With a wave of her wand, the draw Mulciber was searching through snapped shut.
"It's too late, I've seen it already."
"James, get Alexina back downstairs before anyone notices she's missing." Her jaw was tight as she stared at Mulciber. James looked between her and Mulciber before nodding. He picked Alexina Lovegood up off the floor and after a meaningful glance at Lily, he left down the attic stairs that led to his bedroom.
"You need to leave Charms Development or else I'll tell Alexina and Meadowes you're a Death Eater and you'll never work in the Ministry again," Lily threatened.
"Why would I do that? I don't have what I need and they can't get rid of me just because you say, Lily. Don't get me wrong, you're exceptionally bright and talented — your notes prove that — but you're just a muggle-born in a world run by purebloods."
"And I'd love to hear what Alexina Lovegood would say to that," Lily snapped. "You know, her grandfather is a muggle. She talks about him all the time, adores him to pieces. So I wonder what would happen if I told her Voldemort's Death Eater has infiltrated her team, her project, to try and use it for evil. Leave."
"It's just your word against mine," Mulciber snarled.
"I know some aurors who wouldn't mind checking your left arm, your brother's too, for that matter! Do not test me! Leave the Ministry."
Mulciber walked up to her until he was three steps in front of her and said, "You won't get rid of me that easily. Besides, if I leave now, who'll teach you your next trick to best the Dark Lord?"
"Leave, Mulciber. Leave this house. Leave the project. Leave the Ministry. And don't come back."
Lily turned to leave but he stopped her. "You know, you truly had me fooled." Lily paused at that. "I thought, at first, that you were trying to be my friend because you were with Dumbledore's lot and suspected I was in league with the Dark Lord but that night at the Three Broomsticks, you had me truly fooled. I thought we were friends."
"I could never be friends with someone like you. Friends don't slip other friends truth potions."
"Ah, so you realised."
I did more than that, you idiot. "I'm not an idiot."
"No, you never were that. I'll leave you to your fancy party then."
Lily watched Mulciber walk down the steps and as soon as he was out of sight, Lily ran to the mirror that hung on the wall and slipped her hand behind it. She felt the leather material of the journal and breathed a sigh of relief.
The journal had been a huge mystery to everyone but Voldemort wanted it, which meant that they wanted it more and they still had it even if Mulciber did get into her personal research about the charm. Lily would have to do damage control with Alexina somehow and pray that Mulciber didn't get to Alexina before she did.
Haley couldn't sleep the full prophecy ringing in her head along with the image of Lily standing in front of a deformed man with no wand. She looked fierce and defiant, confident as the deformed man laughed at her. Haley didn't know what it meant except that there would come a day when Lily would face Voldemort without a wand.
First of the four … the doe protecting her fawn … she will provide the power the pack needs to protect the fawn … nor evil, nor dark, the first in a Millenia … the Powers That Be shall grant her the power …
The prophecy talked of power from the Powers That Be but they were just myth. An old story people believed before magic became what it is today but if she had a prophecy about them …. No, she decided. Prophecies were always cryptic. It couldn't mean that the Powers That Be were real, it had to symbolise something else but Haley didn't know what and she hoped Lily figured it out before that final battle.
"What's wrong?" Remus mumbled, half asleep.
"Nothing. Go back to bed."
She didn't understand why she was getting so many prophecies about defeating the Dark Lord and the fawn. Merlin she hoped James and Lily didn't have a kid anytime soon and hopefully not before the 'year of fidelity' — whatever that meant. It was truly frustrating that she was stuck in a place with absolutely zero divination books but she had to stay here.
She hadn't known why she came here, all those months ago, the only reason she could give was intuition. As a seer, she'd always had strong gut feelings and they usually led her to where she needed to go to see the next part and it got her thinking tonight. She ignored her gut feeling for two years after the night she trusted it so and for her efforts was bitten by a wolf. She could never make sense of why her magic had told her to go into those woods on that night. Nothing good had ever come from her becoming a werewolf. She had been kicked out of school and shunned from society, her family had become her only friends and that was a small mercy. Kids had been kicked out of homes for less. So she could never figure out why until maybe now.
Maybe, this was it. Maybe she would hold the jigsaw pieces to the defeat of Lord Voldemort. Maybe she had become a werewolf so that she could be right were she was, in an underground werewolf sanctuary next to a man who will one day help to defeat Lord Voldemort.
Brrrring. Brrrrring. BRRRING!
James' hand came slamming down on the alarm clock on his bedside table and the incessant noise quieted. He snuggled in closer to Lily, the morning felt chilly and she was warm. She pulled an arm around him and buried her head in his neck.
"Mmm, we have to get up," she mumbled.
"Mmhmm," James agreed but not making any move to get up from the little cocoon they'd made.
"The realtor," Lily mumbled but James wasn't fooled even if his eyes were closed, he knew hers were too.
James nodded his head but again made no attempt to move except to pull Lily closer, relaxing in the scent of her coconut hair. She hummed in content.
James was dead to the world for another blissful twenty minutes until something rudely shoved him onto his back. His eyes snapped open only to realise it was Lily. He closed his eyes again.
"James! We have to get up!" Lily announced loudly, too loudly and patting his chest incessantly.
"Worse," James mumbled.
"What? James, come on!" He felt her weight lift off the bed. "James! We have to meet the realtor in twenty minutes! Get up!"
James peaked an eye open and saw her rushing about the room, gathering an outfit for the day.
"Worse," James repeated, louder and more distinct as he realised with all her bustling going back to bed would be near impossible.
"Hmm?" she asked, pausing to look at him.
"I said 'worse'."
"What's worse?"
"You are worse than that piece of shit alarm clock."
She threw her blouse at him and it hit him square in the face and she laughed. "And you call yourself a chaser."
"Oh, this means war!" he declared and she squealed as he jumped out of bed, shoving his glasses on and chased after her.
"James! I have to have a shower!" she complained as he caught her around the middle and pressed her firm against his body, his lips nibbling at her neck.
"What a coincidence, so do I."
"James …"
"It's good for the environment, Lily."
She sighed and said, "You better be ready to go by the time we get to the shower."
"Woke up ready," he smirked and she rolled her eyes before he knocked her off her feet and carried her over his shoulder to the bathroom across the hall — not for the first time glad that his parents' room was on the other side of the house.
After a strenuous shower that lasted longer than Lily had initially intended but left the both of them too satisfied to care, they quickly dressed and ignored their hunger to meet their realtor.
Poppy Hawke had a fun mum vibe about her and suffice to say, Lily and James hit it off with her straight off the bat. She was in her forties with her own family — two girls who were excited to start Hogwarts in the next few years — and she was genuinely excited to help them find their first home. She also seemed excited at the prospect of them having children one day.
