 'this woman spent years of her life raising me and Petunia, and to this day she has no complaints, no regrets, and no thoughts of ever changing it. She raised two little girls into young women, and we are both, now, young mothers.'

Lily balanced Harry with one arm, while the other worked to fasten her blouse back into the proper position. Then she cradled him, watching as his eyes slowly droop down.

"He's probably exhausted. He's been awake since you left, screaming most of the time, and now he's all full and warm. You two should go home and wait for your knight in shining armor to come home to you."

Lily smiled at her. "Thanks."

"Oh," she replied, blushing, "what are mothers for. Goodbye, sweetie, and goodbye to you Harry. Take good care of your mommy, okay?"

But Harry was quickly approaching dreamland, and didn't even crack an eyelid as his grandmother kissed him. Amanda helped Lily fasten up her baby Apparation pouch, packed Harry's bags, strapped them onto Lily, and said goodbye again. Lily smiled, still teary eyed, and Disapparated.

* * * * *

James returned to his office after visiting the medical sector. His face felt fine, but he was drained. It was only three o'clock, and he was worn out completely. He crashed in his large backed chair and put his feet up on the desk.

"Not sleeping on the job, are you?" someone with an Indian accent said.

James opened his eyes and put his feet squarely on the ground. "Resting," he said to her.

Ashika cocked one eyebrow. "I see. Why don't you call it a day and go home to your family. Come back early tomorrow when you're fresh and useful."

"I don't think my family's at home yet," he said, trying not to grind his teeth as he said it.

"Yes they are," she answered. "Trust me, I know."

"Oh, yeah? How?"

"There was a letter received by the Dean of the London Medical Institute of Magic, just an hour ago. It was from your wife requesting an appointment in a few days. She inquires about leaving school and coming back in eleven years. That's what I know about it. Close your mouth," she said, pointing. James was so astonished he didn't realize what he looked like.

"H-How do you--"

Ashika smirked, shook her head, and left the office.

James didn't know if he should leap for joy or simply think it over. He felt more like leaping, but he didn't know if it was appropriate. But he should always obey his superior, and she practically ordered him to go home... James got up, called for his falcon, and almost skipped to the Apparation chamber where he Disapparated.

The apartment was extremely quiet considering there was a baby in the vicinity. Artemis launched off James's shoulder and flew to her perch. He looked around; Lily wasn't in the living room, the kitchen, dining room, or the nursery. He took a deep breath, then opened his bedroom door, slowly. From what he could see as he was peeking inside, Lily was sitting cross-legged on the bed, going through several papers. She looked calm and composed. The basinet was beside her; Harry must be inside. James opened the door and entered.

Lily looked up and smiled benignly.

"Hey," he said formally.

"Hello," she replied.

James cleared his throat. "So, how was your day?" he asked, still formal.

"It was all right," she replied in the same tone. "How was yours?"

"Busy," he said. "But I suppose that's why they call it work," he said, hoping to make her laugh.

"I suppose," she said. She went back to flipping through her things.

James put his hands on his hips. "What are you looking at?" he asked.

"Some of my stuff."

"How's Harry?" he asked, growing tired of their game.

"Sleeping."

"And how are you?"

"Tired."

"Lily that's it," he said, dropping his shoulders. "I can't take anymore of this nonsense. Can we talk about what happened this morning?"

Lily looked up. She had on a face of superiority, one that James loathed. "What's left to discuss?" she asked.

"Don't you have anything to say in return?" he asked.

"Not right now," she said, "but I'll keep thinking it over if you want."

"Why do you have to be so difficult sometimes? Do you want me to apologize for yelling at you? Fine. Lily, I'm really sorry that I yelled. I lost control of my temper and I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to holler at you like I did. But you're going to have to take some kind of responsibility here."

"So I made you yell at me?" she asked.

"No," he said, rolling his eyes. "I just got really angry because of the way you were acting. I'm sorry, okay?" he said. "I really am. I felt terrible for some of the things I said, but more for how I said them. Can you forgive me? Can you find it in your heart to let it go and still love me," he said, crawling onto the bed toward her, "for the man who has been your slave for many years?"

Lily shut her eyes. "You haven't been my slave," she mumbled.

He inched closer, his face close to hers. "I haven't?" he whispered, kissing her cheeks lightly.

"Not really," she whispered back. "Maybe more like an indentured servant," she said, caressing his neck. She could feel him laughing. James pulled back and sat down in front of her. "I did something today," she said, not looking at him but fiddling with a blanket in her hands.

"People do do things during the day," he noted, taking the blanket away from her. "So what did you do?"

"Well," she started, "I followed my schedule like I planned on."

"And?" James said.

"And I didn't take a single note, listen to a single word, or think about anything medically related. The only thing I thought about was Harry, my not being with him, and you."

"So I came last?" he asked, smirking.

Lily smiled and looked up at him. "No, well sort of. I drew up a pro and con list, if you can believe that," she said, showing it to him.

"Only you would," he said, reading it. It didn't take him long to finish it, but he sighed once he completed it. "So, your decision is?"

Lily took a deep breath and folded her hands in her lap. "I'm quitting."

James tried to look upset, he really did. He wanted to frown and say, "Oh, Lily, I'm sorry you had to make this kind of decision," but he didn't. If he had he wouldn't have been true to himself. He figured, by the smirk on her face, that he wasn't frowning. "Lily," he said, "I'm proud of you."

She shook her head.

"No, really," he said, clasping her hands, "I am really proud of you. Let's be honest, okay? You are really stubborn and quitting must have been so hard for you."

"You're just as stubborn as I am," she said.

"Whatever, I'm still glad you did this."

"Yeah," she sighed, avoiding his eyes. "I wrote a letter to the Dean. I was thinking that I could go back in eleven years when he's at Hogwarts. That is," she started, "if you would be good with that," she mumbled.

