Her hair was falling out of its tie and she pushed it back furiously as she attempted to slow the bleeding in Gideon's stomach and cursing like a sailor when nothing seemed to work.
"It's okay," Gideon gasped. "It's okay." He tried to steady her hands but she shook her head furiously.
She'd seen the whole thing happen. He'd been fighting someone — and wasn't it the most frustrating thing that the Death Eater masks hid their identities — when they slashed their wand down and a flash of white light and Gideon slid to the floor, blood pouring out of his stomach. It had only taken three seconds.
"It is not fucking okay and you stay with me! Eyes open!" she ordered. "I'll get this bloody bleeding to stop if it kills me!"
"Adams …"
"Let me concentrate, damn it!"
He shut up and she set to work, performing more complicated spells that she'd never done before, only studied in theory and seen other healers perform, and she sighed in relief when after her fifth spell, it worked. His skin sewed itself back together and blood was no longer pouring out of him. Something that only took three seconds to do, took three minutes to fix and the job still wasn't done.
"You've lost a lot of blood," Marlene said.
"I'll be right." The bloody idiot sat up.
"No, you won't. You should go hide in a shop because if you attempt magic, you will pass out. You need a blood replenishing potion."
"Well give it then."
Marlene rolled her eyes, "Yes because I just happen to carry blood replenishing potions on me at all — CHARLES!"
The scene in front of her made her sick. Her brother was standing between a toddler and a Death Eater holding a wooden bat up in defence as if that was any match for a Death Eater.
"Know him?" Gideon asked and she was so distracted she hadn't realised that Gideon had stood.
"My brother, muggle," she told him and he nodded.
"Let's go save him before he knocks himself out with that bat."
Marlene stood and said, "I'll go. You get into a shop and no magic!" With that she ran off.
"Marls," her brother breathed in relief as she slid in front of him.
"Pick on somebody your own size," she snarled at the Death Eater and with a jab of her wand, the mask disappeared to reveal Dominique Mulciber.
"And you think you're a match for me?" Mulciber sneered and Marlene smiled prettily.
"You're forgetting who beat you — multiple times and year after year — in Defence Against the Dark Arts."
"What are you going to do, Adams? Heal me to death?"
"At least I have a skill. What's yours? Free loading off mummy and daddy?"
Mulciber's face transformed into a nasty snarl and he pulled his wand back. She rolled her eyes. He was still as predictable as ever — if you're going to attack, don't make it so god damned obvious. Idiot. She shot up her shield charm, the one Alice taught her, the one Aurors use to absorb darker curses.
"Charles! Get the kid and go!"
"Marlene! I'm not leaving you!"
"Unless you've hid your Hogwarts letter all these years, you really can't help!" she shouted back as she felt spell after spell hit her shield. The momentum forced her a step back and she gritted her teeth. "Go!" She couldn't break the shield charm until she was sure they were safe, she wouldn't risk them getting hit by something meant for her.
Charles finally obliged, grabbing the screaming kid — had he always been screaming? — And running into the closest shop. Just like that it was just her and Mulciber.
He stared at her with vile determination, his wand poised waiting for her. She knew she had to bring down the shield and fight him. Hiding behind a wall wasn't much her style anyways but she allowed her eyes to wander for just a moment. Her eyes only got as far to James and what he was running towards.
Lily was up against Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange.
"She and Potter might finally get what they deserve. I hope the Dark Lord makes it hurt," Mulciber sneered and Marlene growled.
The shield charm was pulled down and before Mulciber could react, spell after spell was coming at him. Nothing specific really crossed her mind about the spells she was throwing at him, she threw whatever came to mind whether it made sense or not. She almost paused when she threw a healing spell that if not performed in the right circumstances could cause death but the flash of white soared and she watched with a sort of satisfaction as it hit him. He grappled at his throat, fighting the tube that was lodging itself in his throat.
"Marlene!"
Marlene whirled in horror to see Charles standing behind her and even though Mulciber was suffocating he wasn't dead yet and Marlene felt the whizz of a spell before she saw blood pouring out of Charles abdomen. She took a step forward when a loud bang exploded in the room, a flurry of dust and debris making it impossible to see a thing.
She was being pushed back by her opponent and it took everything she had in her to throw spells and step backwards at the same time when she hit something—someone hard. She spared a glance back.
"You again!" Adaline shouted as she faced back to her opponent. The muggle with blue eyes and a buzz cut — the one she had specifically seen to safety in a shop — was back in the fray it seemed.
Time for the shield charm. She knew that and yet she didn't think she had the energy to cast it let alone hold it up but she did it anyways. With a groan that forced every bit of magic she possibly possessed she squeezed the shield out of her wand.