She stopped them before they entered the first apartment to give them a run down. "Okay, so this is only a one bedroom and I know multiple bedrooms was on your list, but the living space is huge and it has a terrace."
She let them in and James looked around. It was definitely spacious, the living room was huge, large enough to split it into a living and dining room. The left wall had large glass doors that did indeed lead out onto a terrace large enough to put a nine-seater table on and still have standing space. Poppy went on a spiel about the benefits of the apartment as she led them down a corridor that was attached to the middle of the back wall of the living space. She showed them the spacious kitchen, the master bedroom and the bathroom. All was more than decently sized and everything was in top condition.
"So what do you think of Seraphina?" James asked.
"Not cosy enough and the kitchen is too closed off from the main living space. You?"
"Not enough bedrooms."
The next place Poppy showed them, James dubbed Estelle. It was a loft style with three bedrooms, one upstairs with an ensuite and two bedrooms downstairs that shared the main bathroom. The kitchen was on the smaller size and the living room was nothing to brag about and it was a little shabby, cabinet doors hanging crooked, paint peeling in a few spots.
"Kitchen's too small. Where would I cook potions?"
"There's no heating system," James pointed out and so they moved on to the next property.
Denise was two bedroom apartment split on three floors — all of them carpeted, something Lily didn't particularly rejoice in.
"Too many stairs," James complained the second they finished climbing the unusually steep stairs to the top floor.
Meera was an airy place with a lot of windows, it had two bedrooms and a classic timber kitchen. James didn't mind it, the size was perfect, a lot of light came in and the place had original oak floors — something Poppy was very excited about.
"I'm not waking up to cars honking every morning," Lily said firmly.
"Ironic seeing as you're the world's worst alarm clock," James snorted.
They moved on to the next place, which Lily named — James was shocked too — Cecelia. James could tell Lily loved this place. It was bigger than they had talked about with four bedrooms and it had access to the rooftop, which Cecilia was the only apartment with access to it. The living room featured a ceiling to floor built in bookshelf and the kitchen had a walk-in pantry.
"Plenty of space for cauldrons and ingredients."
"And food," James added.
She looked at him with a soft smile, "I really like this place."
"You don't think it's too big?"
"It is bigger than we talked about but one extra bedroom isn't really a deal breaker for me not when looking at that bookcase and the pantry. You don't like Cece?"
James stared at her appalled. She'd given the house's nickname a nickname. "Let's just have a look at the last apartment before we make any decisions, yeah?"
And so they found themselves staring at a familiar building with dumbstruck faces.
"Is there a problem?" Poppy asked.
"No, no, just we have friends who live in this building."
"Always fun to know who your neighbours are before moving in," Poppy enthused before jumping into a quick story about a client who moved in next door to his sister.
As they headed up the stairs Lily asked which floor they were heading to.
"The sixth. It's the last level so you won't get a lot of foot traffic from other apartments. There's only one other apartment on that floor." James and Lily shared a glance. "You know, I have a good feeling about this one," Poppy said as they reached the top level. She opened the door to apartment 16 and strode right in.
"We can't! They live right across the hall!" She eyed the door across the hall as though scared that they'd pop out at any moment.
"Let's just have a look at it, Evans."
Lily bit her lip but followed James into the apartment and James silently cursed. This apartment was perfect. Open red brick walls against weathered red oak floors that looked perfectly worn in. The living space was open, completely open. The kitchen was in the far left corner, a U shaped bench facing the living room. The right wall had two tall windows and the front wall featured a brick fireplace, that with some modification could be connected to the Floo Network. A small alcove between the kitchen and the living room featured three doors. Poppy showed them the two bedrooms and the bathroom and then left them in the master bedroom to discuss amongst themselves.
"She's perfect," Lily whispered.
"Elaina's the winner," James agreed. "I mean she's beautiful, perfect size, cosy."
"It has a fireplace," Lily cheered, "and that free wall opposite the kitchen, I'm thinking a massive bookcase and in the space there we can get one of those wooden tables with benches as a dining table."
"Merlin, it's beautiful and even though we've only got the fire escape, it leads to the roof top which, will basically be exclusive to us, I mean who's going to be bothered to go all the way to the top just to see more buildings."
"But we'd have to ask … it'd be rude to just move across the hall from them without asking."
"Should we just pop over and ask now or…?"
Lily nudged him. "Cece was nice too."
"We'd fall in love with her too much and you know it. We'd never bother leaving the city if we had four bedrooms."
"So we're decided then."
"Definitely," James agreed. "I'm sure they won't mind."
Lily snorted. "Figures we'd end up living across the hall from Sirius."
Mean laughter as knives struck at her body…
It's okay now … you need to get up …
She was on fire …
A flash of green … please kill me …
You need to get up now …
Please make it stop …
You need to get up now …
Avada kadavra!
Adaline woke up in a sweat, her body shaking and tears streaming down her face. It was always the same dream. She was always too late, always in pain and she only woke up once the pain in her dream became unbearable.
She flung her legs off the bed and sat on the edge, reaching for her wand. She lit the tip and checked the time. Four in the morning. Damn it, she'd never get back to bed now. Not after that dream.
She stood and grabbed a few things from a few draws before crossing into her bathroom. She felt calm as the water washed away the film of sweat covering her and forced herself to think of happy things like the last letter her brother sent from America. Her niece was almost hitting one years old now and she got funnier and cuter by the letter.
After drying her hair with her wand, she went back into her bedroom and yelped at the sight of something on her bed.
"It's just me," came Alice's soft voice.
"What are you doing up?"
"Frank left early for a mission and I heard you up and about. What are you doing up?"
Adaline sighed and flopped on the bed next to Alice. "Nightmares."
"Again?"
"Yeah. It's always the same. Adam is always in it. I'm always in pain. He always dies."
"Hey," Alice said, wrapping an arm around her. "You did good that day. That muggle was lucky he had you looking out for him or else he'd really be dead."
"I know … I just want the dreams to stop."
"I'm meeting with Marlene for lunch, why don't I ask her if we can get you some Dreamless Sleep potion?"
"That's not a solution." Adaline knew that it would work while it lasted but as soon as she stopped taking it the nightmares would be back. She had to learn to work through them, not hide from them.
"I know but maybe let's just have it on hand, yeah? In case you really can't sleep some nights. You've hardly been sleeping as it is."
"Thanks, Alice. I really appreciate everything you and Frank have done for me. Letting me stay here and looking after me after Burlington."
"Shh, it's no bother. You can stay as long as you need."
