Disc.: I've only borrowed the characters, the plot is mine.

Chapter Thirty Six

Lily grinned as she walked into the apartment. She'd gotten off early from the emergency department and rushed home, eager to see her children and nieces. She was making a point of not leaving them all for too long during the day, despite them being old enough. Tina was laughing as Theron and Caroline danced for Gentry's amusement. Sarah was holding him.

"Mum!" Theron cheered.

"You're home early, Aunt Lily," Tina was surprised, glancing around at the messy apartment. "I was planning on tidying-"

"Don't worry about it, Tina," Lily assured her. "I was thinking that since today's Caroline's last day before she goes home, we'd all go out to lunch."

"Really?" the kids asked excitedly.

"Go get dressed and we'll go," Lily suggested. Theron handed her the baby while the girls headed to the spare bedroom and he headed to his own bedroom. Lily carried the baby in her arms, dressing him and changing out of her uniform into more comfortable clothes. She thought about tucking her wand in her pocket, but after seeing the man that came in with burns to his buttocks from storing his wand in his pocket, she used it to hold her hair up and in place.

The kids were dressed and waiting, having already gotten Gentry's pram and bag together. Lily pushed the pram while the other kids followed, and Lily could imagine having a huge family. She smiled, glancing back as Tina and Theron bantered over who was going to hold Gentry at lunch, when Caroline piped in that she didn't know why they were bickering because she was going to hold him. Sarah giggled as Theron stuck his tongue out at her. Lily felt her heart swell. She couldn't wait until Scorpius came home, she wanted to start right away.

She was distracted, thinking about how she could bring Damon to know of his daughter, but she had come up with nothing yet. She could see so much of him in Caroline, in just the week that the child was living under her roof. Lily wanted nothing more than to have them both home, safe, and work on repairing whatever she had to repair to make this family work.

"Aunt Lily," Caroline laughed as Theron poked her side.

"Yes, Caroline?" Lily asked as they stopped at the corner, waiting for the signal.

"Do you think we could go to the park first?" Caroline asked sweetly. Tina and Sarah looked at Lily hopefully, and even Theron was intent.

"Sure, why not," Lily agreed. The signal turned and the group headed across the street toward the park rather than the restaurant that they'd been heading toward for lunch. There weren't a lot of people around, most having headed off from the heat of the day for meal time, and the children took turns playing with Gentry and trying to out-swing each other. Lily watched from a bench not too far off from them, listening to their squeals of excitement as they played. Tina waved with a grin from where she was pushing the baby gently on the baby swing.

"Mum, we're getting hungry," Theron announced as he headed over to Lily with the baby. Lily took Gentry and nodded.

"We can head to the restaurant now, if you kids are ready," Lily suggested. They all nodded emphatically and Tina took the handle of the pram as they headed across the park toward where they planned to eat. Lily hesitated, the hair at the back of her neck stood up suddenly and she stopped.

"Mum?" Theron asked uncertainly. Lily glanced at the children, frowning.

"Aunt Lily?" the girls all echoed the same uncertainty that edged into Theron's voice. Lily whipped around looking for the source of energy. Lily could feel it surrounding them invisibly, crawling up her legs and across her body.

"Tina," Lily whispered softly as she focused on a shadowy figure at the tree line, up ahead. She didn't need for him to step clear to know exactly who he was. The wind was beginning to pick up, an unnatural storm brewing.

"Aunt Lily, is that him?" Tina asked as she stepped closer to Lily.

"Yes," Lily whispered, still holding Gentry while the kids moved closer to her. Lily stood between them and the man who stood now visible, wand drawn.

"You've been incredibly persistent at avoiding me," the ex-minister called to her. "All I want to do is talk."

"I don't have anything to say to you, sir," Lily answered quietly, the hands of the children resting on her, huddling behind her.

"I suggest that you find something to say to me," Obadiah Parker's voice was cruel, his wand raised. "It'd be so easily to Crucio one of the children, or even that precious baby of yours. Cru-"

"No!" Lily yelled out, whipping her wand out and casting a blocking spell around them.

"Then you'll talk with me," he demanded. Lily nodded once, she handed the baby to Tina.

"When I give you the signal, run," Lily whispered to them. She turned back to the former minister and took a step closer to him.

"So you will stay and talk to me?" he asked almost in disbelief. Lily nodded once.