"How can I help?"
"You — can't!" Adaline gritted. Four spells shot towards her and Adaline knew the shield wouldn't be able to hold them off. "Get down!" Adaline shouted. She stared the four spells head on, all the same shade of bright green. When they were a mere metre away, she pushed her shield out and hit the floor as quickly as she could. The spells raised the hairs on her arm as they whizzed over her head and she sighed in relief before noticing her opponent was approaching.
"You need to go!" Adaline turned to the muggle. "Now! I can't — I can't protect you."
"You can—"
His sentence was cut off by a terrible scream that came out of Adaline's mouth and suddenly she didn't care about anything. She didn't care about the people that had died nor the people who were still fighting to live. She couldn't bring herself to care about whether she lived or died, in fact she rather hoped she did die sooner rather than later if it meant that the knives pressing into every inch of her skin would stop.
Someone was shouting and all she could do was feel the pain. It wasn't anything she'd ever felt before. Like she was burning and freezing all at once. Numb and aching at the same time. Salt in non-existent cuts and pins in her eyes. All she knew was that she wanted it to stop even if it meant death because death had to be better than this. It had to be.
Her body was convulsing on the ground, her arms clutching at her stomach as though trying to hold her organs in.
"PLEASE, STOP! STOP! KILL ME!" she begged, she didn't even know if the words left her mouth. "MAKE IT STOP!"
As though a prayer had been answered the pain turned off, like it was a switch that she had in her brain. She stayed curled up on the floor, her body shaking like aftershocks after an earthquake. Something touched her and she flinched.
"Hey, hey, it's — it's okay," a smooth voice said with just enough hesitancy that Adaline knew that nothing was okay. "You need to get up now."
No spell could save her. She was well aware of that. No one had the power to stop an Unforgiveable and knowing she didn't have the power didn't make her afraid. She was insanely aware of everything; of Marlene sitting in a pool of blood as she leaned over someone performing spells with her wand, Adaline ferociously fighting a Death Eater, Alice and Frank fighting the Lestrange brothers and of James. She could see him over Voldemort and Bellatrix's shoulders fighting side by side with Sirius.
He hadn't spotted her yet and maybe that was better because if she died, he wouldn't be able to blame himself like she knew he would. She could come back as a ghost and tell him it wasn't his fault but he'd still insist to ghost Lily that he could've done something — taken the spell for her or helped her. Merlin, she couldn't die. She didn't want a ghost future with James.
His eyes suddenly caught hers and he froze leaving Sirius to pick up his slack. His eyes widened in absolute terror and even as James began to walk towards her, Sirius shouted, "Go!" and shoved James away from their fight and towards Lily.
Lily's heart sunk and rejoiced. Rejoiced because she no longer had to face this alone but sunk because it would surely mean death for both of them.
"Now, what to do with you?" Voldemort questioned, causing Lily's gaze to snap back to him. She wanted to beg. Do whatever you want. Kill me. Torture me. Lock me in a cell to rot. I don't care just leave James alone. But she couldn't bring herself to ask for mercy from the man who killed her mother.
"I'd be most honoured to kill her for you, my-," Bellatrix's offer was cut short as a rock crashed onto her head. She fell to the floor out cold and James circled around coming to stand closer to Lily.
"Sorry I'm late to the party," James said coolly and Lily could have kicked him, or kissed him — maybe both, definitely both.
"I should kill you both," Voldemort told them.
"Probably," Lily shrugged. "But we like living."
"That is true," James agreed, "Nothing like the wind in your face as you fly or the taste of my mum's famous chocolate pudding. I don't suppose you've tried the latest broom?" James asked Voldemort as Lily inched closer to James. "No? Real shame that is. Flies like a dream and I'm sure even a man at your age could handle it." James placed his wand free hand on her lower back and tapped three times. For once she was glad he'd deemed it necessary to bore her with all the different Marauder Mischief codes, as they had lamely called them.
The tap three times was a simple one and she was not necessarily sure it was one that would work.
"Ah, but you've bigger fish to fry than brooms I suppose. What's your little war path all about again?"
"Blood purity, sweetie," Lily informed him. "Remember the nice brochures we were mailed?"
"Ah, yes, the wanted posters with an ugly bald head on them — no offence, Voldemort."
"You dare speak my name?"
James looked at Lily in mock confusion, "Did I say it wrong?" on the last word his finger pressed into her back lightly.
"I think you forgot the 'Lord' part," Lily corrected, playing along with the ruse. She was shocked that he hadn't just murdered them on the spot and feeling slightly light headed knowing the flash of green could come at any moment.
