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 32: Fleeting Seasons
Apparating directly into the hospital lobby, Lily took a moment to catch her breath. James appeared beside her with a soft pop as he materialised out of thin air. Both of them hurried to the welcome witch's desk, hardly aware of the sick wizards and witches around them.
"Can you tell us-Two aurors should just have-We got a letter..." Lily gasped, in her panic beginning several different sentences yet not completing them.
"Alice and Frank Longbottom?" the black haired witch asked with a sympathetic smile. "They're in the emergency ward on the spell damage floor."
"Thank you." James replied, taking Lily by the shoulders and guiding her towards the stairs. As they reached the marble staircase, they both hastened into a jog.
"What in merlin's name happened?" Lily practically wailed. "You don't think-"
"I don't know Lily. Let's not assume the worst though." James told her firmly. Supressing his fear was taking up all his concentration and already he was numb with disbelief. Alice was no longer supposed to be doing field work for the aurors, nor was she to be doing missions for the Order. Surely it could not be a random attack...?
Disturbing thoughts of the various possibilites plagued James's mind until they reached the fourth floor. Upon arriving at the landing, both he and Lily froze. It was time to face their fears, and find out what had happened to their friends.
"Mr and Mrs. Potter?" came an inquiring voice. Still panting and out of breath, both he and Lily turned to find a curly, brown haired witch with a clipboard in hand gazing at them. She was dressed in robes of white with St.Mungo's traditional emblem on the front. He nodded hastily and the witch extended her hand to him and then Lily in turn.
"Rena McCaffery. I'm afraid I have grave news for you regarding the Longbottoms. I've summoned you here because of your relations to the two, and the fact that you are ex-coworkers. Am I correct?"
"Yes." Lily said, her voice taut with nervousness. Rena bowed her head,
"Good. I'm hoping then, you can help us sort this mess out. Won't you please step into my office?"
"Alright." James replied. He grabbed Lily's hand and they both followed the hospital surprevisor into a small, but cosy office. He hoped this witch would hurry, eager as he was to find out what had happened to the Longbottoms, he was more concerned with their present state of being.
"Now, as i understand things," Rena began once they were all seated, "Mrs. Longbottom applied for auror office work and a soon to come into effect maternity leave, correct?" Both Lily and James nodded mutely. "Then would you have any idea why they might be ordered to investigate a recent death eater threat when dozens of other aurors could have taken the call?"
"I don't know." Lily said quietly. Despite her panicky fear, she felt an anger rising within her. It was indeed odd that Alice had been sent out on the field, not to mention very irresponsible of the ministry. "Do you know who issued the command?"
Rena mumbled, "I'll check." and began shuffling through the parchment on her clipboard. Eyes darting back and forth as she scanned the report, Lily and James waited in tense silence.
"Wayne Reed, deputy head auror." she finally said. Lily raised an eyebrow in thought.
"Have you tried contacting him?" she finally asked when she came to no conclusions. Rena's expression turned grim,
"Well that's just the thing. He seems to have fled." James swore under his breath. Both he and Lily exchanged a glance,
"The imperious curse." James stated gravely. "I'll bet you anything this was Volde-" Rena made an odd hissing noise at Jame's words.
"Sorry." James said brusquely. "I mean, you-know-who's work."
"Impossible." Rena commented in disbelief, still looking quite pale at the very thought.
"I'm afraid it's highly likely." Lily said, her own voice quivering with fear. "But anyhow, what happened exactly? Are they alright?"
"The Longbottom's are alive." Rena assured them, though her voice was not one of confidence. "Our top healers are attempting to revive them as we speak." She inclined her head, "From what we gather, the two of them went out to investigate as they had been ordered too. When the other aurors finally arrived on scene, they found the death mark over the dwelling. Alice and Frank were both unconcious, and along with their still bodies was that of a muggle couple and a single death eater. The latter three were dead."
Lily gasped and covered her mouth.
"It's no doubt you are shocked. The Longbottom's certainly put up a fight. Once they are recovered, I expect their will be a service recognizing their efforts. The death eater is believed to have been one of you-know-who's top men." Rena said, with a somewhat fierce approval in her eyes.
Lily and James remained mute with shock.
"Anyhow, we do thank you for your assitance. We just wanted to confirm everything. The Longbottom's should be coming around now if you'd like to visit them before you leave." Rena said, a tone of finality in her voice as she got to her feet.
"Thank you." Lily replied quietly as James gave the witch a small nod. The three of them exited the office, and as Lily and James turned to head down the corridor to the wards, Rena headed towards the stairs.
"They're in the Greg Julion ward." she called, and then disappeared down the steps.
