A/N- An all Hermione chapter means an all Lily chapter, will return to your scheduled programming next chapter.
Chapter 10: I Solemnly Swear…
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Thursday, October 7th
1999
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If there was one thing Lily Evans could do, it was keep her promises. She made them sparingly, of course, electing to do almost anything before giving someone her word, but if the situation deemed it necessary, Lily wasn't afraid to go above and beyond. After all, friends were nothing without trust, right? She had promised Frank she'd keep Alice far away if plans ever took a more dangerous turn, and she had promised Mary that she'd run any suspicions by her, Alice and at least one other person after the whole Peter fiasco. Of course, she had been right about him, but for once she wish she hadn't been. Poor James. She didn't particularly like the boy, but he certainly didn't deserve to die, especially not at the hand of his friend and even more especially not protecting her.
It was the accumulation of such promises that made Lily decide that when she returned home, she was going rogue. Her friends would be upset, confused, furious even, that Lily was suddenly deciding to abandon all of their work, but there was simply no way she could keep them close and out of harm's way. They were clever and manipulative and very, very good at what they did, but to truly fight? Out of the question. Alice was too kind, Mary too reckless, Remus too self-sacrificing and Frank, for all his talents, wasn't exactly the physical type. She'd have to find Snape, Regulus Black, Narcissa Malfoy, even, and work from the inside. And besides, it's not like she was leaving her friends out to dry. Everything would be much easier if she had Savior of the Wizarding World as a feather in her cap. Maybe she really would be crowned queen. She shuddered, thinking of the unsavory title her friends would tease her with- Remus especially. He wouldn't think it was funny when that made him King, would he?
Of course, it was entirely possible that Lily would die before any of that came to fruition. It was reckless and rather rude, she was aware, but frankly, she'd rather be dead than have to witness her world going to shite as this one had. Yes, the light side had won, but at the cost of everyone she loved. That was no victory to her. Besides, she was going to die regardless, really the only way to ensure her survival was to eliminate the threat. Although Lily truly did think she could sacrifice herself for her friends—she'd done it for a baby with James Potter, apparently—she'd really rather not. So, she was stacking the deck in her favor, currently working on a universal anti-venom vaccine, one of her riskier endeavors in combining Muggle and Wizard methods. Draco, a tad ironically, was terrified of snakes, so getting a baby Nagini was out of the question. Well, Padma was looking into it, but since they were stationed in his room, she was inclined to listen to him. For now.
She wiped the sweat off her brow, exhausted, sitting back on her heels as the small cauldron she was working on turned an unattractive shade of brown and began to splutter. There was this and the wards and the dozens of side projects Lily had picked up; she was working herself ragged as of late. She wished Sev were here with her. Reading about his role in the war was bizarre. Lily went from adoring the man to hating him. She was grateful for his obsession with her, of course, but the Sev she knew would have never, ever treated Harry the way 1999-Snape did. There were appearances to be kept up, of course, but based on what she had heard and read, he man seemed to truly hate her son, all because of who he was born to. Wasn't that the exact type of mentality he had listened to Lily rant and rave about for years? The norms against which he pledged to fight with her? It was hard to reconcile the desperately love-sick double agent for the man she left back home, so she allowed herself to think of them as two separate entities entirely. Lily shuddered. She'd probably have to sleep with him, when she got back, to ensure his cooperation. She'd have to pretend she was in love, which, not so long ago, wouldn't have been much pretending at all. If Lily did manage to change everything, she wondered what would be left of him. Would he be Sev, her Sev? Or had he been Snape all along, Lily simply blinded by her affection to see the petty hatred—hatred enough to damn not only her husband but her very heritage-boiling underneath the surface?
Cleaning the cauldron, Lily closed her eyes. Draco would be up any moment to work on the wards, she'd need to be on her A game for that. No sleep for the wicked, she thought with a wry smile, wrenching her body up when she heard his footsteps draw near.
