The Price of War

The Hidden Doe

Every soul in the basement of Dumbledore Manor could hear the rain hit the surrounding walls and echo through the halls. The lightly lit passageways flickered as a man stalked through-his long robes dragging on the floor behind him- and stopped at one door. All those years ago the bearded man had commanded Door number 21 shall remain closed until further notice and that is exactly all his followers did until this day. The darkness that had entered the red-haired women's life had been locked inside her mind the same way she was locked in that basement.

Lily Potter had been left in the darkness for 12 long years. She had forgotten what the morning air smelled like, how it felt when sunlight warmed her skin, what the chill of winter rain felt like, and most importantly no matter how hard she tried she couldn't remember the last thing she had said to James Potter.

For years she was left alone in the darkness with nothing but her memories of a better life. She was never sure whether the smiles she dreamed about were real or just a figment of her imagination. She wanted to know if the baby boy she dreamed about was real, not just her mind playing tricks to keep her sane. Was she really a mother? She might never know the truth. After all, being locked up in a deatheaters basement didn't bring her any conversation.

The night of October 31, 1981, had ruined more lives than Lily could remember. Every time she woke from sleep she tried her best to remember her friends and family. She could never forget Sirius, Remus, Marlene, Mary, Alice, and even Peter. She would push through and remember the truth from the illusions fabricated in front of her. Maybe one last time she would let her eyes close and allow herself to remove the manacles which kept her chained to her life here.

But she was not greeted with freedom, just more memories she would be left to sort through.

"Evans!" A voice she knew well called from behind her. No matter how mad she pretended to be, a small smile crept on as she turned around to face the head boy.

"Potter." Lily nodded in acknowledgment and returned to pushing her trunk near the helpful houseleves.

"How was Christmas, love?" James asked, smirking while he casually brought his arm around her shoulders.

Lily's eyes grew wide at the motion and she elbowed him in the ribs. "Someone will see James!" She whispered sharply. She looked around and noticed on their way to the head cabin, everyone they passed began whispering. It was indeed a historic moment if Lily and James were smiling and getting along. Lily had known it was going to be hard keeping their relationship a secret especially if they couldn't keep their hands off each other.

James smiled at her knowingly, "So, what's the problem? I can't hug my own girlfriend?"

Lily sighed, "James you promised to keep it a secret. You know what'll happen when the entire school finds out."

"Lilly-flower the worst that can happen is the world finds out that the most eligible bachelor in Hogwarts is currently whipped," James said placing a small kiss on her arm.

"You are a git. Merlin knows what came over me when I agreed to be your girlfriend."

"I'm serious love. You better learn to bask in the glory." He said spreading his arms wide out as if he had just won a quidditch game.

"No Sirius is currently probably snogging my best friend in an empty compartment," Lily said smirking, and elbowed him straight in the ribs.

He groaned and slowly pulled his hand away only to turn around and close the compartment door looking back at her with a mischievous smile.

Lily surprisingly laughed and hit James's hand, "You git! We have a prefect meeting in 10 minutes."

He winked, "Then I have 9 minutes with you, don't I love."

Lily grinned and stepped closer to James, tip-toeing to help her reach his height. James kissed her hard on the mouth, his hands resting on her cheeks. 2 weeks of not seeing each other. They really were going to have a hard time getting work done after the term started.

"I missed you," He whispered in her ear, "I missed you so bloody much."

"I missed you more." She said a little out of breath and watched as James's eyes landed on hers and stayed there for a second longer as if seeing all the thoughts running inside her head.

"You know the school won't care if our little secret comes out," James said wrapping his hands around her hips.

"What about the pureblood gits that roam the halls like they own the bloody place?"

"As you said, they're gits who deserve no attention of my beautiful girlfriend." Lily could see the sincerity in his eyes that she had doubted for the past 4 years and instantly regretted half the things she said about her arrogant toerag. But now he was her arrogant toerag and she wouldn't change a single thing.

Just as Lily was going to kiss him again she heard someone clear their throat from the side. There stood Remus, looking at them and smirking.

"You know when you told me you fancy James Potter, I had no idea what I would be walking into." He laughed and pointed to the second door. "They're on their way, you might want to get er, situated?

Lily's face turned bright red, "Oh shut up if anything this is your fault. You're the one who told me to follow my bleeding heart."

James just laughed at Lily's reaction and moved away from her, allowing the prefect to make their way in.

When Lily looked back at Remus he was still looking at her smiling as if at that moment nothing else mattered.

Lily's eyes flew open, her heart fluttering from the love her memories had just given her but the feeling quickly vanished once she realized she was no longer on the Hogwarts Express, just the same dark dungeon with water slowly dripping from the corner.

Only this time Lily realized she wasn't alone.