"Beseech you, sir, be merry: you have cause (so have we all) of joy; for our escape is much beyond our loss: our hint of woe is common…but for the miracle, I mean our preservation, few in millions can speak like us: then wisely, good sir, weigh our sorrow with our comfort."

---- Gonzalo, Act II, Scene I, The Tempest

THE TEMPEST

--- The Ghost of Godric's Hollow ---

Lily Potter knew that there were worse things than being in hiding. Of course, having an evil sorcerer after her only son didn't improve the situation…nor did hiding from the world she'd come to call her own. But she knew that life could be worse than what she was living now.

And I have James. I could never have done anything without him.

She watched as her husband wrestled their child into a pile of fallen leaves. Harry's infectious laughter and James' low chuckles filled the evening air. They were at the park…had been for quite some time, in fact, and still the boys weren't tired of it.

It's been so nice getting out of the house. Heaven knows Harry needed it, he's been cranky all day. And James…Lily shook her head, chuckling. Well, he's like a kid himself most of the time. If I didn't know better, I would think he has actually enjoyed being in hiding. He's certainly got a lot closer to Harry…he hated being gone all the time when he was an Auror…

To her left, the sun was just sinking below the trees, casting a bright amber glow over Godric's Hollow. A few people were still bustling around the streets on their way home, but here on Snidget's Corner, the Potters had the park to themselves.

Ha! 'Snidget's Corner'…for the life of me, I'll never understand how Bowman Wright got a hold of this place. Wasn't exactly subtle, was he? It's a miracle the Muggles haven't figured it out yet. Let me see. She frowned, trying to remember. There's a Broomstick Knob, Queerditch Street, Bludger Street, the recently added Dumbledore Boulevard…not to mention Gryffindor Lane!

What'll they think up next?

Quite a number of wizards and witches lived in Godric's Hollow, around ten percent of the island's population, as her husband often informed her. There was just something about the history that attracted them here…

Of course, they've got to keep a low profile…but how low-key can you get, exactly, with names like these?

But names weren't the only things that caught wizards' and witches' attentions. According to the legend surrounding Godric's Hollow, the ghost of Bowman Wright still wandered this place. Muggles only half-believed it, of course. Only the wizarding folk knew it was real, on account of the many times they had exchanged a polite "How do you do?" with him in the market place.

The Ghost of Godric's Hollow, she thought. It does have a nice ring to it, actually.

…But there are more ghosts of the past in people's heads than in spirit form, wandering the earth…

Lily knew that this was only too true. She had been haunted many-a-night by nightmares and images that wouldn't be half as scary if they hadn't really happened…

I can't think about that right now…I can't, I can't…

She went back to her Witch Weekly, and turned to the more sensible pages (if anything sensible ever does get put in here, that is). As luck would have it, they were found at the very back. A crossword puzzle was squashed in between last week's answers and a column marked The Do's and Don'ts of Transfiguring Your Ex-Boyfriend's Owl.

Hmm. Maybe not.

She was vaguely aware of her husband coming over. He plopped onto the bench and arranged himself so his head was on her lap and his legs were dangling over the side. "It's hard work keeping that kid entertained," he complained.

"Mm…" she said. "What's he doing now?"

"Playing in the sandbox. Why do you read this thing, anyway?"

"Just make sure he doesn't put it in his hair, I'd never be able to get it out. And we've been living as Muggles for a year, James; I do like to know what's going on in the other world every now and then, whether it's rubbish or not," she replied.

James squinted up at the magazine above his head. "'Bored of your pale complexion? Learn how to colour your eyebrows in just three simple steps!'" he read, and snorted. "I guess these people don't know that if you colour your eyebrows green, the rest of your face looks green too, then!"

Lily grinned, "And you would know, wouldn't you? How long did it take you to learn the counter-curse, again? Three hours?"

James grimaced at her smug voice. Did she have to rub it in? That wasn't the only time he'd got in the way of her curses…the ones the whole school knew were meant for his body only. "It was two-and-a-half, I'd have you know," he grumbled. "And it sure didn't take you 'three simple steps'! I had time to blink, and that was it."

"Why, thank you. Your hex wasn't half-bad, either. Of course, it would have worked better if you hadn't missed. What's an eleven-letter word for 'regurgitating fowl'?"

