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Chapter Text

As Lily Evans stood outside the entrance to Dumbledore’s office she got the strangest sense of deja vu.

It was an act she had done countless times before back in her days as a student. Not because she was in trouble or anything like that- Lily Evans was never in trouble- rather her role as Head Girl sometimes required her to do so. And then even after school she’d needed to visit the office a few times on business with the Order.

This time felt distinctly different. She couldn’t place her finger on why but there was certainly a strangeness hanging in the air. As if this moment would become one of those marked indelibly in time. A transition point.

She was probably just being silly. Everyone’s nerves were fraught and worn as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named grew more powerful. Lily hated to admit it but she felt vulnerable even within the walls of Hogwarts during those dark days. Which was ridiculous because there was no safer place.

God, she missed the security of being a student and nothing else. No responsibilities. No mortal fear. No receiving strange glances from current students who audibly wondered amongst their friends what the old Head Girl was doing there.

“Do you plan on entering, Miss Evans, or are you simply admiring the gargoyle?”

That scolding voice was another source of major deja vu. Lily turned to face Professor McGonagall, a smile on her face. Teachers liked her- even leaving school hadn’t changed that.

“Good afternoon Professor McGonagall,” she chimed. “I was just thinking about how strange it is to be back.”

McGonagall’s face softened. “Yes, I suppose in these times the past is quite welcome! Far less… troubles.” Her voice dropped low and she glanced around anxiously, as if expecting the Dark Lord to appear out of thin air. “The headmaster is expecting you, though. I suspect he has something important to tell you.”

Lily nodded and spoke the password, watching as the stairs unravelled before her. Even after all these years- nearly a decade- magic still amazed her. She doubted it would ever not have that effect. “It was nice seeing you Professor,” she said.

“Likewise, Miss Evans,” McGonagall smiled. “Oh, and you really don’t need to call my Professor anymore. I’ve not taught you for quite some years.”

Lily was already climbing the stairs. “I doubt any of your past students ever stop calling you Professor, Professor.” She could’ve sworn she heard her chuckling as she walked away.

By the time she reached the actual study Lily found herself snapped out of her past reminiscent melancholy. A spark had been lit inside her at the prospect of Dumbledore needing her for something important. Her career for the past three years since she’d left school had been working with the Order, and there were few orders that held more importance than those issued by Albus Dumbledore.

“Ah, Miss Evans. Would you like a gobstopper?” Albus Dumbledore, seated in his chair like a king, had a smile like the one her grandfather used to give her and Petunia when they visited after church on Sunday. She took the chair on the other side of his desk, trying not to trip over the copper clutter piled around.

“No thank you,” she said politely. “I’m more of a chocolate girl.”

Dumbledore shook his head. “Ah! My teeth would thank me if I were the same but I was born with a particular sweetness for, what they call in the States, candy.”

Lily smiled and looked around the circular tower room. It was as beautiful as ever, like golden constellations taking shape, and filled with the most wondrous of things. “Fawkes is out?” She asked.

“Indeed,” Dumbledore assented, leaning forward. “Now I suppose you’re wondering why I called you here?”

“It was very unexpected,” she admitted. “Normally you call people to see you in a group. I’ve never been asked specifically.”

“You’re a brilliant young witch,” Dumbledore complimented her casually. “Which is one of the reasons I want to entrust you with a very special job.”

Her heart felt funny; it was a more thrilling sensation than receiving the letter about being Head Girl. Being chosen for something.

“I’m willing to do anything,” she said breathlessly. “Ever since I joined the Order all I’ve cared about is stopping He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.” She paused to laugh a little. “My friends say I’ve become a bit of a workaholic.”

“I’m afraid more work will be involved with this assignment,” he told her regretfully, pushing a photo across his desk. Lily frowned instantly.

“James Potter?” She managed to get out eventually, even though it felt like her brain had short circuited. “He’s not working the same assignment is he?”

Her excitement swiftly became dread. She could hardly stand that arrogant arsehole of a wizard when they were stuck together at school. Him and his pack would swan around Gryffindor Tower acting like big men because they were all rich and noble or Quidditch stars. Embarrassingly, it was well known that James had a strange kind of affection for Lily, and had done so since they were fifteen.

She was certain he’d grown out of that. It had been years, after all, since they’d seen each other. He had joined the Order, alongside his loyal clique, but then had more of less fallen off the map. Strange considering he was such a-

“A promising young man, that one,” Dumbledore seemed to finish her train of thought. “I’m afraid he needs some reforming.”

“You want me to reform him?” Lily frowned, growing more bemused by the second. “Professor, I’m not sure my talents are best suited to dealing with James Potter, after all-”

All it took was for Dumbledore to simply raise his hand for her to quiet. Lily wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling chill despite the June heat. Her eyes remained focussed on the picture of James Potter. Even trapped on paper he was giving her a cocky smile, a knowing look on his face as he shook dark waves of hair away from his eyes.

“At least,” he requested, “listen to what I am asking.”

She nodded, unsure what else to do. Part of her was cooking up excuses to serve the headmaster so she could get out of whatever this task was. James Potter’s involvement sealed it for her.

“These have been difficult times for all of us,” Dumbledore began. He stood and moved towards a globe which he had in the corner. As he absently spun it around he continued to speak. “People respond in different ways to such stress. I hope you don’t mind me noting, Miss Evans, that you’ve thrown yourself into work with the Order, perhaps fearful that making connections or settling down will give you something to lose.”

She found she did mind his observations, although she wasn’t sure herself if there was any truth hidden in them. “I do have something to lose,” Lily corrected him. “My sister.”

Dumbedlore raised his eyebrows, likely recalling a letter he received long ago. Lily always felt nauseous when she considered it. Petunia, left behind to watch the train every year. Obscured by her own normality as their parent’s stuck around the platform until there wasn’t a trace of smoke left lingering in the air. She was the type of girl James Potter wouldn’t hesitate to laugh at, which Lily couldn’t bear. Even when she was so insistent on marrying that fool of a muggle, Vernon.

“James Potter has little left to lose as well,” Dumbledore continued as if she’d said nothing. “He protects what he does have with a fierceness that is quite frightening. And he’s found some unorthodox methods of supporting the cause.”

Lily sat up straighter at that. James Potter was a walking stereotype of a Jock. Him and unorthodox didn’t even live on the same planet. “How unorthodox?”

Dumbledore calmly said “aliens.”

Lily wasn’t sure whether she was supposed to laugh. In the end she settled for simply making an amused noise in the back of her throat. “Aliens?” She asked. “Extraterrestrials? From space?”

Dumbledore nodded sagely, stopping the globe abruptly and checking something before making his way back to the desk. “Ceylon,” he said to nobody.

Lily didn’t care much for his odd behaviour at that moment. “What does James Potter have to do with aliens?”

“He’s looking for them,” Dumbledore said. Lily could hardly believe he was being so casual about it. “I suppose you could say he’s lost his faith in magic and has looked at the stars for answers.”

It seemed nonsensical to Lily that wizards even bothered themself with extraterrestrials. After all, they were arguably more powerful than any alien species could be. Magic was the highest form of existence Lily could think of. Aliens seemed a perfectly human obsession.

“How are aliens going to help protect his loved ones?” She pointed out. “Showing the Dark Lord a little green man is hardly going to be the thing that finally defeats him.”

“You’d be surprised. Many great wizards and men alike are brought down by their own hubris. Showing Voldemort that life exists outside of his narrow view of reality may just do the trick.” Dumbledore looked contemplative for a minute. “But I’m not of the belief James Potter will be in possession of a little green man in the foreseeable future.”

“Then what is it he hopes to find?” Lily’s next question was what she had to do with it.

Dumbledore smiled slightly. “Something more I suppose. Just… something more.”

Lily swallowed, her throat oddly dry. “You want me to show him less then?” Her involvement in this provoked suspicion. Namely that Dumbledore was somehow all too aware of James’ former flame towards her and he now wished to weaponize it.

She watched as the great wizard rummaged in his desk and chewed slowly on the toffee he found there. “He’s been investigating any strange events he believes aligns with his beliefs, hoping to find evidence of something bigger than even Voldemort. I want you to work with him for a while. You’re rational and, importantly, nice. Try to stress that he and his friends are needed back in the mainstream order.”

Lily suppressed a grimace. “Black, Lupin and Pettigrew,” she sighed. “Of course they’re involved.”

Dumbledore smiled. “It will be rather like a school reunion for you, I imagine. Now then Miss Evans. Am I to believe you’ll be up to the task?”

Up to the task? That phrasing awoke something competitive in her. It fed into the witch who had been invited to join the Slug Club for her potions prowess. The Lily that lived to impress.

So even though the last thing she wanted to do was spend time with insufferable Potter and his no-good friends as they ran after little green men whilst she could be fighting for a future where muggleborns such as herself were protected…

Well… she didn’t want to not be up to the task. Especially when it was Albus Dumbledore asking. And staring at her expectantly for her answer, eyes gleaming beneath his round glasses like marbles.

“If it will help the Order,” she finally said, “then of course. Like I said, I’m willing to do anything.” She wouldn’t let a rich boy who’d gone off the tracks ruin her reputation for resilience.

Dumbledore grinned wider at that. “Then there is no time to waste, my dear girl! You shall meet him straight away.”

Lily prided herself on being brave but her stomach twisted unpleasantly upon hearing that. She thought she’d be able to go back to her little London flat first. Have a good night's sleep. Mull over her bad decision with Marlene and wine.

“Does…” she stumbled over her words. “Does James know I’m coming?”

Dumbledore was already standing and moving over to the fireplace. “Surprises are such wonderful things, don’t you think? Now come along. I’ve bended the rules quite out of shape in order to get the floo system working on school grounds. We wouldn’t want someone taking advantage of that before I can bend them back.”

The implications were clear; security was at a high to protect from Death Eaters. If she didn’t hurry, the blood of children could be on her hands. Perhaps that was catastrophizing just a little but she couldn’t help it. Her brain had switched to disaster mode more and more with every death.

“Where is he based?” She asked, stepping towards the fireplace. The flames seemed to be laughing at her as they crackled in their blue-green glory. The Potters were an old family with plenty of wealth. She would, at least, get to work somewhere nice.

Lily had stepped into the flames when Dumbledore told her. “The basement of the Hog’s Head Inn. Ask for Dumbledore, he’ll show you where to go.”

“The Hog’s Head Inn?” She asked incredulously before realising what she’d done. The world span around her as she, rather perplexed, wondered what a man like James Potter was doing at that cesspit of a business off the beaten track of Hogsmeade. It didn’t even look big enough for a basement!

The spinning stopped and as the world steadied Lily studied the decrepit living room in front of her. From the windows dotted around she could tell she’d been spat out on the second floor. A couple of doors led to guest rooms, although she couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to stay in such a place.

She brushed herself off and attempted to catch a glimpse of her reflection in the dust painted window nearest to her. Fortunately she’d dressed somewhat formal for the meeting, although still in what would be considered muggle clothes. The belted pinstripe blue dress over her cream blouse had been thrown on for the benefit of a meeting she’d had with her sister earlier. Heavily pregnant, Petunia had needed help moving in.

Though Vernon was foul to her, they were still sisters. She wouldn’t let some repugnant pig of a husband further ruin a relationship already in tatters. It hadn’t ended well, nevertheless. Lily had recently cut her hair just past her shoulders out of practicality and Petunia had a few snide remarks about that, of course.

The older members of the wizarding world would be perplexed by what she had on. Fortunately she doubted James Potter, believer of aliens and conspiracies, would be fazed in the slightest.

She continued down the stairs, bracing herself for the overwhelming stench emanating from the bar area. In the late afternoon it was relatively dead, only a few shady figures hiding in the corners.

Standing at the bar was a man that seemed like a double of Dumbledore, had he become a bar keeper instead of a scholar and headmaster, wiping a glass clean. Lily noted it only seemed to be getting dirtier the more he wiped at it with the rag. The professor had told her to ask for Dumbledore. It had seemed nonsensical in the moment but the headmaster was like any other being in this world, Lily supposed, with a family and a past.

She approached the bar nervously. The Dumbledore clone hardly paid attention to her, even when she dared to lean against the ancient plank of wood he used to serve people. Lily kicked some of the straw dust coating the floor, wondering if James Potter truly lurked beneath all the filth.

“Do you speak, girl?” A gruff voice barked out. Lily tried to hide that she’d nearly jumped out of her skin at the interjection, coughing slightly to disguise it.

“I’m Lily Evans. Have you been expecting me or-”

“Albus says jump and we’re all supposed to say ‘how high?’” He grumbled suddenly, slamming the cup down and aggressively chucking the rag at the wall behind him where it pathetically slid to join the pile of other filthy rags in the back, leaving a wet stain on the stone wall. “Albus sends his child soldiers and expects me to chauffeur them about!”

Lily’s jaw dropped slightly. She was hardly a child soldier at 21. She didn’t even do much fighting. They had her making potions and occasionally gathering or spreading intel when necessary. “There’s no need for that!” She snapped. “I don’t want a chauffeur, I want you to point me towards the basement, though I’m doubtful this hut actually has facilities more complex than a beer tap!”

The Dumbledore Clone pulled an expression she couldn’t quite make it. It sat somewhere between impressed and irritated. “Oh fine! Follow me.”

Lily trailed after him awkwardly, aware that the few eyes in the Inn at that moment followed her every move. Her confusion grew as he stopped just at the other side of the pub, in the upper left corner.

He kicked at some of the strawdust until something metallic was revealed. A handle, Lily realised. The other Dumbledore reached down to pull it open, looking up at his other patrons as he did so.

“Remember your vow!” He snapped at them. Lily noted the man’s terrible temper for future reference. She also felt some consolation knowing these men were bound to silence about witnessing her crawl down a ladder precariously perched in a hole in the ground.

“Thank you,” she said to the man as he prepared to fit the floor back over her.

He just frowned again. “Next time use the floo system in the basement,” he said curtly before plunging her into darkness.

“Basement floo system,” she muttered as she dropped down off the ladder. “I wish there wasn’t a next time.”

It wasn’t quite as dark as her first impressions would lead her to believe, however. Lamps lit the room she had entered, which seemed to be nothing more than storage. Lily investigated a crate which said it stored turnips, a frown on her face.

Either this was an elaborate trap, a terrible joke, or she was missing something. When she turned to climb back up the ladder and give up on the whole affair she noticed something she hadn’t before.

A door.