"Pardon?" James said, though he had heard her. "I missed the last part, could you repeat it for me?"

She rolled her eyes. "That is," she said just a hair louder, "if you would be fine with it."

"If I would be fine with it?" he repeated. "I think that could be arranged."

"Good," she said. "That's good."

"Is there anything else you would like to say?" he asked. "Anything at all?"

Lily knew where he was going with this. "Like what?" she asked.

James laughed. "Like what? Like maybe I was right about something, that's what."

"I would have made that decision if you hadn't screamed at me this morning," she said.

"Oh really?" he said, his eyes popping.

"Really," she replied.

"You can't admit that I'm right and you're wrong, can you? It's eating you up inside, isn't it? Just say it, Lily. I'll only make you say it once I promise, but you have to admit it."

"I don't think anyone is right or wrong in this situation," she said. James started sniggering. "I don't."

"You can't say it. You just can't admit that I am right. Say it, Lily. Tell me I'm right."

"No," she said.

"Tell me I'm right," he said, moving closer to her.

"You can't make me," she said, one corner of her mouth starting to rise.

"I can and I will," James said, also smirking. "Say it or else."

"Oh, Mr. Tough Guy," she mocked. "You can't make me because you are a gentleman, and gentlemen treat their wives with love and respect."

"Well," James said, moving closer still, "I guess that means I'll have to be unconventional," he said.

Lily started to cogitate when he launched for her and knocked her back on the bed, then started to tickle her. "Say it!" he commanded.

Lily laughed so loudly she knew Harry would wake up in a second. "Stop it!" she managed through her giggles.

"Say it," he said again, laughing at her.

"No," she mouthed. She tried hitting him or pushing him off, but he was too strong.

"I'll tickle you to death if you don't say I'm right," he told her, his face inches from hers. "I'll do it Lily, you know I will."

"Stop, wait," she said, "wait." He did as requested, but kept his hands on her stomach. "I have to catch my breath first."

"Two words. You don't have to catch your breath."

"Ew, your breath stinks," she chuckled.

He grinned. "It can't be as bad as yours. Now say it or I'll attack you."

"Harry is going to wake up," she sang.

"He probably already has," he sang back. "Now tell me I'm right or I'll do it again."

"Wait," she said, passing a hand through his hair. "What's the one really great thing about married people fighting? We're missing it."

"No, you're delaying that action. Come on, two words. Or three; James, you're right. Go on, say them. I'll even let you repeat after me. James," he said.

"James," she repeated.

"You are," he said.

"You are," she mimicked.

"Right."

"A brat," she said. "Wait, wait, wait," she said as he started to tickle her again. "One more time, one more time."

"Just once more," he said. Lily nodded and took off his glasses. "James," he said.

"James," she said, smiling, both of her hands on his neck.

"You are."

"You are," she said.

"Right."

"Really cute," she replied, then kissed him.

"You are the queen of manipulation," he told her. "But you can't change the subject. We are discussing my rightness, not how handsome I am. Now, you say I'm right or else."

"But you are really cute. And you're such a good daddy," she said.

James sighed and laid his head in between her neck and shoulders. "How many years did it take you to do this kind of thing," he mumbled in her ear.

Lily giggled. "Many," she replied. "But in all seriousness, if it's that important to you I'll say it. But only this once, you hear me, never again."

"Except when I'm right again," he replied. He moved so his forehead was on hers. "All right, I'm ready."

"You were right," she said quickly. "There, done."

He grinned. "Now we can make up properly," he whispered, kissing her lips.

"After we put Harry in the nursery. I don't want to damage his psyche by listening to us," she replied.

"He won't remember," he whispered again, moving his lips down her neck.

"I know he won't, but I will. And who knows, what if he does remember. Besides, he's going to start crying and are you going to be the one who takes care of him?"

James rolled off and Lily got up. "I'll be right back," she said. She picked up Harry, who was awake but not crying, and took him into the nursery to lay him down in his crib. "Be a good boy," she said.

"Yeah, no interruptions," James said. He put his arms around her waist and started to pull her out of the room. "You'll understand when you're married, son." Lily let him pull her out and give him a bit of control. If I told you anymore, then I would remove their privacy.

* * * * *

The setting sun stained the sky a memorable pink, with its marshmallow clouds floating in it like a strawberry shake. The breeze was pleasantly cool, but it didn't arouse those annoying goose pimples. The trees swayed just a little, like they were apprehensive about the coming night, and the people out on the street were struck with a feeling of pleasant simplicity.

Sirius Black jumped onto his Harley Davidson, revved the engine loudly, and sped off so fast, several cars had to slam on their breaks so they didn't ram into him. He chuckled as he heard their tires squeal in protest. He slid his sunglasses up his nose, smirked as he gazed at his reflection in the mirror, then changed gears to accelerate to a very moderate speed of eighty miles per hour. Sirius darted in between many stopped cars on the street, and eventually slipped into a deserted alleyway where a flatbed trailer was parked. It was in such a way, however, that it made for a perfect ramp. Sirius flashed his toothy grin, bumped his motorcycle up just one more gear, then hit the trailer and flew.

Then he tapped a button he had installed on one of the handlebars. It did one very nice thing-it broke the rules of gravity, so that Sirius was now flying. The cars and people on the ground shrank as he ascended into the now purple sky. The clouds left tiny droplets on his leather jacket as he passed through them, and the breeze was steadily getting cooler.

Sirius stayed high as to avoid the Muggle eye, and flew to Birmingham to check on the situation at the Potter residence. He had a strange feeling that turmoil was looming in the atmosphere, but then again, since it was evening, the condition could prove well again.

He landed on a country road then sped off to their place.

Once he arrived, he removed his sunglasses, parked the bike, then walked up and knocked on the door, out of habit. He heard hurried footsteps.

"Sirius," James said, opening the door. His hair was very disheveled and he was looking quite flushed. "What can I do for you?" he asked.

