The ballroom glowed in the quiet light of the moon and the stars reflecting on its gleaming surfaces. They lay in the middle of the room, staring up at the glass dome because tomorrow everyone would know but this moment was just for them.

"Did you ever come in here when you were little?" Lily murmured.

"When we first moved here, I was terrified of this room. It was so big and I was so small. I was never tempted to sneak here until I went to Hogwarts then big rooms didn't really scare me so much."

"This was slim pickings compared to Hogwarts."

"Exactly. What about Miss Lily Evans? Did she go sneaking off in the middle of the night?"

Lily snorted. "Only to the kitchen to steal the good chocolate but Petunia's a light sleeper so she caught me sixty-four percent of the time."

"That's a very specific number."

"I'm a very specific person," Lily countered. "Like five."

"Hmm? Five what?"

"One day, I'd like to have five kids."

James turned his head to look at her, his brow raised. "You want to push five little humans out of you?"

"Well, I do admit that I'm not looking forward to that particular part but I want five."

"Why five? Apart from the obvious reason that a family of seven makes a Quidditch team."

"I suck at Quidditch."

He kissed her nose, "The kids will obviously inherit my talent and pick up your slack. Besides, don't sell yourself short. You helped me get back into shape." He nudged her with his nose again and she caught his lips in her own. "Why five?" he repeated softly.

"Just, I want our kids to have family, you know? I mean I had Petunia but that's," she shook her head, "but I always wondered if I'd had another sibling or two, would things have been different? I might've had a sibling that actually liked me." A sibling that would've RSVPed to our engagement party. "And I've always liked the idea of a busy house, kids running everywhere, big family dinners, big christmases. Our bed, filled with our hyper kids as we read the Daily Prophet and they fight over the comic section."

"I hope they are like you," James whispered, gently brushing aside her new bangs.

Lily booped his nose, "We need you in the mix, too."

"With five I'm sure there's plenty to go around. Two like you, two like me and one with a bit of both."

Lily laughed and hid her face in his neck, breathing in his peppermint and sage scent and finding home in it. "That's not how it works, silly." She savoured moments like this so much she could scarcely breathe. It was past midnight and though James' parents lay upstairs sleeping, it was like they were the only two in the world and they didn't have to worry about being interrupted. It was one of the things Lily was excited most about getting an apartment with James.

He pulled her closer, snaking his arm around her waist so she was half lying across his torso. "Well, it should." He smiled down at her sweetly and Merlin she wanted to stay in this moment forever. "Lily?"

"Yes, my love?"

"I can't wait to marry you."

"I can't wait to marry you, more."

"I can't wait to marry you, most."

Sirius, Peter and James walked the halls of Hogwarts without Remus. They had been for a while now but James could never get used to it especially knowing that Remus wasn't even in Hogwarts. He kept thinking that Remus would pop out from the next corner and say, "thanks for the invite, lads." That definitely wasn't happening anytime soon but he did hope that Remus got his owl to come to the party tonight.

Months of patrolling Hogwarts had proven futile. No attacks had befallen the castle and James hoped it stayed that way. James was perfectly happy to patrol a quiet castle on a Saturday morning.

"So what's this party at Seaside for anyways?" Sirius asked, as they climbed a stairwell. "It's not like your parents to just throw a party."

"It's for dad. Mum's driving him up the wall trying to cheer him up." James honestly didn't know when he'd gotten so good at lying to Sirius but was grateful for it in that moment.

"Is it going to be as fancy as her Christmas parties?"

"Pull out your fanciest robes, boys. Mum's gone all out for this." So has Lily, James thought fondly, remembering Lily and Euphemia in the green house deciding on floral arrangements. "The house elves have been cleaning and cooking all week."

"Secret party upstairs as usual then?" Sirius said.

"Mum'll flay us," James shook his head. "She said that she's invited enough of our friends that 'we shouldn't feel the need to run away to throw our own party'."

"Bummer," Peter sighed.

"Lily coming?" Sirius asked and James looked at him weirdly.

"She lives there so obviously."

"So she's only coming because she lives there," Sirius pressed.

"Why're you being weird? Of course, Lily's coming! She's my girlfriend."

"Just wondering."

"Right. Ella and her brother are coming, yeah?" Sirius nodded and James continued, "I just want to warn you that I don't know who mum's inviting from the grown ups but there's a chance that she might invite her parents. I don't know what went down last year and neither does Lily but we've figured that Ella's not on good terms with them so just give her a heads up, yeah?"

