Troubles

The alarm sounded. Lily broke away from Sev to turn it off but she hugged him again. He didn't open his eyes, feeling her body and her warm. Best awakening of my life.What will it be like when we can sleep together all night and wake up by ourselves?he thought.

She was holding him closer and giving him light kisses on his chest. He too, and kissed her head. They would have stayed like this all morning, but Lily lifted her face to look at him, Sev's eyes opened, they still adoring each other.

"How nice, Sev… sleeping with you…"

"It's true, my love. You were right when you asked me." I wish I could tell her that from now on we will.

"Do you want to go to the bathroom to wash yourself?" she asked. "We can't do it with magic here."

"Wait a little more, I'm very comfortable…"

"Of course, me too…"

And it may be the last time until summer that we can be like this, I have to tell her as soon as possible so that she can get ready.

They stayed in each other's arms for another quarter of an hour, fighting not to go back to sleep. At last Lily spoke again, "Ugh… if I don't move I'm going to fall asleep again and the morning will be gone."

What a pity... but she's right, we have to study a bit. "Okay, let's get up."

Lily was already getting out of bed. "You have to go to the bathroom downstairs, in the upstairs one is no bidet."

"What's that?"

Oh, he doesn't know what a bidet is, Lily thought. Of course, there is none at his home and neither is there at school. "It is a device in which you sit down to wash yourself without having to shower. You'll see it when you enter, it's next to the WC."

"Wow… how useful. Then go first, so you can see if Petunia is already up."

"Don't worry, surely not, you already saw what time she was having breakfast yesterday."

They were dressing, picking up the clothes scattered around the room. Lily finished early. "Well, I'm going, I'll finish faster. You will have to take off your trousers again. Don't put your boots on, otherwise you'll take a long time and then she might catch us."

While Lily went downstairs, Sev made the bed. She came right back and was surprised. "Wow, Sev! You've made it perfect, you never cease to amaze me, boys don't normally do chores."

"Yeah... But I've always helped Mum with everything, since she had to start working."

What Cecile always tells me, a jewel, a treasure, she thought.

"Come on, you have a free way, she hasn't gotten up yet, take your boots and put them there. Let's go downstairs and I tell you where it is, I've left you a clean towel, it's the blue one, leave it where it is, I'll pick it up later. Then come to the kitchen, I'm going to heat the tea to wake us up, if Tuney comes we'll go to the living room to drink it."

So this is coexistence, how easy it is turning out, he thought. I wish we never had to go back to bloody Hogwarts.

Sev went downstairs to clean up. I really like the newly discovered device, the truth is that these Muggles manage quite well without magic, they have sharpened their wit.

They had tea in the kitchen, Lily pouring him only half a cup. "I know you always take it without sugar because you don't like it, but also without milk because in Spinner's End you don't have a fridge to store it. You should try it, you are growing and milk has calcium for the bones. Even if you don't like it that much, you have to drink it, it's already hot too. Do you want?"

Merlin... how she cares for me. "Sure, honey, serve it to me."

Lily refilled both their cups with hot milk.

It tastes weird, but it's not that bad, I'll get used to it, Sev thought.

"Do you like it?" she asked.

"Not as much as tea alone, but I don't dislike it either."

"Well, you know, from now on always take it at school. Otherwise one of these days you're going to break a bone training. And you can also take it after lunch and dinner, the more the better."

"Okay, honey, I'll listen to you," he said.

"Are you hungry? I know you don't like pastries, but I can make you a sandwich."

Actually, I do, but if I eat too much then I won't be hungry for lunch. "Okay, but only half."

Lily already had it ready. She cut it in half. "I'll eat the other half. At school we have lunch earlier, but here we have to have a snack if we get up early, and even more so with the energy we've used today, you were right that it uses up a lot. Luckily we don't meet more often, otherwise we'd be exhausted."

"Well, if we met more, we'd do other things, not always this, otherwise we'd get tired soon."

"Do you think?"