Sirius grinned. "I was just wondering how everything is over here."

"It's good," he quickly replied.

"Uh huh," he responded, looking his friend up and down. "You know you buttoned your shirt up wrong," he said, pointing.

"Oops," he chuckled. "Yeah, everything is good. We're good. H-how are you?"

"Fine. So you and Lily are making up?"

"Yes."

"Well then, I'll let you go finish making up," Sirius said, smirking. "I'll see you Saturday, then."

"Right," James said, closing the door, "Saturday it is. Thanks."

"You'll owl Jade and tell her to come over and sit for Harry?" Sirius asked.

"Yep, bye now."

"Have fun," Sirius said. He laughed his entire journey back to his home.

His apartment was, as it usually was, a total pigpen. He often thought about cleaning it up, but then something would require his attention. Today was no different. He had several letters piled up on his sofa, which was currently serving as a hamper. He had one from his parents, a paycheck from the Bureau, some bills, and a letter from Jade. He smiled when he saw this one. She had drawn a falcon on the back of the envelope. He opened it.

Sirius,

As I am sure you are aware, Lily and James's second wedding anniversary is just two weeks away. Knowing Lily, she'll insist on staying home, and knowing James he'll listen to her. I, however, have a friend who owns a really nice resort with great restaurants. She has offered me a really great deal for a couple, and I wanted to give it to them. Having a baby is tough work and they should have a break for a few hours. So here's where you come in. I need to know what days James has off, and how long they would be willing to stay away. I'll have to work on Lily and the Harry situation. Let me know if you're willing to commit to this little operation of mine.

~Jade

Sirius grinned, summoned paper from his bedroom, a quill from the floor, and ink from the kitchen, and wrote back.

Jade,

We should really coordinate this in person. I believe James has the eighth off, but I'll check. Hope to see you soon.

Sirius

He attached the letter to B'ellana and sent her off.

* * * * *

With her head tucked under his chin, her eyes shut, and her left arm draped over his chest, Lily started to doze off. Perhaps it was the summer weather, but James was also feeling the sandman coming on. He sighed, covering her arm with his. Of course, this didn't last long, for all good things must come to an end.

Lily opened her eyes and pulled her head up.

"What s'matter?" James asked.

"He's gonna cry," she said wearily. She got out of bed and started to get dressed.

"How do you know that?" he asked, groggily.

"Woman's intuition. I'll be back," she said, taking his shirt. And sure enough, as soon as Lily walked into the nursery, Harry began to cry. She picked him up, felt his diaper, then took him to the changing table, where she quickly took off the diaper, cleaned him up, and slapped a new one on. Then she picked him up again, sat down in her rocking chair, and began nursing him. Then all was quiet again.

James shuffled in a few moments later. He sat down on the floor and rested his head on her knees.

"Why are you here?" she asked, yawning.

"I'm helping," he said. "Can't you tell?"

"Silly me," she said, rocking back and forth.

"Oh," he started, looking up at her. "We got a letter from Dumbledore. You really need to read it. Maybe now wouldn't be such a hot time."

"Probably not. You know, maybe this won't be such a bad thing," she said.

"What's that?"

"Staying here. Only, I don't think I want to raise a boy in an apartment."

"Is that a coy way of telling me you want to buy a house?"

"It's not so coy. But yeah. We could have a swing set in the back yard, and a porch where we could sit and watch him play with his friends. Maybe a garden with hydrangeas, white roses, and Easter lilies. And a fountain with angels. And he could have a room upstairs with blue walls, with pictures of us hung up. And the Blacks could live across from us, and we could have picnics together."

James smiled. "And just this morning you would have thought it sexist," he said. "I think most people would be happy with the simple life. Swing sets and corn-dogs. But I think Sirius would be afraid of being married that quickly."

"Sirius is going to get married sooner than we think. The more he resists it, the easier it will be to chop him down and send him to the tree mill. He just needs some encouragement and a desire."

"Good luck with that," he said, chuckling.

"I bet you he's going to want to get married."

"Another bet, huh? All right. What are the stakes?"

"Within three years, Sirius gets engaged. If I win, then you have to serve me breakfast in bed for a whole month."

"And if he doesn't, then you have to admit you're wrong and let me order you around for a month. Deal?"

Lily grinned, looked down at Harry, and nodded. "Deal."

"Oh, and one more thing. You can't be setting him up with people you know, just to win. He has to do this of his own free will, Lily."

"Yeah, yeah," she said, wiping excess milk off of Harry's face. "Then you can't go breaking it off to win. No interference."

"None. Is he done yet?"

"No, he's hungry. No one's making you sit around here." She pulled Harry off her breast, and put him on her chest so she could burp him. "Now he has the hiccups. Just go to bed and let me handle this."

"You have really changed since this morning. I'm so glad. Night," he said, getting up and leaving.

"Night," she replied. So she was left alone with her baby son, who was making small burp-like sounds as she patted him on the back. His hiccups were being severely stubborn, but he didn't cry about them. Lily held him in front of her; his eyes were wide and looking to a corner of the room. "I wonder who you are," she said, just as another hiccup shook him. She wasn't expecting an answer, of course, she just mused. "You'll be handsome, I know that much. You'll be just as handsome as your dad is. The girls will be all over you, you know."

He wriggled his legs and looked at the ceiling.

"You'll hate girls until you hit your teen years, it's common. Unless you're like Sirius in which case girls are more like a goal. But you won't be like that," she said, shaking her head. She lay him down in the crook of her arms, and cradled him. She didn't know why, but she really felt like singing to him. He looked comfortable enough, and she certainly didn't mind holding him, but for some reason she felt like humming.

