All credit for Harry Potter, the world the story takes place in, and the characters belong to JK Rowling.
When Lily woke up again in the morning, it took her a few seconds to remember where she was and what had happened over the course of the last day. She sighed and looked at Sirius.
He was still already awake as well, his eyes staring unblinking down at her head resting on his chest and her arms wrapped around his lithe body. He looked incredibly peaceful with that soft smile on his lips, a far cry from the dejected man she'd seen only hours ago. A few strands of her bright red hair had fallen into her face and the one with silver eyes that held her slowly reached down to move it out of the way. Sometimes she still couldn't help but wonder how he could have ended up with her… He who seemed to be so totally different from her, but at the same time they seemed to be a perfect match for each other as well.
Although the doubts were still there about whether they should be together were still there, there silent voices were so easy to ignore right now. It was almost if they were gone…
But not for long most likely. They wouldn't leave her for good, this she knew. But at the very least they would fade from her over time as she saw how happy their life was together. There was no other way it could be for her heart wouldn't budge over to let the unreasonable qualms in anymore, now that it had once again tasted the incredible sweetness that was the man lying next to her. Now that it felt really and honestly loved for the first time in a year. It was too late to go back now.
"Good morning," she whispered and raised up slightly to give him a chaste kiss, "Did you sleep well?"
"Very," he replied with a smile, one that actually reached his beautiful eyes.
"Me too… I would like to wake up like this for the rest of my life," Lily whispered, confining in him the deepest wish of her heart. He just smiled. "Me too," he whispered, echoing her earlier words.
Taking her hand in his, he softly whispered, "Lily, will you do the honor of becoming my wife…?"
Or at least, that was how it was suppose to go. If only that was the work of reality, for it was only in her dreams that something like that could take place…
Lily woke up to the sun pouring through the small sliver in the window curtains. She wasn't sure how long she had been down. She stretched a little bit, a huge grin sliding across her face.
She felt bloody fantastic…
That is until she noticed she was alone in the big bed.
He was gone.
In the time she'd spent dreaming she had resolved to explain what had been on her mind all this time. Of her insecurities over his new office and what his family expected of him…
But he had either left after she'd drifted off to sleep or early that morning. She hadn't even noticed. It seemed fate was being uncooperatively cruel, as always. Doing things only halfway, which was more painful than not doing anything at all.
Almost on autopilot, she made her way over to the kitchen table and began to clean up. Empting the leftover Butterbeer down the sink drain, throwing the bottles into the garbage bin beneath the counter. Picking up the plates from the table and washing them before setting them in their places in the cupboard. Moving to the bedroom to strip the bed and wadding the sheets up, then throwing them in the corner with her clothing from the day before. Putting the pile in the watch before moving to make the bed up fresh.
Hiding any leftover evidence of his ever being there that night, and what had gone on between them.
She had decided to lie, about everything. The thought of telling anyone, even Molly, the truth of what happen in the darkness struck her as impossible. She couldn't help but wonder what they would think of her, not that it really mattered in the long run.
Standing alone again in the kitchen, she caught the faintest whiff of his scent, and felt the tears begin to form. She might have allowed herself to cry, but she knew if she started she most likely wouldn't be able to stop. Besides which, it was time to pick up Harry from Remus's place.
Reaching up, she wiped the few places where moisture clung. The drops fell, and before they hit the ground she was gone. Fleeing from memory and the heartache she wanted so much to forget.
The two had come full circle. He'd given himself to her, opening his heart and soul what seemed like so long ago, and she'd taken all he'd offered without a thought. Then she'd turned around and tore it to shreds without so much as a proper explanation, letting him believe lies that were as far from the truth as one could possibly get. Wasn't his leaving just returning the favor?
That fact made her a bit dejected when she went to appeared at the werewolf's residence to retrieve her son. The gases had all dissipated, and Remus assured her that St. Mungo's had given the boy a clear bill of health. The potion was harmless, minus a few anomalies that had faded within a few hours. The only danger came if the mixture was actually ingested. That was good, because she wanted his full attention when they got back home. As soon as they were back through the grate, she would sit him down for a talk that, sadly, her emotions of Sirius leaving her would slip into and greatly change their relationship.
"Alright Harry, I have a pretty good idea why you did this, but I want to hear it directly from you. It was to try and break Sev and me up, right?"