"Will do. Should I avoid coming early? Will Mia make me do things?"

"Probably," James said.

"Okay then, so Ella and I are rocking up late and I expect an extra heads up if Mr and Mrs Dearborn rock up."

"You have to arrive on time. Both of you," James said sternly.

"Since when do you care about punctuality?" Peter asked.

"I don't but this is important for mum."

"Thirty minutes late?" Sirius tried.

"Padfoot."

"Fine, fine … ten minutes."

Peter checked his watch. "That's our patrol done for the morning. Oh, and there's Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick." McGonagall nodded at them curtly, their cue to leave before the students started coming out and about.

The boys headed for the Entrance Hall, using all their shortcuts so it took half the time, and were outside the front gates within ten minutes.

"Breakfast at the Three Broomsticks?" Peter suggested.

When James got home at around midday, it was to be thrown straight into party prepping. He helped set up flower arrangements in the ballroom — truley magnificent arrangements with sunflowers, red roses and white orchids — and Lily fussed and, "A little to the left — no, too much … and perfect," for each arrangement and James thought it significant to point out that there were twelve arrangements.

They assisted the house elves in polishing the glass and silver and watched the elves do their magic as they magically set up 16 round tables all at once. The plates flew into position, the cutlery — Euphemia's finest silver — following not far behind. Napkins folded themselves mid air and slid underneath the cutlery. Glass goblets and champagne flutes danced their way onto the tables and Lily smiled in amazement.

"I'll never be bored of this!" she declared as she dodged flying plates and goblets, as she went around placing candles and smaller flower arrangements in the centre of the tables. James watched her with a wide grin, just glad that she was so happy after everything they'd been through this year alone.

When the house elves and Euphemia left them alone in the ballroom — Euphemia to get ready, the house elves to cook — Lily turned to James, "Promise me the wedding will be smaller."

"It's not me you need to convince," James told her. "You know I'd marry you in a heart beat. I don't need all of this."

Lily looked around at the extravagance of it all and James wondered if she liked it. She never did like huge parties but he was assured a moment later when she replied, "It has been fun and at least this isn't just for me."

James snuck his arm around her waist and pulled her to his side with a proud smile. "It's for us." She leaned up on her tip toes to kiss him sweetly.

"Best we go get ready. Can't be late for our own party."

Haley stared into the mirror shaking her head. "Are you sure this isn't too much?" She was in mint robes made from chiffon that flowed around her elegantly. The robes stopped at her calf in an asymmetrical hemline to show off the strappy stilettos that Lily had also sent her with a kind note that read, 'I hope you like the dress and shoes! I won't be offended if you change the colour of the dress.'

"That's the dress Lily sent for you. James' mum typically goes all out for parties so I'm sure it's perfect."

"Merlin, who're you friends with? The bloody Queen of England?"

Remus laughed and said, "Come on, before we're late."

They apparated to Seaside Estate and Haley was completely overwhelmed by their intimate welcoming party.

"Remus!" James shouted, grinning and before she knew it, Haley had lost her date as a tall, lean man with black hair hugged Remus almost violently. "How have you been? Furry problem going okay?"

"Everything is fine, James."

"Moony, you've missed absolutely nothing. Those two are a right bore without you," a chubbier man said, also engulfing Remus in a hug, knocking James out of the way.

"We're more interesting than you, Wormtail," said a man with a sharply elegant face and on the arm of a girl with mousey brown hair and supporting a small baby bump. Haley assumed that was Sirius. "Remus, good to see you again, mate." Sirius also engulfed Remus in a hug and Haley smiled softly at the scene as a girl in red hair also came up to hug Remus.

"I'm so glad you were able to make it," the girl said.

"Me too, Lily." Lily looked positively radiant in Haley's opinion. The gold robes did wonders for her, the satin clinging to her perfectly and pinched in at the waist with a matching satin rope. Her hair had been elegantly styled in a low bun and a fringe, that was relatively new if Remus' exclamations were anything to go by, dusted the top of her green eyes perfectly. Remus turned back to look at Haley. "This is my good friend, Haley." Haley smiled at the introduction hoping one day it would be something more. "Haley, this is Lily."