"Jobberknoll. And I didn't miss --- I nicked you!"

"James…you nicked a single strand of hair," Lily said, rolling her eyes. "Very frightening when it started moving on it's own accord, I'm sure. And what is this word? 'Often used as a splint'? They could mean a broom…"

Now it was her husband's turn to roll his eyes. "You can't use a broom as a splint, Lil! It's…it's…unethical! Try ferula."

"Ooh…thanks. Anyway," Lily continued. "That was nothing compared to what I did to you in 4th year! Do you remember, James?"

"Did you think I could forget? For a boy with black hair --- such as myself --- it's kind of hard not to when he goes around school without the slightest clue that he has a white strip down the middle of his head!" He said, and then moaned when she dissolved into laughter. "I couldn't show myself for days! I looked like a bloody skunk for a week! And was a right little laughing stock for months after!"

"It was hilarious, James, you have to admit that! Poor you, though…of course, you did deserve it, but maybe it was mean of me not to give you the counter-curse…after five days, didn't McGonagall finally take pity on you and take it off?" She asked.

"Yes," he mumbled, clearly not keen on discussing it any further.

" 'Not-quite-famous King of Woodcroft'" Lily read. "Hmm…you don't suppose it's Benwick, do you? But no…I think he was from France, not Woodcroft…"

"How many letters?"

"Seven. Could be Mordred…but he never became king, did he?"

"I think it's Hengist. But he later did become famous for finding Hogsmeade, didn't he? So would he count?"

"I think so…it just says that he was 'not-quite-famous' for being a king. He didn't become famous, per se, until after, and for a totally different reason…"

"Oooh, and who has been paying attention to Binns?" James said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

She laughed. "You are a git, you know that?"

"Of course. You only tell me twenty times a day, how can I not?"

"A prat, as well."

"Bint."

"Wanker."

"Slapper."

"Potter."

"Evans."

At that moment, a babble of voices met their ears and they looked up to see a merry group of people entering the park. The oldest one of the lot roared out, "Sebastian, you prig! Do you always think with your brawns instead of your brains?"

A large bloke said something that the Potters couldn't hear and the group chuckled again.

Lily brightened. "Oh! It's the Shylocks, James! But I wonder what they're doing here…they don't have any children…" she wondered, whispering to him.

As if in answer, the bundle in the youngest man's arms started squirming to get down. "Pan! Pan! Pan!" cried a little girl's voice, and she grabbed the young man's finger and started dragging him to the slides.

James chuckled as they watched the girl with the wild brown curls boss the young man into doing exactly what she wanted. "Headstrong, that one," he said.

The Shylocks turned towards them when they heard his voice, noticing the couple for the first time. Rebecca made a small sound in between a gasp and a squeal. She grabbed the hand of a black-haired man Lily had never seen before and started to drag him towards the Potters' bench, not unlike what the smaller girl had done a moment before.

"Rebecca! Sebastian! How good to see you again!" Lily exclaimed, standing up to greet their friends, while her husband's head went clunk on the bench behind her. "What are you doing here at this time of night?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Rebecca said, grinning at James who'd just stood up, rubbing his head, "Oh, and these two are very good friends of ours, from the mainland. We haven't seen them in a year…I was ecstatic to find they'd dropped by! This is David Granger, he and his wife are dentists in Brownsville…and this is his father, Captain John Granger, formerly of the Royal Navy!"

The captain in particular glowered at her, but Rebecca didn't seem to notice.

"And this scallywag is David's brother, Will," she finished, gesturing to the man hooked on her elbow. "David, Grandfather, Will…these are two of our dearest friends here in the Hollow----"

Lily closed her eyes and lost her hold on reality. James and Lily Potter…James and Lily Potter, Rebecca, how I wish you could say it!

"----Alonso and Claribel Napoli. They live just down the road from us, and Clare and I have become quite close these past couple months…" Rebecca trailed off, knowing that someone was missing. "But…where's Ferdinand?"

"He's over there, playing in the sandbox," James pointed, after he and Lily had forced smiles and shook the Granger men's hands in turn. Sebastian, as usual, just winked at them.

Rebecca pulled Lily aside as the men launched into a conversation of their own. "So how have you been, Clare? You haven't been coming to the library nearly as often as you used to, and every time I see you, you just seem…depressed."

