"Explain to me again, how does this work?" Petunia asked nervously as she saw the large room through her sister's eyes, she still couldn't believe she was in Hogwarts.
"It's very simple, I am going to cast a spell similar to the one I did before I was in your body but this one will send you to mine, after you are in my body, Minerva and Filius are going to perform a charm called Finite Familia Imperious which in theory swap us so you are in your body and I am in mine, simple" she said smiling as her sister huffed.
"Sure, sounds simple" she said sarcastically but she could feel that she wanted to do it.
"So this is Hogwarts then" Petunia said to her sister, her voice was sad as she thought of how much she wanted to go to the school when she was younger, how hurt she was that she couldn't.
"Yea, you really wanted to come didn't you Tuney?" she asked although she didn't need to, she could feel her sister's sadness.
"It's fine Lils, I guess it was mostly jealousy and the fact that I missed you, I am just glad you can forgive me after everything I said to you and how I acted"
"There is nothing to forgive" she said ignoring the protests she could feel from her. She looked up when she heard a squeak, Filius was running around the room getting everything ready with Minerva. Lily looked around the Room of Requirements, she had not been here in years. A tear rolled down her cheek as she thought about the last time she was at Hogwarts, she missed James so much.
"Lily it is time" said Minerva, effectively breaking her out of her thoughts. She smiled as she felt how giddy Petunia was and walked to the center of the room. Behind her, her body was on the floor with a circle of white powder around it.
"Are you ready?" Filius asked, as he opened up a book she remembered them looking through before Voldemort had found them. She and Filius had planned her using the spell if she ever needed it, she was glad that they did, if they didn't, she didn't even want to think about what might have happened to Harry.
"Ready" she said, he looked over the pages for a moment before looking back up at her.
"There may be a slight pinch" Filius warned as he stepped in front of her and flipped through the book in his hands.
Lily felt her eyelids get heavy as he began the incantation, his words turning muffled as her mind felt like it clouded over. She felt how worried Petunia was but tried to charm her, she had looked at this spell before and it was simple. Her vision was becoming fuzzy as she felt her connection with Petunia weaken. The muffled words continued like a buzz in her ear, gradually getting louder, she was about to fall as the room span, she was getting dizzy until finally, everything turned back to normal.
"Did it work?" she asked weakly, she couldn't feel Petunia anymore so she hoped that she got to her body ok.
"This is very weird" she heard her voice say, she turned and saw her body stand up and look at her.
She beamed "great it worked" she said as she hugged her sister, it was strange but they were going to their own bodies soon.
"Now you two will need to stand next to each other for this to work, each of your souls will swap with the nearest body" Minerva explained as she and Filius both took a few steps back. He flipped through a few pages before he read out loud the incantation.
Both Lily and Petunia turned pale as they felt their bodies weaken. After a moment, they both felt something hit them. panting, they looked at each other and were overjoyed when they didn't see themselves. They both beamed and looked down at themselves, they were back in their own bodies.
"It worked!" Petunia said happily as she hugged her sister who was as happy as she was.
"Of course, now I am sure Dumbledure would like to speak to you Lily, he still thinks you are dead" Minerva said, she was shocked at the scowl on her former student's face.
"Could you not tell him about this Minerva?, I only want him to know when I am ready" Lily asked hopefully, she didn't want Dumbledore to know, he would try and control everything .
She seemed to hesitate but nodded "ok but I can't lie to him" she informed her.
"Thank you, we really shouldn't leave the children for any longer" Lily said worried, she couldn't trust Sirius with them for more than a few hours.
"Yes, Yes but don't take too long to see us again Lily" Filius said, she nodded before she took Petunia's hand and apparated back to Potter Manor.
"Sirius!" she called before she went into one of the rooms to find him, Petunia stayed in the hall, getting use to having her body again.
"Lily, did it work?" Sirius asked as he ran down the stairs, he stopped when he saw Petunia's body.
"Oh, it didn't work, what happened?" he asked sadly. Lily walked out into the hall when she heard Sirius' voice and smiled as she saw him in front of her, facing Petunia.
"Sirius Black, what are you talking about?" she asked, she giggled when he jumped and turned around. He looked at her for a moment before he hugged her and lifted her off the floor.
"This is brilliant, you look like Lily flower again" he said enthusiastically, she was about to tell him to let her down but didn't have the heart to, he was a big child. Petunia's eyes widened when he quickly turned and wrapped her in a huge hug as well.
Lily shook her head with laughter as she saw the pained look on her sister's face "Calm down Padfoot, she isn't use to your hugs" she said.
Sirius let her go and looked between the both of them with a huge grin on his face that made him look like he was crazy, which he was, Lily mused.
