Before it Began
By. SkyQuill
Summary
James knew he was in love at first sight, but what would it take for Lily to love him back? Read their story leading up to their deaths and discover the dangers they faced and the loves and friendships they shared.
Disclaimer
I do not own most of the characters and places or anything else that may seem familiar. J.K. Rowling has the exclusive claim to this as well as the general plot that formed this fanfic.
Chapter 28: Smoke Shock
"Hello?" Callidora screeched into the raging flames. There was no answer; only the roaring sounds of the flames consuming it's surroundings could be heard in the dense smoke. Covering her air passages with the sleeve of her robes, Callidora navigated further into the soldering cottage.
Stepping over the rubbish of a charred sofa, she strained her ears for the slightest bit of noise, praying that only her and the victims were left in the ruined house. She was sure no death eaters would be hanging about, inhaling the smoke for so long but just in case, she held her wand at the ready.
Callidora remained wandering aimlessly through the flames for about two more minutes. There were no more screams and the building was becoming increasingly unstable. With a spluttering sigh, she turned to head out the door but there was something blocking her way.
It took her burning eyes about two minutes to make the figure out through the heat waves the fire emitted but when she finally got a clear picture, her limbs turned to ice. It couldn't be, why would they chance it, why would they linger? Callidora thought desperately as the death eater side-stepped a burning table and approached her.
"You're one of the mudbloods too?" the wizard asked, a snarl inside his voice. Paralyzed with tingling fear, Callidora shook her head furiously.
"Then who are you?" the man demanded, his eyes glinting maliciously from under his hood. Calli' remained silent as fear ran through her veins. The death eater seemed to become impatient as the flames licked even higher up the walls and the roof began to crumble. "WHO ARE YOU?" he roared.
The figure drew his wand and instantly Calli's instincts kicked in. With a running leap, she bounded over a small huddle of flames blocking the hallway and somehow managed to find her way to the staircase through the scattered flames and hovering smoke.
"HELP!" someone cried from upstairs. Calli' felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Just what she needed, to be in a burning building with a death eater on her tail and a helpless muggle to rescue. Just great.
"I'm coming, stay where you are!" Calli' shouted, praying to Merlin that the death eater wouldn't track the sound of her voice. Suddenly an idea occured to her. Bounding up the stairs as her lungs screamed for pure oxygen, she perched herself on the top of the unstable stairs and waited. Two seconds, three seconds, four seconds...
"AVADA-" the death eater cried, jumping into view. But Calli' was too quick for him.
"REDUCTO!" she cried, sending a jet of light through the smoke and towars the landing across from her and overtop the man. With a loud crash, the rubble crushed the death eater. Calli' heard a crief scream and it was over.
I killed someone, Callidora thought appalled. I actually killed someone. The intense heat interrupted her shaky thoughts and she rememebred about the muggle trapped somewhere up here. Re-gathering her courage, she charged on.
Following the sounds of weak sobbing, Callidora found two muggle children and their mother huddled together in the bathtub.
"It's okay, i'll get you out!" Calli' yelled in what she hoped was a reassuring voice. Choking, she grabbed what was left of a burning towel and shoved it under the sink, praying that it still worked. To her relief, cool water quickly spurted onto the clothes and she pulled it back and draped it over the children. "C'mon! Follow me!"
Moving slightly slower now, Calli' managed to direct the small family out into the hallway. Narrowly dodging a fallen beam hot with red embers, the mother suddenly let out a high pitched scream and fainted. Callidora looked to the spot her gaze had been the moment before passing out and felt a wave of naseau creep over her. There lying crushed under a flame ridden railing, was the the father. Or so she assumed.
Thinking quickly, Calli' covered the children's eyes and using magic, levitated the mum back to the staircase. She gasped as realization hit her. When she had killed the death eater, she has blocked the staircase with debris.
"Oh no," she moaned, feeling panicky as the fire and smoke closed in on them. "Is there another way out?" she desperately asked the older of the two daughters. She nodded mutely and pointed down the hall. Without hesitation, Callidora grabbed the girls hand and hefted her brother into her arms. Still levitating the woman, she made her way to what had surely been the Master bedroom.
Frantically looking around, she spotted that their only way out was through a large window, shielded by flames. Setting down the boy gently, she aimed her wand at the fiery obstacle.
"Aguamenti!" she screamed, her voice hoarse from smoke and ash. The kids gaped silently as the flames fizzled and were reduced to small heaps of rubbish. "Come on!" Calli' urged, helping them to the window and opening it.
With one great heave, she set the unconcious mother on the edge of the window.
"Turn around!" she ordered the frightened kids who obeyed reluctantly. With a deep breath, Calli' pushed the woman out of the window and immediatly whipped her wand.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" To Calli' relief, the mum began floating just inches before hitting the ground. Hardly wasting a moment for large chunks of the roof were now raining from the ceiling, Calli' snatched the boy up and tossed him out. He gave a soft cry of surprise before genlty levitating to the ground beside his mother.
