Author's Note

Please forgive any spelling and/or grammar errors. I hope you enjoy it, please let me know what you think!

PS I'm not JK Rowling, so I don't own anything :(

Ch 14: Being the One at Home During War

"Dad!" Lily cried, racing to hug a filthy Harry when he appeared on the lawn of the Burrow. He and Hagrid were the first to arrive, though they shouldn't have been.

"Oh, er, hi," Harry answered awkwardly, patting her back as though unprepared for her enthusiastic greeting. Though what he'd expected after the majority of her family had gone off to fight and she'd been left to worry with Ginny and Gran, Lily couldn't guess.

"I've been worried," she admitted, letting him glimpse the little girl who'd always gone running to her daddy when she needed someone to check under the bed for monsters.

Harry's expression softened immediately, then he was returning her hug wholeheartedly. When Lily noticed Ginny hovering nearby, her hands bone-white where she'd had them clenched for some time, Lily stepped aside to give her parents a private moment.

The reunion was interrupted by Remus's arrival, a bloody, mangled George in tow. A now familiar pain shot through her skull as her memory filled in the blanks with images and the knowledge of how her uncle had lost his ear during the war. She took advantage of the upheaval that was everyone rushing around helping to adjust to the latest information filling her head.

By the time she'd regained her equilibrium, everyone else had arrived with the exception of Mad-Eye and Mundungus, and her uncle Bill and Remus were preparing to leave to try and locate Mad-Eye's fallen body. Lily didn't bother informing them that they were wasting their time, not when she suddenly realised she was momentarily alone with her dad in the kitchen.

"Why him?" he asked, voicing the question that had likely been weighing on him for months now.

"You don't know him, not really," Lily said carefully, not wanting to start an argument, but also wanting to make it clear this wasn't up for debate. She'd not back down or let his long-standing negative opinion of Draco sway her into ending their relationship. Nothing could make her turn on him.

"I've spent six years with him," Harry said darkly, the implications clear in all he didn't bother saying.

"Don't you hate it when someone judges you and they aren't really in a position to know everything?" Lily countered, willing him to see the parallels. He was so bloody stubborn, but she had to try.

"Yes," Harry admitted, raking a hand through his messy hair. Bits stuck up every which way the same as Al's did.

She missed her brothers fiercely right then. She had the whole time she'd been away from them, but seeing Harry's striking resemblance to them made the ever-present ache throb insistently. What would they have thought of Draco? Probably, they would have despised him simply for being the first wizard she'd ever fancied.

"Isn't it possible the same is true for him?" Lily tried, searching her dad's face for any hint that she was getting through to him.

"He hurt Katie. He poisoned Ron. He disarmed Dumbledore," Harry listed, flinging each incident into the space between them like a poisoned-tipped dart.

Lily didn't bother defending Draco by mentioning the warnings he'd given to counter his actions. Instead, she got right to the heart of it all – his motivations. "Voldemort has his mother, and he still warned the Order of the attack. What would you be willing to do to protect me?"

"Anything. Whatever I had to," Harry said begrudgingly.

"The same is true for Draco, and he tried to fix things whenever he was forced to act. Ron was an honest mistake," Lily explained, sensing Harry was really hearing her. "I knew and didn't say anything either, so you should find me equally at fault."

"He told Snape he would spy for us…because of you," Harry prodded, watching her closely. The reminder made her feel so important and cherished, while at the same time it terrified her. If Voldemort figured out where Draco's true loyalties were, she'd lose him forever.

"I love him," Lily breathed, not knowing what else to say to convince Harry to give Draco a chance.

He just stared at her, his jaw slightly agape in a less than dignified manner.

"I'm not trying to hurt you, dad, but I can't help how I feel. Nor would I want to change it, even if I could," Lily continued, biting her lip as she waited for his decision.

Harry sighed and sank onto the bench at the table. "How did this happen? He's such a bloody twat," he muttered, resigned, but clearly still unhappy about it all. Lily shifted uncertainly, then joined him, nudging him with her shoulder.

