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Ch.26: India and Recruits

Lily returned to Hogwarts it was 12:30. Lily went to bed quietly.

Classes soon came and so did lily's next mission. Lily got up and showered. She didn't dress in her uniform, but in a pair of stretchy black trousers, a black tank top and black boots. She went downstairs where James greeted her with a big hug.

"Good morning beautiful." he said wrapping his arms around her.

"How was it, did you get hurt?"

"It was fine; I got a bit hurt but nothing serious." Lily said honestly.

"What did he do?" James asked sternly as he pulled away from her slightly.

"Nothing, nothing, I was just kicked by a couple of his followers, really it's nothing." Lily said quickly.

"Those bastards," He said.

"James, I'm not going to class today, I have to go on another mission, and I'll be back by tonight." Lily said brushing her hair to the side.

"Oh. Where is it?"

Lily looked down and pushed a silver button on her watch.

"I'll be in India, retrieving the book I was talking about. I'll be fine but I have to go, it's a three hour plane ride to India." Lily began to head for the door but she stopped. She turned around and walked back to James. She came close to him and kissed him.

"I'll see you tonight, oh and Dumbledore will be talking to all of you about the Order later. Bye."

"Bye, be careful."

"I will, tell the others I'll see them later." Lily said and walked through the portal. She was gone.

James turned around and saw the group walking in. they saw the tail end of lily's figure vanish into the portal door.

"Was that Lily?" Emily asked walking up to James.

"Yeah she had to go, work. She'll be back tonight though."

"Oh. She's gone an awful lot." Emily commented.

"C'mon guys lets go to class." James said.

"Wait what happened last night, with you-know-who?" Sirius asked.

"She said it went fine, she got a bit hurt from his stupid followers, but it was nothing serious." James said. They all nodded and went to class.

-The Plane-

"Hey, how are you?" Ben asked as he sat next to lily in the aircraft they were in.

"Fine, how are you?"

"Good."

Lily looked at him suspiciously.

"What?" he asked, sensing her stare.

They Plane took off and they were in mid air.

"Are you alright?" Lily asked concernedly.

"Yes of course why?"

"Dumbledore told me that your leaving the agency, is it true and if so why?"

Ben sighed and took lily's hand.

"When my parents died, well the truth is, is that I lied about my parents death, you see MI-5 did in fact find out that they knew, but they didn't kill them."

"Who did or what did?" Lily asked surprised.

"Lily, I was, and, am in the same situation you were a year ago, when your parents found out about your job," as Ben spoke, Lily looked confused; he added clearly, "I had no other choice, you know how MI-5 eliminates people, they do it in such a ghastly manner, and I couldn't let them do that to my parents. So I put them in a hiding spot for a little while, but then MI-5 found them, I didn't want thenm to be brutally murdered or at least make it seem as if they were, I wanted to give them a proper departure. Believe me I had been trying everything I could to keep them alive but I was trapped lily they would had done it them selves and I didn't want that, so I killed them, but in a more peaceful manner, like you did. I took them both to the US, because they had always wanted to visit New York and them I killed them in their sleep, I mixed poison into their champagne. Lily believe me it was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, I wish it could have come out differently, but I didn't. I'm leaving MI-5 for a while."

Lily had tears in her eyes. Ben had done what Lily had done, she too had put her parents in hiding, but she was lucky enough to not have to kill them.

"I'm sorry Ben; I didn't know why didn't you tell me?"

"You were busy with the mission and it wasn't your problem to fix. It was something I had to do on my own. Dumbledore told me of the new recruits. I will be not there to help train them, but I will be helping Ledford for a little while, creating the weapons and such. I won't be a field agent though and I hope you can understand my reason, which is that I cant handle the work anymore, I'm a seventh year and I promised my parents I would finish school, and perhaps I'll return to the agency in the future but for right now I need to leave."

"I understand, but what about our DE connection?"

"I will be helping with that as well but I won't be able to do the field work. I won't be here most of the time; I will mostly do my work from my dorm or at home."

"Alright," Lily said and hugged Ben.