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Friday, October 8th
1999
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[Draco's POV]
When Draco woke up on the floor, he knew it was going to be a bad day. He had barely gotten any sleep, he and Granger had been up for hours chopping their way through the book he had found while Patil went off and fraternized with some nondescript Hufflepuff. Why she got to run around and flirt while he had to defend himself against Hermione, he had no idea, but unsurprisingly, she had nipped his complaints in the bud. She's excited so we're going to be excited too, she had said, although Draco knew she thought as little of Padma's Casanova as he did. How he had gotten to the point where he was discussing Patil's love life while trying not to be poisoned by a book with teeth, he wasn't really sure, but he didn't completely hate it. Hermione, while she was just as infuriating as he had always expected, was something entirely different. She was brilliant and engaging and his antithesis, entirely. The best of it, he had learned, was when he would add his piece to their theorizing and she'd freeze, her eyes wide as if her entire body was on lock down. She'd tilt her head as things slid into place, and he'd always know the exact second they did because her gears would start turning and her body humming and she'd dive for the nearest scrap of parchment and draw, draw, draw. She was brimming with ideas, constantly whirring into action and when he was the one to spur her on she looked at him as if he were the very sun. Despite himself, he would watch her rush about the room, collecting this and that. She was enthralling and exciting and he imagined she'd be warm to the touch.
Of course, right now she was none of those things, because right now she was asleep. Draco swore under his breath, staring at the girl who was currently tangled up in his very expensive bedsheets. Hermione was snoring peacefully, her hair a wild halo framing her face. He sighed, running a hand over his face. Fucking life debts. All things considered, she could be making his life a lot worse than forcing him to collaborate on an interesting project. To be honest, he probably deserved a lot worse from her.
He watched Hermione for a few moments more, her chest rising and falling peacefully. Who, having seen what she did, could possibly sleep so well? He almost thought to leave her until he realized she was drooling on his pillow. He groaned, steeling himself.
.oOo.
"Get up Granger," Draco hissed, pulling his sheets out from under her. "What are you doing here?"
"Sleeping, obviously," a groggy Lily replied, trying to snatch them back. When it was clear that the sheets were gone, she sighed, snuggling into the pillow instead. These sheets were so much nicer than her own, she'd need to ask…It took her a moment to realize where she was. She had specifically asked Padma not to hesitate to throw her into the Lake if she didn't show up to their morning run, but she suspected her pretty friend thought it would be funnier to leave her to fend for herself. Ruthless, Lily thought fondly.
"Granger, you need to go. Now." Had she been more alert, perhaps she would have noticed the urgency in his tone. Instead, she ignored it, rolling over. She heard his footsteps fall away, and she grinned sleepily. She could deal with the sallow heir after breakfast.
Just before she had drifted back to sleep, she was shocked into alertness when she was doused in ice water.
"What is wrong with you?" she shrieked, sitting up, her now wet hair a curtain in front of her eyes.
"I could ask you the same question!" Draco yelled right back, setting his wand down.
"Do you have any idea what would have happened if someone saw you here? Or worse, if your idiot friends came looking for you?"
"They'd leave me to rest, I hope."
"They would have me in shackles before you could even blink, Merlin, how are you possibly so naïve?" he asked, and her temper flared.
"Fine," she snapped, getting up with as much grace as she could. She tossed her hair over her shoulders, the wet ends slapping Malfoy's pointy face. He sputtered in indignation and Lily suppressed a smile.
"I know I leave you speechless, Malfoy, but do try and use real words."
"Get out!" Draco roared, pointing towards the door, and deciding she wasn't willing to push her luck any farther, she threw herself under Harry's cloak and crept out.
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[Draco's POV]
Draco held his breath as Hermione disappeared under Potter's cloak. Little drops of water trailed across his room; just before she crossed the threshold to his door she shook like a dog and tiptoed off. Granger was a menace. No wonder Blaise liked her. Draco groaned, closing the door behind her and sliding to the floor.
