Saving Their Lives

Sirius stood back and watched his best friend wrap his arms around his wife and son. He felt a tinge of jealousy run through him as he watched the closeness that the couple shared. He had known that James and Lilly were meant to be for years, and it had never bothered him playing the third wheel with them, but now he felt the ache in his heart for something that was missing. This threat that was looming over their heads only reinforced in Sirius’ mind how short life really was.

He had always thought that someday he would find a nice little witch and settle down and have a few children of his own. He dreamed that he and James would sit and laugh together while their wives doted over their children. They would attend Quidditch matches where both of their son’s would be star players, and maybe if they were lucky someday, their children would fall in love and marry, uniting their family firmly through blood.

He watched as Lilly kissed her giggling son and James tickle his sides. He wondered if he would ever produce a child. He wondered if he would ever find a love as everlasting as theirs. Hell, he wondered if he would find a love that lasted longer than one night. Not that there wasn’t anything wrong with a one-night stand, but he was starting to wonder if it was possible to have anything any more meaningful. An awkward morning definitely beat a lonely night, but perhaps, there really was something more out there. First though, they needed to find the horcruxes and keep James and Lilly alive. He hoped that hiding among the Muggles was a good idea.

“Shall we go?” Lilly asked him with a grin. She was always so happy and content with life.

“You two go ahead, I think that I’ll pop back to my apartment and pick up a couple of things. When is that house elf you hired coming?”

James said, “As soon as I call her. We need to do a binding ceremony. We should probably do that at your place so that it is in place before she comes here.”

Sirius nodded. “Just let me know. Probably should do it soon though, you don’t have any food in the house, nor do you have any furniture. If you get her bound, you can get her started on settling your house,” he said.

Lilly nodded. “Should we do that before we meet the Grangers?” she asked. “That way the elf can get everything ready while we’re gone.”

James nodded. “Might as well. I think that we should put glamour on her as well. It wouldn’t do for the neighbors to see a house elf. Imagine what the Muggles will think!”

“You do know that house elves can make themselves unnoticed to anyone but their owners don’t you?” Sirius asked his friend.

“Yeah, but if someone sees us talking to her and not her that would look weird.”

“You should have just hired a Muggle housekeeper,” Sirius said. “Get some old lady in here to play nanny to Harry and clean up.”

“I though of that, but what happens the first time she sees Harry levitate an object or float around on his broom? She’ll run screaming out the door and our secret will be up,” he said.

“Perhaps,” he said noncommittally. “Lets get going then, I’m starving.” It had been hours since breakfast and he tended to get a bit cranky when he was hungry.

A few moments later the three adults and one giggling baby arrived at Sirius’ small apartment. Lilly looked around in disgust at the mess that was everywhere and shook her head. “You need a house elf, Siri,” she said. There were empty take out cartons, empty firewhiskey bottles, newspapers scattered around the side of his recliner, and dirty clothes everywhere that you looked.

Sirius grinned. “I thought that I would find myself a nice witch and settle down, let her cook and clean for me, use her as my sex slave,” he said mischievously.

Lilly snorted. “Good luck with that,” she said. “Last time I checked, witches have free will.”

“Yeah, but the sex will be so good, that she’ll want to stay and keep me happy so that I’ll stay and keep her happy,” he grinned.

James laughed. “You’ll be a bachelor all your life if you think like that, mate,” he said smiling at his wife, who leaned over and kissed him. When she turned away he winked at his best friend.

Sirius smiled and reached out for his godchild. “Do you hear that, Harry? I’m going to be a bachelor my whole life!” he said blowing kissing down the baby’s neck. “You’ll keep me company won’t you, mate?”

“Dog!” Harry shouted in laughter as he gripped Sirius’ hair and pulled.

“Ouch!” he cried prying Harry’s hands loose.

“Woof!” Harry shouted waiting for Sirius to tickle him again.

Lilly and James laughed. “You asked for it by teaching him that, mate!”

“If you didn’t change into a dog and ride him around on your back every time that he saw you, he might think of you as something besides one,” Lilly smirked.

Sirius rubbed his head, grinned and then hugged Harry’s small body against his chest. “I don’t mind, pup,” he said, “as long as you don’t pull all my hair out,” he grinned.

