Lily's brain was tripping. It had to be because she was staring into the face of Dominique Mulciber except it wasn't Dominique. The hair was longer and the eyes were a little rounder, lips a little thinner than Dominique. She was left with the vague impression of a tall boy sneering at her when she was in her second year and it clicked. Francis Mulciber, Dominique's older brother. It had to be.
"Lily Evans, is it?" he asked her and Lily couldn't say or do anything. How was she supposed to respond to this man? This man who she was ninety-eight percent sure was a Death Eater and if he wasn't, his brother surely was on his way to becoming one.
"I — yes, I'm Lily Evans."
"Francis Mulciber," he introduced. "I hear you're a recruit straight out of Hogwarts graduating class. I suppose you'd know my brother Dominique then."
She didn't contradict him. She did know his brother, loathed him even. Wracking her brains for something to say, something to get the memory of that face suggesting she be his whore out of her mind, she spat out, "How long have you been on the project for?"
"Almost a month now though I did take two weeks off for some travelling. Dom and I always said we'd go for a vacation after he finished school. He spent two weeks in Peru. Amazing curses the Aztecs concocted. If you ever feel the travel bug itch, Peru is the place to go."
Lily nodded, trying to reconcile this man with his brother. He seemed so normal, not at all what you'd imagine of a Death Eater and the polar opposite of his cruel, crass brother. He was giving her travel advice, for Merlin's sake.
"That sounds nice," Lily said lamely and sighed in relief when one of the other men on the project asked Lily to assist them with something.
The entire day passed and Lily was on edge until the clock hit five and she was free. She dashed out barely hollering a bye to Gideon before she was jumping into an elevator and apparating home the minute she was in a hidden alley way.
"Yesh, it freaks me out when you do that," Mia exclaimed, clutching her heart.
Mia was laying on a sun chair by their small pool in nothing but a bikini and a large hat. Lily was oddly reminded of Petunia doing the exact same thing during the summers Lily spent here, except Petunia wouldn't open her eyes or pay the slightest bit of attention when Lily attempted to join her.
"Is mum here?"
"Out with a friend. James is waiting for you by the way, in your bedroom." Mia wagged her eyebrows at that.
James. Brilliant! "Thanks Mia!" Lily shouted before twisting on the spot and into her bedroom. James jumped from the surprise as she wasn't usually in the habit of apparating inside of rooms.
"Merlin, James, I've just had the most weirdest day," Lily sighed, dumping her bag on her desk before stripping off her robes until she was left in nothing but her underwear. James watched appreciatively and she pulled on one of James' old Quidditch jersey's that she'd stolen and curled up next to him on her bed. "Fucking Mulciber's older brother works in Charms Development, oh and not just in the same bloody department — in my project group!"
"Mulciber's brother," James frowned, "Wait — you mean, Francis Mulciber?"
"Yes!"
"He's a twat. Did he speak to you?"
"Yes! Had the gal to ask if I knew Dominique."
"Twat!" James exclaimed and then, "Did you tell him I broke the git's nose?"
"James," Lily said unimpressed.
"Well, I did!"
She laughed, shaking her head as she fell into her pillows and placed her feet on his outstretched legs. "He's so different from him though," she murmured. "He didn't seem like a Death Eater."
"Well, Alex Brown didn't seem like a murderous psychopath and yet."
Lily shivered. James had a point just because Francis seemed nice didn't mean he was actually nice and just because he didn't seem like a Death Eater definitely didn't mean he wasn't a Death Eater.
James ran a hand up her calf, squeezing her knee gently, "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up Brown."
"No, no, it's okay," Lily assured. "You're right."
A thought occurred to her. "Wait, why were you waiting for me in my room? Did we have plans to go out? Oh, lord, I'm the worse bloody girlfriend. Hold on, give me ten minutes to shower and change and-"
James clamped a hand over her mouth. "We didn't have plans."
"Oh," she said, confused, "Then why are you here?"
"I made it," he grinned softly. "You're looking at Puddlemere United's newest reserve chaser."
A smile crept onto her face, "Oh my god!" she squealed happily, moving into his lap so she was straddling him and her hands cupped his face. "I knew it! I knew you could do it!" she kissed him square on the mouth and his arms wrapped around her waist snuggly, pulling her closer somehow.
"We'll have to update your jersey," he grinned into her kisses and she laughed.
"You'll pry this jersey out of my cold, dead hands, Potter," she warned him.
"I don't see your obsession with the thing," he sighed. "It's old and the sleeve is ripped."
"Cold, dead hands, Potter," Lily held her ground. Truth was it smelt of him and no new jersey could hold a candle to that. "Now we simply have to go out to celebrate!" Lily declared. "We'll go into the city! Give me half an hour."
"Before you said ten minutes!" he accused.
"That's before I decided we were going to do something fancy." She hopped out of his lap and opened her wardrobe, pulling out her leather skirt and James' leather jacket. James eyed it.
"You said you'd packed that in my trunk."
She looked at the jacket and then at James. "It likes me more."
He snorted and she continued to insist as she crossed the hall to use the bathroom. Thirty minutes later she strode out, her hair dry, make-up done but not over done, and dressed. James wolf-whistled at her.
"Sexy and on time," he complimented.
"What can I say? I'm an overachiever."
After telling Mia that they'd be in London, they apparated out of her backyard and something fancy turned into bar hopping before they ended up at a wizarding bar called Golden Mermaid where they met with their friends. They didn't leave until the bar closed and none of them could walk straight.
"I just don't understand why you would want to work for such an idiotic man," Sirius sighed for the tenth time.
Ella sighed for the twentieth. "It's a job, Sirius. Something I want to be good at — to move up in the Ministry."
"So why not be an auror? And actually do something."
"It's not like I sit around twiddling my thumbs at work, Sirius." He acted like she sat around and did nothing all day and it hurt. It hurt that he didn't see what she was doing and why it was important. She didn't get why he couldn't just be supportive of the career she wanted in the Ministry and fine Crouch was lazy and it'd be years before she'd get a promotion, but it was the same in any Ministry office or department. They don't just hand promotions out like candy, you had to earn them and prove that you were in it for the long haul. Ella planned to do exactly that if only Sirius could stop nagging her about it.
