Jenny's POV – late August 1981
Well, it's been over a month and we still don't know where April is. We tried to give Harry the best first birthday we could but it's kind of hard when one of your number is missing. We've also had to spend the full moon in England. Because no one had made any Wolfsbane potion we had a few troubles finding somewhere for Bo and Remus to go for the full moon. In the end Sirius offered to let them stay in his house for the full moon while Sirius went out looking for April.
The boys have been working so hard for the order just to try and find April. Especially Sirius. While I've been here, I've only seen him twice. Remus has been trying to collect information from wherever he can while James is getting so frustrated just having to sit around. He can't do anything and it's killing him. But the person who's probably worst off is Lily. She's stopped eating and the only thing she's been doing is making that potion for the Fidelius charm. If she's not doing that she's wondering around aimlessly, it's like she's lost her better half.
Right now she's lying on the sofa, her head in my lap. James has gone to look after the kids for us. I brushed some of Lily's hair away from her face and felt her hug my leg slightly.
"Do you want anything?" I asked her gently. She shook her head. "Do you want something to eat?" I asked her, again she shook her head. "Lily you have to eat something." I said.
"No I don't" She replied childishly. I sighed and played with her hair. Remus and I had come as soon as we heard about April going missing and James had the right idea in asking me to come to help out Lily. It was like when her parents had died but a lot worse. I think it didn't help the fact that we didn't know if April was even alive! Every time we heard someone apparate in they would be bombarded with questions. I wasn't quite as anxious as Lily but then I wasn't as close to April as Lily was. I still felt that horrid gut wrenching feeling you get when you're nervous anxious and just really worried.
We heard someone apparate into the house and Lily bolted upright. She'd been doing that when people came in. We both looked to the door and Sirius pushed it open. He looked pale, drawn and very tired.
"Have you-" Lily started to say but Sirius shook his head.
"Sorry, I haven't found anything, but there are loads more Death Eaters patrolling the streets of Godric's Hollow" He said with a yawn, "They've also raided my house and I've heard they're going to go and raid your house." He said looking at me.
"In China?" I asked.
"No the English one you bought."
"What!" I said standing up. "My Grandmother is there!" I said alarmed.
"We have to get her out then. Come on Jenny." Sirius said picking up my wand and pressing it into my hand. "I'll meet you there." Sirius just seemed so tired.
"No, let James go with her Sirius, you're too tired." Lily said anxiously.
"But-"
"No! JAMES!" Lily shouted. James came tumbling down the stairs and straight to Lily.
"What?" He asked, holding her hands.
"Go with Jenny and bring her grandmother here. There might be an attack on her house, go now!" She said. James nodded and looked at me. I closed my eyes and felt a the usual rush of wind and felt myself land at the new house my parent's had bought just outside London. I ran around the house.
"Grandmother!" I shouted. The signs weren't that encouraging, had Sirius been a bit late in telling us. I heard a crack and I whipped around. James was standing behind me. "Look for my grandmother and take her back to your house." But James was already on it. I ran up the stairs and went through all the rooms, they still all had boxes in them.
"Jenny!" James called uncertainly from downstairs. I ran down the stairs and stood in the hall.
"Where are you?" I asked.
"Kitchen." He said. I ran into the kitchen and opened my mouth in surprise. There were three Death Eaters on the floor and my grandmother was drinking some herbal tea.
"But-how-Grandmother, what happened?" I asked in Chinese. She looked at me and gave me one of her partially toothless grins.
"These English people! They think they are good but they are reckless and think that I cannot defend myself because I am old." She said shaking her head in disappointment. I couldn't help but grin. James looked at me uncertainly.
"What did she say?"
"Oh," I translated for him and he laughed despite himself.
"Mrs. Chang, would you like to come to my house for a while?" James asked slowly. I was quite please because unlike most people he didn't shout it out like foreigners were deaf. Grandmother looked at me for a translation. I quickly translated and then she sat and thought for a moment.
"Will my grandson be at this man's house?" She asked. I nodded. She smiled. "then, yes I will go. But let me get my bag."