She couldn’t have missed a whole door mere moments before? Lily wasn’t sure what enchantment had been cast on it, but she’d done something to trigger it and reveal what had once been hidden. Another thing Dumbledore hadn’t wanted her about, much like the angry relative and more conveniently placed basement fireplace.

She was beginning to think he wanted her to be misinformed

Lily brushed herself off and ran her fingers through her hair before facing the new door. She placed a hand on the polished wood; it was blissfully cold against her suddenly flushed skin.

There was no reason to be nervous. Not for the benefit of James arsehole Potter. She tried to think about the way he’d treated Severus. How smug he’d look every time he won a Quidditch match. Would he look any different at 20 than he did at 17? There was only one way to find out.

Plastering a fake smile on her face, she pushed open the door and went to face James Potter.

Chapter Text

The room smelt like an antique shop. Or perhaps a library. Something old, Lily decided. It wasn’t unpleasant, she thought. Unexpected perhaps, but not unpleasant.

In the few moments she had to register her surroundings she noted a few things; a single desk shoved in the upper left corner, papers strewn across it haphazardly; a large bookshelf in the other corner with tomes nearly spilling forth from the overstocked shelves and a large suspicious chest at its foot; highlighted under the surprisingly harsh and fluorescent lighting emanating from orbs hanging from the ceiling (Lily thought they were really no different than muggle lamps, although she knew families such as the Potters would readily disagree with such a comparison) was a poster depicting a little green man.

Lily blinked in surprise- up until that moment she’d half believed Dumbledore had been going senile with his talk of James putting his trust in aliens. The block writing proudly declaring ‘BELIEVE’ above the alien’s beady eyes was damning evidence to the contrary.

A figure shifted near the desk. Eyes wide, Lily made eye contact with a bedraggled James Potter as he peeled himself off the desk. He had been fast asleep, she realised, which is why she didn’t notice him earlier. His slumping form had easily been hidden in the shadows where the orbs did not reach.

“Hello,” Lily said stiffly, feeling strangely guilty. She was an intruder in this delicate ecosystem. Even worse, she’d been sent here with direct instructions to destroy it, so any concerns would need to be brushed aside anyway.

James blinked back at her. For a few seconds they just stared. Lily noted that he’d grown up a lot since she’d last seen him. The messy dark hair and hazel eyes were a constant. The slight stubble was new. She also observed that his glasses were askew and that his forehead currently bore the scarlet imprint of his desk.

A muscle in his jaw flexed before he leaned back in his chair, so casually it was obviously on purpose. “I was wondering when I’d become important enough to warrant a spy.”

Lily tried not to snap at him during their first conversation; it would inevitably happen at some point but she wanted to delay that until she’d got more settled. Forcing a smile she said “I’ve been sent to work with you.”

James had begun to chew the end of a quill, his eyes looking her up and down. She wondered if he noticed she’d cut her hair. “Don’t lie to me, Evans. The Order would rather wrap me up in a ribbon and hand deliver me to You-Know-Who himself than admit my work was worthwhile.”

She paused for a moment, put off by the way he refused to even call her by her first name. “I never said they thought your work was worthwhile,” Lily pointed out. “Potter,” she added at the end. Two can play that game, she thought.

He pointed a finger back at her accusingly, although he was smiling. “And naturally the Order decided that the best way to stop my waste-of-time investigations was to send one of their brightest witches to assist me? Call it what it is, Evans. It begins with an S and ends with a G, in case you needed a hint.”

Lily gritted her teeth and finally moved away from the doorway. It slammed shut behind her, trapping her inside the strange office James had set up. It felt like her fate was finally falling into place when that door shut behind her.

No going back.

“Do you know how ungrateful it is to complain about the Order when, not only are they fighting for your future whilst you’re busy staring at the sky, but they also still believe in your potential enough to waste one of their valued members on you.” It came off as slightly vain, she realised, to imply they valued her. The message was clear, though, she hoped.

James didn’t seem perturbed by this. He shrugged. “So you’re here to try and rope me back into mainstream Order activity,” he said. “At least it isn’t just spying that you’re good for.”

Lily sighed- a few years apart and she’d nearly forgotten how infuriating he could be. “Look, I’m not here to be difficult. I plan on genuinely working with you to the best of my abilities. But there’s no point in beating around the bush. You know we all think that what you're doing is ridiculous. You seem determined to carry on, though, and I’m not going to ignore Dumbledore’s wishes.”

He finally leaned forward, as if he were seeing her in a new light. “You raise a fair point, and who am I to turn down help? Welcome to the team, Evans.” He stuck his hand out for her to shake.

Lily stared at it before smiling a little and returning the gesture. His hand was warm and large enough that it engulfed her own. Truthfully, it felt nice to have contact with someone in such a way. Dumbledore was right: she had been putting too much of herself into work.

“Why do you do that? She asked him when they finished shaking hands.

“Well, shaking hands has been seen as a polite gesture in society, both magical and muggle, for many-”

“Not that!” Lily cut in. “The thing with the last names. We’ve known each other since we were 11. Don’t you think it’s a little unnecessary?”

“We’ve never worked together in a professional setting before,” James pointed out. He’d finally stood up, casting a long shadow over her. He was tall as well; she’d nearly forgotten. “Hogwarts is in the past now. We’re not Lily and James, the charming and brilliant couple that never were. Now we’re Potter and Evans, the slightly less charming but still fairly brilliant partners working together.”

Lily raised an eyebrow and ignored the comment about them being a couple. “You just think it sounds cool, don’t you.”

James tutted and shook his head. “Here for what? Five minutes? And you’re already spewing out these crazy conspiracies.”

Lily perched on the edge of his desk for lack of a chair, watching as he sauntered (that certainly hadn’t changed since school) over to a board she hadn’t noticed next to the door. It was like the ones from school, with chalk enchanted to note down your words when activated.

“I suppose my theories will only be credible if a little green man is involved somehow?” She asked, watching as the chalk which James had picked up in preparation to write something leaped from his hands to sketch out a badly drawn replica of the alien from the poster.

Behind her back, Lily gripped her wand tight. James may be talented, but so was she. And not completely dignified enough to resist the temptation to mess with him just a little.

James made an irritated noise in the back of his throat and snatched the chalk mid air with the same deft skill he used to employ in the Quidditch stadium. “The aliens won’t appreciate the name-calling Evans. I’d watch what you say.”

“You-Know-Who already wants me and the other muggleborns dead,” Lily retorted. “Those green freaks can do their worst.”

James chuckled, even as he was focused on getting the chalk to behave. Lily felt a flush of pleasure at first, which was swiftly replaced with determined annoyance at her own stupidity. The basement of the Hog’s Head Inn seemed so removed from the world outside that she’d nearly forgotten how to act like a serious adult.

“What’s that you’re writing?” She asked, trying to draw the conversation back to more serious topics. The chalk scribbled away as James turned to her with his hands behind his back. In his wizarding robes he almost looked scholarly, though they were crinkled terribly from his nap earlier.

“I doubt Dumbledore truly explained my beliefs.” As he spoke the chalk transcribed the key points in shorthand. Lily still marvelled over magic such as that, even after nearly a decade surrounded by it.

One of the first words that popped up was ‘Ministry.’ Lily listened silently as James outlined why he believed the Ministry of Magic was working with the muggle government to hide an alien conspiracy, which if revealed could help develop a weapon to stop You-Know-Who.

In fact, the whole sequence of words- which also included ‘aliens’, ‘conspiracy’ and ‘muggles’- painted a ridiculous story to Lily. One wholly unbelievable.

“Why are they hiding aliens if they can help stop You-Know-Who?” She asked when James finally turned to her expectantly. “That’s utterly foolish.” The unspoken words were ‘and clearly false.’ Even a first year at Hogwarts could see that.

James’ expression turned slightly sheepish. “I haven’t worked that one out yet,” he confessed. “But I will! That’s why my work is so important. I’m going straight to the source and making sure no unexplained phenomenon isn’t thoroughly examined.”

“James Potter!” Lily cried in exasperation. “You’re a wizard! Your mere existence is an unexplained phenomenon!”

He pulled a face. “No more a phenomenon than the existence of advanced apes who can make metal birds to traverse the skies in but haven’t worked out that a bunch of the population can do magic yet.”

She skipped past that point and picked another loose thread in his tapestry of conspiracy. “Nevermind looking for more proof. How the hell did you come up with that in the first place?”

“I didn’t!” He protested. “Someone else did.”

“Oh! Very convincing.” Lily nodded sagely. He was impossible. Well and truly impossible. Still, she was committed now. “I suppose these investigations of yours will have to make that theory more credible than you do.”

At that he finally smiled. “They will.” As James began to return to the desk, Lily hopped off it, wondering how late it was and also where he kept his elusive fireplace.

“If you’re looking for an exit,” he said as he perched back in his chair. The only chair in the room, Lily noticed bitterly. “The door hasn’t disappeared again. It only does that until it’s worked out if you’re trustworthy.”

Lily wasn’t quite sure a door could do all that. Magical or not. Still, him noticing that she was searching for something was a good and non-awkward way of asking about the fireplace.

“I travel by floo,” she said, making it as obvious as possible. “Where’s the nearest fireplace?”

“Oh that!” James said, as if it had been obvious. He pulled out his wand and flicked it at the sole wall that didn’t have a board or a bookshelf on it. “There you go. It was already hidden when I got here and I didn’t particularly feel like working out how to permanently reveal it.”

He had already pulled out what looked like a case file that he was scanning over. Lily frowned slightly at the sight. James Potter studying anything was a shock to the system she wasn’t sure she liked. He should’ve been shamelessly flirting with her whilst doing flips on his broom. Conspiracy didn’t suit him- being a dick with his friends was a much better look.

Something clicked in her head then. “Where are the others?” She asked suddenly. “Sirius, Remus and Peter?”

He didn’t even spare her a second glance. “That’s a question for tomorrow morning. I’ll see you here bright and early.”

Lily huffed slightly but didn’t press the subject. With one last look at the strange office and the even stranger wizard inhabiting it she stepped into the fireplace and spoke the address of her London apartment, far, far away from talk of darkness and aliens.

Chapter Text

Lily didn’t particularly feel like getting out of bed that next morning but the sound of Marlene McKinnon nearly breaking down her door was enough to motivate her to leave behind her safe haven of covers and pillows.

“Holy shit!” She spat out the moment a groggy Lily unlatched and opened her door. “Is it true?”

“Is it true that you woke me up? Yes, yes it is Marlene. For God’s sake…” she was still grumbling when she let her in and began to slowly make a coffee for both of them.

Marlene perched on her coffee table; the small action reminded Lily of sitting on James’ desk not even a full day ago. She knew instantly how the conversation between them was going to go.

Marlene shot her a mischievous grin, taking her cup of coffee whilst swinging her legs about. “How the hell did you end up working with James Potter?”

Lily rolled her eyes. “It’s a long story. Aliens are involved.”

Marlene raised her eyebrows. “Aliens? I thought James Potter exclusively spoke the languages of quidditch and dickery.”

“He speaks outer space and conspiracy too,” Lily sighed. “Dumbledore wants me to try and gently push him back towards the Order. We can’t afford to lose a wizard like him to utter nonsense.”

“But they’re willing to lose you to it?” Marlene pointed out. “Lily, you're one of the best potion makers we have. In what world is this arrangement beneficial to anyone?”

Lily frowned at her coffee for a few seconds. The view from her window showed the sky was streaked with soft pinks and lush oranges; she’d have to start getting ready soon for her first official ‘investigation’ with James. Marlene sowing the seeds of doubt in her head wasn’t exactly beneficial either in her opinion.

“Dumbledore thinks it’s important,” was all she said in response before draining the dregs of her drink. Marlene seemed disappointed by her reaction somehow.

“I don’t think it’s fair to make you work with James, but it’s your choice what you do at the end of the day.”

Long after Marlene had left her flat, the whole time she was getting dressed for work (more practical than yesterday with smart trousers and a loose blouse under a blazer- still very muggle but it was much easier to move around in than her wizarding garb) and even as she stepped into her fireplace, Lily was thinking of her words.

Was it really her choice? Even though technically she was the one actively deciding to travel to the basement of the Hog Head’s Inn, the prospect of not doing exactly that made her feel so guilty that free will hardly came into it. She was Lily Evans and she’d never disappoint Dumbledore.

He hadn’t forced her into working with James Potter; her own expectations of herself had.

It didn’t lessen the irritation she felt when she looked around the small office and noted the significant lack of a certain wizard, or anyone really.

The room had illuminated when she had appeared in it, the orbs flickering to life around her. She double checked to make sure he hadn’t fallen asleep anywhere but…

No. Not a sign of life. Sighing, Lily sat on his chair. It was an act that should’ve made her feel guilty for intruding on someone’s personal space- she knew better than most how personal a desk could be. Fortunately she was pissed off enough that the prospect of irritating him was actually enjoyable.

The same file he’d been looking through yesterday had carelessly been left out for any prying eyes. Lily stared at it for a few seconds before reaching out and snatching it up. She worked there technically, and had just as much a right as he did to access the resources.

It was full of- much to her surprise- muggle newspaper clippings. She recognised them instantly from how still they were; after years of living in the wizarding world there was something eerie about the faces peering out at her, blank and lifeless. Not a smile or a wave to be found.

She investigated further, slowly piecing together a story. Or a case, she supposed it would be called. Lily had swiftly begun to work through the resources, separating them from reputable to completely disreputable.

The reputable pile was extremely limited: two or three newspaper clippings about a disappearance in a small village called Merringford. A young boy, aged 17, fell off the face of the earth whilst walking his dog one winter evening only to reappear that next summer, dazed and confused.

Lily smiled to see him returned home, only for her heart to sink at the final clipping. It read ‘miracle boy who returned after extended disappearance dies after falling from cliff.’ Not at all the happy ending she’d hoped for.

The next pile she turned to was- summed up in one word- fantastical. The sources were all from trashy magazines or sketchy interviews. They fleshed out the prior story, albeit with details that didn’t seem the most reliable.

“Convinced yet?” A voice that was becoming increasingly familiar asked. James was standing in the doorway she had haunted yesterday, looking a little flustered. His glasses were askew again; Lily considered the benefits of hiring a full time assistant to constantly fix that for him. Or maybe that counted as one of her jobs.

“I thought you’d use the floo.” Lily deftly changed the topic. Truthfully, she felt like she’d been caught red handed snooping around, even though (as she kept telling herself) she had every right to as a co-worker.