"No, you're fetching Crouch's coffees and dry cleaning not to mention taking the heat for his blatant refusal to see the truth."
"Why can't you just be supportive?" she argued. "You don't see me complaining that you don't even have a job!"
"I believe I just heard one," he said sourly.
Ella groaned, stalking forwards, Sirius sagging behind before she whirled around, "Can we just go to this bloody meeting and pretend that we're not arguing?"
"Oh — of course, why should everyone know that we're a fucking mess," Sirius grumbled, shoving his hand in his pocket and pulling out a cigarette. With a mere thought, the cigarette lit itself and he slipped it between his lips, taking a deep breath before exhaling.
"You know that shit kills muggles," Ella said, hands on her hips.
"Believe me, baby, I'm not going to live long enough for smoking to get me."
She whirled around and kept walking. "Don't talk like that!"
"Like what? Like me?"
"Like you're going to fucking die, Sirius!"
"It's not like it isn't a possibility. We're in a war."
"Doesn't mean you get to be so cavalier about it, baby."
He brought the fag to his lips again, inhaling and blowing the smoke in her face only for her to huff and throw her hands in the air as he laughed.
"Why're you being so uptight tonight?" he asked her.
"I'm being uptight?" she questioned unbelievingly before whacking him over the head and pulling the stupid cigarette out of his mouth and throwing it on the floor, stepping on it. "Talking about dying isn't cool and wanting a career isn't unusual, Sirius! Is it too much to ask for a bit of fucking support?"
"I'm not going to support you being a monkey for Barty fucking Crouch."
Ella shook her head. "Let's just go all right. I'm done talking about this." They'd been going in circles after all and if they kept going they'd leave a rather embarrassing impression on the Order, also, they'd be late. Very late.
"Fine, just decide," Sirius scowled, pulling out another cigarette.
"If you even think about lighting that fucking cigarette I'll fucking set you on fire!" she warned.
Sirius looked at her, cigarette between his lips and smirked when he did his party trick and the cigarette lit up without him uttering a word or waving his wand.
"I fucking hate you," she muttered, storming off.
"I know Frank but I just can't take that much time off of training unless you want to wait to have the wedding next summer when I get a month off during holidays."
"If I wanted to get married to you next year, I would've proposed next year."
"Then a one week honeymoon in France or Italy is all I can give you. I'm in the fast tracked program, Frank. I can't afford to take time off."
"Fine, fine. We'll go to Italy. France just reminds me of all the summer vacations mum used to take me on."
"Oh, you poor thing. Vacations in France! What a travesty," she teased and he nudged her. She checked her watch and jumped up. "I gotta go."
"Where're you off to?"
"Meeting up with the girls," she lied, well half-lied. The girls would be there but so would a bunch of other people and Albus Dumbledore.
"Where you all off to?"
Alice shrugged. "We're meeting at Lily's and deciding there."
He kissed her softly. "Don't travel on your own after dark, yeah?"
"Yes, yes, I know." She kissed him again before sliding off his bed. "Tell your mum February tenth."
"Seriously?" Frank raised an eyebrow, Alice had been changing her mind about the date for the last two weeks.
"Frank, we've officially set a date," she announced, with a wicked smile and a wink. "Don't be late."
"Wouldn't dream of it," he assured her with a grin of his own. "I'll let mum know."
She leaned down to kiss him once more. "All right, I've really got to go now. I'll see you later."
"Be safe," he told her. "I love you."
"Me too," she replied before leaving his room and letting herself out, apparating off his front step and into an alleyway Emmeline had told her about.
"You're late," Emmeline huffed.
"Frank and I set a date," Alice smiled. "February tenth."
"Oh, that's wonderful … Mrs Longbottom is going to drive us nutters though," Emmeline sighed. "Come on, the twins have already gone in."
Headquarters turned out to be a townhouse in London. Alice got the impression that no one else could see it and she'd be right. No one noticed the pretty brick townhouse that was bigger than it seemed. From the exterior you'd believe it was a normal two story townhouse with three, maybe four bedrooms, a drawing room and a dining room, a kitchen and maybe a basement or cellar of some sort.
Alice walked into a long corridor that had a large archway leading to a drawing room where photo frames of a young boy sat on the fireplace. Directly opposite this archway was another that led into a dining room, narrower than the drawing room and with a gorgeous mahogany table that seated twelve. In the middle was a silver bowl encrusted with rubies, no doubt goblin made and it occurred to Alice that this was someone's house.
It had to be, the wallpaper matched the rugs that ran across the hardwood floors and the throw cushions on the couch were just a bit too feminine. Not to mention the pictures of the boy on the fireplace mantel.
Emmeline led Alice down the corridor ignoring a few closed doors and into a stairwell. Alice looked up incredulously, grand wooden stairs with a red persian rug ran up the four walls and she could count three landings above her head. There was a flight of stairs leading down and Emmeline gestured for Alice to follow her down.
They pattered down the two flights of stairs and Alice's eyes widened as she saw a kitchen so large she wasn't sure she hadn't just stepped into Hogwarts. A huge wooden bench ran across the middle of the room where multiple people sat, some Alice recognised like the Prewett twins and Caradoc Dearborn and others she didn't. Along the walls ran cabinets and bench space.
Emmeline led Alice to sit with Emmeline's fiance and friends and Alice looked around.
"This place is ginormous," she said in awe.
"We have Mr Potter to thank for this. He doesn't have an active role in the Order, but he finances us and lets us use this house as Headquarters," Emmeline explained.
"Mr Potter," Alice said dazed, "As in James' dad?"
"That'd be the one," Emmeline confirmed. "I believe they lived here many years ago before they moved to their country estate."
Alice looked around, she was the first of her friends to arrive and she wondered if James knew his dad was financing the Order, wondered if he knew that his house was Headquarters.
James and Lily strolled up to the street, hands swinging between them. James had recognised the address immediately, of course, it was his childhood home for the first five or six years of his life. When it came into sight he smiled fondly at the townhouse. He hadn't been back in ages and a lot came rushing back to him. How he'd jump off the highest landing with his broom and dive right down to the kitchen only pulling up at the last second. How his mum would transfigure the stairs into a slide for him to play. How he'd hide in the pantry when he broke something he shouldn't have.
