AN: Happy Sunday! Here is chapter seventeen. Was there supposed to be fewer than seventeen chapters? Yep. But we are not surprised.

Also, if you are able to donate, it'd be really cool of you to give to planned parenthood. They offer invaluable services to people all over the country and they could always use a bit more support!

When Lily woke up the next morning, James was no longer asleep on the couch.

She was disappointed until she rolled over and saw him seated at the table, a pot of tea in front of him, one hand wrapped around a mug, and the other holding a quill that was moving furiously over a long sheet of parchment.

He looked disheveled, his hair a mess, his shirt hanging loosely around his torso, no longer tucked into his trousers. He set down his mug so that he could bury his hand in his hair, and he kept tugging at it as she watched him. Whatever he was working on had him entirely engrossed.

Lily pushed herself up and stretched her arms over her head.

James looked at her and smiled before there was someone knocking quite incessantly on her door.

Lily sighed and pushed her blankets off her legs, hopping out of bed. She was halfway to the door when Sirius just barged in.

"You are too slow, Red." He said, sparing her a quick glance before he found James and sat down across from him at the table. He launched into a rant- or maybe a message that sounded like a rant, about high born families that were either angry or worried about the impending duel. Sirius didn't want to do anything to pacify or placate them. And with the looming deadline, Lily agreed that there were more important things to worry about.

But James wasn't playing this like Riddle was, he cared about the people, all of the people. And so he couldn't just ignore their worries like Sirius was suggesting.

Lily, who felt as though she wasn't needed in this conversation, took her robe, and went to find Remus and some breakfast.

Last night felt like a dream.

Or maybe a candle in the middle of the dark. With everything going on, all the heavy and scary things, the kiss that they shared was a safe haven in the middle of all of that.

She wanted to be walking down the halls, feeling as though she was floating, basking in the high that the kiss had brought about, but instead she felt anxious and worried and like she was running out of time.

Remus found on outside the dining hall and they quietly sat at the far end of the table.

He looked as though he had large bruises under his eyes, and he seemed to find his limbs extra heavy.

"Is this normal?" She asked quietly, pouring him a glass of honeyed melon cider so he wouldn't have to stand up again in order to reach the pitcher.

"Is what normal?" He sighed. "Me looking like I've been run over by a bus? Yes, that is normal."

She started filling up her plate. "I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could do for you."

"Maybe you could just order me to feel better," He gave her a small grin and picked up his cup.

"Remus, feel better." She said, but she knew it wasn't going to work. She couldn't feel any magic. It also just didn't see like something that magic could fix that easily.

She still found herself hoping anyway.

"Thanks for trying," Remus gave her a grin. "I am fine though. Madam Pomfrey will take good care of me."

Lily frowned. "How long-" She stopped, thinking how tired he had looked a few days ago when she'd first arrived. "It always affects you."

He nodded. "Most days are good days though. Sirius, Peter and James, they all make sure of it."

Lily pressed her lips together. "Why would someone do this to you though? Who is the man that cursed you?"

Remus took a sip of his juice and then sighed. "I think, for now, we have other things to focus on. I promise to tell you the entire sordid tale after we've figured out how to save James."

Lily looked down at her plate and nodded. "Right, of course. I don't like seeing you like this, but you're right. The duel is tomorrow."

Lily had already started to develop her own plan on how to save James, but it wasn't a plan that she could share with Remus, or James. Sirius might be alright with it, but she wasn't sure that she could trust him to keep it to himself.

She was going to have to find a way to get Riddle to agree to duel with her instead.

And she knew that it wasn't going to be easy, Sirius had already pointed out to her that James had to duel Riddle since he'd agreed to it, and that was binding in fairyland. And Riddle probably wasn't going to continue to underestimate her. He would be more careful with her after what happened in her dream the other night.

"James won't be able to kill, Riddle," Lily said. "So what we need to do is figure out what will make him concede. Does he have any weaknesses?"

Remus took another sip of his juice and then shook his head. "No. We've turned over every rock this side of the forest and we haven't even been able to find someone who knew Riddle before a few years ago. It's like this male just appeared one day with the intent of destroying James' family and fairyland."

"That only means he was careful when he remade himself. No one else in fairyland goes by 'Riddle?'"

"No." Remus set his cup down and turned to her. "I've always thought that he was like me. Sired by fae, but raised in the mortal world." Lily's frown deepened.

"Why?"