James frowned a little as he stepped inside, brushing what looked like stray leaves off his trousers before coming to her side at the desk. Lily felt her heart stammer to see how close he was to her. So close she could feel his body heat radiating like her own personal sunshine.

“I had business in Hogsmeade,” he explained, “and that actually answers your questions from yesterday.” Whilst he was speaking he gathered up the contents of the file and unceremoniously shoved them in his pocket. Not even in the separate piles Lily had so painstakingly placed them into.

“No it doesn’t,” Lily replied curtly. She wanted to get out of the chair but was effectively trapped by the looming figure looking down at her in amusement. “I wanted to know what happened to your pack of boys.”

“Interesting choice of words,” he mused. “And you’re wrong, because my business in Hogsmeade was in fact a meeting with this pack of boys. Sirius, Remus and Peter have a place in the village where they carry out work.”

He looked smug at being proven right. Just to knock the look off his face, Lily said “since you’re such a lone wolf perhaps I’d be better off working with them.”

“Lone wolf!” James barked out a laugh. “I’m hardly that. Besides I think we’re getting on smashingly, Evans. You’ve just briefed yourself on our first case without any prompting. Carry on like this and I’ll promote you to special agent.”

Lily groaned inwardly and finally pushed up off the chair. To his credit, James did step back to provide a wide berth for her to leave. She stood in the centre of the office, not sure where to look.

“It’s a sad story, Potter,” she remarked. “I’m not poking around in the business of this mourning family. You might have no dignity but I won’t look into the eyes of that poor boy's mother and tell her it was aliens.”

James threw his hands in the air. “I have dignity.” Lily watched as he stuck his hands in his pocket and withdrew a handful of what looked like brightly coloured stones. As he shoved them in his mouth it clicked for Lily.

“Jellybeans? Really?” She raised an eyebrow and placed her hands on her hips, giving him her best judging glare. “What are you? Twelve?”

He swallowed. “Eh, twelve or twenty there’s not much difference.” Lily grimaced as she saw his tongue pick at some multicoloured goop still stuck in his teeth. “And they’re actually Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Bean.”

She didn’t know how he could stick them all in his mouth like that, especially considering the wide array of totally disgusting flavoured beans that the sweets served up.

Lily shook her head. “No. I can’t do this. I can’t poke around in the death of a young boy with a man who can’t act like a normal wizard for a few seconds, never mind pretend to be a muggle!”

James glared at her, the light from one of the orbs floating directly overhead him and casting his sour expression in soft light. “You’re forgetting that I’ve been doing this for the past few months perfectly fine.”

“Oh? I’m yet to see all the evidence you’ve found over these successful past few months,” Lily pointed out. Then, with a sigh, she relented a little. “I’ll work with you, but I still want to be respectable. If you’re going to start spewing conspiracies do it whilst I’m out of earshot, okay?”

James’ eyebrows shot up. “Yes ma’am!” He did a mock salute before approaching her slowly. “Since you’re calling the shots around here now, Evans, what do you say we crack on with this case?”

One part of Lily wanted to insist it wasn’t for her; that this nonsense wasn’t constructive and that she hated Dumbledore for forcing her into it. The other half (one she was increasingly ashamed of) did want to see what James Potter got up to on his mysterious investigations.

She looked down to see that James had his hand extended towards her. An offering. A choice. It was only an hour or so ago that Marlene had made her think about that- about how much autonomy she really had to choose her own fate.

Inevitably, she was going to take James Potter’s hand. But first…

“Tell me something first,” she said earnestly. She didn’t want this to become more banter between them. It wasn’t the time to joke around. “Do you really think this will help destroy You-Know-Who?”

When she looked up at James’ hazel eyes, they were filled with an overwhelming sincerity that nearly knocked the breath from her chest. “Yes, Lily.” It was the first time he’d dropped the Evans. Like a wall was being knocked down between them in that moment. “I wouldn’t let you get involved if I didn’t think it was important.”

Without thinking too much about his words, Lily Evans placed her hand in James Potter’s and nodded. “Let’s go.”

Chapter Text

The wind blew Lily’s hair into her face, obscuring her view of their surroundings into a haze of red.

“James!” She called out, pulling her hair back. She tucked strands behind her ear forcefully. When her vision returned she could finally get a good look at the place they’d apparated too, which appeared to be a field filled with wildflowers. Even with the grey skies so typical of an English summer, and a wind threatening to topple her over, it was devastatingly beautiful.

“It’s Potter!” He yelled back. “This is an official investigation, Evans! Have some decorum!”

Lily spun around to face him and felt her heart drop. Not just a pretty countryside meadow, but a cliff. And James stood perilously close to the sheer drop into icy waters.

“Where are we?” She dared to get a little closer to him so she didn’t lose her voice from yelling. With such a strong breeze her head spun to get near to the edge of the cliff. She also thought she knew exactly where they were, but wanted confirmation so she could be sure.

“Welcome to Merringford!” He declared. “Or the coastline near Merringford, at least. Come on, it’s a bit of a walk to our destination but I thought you should get a look at this first.”

He walked straight past her, vanishing into the long stems of sunflowers and daffodils. Lily had to bite her tongue to stop herself from shouting at him for trampling over such lovely flowers. Begrudgingly she followed, careful to only step where he had to limit the damage.

“This is where that boy fell.” She finally voiced her suspicions. “God, it’s grim of you to take me here. Reading about it was enough.”

James turned around to look at her. He studied her whilst she caught up to where he stood and frowned a little at whatever he saw. Lily made a mental note to ask him why he pulled such a face later on when they weren’t being battered by the British weather.

“First of all,” he began, “you’d make a terrible detective with that attitude. What happened to thoroughly investigating a crime scene?”

“Not a police officer,” she grumbled in reply, stepping over a particularly fair looking cowslip that stood between them. “What’s the second thing?”

“The second thing,” James said, “is this.” He pushed aside the wall of wildflowers behind him and, instead of more plants like Lily had expected, revealed a large patch of burnt ground in the shape of a circle.

Bewildered, she pushed past her partner to step into the circle. The ground was completely scorched, not even a weed to be seen. When she bent down and ran her fingers through the dirt it was hard and crumbling, like clay left out to dry in the sun.

“Legends say this is where Henry Jackson disappeared,” James told her. “Or at least they found his dog running around here, distressed and barking at the sky.”

Lily thought all those things sounded almost too typical of aliens- so much so that she doubted their validity. James probably forgot she’d grown up around muggles and likely knew far more stories about them than he did. Extraterrestrials were almost a novelty to wizards. She had no doubt the strange path he’d taken was more to do with that than genuine belief.

Still, the patch of soil was strange. There was no denying that.

“If someone set fire to something here, could it have damaged the ground like this?” She asked. Truthfully she knew little about agriculture but she was also sure any number of things could’ve caused such a phenomenon.

James shrugged. “Don’t you think a fire would’ve spread? Burnt down more than this perfect circle? It doesn’t make sense with the Jackson case anyway because there was no indication of fire when they found the dog.”

For once in his life he was making some good logical points. For Merlin’s Sake, Lily cursed. She wished he would go back to sounding insane so she could laugh off the entire thing and go back to London.

As things stood, it looked like she would be enjoying the coastal air for a few days whilst they worked out what was going on.

They walked back the way they came, careful again to only tread in places James had unceremoniously squashed previously. When they reached the cliffside, they walked along it in silence. Lily wondered why they weren’t apparating; clearly they weren’t near Merringford because there were no signs of life to be found anywhere. It was so dead compared to the chaos she was used to…

Most of her days before this had been spent running around trying to keep in front of Voldermort and the Death Eaters. It wasn't uncommon to walk in and find a gravely injured, or even dead, member of the Order strewn across a table. Poppy did her best, and Lily made potion upon potion to try and aid her in the infirmary, but often it ended with Lily helping them dig a grave.

And then the next day she could be visiting Petunia in the muggle suburbs for Sunday lunch. She knew her sister was confused when she invited herself over- God knows they’d never got along particularly well- but the fact she never said no proved blood was thicker than water. Lily just liked the contrast, and felt more secure in the knowledge that normalcy carried on through her sister making apple crumble using the Evan’s family recipe. Even whilst the other half of her world fell to pieces.

“I hope that pensive look on your face isn’t you finally deciding to ditch me,” James said suddenly, snapping her out of her reverie.

She decided not to reply to that, instead asking “aren’t you ever scared walking about like this?”

James raised an eyebrow. “We are near a cliff, I’ll give you that, but I don’t think I’m going to plummet to my death anytime soon.”

“Not that.” She shook her head, red hair flying in her face again. “With the current events happening aren’t you wary about your safety.” She left the obvious unsaid. It was dangerous, some whispered, to even mutter the name Voldemort. Lily tried to avoid speaking about him if possible, even if it was just alluding to what terrible events he’d set in motion.

James looked at his feet and avoided looking at her for a minute. A minute during which Lily decided she was being ignored and, in a stage of irritation, imagined shoving James Potter off the cliff.

“I guess I decided this was more important to me,” he finally told her, voice quieter than usual. “I have no family left to worry about me aside from my boys, as you would call them.”

“I’m sorry.” Lily’s brow creased as she thought about her own parents. “It’s nice you have such close friends.” She thought about Mary and Marlene and Dorcas and smiled a little.

“Evans!” He exclaimed. “I may die of shock? Did you just say something nice about me, Sirius, Remus and Peter?”

She scowled at him. “For the record, I never had anything against Remus or Peter.”

James looked like he was about to argue but promptly shut his mouth and held out his arm in front of her. Lily looked at in bemusement before looking up again and noticing they’d reached the beginning of a little village.

“Welcome to Merringford,” he told her with a grin. “Looks like this argument will have to wait.”

Lily found the little village quite haunting. The cottages were thatched and the church had crumbling walls and imposing spires, the little figures on the stained glass windows glaring down at them as they passed by. She half wanted to go inside and explore all the nooks and crannies, but knew James would only laugh if she suggested it. Besides, she wasn’t on holiday. This was, for all intents and purposes, utterly business.

“This is where we’re staying but we can check in later,” James pointed out a building made of pale stone called ‘Cliffside Inn and Restaurant.’ “Technically the name is a lie- you can’t even see the cliffs from here.”

“Staying?” Lily asked. “You know we can just go back home, right? I haven’t packed anything.”

He waved her off. “We can’t leave and reappear all the time. The locals will get suspicious.” Lily looked around and was glad to see no ‘locals’ were currently witnessing their conversation. “And don’t worry about stuff. I got the boys to pack some womanly bits for you. Don’t ask where they got them.”

She grimaced. “Womanly bits? Right, that doesn’t sound concerning at all.” She paused, looking up at the building. It looked- like everything in the village- fairly small. “Separate rooms?”

James sighed. “Of course. I’m not a monster.” Relieved, Lily returned to his side. “Not to mention that I have a terrible habit of snoring.”

“Then I pray they put me on the other side of the Inn,” she remarked, rolling her eyes. “Hey, you know what this reminds me of? That movie from a few years ago. The Wicker Man, or something.”

James nodded, a stupid grin on his face. “Sirius made me watch that one. Obsessed with muggle stuff, Padfoot is.”

“Padfoot?” Lily had never heard him called that before. “A private nickname, I take?”

James suddenly looked like a deer caught in the headlights. “I shouldn’t have said that,” he murmured. “Listen, please don’t tell anyone. I can’t explain why but it’s important.”

Lily laughed a little and shook her head. They were approaching a row of picturesque houses with flowers blooming out the front. Lily got the feeling they were heading to the Jackson family home and her stomach twisted as she thought about James prodding and poking at this mourning family. “I promise I won’t, as long as you promise to do what I asked and have some respect for this family.”

“The easiest deal I’ve ever made,” he said solemnly as they approached a door coloured cornflower blue with daisies painted running up it.

“What’s our story?” Lily asked under her breath as he knocked three times.

“Leave it to me,” he managed to hiss back just as the door opened. The woman who answered for the stereotype of grieving woman to a T. Her greying hair was hidden under a black scarf, and aside from her pale pink apron, she was all in dark mourning clothes.

“Mrs Jackson?” James asked, holding out his hand. Lily noted how his entire disposition seemed to change as he spoke to her. Even his glasses seemed less askew.

James Potter almost looked respectable and was acting… polite.

Mrs Jackson also noted the charming mask James had put on for her and fell for it hook, line and sinker. “Oh,” she said, smiling a little and shaking his hand. “I haven’t received callers for quite a while.”

“We’re from a government agency,” James explained. Lily wanted to face palm at how vague he was being but from the look on Mrs Jackson’s face she couldn’t care less about specifics. As long as she didn’t start quizzing James on Muggle politics the ruse might just work. “They’ve reopened the case on your son.”

Lily expected to be turned around then and there. She pictured tears, maybe even screaming. But the woman just offered a sad smile and asked if they preferred tea or coffee as she ushered them inside.

It was like any other English home with the pictures hanging in the hallway and the dated wallpaper. The door frames even had marks in them from children’s heights being marked. Lily wondered which one belonged to Henry.

James had stopped to look at a picture of a young boy wearing a Christmas jumper. Henry, Lily recognised.

“Henry is a great name,” James said softly. “I have a grandfather called Henry.” That only seemed to endear the woman to him more. She was all smiles and flustered thanks as they sat down in the living room whilst she bustled off to make tea.

“I’m afraid it’s just me for now,” she explained, carrying in a tray with biscuits. “The husband is off at work and Jane- that’s my daughter- is at school.”

“And how are they coping?” Lily asked, hoping to be useful somehow. “It can’t have been easy for any of you, losing him twice.”

Mrs Jackson pursed her lips and perched on the edge of a floral armchair. “Only once really,” she said in a low voice. “Say, you aren’t like the last agency folk we had around?” Suddenly her energy turned nervous as she anxiously looked at Lily and James who shot each other confused looks.

James was the first to speak. “We care about the truth. I don’t know about the last people who visited you but we’re open to… possibilities.”

Lily wanted to smack him. Of course he found a way to segue the conversation to aliens.

Her eyes widened but the whistle of the kettle drew her back towards the kitchen. Lily sighed. “Potter,” she warned. “I thought we had a deal.”

He threw his hands in the air defensively. “I’m just doing my job, Evans. Besides, did you see the look on her face just then? I think she knows something.”

“Ah yes. Mrs Jackson from Merringford holds the secrets to extraterrestrial life.” She clamped her mouth shut as they watched Mrs Jackson return with their drinks.

“You mentioned you felt you only lost your son once,” James instantly jumped in. “Why is that?”

