April 1st, 1980
"Áine! Hey!" The blonde turned when she heard her name called, smiling as her old school friend and fellow Order member Marlene approached her. "Are you done for the day?"
"Yeah, was just about to head home. How are you?"
"Oh, exhausted as all hell. A group of muggle teenaged boys found a box of magazines full of nude girls in a local park up in Leeds that were actually portkeys. The poor horny bastards ended up scattered all across the Netherlands. Took our entire department the whole day to sort them out. Care for a drink? I could sure use one."
Áine thought about it for a moment. She had a meeting scheduled with the head of her department early the following morning, but she supposed one drink couldn't hurt.
"Sure." She agreed, narrowing her eyes at Augustus Rookwood's back as he talked with a wizard she didn't know across the atrium. "It's been a long day for me too. I usually take the Floo to the Leaky Cauldron anyway. My house isn't far from there."
An hour later, both Áine and Marlene had ordered a second round of drinks at the Leaky Cauldron and were laughing animatedly about the boys Marlene had helped sort out earlier.
"The ungrateful git had the gumption to ask me how old I was and if I'd ever kissed a boy before! I swear those memory charms addle the brain more than we realize."
"Maybe not, though. Think back to Hogwarts. Pubescent boys are just idiots, memory charm or not."
They both laughed again, thinking of the exact same particular group of pubescent boys. Sirius had been the worst, closely followed by James. Although James had gone head over heels for Lily about halfway through their fourth year, he still made such an ass of himself around her for so long that she sometimes wondered how Lily wound up marrying him. Lupin kept his handful of relationships private to spare himself from his friends' banter, and now that she thought of it, she couldn't recall knowing Peter to ever have a girlfriend. When she brought this up to Marlene, she was surprised to see a blush in the brunette's cheeks.
"I'm sure Peter has had girlfriends." She argued.
"Maybe, it's just hard to picture I suppose." Áine shrugged.
"It is not! He's not bad looking. Besides, there's something to be said for the shorter, quiet ones. They tend to be full surprises."
"Ew. I don't want to know anything about Peter and whatever surprises he may be hiding. You seem keen on it though. Do you fancy him?"
"Me? Fancy Peter? That's ridiculous." Marlene tried to wave her off, taking a deep drink of her whiskey.
Áine wasn't fooled. She heard the fluster in Marlene's tone, and the blush of her cheeks was deepening. She smiled mischievously, knowing that the other three guys would have an absolute field day with this information.
"You like him! Oh don't try and deny it, it's plain as day on your face. You have a thing for Peter Pettigrew!"
"Shh, not so loud!" Marlene hissed.
"Sorry, I don't mean to embarrass you. He's truly a sweetheart. I just had no idea." Áine said, failing to keep the amusement from her tone.
"You have zero room to gloat, Áine Quinn. Shall we talk about Sirius?"
"That's irrelevant. There's absolutely nothing to say." Áine said dismissively, taking her turn to bury her face in her whiskey to hide.
"I don't know. I seem to remember the two of you getting awfully cozy at Lily's wedding before leaving together."
"He gave me a ride home." She lied, grasping for a believable story when she suddenly felt a familiar thrashing from inside her pocket.
As Marlene plunged on about the way Sirius had gazed down upon her as they had danced that night, she closed her hand around a small compact mirror in the pocket of her work robes. It was an exact twin of a mirror that Lily had, a gift that James had given them in their final year at Hogwarts in order for them to stay in touch late at night when they were in their separate dormitories. When Lily found out that James and Sirius had a similar pair of two-way mirrors that allowed them to communicate from separate detentions, she had begged James to make a set for herself and Áine as well.
She excused herself to the restroom, hurrying inside of a stall and opening the compact as an unpleasant gurgling sound could be heard from the next toilet over. When Lily's face appeared, Áine could tell that something was wrong.
"Hi! What's up?" She asked the pretty redhead reflected in the glass. "Wait, where are you?"
Nervousness coursed through her suddenly, seeing that her best friend looked to be walking down a sidewalk instead of safe inside her flat. It was well after dark and there was no reason for her to be out.