"How awful." Lily commented as she and James made their way to the intended ward. "Poor Alice and Frank." She looked rather on the verge of tears. James patted her softly on the back,
"I know love, but at least they survived. They're fine now, and that's all that matters." he assured her. Lily sighed,
"See, this is exactly what could happen James. It's terrible. One moment we could living in perfect happiness, and the next lying in a hospital bed." Lily exclaimed, slightly bitterly.
"I won't let anything happen to you Lily." James said soothingly. She gazed up at him, her green eyes sparkling with tears.
"I know. But I worry about you too." Unable to think of a respose to this, James pointed at a sign on the hallway.
"We're here." he stated simply. Lily hurried to the small window on the door and peered inside. A single healer was making notes on a clipboard but otherwise, everything seemed to be quite alright. Knocking with a still shaking hand, Lily waited as the wizard hurried to open the door for them.
"Visiting hours are over." he said shortly.
"Your suprevisor gave us permission. I'm an auror in training, and this is my wife." James explained. The healer eyed them warily,
"Alright, but make it quick." Once they were in, the healer stepped out.
"I'll be back in five to check on them. You'd better be finished by then." he warned then and hurried off. Lily felt a stab of irritance at his words.
Alice and Frank were both sleeping in their hospital cots, chests rising and falling steadily, as the only sign they were alive. Both were quite pale and Frank had a long gash running the length of his cheek. Lily tentatively pulled up a chair inbetween their beds, while James took to standing beside her.
Almost as if sensing their presence, Alice's eyes flickered open.
"Lily?" she asked hoarsely. Lily nodded and rested a hand on her friend's arm. Alice smiled as at the same moment tears flooded in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks.
"We got one. A death eater, I mean." she said, a mixture of pride and regret in her voice. Lily forced a smile on her face,
"We know. You did good, but i'm just glad you're okay."
"It was him Lily." Alice continued as though she hadn't heard her friend's words. "It was you-know-who. He tricked us, lured us into the room by pretending the muggle's were still alive." James grimaced at the very thought of Voldemort's trap as Alice spoke; every word seemed to be costing her great effort.
"Bellatrix Black was there, you know that Slytherin from when we were at school. She was dating Rodolphus Lestrange then...she was there, but she didn't get us. He...you-know-who did. Did the cruciactus curse on Frank, I blacked out." Alice continued with great difficulty. "I came to quickly only to find that you-know-who and Black had fled, but Frank was duelling the other death eater. I managed to send a curse his way once I had retrieved my wand...mine riccocheted and hit Frank...the death eater's rebounded back upon himself...I don't know what curse he used, but it finished him."
"Not the Avade Kedavra?" Lily asked, in a hushed voice. Alice shook her head,
"Couldn't have been. That one's unblockable...Anyhow, the aurors barged in shortly after. I reckon that's why you-know-who fled...Dumbledore was with them. He sent us here..."
"Oh Alice!" Lily exclaimed. "You have to give up work for now...with that close call and all." Alice smiled weakly,
"I know. Still, as terrible as tonight was, we managed to contribute. That death eater, Luren, I think it was, well his loss is a big achievement. Reed too...I don't know if you heard but apparently it was all a trap to get us killed. He was a double-agent. You-know-who must have discovered we were part of the Orde-"
"SHH!" Lily and James hissed at the same time. Glancing around warily, Lily made sure there was nothing conspicuous.
"Sorry." Alice whispered. Lily made to reply but at that moment the arrogant healer from earlier re-entered the room.
"Time's up." he informed them.
"Alright." Lily said reluctantly as she got to her feet. "Take care okay? And tell Frank we stopped by. We'll come back to visit you."
"Thanks Lily. And you too James." Alice said wearily.
Lily shot her friend one last reassuring smile before exiting the room.
"I hope we never have to go through that again." Lily sighed to James as the stood for a moment in the corridor. "Too many close calls...I hate Voldemort!"
"I know love...most people do." James replied. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and for a moment they just stood there, finding comfort in each other's presence.
"I suppose we should go." Lily finally whispered. "It's been a long night."
"Yes it has." James agreed solemnly. "Let's go." With two louds cracks, both apparated, leaving the hospital corridor deserted and eeriely quiet. Each moment of silence seemed to echo with the question, how much more would the world have to suffer in Voldemort's wake?
000
As the season passed and the bright autumn leaves gave way to snow, things seemed to quiet down regarding Voldemort's terrible tyranny. Indeed, ever since the Longbottom's had been released from the hospital, the Order of the Phoenix, nor the auror department had had much to do.
Almost immediatly aftter Alice and Frank left St. Mungo's they became much admired figures in the wizarding world. Stories and rumours spread like wildfire about how the couple had faced Voldemort three times and survived, not to mention killed off a major follower.