With in another hour they arrived in India. Lily and Ben got off the plane and made their way to the site. They were dressed at shoppers in the town market. Lily and Ben perused the open markets looking at various products. They soon made their way to a small two room shop, filled with clay pots, and various materials. Ben distracted the clerk while Lily made her way to the back of the store. She found the trapped door and pried it open carefully. Soon Ben entered the room.

"Where is the clerk?" Lily asked.

"I led him out side and closed the door so we don't have much time,"

"Lily lowered herself in to the hole, se turned on her lantern and dropped down to a dark tunnel, Ben followed they made their way down the tunnel keeping their eyes out for hidden notches in the curved walls.

"Here." Ben said flashing his lantern over an outlined notch. Lily came up close to the door and read the writing on the wall.

"He who knows the spell will do the deed well." Lily said aloud.

"Spell?" Ben asked

Lily thought for a moment.

"Wait I remember, there was a spell that opens the Book of Vlasco, it's in Parcel tongue, it uh . . ."

"Bloskiss," Lily muttered, suddenly the door started to jut inward. Lily looked to Ben. Ben pulled out his wand as did lily.

They entered the room; it was a close confined room.

"This must be a confessional room." Lily said she lowered her lantern and saw a door knob; she turned it and opened the door slowly. She looked through, she was right they were at the side of the great room in the temple, where worshipers practiced their religion and prayed. Lily stepped outside with Ben at her side. She blew out her lantern and looked around.

"It's huge." Ben commented.

"Yes it is."

"Alright, do you have the map?" Lily asked turning to Ben.

"Yeah here." He said pulling the map out; they both looked at it and found their location.

"Alright we nee to go downstairs," Ben said.

They headed out of the room and found the stairs down the long corridor. They went down the stairs carefully and quietly, as best they could.

Suddenly three shots were fired in their direction. Lily spun around and tripped landing into Ben's arms. He pushed her back up. They ran in the opposite direction. Lily looked behind and saw three men were running after them. They kept running until they reached a turn lily and Ben turned sharply in to a door way. They stayed there for a few seconds. Shots were still being fired. There was a pause.

Lily turned her head over the edge of the wall to see if they still were. A shot was fired nearly hitting lily. Ben pulled out his guns.

"You make a dash for the book I'll cover you." He whispered.

Lily nodded in response. She too took out her gun. Ben then came out in to the corridor and started shooting. Once lily heard the shots being fired she ran in the opposite direction hoping that the corridors looped together. They did thankfully. She ran down the corridor, but was approached by two armed men, one with a dog the other with a bat. The one man let the dog loose. It started chasing after lily. She ran as fast as she could but the dog was much faster. He pinned her to the ground and began biting her. Lily tried to push him off but he was too heavy, in a last resort she punched the dog, which caused it to scatter off. The two men came up to her. Lily got up as quickly as she could, realizing she was bleeding. The man swung the bat in her direction. Lily ducked and kicked the man over. The other man came at her but she hit him with the grip of her gun. She then ran once more down the hall and found the staircase. Ben had caught up with her as she reached the stairs.

"C'mon lets go." He said and led her downstairs.

They entered a dark room. Ben pulled out his wand and opened the door magically, they entered.

-Hogwarts-

"Good afternoon class today we will be studying basic transfigurations, turning a book into a piece of wood, for fun, the spell is on the board please get to work." Professor McGonagall said.

James and the others got to work.

"Potter where's your mud blood girlfriend?" Bellatrix asked in a sneered tone.

"Don't call her that, you wench." James retorted. Professor McGonagall heard that but let it slide, for she knew that if Potter and Miss. Black were to get into an argument it would give her an excuse to give a detention.

"Shove off Potter; it's disgusting to see you and that mud blood together.

"Shut up Snivellus, at least he has a girlfriend." Sirius piped in.

"Well at least I don't go flaunting around the school with a slutty little mud blood like Evans." He sneered back. James was angry now.

"Silensicus!" James bellowed. Severus's mouth was closed shut.

"Mr. Potter!" McGonagall exclaimed. She pointed her wand at Severus and muttered the counter curse.