"I know I wasn't supposed to, but I had to get out of that damn place. Do you have any idea what it's like being cooped up inside the same four walls day in and day out?"
"Where is James?" She asked quickly.
"He and Peter are off spying on a few Death Eaters, as usual. I don't know why it's okay for him to go out and be useful all the time but I'm not allowed to do anything except sit at home and knit. This child is his just as well as mine, you know."
"I know Lil, but we have been over this." She explained, digging around for her truck keys. "He's a man, which unfortunately means he's not the one currently pregnant with a helpless babe. You have a much more important job than any of us now, because you're responsible for someone who can't fight for himself."
"I don't need you to talk sense and logic right now, dammit. Just be angry and bitter with me..."
Her friend's voice trailed off, and Áine watched Lily in the mirror as she halted and checked over her shoulder.
"What is it?" Áine asked. "What's wrong?"
"N-nothing. I just thought I heard something. Hang on..."
"Lily where are you?" Áine demanded.
"I'm near Hyde Park, nearly home." She answered, her voice now a whisper that was tainted with fear. "Can you meet me? I... I think..."
Lily's voice trailed off again and Áine held her breath. How could Lily have been so stupid? Did she not realize how vulnerable she was? As her fingers finally found the metal key ring in one of her deep pockets, she made to leave the restroom when she heard Lily's voice again. It sounded far away, and Áine's mirror was fuzzy as if Lily had concealed her own mirror from view.
"Severus! Are you following me?!" Her voice sounded far away.
Áine's heart went painfully still. Severus? If Severus Snape was anywhere near Lily right now, Aine had to move quickly. Though she had never feared Severus harming Lily or herself when they were all kids growing up on the same block, things had changed. She had no idea what the greasy, hook-nosed Death Eater was like now other than he was still madly obsessed with Lily. They certainly were not innocent children anymore, and Snape had made his allegiances clear as day.
The mirror suddenly returned to normal, reflecting only her own shocked and horrified face before she snapped it shut and jammed it back into her pocket. Rushing from the toilet, she rejoined Marlene and grabbed hold of the drink that she had just raised to her lips.
"We have to leave now." Áine said pointedly, unsure of how she managed to keep her voice even as she tossed a few coins on the counter and pulled her friend as inconspicuously as possible from the pub.
"What's happened?!" Marlene asked her once they were both outside the back alley.
"Lily- being followed. We must go to her, now."
Marlene followed Áine into the pale yellow pickup truck that she left parked in the alleyway while she was at work. She normally drove it here in the mornings and then used the Floo Network inside to get to the Ministry. Then she used the Floo again in the afternoon to return here and drive the rest of the way home, because her muggle mother still startled if she appeared via floo powder at the end of the day.
"Send a message to James, Peter is with him too. Tell them to meet us here immediately."
"Okay. What about Remus and Sirius?"
Áine shook her head, trying to steady her shaking hands.
"Remus is traveling. He's not due back for another three weeks or so. James has his own very efficient way of contacting Sirius, he'll take care of it."
Marlene didn't say anything further as she reached into her own Ministry robes and pulled out the Phoenix feather that Dumbledore had enchanted and given to most members of the Order. It was a feather that was given to him from his trusty bird, Fawkes, which he had then magically replicated for each of them to use to communicate with one another. She raised it into the air and scrawled her request for help as if she were writing on an invisible bit of parchment. The letters glowed red in the darkness, and when she was finished she flourished her wand over them in a complex pattern. They glowed brightly for a moment and then disappeared.
Within five minutes the two young women were driving down one of the roads alongside Hyde Park with their eyes searching the darkness frantically.
"She should be here somewhere along here." Áine breathed, panic threatening to consume her whole.
"Maybe she apparated home?" Marlene suggested.
"No... she hasn't apparated since she became pregnant. Too risky for the baby."
"I see."
There weren't many people out as it was getting on into the night, but a few wandering souls were still about. None of them, however, resembled the person she wished so desperately to see. The park was very large, and finding her would not be easy if she'd been lured in there.
"There's quite a bit of this park that's patrolled by guards, especially at night. If she's here with them they would be in the trees- oi!"
