Lily woke on the second morning of her honeymoon to an empty bed. Her arm had drifted over to James's side, feeling coldness on the sheets. She looked up with a frown, rising to try and find her husband.
The word sat uneasily in her mind.
Even at the small reception, when Sirius gave a grandiose toast detailing James's childhood infatuation with her, she remained on edge.
Even the day before, when James had brought her to the Lupin family's remote highland lodge, having asked Remus to borrow it for the week.
"This is where Remus comes for full moons," James revealed when he'd dusted the floo powder off her after they initially arrived. "No one lives in the area for hundreds of miles."
The latter statement sat with Lily as she tugged a gauzy lace robe her aunt had packed for her over her body and padded off down the wooden hallway. After calling James's name, she soon realized he was not in the house. She stood in the massive living room, staring out at the snow-covered pines extending into the wilderness.
The last day had been a blur, spending hours in bed with James. And when she wasn't in bed with him, he was eager to take her against the other surfaces of the house, including the massive oak dining table. Lily's joints still ached and she sat down, frowning at James's absence. After dawn stretched into mid-morning, Lily felt herself growing more and more anxious when James finally entered through the front door.
"Where have you been?" she demanded, staring at his snow and dust-covered form. James removed his dark cloak, grimacing as he blinked at her.
"You're up early," he noted, moving towards the staircase. Lily grabbed his arm, freezing at the blood soaking through the fabric. She stared at her hand and looked back at him. "You're hurt."
James was silent as she began to peel his sleeves back, looking for any cuts. But she didn't find any. Lily stared at his untouched bare skin, feeling nausea build in her throat.
"You left me alone in bed last night," she said slowly. "To terrorize muggles?"
He was silent again and she stumbled back, staring at the blood on her hands.
"I thought you'd still be sleeping," he finally said. She jerked her head up to meet his gaze.
"It's our honeymoon," she said dully.
"There's a war going on. I'm so sorry Lily for leaving."
"Don't say that," she replied bitterly. "Merlin, you truly have the most fucked sense of morality— you just killed people and are sorry that I had to wake up alone?"
"Don't make a mess of this. You can't act outraged when you knew what you were signing up for."
"I didn't sign up for this!"
James's eyes flashed and he moved closer to her, grabbing her face with his hand.
"Behave," James ordered. "Give me this week Lily or I won't let you return to Hogwarts."
He released her and jutting his head towards the stairs.
"I'm going to go shower. You can join me or sit here until you can learn to appreciate me."
"Appreciate you?" she repeated. James's eyes flashed again and Lily was silent, sighing. "I need to shower."
"Perfect," James responded, moving towards her. Lily shook her head.
"Not with you— I'm not washing that blood off of you."
For the rest of the day, she curled up with a book in the small library, James sitting at the desk frowning at some papers.
"You should have graded those before the break," she said, after watching him curse his way through a stack of papers from his students.
"They're just so hopeless," he exclaimed. "Fourth years who can't identify the theory behind basic animal to object transfigurations."
"Not all of us spent our free time snooping through the transfiguration books in the forbidden section," she said, smiling at him. It was hard to stay mad at James, especially when he was hunched over the desk, one hand wrenched through his hair as he furrowed his brows. "You'll go bald if you keep doing that to your hair."
"There's never been a bald Potter," he said distractedly.
That night, Lily fell into a deep sleep, lurching up abruptly in the middle of the night. She barreled for the bathroom, reaching the toilet just in time to vomit into it.
"Morning Sickness," Lily realized aloud, gingerly wiping her mouth and grimacing. She was only a week away from clearing through her first trimester, a record considering her family's track record.
After brushing her teeth, Lily returned to the bedroom, pausing at James's clearly empty side of the bed. She frowned at the lump of the empty blanket, sighing and rummaging through the room for her wand.
"Where is that damn thing," she said aloud, growing frustrated as she tore through the room. Unable to find it, Lily tromped downstairs, looking through the Library and kitchen of the house. She moved towards the backdoor, wanting to check to see if she'd left it outside during dinner but yelped as the doorknob shocked her hand.
"What in Merlin's name?"
She tried again, getting shocked once more and flushing with rage. Lily moved towards the floo fireplace, grabbing some powder and throwing it into the fireplace but no green flames appeared.