"I will not tolerate that behavior in my class room. Detention after school, all of you." She said pointing at the group.

"But professor they started it, by calling Lily a slut." Sirius barked.

"Professor we didn't say anything." Remus said trying to defend him and the group.

"I don't want to hear it Mr. Lupin I have had it up to here with all of your antics. All of you meet me here tonight at six o'clock. And 20 points from Slytherin for those remarks. James sighed and looked over to the Slytherins.

-India-

They entered the dark room and pulled their lanterns up lighting them. The room filled with orange glow. They walked around, but they couldn't find the book.

"Perhaps it's invisible." Ben said as he looked around.

Lily also looked around.

"Ow!"

"What?" Lily asked turning around facing a crouched Ben.

"I walked into something." Lily looked up and saw nothing. Ben got up rubbing his head. He held out his hand and felt a silky cloth he pulled it and revealed another door. Lily's eyes widened.

"Ben do you think it's safe, it's not shown on the map?"

"Well I guess we'll have to find out." Ben said grabbing the knob. As soon as he touched it he felt a sharp stinging pain run through his arm.

"Ah!" he exclaimed. Lily ran to him she looked down at his hand it was burned.

"Ben, are you alright?" she asked pulling Ben up.

"Damn, the door was hexed with fire." Ben said pulling his sleeve up, he could see he veins turning red.

"Are your levels alright?"

"I think so; just use magic to open it."

Lily pointed her wand at the door and magically opened it. They entered carefully.

The room was dark, boxes and crates were stacked against the walls, and the room smelled of old rotten wood. In the middle of the room sat a single crate. Lily walked over with Ben and the opened it.

Inside laid a leather-bound book that had intricate words written upon it.

"Its Dimenthian, can you read it, its bit to complex for me to comprehend?" Ben asked.

Lily looked down with the lantern and began to read. She read aloud.

"The book of Vlasco holds the secrets, mysteries and fears of the dark world, those who come upon it will either be happy or sad, for this book contains death and pleasure, and it is all up to the seeker to choose wisely."

Lily looked to Ben.

"This is definitely the book." Lily said.

"Alright let's go." Ben said he got up as did lily; she grabbed the book and the left the room. They made there way back to the confessional room and into the tunnel. Luckily none else encountered them on their way out. They made their way to the meeting site with a get away plane. They boarded and they were headed off to England.

-Hogwarts-

James was angry not at McGonagall but at the Slytherins, and that they weren't even punished. James went to the dorm to see if Lily was back, she wasn't saying much about what happened the other night and he was curious, very curious.

Time flew bye and six o'clock came fast. James and the rest of the group went to Professor McGonagall's room. They arrived, she wasn't there.

"Where is she we're supposed to have detention?" Emily said just as Frank and Alice walked in.

"Are you guys here for detention?" Alicia asked looking up at Frank and Alice.

"No we got a letter from Filtch, he said McGonagall wanted us, you?"

"She gave us detention."

"Good you all are here, take a seat." McGonagall said walking into the class room carrying a large stack of papers.

"Professor, I don't understand why we . . ."

"Be quiet Ms. Templeton, you are not here for detention, none of you are; you're here for order business." McGonagall said cutting Emily off.

"Oh."

James thought back to something Lily had said earlier about an order meeting, he had forgotten about it.

"I want you all to spread out, you will be taking a test for the Order, and don't worry, and you are not supposed to have prepared for it." McGonagall said putting a think packet on each desk where one of them sat.

"Professor, this test doesn't have to do with magic, none of it." Frank commented looking down at the packet.

"Mr. Longbottom, there is to be no talking, you all may begin."

Frank began the test slowly not sure if this were being counted against him.

An hour had past and none of them were finished.

-MI-5-

Ben and Lily arrived back at MI-5, it was about 7:30, and they headed to Ledford who would take the book to the lab to analyze it.

"So here, I stayed up all last weak to get this." Ben said pulling out a wooden box.

He handed it to lily. She opened it. Inside laid a glass bottle with gold potion inside of it. The bottle said Volacian.

"I thought it took months?" Lily asked surprised.