"Because of how he just appeared, because no matter who we talk to, no one knew about him. If we had more time, we could- well you and the others, you could go back to the mortal world and look into my theory. Maybe he has someone there that he cares about."

Lily bit the tip of her tongue, "I don't think he has anyone that he cares about. You said that he has split his soul, right? When I saw him, everything about him felt wrong, just like when I was at the deadlands. There is something missing from him. All he wants is immortality and power."

"Then why was he going to let Snape marry you?"

Lily shrugged. "I don't think he actually believed that I had any power to give him. Until he saw what I could do at the Hollows, he wasn't interested in me past using me to replace James."

"What did he say to you in the dream?"

Lily looked at Remus, "I've already told you what he said. He tried to glamour me again, tried to get me to agree to work with him instead of against him. Since I refused, he," She touched her neck and turned back to her plate. Remus didn't press.

"I don't know why he thought he could glamour you through the dream. I've never heard of that happening. And he had already tried to glamour you."

Peter walked into the room and plopped down in a chair across from the two of them.

"Morning, Pete." Remus nodded. "You alright, friend?"

Peter looked up and nodded, his blonde curls bouncing slightly. "Yeah, I just, I don't know. I feel like I let James down. All the work that I did infiltrating Snapes house, and we still got to this point."

"Peter, this isn't your fault." Lily sat up straighter. She looked around the table and sighed. "Though I suppose we're all just sitting around here feeling guilty."

Peter laughed. "What do you have to feel guilty for? You came here and put Riddle in his place for the first time. No one has been able to do that!"

"My being here also set off this chain of events."

Peter shrugged. "Sure, but Riddle was going to come for James throne sooner or later."

"Well then there's no point in you feeling guilty either." Lily raised a brow.

Peter opened his mouth and then closed it.

"I think we should all stop feeling guilty for the actions that Riddle is making." Remus set his cup down on the table a bit clumsily and then crossed his arms over his chest. "All of this is happening because of Riddle."

"But maybe there was more that I could have done." Peter put his head in his hands.

All of these boys were tired. Lily had only been here for a few days, but she was feeling it as well.

"There is more that we can do for him now." Lily smiled, trying to perk herself up a bit, thinking it might help them. "We can support him and let him know that we believe in him."

"And then we can just hope." Remus sighed.

"Hope," Lily repeated. "Don't say that like it's a dirty word. Hope is one of the most powerful things in the world." They didn't seem very moved by her words, and she didn't blame them.

oOo

James had to meet with generals and advisers all day, people who were concerned about what the potential outcome of the duel would mean for them and their holdings. People were on edge; the castle was too quiet.

Sirius also wouldn't leave Lily alone.

"I'm fine," She said, after ten minutes of him following her through the garden in silence.

"I know." He shrugged. "But James told me to stick with you, so that is what I am doing."

"But you don't need to."

"I know," He repeated, stepping up so they were walking next to one another. "What are you planning? I promise not to tell him."

Lily gave him the side eye and then huffed. "I don't know what my plan is!"

"Yes, you do. You want to hijack the duel."

"But you said that I couldn't do that."

"No, I said that James could not back out, I said that he still had to fight because that is what he agreed to do. I did not say anything about what you could or could not do."

Lily frowned. "Yes, well, Monty seems to agree with you."

"He told you to step in?" Sirius raised his brow.

"Not in so many words, but I know that's what he's expecting me to do. And I want to do what I can to help James, but I don't know how to fight anyone."

"You do not seem to need to know how to use your magic. It almost seems as though the magic is using you. And is that not what you said to Riddle? You were the land's weapon? A weapon does not normally do all the work alone."

Lily stopped walking. "And what if it doesn't work? What if when we get there, I don't feel the magic? What if I try to help but I'm more of a hindrance? What if I end up distracting James more than anything and that causes him to get hurt?"

Sirius did not look like he liked her questions. He started walking off without her and she had to walk quickly to keep up with him. "I thought you were braver than this."

"I want to help!" She clenched her hands at her sides. "And I will do whatever I can, I just don't know what I can do, so I don't know how to plan! You have to understand that." She reached out and grabbed his shoulder.

"I do!" He shouted and spun toward her. "I do get it. I do not like it though!"

"I don't like it either!" Lily shouted back. "I don't like walking around blind! I have no information, I just got here a few days ago, I feel like I'm just stumbling through all of this! One minute I'm going to wake up in my bed back in the mortal world and all of this is going to be some kind of dream." She pushed her hair back and then crossed her arms.