"Oh, yes, right. What are you the lord of again?"
"Death?" Lily asked.
"Well, now, that's just wrong — BOMBARDA MAXIMA!" James yelled the same time Lily shouted, "CONFRINGO!"
Snape stared at his master and Lily conveying pure fright that inspired anger in Sirius. He was part of the problem so he didn't get to act all terrified and worried for Lily, ex-mates or not.
"Scared that Evans is gonna hurt your precious master," Sirius taunted. Snape turned his attention back to Sirius with a look of loathing on his face. "You truly have become pathetic. What's this even accomplish? All this destruction and pain for what?" Sirius licked his lips. "I suppose you're not important enough to the Dark Lord for him to share his grand plans with you but do you even know what you're fighting for?"
"I believe in the cause and what I do or don't know would surprise you, Black."
Sirius nodded, "That's true. I was surprised when I learnt that you created a potion that would wipe out everyone who wasn't deemed worthy enough to receive the antidote. Of course, I wasn't as surprised as Lily."
"How do you know about that?" Snape raised his wand as though Sirius should be scared of it.
Sirius rolled his eyes. "How do I know? Who cares how I know. The point is that I do."
"You can't stop it."
"We will and when we do, you won't even be surprised because we're the Marauders and win is what we do but you should know that by now, Snape."
Snape didn't bother with a response, instead throwing an array of curses and as Sirius dodged each one he couldn't help but laugh. It truly was pathetic how much he tried to beat them.
"Expelliarmus," Sirius said and when Snape's wand flew out of his hand Sirius aimed a stunner that could not be deflected and Snape hit the ground the same moment a loud bang sounded.
The fray, a mere squabble really, was happening right before Alice's eyes and yet she couldn't quite bring herself to believe what was occurring right in front of her. Lily's boots had connected with Voldemort's shins causing him to topple on top of her and his once well aimed curse of death went astray blowing a hole in the ceiling. Alice shook as she watched Lily punch, scratch and slap at Voldemort as though he were no more terrifying than a hated sibling or a disloyal friend and more than that, Alice was shocked to realise that she attempted to pry his wand out of his grasp.
Alice gasped as a green spell missed Lily by an inch and left a scorch mark in the carpet. Frank nudged her and Alice nodded at what he showed her. Time to keep Death Eaters busy.
Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange were tittering on the edge of the circle where Lily and Voldemort were fighting and before they could get any more ideas worse than shooting a killing curse, Frank shot a stunner at them and the flash of red right by Rabastan Lestrange's ear was enough to get their attention.
"You never miss," Alice smirked.
"Wouldn't want to catch them by surprise," Frank said reasonably. "That's cheating."
"Moody did teach us better than that."
The two brothers faced Alice and Frank with grins, as though they were happy to finally have a purpose in this battle. Alice stared back at them as though daring them to come closer and come closer they did. The two brothers parted from each other, Rodolphus coming around the imaginary circle that seemed inappropriate to cross towards Alice and Rabastan came from the other direction to face Frank it seemed.
"They want to sandwich us," Frank noted. "Keep your left foot forward, don't drop your wand and remember — if you're attacking fast enough—"
"All they can do is defend," Alice finished. "I know," she squeezed his hand. "I'll be right behind you." With one last squeeze, Alice let go and turned to face Rodolphus Lestrange, her cousin by marriage, as he approached her with that stupid grin still on his face.
She was hyper aware of Frank's back almost touching hers and she prayed to whoever was out there that they make it out alive. She didn't want this to be the last time she saw Frank and her friends. She didn't want this bloody battlefield to be the last thing she saw. She didn't want to die not knowing if her friends lived or died with her. So she began to pray but Moody's voice rang through her head stopping her.
"Don't pray. To God, to Merlin, to the Powers That Be, to anyone. They are not in that fight with you. You pray to yourself because the only thing between their wand and your death, is you. You're either good enough to keep yourself alive or you're not. CONSTANT VIGILANCE." The class jumped in their seats as he shouted this. "That's the secret to being good enough."
Alice got in position, left foot in front like she'd been taught — it was something her mother had always said from when Alice was little. She raised her wand and slashed a shield charm over her before viciously shooting three curses — the nasty ones you only learnt in Auror training, ones that didn't even have a name. Rodolphus blocked all of them easily.
Alice, back to back with Frank, slashed her wand furiously, trying every attempt she'd been taught to disarm and stun her opponent. Together they ducked and twirled around each other trying to get the upper hand over both Lestrange brothers until a loud bang sounded from where Voldemort had been fighting with Lily. The Lestrange brothers turned and Alice and Frank sent two stunners.