"I was talking last night with Mum. I told her," Sev replied.

"Really…? What did she said?"

"She was very happy, she already knew it since Christmas."

"Like my parents…"

"Yeah…"

We're going to have problems when it's time to take the Express, it's going to be very strange that I don't say goodbye to Lily's family at the train station, we should talk about that too.

They heard Petunia coming down the stairs. "Let's go to the living room," Lily said. They took the cups and sandwiches and went outside, passing her, none of the three of them looking at each other or saying a word.

They went to the living room and sat on the couch. "Did you show the book to your Mum? Did she know it?" she asked.

"Yes, she was also studying it at school. And she told me that the sources of Druid and Red Magic were in the R.S. by then."

Lily's eyes widened and her face lit up. "Wow! So it is there…"

"I don't know, Lily, don't sing victory, you already saw that the one from Defense ended up in the old bookstore. Maybe they destroyed it, it's highly compromised information."

"Did you warn her that she shouldn't see Dumbledore?"

"Yes, and it was hard for me to convince her, she is very trusting with respect to the old man. We had a pretty tense conversation, because I tried to get out of her who else might know about the book, and she guessed that I intend to read the professors, and I ended up having to tell her that I plan to go to war, but I'm going to do my best to gather power and information to be more valuable in the rear and not have to fight."

"Wow, Sev… you must have worried her a lot."

"Well, I think she understood it, and then we relaxed for a while looking at the book."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, but skimming," he replied. "The Magic of the Moon appendix is shorter, we read it completely, and it is very interesting. It talks about how magic arised and how primitive tribes were organized before agriculture. It was the women who ran the tribes and families, it is not wasted. I have brought the book, I would like you to read it as soon as possible." Maybe that way she'll change her mind and accept Lauren one day.

"And about the Red Magic?"

"She explained to me that it's not a strict magic, it's like that of the Druids, it admits alterations and improvisation, so it's not so important to have skipped the steps."

"Then if you have brought it, we could look at it together now…" she suggested.

"Ugh, Lily, we have to study. We have just over an hour left, better this afternoon, when we rest for a while. I'll leave it for you to see after lunch, I'm going to take a little longer to come."

"Why? Do you have to run an errand?"

If I tell her I want to go to Diagon to exchange the Galleons, she's going to offer me money. "Yeah."

"Are you going to see your ally?"

What is she saying? Sev made a puzzled face.

"Since you went to the gift shop yesterday…" Lily added.

Sev thought like lightning, as he smiled enigmatically. Ugh… She hasn't seen the gift I bought her, I put it in the Magic Druid book bag.And she thinks that my 'ally' is a 'she', almost everything they sell there is for girls, and she probably suspects who she is, from what she deduced from her reaction in the Potions row.And I without reading her thoroughly, so I don't know if she occludes well, rightly she bought the Pensieve.Buf... luckily she's betrayed herself, because she hasn't told me anything since January.Another serious problem to solve this week, but I must do this very little by little and with great tact, lest because of her jealousy she be capable of betraying Lauren.

"Oh, Lily… how silly. Come on, let's go upstairs. Haven't you looked at the Druids' book?"

"No… I wanted us to see it together…"

They returned to her bedroom. "Where do you have it?" Sev asked.

"Here."

In the bag by the desk. "Come on… look inside the bag."

"Oh…! It was for me…" Lily realized.

"Sure, silly. Otherwise I would have told you."

"Always with your mysteries."

Look who spoke, Sev thought."It was just a surprise."

Lily unwrapped it. "How beautiful! Black like you and gold Gryff."

"So that you no longer wear the green cord." A good time to talk about the hottest topic, so I can take worries out of my head. "From now on we will have to take even more precautions. In fact, I think we should talk about it, even if we don't have time to study."

"Yeah…"

"Close the door and pass the latch."

Lily did so.

"Let's sit down." He was going to the desk.

"In bed, Sev. If it's bad news I want to hug you."

Ugh… what a problem.I should have warned her with more time. "Well, it's not that serious, but it's okay."