"I told you. We met up a few times and we've been writing back and forth since we met. He's not really as bad as all that. It's all bluster. And the more I got to know him, the more I liked the person hiding behind the mask of arrogance," Lily said knowingly, fighting the blush she felt creeping up her neck as her mind flashed to their afternoon by the pond. That would definitely not go over well if Harry ever learned of it.

It really was too bad he was watched as closely as he was. With so many Death Eaters about it was a miracle he even had the chance to send her a letter, let alone visit.

"You trust him," Harry stated flatly, but Lily heard the inherent question regardless.

"Yes. Completely," she confirmed, nodding sharply.

"And Snape? Do you trust him too? Did I really name your brother after him?"

"Yes. You've always said he was the bravest man you ever knew. We have his portrait in our home and he tutored all of us in potions and defence growing up," Lily shared eagerly, though she wished she had just a few more pieces of the puzzle to help her convince him. Unfortunately, that was all she'd written when her memories were fading. "When Snape killed Dumbledore, it cut his ties with the Order. Draco is willing to risk his life to keep helping us by taking over for him. That has to mean something, dad."

"I need some time to wrap my head around this," he informed her, but softened the words by returning her earlier shoulder nudge.

"I can't believe you're here," Lily gasped, giggling as Draco swept her up in his arms. Immediately, Lily hooked her slender legs around his waist and began kissing a path down the column of his neck.

He'd sent a note earlier that week complaining about how changed his father was since his stint in Azkaban, and Lily had been worried about him ever since.

"I couldn't wait any longer," Draco admitted, spinning them around several times until he lost his footing and they tumbled to the ground in a tangle of limbs and amused squeals. "I've been going positively mental staying away from you," he said breathlessly, propping his head up on his elbow to see her.

"I think my family are starting to suspect why I've been taking inordinately long showers," Lily announced, batting her lashes as she ran a hand suggestively down his abs. The hard planes danced beneath her questing fingers.

It was as provocative as she dared to be, having next to no experience and nothing more to draw on, but apparently it was plenty for Draco. Besides, it was the truth.

"Do – have you –"

"Yes," she confirmed, surprised that she didn't feel even an ounce of shame at confessing that the memory of how he'd made her feel had her touching herself in an effort to recreate the sensations. It wasn't the same, but between the stress of the war and all of the new feelings Draco had inspired in her, it was better than nothing.

She'd have gone mental too without the release.

"Lily, gah, you're killing me here," he groaned, reaching to adjust his trousers. Lily felt pride tickle the small of her back when she realised her confession had aroused him.

"And you haven't done the same?" she asked, curiosity making her more daring than usual.

"At least twice a day," he stated frankly, a mulish expression twisting his lips, probably because she wasn't around to help take care of the problem.

Laughter bubbled out of Lily. She couldn't help but be amazed at her ability to unravel the typically composed Draco Malfoy with only a few words.

Draco smothered the sound with his lips, wasting no time before his tongue ventured into the recesses of her mouth. He tasted of honey and tea and decadence. If she'd not been addicted to him before, she was quickly approaching the point of no return. Ha! She'd long since passed it, and was completely lost to the Prince of Slytherin.

A moan escaped her lips when Draco palmed her breast, squeezing and moulding the sphere as he carefully tugged the cup of her bra down to free the prize within. Her nipple hardened, the tip scraping against Draco's calloused hand. He pinched the peak, and Lily arched against him, using her foot to pull him into the v of her legs.

His weight was heavy, but satisfying. It felt right to have him there, where he was designed to be. Lily pressed her centre against him, feeling heat ignite when she rubbed her core along his hardness.

"Oi! Hands off her," Harry ordered harshly. The barked command ripped through the air, ruining the moment with the abruptness of an avalanche.

"Dad!" Lily squeaked, scrambling to right her clothes and move to block Draco from her dad's formidable wrath.

Harry looked thunderous at having caught them in such a compromising position. His face was a brilliant red, and his fists were clenched at his side. Luckily, he wasn't holding his wand or Lily was certain this couldn't possibly end well. Draco, for once, stayed blessedly silent as he shielded his lower half behind her slight frame.