“Alright, lets get on with this,” Lilly said in exasperation. “I want to get back and meet the Grangers. We need to get everything organized, I can’t live in limbo,” she said.

“I’m sorry that this happened,” James whispered softly to his wife.

“You have no control over a prophecy and a maniac, James.”

“I know, but I wish that we could have a normal life,” he said.

Lilly smiled. “My life hasn’t been normal since I stepped onto platform 9 ¾ when I was eleven years old,” she said softly rubbing the side of his face.

“And my life hasn’t been normal since I saw you for the first time hugging Snivelus,” he smiled.

Lilly’s smile faded at the name. “Don’t call him that,” she said. “He’s my friend.”

“Harry said that you can’t trust him,” James argued.

“He said that you can’t trust him right now, but that in the end he is honorable and brave,” she argued back.

“Alright you two, call the house elf,” Sirius said, knowing exactly where an argument about Severus Snape between the two of them would go.

James looked at his wife and sighed. “He’s right, we don’t have time for this,” he said. “Rosie!” he shouted.

A moment later a pop was heard and the new house elf appeared. “Yes, master Potter, sirs,” she said bowing low onto the floor before his feet.

“This is my wife, Lilly, and my son, Harry. We would like to do the binding ceremony here before we go to our new home. It is very, very important that our location is never given away. Is that clear?” he asked sternly.

“Yes, master, sir,” she bowed.

“Alright then, do you, Rosie the house elf, promise to remain loyal to the Potter family, obeying all requests and keeping all family business to yourself as long as you live?”

Rosie nodded. “Rosie promises, master,” she said.

“I James Potter,” he said.

“And I, Lilly Potter,” she said.

“Promise to protect and care for Rosie the house elf, providing her with food and shelter, as long as she lives,” they continued together. Magic swirled in the air between the elf and the Potter family and it was complete.

“Alright now, Rosie, we need you to go to our home in Godric’s Hallow and obtain all of our possessions. We then would like for you to take them to our new home. It is under a fidelius charm, but I understand that house elves can get through them?” James asked.

“Yes, master, sir, Rosie can go anywhere you live, sir,” she bowed.

“Oh honestly!” Lilly said. “Rosie, you don’t have to bow or call us master or sir,” she said in disgust. She never could stomach the subjugation of the elf race towards wizards and witches.

“Oh no, mistress!” Rosie bowed, “I must show respect!” she cried, bowing again.

James rolled his eyes. “I command you not to bow, Rosie,” he said. He knew that anything he wanted changed about the elf had to come as a direct order.

Rosie looked apoplectic but she nodded. “Yes, master, sir,” she said.

“Go now, and be careful. If anyone comes to the house, don’t answer the door. If anyone tries to come inside of the house apparate away and return home. Do not stay to find out who it is,” James said. “Is this clear, Rosie?”

“Yes, master, sir,” she said and popped away.

“Do you think anyone will show up at the house?” Lilly asked. “I would hate for her to be harmed.”

“I doubt it, but even if they did, nobody would pay any attention to a house elf,” James said. In the Wizarding world, house elves were little better than furniture that blended into the background, only to be noticed if they did something wrong.

“I’m starving,” Sirius said swinging Harry through the air.

At that moment Lilly’s stomach chose to growl. “I am as well. Shall we get a bite to eat before we go home?”

“I don’t know if it’s a good idea to go out into public. We should completely disappear,” James said cautiously.

Lilly grinned. “I have an idea. Since we’re now going to live as Muggles, lets do what they do. We can go home and order pizza!”

James and Sirius looked at each other and shrugged. They’d had pizza before and liked it alright. It sounded like the easiest solution. “Do you think that Harry would like it?” James asked, knowing that they had never fed anything like that to him before.

“What kid doesn’t like pizza?” Lilly asked in mock horror.

“Let me grab a couple of things, and I’ll meet you at your house,” Sirius said. He needed a few minutes to himself to regroup.

James nodded and Lilly stared at him suspiciously. She wondered what he was up to. “Half hour, Black, and that’s all the time you get,” she said.

“Gone on home with you, witch, and stick to bossing your own husband around,” he grumbled.

James laughed and grabbed his wife around the waist disappearing with her and Harry a moment later.

“Damn bossy witches,” he complained to the empty room.

“Albus! What an unexpected surprise! Come in, come in,” Molly said with a smile. She wondered what the wizard was doing there. He had never stopped by their home before.

