(10) The Great Divide

"Are you sure?" James stood in front of the kitchen sink, staring out the window into the backyard. Remus was resting in the hammock still while Harry was crawling around his playpen.

"Yes," Lily said.

James turned to face his wife. "Alright," He stepped forward & wrapped his arms around her waist. She rested her forehead on his shoulder. "Alright, let's do this. The second vial of Liquid Luck is for you. But not right now. We'll wait until October for it."

"Me? Why?"

"You have to win the Elder Wand's trust," James put it bluntly.

"How?"

"Beat its owner in a duel," James hesitated before adding. "Kind of."

"Kind of?"

"The Elder Wand is a bit different," James explained. "The one wielding it will win all duels. So you have to trick it somehow. We'll come up with that later."

Lily glared, wondering if she dared to ask. "Who?"

James kissed her neck, nipped her earlobe, then Frenched her. His hands slipped under the waistline of her white summer skirt with roses embroidered in lace around the hem. He pushed it down, then twisted them both sideways, still kissing her. Lily dimly wondered if Remus would walk in on them but was more interested in getting closer to James that she soon forgot the werewolf was outside. She felt her mate inside her as they both went into the wall. After a few frantic thrusts, they both got off. James stepped back, panting.

"You're going to get me pregnant again if you keep that wand of yours," she pointed at a spot just below his belt. "up all the time."

James laughed. "Perhaps I should. But after Halloween." He re-did his belt as he swaggered backwards a few times until the edge of the table stopped him. James leaned back a little, hands clasping the edge. "Dumbledore."

"What?"

"His wand," James said. "It's the Elder Wand."

Lily stared at him, her mouth opening & closing like a goldfish. "Wait a minute! WHAT?"

"Get that wand away from him," James crossed his arms.

"No. NO! James! You don't do that!" Lily held up her hand, finger pointing accusingly at him. "Dumbledore is one of us. A Light wizard! He needs his own wand in this war! I say no!"

"It's only for one night, Lily," James shrugged. "Fawkes can take care of him."

"No. Not Dumbledore!" Lily stepped back. "You want me to challenge Dumbledore in a duel & disarm him? Trick him into giving up his own wand? You're insane!"

"Did I not warn you that I would ask you to do some crazy things?" James glared. "Did I not ask you to trust & love me still?"

"James! This is Dumbledore we're talking about here!"

"One night, Lily!" James insisted. "The next day, I don't care how you give it back but we need that wand in your hand on Halloween or you're dead for good."

Lily thought it over. "What if I disarm him but leave the wand in his hands? He could still use it."

"No," James replied flatly.

"Why not?"

"If Dumbledore gets into a fight with that wand & just maybe, loses, then whoever wins will earn its allegiance & you're still dead. I talked to Ollivander about wands. That's why they pick us. They form allegiances with us if they like us or are won by us."

"The wand chooses the wizard or witch, Potter!"

"Not the Elder Wand," James said. "It's based on Death itself & is often stolen & swapped around. Who knows where its true allegiance lies by now? Dumbledore may not even be its true master. Who knows? The only way to know for sure that you are its Mistress is to earn it rightfully in some sort of duel or trick. It's one night Lily!"

"I can't believe what I'm hearing!" Lily turned away.

"Prongs," came the soft call of their werewolf as he stepped into the kitchen, Harry in his arms. "Is something wrong?" Lily scoffed & stomped passed the Moon Dog without another word.

"I'm trying to set up Lily & Dumbledore in a little game," James shrugged, hating the lie. Well it wasn't quite a lie but it was vague enough. "A nice little friendly duel. Lily & Dumbledore. Who'd win? It would take everyone's mind off the war for a bit, you know?"

Remus scoffed so sharply, he bared fangs. Harry pointed at one. "Sha'p!"

"Sharp," Remus corrected. "Prongs, you're nuts. Dumbledore would obviously win, hands down."

"You think I can't do it?" Lily snapped from behind. Remus whirled around. "You think I'm scared to challenge Dumbledore?"

"I uh I didn't say that," Remus grinned nervously.

Harry pointed again. "S'arp!" Did he get it now?

"Sharp," Remus licked the tip of the baby's nose. Harry honestly looked crestfallen. He WILL say that word.

Lily marched past Remus to stand by James, muttering under breath, "Darn Moon Dog."

"Unny!" Harry cried out. "Unny!"

"Moony!" James, Remus & Lily corrected.

"'Harp Oony!" Harry tried again.

Remus shook his head, laughing. "He's getting there."

James smirked at the Wolf with the baby, then turned to Lily. "So you'll do it?"

"Do I have a choice?" Lily glared at Remus. He'll learn the hard way. Besides, he didn't know she would be using some Liquid Luck.