Haley grinned and stepped forward to shake Lily's hand, about to thank her for her dress and shoes, when suddenly a cold chill went through her body. She vaguely thought 'oh no' as she realised what was about to happen before the words toppled out of her mouth. "She is one of the four … the doe protecting her fawn …" Lily released Haley's hand and just as suddenly the chill was gone but the vision of this woman running out of a house, holding a small toddler with a terrified expression on her face remained in her mind along with the rest of the prophecy, ringing in her head. It took all Haley had not to blurt the rest out.

Haley saw the puzzled look on Lily's face and Haley blushed. "I'm so sorry, sometimes I get these silly premonitions. I have no clue what they mean half the time," Haley lied easily.

"You're a seer?" Lily asked surprised. "Remus never mentioned but how interesting!"

Haley shrugged. "It's a bit of a curse seeing things and not having a clue what they mean."

"You never told me you were a seer," Remus mused.

"It doesn't happen that often," Haley shrugged. "Now, are you going to introduce me to the rest of your friends or what?"

"Yes, absolutely!" Lily declared before pulling James over who brought the attention of the others with him. "Boys, Ella, this is Remus' good friend, Haley. Haley, this is James, that's Sirius and Ella, and last but not least, Peter."

"Pleasure to meet you all," Haley smiled. "I've heard so much about all of you."

"That's interesting, I've heard nothing about you," Sirius said almost coldly.

Lily rolled her eyes at Haley, "Nevermind Sirius, he hates being out of the loop." She turned to Sirius and mouthed, 'behave' at him to which he rolled his eyes and said to Haley, "So you're American then?"

"Born and raised in New York City."

It wasn't until after the party had officially started and they were seated at a table with a few other of Remus' friends, two other couples and another girl, that Haley had time to reflect on her premonition. One of the four … the doe protecting her fawn. That had to mean that Lily was the doe from her previous vision which meant, Haley's stomach did a flip as she realised that Lily was destined to be one of four who had the power to beat Voldemort. So if Lily was the doe, it was quite possible that people Haley met in this very room would complete the four. Wolf, dog, stag and doe. Wolf. Remus? But she never had a premonition when she met him but that didn't mean anything, it could just mean that Lily was more connected, more central to the eventual event. Wolf, dog, stag and doe. Wolf had to be Remus, unless they knew many other werewolves which Haley highly doubted. That just left the dog and the stag. The stag could be James. Haley looked over to a table where Lily and James stood talking to some guests. The doe and her stag. The stag and the doe. Lily had been holding a child, the fawn.

"You okay?" Remus interrupted her thoughts.

She smiled. "I'm fine." She'd really fallen right where she needed to land.

Lily felt the nerves crawl all over her skin like a thousand ants. The ring — her ring — had been tucked away in James' robe pocket and he slid it on her finger discreetly and kissed her knuckles. The time was here and she felt glad that she could finally wear it, show it, be proud and happy for it.

James stood up, champagne glass in hand and after tapping it a few times, the room fell silent and Lily could hear her own heart beating in her head.

"A lot of you tonight have been wondering why my parents have decided to throw a most extravagant and impromptu party and I'm about to tell you why. In first year, I met a girl who hated me, positively could not stand me so, of course, in fifth year I fancied her something awful and asked her out. She told me where to stick it, telling me she'd rather go out with the Giant Squid and so I let it rest even though I still fancied her something awful all through sixth year. Seventh year, she metaphorically saved my neck and I quite literally saved hers—" Lily nudged him at that, fiddling with the diamond choker Euphemia had lent her but James only smiled at her sweetly before continuing "—She fell for my charming ways and neither of us have really looked back since."

Lily turned to look at the table her friends were sitting at — the only people in the room she considered family other than James and his parents — and all of them, even Sirius, seemed to be on the edge of their seat. Sirius eventually shouting, "Get on with it, Prongs!"

The crowd chuckled heartily and when it died down James asked Lily to stand with him. She hid her hand behind her back so she wouldn't ruin the announcement for those closest to them and her stomach filled with the prettiest butterflies as James started talking again.

"It is my great delight to announce that this pretty lady," he kissed her cheek as she laughed, "has agreed to marry me!"

"I thought I'd do him the favour," Lily quipped and the crowd clapped, laughed and cheered. She brought her hand out from behind her back and rested it on James' chest, as he pulled her closer, his hand on her waist.

"You okay?" he asked her with a soft smile.

