Author's note: I suck at updating.

Don't kill me.

Pleeeeeaaaaaseeeeee.

Important note: Please keep in mind that the scenes in this chapter and future chapters will overlap each other in time. The times above each scene are when they start and are mostly just a reference point for me while I'm writing.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any references to James Cameron's Titanic.

Chapter Nineteen

April 15th, 1912

12:05 AM

R.M.S Titanic

"CQD?" First Wireless Operator John Phillips asked, staring at the yellow piece of paper in shock. He looked at Smith, earnestly hoping the captain had decided to play a late night prank. "Sir?"

"Yes, CQD. Our coordinates are on the paper." Smith replied, removing his hat and glancing away. Phillips took this opportunity to share a concerned look with the Second Wireless Operator Harold Bride, who was currently trying to pick his jaw up off the floor. "Tell whoever responds that we're going down by the head and need immediate assistance."

The three men stared at each other, all at a loss for words. The captain struggled with himself momentarily and then put his cap back on his head, nodding at the two wireless operators. He left the room, leaving a stunned silence behind.

Bride turned to Phillips and they shared a long look.

Phillips had felt a jolt ages ago, but had paid no mind to it, passing it off with annoyance. He had continued to work the Cape Race records until Bride had come to release him. It was then he had learned what was going on, but even then, he hadn't thought it serious – maybe a little engine trouble, but not anything fatal.

"Blimey," Phillips muttered, turning in his chair and pulling the wireless headphones over his ears.

12:08 AM

"You've always had such pretty hair, Lily…I was so jealous of you, still am, actually."

"You sure didn't show it, teasing me at every opportunity," Lily said with a small smile, wincing as her bruised cheek protested in pain. She was on the floor of their sitting room, playing with the hem of her dress as Petunia finished twisted the last inches of her hair into a tight braid.

They'd been waiting for Lucius to return ever since they'd talked with the steward, but he hadn't yet come back from the smoking room. Petunia had been fidgeting in a rather annoying way, so Lily had offered to let her braid her hair – something they hadn't done since they were young. This had put them in a rather reminiscing mood and they had actually been enjoying each other company.

Lily was glad that she and Petunia had put aside their differences, even only for a little bit. She had needed something to take her mind off the shipboard trouble, off of James, off of Lucius –

"Ouch!"

Petunia had been pressing up against raw bruises since they had started this exercise and she hadn't been very considerate about them at first, continuing to braid while Lily's eyes watered and her nerves recovered from their shock. As the bruises became visible and the brushes more frequent, she started pausing, waiting for Lily's nod before continuing.

This time was different.

"Does…does this happen often, Lily?"

Lily started at the question. She turned, staring at her sister in shock. Petunia never acknowledged her bruises, never asked, never let on that she knew what Lucius was doing…Why had she decided to start caring now?

"It's happened before," she said truthfully, looking at her hands. "But…but it's never been this bad."

"That's probably because you've never upset him this badly before," Petunia replied coldly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Now turn around so I can finish."

Lily frowned, but did as she was told. She shouldn't have gotten her hopes up so – the only thing Petunia cared about was her own happiness and their family name. She should've known that Petunia wouldn't try to comfort her or protect her…

They sat in a very charged silence as Petunia continued braiding. Lily repressed any whimper or gasp of pain that was caused by her sister's wandering fingers.

"Did he…" Petunia began slowly. "That boy, I mean…did he…Are you sure none of these bruises are from him?"

Lily froze, horrified by the question. Her sister was trying to place the blame for her bruises on James? James, who had been nothing but gentle and kind, who would – could never sink to that level – !

"No!" she replied forcefully, ripping her hair out of Petunia's grasp and turning to face her sister. "How dare you suggest such a thing! James would never – "

Was Petunia trapped so far in her denial about Lucius's character that she twisted every sign Lily gave her into an attack against James?

"Well, considering he assaulted Lucius – " Petunia reasoned, flushing with anger.

"Lucius attacked him first!"

" – I wouldn't put it past him to – "

"Do the same to me?" Lily demanded furiously. "He couldn't do that, not to me…He's not that sort of person!"

Just the thought of James even committing such an act made her sick. He would never do something like that to her, to any woman for that matter.

"He's a thief, Lily, of course he – "

"Yes, a thief, but not a monster!"

Her own words surprised her.