"Yeah it does but I began working on it a while ago when you firs mentioned it to me. Lily I have to go." Ben said pulling her into a tight hug. He pulled away and kissed her on the cheek.

"Stay safe, I'll see you in a couple of months, when training starts."

"Training?"

"For the new recruits, Langston said I could become a field trainer, so I wouldn't have to be doing actual field work. But I'm taking two months off."

"Oh okay well I'll see you in two months, don't be stranger." Lily said kissing him one more on the cheek. Ben left.

Langston walked over.

"Good work Evans, you may go, I'll see you in a couple of days, with the new recruits." He said.

"Alright, I'll give this to Ledford." Lily said and walked away to Ledford's office. She knocked and opened the door.

"Hello Lily, how are you, I'm glad we have the book." Damian said with a smile.

"Yeah, uh here is the Valacian potion, keep it in a safe place. I'll see you in a couple of days."

"Alright thanks, have a good night."

Lily grabbed her bag and left the building. She arrived at the portal door. She put her bag away and went out in to the common room. James wasn't there. She went up stairs and put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She thought for a moment of where he could be. Then it came to her.

"The test," She said to herself

Lily walked out of the common room and headed down to Professor McGonagall's room. She entered quietly.

Ames heard a creak come form the door, as did everyone else. They all looked up.

"Lily," They all whispered.

Lily smiled and walked over to Professor McGonagall.

The group continued their tests.

"Hello Professor, what did I miss today, in today's lesson?" Lily asked as she came up to her desk.

"Nothing much, we just did simple transfigurations, and the homework was reading from the text." She said. She gestured for Lily to come closer.

"They are in the middle of the exam, is there anything they need to do special for it?" she whispered.

"No, just collect the tests when they are done, and they are not to be given a time limit, let them take as long as possible."

McGonagall nodded her head in understanding. Suddenly Dumbledore walked in.

"Good evening Ms. Evans how were things, you look injured?" he whispered coming up to Lily and McGonagall.

James looked up once heard the word injured.

"I'm Fine, just a bit bruised, I'll be fine." Lily whispered.

Dumbledore left soon and Lily helped McGonagall grade papers while the others continued their tests. It was almost nine o'clock when they finished. Frank was the first to do so and then it was James, Remus, Sirius, Alice, Emily and Alicia. They all left the class room exhausted from the test. They returned to the head's common room.

"That was really challenging." Frank said as they entered.

"Yeah, it was." Emily commented.

"Lily, why didn't you take the test?" James asked turning to her.

"I already took it."

"When did you take it?" James asked

"While I was at work," Lily lied.

"It had to do with what you would do if you were in this situation." Sirius said.

"Yeah,"

"Well it's for the order, I'm sure everyone takes it who is in it," he added

"I'm tired I think I'll go to bed." Lily said yawning. She got up and headed upstairs. The rest of the group stayed in the common room to talk a bit longer.

Frank and Alice left as did Remus, Alicia, Sirius, and Emily. James headed up stairs. He stopped at lily's door. Lily came to the door, she opened it.

"Hey." James said quietly.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Are you alright, I heard you said you got hurt?"

"Oh I'm fine." Lily said smiling. James looked down and could see her arm.

"What did that to you?" he asked pointing to lily's bitten arm.

"Oh just a dog, it's alright, I . . ."

"Here let me heal it for you." James said pushing the door into the room, he entered. He pulled out his wand and muttered a healing charm. The bite went away.

"So when will you be able to go to Hogsmead this Saturday, tomorrow?" James asked looking up at Lily.

"I think so, I'm not working tomorrow."

"So will you accompany me there tomorrow?"

James asked with a smile. Lily looked up and smiled.

"Yes I will, it will take my mind off of work and it will give us sometime to spend together. I'm sorry this whole work thing has made it hard on our relationship."

"It's alright." James said and kissed lily good night.

Please Review! I like reviews. Thanks.

Loudandproud84

Oh yeah I have another story I'm writing, there is only one chapter up so far, it's called A Royal Friendship. It's a romance between Remus and Lily. Please review. Thanks.