"Why her? Why my daughter?" Harry demanded, echoing the question he'd asked Lily only in reverse this time. "Answer me!"

"It wasn't like it was planned!" Draco huffed, holding his hands up as though to ward off an attack.

"Are you sure about that?" Harry asked, a new suspicion taking root in her father as he looked them over.

"Yes, Potter, I am," Draco sneered, disgust that Harry would suggest Draco was using Lily to get to him clear in Draco's tone.

"I don't understand you. That night, you let them in, but you warned Remus," Harry rambled, clearly searching for a way to make sense of everything that didn't involve resigning himself to the idea that his enemy was truly dating his daughter. "And in the hospital wing with Snape –"

"I knew you were listening," Draco muttered petulantly, but Lily wasn't sure she believed it, and Harry ignored the interruption all together.

"You said you wanted out. But then you agreed to spy. Why didn't Dumbledore tell the Order if this was really the plan? Did Dumbledore know? Did he know Snape was going to…." Harry broke off abruptly, unable to finish describing what he'd so recently seen happen to his mentor.

"Yes. From what I could tell, they planned it together, though neither ever said so directly," Draco acknowledged somberly.

"Why?" Harry beseached.

"Dumbledore wanted to give the Dark Lord a reason to trust Snape incontestably. I'm not sure why that was important, only that it was," Draco said, shifting to stand beside Lily rather than partially behind her. "Snape isn't exactly known for sharing, and apparently neither was Dumbledore."

"Why was no one else informed?" Harry mused, fixating on that one point from Draco's speech.

"Too dangerous, probably. It's why Snape can't keep spying. The Dark Lord believes he's blown his cover with us, so he can't be seen being friendly or conversing with any members of the Order. That's why I'm doing it now. I failed to kill Dumbledore, so I'm beneath everyone's notice, but that works to our advantage because I can still pass the information he gathers," Draco said, relating everything he'd already discussed with her in their letters.

Lily's heart went out to her father, understanding just how frustrated he was by all the secrets and hidden agendas – plans that involved him, yet he'd been kept deliberately in the dark about. It was not an enviable position to be in. More than anything, though, was her gratitude to Draco for how he was handling this confrontation. She knew he still didn't care for her dad, but he was trying to be polite for her sake. It meant the world.

"Look, Potter, I know we aren't mates, but I won't hurt her. I swear," Draco promised, taking his cooperation a step further.

"I don't like this," Harry said bluntly, surprising no one with that particular truth.

"No one is asking you to," Draco fired back, unable to cut the retort off in time. Lily grabbed his hand and gave it a tight, warning squeeze lest he say more just now.

"No more secret meetings," Harry replied, waving towards the house with the clear impression that they were both meant to join him.

Draco sighed and whispered for her alone, "Guess it's into the lion's den I go. You better not let anyone eat me."

"Care to dance?" Lily asked eagerly.

The teenager with the curly red hair, thanks to the use of Polyjuice Potion, had been sitting at a table alone since Ginny had gone off with the twins, likely planning some prank to perform on the newly wedded couple before the night was through. Lily had taken Polyjuice herself as a precaution so that no one would see her. Better they remember yet another Weasley cousin attending Bill and Fleur's wedding that day instead.

The last week had been great. She'd loved having Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione all around to hang out with – even if the elder trio did keep disappearing for hours on end. Ginny had warned her they were planning to take off soon, so they were probably busy preparing everything they'd need for that. Lily didn't want anyone worrying about her when they had enough else going on, but the truth was that she was scared. She didn't want them to go off where anything could happen to them. Knowing they'd survive – her existence was proof of that – honestly didn't set her nerves at ease in the slightest.

Harry shifted in his seat and looked around as though searching for a hasty exit or for help on how to answer her question before he stuttered, "Er, well, er…."

"It wasn't a trick question," Lily teased, taking the chair next to him and fighting a laugh at the discomfort contorting his face.