She cast her mind out for a tune to hum. She smiled as she thought back on when James set her up to sing to her entire class, and that song... She had only heard it once before, but it stuck with her. The words drifted back into her mind...she could hear the piano playing softly behind her...she let her voice filter through her lips so it came out quiet, gentle, and soothing. Harry looked back to her, his eyes sagging under the weight of a pleasant lassitude.

She smiled as she mumbled the words she sang two years before, a warm tingly feeling took residence inside her. She started to rock him, thinking it was only the right thing to do.

His hands scrunched up into small fists, and he stretched his toes, then shut his eyes. Only a few short minutes passed, then he was sound asleep. Lily bent her head down and lightly kissed him. With great ease, she stood up and placed him down in his crib, laying a light blanket over him and placing two stuffed animals around his head so he couldn't roll over.

"Night, Harry," she whispered. "Sweet dreams."

* * * * *

She had gone out for the evening, probably to her shop to close up. He slipped into her bedroom and started to search her drawers. The first one contained nothing but underwear. The next was full of socks. The rest were comprised of strange, home-made robes. No ring.

He looked in her jewelry box and found several gold rings, some rather large necklaces, cumbersome earrings, and loud bracelets. No silver ring. He searched under her bed, in between her bed; he looked under the sofa, under the cushions of the sofa, in the chair, under the chair, in the guitar. No ring.

He performed a sweeping charm over the carpet, but it wasn't there either. His heart started to beat out of control. If it was her father's, if it was precious to her, then where was it?

Remus looked at his watch; it was seven o'clock. He was due at Hogwarts in half an hour. He still had to go home and change, but he couldn't take his mind off that ring, and he didn't know why. One part of him kept saying he was being ridiculous; it's just a damn ring. The other side of him was telling him to keep looking for it. But it wasn't here.

Remus scrawled out a quick note to Sonja, left it on her bed, then Disapparated to his flat. "What's black obsidian?" he asked his reflection as he combed his hair. "Who uses that stone and for what purpose? It's not a gem, why's it in a ring? The dragon. Jade said it's used to protect, or to keep out. That makes no sense. Abner had it, but what did he do? How did he die?"

"How the heck should I know?" his mirror answered back in a dusty voice.

"I was talking to myself," Remus told it.

"Well tell yourself you're an idiot, and end the conversation," the mirror answered back. Remus, who didn't want to argue with one of his bathroom appliances, kept quiet but didn't let his mind rest. He went to the closet and pulled out his best robes. Then he set out for Hogsmeade.

He Apparated into the village then walked briskly to the castle. Walking into the entrance hall flooded his brain with memories, good times he would never forget, and bad times that actually turned out good.

The letter didn't tell him where to go, so he didn't really know what to do.

"Remus?" a familiar voice called. He turned around.

"James? Lily? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"We were going to ask the same of you," Lily said, smiling. "We haven't seen you in so long, it seems!"

"I know. I'm sorry I haven't seen the youngest for a while."

"He's getting bigger," James said with a grin, "and I know he wants to smile, I can tell!"

"So you guys got the letter, too?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah. Sirius got one as well. Why didn't you say you got it?" Lily questioned.

"I wasn't sure we were supposed to go showing people," he said. "Did Peter get one?"

James shrugged. "I haven't spoken with him in a long time."

"Me neither. Oh well, it's Peter. Do you have any idea where we're supposed to be?"

"No, it didn't say. It didn't say the time, or the specific day, actually. Dumbledore is a funny man," James commented. "Gosh it seems so long ago that we were here. I feel really old."

Lily took his hand and agreed.

"Remus, old friend!" Sirius said as he walked up behind them. "It's been a while. You got the invite as well, eh?"

"Yes-"

"Ah," Albus Dumbledore said, as he walked into the entrance hall with a pleasant smile, "I am not surprised to see you all here. Nevertheless, I am glad you came."

The four of them fell silent as they listened to his words. "The new students are to arrive on Monday, the first, so there aren't any trouble-making first years hanging about," he said, grinning to them. "The rest of our group is here. You will follow me," he said, turning, then walking down the hall towards a door.

The four of them exchanged peculiar glances, then followed in his wake. Dumbledore led them down a series of corridors, even some that James, Sirius, and Remus had never traversed. Many of them seemed as though they were built on the rolling hills, for the floors were uneven and sloping. It was very dark, as well, but Dumbledore didn't provide light for them, he just walked ahead.

Then they approached the final corridor. It was round, with many doors, blue light emitting from the cracks at the bottom and sides. Dumbledore opened one of them, and let them walk inside.

Five people were sitting at a long, shiny topped, wooden table. The room was small, oval in shape, with a high ceiling. Candles with blue flames flanked the stone walls, giving it a cool glow. There were five empty chairs, one of which was at the head of the table. Dumbledore sat there.

James, Sirius, Remus, and Lily took the remaining four without saying a word.

"We are all here," he said calmly, surveying the nine other members. "Shall we make the introductions? To my right we have Professor Minerva McGonnagal, deputy Headmistress of this school," he said, smiling at her. She nodded to the others.

"Next to her we have Arabella Figg, a graduate of this school six years back." Arabella smiled warmly, and made Sirius's jaw open. She was a very beautiful woman, with golden blonde hair, sparkling blue-green eyes, and rosy cheeks.

"Next in line is Mr. Mundungus Fletcher, our Ministry representative." Mr. Fletcher looked to be in his thirties or so, for his hair was going slightly gray. He also had a large round nose, puffy cheeks, and big ears. His smile crinkled his eyes to slits, and he smelled a little of smoke.

"Mrs. Lily Potter, who graduated second in her class. She is also a new mother." Lily blushed.

"Mr. James Potter, who graduated first in his class. He is an Operations Director at the International Wizard Bureau of Investigation, and a very new father."