The little boy nodded.
"I'm guessing this wasn't the only part of the plan?"
He shook his head, not trusting himself to talk. But it was her next words that would be the real kicker.
"Well then, it seems you and I really need to talk about this." Her voice was hard as a result of disappointment evolving into anger. "I am so disappointed in you Harry James Potter. I know you don't like Severus, you've made your feeling blindingly clear on that front…but this was to low. It's going to stop, do you understand?"
Her only answer was the look of confusion that spread across his face. She'd never said anything like this…
"No more pranks on my boyfriend Harry. No more tricks, no more jokes. While the first couple were a bit amusing, I'm just tired of them now. This last one could have really hurt someone if you had gone through with it. He loves me, and for the first time in a long time I'm happy. That's not going to end just because you don't happen to like him, so no more. You're stuck with him because I am going to say yes if he asks me to marry him, which I know he plans to do sometime soon. Understand?"
The child had never seen his mother like this, and to be perfectly honest it scared him. With no other choice, he nodded.
"Good," she snapped, turning and marching out of the room. She'd seen the fear in his gaze and knew she should not have taken her frustration out on her son…but it was to late now. To late to take it back and to late to repair the damage that had most definitely been done.
X-x-X
When she had had some time to sort out her feelings and get over the lingering bitterness, she had tracked him down to apologize. He accepted the apology and the accompanying hug, but she could see something had change between them. The child was tense around her, his eyes on guard incase her mood should change.
The actions perplexed her at first, but she just chalked it up to the fact that he'd never seen her that angry. She thought it was just a temporary phase that would soon pass…
But it did not.
It seemed forever afterwards he was always trying to avoid her. He only talked in her presence when spoken to and he tried to move as little as possible. He was even civil to Snape, who was ignorant of the Potion incident.
Harry never went out on his broom anymore, despite the fact that the restriction placed on it during his grounding was lifted. He kept his bedchamber clean and no longer made large messes around the rest of the house. He did he lessons, even going so far as to assign himself extra studies.
He seemed to have taken her words to heart as well, and no longer played Pranks. She'd simply meant no more on the Hogwarts teacher, and when she told him that he said he understood. But no tricks were pulled in Potter Manor, nor at the Burrow by the small black haired child, much to the dismay of the Weasley children.
He withdrew into himself basically, becoming a shell of his former self and it was her fault for acting rashly. Her telling him she was disappointed in him was the easily the worst thing to ever happen to him in his memory. He didn't even complain when she told him to do something she knew he hated anymore!
What she did not know, although their friend the werewolf did, was that the little boy's Godfather was doing much the same thing.
Sirius Black had entered a state of virtual nonbeing for a time. Simply put, he began to not live his life anymore and refused himself all of the very little that made him happy anymore. That included not seeing his Godson or his fellow remaining Marauder.
He hardly ventured out of his flat anymore, and was drunk or asleep most nights. The memories of his past were to painful in his eyes to dwell on, and were therefore best forgotten by any means necessary, not including a Memory Charm. But even that option was becoming to seem more and more attractive if it at least removed that which he did not want to be able to see…
X-x-X
The raven haired child pushed the round glasses he wore back up his nose as he silently considered the vast shelf of prank books hidden in the back of the family library. One of his father's greatest legacies, this collection…
One he hadn't visited since the "talk" with his mother. He'd promised himself he would not give her cause to think so low of him again. Hence the change and lack of trouble, for he was sure the way to keep her happy was to behave.
All he really did was clean and study.
In all honesty, he hated it! By the time the start of his first year of Hogwarts came around, he would probably be the top of his class easily! Most likely among the then current second years as well, and if it kept up until then, the third years…
Lately though, it didn't seem like his plan was working properly. His mother always seemed to be sad or angry, and her moods changed easily. She was tired a lot and got major headaches or could be seen rubbing her lower back.
It was this that had made him come to stand before the forbidden aisle, it which had been designated "off-limits" by himself. He wanted to cheer her up…
But he knew it wouldn't work. It was stuff like that in these dusty books that had made her like this in the first place. There was no way that it could be what got her out of her funk and smiling again...
X-x-X
He'd been on the Wizengamot for over a year, and he still didn't know why he bothered to show up for trials anymore. Most of them were just ridiculous disputes between random wizards who'd requested a full trial or those who had broken some pretty heavy laws.