"I'm not very good," Harry admitted, wincing at the thought of dancing and making Lily lose her battle in the process. Giggles spilled forth, tugging a sheepish grin from Harry in response.

"We could just talk instead," Lily suggested, content to take advantage of what time she had left to spend with her family. Who knew how long it would be before they could do this again.

"Yeah, all right," Harry agreed quickly, grateful not to have to stumble about on the dance floor.

"You're leaving soon," Lily stated baldly, coming right out with what had been weighing on her. It hurt more than she was willing to admit that Harry hadn't told her himself, and he probably had no intention of saying anything at all before he left.

"Er, sorry. Still not used to this," he said, wincing as he noticed the thin cracks in her carefully formed facade.

"I know. It's different for me too," she allowed, letting him off the hook.

He wasn't the reliable father she'd grown up with, but it helped knowing this version did care about her. The way he'd spent an hour making small talk with Draco at the Burrow was proof of that. Or that had just been about making sure they weren't alone together where they could have done things he disapproved of.

"It'll probably be too dangerous to contact you while we're…out," he said regretfully, as though only just now realising it.

"I know. Same with Ginny," Lily said mournfully.

She wondered if she'd even be able to write Draco, or if his connection to the Death Eaters would allow his letters to go unsearched. Hopefully she'd still have the one lifeline left to her, though he'd already warned there wouldn't be many just in case.

Harry frowned, studying her for a second. Then he asked, "How are you getting on?"

"I'm all right," Lily answered, shrugging casually.

"You must be awfully lonely," Harry acknowledged, still eyeing her closely.

Lily felt her forehead wrinkle at the assertion, but she quickly inferred what he might be suggesting. Torn between irritation and amusement, she informed him, "It's not your fault I fell for Draco."

"I know, but…," Harry trailed off, one side of his lips tilting up at being accurately called out.

"Yes, it's strange being alone so much when I'm used to being surrounded by brothers, cousins and classmates, but I think Dumbledore erasing my memory helped ease the sting of that a bit," Lily said, trying to downplay how she felt so that Harry wouldn't feel guilty. He already had enough on his plate.

"I wish I could do something about it all," he said, concern for her visible even through the false face he currently wore. It looked different, but was just as recognizable to her. "You're my daughter. It's my job to worry about you."

"Promise me we'll play a game of Quidditch when this is all over – the whole family. That'll give me something to look forward to," Lily requested, thrilled by the very idea.

Harry perked up, seeming just as excited when he remarked, "I forgot you play. We didn't get a chance this summer."

"Well, there were a few other –"

Lily broke off as a silvery lynx dropped from the ceiling of the canvas wedding tent. Guests jumped back, forming a loose circle around the patronus as Kingsley's deep voice filled the area warning, "The Ministry has fallen. They are coming."

"You have to go, now!" she hissed, shoving Harry away when he reached for her.

"I can't just leave you," he argued, frantically shaking his head.

"We've got her, Harry. Go!" George yelled, and suddenly there was a twin on either side of her, Ginny just behind them.

Lily felt a bit claustrophobic with them surrounding her on all sides. It wasn't like she couldn't fight, but she understood this wasn't the time to prove herself. She might be a Gryffindor, but excess pride would not be her downfall.

"But –" Harry tried again, except Hermione was already there, grabbing Harry's arm, then they were gone in a rapid turn, the tell-tale sound of Disapparation drowned out by the screams of the fleeing wedding guests.

So much for the happiest day of her uncle's life.

Then a half second later Fred had whisked her and Ginny away from the terrifying scene and back to his shop as well.

Lily,

Were you harmed? Is your family all right? I've heard the golden trio got away, but I'm worried about you.

Yours,

Draco

The letter had arrived within hours of her settling in at her uncle's shop – just after the warning that she not touch any of the potions they had going. Apparently they didn't trust her not to have another accident that would send her spiraling through time.

Draco,

I'm fine, promise. How bad is the aftermath considering they didn't get what they came for? Is your father still suffering the aftereffects of his time in Azkaban?

Yours,

Lily

She had to wait nearly a week for the reply. A long and eventful week at that.

