Chapter Eighty-Four
Severus joined Lily, the whole scene in front of him surreal. Was it really possible? Could Ross truly be dead?
"Lily," he said softly, trying to reach out for her, but Lily just shook her head, pulling away, refusing to be comforted.
Severus's eyes drifted to Ross's body. He didn't know why he was doing it, but he had to know for sure. Taking the older man's hand in his own, Severus found that it was still warm. He felt for a pulse. He thought there wasn't one, that Lily's father was gone, but then he felt it. A slow, weak pulse.
Gasping, Severus dropped the hand in shock and said, "Lily, he's... he's alive."
Unable to believe him, Lily shook her head again. "N- no, he's d- dead."
"How long have you been here?" Severus posed gently.
"Not even... a minute," Lily replied shakily. "I f- found him like this."
Severus aimed his wand at Ross, shouting, "Ennervate!"
The life sprung back into Lily's father. His eyes blinked, and he turned his face toward his daughter.
"Lily?" Ross asked softly. "Why are you crying?"
"Dad? Daddy?" Lily asked tremulously. "Are you really... alive?"
"Lily, darling," Ross said, taking his daughter in his arms, and Lily cried into his shoulder in relief.
"I just assumed the worst," she confessed. "So stupid of me, but when I saw you just lying there like that, I thought for sure they'd killed you. They hate Muggles. Why would they have let you live?"
"I'm fine, honey," Ross reassured her. "I was just knocked out."
Severus couldn't believe their luck. Relief poured over him as he watched the scene before him, but still too shaken from the battle, Severus glanced back at the yard, seeing Mulciber's body. He hated the bastard, and as much as he felt Mulciber deserved nothing short of death, he hadn't meant to kill him.
Still, Severus wondered why Ross hadn't been killed. Whatever the reason, whether chance, luck, or something else, Severus didn't know as he turned back toward Lily and Ross.
"We'd better go back to where the Order is," Severus suggested. "I think Violet and Petunia were looking for you two as well."
Lily helped her father stand, and they began returning to the main part of the yard. Having calmed, Lily stated, "At least no one got killed."
"Actually," Severus said softly, and he motioned toward Mulciber's body.
Lily's eyes fell upon their old classmate and gasped. "You mean? I thought you just attacked him, Sev. Did- did your curse kill him?"
Severus nodded. Would Lily think him a monster for killing, even though she knew of his past? Did she think he was beyond such a thing now, even though he only intended to do it in extreme circumstances? He supposed this attack constituted such a time, but still, that didn't make the guilt disappear.
"It did," Severus admitted. "I only meant to free your cousin from him, or else he would have killed her-"
"You did it out of defense, Sev," Lily said gently. "He was a Death Eater, too..."
They reached the group assembled there. When Violet saw her husband, she ran to him and threw her arms around him.
"I had hoped if I had been at your wedding, it would have been a happy occasion," Dumbledore said to Severus, "not such an attack."
Severus wondered if the headmaster was accusing him of not inviting him to their wedding, which, although true, wasn't something he was going to discuss right now.
"I killed him," Severus stated, staring at Mulciber.
"Severus," Dumbledore sighed. "Was that your intention?"
"No, but I knew there was a risk. I acted without thinking, but I didn't have time to think. They were attacking Lily's relatives, who are all Muggles."
"There is no need to explain, Severus," Dumbledore reassured him. "You did the right thing by having Poppy alert me. Thankfully we were able to arrive before things got too out of hand. Do you think the attack was personal, seeing as the Death Eaters present were your peers?"
"That is likely," Severus said. "You-Know-Who could've targeted the wedding as well, though. The question is, how did they know?"
Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully, watching as Frank and Edgar, both Aurors, examined Mulciber's body. One of them was rolling back the man's sleeve, seeing evidence that he was marked as a follower of Voldemort.
"Don't you worry on it, Severus!" Frank called over. "I've already talked with the others who were present, and they said you were saving a little girl's life."
"And Crouch, one of the top Aurors, has felt it legitimate to use any means to bring down a Death Eater, including the Killing Curse, but you didn't use an Unforgivable," Edgar explained. "You shouldn't even have to worry about a trial."
Severus hadn't even thought about the repurcussions for his actions. Somehow, even though he wasn't going to face a sentence in Azkaban, combined with the fact that he had unintentionally killed a Death Eater, Severus couldn't feel right with himself for killing a man. He looked at Dumbledore and swallowed. Dumbledore stared back at him curiously with those piercing blue eyes of his, but Severus averted his gaze. He had no energy to erect the necessary mental barriers, and he didn't think Dumbledore needed to see himself being blasted off the Astronomy Tower by Severus's Killing Curse.
"What a mess," Moody growled. "We're going to have a lot of explaining to do to the Ministry, and all those Muggles' minds will have to be wiped." He kicked at Mulciber's leg. "Death Eater filth," he mumbled.