Oh…how I wish you knew, Rebecca Shylock. But what can I say? "Yes, I am quite depressed, thank you, and by the way, Claribel Napoli really isn't my name, nor am I at all who I say I am!"

Lily knew that she could never say those words…nor did she really want to, in fact. It had always been pleasant to sit in the Shylocks' front room and have tea, like ordinary people did…to laugh about things that had nothing at all to do with a war, a war between two groups of people neither of whom the Shylocks had any inkling even existed.

But Claribel Napoli was depressed for reasons almost unknown to Lily Potter. Claribel Napoli was a Muggle, and so therefore didn't know that there were such things as witches and wizards…she didn't personally know anyone who'd been brutally murdered the past few years, in fact, so the only reason she could ever be depressed was because----

"I---I've just been getting allergies, you know. Must be something in the season. Haven't been sleeping well lately, either, come to think of it…I'm sure I've woken up Alonso one time too many in the past week!" she finally said, smiling sadly.

Rebecca Shylock made a sympathetic sound, and at once began to recommend medicines and books that might help, but Lily wasn't listening.

Oh, Merlin, if only it were just that! If only this could be explained away with the few remedies at hand…but they couldn't help Gideon or Fabian, and they certainly can't help me now…

She stared at the sinking sun without really seeing it. The sky above was heralding a rainbow of colours, while around her the trees were casting long ebony shadows all over the ground. A deep sorrow rose within her, shaking off the layers of pretence she used to try and hide it.

There was so much evil in the world…so many wrong things happening…and she just wanted it to all end. She was tired of running. She was tired of having to call her son a different name every time they stepped out of their house. She was tired of having to read about more and more deaths every time she opened the paper. Tired of just sitting there, knowing that she had a means to stop this madness…but more frightened at the thought of having to use it…

…Tired of having to look at the dark sadness evident on her husband's face every time his friends dropped by…she knew what he was thinking: At least they get to do something about this…and all we can do is hide from it...

…Tired of doing things by hand all the time…of having to lock away their wands every night…of living a lie…of putting on the same façade every day…of keeping their son away from the world he was born into…of laughing less…of crying more…of being in hiding!

Lily wanted to scream, and cry, and laugh, all at the same time. She wanted to take the world and rip it to shreds…she wanted to hug her child and hold him forever, tell him that she would always be there to protect him…and not have it be a lie…

She wanted to watch him grow up…turn into a young man…find his first love…wed his soul-mate…bear her first grandchildren…

…But every time she picked him up, kissed his cheeks, fixed his food, watched him laugh and play, saw him smile, bathed him, clothed him, loved him…tucked him into bed and sang him a lullaby…she feared that this would be the last time she'd ever hold him again. That the next time he ate a meal, it would be because of someone else…the next time he took a bath, it would be with someone else…the next time he was loved, it would be by someone else…

Because deep down inside of her, she had a horrible feeling that something was coming…that something was about to happen…

…That someone would find them.

No! she cried inside, furiously shaking herself back into the present. You're being foolish, Lily, you're just being a fool. There's no way anyone could ever find us…we're too safely hidden. Not only have we changed names and identities, but the most powerful wizard of our time has performed the means for us never to be found by the ones who wish us harm.

The Fidelius Charm.

And our friends would never betray us…we have all been through so much together…nothing could ever break this circle we've created…

Remus…dear Remus who's been gone for a month on some top-secret project or another…He's been through so much we could never have made him Secret Keeper…

It's a full moon tonight, she remembered, a pang in her heart. And James and Sirius and Wormtail can't be with him! Dear, dear Remus…

And Sirius! Oh, he's so stupid and stubborn and strong and loyal and…the best Secret Keeper. He would rather die than betray us…and that's what burdens me…

…But James was right. He is too vulnerable. Voldemort would have been after him in a second. It's best that it was given to Peter…no one will suspect Peter…Peter who's so earnest and innocent…despite all the trouble we've all run into countless times, he still keeps that air of…zealousness about him. It's so very refreshing, and he's such a dear companion to have…

Thinking of Peter --- or rather, Caliban, as James and Lily called him whilst discussing him amongst themselves, in case they were being overheard --- seemed to jolt her back into the present once more, and she was mildly astonished to see Rebecca staring at her.

