Chapter Thirty Three

Voldemort choose Neville.

Severus' statement haunted her.

It could have so easily have been Harry.

Before she had had Sirius' disappearance, his reappearance and his injuries to distract her. But now he was home and he had no idea of the events that had transpired in his absence.

Should she tell him? Shouldn't he know that Harry had been the target the whole time?

She supposed it really didn't matter now. Her son was safe. Neville Longbottom lived; had defeated him just as the prophecy had said. At least, that is what she gathered from the information Severus had given to her.

But that information hadn't been enough so she had asked Severus; how did an infant manage to defeat the most powerful dark wizard the world had ever known?

He didn't know.

"Then how can you be sure?" she had asked.

"We cannot be sure. There were no witnesses. We only known that it is what the prophecy stated would happen."

Lily had never put her faith in the accuracy of prophecies and she certainly felt no warmth towards to idea of them now that she had learned the true reason she had lost her husband.

Nevertheless, she had to know more. So she had spent the past fortnight gathering together any news articles and journals she could find concerning the events surrounding Voldemort's fall.

To no avail.

As Severus had stated, there had been no witnesses. Every piece of information, what little she could find, all said the same. Voldemort had entered the Longbottom's place of hiding on Halloween night; he, Alice and Frank died that night and the only survivor was the one-year-old Neville Longbottom. With no explanation for how he had survived.

Severus had told her not to trouble herself with the information; to appreciate the time she had with her son now that it was over.

But even Severus had seemed troubled when she had brought up the topic. He had appeared almost edgy and a wall seemed to come up between them with each question that she asked. She supposed he just wasn't comfortable talking about what had went on during the war; he clammed up completely when she started to encroach on the topic of Death Eaters so she had let that go.

But she couldn't shake the feeling that he was starting to pull away.

Something was troubling him and her questions only seemed to make it worse.

Meanwhile, at home, Sirius had noticed that something was troubling her. But she couldn't tell him what she knew without him learning of her friendship with Severus. She had enough troubles as things were without adding his condemnation to it.

The prophecy just didn't make sense. Voldemort's defeat didn't make sense.

How could an infant not only defeat him but also emerge from the attack completely untouched?

"Good. That's good."

"Could you be any more patronising, Remus!" Sirius snapped, glowering at the other man as he lowered him from the bed into the damned chair he had spent the past month in.

"Perhaps I should just let you fall on your arse," Remus retorted, though without the same fervour; but, as if to prove a point, Sirius felt the other man release him just a little too high up before he thumped down onto the chair with a crack.

"Fuck!" Sirius barked; "What are you playing at, Moony?"

Remus smirked as he leaned down and lifted one of his immobile feet to place on the rest and Sirius wished with all his might that the feeling would return at that precise moment so he could give the man a good kick in the face.

"Uncle Sirius?"

Both men turned as Harry's head popped around the door; "Are you ready yet? It's almost time to go!"

"Almost, Harry," Sirius forced a smile to his godson, shuffling himself in the chair using his arms.

Harry nodded, hesitating at the door as if to leave, before changing his mind and making his way into the room; "Mum said you might not feel like going out today."

Sirius waved a dismissive hand, determined not to be unnerved about the prospect of venturing outdoors for the first time since the incident; "I'm fine, Harry. There's no reason for you to worry; I promised I'm coming with you."

The apprehensive look in the young boy's eyes quickly dissipated at the affirmation and he smiled brightly at him; "Good! And you too, Uncle Remus?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Remus smiled, ruffling Harry's hair; "Go tell your mum we'll be down in a minute."

Harry nodded and eagerly bounded from the room, as Remus stood, having finally settled Sirius into the chair properly; "Comfortable?"

"Tremendously, Remus," Sirius remarked, glancing down at himself; "I can't thank you enough."

"Oh pack it in, Sirius," Remus rolled his eyes, grabbing the handles on the back of the chair and roughly pushing him out of the room.

"I can do it myself, I have my wand," Sirius reached for it but Remus carried on regardless.

He and Remus still hadn't discussed the confrontation they had had prior to him leaving at Christmas. The conversation was so final; never had it been so clear that the two had drifted apart. That their relationship was beyond repair.

Despite that, Sirius knew that Remus had been at his bedside every day that he had been unconscious. Even if Lily had not told him, he could still remember, when his awareness had eventually come back to him, before he had opened his eyes, that Remus had been there.