"Alastor, Edgar, Frank, I trust you can take Michael Mulciber's body to the necessary authorities?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes," Moody replied curtly. "Come on, boys," he instructed the young Aurors. "Let's get this sorry bastard out of these nice people's backyard."
The three of them surrounded the body and Disapparated, taking it away.
"Is everyone here all right?" Dumbledore asked Lily's family and Tobias.
They nodded, expressing their thanks, and Dumbledore gave them a brief smile and said to the only woman who had come with them, "Let's be off, Marlene." Turning one last time to the younger wizards and witches, Dumbledore added, "You have all done well. Mary, I would like you to consider joining the Order, too."
Mary was a bit stunned, but James patted her on the shoulder, seemingly glad to have his girlfriend with him in the Order. Dumbledore and Marlene McKinnon were gone a moment later.
"Wow," Sirius breathed, "that was mental. I wonder if my idiot brother was among them," he said darkly.
"I wouldn't be surprised," Severus stated, wondering if Regulus had, indeed, been present.
He surmised Rosier and Wilkes had been there, and that left one more Death Eater. Regulus was a likely choice.
"I'm sorry your wedding was ruined," Mary said sincerely.
"What I don't understand," James cut in, "is how they knew... and how they were able to get past the protective barriers."
"You do have protection, right?" Remus asked, looking at Lily.
"I thought we did," Lily said. "Those are all good questions, but I think the party is over... Thanks for coming."
Knowing this was goodbye, the Marauders and Mary exchanged their farewells. Severus stood with his father, grateful his father and Lily's family were still alive. He didn't know what he would have done if Ross had actually been dead. Their anniversaries would have been forever tainted as the day Lily's father died.
Once James, Sirius, Remus, and Mary were gone, that left only their immediate families. Petunia hadn't spoken the whole time and appeared shaken. She walked into the house without a word, leaving Lily and Violet watching her retreating form with concern and sadness.
"I don't think Petunia expected it could be this bad," Lily confessed. "Then again, I didn't, either. I have a very bad feeling this is only the beginning of the war."
"The important thing is that we're all okay," Ross reassured.
"But what about next time?" Lily demanded. "How can you go on living your lives if they're at risk like that? Dad, Mum... I can't lose you."
"But neither can we live in fear, darling," Violet said gently.
"She's right," Tobias said gruffly. "I don't know about you, Ross, but I'm keeping a gun on me at all times now. They might have magic, but we aren't completely defenseless."
"That's an idea with merit," Ross agreed.
Silence fell among them, but then Violet spoke.
"I'm sorry your wedding was ruined," she said, looking directly at Severus and Lily.
"It's not your fault," Severus murmured.
"No, but I still find it an awful shame that what was supposed to be a happy occasion turned out badly."
"It was going splendidly until the attack," Lily pointed out.
"Well, there's not much use in dwelling on what's already happened," Ross said heavily. "We'd best get this yard cleaned up."
The next few hours were dull. Severus kept wondering what was going on at the Ministry while he was in the midst of picking up rubbish and folding tableclothes. To be left merely cleaning up after a party when they had been engaged in a full on battle hours ago was strange. Real life didn't seem like it had the right to pick up again.
Having to live in near constant fear and walking a thin line in his previous experience, Severus supposed he didn't know what a normal life was really like. When they said their goodbyes to Violet, Ross, and Tobias later, Severus and Lily left her childhood home in a somber attitude.
The sun was setting, leaving the inside of Spinner's End darker than usual. Severus thought the house an appropriate dwelling place after such a day.
"Petunia isn't talking to me again," Lily said sadly.
Severus threw his dirty jacket over the arm of the couch and sat down. He had removed the bowtie and undone the top couple of buttons hours ago when cleaning. His white shirt was stained, and his hair felt a mess. Lily joined him, still wearing the oddly transfigured short skirt with the fancy bodice of the dress.
"I'm sorry," Severus muttered, thinking Petunia the least of their worries.
"Was it like this the first time?" Lily posed in a small voice. "Did my... Did my parents survive?"
"I don't know what happened to your parents, Lily. We weren't talking anymore at that point, but they weren't alive when... when you were murdered. Your son was raised by your sister."
Lily didn't have the energy to cry. Completely drained, her head dropped onto his shoulder, so Severus wrapped an arm around her.
"Today wasn't all bad," he said quietly. "I know it's hard to see past that attack, but the ceremony and the beginning of the party went very well, even perfectly. No one we love died. And I have you. You have me. We're married, Lily. Despite all the bad, there is that good truth."
Lily looked up at him and smiled a little. "Yes, we're married." She kissed him.
"This gloomy place is our home," Severus said wryly.
"I say we go upstairs to our bedroom and make some good memories to add to the collection," Lily stated, finding her courage and confidence.
"I won't argue with that." Severus smiled and picked Lily up, taking her up the stairs to their room.
Author's Note: Now, that's dedication. I couldn't leave you hanging after that last chapter. I hope you don't consider me so evil now.