Adaline smiled. She knew Alice meant the offer full heartedly but Adaline didn't belong here. Not for forever anyways.
"I'm thinking of moving into an apartment."
"No rush," Alice assured her. "Do you want to see if you can get another hour or two of sleep before work? I'll stay with you."
"I don't know what I did to deserve a best friend like you," Adaline said as they both made themselves comfortable on the bed, lying down beside each other.
"Right back at you."
Her job at Gringott's was simple enough. She performed checks on valuables to ensure their validity, checks on people to make sure they weren't criminals and loan approvals. It was a desk job that paid well and provided exceptional benefits such as hanging out with goblins all day.
Today, she was not particularly in the mood to be bossed about by goblins and truly hoped she wouldn't have to accompany one of them down to the vaults. Though she did get an extra two hours of sleep, it was the light kind and she still had to put on a considerable amount of makeup to cover the bags beneath her eyes that insisted on drooping every couple of minutes.
"Miss Bennett! You will accompany Gornuk down to the vaults to help make a deposit," her supervisor, Fernando Kotara, instructed.
Internally sighing, Adaline stood, grabbing her robe off her chair and shrugging it on. "Who's vault?"
"The Lestrange vault."
"Is Mrs Lestrange here?"
"Her daughter-in-law, Bellatrix Black. Let's not keep her waiting."
Adaline followed Kotara out of the office to the back of the bank where the entrance to all the vaults were. Bellatrix Lestrange was already seated in the cart with Gornuk, her nose stuck in the air.
Adaline kept her mouth shut as she climbed into the cart and held on tightly as Gornuk propelled the cart forward causing an awful lurch. The ride down to the maximum security vault was treacherous and Adaline was glad when the cart came to a screeching holt a full five minutes since she climbed in.
"This way, Mrs Lestrange," Gornuk instructed, climbing out of the cart himself.
Adaline could see the dragon guarding the vaults and her heart ached when Gornuk rung the bell and it recoiled. Its scales had gone pale, a sickly white like the colour of dead coral and his eyes were permanently shut, not to mention the blood leaking out of his skin where the chains chaffed at him. Bellatrix followed after Gornuk, not giving the dragon a second thought whilst Adaline couldn't seem to keep her eyes off the poor beast.
They reached the vault door and as Gornuk set to opening the door, Adaline asked what they were depositing today.
"None of your concern," Bellatrix snapped. "In fact I don't see why it was at all necessary for her to come."
"It's policy, Mrs Lestrange. All contents of a vault must be evaluated and recorded."
"She is not handling my possessions!" Bellatrix said outraged. "This is a very important and delicate family heirloom. It has been in the Black family for centuries."
Adaline, used to this routine by the elite, plastered on a fake smile and said, "Not to worry, Mrs Lestrange. I only have to view the item to record it's estimated year of make and what it is."
After a little more debate, Bellatrix consented and pulled the item out of her pocket, holding it grudgingly for Adaline and Gornuk to inspect.
"Wizard made," Gornuk said, as he looked at the small, golden cup Bellatrix held. It was quite exquisite and Adaline took care to notice all its intricate engravings and carvings. A badger seemed to be the centre of it all which was strange because if it was a Black family heirloom she'd have thought the animal would be a snake in honour of Slytherin and not a badger which nodded to Hufflepuff. "Year of make, nine-hundreds. Eighteen carat gold. Engravings hand made. Estimated worth of value is one thousand, four hundred and ninety-four galleons."
Adaline copied all of this down on her clipboard and started ticking off answers to questions.
"How did you come by this object?"
"I've already told you it's an old family heirloom."
"What are your plans for this object?"
"To keep it in my vault."
"When do you plan to withdraw this object from your vault?"
"I don't."
Adaline raised a brow. "Not even for parties or special occasions?"
"The item is to be kept in my vault at all times unless I say otherwise. Write that down. Now are we done with all these inane questions?"
"Yes, Mrs Lestrange. You may place it in your vault."
Gornuk and Adaline waited outside the vault until Bellatrix came back, the odd cup already out of Adaline's mind by the time they reached the foyer of the bank.
Lily walked briskly down the hall towards Dorcas Meadowes' office. Her robes billowed behind her as she checked her watch and she sped up when she realised she was late. She knocked on Meadowes' door but didn't wait to open it and walk in. Gideon was lounging on the couch and Dorcas was at her desk looking as intimidating as the first time Lily met her.
"Sorry, I'm late."
"Let's just get on with it," Dorcas ordered. "What's so important it couldn't wait until the next meeting?"
"Mulciber needs to go."
"You know I can't make that happen."
"Why not? You're the head of the department, aren't you?"
"Yes, but Mulciber's family is an old pureblood line. They donate so much money to the Ministry and to risk that relationship-"
"Fuck that!" Lily burst. "People's lives are in danger!"
"To fire Mulciber would be to risk my position!" Meadowes shouted, standing up.
"Then what? He found research in my house — my private research that I haven't shown Lovegood in an attempt to slow down the development of her charm — and he's going to give it to her."
"What makes you so sure?" Gideon spoke up. "He could take it straight to Voldemort."
"This is Lovegood's project, her vision, she's the only one who can figure it out."
"But you just said you figured it out!"
"No, I said I have research that could be the key to what she's already got but either way it doesn't happen without Lovegood. She's the one who asked the question, she's the one who'll figure out the answer. You need to get rid of Mulciber before he shows her that research or else I'm speaking to Lovegood."
"You will not! You cannot tell Lovegood Order business without Dumbledore's approval!"
"By then it could be too late! Do you want to worry about Dumbledore's approval or do you want to save the lives of millions of people? Because as soon as Lovegood figures out how to get this charm to work, Mulciber will take it straight to Voldemort and the only people left will be the ones lucky enough to get the antidote."
The room was silent, Lily and Dorcas eyeing each other with righteous glares and Gideon to the side, looking between the two. Lily was doing it with or without her permission, that much she was sure of. The question was whether Gideon and Dorcas would be on her side.
"She has a point," Gideon said quietly.
A knock at the door interrupted their conversation and Lily and Gideon were dismissed but before they reached the lab, Gideon stopped her.
"Do what you have to do," he told her. "Don't worry about Meadowes, she's been in the game too long, too cautious. But if it's a choice between Lovegood knowing and Mulciber getting the charm…"
Lily nodded. "I know."
The rest of the day was tense and Lily was glad when she flooed straight home in the afternoon and James was sitting on the couch, waiting for her.
She curled up next to him and he wrapped his arms around her. "You okay?"
"I am now. Where're your parents?"
"Out."