Lily stared at the beige carpet, desperately praying they weren’t about to offend this woman with outlandish theories.

“Well…” she paled slightly as if recalling something unpleasant. “He came back after months where we’d presumed he was dead, and we were relieved- of course we were! I had prayed every day for his return but… my Harry wasn’t quite the same.”

“He was different?” Lily asked. She couldn’t help herself; hearing the woman’s admission that something strange was happening piqued her own curiosity. “In what way?”

James gave her a look which was clearly meant to show he was impressed with her initiative but she brushed it off, all attention on Mrs Jackson.

“He was distant.” The woman swallowed like she had a lump in her throat. Lily could feel her sorrow as if it were leaching out of her and infecting everyone in the room. “He acted normal but it was too normal. I know the boy I gave birth to and I didn’t see him when I looked in this creature's eyes. It was like he’d been possessed by something. Not to mention-”

She broke off and gasped, eyes on the window. “I’m ever so sorry!” She said hurriedly. “My husband is back from work early and he doesn’t like me speaking of this.”

“Speaking of what?” James had some colour in his face, as if agitated by being so close to possibly discovering something. For once Lily was on the same page as him. “Please! Just say quickly and we’ll leave out the back. You don’t have to mention this visit to anyone.”

She stared at them both in bewilderment for a few seconds. “Okay.” She breathed out. “You two are strange but I trust you. More than the last lot they sent anyway. Follow me.”

They slipped through the small kitchen and towards a door leading into a long garden with all the usual organs you’d find in such a place; swings and barbecues. Things that Henry Jackson once enjoyed and now no longer did.

Mrs Jackson remained in the doorway, anxiously casting glances back towards the driveway. They could hear a door slam shut.

“When Henry returned he had a red mark on his left hand in the shape of a circle,” she whispered. “It never left. Not until they found his body. It was gone, as if something had abandoned his body the moment he drowned. Now go.” She slammed the door.

James grabbed Lily’s hand. “Come on. We don’t want to get her into trouble.” He began to sprint towards the gate at the end of the garden, tugging Lily with him.

“Hey!” She protested, wriggling out of his grip. Just as she did, however, her foot caught on a branch of the tree that loomed at the end, its tendrils stretching out through the whole length of the garden. “Ow!”

Her hand painfully crashed into the sticking up root, the palm colliding with a knot of wood. Before she could process much of anything, though, James had grabbed her again and tugged her alongside him as they sprinted out of the Jackson property and back into the streets of Merringford, breathless but in the clear.

Chapter Text

Sat near a fire for dinner that night in the Cliffside Inn and Restaurant, Lily finally voiced her suspicions to James.

“I think it’s dark wizards,” she whispered to him. His attention had been drawn to a leather bound book for the last half hour or so. Ever since they’d met for dinner after going to their respective rooms to freshen up.

Lily had thought over the facts of the case whilst changing her top into a turtleneck jumper to stave off the coastal chill. The fire and red mark could all be attributed to magic. In fact, she wasn’t sure why James hadn’t jumped to the same conclusion.

When she’d gone down into the little restaurant, which strongly resembled a pub more than anything else, James had already taken a seat with his book and said little to her except a curt hello.

They’d ordered and he’d returned to his book yet again after simply telling her that he’d be paying for her meal. Left with that, Lily couldn’t quite find a good time to voice her suspicions.

He looked so serene and peaceful sitting by the firelight, his hair the colour of ink and shining like raven’s feathers in the glow of the flames. She’d shook the thought away swiftly. It was James Potter. He wasn’t serene and his hair certainly didn’t shine.

After her whisper he finally put the book down, eyebrows raised. “I was waiting for you to say that. Me and ‘my boys’ were just placing bets actually.”

She pulled a face. “Don’t tell me you stuffed them in a suitcase.” She wouldn’t put it past them, actually. The fact they’d managed to work in separate buildings was enough of a shock for Lily.

He slid the leather bound book towards her. “A rather handy creation by Remus. We can converse by writing in this book like letters, except the other instantly receives them and replies on the other page.” He tapped towards the last thing written: ‘took her half an hour,’ James had written ‘but she got there eventually. You owe us all chocolate quills, Moony.’

Lily didn’t ask about the nickname this time. Even if she planned on it, she was instantly distracted by the ink disappearing. “That’s inconvenient.”

With a grin, James pushed a quill towards her as well. She hadn't even noticed he’d been using one. That’s what you get for admiring his hair and not paying attention, she scolded herself. “Tell Remus that yourself,” he insisted.

She scoffed but pulled the book towards herself eagerly. Truthfully, it was a brilliant idea for a creation and she half wanted to ask if he could have one made for her and her friends.

‘Why do you have the ink disappear after a while?’ she wrote, signing off with an L.E so they knew it was her. The reply came instantly.

‘Looks like James is spreading all our secrets now,’ the first reply said. The second one was different in tone and far longer. ‘Sorry, that was Sirius,’ it began. ‘Peter is now holding him down so I can speak to you. I made the ink disappear so conversations of a clandestine nature can be swiftly erased. It’s a fail safe more than anything, plus it saves paper.’

It all seemed so obvious when someone as rational as Remus Lupin was explaining it. Lily remembered admiring his quiet intelligence at Hogwarts; he was the member of James’ little gang she was most sorry to see dragged down by the pursuit of mischief.

‘It’s brilliant’ Lily wrote back. ‘And tell Sirius he can trust me.’

‘Thank you,’ Remus replied. ‘Peter said to tell you hello and he hopes you’re doing well.’

She was grinning widely when she handed the book back to James swiftly, catching sight of the muggle innkeeper who was bringing out their food.

Whilst Lily cut into her chicken and leek pie, flakes of golden pastry falling down onto the old wooden table like snow, James pursued their earlier topic.

“It’s not a wizard,” he told her with certainty. “Remus looked into it. There’s no precedent set for anything of the kind happening and no motive. Also, I’ve been keeping some information from you which rules out magic definitely.”

Lily tutted. “I wished you’d have told me earlier instead of placing bets on me like I’m some kind of dog.”

“How about I make it up to you by telling you now?” He bartered, shoving what appeared to be half a steak into his mouth at once.

“Alright then,” Lily relented. “What information could possibly rule out magic, which, may I remind you, is possible of virtually anything bar raising the dead and making people fall in love.” Even then it could come close.

“Technology,” James said proudly. “Magic can’t do science.” Before Lily could protest, he held up a hand. “Just listen to this. They did the autopsy for Henry Jackson and found a little metal chip shoved up his left nostril. There was no plausible reason for it to be there and some say it was far more advanced than anything muggle science has achieved.”

Lily chewed a chunk of chicken thoughtfully. “It might still be magic.” She was more uncertain now, though. And slightly pissed he hadn’t told her the most extraterrestrial part of the story earlier. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about the metal implant.”

James just shrugged. “I have no good reason for not other than to see Lily Evans squirm as she realised she was wrong.”

“Twat,” she said before digging into her meal properly this time. Serious questions could wait until she’d eaten and possibly showered. In fact, they could wait until the morning.

“We could pretend to sleep here and actually go home, you know?” She suggested after their plates were cleaned away.

“Just accept that I’ve paid for your room in a charming Inn in a charming village and drop it, Evans,” was the response she got. With a sigh she accepted her fate.

“In that case I’m going to get showered and head up to bed. Thank you for the meal.” She was nearly at the foot of the staircase when she felt a hand on her shoulder which made her jolt.

James drew the hand back swiftly, as if he regretted touching her in the first place. “Thank you for being open-minded. I know it seems crazy and I know you have other priorities but-”

He seemed lost for words. Exhaling slowly, Lily insisted “it’s fine. If Dumbledore thinks this should be my priority then it takes precedence over everything else.”

She headed up the stairs after that, not waiting around for any more awkward sentimentality from James Potter.

The room reminded her of her gran’s bedroom, a soft colour scheme and a lingering smell of powders and perfumes. It was surprisingly comforting. Less so when she opened the suitcase James had let the boys pack for her only to find a white lacy nightgown hidden in its depths, along with women’s underwear.

“I really don’t want to know how they scrounged this together,” she murmured, carrying it into the bathroom with her. They’d also packed a bath robe for her, which she found herself grateful for, although she’d had to rifle through what felt like several layers of period products to reach it.

Lily turned the shower on before slowly undressing, her mind running in circles. Images of aliens rotated in her brain, along with even more unpleasant thoughts. Not abstract nonsense from outer space, but rather memories.

She tried not to think about Severus. It hurt too much. In her mind he still existed as that young boy at the park who she’d planned a magical future with. Being around James dragged up memories of their time at Hogwarts and, as well as recollections of his failed attempts of flirting, that meant memories of his rivalry with Severus.

Words her old friend had said to her he could not take back. The way he’d cast her aside for friends who only deigned to acknowledge her existence if it was to further their skewed views on blood purity. Could he even comprehend how much pain he’d caused her with his betrayal?

The not knowing was like a dagger in her side as well, she considered as she let the hot water wash away the grime of the day. Severus could be anywhere, doing anything. Most likely bad things.

She left the shower more tense than she had entered. The underwear they’d packed was surprisingly comfortable and homely. At odds with some of the other things they’d packed. How many girls had they…

No. She shook the thought away. James had warned her away from it so she wouldn’t stray close to those ideas.

Lily used the brush- which was exquisite and made from horse hair and mahogany- to untangle her wet hair. She sighed, happy to be clean finally, before noticing something in the mirror and freezing.

The brush dropped to the floor with an unceremonious clatter as she drew her hand closer to her face. A red circular mark had appeared on her left hand, right in the centre of her palm.

Lily let out a little noise somewhere between a cry and a shout. She barely resisted the urge to sink to the floor and instead leaped into action.

Shakily heading back into the bedroom she emptied the contents of the suitcase, all the ridiculous apparel tumbling onto the bed and floor. She prayed that the suitcase was the one thing James Potter had contributed as she muttered a quick enchantment over it, her wand biting into her skin as she was clutching it so tightly.

He hadn’t told her his room number so she’d have to find her way to him. In her panic, however, she hadn’t considered that a suitcase flying back to its owner was maybe not the greatest idea in a quiet muggle village.

As it careened towards the door she leaped forward to grab it. It tugged at her arm with strength uncharacteristic of a piece of luggage and Lily could barely hold it back. She ran a little into the corridor, letting it guide her along, although rather forcefully.

The room options were limited; there only seemed to be around seven available. Of course James was staying in the one furthest away from hers. Fortunately nobody passed her by as she sprinted down to room 7, teeth gritted in fear and the pain of her arm nearly being pulled from its socket.

Lily only just managed to disenchant the suitcase before it knocked out the one person she needed to speak to most. She kicked it aside, making a mental note to bring it back with her later, and knocked on his room door five times.

James opened it a few seconds later, still putting his glasses on. He’d clearly been getting ready to sleep as he only wore striped pyjama bottoms and his dark hair was in completely disarray.

If Lily was shocked by his state of undress, James looked mortified. “Evans!” He choked out, turning a strange shade of violet. “What in Merlin’s name is going on here?”

“Huh?” She raised an eyebrow before it sank in.

Her seeing the mark… her rush to make sure she wasn’t about to die… enchanting the suitcase…

She’d missed a big step in her journey to James’ room. One that involved putting clothes on, or even a towel, over the underwear she wore.

If she’d thought James was underdressed, well, she currently felt like a prostitute in a church.

Lily swallowed, throat completely dry. As mortified as she was about that, making sure she hadn’t been marked for death by extraterrestrials eclipsed the burning embarrassment just slightly. “Can I come in?” She asked hoarsely.

Concern shadowed his bewildered expression, and he stepped aside with a nod. When he slipped off into the bathroom Lily didn’t know what he was doing before he gently draped a bathing robe around her. She put it on gratefully, chest heaving in her panic.

“Lily,” James knelt beside where she sat curled up on his bed, hair still dripping. “What’s wrong?” He sounded desperate, and a little afraid as well. That was no good, she thought. He needed to be strong for both of them.

Wordlessly, she held her hand out.

His brief intake of air was all she needed as confirmation. Silent tears made her eyes burn and face damp. No- she wasn’t convinced it was aliens. But she did know the last person who had a mark like hers had winded up in a watery grave. And with Death Eaters on the loose around Britain she hardly wanted to consider the possibilities of what was happening, even if James made a convincing argument for it not being magic.

She felt his fingers trace the mark on her hand with such delicacy as if he were handling a precious vase. They circled it three times, making her shudder, before he paused and dragged one finger towards the centre where he pressed down hard.

“Ow!” Lily hissed, lurching forwards. Her whole body was shaking with fright as she glared at James Potter. “What did you do that for?”

But his expression, which had briefly been horrified, was instead shifting into a jubilant grin as he pressed again. She let out a hiss and drew her hand back.

“Oi! Stop being a knob!” She sobbed.

James shot to his feet gleefully. “Evans, do you recall falling earlier today?”

Lily’s brow creased. “Of course. It was only a few hours ago. But I…”

“Your hand hit a tree root,” he explained happily. “It’s a bruise! A badly placed one, but a bruise all the same.”

She inspected it closer. In the light of James’ lamp she supposed it did look like more of a violet shadow than violent red mark.

“How can you be sure?” She sniffled, wiping her face with the sleeve of the gown, which had the same woodsy scent as its owner, as well as a faint trace of that leathery stench that you found on quidditch gloves.

“It hurt when I poked it,” he shrugged. “Trust me on this one, Evans. And even if it was some death marking, do you think I’d sit back and watch you pitch yourself off a cliff? As irritating as you can be I would never-”

He never got to finish his sentence because Lily threw herself into his arms, half possessed by relief and half gratitude towards a man she’d spent most of her life despising and looking down upon.

James awkwardly patted her on the back, perhaps frozen by the fact they were touching skin to skin in some places due to their respective lack of clothing. Nothing about the encounter felt strange to Lily, even as James stepped away, still patting her on the back. It wasn’t sexual or romantic; merely comforting to someone who had been convinced of their own death.

Lily never thought the day would come where she was appreciating how respectful James had been about the whole situation. The world must’ve turned on its head for her to be thinking such things.

James was coughing awkwardly as he made his way to the bed and collapsed on it, body sprawled out in a starfish position. Lily hadn’t noticed but his room had a much darker tone; burnt red and crimson. It almost reminded her of the old Gryffindor common room.

She herself sat on the other end, curled up in a ball with the robe wrapped tightly around her. James was staring at the ceiling, one hand on his stomach and other tracing images on the bedsheet.