James was a thief, but he was also a good man. He wasn't a calculating, hurtful man; he wasn't a cruel brute. He hadn't been trying to use her to get Lucius's jewels or to get information on Death Eaters – his sticky fingers had just been tried to the breaking point!

That meant, she realised with a swell of her heart, that he did love her, that he hadn't been lying, that she didn't have to hurt any more –

The stateroom door slammed shut suddenly and broke the contemplative silence between the sisters. Petunia's eyes flickered to a point somewhere above Lily's shoulder, but she didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

"Why are you two still awake?" Lucius demanded, his heavy footsteps never having sounded this ominous when the engines were running.

With newfound energy, Lily stood, her muscles aching, and sent a scathing look at her fiancé. Lucius was the monster here, not James, no matter what petty crimes he had committed.

"I should ask you the same question, in the smoking room until midnight," she said, tired of playing games with him. He continued toward her at the same pace though the expression on his face had darkened quite a bit.

"We – We were waiting for you to return, Lucius," Petunia said quickly, also standing. She shot Lily a dirty look. "We were concerned; there's something wrong with the ship and – "

"I've looked into it," Lucius interrupted, overriding Petunia evenly. "I believe it's of no concern and that you should be off to your own stateroom. We've all had a very trying day and I think it would be best if we get some rest."

He shot a specific look at Lily and she stood straighter under his gaze.

"Go ahead then," she said. "But I'm feeling quite awake and I've just decided to pay a visit to the Master at Arms – "

She had been intending to brush coolly past Lucius, but he grabbed her arm and wrenched her in front of him again. She heard Petunia gasp.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me," she said, staring into his cold eyes. "I'm leaving…you should recognise the gesture."

Lucius's upper lip twitched in a familiar way and Lily truly believed he would've hit her (in front of Petunia, no less!) if there hadn't been a knock at the door the very next moment.

Lucius glared daggers at her and then turned to the door, shoulders quivering in suppressed anger. He hadn't made it three steps before it opened of it's own accord and one of their corridor stewards peeked in, a curious expression on his face.

"What are you doing?" Lucius asked, outraged. "I didn't give you permission to enter!"

"Terribly sorry of the inconvenience, Mr. Malfoy," the steward said, appearing very insincere about the interruption as he opened the door wider and moved into the room. "But its captain's orders – I've been told to tell all passengers to put on their lifebelts and head up to the Boat Deck."

"Lifebelts?" Petunia asked. Lily's anger died at the reminder of Titanic's trouble. "Surely there's no need for lifebelts if it's as simple of a problem as a thrown propeller blade?"

"It's just a precaution, ma'am, but all the same, we'd like everyone up on deck as quick as possible."

The steward sidestepped Lucius and strode into one of the adjacent doors, stepping into the wardrobe. Lucius spluttered indignantly at this trespass of privacy, but the steward came out a second later holding two lifebelts. He placed them on the table.

"I would also suggest that you all dress warmly. It's quite cold tonight." He instructed, looking specifically at Petunia and Lily, who were dressed in nothing more than their nightclothes. "Mrs. Dursley, if you'd like me to escort you back to your stateroom and show you to your lifebelt."

"Yes…Yes, of course," Petunia said shakily, taking his offered arms. She looked over her shoulder at Lily as the door closed behind her with a sharp snap.

Lucius stared after them for a long time and then walked over to the table holding the lifebelts.

"This is ridiculous," he muttered, glaring contemptuously at the lifebelts and knocking one to the floor.

Lily was sure he was referring to more than a late-night lifeboat drill.

12:13 AM

They were going door-to-door, banging on the wood and then bursting in unannounced. They barked orders to sleepy passengers and then left as quickly as they came, creating mass confusion. Half the passengers they woke spoke not a word of English – the only clue they were given were the lifebelts strewn on the floor.

The situation in the corridors was just as bad – startled passengers asked questions, but their only response was a frantic, "Put yer lifebelts on, dammit!"

Sirius watched from Remus's doorway as this process made its way down the corridor. He was fuming.

"This is ridiculous," he growled as a Serbian man was shouted at and a lifebelt was thrown in his face. "Fucking ridiculous…If this was the first class – "

"Whether you like it or not, mate, it isn't," Remus replied, coming up behind him and pressing a lifebelt into his arms. Ever the practical one, he already had his on and was tying it together. "It'd be in our best interest to head to the main gates before a mob forms. Maybe we can convince someone to let us through."