He hadn't spoken about anything worthwhile; Sirius remembered him reading from the Prophet at one point because he didn't know what he ought to say.

Had they been the same as they were as teenagers Sirius would have teased him about it. But they weren't. The awkwardness was still there and neither of them was willing to bring up the proverbial hippogriff in the room.

However, Remus had been there every day since he had woken up. Had been there for him; assisted with all the degrading activities Sirius didn't even want to think about. All the while they would bite one another's heads off, make sarcastic remarks, growl at one another for the tiniest of reasons.

And yet, Sirius was glad of it. He wanted Remus with him. Even if they had lost what they once had, the fact that he hadn't given up on him gave him hope that, just maybe, he would one day have his friend back once again.

He allowed that hope to guide him, as the two of them pushed forward; finally moving on and mending the damage that had been wrought.

"You understand I will not invite you in," Augusta Longbottom stated, standing tall and proud, keeping the edge of her door pressed close to her side.

"Then perhaps we shall be more comfortable on the bench?" Dumbledore indicated towards it, where it sat, old and rusted, vines wrapping around the bars.

Augusta eyed him for a moment, making no move to accept the suggestion; "You cannot speak with my grandson."

"As yet that is not necessary. It is yourself I wish to speak with."

"Pardon me any disrespect, Professor Dumbledore," she began; "But I know what you are about. And I understand your situation; but my grandson's wellbeing is all that concerns me and I will not have him become another casualty as his parents were before him."

"I assure you that will not be so," Dumbledore explained, smoothly; "It is only a memory I ask for; nothing more."

"There is always more."

"Not in this case, Ms Longbottom."

The old woman sighed. She glanced back over her shoulder, presumably in the direction of the object of their discussion, before she stepped out onto the concrete and pulled the door closed behind her.

"Professor; my son and his wife followed you blindly. They trusted you; they placed their lives in your hands. You made them promises, guaranteed their safety. They never truly believed that…that monster was coming for them. Because you convinced them there was nothing to fear."

"I admit I did not handle your son's situation as well as I could; I did not take the threat as seriously as I ought to. And I apologise –"

"Your apologies mean very little to me. You took them from me for over a year. You concealed them from all who loved them. And after a year of this; they were killed. Murdered."

Dumbledore was silent, only nodding slowly.

"It is a miracle my grandson even survived that night. You will forgive me for not wanting you to have anything to do with him."

"I assure –"

"Enough," Augusta held her hand up to him; "Until you give me a sincere, genuine reason – I want to hear nothing more about it."

Dumbledore drew in a breath, sizing up the woman before him, knowing that it simply was not possible for him to leave without securing permission to access the child's memory. Regulus and Severus' Dark Marks were unmistakeable now and unyielding; time was running out.

They needed to know what happened that night.

They needed to be prepared.

There was no other way.

"In that case," Dumbledore began, with a heavy sigh; "You had best sit down." And he indicated the bench one again.

This time she raised an eyebrow; and then did as he asked.

Severus' attendance at Foundation events were pretty much compulsory; that was the only reason he found himself at such functions almost every month. It was a necessary evil he had to endure as a way of supporting both the organisation and Regulus.

His attendance at these events, however, was not compulsory. It was not at all necessary that he waste a full Saturday in Hogsmeade, when he had a mountain of school assignments to grade, piles of research to muddle through for Dorado and paperwork to complete finalising the Orion project. And with the Dark Lord's return looming ever nearer, and Dumbledore still unable to secure permission to access Neville Longbottom's memory detailing what led to his fall five years previously, the idea of attending the Hogsmeade Spring Fling Festival was almost ludicrous.

And yet, here he was; Regulus and Malachi in tow.

Lily had invited him.

Sort of.

Not really, when he thought on it properly. She had simply asked if she would see him there; and he had said yes without really thinking.

It didn't mean he had to go. They had not planned to attend together; she probably wouldn't even notice if he failed to show up.

However, their time together had been scarce for weeks, what with the initial parting of ways following his revelations of his role in the war and then Sirius Black's return; the man had been in a bad way, he'd been led to believe and, subsequently, Lily had taken a leave of absence in order to take care of him and stabilise the situation at home.

So when he had bumped into her briefly the previous day and the question was asked, he had eagerly agreed as it meant the opportunity to see her again.

