A Long Nine Months

4: Loved and In Love

 Okay, okay. So this one isn't really about Lily's pregnancy but it is about Jily. Plus, I just had to write it down and I figured here is as good a place as any. Anyways, hope you enjoy!

-------------------------------------

"GO!" Fabian shouted. He ducked and an emerald green spell blasted into the wall just behind where his head was a moment ago. "GO! NOW!"

Lily didn't need to hear him twice. She fired off a curse at a masked Death Eater, hitting him in his shoulder and sending him skidding backwards. But she didn't wait to see it collide; instead, she turned around and grabbed Sirius by his left wrist, his right hand still firing curses and defensive spells every second. Lily shut her eyes and turned on the spot, hoping beyond hope that no curse happened to be passing through the surrounding air and get sucked into nothingness with them.

She opened her eyes as her feet hit solid ground again. She staggered in the grass and took a deep breath of the fresh, crisp evening air in the small yard of the flat that was their temporary Order Headquarters. Her right hand gently reached towards her left forearm where some blood had already dried on the edges of her torn sleeve, but with the adrenaline coursing through her veins, she hadn't even noticed it before now.

Sirius spun around in confusion, his brows furrowing as he realized what had happened. "Come on, Evans!" he roared. "Why'd you grab me? I had them!"

Lily glared at him furiously, her cheeks red and hands shaking. "No. You didn't. We were outnumbered, two to one, at best!"

"We could have gotten the papers still! We could've--" Sirius groaned again.

"She was following orders, Sirius," Fabian Prewett said exhaustedly. He was clutching his shoulder and red blood was seeping through his pale fingers. Lily rushed forward and pried his fingers off, trying to see the wound.

"Did everyone make it back?" Gideon asked, equally exhausted as his twin.

Lily focused on Fabian's shoulder, trying to steady her trembling hands to point her wand at the gash.

"Peter and I are here!" came Remus's voice as he stepped out of a dark corner of the backyard. Peter was limping, his arm around Remus's shoulders for support.

"Marlene's here," Marlene called.

Another soft pop sounded and Lily couldn't help but turn hopefully at the sound. James had appeared out of nowhere by the wall of the flat, just under a lantern jutting out of the pale brick.

"I'm here! I'm h--" James said with a sigh with a cut lining his temple and a breathless, lopsided grin.

"JAMES!" Lily screeched, completely forgetting about the healing spell she was planning on casting on Fabian's arm. Instead, she ran towards James and threw her arms around his neck, clutching at the back of his shirt.

James wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her as tightly as he could, closing his eyes and revelling in the feeling of Lily safe in his arms. Her fingernails dug into his back and he could feel the desperation as she held onto him, a desperation that he felt deep within his own chest.

"Oh, Lils," he sighed softly into her hair.

"You're okay," she whispered back to confirm the fact to herself. She leaned back in his arms and stared into his bespectacled eyes. She reached up with one hand and ran a thumb over the cut etched onto his face, biting her lip worriedly. Meanwhile, James stared at her with a soft smile and he leaned down to kiss her hairline.