"I'll get James to get it." I said. I turned to James "Could you get my grandmother's bag? It should be in the living room." I said. James nodded and walked off.
"Who is he Yue-yin?" She asked.
"He is Lily's husband" I answered in Chinese, I went to help my grandmother up.
"I thought they were not allowed to leave their house. Or have you been telling me lies Yue-yin?" She asked, pretending to look like a shrewd old woman. I grinned and James came in.
"Will your grandmother be alright to Apprated there?" James asked. I looked at him like he was an idiot.
"She managed to knock out these idiots didn't she?" I said nodding to the fallen Death Eaters. James looked at me like I had a point.
"Ok, it's Godric's hollow" he said. I repeated this to my grandmother and let her apparate first. James left a second after her. I waited a moment and before I apparated I heard one of the Death Eaters stir. I turned and saw one getting up. I held my wand at him and he looked at me hesitantly.
"Don't move." I said dangerously. He sat up and shook his head clear. "Accio wands." The wands flew towards me and I walked to the Death Eater. I crouched beside him and pulled his hood off. I didn't recognise him but that didn't matter.
"What do you want?" He asked groggily.
"Where is April Marsden?" I asked him. His eyes seemed to widen.
"You're one of them" He spat like it was the worst thing in the world.
"Yes I am now where is she?" I asked threateningly. He eyed my wand suspiciously.
"And how are you going to make me tell you?" He asked with a smirk, "You don't use the curses." That was true but as a girl I had my ways. I temporarily seemed to lose control of my leg as it connected with the Death Eater's groin. He let out a moan of pain and started to lean forwards to try and curl up but I pushed him against the wall.
"Where is April Marsden?" I demanded.
"Bitch." He muttered
"Do you want me to lose control of my leg again?" I warned. He looked at me, he could tell I was being deadly serious.
I ran into the Living room at Godric's hollow after I'd called the ministry to collect the Death Eaters. Sirius and James were in there with Remus. It was quite late at night so the kids were asleep and no doubt Lily was getting my grandmother settled in.
"I know where April is." I said quickly. Everyone looked at me.
"What?"
"How?"
"Those Death Eaters that attacked my grandmother, I got one of them to talk." I said. Remus came to my side and held me tightly.
"That could have been dangerous." He said. I shrugged.
"How did you get him to talk? You didn't use-" Sirius started to say, I grinned.
"No, I seemed to lose control of my leg quite a lot, I don't think he'll be able to have children any more. But quick, we have to go and get her."
"Where is she?" Sirius asked anxiously.
"Malfoy manor." I said.
"Come again." James said, "Malfoy Manor? You can't just waltz into the Malfoy house."
"Then how are we going to get in there. We have to get April out!" I said to James.
"Firstly, you're not going Jenny" Remus said. I looked at him.
"Why not? She's my best friend, I'm going to help save her." I said, breaking away from Remus.
"You've done enough." Remus said.
"No, I'm going to help get her out!" I shouted at him.
"So am I." Lily said coming into the room, "You talk way too loudly." She said to me but with a slight smile.
"No!" James said, it was his turn this time.
"Oh, be quiet!" Sirius said before more arguing could break out. He pulled off his robes, they were his Death Eater ones so I could tell that he had been out among them. He said a spell that made a few more copies of the cloak. He looked at us. "How are we going to get in though?" Remus asked.
"Firstly we need at least two of you to stay here. We can't take the risk that we make these kids orphans" Sirius said. I looked at Remus and he nodded and seemed to back down. "Oh, and I'm not having either one of you two leaving the house. April is important but not as important as you two staying alive." He said to Lily and James. He threw me a cloak and I put it on. I turned and saw both James and Lily looking rather annoyed.
"Fine." Lily said crossing her arms. "But make sure you bring her home." She said dangerously. Both Sirius and I nodded.
"Ready?" I asked him. Sirius nodded. Remus gave me a quick kiss, I might not return after all, if our disguise was found out. I didn't really want to break away from the kiss but I did. I put the hood on and Sirius and I agreed to meet just outside Malfoy Manor.