“Thank you, Molly. How are you?” he asked as he made himself comfortable in a wooden chair at her kitchen table. There were several little boys racing around the table and she was carrying the smallest one on her hip.

“Good, good,” she said nervously. “This one’s getting a bit heavy with the next one due in three months,” she said rubbing her protruding belly.

“You certainly are a fertile family,” he said with a smile. “Are all of your children magical?” he asked.

Molly frowned. “Of course they are,” she said. She pulled a pot of tea from the stove and poured him a cup.

“Amazing. Six pureblood children, and every one of them magical. Most pureblood families have a squib or two thrown in with those numbers,” he said with a smile.

Molly didn’t know if she should be insulted or not, and chose to ignore it. “What brings you out to the Burrow this afternoon, Albus?” she asked. She took the teapot and placed it at the end of the table on a magical heating pad that was charmed to keep the tea hot.

“I had a few things to discuss with Arthur, is home?”

Molly shook her head. “He is at work still. Should be home anytime,” she said.

“I stopped by the Ministry of Magic and they told me he had taken the morning off. I thought that perhaps he was sick,” he queried.

Molly wondered what was going on, but played along, using the excuse that Arthur had told her to use if anyone asked. “He had a meeting at Gringotts this morning. Sirius Black and James Potter were working on a case that they asked Arthur’s opinion on. Something to do with Muggles, I suppose.”

“I see,” he said. He knew that the witch was lying, but he didn’t know why. Something was a foot and he intended to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible. “I hadn’t realized that you and Arthur socialized with the Potters,” he said.

“We barely know each other. We exchanged pleasantries at the Order meetings, but that is all.” She walked to the counter and took several biscuits from the jar and set them on a small plate. She then took them back to the table and set them in front of the older man.

“Strange, I thought that I saw Lilly and Arthur together this morning in Diagon Alley,” he fished.

“Perhaps they ran into each other. I’m sure that Arthur would be polite if he saw her.” Why was he here asking all these questions? What did the man really want? “If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I need to change little Ronnie’s nappy,” she said with a smile.

Dumbledore wrinkled his nose. “In here?” he asked. He picked up a biscuit and bit into it, immediately liking its sweet flavor. “Excellent,” he smiled.

“No, I’ll take him upstairs. I’ll be right back. Tea’s in the pot if you’d like a second cup.” She needed to get out of the room for a moment and think. Where was Arthur? He said that he would be right back! She could stall for several minutes while changing the diaper, but not for much longer than that.

Dumbledore stared thoughtfully at the teacup in front of him. What could the Potters and the Weasley’s be up to? As far as he knew they had never been friends before. Why would they all of the sudden be sneaking around together. The Potters were supposed to be in hiding, not gallivanting around Diagon Alley for all to see. What could have brought them from Godric’s Hallow? Why did James all of the sudden need his invisibility cloak? Why would he and Arthur and Sirius need to go to Gringotts together? He hated to be kept in the dark regarding anything.

He wondered if they had found out about Peter Pettigrew joining Voldemort. He didn’t know how they could have unless Severus told Lilly, and he doubted that Severus would say anything. He was still hurt and angry at Lilly for choosing James over him. He thought about telling the Potter’s himself, but he wanted to see what Voldemort would do next now that he knew where the Potter’s lived. He figured that they could protect themselves well enough and he really thought it was best to let Tom play his hand on his own without forcing it.

So what could be going on? He needed to find out what the meeting at Gringotts was about. He needed to find out if the Potters and the Weasley’s were still loyal to the light side. Lilly was a Muggleborn and not safe in Voldemort’s world, so he couldn’t see the Potters changing sides, but the Weasley’s were from an old line of two Pureblood families. Perhaps they were worried about Voldemort winning and we terminated do to the fact that they were blood traitors. That still didn’t explain anything. Not to mention, where did Sirius Black fit into the equation. He was James’ best friend, but he came from a very loyal dark family.

“Albus! What a surprise!” Arthur said interrupting his thoughts.

“Arthur! Good to see you!” he said with a smile.

“What brings you out to the Burrow?” Arthur asked. He knew that the wizard had been dodging their steps the entire day.

“I was out and about and thought that I would ask you if you and Molly were attending tonight’s meeting,” he said. It sounded contrived, even to his own ears.