Then Dumbledore looked to the left side of the table. "Here we have Mrs. Jill Prewitt of Prewitt Manufacturing, and her husband, Mr. Matthew Prewitt, who is obviously president and CEO of the company." Lily, James, and Sirius had seen Jill Prewitt once before. She was a thin woman, older, and had a look of energy about her. Her husband looked a little more mellowed out. His hair was completely gray, but his mustache was still black. He nodded to all of them.

"Mr. Sirius Black, who graduated third in his class, is an Analyst at the IWBI." He grinned, especially in the direction of Arabella Figg.

"And Mr. Remus Lupin who works in the Law Enforcement department. He could do much better, only the bigotry of our public will not allow such a thing." Remus looked straight at the wall.

"Now that we are all acquainted, I assume that you would like to know why you are all here, why I selected you, and the purpose of this gathering." He pushed his spectacles up, leaned over the table, and folded his hands. "Let me begin with this: I know each and everyone of you. You are some of the brightest people I have met, and also the most determined. Each of you also possesses a great degree of courage, an admirable trait. But you have all experienced the loss of a friend, or family member to Voldemort. You know what he is capable of; you have seen his devastation. You know that he is real, not just a bedtime monster. You know he is dangerous, and you must know that he is succeeding.

"Voldemort is powerful, which is to his great advantage. He is persuasive, cunning, and no doubt one of the most talented wizards of all time. He has countless supporters, many of whom are unidentified and therefore most dangerous. His location is concealed by powerful charms, impenetrable spells, and fear. He knows our weaknesses.

"It isn't any wonder why he is making such a move; who is going to stop him? Several of his supporters, even, are frightened of his increasing power. But those who wish to leave him are murdered. The IWBI is hard at work to find new agents to penetrate his lair, known as the Fortress of Shadows. Our Mr. Potter is working diligently to make that a success. But until we have more information, there is nothing we can do.

"Voldemort doesn't follow etiquette, procedures of law, or simple rules. Though he should be required to, he doesn't. That, of course, is one of the problems...for us. The Dark Lord has the upper-hand in everything. He is secret, he has no rules to follow, and he is a leader amongst thieves. He has no walls or boundaries constricting his will. We do. The Ministry of Magic seems to be more concerned with keeping to the rules rather than taking action. Public opinion dictates their actions, and as we all know, the public can be foolish. Even while horrendous acts of violence are playing out, the public wants to keep to the bureaucratic rules for they believe in them. They trust their officials. However unfortunate, it is thought by me, and by several others in the intelligence community, not to mention eyewitness accounts from spies past and present, that many Ministry officials are already Death Eaters. Those in the Ministry, and the IWBI are gathering support. Voldemort has tainted and invaded our very leadership.

"So I am proposing just what you are probably assuming. Voldemort, no doubt, will get wind of the Order, if he hasn't already. Ashika Narayan is already aware of its existence, and she is having a mole problem. But to everyone else, the most we will be is a rumor, a simple quandary. We will play on Voldemort's terms. Secrecy is our motto; efficiency is our practice. We must take this into our own hands before this world falls into his. We will fight against him the best way each of us knows how. This will not be a clean run, nor will it be without casualties. Each of you is aware of the dangers and the risks of fighting this war, but you know you must." He looked to each of them. The room was now just as silent as it had been when they first entered it. "He will continue as long as there is a fight to be won. It's time we stopped giving into his satanic ills, and giving him the lives of our spouses, parents, and children. Public opinion will have no meaning here for they will know nothing of us." He looked to the Prewitts. "Prewitt Manufacturing has a series of business, including the making of materials for robes, the growing and harvesting of trees for the Nimbus line, among other such things. Jill is very active in this fight, as is Matthew. They have lost a daughter to Voldemort and will do anything to bring him down. They have therefore, opened a new business where much of their funds will go. We are this business, but to the public eye it's a book binding plant. The Prewitts are the funding for this operation."

Then he looked to Mundungus Fletcher. "Mundungus works for the Ministry as of now, but he has a wide knowledge of dangerous spells used to fight and defend. He will teach all of you how to battle and what to block. It is important for all of you to know spells such as these, for Voldemort's Death Eaters have a wide knowledge. We must eliminate as many advantages he has as possible.

"Arabella," he said, looking to her, "is our mistress of disguise. She has a knack for taking on different forms for an extended amount of time. It is a very rare gift to act like someone else, in a totally different shell. She will do much of our undercover work and intelligence gathering.

"James," he said, looking to him with warmth in his eyes, "we are counting on you to organize covert missions, and to break your oath to the IWBI and share information with us. Ashika Narayan has inside accounts around Hogwarts, why must it only go one way?"

James nodded slowly, and took a deep breath.

"Sirius," he started, "you will write the reports, tell us the accounts, bring back information from your place of work, and share with us. We must have your analytical expertise. We need to know what we're doing and what to do next. You have to study what certain things mean, and research the significance."

"All right," he responded.

"Remus, let us know what's going on in the Law Enforcement agency, but more importantly, get in contact with other werewolves and stop them from going over to Voldemort's side. I'm sure you know that is a problem. Most of them feel unwanted and are tired of exclusion from our side, so they go where they are wanted. Keep an eye on them."

"And Lily. In order to keep this Order completely secret, no one will go to the hospital for injuries, which are inevitable. I trust that with two years of the basics, you will be able to handle most anything. I would advise that you read up on all the available books and learn all that you can about medicine, injuries, and how to cure them. Your participation is crucial." He smirked to her, then winked. Lily felt a lurch in her stomach. What else did he want to know, she wondered.

"Are there any questions?" he asked..

"Yeah," James said, "I've got a few questions. How are we supposed to communicate to each other?"

"It will seem archaic, but it's necessary. All owls will come to me, for Hogwarts is very safe. I will relay the messages accordingly. We will convene here once a month, as well. Minerva and I will lead the Order, as always. If something should happen to me, she will take command. If I am unavailable, you can contact her."

"And what is our first assignment?" James asked. "Now that we all know what our jobs are, what is our job?"