Lily smiled at that. Mia really was winning in her mission to get Fleamont out of the house and back into society.
"Dinner for two then?"
"I was thinking we could go out for dinner tonight."
Lily looked up at him, picking up a vibe. It was his excited, vibrating beneath the surface vibe — a buzz. Good news then. "What-?"
"I'm going on — A-reserve against the Harpies on Friday! I'm in the first line-up."
Lily sat up straight to look at him properly. "You're going to play a full game?" she asked, a smile growing on her face.
James grinned and Lily squealed tackling him in a hug, kissing every inch of him she could and whispering how proud she was until she was crying tears of joy.
"Lily!" he said alarmed, wiping her tears off her face.
"Happy tears," she grinned, her palm on his cheek. "So, so happy. I'm so proud of you. You know, I remember when you were a scrawny kid in first year and how you were so sure you'd make it on the team the next year and you didn't but you made it third year and you were so, so good. You were like a different person in the sky, so focused and carefree at the same time — I wanted to hate you because of Snape but when I saw you flying, I just couldn't. I remember some of the older students were in awe of you and your tactics and how well you flew and now you've made it." She brushed his hair out of his eyes, searching his face. "You've really made it and I didn't know I could be this happy."
James surged towards her, his hands in her hair, his lips on her mouth and he showed her just how happy she made him.
"There's no one else I'd rather do this with," he breathed into her ear. He kissed her neck. "And I don't just mean this." He kissed her on the lips. "I'm the happiest because anything good or bad that happens in my life, I know I'll have you. I'm only here because of you."
Lily shook her head. "You're here because of you."
"Without you I don't know if I ever would've gotten back on track after my accident. You — you stuck with me through it all and I love you."
"I love you, more."
He kissed her lips and whispered, "I love you, most."
"Poppy needs an answer by tomorrow," Lily sighed. "She has another couple interested in the apartment."
"Well they need to fuck off," James commented. Lily looked up from the toast she was buttering.
"I was thinking more along the lines of talking to Sirius and Ella."
James nodded, folding over his Daily Prophet and setting it on the table. "We'll go for dinner. The bugger better be alright with it."
"Or else what?"
"I'll challenge him to a duel. Stag versus dog."
"That's a little unfair," Lily considered as she took a bite of her toast.
"Just because I'm bigger, Lily, is no indication—"
"No, I mean, his teeth! He'll take a chunk out of you!"
"I'll have you know that in controlling Moony, I do sixty-five percent of the work and Padfoot does thirty five percent."
"What about Wormy?"
"He's a rat, Lily. He serves as bait."
Lily shook her head, getting up. "As much as I'd love to keep debating this with you, I have work. Don't forget to call Sirius. I'll see you tonight."
Lily bent down to kiss his lips, and he caught her by the waist, holding her there a second longer. "I'll pick you up from work," he promised.
Lily nodded as she picked up her bag and ran her other hand through his hair. Knowing that Mulciber was willing to kidnap people had done wonders for James' nerves and he now insisted on picking Lily up from the Ministry if his training allowed it.
Work passed in its usual way, her and Mulciber were frenemies — Lily was keeping a very close eye on him to make sure he was never alone with Lovegood and he kept trying to avoid her like the plague. Meanwhile, Gideon kept an annoyingly close eye on the both of them from across the room — partly because it was his mission too but mostly because James threatened him within an inch of his life if anything should happen to Lily.
Lovegood was patient as ever, never in any hurry and not particularly bothered that she hadn't figured it out yet. "Magic takes time," she assured Lily. "When they want us to have the power, they'll give us the answers."
Lily didn't know who 'they' were but James laughed when she told him on the walk to Sirius and Ella's, their hands swinging between them.
"She must be one of those loons that believe magic comes from the Powers That Be."
"The Powers That Be? What is that? Like some kind of magical god or destiny or whatever?"
James considered. "Yeah, I suppose. In ancient times, witches and wizards believed in the Powers That Be. They could give magic and they could take it away. A lot of people used that for reasoning back then, you know like why squibs are born and why muggle-borns had magic, why spells back fired and the list goes on."
"How come we never learn about this in school?"
"Advanced History of Magic covers it for NEWTs but no one can ever tolerate Binns' enough to actually do the class."
"Huh," Lily said, amazed at how much she still didn't know about the magical world.
"We have books about it in the library at home. Old Magic and The Powers That Be by Eddard Snow is particularly good and Bathilda's A Study of Ancient Magic is fantastic. I'll show you when we get home."
With the building in front of them, they changed topic to how they were going to bring it up with Sirius and Ella and by the time Ella opened the door, it was decided that ripping the bandaid off was the best course of action.
Lily and Ella split off to the kitchen and Lily asked Ella all sorts of questions about the pregnancy. She was truly amazed that there was a tiny human in that small bump in Ella's belly.
"I don't know how you aren't terrified," Lily said, shaking her head, her hands on Ella's tummy waiting for the little one to kick. She gasped when it did and smiled at Ella. "That's amazing! You know, Mia's knitting up a storm back home. Buying up a storm too. She thinks it's going to be a girl."
Ella smiled. "Doc thinks so, too. Bought the baby a unicorn stuffed toy. Come look at what we've done for the nursery so far."
After a quick tour of the baby's room, Lily cooing at all the adorable things like tiny shoes and onesies, stuffed animals, the four of them sat down for dinner in the kitchen and Lily coughed at James pointedly. Time to rip the bandaid.
"Right, er, so the reason we wanted to come over today is, well, our agent, Poppy, was showing us apartments on Sunday and, well, we found one we really like but it's really close to you guys."
"Sweet," Sirius said as Ella asked, "How close?"
"Er, Lily?"
Bastard. "Across the hall."
"Oh — that's-"
"Bloody fantastic!" Sirius exclaimed. "My brother and his girl across the hall! This will be a blast!"
"Are you sure this is okay?" Lily asked worriedly. "I mean, right across the hall … we don't want to step on your toes."
"The way I see it is free babysitting. We're going to need all the help we can get, right babe?"
Ella grinned. "Definitely! It'll be great having you guys across the hall!"
"See, Lil? Told you not to worry," James grinned.
"This is great, honestly, we get to see each other every day now," Sirius said. "I have to admit James, living apart was hurting my soul."
"Mine, too, Pads."
"We are right here," Lily said pretending to be offended and then realisation. "You better not steal all our food, Sirius Black."
"I would do no such thing."
"I see the way you rummage through Mia's kitchen when you come over," Lily accused.
Sirius grinned. "If it's food and it's there, it's mine."
"I might see if there's a little charm I can make to rectify that way of thinking," Lily challenged.