Marlene was cut off by Áine yanking the wheel around, shifting the gears as the tires squealed. Before she knew it they were barreling back the way they'd come.
"Are you mad, what the hell d'you think-"
"She's there!" Áine cried, relief flooding her.
Marlene squinted her eyes, looking ahead. Sure enough, Lily was bustling from a cluster of trees and shadows. She realized that Áine must have seen her in the funny, oblong shaped mirror hanging from the windshield between them. The blonde slammed on the brakes as she approached her friend, causing Marlene to cry out in fear.
"Let her sit between us!" She instructed Marlene, who fell out of the cab breathlessly.
Lily looked frightened as she climbed awkwardly into the bench seat beside Áine and Marlene followed her. As soon as the passenger door was shut, Áine hit the gas once more.
"Have a nice little stroll, did we?!" Áine asked her best friend angrily.
"Don't you go biting off my head, you don't know what it's been like to sit inside each day-" Lily began, but Áine cut her off, keeping her eyes carefully trained on the road now that the vehicle contained such precious cargo.
"No, you listen to me, dammit! You don't know what it's like worrying after you every damned day! You're always doing too much, did you know that?!"
"All I wanted was a bloody walk! Merlin's beard, it's like walking is a major crime all of a sudden!"
"Well what you got was pregnant, and now we're all just trying to keep you both alive and you're not makin' it an easy task, woman!"
"So this is my fault?!" Lily exclaimed indignantly.
"Áine!" Marlene screamed suddenly, pointing her wand across them at the driver's side window.
Áine didn't have time to look at what had startled her before the window beside her head shattered, showering the three of them with glass. Lily screamed, Marlene cursed, yet Áine was too petrified to make a sound. Her fingers gripped the steering wheel so tight that she could feel her heartbeat in her knuckles as she steadied the swerving vehicle once more.
"Reparo!" Lily's voice trembled, raising her wand and setting the window back as it was.
The yellow pickup truck barreled down the road as Áine jammed her foot into the gas pedal. Dark, smoky figures pummeled through the air around them as the engine roared, and she could see that they were outnumbered. She had just started to wonder where James, Sirius and Peter could be when she saw a flash of light streak past them. It hit one of the shadowy figures and blasted it clear out of view.
Within seconds, the very air around them was electrified with magic as the spells shot back and forth. Áine couldn't make sense of any of it as she raced away from the scene, taking the long way to the Potter's flat. Marlene was leaned out the window shooting off curses at the shifting shadows behind them. When she had circled a few blocks and could be sure that they were no longer being followed, she stashed the truck in an alleyway a few blocks away and they walked the rest of the way.
The two best friends hadn't spoken a word between them after they entered the flat. Áine began to pace the floor in front of their fireplace while Lily set to work in the kitchen. Áine knew that she was angry and distracting herself, but she really didn't care at the moment. Her thoughts were on the guys that were out there facing the Death Eaters. They waited a half hour, and they were all surprised when Peter showed up first.
"Is everyone alright?" He asked after he had appeared through the front door.
"We're okay." Áine told him, her breath catching in her throat. "Where are James and Sirius?"
"Are they not back yet? We got separated, only just got away." Peter explained shakily. "I hoped I would find them here."
"They haven't come back. You left them?Fuck, I'm going after them." She strode across the room, fuming and terrified all at once.
"I'll go with you." He offered weakly.
"No, you two stay and don't let that stubborn woman out of your sight."
Peter nodded, and Marlene told her to be careful as she whirled around and grabbed the doorknob. She left so fast that she ran headlong into James's tall, lanky figure that was rushing up the front steps toward the front door.
"Áine?! Where are you going? Where's my wife?" He asked frantically, steadying her shoulders with a firm grip and searching her face.
"Inside. She is safe and unharmed." Áine breathed, giving him a quick but tight hug.
As he pushed passed her into the house, she found herself immediately pulled into Sirius's arms. She breathed him in, relief causing her to melt into his welcome embrace. He felt safe, as if nothing in the world could touch her if he was near. They held on to each other tightly, and when she finally pulled away from him he saw a hint of tears in her eyes.
"You sure you're alright?" He asked, cradling her face in his hands as if she were the most precious thing he'd ever held.
