Author's Note

Please forgive any spelling and/or grammar errors. I hope you enjoy it, please let me know what you think!

Most of my stories are written with the characters as adults, or at least mature enough to develop an organic relationship. This story is a little different. It's a story of teenagers falling in love, with all the wild hormones and dramatic responses that entails, as well as the thoughtless, impulsive actions young adults are more prone to. Love comes faster and seems more consuming. And in this case, with the war, it's at least partially justified. I teach high school, so I'm basing my characters and how they view relationships and love off of how my students describe it.

PS I'm not JK Rowling, so I don't own anything :(

Ch 4: Aftermath

George appeared in Ginny's room about four hours after the twins had sent her room. He shook Lily awake, careful not to wake Gin too, and motioned for her to come downstairs with him.

"What's the matter?" she asked sleepily, struggling to keep her eyes open after so little sleep as she trudged down the steps behind her uncle.

"Told you we were telling Harry 'bout last night. Fred's gone to wake him," George explained, taking a seat on the sofa and nodding at a nearby chair for her to sit in.

"Why so early?" she grumbled, not wanting to have this conversation at all, but especially not yet. She'd not had a chance to come up with a better lie yet for why she'd been out.

"Shop opens at six," he informed her. "Figured we should go ahead and get this out of the way. Besides, Mum isn't up yet, so this is the best time for you."

"Thanks," Lily said, genuinely grateful as Fred, followed by a very confused Harry came into the room.

"Well, go on, Lil," Fred prompted, leaning against the arm of the sofa nearest to his twin. His arms crossed, and Lily knew he meant business despite the easy use of her nickname.

"I went to Diagon Alley last night," Lily admitted, shifting in her seat.

"Oh," Harry said, confusion tugging his eyebrows down behind his glasses. He glanced at the twins, and something about their expectant looks seemed to penetrate at least a little of the sleepy haze lingering in his brain, because after blinking a couple times, he followed his pronouncement up by asking, "Er… why?"

"Harry, mate, she snuck out," George pointed out patiently, seeming to expect that to generate a stronger reaction from the dark-haired wizard. Harry stared at him blankly.

When George didn't elaborate, Harry confirmed, "Yeah, she said so."

"A Death Eater could have gotten his hands on her. You-Know-Who could have," Fred said slowly, as though explaining that two plus two equaled four to a first grader.

The last finally seemed to get through to him, and Harry's head jerked back to stare at Lily in horror. Lily shrank in on herself at the sight. It was always Jamie that got into trouble in the past, never her. Knowing she was the cause of his current distress didn't sit right with her.

"What were you thinking?" Harry demanded, hard voice edged with a razor sharp blade.

"I wasn't. Clearly," Lily acknowledged frankly, shifting her gaze to her lap. It was easier to watch her fingers playing than it was to continue seeing the concern in her father's emerald eyes.

"Lily, you could have been killed! It isn't safe," he said quickly, informing her, "You can't go wandering around."

"Isn't that exactly what you were doing yesterday when you found me?" she asked defensively, turning the tables on him in a way she'd never have dared with the version of her father that she grew up with. It was easier to think of him more like she would her brothers given how closely he resembled Al, and she'd never have let Al get away with being a hypocrite without calling him out on it.

"Well… er… yeah, but -"

"No! Why is it all right for you to do it, and not me?" she demanded, glaring at him.

"Because I understand the dangers," he said, then winced at how lame the retort sounded to his own ears. Fred and George watched the by-play, content to let it unfold without any further interference from them now that they'd gotten the ball rolling.

"You mean you're a hypocrite," Lily announced, snorting derisively. It was so like a parent to be all 'Do as I say, not as I do'. Which was an all around shite excuse in the first place.

"No," Harry insisted, scrubbing a hand against his forehead, directly over his scar. "Lily you can't take risks like that. I don't have a choice, but you do. I have to fight Voldemort."

"I want to fight him too," Lily said immediately. The idea that she actually could fight, that she could make a difference and help people digging its claws into her.

"Absolutely not," Ginny hissed fiercely as she made her way down the stairs.

She stopped in the entrance of the room, her balled fists planted firmly on her hips. Judging by her pursed lips, and the daggers she was shooting at Fred and George, she was not happy to have been deliberately left out of the current conversation.

Lily's suspicions were confirmed as Ginny angrily asked, "I think I caught the gist of things. But would someone mind telling me why wasn't I invited to this little intervention - especially considering it involves my daughter?"

"Well, see…" George began, trailing off and looking to Fred for a save.

"We didn't want to worry you, and we figured Harry would do a fine job scaring her into not being so reckless in the future," Fred explained.

"But obviously we made a mistake, and we know better now. Promise it won't happen again," George added when Ginny continued flaying them with her searing look.