"What?" she asked guiltily.

"Did you hear anything of what I've said over the past ten minutes?" said Rebecca.

Lily had enough sense to look sheepish as she shook her head.

But…as a wise man once said…"Few in millions can speak like us…then wisely, good sir, weigh our sorrow with our comfort!"

Beside the ladies, the men were having a roaring conversation. David's little girl had finally given the young man a break and drifted over to the sandbox, where she now eyed the little black-haired boy curiously. The young man headed toward the benches and he and James were finally introduced.

"…And this is my boat hand, Hector…otherwise known as Pan!" Captain John Granger said as the young man neared them.

"Alonso Napoli," James said, holding out his hand.

It struck him as very odd how the younger man regarded him warily before slowly shaking his hand in turn.

Is it just me…or have I seen him somewhere before? James thought, furrowing his brow. It certainly was almost as if he thought he knew me. But that's impossible…Lily and I are wearing disguises, for one thing…

It had been by mutual consent that Lily and James had chosen Italian names. He knew that somewhere in his line there was Italian descent, and his black hair, olive skin, and almond-shaped eyes helped a lot. All they had to do was colour his skin to be a few shades darker and change his hazel eyes to a full brown.

With Lily, it was harder because she had to change her hair completely. Her red against his black was a dead give-away, and they couldn't afford to be recognized by any of the wizarding world…especially because they were now living in a village with a fair few of them. Thus, every time they went out, she had to colour her hair a dark auburn, and change her's and Harry's skin to match her husband's…

…And remember that she was Claribel now, her husband was Alonso…and Harry…their Harry…was Ferdinand.

I know she hates living a lie…but she's come to realize that this is what we have to do now to stay alive…for us…but most importantly, for Harry

But where have I seen him before?

He went back to studying the man in front of him, who was now laughing at a joke David had said. Hector…Hector…the name sounds familiar…but that's not saying much, considering how common a name it is.

Oh, Merlin's beard, why am I obsessing about this? He was probably just a kid down the street I used to play with when I was younger, is all….yes…that's probably it…

And he turned back to the conversation at hand.

The sun sank beneath the trees, ending yet another autumn day. As if by magic, the lanterns suddenly flickered to life and the fairies that danced in the glass bulbs cast pools of light over the ground.

They do rather look like fairies, don't they? Lily thought, staring at the one above her. That is…those adorable little Muggle-fairies, not the ones that I know exist!

The chattering group in the park knew that they had to part ways --- the two couples to their houses, and the foursome to their boat in the cove. However, one person in particular didn't seem to want the evening to end.

"Oh, but Will, you have to see the statue before you leave…you all have to!" Rebecca cried. "It's just around the corner, it will only take a minute, I promise!"

Will looked at his father who, in turn, looked at David.

"Go ahead," David said. He cast a glance at the sky above, where clouds merged and came together, blocking out any signs of promising stars. "But be quick about it! We should have left an hour ago. I'll stay here with Neenie, I doubt whether I'd be able to pull her away…"

He glanced over to where Neenie was trying to catch fireflies in the gloom. The dancing bugs of light kept flickering in and out of existence, making her giggle uncontrollably as she first chased one…and then another…

In the sandbox watching her, Harry still sat, thumb in his mouth. Every once in a while a low gurgle of laughter came from him and he smiled behind his thumb. He was a shy little boy and didn't entertain easily --- he could be so serious sometimes!--- but the sight of the wild girl dancing in the dark, wild hair flying, entranced him.

His mother smiled.

The other five left, headed for the statue of Bowman Wright. Lily could hear Rebecca begin the story about the metal smith and how, in 1546, he sailed across the Bristol Channel to find the means of helping his people, in the form of a small, golden bird…

Lily watched them leave, wondering to herself why Hector looked faintly amused at Rebecca's tale, and why he looked so familiar…

To her right, James and David, the Muggle dentist, had engaged in conversation once more ("So…a dentist, eh?"), and Lily had to laugh quietly at her husband. She knew what Sirius would say about this. The one time he had heard about what Muggle dentists did, he'd looked absolutely revolted and said, "What's so interesting about some bloke who wants to see remnants of last night's chicken?"