"You better not be counting on me to do the convincing," Sirius said, throwing the lifebelt over his head as Remus closed the door. "I haven't a pence on me."

"I suppose that's when your status as a first class arse comes in handy then, doesn't it?"

Remus hoisted a small bag over his shoulder, waiting for Sirius to finish tying his lifebelt. A steward shoved past them, yelling angrily at the Spanish bloke across the corridor, before moving on, his keys jingling on his belt.

Sirius paused, eyeing the keys. Remus followed his eyes, then instantly shot him a warning glare. Sirius received the message, but he wouldn't have needed it anyway.

Forgetting about his lifebelt, Sirius turned and burst in the cabin's door, noticing that Remus hadn't bothered to lock it. He flipped on the light and hurried over to James's discarded trunk, throwing the lid open and bending down beside it.

"What are you doing?" Remus asked from the doorway, his shadow arching across the floor.

Sirius didn't answer, throwing clothes and textbooks and photographs onto the floor as he searched through the contents, until he reached the bottom. He tapped once on the old wood of the trunk bottom, a hollowed reply reaching his ears. Digging his fingernails under a crease, he wrenched the wood plank up and peered into the trunk's secret compartment, Remus looking on over his shoulder.

There was a moment of tense silence and then –

"Shit!"

He threw the wood plank away with as much force as he could muster, incensed.

James's lock picking tools were gone!

"This doesn't make him guilty," Sirius said, answering the unsaid statement between them.

"I know," Remus said, "but it doesn't make our fight to get up to the upper decks any easier either."

12:20 AM

"How am I supposed to sleep like this?"

Severus barely contained his urge to stop polishing his pistol and shoot Potter in the head. He had been complaining non-stop since Titanic had rattled on her foundations earlier, wanting to know what was going on, why the engines had stopped, why everyone was abandoning their posts, and annoying the hell out of Severus.

Why didn't he understand that no one was going to answer a criminal's question?

Since he wasn't chained to a pipe, Severus had gone out into the corridor and demanded an answer from a passing steward. Briefly, he was informed that the ship had hit an iceberg and the lower decks were flooding, but the steward, clutching a life preserver and his suitcase, reassured him there was no danger.

Severus returned to the Master at Arms room, figuring upon the Master's return he would depart and find Lucius, and told Potter not a thing of what he'd heard.

Currently, Potter was whinging about having to stand on a chair. Another criminal had been caught, just after the collision, and was soon to join Potter's charming company. The Master, still above decks, had sent some aides ahead of him to ready a spot. Potter was moved, with a suggestion or two from Severus, to the corner of the room, between the wall and one of the desks. His hands were chained around the pipe over his head and he was forced to stand on a chair so he wouldn't hang.

"I'm sure you've slept in worse conditions," Severus responded, examining his pistol. "Besides, sleeping is the last thing you should be worrying about."

"What exactly do you mean by that?" Potter asked, a hard edge to his voice.

Severus ignored him for a moment, opening the cartridge case and checking the bullets. Satisfied, he shut the case and rose from his chair. He pocketed the pistol and looked at the other man.

"Titanic is sinking, Potter, and you're at the bottom of the ship chained to a pipe, most likely to be forgotten and left to your watery fate," he said, enjoying the look of absolute shock cross Potter's face. He smirked and began walking toward the door. "And that is what I mean, exactly."

He paused at the doorway and turned for one last comment,

"Enjoy your swim, James."

Sinking!

James stared at the doorway long after Snape had left him, attempting to decide if what he said was a terrible lie or the actual truth of the matter…

Most likely, it was the truth. Snape was a greasy bastard, but he wasn't a liar – at least, not when it came to something serious like death and misery. His sinking story would certainly explain why the crew had been abandoning their posts one-by-one, passing the open doorway with suitcases and carpetbags in hand, whispering to each other in conspiratorial voices. It would explain why the engines had gone quiet and the ship was silent, except for the occasional soft groan of metal from below…

It was certainly possible that Snape was telling the truth.

James just didn't want to believe he was right.