Dumbledore smiled, cast his mind out for a comparison, and spoke calmly. "If a fire breathing dragon stood in your way, what would be the first thing you would do?" he asked.

James scrunched his face. "I suppose I would...um....well I can't stop him from breathing fire, and that is the greatest danger..."

"You blind him," Sirius put in. "Make it so he can't see you."

"Precisely," Dumbledore said. "Take out his senses. We find the spies and we incapacitate them. Mundungus will give you useful spells to bring them down without causing harm to them. But if it comes to him versus you, in a fight to the death, make sure it's you who prevails."

"That's terrific advice," Mundungus said for the first time. He had a thick cockney accent, which made his statement slightly more comical. "Try not to get yourselves blown up," he added. "Otherwise Dumbledore will have te find new members for this outfit. Can't have that."

Sirius tried to stifle his laugh.

"James, do you know of any spies?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes," he answered back, looking at Sirius. "Guy Burgess. Supposedly he's a recruiter of sorts. He's still in the Bureau, but all information to him has been stopped. I'm sure, however, that he is still able to get his hands on some things. Ashika and Rushmore Stiles wanted to keep an eye on him and see who he talks to, but he's not saying much to anyone anymore."

"Someone told him then," Sirius added. "I've been working on this kind of thing for years, real closely with Narayan, we figured out it was Guy Burgess who was sending secret notes from the Bureau to the Dark Lord. That's when we started to watch him. We've tried learning whom he has recruited in the Bureau, but so far he's been covering his tracks. We're also really concerned that there's someone higher up in the game that's messing with us, but we don't know who."

"Could it be this Narayan woman?" Arabella asked. "She seems to know everything that goes on."

Dumbledore shook his head. "She's certainly unconventional, but she is on our side. She knows Voldemort very well; she has studied him for years. Once in a great while when she asks for a favor, she allows me to pick at her brain. She's a brilliant woman. I wanted her out of this, however."

"She knows I'm here," James blurted out. "She guessed you would have me here."

"Like I said," Dumbledore commented, "a brilliant woman. Guy Burgess must be brought to justice," he said, getting back on topic. "It seems clear that he is a perpetrator. Arabella, perhaps you could show Mr. Burgess some of your charm work. And if he is a recruiter, then that means once he is out of the picture, others will take his place. And when that occurs, we will know about it. I must warn you, that once we start blinding Voldemort, he will become enraged and breathe fire everywhere he can."

"Meaning?" Remus asked.

"Meaning he will do anything to stop us, anything. We are all at risk. But we were all at risk before. So many of his victims have been neither attached nor participating in anything he would see as a danger. Even Muggles are being slaughtered, for the sport of it. I know this seems sudden. Why now do I bring this about? Why such urgency that wasn't there before? Of that I am not quite sure. The Ministry is faltering, the Bureau is failing, the people are dying, and Voldemort is prevailing. Simply said, I've grown weary of this, as well as deeply frightened and concerned. As I said earlier, I trust each of you. I know that you will do what is right, but at the same time you will do what is required."

"Burgess must go first," Jill Prewitt said. "Once he's out of the picture, others will crawl out of the woodwork. We have to be organized. One step at a time. We're all new at this. Burgess goes first."

"How is that done?" James asked, throwing his hands up in the air. "I know this Order doesn't have many rules, but everything else does. How can we get him?"

Matthew Prewitt answered. "That's where we come in. You see, James, in this world, it's not what you know but who. We have some friends who can really help us out. They can smooth things over, if you will, when it comes to his imprisonment at Azkaban. The only thing we are asking you to do is find him. Arabella can...well, she'll incapacitate him, and you can take him to the prison."

"What exactly do you do?" Sirius asked Arabella. She flipped her hair out of her face and smiled at him.

"She's a woman Sirius," Lily told him with half a smirk. "Burgess is a man. She'll use her sensual arsenal and reel him in, just like she would you."

"A fellow black widow spider," Arabella said as she looked down the table at Lily. "It's always nice to have company."

"Then what?" James asked. "What do we do after that?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now we don't have too much information, but now that you know what to look for and what to tell, next time will run much smoother. So this is how it will play out now. James or Sirius, find out where Burgess goes. Tell me, and I will inform Arabella. She will make contact, and James, you will deliver him to Azkaban, where he will be accepted by the Prewitt connection."

James sighed. "All right," he said.

"Don't worry, James. I seem to remember a young teenage boy with his three friends who would do things like this in their seven years here," Dumbledore commented.

"True," James said. "Though I was caught on a few occasions."

"Look at what fatherhood has done to you," Sirius said. "It's a complicated and dangerous game, James. Try to play it safe. You rescued two people from thirty Death Eaters last year. You have the common sense, so use it."

"Why can't Sirius do it?" Lily said. "You don't have a son to raise. Why can't he work the field? Why can't you?" she asked him.

"Lily," Dumbledore said calmly. "Sirius doesn't have the training, the experience, or the expertise that James has. Trust me, Burgess will be incapacitated by the time your husband gets there. He does much more dangerous work at the Bureau."

Lily mumbled under her breath about this.

"We will meet again on October the first, at this time, at this place. The entrance hall will be cleared of all students so your path will be empty. Thank you all for coming. Lily, I will need to speak to you about medicine," he said, rising from his chair. Everyone else did the same and mingled to the door. Lily got up and walked toward Dumbledore, fiddling with her hands. "I understand you have made a deal with your school?" he said.

"Because I had top grades, they'll let me keep my credits and return as a third year in eleven years. After I take a test; to make sure I retained all of it."

He nodded and smiled only as Albus Dumbledore could. "A wise decision. Harry will be most appreciative later on. But in the meanwhile, I will have to ask you to learn methods of healing. I'm sure you can do the basics, but we might need more than that."

"I understand," she said, sighing. "I will get some books and watch a few surgeries."