I stood waiting outside for a few moments. It was a bit too dark for my liking but I knew that I just had to wait for a moment. I heard someone apparating next to me and I turned to look. I looked into the eye holes in the hood and could tell it was Sirius.
"Come on." He said. I nodded and we pushed the gate open and headed towards the manor house. We were about halfway when someone apparated in our path.
"What are you doing here?" someone said. I recognised his voice. Sirius obviously did because I saw him shaking.
"We're here to see Marsden, the Dark Lord wants us to see what new information you have" I said to prevent Sirius from talking.
"Hello Chang." He said. He lowered his hood. I instantly recognised the long greasy hair, hooked nose and pale skin.
"Snape." I snarled.
"Next time you try and do a rescue mission make sure you contact me first."
"We can't trust you." Sirius said.
"Well you're going to have to. Follow me and stay quiet" He said putting his hood up. "Unless you want to die." He added as he turned around. I looked at Sirius.
"We're not coming with you, you'll give us away." He said.
"We have to trust him." I said, "Come on, I don't want to have to leave a child without a mother, the longer we're out here the more chance that will happen." Sirius looked at me then nodded.
"Fine but I still don't trust him."
"Don't worry, I don't trust you either." Snape replied. We followed Snape as we went up to the manor. We knocked on the door and the door opened. Malfoy came over.
"What are you-"
"Veritaserum" Snape said. Veritaserum? They were using truth potion on April? That could only mean bad things. April knew things about Lily and James that none of us knew. Some very personal details that they would only trust April with. Malfoy looked at me and Sirius then nodded. We followed Snape into the house. I felt slightly claustrophobic being led into the enemy's house like this. We truly couldn't trust Snape, he had willingly offered to help. He'd spent all our years at Hogwarts trying to curse James, Sirius, Remus and Peter and now he was helping us. Even I felt highly suspicious. I gripped my wand under the cloak and we followed Snape into the basement.
"Hang on a moment." Snape said. He turned to some guards that stood by a door. "You're excused for an hour. We've got to take over for a while." He said to the guards. They nodded and left. I looked over to Sirius. He seemed to be bouncing on the balls of his feet. The guards left and Snape went to the door. Sirius and I stayed where we were. Snape opened the door and went in. I looked over to Sirius, he sensed my gaze and looked at me.
"No!" We heard April said, "I've told you everything." We ran to the door and went in.
"Oh shut up, I'm trying to get you out." Snape snapped at her. I stopped dead in the doorway. I'd never actually seen April look so...weak. Sirius went straight to April and lifted her up. Her top was slightly torn and her legs were revealed because of the skirt she wore, her legs were dirty and had cuts all over them. She was incredibly pale and very thin, though her stomach seemed the usual size, if not a bit bigger.
"No, let go of me."
"April it's me." Sirius said. April looked at him shook her head.
"No." she said.
"She can't apparate out and you're not going to be able to get her out the front door." Snape said. I went to help Sirius. April was struggling but she was really weak, she could barely stand. That wouldn't normally happen in such a short amount of time but they obviously hadn't been treating April very well.
"Ok, we'll need a portkey then" I said.
"Jenny?" April asked. She seemed half with it, half out of it. Snape nodded and he handed me a watch. I quickly turned it into a portkey, yes it was illegal but it was for a good cause. I handed it to Sirius, who was holding April. April had just passed out completely in his arms. I was about to just leave when I turned to Snape.
"Here's April's wand" He said handing me a wand.
"What about you?" I asked him. "Won't they get suspicious?"
"They will but just go, I can think up a lie for you." He said. I nodded uncertainly and turned to Sirius and April. I just had time to touch the watch when I was jerked out of the room. We were travelling so fast that my hood was blown off and so was Sirius'. We arrived at Lily's house, in the living room. Remus was sitting in an easy chair looking quite anxious. Lily was on the sofa, in James' arms. They all started with surprise as we arrived. Sirius dropped the watch and held April in a more comfortable position.