James used to be like that, too…but living a year as Muggles has changed him. For the better, I hope!

Meanwhile, over by the sandbox, it seemed Harry had finally made a friend. He got up and toddled over to where Neenie was jumping in the air, eyes set on a bug a foot above her. He plopped on his bum and studied her, thumb still in his mouth, green eyes solemn. She ran in zig-zags, shrieking with laughter, around the tree, jumping over a stick on the grass…

…Until she came to a stop right in front of him.

The firefly zoomed away, unheeded, as brown eyes stared into green ones. Then --- Lily had thought David's girl would approach Harry slowly and shyly, but no --- the girl with wild curls gave a smile and opened her mouth.

'Opened her mouth' was Lily's last thought before being completely blown away.

"I's Neenie!" the girl chirruped before launching into a wide-ranged monologue with such stamina that Lily was amazed. She could make out half of the words the girl was saying, and that was it. The rest were beyond her.

This girl can't be more than two! Where in Merlin's name did she learn this many words? Most two-year-olds couldn't repeat what she's saying, let alone comprehend it…but she…this girl is a walking, talking children's dictionary!

She became so entranced watching the two children interact that she didn't even hear David coming to sit beside her until he said softly, "Talkative, isn't she?"

Lily could only nod her head in reply. Finally she tore her gaze away and asked, "How old is she? Tell me she's not two!"

David grinned. "She turned two years mid-September, on the nineteenth…she was supposed to be born eighteen days earlier, but the little imp didn't want to abide by rules, apparently…she loved her mother too much!"

She laughed with him, sympathizing. Two and a half weeks…I thought it would never end when I had Harry, and he was early…but two and a half weeks

"Your poor wife…" she said. "Eighteen days of torture, I'm sure! I was lucky that my Ferdy was born the day he was due. He was…well…I guess you could say that he was born as the seventh month died. But others aren't quite so lucky as I am…"

September the first, she realized. She would have been born September the first…

She turned to look at the children, who were now chasing each other around the park; laughing so hard they could barely run. It was when Neenie was chasing Harry around an oak tree that she tripped over a branch and fell. At once, a thin, red line appeared on her chubby knee and Lily half-rose, expecting the girl to burst into tears at any moment.

But they never came.

Neenie traced the cut with her finger, and took it away bloody. She studied the red on her finger for a moment then looked up, worried.

"Mummy?" she called out tentatively. "Mummymummymummy!"

"Come here, Neenie!" said Daddy's voice, and she ran to him.

"Wants Mummy. Wants Mummy for bannage!" she said, and held up her finger, a solemn look on her face.

Daddy pulled her close and kissed her little finger, fighting back a chuckle. It would not do for his Hermione to see her father laughing at her sorrows, after all.

"Neenie's gots booboo," she whispered. "Where's Mummy?"

It almost broke Lily's heart to see the lost look on the little girl's face as David tried to explain it to her.

She heard a child's squeals and looked over to see James throwing Harry up into the air, then catching him. Neenie looked at them enviously, but stayed still in her father's arms as he cleaned her cut.

Lily smiled at her encouragingly, then remembered something and rummaged around her bag, searching for a bandage she knew must be in there…

"Here you are," she said, holding it out to David.

"Why look, Neenie! See what the nice lady gave us? Let Daddy put it on for you…no, silly Neenie, not on your finger…on your knee, see? Be brave, now…be brave for Daddy…there!" He kissed his daughter's knee and wiped off the blood on her finger with a handkerchief Lily provided for him. "Now, can you say thank you to Claribel?"

Brown eyes pepped at her through a curtain of tangled curls. A shy, small smile spread across the little girl's face as she said, "Thank you!"

Lily laughed. "You're very welcome, Neenie! You were very brave, weren't you? You didn't cry at all!"

Neenie bobbed her head, and her daddy grinned proudly. "She never cries unless it really hurts," he explained. "Well…unless she gets cranky and decides to throw a tantrum, that is…"

Neenie squirmed in his arms and crawled across the bench to Lily. It took a while, considering her poor cut knee, but when she got there, she curled up in Lily's lap and squealed in delight at the sight of the magazine in the woman's hand. "Wead!" she cried. Lily gave her the magazime and Neenie settled closer, opening it with ease and proceeding straight towards the colourful pictures.