"This fireplace has been disconnected from the floo network," a voice said as the fire quickly died out. Lily swallowed, looking around the living room and moving towards the window. It was bolted shut.
She felt ill.
She stayed up, waiting for James to return again, him walking through the front door hours later.
"Where's my wand?"
He jumped, blinking at her through the dim light.
"Merlin Lily you scared me," he said, dropping his cloak by the door.
"Where did you put my wand?" she demanded, rising. "And why can't I open any of the bloody doors in here?"
"Lily," he said calmly. But she was angry, walking in front of him and crossing her arms.
"I want to leave," she said. "Reactivate the floo network right now. I can't be around you."
"Calm down," James answered. "Your wand is safe and I kept locking charms on the door so you wouldn't wander out. As for the floo network that-"
She stopped him, slapping him across the face.
"You can't trap me like an animal," Lily hissed. "Give me my wand right now!"
"I won't do that," James said.
"Why the bloody hell not?" Lily demanded.
"You need to calm down," James ordered. "You're getting worked up over nothing. The war's coming to an end."
Lily blinked at him, unable to process his words.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm being called to battle every night," James replied. "The resistance is being culled."
"How does this involve keeping me trapped here?"
"You were an auror Lily," he sighed. "I can't risk having anyone accuse you of being involved beyond that— that alone is going to get others killed."
"My involvement with this war is none of your concern. If I can help then you have no right to keep me trapped here," Lily matched.
"I have every right. You're carrying my child; you can't go off into bloody battle."
"That's my choice to make not yours," Lily protested. "Now give me my wand."
James was silent and she locked her jaw.
"James this isn't a question. I'm telling you that if you don't remove all these locking charms— which are meant for bloody children— and give me my wand, then I wi—"
"What?" he asked a wild gaze in his eyes. "You don't have any power in this relationship anymore. I'm done catering to your bloody whims and irresponsible decisions. You're staying here where I know you'll be safe."
"Don't be ridiculous," Lily scoffed. "You can't do this."
"What's stopping me?" James replied, cruelly smiling at her. "Good luck trying to leave. I'm going to go and shower if you want to join."
Lily pushed past him, going to every window and door, unable to find a way out. After an hour of trying, she marched into the bedroom where she found James sleeping. Lily shook him awake, James rising with annoyance across his face.
"Get up," she ordered. "Open the bloody floo network."
"Where will you go?" he asked, turning so he was facing her.
"Anywhere away from you," Lily replied. James shook his head and she narrowed her gaze at him, before seeing his wand on the bedside table. Lily moved to grab it, only for James to suddenly grab her arms, restricting them back. Lily squirmed against his grip, James rising and bringing her against him as he restrained her.
"Don't provoke me, Lily," he hissed into her ear. She fought against his arms but James had always been infinitely stronger than her.
"Let go of me," Lily exclaimed as he brought her around. "Why are you being so cruel?"
He pinned her into the bed, holding her arms above her head as Lily continued to struggle beneath James's body.
"You said you'd behave," he reminded.
"You knew I didn't want to be trapped," she accused, giving up under him. "James please don't do this. If you keep me here then there's no hope for us."
He was silent, staring at her before bringing one hand to Lily's face. She flinched against his palm.
"I'd rather have you safe and hate me than dead."
"How long?" she asked. "How long will you keep me here?"
"Until the war is over."
"We had a deal," she hissed. "I'm supposed to go back to Hogwarts and teach!"
"I have no intention of letting you anywhere near that school," he replied.
"Why?" she begged. Seeing James's gaze Lily froze. "That's where the battle is happening, isn't it? He's already got the Ministry so he's trying to take Dumbledore on."
James was silent and Lily groaned.
"There are children there," she exclaimed. "So many stayed for the holidays. James please."
"No purebloods younger years stayed," he replied. Lily squirmed under him, James's legs pinning hers down.
"You're heartless," she realized. "There are over a hundred that stayed— first years stayed James. You can't mean to put them in the line of fire."
"Lily this is war people are going to di-"
"They're children," she spat. "James we're going to have a child. Imagine if they were trapped in the site of a war's battle."
"They wouldn't be," James vowed. "There's not going to be any more battles after this Lily. The war will be over."