However, Alice Longbottom had much more to think about then her recent fame. Both she and Lily were now experiancing the full onset of their progressing pregnancy. As the winter became colder, Lily found herself on Christmas morning studying her figure in the mirror. Her small hands rested delicately upon the slight bulge under her green sweater.
She smiled as she thought that next winter, it would not just be her and James celebrating with their friends.
And still, the seasons continued to progress, as both Lily's stomach, and her love grew. Before long, the month of May was upon them, bringing with it the warming sunshine and the realization that their was only three more months until the baby's due date. A recent trip to St. Mungo's revealed that the the baby would be born somewhere around August fifth. Alice's was to be born aroung the tenth of August.
Lily and James, along with the continuous interference from Cadence and Sirius, had decided that if the child was a girl, the name would be Adriel, and if it was a boy, Harry. Lily had loved that name since she herself was a young girl. Thankfully, James had liked it as well.
All seemed perfect in wait for their child. In complete joy of expecting, James almost seemed to have become a different person. The same could be said for Sirius. Both men were rarely seen without broad smiles on their faces these days, and neither would give Lily a moment's peace. Indeed Sirius was so adament about making sure Lily was safe, he had begun making several daily trips to Godric's Hollow and the Potter's house. Lily had not quite decided whether she found this more annoying or amusing yet.
Meanwhile James, had gone crazy with spending. He had already purchased a stroller, crib, blankets and dozens of neutral infant clothes. Frank was behaving similiarly. Both Alice and Lily shared many a laugh that spring. While they too were excited, both found it in their best interest's to take things at a much slower pace.
In the wake of all the excitement and happiness, it seemed for a while as though Voldemort and his followers had ceased to exist. While the Order assured them that he was merely regrouping and concocting new plans, it was hard not to lose themselves in the momentary bliss.
This is indeed, why it came as such an unpleasurable surprise to be called to an urgent Order meeting during mid-may. Sitting between Sirius and James at headquarters, Lily listened with dismay as Dumbledore filled them out on the latest events.
"They've threatened to attack a small wizarding community just south of Somerset unless we release the the five death eaters we caught back last fall." he explained calmly, though his blue eyes were fiery with anger.
"Proposterous!" one elderly wizard exclaimed vehemently. Dumbledore raised a silencing hand.
"Indeed. The ministry, of course, is not prepared to let that happen and they've already sent out several aurors to combat. I however, am worried that his may be a ruse to lure security away from the ministry. I want a few of you to head there now, just in case. And also, just to remain cautious, we should have some of you head to Somerset as backup. Voldemort (everyone flinched and a few witches yelped) remains as unpredictable as he has always been." Dumbledore finished, fixing them all with his light, yet serious gaze. Immediatly, several people stood up and volunteered.
James got to his feet hesitantly, and while Lily did not protest, she felt her stomach lurch uncomfortably. Sirius, Remus, Peter and Frank also rose. Alice covered her face with her hands in stressed anguish.
"Excellent. You five (he gestured to the marauders and Frank), and you too Alastor, should head out for the Ministry immediatly. The rest of you (he waved a hand at the other standing volunteers) should head out to Somerset with me. Lily, Alice, would you two be willing to remain here and act as communicators so we can know what is happening at either end?" Dumbledore asked, as he finished issueing orders. Alice and Lily both nodded resolutely.
"Of course." Alice said softly.
"Right. Then we best be going. Good luck everyone." Dumbledore said, with a grateful nod at the two woman.
"Be careful." Lily said, quickly giving James an anxious kiss on the cheek. He rested a hand on her cheek,
"I will." As Alice too, finished her farewell to Frank, she and Lily both watched grimly as the rest of the Order filed out, either using the door and preparing to apparate, and using the fire to floo their way to the ministry.
"I hate not being able to help out." Lily said bitterly once everyone had gone. Alice nodded,
"Still, at least we get to do something. We're communicators remember?"
"Yes, well, still. Anyways i suppose we might as well do something while we wait." Lily said gesturing to the large accumulation of rubbish and parchment on the table. With an audible sigh, Alice withdrew her wand.
"I hate chores." Alice grumbled as both women began clearing the mess.
Author's Note: Well, here you have it, chapter 32. Summer is here, which means i will have more time to write. To add to this, I seem to have my inspiration back. I've been looking forward to writing the next segment of this story ever since the first chapter. Hopefully the updates will come quicker now. I'm alternating progress of this, with my own novel.
Anyways, do you think I should start a forum for this story? Please let me know what you think. Also, i'm going to be going back and re-editing some of the early chapters. I just re-read them the other day and realized how awful they seem and comparison. Nothing major will change but their will be some alterations.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review and i'll update soon.