Chapter Two
Lily stared down at Severus, he was much too thin and his skin was very pale. Then alarms sounded and Lily groaned, before disillusioning herself as people came running from all around. Of course people would respond to the alarms that sounded whenever someone didn't register at the front desk. Lily went through the portal and so she couldn't have registered there, not to mention being in the Department of Mysteries while not working there was grounds for imprisonment. Not to mention what they would do to her when they discovered that she had gone through the portal and was from another dimension entirely.
She stared at Severus one last time, before quickly going down the hall and making her way out of the Department of Mysteries. She didn't know what she should do, or where she should go, in this reality she was supposed to be dead, unless no one had checked her body? Yes if no one had made sure that it was Lily Potter that had died, then she stood a chance of resuming her identity. She was uncertain if it was best to tell the truth, as she shuddered at the thought of being questioned by the other Unspeakables. They were known as Unspeakable for a reason, Lily liked to think that the group wouldn't torture her for traveling through dimensions in order to get information on how it occurred. She would like to think that, but as an Unspeakable herself she knew that anything was possible when it came to that organization.
However for now she would need some very strong glamours and gold if she were to survive. She quickly made her way to the bathrooms and applied liberal glamours to herself. She had always been quite good at glamours; in fact it was her ability with them and her love of spell casting and spell invention, which had made her a candidate for the Unspeakables in the first place. She stepped through the bathroom as a blond haired, blue-eyed witch, with a slightly bigger nose and no freckles. It was enough to ensure people wouldn't recognize her, as no one expected Lily to be walking around Diagon Alley unless she missed her guess.
She went to Gringotts next, on the off chance that the spell that connected the magic to her hand and blood would work. She was surprised to discover that it did in fact work and knew that the goblins wouldn't reveal who she truly was. She went to the vault that the goblin took her to and stared a moment in shock at the amount of gold that was inside. She filled a large bag, before securing it to her robes and walked away from the vault.
Her next stop was a luggage carrier where she purchased a trunk with four rooms including a kitchen, brewing room which doubled as her spell casting room, library and a bedroom which had a small bathroom and paid extra for the rooms to be connected by doors. Most wizards and witches didn't live out of trunks as it was considered to be too uncomfortable, but Lily had been fond of their practicality and not having to pay rent on a room elsewhere. Her trunk if turned sideways could fit into her locker at work and people had looked the other way, as Lily was a hard and determined worker. She also bought a bottomless place for books and other odds and ends she wanted to store that wouldn't fit into her living quarters. She wasn't entirely sure what she wanted to do long term, but at least she had a place to stay for now, as long as she could rent out a storage cabinet somewhere.
She took her trunk and walked to Madam Malkin's surprised at how similar this reality was to her own. There were stores that had closed down in her reality that were open here and she passed places that she'd never heard of, but other then that it was all very similar to the post war society Lily had become accustomed to. Having enough money to spend on a wardrobe she bought a full witches wardrobe explaining that most of her things had to be left behind after she fled during the war. She even bough a beautiful formal dress in case she would ever have a need for it. The next stop was the used bookseller in Knockturn Alley; where she bought tombs on alternate realities, spell casting and potions. She fit the books into her trunk and tired from her day of shopping apperated to Spinster's End, she had shocked poor Severus, but perhaps she could keep her trunk there for a time. She knew Severus in any reality to be an honorable if complicated man and one that wouldn't spill her secrets.
She opened the door to Severus' house using the key that had been left to her in his will. Severus had left everything to Lily and that had surprised Lily at the time, but now she supposed that he had done so because he had loved her. She had loved him too, or at least had loved him as the boy he had been and knew only when he sacrificed himself that a part of that boy remained. Perhaps the Severus in this reality too, had part of her first love still in him. That was why it hurt so much when he had called her a Mudblood, if she hadn't had feelings for him, if he had been just a friend, perhaps she would have forgiven him that summer, when he apologized. Instead she had been furious that it had taken two months for him to apologize. She decided that it would be worth trying at least, as his words had touched her heart. She didn't know what manner of man to expect, as she dissolved the glamour.
She felt tired, so she climbed into her trunk and into the bed she had bought. She fell asleep and was only woken when she heard the floo open. She waited until she heard Severus leave the room, before opening the trunk and closing it behind her. She snuck up behind him and quickly cast a pertificus totalous. He stiffened and fell to the floor wide eyed, as Lily walked up to him and smiled softly at him, his eyes grew wide again and he stared at her wide eyed.
"Hello Severus, can you promise not to cast a spell at me, if I release the one I cast on you?" Lily asked. "Blink once if you agree." Severus blinked and Lily smiled as she released the spell she had cast on him.
"How?" Severus said and Lily smiled.