"I will never forgive you," Lily hissed. "Any hope for us will be gone."
With that he reached for his wand, sighing as he released her.
"Pack your things," James said, rising from the bed. "I wanted to give you a proper honeymoon but what's the point if you're going to stew the whole time."
"This marriage is a sham," she replied. James didn't answer, rising and leaving her. By noon of that day, James had forced her out of the lodge, taking her to Potter Manor and dumping her there with his mother. He left, trying to kiss her on the way out only for Lily to cringe out of his touch.
"He's doing what he thinks will keep you safe."
She blinked, looking up to Euphemia. The older woman had brought Lily to her greenhouse, having her sit and help her prune the everlasting roses within the rows.
"Doesn't it bother you to know that James is killing people— killing innocents?"
Euphemia kept her sheers down, meeting Lily's gaze with a sad expression.
"James is doing what he thinks will keep the people he loves safe," she said. Lily shook her head.
"He's trapped me."
"He's saving your life," Euphemia acknowledged.
"My life is forfeit if I'm nothing more than a pureblood trophy wife," she noted. "I trained as an auror for years. I can help."
"I can't let you do that," Euphemia said. "You're carrying my grandchild."
"I can't bring a child into this world if it's defined by the massacre of tens of thousands," Lily protested. "Let me go— help me leave."
Euphemia stared at her, evident concern in her gaze.
"You're a healer for Merlin's sake," Lily continued. "People are dying out there—don't you want to help?"
"James asked me to stay here."
"Forgive me but your son seems to think women are incapable of being in this war," Lily scoffed. "I won't be able to live with myself if I don't help."
"And James won't be able to live with himself if you die out there," Euphemia replied. "He's loved you for years, more than anything else. You're his entire world."
"He's made me into an object," Lily protested. "An object to be hidden away and trapped."
"He loves you."
"James's love doesn't justify what he's doing to me," Lily declared. "I am my own person."
With that, she lunged across the table, snatching the older woman's wand. She pointed it towards Euphemia who laughed.
"Don't be ridiculous," Euphemia said. "Lily you're not going to harm me. Besides that, there's wards keeping you here."
"Take them down," Lily ordered, hand shaking. She felt vaguely delirious, threatening James's older mother. "Or I will break them. I will burn this entire bloody manor down before I let James trap me here."
"Lily put the wand down."
Lily shook her head.
"I won't ask again," she said. "Take them down to let me leave for five minutes or I will destroy them."
"I can't do that," Euphemia sighed. Lily nodded, moving from the greenhouse. She could hear Euphemia calling after her as she ran out onto the grounds of Potter Manor. Chucking her cloak off, Lily recited the port key spell, having mastered years ago. She then brought her wand up.
"Evanesco," she declared, watching as the spell splintered from her wand into branches. The spell arched up, crashing into the wards overhead and causing them to fracture as Lily continued to channel her magic.
"What are you doing?" Euphemia shouted. Lily didn't turn to the older woman. "Those wards have protected Potter Manor for hundreds of years— no one has been able to bring them down."
Lily continued to channel the spell, feeling her magic stretch into the wand and explode out. Channeling the vanishing spell was in her blood, despite what she'd told Voldemort and even Dumbledore all those years ago.
As the wards collapsed around them, Euphemia grabbed her shoulders.
"We need to put those wards up," she ordered. "Tonight it won't be safe to be without wards."
"You can get them back up," Lily replied. "I'm going to Hogwarts to fight— Accio Lily's wand."
The wand came and Lily held it tightly, looking up to the broken wards. she grabbed the cloak, setting the port key charm off, and dropped Euphemia's wand to the ground. The world around her spun as Lily landed at Hogsmeade. She was immediately met with dust and carnage.
"I'm too late," Lily realized, seeing the state of the village. Death Eaters had attacked, ripping builds apart as they marched up to Hogwarts. As she looked in the distance, she watched bolts of spells tearing through the horizon.
"Lily!"
Lily turned, seeing Marlene's electric blue eyes as her friend grabbed her, pulling her into the side of a building.
"What are you doing here?" Marlene demanded. "You're pregnant."
"I have to help," Lily responded, taking her friend in. "What's happening?"