Alice heaved against Frank, sagging against him. She wasn't complaining but Merlin, "Why haven't the aurors gotten here yet?" Dust filled the air so thick that Alice could barely see Frank who was right in front of her.
"I don't know," Frank sighed, rubbing his face. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. You?" She turned and cupped his cheek with her hand. He had a nasty cut on his left eyebrow oozing blood and pus and he was just as wrecked as everyone else seemed to be. Exhausted, shaking, hurting.
"Fine — ALICE!"
Alice turned in time to see through the haze a green curse fly towards her before Frank tackled her out of the way.
That bitch! Emmeline let out an anguished scream, as she ran towards Bellatrix.
"Oh hello cousin," Bellatrix greeted her.
"You fucking sadistic, murderous sociopath! Stay away from my sister!" Emmeline demanded.
"You know what they say," Bellatrix laughed, "If they won't join you, kill them!" She threw her head back with laughter.
"Literally no one says that, Bella." Sirius Black stepped next to Emmeline.
"I've got this."
"I know, I'm bored." Emmeline didn't even want to approach that statement because they were in the middle of a battle and he looked like he was strolling around an amusement park. "Besides, she's more my cousin than yours. I'm related to her from both my mother and my father's side. Incest at its finest. I guess it explains Bella though." Sirius twirled his finger by his temple and Emmeline held back a laugh. Merlin, how could he just have a casual conversation and for Agrippa's sake why hasn't Bellatrix attacked them yet?
"You're a disgrace, Sirius," Bellatrix sneered. "There's no hope for you ever redeeming yourself. Aunt Walburga is just lucky that little Reggie has decided to lead the family name in honour."
Sirius rolled his eyes. "I suppose you've sunk you're outrageously sharp claws right into him, haven't you?" Sirius muttered. It was perhaps his biggest regret that he couldn't save his little brother but Sirius knew better than anyone that you couldn't help someone who didn't want to be helped. "Then again, he always was spineless." It'd probably get him killed and Sirius wouldn't be the one to say he didn't deserve it.
"You were the spineless one," Bellatrix bit. "You were too coward to test the limits of magic, you'll never know how restricting normal magic is."
"Oh, sure I'm the coward because I don't want to kill people — actually scratch that, I don't want to kill nice people. You, on the other hand, I'd love to kill."
"Don't go hurting my feelings now, Sirius. We did grow up together after all."
"You say that like I had a choice in the matter."
"And what about you, Emmy? Will you let him kill me?"
Emmeline stared at Bellatrix with a look of hatred. "If it stopped you from hurting Alice, I'd do it myself in a heartbeat."
Bellatrix laughed with delight. "My noble, heroic, supposedly good cousins ready to kill me. Maybe there's hope for you yet." She looked at them with a serious look, "Or perhaps, you're all talk and no game. Which is it cousins? Are you like me or are you the spineless cowards?"
In three fluid motions Sirius had Bellatrix knocked to the floor with a cut on her arm bleeding profusely. "I'd heard you were a fast dueller, Sirius, but I didn't know you were-"
Three spells hit her right in the stomach and as each spell hit, she let out an oomph as though she were being punched in the stomach. Emmeline fired a ball of flames at her but Bellatrix put it out with her wand, snarling. Bellatrix picked herself up off the floor and — Sirius dropped to the floor, screaming.
"Black?" Emmeline asked worried. She bent down, putting a hand on his shoulder. His face was scrunched up in pain, eyes shut tight as he screamed and whimpered. "What are you doing?"
"I wouldn't be so concerned, Emmeline dear. Besides this is all your sister's fault anyways," Bellatrix said gleefully. "She fell right for it."
"Black!" Emmeline shouted, distracted. "What do you mean, Bella? Alice had nothing to do with this!"
"Oh, so she didn't tell members of the Order of the Phoenix to be here to protect the muggles? I do wonder what you're all doing here then."
"You wanted to find out who's in the Order," Emmeline realised, cursing under her breath until Sirius let out a particularly anguished whimper that had Emmeline kneeling beside him. "Stop hurting him!" she demanded.
"I think we need to amp it up a bit," Bellatrix grinned. "Crucio!" Sirius screamed louder.
"Leave him alone!" Emmeline demanded standing up straight and with one fluid motion, Bellatrix's wand was flying out of her hand.
Bellatrix quipped, "You shouldn't worry about Sirius, he's used to the cruciatus, aren't you?"
"Shut up," Sirius gritted as he picked himself up off the floor.
"Sirius, what's she talking about?" Emmeline muttered.