"The happiest." She leaned up to kiss him — the gap incredibly less now that she was wearing four inch heels — and the crowd clapped and cheered louder. Lily tossed her head back in a laugh as she heard Sirius wolf-whistle at them.

Eventually, the noise died down again and James and Lily raised their glasses, everyone following suite. "To my beautiful bride to be."

Lily grinned. "To my handsome husband to be." They tinked their glasses together and drank and so did everyone else.

Remus sat with Peter and James, Sirius was suspiciously missing and Remus hoped he wasn't doing anything foolish. He had been glad to see that Sirius and Ella seemed to be back on track and he'd never seen James or Lily look happier which must've meant Sirius had kept his bizarre theory — that James was cheating on Lily — under wraps.

"How're things really, Remus?" Peter asked quietly.

Remus shrugged. "The wolves don't really know anything. Some are on Voldemort's side. Some are on Dumbledore's. Everyone agrees that the Ministry is a piece of shit."

James laughed at that. "Some are on Dumbledore's?"

"People suspect that Dumbledore has an army and that's who was fighting the Death Eaters at Burlington. Not an impossible conclusion to come to."

"Weird looking at those three and thinking they're in an army," Peter said, nodding his head towards Emmeline and the Prewett twins who were hopelessly dancing to a waltz.

"Weird looking at us and thinking we're in an army," James commented.

"Do you think you'll be down there much longer?" Peter asked Remus.

"I don't know, Pete. I guess I'll be down there until Dumbledore says otherwise." He clapped Peter's shoulder. "Don't worry about me, though, it's not so bad down there."

James smirked and wiggled his brow. "Of course it isn't when you have a hot werewolf seer in your bed."

Remus flushed and shushed him. "It's new. Really new."

"Which I'm guessing is why you only told Lily," James nodded, "but you still brought her."

"I wanted her to meet all of you."

"Well, she's lovely though that seer business is a bit odd, right?" James said.

Remus was at a loss for words. He'd never witnessed her have a premonition before, hadn't even known she was a seer until she'd shook hands with Lily. "It was … strange."

"One of the four … the doe protecting her fawn…" James echoed. "Lily's patronus is a doe."

"Fawn, isn't that a baby deer?" Peter said and Remus and James' shared look of quietness confirmed Peter's thoughts. "So does that mean you're having a kid?"

Remus and Peter stared at James until James rolled his eyes. "Stop looking at me like that. Lily's not pregnant."

"We can add that to the bizarre list of theories I've heard about you and Lily the past two weeks." James shot an inquisitive look his way and Remus elaborated. "Padfoot overheard you two fighting and came to the conclusion that you were cheating on Lily."

James chuckled, "Seriously? I'd be an idiot to cheat on her."

"Were you guys arguing though?" Peter asked.

James shrugged. "Nothing significant. He probably — oh, I know what he overheard! The day of the memorial, when Lily and I got home we were arguing about houses and Sirius was downstairs."

"Houses?"

"Yes, well I wanted to put a deposit on Bertha, she's a beautiful townhouse in Kensington but Lily disagreed."

"You named a house 'Bertha' and refer to it as 'she'?" Remus asked, judgement lacing his voice. "Wait, no of course you did. No wonder Sirius thought you were cheating."

"You and Lily are getting your own place?"

"Once we can settle on a place, yeah."

Remus smiled. "To think after the days you spent pining after that girl and now you're engaged and moving in."

"I literally could not get any luckier," James agreed.

After a dizzying amount of hugs, kisses and congratulations, Lily found herself sitting at the top of the stairs, over watching the ballroom, with none other than Sirius.

"Show us the shiner then," Sirius said and Lily held her hand out, he grabbed it and brought it right up to his eyes, inspecting it. He whistled and said, "Gorgeous, like you."

"Oh my, flattery. Either you did something terrible or you're really happy tonight."

"I'm just really glad James has you," he said. "I don't think I've ever seen him as happy as he is with you."

Lily was speechless for a moment. "I'm glad we found each other."

Sirius snorted. "Like it was hard! You practically lived together for six years! All you had to do was pull your heads out of your arses a little earlier."

"And the moment's gone."

"I make the moment, Evans."

"It won't be Evans for much longer."

"You'll always be Evans to me. You know, maybe I should give the baby your last name."

Lily raised a brow at the sudden and bizarre tangent this conversation had taken. "Er, why?"

"Or any muggle last name. You know, something common so it won't turn out a pretentious bastard."