“Why did you start believing in aliens?” Lily asked softly. She’d heard Dumbledore’s story. Now she wanted to hear his side.

She noted how he flinched a little at whatever thoughts her question provoked. His adam's apple bobbed a little before he began to speak.

“After the last living members of my family passed away I became the only Potter. The sole inheritor of an ancient and respected wizarding family. It was fine for a while but then when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named began to…” he waved his hands about a little. “You know? It felt like the world was happening to me faster than I was ready and I had no way to control it.”

That made a frightening amount of sense to Lily. Hadn’t she also struggled for control and found it through her work? The admission that she was anything like James Potter felt extremely damming.

“But aliens?” She pointed out. “That’s such a muggle concept. Why would wizards bother with aliens when they are without a doubt the most powerful beings I could conceive of existing?”

“I don’t think so,” James mused. “Magic is detrimental to us in lots of ways. You muggles innovated and created magic out of nothing with your cars and your tvs. We think we’re so great because we can make stuff levitate that we don’t consider what power an even more advanced race of non-magical beings could have. Or that aliens would even be non-magical.”

“Hmmmm,” Lily mused. “It’s an interesting idea. But what made you think of it in the first place?”

She picked up on his slight smile. “A friend,” was all he said. “Maybe one day I’ll introduce you.”

Lily shook her head. “You’re insane, I think,” she admitted. “But at least you think you’re helping.”

“Not just think,” James said with a yawn. “I am.”

“Whatever.” Lily also yawned, exhaustion sinking in. Her panic over, she wanted nothing more than to curl up and pass out. “Good night Potter,” she sighed, forcing herself to move before she fell asleep in his bed.

She was nearly out the door when she heard him quietly say “goodnight Lily.”

Chapter Text

Lily was woken up well before dawn. The birds hadn’t even begun to start singing to herald in a new day when a violent series of knocks pounded on her door.

She rubbed her eyes as she dragged herself towards the door, this time making sure she was dressed in at least the nightdress. It still looked a little like lingerie, but was admittedly better than what she had on yesterday.

“Potter,” she yawned, not surprised to see him practically bouncing on the balls of his feet in the dimly lit corridor. “What time is it?”

“3am,” he told her happily. “You’d best get dressed, Evans. That’s not at all a good outfit to go run about the woods in.”

Lily’s jaw dropped. “What? I’m exhausted. I woke up early yesterday for your bullshit and now I’m being literally dragged out of the room you forced me to take up in the first place!”

Whether it was the pleading look on his face or the fact she’d already been woken up and was unlikely to get back to sleep, Lily Evans found herself running out the doors of the Cliffside Inn and Restaurant in the small hours, still shoving herself into a long black coat the boys had packed.

James hardly spoke as he led her towards the woods he’d spoken of earlier. Lily was breathless, her feet aching by the time he drew them both to a stop right at the other edge of Merringford than they’d arrived from. Trees, starting sparse but growing increasingly thicker, sprawled out behind the houses silhouetted by the street lights in the dark.

“Can you at least explain what we’re doing?” Lily managed to gasp out, hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath.

James looked back at her, drawing his eyes away from the woodlands which had so obsessively caught his attention. “Chasing down a dog,” he told her curtly.

“James Potter!” Lily whined. “I hope you’re joking!” It was bad enough she’d been woken up this early, but to learn it was for something as stupid as dog-catching…

“Come on.” He began to walk into the shadow of the trees. “I’ll explain whilst we search.”

They both drew out their wands and cast lumos to light their way. Lily was careful not to fall over after the debacle last night, keeping her wand low down to illuminate any stray tree roots.

“I didn’t tell you earlier-” James had begun before Lily cut him off with a snort.

“Yes, that seems to be a running theme with you,” she pointed out. Truthfully, she was still pissed off. He'd omitted the information about the metal chip yesterday and then laughed about it with his mates behind her back. Lily Evans was a forgiving person, but less so at 3 in the morning she was discovering.

James sighed audibly, the sound harmonising with the gentle rustling of the trees. “I didn’t tell you this because I wasn’t sure if it would lead to anything, you dolt!” Lily gasped at the insult but he ignored her and carried on. “Whilst we were speaking to Mrs Jackson yesterday I nicked the dog’s collar. I don’t know if you noticed but the Jackson family dog was also not present yesterday. In fact, dear old Rover’s been missing for the last few weeks.”

“Do I want to know why you thought it was acceptable to steal their property?” Lily asked in a haughty tone that made her sound a little like her mother or, Merlin forbid it, Petunia.

“We’ve been trying to track down the dog for a while to see if it had any evidence of the abduction lingering somewhere. Remus has a certain… affinity with dogs. And of course we’d return it to its family once we were certain there was nothing wrong.” He waved his wand in the air slightly, the light shining in Lily’s eyes and making her wince. “We needed the collar to place a tracking spell and so I sent it off to Hogsmeade when we got back to the Inn. Remus just sent me the location.”

He spread his arms out towards the woods. “How convenient it’s right next to us,” Lily said sourly. “You didn’t think to come up with a better plan than wandering the woods in the middle of the night.”

“Morning,” James corrected swiftly. “Feel free to start whistling and calling out for the dog if you want.”

Lily exhaled slowly, considering her options. Leaving him in the woods to be an idiot was tempting, but she really did want to return this dog to the Jackson family. “Is it really called Rover?” She asked finally.

James laughed a little, the sound low and nearly hidden by the creak of the undergrowth beneath them. “No. He’s called Shakespeare.”

Lily let out a small laugh as well before she caught herself. “I suppose it’s not completely undignified to run around yelling in the woods if it’s the name of one of the greatest writers who ever lived that I’m shouting.”

She still did feel undignified running around screaming “Shakespeare!” If there was any creature living in the woods, Lily didn’t see or hear them. She began to wonder if Remus had sent them on a wild goose chase.

“Let’s split up,” James sighed. Even in the darkness Lily could see the burgeoning disappointment in his eyes, which would only lead to more desperation. He was like a bird in a cage of his own making, panicking the more he let his own bars constrict tighter around him.

“If I die it’s your fault,” Lily told him glumly. Still she knew it was logical to cover more ground, and they both knew how to send up a basic flare spell if they ran into trouble.

Another ten minutes passed of Lily running around waving her wand about to light the way and still seeing nothing but trees and trees and more trees.

“What a waste of time,” she muttered to herself as she stumbled across a fallen log. Let James Potter run himself ragged, she decided, sitting down and stretching her aching legs out. Through the cracks between branches and foliage Lily saw a hint of red dancing in with the dark velvet blue and the twinkling stars. “Maybe if a UFO appears right now it will have all been worth it.”

That’s when she heard a branch snap behind her. At first she thought it was James, and spun around prepared to chew him out about his stupid plan to catch Shakespeare.

But when she shone her light towards the noise it was a small fluffy white dog that was looking up at her with moist beady eyes. Lily’s jaw dropped as she slowly twisted herself around so she was facing Shakespeare.

“Hey,” she whispered, terrified any sudden movements would scare him off. He simply tilted his head to the side. Lily wished she’d brought some dog food out on this expedition to feed him when they found him; he looked malnourished and was in a sad state.

“I’m a witch,” she said to herself more than to the dog. “I can just do this. Accio dog food.” It was, of course, dependent on someone in the nearby village having dog food, and that she hadn’t wandered so far the spell couldn’t trace it.

After a few seconds during which her and Shakespeare had a staring contest, something came whizzing towards them. When it came to a stop in Lily’s hand she smiled to see it was indeed dog food.

“Here you go, boy,” she said, tipping it out onto the branch beside her for lack of a bowl. “Come on.” She tapped the space besides her and a few seconds later Shakespeare leapt up, nuzzling her side contentedly as he devoured the food he’d been offered.

Lily ran a hand through the dog’s matted, but still soft, pale fur. At first it was meant to be a comforting gesture, for both the dog and herself. There was no point lying; she was shaken to actually find the dog and unsure what it meant for the case.

But then she felt a patch of skin on his side that didn’t quite feel the same. It still has fur growing out of it but it felt smoother than the rest of him. Almost like plastic rather than flesh. Careful not to disturb him, Lily crouched down close to where she felt the anomaly and positioned her wand to shine on it.

Her heart dropped as she brushed aside the fur to reveal a red circle. It looked nothing like the mark on Lily’s hand, which cemented her prior relief, but could only spell out trouble for the poor dog unless they acted swiftly.

She let him polish off the food first before scooping him up in her arms, thankful he was only a little dog, and carefully making her way back through the woods. It was difficult to rush whilst carrying another living thing, and she didn’t have a spare hand to grab her wand and send up a flare.

They’d have to find James the old fashioned way. Fortunately a little more light was being shed through the trees, although true daytime was still far off.

“Don’t worry,” she whispered to the dog. “I know people who can help.” Or at least she was praying they could.

They walked for another ten minutes when Lily stumbled across a clearing in the woods she hadn’t seen before. She paused and considered whether it was a good sign or a terrible one that they were on uncharted ground. Since James was supposed to be looking in places she hadn’t it made it more likely they’d run into him she supposed.

But there was something off about the place. It gave her chills, and she’d lived through some terrible things in her twenty years. It wasn’t in her nature to be spooked by a woodland clearing.

Except it wasn’t. As she stepped into it she heard a familiar crunch beneath her feet. A crunch she’d heard only yesterday in the meadow of wildflowers. In the circle devoid of life where Henry Jackson had been abducted. No, she scolded herself. He was taken. Aliens had nothing to do with it.

A hand reached out and touched her shoulder. She let out a little scream before calming herself. It was James. It had to be James. Who else would be wandering around the woods at this hour?

Her heart sank as she turned around. Not James. A wizard stared at her, illuminated by his own wand and shrouded in dark Ministry robes. What was the Ministry of Magic doing in Merringford?

“What’s your business in these parts?” He asked, features hidden in the folds of his cloak. Lily’s heart began to beat erratically as she had the dawning realisation that just because he wore Ministry robes didn’t mean he worked there.

The threatening manner in which he was waving his wand at her made her wonder if perhaps the wizard was employed by much darker forces.

Getting her wand to defend herself meant dropping Shakespeare, which would very likely result in tragedy for the little dog. The best case scenario would be James Potter making a miraculous appearance to save the day, but she doubted her luck would allow for that.

She could bullshit her way out of it, perhaps? Although that didn’t seem like the best tactic to use against a possible Death Eater. Still, Lily clutched Shakespeare tighter to her chest where he let out an anxious little whine.

After all this was done, at least she could laugh in James’ face over his insistence that magic wasn’t involved when it clearly was.

“My dog went missing,” she explained, pleased to hear her voice was fairly steady. “He has a habit of getting lost. Is there some official business happening here? I can clear off as quickly as possible if needed?”

She still couldn’t see the man’s expression but she got the sense from his extended silence that her lies hadn’t been convincing. After a few moments of being simply observed she managed to stammer out “I really have to go now.”

Lily took a step back towards the trees when her whole body froze. Immobilis, she realised. Fear choked her, especially when Shakespeare was torn from her arms by another dark spell. She could only watch helplessly as he drifted away.

But not into the arms of the man. Rather he floated over to the centre of the clearing and remained there.

“What are you doing?” Lily cried out, fighting against the spell to no avail. “Let him go!” With her voice her only weapon she took a deep breath and let out a scream, trying to signal James.

Her lips clamped shut suddenly. Another spell. She should’ve gone for her wand when she had the chance. All that time with the Order and she was still useless against a Death Eater, or whoever the wizard was.

When a breeze began to blow her hair in her face, Lily simply presumed it was a gust of wind moving through the trees. But then it began to descend in a downward motion. And a blinding light forced Lily to shut her eyes.

It was so bright it seemed to sear through her eyelids. All around her was the palest of whites, thrumming inside her mind with a whirring noise humming alongside it. The breeze got stronger; it would’ve knocked her over had she not been held in place by magic.

And then, just as quickly as it came, it left. The sudden onset of darkness and silence made her knees buckle and, finally released from the grips of the spell, Lily collapsed onto the hard rough soil.

A deep tiredness rushed through her, making the world around her blur. She was aware of a voice calling out her name getting closer and closer. And then growing more panicked. When she felt warm arms wrap around her she succumbed to her exhaustion.

~

Alone asides from the sleeping redhead curled up in his arms, James Potter stared at the ascending light in the sky, growing further and further away until it was unrecognisable against the other pinpricks of light coming from stars hanging in the fading night sky.

Chapter Text

Albus Dumbledore pushed his spectacles up his nose, a rather amused look on his face. “And when you found Miss Evans there was no sign of the dog at all, Mr Potter?”

James, who was almost lounging in the chair besides Lily, clicked his tongue and nodded. “But I did see a light ascending to the skies above us. It was bright as a sun and made twice the noise as one of those flying muggle contraptions.”

“Helicopters,” Lily corrected.

Dumbledore was still smiling at James with a strange fondness. Lily recalled his words to her about him being a promising young man. She wondered if he still believed it after James spun him a tale of a small town plagued with alien abductions.

“Thank you for your time, Mr Potter,” the headmaster said finally. “I shall get a report from Miss Evans now so you are free to go.” Before James reached the spiral staircase leading away from the office Dumbledore added “and remember my offer still stands.”

“Unfortunately my rejection still stands as well.” With that James left, not even stopping to say goodbye to Lily. She supposed she would see him at work that Monday anyway. Unless Dumbledore came to his senses and removed her from the ridiculous assignment.

When she turned back to face him, the wizard was shaking his head slowly. “Such potential,” he sighed. “He came so close with this case to realising the real truth that has been staring at him this whole time.”

“I presume it isn’t little green men?” Lily guessed. “I don’t understand why he’s so adamant that these things which are clearly within the capabilities of wizards can only be attributed to extraterrestrials.” She’d come to her senses as she came to consciousness in Poppy Pomfrey’s infirmary after her encounter in the woods. Even that metal chip was probably just human technology. Of course the government wasn’t going to reveal what secret tech it was innovating! What fools both humans and wizards were for thinking they knew everything!

“I think you’ve come to understand more about James Potter’s rationale than even I have in your short time working together,” Dumbledore said, offering her a chocolate quill. This time Lily accepted his offer.

In between bites she said “I think he just wants a purpose. Maybe fighting You-Know-Who isn’t enough of one for him. He needs something bigger and more personal.” She hadn’t mentioned James’ reveal that he had a friend feeding him information on aliens; somehow it felt like a breach of privacy.