The rest of the night went blissfully and Lily and James sent Poppy a letter first thing in the morning. They received an owl not long after from Poppy saying they could move in as soon as this weekend. Lily and James were now the proud owners of a new home. Their home.
But of course, just as one thing seemed to be going all right, another blew up in her face. The same morning they sent an owl to Poppy Hawke, Lily received an unknown owl who had a letter for her. The writing was unfamiliar and Lily scanned to the bottom of the letter to see who it was from before reading the entire thing.
Dear Lily,
Congratulations on your engagement to James! Everyone at Hogwarts who remembered the two of you (quite a lot of us) were reading the page article in Witch Weekly all week, it was absolutely crazy! I have to say though, you looked stunning and James looked absolutely besotted!
I know we don't usually write to each other but at the beginning of the year you asked me to keep an eye on Mia Scott. She's been doing well in all her classes until recently and I know sometimes students see Sixth Year as the bludger year before Seventh but this has me really concerned. Her grades have dropped from an E to an A and she's, well, she's been hanging out with Gabriel Lemaire in my year. I actually caught them snogging in the Greenhouses on my patrol two nights ago and I'm sure you know, Lemaire is not a nice person. Him and Regulus Black are basically already considered Death Eaters in gossip circles. Did you know that they meet up with Lucius Malfoy on Hogsmeade trips in the Hogs Head? They think they're being discreet but I've seen them.
Anyway, I'm a little worried about Mia and we have a Hogsmeade trip coming up on Saturday, April 14th. I know it's short notice but maybe you could come up and have a chat with her, make sure everything's okay?
Yours sincerely,
Mary MacDonald
Lily put the letter down and let disappointment and anger wash over her. Mia was playing with fire being in a relationship with a person who'd murder innocent muggles just because.
"Who pissed in your cereal?" Sirius asked as he reached over to grab the last of the milk — the milk Lily had been planning to use for her cereal.
"Why are you even here again?" Lily snapped, as he poured the last of the milk into a glass.
"Going to a M.A.E meeting with Mia. Again, I ask, who pissed in your cereal?"
"Nothing just something I thought I'd taken care of but apparently not."
Sirius furrowed his brow, "It's not Mulciber is it?"
Lily shook her head and shoved the letter at him. "Just read it."
He read the first line and said, "Awe come on Lily, you're not still upset that I sent in your engagement announcement, are you?"
"No, you prat, keep reading."
Lily knew he'd read it when he scowled. "Why that little prick."
"They're both as bad as each other. I mean, clearly she has no self-preservation skills or she wouldn't be dating a soon to be Death Eater and I don't know what the hell he's thinking. He has to know it can't last and it'll hurt her more than it'll hurt him."
"Idiots, both of them," Sirius concluded. "Are you going to go to Hogsmeade then? I could come with."
"No, I should go alone. Mia doesn't really like you ever since you made her cry."
"The little wench deserved it, trying to break up Marlene and Nate like that."
"It's nice to know you have a heart."
"I do not."
"Uh-huh," Lily smirked.
Sirius threw a grape at her in retaliation. "Where's your fiance?"
"Left at five in the morning for training. Big game is only a few days away."
"Ah yes, two days until our boy becomes a major Quidditch star. I reckon we won't be able to walk down Diagon Alley with him soon enough. I'll have to play substitute dad for your kids when they're Hogwarts age."
"I'm sure we'll manage but thanks."
"True, James could be washed up by then."
Lily snorted. "Have a little faith."
"He'll be running the Quidditch Corresponding section in the Prophet."
"There we go." Lily heard Mia shout out Sirius' name. "You better go."
Sirius kissed her cheek in farewell. "If you see Scott, tell her she's an idiot from me and tell me if she cries."
Lily shook her head, "I will absolutely not do that."
"Aren't you glad you're going to be around my wisdom twenty four seven?" he smirked.
"Honestly, I'm reconsidering at this point. Go, before Mia loses her voice," Lily instructed. He winked and left Lily alone with Mary's letter because there was no way Lily could make it to Hogsmeade on the weekend. Her and James would be moving into their apartment, it was going to be a jam packed weekend but every other day this week Lily was working — except Friday. She asked if she could go home after lunch on Friday for James' big game but she could go to Hogwarts for a quick hour. With James' invisibility cloak and his extensive knowledge of the castle — a lot of which he'd shown her in their last year at school — she could get in and out undetected. Heck, she could even try and sneak the map out of Filch's office if he's not in it.
"Just be careful," James warned before his face broke out into a smirk, "and if you get the map back, I'll," he whispered exactly what he was offering her — all of which was extremely dirty — in her ear and she flushed.
"Mr Potter!" she said, scandalised.
"Do we have an accord, Miss Evans?"
She snuck her arms around his neck and leaned up to his ear, "I believe we do, Mr Potter, but how about a small pre-show?"
He rested her hands on her bum and slid them down to her thighs, hoisting her up and she expertly wrapped her legs around his waist.
"Only if you agree to an encore after the main event."
She kissed him slowly, her hand caressing his cheek, "I think that can be arranged."
Ella and Sirius looked at their sonogram photo of their baby as the healer, Healer Bodie, performed tests with her wand. Sirius watched with intense curiosity as different instruments in the room started revealing data with seemingly no connection. The brass scales leaned towards one side, unequal until Healer Bodine removed some of the little weights until the two disks hung adjacent and level with each other. She jotted the information down before turning to the next instrument. She tapped the instrument and a heartbeat sounded. The baby's. His baby.
A swell of affection rose in him as well as a wave of terror. This tiny thing would be here soon enough and it would be his job to protect it and raise it. Right now, most of that fell to Ella because the baby was in her but Sirius would get his turn and it terrified him. How do you protect something so innocent?
"Does it feel weird having a tiny person in you?" Sirius asked in wonder.
Ella shrugged, "It just feels like I'm fat with intestinal problems."
Sirius wrinkled his nose, "thank Merlin I'm a man."
Ella and Healer Bodie shared a look that equated to men.
"Okay, everything looks normal," she announced. "The baby is at a good size for 22 weeks. Do you want to find out the gender?"
Sirius and Ella looked at each other. "No," Ella replied, holding Sirius' hand. "We want it to be a surprise."
Healer Bodie smiled. "I would too. Well, then that completes the appointment then. Healthy baby, healthy mum, let's keep it that way. Ella, you should start taking these vitamins and supplements," Healer Bodie passed Ella a piece of parchment with a list on it, "they help dull some of the side effects of pregnancy and if you start to feel morning sickness, I recommend just a normal De-Nauseating potion, once a day. You can pick it up from the apothecary in Diagon Alley."