"Voldemort's forces started to attack the school two nights ago," Marlene said grimly. "He's called a ceasefire; giving Dumbledore and the Order until tomorrow morning to surrender. We've been smuggling the kids out through the secret passages but they've stretched anti-apparition wards out for miles here."
"How can I help?"
"We need to set up port key spells," Marlene replied with a grim expression. "Around a hundred kids are going to come through the passages in the next half hour."
"Which passages?" Lily demanded, recalling that map James had shown her years ago.
"The one under Honeydukes— Sirius showed it to m," Marlene started, frowning. Both of their eyes filled with realization.
"James showed me the same passage," Lily said in a numb tone. "You don't think they would…"
Before she was able to finish her statement, Marlene shouted the patronus charm, sending a message through it to Dumbledore to stop the students from going into the passages.
"We need to warn them," Lily said, sprinting towards Honeydukes. She and Marlene tore into the secret passage, running through it.
"You should leave," Marlene shouted as they ran. "It's not going to be safe in there."
"James locked me in Potter Manor," Lily shouted back, gasping for air as they ran. "I can't go back."
They finally reached the passage door and Lily opened it. As she and Marlene moved into the hall, she froze seeing that two people were waiting for them.
"We weren't expecting people to come through it but what a lovely surprise," a familiar voice drawled as Regulus removed his cloak and frowned at her. "Shouldn't you be on your honeymoon?"
"What are you doing here?" Lily demanded, frowning at her cousin.
"Stayed for the holidays," he replied. "I was feeling sentimental with school nearly being over.
"That's shite," Marlene retorted, holding her wand up at Regulus. "Voldemort obviously had them stay to have rats who'd open the doors for the death eaters."
Regulus rolled his eyes and Lily brought her wand up, pointed towards his friend Walter MacNair.
"You're lucky you just came out of that passage," Regulus continued. "We were just about to blow it up."
"You can't do that," Lily protested. "Don't be ridiculous Regulus— there are children here who need to escape."
"They're mudbloods and halfbloods," Regulus replied. "If Dumbledore surrenders nothing will happen to them."
"I can't let you do this," Lily said, preparing to duel her cousin. Regulus's eyes narrowed at her.
"I'm not going to duel you," he scoffed. "Walter put your wand down she's pregnant."
Lily was silent and Regulus chuckled.
"What other reason would there be for the shotgun wedding," he noted, glancing at her stomach. "You're not going to try to fight us. In fact, I'll do you a favor and let you go back into that passage back to Hogsmeade so you can floo back to James's bed and wa-"
"Stupefy," Lily shouted, stunning her cousin. Before MacNair reacted, Marlene stunned him.
"Rather brilliant move," she laughed, leaning down to pocket both of their wands. The pair moved through the castle, freezing as the walls shook.
"They've been trying to remove the wards for days but Dumbledore reinforced them," Marlene explained. "Thanks to that tip you gave years ago about death eaters being able to get past the wards."
Lily nodded as the pair reached the great hall. Outside she saw spells streaming into the wall of the wards, causing fractures to form on it.
"We're too late," Marlene realized, watching the wards begin to give in.
"No," Lily protested. "We can help get the students out of here— you can fight."
But her friend was staring outside, lost in the sight of their sky seemingly fall.
"There's an army out there."
"And there's one in here."
Lily turned to see her old Transfiguration professor standing in front of the great hall. Professor McGonagall smiled grimly at them.
"Professor," she said, striding over to her. Before the older woman could react, Lily threw her arms around her. "Am I glad to see you."
Their old teacher led the pair inside the hall where Lily saw nearly a hundred people gathered, looking rugged and tired.
"There's more outside," Professor McGonagall said. "Defending the wards."
"It's not enough," Marlene realized. "Voldemort's got hundreds out there— if not a thousand wizards."
Professor McGonagall nodded grimly. Lily looked around the room, recognizing faces from her days in school and not recognizing many who were here. She paused, seeing her cousin Andromeda.
They'd been on bad terms since Andromeda told Lily's mother about the pregnancy. But seeing her here, Lily couldn't help but gravitate to her.
"I heard you married Potter," Andromeda said, eyeing her warily.
"Not willingly," Lily replied. "I'm pregnant."