“Of course, wouldn’t miss it for the world. The sooner we can put a stop to He Who Must Not Be Named, the better it will be for all of us,” he said.

“And the Potters, will they be coming?”

“I would imagine, but you’d have to ask them,” he said, faking ignorance.

“I saw you at Gringotts today with James and Sirius. Is there anything I can help you with?”

“No, we got everything under control. They’ve been investigating a Muggle artifact theft and wanted to know my opinion on something. All taken care of now.”

“I hadn’t realized that you and the Potters were such good friends, Arthur,” he said.

“Just acquaintances, really. James knew I was interested in Muggle items and just asked my opinion. Honestly, his wife could have helped him as well as I did. It was a bit exciting to go to Gringotts rather than the Ministry though. It was a nice change of pace.”

“I see. Was that Lilly Potter I saw you talking to earlier this morning in Diagon Alley? How is she doing?”

Arthur shook his head. “I saw her in Gringotts, but it wasn’t me she was talking to in Diagon Alley. Albus, why are you asking me so many questions regarding the Potters?”

Dumbledore smiled and stood. “I must be on my way. I have a few more errands to run before the meeting tonight. I will see you there?” he asked again.

Arthur nodded and Molly entered the room. “Oh, are you leaving already?” she asked with a frown. “I thought perhaps we could have a visit,” she said.

“I am sorry, but no. I have a few matters to attend to before the meeting this evening. I will see you later this evening,” he said looking at both of them as they nodded. “Good day, then,” he said walking out the back door and apparating away.

Molly and Arthur looked at each other. “What is going on?” Molly demanded.

“I don’t know, but I suspect we had better let Lilly and James know. Here,” he said handing her a slip of paper.

She looked down at the address and committed it to memory. “Let me tell Bill and Charlie that we’ll be right back, and grab Ronald. He’ll keep Harry occupied.”

“Wait, perhaps we should change our clothes,” Arthur said looking at his billowing cloak and his wife’s robes.

“Why?” Molly demanded. She knew that she didn’t look her best, but what did he expect with six boys racing around and being six months pregnant.

“We’ll stand out against the Muggles. They’re hiding in Muggle London. We’d stick out like a couple of Muggles in Diagon Alley.”

Molly sighed. “Of course,” she smiled. “What should we wear?”

Arthur looked at his wife for a moment and then flicked his wand at her. She was now wearing a pair of blue jeans and a sweatshirt that said, Mom to Be. “There you are, dear. You should fit right in,” he grinned.

She looked down at her self in dismay but said nothing. Her husband knew more about Muggle customs than she did. “I’ll be right back,” she said.

Arthur flicked his wand at himself and he now wore pleated navy blue pants and a white dress shirt and tie. It was comfortable enough and he knew that most Muggle men looked like this.

A moment later his wife appeared with their small son, who wore blue jeans and a heavy blue sweatshirt. Arthur smiled and nodded his approval. “Shall we dear?” he asked holding out his hand. “I’ll apparate us into the back yard so that nobody sees us appear.”

Molly took his offered hand and snuggled against her husband’s strong chest. A moment later they disappeared.

“I’m Lilly Potter, and this is my husband James, and our son, Harry,” she said smiling at the young couple before her.

“I am Jane Granger, and this is my husband, Tom. This is our daughter, Hermione,” she said with a grin of her own. “How old is your little boy?”

“Fifteen months. How about your daughter?”

“She just turned two last month. I suspect that they will be in the same grade though. The cut off for school is September first, and Hermione’s birthday is at the end of the month.”

“I bet that they’ll be great friends,” James said.

“So when are you moving in?” Tom asked.

“Right now. Our furniture should arrive later tonight,” Lilly smiled.

“Down!” Hermione demanded of her mother. Jane smiled and set the determined girl down.

“Down!” Harry mimicked.

Lilly smiled and set him down next to Hermione. “Play nicely, baby,” she said.

The two stood for a moment staring at each other and then Harry reached over and took her hand. “Play,” he said.

“Baby,” Hermione said looking at Harry.

“NO!” Harry yelled. “Not baby!” he let go of her hand and glared at her. A second later her hair turned pink.

“What!” Jane gasped. “Hermione, no!” she said scooping her daughter up and running into the house.