Even Dumbledore, who was head of the whole ordeal, was rarely, if ever, there! Maybe he should tone his appearances down a bit…Merlin knows that would piss his mother off more than she already was.
She'd been oddly happy lately, even going so far as to visit him, with the mad old family House Elf trailing behind her skirts, into his office after a trial. It had been horrible, for the evil hag of a woman had thought it appropriate to hug him and tell him how proud he was finally making his family with his proper behavior. This had been his much needed signal to start living a bit differently.
He was still basically a recluse, but he did go out in public more every now and then. Oh so slowly he was taking on his old Hogwarts role of Man-whore. Mostly Muggleborns and Muggles, but every now and then a Half-blood. Never a Pureblood though, for that was something he didn't need. It would make his incestuous family all to happy, and most of the single female who wanted to date him wanted nothing more than to be the new Lady Black.
As it where, every time he ventured out there was a new woman on his arm…
But his mind was never on them. Always, it was on his Lily-flower and the Prongslet... He'd seen neither of them since that morning he'd left her, after she used him again and he had shamelessly let her. He needed to feel her skin next to his that night…
But for that, there was no bright spot in his dark meaningless life.
X-x-X
He stared at the small ring that lay in his palm, the light bouncing off it's rather large diamond. The golden band had been expensive, but he felt it was worth it…to have her, the woman he'd loved for more than half of his life, as his wife. As his own. Hopefully soon it would replace the wedding ring she already wore on her left hand, the reminder of her previous union that he could finally see banished from her presence.
It was a wide strip of beaten medal, set with the large clear stone and several small emeralds which surrounded it in an intricate pattern. So small were they, and so close together, that they looked to be a single gem. The color a perfect match for her lovely eyes…
Due to his first two failed attempts, Severus figured it might be for the best if he had some sort of plan the next time he tried to propose. Something that eliminated any chance of them being interrupted before he could actually ask the question and she could answer. The good thing was he was pretty sure he knew just the thing, for if it went right he could kill two birds with one stone.
He would simply propose at her son's birthday dinner in two weeks. That way he was sure to have her answer as well as ruining the brat's day, if he was lucky. They'd been spending so much time together of late that he was sure she would say yes. If she did he would have them married as soon as propriety would allow, for he did not want people talking about her…
But the sooner it happen the better, for he didn't want the name "Potter" attached to her's any longer than necessary. His willingness to put up with her boy was a testament of how much he wanted to be with the redheaded green eyed beauty. The child was truly a mystery to him… But it was an important question, what to do with him. He'd seen the little one's actions of late, and thought that perhaps there was a chance of saving him. Harry was not completely taken over by his father's arrogance yet it seemed…
X-x-X
The Weasley family did not often go on vacation, and when they did it was usually to visit a relative or the like. Although an invitation to go on a day trip to the south of France for a seven year olds birthday party wasn't really a vacation, it was pretty close for the large clan of redheads... Especially since the seven year old was an honorary member of the family. All that was missing was the hair color.
They'd known the Potters, and were quite close to them, since Harry was four, yet had never been to the Beach House. The sudden decision to have the green eye boy's birthday party there was a first time experience for them. They actually hadn't known the young family of two even had a house on the beach…
But the last few months had taken a toll on their relationships. The kids all missed their friend, the happy little boy they'd all come to love and see as another of their siblings who had all but disappeared. The parents worried about their foster child and his mother. Lily had come to be something like a sister to Molly, someone who understood the troubles of motherhood. Lately, she'd been nothing like the woman the red haired Matriarch had come to know and love. It could have something to do with her condition, but that was unlikely. Arthur knew what the two had come to mean to his family, and cared for them because of that…
The moral of the story is, that while they loved the Potters and looked forward to spending time with them on Harry's birthday…they were each dreading to see how much they were obviously hurting though.
X-x-X
"Oh Lily, why didn't you tell me?" the Hogwarts Transfiguration teacher demanded, pulling the shocked green eyed woman to her in a tight hug and ignoring the looks of panic the red-haired adults were sending her way behind the Potter widow's head. That had been happening a lot lately… or at least, somewhat like that.