Lily,

I'd rather not go into detail about either subject. Maybe someday it won't be as difficult to talk about, but I just can't right now. All I will say is that it would have been much worse if taking over the Ministry hadn't been successful. Luckily, I was not included in the attack at the Burrow, but I was still forced to watch as the others were punished. I haven't been able to keep anything down from the smell penetrating the Manor. When this war is over, I'm going to burn the place to the ground. Every inch of my childhood home has been tainted.

There's talk of installing Death Eaters as teachers at Hogwarts. Warn Weaslette as I'm sure they'll be targeting her. And have you seen the latest wanted posters?

Yours,

Draco

Lily offered Thea a treat before sitting at the desk in her new room. She had to remind herself it was a room and not a jail cell as she stared at the very wanted poster Draco had mentioned – Harry Potter, Undesirable Number 1. Knowing things would get worse in proportion to the war didn't make it any easier when she was the one living with the consequences. If she'd thought she was bored and lonely before, it was nothing compared to her current situation.

After the Tonks family was tortured for information, the Ministry – those under the Imperius Curse – had started in on the Weasleys. It was too dangerous for her to be at any home connected to her family, so they'd moved her in with the Tonks'. That would have been fine, she loved spending time with Remus and Tonks, except they were never around. The Aurors had all been reassigned to find Harry, and Tonks was busy with Kingsley working on the inside to prevent them from succeeding. Meanwhile, Remus was running the Order and off fighting in every single Death Eater attack they got word of. If Lily didn't know better, she'd swear the man had a death wish.

It took her three attempts before she was satisfied with the letter she was sending Draco. Everything in it was the truth, and ideally nothing would cause him to worry about her overtly. He had enough to deal with.

Draco,

Ministry officials kept coming by the house to check on "Ron". My grandparents decided it was too dangerous for me to remain there, so I'm staying with Remus, Tonks, and your aunt and uncle. I'm sure you can imagine the study schedule Remus is already drawing up for my sixth year studies. Fortunately, my results came in and I got Outstandings in everything I needed to be a Healer, so that's still on track.

The Tonks family have been very welcoming, and they did up the guest room to make it feel more like home for me since I'll be here for a while. I'm sure it will sound strange considering you've been estranged from them your whole life, but being around your family makes me feel closer to you. It helps. I'll admit I'm terrified something will happen to someone I care about.

Yes, I saw the hideous posters. I also saw that the Prophet announced this morning that Snape has been named the new headmaster. What do you think that means for his plans? I would ask if you're excited to begin your final year at Hogwarts, but I have a feeling there won't be anything worth celebrating there this year. At least you'll be away from your father and the guests your family is currently hosting.

Stay safe. Write when you can, but don't take unnecessary risks for my sake.

Yours,

Lily

Lily,

I'm sorry I haven't written sooner, but I didn't want to risk it when I didn't have any actual news to share. I'm not sure we thought this through very well. I'm not likely to learn anything valuable while sitting in a classroom at Hogwarts, Snape seems to have his own agenda that he isn't sharing with me, and I'm not invited to any meetings until after I graduate.

You were right about one thing though. This isn't Hogwarts anymore, not the way it's supposed to be at least. The Carrows are disgusting. Snape is trying to temper them, but the students keep giving them an excuse to take out their depravities on everyone. Your mum and her friends aren't helping the situation any, at least not as far as I can see.

They seem to view Potter's Ministry break-in as a sign that they're meant to ignite a rebellion at the school. What was he thinking doing that? Doesn't he realise he could have been caught, and what that would mean for you? I should have hit him this summer when I had the chance.

Speaking of this summer, I would do just about anything for a repeat of that right now. That was the best day of my life. I miss you. I can't tell you how many nights I've woken from dreams of being with you again. There's so much we've yet to do and explore. If I could say more here, trust me, I would.

Be careful replying, and for once, please, don't be your parents' daughter.

