It was dark by the time Lily had scoured the streets surrounding the woman's house, but fatigue was overwhelming her and she was forced to face up to the fact that she was going to have to sleep on the streets.
Sticky and sweating in her warm jumper and jeans, Lily threw her red hair up into a high ponytail and took off her woollen jumper, tying it around her waist and marvelling at the relief the cool night air brought.
Despite her grumbly exterior, Lily had always been the optimist of her friendship group, but even she was failing to see the bright side to her situation.
Hey, she mumbled to herself mentally, at least it's warm. I'm not going to die of hypothermia.
Being friends with James, Sirius, Remus and Peter, as well as accident-prone Marlene McKinnon, had led to Lily having to be rather resourceful, not to mention resilient, so as she sat down on the bench opposite the church her thoughts immediately went to what she was going to do, and how she was going to do it, using the same format for her plan of action as James and Sirius had used when planning their next ingenious prank on the unsuspecting first years.

Move: where are you going to position yourself?
Inside the church if possible, or if not, try my old neighbour's house.
Action: what are you going to do?
Try to contact someone. Ask to borrow a phone?
Repeat: repeat action until it is successful
I'm sure that nice lady from earlier won't mind me borrowing her telephone multiple times.
Ask: make sure you're up to date with what's going on at the time.
Talk to the priest, or lady, depending on who answers.
Use: utilise what you've got already. Make an inventory of what you can use.
Jumper. Hairband. Used tissue in back pocket. Knowledge of area?
Decide: decide whether what you're going to do puts you at risk, and change/abandon plan accordingly.
No obvious risks, about from hostility from neighbours and arising unwanted attention?
Explore: check around targeted area for hazards and vantage points.
Creepy drunkard with sleazy vibe on the corner. Steer clear.
Rendezvous: organise a rendezvous in case you're caught or someone's in pursuit.
If in doubt, run back to this bench.
Start: execute plan as soon as it's sensible to do so.
It's dark, so I'll start tomorrow morning?

M.A.R.A.U.D.E.R.S

I thought it was quite long-winded, Lily mused, a smile on her face. But it always worked.
They are such dorks.

Lily was just settling herself down on the bench, groaning in her discomfort as she gingerly laid her head back on the splintery wood, when the loud crack of Apparation shocked her; she sat bolt upright and whacked her elbow on the armrest. Cursing and waving her wounded arm in the air childishly, Lily stood up and surveyed the area, ears straining for the tell-tale sounds of movement.
"Hello?"
The breeze rustled the leaves in the hedges encircling the church, and it sounded like whispers.
"Who's there?"
All Lily could hear was the sound of her heart, and her own quickening breathing.
"Alright, very funny, now show yourself."
In the silence of the street the blood rushing in her ears sounding like a roar.
"Seriously, I'm not scared of you."
Her downright lie floated in front of her in the sticky night air.
There was a flicker of movement in the shadows of the graveyard beside the church, and Lily jumped, squinting into the darkness, heart thumping, the taste of fear in her mouth coppery, like old pennies.
"If you're just a cat, I'm going to feel really stupid, you know."
Forcing nonchalance into her tone, Lily went along with her instincts for once and backed up slowly, intending to run when she was out of the road, just in case. After a minute of no movement from the area, she took a few cautious steps backwards and then turned to go.
A person was right in front of her.
Staggering back with a shout of alarm, Lily's hand flew to her pocket for her wand, and scrabbled as it met thin air.
The figure in front of her was tall and hulking, blending in almost perfectly with the night, but their silver Death Eater mask glinted orange in the glow of the streetlights. In any other circumstance it would have looked comical, almost cartoonish, but there was a leering nature in their posture that would have frightened the Iron Lady.
Lily did what any sensible person would do in this situation.
Screamed bloody murder.

The lights in the nearby houses began to switch on one by one as a few people opened curtains and windows to nosily have a look at what was happening, and a middle-aged balding man hurried out of the church, looking panicked as Lily stared defiantly at the masked Death Eater in front of her.
They hesitated for a second as they saw the many witnesses, heard the worried shouts and that one second was all it took for Lily to formulate a plan. Then lots of things all happened at once as the hair-lacking priest barked in a warning tone.
"Sir, step away from the young woman!"
The Death Eater grabbed Lily around the throat, raising their wand, and Lily did the thing she was well practised in from rejecting James Potter since fourth year.
She lunged out with her legs and kicked them where the sun don't shine, hard.
The Death Eater, who she now assumed was male, let out an undistinguished howl and she snatched his wand, gasping in relief as he dropped her: Lily hit the floor painfully, knees stinging, and there was a shout from one of the upstairs windows of the house next to the graveyard. "I've called the police!"
As she wincingly used the ground to push herself to her feet, she smiled at the Muggles surrounding the Death Eater, who was still writhing on the ground, yowling in pain.
"Are you okay, young lady?"
"I'm fine." Lily massaged her sore neck, rubbing the spot where his sharp nails had dug into her skin. "Thank you."
"The police are on their way, I believe Evelyn said."
"Excellent. Could you tell the police officer that they need a Special operator, please? Tell them they need a flash officer, they'll know what it means."
"Couldn't you tell them yourself?" The priest looked almost fatherly as he smiled a little patronisingly down at her.
"Oh no, I better go." She could hear the sirens wailing as the police car raced towards the scene through the narrow streets, and pulled her jumper over her head. She suddenly felt cold. "I've never liked a fuss."
"You should really talk to the police, dear."
"I'd really rather not. Thank you for your help, all of you."
Lily ran her cold fingers over the sharp grooves of the wand as she walked down the street and turned the corner, until the fussing of the neighbours and the muffled curses of the Death Eater subdued on the ground were lost into the wind.

Remus looked at the clock for the fifth time that minute as James walked up and down outside the Hospital Wing. Although the incessant pacing used to bother Remus as a student, the steady rhythm of the soles of James' shoes slapping the floor as he drove his heels into the cobblestones was oddly reassuring, the constant rushing of the waves on a beach, breaking and receding, breaking and receding.

There was a tap at the window on the wall, and a pale white barn owl peeked up at Remus, a letter in its beak, and he rushed over to open it, desperate for news. James stopped abruptly in his pacing.
"What does it say?"

It was a quickly scribbled note in Sirius' elegant handwriting, written in the familiar coded style the rest of the Order used when communicating. The hope-filled sign-off still gave Remus chills, shivers of hope.

How's Prongs? Prongs Junior?
Haven't found Mrs Prongs just yet, but a Death Eater's just been arrested for attempted assault on an unidentified girl with red hair who left before the Aurors could get there. Apparently she screamed loud enough to wake the dead, kicked him where it hurts, stole his wand and ran off.
Sounds like her, then.
Your girlfriend's helping me track the stolen wand now. Hopefully I'll find her in the next hour or so.
The phoenix grows in the flame,
Snuffles

Two in one day! Gosh, I'm spoiling the lot of you! ;)
Sorry there's no Harry-James interaction this chapter, I got side-tracked. Hopefully there will be soon!
Hope you liked it!
Fly xx