"Oh my god." Lily said getting up. "Put her on the sofa." Lily and James got up and Sirius gently placed April on the sofa. I'd never really seen April in such bad shape. I felt Remus' arms around my waist and looked at him anxiously. Sirius didn't seem to want to let go of April, and to be honest, if I were him, I probably wouldn't want to either. I freed myself from Remus and went to help Lily. Even though neither of us completed Healer training we still knew quite a lot, especially Lily, who had done quite a lot of extra reading. Now was not the time to try and cover up April. Lily took off April's top and bit her lip. I winced slightly. April's stomach and chest was covered in cuts and bruises and there were a few burns.
"Oh crap." Lily said. She looked at James and he nodded.
"I think we'll leave the girls to sort this out for a moment." He said. He looked at Remus who nodded, they both left the room. Remus looked at Sirius for moment.
"Sirius, she's safe with us." I said gently, putting a hand on his arm. He took a deep breath and just looked at April.
"Sirius." Lily said.
"I want to stay with her." Sirius said. Lily got up and spoke to Sirius quietly. I took her place and got out my wand. First things first, clean out all these wounds. I started with April's legs since the wounds on her legs seemed to be the worst and they seemed quite dirty. I managed to clean most of them as Sirius left. Lily sat next to the sofa with a sigh. She put a hand on April's stomach and then seemed to try and look to see how big it was. Even from here, Lily's thoughts that April might be pregnant did turn out to be a truth. April's stomach was bigger then it had been last time I saw her
"I just don't understand why people are trying to do this to us" Lily said as she looked at April. I looked Lily and took her hand.
"Well, people are weird." I said. Lily let go of my hand ran her hands through her hair before getting her own wand out. Pretty soon we'd managed to get April cleaned up and transfigured the Sofa into a bed. April didn't look that peaceful while she was unconscious, in fact she seemed to move her head quite a lot like she was having a nightmare. I looked at Lily nervously.
"What else can we do?" I asked Lily. Lily shrugged. I sat down on the bed next to April and Lily paced slightly.
"Do you think we should try and revive her?" Lily asked quietly. I shrugged. I got out my wand and pointed it at April.
"Ennervate" I said. April's eyes opened slowly and she looked at me.
"Jenny?" She asked. I gave her a smile.
"Hey." I said. April turned her head and saw Lily. Lily gave her a smile.
"Where, they haven't got you to?" She asked, she obviously hadn't taken in her surroundings but no one could blame her.
"No, you're at my house." Lily said, sitting down on the other side of the bed. I helped April to sit up and she looked at us uncertainly.
"How do I know you're not trying to trick me?" She asked. "You're just trying to trick me. I know you are." She pushed herself against the wall, wincing as she did.
"April, it's us. Look into out eyes, use your legillemency if you need to." I said. April looked at Lily first and then at me. She licked her lips uncertainly and then bit her lower lip nervously. She immediately began to cry. Lily and I both hugged her and after a moment I let go to let Lily hold her more securely, knowing that April would feel safer with Lily. It did annoy me sometimes that that was the way it was but it wasn't my fault really.
"It's ok." I said, "Just stay here, you'll be fine." Lily looked at me uncertainly. I got up and left the room and went into the kitchen where the boys were waiting.
"Is she ok?" Sirius asked standing up and coming to me quickly.
"She's fine." I said, "I think."
"Why didn't you take her to St. Mungos?" asked Peter. I started in slight surprise. I hadn't realised he was here.
"Because it's safer here then at St. Mungos." I said to him. "They might want her back" Peter nodded. I went to Remus and sat on his lap. He put his arms around me.
"Are you sure she's ok?" He asked. "Don't you want to be with her?"
"She's with Lily right now." I said. "I get the feeling that April doesn't really want to see anyone right now." I said. I put my head against Remus' shoulder. "She'll be fine." I said, more to myself then anything. Remus kissed my forehead for reassurance and I held him tightly.