Yours,

Draco

Lily's face felt hot from Draco's reference to their time together, despite its mildness. Part of her wished she could write something dirty that would make him lose his marbles, but she just didn't know enough to successfully pull it off. Still, it wouldn't hurt to maybe try her hand at –

Bang!

The sound of Remus yelling was muffled by her closed bedroom door, but she could still hear each and every accusation he hurled at Tonks in addition to whatever he'd just thrown against the wall in frustration. The metamorphmagus was firing them back just as quickly, and if possible, with more rage fueling her words. They'd been at it for hours already, and Lily wished more than anything that she could escape the drama. But that simply wasn't possible.

Ministry officials had come for Ted, and he'd given himself up so that Lily's presence wasn't discovered. Of course, when they'd gotten outside he'd put up such a fight that he'd managed to escape before they took him in for the charge of being Muggleborn. On top of that, Tonks – a pregnant Tonks – had been hurt during the struggle, which was what initially got Remus upset.

Tonks, who'd been suppressing all her opinions for months now, was finally letting Remus know how she felt about all the unnecessary risks he'd been taking and how he'd tried to leave her upon learning of the pregnancy. That had been a particularly fun week not long after Lily had moved in….

"Think you can sneak a note in for me, Thea? Helios is with Gran and Grandpa right now," Lily murmured, stroking one of the regal bird's feathers. Thea rustled and nipped Lily's finger affectionately, obviously approving of the idea. Draco must be in need of a distraction more than she'd realised.

Draco,

I'm sorry about Hogwarts. What's happening there? Make sure you don't do anything that would make them question your loyalty.

You might have already heard, but Tonks is pregnant. It's been an adjustment here given the dangers everyone is facing. Your uncle Ted had to go on the run, but you don't need to worry. From the sounds of things, we're about to up the protections on the house so I'll have Tonks and Remus around full time.

I've been kept in the dark on most of what's going on, but my uncles have started a program called Potterwatch that I get to listen to each week. I would consider it a highlight, certainly the most excitement I'm involved in, if the content wasn't so depressing.

I miss you too. At least part of everyday is spent daydreaming of you and all the things we're going to do together after the war. You said you want to burn down your family home. Well, if you do, perhaps we can travel the world afterwards when I finish school. After nearly two years of never leaving home, I'm ready for an adventure… Are you interested?

Yours Forever,

Lily

The letter was resting on Lily's desk when she entered her room after a Transfiguration lesson with Remus, but there was no sign of Thea. It must not have been safe for her to write back. Still, she would have liked to see the extra reminder of Draco. At least she had a letter. It was better than nothing, especially given the sappy atmosphere she was constantly surrounded by now that Remus and Tonks had come to an understanding. They were the only ones in the house relishing the forced imprisonment now that they'd used the Fidelius Charm to hide.

Luckily, Christmas was just around the corner, and she was going to see her grandparents, the twins, and Ginny for the holiday. Bill and Fleur had asked to spend time alone since it was their first holiday together, but everything else was already arranged.

Lily,

I'm in. Since I got your letter, I've thought of little else than running away with you. Not forever, obviously – your family would never allow that, but a couple years of showing you the world sounds like the perfect reward for winning this war. Just imagine all we could do with our nights spent in a tropical paradise….

On a darker note, the Carrows have taken to forcing students to torture each other during detentions rather than simply doing the torture themselves. It's horrific. A particular group, including your mum, keep taking the punishment on themselves to spare some of the younger students, but that just seems to delight the Carrows. Snape and I have devised a few ways of distracting them so that the students responsible for causing disorder aren't caught, but there's only so much we can get away with.

I love you. Sorry, I know I haven't said it in a while, but I do, always.

Yours Forever,

Draco

"I saw the bruise on your arm. Has Gran seen it?" Lily asked carefully. Ginny had been home for a few days already, but it was only today when her sleeve had ridden up at dinner that Lily had seen the fading green mark marring the other witch's arm.

"No, and don't say anything to her either," Ginny warned, giving Lily a flat stare that meant business.

"Draco told me what's been happening," Lily stated, challenging her mum in a way she'd never have dared in her original timeline.