"I'll start making some bets with Padfoot & America," Remus handed Harry over to James.

"You do that," Lily smirked. Once Remus was gone, she turned on James & held out her hand. "Vial please!"

James kissed her nose. "In due time, my love. In due time."

They spent that last summer together away from the war as much as possible. Four Aurors & one Light werewolf missing from the front lines had others in the actual battles wondering where some of their best fighters had gone off to. Sirius & Orion were the ones to make the most appearances. Remus, being the Alpha, tried to bounce between the two sides of his pack as much as possible.

But only Lily, Sirius & Orion knew that they had the end of the war all planned out.

Only James knew the most of it. He didn't tell Lily he had to fake his death. The Hallows could not have two masters. He had to stall the Dark Lord himself while Lily got ready to set up Voldemort's downfall. One misstep & the great Stag would be dead for real. It could all go so wrong, so fast.

Liquid Luck. It would work. It had to.

The duel was set for the day before Halloween. James cringed at how close he was trying to pull this off but he had no other choice. Of all the Hallows, the Elder Wand was the least predictable. He had already fitted the Resurrection Stone into a glossy pendant & given it to Lily as a gift. She wore it constantly around her neck, the long chain plunging the stone pendant down her cleavage so no one but James himself would see it.

The Cloak was the easiest Hallow to deal with. James planned on giving it to her simply as a cover for a cool night by the fire. The Cloak wouldn't mind, so long as someone was there to caress it & hide under its protective folds.

James sighed as the day to get the Elder Wand drew nearer. He had two problems to worry about. His re-enacted grand death scene, which he still fretted about despite having Liquid Luck handy. What if the Dark Wizards noticed him playing dead on the floor even if all things went smoothly?

The duel was the other thing. Fact was, Dumbledore had no clue. The other Marauders, even Sirius & uh Si—Orion, thought that it was merely all in good fun. James had yet to tell any of them the full scope of what he was doing. James rubbed his temples with both hands, feeling another migraine coming on. He had a vague idea of what caused the near-killing migraine in Seventh Year, but wasn't prepared to voice his opinion.

Not yet.

His mind also kept lingering on the topic of Horcruxes. That discussion happened while he was under the double-dose of Liquid Luck & James knew it was somehow important. Felix's power had told him so. But not exactly why.

All too soon, James got the message he was waiting for. Dumbledore urged the Potter family to go into hiding. It was about a week before Halloween. The entire pack gathered at the Potter's mansion for one last get together. Who knew how long they would have to go under? Well James & Lily knew it would only last until Halloween. Sirius & Orion had a vague idea due to the first time warp but neither were still quite sure how James was planning to do it this time around.

It was Remus who took it the hardest. He held Harry close, trying hard not to cry. Would the next time he laid eyes on the pack's one & only cub be when Harry was an adult? An old man? When?

Harry put a finger on the werewolf's upper lip. "SHARP!"

"Oui (Yes)," Remus wept softly. "You got it little one." He growled in play at the baby, baring all four points. Harry clapped his hands & squealed in laughter. With great difficulty, he handed Harry over to their Patriot, wondering if that was the last time he'd ever hold the child. "Where's James?"

"Taking a shower actually," Lily said.

Remus stared. How ... odd. Was the old hornhead not taking this separation 'Siriusly' or what? "Excusez-moi (Excuse me)," He left the living room as Padfoot curled up on the floor around Harry when Orion put him down before changing to America. The Patriot perched on the railing of the indoor playpen. Remus just wanted to be alone for a moment. How could this be happening? He ended up going down the hall towards the large parlour. The last door on the left opened into the large washroom that had a bath nearly the size of the Prefect's Bath at Hogwarts.

That door suddenly opened as Remus walked passed. James stood, still quite wet, towel in hand. "Moony, how you holding up?"

Remus stopped & stared at the floor a moment. He shrugged. James wound up his towel & held either end in each hand. He swung the rolled towel over the werewolf's head & pulled. Remus was jolted forward & landed in James's arms. "You're still wet," Remus grumbled.

James dropped the towel & wrapped his arms around Remus. "It'll be ok, Moony. The war won't last forever." He nipped his Alpha's throat in greeting, then nuzzled into his shoulder, nipping the flesh again through the sky-blue shirt Remus was wearing. His teeth caught the edge of an old scar that came over Moony's left shoulder & going up the side of his neck. James began sucking at it until his Alpha responded.