"Oh, you don't know?" Bellatrix said gleefully. "Let's just say, Sirius is use to a little bit of pain when he disobeys."
"Shut up," Sirius said again.
"Sirius was never the best at obeying so my poor Aunt would have to put him under imperio just to get him to behave but as he got older he got better at throwing it off so she had to use the cruciatus." Bellatrix shook her head in pity. "She never could understand why you couldn't just listen. You were always disobeying — always the disappoi-"
"SHUT — UP!" Sirius roared and with a furious slash of his wand, she fell to the floor unconscious.
Emmeline turned to Sirius, pity in her eyes but before she could say anything he shook his head curtly. "Don't," he said, so she didn't but she did pull him into a hug because she may not know Sirius well, but she knew him enough to know that he didn't deserve that from his own mother. Nobody did.
A huge bang from where Lily and James were fighting Voldemort echoed, the power of it throwing the both of them back a few meters and they landed on the floor with a hard thud.
She couldn't. He kept asking her to get up but she couldn't all she could do was lie down and shake. He pressed her wand into her hand and even the small act of curling her fingers around the slender stick hurt.
"Come on," he insisted. "He'll be back!"
"C-can't," Adaline managed, "Go 'way."
Suddenly, she was being lifted, an arm under her knees and an arm around her back and it felt like her bones were grating. She whimpered in pain and he apologised over and over but then he stopped walking.
Adaline peeked an eye open and sighed. She sluggishly aimed her wand at the opponent and said in barely a whisper, "Expelliarmus."
Her eyes stayed open long enough to see the Death Eater's wand fly out of his hand. "Your turn," Adaline mumbled to the muggle.
She was set on the floor and that was the last thing she remembered until she came to a few minutes later. She opened her eyes as though suddenly remembering where she was and she rolled onto her stomach, coughing twice as she used her hands to get up. She swayed for a moment before gaining her bearings and her eyes caught on the muggle.
The muggle who was laying his fists into Evan Rosier. Blood poured out of his nose and mouth and he tried to fight off the muggle but he was not as experienced in physical fighting and the muggle knew how to stay on top of him.
Adaline was about to intervene when a loud explosion sounded followed immediately by a bang and suddenly all the Death Eaters were gone.
The muggle fell, as Evan Rosier disappeared with a crack from beneath him. Adaline watched as he rolled over, shaking his head in confusion but knowing deep in her heart that if this man had ever gone to Hogwarts, he'd be in Gryffindor. He sat up and caught sight of Adaline, his face relaxed upon seeing her.
"I'm Adam, by the way. Adam Salvatore." He held his hand out, leaning over to reach Adaline and she shook it, her arm shaking.
"Adaline Bennett. Thanks for the assist. I have a-a friend who can fix you up." And me. Was the shaking ever going to stop? It seemed to be lessening but — Merlin why couldn't she remember the symptoms of the cruciatus? Everyone was always told that the cruciatus was pain but she'd never imagined it like that.
"Is she — weird?"
"Weird?"
"Like you."
"Yes though maybe calling someone who can fix your bloody hands and face weird isn't the best course of action."
Adaline looked around trying to find Marlene and a small panic crawled into her throat when she couldn't seem to find the blonde.
"How'd those other things leave so quickly?"
"Don't ask what you don't want to know. Look, I need to go and check on my people. Can you start bringing people out of the shops? We have people that can heal their injuries." He looked uncertain. "They won't come back. It's safe." She didn't know how she knew it but she did. With shaky legs and with Adam's assist, she managed to stand.
"Are you sure you'll be fine?"
She nodded. "It wasn't anything permanent."
"What — what did he do to you?" he asked hesitantly.
With a wan smile Adaline said, "Don't ask what you don't want to know."
"Charles!" she shouted using her wand to clear some of the dust cloud she was surrounded in. She saw him lying on the floor a few meters in front of her and she rushed to him, landing on her knees hard enough to have a shock of pain run through her. "You bloody idiot! I told you to stay inside!" She ripped open his blood soaked shirt and gasped. Cuts were bleeding all over his abdomen and chest.
"Marls, I'm tired."
"Stay awake, damn it!" she shouted. God this was like de ja vu. Hadn't she just been doing this with Gideon? She brought her wand forward and started murmuring the spells. It was relatively easy to heal. Mulciber's suffocating state had definitely put him off his game and for that she was grateful. When her brother's chest was only riddled with pink scars instead of bleeding cuts she deemed him fit to walk.
"Get in a god damned shop and stay!" she said pulling him up. He leaned on her heavily as he swayed. "Charles?" she said concerned.
