CrystalKaouri: Thank you so much for the review! No worries about the delay, I totally get being busy. So glad you're enjoying the story! I find it very flattering that it made you cry :) As for who's going to die at the end... well, I guess you're just going to have to find out :)


Bill and Fleur's wedding was a great success. Having had a war wedding herself, Lily knew how much such a happy occasion could life everyone's spirits. Especially, after Mad-Eye's passing. Bill and Remus had been unable to recover his body, and they figured the Death Eaters had cleaned up after themselves.

That coupled with the tension of the trio's imminent departure, the atmosphere of the house had not been cheerful. Stressed would be the word Lily would use. She and James had kind of felt guilty for staying at the Burrow with everything going on, but Molly had insisted that it was no trouble, and she appreciated the extra help.

Lily did notice that Molly was purposefully keeping Harry, Ron, and Hermione apart during their jobs, probably trying to keep them from planning whatever their mission was. Lily was not in the least happy that her son was going off on a dangerous task, and she was frustrated with Dumbledore for giving it to him, but she still knew that they would go no matter what she did and felt that it was only hurting them not letting them plan. Rather than add to the strain by directly confronting Molly on it (her son was just as involved, after all), she and James did their best to run interference to help the trio get some moments alone.

Harder to distract was Rufus Scrimgeour. The minister had crashed Harry's birthday, which was the second time he had interrupted important occasions uninvited, though at least the party had started out well. James had wanted to point blank refuse to let him talk with Harry alone, but Harry, Hermione, and Ron had agreed to it, and that was that. Still, Lily would never like the Minister, not after last year, and especially not with how anti-werewolf he was at the moment, the prejudice git.

Remus was really not looking well these days. He looked like he had received a horrible blow and was trying to decide on fight or flight. Lily didn't understand. Tonks, meanwhile, looked happier than ever. Lily imagined she should be, now that she was finally married after all she went through to get Remus to see sense.

All in all, Lily was very glad when the wedding arrived and went off without a hitch. If anyone deserved to be happy, it was the Weasley's. Including Fleur; she was a Weasley now too.

Lily laughed as she spun. James caught her, grinning down at her. They had always loved dancing, and there was so little time for it. They had been dancing since people began.

"It was a good turnout, don't you think?" James asked, as they danced.

"People need a little hope during these times," Lily agreed with a smile.

"Not as fun as our wedding, though?" James grinned, mischievously.

Lily laughed. "With Sirius as the best man and Marlene as the maid of honor, not to mention the pair of us, it's a wonder it wasn't crazier than it was!"

"Fair point," James agreed, holding her arm above her head as she spun.

"Speaking of young love," Lily began. She nodded at the edge of the dance floor where Ron and Hermione were making their way off.

James glanced over, then smirked. "Not surprised," he said, "It's totally going to happen soon, you know. They remind me a little of you and me in our school days; only a little more mature and friends from the beginning."

"Somehow, I don't see Ron asking Hermione out every other day," Lily said, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't know," said James. "I definitely heard Hermione say he had 'the emotional range of a teaspoon.' That's got to be as bad as 'an arrogant, bullying toerag.'"

"It is not!" Lily chortled.

"So, you're saying you're better at insults than her? Good to know."

"James!"

"I'm just saying,"

"You are impossible!"

A silvery white light interrupted their laughter, as it bounded down from the window into the center of the floor and transformed into a lynx. Kingsley's patronus. Lily felt James' arm tighten around her, as they at once stopped dancing and faced the lynx. Lily's heart tightened. Something had to be very wrong.

"The ministry has fallen," came Kingsley's voice, "Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."

Silence. Lily looked up into James' white face, trying to process the new information, even as they both raised their wands. Then, somebody screamed.

At once, everyone was moving. Guests were rushing for the exits. There were screams, shouts, and people running into each other. Worst of all, many were disapparating; the protective enchantments were gone. Dark robed figures were appearing in the crowd.

"Protego," Lily and James called at the same time. Then, they seized each other's hands and went racing through the crowd. If Harry was caught...

Suddenly, they ran right into Remus. "Go!" He shouted at them.

"Harry!" James shouted back, "We've got to..."

"They want you two almost as much as him!" Remus talked over him. "They'll use you to get to him! Get out of here!"

A new kind of fear gripped Lily. If they got caught, it was almost as good as Harry getting caught. As James opened his mouth to argue, Lily tightened her grip on his hand and disapperated, appearing just outside their safe house.

"What was that?!" James shouted, as she dragged him beyond their own protective enchantments.

"Remus was right," she replied, tensely. "We'd only be putting everyone in more danger, especially Harry."

"We don't even know what happened to him!"

"He, Ron, and Hermione would have disapparated at once; they're not stupid," Lily said. "You know I'm right and standing there arguing would only distract us and Remus!"

James had no answer to that. They entered the house, tense and silent. Lily made tea for them both, and they sat at the table sipping and refilling tea, checking their watches, and every great once in a while telling the other that they were all sure to be alright. They needn't worry about this house. It wasn't one of the eight houses they had travelled to when leaving their first house. This house had the Fidelious charm placed on it, and most importantly, no one from the Ministry knew about it.

They sat there for hours, stewing in their worry. Finally, just when Lily thought she would go out of her mind with worry, a silver weasel slunk through the window and landed on the table between them. "Family safe. Trio escaped. Do not reply, we are being watched." Arthur's voice filled the room.

Lily slumped in her chair, smiling shakily. James grinned and drained the rest of his tea in one gulp.

"They're alright," Lily whispered.

"Awesome," said James, then yawned.

"Time to go to bed, I think," said Lily, standing up slowly. They climbed the stairs, collapsed into bed still fully dressed, and were both asleep almost at once, worry having exhausted them.