Ella nodded, pulling her shirt down. "Due date?"
"Still August sixteenth," Healer Bodie assured and Sirius felt both excited and terrified for the day to come. August sixteenth would come and with it his child and he would become a father.
Ella and Sirius walked out of St Mungo's hand in hand. "Walk me back to work?" Ella asked.
"We'll grab some food for you on the way, too. I can get the stuff on the list for you if you like?"
"You sure?"
"Hand it over, Dearborn."
Ella complied and she watched as he tucked the list into his leather jacket. "You know I can go to Diagon Alley myself. I don't need you to do things for me."
"Just because you can do things doesn't mean you should."
Ella snorted. "I'll remember you said that next time you use 'because I can' as an excuse."
"The baby name book was out last night."
"I know. I was having a browse."
"Anything you like?"
Ella shrugged. "If it's a boy, I was thinking Caden."
Sirius pulled a face. "Absolutely not."
"It's a nice name! And it's a nod to my brother."
"Absolutely not," Sirius said firmly. "If there's anything worse than that name, it's your brother's. How about Evan?"
"Evan? Where the hell did you come up with that? That's way too similar to Lily's last name."
"Oh … yeah," Sirius said, running a hand through his hair. His conversation with Lily at the engagement party still rang clearly in his mind. Though he had been joking about giving the kid a common last name — hers as he'd jokingly suggested — he did like the idea of honouring Lily somehow in his child's name. Lily was the closest thing he had to a sister and he didn't know if it was because she was with James and James was his brother, he just knew that as sure as he was that he'd die for James and Remus and Peter, he'd die for Lily too.
"And we will not be naming our kid after stars or constellations or whatever weird tradition your family has."
"But it will be a Black."
"A Dearborn."
"I'm the father."
"So? We're not married."
Sirius' face hardened in anger and Ella couldn't quite keep up the ruse any longer and cracked a smile. "I'm messing with you, Black. It'll be Dearborn Black."
"You're lucky you're pregnant."
Ella laughed lightly. "I'm terrified."
"What about Elaina for a girl?" Sirius suggested. "I, er, also had a browse through the baby names."
"Elaina," Ella considered. "It is pretty but I think we should hold off on definite decisions until we meet the baby. I mean what if we call it John but it's really a George?"
"Both those names are vetoed."
"Sirius?"
Ella and Sirius looked up, Sirius immediately stiffening at the sight of Walburga Black in all her glory. She looked just like he remembered, tall and queenly with her greying hair perfectly styled and her silk robes perfectly tailored and black. It was the only colour his mother ever wore, at least in Sirius' memory. There was a story or two from his father that told a tale of a very bold Walburga who wore bright, bold colours when she was younger, dazzling high society in blood reds, deep blues and emerald greens. Sirius hypothesised that over the years as her heart became blacker so did her clothes.
"Mum," Sirius said, shocked and annoyed and cursed himself for never being able to not call her 'mum'. She didn't deserve the title but Walburga or Black seemed disrespectful. Of course, he was of the opinion that she didn't deserve respect but every time he came into contact with her, he couldn't shake the habit of calling her mum.
"I heard the news," she gestured to Ella. "A baby out of wedlock, how very in theme with your rebellious aesthetic."
"Isn't it?" Sirius agreed.
"At least it won't be a filthy half-blood. I always was afraid you'd do something stupid like get with a mudblood."
"Fuck off. I don't want to listen to your bullshit. Ella, let's go."
Sirius placed his hand on the small of Ella's back and started to turn away from his mother. He didn't know how he could be in a terrific mood one minute and as soon as he caught sight of his mother, it was like a dark cloud had descended upon him.
"Perhaps we could have tea sometime, Miss Dearborn?" Walburga proposed. "You are having my grandchild, after all."
Sirius whirled around. "This is not your grandchild," he jabbed a finger at her, "for that to be you'd have to have been a mother to me first which you never were. This child will never know you. Ever. I won't even mention your cruel existence to it."
"The child needs grandparents, a family, a legacy to uphold."
"It has both. And as for the third, the Black legacy isn't anything to be proud of."
"Ah, Mr and Mrs Potter are still keeping you as their ward, I see. They'll come to their senses soon enough and you to yours. You'll be crawling back as soon as they realise you're more trouble than you're worth and then we'll see how proud you are to be a Black."
"If you're proud to be a Black you aren't worth anything at all," Sirius snapped back.
"Come on," Ella urged, squeezing Sirius' hand. "Let's go."
Sirius let Ella pull him away from Walburga Black.
"The child will have Black blood running in its veins, as you do. If you come home … the child would be set up for life. You are the first born son, the rightful heir to the Black estate. If you came back, your child would be a Black heir. All would be forgiven and you two could marry, to ensure the baby is born in wedlock. You could be the future of the Black House."
Blood boiled in him. Did she honestly expect that some bullshit speech about blood and inheritance would make him come home? Did she really think he cared? He couldn't care less about money and the thought of being in the clutches of that woman again sent shivers up his neck.
Sirius turned one last time. "Stop begging, Walburga, it's making you look desperate."
Lily fiddled with her ring as she walked into work early, wondering how on earth she was supposed to tell Alexina Lovegood that Lord Voldemort wanted her charm in order to kill everyone he didn't think worthy enough. She also didn't know how to tell her that Mulciber was the Death Eater Voldemort had sent. It was a huge conundrum going on in Lily's otherwise, happy but hectic life.
Since they locked in the apartment, the deposit going through the previous day and Lily was starting paper work to get the apartment connected to the Floo Network. They told Euphemia and Fleamont the previous night and Euphemia cried, which made Lily cry and tell her how grateful she was to them for letting her stay after Rosie died.
"You're a light in our lives, Lily," Euphemia assured her.
"We wouldn't have it any other way," Fleamont agreed.
There was a ridiculously tearful hug and when Lily leaned back James said, "I don't know why you are all getting so emotional. We'll visit all the time."
"But you won't be here anymore. Who am I supposed to smother with love?"
"My mum used to host a Sunday lunch when we were little and my aunt and uncle with my cousins would come every week. What if we did something like that?" Lily asked, brushing her new fringe out of her eyes.
Euphemia smiled warmly. "That's a brilliant idea. You hear that, James? Every Sunday, 1pm."
James saluted his mother. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."
The memory from last night still made Lily smile because even though it was an emotional mess, she felt like she still had — well maybe not parents because she had parents even though they weren't here anymore but something very close to it. Euphemia and Fleamont were amongst the nicest people Lily had ever met and she was constantly surprised by their constant kindness.