"Either way it's going to be a bastard. If you pass on the Black name, maybe this will be the start for redemption."

"Redemption?"

"For all the shitty things you despise about your family. You and your child, you can change what the Black name means."

"What like throw out 'toujours pur' and replace it with 'we're not complete assholes'?"

Lily bit back a smile. "Something like that, yeah."

"It's not a bad idea, Evans."

"Just something to take into account before you go naming your kid something common. Besides, any child of yours is going to be pretentious."

"Are you calling me pretentious?"

"Only a little bit."

"Curse through the heart."

"Maybe some of your pretentiousness will leak out of the exit wound."

Sirius pretended to be offended and Lily rolled her eyes as James came bounding up the stairs.

"Hello, my love," he grinned. "Why are we hiding up here?"

"Hi," she grinned back. "Just getting a breath of fresh air."

James sat on the step in front of Lily and in between her legs, angling his head so he could see her face. "Hi," he said again and Lily caressed his face gently, pushing his locks away from his eyes, loving how carefree and happy he looked in that moment.

"Oh, he's a goner," Sirius interrupted. "Absolutely trashed."

"Shut up, Moons—whoops, Pads," he laughed.

Lily shoved the water she had placed next to her into his hand and said, "Here. I don't want my fiancé throwing up in the flowers." She watched as James sipped at the water and she caressed his face gently. "You okay, love?"

"Spectacular."

She grinned, bending down to kiss his lips as everything else dropped away.

"And that's my cue to go," Sirius muttered.

Ella seethed secretly all through the announcement and all through dinner. Her parents sat merely two tables away talking with Mr Vance and a couple in their thirties that Ella knew to be Potters. She hadn't spoken to her parents since that disastrous Christmas in seventh year and it wasn't like she hadn't thought about owling them to tell them that she was pregnant, she just didn't know if she had wanted to open that door.

Sirius had gotten tight jawed every time he laid his eyes on her dad — not that she could blame him — and Ella really didn't want to cause a scene. This was James and Lily's night after all so Ella had decided against approaching her parents, unfortunately her mother hadn't gotten the memo.

"Hello, Ella," her mother greeted.

"Mum."

"You look good. You're, uh, you're pregnant," she stated, eyeing Ella's small belly. Ella placed a hand on the bump.

"Yes."

"But you're so young and — and who's the father?"

Ella rolled her eyes at her mother. "Seriously, that's all you care about after not seeing me for over a year?"

"I — Ella-!"

"Just leave me alone."

Ella turned to walk away and walked straight into her father.

He poked her belly. "Eating a few too many treacle tarts, eh?"

Before Ella could respond, her father got shoved away and Sirius stepped between them. "She's pregnant, you idiot and I'll thank you not to poke my baby."

"Your baby?" Mrs Dearborn gasped. "He's the father?"

"I am," Sirius confirmed.

"But — he's a Black, Ella! That whole family is no good! Good Merlin, what have you gotten yourself into!"

"He's not like his family, mother," Ella said firmly. "He's a good man. Better than the two of you combined."

"Ella, this is serious! We need to have a proper discussion about-"

"Oh, so now you care? Where the hell were you when dad was hitting me every day? You certainly didn't care about me then, so don't pretend to care about me now. Come on, Sirius." She looped her arm in his and led him away, shaking all over.

Sirius wrapped an arm around her and rubbed her comfortingly. "Come on," he murmured, leading her out of the ballroom.

"Where are we going?" she asked, "The party-"

"Will still be there in five minutes." Sirius showed her through a door, a narrow corridor and then another door and they were in the library. "You okay?" he asked as he closed the door they'd just come through.

"I know you warned me about them maybe being here but I just," she sighed, turning to him hopelessly.

He rubbed her arms, trying to reassure her that she was fine. "It was definitely better than any encounter I've had with my parents since the end of fifth year."

Ella snorted at that. "My dad called me fat."

"He's an alcoholic wanker. You're perfect. My two favourite people all wrapped up in one."

"I didn't realise I was giving birth to James."

"Please, James far surpasses favourite person," Sirius said. "I don't think I could live without him."

"You two have such an unusual friendship," she mused. "I can't believe they're engaged."

"I can't believe they hid it from us for two weeks!"

"They definitely know how to make a splash. That party is ridiculous!"

"I'm sure Mia went all out for them. Mia always did love a party." Sirius kissed her suddenly, and Ella sunk into the kiss as Sirius' hands rested on her belly. He kissed her until her parents were the farthest thing from her mind and then he pulled back and said, "We should go back."