Andromeda's eyes flashed as she looked at her stomach.
"Why are you here?"
"Why are you here?" Lily countered.
"So Nymphadora does not grow up in a world of hate," Andromeda explained. "Ted's here too."
Lily nodded, following her cousin's gaze to where her husband stood. Andromeda reached for Lily's hand giving it a light squeeze.
"Great Uncle Alphard is here too," she said, with a distinctly Black family smile.
"I haven't thought about him in ages," Lily replied, looking around the room for him.
"He's outside helping defend the wards," Andromeda explained. "But here we all are, the three Black sheep of the family."
"More like white sheep," Lily scoffed. Andromeda smiled at her and at that moment Lily felt the burden of time. She wasn't seventeen anymore and hiding behind her family name. She was here, ready to stand against Voldemort.
Dumbledore appeared at the front of the room, a grim expression on his face.
"Dawn nears," he said. "If you wish to leave, we are sending the students out through the passages. Professor Sinistra will be leading them through the Forest where the centaurs have agreed to help guide them past the anti-apparition wards. Leave now or stay and fight."
Voices broke out in shouts as he finished, people demanding to know what was out there. But none knew. As Lily looked outside, she noticed snow starting to fall against the windows, night stretching forward.
"I will not surrender the castle," Dumbledore declared.
"They're going to destroy it all," Andromeda said grimly. Lily swallowed, unable to process everything around her. "You cannot fight."
"I know," she sighed. "But I can help in other ways."
" You could leave with the students— before any death eaters see you here," Andromeda explained.
"I can't do that."
Andromeda nodded grimly and looked at her head-on.
"If Ted and I don't make it," she said in a low voice. "Nymphadora is being looked after by the Weasleys in a safehouse. Find her."
Lily stared at her cousin in shock. Andromeda who ran from her family, who left everything when Lily couldn't, was asking her to look after the daughter she'd hidden away.
"Bellatrix will find me and Ted," Andromeda continued. "She's been waiting nearly a decade for this fight."
Lily left her cousin soon after, returning to Marlene's side where she stood with the Prewitt twins and the Longbottoms.
"Good to see you here," Frank said, clapping her on the back. Lily nodded at him as the group wiled the next few hours away, waiting for dawn. It came over the horizon and Lily watched people march out to the courtyard. The wards around the castle were falling, bursting into nothing. Dementors flew in, people casting patronus charms immediately.
She took her own wand out, sending her silver doe into the blackness. The wards continued to fall around the castle, and from her vantage point, Lily could see death eaters stepping onto the bridges at the entrance. They began to rush forth, sending spells towards the walls and Order members.
"Stay out of the fight," Marlene said, squeezing her hand. Lily nodded, watching her friend leave into the thicket. A roar tore through the air and Lily watched in horror as giants appeared on the horizon, streaming out of the distance.
She couldn't stay behind and let her friends be massacred.
Lily ran forward, following the Order members out but she was met with a distressing sight. Around her, Order members dueled death eaters and werewolves, screams and shouting tearing through the sky as the castle began to fall.
She threw out jinxes and spells at whims, freezing at the sight of Andromeda and her great uncle Alphard dueling both Bellatrix and Sirius at the same time.
"It's a shame I have to kill you now," Bellatrix laughed. "I would have had such fun with you Andree— I'll have to settle for that mudblood daughter of yours."
"Don't touch my daughter," Andromeda screamed, jinxing Bellatrix. Lily froze as Bellatrix began to bleed from her arm and a manic look took over her eyes.
"You shouldn't have done that," she, smiling as she licked the bloom from her arm. "Avada Kedevra."
Lily jumped forward as the spell shot not at Andromeda but at Alphard, taking her uncle down.
"Bombardo," Andromeda screamed, the spell arching at Bellatrix. And like that, her cousin exploded into pieces, blood and flesh raining down onto them.
"You've ruined my robes," Sirius said with a cold frown, looking at his blood-covered arms. "Avada Kedevra."
"No," Lily screamed, taking her wand out to stun him but it was too late. The spell arched into Andromeda, bringing her cousin down. She ran to Andromeda's side, falling between her and Alphard's corpses. Suddenly a hand came to her back, yanking Lily up.