"You don't have to take off your boots, put your feet here," she was laying a handkerchief on the bedspread.

They sat propped up on the cushions, Sev putting his arm around her shoulders. "Let's see, two issues. The first, King's Cross. We are going to have to devise another strategy, what we had thought about telling your parents that I was going to go there Apparating with my Mum is not going to work. They're going to want to take me, or in any case, meet at the station to say goodbye. We're going to have to explain to them that we can't be seen together."

"Ugh, Sev! They will worry a lot."

"Yeah... That's why it's better that we do it as soon as possible, to give them time to calm down during the week. Today I'm going to stay until you have dinner, so we can both talk to your Dad."

"And what are we going to tell them?"

"Don't worry, I've already thought of a credible story, because it's part of the truth," he replied. "You already told them about the Gryffs, right? In fact, they even asked me about it in the car."

"Yeah."

"Did you explain why they harassed me?"

"Not that," Lily replied.

"Well, badly done. And that they have been doing it since first year?"

"That I did."

"And have you ever told them about how Potter pesters you?" Sev asked.

"Neither."

"Jo, Lily, how little trust you have in your parents, with how good they are. It would have been good if you did."

"Yeah… but they never get into those issues and I didn't want to worry them," she excused herself.

"I can understand it. Now we are going to have to do it a little. At least we're older now and they won't be so scared."

"Are we going to tell them that they harassed you because Potter is jealous of you?"

"Of course. The plain and hard truth," he replied.

"And that they have stopped doing it because they no longer see us together?"

"Sure. And because Remus repented and protects me, as you already told them. And also that you're always with Cecile and Remus now, so they know you're not alone."

"Yes, I already talked a lot about them the other day," Lily said.

"You tell them about your friends and not your things. When they found out at Christmas that I was being bullied they wanted you to take a letter to Dumbledore, and you couldn't because he would have read you and found out our secrets. But last year, when we didn't have them yet, if you'd told on Potter pestering you when it happened the Shrieking Shack thing, maybe the old man would have connected the dots and sided with me."

"You're right, Sev. But at the time I still didn't realize that they were doing it for that. I believed the accusations that we made of you being malefic, because I didn't see you that way, for me you were my friend without more. I was very short-sighted."

"Well, honey, you had four years to realize it, they already insulted me on the first trip on the Express, and then I still didn't know anyone malefic," he said.

"You're right, Sev. I've spent half my life blind, regarding you and many other things. But you also screw it up, last night we were looking at the travel guides where the Forbidden Forest comes out and they got a lot scared when they saw the acromantulas, I had to hide it. How did you not tell me about that?"

Ugh, she's right, the acromantulas! "Jo, Lily, what a mistake, I didn't think about it. I never told you about them for not worrying you."

"Well, the same as me with my parents. We have to be more honest with each other, Sev."

I'll save it for when we talk about Lauren.

"I'm sure they're going to ask you about them too," she continued. "Tell them that they're very far from where we walk, that you know the Forest very well and never go there."

"Okay, and if necessary I'll tell them that we won't be back."

"Between that and Potter, let's see if they don't take me out of school."

"Yeah... not even at home our problems run out, and luckily they don't know anything about the war," Sev said. "Well, I don't think they do. Let's plan the strategy. Where does your Dad usually sit?"

"On the couch, on one side."

"Okay, I'll sit in the armchair so I can talk to him from the front. If he did it in an armchair, so that we are together on the couch, let me put myself on the side closest to him, and you next to me. We'll start talking about other things, like the other day, Druid Magic, for example. We shall have to look at the book a bit this afternoon, so that we have something to tell them. Then the issue of the Forest and the acromantulas will come up, let me talk about it. Did they notice you didn't know they existed?"

"I don't think so," Lily replied.

"What exactly did you tell them and what did they answer you?"

Lily told him.