I stared at the ceiling of the bedroom. Everyone was staying at Lily and James' tonight, well, except Peter, who said he had to be at work quite early tomorrow. No doubt April being freed would cause the Death Eaters to get worked up. We were in the spare room, my grandmother had insisted on sleeping on the floor, like at home. My grandmother always preferred the floor to a bed, so I lay in the bed with Remus lying next to me. He had his arms around me protectively and I absently played with a few of the hairs on his arm. I just couldn't sleep. I don't know why. Actually I have a feeling that it might be something to do with April. I don't know why but every time I seemed to come to England something bad happened. And though I did still harbour some hard feelings towards April for accusing Remus of being the spy I still felt a bit uncertain about whether April was ok.
She had gone back to sleep after she'd had a good cry to Lily. Lily told us that April hadn't told her anything and we accepted it at face value. Sirius, now he just wouldn't stop pacing. He needs to relax a bit. April will be alright. She just needs some rest. I tore my gaze away from the ceiling and pressed my face against Remus' chest and put my arms around him, hoping that I would just get some sleep. Nope, that wasn't going to work. I slowly got out of the bed and carefully went to the door without waking up Remus or my grandmother. I stepped out into the landing and went to the kid's room. I just felt like checking on Bo and Harry, I looked in, Bo was fast asleep on the floor, with Harry in his cot. Also, for some reason, Sirius was sprawled out on the floor. I think the fact that Lily and James had one room, Remus, Grandmother and I had another room made Sirius think he wasn't all that welcome to share a room. But Sirius also really loved the children so nothing strange there. Harry had somehow managed to get rid of his blanket during the night so I went over and covered him up again. I glanced at Bo, he seemed perfectly content on his small mattress that James had gotten for him. There were toys everywhere. I smiled slightly and left the room before going downstairs.
I hate it when I can't sleep. It normally happens because I have this horrid feeling something bad is going to happen. What day was it again? Twenty fifth of August, no, twenty sixth, it's like five in the morning. I went to the Living room and pushed the door open slowly. April was sitting on the bed staring at the TV blankly. There was early morning TV that I usually found incredibly boring. She turned to look at me before turning back to the TV. I went to the bed and sat on it next to April.
"You ok?" I asked her quietly. She nodded. "Do you want to talk?" I asked. She looked away from the TV and looked at the duvet
"Not really." She said. "Is everyone asleep?" she asked.
"Yeah." I nodded. I put a hand to April' head and stroked some of her hair out of her face. She had a fairly painful looking cut down the side of her face that was healing. Lily and I were praying that April wouldn't be left with any scars.
"Thanks for coming to get me." She said quietly.
"It's fine."
"I know I've been really out of order to you in the past, and you know, after the thing with accusing Remus, I'm still pretty surprised you still like me." April said.
"Of course I like you." I said, "You're like my best friend." I said, April gave a soft smile.
"Jenny, will you promise not to tell anyone what I want to tell you?" She asked. I frowned.
"It depends what it is." I said uncertainly, "If its-"
"Please Jenny. I want to tell someone but I know Lily and Sirius will over react, James will tell Lily and Remus would tell you but I really want to tell someone." April said. I frowned then nodded.
"Ok" I said uncertainly. She took a deep breath.
"Thanks, um..." she frowned slightly, "I don't really know how to say this but," She stopped for a moment, April looked somewhat uncertain about what she was going to say. But what? "But, I think they raped me." I just stared at her, I didn't just hear that. But I did, April had just said, wait a minute...
"You think?" I asked. April nodded.
"Well, I was kind of kept subdued a lot and when I did wake up I wasn't ever really fully awake, just kind of drifting." She said, she looked at me, "please don't tell the others, they'll over react and I don't want them fussing over me anymore then they are. I hate it."
"You have to tell them." I said to her, "You have to tell Sirius."
"No I don't." She said. "He doesn't need to know."
"What if they...what if you're pregnant because of it?" I asked.
"I'm not pregnant." April said.
"How do you know?" I asked.
"Because I was pregnant before I got kidnapped." I looked at April rather surprised. Lily had told me her suspicions and her stomach did look bigger but it just didn't register that April was pregnant until now.