In the grass, Harry had toddled back over to the oak tree, a bit dizzy after being thrown so high. His daddy lay in the grass, trying to catch his breath. Harry bent down and started tugging on the branch Neenie fell on. He tried to pick it up, but it was too heavy and he fell on his nappy instead.

Fallen leaves twirled by him, and some landed in his black hair. He raised a hand, confused, and tried to rub them off, but they stuck on. He had another go at the stick and, with both hands, he was able to lift up one end of the stick. He choked on his gurgling laughter.

"Bwoom!" he shrieked, the leaves still attached to his hair.

Lily and James looked at each other, astonished, then laughed with him.

"You want broom? I'll give you broom!" roared James and he leapt up, seized his son, and started zooming him around the park like an aeroplane. Harry screamed with laughter as he soared through the swings, around the slides, under the tree, over Mummy's head…

On her lap, Neenie giggled as the pair of them went past.

"F'ying! He's f'ying, Daddy!" she said.

David watched it all with a slight smile on his face. "You're right, Neenie…he is!"

He looked down at his watch and frowned. "Where are they?" he whispered.

But Lily had something else on her mind. She turned to him, her brows furrowed.

"Neenie…that's not a very common name, is it, David? Is it short for something?" she asked, fingering the child's curls.

David threw his head back and laughed. "'Not a very common name'! I think that her real name is more uncommon than her nickname, truth be told!"

Lily waited patiently for him to explain, the wind picking up her hair and tossing it about her face. The breeze really was getting stronger, she noted idly, and the sky was moving fast.

"Her full name is Hermione Jane Granger," David said when he'd sobered up. "Now you tell me if that's common or not!"

"Shakespeare!" Lily breathed, a smile on her face.

"Kudos to you!" said David, impressed. "Not many people are aware of that fact…they think we made the name up! You could say that I am a fanatic. I have his every volume in my library…but of course, it didn't help matters when I married a woman who had just as much Shakespeare in her blood as I!"

"Why? What's her name?" Lily asked --- she was intrigued. She almost had to laugh at the foolish grin on David's face when he answered, though.

"Cordelia…but that's not the worst of the matter. Her mother's name is Miranda, and she has two sisters by the names of Helena and Gertrude, respectively!" he said.

Lily looked down at the little girl in her lap. Hermione Jane Granger, they called her. Hermione. It really was a lovely name, she decided. And with a personality to match!

Your parents have done you justice, child.

"…And every time I read to her, it's always Shakespeare…she's going to be a bookworm when she grows up, that's for sure!" David continued.

Lily sighed, "The world could use more bookworms. I was one too, when I was younger. Haven't got much time for it now, with my little one."

"Your Ferdinand is a handsome lad…he's going to grow up to charm beauties with that smile!"

"His father charmed me with that smile!" Lily said, laughing. "I can only pity the girl who falls in love with Ferdy…may heaven help her!"

David laughed too, but his laughter quickly died. Lily turned to say something to him, but he was looking past her, distracted. "Erm…could you excuse me? It seems they need me for something…" He got up and started toward the other end of the park where Hector was gesturing frantically. "Please! Could you watch Neenie for me? This will only take a minute!"

Lily nodded in answer, but David was already running. She hoped that nothing was wrong…she'd come to like these people although she knew their lives would probably never cross again.

But Hector looked so worried…she couldn't help but finger the tip of her wand, hidden safely out of sight. What if something had happened? And what if they needed more help? And what if…

What if Hector isn't who he says he is?

The thought sprung unbidden into her mind…she had no clue where it came from. But now that it was said, she realized how much it made sense.

I'm not one to go making judgements about people I don't know…but being in hiding and living in fear has taught me one thing, and that is that no one is who they appear to be. There's always something they're hiding…and most of the time, it isn't good….

But this didn't mean that he was bad, just because he was hiding something, she knew that. But the truth of the matter was that she had seen him somewhere, and now she knew where…

I've only been to Knockturn Alley once on Order business…the streets were crowded, filth covered the air…but there's one face I'll never forget. He was hiding in the doorway to a shop…Gilchrist's Ghastly Glyphics, if I remember right…and he had a hood pulled over his face…but I saw enough. However, the company he was keeping was even worse.