The sound of voices drew James's attention to the door again. It was then he remembered that another criminal was coming to join him. Perhaps Snape was lying. Surely the Master at Arms wouldn't bring another man below decks if the ship was sinking…

When the Master and his entourage entered, somehow James was not surprised by the appearance of his roommate. They had started out this voyage playing a few rounds of poker together, so it would only be natural for them to end by being chained together in a cabin of a sinking ship. It was almost like fate.

"Dawson, lovely to see you again," he greeted pleasantly, nodding at the familiar American.

Jack Dawson dropped the morose expression on his face for one of mild incredulity.

"Potter?" he asked as he was led over to the L-shaped pipe. "What are you doing here?"

"Same reason as you, I expect," James responded, shifting his arms over his head. "Caught stealing from the rich and seducing fair maidens, you know how it is – "

"Shut it, you," the Master directed, snapping Jack's handcuffs shut and glaring at James. He turned to the tall dour man who had followed them into the office and said, "There must be a ring of them on board…Your man's the second one we've caught today. Nearly the very same circumstances too, very suspicious – "

"Sir!" a hassled crewmember threw himself around the doorframe, interrupting the conversation. "You're needed at the second class purser's office, they said there's a mob – "

"I'll watch them," the grim man said, answering the Master's unasked question. He pulled open the right side of his coat, showing off the gleaming pistol in his vest.

This was just fabulous – Snape, who could be formidable on a good day, had left only to be replaced with a man who looked quite a bit more grim and experienced.

The Master at Arms voiced his consented and then glared warningly at the two criminals. He turned and left the room, heading to the upper decks. Grim man pulled his pistol from his vest and turned to face them as he sat down in Snape's vacated chair. He made himself comfortable and placed his pistol on his lap in clear sight, smiling humourlessly at them.

Jack looked over his shoulder and shared a long look with James.

"This doesn't look good," James muttered, glancing up at the ceiling.

12:27 AM

The Grand Staircase foyer was brightly lit and full of life. People in all sorts of dress, some still in their evening finery while others sporting silk dressing robes, milled about, talking and laughing or grumbling to one another about White Star Line's priorities, their lifebelts thrown carelessly over their shoulders. Waiters were hopping from each group, offering brandies or other drinks, and far away from the staircase, the band was playing a lively tune.

"This…doesn't seem right," Lily muttered, following Petunia closely. Lucius, in an extremely ill temper, was walking ahead of them, most likely looking for Tom Riddle.

"Of course it's not right…Did you see that ghastly nightgown Helen Bishop was wearing when we passed her on the stairs?" Petunia responded, adjusting her wide-brimmed hat to a jauntier angle, as if it would matter to their peers who were wandering around in slippers and bathrobes.

"That's not what I meant…Aren't we all supposed to be up on the Boat Deck right now? Isn't that what our steward told us to do?"

"I suppose the crew is readying the boats at the moment – we'll go outside when they're ready for us. There's no sense freezing ourselves for a simple drill." Petunia replied, waving off Lily's concerns. It was astounding how fast her priorities could change once they were in the public eye. "Oh, where did Lucius go? He has your lifebelt…Wait here Lily, I'll be back in just a moment."

Petunia bustled off in the last direction Lucius had been walking in, leaving Lily standing beside the Grand Staircase. She made a noise of irritation and sat down on the last step, out of the way of her fellow passengers.

She was surprised that they had left her alone after what she had said in the stateroom. But it would be foolish to go to the Master at Arms now – with the drill going on, he probably had his hands full, and Lucius had probably reached the same conclusion. There would be no sense in going now – she'd have to do it later, tomorrow or maybe even after the drill.

Lily wished she had just stayed in her cabin if this was all they were supposed to do, though it didn't surprise her in the least. She hadn't even followed the steward's instructions to dress warmly for she only had time to slip on a simple dress and a shawl before Lucius knocked and demanded that they leave.

"So much for a proper lifeboat drill," she muttered, closing her eyes and leaning against the staircase railing. The chatter and music were feeding a growing headache, and she wanted nothing more than to sink into a soft mattress and sleep.

Maybe she could rest here for a moment. Lucius wouldn't be around to mind and Petunia surely would let her rest for a couple minutes when she returned, as long as she was out of the way and didn't cause trouble. Besides, the drills wouldn't commence any time soon…She had the time. She'd just rest for a few –

"Miss Lily?"

Lily cracked a bleary eye open, annoyed by the interruption of her rest.

