Chapter 4
Lily massaged her knuckles.
"Are you ok?" James asked worriedly. She nodded in response.
They were now sat on the Knight Bus hurtling over a rickety bridge towards a swamp. The witch in front stood up as the bus came to a halt and descended down the steps, but the stench of dead fish seemed to linger …
Lily and James both looked thunderstruck. That's it, Lily thought. She knew for once that this woman was wrong. And as she looked at James she felt a surge of love for him like she hadn't felt in a long time. Miss Washington-Brown, however, looked slightly smug, as if she knew the answer to a riddle that James and herself had been puzzling over for an age.
Lily stood up quickly and strode across the room. James and Miss Washington-Brown followed meekly in her wake.
"Mrs Potter, if it's any consolation," the woman said, "I think you must be very strong to put up with your 'husband' for this long."
"What did you say?" James spat. "I love Lily, I'd never…" He shook his head to Lily; it seemed that he couldn't find the right words to express what he felt, but Lily knew what he meant.
"James, don't bother wasting words on her," she spat, glaring at the marriage councillor. James nodded and opened the door.
"Have a nice weekend!" The woman said, smiling.
That was it.
Without even realising what she was doing, Lily spun round, her hand curling into a fist that connected with Miss Washington-Brown's jaw.
"Lily…" James started but she shook her head and he fell silent. "I'm sorry." A tear rolled down her cheeks.
"I've been a bitch, James. I've got something to tell you, but first you must understand that I'm so sorry…"
The bus shuddered and now they were going down a dark alleyway in London heading towards the Leaky Cauldron.
At last Lily was going to tell him what had been bothering her, but suddenly he realised he didn't want to know. James wasn't going to force Lily to tell him anything- it didn't matter.
"Shh..." He told her. "Lily it doesn't matter… Don't get upset . Not today."
The bus came to an erratic stop. "Come on." He said suddenly, taking hold of Lily's bruised hand and leading her to the front of the bus. "It's Valentines Day. Let's stop and have a drink. I told Sirius we might be stopping for a quick one"
Ruffled, Lily stepped off after James into the pub. Tom the barkeeper gave James and herself a gummy grin while wiping down the surface of the bar.
"Long time no see James," greeted the barman.
"Too long," returned James with a laugh.
"So, what'll it be? Doing a special on mango and Firewhiskey cocktails for today."
James looked quizzically a Lily. "I'll just have a glass of water if that's all the same."
"Spoil sport. I'll have a cocktail, thanks Tom, and don't go easy on the Firewhiskey."
Handing over some money to Tom, James turned suddenly.
"James!" Mundungus stalked over to James and slapped him on the back in a way of a friendly gesture. "Just the man I wanted to see. I've got a bit of a proposition for you…" He led James away from the bar and into the shadows of a far away corner. Lily shook her head; Mundungus now seemed to be showing James something hidden within the folds of his cloak.
"Here 'ya go." Tom handed Lily a glass of water.
"Thanks." Lily sipped and looked around the bar. You wouldn't think there was a war on, she told herself. Lily guessed that people had gotten used to it.
Between the chatter of three older witches talking about there rich husbands and the vampire who was talking quickly in an unknown language to what she supposed was thin air, her eyes landed on a small hooded figure at the end of the bar. Maybe it was her imagination but she thought that the figure kept stealing glances at her…
The atmosphere changed in a second. A man rushed into the pub from the front door, screaming. Before the scream had even finished escaping his lips, the man fell down, dead.
No sooner than he fell down the door was blasted of its hinges and a group of people who appeared to be Death Eaters entered the pub. People panicked and started to run around. Screams shattered the air. James appeared at Lily's side.
"Lily, you've got to Apparate."
"What about you?" she asked, already knowing the answer. She ducked to avoid a bar stool that was hurtling towards her head.