Marlene and Adaline sat at their table, watching James and Lily laugh affectionately with each other as Lily tried to coerce James into drinking something that wasn't alcoholic.

"It's so strange to think that one of our friends is married, another having a baby and another engaged," Adaline mused.

"They look so happy," Marlene smiled, gesturing to Lily and James.

"Only a matter of time before she gets knocked up, I reckon. Or maybe you and Nate will beat them to it."

"Della!" Marlene exclaimed, thoroughly scandalised. "No way. Nate and I are happy to take it slow — and it's not even slow, it's just the normal pace."

"So you wouldn't move in together at least?"

Marlene shrugged, "We might reconsider when I finish my healer training and have a proper job but that won't be for a while. Another two years."

"I don't know how the two of you manage to get time alone let alone shag with both your families around constantly. I'd go insane."

"It's part of the fun, Del," Marlene winked as Lily approached the table in search of water.

"My idiot fiancé vanished the water jug," she groaned and the two girls laughed.

"Come sit with us a minute, Lil," Marlene said, patting the seat next to her. "We haven't spoken to you properly the entire party and I want to see the ring and hear all the details."

"Oh," Lily said worriedly, looking back to James. "He really needs some water."

"Come on, he's talking with the Lovegoods, I have to say Lily, Alexina is an odd woman and her husband is even odder."

Lily dropped into the seat next to Marlene. "You met?"

"Briefly, she was very excited about something, couldn't wait to tell you," Marlene told Lily. "But I don't want to talk about your work, I want to hear the important things like how he proposed!"

Lily laughed and bit her lip. "He, well, he proposed at Burlington Arcade after the battle."

"Oh, you mean after you two practically had Voldemort running away with his tail between his legs, his Death Eaters with him?"

"Della, shhh!" Lily insisted, looking around to make sure no one had overheard. "But yes."

"Kinda hot," Adaline said.

"Kinda romantic."

"Strangely it was," Lily sighed fondly, remembering the moment. "He had the ring on him and said that he'd been planning to propose for months but things kept getting in the way and then," Lily stopped, smiling to herself.

"And then…?" Marlene prompted.

"Nothing, he just said the sweetest things and despite the battle I was so happy." Lily looked down at her ring. "I still can't believe that we're going to get married."

"Any ETAs on that?" Adaline asked.

"As soon as possible," Lily said with a secretive smirk on her face. "We're thinking July."

"Jesus, Lily! That's only three months away!"

"I know but we just don't see the point in waiting. Especially with all the shit going on around us. It just … I don't know, it just feels right marrying James. I know it's what I'm meant to do and I just," Lily shrugged, "I love him so much that I want it to be official."

"You guys aren't going to be one of those couples that live with his parents, are you?" Adaline wrinkled her nose.

"No, no, this was always just temporary. James is just a little traditional. He wanted us to be engaged before we moved in on our own but now that we are, we've been looking. We're seeing a few apartments in London on Monday."

Marlene nudged Lily, "I don't think he'll make it to Monday."

Lily looked up and groaned at seeing James, goaded on by Peter, sculling a bottle of Ogden's Finest Firewhiskey. She got up, taking the entire pitcher of water from the girls' table, "Wish me luck."

"Here," Marlene shoved a small vial in her pocket, "Sobering potion. Slip three drops in a cup of water, it won't get him completely sober but it'll get him through the night."

"You're a life saver!" Lily thanked Marlene before summoning the bottle of firewhiskey out of James' hands, he looked over at her completely affronted and Lily shouted, "I think you've had enough of that."

"Lily, I was beating a record!"

"You can beat the record for how many cups of water you can drink in a row."

Adaline and Marlene laughed freely as James pouted at Lily. "They'll never be a boring married couple, at least."

Adaline's eyes narrowed at something just over James and Lily's shoulders.

"What's wrong?" Marlene asked her.

"I could've sworn I just saw Snape."

Three cups of water — one laced with Marlene's sobering potion — seemed to have James resembling something close to sobriety and he had no qualms about dragging Lily around to reacquaint her with his family. Lily smiled amusedly at James' ability to hold his liquor as he waved down Tilly and Jack Potter.

"You remember, my cousins Tilly and Jack?" James asked.