Remus held on to his pack-mate, feeling the wet skin slide easily under his palms. He ran his hands up & down James's back. Smooth & sleek, unlike his own lunar-slashed body. He felt a stray soap sud slip over his hand & followed it downwards along the perfect skin of his Stag, stopping at James's tailbone. He rested both hands on either side at James's hips. He suddenly pulled James to the floor & lay over him. Growling softly, Remus put his hands on James's chest over his pecks, while pressing his hips down firmly, demanding dominance. James turned his face away, looking at the wall. Accepting his submission, Remus lowered his head to whisper in James's ear, "I hope so."

James put his hands on Moony's shoulders to push his werewolf up a bit. He finally looked him in the eye. "We'll be ok. It'll be a little while. Only a little while. Then we'll be together again." Remus sighed, got off & stood up. He offered a hand for James & helped him up. James bent down to pick up the towel & flipped it over one shoulder, then walked, naked & wet, to the bedroom to get changed. Remus leaned back against the wall & slowly slid down, crying. First Wormtail. Now Prongs. It was only a matter of time before he lost his entire pack. It felt like his world was falling apart.

When the pack was together one last time in the living room, James looked at Sirius & Orion. "One of you stays to be my Secret Keeper. The other takes care of Moony while we're out. Anyone not doing the Fidelus Charm should head home," He hesitated before adding, "One last thing. I've got an idea of what caused our migraine in Seventh Year. If I'm right, we'll all suffer another one when this month is over so prepare yourselves." Then without further explanation, he turned away, arms crossed, back towards everyone. James would not interfere any more than he had to. Horcruxes. What the bloody hell was so important about them? He stayed silent, staring out the window until Lily herself had to smack him to sense. James turned around at last. His eyes landed first on his potential Secret Keeper.

Sirius.

The younger.

"You then?"

Sirius nodded. "I figured my older self suffered enough separation from Moony. He should be the one to take care of our Moon Dog," He stood up to leave. "I should go outside & get started."

"Not so fast."

Slightly confused, Sirius turned back. "Was there something else?"

"As you know, we're dealing with two timelines," James began. Sirius rolled his eyes. He was so sick of Time. "When I give the order, you will release us from the shield. Understand?"

Sirius looked horrified. Everyone knew Sirius would be their Keeper but only a few Marauders knew anything more. What if James got killed when Sirius lowered the shield? It could all look bad for him. Azkaban! Would he end up there ... on James's orders? "Non (No)!"

As if reading his mind, James shook his head. "I'm not sending you to Azkaban. Besides even if you did end up there, it wouldn't even be for a day. I'd get you right out. Don't worry about it."

Sirius glanced at Lily but she was firmly looking at Harry, pretending to play with the baby & his favourite plush dragon. "What are you talking about?"

James handed over a small package with a letter stuck to it. "Open that after Halloween. You'll understand all then. But I must have your word now. When I tell you to release us, you will. There are two ways out of this charm. You betray me to Voldemort, which I know of course you won't do. Or you release us upon orders of those under your shield."

Sirius finally nodded. "Prongs, I don't know what you're up to. But the sooner this is all over the better." He put the package in a pocket under his robes. Sirius was dressed in full Auror robes combined with his biker's chaps. He had been expecting this moment for a while. He was covered in full black, with a satin cloak that reflected the stars when he was outside at night, draped over his leather uniform. His leather biking gloves were fur lined. The only other colours was a ribbon of silver outlining the cloak's edge & gold clasps on the belt buckle & at his throat, holding his cloak down. His bike, freshly polished, was waiting in the driveway, helmet over handlebars.

"It will be over by Halloween."

Sirius paused at the door but didn't look back. What the hell was the great Stag planning? He pulled out his wand & stepped out into the night, a half moon rising in the sky. James & Lily moved to the front porch to watch as Sirius danced around their property, layering the protective cover of the Fidelus Charm over the entire household.

Sirius swayed back & forth, twisting one way then another. He held his wand at both ends, leaning back almost in a ballet pose. He released one end & holding on to its handle, he raised it up above his head, royal blue sparks shooting upwards to the starry sky, falling back gently over the grounds.

Rays of the Grim's power began radiating outward. He came around to the front of the house again. Sirius suddenly appeared as if he was standing on a pedestal of his spell-weaving. His cloak flared out around him as he spun, the stars of the universe shimmering this way & that over its glossy surface. Sirius danced forward to one side, twirling the wand back & forth in front of him, letting the shield drift down gently from the sky. He moved back to the center. His wand now held straight in front of him, tip pointing downward like Knight's sword, as he gripped it with both hands. He fell to one knee, plunging the wand's tip into the ground that had suddenly reappeared under him. James & Lily felt a small quake. Their Grim had done it. The shield was up.

(AN: For the dance Sirius the younger did, go to youtube & find Yuna's funeral dance of Final Fantasy X (10). I totally ripped that one off. LOL)