Disclaimer- character etc all JkR not me (damn)

Part 2 – To be used in emergencies

Lily and Sirius both looked nervous as they sat waiting for James to finish reading the letter he had received. Lily's startlingly green eyes were full of concern as they watched James pace, and Sirius' equally startling dark eyes were full of confusion as he watched the old, magnificent owl perch beside him. Sirius just couldn't understand why the appearance of the owl had caused this worry.

As he had walked up the winding path towards the house, Sirius had seen James' parents old owl smoothly swooping down and as he reached the door it perched upon his shoulder. Sirius had been curious himself as to what could possibly be in the letter; after all he had been with the couple at James' parents house for dinner just the night before. Yet he couldn't understand why the owl caused his friend; who was wearing a grin from ear to ear when he opened the door, to have such fear appear in his eyes when he saw it.

Lily had appeared just as James roughly grabbed the bird off Sirius' shoulder, clumsily took the letter, and strode through the living room as he opened it. She took a brief moment to calm the slightly distressed owl before following James without so much as glancing at Sirius. He wasn't offended at this, Sirius knew her well enough to realise that her failure to acknowledge his presence in her house wasn't down to rudeness, but distraction and worry, which meant that she too knew the significance of the owl. He then followed suit and went into the living room.

Sirius had been trying to catch Lily's eye ever since he walked into the room with all the appearance of calmness he could muster; he did not like being on the outside, unknowing and unable to help when those closest to him were clearly distressed about something. Something that he knew must be to do with James' parents who he cared for greatly.

Lily however was unwilling to let her eye be caught. I can't explain to him, she thought, not when I'm unsure if I really know what's going on myself. She did however, know that if anyone received a letter from her mother and father in law it was delivered by their quirky tawny owl who was younger and needed the exercise more than the barn owl. Yet Lily remembered them saying that due to it's sharpness of mind the barn owl reached its destinations much quicker, meaning the barn owl was the one to be used in emergencies. So its arrival at their house meant one thing, the Potters were in trouble.

The short time it took for James to read the letter felt like an eternity to both his best friend and his wife, with both managing to imagine all the terrible things that the letter could be about.

James abruptly stooped pacing, he turned to Lily his stony face as white as a sheet.

"Get my wand," he ordered.

She ran upstairs without questioning him or even hesitating but she paused as she reached for his wand, seeing the untouched breakfast taking over the room. To her the start of this day was simple, pure, happiness and it had ended just a few minutes ago but it was well and truly over and Lily lamented at the fact she would be bringing a baby into a world in which panic could currently reign over anyone at a moments notice. For a moment she realised the positive side to living in ignorance again as a muggle, then she wouldn't know about this war, Voldemort's war.

Fortunately, whatever the bad news James had just received was she was sure that it was nothing to do with him.

" Whatever else will happen I will not let our happiness be destroyed by him," Lily quietly said to herself.

With that fighting thought in her mind she grabbed her own wand along with her husbands, and raced back downstairs.

Meanwhile James had said just one sentence to Sirius,"we need to get to my parents house now, before it's too late."

Question upon question flooded into Sirius' mind, but he knew that they could be answered later as a person who is panicking tends not to take kindly to questions. So he just nodded and got his wand out; ready to aparrate to where he could help those who had helped and loved him when his own family wouldn't.

When Lily arrived with her own wand in her hand James' heart skipped a beat both in shock and admiration. He loved that his wife was always ready to help, and the fact that she could help because magic wise, she was no novice. However, she was carrying his child and that could not be put at risk.

"You're not coming."

Lily was not entirely surprised by this and merely informed James that she wasn't ill, (a comment which rather confused Sirius), and would be going. There would have undoubtedly been further negotiations on the matter but James recognised the determined look in Lily's eyes and he knew that time could absolutely not afford to be wasted.

"Right," said Sirius feeling the need to make sure there was no arguments, "after three then…one…two…three."

Just moments later they were all standing in the garden of James parents house, the look of immense shock echoed on all of their faces.