Author's Note:

Another chapter out. I apologize in advance if you do not like the format in which its being written. This is my first story. Constructive criticism is welcome. We are almost at 5K views in total. So, thank you so much for the overwhelming response. I have a lot to improve and your continuous support will only help me.

I need suggestions on certain things

1. Would you like Nymphadora and Harry to start school at Hogwarts? Or start somewhere else and then move to Hogwarts sometime around the Triwizard Competition?

2. I was thinking of modifying the prophecy a bit. How do you guys feel about that?

Ya, you know the drill. I don't make money out of this- Blah blah blah. JK Rowling owns this- Blah Blah Blah.

Chapter 8

The sun was shining brightly overhead. As one of the warmer months on the island, it was the ideal weather for people to bask in the sun. People thronged the Stonehenge on the summer solstice to have a view of the breathtaking sunrise. A marvel, considered by muggles to have been considered in pre-historic times and said to have stood the test of time and tide. Some considered it a burial site, some considered it as a ritual site for pagans. Tourists would visit the monument throughout the year though.

The crowd on the said day was minimal by all standards. James Potter was dressed in muggle attire to avoid causing an unnecessary scene. He had arrived well in advance of the scheduled time. This meeting was an important one for him. He knew how much her grandfather meant for Lily, and he didn't want to disappoint the man. He was looking for a man who had dressed weird (he found it funny that wizards and witches couldn't nail the muggle look). He had been unsuccessful till now to identify such a person.

The meeting place in itself was a surprise for him. He hadn't expected a meeting to happen so soon. But he always expected to be held at a place less conspicuous, a place where the pureblood patriarch could assert his dominance. If intimidation was the goal, there were many shady and murky places to choose from. All his suspicions pointed out that maybe he had a good chance to get on the good side of the person he was waiting for.

He was observing the stone slabs from a short distance and keeping an eye out for Lily's grandfather. Muggles were taking pictures with the monument in the backdrop. Happy faces who had no idea that a war was brewing in a parallel world. James couldn't help but think that he would probably have been one of them if he didn't know about magic. He was lost in thought when a voice startled him -

"Hope I didn't keep you waiting for long?"

The man was dressed in an immaculate three-piece suit and a top hat, with a cane in hand. James couldn't not draw comparison to Mr. Monopoly. His hair and moustache were pearl white and he emitted an aura of wisdom and discipline. James decided that this man was not one to be taken lightly.

"Not at all Sir. I didn't want to be late for this and turned up early"

"As you might have guessed, I am Arcturus Black, Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black."

"Glad to finally meet you Sir. James Potter at your service." He made sure to add a bow.

"Hmm! Not bad, you do have manners. My granddaughter has taught you well."

"She wouldn't have it any other way. She has been my teacher on magical traditions for many years now."

Arcturus Black had a small glint on his face. He turned towards the monument and continued-

"Do you know that Merlin built this with the help of Giants?"

"I wasn't aware Sir. The muggle side doesn't mention anything about Merlin and this is my first time with a magical here."

"It was used as a ritual space back in the older days. A place to connect with Magic and resonate with it."

"That must have been an amazing experience for sure."

"We can only imagine. Unfortunately, that knowledge has been lost over the years. And if it exists, people would never share it with everybody."

"If the patriarch of the House of Black doesn't know about it, then I highly doubt any active family might possess the knowledge."

"I don't consider myself the pioneer of magic. You are treading a fine line trying to impress me with praise. But I digress. Do you know why I invited you here instead of someplace like the Leaky Cauldron or the Three Broomsticks?"

"I can only speculate. Maybe you didn't want to spook me out by choosing a place where you have the tactical advantage."

"Partially. My reasons are two-fold. One, I wanted this meeting to be a secret. I have a certain stature and image to maintain"

"And the second?"

"People tend to think the worst of me. They believe I am a muggle hater and I didn't want this meeting to happen under that assumption."

"Whenever I imagined this conversation, it would always be in a darkened room. You would be seated on an armchair and me on the other side being interrogated. I would never have imagined this conversation in such a setup. Thank you for that."

"Let's start the interrogation then. What are your intentions towards my granddaughter?"

"At the moment, she is everything for me. I will gladly lay down my life for her."

"But it wasn't always like that, was it?"

"You are right. At one point, she was someone beyond my reach. I was infatuated with her the day I saw her. That changed to admiration and respect soon after. Later, reality hit me. There was nothing I could do. But I always hoped for that one chance to show my potential. Snape was stupid to have let go off her."

"Let me tell you one truth of life. People who get something without a lot of effort tend to lose it quickly. They don't understand the value of what they have and become negligent. Only the people who work hard towards it know the real pain of losing it."

"So, I need to ask this. Do you approve of us?"

"My questions aren't done. What do you plan for the future?"

"We both have been accepted as apprentices at Ilvermony. We plan to move there. Britain is volatile right now. A muggleborn marrying a pureblood, one as important as a Black is a recipe for disaster in the current environment."

"It will always be a disaster, until Britain becomes more inclusive of its magical population."

"What do you think would be the best course?"

"The best course would be for Lily to find a suitable pureblood and get settled. I like having her near me. She was, is and will be the apple of my eye."

"Then why are we having this conversation?"

"Because she chose you. Unlike what people think of me, I believe in free will."

"You can rest assured, as long as I am alive, I will make sure she stays happy."

"I have certain conditions. These are non-negotiable."

"Do I need to make the Unbreakable Vow? Or will I have to say all of this under Veritaserum?"

"Did you even listen to what I said? Lily's word is enough for me."

