A/N: First of all, I really want to thank everyone who has reviewed this story. Right now I've had 216 reviews – that's more than I ever thought I would have! I can't tell you how much those reviews mean to me. But I need to say something; I'm not the perfect writer. (Big surprise, right?) There are going to be some grammatical mistakes in nearly every chapter. I've gone over this one pretty throughly, so there shouldn't be many mistakes in this one. Eventually, I'll go back and make corrections to this story, but that wouldn't be until after I finish the next story I've got planned.

Oh yeah, while I'm thinking about it, I'm hoping to finish this story by August. I'm pretty sure I'll finish before then, but I'm really shooting for the end of the summer

I know this has probably seemed like a rant, but without further ado...chapter nineteen!

Going Home

Lily tried to find any sign that James wanted to have a child, so she could casually bring up Lindsay and her possible adoption. But after a week, she decided to grit her teeth and just do it. And she had to do it soon; Marlene said that a representative from the Ministry would be coming tomorrow to discuss what was going to happen to Lindsay.

They were sitting on their living room floor, eating dinner. They did this so often that Lily was beginning to wonder why they even had a table. She was staring at the floor, going over different ways about how she could bring this up.

But Lily's thoughts were interrupted when James asked, "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah. It's nothing,"

"It doesn't sound like nothing."

Lily sighed and she said, "Someone from the Ministry is coming tomorrow to decide what's gonna happen to Lindsay." She suddenly felt tears welling up in the corner of her eyes. "Everyday, I am the one who helps her brush her teeth in the morning, who knows she likes bubbles in her bath, who reads to her when she's tired. And now – " tears finally fell down her cheeks, "and now they're sending someone in, who is probably going just scare Lindsay and tell her that she has to live with total strangers."

James wrapped his arms around her shoulders as she buried her head in his chest and sobbed.

"Have you thought about adopting her?" he asked in a would-be casual voice.

Lily lifted her head and just stared at him for a few seconds. Even then, all she could say was "What?"

"Have you?"

"A little," she replied in a low voice. To her shock, James smiled.

"I'm not surprised...and, to be honest...I have been too."

Lily's eyes widened and her mouth fell open slightly. She somehow managed to find her voice, somewhat scratchy, and said, "And?"

"Well, I would like to meet her first, and I think it would be good if she lived here for a bit before we decided anything final, but eventually...I don't see why not."

There were no words. All at once, her emotions seemed to be thrown into overdrive. More tears fell down her face as she flung her arms around James's neck.

"I've got tomorrow off, so why don't I go with you to the hospital so I can meet her?"

She looking into her husband's hazel eyes, her own emerald ones glazed over with tears. "That would be great,"

000

Lily lead James down the familiar route to Lindsay's room. When they arrived, Marlene was standing outside the door talking with a very straight-laced man dressed in black robes who looked to be in his mid to late forties.

"That must be the representative from the Ministry" she whispered and James nodded his head.

"Ah, Lily, there you are and...James, as well," said Marlene as she turned her attention to the young couple, sounding slightly surprised. "This is Mr. Lynch. He has taken up Lindsay's case.

Maybe it was because this man was threatening to take Lindsay or maybe that he seemed a little too arrogant for Lily's taste, but this Lynch guy really bugged her.

"Lily, why don't you go ahead and introduce Mr. Lynch to Lindsay and I'll take James to the tea room,"

000

Lily led Mr. Lynch into Lindsay's room. The five year old had colored pencils and a coloring books spread across her lap, both of which Lily had bought for her. She looked up from the brown dog she was coloring when Lily and Mr. Lynch came in.

"Lindsay?" she began, "This is Mr. Lynch and he wants to talk to you,"

Mr. Lynch said, "Hello." Lindsay looked up at the tall man and her brow furrowed; she seemed to be as fond of him as Lily was.

Then Lynch turned his attention to Lily. "I want to get right down to business, Mrs. Potter." he sounded as though he were starting a Wizengamot trial. "We have a couple who is interested in meeting Ms. Ellis-"

"Her name is Lindsay, and she's sitting right here so I would appreciate it if you spoke to her accordingly." Lily interrupted in a cold voice.

"The couple in question," Lynch continued as though Lily had not spoken, "is Mr. Rodolphus and Mrs. Bellatrix Lestrange, and they have arranged to meet Ms. Ellis tomorrow morning. Mrs. Potter? Are you feeling alright?"

At the mention of Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange, Lily's eyes widened and she could feel the color drain from her face. The Order of the Phoenix had been trying to catch the Lestrange's at something, and had so far failed to get enough solid evidence for Moody to report to the Ministry.

"I-I-," she began to stammer, "I don't think th-that would be a g-good idea,"

"And why is that?"

Because they're Death Eaters! They were probably the ones who killed Lindsay's parents and put her in here in the first place, you bloody moron, she screamed in her head, but actually said, "Well...I knew Bellatrix, she was a few years ahead of my husband and I at school and she was cared a very great deal about one's blood status: nothing less than a pureblood was good enough for her, which is more than likely why she married into the Lestrange family to begin with. Lindsay's parents were both Muggle-borns, and if they knew, Rodolphus and Bellatrix would probably make Lindsay's life a living hell, treating her subhumanly." Lily could remember all too well how both Bellatrix, and her sister Narcissa, would call her Mudblood nearly every time they were within earshot of her.

"Then what do you suggest we do with her?" Mr. Lynch replied coldly.

"My husband and I have been discussing the possibility of us caring for her. He came with me today so he could meet her."

"First, the two of you will need to answer some questions."

"Like what?"

"How long the two of you have been married, your ages, incomes, and you'll need two letters of recommendation,"

"Well, we've been married for three months, two weeks, and six days; James just turned nineteen last month and I am eighteen. I'll have to get back to you about our income and the recommendations."