What an adolescent moron!

But he took comfort and satisfaction in the fact that Lily's eyes had brightened also when he had confirmed his attendance; even if she did look more surprised.

"Look Dad!" Malachi pointed excitedly towards one of the stands, "Apple dunking!" He immediately took off in that direction. Regulus smiled and followed.

Severus glanced down at his timepiece.

"Not a fan of dunking for apples, yourself?"

Severus kept his head lowered; but he smiled, instantly recognising the voice behind him. He tucked the timepiece into his pocket before he glanced over at her.

Lily smiled and raised an eyebrow.

"I prefer not to get wet," Severus stated, crossing his arms as she walked up to him.

"I see."

He quickly glanced around; "You're alone?"

Lily shook her head, looking over her shoulder; "No; they're all around here somewhere." Her eyes rested on something before she smiled and nodded in that direction; "There's Harry; it looks like he's spotted your godson."

Severus followed her line of vision and, sure enough, saw the young Potter standing with Lupin; pointing in Malachi's direction and attempting to drag the werewolf towards him.

"Regulus tells me you return to the Foundation on Monday," Severus turned away from the boys.

Lily nodded; "Yes. Sirius' condition is stable and Remus has agreed to check in when he can," she shrugged; "All we can do is make the best of the situation; there's nothing more we can do. Not until Sirius' condition improves – the healers are confident he should start to regain feeling."

Severus nodded; "That's good," he said; though he really couldn't care less. But he supposed it was good news he could tell Regulus.

"Why? Have you missed me?" she teased, her eyes twinkling slightly.

Severus fought back a smirk; "Perhaps."

"You're back on Dorado now, aren't you?"

Severus nodded; "Yes. Since a couple of weeks ago."

"Good."

"Good?" he raised an eyebrow.

She grinned and shrugged; "Perhaps I missed you too."

He gave a small smile, averting his eyes shyly.

Lily smile was bright in response, giving him the embarrassing sensation of butterflies in his stomach and he wondered if she knew exactly what she was doing before she gave a quiet hum of laughter, as she glanced around at the crowd before they focused on a refreshments cart.

"Would you like to get a drink?" she asked, as she turned back towards him.

He nodded, stepping forwards so they were both in line as they headed in its direction.

He had only seen Lily a handful of times since their reconciliation almost two months previously however, from just those few meetings, he was certain that there had been a shift in their relationship. While they had been on good terms previously, comfortable and occasionally teasing, the revelation of his role in the war, their acknowledgement and her acceptance, her forgiveness, for everything had changed them.

Conversation came easier; they both spoke more freely, whereas before there had been uncertainty and wariness. Perhaps because he had been so aware of the secrets he held back from her; the guilt he had felt with his deception. Or simply the knowledge, or more the assumption, as his expectations of her response had not come to pass, that she would sever their friendship as soon as she learned the truth was what made him hold back from her.

Something new, something stronger than what they had had, even back when they had been innocent children, was forming. Something built on a foundation of trust and respect.

In truth, it was a little frightening.

But thrilling, all the same.

Although he couldn't quite help but sense that she was holding something back from him. While she was open with him most of the time, he would occasionally catch her blushing, stumbling awkwardly over sentences, as if she was embarrassed by something.

He had frowned and called her out on it once which only served to embarrass her further so he had let the matter drop without further probing.

But it was curious.

He had never known Lily to be so…flustered. And he could think of no reason why she ought to be when it was only the two of them present.

"So, you have completed the Orion project at last, then?" Lily asked, as the two seated themselves on a bench after purchasing their drinks.

Severus nodded, "Yes, at long last. It is good to have finally concluded the project; I was beginning to wonder if it would ever be completed."

Lily chuckled, "And it is a success?"

He nodded, "A complete success."

"You must be proud to see one of the projects you initiated finally ready," she smiled, raising her drink to her lips.

"Hmm, pride?" Severus looked at her with a slight smirk, "Not at all."

She laughed.

In the distance he spotted a wizard making his way around in a chair, using his wand to guide the vehicles movements. A closer look at the man revealed it was none other than Sirius Black.

"I see Black is becoming accustomed to his condition."

Lily followed his gaze in the direction and he noticed that she suddenly tensed somewhat, and turned away, almost ducking as she did so. He frowned at the reaction but before he could question it she spoke as if nothing were amiss.

