Chapter Text
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognise
One secret but overheard conversation in 2013 over the Floo was all it took to set things in motion.
Lily Potter smiled gently as she carefully tucked her now 5 year old daughter into bed after a very tiring birthday party, Sirius and Remus watching this with a smile oh their faces. It had been very exhausting for them as well no thanks to James practically demanding all the attention went to his son, even though it wasn't just his birthday. Sirius had seen the amount of gifts waiting and almost all of them had been for Harry
It was that he and Remus together had bought quite a few presents for Celine themselves together with Lily and Augusta Longbottom, otherwise she'd have barely gotten any presents on her own birthday. She had barely been allowed a slice of the huge birthday cake before all the other hungry children had grabbed to it, only getting a small piece that she shared with Neville longbottom when she saw he hadn't gotten anything period
And that while her brother and Ron Weasley took practically the whole cake for themselves. Hell, James had almost forgotten to put her name on the cake if not for Lily, even if she and Harry were twins. At seeing her tearful eyes at the pitiful amount of cake she had managed to get, Sirius had gone into town and had bought a new one that he had secretly decorated himself in the kitchen while Lily and Remus kept Celine a bit busy. Leading her to the kitchen once they heard it was done, the big smile on her face when she saw the cake all for her made everything better
To be honest, James's behaviour was starting to worry them a bit as was Dumbledore's insistence that they would focus all their attention on Harry so that he would be raised right and be strong enough to beat Voldemort when he returned. When Sirius asked why Celine wasn't mentioned, he was waved off with Dumbledore stating that she wasn't as important as Harry and it seemed that James was starting to believe that as well
He barely took Celine out by himself anymore and usually did all the fun things with just Harry. Seeing her husband's focus starting to spoil their son into becoming a bully by letting him get away with anything, Lily had asked Sirius and Remus for help raising Celine and they had immediately agreed. Celine absolutely loved her mother and uncles, but she was starting to realise her father was not as loving to her as he was to Harry
Lily had thought she had the perfect life before with a loving husband and two amazing children, but then Halloween had happened. Voldemort had knocked James out with the intention to torture him later and the only reason she wasn't dead was because she had put runes around the cribs of her babies and that had protected her, the killing curse only knocking her unconscious while she should have died. However, their lives had changed that night with Dumbledore declaring Harry to be the one to defeat Voldemort in the future
Ever since then and despite the appearance she kept up for everyone except the two men currently in the room with her, Lilly's perfect life had started to unravel as Dumbledore continuously tried to make her favour Harry over his sister. Lily had verbally agreed, but had continued to spend time with her daughter. However, James clearly did listen to the old man and he had changed into someone she didn't know
A part of her really wondered if he had ever changed from the bully he had once been. Did you talk to him?" Remus asked Lily quietly as she joined them once she was completely certain that Celine was asleep. "I tried last week when he almost forgot to put Celine's name on her own birthday cake. Harry had pulled her hair hard and had laughed when she cried out like it was some kind of hilarious joke." Lily said with a sigh
"When I scolded him for it as he had made Celine cry, I was immediately made out to be the bad guy in the situation, James saying that he should be allowed to play with his sister. If that is his idea of playing, I'm scared to see how far Harry can go before he finally reins him in, maybe even never. He also has tried to stop me from spending time with Celine by saying Harry needs me and that she will be fine on her own for a while, only to try and keep my attention on Harry so I won't go to her" She muttered as she rubbed her head
Both men frowned at this. "What did he say?" Remus asked. "I asked him if he could go and take Celine and do any fun event with her if he wanted me to spend time with Harry: go to the park or take her to a quidditch game like he always takes Harry. Did you know that last time there was a game, he bought three tickets for him, Harry and me and had said there weren't anymore tickets, which is the biggest load of nonsense?" Lily asked
"He's the father of the "Boy-who-lived" at people call our son now. He could honestly get enough tickets for us even five minutes before the game in question starts. He literally wanted to leave Celine at home all alone with just the house-elves hit company." She muttered quietly. "So that was why i suddenly had to go with them. What was his reply to you asking him to spend time with Celine?" Sirius asked, already dreading the answer.