"I'm fine," he winced. It was tender, she knew that it was but they didn't have time to waste. The dust was settling now and she could see the flashes of battle had begun again as everyone could now see their opponents once more.
Mulciber was coughing a few meters away, the tube discarded on the floor beside him and fear rose in Marlene.
"Marlene, what is going on? Who are you fighting? Why are they attacking?"
"Charles, go," she said fervently.
"I'm your big brother you can't expect me to leave you here."
"I can and you will, please, Charles!"
She looked back at Mulciber and he was approaching. They were out of time. "Just — just stay behind me!" she ordered before taking a few steps towards Mulciber.
"I'll kill you for that you mudblood bitch."
She narrowed her eyes. "Kiss your mother with that mouth?" And using a tactic that she'd seen the Marauders use a hundred times over, she said, "Scourgify," and soap frothed out of his mouth. It wasn't an all together effective technique but it did give her a few seconds to pull herself together, not to mention it was wondrously satisfying to see a high and mighty Death Eater succumb to a fourth year spell, she imagined it was why the Marauders used the same against bullies in school.
She used the precious seconds she now had to pull a vague plan of attack that she didn't even know would work. The thought of apparating Charles and herself to safety occurred to her. Charles would be safe and she could get the filth off her, for she was covered in dust, sweat and blood — most of it wasn't even hers — and her muscles ached. She began to think that if she had to hold her wand out in front of her once more, it would fall off. But she couldn't care even a sliver for her own pain. Not when everyone else around her was in pain too.
She waited for the soap suds to almost clear out of Mulciber's mouth before slamming him with spells again and, like before, she threw at him whatever came to mind. If he was too busy defending, he couldn't attack so she just had to keep attacking until … well, she didn't know what but just until.
'Until' came with two loud bangs, one after the other and Marlene barely had time to cast a shield upwards to stop debris falling on her and Charles as they crouched together. Marlene looked over to Mulciber but he was gone.
She stood in wonder, her eyes taking in what had just happened. All the Death Eaters had disappeared.
All he could do was hold onto her shirt as they were engulfed in a cloud of dust. As soon as the dust settled, the fight would begin and terror shot through him like a chill down his back. He couldn't let anything happen to her so he tugged her closer.
"Go!" James insisted, looking into her dusty face.
"Go? Go where?"
"Anywhere just not here," James hugged her close. "I couldn't — you should leave."
"Not without you!" Lily insisted, gripping his shirt tightly. James looked around nervously. The dust was clearing and they were almost out of time. She needed to get out of here. "We do this together or not at all. Until the end."
"Lily, he's going to try to kill us!" James shook her slightly. "Please get out of here! I can't see you hurt-"
"I'm not leaving you!" she said with a fierce determination that told him nothing short of making an illegal portkey and forcing it into her hands was the only way he'd get her out of here. "I'm not ever going to leave you so don't ask me to."
He wanted to do something to get her out of here — anything that would work but there wasn't, the dust was almost settled and they were out of time, so he said the only thing worth saying because if this was the last time they got to say something to each other he didn't want to waste it. "Lily, I love you." He soaked her in, his eyes roaming over her face and somehow knew that if anything were to happen to her, his world would be over because she was everything. He didn't want to live in a world without Lily Evans — he wouldn't know how to.
She rested her hand on his cheek, brushing away the tear that had slipped down his face and with tears making clean tracks down her own cheeks, she said, "I know. I love you, too. Now, let's give the bastard hell, yeah?"
"I'm not dying without a fight," James agreed, turning back to where he knew Voldemort would be. The dust hadn't quite cleared yet, he could only see as far as a meter or two in front of him but he propped his wand out, aimed at where he knew Voldemort would be.
"We're not dying at all," Lily said with the same determination that always got her her way. Of course, sheer stubbornness would be the reason Lily Evans survived, that and her own recklessness. "Remember the spell thing I told you about?" Lily asked him. "The ball thing that Mulciber showed me?" James nodded and Lily leaned into his ear whispering a plan and telling him how to do it. Apparently, them coming out of this alive relied on James perfecting a spell he'd only attempted once half-assed. "On my signal," Lily told him just as the first shadows of Voldemort could be seen.
They both poised and on an imaginary count of three they both started a ferocious attack hurling every curse, jinx and hex they could think of trying to leave no opportunity for him to do anything but defend and block. In the hazy dust that still hadn't quite settled, the spells were a flurry of different colours — red, purple, yellow, orange, pink, blue — hitting an invisible blockade or being deflected to miss their intended mark.