Dumbledore nodded in agreement. “This case he took you on was interesting. I believe, as do you from that report you filed earlier-” (the letter she’d sent him after waking had been the sole reason her and James had been invited to debrief their findings)- “that dark magic is at play here. If James could only be convinced that the boogie man he is chasing after is in fact the same one as the rest of us we can finally put his talents to good use.”

With a sinking feeling Lily realised that the outcome of that would be her continued working with him to ensure Dumbledore’s vision for the future came true.

“The motive in this case is clear to me.” Lily recited the lines she’d practised before entering. “It’s to spread terror. Plain and simple. Perhaps they’ve learnt to mimic things muggles are afraid of, such as alien invasions.”

“An interesting theory,” Dumbledore mused. “I quite agree. The use of the Ministry of Magic uniform is currently being investigated, but once we have that cleared up ‘the case will be closed,’ as I believe our mutual friend out there would call it.” His blue eyes sparkled as he clapped his hands together. “I imagine you are tired, Miss Evans, so I won’t keep you.”

Lily gave him an appreciative smile as she got up to leave, walking towards the staircase James had descended a few minutes earlier. He was probably back in the Hog’s Head by now, shut away from sunlight and rational thinking. Lily resented the way Dumbledore suggested they were friends. Co-workers. That was a more apt description.

She’d reached the bottom of the stairs and was about to begin her walk to the exit when a hand touched her shoulder.

Lily jumped, recalling the events that had just happened to her. Her mind ran through the panic and fear she’d felt being immobilised, and how she never wanted it to happen ever again in her lifetime.

This time it really was James Potter, however, grinning from ear to ear like an idiot. “I presume this means we’re still working together.”

Lily frowned and crossed her arms. “What drew you to that conclusion?”

“How miserable you looked walking out of Dumbledore’s office,” he pointed out. “How about this? I’ll let you choose the next case. Of course it will be from a selection that I’ve already researched but you can decide which…”

James’ idle chatter went in one ear and out the other as they walked away from the office together. He wasn’t quite as unbearable as she’d first thought he would be, Lily decided. But that didn’t mean she liked him any more than she had at school.

“We can go to the Three Broomsticks for a drink before you head home,” he was suggesting now. “Butterbeer on me.” His hazel eyes shone eagerly.

It almost felt cruel when she shook her head, killing that light. “I promised Marlene I’d have dinner with her. Maybe another time.” That last part was a lie- she doubted she’d ever accept his offer for a drink lest he get the wrong idea.

James just smiled in return. “That’s fine. You’re separating work and personal life, right?”

She just raised her eyebrows. “Something like that, yeah.”

A promising young man indeed, she thought as they left their old school together. Maybe she’d see some more of that promise bright and early Monday morning.

~
From behind a bookshelf in Albus Dumbledore’s office, a figure cloaked in shadows emerged.

“I think they’re getting on well,” Dumbledore was saying, already anticipating his presence. “Don’t you Severus?”

Severus Snape just sneered as he took the seat Lily Evans had just been in, black cloak swishing with the motion.

“She doesn’t like him,” Snape retorted defensively. Almost too quickly. Dumbledore sensed the uncertainty in his words. He likely saw the exact same spark he’d detected himself, and Snape despised it.

“Perhaps, but undeniably he likes her,” Dumbledore pointed out. “That’s what matters here. She has the power to persuade him.”

“It’s cruel,” Snape snarled. “You’ll ruin her life, get her hurt or even killed, trying to weaponize a childhood infatuation of Potters to make things work to your advantage. She deserves better.”

“Like you?” Dumbledore said simply, observing the wizard in front of him carefully. If Severus Snape thought James Potter was the only man easily controlled by Lily Evans he was deluded. She was, of course, how he’d entered the strange agreement with Dumbledore and the Order in the first place. Risking his life every day he betrayed the Dark Lord for the sake of a girl who Dumbledore doubted even thought of him aside from the occasional rainy day.

“They got close to the truth this time.” Snape changed the topic of the conversation skilfully. Of course, they had much more important things to discuss than women. “You should be grateful Lily didn’t work out that it was actually the Ministry involved that night.”

Dumbledore stood up and walked over to the window. Fawkes should be returning from his late afternoon flight soon. “There’s little danger of Lily Evans coming to her senses. She’s still utterly convinced aliens don’t exist.”

He could almost sense Snape squirming behind him as he casually discussed tricking the Evans girl. It was unfortunate she had to be kept in the dark; much like her new coworker, she had great promise. It was crucial neither Lily nor James knew the full extent of what was going on though, only that they existed on separate sides of the spectrum between sceptic and believer.

“I hope you’ve told the Minister that he needs to be more careful,” was all Snape replied. “We don’t want any more accidents.”

“The Minister has been appropriately warned,” Dumbledore assured him. “To give them time to get their act together I’ve made sure Lily and James’ next case will draw them away from both aliens and the Ministry of Magic.”

Dumbledore turned around to watch as realisation dawned on Snape’s face. “That’s why you had me-”

“Yes,” Dumbledore assented. “Their next case will be close to home. I trust you will make sure all goes to plan, Severus?”

Snape scowled once more before nodding. “I always do,” he said curtly before getting up to leave. Dumbledore stepped back to let him pass by the window he had been looking at out. Snape paused, as if frozen by something he saw, before storming out of his sight.

Down below, James Potter and Lily Evans walked side by side. The picture of a perfect couple.

Chapter Text

Lily Evans couldn’t decide what was more vexing: working with James Potter or spending a Sunday afternoon with the Dursleys.

Surely the Dursleys, she thought to herself as she watched her heavily pregnant sister limp around the garden greeting the guests at her housewarming party. Her vile husband accompanied her, moustache bristling in pride at his immaculate new home and the promise of a new member of the Dursley clan.

Lily didn’t fit in. For one none of ‘her kind’ were there (the Dursleys resented even the mention of magic, which Lily strangely understood due to her sister’s past with it) but even if Lily had been a muggle she doubted she’d ever have fit in with her sister’s friends.

They took pride in normal and things being acceptable. Lily couldn’t help but to think, as she sat in a deckchair in the shade with a bowl full of strawberry trifle in front of her which was causing a disturbingly large wasp to eye her up, that she knew of a wizard who was the complete antithesis of everything on display.

James Potter. She’d only worked one case with him and yet it felt like her whole world had been tipped upside down. Embarrassingly, she found herself looking at the stars that weekend from her bedroom window and daring to think about UFOs. Which was, naturally, completely ridiculous and she knew it. Somehow he’d wormed his conspiracy theory bullshit into her brain and Lily had been trying to shake it off ever since.

Monday was drawing ever closer. Only a few more hours to go. Lily wasn’t sure if what she felt was dread or anticipation. He’d promised her that she could pick a case this time, at least. Maybe she could find a way to be of some help to the wider wizarding society after all. Just because she worked with James didn’t mean she had to squander away her talents like he did.

“You could at least pretend you’re having a good time!” A familiar, sneering voice rang out, snapping Lily out of her reflection.

“Sorry, Tuney,” Lily mumbled to her big sister, for no reason other than to irritate her. That old nickname got on her nerves- or so she claimed. Lily never quite knew what was truth and what was simply defence to protect her heart when it came to Petunia. Sometimes Lily felt like she hadn’t really been happy since they were both too young to know or care about magic that existed outside of their storybooks.

Her sister rubbed a hand on her stomach- a trait Lily had picked up she did when she was irritated, which was often. “At least you showed up,” she sighed. Lily thought she was just rambling a little at that point. “It would’ve been shameful to not have my own sister here.”

“Of course,” Lily replied demurely. On their best days they could get into screaming matches to rival banshees, but Petunia was pregnant and even sibling rivalry couldn’t make Lily ignorant of that. It would be cruel to argue with her when she was already stressed.

Her sister’s upper lip curled slightly, as if even more annoyed Lily was being so placid. “You said you got a new job?” She asked finally, a strange kind of peace offering.

Lily smiled and set aside her bowl. That question was as good as a hug from her sister, so she’d take it. “Yes. I’m investigating things now.” She couldn’t think of a better way to phrase it; how could she even begin to explain the madness of James Potter to a muggle?

Petunia’s pale eyebrows furrowed. “Investigating? Investigating what?”

Lily clicked her tongue. “Magic stuff,” she said simply, resisting the urge to add a ‘you wouldn’t get it’ to the end.

Petunia looked like she was going to say something else when her dreadful boar of a husband seemed to apparate to her side.

“Petunia, dear,” he began, wrinkling his nose at Lily who bit her tongue to stop herself from sticking it out at him. “The Smiths are here and they’ve brought a present for the baby!”

“Oh, how wonderful!” Her sister clapped her hands together and, as if Lily simply didn’t exist, walked away from their conversation without a second glance.

“I love you too, sister,” Lily muttered under her breath. She had patience for Petunia; it broke her heart to watch her older sister constantly be compared to the family witch. Magic was a feat she could never hope to aspire to. Vernon had twisted that sentiment into an obsession with normalcy, though. Petunia could’ve embraced the strangeness in the world but instead she rejected it fearfully.

Yet again Lily thought about James Potter. What would he make of all this? The garden tables covered in lace cloth and tea lights, only the standard British picnic food allowed to grace the paper plates atop it. The walking stereotypes who occupied it.

Something told her he wouldn’t be very impressed.

Lily was shocked to see a red-faced Vernon storming towards her moments after he departed. He looked mere seconds away from blowing steam out his ears.

“I just had a phone call for you,” he fumed, pointing a finger accusingly. “You tell your filthy friends to never contact this house again. I don’t know how they got my number but you can tell them to take it and shove it up their-”

Lily shot to her feet. A message? From the wizarding world? Nobody who was official would go through such unorthodox channels, which was a relief as it meant no disaster had struck the Order. Unless it had been so tragic they’d discarded their usual set of rules...

Her stomach twisted. “Vernon! What was the message?”

Her brother-in-law paused his rant to look at her in shock for a few seconds, as if scandalised she’d even asked, before opening and closing his mouth like a fish.

“Well!” She prompted, a real fear snaking its way into her bones.

“It made no sense.” Vernon mumbled a little. “Something about going to Hogsmeade urgently.”

The fear dissipated a little. Replaced by a gnawing vexation. James damned Potter. He had no business calling her on the weekend. Never mind somehow finding her sister’s address and number.

Oh, she’d go to Hogsmeade urgently indeed. But not for some nice meeting that he’d imagined. Lily was going to tell him once and for all what a fool he was!

Without saying goodbye, Lily sprinted out of her sister’s garden and, hidden in the shadow of a bush lining the immaculate streets of Privet Drive, apparated to Hogsmeade.

~

Lily Potter despised apparition.

Undeniably it had its uses. In situations such as the one she was in, for example, where it was prudent to use it so she could rush to scold the idiot who’d disturbed her weekend. Other than emergencies, however, it was simply showboating on behalf of the wizards who decided to simply pop into existence everywhere.

Besides, many places had charms against apparition since the rise of Voldermort. Floo was much safer, sensible and more reliable.

Stumbling across the road outside Hogsmeade, Lily choked on the humid June air. The little village was far prettier in the winter where each building looked like gingerbread. In the midst of summer it was simply uncomfortable to squeeze into little shops.

Still, if squeezing into little shops was what Lily had to do to track down James Potter she’d happily contort her body to achieve it.

She was just about to begin her search when a kind voice called her name out from somewhere near the entrance to Honeydukes.

“Lily!” It cried out. “Over here!”

She frowned in bemusement and took a few steps closer to see who the mystery accoster was. At first she was sceptical, but that soon melted into a warm relief as she realised it was simply harmless Peter Pettigrew waiting for her, waving meekly to get her attention.

Of course, seeing him was hardly good news. He’d be on business from Potter’s clique for sure. Better than them sending Sirius Black or the nuisance himself out to fetch her.

“Peter,” she greeted, shaking his hand awkwardly. Of all his friends he seemed the least like a man and the most like a boy. Especially when he was shuffling awkwardly, boots scuffing the dry ground. “What’s going on?”

She saw him swallow, instantly picking up on what could only be extreme nerves. “We… well that is James and the rest of the boys, need your help.”

Despite her earlier instinct to scream at James Potter, she softened a little hearing they earnestly needed her help. Sending Peter, it seems, was the right move to make. Although Remus Lupin would’ve endeared her to the cause far more.

She followed a quivering Peter past all the shops, and even past the Hog’s Head before she realised where he was leading her.

“Hey!” She called out, coming to a stop. “I’m not going there! Are you crazy?” Lily pointed an accusing finger at the aptly named Shrieking Shack. It wasn’t that she was scared of ghosts or demons, or whatever people claimed lurked within those walls. Rather it was decrepit and dangerous and had always been totally off limits.

Peter threw his hands up defensively. “Don’t you trust us? I promise you’ll be safe?”

Lily frowned at the Shack, crossing her arms. A slight breeze tangled her green summer dress around her legs as she considered. “James has got me into trouble before,” she sighed. “I ended up in the infirmary last time.”

Peter looked at a loss for what to do. Lily wasn’t sure if she truly was apprehensive about approaching the building or if she was just being stubborn. She pursed her lips as she considered.

“Is James Potter in there?” She asked with a raised brow. Of course he was- but Lily wanted to know for sure before she ran in headfirst.

Peter merely nodded. “And Sirius,” he added, almost unsure whether that was the right thing to say.

With a sigh, she started walking towards the Shrieking Shack, leaving Peter to trail in her dust. She heard his footsteps on the dry ground, which was the only reason she spoke up to say “I’m only doing this to shout at them. And to see if this help you need is genuine.”

“It is.” Peter sounded utterly sincere, but then again the wizard often did. He wasn’t the type to say stuff in jest. It really was a good idea to send him to fetch Lily, unfortunately.

They reached the doors of the foreboding building and Lily took a deep breath before storming in.

It was as shrouded in darkness as she’d expected, except for…

Once her eyes adjusted to the dimness she could see a sofa with a coffee table- something so normal Lily wondered if she was hallucinating- and the figure of two men huddled together on it. Their limbs were nearly tangled together, a position Lily had found herself in with her own friends before when they were deep into a hangout.

“Oi, it’s your girlfriend Prongs!” The voice of Sirius Black cried out. The limbs untangled, appearing like a den of snakes in the darkness, and Lily was suddenly grateful that the shadows hid her embarrassed flush.

“That would be totally inappropriate as we’re coworkers,” James scolded him. “Wouldn’t you agree, Evans?”