"You have to tell someone other then me April. This is really bad." I said, "What else did they do?"
"Well other then the usual torture and stuff, not much." She said. She said it pretty casually, it was scary the way she was handling it. "Don't tell anyone, especially not Sirius" I nodded reluctantly.
"Is the baby ok?" I asked April uncertainly. April nodded.
"Lily checked for me earlier." She said quietly. I pulled her into a hug and she rested her head on my shoulder. Now I know why I couldn't sleep. We just watched the TV for a while until I did actually, eventually fall asleep as the sun came up.
When I woke up I had April's head on my shoulder and my head was positioned uncomfortably against the wall. I lifted April's head gently off my shoulder and picked her wand I moved April so that she was lying down properly. I covered her with the blanket and then headed out of the room. Sirius was sitting anxiously in the kitchen. His head was in his hands.
"It's alright Sirius, she's ok."
"What about the baby?" Sirius asked looking at me.
"The baby should be fine." I said, I sat down opposite him. "What are you and April going to do about it?" Sirius ran a hand through his hair and shrugged.
"Well, I did kind of propose to her but she never answered. I asked her moments before she had to go and see Peter that day she was taken. I'll do anything she asks." Sirius said. I smiled gently and reached across the table to take Sirius' hand.
"If it means anything to you, I think she'll accept your proposal." I said. I desperately wanted to tell Sirius what April had told me last night. Those evil men raping a pregnant woman! It was disgusting and I have a horrid feeling of rising acid at the bottom of my throat. Sirius smiled.
"It does mean a lot. Shouldn't you be with Remus?" Sirius asked.
"I couldn't sleep so I went to speak to April, We kind of fell asleep on the sofa." I told him. I had to bite my lip from telling anymore.
"Did she tell you anything?" Sirius asked, "Like what happened to her. She wouldn't tell anyone-" Sirius stopped, he was obviously still too stressed to talk about it.
"No she didn't." I lied. "Well she did, she said that they hurt her quite a bit but nothing else." I said. I felt so bad lying to April. One part of me was telling me that I shouldn't lie for her. She had accused my husband of being a spy, she had tried to curse me, she had been a total bitch to me a few months ago, but another side was saying that she was my best friend. I'd known her for ages, and a few days of bitchiness couldn't replace over ten years of friendship!
Sirius nodded and put his head on the table. I sighed and got up to get myself a drink. I had to steady myself, I don't know why I was so nervous or anxious. I got out a bottle of butterbeer from Lily's fridge. From my healer training I knew that April should be ok, she would have a healthy baby but I still had to doubt that, what if she didn't, what if she miscarried? The butterbeer seemed to calm me only a little bit, I felt like just having some firewhiskey but it's far too early, and Alcohol isn't the answer to anything!
A/N:-Ok, that was the Chinese Rescue, go Grandma Chang I say, you're never too old to put up a good fight! Andyway, how many chapters have i got left now? about 4. I finally finished writing To The End today, Ive got the bad ending (which will be posted as a seperate story) and the 'happy' ending, it isn't exactly happy but everyone survives and there is some payback on Peter (may favourite bit) and let me just tell you now, Lily really freaks him out! I've been watching WAY too many horror movies, lol. I started writing a possible AU sequeal, Beyond the End....geddit! This is To The End, and the next one will be beyond the end. I'm currently writing it when Harry's 5 but then i'm thinking of fastforwarding it to HArry's sixth year and just informing you guys of any changes in the story line that I want that to put in, like, I think i'll have Ron and Harry friends from a very young age, but i'm not sure yet. I'll just write the first Chapter first then maybe i'll see whati do from there, if you have any ideas please tell me! Or i might just do a sequel to the bad ending...I have no idea to be honest!
The Next Chapter will be Lily Potter and Her R rated Chapter...Happy Anniversary. I particularly liked the next chapter and it was fun to write. The next chapter will mark Lily and James' third Anniversary and James is too cute...I want a man like him!