"I got your letters and well there wasn't in my reality that I couldn't do in this one. The Severus in my reality died a hero, making me realize that he and perhaps you have not entirely changed from the boy I once knew. Your letters gave me enough hope to decide that it was at least worth trying.
"You are from an alternate reality?"
"The letters you sent didn't reach the woman you intended to contact, I suspect the two realities split some time in our Hogwarts years, or just after as I never married anyone and have no children. Considering that you and Lily were not together when she died and I suspect not friends, it must have been after fifth year. I suspect it was when the other Lily decided to date and marry someone and I determined that I wished to focus first upon my studies of the magical arts."
"Magical arts?" Severus asked faintly and Lily smiled.
"I am a Unspeakable, as are you, so you understand the desire to search for knowledge."
"Yes...I do... You are a Unspeakable?" Severus asked and Lily smiled, the poor man looked shocked and Lily took him by the hand, helping him off the floor and into a chair.
"I am, it was a bit of a shock for me as well, I ran head first into another dimension and I've been running around all day trying to get together what I needed to live here. I haven't had the time to really think about what has happened. I suppose I've been running full tilt this entire time and acting like a true member of my house." Lily added and Severus smiled.
"Its amazing to speak with you again, like we used to." He said and Lily smiled.
"I know what you mean." Lily said, before finding a half empty bottle of firewhiskey beside the chair and pouring Severus a glass. "You look like you could use a drink, I could too for that matter. Tomorrow I'll have to think about what I'm going to do with my life, do you know what happened to her son?"
"I didn't think to ask about the boy." Severus admitted and Lily nodded.
"The child shares my blood and although he didn't come from my body, he's still my son. I have the same blood and even fingerprints as the Lily from this reality, who did she marry." Lily asked taking a sip of her drink.
"Potter." Severus said and Lily spit out the firewhiskey she had just swallowed.
"That asshole?" Lily demanded. "Was she particularly thick?"
"He changed from how he used to be, after saving me from being mauled by a werewolf. Though I didn't see much difference others did and that was enough to convince her to allow him to court her."
"So that's where it changed, somehow my Severus avoided being attacked, because James Potter was always a poncy bark in my reality." Lily said and Severus laughed as she too another gulp of firewhiskey and her stomach rumbled. "Dam I forgot to buy food with everything else and all I have is galleons. Do you know of a restaurant I could go to in the wizard world that would be open now?"
"The Leaky Cauldron, Brialbrees, Fortescues and Celestara are open. Brialbrees is formal dining, as is Celestarta and..."
"I know what the Leaky and Fortescues are like, I feel like some every flavor ice and perhaps something more substantial, I'll be back soon." Lily said and smiled at Severus. "Would you either like to come with, or me to bring you back something. Also I was wondering if I might stay here for now, until I find somewhere else to stay. I wouldn't take up a room, as I have all I need in my trunk."
"You may stay as long as you wish, I will see as to where the boy was placed. You can then decide what you wish to do with the child."
"I don't have the slightest idea of how to care for a child, if he is happy where he is perhaps he could stay there for now at least. I would hate for him to get used to more strangers in such a short time." Lily said and frowned. "I don't even know if I'd be any good at being a mother anyway."
"Lily Potter was a wonderful mother and you would be as well." Severus said and Lily smiled.
"Thank you Severus." Lily said. "If you could wait here a moment, I'd like to change, using face glamour is enough of a challenge without glamouring my robes as well."
"That would be agreeable." Severus said and Lily opened her trunk, going down to her bedroom and changing into a pretty green dress, which was informal but elegant. She put on a lighter green sweater over it and braided her hair. She then walked from the trunk and noticed Severus eying it curiously.
"Its a four room trunk, I find that what is spent on buying it is much cheaper then renting out an apartment, within a year I'll make back what I spent on it."
"Clever, if you wouldn't mind I would like a tour someday."
"I'd be glad to show you it after we eat." Lily said and Severus nodded. They walked together to just outside the house before apparating. They arrived at an apparition point by Fortescues. "Do you think I should inform people about what happened?" Lily asked Severus.
"People might view you oddly, but I don't think you will run into any great trouble. Others have come from other dimensions before though how wasn't clearly recorded." Severus told her and Lily frowned.
"Are you certain."
"Quite though I wouldn't mention the means of your travel." Severus said and Lily nodded.
They settled at a quiet table at Fortescues and ordered their food. The sandwiches were as ever large and delicious and Lily devoured her, before ordering a large sundae. "Haven't eaten all day, actually I can't remember the last time I had food, I get absorbed in my work and then I don't eat."
"I know what that is like." Severus said and smiled, ordering several scoops of dark chocolate ice cream. "So what have you been doing since Hogwarts?"
"My specialization is in spell creation, I like working out complicated spells and finding new methods of casting old spells. Spell casting as you know is one of the more dangerous magical arts, so I decided that I would apprentice with the Unspeakables with a specialization in Spell Casting and Potions."