Standing on the stair above her, swamped with lifebelts, was Bill Weasley.

"Bill!" she exclaimed, genuinely surprised. Weariness forgotten momentarily, she sat up straight and turned to him. "What are you doing up here? Aren't you a steerage steward?"

Bill shook his head, the motion toppling one of the lifebelts out of his arms. He swore under his breath and bent down to pick it up.

"That's what I'm assigned, but a good portion of the crew aren't at their assigned stations. This…this drill threw a wrench into our system." He explained, carefully balancing the lifebelts on one arm as he reached for the other. "I'm supposed to up on deck readying the boats, but they decided I was too small, so now I'm handing out lifebelts and telling people to go up to the Boat Deck…A fat lot of help I am, nobody'll listen to a Weasley, even…" There was a slight quiver to his voice and he looked paler than normal. "Well, even when it's important, I suppose."

"Is…Is everything all right, Bill?" Lily asked, worried by his appearance.

The young boy shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny. He looked around the staircase area and then, shockingly, set the lifebelts down on the stairs and quickly sat beside her.

"Nothing is all right, Miss Lily," he whispered, leaning in close to her. His face was unusually grave and suddenly, he looked very, very old. "There's talk that…that the Titanic's sinking, that Andrews himself said she'll be at the bottom of the ocean in a matter of hours…" He swallowed nervously and Lily stared at him, captivated with horror. "And it's not just talk, I swear. After that bump earlier, we woke up to find our cabin floor flooding…and one of me mates overheard Captain Smith telling the wireless blokes to send out CQD – "

"You're not serious?" she interrupted quietly, going numb with shock. "But…But I've read the newspapers, Titanic's the safest thing afloat! Surely a little bump wouldn't hurt her…?"

"I saw the water – and doesn't…doesn't the floor feel a bit off to you?" Bill asked desperately.

Lily nodded slowly and mumbled a feeble, "Dear God," under her breath. She looked away from him, covering her mouth in horror. This couldn't be happening…The Titanic, flooding? Sinking? It was impossible!

"Please, don't tell many people, Miss Lily…If there's a panic, it'll just make things worse. And…And…" Bill closed his eyes, as if he was in pain, and then continued in as stable voice as he could muster, "Don't wait to get to a lifeboat. There's only enough – "

" – for half the people on board," she finished, recalling Thomas Andrews's earlier remark on the lifeboats. A new sort of terror gripped her, an icy cold terror that froze her insides and stopped her heart.

If what Bill was saying was true, if the ship really was doomed, then…then…

Half the passengers on board were going to die.

Half.

As she turned to Bill and looked into his eyes, she realised which half it would be and the ancient look on his face was suddenly explained. He knew who it would be as well.

"Bill – " she grabbed his arm tight, voice and limb trembling in fright.

"Ahem."

Lily turned away and found Lucius and Petunia staring back at her with disapproving looks on their faces. Tom Riddle and Snape (whom she hadn't seen since this afternoon) were standing a few feet behind, conversing in low tones.

"Weasley," Lucius said, directing his cold gaze on Bill. Lily felt his arm stiffen under her fingers. "Kindly remove yourself from my fiancée's side and busy yourself with your assigned duties."

Bill had the gall to glare at Lucius, but he muttered a sullen, "Yessir," and tugged his arm out of Lily's grasp. He stood, picked up his lifebelts, and turned around.

"Cavorting with a Weasley…Even I expected better from you, Miss Evans." Riddle remarked disgustedly, moving to Lucius's side as Lily stood. "Worthless, every one of them."

Lily looked over her shoulder, watching as Bill disappeared around the corner, a hollow, desperate feeling filling her.

Half.

Er…

Long time, no see, eh? Sorry for the incredibly long wait for this chapter – winter just isn't a good season for writing, I think. I can promise you, however, that you will not have to wait a terribly long time for Chapter Twenty – I've already started and know exactly what I want in it this time. I was going to post Twenty and Nineteen all in one go, but then I realised that April was creeping closer and I wasn't making any heavy advancements on Twenty, so here we are. This is the unbetaed version (told her not to rush because of Chapter Twenty, gah) and I will have the beta version up soon.

Once again, sorry, sorry, SORRY about the wait, but please do review…thirty-some more reviews and I'll hit three hundred! And remember, visit my livejournal and all that fun stuff.