"GO!" Lily yelled back at the kids as she rushed the minister, wrapping her arms around him unexpectedly and apararating without a second thought, dragging the minister along before he could threaten her children again. Both of them fell to the ground, their wands falling from their hands. Lily stood first, summoning her wand only a second after the minister.

"Lily Potter, you surprise me," he chuckled, his wand at her throat.

"It's Lily Malfoy now," she corrected. He made a face, the only indication that he'd heard her.

"Where are we?" he asked glancing around, his wand pressing deeper in to her tender flesh.

"The place where one of us is going to die," Lily told him boldly. He looked at her, surprised.

"You speak as if you're not certain you'll survive,"' he pointed out. "Always the realist."

"I just know at least one of us, one of us isn't going to leave here alive," Lily fought and won against the tremble in her voice. He reached to her wand taking it, shoving the small wand in his back pocket.

"Lily, Lily, Lily, what is this?" he asked, grabbing her wrist. He traced his finger along the two thing scars. "An illegal unbreakable vow? You? What could you have vowed against?"

"It's nothing of importance," Lily tried to maintain a casual response but her voice cracked slightly. He smirked.

"Oh, Lily. I doubt anything you say or do is ever lacking importance. I like how you put your kids before you, and the icing on that? Damon's little girl. How long have you known about that travesty?" the minister prodded.

"Caroline isn't a travesty. And their lives are more valuable to me than mine," Lily growled at him as he continued to hold her wrist in his hand. "Why you seem to be obsessed with me, I'll never understand."

"You're a smart girl, I'd have thought you'd have figured it out," he taunted her as he pulled her against him. She didn't struggle against his entrapment.

"It's more than just revenge on my mother, or on Draco," Lily answered calmly. She looked up at him, locking her eyes on him.

"Yes, so much more now," he whispered, caressing her cheek with his hand. Lily didn't shudder. She didn't shy away. She knew what was coming, she knew that to fight would only increase his enjoyment and build on her pain.

"I'm bound in an unbreakable vow to never attempt to unlock all those memories you took from me," Lily told him simply. "I've decided that what you did to me, I won't let it define me so it doesn't matter if I can't remember it. If nothing else, it's your torment to bear alone. You have to remember every touch and know that I don't recall a single one."

"Oh boo, that's no fun, Lily," Ex-minister Parker taunted frowning. "I'd hoped that you'd have attempted-"

"It's unimportant to me," Lily replied dismissively and his eyes flared with anger.

"Unimportant?" he choked on the rage.

"I figured if they'd been worth remembering, I would have been able to easier," Lily whispered vindictively. She glanced away, almost bored as he dropped her arm. She laughed softly. "Anything worth my time, I'd remember."

"You don't know what you're talking about, you stupid little girl," Mr. Parker snapped angrily. The wind picked up, casting leaves to tremble in the branches of the tree. Lily recognized the graveyard. Her father had taken her here when she was a small child, the scene of so much death, where the Dark Lord had rose at the hand of his loyal follower.

Lily touched the nearest headstone, walking slowly around it. Her fingers traced the name of Tom Riddle slowly, almost as if she was trying to coax the man from his grave with her fingertips. The ex-minister, impeached for his unspeakable acts, watched her with hate flashing red in his eyes. His wand was pointed at her menacingly.

"I might be a stupid little girl," Lily breathed with a slight smile. "But you're a has-been, a nothing, to me. Just some old guy that lost himself in his greedy ways."

"Come here," he commanded. Lily looked at him, her eyes locked on him and she could feel the pull of his magic, red hot and angry. Lily hesitated, taking a step closer before she stopped. She would not go to him, not at his request. His magic wouldn't call to her. She could feel the touch of Draco's magic and Marshall's magic burn hot on her wrist, the mark left over from their binding. It was enough to keep him from being able to call her.

"I'm done with you telling me to come, sir," Lily's voice was even, despite the emotions that rattled in her. "I will never come to you. You cannot call to me anymore."

"You will-"

"No, no I won't!" Lily's voice echoed in the graveyard. "Never again!"

The ex-minister swept toward her, larger than life, but Lily didn't flinch or cower. She turned her face to look at him head on, challenging him. The two of them stood, face to face. Lily felt warmth and serenity. No matter what happened in this moment, her children were safe, her men were safe. If something happened to her, she knew that they'd all be fine. She smiled softly, slightly as she looked up at the minister.

"Don't smile at me," he growled at her.