"What are you doing here?" Sirius growled, Lily blinking against the falling snow flurries to meet his gaze. "Pron- James said he left you at Potter Manor."
"You killed our cousin," Lily gasped, staring at him in shock. "She has a daughter Sirius."
"She killed Bellatrix," Sirius replied. "And fucked a mudblood. I'd say Andromeda made her bed."
Lily wrenched herself from her cousin's grip, bringing her wand up to him. Sirius laughed.
"Put that down," he said coldly. "You're not going to risk James's child— now let's go get you in some corner where you can wait until for James to come an-"
"Rictumseptra," Lily snapped, sending her cousin to the ground laughing. He took his wand out, ready to hex her but she was bounding off. As Lily made her way through the debris, her wand suddenly flew from her grip.
"Not so fast cousin dearest," Sirius snarled in her ear, grabbing her from behind. He jabbed her in the back with his wand. "Imperio."
Lily tried to resist the spell but was unable to, Sirius smirking at her and patting her cheek.
"Let's go find your husband. I'm sure he'll be excited to see you, here" Sirius drawled, leading her along. As they went, Lily watched in horror as Order members were overwhelmed by surrounding death eaters, being corralled into the center of the courtyard.
She could see Fawks, Dumbledore's phoenix flying overhead against the tides of churning dementors that swarmed. Sirius let her to the front of the courtyard, where a group of death eaters was waiting, masks off.
"Where's James?" he asked. "I found something of his."
Lily was pushed forward and swallowed at the sight of Rabastian in front of her.
"She's supposed to be on bed rest," Rabastian hissed. "Lily what the fuck are you thinking?"
She stared at him, Sirius sighing and dropping the imperius curse. Before he could move, Lily launched forward, snatching Rabastian's wand from his grip and tearing off.
"Don't hit her," he called, loud enough for her to hear as she ran. "She's carrying Potter's heir."
Lily tore towards the Order members, ready to help as more death eaters pressed them together. She brought Rabastian's wand up, ready to stupefy one of them but froze, meeting James's angry gaze.
Before Lily was able to think, James was on her, grabbing her body and pressing it into his.
"What do you think you're doing here?" he demanded, shaking her. "How the fuck did you go around the wards?"
"I'm here to fight with the right side," she spat, trying to wrench herself from his grip. But James held her with ironclad strength, tossing the wand from her hand as he dragged her away from the circle of death eaters. "I broke your bloody wards down."
"That's impossible," he responded. "Why can't you just do what you're told— you're going to get yourself incriminated!"
"I'd rather fight with the Order than stay chained to you for another moment!"
"Well it's too bad you don't get to choose," James snapped, pulling back towards the other death eaters. Lily struggled against him, but he was relentless, hitting her with a binding spell and forcing her along.
She could see the death eaters disarming the remaining Order members, bringing more in from other parts of the battle. They'd lost.
"Let go of me," Lily demanded. "James let me go!"
He continued to drag her back from the fighting, lifting her as Lily struggled against him, shouting and screaming.
"I've had enough of your insolence," James hissed, hitting her with silencing spell. He kept her down right as a red spell flew through the air.
Voldemort had come forth and so did Dumbledore.
"After all this time and you avoid the battle," Dumbledore said, panting for air. Lily could see dust and debris falling around them. Voldemort smiled at Dumbledore.
"That was not my battle," he replied. "You are— and you've tired yourself out old man, fighting dementors and giants when they are not your enemy."
Dumbledore's face flashed as Voldemort took his wand out.
"Let them go," Dumbledore, jutting his head at the Order members. "Let all of them live and I will give you what you want with no fight."
"What does he want from Dumbledore?" Sirius muttered behind her. James's grip tightening on her shoulders as he removed his dark robes and slid them around Lily's body.
"You endangered our child," James hissed into her ear. Lily ignored him and his grip became painful on her. "When I take you home things are going to drastically change from now on."
Lily swallowed, looking at Dumbledore and Voldemort again. She could see Marlene amongst the Order members, Marlene's eyes meeting her own gravely.
"I will spare none," Voldemort declared. "Including you— Avada Kedevra!"