At times, he thought Azkaban would have been a kinder fate.
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Lily stopped by her room, downing a Pepper-Up in one go before taking off towards the Great Hall. She had to have at least one meal with Harry and Ron, and make sure they saw her having another with Padma, or they'd worry. At this rate, there wouldn't be any sausage left, she though mournfully, nearly bowling over a Second Year as she raced through the halls. She ducked into the bathrooms before the hall, trying to catch her breath.
She looked in the mirror, admiring Hermione's wild hair. Draco had commented on it looking even worse than usual, but Lily couldn't imagine ever wanting to tone it down. Curls of what seemed like every color of warm brown tumbled over her shoulders and frizzed around her face, a smattering of freckles dancing under her similarly honey brown eyes. She wasn't the kind of pretty Lily was, but she was stunning all the same. Lily yearned to dress up Hermione's petite frame, but from the contents of her closet, Hermione seemed like a no-frills kind of girl. Lily respected that, of course, but that didn't change the fact that Mary would have had a field day with Hermione. Perhaps she would get the chance, as a weird sort of aunt. Lily had already adopted Harry as her nephew of sorts, since she genuinely cared for the boy's wellbeing, but a son was unfathomable. Even if she had married James, Lily would have never allowed herself to bring a child into a world that rejected her the way it did. After her breathing evened out, she walked towards the hall.
"'Mione!" Harry exclaimed, popping up from his seat when she entered. "Come sit!" he waved her over with a piece of French toast. Lily felt her skin crawl when his green eyes lit up, but she did as she was told, carefully situating herself on the side away from Ginerva. Although she seemed pleasant enough, Lily was going to do her best to avoid having to fool Hermione's best female friend. There were just some things Ginny was bound to know, things Lily hadn't had the time to find out about Hermione quite yet. Hermione was probably having a wonderful time, as Mary and Alice weren't exactly the type to reminisce.
"Hullo Harry," she said with a strained grin. As pleasant as he was, he was a living reminder of everything that she did not want her child to have to live through. With any luck, of course, he wouldn't, because Lily was going to milk this twilight zone for all it was worth and track down the horcruxes herself. She just had to keep her cool, as Frank would tell her, so she refilled his cup of water as casually as she could. It must not have been very casual, because the little group stopped their chatter to stare at her.
"What?" she scowled. For a star athlete, Harry really didn't get enough hydration.
"What do you think, Mione?" Ron asked from across the table, breaking the awkward silence. The boy was entirely smitten with her, how Hermione couldn't tell she had no idea. But again, it wasn't her place to try and set them up if Hermione was adamant on denying herself.
"Come again?"
"The ball," Ginny said, a bit sharply. "We've been thinking of reinstating the Halloween Ball."
Lily choked on her pumpkin juice, leaving a concerned Neville to thump her on the back. Eyes watering, she turned to him. "Is that so?"
He grinned, the spitting image of his mother. "I mean, it'll be a good way to inaugurate the castle, yeah? I think we could use a bit of fun, after everything…"he trailed off. Lily had to admit, it was a good idea, but the thought of having to dance on her death-a-versary didn't sound terribly appealing.
"And how do you feel about it?" she asked Harry. Surely her sometimes-son-sometimes-nephew would have more sense than this.
"I think my parents would have wanted it, too," he said softly, and Lily groaned internally. Harry clearly held his parents on a pedestal, how could she tell the boy that his supposed mother would have sooner swam with the Giant Squid than let him have a bit of fun?
"Well then," Lily said, closing her eyes. "We'd better start planning."
There was a general cheer as Ginny drew up a draft proposal for McGonnagal. Harry leaned over, green eyes sparkling with mischief.
"You'll save a dance for me, won't you?" he asked, and Lily sighed, nodding and leaning into his arm. He rested his chin atop her head and squeezed her shoulders tight for just a moment before snagging a piece of sausage from Ron's plate and depositing it onto her own.