"Hard not to," she whispered. He drew his hand back and hit her, the back of his hand colliding sharply with the side of her face. Lily felt herself falling to the ground, thankful she'd missed the nearest headstone by inches. Tears sprung to her eyes but she refused to cry out. Instead, she pulled herself slowly off the ground and again looked at him directly.

"You couldn't have just died in Azkaban, could you have?" he growled at her. Lily shook her head.

"It wasn't my time," she replied, earning her another violent hit. She stumbled but knew it was coming this time and she didn't hit the ground. She held tight to the headstone and righted herself. "You can knock me down, but I will always get back up."

"Oh?" he challenged.

"I am not a victim, sir. I'm a survivor," Lily breathed as she felt his magic rev up before she was hit with the Crucio Curse. She didn't cry out, despite the tears that streamed down her face.

"Surrender to me," he demanded.

"No," she gasped as she broke free. She shook her head once and glared at him. "I will never surrender to you."

"I could kill you," he warned.

She paused and smiled. "Death is but only the beginning. Isn't that what they say?"

"I could kill your children," he threatened. Lily felt her anger flare to life.

"You will never touch my children," Lily growled as she took a step toward him. He frowned, ignoring the way the wind whipped at her face. Lily heard the fainting popping sounds that reminded her of a not so distant time when Aurors aparated near. She glanced up to see Scorpius as the ex-minister's hands clamped down on her head and he sent them crashing through time and reality until they fell to the floor of Lily's memory stores.

"What is this place?" he asked nervously as he stood. Lily remained on the floor. She knew she shouldn't be here, worry for Marshall bubbling up inside her. She kept her eyes closed.

"This is the place all of my memories are stored," she whispered. The sound echoed as if she'd screamed it. She concentrated on her breathing, staying still and calm while she thought of what she should do now. Had this be started by her or him?

"So, the memories I've hid from you-"

"They're here," Lily gestured to down the long walk way.

"It's kind of dirty and dingy in here," he murmured.

"Yes," Lily admitted. "Before, the first time, this place was almost too bright white. Releasing your tampered with memories has eroded the purity of this place, much like you eroded the purity of me and my soul."

"You weren't untouched when I-"

"Raped me?"

"It wasn't-"

"It was Obadiah," Lily sighed as she slowly opened her eyes from where she lay. He was down the hall. She focused on the motes of dust that had been stirred up. She drew in it formless shapes as he wandered around, opening drawers. Lily could tell when he'd activate a memory, the rush of feeling engulfing her.

"The first time you kissed Scorpius?" the ex-minister's voice was quiet. "He didn't ask-"

"It was different. He knew how I felt about him," Lily prompted.

"Why are we here?" he asked. Lily glanced at him as his hand gripped the first of many drawers of his tainted memories.

"You don't know?" she asked.

"No, I'd not have asked if I did," he was cross, the screech of the drawer echoing painfully loud. He flinched but Lily had been expecting it.

"We're here to die," Lily whispered to him.

"What?" he demanded, spinning away from the drawer. He rushed over to her and jerked her up by her tiny arms. His face was near hers. "What do you mean 'we're here to die'? What does that mean?"

"Every time I'm here, I die a little. I have to bring myself and whomever comes with me back out of this place or I risk killing us bother," Lily's voice was gentle and calm, soothing even if she hadn't been discussing her own demise.

"Bring us back now!" he demanded.

"No," Lily shook her head once. He hit her hard, Lily flying into the nearest cabinet. Her head caught the edge of the drawer, spilling her blood. It ran from her hair line, pooling in the shell of her ear and spilling down her neck and shoulder. She slowly pushed herself up.

"Take me back!"

"No, Obadiah. I won't," she replied softly. "You won't hurt anyone ever again." He screamed at her, the wordless threat sending spittle into her face, but Lily didn't blink. She didn't back down.

"I'll hurt you one last time!" he threatened. Lily blinked and smiled softly. She gestured before her.

"Do you worse, sir," Lily breathed. Obadiah screamed at her again and ran to the drawers where the dark-magic coated her memories. He scooped them up, slamming them one by one to the ground. Lily collapsed to the ground, her head pounding with the sounds and sensations of every single horrid memory shattered. Her stomach rolled and she felt her soul turn inside out, but this time she didn't escape to the real world. Rather, she held her fists to her eyes and tried to breathe through every memory that he assaulted her with at once, ignoring the blood that was boiling up from inside her and the tears in her soul.