"I sense," he said, "that there is something you wish to tell me?"

Lily hesitated. She knew Ashika wouldn't have told anyone about her secret missions into Voldemort's liar. And Lily swore that she wouldn't tell anyone about it either, not even James knew. But should she tell Dumbledore, for the sake of the Order? They were going after Burgess; that had nothing to do with her. Besides, she didn't even know how close Burgess was to Voldemort; they all went by code names in Voldemort's presence. Telling him would be useless at this point in time, she thought. Maybe later would be better."

"No," she said, shaking her head of her thoughts. "Nothing."

He closed his eyes and nodded. "Very well. I trust the youngest is doing well?"

"He is," she said with a grin. "We think he's going to smile any day now. He looks just like James, though, no sign of me in there yet. Well, I've got to go to him now, actually. I left him with Jade, and he won't take the bottle. He likes authenticity."

Dumbledore chuckled. "I'll see you next month."

"Next month," she affirmed.

* * * * *

After a long day of staring at names and facts for him to memorize, Sirius drove home. He knew he could Apparate there faster, but speeding on his Harley relaxed him. Still, names and numbers kept popping in his mind. He had written the facts down so he wouldn't worry about forgetting them, but he stared for so long that they were now integrated into his brain. He looked at his watch; it was seven in the evening.

He turned abruptly and headed a totally different direction. By the time he reached his destination, the sun had dipped behind some clouds and was starting to sink down into night. He hopped off his bike, walked into the apartment complex, and ran up the stairs three at a time. At apartment 3D, he knocked. He heard footsteps coming to the door...

"Hey Sirius!" Jade said, opening it. "Come on in." And that he did. The apartment was small, but only Jade lived there. The walls were adorned with her paintings, drawings, and photos of her family and friends. The table was littered with sketches, drawing tools, and writing on parchment. A Shetland Sheepdog hopped off one of the chairs and ran to Sirius to greet him. "How are you?" she asked.

"Busy," he said, petting the dog. "You?"

"Oh, you know. I guess I sort of am. She likes you," she said, pointing to her dog.

"It's because I'm handsome," he said, smiling at her.

"No, that's not it. She likes everyone," she retorted, folding her arms. "So, does James have that day off?"

"Yeah. He took it off because it's the anniversary, but he has no plans for it."

"What? No plans? Well, it works out for us I guess."

"Remember, this is the guy who proposed in a train station. Planning isn't his best hobby. So, are we telling him about the resort, and not her?"

"Right. We'll give it to him and he can say it was his idea. You want to see pictures of it?" she asked, going to a box.

"Sure. Did you make these cookies?" Sirius pulled a plate of plump chocolate chip cookies toward him and took one.

"Yes. They're my second batch. I put way too much butter in the first. But those are fine. Here it is." She handed a brochure to him. Yes indeed, it was a nice place. It had a tropical influence to it, with palm trees, white sand, beach buildings, and swimming pools which were shaped, not geometrically, but like wavy figures which gave it an oasis look. The rooms were also quite posh.

"Nice," he said. "A friend of yours owns the place?"

"Yeah, she's practically given me a room for two. I thought it would be nice for them to get away, even if it's just a few hours."

"Room for two?" he asked, setting the brochure down. "So you're giving it away because you can't have it?"

Jade dropped her mouth and furrowed her brow. "How dare you," she said. "I got this for them, Sirius. I know I'm not seeing anyone, but I took it for them. For them. Lily is my best friend, and I thought it would be nice for her and James to get away for three hours or so and just be together without worrying about their baby. I wasn't given this opportunity in a gift basket with muffins and plastic stretched over it. I took it for them, my friends. I'm glad he has that day off. I'll go and talk to him later about it," she said. She turned on her heal and went for the cue-stick. Sirius backed out of her way, but she just went for the pool table instead. "You can leave anytime, Sirius. No doubt some blonde bimbo is waiting for you."

"Jade, I'm sorry," he said. "I really am, I just misunderstood."

She hit the three ball in the corner pocket. "You thought I was recycling a gift. I may be frugal, but I'm not like that."

"I know, okay, it was a huge misunderstanding. I have a lot on my mind right now, but that's not an excuse. Come on, Jade, let's be friends," he said with a smile.

She hit the five ball in the side pocket. "Friends," she mumbled to herself. "Friends don't hurt each other whenever an opportunity presents itself, Sirius. We certainly don't fall into that category. It's hard to know who hurt whom first. But since then it's been a constant volley. I hurt you, you retaliate, I do it again, you retaliate... Or maybe it was the other way around, I don't know. It doesn't matter at this point, it wouldn't make a difference."

Sirius picked up another cue-stick. "I started it. But I didn't do it on purpose," he said. He hit the seven ball in the far corner pocket. "Then you retaliated."

"Right," she said. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "When I think about that I get sick."

"What part?" he asked. He paced around the table, looking.

"My retaliation. Could I have been any more juvenile? The way I treated you was repulsive. I was just a stupid teenage girl."

Sirius laughed as he thought back on their seventh year. "You were horrible to me," he said, sniggering.

Jade cracked a smile and tried not to laugh. "To say the least," she managed. "I would just like to say, for that poor teenage girl's defense, that Lily said that if I acted like I hated you and wasn't interested in you, then you would fall for me. She was right."

"So it's her fault?" he asked, still laughing.

She gave up control and started giggling. "Why the hell not," she said.

"She's not here to say otherwise," Sirius commented.

"Exactly right. You want another cookie?" she asked, handing him the plate. "I am really sorry for my teenage, adolescent, obsessive rudeness I dished out to you three years ago. That was nothing less that stupid and quite silly."

"I guess we'll call it even with all of my 'retaliation' against you. All of it," he said, looking up quickly at her. "You do know what that entails?"

"I think I'm aware of those things," she said, kindly, hiding her smile.