Lily swallowed, her throat oddly dry. She’d been so ready to scream this ramshackle house down but now… she felt oddly out of place amongst these boys and their nicknames. She hadn’t realised with what ease she’d interacted with James until placed in a situation where she found that stripped away.

“You can’t be ringing up my sister’s home like that!” She’d already begun her halfhearted reprimand when light flickered and the same orbs that haunted their office began to float about. The Shack really was a mess, but one that was strangely well stocked up with living necessities as well as a pile of books that Lily presumed contained nonsense such as UFOs.

Her sight fully returned, Lily took a step towards James with her finger pointing accusingly. “I don’t even know how you got that number but-”

“Jesus Christ!” Sirius chimed in. “How the bloody hell do you get any useful investigation done at work when you’re currently interrogating the wrong person.”

Lily turned to look at the wizard who still remained lounging on the couch. He looked much the same, dark hair as long as usual, and his manner completely unbothered. Except he seemed a little more on edge than Lily remembered from Hogwarts.

Looking at his slight smirk- although it was one that seemed partially faked- the puzzle pieces slotted together. “It was you,” she gasped. “Of course. Who else would have the gall but one of the dickheads of the House of Black.”

He smiled brightly. “Pleased to have made such an impression back at Hogwarts that you recall my devil-may-care attitude. Such a shame we couldn’t have gotten to know each other better since you constantly rejected loverboy’s advances.” He nodded toward where James stood, looking a little cross as he regarded the interaction between his best friend and new coworker. Peter had scuttled to James’ side, watching anxiously.

Lily sniffed haughtily. “Why’d you ring? It better be good, by the way, or else you’ll find yourself reported for endangering the wizarding world.”

His eyebrows shot up as he rocked into a standing position. “Terrifying threats, Evans. But trust me, I think you’ll want to listen to this one.”

As he was speaking another puzzle piece- one she hadn’t realised had been missing- clicked into place. She looked around the decrepit room again before staying silent for a few seconds. Searching for any indication a fifth person resided in the Shrieking Shack.

This time, Lily directed her question towards James. “Potter,” she began. “Where the hell is Remus Lupin?”

Chapter Text

Lily had her eyebrow raised the whole time James told her the story, wringing his hands whilst he did so. She noticed when Sirius burrowed his head in the pillow of their sofa when James mentioned Remus’ part in the mayhem unfolding.

“So there’s a wild animal loose in Hogsmeade?” she said back sceptically. “You won’t tell me what animal but you insist that it is magical and a threat to itself and others. I don’t know if you knew this Potter, but my animal knowledge starts and ends with cats. Why in Merlin’s name did you ring me and not an expert?”

“Ugh!” Sirius proclaimed dramatically. “Evans, it’s a sensitive matter. I wouldn’t have even rang you about it had we not really been in the shit with this one.”

Lily threw her hands in the air irritatedly. “Don’t even get me started on Remus,” she said. “You honestly want me to believe he’s been kidnapped by an animal.”

Three pairs of blinking eyes looked back at her. “Yes,” Peter said finally. “We do want you to believe that.”

She noted that none of them insisted it was the truth. Shaking her head, she perched on the edge of the coffee table. “Okay. Well, I’ll do my best to help but only because I don’t want anything happening to Remus.”

“Thank you,” Sirius said. At first she presumed he was being a dick per usual, but when he resumed a normal sitting position she could see that the gratitude in his eyes was startlingly honest.

Lily combed through the knowledge she had been given. James’ description was clearly missing out a lot; for some reason they were all omitting information which could be key to solving this before anyone else got ‘kidnapped’ by the beast.

It was unlikely to be linked with Death Eaters. They wouldn’t be so bold as to act out that close to Hogwarts and Albus Dumbledore. And if they had then the boys really needed to report that a higher up instead of acting like thirteen year olds.

A memory pricked at the back of her mind all of a sudden at the thought of Hogwarts. A DADA class she’d been sitting in a few years ago. James had sent a paper aeroplane into the back of her head and she’d instantly reported him to the teacher for it, mainly just to watch his face as he got shouted at. But before that they were learning about something important.

“Wait a minute,” Lily clapped her hands together as she rocked into a standing position. “It was a full moon last night.”

She looked at their faces expectantly- each one was blank as a fresh set of parchment. Peter even looked like he was sweating slightly as he tried to think of what that could mean. Of course, Lily thought, I shouldn’t have expected this lot to know anything about werewolves.

“I think I know what we’re dealing with,” she stated in relief. “And it won’t be of any danger to any of us now. We need to find Remus though. He could be in more peril than expected.”

Her instinct was to head straight to the door. If he’d been bitten… Lily didn’t even want to consider how awful that would be. She repressed a shudder. In fact, she didn’t even want to tell the boys what had possibly happened to their companion last night whilst in the grasp of the creature.

None of them moved though, even as she was preparing to go. “You wanted my help!” She snapped. “We have to move, and fast.” Although if he had been bitten it was already too late to do anything.

Lily nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt James press his hand against her shoulder, just enough pressure supplied to stop her in her tracks. She turned to look at him, expression confused at the concern she saw written in his disposition.

“You’re really concerned for Remus?” He asked, voice oddly thick.

Lily nodded slowly. “He's a good man,” she said simply. From behind them she heard Sirius make a muffled incoherent noise.

“And you think a werewolf is responsible?” James continued. Out of all of them it made sense for him to understand what she meant first; he was the one who ran after UFOs, after all.

“I do,” she replied. “Which means our only concern now is getting Remus back safely.”

James nodded and stepped back, turning to face his brothers. “Right,” he said. “We need to split up to cover more ground. I say me and Wormtail… that is, me and Peter, should cover the ground near the village and Sirius and Evans take the woodland.”

“The woods again?” Lily sighed. “Really? I didn’t particularly have a good time last week, Potter.”

He tilted his head and looked at her. “Maybe not,” he mused. “But you did nearly find the first evidence any of us have ever got. I trust you to work your magic again.”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t complain any further. Truthfully, she was far too anxious about Remus to nitpick his plan.

“Come on then, Black.” Lily pushed open the door, brow furrowing at the sudden brightness. Sirius didn’t move from his position on the couch, his expression vexed.

“What the fuck, James!” He spat out. “Why can’t I go with you?” In a move Lily found rather childish, he crossed his arms and glared at them all.

James sighed. “Please just go with Evans.”

“Who put you in charge?” Sirius shot back. Lily noticed how Peter took a step away, as if removing himself from the argument.

James turned to look at Lily for a second, before returning his attention to his friend. “Evans, wait outside. We’ll be out in a minute.”

Lily scoffed loudly but stepped outside all the same. The sun warmed her face, a stark contrast from the chill of the Shrieking Shack. She had no idea what was up with Sirius. He seemed to be acting too dickish for even James’ taste. It must’ve been the stress of last night, she decided. Though that was really no excuse. The other two were coping alright, or at least well enough to not be acting insane.

“Stupid boys,” she muttered under her breath, kicking at a stray rock.

“You can’t possibly be speaking about us!” A familiar voice chimed from behind her. James, followed by Sirius and Peter, trailed out of the Shrieking Shack. Sirius looked slightly less pissed off than before, which was a slim silver lining for Lily.

“No of course not,” Lily raised an eyebrow. “I just bumped into another group of three wizards who call each other stupid nicknames and hang out in a dilapidated shack.”

Sirius frowned. “Stupid nicknames!” He cried indignantly.

James just laughed, his face lighting up for the first time that whole day. Lily felt like at least one thing had been put to rights, if Potter was grinning like an idiot at her again. “What a coincidence,” he said.

Sirius rolled his eyes and stood next to Lily. She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. “I’ve promised James that I won’t take out my current bad mood on you.” He spoke the words as if he were reciting a script. “And that I promise I’m not usually such a bastard.”

Lily allowed herself to smile a little. “It’s okay,” she sighed. “I know you’re probably just worried about Remus. I am as well.”

“Then I suppose we ought to get going,” James declared, placing a hand on Peter’s shoulder.

Lily and Sirius had begun to walk towards the shadow of the woods when James called out for her again. “Oh, and Evans?”

She spun around. “What is it, Potter?”

“Try not to pick up any stray dogs this time.” He cast a glance at Sirius. “Any more than you already have, should I say.”

Chapter Text

Sirius Black certainly wasn’t who Lily would’ve chosen as a companion, in any situation. It felt strange to admit that she’d rather be working with James, but in this instance it was painfully true.

Especially when Sirius seemed to be undergoing intense brooding.

“We’ll find him,” she found herself saying. It was as if, deep down, she knew the source of his discontent lay in Remus. In a way separate from the others.

She expected a clever jibe after that, but instead was greeted with more silence as they manoeuvred their way around the undergrowth. It weighed on her far heavier than a sassy remark would have.

“You were never like this at school,” she finally forced herself to say, just so that some words cut through the silence. “At least, I never saw you like this.”

Sirius kicked a twig. “And what would ‘this’ be?”

“Brooding. I hate to say it but you almost remind me of Severus when your expression looks like that.” She suppressed a smile when she saw the instant outrage flicker on Sirius’ face.

“I don’t care how much James likes you, if you ever say anything like that again I’ll hex you,” he threatened, but his tone was far lighter. It was a relief to Lily, like a weight off her chest.

They traversed in silence again for a while, but it was comfortable. There was one thing he’d said that was playing on Lily’s mind like a broken record, and she bit her tongue in uncertainty over whether to mention it.

“You said James likes me?” She asked, her face growing warm at the words. “Is that-”

The sensation of Sirius’ hand on her arm made Lily jump. He stepped in front of her, face partially serious again. “Look Lily, it’s no secret he used to be infatuated with you. But I think what he feels now is more… professional respect.”

Lily certainly wasn’t disappointed to hear him say that- James’ crush had always been a nuisance after all. Still, she frowned slightly. Professional respect wasn’t exactly friends, although she wasn’t sure why friendship was so important all of a sudden.

“I feel the same towards him,” she said, nodding. “Professional respect. It’s very important in our line of work.”

Sirius cocked an eyebrow, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips. “Ah yes. Alien hunting. The most respectable of all professions.”

Lily sighed, although she was pleased with how that had gone. “Let’s focus on finding Remus.” She left the rest of her thoughts unspoken. That it was very likely it was too late to save him from the curse of a werewolf. Those words were swallowed and lay like a brick in her stomach.

Of course, they’d have to find the werewolf who went on a rampage as well. It was turning out to be an awful lot of trouble.

“You know what?” She asked Sirius after a few more minutes of inspecting their surroundings with little results.

His head snapped up, probably hopeful she’d found something. “What?”

“This is still better than my sister’s par-” her sentence cut off abruptly and her eyes widened. Lily stopped in her tracks and held a hand out to stop Sirius, bile rising in her throat.

“Oh god,” she whispered. “Holy… shit, shit, shit.” Lily never usually swore like that- it was very muggle of her- and yet she found she couldn’t stop herself as she stared at the pool of blood in front of them. The world seemed to stop.

“Language,” Sirius whispered hoarsely. When Lily turned towards him he was as pale as freshly fallen snow, looking as if he was mere seconds away from collapsing.

“We need to follow this and see where it goes.” Lily had to force the words out through gritted teeth. She really didn’t want to see what lay at the end, and even worse was the prospect of dealing with Sirius when they faced the inevitable.

As they stumbled like two zombies, following the smearing of blood across the undergrowth, Lily found it ridiculous that her worst fear had been Remus being bitten. Now she was praying he was afflicted with lycanthropy; it was difficult but it was better than him being dead.

Finally, the trees began to thin a little leading to a clearing. Lily’s throat went dry, and she swore she heard something like a whimper from Sirius as they approached a lump slumped in the middle, covered in crimson.

“Fuck!” Sirius yelped, and the sound was followed by a relieved sob as he collapsed to the ground next to Lily. Because the bloody creature wasn’t a wizard, it was a half eaten muntjac. The sight wasn’t pretty, but it was far better than expected.

“This is good,” Lily sighed, awkwardly rubbing Sirius’ shoulder before helping him back to his feet. He gave her an appreciative smile. “Although it confirms that a werewolf is behind this.”

Sirius took a deep breath. “I never doubted that. Look, there’s something we haven’t been telling you that I think-”

He never got to finish his sentence, because a new figure stumbled into the clearing, falling into a heap by the bloody remains of the muntjac.

“Padfoot,” it groaned, a hand outstretched.

Sirius was by his side in an instant, his face a mixture of relief and concern. From this distance Lily couldn’t make out if Remus had any significant marks on him, but she could tell he wasn’t in a good shape. Bruises had begun to appear on his face like a dusting of violet across his cheekbones.

“It’s alright,” Sirius soothed him. “You’ll be fine. Everything is fine. Lily! Come help pick him up.”

She stepped over the corpse and bent down towards Remus’ other side. “Hey,” she said warmly, brushing back some of his hair. “We need to get you back to the Shrieking Shack so I can look at you properly. Do you think you can get up with some help?”

Remus blinked wearily, as if his eyes were only just adjusting to the world. “Lily Evans?” He asked, sounding surprised. “My fool of a friend didn’t drag you into this did he?”

“I wanted to help find you,” she assured him. “We were all very worried.”

Remus looked up at Sirius then, and the glance they exchanged was so intimate Lily felt she had to look away.

With a little effort they managed to slump Remus across the two of them so he could be carried comfortably out of the woods. The walk back was relatively silent. When Lily glanced at Sirius and saw how moist his eyes were she decided not to mention it.

The Shrieking Shack was empty when they returned. Sirius draped Remus across the sofa but Lily just shook her head and cleared the table of their crap with one flick of her wand.

“He needs to go on there so I can check him,” she ordered, undergoing a swift transition into a medic. “You can go and get the other boys whilst I deal with Remus.”

Sirius’ brows furrowed and he angrily pointed a finger at her. “You can’t barge in here and give orders. This is our den, not yours.”

“Sirius,” Remus groaned, slumping further into the sofa. The blood from the muntjac had gotten all over him, and was now being smeared across the shack. Or at least Lily hoped it was just muntjac blood.

“Well actually as an official associate of James,” she declared, “I think I have ownership of the ‘den’ as well. And enough authority to tell you to get your act together before your friend succumbs to whatever injuries he has.”

The mere mention of Remus succumbing was enough; panic flared in Sirius’ eyes. Grumbling, he made his way towards the door. Before he left he gave Remus one glance.

“Don’t tell her anything you don't want to, Moony,” he said darkly before leaving.

Lily realised moments too late she’d forgotten to ask him to help her move Remus.