The second her mum began to look the slightest bit mollified, Lily returned to what she'd been saving previously, appealing to her father, knowing he'd understand her desire to do what was right and be a part of things, begging, "Dad, please. It's the right thing to do. You always stand up for what's right. You never back down. Let me do the same!"

"My entire family is dead," Harry said dully, eyes turning glassy as tears formed a shimmering film that was easily detectable. "If I lost you now…"

"Harry -" Ginny said sadly, but he shook his head stopping her from continuing.

"Sirius only just died," Harry said, tears openly falling down his face. He didn't try to hide them or wipe them away. Instead, he hoarsely repeated, "If I lost you too? A daughter - someone I'm meant to protect above all others, no matter that we've only just met…" He paused, seeming to collect himself before he said simply, "That'd be the end. I wouldn't be able to keep going."

"You taught me how to protect myself," Lily said gently, watching her father rub his face, erasing the evidence of his fear for her and the pain of his recent loss.

"If you're in a situation where you're forced to, then it's good you can since I can't always be there to watch over you, but I don't want you putting yourself in unnecessary danger. Bad enough Malfoy saw you. No sense taking any more risks," Harry said glumly, scowling at the mention of Draco.

Lily opened her mouth to protest, wanting to defend Draco, but thought better of it. Harry didn't seem to like him at this point in time, and she had a feeling knowing that he was the reason she'd snuck out wouldn't go over very well. And admitting that was probably the only way to convince Harry that Draco wasn't a threat, and that he'd passed on the chance to turn her over.

"All right," she agreed, deciding this was one battle she probably wasn't going to win. Her mum looked just as determined to keep her from fighting, and she didn't want her identity used against Harry as it surely would be if she weren't careful.

"Not bad, Harry. But it's a good thing you've got a few more years to fine tune your technique," Fred announced, nodding his approval at how the conversation had gone.

Movement overhead alerted the room's occupants to the fact Gran or Grandpa was stirring. The floorboards creaked ominously, echoing in the sudden stillness of the room.

"We best be getting back to open the shop," George announced, and as though the move had been choreographed, the twins Disapparated simultaneously with a resounding crack!

Gran entered the room less than a minute later. Startled to see several people awake before her, she suspiciously asked, "What are you lot doing up so early?"

"Lily couldn't sleep, so we're keeping her company," Ginny said at once without a trace of the lie showing through.

"Oh, you poor dear. Yesterday was quite eventful," Gran said sympathetically.

"Yes," Lily agreed, assuming an innocent expression and going along with things.

"A good meal should help. Gin, set the table," Gran ordered, heading to the kitchen and assuming her daughter would do as she was told.

"Can I do anything?" Harry offered, wanting to be useful. Gran always divided the work up in her time so everyone pitched in for meals, but even then, Gran rarely let Harry help. Most of the time, he was the only one truly treated as a guest - much to his chagrin.

"No, Harry dear, I've got it. Why don't you just stay with Lily," Gran suggested, waving him off with one hand while the other was busy turning sausages in the frypan on the stovetop.

"Thanks, for not telling her," Lily whispered.

"Promise me you'll not do anything like that again," Harry requested earnestly, hesitantly reaching for her hand. He gripped it firmly, intent etching deep worry lines across his face.

"I won't be a kid forever. I can't always remain in a safe little bubble," Lily warned, hoping he understood that even if she didn't actively fight, she couldn't remain safely locked up forever. He understood that by the time she'd traveled back, but Lily had no intention of putting her life on hold until then. "But I won't take any unnecessary risks either."

"Without Sirius around, you're my biggest weakness," Harry admitted frankly, sighing loudly and slumping defeatedly in his chair.

"You only just met me," Lily mused, not really believing that he could possibly care for her as deeply as she did him so soon.

For her, he'd been the central figure in her life as far back as she could remember, but it wasn't like that for him. And even if that was hard to recognize, she didn't blame him for the discrepancy. It was a product of their circumstances. So it seemed strange to her to have him suggest otherwise.

He'd mentioned something similar earlier, but she'd thought he'd been wrapped up in learning of her foolish actions and wanted to really drive home why she shouldn't do that again.

"I might not feel like your dad yet, but you already feel like family," Harry said slowly, struggling to process his feelings and put them into the proper words. "Maybe we never form that sort of relationship given how things are between us, but you're already extremely important to me, and I promise that'll always be the case."

The rest of those staying at the Burrow began making their way downstairs as the scent of eggs, freshly baked biscuits, sausage, mushrooms, and tomatoes began wafting upstairs. Bill and Fleur joined them, the two having arrived late the night before and been filled in after Lily had supposedly retired.