James had been his best friend during school, but even he didn't like the change in the man's personality and had tried to talk with him about it, but James had waved him off by saying nothing was wrong and that raising Harry this way was for the Greater Good of the Wizarding world. Seeing how Harry was turning into a worse bully than they ever were and hearing how Lily was scolded when she tried to set the boy straight, he was starting to think that things will go very wrong for the family if they didn't do anything quickly
"He asked why he should when training Harry for the return of you-know-who is more important than something as useless as taking "that girl" to the park. He said to let you do that while we focused on the saviour of the Wizarding world. It honestly sounded like he was trying to gaslight me into neglecting Celine as well without any regret." Lily answered, before sighing and gesturing them to come closer and they did
"Don't tell him or Dumbledore about it, but I signed for Ladyship divorce at Gringotts last week while on errands, but asked the goblins not to file it just yet so James doesn't know it yet. I'm giving him one last chance, but if he goes too far, then I'm taking Celine and I'm leaving him." She whispered and they widened their eyes. A ladyship divorce was a big thing in the Wizarding world and not many women chose for it
While divorce papers usually needed the signature of both spouses, the Ladyship divorce papers only needed the one of the wife, but there was one major condition which was also immediately the reason it was almost never used in the history of its existence: the witch in question would not be allowed to marry into any other noble house ever again after the divorce was filed and many women didn't want to lose their status. For Lily to actually sign it really showed how bad she took James's treatment of her and Celine
"What about Harry?" Remus asked quietly and Lily looked down at her feet in regret. As much as she loved her son and feared how he would become if James was the only one raising him, she knew there was no way she'd be able to leave with him. James would turn the public against her and demand his heir back. Even if she divorced him, it would still be his right. Explaining this to the men, they understood as hard as it was
They quietly walked downstairs as to not wake up either of the children, when Remus stopped them and told them to be even more silent. Sneaking to the living room with a very curious Sirius and Lily following behind, they soon heard James talking quietly with something. "... matter what I do, they just keep spending time with that useless brat." He said and they frowned, before they stiffened up at hearing a certain other voice
"It seems that convincing them is not enough. We have severely underestimated the care they have for Celine and that was our mistake, but this can't continue on. It's for the best that Celine will have to go so we can make sure Harry will have their complete attention. It's what he deserves with what he has done and will do, after all. It's for the greater good. Perhaps we can send her to your wife's sister. She will be out of the way and be taught her place at the same time." Dumbledore suggested and Lily widened her eyes in horror
Her sweet Celine.... sent to Petunia?! She would be treated horribly. There was no way she would let that happen and James wouldn't either right? However, her husband's next words both proved her wrong and changed her path in life forever. "I'm all for it. I can't stand having to spend time with that brat and her whining for my attention." James muttered, speaking like he was talking about vermin instead of his only daughter
"Doesn't she understand Harry is much more important right now? However, Lily will never let that happen." He stated and Lily's eyes flashed in anger "Let me handle that part. I'll come by tomorrow and from then on, you won't have to worry about her anymore." Dumbledore promised, before they went to talk about some kind of interview they would hold soon and how they could use Harry's fame to remain in the spotlight
Having heard enough, Lily gestured for Remus and Sirius to follow her and they did as they rushed upstairs as quietly as they could. "Sirius, get Celine woken up and in some kind of robes or coat. Remus, pack as much of Celine's this as you can. There's a trunk in her closet for that. We're leaving." She ordered in a hiss and they nodded as they rushed into Celine's room while Lily went to what was now her former bedroom and opened the closet. Grabbing a new trunk she had bought just for this occasion as she packed clothes and other stuff in it
Casting the feather light charm on it and making it follow her, she checked to see if James was coming up. Hearing him still talking with Dumbledore, she hurried into Harry's room next. Seeing him peacefully sleeping broke her heart as she knew this was likely the last time she'd see him, but they wouldn't be able to live in peace if they took him as James and Dumbledore would never stop looking for them if they did