"Yes. I was coming to find you. Peter came back alone just a moment ago, and I was afraid something had happened to the both of you."
"We're fine, Áine. You ladies just gave us quite the scare you know. What the hell were you all doing out and about after dark like that?"
"I had just come from work. Marlene and I stopped for a drink on our way home when Lily reached out to me. She'd been left alone and decided to have a damned walk in the park. She was followed by Severus. Her mirror went blank after she confronted him."
"So you barreled off to go save the day alone, without waiting for backup? Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?"
"I wasn't alone, I had Marlene. And I'm more than capable of taking care of myself, you know?" She asked indignantly, stepping back and narrowing her eyes. "Was I supposed to just stay put while knowing my best friend in the whole world was in serious trouble? What would James say if I'd waited for the two of you to get there first and we had been too late because of it?!"
"Okay, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it sound like I don't realize how competent you are. I know you're quite the force to be reckoned with, I've met the woman who raised you. I reckon Voldemort can count himself lucky that your mum isn't able wield magic."
He paused, a faint smile hinting around his lips. She tried to hold her face sternly, but it was no use. The man had a point. She shook her head and smiled a bit as well, despite the terror of the last hour. Closing the distance between them again, he wrapped an arm around her waist and gazed at her somberly once more.
"I know you're tougher than nails, love. Doesn't mean that I don't still worry about you." He kissed her forehead and continued. "When James said you were going to her, I felt... you know, it takes a lot to scare me, and I was absolutely terrified that something might happen to you. To any of you."
"Well, we are safe. Thanks to my driving skills and a few well executed curses by Marlene. And the mirrors James made for Lily and I. Those may have saved her life tonight."
Shuddering a little at the thought, he pulled her tight against him again. He wished he never had to let her go, because at least when she was here he knew without doubt that she was safe. Smoothing her wild blonde waves away from her freckled face, he had the urge to kiss her right there and then. As soon as he'd decided to go for it and leaned in, the front door opened and flooded them with light from the entryway.
They pulled apart quickly while Marlene paused, looking between the two of them a moment before a slow smile spread over her face.
"Shut up, Mar." Áine grumbled, avoiding both of their gazes as she shoved passed her and back into the house.
Peter was perched on the edge of the sofa, resting his chin on his fingertips and his elbows on his knees. Lily and James were nowhere to be seen as they all entered the room.
"James and Lily are having a chat in the back. I think they're in their room." Peter told them, not looking up.
"What happened to you out there, mate? We looked for you before we came back." Sirius asked.
"I got caught up with a pair of their lot, ended up somewhere by the bird memorial thing." Peter explained, straightening up.
"That's quite a ways from the road. You managed to lose them both though?" Sirius observed.
"Y-yes. It wasn't easy, you see. I thankfully had my broomstick and I-"
Whatever explaination he had to offer was interrupted by James emerging from the bedroom, looking upset. Áine noticed that he didn't look angry, necessarily. She recognized the fear in his eyes. It's one of those looks that she had come to know well in her short lifetime.
He stopped in the middle of of the room, surveying them all as if he'd quite forgotten that they were even here. He then strode wordlessly to Marlene and wrapped her in a grateful hug. She returned it, patting his back comfortingly.
"Thank you." He said as he pulled away. "Thank you for keeping my wife and son safe."
"I'd do it again in a heartbeat." Marlene said, her lip quivering a bit at the unexpected affection. "We love them just as much as you do, James. Besides, if it weren't for Áine's quick reaction and utterly mad driving, we never would have got there in time. She called all the shots and she found Lily and she got us all here safe- well not safely. Unscathed, anyhow."
James turned to Áine and embraced her as well. He squeezed her tight, finding it difficult to accurately express how thankful he felt for the people in this room. It was because of them that they were safe right this moment. Remus included, though he was not present, these people were as good as family to him. He trusted them with his life.
When they pulled away from each other, James looked down at Áine with a look of unspoken gratitude, and she simply nodded her head to signal that she understood. Clearing her throat, she changed the subject by asking James if he thought that she should go talk with Lily.