Callidora whipped around for the last time and in one heart stopping moment, saw that the girl had vanished.
"Oh no, " Calli' thought with alarm as she noticed small ashy footprints leading back into the hall way. "Come back, er, kid!" she cried anxiously. As if in reply, Calli' heard a soft whimpering. She hurried past a cloud of smoke and dodged another falling roof beam and finally made it to where the girl sat huddled over her father's lifeless body. Tiny blistering hands genlty prodded her fathers pale face.
"Daddy..." the girl sobbed, gazing up at Calli' with tear filled round eyes. Callidora felt a rush of terrible sadness overwhelm her and a few tears streaked down her ash covered face.
"Come with me." Calli' said gently, reaching forward to take the girls hand. For a moment the toddler stared at her offered hand and then reached forward slowly... Callidora's fingertips were inches from the girls when suddenly another flaming rafter came crashing down.
"NO!" Calli' screamed as the girl paused and glanced up. Snapping her eyes shut, Callidora gave a moan of remorse as the beam came down upon the child, hiding her body from view except for one now lifeless, stretched out hand.
For one horrible moment, Callidora remained crouched beside the two dead muggles, terror reflecting in her wide blue eyes. Even as glass shattered all around her from the intensity of the flaming heat, Calli' had only one thought circling her blank mind. I couldn't save her...
""CALLI'!" came someone's distant but desperate cry. Hazily standing up, Calli' realized that it was Cadence's voice calling for her from out back. But an enormous amount of smoke had already invaded her lungs and shock slowed her brain functions. Taking a small step forward, mental and physical exhaustion overloaded Calli's senses. Trembling in her weariness, she collapsed and small, lights danced infront of her eyes. With a shuddering sigh, everything went black.
00000
"How about Abigail if it's a girl?" James suggested lightly as he shuffled through a sheaf of papers. Both he and Lily were taking a break from reading the vital, but otherwise dull pregnancy information papers. Instead of tirelessly going through suggestions and warnings, they were considering names for their soon to be baby girl or boy.
"No, too old fashioned." Lily said with her nose wrinkled. James shrugged and flipped to the 'B' names.
"Wait, what about Adriel?" James asked, flipping back a page as a name caught his eye. Lily considered this for a moment.
"That's pretty." she admitted thoughtfully. "For a girl that is." James nodded,
"We'll keep it in mind then?"
"Yes, but i'm going to write down a list, so we can remember." Lily responded, pulling a quill and piece of parchment towards her. In neat handwriting, she added 'Adriel' under the girl's column, ignoring James as he rolled his eyes at her organization skills.
"I still can't believe I have to drop out of auror training." Lily muttered.
"We've been through this." James replied firmly. "There is no way that-"
"Under the cirumstances I can continue auror training. It's too stressful and even dangerous." Lily said in a mocking voice, finishing off James admonishment. "It's just that it was going to be my career you know! I didn't strive to get an Outstanding in all of my Owls for nothing!"
"I know Lily, but we have to think about what's best for the baby now." James soothed her gently. He gave a fond glance at Lily's still flat belly. "And you're going to have to drop the whole Order of the Phoenix thing too." Lily's jaw dropped and she made to retort but James cut her off. "Please just for a little while? The Order is even more dangerous then auror training. What would we do if you got hit by a spell and we lost the baby?" Lily sighed.
"I guess." she mumbled. James smiled and gave her a gentle kiss.
"It'll be okay love. Just think, we're going to be parents!" Lily smiled back at him,
:"Fine. But if I have to be the stay at home mom, you're going to have to teach it quidditch, wizard's chess and all that good stuff. And I don't want any of that marauder nonsense." Lily told him bossily. He rolled his eyes in play,
"Of course not." Lily glared at him and James gave her a sheepish grin. Lily gave way and gave a soft giggle, leading to a flurry of kisses from James. The two basked on the sofa, sharing in the anticipation of this new love.
00000
"Alice Longbottom. Do you hereby accept all responsibilities, regulations and consequences of becoming an auror?" asked the Minister for Magic in a deep, serious voice.
"I do." Alice answered solemnly, her hand hovering over the large auror book of rules. Both her and Frank had recieved quite the surprise that afternoon. Being as Frank was the top in his auror classes and Alice was his wife, they were both being sworn to aurorhood years earlier then planned. The Ministry was rapidly losing aurors on their side to the fight against Voldemort and as a result, they were in desperate need of recruits. That's why first year Alice was currenltly standing timidly in front of the Wizengamot, completing her induction into the actual profession.
"And after your Maternity leave, you agree wholly to come back to work and join the war against You-Know-Who?"