James kept going. For Lily. If he stopped she would die and that was the only incentive he needed to put his all into this. So he shot spell after spell and after a lot of heaving and panting, after his arm felt ready to fall off a spell snuck through Voldemort's defences. A cut appeared on Voldemort's cheek. It was small and yet somehow so, so significant. James stared at it in awe.
"All of that for a cut?" Voldemort laughed.
James cut off the terrible laugh. "No, all that to prove that you're human just like the rest of us and one day you will die. The only difference is when you do no one's going to care enough to put you in the ground."
"Ja-"
Voldemort screamed as though possessed by a lion and his wand slashed with a sudden fury and James was lifted from the floor. He flew through the air as swiftly and quickly as a spell. He heard rather than felt the smashing of glass and soared through a shop, knocking down various stands and tables until he rolled on the floor, shards of glass poking his skin.
He groaned as he rolled onto his back and his vision was spotty at best. He ran a hand down his face and felt his glasses, surprised that they'd managed to stay on during being tossed through a window, sticking charm or no, he pulled them off and blinked hard a few times until he could assess if they were damaged. A crack split down each lens and he tapped them with his wand, the glass mending itself and he grabbed the nearest object to help himself up. Staggering on his feet, he bumped into a few things before someone steadied him.
"That was quite a fall," the person said, though James didn't know if it counted as a fall if someone literally tossed him through the air as though he were a quaffle and the window had been the goal post.
James blinked hard a few more times, and waited for his vision to come back clear. Muggles lined the back wall of the shop, all watching him with wide eyes and clearly terrified.
"I'm fine," James said, pulling himself out of the grip of the woman who had been brave enough to try and help him. "Just — we're doing our best. Sit tight. Or - or try to find a way out or something but not through the main part!"
James ignoring the aches in his shoulders, back and leg, walked out of the shop, using the stands to help him walk. When he reached the door, he rested on it for a moment, taking in the scene. Lily and Voldemort were circling each other. Oh Merlin. Without another thought James ran out towards Lily barely registering just how far he'd been thrown.
"James!" Lily shouted relieved, in between dodging flashes of green. "James now!"
James positioned himself in a bracing stance, his left foot slightly in front of his right, body angled and the next green flash that came at him, instead of trying to dodge it he stared it straight on and concentrated. With his mind he imagined stopping the spell in its tracks and he knew that was what Lily was doing next to him too because the flash of green was slowing. James' hand shook and he could feel the sweat dripping of his face and down his back but it was working so he didn't care in the slightest. Just as the flash of green was three feet from hitting him, it pooled into a green ball.
James looked at Lily. "Push it back," she instructed, "We want to catch his spells in it." Together, they did it. They pushed the ball back and even when Voldemort pulled his own wand back and cast a new curse, it joined into the ball. James was mesmerised by the thing it acted like a magnet, drawing in any spell Voldemort cast until it was a glittering ball of colours. "Now, James!" They pushed the ball further and further away from them, drawing it back to Voldemort. It was inches away — just a little bit more! — And a loud explosion sounded.
At the noise, James clutched at Lily's hand, his wand jammed awkwardly between their hands and there was a second explosion that had the both of them soaring back and all he could feel and all he could think about was the grip of her hand around his.
Remus and Haley sat restlessly in the plastic chairs outside their tent, their own wireless set on the floor by their feet as they keenly listened for any new information. It seemed to be the same thing for hours.
"…The Ministry has made no comment as to the battle in Burlington Arcade…"
"…Ex-Auror Murtagh Finley, who was active during the time of Grindelwald, states that a battle of this category will surely have casualties…"
"…It is still a mystery as to who the Death Eaters are fighting against and why…"
Slowly, their small group of two expanded into a group of five, all of whom Remus was familiar with. Jim and Chris Richmond were first to join offering Haley and Remus a bottle of firewhiskey and as the bottle was passed around they listened, hardly saying anything to each other.
"…The Ministry is co-ordinating with muggle authorities to cover up this extraordinary breach of the Statute of Secrecy and Mr Crouch, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, has commented assuring that there's a team in place to wipe muggle memories…"
David Mirch joined next bringing his own bottle of liquor that smelt dreadful and Remus would only drink if he wanted to end up six feet under. Mirch didn't really 'hang' with them, his tent on the other side of the underground but he was friendly enough and Remus had considered setting up camp with him before deciding on the Richmond brothers.
"…Charms preventing people from entering are still active however the Ministry has confirmed that the fighting seems to have stopped after two consecutive bangs. They are still unsure of which persons were fighting against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's followers…"
Remus took a swig of the firewhiskey before passing it to Haley. He had a fairly good idea of who had been fighting the Death Eaters and prayed that none of them, friend or no, were hurt.