"You grew up here? It looks huge," Lily whispered.
"Bigger on the inside," James told her. "You'll see."
And she did. Her eyes wandered over the two large rooms and her she held her head back looking up the well of stairs in amazement. James quickly explained that they couldn't make the floors larger because of the muggle townhouses on either side, so they extended up with an undetectable extension charm.
"That's amazing," Lily said incredulously, taking in the tall ceilings and the elaborate, crystal chandeliers.
"Dumbledore said the kitchen, right?"
Lily nodded and James dragged her with him down the stairs, her eyes wandering over the portraits that lined the walls. Her eyes widened at the kitchen that seemed to use the entire floor space of the basement. She spotted Alice, Emmeline and Gideon Prewett — well, two Gideon's — sitting at the table and Lily nudged James.
"He's in my department too. Different project," she shook her head. "I knew he looked familiar."
"Gideon's in Charms Development?" James asked.
"Interning like me."
"Odd."
"Isn't it?" Lily murmured. The chances that a Death Eater and a member of the Order were in Charms Development at the same time couldn't be a coincidence.
"Oh, can't you ever just drop something!" Ella groaned. "Why do we always have to go on and on and on?"
James raised his eyebrow at Lily who rolled her eyes.
"You're the one who nags all the time. Hey, Prongs," Sirius greeted. "Lily."
"Sirius," Lily replied. "Hey, Ella."
"Hey."
"Let's go sit, yeah?" James suggested but Sirius stopped him.
"Did you tell your old man we've joined?"
"No, why?"
"Because he's coming right for us and he doesn't look pleased."
James and Lily both turned to see Fleamont strolling over.
"How in Merlin's beard did you get in here?" he asked them.
"Dad, we joined." James decided ripping the band-aid off would be better than beating around the dragon.
"You joined?" Fleamont went pale. "Why? Why would you do that!"
"Why'd you give Dumbledore our house?" James asked. He didn't know why his dad looked so worried.
"We aren't talking about me. You should tell Dumbledore that you've changed your mind. All of you." Fleamont eyed the four of them who believed the world could change and wanted to be apart of it. He sighed, "But that's not going to happen, is it?" He couldn't ask of them not to do what he himself wanted to do. If he'd been their age — hell if he'd been twenty years younger — he'd have joined in a heartbeat alas, he was an old man and he didn't need his wife to tell him that he'd be lazy in a duel.
"Sorry, dad," James said.
"Just," Fleamont ran a hand through his hair, "Just be safe, okay? Watch out for each other and for Merlin's sake don't tell your mother that you've joined. She thinks it's dangerous enough that we're funding them and letting them use the house. She'll lose her head if she finds out any of you have joined."
James nodded in agreement. He hadn't planned to tell his mother in any case and perhaps now that his dad knew, it'd be easier to dodge questions about his whereabouts.
Lily squeezed his hand and they walked passed his dad taking a seat with Alice. Alice eyed Ella.
"Do we want to know what the two of you were arguing about?"
Ella rolled her eyes. "It's just Sirius."
Alice patted her hand sympathetically. "It can get like that sometimes. Anyone know if Marly's coming?"
"I am right here," Marlene declared, taking a seat next to Lily. Lily awkwardly side hugged her as Nate settled in with James, Sirius and Victor King, the only other boy from Nate's dormitory to join the Order.
"God, it feels like I haven't seen you in ages. At least I see them two at the Ministry," Lily complained.
Marlene smiled. "I know what you mean. Has anyone heard from Della?"
"She owled me," Alice said. "Told me she was having a great time in the States with her brother. His wife is expecting soon so they've been dragging her to all the baby shops and she's helping them with the nursery."
The girls chatted happily, catching up on all the things they hadn't been able to tell each other in the last few weeks. Lily, Alice and Marlene gushed over how relieved they were when their NEWT results came in and Ella expressed at her annoyance about Sirius' continuous bragging about his results. She was in the middle of mocking him when they were interrupted.
"Lily?" Gideon leaned over the table, looking over his brother, Emmeline, Alice and Ella. "Is that you?"
Lily smiled. "Hey, fancy seeing you here."
"You're in the Order?"
"Joined with some friends."
"Has Dumbledore asked you to join our mission then?"
"Er, mission?"
"Yeah, at the Ministry — Charms Development. You know, to track Mulciber."
She knew it. "Dumbledore hasn't mentioned a thing."
She could feel James watching their encounter, even as he greeted Remus and Peter.
"Oh, so how'd you end up in Charms?"
"I applied. I'm very good at Charms."
Gideon snorted. "That makes one of us. Look, Lily, I must say this turned out rather convenient."
"Convenient?" Lily asked.
"Yeah, because now we can swap groups so I can carry out my mission better."
"I don't think it works like that," Lily said but Gideon was already hollering down the table.
"Oi, Meadowes!"
Lily's eyes searched for the person who responded and her jaw dropped. Dorcas Meadowes sat further up with some people Lily hardly knew.
"Lily, the intern in Lovegood's project, has agreed to swap with me! She's in the Order!"
"I —" Lily tried to interrupt but Dorcas responded before she could get a word in.
"Only if Lovegood approves! You might be a sham, Prewett, but my department and it's projects aren't."
"Brilliant!" Gideon grinned at Lily.
James stepped on Lily's foot gently and she stared at him for a second before responding with a fake smile, "Yeah, brill." Of course, none of it was 'brill' but what was she supposed to say? No? Sorry, I know you joined the department to spy on this guy and it's your mission but I like the project I'm on? This was something more important than her career, wasn't it? This was about the greater good, of course it was more important than her career.
James stared at her with pursed lips and she shrugged. She was saved from actually saying anything when Professor Dumbledore walked in. He stood at the head of the table as everyone quietened down so he could address them.
"Good evening everyone. I hope you've had a lovely day and I'll try not to take up too much of your time. We've got a few handfuls of new recruits joining us today, I'm sure you'll all give them a warm welcome. Now, onto more serious business. Our spies have informed me that Voldemort is after a object in Hogwarts, our objective is to ensure he doesn't get it so patrols will re-continue at Hogwarts. I'd like Misters Potter, Lupin, Black and Pettigrew to join the patrol team at Hogwarts. I'm told they have excellent knowledge of the school." His eyes twinkled in their direction and the boys glanced at each other nervously not quite sure what Dumbledore was alluding to.