"Potions really?"
"Yes, though my second mastery was much harder then the first and I considered getting a mastery in Charms as well." Lily replied and smiled at Severus. "So what about you, what's your specialties?"
"Potions and Spell casting as well." Severus said and Lily laughed.
"No!" She said and he smiled.
"Its true, after you inspired me to create my own spells, I decided to go for a second mastery as well." Severus said. "I like Spell Casting, I just prefer to focus on Potions."
"I feel the same, only with Spell Casting as my focus." Lily said and dug into her desert. "Should we get more firewhiskey for the house?"
"I have a few more bottles in the house and I'm taking the day off tomorrow to help you get used to the new reality that you have come to."
"You don't have to do that."
"I want to and I would be unable to focus with you going about trying to get used to where you are now without anyone to help." Severus said and Lily patted his hand.
"Thank you Severus, you are a good friend." Lily said and Severus stared at where their hands met.
"So you came back in order to resume your friendship with me?" Severus asked and Lily could see the hurt in his eyes.
"I need to get used to this reality and we need to know one another better before I'd feel comfortable being more than just friends." Lily replied and he nodded.
"I suppose that, that is sensible." Severus said and when the waiter came he paid for their meal. Lily knew better then to try to pay for the food herself. For Severus it was a matter of pride and she didn't want to deal with prickly Severus now.
They walked from the restaurant and Lily hesitated a moment, before sticking her chilly hand in his. "My hands are cold." She said and he nodded.
"You were always fond of sticking them on me to warm them." Severus said.
"And you never minded because you lived in that ice box that some call the Slytherin dorms." Lily replied and Severus laughed.
"It wasn't that bad with the fireplaces, but Merlin the stones were cold in the morning. I convinced my roommates to buy a large rug and it was better after that, but those stones were horrid on bare feet." He said and Lily laughed. They walked back to the apparition point together and apparated to the back garden in Severus' home.
Lily walked inside and sat down in one of the armchairs, before drinking a swig of the firewhisky, Severus followed her and took the other chair, before pointing his wand at the fireplace and lighting it.
Lily sighed and drank several more glasses of whiskey, as did Severus. "So you drink to forget as well?" Severus finally asked and Lily nodded.
"I saw people I cared about die, the screams haunt me." Lily replied and she downed what was left in the glass. "I use sleeping spells in order to sleep at night, but I find that they are more effe-efeec, useful that way." She said and frowned. "I think I've had enough."
"What spells do you use, I haven't heard of sleeping spells only potions."
"That's because I made them up." Lily said and grinned. "I'd offer to teach you, but then you or I would be asleep."
"Could you cast it on me?" Severus asked and Lily nodded.
"Of course." Lily said and pulled out her wand.
"In bed, I don't want to sleep in this chair." Severus said and Lily giggled. She followed him to his bedroom and laughed again.
"This is so you Sev, I love it! Though it would be nice if you put a bit of color in here."
"There's silver in the accents." Severus said and Lily smiled, as Severus crawled into the bed, before unbuttoning his robes and then his shirt. Lily blushed and looked away. "Sleeping in robes is uncomfortable." Severus explained and she nodded, as he unbuttoned his pants too. She hastily turned around. "I have under pants on, which are actual pants and I'm under the covers now." Severus said and Lily turned around and stared a moment.
Severus was settled in the bed lying down, the covers pulled up to his chin and she was reminded suddenly of the times he would spend the night at her house as a child, how she'd sneak into his room and he'd hold her close, whispering about the magical world, telling her amazing stories of what they would do together once they reached Hogwarts.
She also remembered how he would come to her, a little lost boy and ask her to help bandage her bruises and cuts, sometimes they were quite serious. Serious enough in fact that she had considered becoming a healer. He'd continued to come to her in Hogwarts and her heart had ached for him, as she had helped with the aftermath of the curses and jinxes he suffered.
Lily smiled softly before she raised her wand. "So..."
"Wait Lily I want to wish you good night first."
"Oh good night Severus, sleep well Solumnus." Lily said and his eyes fluttered for a moment before closing, as he started to snore. Lily smiled at the familiar buzzing snore he let out; it was the same noise he had made since he was a small boy.
She hesitated a moment before gently kissing his forehead and running a hand through his hair, she was about to leave, when he frowned and mumbled her name in his sleep. His hand coming up to try and grab at her. Unlike dreamless the potion didn't stop bad dreams, it only allowed for someone to sleep through the night. Lily ran a hand through his hair until he settled again and hesitated a moment before transfiguring her dress into a nightgown and her stockings into sleeping pants. She settled with one of the under sheets between them. She then wrapped an arm around him and cast the sleeping spell on herself.