"Yes, well…it is his first time out of doors today."

"I see."

She glanced in Black's direction and Severus noticed her visibly relax as the man disappeared into a nearby tent. She cleared her throat as the tension left her body and she went on;

"I'm actually surprised he agreed to accompany us; he has been very reluctant to leave the house. And his mood swings – goodness! – he bites poor Remus' head off constantly." She looked at him with a smile which faltered slightly at his expression. She frowned slightly; "What?"

Severus wasn't aware that he had been frowning, not really taking in anything she was saying, too concerned with his thoughts following her previous reaction to seeing the other man.

She was most definitely attempting to hide from the other man. And, considering she had obviously arrived at the event in his company, the only possible reason for that was that she didn't want to be seen with him.

It bothered him.

He wasn't entirely sure why. After all, he did not need Sirius Black's approval to be in Lily's presence, nor did he care if the other man had an objection to it – which he undoubtedly would. However, he was not so petty that he would wish to intentionally flaunt his relationship in Black's face with the simple intention of annoying him.

No, it had nothing to do with Black.

It was Lily's reaction alone that affected him. Obviously she had been concealing the relationship between them from the man. How she managed he didn't know, as he was aware Lupin knew of it, as did her young son.

Was she ashamed?

At the unexpected thought he couldn't help but be reminded of the insecurities he had felt as a child at Hogwarts; when he had often wondered the same thing.

He furiously pushed such thoughts away.

He was no longer a child.

"Nothing. I just couldn't help but notice your attempt to conceal yourself from Black," Severus said, straight to the point. Why beat around the bush? After all, it was lack of communication that had led to problems not so long ago.

Open and honest, that is what he wanted them to be.

Lily looked startled at the statement, "Oh. Um…"

Severus took another drink. Not pushing, but not letting her off the hook.

She shrugged, seeming to decide to take the open response he had hoped for; "He doesn't know. About you and I."

"What about you and I?" he couldn't help but tease.

She rolled her eyes; "About our friendship. It hasn't yet come up in conversation."

"Ah."

He only nodded.

Lily swallowed, looking down and into the cup she was holding, moving it in her hand so the liquid swirled around; "I believe he will have some objections."

"I would expect as much," Severus raised an eyebrow, before he went on; "This bothers you?"

"Yes. No…well," Lily shrugged, "It would make no difference to our relationship; he cannot dictate whom I spend time with," she spoke with clarity and decision, but faltered somewhat on her next statement, "Yet…"

There was a pause and he decided there was no reason for him to take offense. What had possessed him to in the first place, really? Had he truly feared she would end their friendship over objections made by Black, when only recently she had forgiven the unforgivable?

He rolled his eyes at his own childishness.

"You are concerned about the effect it may have on your relationship with him?"

Lily released a breath, the sound indicating relief, and he realised she had been worried about offending him; "Yes. It…it may cause some tension." She waved a hand; "Nothing I can't handle; just not something I am eager to confront. Especially not here, now."

Her eyes went in the direction of her son, where he continued to chat animatedly with Malachi.

Severus nodded; "Understandable."

She smiled at him, warmly, obviously pleased and he felt himself warm.

The two settled into a companionable silence, as they observed the numerous goings on around them. After a moment she turned to him; "Have you collected your candle for the firelight ceremony?"

Severus almost scoffed.

He didn't, but she still laughed, obviously sensing that he wanted to; "You're not staying for it?"

He was silent.

He hadn't really thought about it, if he were honest. He had simply planned on leaving whenever Regulus had deemed fit. He glanced over at her; "Are you?"

Lily smiled, almost teasingly, "Would you stay if I were?" She leaned towards him slightly as she said it.

Severus frowned slightly. Was he imagining it? Was she…surely she wasn't actually flirting.

"I…" he found himself at a loss for words.

Her eyebrow rose slightly.

He only smiled, raising an eyebrow of his own; "I had already intended to."

She laughed and rolled her eyes, dramatically; "Is that right?"

"It is."

"And here I was thinking you just wanted to be in my company."

She was joking, obviously. And he was imagining the toying manner in which she was speaking, he was sure. And yet he couldn't help the blush spreading over his cheeks and the smile that tugged at the corner of his lips.

He didn't mind the awkwardness it stimulated.

In fact, Severus found he rather enjoyed it.