"Now, the muggle Prime Minister is unprotected since the Ministry doesn't want to waste resources. Is there anyone who would be willing to take up a day job as the Prime Minister's body guard? I'll sort out the finer details and as you'll be registered as an employee you will be paid a muggle sum. I need at minimum two people to do this."
Two witches, Abigail and Valerie Fawcett, volunteered and the meeting rather went on in that fashion. None of the girls left with a mission except Alice who was asked to keep an eye on a man in the Auror Office they suspected to be under the Imperius Curse. The group quickly realised that they'd be stuck with a lot of reconnaissance missions before they were trusted for something more serious.
They left Headquarters forty minutes later and the group from Hogwarts decided to head out of drinks to mark the beginning of an era of sorts.
Mia was surprised when an owl arrived, Lily didn't usually receive owls and she was even more surprised to have the letter addressed to her. She hoped, perhaps foolishly, that it would be her brother or her parents asking her to come home. Mia would go. Without thought she'd go back to the family who'd shunned her in their pain because whilst Lily and Rosie were lovely, this wasn't her home.
She slipped her finger under the fold of the envelope, pulling it open and pulling the letter out. She paused at the familiar writing. Not her brother's or her mother's but Gabriel's. She let her fingers hover over the letter, tracing his words and wondering why he was writing her, not knowing what she wanted the letter to say but more, not knowing what to expect.
Dear Mia,
I've missed you and I know I'm the one who ended things so maybe I don't have the right, but I do. I've also been very worried about you. I know you're parents had kicked you out and I know you were hoping they'd come around but I went by your place and your brother, well, he wasn't pleased to see me. I just want to make sure you're okay. I know you're not staying with any of the girls from your dorm because, well, because of me so I just need to know that you're staying somewhere safe.
Gabriel
The letter was short, maybe too short for Mia's taste but the proof was there, he still cared and it warmed her heart even though it shouldn't. She didn't waste any time writing her reply.
Lily stood in front of her mother nervously.
"Okay, so it's real simple mum. You step into the fireplace, and throw down the powder and say 'Seaside Estate, Drawing Room'."
"And I'll end up in the Potter's drawing room?" Rosie said doubtfully.
"Yes," Lily confirmed. "Just make sure to speak very clearly."
"And elbows in," Mia advised. She was lounging on the couch, still in her pyjamas.
"Are you sure you don't want to join us, Mia?" her mum asked for the tenth time that morning.
"Positive," Mia replied. "I'm perfectly happy to skip a lunch with Sirius Black and have the house to myself."
Euphemia had called in a favour at the Ministry to get the Evans' house connected to the Floo Network, which Lily had to admit made seeing James much easier because whenever she had wanted to go to his house, she'd have to apparate into the town and then walk up.
"Go on, take a handful," Lily urged, holding open the pretty urn Euphemia had given to them with the floo powder inside.
Rosie took a handful and yelped when the fireplace expanded so it was large enough to fit a person.
"Lily, I must say this seems rather ridiculous," Rosie muttered as she stepped into the fireplace.
"Drop it and don't worry about the flames they don't burn and speak clearly."
Rosie nodded and then shutting her eyes, dropped the powder and said, "Seaside Estate, Drawing Room!"
Rosie vanished in the burst of green flames and Lily glanced at Mia who grinned, "You better go see if she made it."
"Oh, Merlin," Lily muttered. She grabbed her own handful and quickly stepped into the fireplace, repeating the words Rosie had said and ended up in the Potter's Drawing Room where Euphemia was charming the dust off of Rosie's clothes.
"Ah, Evans," Sirius rounded on her first. "You're mum's face was priceless."
"I'd like to see your face the first time you go on an aeroplane," Lily fired back before heading to her mum to make sure she was all right.
"It's an unpleasant feeling," Rosie admitted, "But I'm fine."
"How is Mrs Evans taking her tea?" Twinkle asked and Rosie gasped.
"Mum, this is a house elf," Lily explained. "They work for the Potters."
"Oh, well, I never … they're adorable in an ugly way," Rosie considered the house elf, "Like pugs."
Lily snorted, "Don't let Marge hear you say that."
"Lily, why don't you pry James and the other two down from the attic," Mia suggested, "And Twinkle will set us up with some tea on the terrace."
"Remus and Peter are here?" Lily asked.
"Yes, they've gate crashed or James invited them without telling me, you know, I really can't tell anymore," Euphemia sighed.
"Come with me, Sirius?" Lily said and he didn't need telling twice.
Lily left her mum with Mia and Sirius whispered in her ear, "I invited them."
"Why?"
"I needed them."
"Why?" Lily repeated.
"Marauder worthy project. You have to promise not to yell at us when you see it."
Lily sighed. Sirius coming up with some sort of project was bound to happen because for some reason, boredom inspired brilliance in him. "I promise not to yell but if it's stupid I get to call you stupid and you really should get a job."
"Nah, I'd rather see where the next project takes me."
Lily shook her head as they reached the first landing turning right for James' room. She shook her head at the messy state of James' bedroom, clothes piled on a chair, bed unmade and shoes scattered about before her and Sirius started the climb up the spiral stairs to the attic.
"Moony! Don't cut," a small explosion sounded followed by James' sigh, "the fuel line."
"What are you lot doing up here?" Lily questioned as she reached the top step of the attic stairs.
Remus and Peter were on either side of a motorbike whilst James was reading out instructions from a book titled, How to Make Things Fly by Gerald Geranium.
"Welcome to the Marauder worthy project," Sirius clapped her on the back. "How's it going?" he asked the others, going over to examine the damaged area of the bike, no doubt where the small explosion had occurred.
"It'd be going better if Moony didn't just cut the fuel line," Peter grumbled as he set on repairing said fuel line.
"Hey, Lils, your mum here?"
Lily went over to kiss him and plucked the book off him, "Mmmhmm," she agreed about her mum as she started flicking through the book. "You want the bike to fly?"
"That is the plan," James agreed.