"So are we even?" he asked, knocking another ball away. "Do we have a truce? No more battles? No more attempts to wound the other?"

"That sounds good," she said, unable to keep her grin inside.

* * * * *

It had been a dreadfully long week. Lily honestly couldn't remember a time when she was more tired, and she had quit med school the week before. When she wasn't taking care of Harry, she was cleaning the mess required to take care of him. She would feed him, burp him, then hold him until he fell asleep. Then, with great care and ease, she would lay him down in his crib and pray that he wouldn't wake up. If she was lucky, she would pick up all the diapers littered on the floor from when she ripped open the bag, stuff all the dirty diapers into the bin, and clean all the blankets. Then he would cry again and the process would repeat.

Then she realized, when she got hungry herself, that there was nothing for her to eat. This meant, of course, that she would have to go out and get groceries. It was mid-morning; most people were at work. Lily loaded Harry up in her Apparation harness, his diaper bag, his other bag filled with extra clothes and blankets, and her purse. When all was added onto her, she looked like a horse with saddlebags.

And she was off, destination Diagon Alley. She never realized just how crowded the streets were, now that she was three times as large with bags alone and a baby in her front pouch like a joey. Several people, however, told her how beautiful her baby was. She smiled graciously, kissed him, then moved on. When she reached the market, she simply asked the grocer to get everything for her. He seemed to understand.

With a handy spell she used, the bags became feather light, and much smaller, which made carrying them a cinch. She figured that since she was out, she would go by Tiny Tots and stock up on baby clothes, since Harry was much bigger and getting much fatter. When she entered the store, women converged on her and starting cooing over Harry. He looked at all of them with wide eyes as they touched his hands and feet, kissed his cheeks, and talked at him in these high pitched voices. All of the women pulled outfits off the racks and showed them to Lily, insisting that he wear them. She bought some, then looked at more in the next size up.

When she left the store, glad that Harry hadn't wet the diaper or cried, she decided that going home would be best. She started to walk into the street when a tall man bumped into her.

"Sorry," he said, in a sullen voice.

Lily looked up at him; it was Snape. He did the same double take and stared at her.

"Lily," he said, his eyes and mouth open wide.

"Severus," she said, surprised.

He moved his gaze down on Harry. Lily stepped back a little and put her arms around him. "You have a baby," he said.

"Yeah," she said cooly.

"With Potter, I assume," he said, arching an eyebrow. He looked no different from the last time she'd seen his face a little over two years ago. His expression was still dark, his eyes were still cold and empty, and his mouth was still pulled down into a frown.

"Yes," she said, showing him her wedding band. "Almost two years now." She looked back down at Harry, putting her cheek against the top of his head.

"I see," he said.

"I'm very happy with him," she added with her smile. "He's a great man, and a great father. I have to run along now, you understand. I have my baby to take care of."

"Yes," he said, stepping to the side to allow her to pass. "What did you name him?" he asked.

She considered not telling him, but what would be the harm now? "Harry James. Bye," she said, walking away from him. She shivered as she walked up the cobbled street, and never looked back...though he did.

Once she Apparated back into her apartment, she locked the door, dropped all of her bags on the kitchen counter, and put Harry in his vibrating, bouncing seat. "Creepy man," she said to him. Then she saw a rather large envelope sitting on her coffee table. She scrunched her face, walked over to it, and picked it up. A small note, written on a shiny, clear paper was attached to it. "To Lily," it read, "thanks for all of your cooperation and help. Perhaps the Order of the Phoenix could use these. A.N." Lily pondered the initials as she opened the envelope.

Several files fell out onto the table. One was filled with several reports on Voldemort's psyche, the others described schematics of the Fortress of Shadows, another was filled with code names, including hers, and much more useful information. "Narayan," Lily said to herself, as she examined each file. "Well I'll be damned."

There was a very sudden and loud knock on the door. Their name was not announced. "Coming!" she said, shoving the files back into the envelope. She stuffed it under a cushion, then walked to the door and opened it. Standing there were two Muggle policemen, with business-like expressions on their faces.

"May I help you?" she said.

"Are you Lily Potter?" the shorter one asked.

"Yes, what's wrong?"

The two exchanged nervous glances, and looked back to her. "I'm afraid there's been an accident. Could we come in?"

* * * * *

James stood in his office, staring at a map, tapping his foot and his quill. He didn't realize that he was also biting his lip until Ashika came bursting into his office once again.

"Thanks for knocking," he said without turning to face her.

"You need to leave right now," she said.

"Why this time? Morris Burg is on it, you know, he's making contact with Death Eaters. There isn't any more I can do."

"Your wife needs you right now. Her parents were killed in a car accident."

James swirled around; his expression read shock. "What?"

"They were driving to Surrey when a truck driver ran a red and hit them. Go home, James."

He didn't need telling twice. He slipped his robe back on and dashed out of his sector and down to the Apparation Chamber, where he disappeared. He barged into his apartment to find Lily bawling on the sofa, two police officers on either side of her.

"Lily," he said, going to her. She stood up and clung on to him tightly, sobbing into his shoulder. He didn't say anything else, what would have been the point? He held her snugly letting her weep. He looked at the officers and nodded. They understood, then took their leave.

************************************************

Another note: Arabella, the name, means: beautiful woman/girl. Figg- a fig leaf is used to hide, or disguise. Put the two names together and you get: beautiful woman in disguise/hiding. Hmm... remember, it's my story. Mundungus- "maladorous tobacco." and a "fletcher" is someone who makes arrows. I did my research. This story isn't over yet. I don't know that I'll make my deadline but I will try my hardest! You'll know the ending, trust me. An epilogue will follow, but you won't need that to know it's over. You'll just know. It's terribly sad. Sorry, not my choice, it's Rowling's plot. Remember that. And I'm guessing about the Order. In nine days I can see, we all can see, how wrong I am.