Chaper 1- Chain Reaction
Decay filled the air leaving her lungs itching. She glared at the black mould filling the dull pink and white striped walls (or what was left of the colour at least). The constant drip… drip of the leak in the roof made her skin crawl uncomfortably as she was left with no sound but the incessant noise.
“This cursed room!” she wanted to yell but fear held her throat tight. One noise was all it took to upturn her world- if the rumours were true.
If Voldemort already knew where the order was than she will not risk the safety of her and her new-born for something as immature as a crying complaint. Cruelty was all that man- that thing- knew. She knew he wouldn’t show mercy to a child of traitors. He hadn’t done so with the Longbottom’s child.
The memory chilled her. Her heart still clenched whenever she recalled the wails of Alice before Bellatrix cut her down like a pig for slaughter. A manic gleam in her eyes as she laughed at the decapitated body of an innocent women.
Alas, this is the reality of this life. It is a truth she fought hard to resist but eventually lost to.
“Lily?” A deep and familiar voice whispered. Her heart jumped from out of her body stirring her boy from his slumber.
‘shit’ she thought ‘shit, shit, shit!’
Clamping a sweaty palm over her baby’s mouth she turned to James hoping he’d see the panic in her eyes. He beckoned her forward and she followed. The familiar warm embrace of her husband made all her muscles give in and eventually relax.
“We need to leave now” she whispered into his ear, her damp breath materialising before her. She just hoped the cold hadn’t affected Harry too much.
He held onto her tighter and apparated them below a streetlight in knockturn. Quickly she released her hand of Harry and his wails made her heart skip a beat. Just in front of them was the end. An end to small high pitch laughs greeting her in the morning as little hands played with her hair.
The end to squeals of joy as Sirius pranced about with her baby boy on his back, waltzing about like a noble steed. But most importantly it’s an end to a future that she had always dreamed of in the orphanage. A future with a happy family, unseparated, with her baby boy and James all together living without fear. Living a normal life. Her dream had crashed to the ground, taking parts of her with it.
Dreams are for those with power, and what power does a filthy mudblood like herself have in this world?
“Its best if we leave separately just in case they’re already there.” James said with a look of resignation on his face.
“Wait James! If that’s the case its best if we both g- “
“No” his voice was firm and resolute, and she couldn’t help but give in. “it’s safer if I check the order out to see if they’ve already arrived.”
Dark eyes looked at the small form huddled in her arms. Eyes that used to bright up whenever she saw him. So much had changed in such a short amount of time.
“I’m scared James”.
She didn’t want to die. She wanted to grow old and have a whole litter of kids and grandkids who’d visit her and James when they came back from school and their jobs. This wasn’t how it was meant to be.
James eyes began to water, and he brought her forth into his arms once again. Lily felt her shoulder become damp as he buried himself in it. And just like that she couldn’t help but release her own dam that had been building up.
“I know lily-flower… I know” Their eyes met. Green crashed with brown, and a solemn goodbye was on the tip of her tongue.
Callused hands caressed her cheek, and he gave a delicate kiss below her eye and then turned to Harry, his baby boy. Pain flared in his heart and tore at his stomach.
“Dada loves you Harry” he softly whispered into the sleeping baby’s ear. Turning to his wife he gave his goodbyes just in case…
The pop of apparition echoed throughout the dirty street.
With a deep breath in Lily composed herself and with legs of steel she dragged herself up to the small apartment walking up to the second floor where she knew petunia resided in. Her sister who she hasn’t seen since she was 7. One knock and that was it. Her baby was gone. Eyes so bright her and James often wondered if they were magical.... infact they had deep discussions late into the night on whether it was a curse or a potential gift. She smiled with fondness as those eyes looked up to her... such a vivid green, a green she was very familiar with but darent think of. Placing a letter next to her baby, Lily gave one last look at her boy. The other part of her soul. And wasnt that a sad thought? Harry would have to grow up fast in this new world. Kids die and mothers mourn. Vunrability kills you and just like her he will have to learn that lesson. And once again the pop of apparation was heard throughout the street.
When she finally reached Grimmauld Palace pain flared in her stomach as steel was wedged into it. James laid… dead with his entrails hanging out of him.
“No…” her last words fell on deaf ears.