Lily shook her head and kissed him once more. "Come on, let's go down. Twinkle's preparing some tea before lunch." The boys started cleaning up and Lily plonked into the couch as she waited. "Is it any use telling you lot that charming a muggle artefact is illegal?"
"Nope," James and Sirius replied at the same time.
"You could try," Remus shrugged.
Lily nodded. "Let me guess, not a word of this to Mia?"
"You would be correct," Peter nodded in affirmation.
Tea turned out to be all right. Rosie found all the boys charming, much to Lily's relief who'd been maybe slightly worried her mum would take a Petunia-stance on the cheeky boys. Lily was glad Remus had come because he kept Sirius from saying anything too inappropriate and instead focused the conversation on the shenanigans they used to get up to at school.
Fleamont joined them for lunch on the terrace and it passed by nice enough. Conversation flowed from how the Potter's ended up with Seaside Estate to Fleamont giving Rosie samples of different wizarding liquors to Sirius telling everyone embarrassing stories about James — most of which included Lily. Eventually they ended up on everyone's work.
"You must be proud that Lily got offered not only one but two internships at the Ministry," Fleamont said to Rosie.
"To be honest, I've no clue about Potions and Charms but yes, I'm very proud of Lily," Rosie smiled warmly at her daughter, patting her hand.
"It's well deserved," Monty continued, "The Head of Potions Development is an acquaintance and he raved about Lily's application. Quite disappointed that you chose the Charms Department, Lily."
Lily smiled, "He said so. Invited me to go around the Potions lab one day but with the current project I'm on, I haven't found the time. Actually, he invited both of us, Monty. He said there was a potion he wanted to show you."
"Bodine is always wanting to show me something," Fleamont rolled his eyes. "Always trying to get me to get my hands on something."
"James, I heard you got onto the Quidditch team," Rosie smiled and then to Lily, more quietly, "Did I say it right?"
"Yeah," Lily replied quietly.
"Yep," James grinned. "Only on the reserve team though."
"It's a perfectly good start," Euphemia said.
"What about you boys?" Rosie asked Sirius, Remus and Peter.
"He works in a shop in Diagon Alley," Sirius said gesturing to Peter, "Remus and I are unemployed."
"Not for a lack of trying," Remus added.
Sirius snorted, "Speak for yourself."
Euphemia pursed her lips. "Sirius, you're going to start attending M.A.E meetings. I'm sick of seeing you mope around all day waiting for that one to get home from training. You're welcome to attend to Remus. It's a good way to make contacts."
"What's May?" Rosie asked.
"It's a society, mum. Magic Against Evil," Lily explained. "They lobby the Ministry when they want to pass unfair laws. Mia co-founded it."
"A friend of mine, Caroline Shacklebolt, and I started it when all this You-Know-Who nonsense started," Mia said and Lily kicked James across the table, with wide eyes. James looked at her and she shook her head.
"Ah, mum, let's not get into this, yeah? It's dead boring and I'm sure Rosie would love a tour of the house."
"Oh, well yes, I would like to see it. This is the first magical home I've seen."
Mia seized her chance the moment they had disappeared in the fireplace. She ran up to her room and changed into a top and a skirt, slid on some shoes and left the house clutching Gabriel's reply in her hand. The owl had arrived in the middle of the night, tapping on Mia's window relentlessly until she'd opened. The letter didn't say much of anything but he agreed. He agreed to meet her at the house so she found herself nervously pacing in the living room.
Almost an hour passed before she heard the knock on the door, she jumped up to answer, smoothing her top down as she went up. She swung the door open and there he stood.
"You didn't tell me Severus lives here too." He walked in despite her not having said a word.
"I didn't know," Mia replied. "It's good to see you."
He paused now, turning to look at her. She didn't miss the sly smile on his face despite the cold tone of his words. "I just wanted to see that you were all right and you are."
"I am," Mia agreed. "How have you been?"
"Fine."
Mia nodded. "Do you want something to drink?"
"No," he said. "I should go."
"You just got here." She could feel her stomach sink in her gut.
"I'm not here to start things again," he said quietly.
"No, you just wanted to make sure that I was all right," the words came out almost bitterly.
"Yes," he agreed.
"Right."
"I'm going to go," he declared and just as he had invited himself in, he invited himself out but Mia grabbed his arm this time.
"Please," she whispered looking into his eyes desperately. She didn't even know what she was asking him for. To stay longer? To have things be the way they were before? For him to look at her like he used to? That one tiny word held a lot of questions.
He softened for a moment and then shook out of her grip. "I'm doing this for you." Then he left, the door clicking shut behind him.
Lily was perplexed when Dorcas Meadowes requested to see her and Gideon in her office in the morning. She couldn't have run this passed Lovegood that quickly, could she?
She sat behind her desk, her black hair in a tight curled afro that Lily thought made her at least three inches taller. Dorcas scribbled something down on a piece of parchment and Lily was momentarily mesmerised by the look of her gold wedding band against her darker skin tone, like coffee. Maybe it was an odd thing to get distracted by — Lily knew it was — but she'd never seen such a simple piece of jewellery stand out so much before.
Dorcas looked up at the two of them, her blue eyes piercing them. "I've reviewed Lovegood's notes on why she chose you to be her intern out of the five and, Gid, I can't overturn her decision. She specifically requested Lily. She was why Lily got the internship in the first place."
"She was?" Lily asked.
Dorcas smiled at her kindly, her eyes softening from a sharp pierce to a soft-glowing pride. "You've got a very good aptitude for Charms and Potions and that was something Lovegood was looking for. An aptitude, you," she looked at Gideon, the sharpness coming back into her eyes, "Do not have."
"You're the Department Head," Gideon argued. "Just overrule her."
"I told you already I would not risk the success rate of the projects being run."
"How am I supposed to spy on Mulciber if we aren't even in the same group?"
"I can do it," Lily volunteered and they both looked at her like she was crazy. "What? I'm in the Order just as much as you two. Dumbledore hasn't assigned me a mission but, considering the circumstances, I think he'd allow me to join yours."
Meadowes studied Lily for a moment and then, "Very well. I'll owl Dumbledore. Lily, you'll officially report to Gideon at the end of each week. No Order business is to be discussed within the Ministry under any circumstances, understood?"
"Yes," Lily nodded.