"What are the conditions then?"

"I want my granddaughter safe. That is of paramount importance to me. However, I need to protect my remaining family from any backlash. I want you to lie to Lily, that I don't approve and am out for your blood. I want you both to marry and leave this country at the earliest, never to return"

"These are your conditions?"

"I will issue a statement disinheriting Lily from the family. Other purebloods will be satiated with my actions and the family will be somewhat saved from any deep repercussions."

"Isn't it too harsh?"

"I have my reasons. She has her trust fund to fall back on in case of any financial difficulties. Also, death eaters like Severus Snape will lay off her once she is ostracized. The alternative is them hunting you both to set an example. Do you accept?"

"I never pursued her for her wealth or the name of your family. It's her personality that pulled me towards her. I am still considerably new to this family business. I am sure Lily will understand the context better. Have you spoken to her about this?"

"I don't plan to tell her until you are both safe in Ilvermony. She would never accept to it. Being disinherited means the family will cut off all ties with her. In Britain, she would not be considered for any important jobs. It wouldn't matter where you plan to go. But your life over here is over."

"How can I be sure that you don't plan to get us killed when we are out of the public eye?"

"Why would I have this conversation if I wanted you dead? I care about the happiness of every member of my family. I want them to make their own decisions. I will always stand by them."

"And yet, you plan to disinherit her. You know very well how proud she is of her Black heritage?"

"And you just told me moments ago that you don't care about the family name?"

"It's not like that. She will be inconsolable once she comes to know."

"As I said, I have my reasons. Nobody, apart from both of us should know of this. Once you guys are safe at Ilvermony, I want you to give this letter to her. She will understand." he held out an envelope to James.

"But why the long con?"

"You are persistent, I will give you that. Fine, I will tell you. Most of my family has a vested interest in this war. Me, Lily and Sirius are the only neutral parties right now. Regulus is still young. The ones on Voldemort's side will realize their mistake very late. I will take care of my heir. I need Lily safe from all of this. The chances of my family coming intact from all this are very slim. I am trying to ensure that somebody from the family is alive to carry on the Black legacy. Lily is the cream of the crop in her generation. When the time comes, I intend for her child to be in contention to take over from Sirius. I know, Sirius might have kids of his own. But I need a backup plan. Lily is my backup plan. I don't expect you to understand. But I am doing this out of love for Lily and with one eye on the future."

The outstretched hand still held the envelope. James thought he saw a teardrop. Or maybe he imagined it.

"You sure Lily will understand everything once she reads this? I don't want to lie to her"

"You don't know me that well. But I want you to trust me on this. I have nothing but good intentions for Lily."

"Lily trusts your judgement. She respects you. And so will I. I don't have to like this though."

He took the letter and put it in his jacket pocket.

"Lily will be expecting me to tell her how this went."

"She will. Get her to meet you at once. Then you guys need to meet a Matthias Turnpike. He officiates weddings. I believe the rest of your plan is already set."

"It is. Just assure me that you wouldn't allow anything to happen to her."

"I told you that at the very beginning. I will die before allowing anything to happen to her."

"Then you have your road mapped. All the Best!"

"I don't know how to react to this."

"Then don't. It was nice meeting you James Potter."

It had been two days since James had met her grandfather. She hadn't heard anything from him. Her grandfather had been equally vague. All he had said was -

"He isn't right for you. You should forget him. I am looking for other suitable betrothal offers for you."

Any amount of questions or pressure had not yielded any further explanation.

All her messages to James had been unanswered. Moreover, Sirius had been sent to France for some business meeting. She was getting worried with every passing moment. She knew she would be leaving this country before the end of the week. However, she didn't want to fathom if she would be making it alone or with James. She was in half a mind to start searching for James' address in a muggle directory.

An owl's hoot brought her out of her thoughts. She turned to find Vicky waiting with a letter. She rushed towards him and relieved him of his weight. He trilled thankfully and flew away. Lily hurried opened the letter and started reading.

Lily,

Let me make this short. The meeting with your grandfather didn't go well. I doubt he likes me that much. After the meeting, I had this feeling that I was being watched. There seem to be some people who are observing my every step. I think your grandfather is having me watched. I don't know what he's planning. I tried to reach Sirius, but the letter came back unopened. I only hope this letter reaches you. I am staying at a motel in muggle London while writing this and have successfully escaped my tail. The plan for the weekend is still on. Just send me a Patronus if you are safe.

Waiting for your response,

Love, James.

Lily replied back immediately.

"Meet me in 30 minutes at The Savoy on Charing Cross"

The Savoy was a block away from the Leaky Cauldron. She would rendezvous with James and then they would decide their next step. She didn't want to be away from him at the moment.

She had most of her luggage already packed. She charmed it to fit in her pocket and left the manor thru the floo.

Arcturus Black got immediately notified once she left the wards. He just hoped she stayed safe.

What James didn't realize was that the people trailing him weren't sent by Arcturus Black. They had been sent for one purpose only- to kill him and his family. The death mark shined brightly in the Manchester sky that night. The police were baffled by the crime scene. Their police chief and his wife looked in fine health. Except for the fact that they were dead. The house looked ransacked. The eldest had moved to London with a new teaching job the previous year. The youngest had been away at school. They would have to be notified. It was going to be a long night at Scotland Yard.

-End Of Chapter-

AN: I will try to publish another chapter tomorrow. Please take some time and respond to my questions at the beginning of the chapter. I am thinking of opening a poll for both of them. Hope you like the chapter. Please review.