If she couldn't find a way to get out of this dance, Lily thought wearily, watching the little group laugh as Ron and Harry wrestled with their forks, she was going to show up wearing all black.
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"You're late," Padma said as Lily jogged around the corner. Breakfast had taken longer than expected.
"Ugh, gods, I'm sorry," she said, leaning against the stone wall for a moment to catch her breath. "It's been a rough morning, no thanks to you, anyways."
"What? I thought you were having a bit of a lie-in," Padma laughed, and Lily stuck out her tongue. "Come on, we've got to get moving if we want to catch him before classes. Brief me while we walk." Lily did as she was told, discussing the progress she and Draco had made the night before in exchange for tidbits about Padma's romantic endeavors. They were an impressive pair, gesticulating with arms thrown about and heads close together.
"Oh, also, Harry's planning a Halloween ball. It hasn't been approved, yet, of course, but I can hardly imagine McGonnagal is going to tell him off," Lily said as they crossed the courtyard. "Savior of the Wizarding World, and all that."
"A ball? How the hell are we going to have time for a ball? I hardly have time to go to the loo as it is." Padma shifted her bag onto her other shoulder and confiscated a suspicious looking WWW package from a third year without breaking stride. "You don't expect me to go, do you?"
"I absolutely expect you to," Lily said plainly, tossing the handful of Puking Pastilles in the air and eviscerating them with a spell she and Padma had found in one of the books Draco picked. "Considering you should have a date lined up, but I also assume you are no bird, and no net ensnares you—"
"I am a free human being with an independent will," Padma finished with a grin. "One I continually exert to keep your company, although I'm not sure why."
"Oh I'm under no illusions, Patil, I know you only like me for my extensive knowledge of the library filing system. It makes me irresistible," she said with a roll of her shoulders as she tapped the side of the wall by the dungeons in a pattern Sev had taught her once.
"Well it doesn't make any sense!" Padma exclaimed, ducking through the newly opened passageway without batting an eye. "I swear you can find me things faster than Madam Prince"
"It's because I keep hiding books from her—oh look, there he is. Professor Slughorn!" Lily called, the two girls jogging to catch up with their ruddy faced Professor.
"Well good morning Miss Granger, Miss Patil. I don't have you two today, do I?"
"No sir, but we've been looking for you all morning," Lily fibbed.
"Have you now? You'll have to accept my apologies, then. I do try and make myself available to my students."
"Oh no need to apologize to us, Professor, it would be entirely unfair to expect you to be in two places at once, wouldn't it?" Lily had to swallow a laugh at Padma's sycophantic tendencies. "Now that we have you, however, would you have time to talk? We know your time is sparing but—"
"Nonsense!" he said, waving them into his office. Old Slughorn was practically beaming with all the attention. Lily grinned widely, a surge of affection for her old professor threatening to make her lose her composure. He pulled up a chair for the two of them and settled down, fingers steepled under his chins.
"What can I do for you ladies?"
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Lily and Padma left Slughorn's office in high spirits. She twirled around and picked the ends of her skirt up, curtseying to a fourth year who blushed violently as his friends burst into giggles.
"Look at you, so full of energy," Padma looked on bemusedly.
"I'm fairly certain I haven't slept in fourty hours. Besides, it's hard not to be when I'm friends with the new Slug Club princess."
"That is not what I am, Merlin." Padma made a face. "I merely offered my help in running his strange empire. And besides, I'm friends with the new Potions Apprentice."
"Yup," Lily replied. "We'll have access to every potions ingredient and every important person we could ever need. I told you Slughorn was the way to go."
"Fine, you were right, but I still think he's a bit of an oaf."
"Professor Slughorn is brilliant," Lily said vehemently. "And at least he judges people on their capabilities, and not just their heritage. Anyone can earn his favor if they've got something to share." Being a Muggle-Born made Slughorn even more affectionate towards her, something for which Lily would be eternally grateful.
"I suppose you're right," Padma trailed off thoughtfully. "He's not quite Snape, though, is he?"