Ginny rolled her eyes, but sighed, apparently giving in. "I know he's been trying to look out for me – the others too."

"Is it really so bad then?" Lily asked, frowning in alarm.

"Yes," Ginny said bluntly.

The confirmation terrified Lily. The urge to beg her mum to stop, to keep her head down, to not lead the rebellion occurring in Hogwarts filled her entire being. It took everything in her to not say the words. She couldn't ask that of her mum, not when her parents had raised her to always do the right thing – no matter how difficult it was. The scars on the back of her dad's hand, among others, were a constant reminder.

"Mum," Lily whispered plaintively, unable to prevent the plea from slipping out entirely.

Ginny seemed to understand her predicament. Probably, it was the same she faced regularly with Harry. "You know I have to do this. It's the right thing to do."

"Guess the war isn't only outside of Hogwarts," Lily acknowledged, resolving herself to the way things were.

"No, it's not, but at least I can contribute," Ginny said, straightening. She was a force to be reckoned with.

Lily admired the witch so much in that moment. Even without her complete memories, she knew that her mum had always been a source of inspiration for her. But it had been different before. Ginny had been a famous Quidditch player and wonderful mum. Now Lily saw that she was a fighter and leader as well. If she turned out to be half the witch Ginny was, she'd know she was doing all right.

But seeing this side of Ginny was also a bit of an unintentional slap in the face. Here Ginny was pointing out how she had to be part of this fight, while everyone was doing all they could to keep Lily out of it. It didn't matter if she wanted to help. Her hands were tied and there was nothing she could do about it without risking destroying it all.

"Hmm," Lily hummed, having nothing productive to contribute after that.

"Looks like someone took advantage of being home to write you," Ginny announced suddenly, an enigmatic smile curling her lips.

"Thea!" Lily cried, freeing the letter as quickly as she could, eager to see what Draco had to say. The owl perched on her shoulder, brushing her ear with her wing.

Lily,

I'm sorry to bombard you with bad news, but that's what I have for you today. First, I don't know if you've heard or not, but Potter and Granger were almost caught in Godric's Hollow today. They got away, but he is furious about it. Weasley wasn't with them. Is he all right?

Second, Lovegood was captured by Death Eaters. I found her under guard in the cellar of the Manor this morning. She hasn't been harmed, but I can't do anything to help her either, not with so many witnesses. If you share this with the Order, make sure you warn them that rescuing her would be a suicide mission. I'm sorry.

I love you. I know that the timing sucks, but Happy Christmas. Perhaps next year we'll have the opportunity to spend it together.

Always,

Draco

Lily considered sharing the letter with Ginny, but given their previous conversation about having to be involved in the war and Ginny's friendship with Luna, Lily feared she'd do something reckless.

"Have you heard from dad or your brother at all?" Lily asked, feigning casualness. Hopefully Ginny would chalk the question up to curiosity stemming from getting a letter herself rather than the fishing it actually was.

"No," Ginny said, voice suddenly thick. She inhaled deeply, appearing to brace herself though before she added, "It's not like they're on vacation, is it?"

"Guess not," Lily agreed, trying not to let her disappointment show.

Where was uncle Ron? Had something happened to him? She honestly couldn't remember. Maybe this was supposed to happen. Wouldn't her head hurt if it wasn't? Nothing stood out as different from the memories she had written down.

Lily was still puzzling it out as she replied to Draco's letter.

Draco,

Thank you. I think it best I keep the news to myself. Ginny is so determined to be a part of the fight that I don't trust her to know about Luna. As for Ron, I'm not sure why he wasn't with them. Perhaps the holiday is making me optimistic, but I'm choosing to believe all is as it should be.

Together next Christmas? You know I'll still be in school, so that'll mean spending it at the Burrow. Are you sure you're up for that?

Always,

Lily

Lily,

If it means being with you, I'd go anywhere. Besides, I'm sure we can sneak away at some point and you can find a way to reward me for playing nice with your family… Just the thought of that is enough to get me through the rest of this miserable break.

Always,

Draco