It was then that Lily realized that Lindsay was lightly tugging on Lily's robes. Lindsay gazed up at Lily and said, "I don't wanna leave you," with tears in her eyes as she flung her arms around Lily's leg, clinging to it for dear life.

"You see!" Lily screamed, "She doesn't want to be with anyone else. I was the first person she even spoke to after her parents were murdered. She trusts me. You can't rebuild a trust like that in a short amount of time. She needs stability...she needs me," she ended with an almost pleading tone to her shaky voice as she lifted Lindsay into her arms and rocked her.

Lynch looked surprised that one human being could care so much for another. "I think I've seen all I need to see," he said before he let himself out of the hospital.

000

When Marlene and James returned, nearly half an hour after Mr. Lynch had left, they found Lily sitting on Lindsay's bed and reading her a book. She stopped reading when she heard them enter.

"Oh, good," Lily said, more to herself than anyone, as she placed the book down on the bedside table and gestured them to come closer.

"Lindsay, this is my husband, James Potter. James, this is Lindsay," she introduced.

"Hello, Lindsay," he said kindly.

"Hello,"

"And how are you feeling today?"

"Alright."

James and Lindsay made small talk while Marlene pulled Lily aside.

"So how did it go with Lynch?" Marlene asked. Lily gave her a rundown of what had happened.

"Yeah, I thought something like that would happen. He seemed like a real asshole. I don't understand why Lestranges want to adopt Lindsay, though."

"James said the Death Eater who was torturing Lindsay managed to escape," she said quietly, "It could have easily been Rodolphus or even Bellatrix. And now they want to finish the job. It would be easy for them to stage a Death Eater attack, considering they are Death Eaters. And if the Ministry thought they were attacked, the Lestranges wouldn't be suspected as being Death Eaters any longer."

"Kinda like killing two birds with one stone,"

"Exactly,"

000

That night, Lily and James got an owl from Sirius, saying that he needed to talk with them.

The second they walked though the door, he said, "I just broke up with Simone,"

Both James and Lily's eyes widened with shock and Lily tried to suppress a smile by asking, "Why?"

"Because of you, Lil," he replied simply.

"Are you trying to say you're in love with me?" failing to conceal her smile.

"Oh, no, nothing like that," Sirius laughed. "She told me that you and James are considering adopting or at least letting that Lindsay girl live with you – which James had already told me, of course. But she sounded as though the two of you were totally nuts and we started fighting and I told her I was sick of her constant bitching and to get the hell out of my apartment."

"You don't sound too upset about it," said James from the refrigerator as he tossed Sirius a butterbeer, and helping himself to one as well.

"I'm not...I've been meaning to end it for a while,"

Just then an owl tapped on the window. Neither of the guys noticed, as they were too busy talking about how much of a controlling bitch Simone was, so Lily opened the window to let the owl in. She was surprised when the owl didn't fly to Sirius, but instead, held its leg out for Lily to take the scroll.

It was a short note, scribbled in a hurry, that read:

Lily,

They're trying to take Lindsay. Get here A.S.A.P.

-Marlene

Lily felt her stomach tie itself into knots. She hurried over to James, gave him the note, and said, "I've gotta get to the hospital...I'll meet you at home," she kissed him, said goodbye to Sirius, and Dissapparated before either of the guys could say a word.

000

"What's going on!" Lily screamed as she burst through the doors of Lindsay's room. What she saw made her nearly go through the roof. Marlene was standing on the far side of Lindsay's bed, nearly yelling at Lynch, who was standing nearest to Lily, trying to pull a red faced and crying Lindsay from her bed. They all stopped and looked at Lily; Mr. Lynch was the first to answer, one arm still grasping Lindsay's wrist.

"The Ministry has decided that Ms. Ellis would be best in a Muggle orphanage. I'm very sorry," though he didn't sound it, "but I must take Ms. Ellis tonight."

"You can't do this," said Lily as she moved closer to Lindsay.

"I have to. Unless you suggest somewhere she can stay until someone adopts her, if that ever happens."

"I'll take her," Lily said simply.

"You couldn't possibly. Neither you nor your husband are qualified –"

"Qualified!" Now she had been pushed over the edge. "What is that suppose to mean? I would and have cared for Lindsay as if she is my own daughter, and my husband feels the same. Surely she would be much safer with us than in some - some orphanage."

Lynch seemed to be searching for some type of come back. "You don't have the Ministry approval," he mumbled.

"I don't care,"

Lindsay had finally removed her grasp from Mr. Lynch, hopped out of bed, and ran behind Lily.

"Please..." Lily was nearly begging at this point, "Please...don't do this to her...to us..."

Finally, he caved. "Fine, but only until more permanent measures can be arranged."

"Thank you,"

He nodded curtly to Lily before leaving.

It only took Lily and Marlene ten minutes to gather all of Lindsay's things before Lily, with Lindsay in her arms, were heading out of St. Mungo's into Muggle London. But before they could pass though the exit, however, Marlene stopped them.

"Just for the record, I have a lot of respect for you and James for this. My little girl is three, and I couldn't even begin to imagine what would happen to her if something happened to me and my husband...And you may as well take tomorrow off so you can make arrangements.

"Thanks,"

000

Lindsay and Lily walked into Muggle London together. Lindsay had finally calmed down and was nearly asleep on Lily's hip as Lily hailed a cab. They had settled in the back and the cab took off to James and Lily's apartment.

"Are we going home?" Lindsay asked sleepily, barely lifting her head off Lily's shoulder..

Lily stroked her little blonde head fondly as she replied, "Yeah, we are,"