"I bet it's Dumbledore's lot," Mirch said. The others stared at Mirch with a questioning stare. "Merlin, have you not heard? Latest rumours are that Dumbledore's creating an army."
"An army?" Chris raised a brow. "What? To fight You-Know-Who?"
"Well he ain't creating an army to fight them Ministry fools. We know he could do that single-handedly." Mirch took a swig of his still unidentified liquor.
"I can't fathom why they haven't made Dumbledore Minister yet," Jim sighed. "The man defeated Grindelwald surely he's the best man for the job. And if he's starting an army, why wouldn't the Ministry be involved?"
"He'd be stuck behind a lot of red tape and politics if he become Minister," Haley pointed out. "Or even if Dumbledore's alleged army was involved with the Ministry."
"Not to mention the spies," Mirch added. "I say good on Dumbledore for attacking these blasted Death Eaters and I'd like to see the day when someone can fool Dumbledore."
"You think the Ministry's infiltrated already?"
"You don't?" Mirch challenged. "The Ministry's corrupt even without spies. It runs on the money of pureblood families. If it didn't, Merlin knows the Ministry would have found the funds to finish Voldemort long before it ever came to this."
Remus found that he couldn't disagree with Mirch's logic.
He hit the floor on the opposite shoulder he'd landed on before and he heard it pop painfully out of place. He grimaced as he sat up, cradling his arm, he looked around for Lily. She was laying flat, on her back, her leg sprawled at an unnatural angle. Fear gripped him and he crawled on his knees to get to her.
"Lily?" he said, patting her face gently. "Lily? Come on, Evans. Don't you dare be dead," he muttered, panic settling into his bones because she was laying on the floor with blood stains on her clothes and dirt on her face and her leg sprawled in a weird angle and she wasn't awake. "Lily!" he said a little louder and her green eyes stared at him.
"James," she breathed. He leaned down to kiss her, his tears splashing on her face.
"You scared the heck out of me," he muttered. "Are you okay? Your leg…"
He helped her sit up and she winced at the sight of her leg. She looked away quickly. "You know the spell," she prodded.
"You sure you don't want to wait for Marlene or something?"
"James, just do it."
James took a deep breath in and on the third count, performed the spell that snapped her leg back to straight.
"Ow," Lily commented before frowning, "Your arm."
"You know the spell," James imitated and she grimaced.
"I suppose I do," she gulped. "All right, here goes."
She did her own count to three and with a tap of her wand, his shoulder painfully popped back into place before the pain started to ebb away.
They sat for a moment, facing each other, James rotating his shoulder lightly and Lily just staring, both of them trying to process what had just happened.
Lily pulled her focus back to James and he smiled weakly. She shuffled closer to him and pressed her head to his. "I thought you were — Merlin, what just happened?" she whispered. It didn't seem possible that they'd survived. It didn't seem possible that they could sit up and talk.
"It's okay now," he assured, "It's over." And it was. Whatever those explosions had been, the Death Eaters had disappeared with them, bloody cowards.
"Your leg," Lily frowned pulling away. "Oh my, God! James!" He looked down at where he'd been scared to look since he'd been thrown through the window and cringed. A sizeable piece of glass was stuck into his leg, blood saturating his jeans. Lily moved to stand but James held her in place.
"Your leg," he reminded her. "You won't be able to walk for an hour or so."
"James we have to get you to a healer before you bleed to death!"
"I'm fine, I promise. Marlene will get to us eventually, I just," he breathed in deeply, placing his forehead against hers, "I need you for a minute."
"James, you were thrown through the air! Twice! And one of them was through a window! I think we should get Marlene or someone to look at you." Lily craned her neck to search the crowd. It was chaos.
Members of the Order were coaxing muggles out of the shops and Marlene and another woman that Lily vaguely remembered to be a healer seemed to have set up a triage of sorts to heal people and terrified muggles brought forward friends and children and parents begging for help.
James's fingers caressed her chin before forcing her face back to his and she closed her eyes tightly. "Just you. Just for a minute."
She relaxed in his grip, resting her forehead on his and let him hold her. He tucked a loose strand of red hair behind her ear, caressing her cheek with his thumb. He didn't care what else was happening right at the moment because she was here and she was safe and they were alive.
They were both bruised and bloodied and battered and it felt like the whole world was falling apart around them but they were alive and they had each other and that's all that really mattered, didn't it? The words, so out of place and so unexpected, were out of his mouth before he could stop them: "Marry me."
Author's Note:
Hope you enjoy :D
Natalie xx