"Sure. I can't imagine she's very happy with me at the moment. I just can't stop thinking about what could have- no. Go ahead. I'd like a drink."
The guys and Marlene followed James to the kitchen, while Áine tiptoed down the hall toward the master bedroom. There was no answer when she knocked, so she decided to push the door open a bit.
"I'm coming in whether you like it or not, so I hope you're decent." She called, peering into the dimly lit space.
Lily was sitting on the bed with her head down, a hand resting on her large belly, and a few tears trailing down her cheeks. She didn't move when Áine walked in and sat on the floor opposite, leaning her back against the wall. A few moments of silence passed before Lily wiped her eyes and sniffled.
"I know you want to say it. Get on with it then." She muttered.
"Hey..." Áine began. "I'm sorry that I snapped at you back there. I was scared. Really scared. I was angry, but not at you."
Lily only scoffed, shaking her head and wiping a few more tears.
"I mean it. You should be able to take a walk whenever you fancy it. You should be the one out picking outfits for your son. It's not fair that you should have to live your life with one eye over your shoulder. I'm angry at them. I'm angry at Voldy-Wart. I took it out on you in the heat of the moment and I'm sorry."
Lily couldn't help the small laugh the burst from her lips at Áine's joke, and Áine smiled as well.
"You Hufflepuffs and your fairness. You do know that life is hardly ever fair, don't you?"
"More than I wish I did." Áine reminded her gently, meeting her eye. "It doesn't mean that I can't speak of the injustices as I see them."
"And nobody does that better than you, my beautiful, loud-mouthed friend." Lily teased, smiling again.
"I'll take that as a compliment, ya arse." Áine smiled back.
"You would."
There was a light knock at the door, and Marlene entered as the two young women laughed. Shutting the door behind her, she leaned against it and took a deep breath.
"It seems a lot more fun in here than out there. And they say women are the dramatic ones."
"Oh," Lily breathed suddenly, grasping at her belly.
"What?!" Áine and Marlene asked together.
"His kicking!"
"No way! Can I feel?" Marlene asked excitedly.
"Sure. Áine you too. Get up here, both of you."
They did as she instructed, settling in on either side of her against the head board. She moved their hands over her swollen abdomen, pushing their fingertips in at various places, trying to get the placement right. After a few minutes of no luck, suddenly Áine's eyes went wide.
"Oh my god." She exclaimed.
Lily laughed.
"That's unreal." Marlene breathed.
The three friends sat like that for quite some time, laughing and crying and feeling the little miracle that Lily was growing inside of her. They talked about names, about her fears of becoming a parent so young in such a cold world, of James and his odd little romantic gestures he made for her while he was out on Order business.
The three young men in the kitchen talked for well over an hour before it was decided that Peter and Sirius would return to their posts while James would stay home with Lily for the rest of the night. They all rose from the table, Peter taking his leave while the other two made their way through the flat to tell the ladies the plan.
When James knocked on his bedroom door, he was surprised when there was no answer. Worried, he turned the knob and rushed through the door. What they found made them both smile so big that they had to contain their laughter in order to not wake the three sleeping women on the bed. Lily lay in the middle, while Áine and Marlene snoozed on either side of her with their hands on her belly. All three women still had their shoes on, which the two of them removed quietly. James brought a blanket from the hall closet to cover them with, and shut the door behind him as they left the three women to rest.
"I suppose I'll stop by Áine's house and let her mother know where she is so that she won't stay awake and worry."
"Probably a good idea. Good to know you're so close with her mum." James observed mischievously.
"She's a riot." Sirius smiled widely, unashamed about his feelings for the sleeping blonde in the next room.
"I'm happy for you, brother." James told him affectionately.
"Be happy when that stubborn woman finally agrees to go on a date with me." Sirius told him, only half joking.
"Who, Áine's mother? I didn't realize you were in to older women like that. Truly a dog to the core, Padfoot." James teased.
"Fuck off, Prongs." Sirius shot back, smiling and putting on his jacket.
"No judgement from me, old boy. Keep your eyes peeled tonight, yeah? I'll expect updates."
"Yes mummy." Sirius rolled his eyes as he took a cigarette from his pack. "You as well. Enjoy the couch, mate!"