Chapter Text

“It’s alright, Lily, I’ll be able to get myself into the table,” Remus insisted as she struggled to lift him off the sofa. “Just give me a moment to collect myself.”

Lily shook her head. “I don’t know what’s happened to you,” she pointed out. “We might not have a few moments to collect ourselves.”

Remus just laughed, his voice still a little breathless. “I do wish they’d told you so we could avoid all this.” And without another word he hoisted himself off the sofa, grasping onto the table and nearly crumpling against it.

“Hey!” Lily exclaimed, rushing to his side. Remus managed to pull himself up so he was sitting on it, and Lily placed his limbs in the correct position. “I wish you’d stop being so cryptic.”

Remus chuckled weakly. “You know I always used to hope you and James would end up together at school,” he confessed, his warm eyes looking at her face studiously. “For selfish reasons, because I always liked you and I thought it would be nice to have some more brain cells in the friendship group.”

“Turns out dating isn’t the only way to join this group,” she mumbled under her breath, far too preoccupied checking every inch of Remus’ body. He was badly bruised and scratched up, that was true, but all the injuries were consistent with thorns and branches rather than claws.

She stepped back and frowned, immensely confused. So he hadn’t been bitten by a werewolf? Which was good, but it seemed strange he’d been wandering the same place as a werewolf without a bad run-in.

Before she could make any further comments the door flew open, James and Peter rushing in. Sirius, for once, lingered by the door. He still eyed Lily suspiciously.

“I told you, Evans!” James laughed. “You have a knack for finding things.” She didn’t respond, her gaze still locked on Sirius. In fact, she only registered
James was by her side when she felt his hand on her shoulder, making her nearly jump out of her skin.

“Oh, right. I suppose so.” She watched as Peter pulled out a pale violet liquid sloshing around in a vial and passed it to Remus. He sat up and swallowed it, grimacing as it went down.

James patted Lily’s shoulder once more. “He’ll be fine now. We got lucky- no major injuries for this one.” At that he moved away from her to ruffle Remus’ hair.

Lily just shook her head in disbelief. “There’s a werewolf out there!” She cried. “Why are you acting like we can all relax now?”

The room was silent for a moment. James coughed awkwardly, Peter wrung his hands together, and Sirius’ gaze flashed between Remus and Lily.

“Actually,” Remus said finally. “There’s a werewolf in here.”

Lily huffed and rolled her eyes. “Yes, well there nearly was. I checked though, you weren’t bitten.”

Remus shook his head, eyes sad. “Not recently bitten.”

It took her a moment, but when it clicked she stepped back, mouth agape. She swallowed and looked at her feet, unsure how to process this information.

Finally, Lily did what she seemed to be making a habit of- she turned to James Potter for answers. “This was never a case,” she said. “You called me here because you wanted help finding him.”

James smiled sadly and shrugged. “Normally we have it under control but last night we lost him. We’re not sure what happened with the potion he usually takes, but it wasn’t working like it usually does.”

“We should take this up with Dumbledore!” Sirius snapped, moving towards Remus’ side. Lily tried to look away from where he clasped his hand firmly in his, as if daring heaven and hell to try and pull them apart. She’d mention that to James later… along with a hundred other things.

“What?” Lily demanded. “What does Dumbledore have to do with this?” She crossed her arms, just to ensure the boys all knew she wasn’t pleased to be kept in the dark.

Peter replied, the most calm one out of all of them. “Dumbledore sends the potions for Remus.”

“Along with notes about how much the Order of the Phoenix could use our expertise,” James snorted. “I’m sure it was a simple mistake, but I’ll ask next time I see him.”

“That simple mistake could’ve cost us dearly,” Sirius said sternly. “If anything had happened…” he trailed off, as if it were too painful to even think about.

“But nothing happened,” Remus sighed, smiling sympathetically at Lily. “I just feel bad for that poor muntjac I ran into.”

“It could’ve been a lot worse,” Lily agreed. “And I’m sorry for making a big deal over there being a werewolf. I wouldn’t have if I knew.”

Remus squeezed Sirius’ hand but dropped it and reached out for Lily. “It’s a long story. You’ll have to visit more often so I can tell you.”

“It would be my pleasure,” Lily told him softly. Outside the sky was darkening. She wondered how annoyed the Dursleys would be over her disappearance earlier, and then decided she didn’t care.

Not caring still ached though. Ever since Petunia had drifted away it had felt like a hole in her heart. Swiftly, she decided to drop back in and make things right with her before going home.

“I should leave you to rest,” Lily told them heading towards the door. “Thank you for trusting me with your secret. I won’t tell another soul.”

“See you tomorrow!” James called, flashing her a smile. She just raised her eyebrow at him before slipping outside.

The trail of blood Remus had left coming out of the woods no longer made her flinch, although it was still a fairly vile sight. She was just about to reluctantly apparate to Privet Drive when she heard the door to the Shrieking Shack open and close again.

When she turned she was shocked to see Sirius stood sheepishly with his hands in his pocket.

“Apologies are overdone,” he told her. “But I did act a bit beastly towards you earlier so you deserve something.”

“You were stressed,” Lily insisted. “I don’t care about apologies, honestly.”

“How about information then?” Sirius asked her, a smile creeping across his face like it had done earlier amongst the trees. It reminded her of their days at school, how he’d always been the cool one.

“Information?” Lily asked. “What kind?”

“About your new coworker. And us, I suppose. Haven’t you ever wondered about the nicknames?”

Now that caught her interest. “I’m listening,” Lily told him, including her head.

Sirius laughed and, before Lily could gather her wits about her, turned into a large black dog.

She went to yelp but found she was too stunned to even do that. By the time Sirius returned in front of her, Lily hadn’t taken a single breath.

“There you go,” he told her, dusting his hands. “Animagus so we can keep our Moony company.”

“Oh!” She managed to get out. “And James?”

Sirius tapped the side of his nose, moving back towards the door. “Ah ah! You’ll have to ask him that yourself

“Padfoot, get the hell back in here!” James’ voice came from inside the Shrieking Shack.

“Looks like I’m being summoned,” Sirius grinned. “Thanks for the help with Moony, Lily. The Marauders appreciate it.”

For a few seconds Lily stood in front of the shack by herself trying to digest all she’d learned. “Prongs,” she whispered under her breath, recalling the times she’d heard the name said. “The Marauders. What idiots!”

And then she apparated back to the land of muggles, leaving the four Marauders to rejoice in their reunion.

Chapter Text

When James Fleamont Potter woke up on the morning exactly two months after he began working with Lily, he did so with the knowledge he’d broken a new personal record.

Two months in close proximity with Lily Evans. Two months travelling together and chasing leads. He’d seen her in her underwear. He’d hugged her. They locked eyes, and laughed, and sighed together.

And James Potter was proud to say he was not in love.

Of course, Lily was one of the most important people in his life. No force of nature could alter that. It had been set in stone since he’d met her at Hogwarts. But his crush had been a boundary between them before. Pushing her away. Now he got to appreciate all the benefits of being close to Lily Evans without worrying about his heart.

Because he’d taught himself to suppress his feelings for her. And now they barely existed aside from those small flickers when she would sit on his desk and kick her feet, or if she went to tie up her red hair. Those moments would make his stomach twist, and he’d have to remind himself of the pain he was avoiding by being platonic.

It turned out he liked being platonic with her, anyway. Especially since Voldemort meant any relationships he forged were fragile and liable to break. Ideally he’d be keeping everyone at arm’s length. But he couldn’t do that. Not with Lily.

When he went into work that day there was a taste of celebration in the air. He even spun a little when he took the floo system into the basement of the Hog’s Head. It was foolish, but Lily wasn’t there to make fun of him so what the hell.

He had no cases today. Truthfully, there’d been nothing concrete for a while. And more and more his hunt for life beyond the stars was being transformed into dealing with the issues of the Order. He cursed Dumbledore for using his one weakness to integrate him more and more. Yet for Lily it seemed like no great loss.

His coworker still didn’t quite comprehend the magnitude of his work. James knew, though. He understood that destiny was unavoidable, but if fate was written in the stars then it would take something greater than them to rearrange them. If their destiny was Death Eaters and blood purity fighting fire with fire wasn’t as productive as the Order liked to believe.

Finally cracking the mystery of extraterrestrial life? Well, that was something the Dark Lord would never have. Besides, his contact had whispered that aliens were far more integral to the wizarding world than one may expect. It wasn’t just him spiralling after what happened to his parents. James didn’t care what others would say. If he was going to choose a coping mechanism it would be far less complex.

Aliens weren’t on the agenda for today, however. James smiled and anxiously fiddled with the buttons on his dress shirt, shifting in his chair. As always when he was nervous, he shovelled as many Bertie’s Bott Beans in his mouth, hardly caring what flavour he got. At that point in his life he was practically immune.

It wasn’t everyday he was going to ask Lily if she wanted to get lunch with him, after all. They ate lunch together most days, but if he was verbally asking her it would sound like a proposal of sorts, and James didn’t want her getting the wrong idea.

Peter was an excellent cook, and had offered to whip up some bits at the Potter residence. He had arrived that morning with a comical chefs hat on that James had swatted and laughed at. Peter was often overlooked by others, but his Wormy was full of surprises.

Excellent waffles being one of those.

James’ euphoric feeling had overshadowed his rationality it seemed. Because it took a long time for him to realise the ever-punctual Evans was an hour late for work.

His first move was towards the telephone kept in the corner near where Lily usually worked. She didn’t have a desk, settling instead for a beanbag. James felt a little bad about that, but she never complained in earnest and honestly hunting aliens didn’t have enough paperwork to warrant two desks. The telephone has been something she insisted on, and he’d watched her charm it so it would work without needing to be hooked up to whatever elaborate muggle system was usually necessary

James punched in the number she’d left on a scrap of paper beside it. When nobody picked up he moved down to the next number, written far more carefully than the first.

He tapped his fingers nervously on the side of the strange machine, trying to recall what Moony and Lily had taught him about the contraption. Finally, someone picked up.

“Lily?” He asked instantly, relief coursing through him. Of course, James hadn’t presumed she’d been killed or anything drastic like that. But in dark times dark thoughts could take hold, and nothing was out of the realm of possibility.

“No,” a haughty voice snapped back instantly. “Who is this?”

James was trying to place the voice when another one- a gruffer masculine voice- could be heard crackling over the line. “Is it work?”

“It’s someone for my sister,” the first voice shot back.

There was more crackling and James crossed his legs in a more comfortable position on the beanbag. Finally, the second voice emerged again. “Who the bloody hell has that girl been giving our number to?”

James frowned. “She’s not just some girl. And I’m not just some stranger. I’m her work colleague.” He wondered if he was coming off strongly like he was bragging about that.

“Her work colleague,” the man was mumbling under his breath. “Listen here, we don’t consort with your kind. Whatever you’re after, me and my wife certainly can’t help you.”

James sighed. Why did some muggles have to be so dense? “So Lily isn’t there?”

“Certainly not!” The man spluttered back.

James didn’t hang around any longer. He chucked the fancy telephone back in its place and crossed his arms petulantly, slumping back on the beanbag.

He was in the process of feeling sorry for himself, and also for Wormy who would be making waffles for nobody but himself at this rate, when he heard the telltale roar of the floo network in action.

James shot out of the beanbag and wondered whether it would be worth running over to the desk so he could put his feet up and seem extra nonchalant about the whole situation, when he froze in the middle of the room.

He’d been expecting to see red hair and green eyes that looked almost unnervingly like gemstones, but instead a truly pathetic creature stood in front of him.

James had his wand out instantly. “Snivellus!” He yelled. If a Death Eater had found him… his mind raced with all the terrible possibilities.

Merlin’s name- was that what happened to Lily all along? Had his worst nightmares come true. James’ tried to swallow but his throat felt far too dry. Like somebody had rubbed sandpaper along it.

Severus didn’t reach for his wand, just stood with narrowed eyes, strands of his long black hair falling in his face.

“Oh have some self-respect, Potter. As hard as that may be,” Severus sneered.

“Self-respect!” James managed to choke out. “I didn’t realise Death Eaters knew what that was. Merlin’s name, this is a concerning development indeed. Who knows, next they might gain intelligence.”

Severus’ lip curled. “Facing possible death, you still insist on making yourself a clown. How she stands to be around you is beyond me.”

James’ grip on his wands tightened, bile in his throat. “This is wicked behaviour- even for a snake like you. How could you let them take Lily. I thought you-”

James had to stop talking then, nausea overcoming him at the thought of Lily being in the hands of Voldemort.

Fire flashed in Severus’ eyes at the mention of Lily’s name. “You’re jumping to conclusions, Potter. Dumbledore feared this would be the case. She isn’t safe around you, I’ve told him this a thousand times.”

James didn’t care that he hardly understood what the bastard was yapping on about- Dumbledore would surely never be talking to a Slytherin traitor such as Snivellus- because he’d shoved his wand back in his pocket and instead jumped towards the wizard in front of him.

They both hit the ground with a painful thud. James had Severus by the collar of his black robes, an iron grip that no amount of thrashing could undo.

“WHERE IS SHE?” He screamed, loud enough he was certain Abe Dumbledore would hear them and come running down to his basement.

Severus just sneered up at him, his nails digging into James’ wrist as he attempted to get free. “Dumbledore sent me.”

James barked out a humourless laugh. “Of course! My bad, I forgot you’d decided fascism wasn’t for your delicate sensibilities.”

Severus’ expression only hardened. “If you would listen for a second instead of trying to prove that you’re still the biggest bully on the playground, you’d understand,” he spat out. “Your ignorance will get Lily killed and if that happens I swear I will be the one to wring your neck, Dumbledore’s plans be damned!”

James finally let Severus’ go, stepping away from him. “If anything happens to Lily don’t worry about finishing me off, Snivellus,” James snarled back at him. “Because I’d happily die protecting her, and I fully intend on doing exactly that.”

Truthfully, James was reeling slightly from another comment Severus had made. ‘The biggest bully on the playground.’ Nobody had thought of him like that in years. Sure, he was a dick when he was younger, but what thirteen year old wasn’t? The fact Severus was still throwing that in his face felt like undoing years of progress he’d made to be a better person.

“None of us need to die,” Severus told him, picking himself off the ground. “Lily has been taken, but not by me. And I need your help getting her back.” He flinched as he said the last few words.

James sighed deeply, feeling a headache coming on. Of course the one thing had happened that would force him to cooperate with Severus Snape.

“Give me a moment,” James said finally. “I need to tell Peter we won’t be having waffles today.”