"Well, then I don't think there's a problem on that part," he said. "I'll tell them that I know exactly where they are and that I've never been there, and I'll also tell them about Defense, since your Mum asked me yesterday. There are also dangerous Muggle animals and no one stops bathing on the beaches because of sharks, I think they'll understand. And if not, we promise that we will not return to the Forest and that's it. Now about Potter. As we will have already gone into controversial topics, it is best to tell them right away, so that it will give us time to explain it well and try to reassure them. Let me start talking, then they'll ask you what he does to you and why you haven't told them much sooner. Tell them, be honest, those things happen among Muggles too. If they offer to write to Dumbledore again, let me answer them myself. I don't think they want to take you out of school because a slimy, tell them that Remus and Cecile also protect you from him or that you stop him yourself, as in fact you do. At the end of the day, according to what we tell them, the one who is in danger is me, and again they will understand that I like Defense. If they still get nervous about you, tell them you've worked hard and don't want to miss your exams. And worst case scenario, if they want to take you out of Hogwarts, you'd lose the OWLs but they'd let you do them next year. You will already be of legal age and you will not need your parents' permission to go to school, you would only lose one year."

"Yeah… but then we wouldn't see each other all year."

We would. I would finish fifth year but I would skip next year, I would stay here with you. And so we would do NEWTs together."

"Really, Sev?" Lily asked.

"Of course, I have no desire to return to Hogwarts. In fact, if you don't go, I'd just go for the next thing we need to talk about. It would even be lucky if you weren't at school for the remaining two months."

"Malfoy's letter."

"That is."

"Jo, Sev, how many problems."

Ugh... and we still haven't started talking about the most serious ones, he thought."Yeah, honey, and all because of me. It is clear that your life would be much easier without me."

She hugged him. "Don't say that, we all make mistakes. If I had loved you the way you loved me, you would have moved away from the snakes sooner. It was also my fault."

"Nah, that's no excuse, I didn't listen to you when you told me, that should have been enough for me. If you want we can do something else, I'll stop coming and it's done. You tell them that Tobias is back and we won't have to tell them anything anymore."

"Ugh! No!" Lily exclaimed. "That way they are going to worry a lot and we won't be able to see each other these days."

Sev snorted. "I have gotten too involved before solving things, I have gotten you into a big mess."

"I also decided to do it, I was the one who told them what you suffered at home and at school. I don't mind losing the OWLs, I'll do them next year. As soon as I'm seventeen I'll go back to Hogwarts and talk to Dumbledore."

"You will face your family."

"They will have to understand," she said.

"In that case, I hope they understand today. Ok, next topic. If you don't come back to Hogwarts we're off the hook, but if you do, we're going to have to stop meeting. The bad weather is going to end, and now, yes, the letter can arrive at any moment and we are only eight Slys in the Guard, only four older good warriors. You already know that we are reading allies and we have found people willing to join, but as always, they distrust me. Jack told me that he was going to try to find a solution, probing them to see if they would know how to keep the secret even if they didn't join. We have two people in sight, a Sly sixth-year couple that Jack is confident with, in fact, they were about to ask them to join right when I got in the way and they gave up because of me, he told me it the last day.

"You see how they are getting involved with me, it seems incredible to me," Sev continued. "Of them he does know that they would keep the secret, but they need to accept me, of course, because these are like them, willing to fight in the war, and they take me for an enemy, let's see how he convinces them. He's going to talk to them this holidays, I've given him my address in case there's news. Because in less than fifteen days there is a new trip to Hogsmeade, I can receive the letter as soon as we return to school, and if things don't work out we will only be six, because as you will understand, we are not going to involve the little ones.

"I will be relatively protected, Anthony and I will take turns sleeping with the help of sleep potions, that's why I asked you to buy so many ingredients," he went on. "He's going to make an incredible sacrifice for me, because you already know they have side effects and we're going to have to take them daily. The four of us in fifth year will go everywhere together, and in our spare time the six or eight of us will walk around the castle, to the Library, in the Common Room, wherever necessary. And of course, we will continue reading enemies, because there is going to be a stir, not only in Sly, but in the whole school. It is going to be revealed that, in a certain way, we are organized.