Complete strangers stopped her on the streets, and all but squealed "Congratulations." It was more just Molly and Arthur's happy knowing looks between the sympathetic stares and the stiff politeness they'd come to use around her. With Harry, it was sadness, most likely for his sudden lost childhood. Her fault of course, for using her anger as an outlet for the sadness and frustration about Sirius in the first place. It had scared her boy, something that made her even sadder…
"Minerva, what are you talking about? Tell you what?" she asked, honestly clueless about what her old Professor was talking about.
This startled the older Scottish woman, causing her to lapse into stuttered rambling.
"What, you're…er…you're? Aren't you…? I'm sorry dear, I fear…I fear I must have been mistaken…oh…" visibly flustered, she patted the younger woman's shoulder, then quickly walked past her. Out of the corner of her eye, Lily saw a faint blush beginning to burn the cat Animagus' cheeks.
What she didn't see was that the Professor was intercepted by the Molly. The two spoke in hushed tones for a moment before a look of understanding crossed McGonagall's face and the blush faded. The two turned to look at the younger woman and smiled. Any day now…
Lily, who had moved the encounter with her old Head of House to the back of her mind to try and concentrate on how to make this day a happy one for her son, stopped short in the doorway of the Beach House walled veranda upon seeing who stood looking right at her. Studying her with those tired, but wise, old blue eyes of his.
The last member of her late husband's best friends, the one that hadn't been on her mind lately.
Remus.
This was the first time she'd been near the werewolf in two months. Since she'd picked Harry up the last time, he suddenly seemed to have an extreme aversion to her. Stopping short of treating her with an ounce of disdain, it seemed more like he was hell bent on avoiding her all together. He never returned her messages, whether by Floo or owl, about how the full moon had gone, if the potion had worked, and if he wanted her to continue making it. She did, but she didn't know if he actually used it.
He also never seemed to have much to say to Harry these days. It had gotten to the point were she had basically just given up trying to contact him.
All these weeks of silence…but there he was.
And he was acting strangely.
After staring at her for a few moments, as if accessing the situation before them, his eyes closed and his tongue snaked out to taste the air. He snorted, then began sniffing in her direction. As if sensing something, his body went ridged and he froze.
Slowly opening his eyes, he glanced at her with the oddest expression. Shock, mingled with hope and unhappiness.
"So what Molly said is true. You are…" he muttered softly, not finishing his statement and making it were she had to strain to hear him.
"I'm what?" she asked, her curiosity overwriting the irritation she felt at him at the moment. "What did Molly say?"
Instead of answering, he just went back to staring at her.
This really wasn't the best idea, as she soon remembered she was angry with him. She opened her mouth to begin shouting at him, but before she could rip into him for the past few months he interrupted her.
"Congratulations are in order for you two I guess…" he said, his voice turning from mysterious to disheartened.
Before she could ask what in the world he was talking about, she was interrupted yet again, this time by the unmistakable pop of someone Apparating.
The two old friends were silent as Snape materialized into being twelve paces from Remus, who he eyed with distaste. Even after ten years, he could not forget a few childish pranks. It was ridiculous sometimes.
She opened her mouth again to ask the lycanthrope what he was talking about, but prior to any sound coming out, he had already began to stalk past her into the house. Severus turned to her and held a hand out, ask if asking for permission.
"Lily, may I speak with you privately for a moment please?"
With a sigh, she nodded. There was just to much on her mind right now…
Harry and his behavior, the Weasley elders and their cryptic attitude of late, Remus's sudden aversion to her and her son, everything that was going on with Sirius, her illness of late...
"Lily, you and I have known each other since we were ten years old. I've already told you I've been in love with you since the first moment we spoke, and you already know that I want to spend my life with you…"
As she listened, she began to feel a bit faint. Great…
An attack of dizziness began to descend over her and is seemed to become a struggle to just concentrate on what her beaus was saying. Before she knew it, he was asking the question he had began all those months ago.
"Lily Marie Evans, will you marry me?" he asked, descending onto one knee and pulling out a ring.
It was at this time that Ron, the twins, Ginny, and Harry, along with the elder Weasley brothers, their parents, the Hogwarts Transfiguration Professor, and Remus wandered into the porch. That they saw her nod to the proposing Snape.
That at that moment, she saw the world began to blur and fell into the black void.
A/N: Sorry this took longer than expected… I wasn't exactly sure what route I wanted to go, and ended up with this…
Anyway, thanks for reading and please Review!
To American readers, Happy Thanksgiving!