I can't bear witness to our death

Lily startled awake. She lay on her bed, unmoving, her limbs carved out of stone.

She stared at her ceiling.

Voldemort had killed her.

No. Yet another nightmare.

Or was it?

She frowned, tried to bring her thoughts in order. Yesterday — last night, James and her were discussing taking Harry out to Bathilda's, if it was a snowy Christmas (her backyard had a lovely view, and lots of potential for snow-men-building). But then — James and her decorating their house in honour of Halloween — I need something to do, or I'll go mad — when was that? Then, the reoccurring nightmare… 

She woke James up.

"Whazzup?"

"What day is it today?"

James smiled, "Halloween, of course."

"...Halloween? But…"

"Everything alright?" He said, finally opening his eyes, when she didn't continue.

"I think I had one of those dreams - those where you… where you feel like you've already lived the day when it hasn't even started."

"Ah," said James, propping himself on one elbow. "Hopefully, we did something exciting in this dream of yours?" He said with a grin.

Her heart twinged at the sight of it, as the ending of her dream flashed through her mind. She blinked it away. "Well… we decorated the house for Halloween. We used the tablecloth Bathilda gave us as a housewarming gift and hung it in the drawing room… and you charmed the sofa orange, said it made us look like Chudley Cannons fanatics."

James snickered. Lily smiled, even though she was unsettled by how her dream ended — Voldemort, advancing into the drawing room — she convinced herself: it was a dream, it was nothing. After all, James was right here, alive and well, right in front of her. 

"D'you think you want to recreate that?" He said.

"We've got nothing better to do, have we." 

"After breakfast," James promised. 

"Sweet," she said, and kissed him good morning.

Despite the great day she was having, she couldn't help feel apprehensive when evening, and then night, approached. She'd never looked at the clock in her dreams, but now, it was nearing eight o'clock when Harry wailed, and James went to fetch him.

In the drawing room, Lily almost forgot to breathe. This is how it happens. This was how it started.

No. They were safe under the Fidelius. Dreams were irrational, and she wasn't a Seer. 

"Alright, Lily?"

"Yes," she answered automatically, but her head shook, her eyes watered.

James's voice rose in panic, "what's wrong?"

She sniffled, and looked at him to ask, "Do you — do you have your wand with you?"

She had stood in horror last time, as James left, his wand on the couch — and she had known for certain: they were doomed.

"Yes?" James looked at her, coming ,loser. Harry too blinked his shiny eyes at her. "What's wrong, Lily? Why are you crying?"

She sobbed, hands clasped on her mouth. She felt it, in her soul. "Voldemort," she whispered, "He's coming for us."

A part of her was in denial, knew she wasn't being rational, it was a fucking dream, but every other part of her fought her rationality and was completely certain about their inevitable doom. "He's right here… he's right around the corner. He's found us." She was a stranger speaking those words.

James shook his head, "Lily..." he said slowly.

"Believe me! James, I saw it happen, I feel it coming!" She sobbed. "And I don't know how to deal with it, I'm just frozen!" Her breaths shortened, coming out in gasps as she panicked.

"Hey, Lily. Listen to me. We're safe under the Fidelius, Lily. We're safe. You and me and Harry, we're in Godric's Hollow under the Fidelius and we're the safest we can be."

"No," Lily shook her head, "Not if something happened to Peter."

James paled, finally understanding her. "No... Peter was alright last week..."

"You never know, James! And I'm certain about Voldemort, trust me with this!"

"Okay, I do trust you, I just..."

"We need to have a plan."

James set Harry on the sofa. "A plan..."

Lily stared. He was in shock. So was she. They'd never prepared for a situation like this, they'd been so foolish. "We attack?"

"Right, attack. If it happens, you'll go to Bathilda's with Harry —"

"I'll give him to Sirius —"

"No, you'll send Sirius here. Promise me that you won't return —"

Lily frowned. "I can't leave you on your own, we're partners!"

"If anything happens to me, you're the only one Harry has, apart from Sirius —"

"Sirius will take care of Harry, I'll return to fight alongside you —"

"Sirius will already be under threat, owing to our Secret Keeper switch. Keeping Harry with him is a risk, a huge risk. You'll take Harry and run — hide — move out of England — whatever it takes." 

A loud crash from outside cut their conversation short. 

They stared at each other. Her heart went wild.

"Voldemort," Lily said. "He's here."

James gripped his wand in hand and said, "Our plan! Follow it, I'll hold him off! Go!"