"Wonderful. Go on back to the labs," Meadowes dismissed Lily and Lily left the room but she hovered at the door.
"This was supposed to be my mission," Gideon protested to Meadowes.
"It's still your mission, you just have a partner, now."
"Yes, a doe-eyed Hogwarts graduate. She doesn't know the first thing about anything to do with the Order."
"Neither did you when you first joined," Meadowes pointed out and Lily decided she liked her. "You better get back to the lab too before I get another report on what a useless intern you are."
Lily scarpered down the hallway to avoid being caught and as she approached the table, she swore she'd figure out what Mulciber wanted with Lovegood's project no matter what. Even if it meant forming a friendship with a suspected Death Eater.
James watched as Sirius sat on the bike, straddling it and stroking the handle bar. Night had fallen about an hour ago but they were still at it because Sirius wouldn't let it up and James didn't have anything better to do.
Sirius turned the ignition on and James pulled his wand out because the last thing he needed was Sirius careening off the roof. Sirius looked back at James and they nodded at each other before Sirius revved, the rumble of the engine sounded how it was supposed to — a good sign — and then he released the breaks and after driving across the roof, the bike lifted off the ground as easily as a broomstick and Sirius whooped.
The wind rushed through his hair and he tested the handlebar and steering, turning the bike to the right, looping around the house before turning left and doing a loop around then. He also tested altitude and flattened himself against the handlebars and pulling up to go higher. He reached three hundred meters over the house before slowly guiding the bike back down by pushing down on the bike. He came to a skidded stop on the terrace in front of James.
"Well?" James asked, a grin on his face.
"Improvements can be made but she's, for the most part, ready."
"Let's give her a spin then!"
James hopped onto the back of the bike, holding onto Sirius' jacket just in time before Sirius sped off and up into the air.
"Where to then?"
James grinned. "Let's see how she handles long distance yeah? Let's go to London!"
"Can I please come on your mission?" Alice begged Emmeline.
"Ally," Emmeline sighed. "It's not your mission. I'm not going to put you in unnecessary danger."
"You're on a recon mission! You're literally sitting outside of someone's house for a few hours."
"It's not just someone's house, Al. It's Bellatrix Lestrange's London house. You haven't seen the side of her that I have. She's crazy."
"More reason why you shouldn't go alone!" Alice fought. "Please, Emmy. You're always saying how I'm not experienced, well wouldn't you prefer I do this type of stuff with you first?"
Emmeline looked at her sister and sighed. "Fine. Fine! You can come but I'm not messing around Alice. You listen to every order I give you even if I tell you to leave."
"Done!" Alice grinned.
"First order is to change. Dark clothes, something that wouldn't look too suss in a muggle crowd. Go."
Alice ran up the stairs to her bedroom and pulled on dark denim jeans and a navy poncho that Lily had gotten her for her birthday one year. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and deduced she'd pass as a muggle.
As they made their way to London with muggle transport, Emmeline went over the rules and every rule was followed by "Not that I expect this to happen tonight because it's just recon but if it does."
"We'll be fine, right?" Alice asked her.
"Yes of course but the escape plan, if we're spotted, is the brooms which Caradoc is hiding now in a bush."
"Why can't we just apparate?"
Emmeline clucked in annoyance. "Anti-apparition jinx on the street. I've told you that twice already."
"I'm sorry, it's just odd that the Ministry would allow that."
"It's amazing the doors money can open. Now, if we have to escape by flying, do not fly to Headquarters. There's a house in Kensington that's a safe house, so we'll go there. It's got the highest level of protection from Dumbledore himself and if they follow, they won't be able to get into the property."
"But Headquarters would be safer, right?"
"We can't lead them to Headquarters," Emmeline said firmly. "Just because they can't get in doesn't mean they can't set the building on fire if they know where it is, or ambush Order members when they are coming in and out. We get to the safe house and we contact the Order and wait for instructions."
Alice nodded in agreement. "Okay."
"All right," Emmeline said, standing up in the bus they were riding. "We're here."
There wasn't anything particularly remarkable about the Lestrange's London home. It was a gated property, with tall iron gates attached to a white wall that obscured most of the house so that you could only glimpse it through the iron gates. The house itself had a Victorian feel. It was a wide and white double story brick home. A dark wooden door was set just to the left of the middle of the house, the right side jutting out with a bay window, where light was peeking out of the closed curtains.
"What are we supposed to be looking for?" Alice hissed because surely the mission couldn't just be to watch a house.
"Dumbledore thinks they're hosting a gathering of some sort with Death Eaters."
"So they're having a party."
"Yes."
Alice wanted to ask why they would care if Bellatrix Lestrange was hosting a party and how that would help their effort in the war against the very people in that house but she got the vague impression she was asking too many questions for Emmeline's liking. Emmeline pointed her wand at Alice and she felt a cold shiver run down her spine.
"What was that?" she hissed.
"Invisibility charm. Only we can see each other."
Alice nodded and turned back to the house. They stood there for an hour before anything interesting happened. A group of three in black robes carelessly appeared at the end of the street and started making their way to the Lestrange house.
"Do you recognise them?"
Alice shook her head but they were too far to tell. As they approached though Alice nudged her sister and whispered, "Severus Snape, Evan Rosier and Dominique Mulciber."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
Emmeline and Alice turned their attention back to the three men who walked through the iron gates as though there were nothing there at all. Emmeline pulled out a small notebook and a quill and jotted down the names and Alice understood now why they were stalking Bellatrix's party. They were seeing who had joined his ranks.
A total of seven Hogwarts' graduates walked through those gates. Severus Snape, Evan Rosier, Dominique Mulciber, Alvena Aitken, Peyton Aitken, Salvotre Yaxely and Octavia Malfoy. All Slytherins, not that Alice found it in herself to be shocked, in fact, if she was shocked about anything at all, it would be that there weren't more Slytherins from her year joining. After all, twelve Gryffindors had joined the Order of the Phoenix, as well as eight other students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.
"Another seven for the Dark Lord," Emmeline muttered bitterly.
"So? The Order just got twenty," Alice pointed out.
Emmeline sighed. "You'll come to see that every one of them, is worth at least two of us."
"We can't be that bad at fighting," Alice frowned.