"I'm so sorry, Harry. I love you so much, never forget that." She whispered quietly as she kissed his forehead one last time with tears of guilt in her eyes, before wiping them and leaving the room. "Mummy? What's going on?" A sleepy Celine asked in the arms of Sirius. "We're going on a spontaneous vacation, sweetheart." Lily replied with a fake smile as she shrunk the two trunks that were now completely filled to the brim
"We need to figure out a way to get past James and go to Gringotts. If he hears us apparating here, he'll be on our tail immediately." She muttered as she put the shrunken trunks in her pocket. Remus left for a minute after thinking about it and came back with James's invisibility cloak, Dumbledore having returned it recently after studying it. "Considering he was willing to take Celine from you, I think it's more than fair." He stated. "Moony, you're absolutely brilliant." Sirius gushed quietly as he gave Celine to her mother and they covered them both with the cloak
"You have to be very quiet, sweetheart. Alright?" Lily whispered and Celine nodded as she rested her head on her mother's shoulder and obediently stayed silent. Lily carefully followed the two men downstairs as Remus poked his head around the corner. "James, Sirius and I are leaving. Lily already went to bed." He said at seeing James had ended his conversation with Dumbledore and was now drinking some fire whiskey
"Oh, already? I was hoping we could celebrate Harry's birthday together. Oh well, nothing to be done." James commented in surprise and once again not even mentioning his daughter. Remus just gave him a smile, before pulling back and leaving. Once they were out of the house and in a nearby alley, they stopped. "Okay, take off the cloak. It doesn't mix well with apparating." Sirius whispered as he kept looking back at the house
Lily pulled it off and gave it to Remus to hold onto it before they apparated towards Gringotts. Hurrying inside after comforting a rather sick and scared Celine after the uncomfortable feeling of getting pulled through a pipe, Lily was glad for the late hour as they didn't come across anyone. "I need to speak with Furang,." She told the nearest teller, the goblin sheds named being the ive responsible for the Potter vaults and the teller nodded. "Very well." He said as he ordered another goblin to bring them to the right office
Furang immediately welcomed them as they walked into his office. "Here for the Ladyship divorce, I take it?" He asked. "And for an immediate and safe way out of England as well as to forbid James access to the Evans vault." Lily said with a nod, James having given her that vault as a wedding gift and filling it with gold. It obviously wasn't as filled as the old Potter vaults, but it would be enough for her to live on until she got a new job.
Sirius briefly left to take care of things with his own vaults while Furang took care of business for Lily, officially filing the divorce and procuring an international portkey as fast as possible "Where do you wish to go?" He asked and Lily thought about it for a moment as she put a now wide awake Celine down. Where could she go? There weren't many safe places to stay in Europe as Dumbledore had connections pretty much everywhere
She then remembered something she'd heard. "Los Angeles. I heard stories about a powerful man fulfilling favours there. It's a long reach, but it's the best I have right now as practically everyone in Europe seems to owe Dumbledore something." She said and furang nodded as he enchanted an old brush. Sirius returned and told them James had sent him a patronus asking where he was. It was clear James had realised Lily and Celine were gone and would probably be here soon"Are you sure you're coming with me?" Lily asked, knowing that once the men left, there would be no going back.
"You told us about your sister. There's no excuse for them to send Celine there and then probably wipe our minds or something so we won't go looking for her. I don't know who that man is, but he's not my best friend" Sirius stated, before a goblin arrived and said James was demanding to speak with Furang. "Time to go." Sirius muttered as Lily left her wedding ring on the desk and they took the portkey after Lily told Celine to hold on
They arrived in the Gringotts of west America and gave a guard that rushed to them a letter written by Furang. At reading these were clients, he and the others relaxed as they were led to Arin, the account manager of the Potter vaults in America as the family once had a branch there. "Do you happen to know the name of the man I heard about?" Lily asked. "I do believe that would be Lucifer Morningstar." Arin replied
"You've got to be kidding me." Lily muttered