Honestly, can't he do any better than Lucius Malfoy and Patroclus Nott?

Lily felt bile rise in her throat and she had to choke the disgust down. But why is he running around with Muggles? And is Hector even his real name…or did he disguise himself so that he could get in with the Grangers?

But to kill them? Or…to get to us?

She felt a tug on her sleeve and looked down. Brown eyes met green for the second time that day, as Neenie --- Hermione --- looked up at her curiously.

"Wha's your name?" she asked shyly.

Lily forced her thoughts to the back of her mind and smiled at the little girl. "It's Lil --- erm, Claribel. And you're Hermione!"

Hermione nodded solemnly. "I's Neenie. Does you like mumbers?"

"Yes, I do!" Lily said. "You're very smart to know about numbers, aren't you?"

Hermione nodded again, looking excited. "And lebbers, too! Wead? Wead pwease? Neenie likes it bery much!"

Lily hesitated, then took the magazine. The face of a black-haired witch with a magenta hat and a sly grin looked up at her underneath the title Witch Weekly scrawled across the top.

But that's not what she sees, is it? she remembered. All wizarding books, magazines, and newspapers are magically charmed to read something different to the Muggles. So Hermione would see the words The Bristol Woman's Digest, and a Muggle model on the front page.

"The Bristol Woman's Digest," Lily read aloud to Neenie, and was about to read more when she was interrupted.

"Nononono!" Neenie cried, distressed. "Wead! Wead!" She jabbed a pudgy finger on the top of the page.

But that's not right…Lily frowned. The Muggle equivalent of this has those words on the bottom, not the top…

"What do you mean, Neenie, I am reading," she said slowly.

She probably just wants me to describe the picture to her…yes…that's it.

"No! Neenie likes lebbers!" Hermione pouted, then leaned forward to point at the cover again. "Neenie knows dis is an eye, an' dis a sea…an' dis one and dis ones are knees!"

It sounded like pure child's talk to Lily. She was probably just pointing to various parts on the model's body…but… That's funny…on my translation of the magazine, she was pointing at different letters…first an 'I', then a 'C', and then two 'E's…

Neenie was still talking. "An' dis one's a dub --- dubba----"

"'W'!" Lily said for her, then sat up straight. Eye…'I'…sea…'C'…knees…well, it's a stretch, but 'E's! And a 'W'----!

"Holy Snitch!" she gasped, hand clamped to her mouth, eyes enormous. She didn't even have time to register the fact that a two year old was actually picking out letters. Nor did it register that this said two year old was now looking at her in alarm, confused as to why she was now on the bench instead of a lap.

Lily's thoughts were on fast forward.

She's the daughter of two dentists…both of them are Muggle, they have to be…she lives in a well-to-do seaside village…she turned two in September…mid-September, which is important, because that means that she'll be in Harry's year…

She was barely aware that some time in her ramblings, she had taken Hermione in arms and was looking into that face --- really looking into that face for the first time. She was barely aware of how dark the sky had grown…but it was because of the clouds, not the on-coming night…a storm was coming…

She wasn't even aware of her husband looking around them uneasily, Harry clutched tight in his arms…nor was she aware that the Grangers were now sprinting across the park, fear evident in their eyes.

No…Lily Potter had room for just one thought.

Hermione Jane Granger is a Muggle-born witch!

Author's Note: Well, the cauldron's brewing, the leaves are falling, the pages are turning, and the storm is coming! The next chapter will pick you up in the whirlwind that's heading your way, and it's called "On All Hallow's Eve". Of course, it could change a bit, like how I changed this chapter's name. It wasn't until I was done with it that I realized I like this better than plain old "Godric's Hollow". But you're not complaining, are you?

And look! We're half-way done with our story! Didn't think I'd make it this far, but I'm excited for what's coming next. Are you?

Oh, small disclaimer: Whydoyouneedtoknow came up with the name Patroclus for Theodore Nott's father, not me, so praise her. (And I do feel a bit bad because I totally forgot to ask her if I could use that name...but she is my beta after all, so I assume it's alright...)

And please review! I know this chapter was different, but did you like it, or hate it, or what? And questions! I love questions...especially ones I can't answer because that means you guys are picking up on the good stuff and it will be answered in a few chapters...so please review! I can't write with no reviews, and I do love to write...