"It's not about fighting, Alice. It's about what you're willing to do. About how far you're willing to go to stop the other side. They're willing to kill us. To maim us. To torture us. Are you?"
A shiver went down Alice's spine as she thought about it. Could she point her wand at another person and command it to kill that person? No, she decided the moment she asked herself. It was a decision that she'd surely debate with herself in the future countless times.
"Hello, are you lost?"
Alice and Emmeline glanced at each other wide eyed before turning to the person who had questioned them. Bellatrix Lestrange flanked by Severus Snape and Dominique Mulciber stood behind them.
"Come to join the party, perhaps?" Bellatrix tried again. "The Dark Lord would love to have you in our ranks and I've heard you're quite the fighter, Emmy."
"We were just out for a walk," Emmeline said stiffly.
"Under an invisibility charm. Do you think I am a fool?" Bellatrix asked. "This whole street is charmed to alert me of any and all magical presence."
"A little paranoid, are you Bella?" Alice asked, her hand in her pocket, clutching at her wand.
"Prepared," she corrected. "Now why are you really here? If you were alone Emmy, I'd say you were spying on me for that little group you're in."
"Al, let's go."
"So soon? Why don't you come in?"
"We don't keep company with Death Eaters," Alice smiled. "Thanks for the offer though."
Alice and Emmeline both went to move but the two men pulled their wands out and Alice thought about the lengths they were willing to go to. Her and Emmeline had just been talking about it. She wondered if they'd use an unforgivable on them just because they'd been standing outside their house and all at once she was very afraid. This wasn't school where everything could be deflected or fixed. Alice could imagine that flash of green coming towards her and she knew there wasn't a way to stop it.
Emmeline drew out her own wand. "Let us through."
"Why are you here?" Bellatrix asked.
"Accio brooms!"
Alice grabbed the broom that zoomed towards her, as Emmeline did the same she climbed on, ignoring the voice that told her she hadn't flown in years.
"Only cowards run!" Bellatrix shrieked at them as they kicked off.
Alice stole a glance down and saw them mounting their own brooms. "Em! They're coming!"
"Just follow me! Remember the plan!"
They both pressed themselves flat against their brooms, speeding through the sky. They'd barely been flying for a minute when Alice saw the first green flash of light whiz between the two girls. They kept flying, going as fast as they could but the sky was lit up in green lights and Emmeline dived down. Alice followed.
"We can use the taller buildings for cover!"
They twisted around and above the London sky rises, playing a game of cat and mouse that Alice wasn't sure they could win. She could hear sirens below, a car seemed to be chasing something, it was like a smaller version of a car.
"Split up! Meet me in the air!"
Alice nodded and when Emmeline stayed straight, Alice turned into an alley, using the cars that seemed to be chasing each other as a guide. She flew high, high enough that they didn't notice her and she kept flying up until she realised that she wasn't being followed anymore. She pulled around and peered down into the alley.
"Why are we losing altitude?" James yelled over the whistling wind. They'd been flying for hours and it had been amazing. Sirius was completely smitten with the bike and James was sure, as Lily had put it, that he wouldn't be able to pry the bike out of Sirius' cold dead hands.
Sirius barely heard what James had said but he checked the fuel gauge and frowned. "We're almost out of fuel!" he yelled back, immediately quickly adjusting for a much faster decent.
"You can't just fly a bike into the middle of a London street!" James protested.
"I'll pick a quiet one unless you'd prefer being splatter on the pavement?"
"It better be fucking desolate!"
Sirius put his thumb up and started scanning the London grid below them for a quiet, desolate street. As he circled lower down to the streets, the bike started sputtering and the bike was running on almost no fuel.
"There!" James pointed at a small street between two buildings.
Sirius nodded and steered over towards the quiet lane before landing onto the pavement. James hopped off the bike as it ran completely out of fuel and rolled into a stop.
"Now what?" James asked.
"Roll her to a petrol station, fuel her up and head home."
James shrugged and nodded. They ended up rolling the bike through muggle London in search of a petrol station that nothing but sheer dumb luck could put in their path. It was fun roaming muggle London though. James had only ever done it with Lily and she always had an agenda, things to show him and he loved that but this was nice too.
They wandered in and out of shops, browsing at the variety of muggle clothing and trinkets. James couldn't help himself when they stumbled across a black t-shirt with a golden-orange bird on it that reminded James of a phoenix.
"We don't have money, genius," Sirius pointed out when James showed him.
"We could go try them on and just duplicate them," James argued.
Sirius clapped his shoulder, "It's nice to know that Lily hasn't turned you completely soft."
"Shove off," James rolled his eyes. "You in?"
"We're duplicating shirts not robbing Gringotts."
They left the store wearing the shirts under their leather jackets and to stop the muggles from noticing they'd placed forget-me charms on them.
On the next block they found a petrol station where, with some difficulty figuring out how the muggle contraption worked, re-fueled the bike. They rode her out of the petrol station and right onto the streets of London, this time James drove with Sirius on the back.
James sped through the streets, slipping around cars and buses and trying to understand what the different coloured lights meant at intersections. They were driving down a large three-lane road when sirens started blaring behind them. Sirius turned his head and swore.
"Muggle aurors!"
"Fuck! We can't stop! We don't have licenses or anything and what if they body search us and find our wands?"
"Nevermind that!" Sirius shouted, "If they try to drive the bike and she flies, we're going to be in a lot of trouble with the Ministry."
James sped the engine up and they shot forward, speeding around cars until they were back onto quieter streets but the vehicle with red and blue lights was still speeding after them.
"If we lose them for even a minute, we can put an invisibility charm and fly!" James shouted, as he turned, knees almost scrapping against the pavement, into a small one way street.
"Just drive, I'll say when!" Sirius ordered. "And try to keep us on the bike!"
James pushed the bike even more, trying to make the next turn with enough time for Sirius to make them invisible. Gunning the bike, he turned sharply, Sirius with his wand in his hand held on tighter to James as the bike angled dangerously once more to the pavement but James had made a grave mistake.
The street was blocked by a metal fence and the roaring car rounded the corner too soon for Sirius to safely cast an invisibility charm.
"Damn it!" James hissed, skidding the bike to a stop before they crashed into the fence.