“I’m really sorry, but we need to go now,” Tom said following after his wife.

“Wait!” Lilly said running after them. “I’m sorry!” she said reaching out to the upset man.

“You’re sorry? You didn’t do anything. Hermione is different; I suspect you’ll figure it out eventually. We try to keep her close to home where she’ll be safe, but sometimes, we want so badly for her to be around others,” he said sadly.

“I know what’s wrong with her,” Lilly said softly.

“How can you possibly know what is wrong with my daughter?” he demanded. “Nobody knows what is wrong with her!”

“I know, because the same thing is wrong with my son,” she said.

Tom turned and stared into the vivid green eyes of his new neighbor. “What?”

“Perhaps we can come in and talk to you?” she asked.

Tom looked from the two Potters to the closed front door of his house. He needed to know what was wrong with his precious daughter. He nodded. “Please, come in,” he said.

James, Harry and Lilly followed him into his house. “Jane, the Potters know what is wrong with Hermione,” he said softly to his sobbing wife.

She glared at the two intruders. “How could you possibly know what is wrong with my baby after two minutes of conversation?” she hissed. “You just wanted to come and stare at her!”

Lilly walked up to the woman and reached her hand out and touched her shoulder lightly. “I know what is wrong with her, because Harry, James and I all have the same problem. Its called magic. She is a magical child,” she said.

The two Grangers stared at them in shock for a moment and then Tom yelled, “Get out, just get out!”

James pulled his wand from his pocket and flicked it at the bellowing man. He was immediately quiet. He then turned back to the women who still held tightly to her child. He flicked his wand again and the girls pink hair turned back to its normal color. “Now, lets sit down and talk about this rationally,” he said.

Jane turned and stared in shock at her husband who was frantically trying to speak and at her baby who was staring intently at the little black haired baby. She set her daughter down and said, “Would you care for some tea?”

“Tea would be lovely,” Lilly said with a smile. “Darling, please remove the muzzle charm on Mr. Granger,” she said before following Jane into the kitchen.

“Tell me everything,” Jane said in wonder.

“I am a witch, and my husband is a wizard. Your daughter is a witch as well.”

“But I am not a witch, nor is my husband a wizard,” she argued.

“Neither of my parents were magical either, but my husbands family are all magical. Sometimes a magical child is born to a Muggle family for no apparent reason.”

“Muggle?”

“Non-magical. That is what you are considered, but you daughter will be a witch when she is fully trained. When she is eleven, she will receive an invitation to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She will spend seven years there training and when she is done she will be a full fledged witch.”

“Hogwarts? I have never heard of it,” she said.

“You wouldn’t have. It’s only for magical students. It is closely guarded to keep out all non-magical beings.”

“What if I don’t let her go?” she couldn’t stand the thought of sending her precious daughter away.

“You’ll let her go, because you know that it is what is best for your daughter. She will be an outcast in this world with her magical abilities. She will need to learn to focus and harness her power. She will need to learn to use her abilities. If she doesn’t get proper training, she will never be able to function. Her magic will take over and could eventually bring her great harm,” Lilly said sadly.

“She does things that nobody else can do. She makes her toys float across the room, she changes her hair and clothing, she makes things come to her, she turned my teacup into a bottle of soda. We didn’t know what was going on and when we took her to the doctor they thought that we were the crazy ones,” she whispered to Lilly.

“You and I will be the best of friends, Jane. We will help each other,” she said reaching out and hugging the distraught women.

“Oh god, you don’t know how this has affected our lives! We’ve become prisoners in our own home!” she sobbed to Lilly.

“Everything will be fine now, you’ll see,” she said.

The door bell rang and the two women stepped apart. They both went back out into the living room where Tom opened the door to Molly and Arthur Weasley. “Arthur!” James said.

Tom stepped aside and the new couple came in. Lilly grinned. “These are our dearest friends,” she said to Jane.

“Are they…?” she asked.

“Yes, they’re magical as well,” she smiled. “I was just explaining to the Grangers about their daughter, Hermione.”

Molly set Ron down, who waddled over to Harry and Hermione who were sitting on the floor playing with a set of blocks between them. He stared for a moment at Hermione and then sat down next to her. “So that’s Hermione,” Molly said with a smile.


A/N: So what do you think? Now we are going to go into the future with the next chapter...