"I do." Alice repeated, eyes sparkling with a joy and a fierce determination.
"Then I pronounce you Alice Longbottom, a fully fledged auror, soon to be ready to join the Ministry's auror workforce."
"Thank you sir." Alice said quietly and she gratefully took her certification papers from an elderly looking witch at the door. Hurrying out and into the cool hallway of the Ministry, she was met by Frank who happily took her in his arms and swung her around.
"You're one of us now?" he asked, grinning broadly. She nodded,
"I only hope it's right." she mused, "Accepting the responsibility four years before i'm actually ready. That's why Lily refused to join and James wasn't offered."
"I'm sure we're making the right choice," Frank assured her with a kiss, "It's times like these we must take desperate measures. Besides, you've got loads of extra training from Order meetings and battles."
"That's true." Alice admitted, and suddenly her face lit up with a smile. "I can't believe i'm an auror at last!"
"You'll make a brilliant one too."
"So will you!" Alice said hugging her husband. "Come on, let's head to the office and start today!"
"A little eager?" Frank asked laughing handsomely. Alice just smiled in return. She wanted to do as much in the war as she could before she had to go on her maternity leave.
When they reached the office, they were mostly assigned to simple and dull paperwork. Filing the latest death eater sightings, recording Voldemort's most recent assaults, organizing the names of the victims, most of them deceased...
It was depressing work and Alice could only think of her irritance that she was made to start at such an easy job. Her complaints were soon put to an end though when Mad-Eye Moody, the Head Auror hurried towards them.
He explained that there had been a surprise attack on a small muggle family nearby where Calli' and Cadence lived. He said that the building had gone up in flames and death eaters might still be lingering around the scene of the crime.
"You want us to go?" Alice asked meekly, instantly regretting her previous desires to do something more dangerous. Mad-Eye nodded and then barked,
"Yes now hurry and join the other assigned aurors. Remember, CONSTANT VIGILIANCE!" Alice hurried forwards alongside Frank, wondering what dangers they were to face next.
00000
Meanwhile Cadence stood by a burning building anxously peering through it's gaps and windows in hopes of spotting her friend. A long gash ran down her side from where the single death eater had attacked her.
Undoubtedly, he like Cadence and Callidora had heard the screams and doubled back to finish off his victims. Cadence had tried to stop him, she really had. But he had, had the element of surprise and managed to get in a vicious cutting spell directed at her before disappearing into the smoking doorway.
Cadence wiped away a tear of fright as she prayed for her friend's saftey. She had tried following the evil wizard into the house to stop him but bleeding and injured, she had not been quick enough to beat the flames which had seized the oppurtunity and completely blockaded her only entry. Even the water spell wasn't strong enough to put it out.
"Oh come on Calli'!" Cadence muttered, pacing anxiously. Not only was the fire a risk enough but to be trapped inside with a deadly death eater? Anixiety overtaking her, she hurried around the house, still keeping her eyes trained on the house for any sign of life.
As she reached the back of the blazing cottage, her eyes focused on an empty window, Cadence was sent sprawling across the grass. with relflexes like lightly, she was back on her feet, wand trained on a small boy no older then three. He stared at her in astonishment and fear. It took a startled moment to realize that an adult woman lay unconcious beside him.
"Is this your mommy?" she asked gently, leaning down and wiping soot from the boy's nose. He nodded, round eyes taking in the frightening scene of his house burning behind her. But Cadence had more important things on her mind. She quickly surveyed the back of the house and saw where a window had been opened. "Did a woman help you out?" Again the boy nodded mutely and Cadence felt a pang of worry. Where was Calli' is she had succesfully rescued these muggles?
"Sissy still im-sibe." the young boy offered in a scared voice, pointing a tiny finger at the house.
"Sissy?" Cadence repeated in confusion. Suddenly comprehension caught her, "You're sister's still inside?" she asked quickly. The boy yet again, nodded. What to do? What do I do? Cadence wondered as she started to panic.
Suddenly the glass in the windows shattered from the pressure of the heat, sending glass shards flying. Cadence dove down and covered both the boy and his mothers face in protection.
"CALLI'!" she screamed, every ounce of desperation flowing into those words. As fear took over her senses, a faint sound of footprints reached her ears. Whirling around weakly, she found herself staring into the concerned and frightened eyes of Alice Longbottom.
A/N: I just found out that my teacher post-poned a due date for one of my school projects so I got to update sooner then I intended! It's a little rushed and the title name's not the best but i'm happy about the way the events tie in.
Anyways as fanfiction's new policy does not allow me to thank your reviews here, you'll be getting messages soon, if you haven't already. And thanks to all anonymous reviewers! Unfortunately I can't thank each of you people personally because you don't have an account but the support is very much appreciated! Thanks again and I hope you enjoyed! I'll update as soon as possible!