"Lily! Thank goodness you're here!" Alexina approached her. "I received your notes and marvellous work, darling! Simply marvellous! I could not have done it without you!"
Lily looked at her alarmed. "What — what do you mean?"
Alexina grinned proudly. "Don't be so modest, Lily! The work you did was the turning point! I incorporated the control portion and the duplication spell and it worked!"
"It — it worked? You mean the charm? You finished the charm?" Lily asked.
"Yes!" Alexina dragged Lily over to the bench where a few cages of mice were sitting. "I'm officially showing everyone tomorrow but I wanted you to see first since this never would have happened without you." She pulled her wand out and Lily watched as Alexina tapped her wand to a potion and said, "et convertum aeris."
Lily watched as the colour dye potion lifted into the air, dissolving into the air as it made it's way to the closest cage. The only evidence of the spell was the slight haze in the affected area and, of course, the fur of the white mice turning blue.
"And you said you added the control element?"
"I did. I can spread it as far or little as I want. It can be contained in a room, or spread across an entire city. The possibilities are endless."
Someone entered the lab and Alexina ended the spell and tapped her nose. "Our secret for now. Tomorrow, we celebrate properly. I really do wish you could stay for after work drinks tomorrow but I know James has his big game tomorrow."
Oh no. She was going to tell everyone tomorrow and everyone included Mulciber. She'd run out of time to tell Alexina but she had to know. Now more than ever.
"Well, how about a nice lunch together to celebrate? Just us two," Lily said, desperate to get Alexina alone.
"That sounds wonderful."
Lily impatiently waited for lunch and when it came she eagerly pushed Lovegood with her out of the labs and towards a restaurant in the Atrium.
"Xina, I have to confess, I wanted to have lunch with you because there's something you need to know." There was no nice way to say it so Lily just ripped the bandaid. "Francis Mulciber is a Death Eater and if you tell him about this charm he'll give it straight to You-Know-Who."
"Can I take your order?" the waitress asked.
"Two coffees please," Lily said curtly. Lily waited for the waitress to leave before turning back to Alexina. "You — you can't tell anyone that you figured it out. You can't. You-Know-Who plans to use your charm to spread a lethal potion across the city, possibly across the country!"
"I — how do you know this?"
Lily smiled. "I can't tell you how I know, but I do. Alexina, please, I need you to trust me."
Alexina nodded slowly and then more firmly. "If You-Know-Who wants the charm to do evil, we must pretend it doesn't work. I'll withdraw the project first thing tomorrow morning."
"I'm sorry, Xina," Lily apologised. "I know how hard you worked for this."
"It is not your fault, Lily, and my pride isn't as important as the entire wizarding community. The spell will stay unknown. The files will be classed as restricted access and you should burn any notes you have and I'll do the same — we-we should find a way to make the file in Dorcas' office disappear."
Lily smiled, "I think that can be arranged."
Lily rushed, hood up through the back lanes of London, disapparating and apparating into different lanes and places to be sure no one could follow her tail. She'd call Moody paranoid but it was infectious once he got the idea that death could be waiting around any corner, the precautions seemed necessary. After zipping in and out of no less than eleven places, Lily landed in the right alley: Brickers Lane.
"I was wondering when you'd show up."
Lily turned and smiled. "Remus! It's so good to see you!" She rushed forward and hugged him. "I'm sorry for the timing. I know there's a full moon tonight."
"Doesn't rise for another five hours. I'm sure Moody planned it that way."
"He did, doesn't stop me from feeling terrible, though. Come on, let's sit. You must be exhausted."
Lily conjured the comfiest chairs she could and Remus sunk down gracefully. Lily produced a bag out of her pocket. "A full-moon care package. It's got everything you'll need for tomorrow. Potions from Madame Pomfrey, home cooked food from James and chocolate from all of us."
"Thanks, Lily." Remus took the bag.
"So anything at all?"
Remus shook his head sadly. "They got a bit noisy when the attack at Burlington happened. A lot suspect that Dumbledore's got an army but no one really knows." Lily pursed her lips. "And some have spoken out, siding with Dumbledore, the Ministry … siding with You-Know-Who but it's all just political opinions. Nothing students at Hogwarts wouldn't talk about."
"So jack shit, basically."
"Basically," Remus agreed and Lily sighed.
"You're going to be gone longer than any of us could have imagined. We're worried about you."
"I'm fine, in fact, I'm kind of worried about you."
"Why on earth would you be worried about me?"
"Do you remember that prophecy Haley had when she shook your hand?"
"Yeah something about me being 'one of four' and 'protecting a fawn' or something utterly ridiculous like that."
"I think," he breathed in deeply, "I think that was only part of the prophecy."
"What do you mean?" Lily's brows furrowed. Remus had always scoffed at divination. He had always been the first to claim Professor Vates was a fraud and rightly so.
"She, well, she talks in her sleep."
"Seen her sleeping have you?" Lily asked with a raised brow and a slight smirk.
"Shut up. I'm serious. She … one time she said something and it started with what she said when she met you that you were 'one of the four … the doe protecting her fawn…' but then she continued."
Lily waited patiently. "Well, then what did she say?"
"She said something about you providing the power the pack needs to protect the fawn and something about the Powers That Be and the first in a millennia."
"The Powers That Be?" Lily furrowed her brows.
"You know who that is?"
"James said they're a myth, something wizards believed in eons ago before the evolution of what magic is now. But that doesn't make sense! Why would I be mentioned in a prophecy about protecting a fawn and special powers and the Powers That Be?"
Remus shrugged helplessly and said, "I don't know." He wished he did. He wished the prophecy wasn't so cryptic and he wished he could just ask Haley but she'd made it clear the topic of her abilities weren't up for discussion.
"And if I'm one of four, who are the other three?"
"I don't know."
"And what power could I possibly have that no one else does? And on that note, who the hell is the fawn?"
Remus looked at her helplessly and said again, "I don't know."
Lily looked troubled by the knowledge Remus had shared with her so he leaned forward. "Look, Haley's been brushing off the whole thing but maybe I can get her to talk more about it. Maybe she knows more."
"Knows more of what? Come on, Remus. You're not saying you actually believe this hogwash?"
"Sirius would argue that the prophecy about Caesar came true."
"He also accused James of cheating on me because he heard two sentences in an argument. Sirius is as full of shit as a horse with a laxative. You scoff at prophecies and destiny written in the stars and that shit."
That was before I met a seer!"
"A seer who doesn't even want to be a seer!"
"She's never said that."
"She referred to it as a silly premonition. She didn't even refer to it as a prophecy. At this point, I could just create a spell that changes the ending to Bambi."