"No, he is not," Lily replied tersely. The girls slowed down their pace as they saw a familiar silvery, bowed head threading through the hallway. Despite their working relationship, Padma and Lily were very careful with him in public. He usually spared them no more than a discrete nod, one Lily suspected he was about to give them when he was knocked into the wall too forcefully for it to have been an accident. Lily gasped but Padma held onto her wrist.
"Don't, Granger," she hissed. Lily stumbled, seeing red. When Draco was out of sight, Padma released her, and Lily wasted no time pinning the perpetrator to the wall.
"I think you should apologize," she said, her voice deceptively calm as her muscles shook. Hermione was much smaller than her, but she certainly packed a punch.
"To Death Eater filth? I'd sooner you hex me." The boy was a Gryffindor, one of Ginny's classmates she couldn't remember the name of.
"I might have to do just that," Lily hissed. Padma came up behind her, idly twirling her wand in her hand.
"Oh, you wouldn't have all the fun without me, would you Hermione? I can't seem to remember where I kept my last antiquated-propoganda-spewing-areshole and my aim is getting a little shoddy."
"In the trash where he belonged, I assume," Lily said. She pushed her elbow up against his Adam's apple, suppressing a small smile when he gulped. "Luckily for you, we've got a ball to plan for and I'd hate to break a nail." She released her hold on the boy who shot them a dirty look.
"You've gone absolutely mad, you two," he spat before storming off. Once he rounded the corner, Padma pocketed her wand.
"I don't condone violence," she said flatly. "I find it distasteful. I'll back you up, Granger, but I'd rather not." Padma did look rather shaken, her lips pursed and face drawn.
Lily gasped. She hadn't even considered the baggage a war veteran would have with picking fights willy-nilly. This was the kind of thing Alice would have picked up on, she thought forlornly. Now that it was out in the open, of course, Lily would abide.
"Fists to myself next time," she said solemnly, before bumping Padma's shoulder with her own. "You're amazing, you know that?"
"So I've been told. Now come on, we have a very big problem with a very fragile ego we need to take care of." Lily sighed. No Herbology today, it seemed. How was she going to explain this away to Neville?
"Does this happen often? To the younger ones as well?" Lily asked, in reference to the anti-Slytherin sentiment that was brewing in the walls of the school. Up until now, she had no idea it went beyond pointed glares and hushed whispers, all of which Draco could handle. But violence? Unacceptable.
"I think he gets the brunt of it, mostly, or the unfortunate younger siblings of choice families. The little Parkinson girl, for example."
"Because of her name? She's a first year, she didn't even have a wand at the time!" Lily exclaimed.
"I know, it isn't right, but that's just how it is," Padma said morosely, unknowingly uttering the words that always bound Lily like a spell. She had been trying so hard, so hard not to get involved in this twilight zone… Lily thought once again of Frank, of his various balls and the quiet alliances he formed while making calculated quarter turns on a dance floor.
"Well, we'll just have to change that, won't we," Lily said finally, twining her fingers in Padma's. An act of affection, of course, but also one of solidarity. Padma looked down at their joined hands in surprise, and then smiled.
"Good luck with trying to get Malfoy to—"
"I know. I'll need it. But we'll figure something out," she said, squeezing Padma's fingers. "I promise."
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That night, for the first time since she arrived, Lily dreamt of home. She was twirling across the glittering Great Hall as James Potter picked her up, his radiant grin stretching until his face began to crack. She watched on in horror, twisting in his now painful grip to see that the same thing was happening to everyone around her. Chunks of flesh fell to the ground with resounding thunks, and Lily, in a pretty black dress now soaked in red, was trapped, left to dance with skeletons for the rest of her life.
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"I am no bird; and no net ensnares me; I am a free human being with an independent will." Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
[Dri: Aw, thank you for the compliment! If I could update this daily for you all, I would, but alas, I am not so fast a writer. Sirius/Hermione coming right up!] [Guest: Thank you!]