The muggles stepped out of their car, ordering James and Sirius to get off the vehicle. They both did as asked, James turning off the engine and Sirius sticking his wand in his waist band, using his shirt to hide it.
"I am Sergeant Fisher and this is Constable Anderson. "Are you aware that you were going well over the speed limit?"
"No," James answered honestly. He had no clue what they were on about.
"What are your names?" Anderson asked.
"Wilberforce, Bathsheba and Elvendork," Sirius answered.
"Wilberforce Bathsheba, and Elvendork?" Anderson questioned, confused at the odd names.
"Yes," James confirmed, "The three men we were running from."
"Running from? We didn't see any other vehicles."
"Your sirens might've frightened them," James admitted. "We thought they'd still come after us."
"What was the nature of your relationship with these pursuers?"
"Not good," Sirius answered. "Not good at all. Cousins of mine," he admitted.
"Wrong side of the tracks," James continued, "His family is. Terrible names and even more terrible morals."
"Were they pursuing you in a violent nature?"
"Yes," James and Sirius both answered and Sirius continued. "They're in a nasty business of sorts, I don't want any part of it so I left. They don't like that very much."
"You still haven't told us your names," Fisher pointed out.
"Ah, of course. I'm James Potter. This is Sirius Black."
"That is a terrible name," Anderson commented. "What kind of business are your family involved with, Mr Black?"
"Ahh—"
Sirius was about to answer but suddenly, three wizards on brooms swooped down on them, James pushing Sirius to the ground.
"What the ever-loving fuck!" Sirius shouted at James as they both pulled out their wands.
The two muggles pointed a contraption of some sort at the men on broomsticks and one let off a horrendous bang. The person on the left yelped in pain. The other two raised their wands in retaliation. James and Sirius jumped up.
"The car!" James shouted and Sirius aimed his wand at the car.
Together, they lifted it off the ground blocking the attackers curses.
"We gotta get out of here!"
"Who the hell are on the brooms?"
"Death Eaters!"
"Well obviously!" James shouted back. "We gotta make those two forget."
"You do it, I've got the car!"
James aimed his wand instead at Anderson and concentrating, obliviated the man's thoughts from the last half hour. He quickly did the same to Fisher who had started firing his contraption at James. James dodged it by an inch and fired the obliviating charm again. This time it worked and Sirius dropped the car as James and Sirius hopped onto the back of the bike.
They sped off into the air, the three wizards following them. James quickly cast invisibility charms on everything and silenced the engine. Sirius dropped down so the men flew above and passed them.
"Where the fuck did they come from?" James asked. "And who were they?"
"No clue. Didn't get a good look. Wanna go find out?"
"And risk them catching us? No. Let's just go home," James insisted.
"Yeah, you're right," Sirius agreed, and they did something they'd never quite accomplished at school. They let it go and went the other way when perhaps, for the first time, they should've went towards it.
Emmeline and Alice watched as the two wizards jumped on some sort of muggle contraption and sped up into the air. Bellatrix shouted something at the other two and all three of them re-focused their attention on Emmeline and Alice.
"Was that-"
"WATCH OUT!" Alice shouted shoving Emmeline out of the way just in time to miss the flash of green that had been shot their way. Emmeline looped around back next to Alice and she sighed in relief before turning back to the three Death Eaters as Emmeline wasted no time in sending stunners back at them.
The sky was lit up with flashes of colourful lights — red, green, blue, yellow, purple, pink — Alice didn't know where to look first, didn't know what to do first. It was exactly what her instructor in Auror training had described and yet she was powerless to process it. It was too fast, too loud, too much movement.
"ALICE!" Emmeline shouted.
Alice jolted, and flew down beneath the Death Eaters, her cousins, and shot stunners up at them as she snuck under them ending up on the other side so they were wedged between herself and Emmeline but when Alice pulled up to a stop, she saw Emmeline falling. Her body seized, shaking and convulsing as she fell through the air.
A flash of green missed her by an inch.
"Don't fret, Alice dear, she was holding you back," Bellatrix flew closer to Alice and Alice glowered. "Now you can join the right side, the winning side."
"Not in a million years," Alice spat and then with a flick of her wand all three of them were pushed several meters back, enough that Alice could jet straight for Emmeline.
Alice pressed herself flat against the broom, for the first time she wished she'd been a great flier. There was too much space between Alice and Emmeline, she wasn't going to make it. They'd lost half their altitude space, Alice was sure of it, and the ground was looking frighteningly too close and Alice was going too fast. Even if she did catch Emmeline before she hit the ground, Alice wouldn't be able to break in time.
"ALICE PULL UP!"
She didn't know where the voice came from but suddenly, Emmeline was dangling in mid-air, as though someone were holding her by her wrist.
"ALICE! PULL UP! YOU'RE GOING TO CRASH!"
Alice, foregoing all sense, pulled up just as she was about to careen into the pavement between two rather tall buildings. She flew back to where Emmeline was, now looking as though she were sitting on something.
"Who's there?" Alice shouted.
"Al, it's us! James and Sirius! Fuck! James, what's the damn password so she can see us?"
"Point to yourself and say, 'carrot sticks'."
Alice did us they asked and they materialised right before her eyes. James was holding Emmeline across his lap so she was wedged between Sirius back and James' front.
Alice breathed a sigh of relief. "We have to get out of here! What if they come back?" Alice whirled in the air, twisting and turning until she spotted Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Lucius. "Why aren't they coming after us?" Alice asked as she watched them search the skies.
"You're under our invisibility charm," James told her. "They can't see or hear us. What'd they hit her with?"
Alice flew over. "I don't know! I didn't see! Give her to me, I have to get her to headquarters. Someone will be able to- to help."
"We'll fly there now. Just take a breath, Alice. We're only a few minutes out from Headquarters."
Alice wanted to argue that it wasn't fast enough but she also didn't want to waste time arguing, so she followed as the boys led the way to Headquarters.
Author's Note: Hello to whoever is still reading this! Sorry for the very, very delayed update but it is 2am and I have decided to just post this chapter without proof reading because I'm a terrible person who 110% does not have their life together.
Hope you enjoy and you know the drill, if you do, please times a million review!
-Natalie xx