Lily watched as Dumbledore shot a brilliant blue spell at Voldemort's green one. She strained against James's grip as the two dueled. She'd never seen dueling like this, where spells flew out without words, where Dumbledore deflected the killing spell. The duel continued at its intensity but she could see that Dumbledore was wavering. Voldemort moved closer, saying something so quiet Lily couldn't hear it.
"You've grown weak," he spat, deflected one of Dumbledore's curses. "Weak and Old. You're not fit for my new world— I tried to welcome you into it but you've caused more trouble for me than any others."
"You are incapable of love, Tom," Dumbledore said, loud enough for all to hear. "And that will be your downfall."
Voldemort laughed, bringing his wand forth before shouting, "Avada Kedevra."
Lily watched in horror as the spell lanced towards Dumbledore's own spell. But this time, Dumbledore was unable to meet it, his own spell rippling back as the green bolt exploded forth, hitting him in the chest and sending him down.
Lily screamed silently, fighting against James's grip as the greatest wizard of their lifetime went down. She could hear the death eaters break into shouting and victorious cries as Voldemort moved forward, taking Dumbledore's wand from his hand.
Lily's ears began to ring as Voldemort rose, bringing the wand out and jutting his head towards the Order.
"Bring me a mudblood."
Lily watched in horror as Rodolphus grabbed Ted Tonks, dragging him towards Voldemort.
"This is the one who my sister-in-law married," Rodolphus declared, throwing Ted on the ground. Nymphadora would be orphaned, Lily realized, watching numbly as Voldemort smiled viciously. His massive snake appeared, slithering through the ground to him.
"A mudblood who dared to steal a pureblood woman," Voldemort declared. "Just as they steal our magic they will steal everything else that makes our world safe. Do you have any last words?"
Lily watched as Ted stood on shaking legs and spat at Voldemort's feet. His face flushed with anger and a brilliant green light tore from his wand, killing Ted on impact.
The crowd of death eaters cheered and Lily felt herself collapsing against James, his tight grip being the only thing keeping her up.
"We've won," someone said behind her.
"The Dark Lord beat Dumbledore."
She felt sick.
She could hear more people talking as Voldemort came to his crowd of supporters. He was speaking but Lily didn't hear a word, eyes remaining on the carnage at Hogwarts, a place of safety for the students, who were being dragged from the castle before her eyes.
"What will they do with the Order members?"
"Give them the chance to pledge or die."
She turned into James's arms, facing him and he frowned at her, removing the silencing spell.
"Let me go," she gasped. voice hoarse and throat in pain. "James I'm not going to pledge my loyalty to him."
"Yes you are," he responded. "You'll do it even if I have to imperio you."
Lily shook her head.
"Let me go," she asked. "Don't make me do this."
Rage danced on James's face as he shook his head.
"You don't have a choice."
She watched in horror as the members of the Order were sorted by their blood status with the purebloods and half-bloods given the opportunity to pledge their loyalty. Many refused, Voldemort killing them on the spot. When it was Marlene's turn, Lily strained against James's grip. Marlene would refuse and be killed, she knew it.
"McKinnon's mine."
Lily's head whirled around to see Sirius striding forward, intervening before Marlene could be brought forth.
"You'll be accountable for her Sirius Black," Voldemort said. "Any slip up on her part and it'll be your life as forfeit."
"I understand," Sirius said, taking Marlene's bound form and dragging her away. Voldemort nodded, eyes going to the rest of the audience of death eaters and stopping at her.
"She's pregnant," James interjected. "She's pregnant with my heir— I request that Lily's pledge be postponed until after the child is born."
Voldemort's lips curled as he smiled with a sickly look.
"Your wife is carrying the next generation of my people," he declared. "I can indulge your request but the day that child is born she will be required to show her loyalty."
"Thank you, my lord," James answered. She could hear Voldemort speaking again but her mind went numb as James lifted her into his arms and carried her from the sight of the Order's final stand.
"You're in for quite the punishment," he declared, striding down the bridge.
"I'm not going to pledge anything to him," she answered. "Not today and certainly not in seven months."
"Yes you will," James replied. "By the time I'm done with you, you'll be singing your bloody loyalty to the Dark Lord."
He kept her down to make a port key charm and Lily looked up at the smoking and ash-covered castle. Snow continued to fall around them, mixing with the dust of the dead.
R&R- Rin