AN: Hello!! Been awhile! Ok well here's the next chapter, sorry for the long wait. should be more up soon. oh and i've started another story about how lily and james get together after i read book 7 ( iquite liked the whole lilysnape thing!), so yea, i quite like it, so go read that too! haha. Anyway, hope you enjoy. Thanks to all my amazing reviewers and readers who have been so patient!

Lily sat at the large, scrubbed wooden table in James' kitchen, feeling strangely numb. She sat very still, picking half-heartedly at a cucumber sandwich as witches and wizards rushed around her, disappearing and reappearing with deafening cracks, adding to the cacophony of loud voices. She'd spent the morning brushing up on defensive spells and counter curses and now sat, feeling oddly peaceful, as people milled around her, calling out information, orders, and swearing.

"He'll be attacking the Natural History Museum as well, tonight. The Muggles are celebrating the opening of a new wing. It'll be packed! Dumbledore, you must see this is a distraction!"

"A distraction it may be," Dumbledore said calmly. "But the fact still remains that there will be deaths tonight."

"Be reasonable," boomed another voice. "The Order is stretched as it is. Surely the death of two Muggles is preferable to the death of hundreds. We should abandon our defences here and focus on the Museum!"

A clamour of voices agreed with him. Dumbledore patiently let them finish then spoke. "And if we do that, Lord Voldemort wins."

"He wins either way," growled Sirius, looking up from a pile of parchments he had been scanning quickly with brooding eyes.

"We must defend both places," Lily heard herself say. "We have an obligation to the people. No deaths tonight would be preferable."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Sturgis Podmore asked squeakily, twisting his beret nervously.

Lily considered him for a moment, trying to block out other voices and ignore the numerous eyes on her. "The Magical Law Enforcement squad, Aurors, and other Ministry operated groups should go to the Natural History Museum, along with most of the Order. Voldemort believes his attack on the Prime Minister and Queen are confidential, and if the Order turns up at the Museum, he won't be expecting any resistance at Buckingham Palace or Downing Street. A select few will guard them…hopefully the element of surprise will be enough. And anyway, if Voldemort believes they're unguarded, he won't send fifty Deatheaters to kill them, will he?" Lily fell silent, and Dumbledore considered her. Finally, he inclined his head.

"If there are no objections?" he asked the room quietly.

At least five voices raised in objection, but, as Dumbledore pointed out, they didn't have a better plan.

Lily sipped her cup of tea and let the voices wash over her again, this time arguing over who would be sent to the Museum and who would guard the two important Muggles.

"Hagrid, we'll need you at the Museum. They might employ the use of giants."

There was a crack and Mad-Eye Moody appeared, appearing harried and breathless. "Minister wants me at the Museum now," he barked. "We Aurors need to set up our positions."

With multiple cracks, he and other Aurors in the Order disapparated, leaving the kitchen only slightly less noisy than before.

"James, Sirius," Dumbledore addressed the two boys. "I want you two at the palace, and together. Remus –"

"I'll be at the Museum," Remus interrupted with a nod. "That's where Greyback will be. I know where I'm needed most."

Dumbledore nodded and turned to Lily.

"I'll be at the Palace too, sir," she said before he could open his mouth.

"No, Lily," he said shaking his head. "I want you at the museum."

What? Lily's mouth fell open. "But, Professor," she protested.

"Lily, I need you at the museum tonight. It's going to be bloodthirsty and I need your skills."

"You need me at the Palace too! Or Downing Street, I don't care either way."

"I'll talk to you about this later," Dumbledore said quietly, making it quite clear that she had been dismissed. Pushing her chair back with a clatter, Lily stalked angrily from the room.

---

Dumbledore found her a quarter of an hour later, flipping angrily through the dusty pages of an old book in the library. She sneezed three times in quick succession and slammed the book closed.

"I'm not sending you away, Lily."

"Yes, you are," she replied moodily.

Dumbledore sighed and sat down in front of her. "I need your help tonight, Lily." He paused, his piercing blue eyes penetrating her own. "I have devised a protection spell, hopefully more powerful than any other we have used so far, which, if it works correctly, will keep the Muggles, who are attending the Museum function tonight, safe."

He paused again to let this all sink in. "So how do I help?" Lily asked.

"Ah, well, you see, this spell is unlike others. It requires witches and wizards to hold it in place. The more wizards holding it in place, the more powerful the protection is."

"Why me?" Lily interrupted. "I don't like battles, Professor, you know that. I prefer jobs requiring stealth. Why can't I go to the Palace?"

"You are excellent at Charms, Lily. You were top of your class seven years in a row."

Lily glared at him suspiciously. "That can't be the only reason. Why don't you want me at the Palace? Is it because of the Guildenweed fiasco?"

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, and given the circumstances, you handled that situation extremely well. I was, am very proud of you for that night."

"Then why -?"

"I need James and Sirius at the Palace. They are two of the best wizards we have in the Order, and they work best together."

"But what's that got to do with me?"

Dumbledore looked down at his hands. "I cannot have you and James working together, Lily."

Lily's mouth fell open. She had not been expecting that answer. "That's not fair!" she exclaimed. "Make him go to the Museum then! I didn't ask for his attention!"

"No, Lily," Dumbledore said quietly. "I need him at the Palace."

"You need me there too! I am just as capable as James, if not more so."

"You will both be distracted," Dumbledore said, his voice firmer and louder. "I need you at the Museum tonight. Will you help me or not?"

Lily glared at him. "Of course, but -"

"Thank you," he said before she could complain further. He left, leaving Lily to glare at the empty doorway. It wasn't fair. It had been her plan and now she was being forced to the Museum, where a battle would surely break out. That wasn't her type of fighting. She hated the pointless bloodshed. Sneaky work was much more her style.

"Angry?" It was Remus, emerging behind one of the shelves.

"You were eavesdropping," she accused bluntly.

"No, I simply overheard." He grinned at her. "Besides, I'm going to the Museum too." When she didn't say anything, he patted her hand gently. "You know James will be distracted with you there."

She stood up suddenly, her chair falling over with a bang. "So I'm the one that gets punished for it? That's fair!"

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