"From the Christmas party two years ago! Yes, of course." They'd been the friendlier batch of James' many cousins. "It's so lovely to see you again!"

"And you!" Jack said. "We're simply thrilled that you're going to become an official part of the family. Especially after we heard you threw a drink on snobby, Isabella Greenglass!"

Lily flushed in embarrassment. "Oh, you heard about that?"

"It's in our list of top ten favourite stories," Tilly assured her and Lily risked a laugh because honestly, it was in her list of top ten stories too.

"In my defence, she deserved it."

"People like that always do," James agreed.

"Well, you certainly have our little James wrapped around your finger," Jack grinned. "I remember a time when James here was thick-as-thieves with Isabella."

"Must you remind me of terrible life choices, Jack?"

"Oh, honey, as your older cousins that is exactly our job," Tilly informed. "Like, when I met James, he was terrified of 'girl cooties' and hid under the table for three hours."

"Oh lord," Lily said trying to stifle a laugh.

"I was seven!" James defended as laughter bubbled out of her mouth.

"Lily, dear, we simply must have lunch some time!" Tilly enthused, grabbing Lily's hand. "I have so many stories to tell you about our dear, James. Jack and I used to babysit him all the time when he was too little to go to fancy events."

"I partly blame them for my trouble making ways," James shook his head. "Do you remember that time when you turned the main staircase into a slide?"

"Oh Merlin, and we charmed water and soap jets!"

Tilly laughed, "I don't think I have ever seen Auntie Mia look so distressed in her life. She walked in and her jaw dropped!"

"The entire foyer was knee deep in soap suds and we were all in our swimmers splashing about," James told Lily.

"My, my no wonder Mia has a flair for the dramatics."

"That doesn't even chip the iceberg," Tilly told her.

"Well, then it's settled! Lunch is a must," Lily declared. The women quickly made arrangements to meet for a lunch at the Ministry the following Wednesday and just as they'd decided none other than Isabella Greenglass joined their conversation.

"Congratulations on the engagement," she said and Lily almost snorted.

"Thank you," Lily replied instead.

"Though I do wonder what a Mulciber and a Snape are doing here. Strange guests for the engagement of a mud — whoops, muggle-born to a pureblood."

Lily's blood boiled at the mention of Mulciber and Snape so much so that she couldn't care less about snotty Isabella Greenglass's low comment about Lily being a mudblood. She had invited the entire team from the Charms Development Department but had explicitly pulled Mulciber aside and told him he could disregard his invite. Work the past two weeks, since the battle, had been more than tense between her and Mulciber. She knew he was a Death Eater and he knew she was a Phoenix and both wanted to prevent the other from accomplishing their missions.

"What?" James said, underlaying anger in his voice as he searched the crowd. Lily rested a calming hand on his arm as she too craned her neck to try and spot the unwanted guests.

"Yes, I just saw them leave the ballroom. Dressed in all black that Snape fellow, as though he were attending a funeral."

Lily smiled politely at Isabella, Tilly and Jack, "Thank you all so much for coming and I hope you enjoy your night. Excuse me."

Lily quickly stepped away from the group and headed straight out the doors, searching for the two, probably snooping culprits but found the gallery empty. She quickly walked down the gallery stopping at a portrait of James' great grandfather, Henry Potter. He was sitting in a comfy red chair, drinking a glass of sherry and dressed in a muggle suit.

"Seen a man in all black? He would've just left the ballroom," Lily asked. She'd gotten accustomed to talking to the portraits in the gallery every so often and Henry Potter was by far her favourite.

"Door at the end," he told her. "Seems like trouble, he does."

"Thanks, Henry."

Lily gathered her robes and whisked down the hallway, opening the door that led to another, narrower corridor. She looked left and right and headed left and then right at the next corridor and felt her stomach drop when she saw the door leading to the basement ajar. Fury rose in her as she realised that Snape would've had to perform some complex magic to get past that door.

She pulled her wand out and followed down the spiral staircase as quickly as she could in heels, ignoring the feeling that she was going to fall head first and tumble the rest of the way down. As she stepped off the bottom step she called out his name.

"Snape!" Lily shouted angrily. "What the hell are you doing down here?"

Snape turned away from the door to the cellar — the wrong door, thankfully, because she was sure he was trying to find Fleamont's potion lab — and faced her.

"Shouldn't you be up there enjoying your fancy party with him?"

"Why the fuck are you here, Snape? I made it perfectly clear the last time that I never wanted to see you again and you show up to my engagement party."

