A Touch of Madness

Ch. 1 It All Started At A Party

It wasn't much of a surprise that Dionysus fell in love with Lily Evans.

The young woman was gorgeous. Emerald eyes, pale translucent skin, flaming red hair and a blunt firecracker personality to match- oh, she was perfect. It helped that Lily absolutely adored to celebrate, and when she threw a party (and by the fates, did she know how to party) she was its life and soul.

He liked women like that.

Dionysus knew all about the magical world -all the gods knew about Hectates pet project, and the current civil war taking place there- and so, he knew that Lily Evans was a witch that was being persecuted ferociously by Lord Voldemort and his followers. The war was coming to a head and people were being killed left, right, and center in broad daylight; so it was no surprise that Lily took refuge from the fighting one evening in a no-name mortal bar in the south of London. It just happens that a rowdy man was throwing an enthusiastic party in the very same bar Lily decided to go to, so Dionysus was able to inconspicuously slip away from his duties at Camp Half-Blood and meet her there.

The half-blood brats would survive a day without him supervising. Hopefully.

-oOo-

Lily Evans sat at the bar section furthest from the entrance, vibrant hair limp and lifeless in the grimy electrical lights. Her skin was drawn and dark rings shadowed her eyes. She look obviously depressed as she stared forlornly into her third cup of wine, as if she was seriously considering downing herself in it, just to get away from the living hell of her life.

Dionysus took the seat next to her. "Bad day?" he inquired.

The redhead eyed him suspiciously out of the corner of her eye. The god didn't react to her scrutiny, just ordered his own drink. He wasn't offended by her doubt of his intentions- they weren't the most innocent intentions, either- but with a war waging, anyone would be wary of strangers. Her survey was based out of a desire to avoid any undercover dark wizards with malicious intent.

She apparently decided he was a regular oblivious mortal- inwardly, Dionysus snorted at the comparison- and she fell toward the next most likely conclusion of his approach.

"Back off, I'm engaged." Lily flashed an expensive silver ring at him.

Dionysus was undeterred. When in the history of the world had something small like material status stop a determined god? Never, that's when.

"You don't sound happy about that." he noted.

"I'm not." the mortal said flatly. The Greek quirked an eyebrow.

Lily stared into her drink. "I don't love James." she confessed to it glumly. "We don't love each other like everyone expects us to. We are friends- God knows we've tried to be more- but any romantic inclination between us has long since dried up."

"There is no point in pushing yourself into that unhappy situation." Dionysus said mildly. Oh, he knew of the upcoming marriage between Lily Evans and James Potter. He also knew what most others did not- that the lovey-dovey romance was a front, and it was all for her protection. Mundane born witches and wizards like Lily were being targeted with increased intensity by the dark lord Voldemort. James Potter had offered all the protection the Noble House of Potter could give to his childhood crush through an offer of marriage. Lily had accepted. The two had planned to remain together for the duration of the war, and when it ended they would quietly divorce and go their separate ways. But Dionysus was trying to put on a front of blind innocence into personal matters, so he continued talking to Lily as if he knew nothing of the situation.

"Break off the engagement and find someone who will suit your interests better," the Greek deity continued.

"I can't!" Lily exploded. "I can't, okay? I have to marry James for my own good!" The ginger took a deep breath, and released it. Her next words sounded closer to a hiss. He idly wondered if she could speak to snakes. "You wouldn't understand."

"You'll be surprised at what I can and cannot comprehend." Dionysus said dryly. His drink arrived. He sipped it slowly, eyeing Lily through hooded eyes.

Her pale cheeks were flushed with a mixture of anger, frustration, and embarrassment. Angry at the topic, frustrated with her inability to do anything about it, and embarrassment for unloading her problems and then proceeding to yell at a virtual stranger most likely. Red, Dionysus decided, was a beautiful color and complemented Lily beautifully.

Lily looked seconds away from apologizing, but frustration won her over. "Who are you?" Lily asked instead.

Emerald green eyes, bright with emotion, stared into cooly amused eyes the color of amethysts.

"I'm Dionysus."

Lily blinked. "The Greek god of wine and madness?" Lily proceeded to glance at her nearly empty goblet suspiciously.

"The one and the same." he smiled lazily, amused at her actions. "How's the war going?" The deity already knew- Ares kept the other Olympians updated, and often got into arguments with Athena over what move would be made next, so the wine god was quite familiar with how the so-called light side was losing- but he was trying to make conversation. There was silence from the woman next to him. The sounds of cheers and clatters of laughter filtered around them, as Joe Daniels continued to party with his friends.

"You're really a god? The gods exist? And your not some figment of the last shreds of my sanity leaving me?" Lily asked after a pause.

"Yes, to all three questions."

There was a longer silence. Dionysus was idly humming along to the ditty being sing by the drunk patrons at the other end of the bar- something about fallen soldiers and lovely milkmaids- when Lily stirred from the silence that befell her.

"Sometimes, I wish I was normal." Lily looked miserable as she admitted it. "Then I wouldn't have to deal with the nonsense of wars over blood purity, the inconsistencies of magic, and meeting gods in random bars."

The said god met in the said random bar snorted. "Well that's life, Lily Evans. Get used to it."

"I want to forget life if this is the reality we have." Lily said. She didn't question the use of her name, even though she had not introduced herself. The Gryffindor witch was ready to accept anything at this point, including omniscient gods...and then Lily was going to get so plastered she wouldn't be able to remember the crazy world she lived in.

"Fine wine is the way to go," Dionysus said, "if you want to forget."

"Just tonight," Lily agreed with him, "the world will be normal. No magic, no war, no divinity. Just two strangers in a bar."

He grinned. "I can live with that."

Then he called for the bartender to bring out a few bottles of the good stuff, with an order to put it on his tab. Then the god and the mortal spent the rest of the night in each others company, partying with Joe Daniels and his friends, drunk out of their minds.

-oOo-

Days after that incident with Dionysus in the bar, Lily Evans married James Potter. Three weeks later Lily found out she was pregnant. A couple moths later on July 31st, 1990, Lily gave birth to a beautiful baby girl with bright eyes the color of amethyst who she named Eleanora Potter.

The next year the small family went into hiding at the advice of a trusted confidant of the family. It was all for naught as on October 31st, 1991, James and Lily Potter died, Voldemort was defeated, and little Eleanora was sent off to live with her realities. The orphaned girl had no idea of her parents sacrifice, her status as the Girl-Who-Lived, or her interesting heritage.

Fate is funny like that.