"I think you mean the beginning."
"Shut up, you get what I mean."
They were quiet for a moment. "I'm still going to fish around."
"Honestly, Remus, don't waste your time. Just focus on your actual mission so you can come home to us. We all miss you something awful."
"That's very kind of you to say, Lily."
"It's just the truth. Nothing is the same without you and we were so glad you could come on the weekend."
"I was glad to be there."
Lily bit her lip. "You should probably be getting back."
"Probably. Haley thought I was mad for leaving at all so close to the full moon and all."
"She's not wrong." Lily rose with Remus and pulled him in for a hug. "Be careful. Keep your eyes open and don't forget your bag." Lily gestured to the paper bag on the floor by their feet.
"Wouldn't dream of it. Say hello to everyone from me."
Lily smiled. "Of course and everyone sends their best to you, too, Remus."
He smiled lopsidedly before turning on the spot and vanishing.
Using the cloak, she and Ella snuck into the basement of Honeydukes and expertly revealed the trapdoor. They climbed in, removing the cloak and Lily shut the door behind them. The walk up to Hogwarts was longer than she remembered and how her life had changed since the last time she'd been in this tunnel. The last time she'd been in this tunnel, she had been sneaking back into Hogwarts at half past six in the morning, incredibly hungover after a QUEEN concert. Her mum had been alive. They weren't in the Order yet. They were studying for NEWTs. Now, her mum was dead, she was engaged to be married, preparing to move into an apartment with her fiancé and she was actively in the Order. Not to mention, Ella was having a baby.
"Fuck," she cursed when she tripped over a ditch.
"You okay?"
"Fine," Lily muttered. "Just forgot how uneven this damn tunnel is. Be careful, I don't want you to fall."
They continued on and Lily was glad when they reached the top and prayed that no one would be about. She opened the One-Eyed Witch statue and climbed out, quickly putting the cloak on as Ella joined her.
With the cloak on, they had full reign to go wherever they pleased and made the first pit stop at Filch's office. It was blessedly empty and with a quick unlocking charm she had Filch's confiscated items draw opened. She and Ella rummaged through, cursing at how many items Filch managed to ban because the draw was practically bulging.
Meow. Lily looked down and cursed when she saw Mrs Norris.
"Ah, come on, Mrs Norris. I'm not even a student, don't go tattling on me," Lily said to the cat who seemed intrigued by the voice that was coming from nowhere. "Besides, I'm only taking what's — AHA!" Lily exclaimed pulling out the piece of old parchment. She grinned, tapped it with her wand and, "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good." The familiar ink swirled into existence on the page and Lily grinned, opening it up. "See, Mrs Norris? If it wasn't mine to take, I wouldn't know how to use it."
Ella looked at her with a raised brow. "Did you always talk so nicely to that cat?"
"Don't tell the boys. They're sworn enemies with her."
Lily checked the map and saw Filch was on his way back, so she quickly shut the cabinet door, re-locking it and they headed out of the office. They didn't stop walking until she was in a secret passage way where she was sure she wouldn't be disturbed. She searched the map and found Mia's name in the Charms classroom on the second floor.
Lily and Ella waited outside the classroom under the cloak until class was dismissed. When Mia unknowingly walked past her, Lily slipped a note charmed to heat up into Mia's pocket. She walked down the hall into the secret passage she told Mia to meet her at.
"Expecting someone else?" Lily asked at Mia's shocked and slightly crestfallen face. Ella still hidden under the cloak was unseen by Mia.
"N-no. Lily! What are you doing here?"
Lily pushed off the wall. "Are you sure you weren't expecting someone else? Maybe Gabriel Lemaire?"
Mia paled and straightened. "Lily," Mia said cautiously. "How did you-?"
"Find out? A better question would be how could you be so stupid? He's practically a Death Eater!"
"He's not! He's different."
"You're so naive!" Lily shot back.
"How did you even know?" Mia accused.
"I still have a friend or two here."
"You've got someone spying on me?" Mia asked, outraged.
"I asked them to keep an eye on you and imagine my surprise when I was told you were found snogging a wanna-be Death Eater in the greenhouses!"
"Seriously? MacDonald can mind her own damn business!"
"She's looking out for you more than he is."
"Screw you! You don't know anything about us!"
"He's a pureblood and you're a muggle-born. I don't need to know anything else."
"That's rich coming from you!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, did I forget to mention the Death Eater part? I could've sworn I'd already covered that bit! Lemaire is an elitist pureblood, Mia, who hangs around with the likes of Regulus Black and Dominique Mulciber and trust me when I say, that just because he may change his rules for you, deep down, he's always going to hold it against you. Deep down he's always going to see you as a mudblood who doesn't deserve magic. He's always going to-"
"You don't know him!" Mia shouted hotly. "He loves me and I love him and what we choose to do is none of your business or your—"
An explosion sounded from above and Lily cursed already heading for the corridor because it sounded like the explosions at the Burlington Arcade Attack. "Did Hogwarts receive a bunch of Marauders 2.0 that I don't know about?"
"No," Mia said, slightly shaken as they both stepped out into the deserted corridor. "I wonder what that was."
Suddenly, Sir Cadogan ran through portraits yelling frantically. "DEATH EATERS IN HOGWARTS! DEATH EATERS IN HOGWARTS!"
Without thinking about it, Lily whipped out her wand and conjured a patronus, relaying Cadogan's message. The single doe split into many, all galloping off in different directions when Lily turned back to a terrified Mia.
"Go! Go to your common room! Clear the halls of students! GO!" Lily shouted, shoving her in the opposite direction.
"But Lily-!"
"GO! NOW!" Lily shouted, already running towards the stairs that would lead her to the next floor.
James sat in the change room, legs bouncing with nerves. He was set to go on field in five minutes — his first full game and this could make or break his career. He knew he had to go on that field today and play his heart and soul out. He had to give it his absolute all because this would be his chance to show that he deserved a pro-contract. To show that he deserved to be up there with the most talented players in Britain. This was his chance and it could be his only one.
His teammates sat around him, all chatting and getting ready as though it was any other game and James supposed to them it was but this was perhaps the most important games he's played in his life thus far.
"Ready, Potter?"
Just when he was about to answer, a burst of blue light streaked into the room, a patronus — a doe he realised with a drop in his stomach. She was supposed to be in the stadium with his parents and Sirius. Why would she send a patronus? Worry gripped James' gut as the patronus glided to him, the doe stuck its nose to his ear and said in Lily's voice: "There are Death Eaters at Hogwarts. Numbers unknown. Back-up needed. Seventh Floor."
"Potter! Let's go!" his coach shouted.