"I didn't know it was an engagement party," he sneered. "I see he's really got you under his spell, hasn't he?"

"Stop insinuating whatever the hell you're trying to insinuate and tell me what you're doing here because you sure as hell didn't come to enjoy the food."

"I noticed the drinks were laced with a little something extra."

"Not an easy potion to make but worth it if it stops Voldemort's plans."

"You should've left when I told you to."

"Lils! Are you down here?" James shouted from the top of the stairs.

"Ah, of course, hero Potter come to save the day," Snape said sarcastically, as James' footsteps could be heard racing down the stairwell.

"Shove it, Snape. He's worth a thousand of you," Lily said, so much bitterness in her voice that his expression darkened and softened all at once.

"I didn't tell the Dark Lord where you live. You have to believe me."

"I don't have to believe anything you say to me."

"You trusted me once."

"My mistake," Lily said coolly as James reached her at the foot of the stairs.

"Snape," he said darkly, his wand out as he stood next to Lily. "What the fuck are you doing in my house?"

"I'm the plus one of a friend, Francis Mulciber."

Crap. Lily had forgotten he was here as well, so caught up with her ex-best friend and anxiety gripped her. He could've found James' room by now and the attic. Merlin, if he found the attic he'd find a lot of Lily's work on the Alexina's charm — work she hadn't turned in for fear it would speed up the progress of completing the charm — and the mysterious journal that they still couldn't figure out. Crap, crap, crap!

"Mulciber is as unwelcome as a pile of dung," James bit scathingly, "As are you. Now, what the hell are you doing in my house and in the basement of all places?"

"I'm merely lost in search of the bathroom. Such luxury you grew up with, Potter. A house large enough to get lost in, no wonder you were always such an arrogant toerag."

Suddenly, a flash of light escaped from Snape's wand, hitting James square in the chest and Lily gasped as James grabbed her arm tightly. James doubled over, gasping for air as he clutched at his chest with his other hand.

"James!" Lily knelt beside him, resting her hands on his shoulders to stop him from collapsing. "What the hell did you do to him!" Lily shouted but Snape knocked them both aside and fled upstairs.

It took all Lily's strength to stop James from falling and by the end she had to settle for gently setting him on the floor.

"Lil," he gasped, his head in her lap, "Lily — go — af'er him."

"Shut up, I'm not leaving you! Finite," she waved her wand over his chest and sighed in relief when he stopped grasping. "Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

"Fine," he breathed heavily, still catching his breath and scrambling to get up. "Gotta find them before they do whatever they came here to do."

"He knew about the basement, do you think he knows about the attic? We keep a lot of Order related things up there."

"Come on," he said, grabbing her hand and leading her towards the wall that concealed Fleamont's lab.

"James, we should go after them! He didn't get in to the lab."

"I know, just come on!" he insisted, pulling Lily after him as he ran across the lab. Lily peaked into the bubbling cauldrons that were simmering — more antidote potion, Marlene was due to pick up another batch for St Mungo's at the end of the party — and was satisfied that everything looked normal before James stopped in front of three shelves that held various potions books. He tapped the first shelf twice, then the third once and then the second three times and Lily gasped when a door appeared in the wall next to it. James opened the door and shoved Lily through. "Go!" he instructed and Lily gathered her dress again, grateful when James grabbed the back part, and raced up the steep stairs. They reached the end and James tapped his wand to the low ceiling they were crouching under. A trap door opened and James climbed out onto the landing of the stairs that led to the second floor. He helped Lily out after him before sealing the trap door again and as Lily went to step down to head to the first floor where James' room and the entrance to the attic was, James yanked her back and pulled her up the stairs instead.

"What? Where are we going?"

"Come on!" he insisted. Trusting James knew where he was going, Lily followed figuring she would find out soon enough. They reached the second floor and didn't stop for a second. James yanked Lily through the corridors and led her to an unused bedroom filled with a bunch of junk. He let go of Lily's hand and was muttering about how much his mother hoarded as he pushed away a stack of trunks. James knocked on the wall in a certain rhythm and the wall swung open revealing the attic.

James waved Lily to come to him and they entered the attic to see Mulciber snooping through Lily's desk by the far window but worse was that Alexina Lovegood lay unconscious in the middle of the attic.

Mulciber looked at them calmly and then shrugged, "She wasn't working fast enough for us."