Sirius' grey eyes narrowed at her and then he let his shoulders drop. "I do not want to be upset with you. I believe that you are the true queen and that you came here to help and I do not know what to say to you to help you, but I did not mean to shout at you. I am sorry."

Lily laughed, she couldn't help it. "Did you just apologize to me?"

Sirius rolled his eyes and then flipped her off, a gesture that she'd taught him the other day. She only laughed more. "What is so funny about me saying I am sorry?"

Lily bit her tongue and tried to compose herself. "In and of itself, nothing. But I just keep picturing what sixteen-year-old Lily would think about all of this. And she would think that the idea of you apologizing to her over anything, would be completely ridiculous."

Sirius cracked a grin now. "Were we really so horrible back then?"

"Yes," Lily nodded. "You and James loved to terrorize other fae. You had the ground swallow that one male up to his waist and then you left him there!"

Sirius let out a bark of laughter. "Yes, but that was Bertram. He deserved it."

"What about the one boy whose head you inflated to twice it's normal size?"

"That was Benjy, and I can assure you that I have mended that fence."

She tilted her head. "That's great, but you have to understand that it was a bit much for me back then. And now. I mean, I wouldn't like it if you all started up again." Sirius put a hand on her arm and grinned.

"I promise that we will not start up again."

Lily nodded and then they started walking again. "So, you and Benjy?"

"Yep," He shoved his hands in his pockets and Lily smiled. "You and James?"

"Yep." Lily echoed.

And then she was laughing again.

oOo

Sirius escorted her back to her room, and they sat at the table, leafing through books and sipping tea for a good while, until James all but ran into the room and slammed the door behind him, flinching as he leaned against it.

"That was much louder than I wanted it to be."

"Are you hiding, James?" Sirius asked, standing up from the table.

"Of course I am. If Lord Diggory asks me one more question, I might have to challenge him to a duel just to get out of talking to him for any longer."

Sirius put a hand over his chest and gasped. "My king, how could you say such things," His voice got quieter and more languid. "Lord Diggory is such an important part of our co-" He closed his eyes and blinked quickly. "I am surprised I was able to say that much. Lord Diggory is scum of the earth and I think you should duel him. Now, I am going to go and find Moody before he finds me."

James laughed and moved away from the door. "I am surprised he has not found you already."

Sirius nodded and then slipped out of the room.

"Why did you have him follow me around all day?" Lily asked, looking down at her book. "Not that I mind his company, but still."

"Because I could not be with you."

She looked up.

"Well, I'm glad you're here now."

He smiled. "Me too."

She closed her book. "What is the plan for tomorrow?"

His smile slid off his face. "Most duels take place at sundown, so we will head out to the deadlands in the morning and set up our camp. And then we will wait for him to arrive." He took a deep breath and narrowed his gaze at her. "I would like for you to stay here with Remus. The full moon will make it impossible for him to travel."

"And I am sure that you have told him that you want him to stay here with me." Lily gave him a small smile. "And I'm guessing that he gave you the same answer that I'm going to. I'm going with you tomorrow."

"Lily," He took a step toward her. "I just got you here, I finally have a chance to prove myself to you, I am not going to let Riddle ruin that."

"You have nothing to prove to me," Lily stood up. "And if you try and leave me here, I will still find a way out there, and I'll be pissed at you." She walked over to him and stood in front of him, looking up into his eyes, eyes that held an entire forest.

"I promised-"

"And I made promises too, James." She said. "I don't want you to keep me safe, I want you to trust me."

"I do trust you, I do not trust Riddle. He will have something planned for you-"

"Yes, most likely." She nodded. "But I'm not afraid of whatever he has planned. We'll face it when it comes. Together."

James reached up and cupped her face, his thumb tracing along her cheek. "Do you have to be so bullheaded?"

Lily nodded. "Unfortunately, I do." James laughed and then leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. He closed his eyes.

"I do want you with me. Even if you would be safer here."

"Good. Because I'm going."

"Can you promise me one thing?" He opened his eyes, his gaze intense. She waited for him to go on. "Promise me that you will keep yourself safe. To the best of your ability."

"To the best of my ability? I don't know what that is, but yes, I promise." She probably shouldn't promise, but she wanted to put him at ease.

And it worked, his smile came back. "Someday, there will be time for us to see just how much magic you have access to."

"One day," Lily agreed.

And she very much hoped that that was true.