Harry looked at the door when he could hear Padfoot's voice, he wanted to play but the door was closed. He looked at Dudley who asleep before walking slowly to the door, careful not to trip over his own feet. He put his hands on the door but it wouldn't open, he hated these things. He heard laughter and really wanted to be apart of it but he couldn't get out. He thought about crying, that seemed to get every ones attention but he giggled with joy when the door opened on it's own. Although, he couldn't see anyone on the other side of the door, it opened on it's own. He didn't care, he walked unsteadily through the hall, Sirius' voice was getting louder, the further he went. He stopped when he came to a bunch of stairs, he remembered from experience that those things hurt when you got too close to them. Instead of risking what his Father calls a 'booboo' again, he opened his mouth and took a deep breath in.
"Pa foo, Pa foo, play Pa Foo, me" he shouted as loud as he could, he was pleased when he heard footsteps. He squealed with excitement as he clapped his hands together, it wasn't Padfoot, it was his Mother, she was grinning at him as she walked up the steps.
"Mama, Mama" he squealed when she picked him up and hugged him, he missed her so much, he had not seen her for so long.
"Hi Harry, let's go see Padfoot and your Aunt Petunia" she said, Petunia, that must have been the woman, he thought.
They went down the stairs and his face lit up when he saw Padfoot and the woman, Petunia, talking. "Pa foo, Pa foo, Mama" he said happily, he felt warm and comfortable against his Mother.
"Sirius do you mind taking him, I want to talk to Petunia" she said smiling when he took him before she had even finished the question.
"Come on Harry, Mama is having yucky girly talk with your Aunty" he cooed as he left the room, grinning as Lily rolled her eyes.
"I am sorry about having to use your body" she said once they had gone, Petunia just smiled.
"It's ok Lils, it's the only thing you could have done, besides, thanks to you, me and Dudley, I mean Daniel are away from Vernon" she said, smiling at her son's name.
"Stay off the furniture Padfoot" Lily shouted when they heard barking and Harry giggle. They heard a particularly loud bark and guessed that he meant ok. "He is a big child- speaking of which, Daniel will need too be woken up otherwise he will not be able to sleep tonight" she said emphasizing his name.
They giggled as they went up the stairs to the room where the little baby was sleeping. "Darling" Petunia cooed as she picked up her son, glad she couch cuddle him again. They went into the room where Harry and Sirius were and tried to contain their laughter. Harry was pulling on Padfoot's tail, he had a pained expression on his face as he tried to move but Harry was just giggling madly as he continued to pull.
"Harry" Lily said laughing as she picked her son up, Sirius quickly changed back and pretended to glare at the giggling boy.
"That was so uncalled for" he said playfully, Harry continued to giggle as he grabbed at his hair.
"Stop bullying Padfoot Harry" Lily said teasingly as Sirius whined about his hair being ruined. Harry smiled as she cuddled him, he loved his Mother.
"That child is evil, I don't think my tail is ever going to be the same" Sirius whined as he pulled a face at the giggling baby.
"I don't like you now, Dudley is the nice one" Sirius said walking closer to the other boy, his eyes went wide when Harry started wailing.
"Sirius!" Lily scolded as she held him closer to her, he must have understood what he was going on about.
"Harry I'm sorry, you can pull my hair again" Sirius tried, the crying quickly stopped, a little too quickly, Sirius thought as he felt a sharp pain.
"Pa foo" he said as Lily and Petunia tried not to laugh, both failing miserably.
"Ok laugh it up, at least he is happy again" Sirius said indignantly as he winced. The children were put down while they played with them.
At one point, Lily and Petunia helped Harry and Dudley scare Sirius when he tried to do the same to them. He tried to be angry but how could he when Harry and Dudley were laughing adorably.
That night, Lily walked into the nursery and grinned at what she saw, both Harry and Dudley were asleep, cuddled up to Padfoot who was also asleep. She picked Harry up and put him in his crib before putting Dudley in his. "Sirius, wake up" she whispered as she shook the black dog, he raised his head and yawned. He stood up and changed back into his human form, looking very tired.
"Night Lils" he said groggily, he smiled at her and hugged her, he was so happy that she was alive. They left the room quietly and headed to their own rooms, the hardest part was over, she was back in her own body, Petunia and her son was away from Vernon and soon Sirius would be shown as an innocent man.
Tomorrow looked to be another full day. They had to get Petunia and Dudley's names changed. Check on the status of Sirius' charges. See what has been done with Vernon. She also had to look into finding a house-elf, to clean up after the three kids, Harry, Daniel and Sirius.
Lily thought about the last four days and how hectic they were, and she was finally able to sit down and mourn the loss of her love. Lily cried in the dark, thinking how just five days ago, her and James were playing with Harry in their living room, in Godric's Hollow. She remembered the night before that , how her and James had shown the love they had for each other, with their last night of passion. "I miss you James, and I hope you understand why I had to do this? I could not leave Harry at the mercy of Albus Dumbledore, or that beast, Vernon Dursley. I love you so much James Charlus Potter, and I will miss you even more. We will meet again my darling, in that I promise."
Lily was ready to turn over to go to sleep, when she thought she felt a soft, ghostly, kiss caress her lips. She looked up to heaven and said, "Thank you for understanding James. Good night my love." and Lily fell asleep with a warmth in her heart, and a better feeling about her self. She hoped that it was not the last kiss she would receive from her personal ghost.