"And that's where you come in, we've already been very lucky they didn't caught us, we can't take a risk it right now," Sev explained to her. "They won't dare with us, but maybe with you they will, that's why I told you before that it would be lucky if you didn't go back to school for the rest of the year, but I have to do it so that the letter gets to me once and for all. In short, that we are going to have to stop meeting and writing to each other from now on. I already expected it since we started reading allies, sorry for not having told you before, I didn't want to make you suffer for so long."

"I expected it too, Sev," Lily said. "In fact, it has seemed like a gift to me all these months. I already told you when you received the letter at Christmas that I was willing to wait for you whatever it took. And I'm not that helpless either, now I know how to defend myself, and so do Cecile and Remus. I will not part with them."

"That is another topic that we must talk about and that I know you will not like, but it is absolutely necessary for your safety. As soon as the Guard is revealed, you shouldn't just have Cecile and Remus, there are only three of you and no one knows how good you are, they could still attack you, so you should also go with Potter and Black. Remus already knows."

"No, Sev!"

"Yes, Lily, my soul hurts too," he said. "Not being able to be together or protect you myself and that my worst enemy has to do it, but the first thing is your safety. I would rather something happen to me a thousand times than to you, you must understand. That's why I told you today, so you have the whole week to assimilate it. Hopefully the letter will arrive in May, it will only be a little over a month."

"Ugh… Potter is going to get his hopes up with me. Here I thought that I had almost got rid of him."

"I know, Lily. It will be a short season and then we will have the whole summer ahead of us. I've also given the address to my ally in case he finds out when they're going to send it to me, hopefully we'll know before we go back to school. Please understand and try to get used to the idea."

"Okay, Sev. From now to then I will assume it."

"Look Lily, if you don't want to wait for me, don't, but you're still in danger for having been friends for so many years as soon as I take center stage. They really threatened you, otherwise I would not have tried to separate from you. It was a mistake I made at the age of eleven, when I didn't know anything and just hung out with my housemates."

"Yeah… what a bad luck you had. Of the five, only Anthony came out good."

"Of course, and shortly after, when he realized that I was a good wizard, Malfoy got in the way and I was very flattered that an older pure-blood would pay so much attention to me. You know very well how my life has been in everything else. Apart from you and my Mum, they were the only support I had. Mum was here and you were in the Gryff House, enemy, most of the time was spent with them. That's why I always told you, they are my House, they are my family, I did not understand that they were not, I have never had a real family." He was crying.

"I understand, Sev." She too. "And don't think I'm going to forget about you. That never."

"I already know, honey, nor I'm going about you. What I feel for you is forever."

"And I will do whatever it takes to make you calm for me."

"Thank you very much, my love."

"We are going to catch air these days to resist, we have already talked about all the problems," Lily added. "When we solve this afternoon with my parents, forget about everything."

Yes, we're missing the Lauren thing… I just named her and now she already knows that I'm not going to be able to read her thoroughly in the Haven and she doesn't say anything to me, she's still thoughtless.But I'm defeated, this is not the time to bring it up, Sev thought. "Okay honey. I don't know if it's worth it for us to start studying for the little time that remains. Shall we look at the books?" Let her read the Magic of the Moon.

"Ah… there is something more urgent to do."

"What?"

"Respond to Remus and Cecile," Lily replied. "At this time it won't arrive for dinner and tomorrow is the moon."

Well, good way to lighten the tension. "You're right, nothing happens, we'll send it to the Common Room. They'll read it on the couch between rounds." He laughed. "And by the way we'll talk about Red Magic, you know, so they don't rush." The first thing I'm going to do when I get to Hogwarts is cast a Fidelius for them.

"Sure, we tell them, but surely they are not doing it. Cecile was the one who advised me that it was better to go slow."

"Ah… wow… You hadn't told me that."

"You know, girly little secrets…"