A number of discreet, as well as those not so subtle, looks were aimed her way by the assembled group, but everyone was careful not to ask her potentially damaging questions. However, Lily was slightly dismayed to discover that she remembered even less than she had the night before. Spells she'd learned, books she'd read, that was all there. But her memories of people, faces, interactions - it was all dim. A faded photograph with blurred water spots and sun damage that left much of the picture too distorted to make out.

As a result, Lily remained nearly silent throughout the meal between the others skirting her, and her own preoccupation with what was happening to her. Luckily, wedding preparations consumed most of discussion with Fleur rattling on and on, determined to have her upcoming nuptials be the center of attention.

The scowling face of Mr. Malfoy glared at her from the back page of the Daily Prophet, her attention drawn to it when Grandpa shook the pages to resettle the folds as he read. Lily stared at it in puzzled amazement, momentarily distracted from the distress of her swiss cheese mind.

"Can I see that?" she requested, her question gaining the attention of the entire table.

"Guess the git couldn't buy his way out this time," Ron growled almost gleefully.

"Why is he in Azkaban?" Lily asked, accepting the proffered paper.

"He broke into the Ministry last year on Voldemort's orders," Harry explained, watching her curiously, almost as though waiting for recognition from her. He frowned when she simply stared at him blankly.

Gran huffed, swelling up angrily, her cheeks turning a ruddy hue that clashed with her carroty, orange hair. "I still don't know what you kids were thinking going there. Any one of you could have been killed. When I think about -"

"Molly, they're fine. Time to let it go," Grandpa cut in, soothing his wife with practiced ease, and an absent familiarity that declared he'd been deftly managing her for years without drawing undue attention to the fact.

Guilt shown clearly on Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione's faces. Deepening in light of the concern the older individuals were displaying. Lily blinked, trying to understand and keep up. Did they mean that her parents had broken into the Ministry and fought Death Eaters?

There was something about that that sounded familiar, like a story she'd once heard but not paid close enough attention to fully recall, but she couldn't be certain. Her mind was apparently too unreliable now.

She kept that fact to herself as she skimmed the article, not wanting to alarm anyone unnecessarily if it was a temporary state. Possibly, it was just a side-effect of traveling so far back in time, and it'd right itself in a few hours.

Reading the article answered most of her questions. The events were outlined and summarized in black and white for her, clearly spelling out that her parents had in fact snuck out of Hogwarts, broken into the Ministry, and taken on Voldemort and his Death Eaters during their fourth and fifth years.

So much for them cracking down on her earlier. If she'd known about this, she'd have had much better ammunition to use in her defense. Not that it mattered anymore. Not now that she'd promised her dad that she'd be careful and stay safe. He'd had a point about her being his weakness, and she'd never deliberately hurt him.

As soon as she could, Lily excused herself from helping with the clean up. She wanted to record everything she still remembered happening in case she continued to forget.

The eagle owl was back. The sight of it deterred her from her primary objective of recording her memories. They could wait. She was far more interested in seeing what Draco had to say.

The elegant creature was poised on the window sill, utterly motionless as she watched Lily's rapid approach. Somehow she managed to give the impression that she was looking down her beak at Lily, unimpressed with having to return to deliver yet another letter.

Curiosity and a flutter of anticipation churned low in her belly as she accepted the letter, and carefully unrolled the expensive, thick parchment. Nothing but the best for a Malfoy. Lily had to smother a snort at the random odd thought that filtered through her head, not quite able to recall where the amusing idea had originated from.

Lily,

In case I didn't make things clear enough for you last night, don't even think of sharing what I told you. If you do, I could betray your secret just as easily.

Draco

Her immediate reaction was fear. Concern over whether or not he might truly betray her existence to her father's enemies. But the sensation of a dry mouth and sweaty palms quickly faded, and she found herself instead rolling her eyes at his macho bravado. He'd had the chance to sell her out, and he'd not taken it. It seemed rather unlikely that he'd do so now when he'd be in nearly as much trouble for having spilled his secret to her.

Lily felt a touch of sympathy for him too. He was very likely scared. Terrified of failing and having his mother pay the price. Lily wasn't sure how willing he'd been to be a part of this war prior to now - particularly in light of the fact that he was only sixteen - but she could tell he wasn't too keen on it anymore.

But he was stuck. Stuck until Voldemort was defeated or he was brave enough to seek help. Somehow Lily doubted he trusted anyone enough to take that chance.

Lily spent several minutes debating how to respond, and knowing he expected one since his owl had stuck around. In the end, she decided to call his bluff and reiterate his options.

Draco,

Threats? Really? I thought we'd moved past that. You have nothing to fear from me, but I'm still keeping my fingers crossed that you'll go to Dumbledore or someone else for help. You're not alone. Please don't forget that.

Lily

PS I'm sorry about your father. I saw the article in the Prophet this morning.