"I've got to stay here." He turned towards Tom. "Tom, we've got to stop them getting access of Diagon alley. If they do, there's no telling what they might do." Tom nodded and with lots of agility jumped up onto the bar brandishing his wand.
James patted Lily quickly on the shoulder and then was gone. One of the witches that had been talking seconds before was lying on the floor. Forgetting James' words, she rushed over to her, stunning one of the Death Eaters in the progress.
When Lily had first joined the Ministry she had taken a Healers course and had passed with flying colours. She had even considered joining St. Mungo's instead but had decided against it in the end. The Healer part of her brain seemed to take over, the woman was loosing lots of blood - too much. She muttered a spell stemming most of the bleed. She now turned her attention on a man a few meters away…
And so it went on. Half of the people Lily tried to help couldn't be, but she had no time for remorse at the moment. Lily hadn't seen James since the fighting had broken out and she looked around now.
No. He wasn't there.
"Dung!" she called out towards Mundungus who was scrambling around trying to pick up a selection of watches off of the floor. "Where's—JAMES!" She screamed.
James was battling with a Death Eater that towered above him but he didn't know that another one was creeping up behind him. Lily flung herself forward at the Death Eater shooting a spell at him. He fell to the floor.
James had finished battering with his giant Death Eater and turned to Lily with an expression of utter terror on his face. His mouth was open but before he could shout any warning, Lily was hit in the stomach and fell down.
Blackness.
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Lily's eyes fluttered open. She was lying in her bed at home at Godric's Hollow. James' blurry face came into focus.
"Lily?"
She smiled and sat up in bed rubbing at her eyes.
"Hey."
"God, you got everyone really worried.".
"James, what about-" she started to ask.
"Lily, don't worry. The Ministry arrived a few seconds after you went out. The Death Eaters never made it past me and Dung."
She had to laugh. "I'm sure I saw Mudungus hiding under a table at one point."
"Yeah, well, anyway, most people are recovering at St. Mungo's." Lily didn't question the way James said "most".
"So why aren't I at St. Mungo's?" she asked, changing the subject.
"Dumbledore asked for you to be brought here, had that new hot new nurse from up at the school have a look at you." James dismissed her unanswered question with a shrug. "Still teachers pet." He laughed again but his eyes seem to sparkle with tears. "I'm so happy you're alright Lily. For a moment there I thought… I thought..."
"Shh." Lily kissed him on the cheek. "It's alright." She found herself suddenly crying. "I'm fine. I'm not going to be going anywhere, okay?"
"Remus is here, and Peter. Don't worry," he added. "I'll make sure they behave." She smiled gratefully. "Listen, while I remember, Dumbledore gave me this." He pulled out of a pocket in his robes a letter and handed it to Lily. Studying the slanting, looping writing, Lily wondered what Dumbledore would be writing about this time.
A bang from downstairs signalled James' departure. ("SIRIUS, WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT THAT DAMN BIKE?) Lily chuckled to herself despite the fact that tomorrow she would more than likely be scraping the Marauders from floor after that stupid bike had run them over. Turning back to her letter, Lily opened it. She wasn't sure why her hands were shaking so badly.
Lily, I cannot speak at ease by this means of communication, but I think that it wasn't a coincidence that you were at the pub while it was attacked today. I cannot say more here, but please be on alert. Spies are everywhere. Try to stay indoors, or if you must, go out with James. Think. Who knew your location in advance today? I will see you soon I'm sure.
Yours, Albus Dumbeldore.
A sickening feeling came over Lily, a wave of dread washing over her. The stakes it seemed had just been raised. And…and hadn't James said himself that he had told Sirius about going for a drink?
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Gosh this chapter turnt out more depressing that planned. I'm sorry guys. Don't flame me please lol. Anyway. Thanks again to the wonderful Cath for Beta-ing this for me. Hopefully more fun in the next chapter.
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Kisses to everyone who has faved/reviewed/put me on an alert. Kerrie x-x-x-x