Always (SNILY): Angst, Multiple POV, Dark Romance

Chapter Nine

"Their forces have infiltrated the ministry, as suspected." Dumbledore spoke with his usual cadence, his hand rubbing the length of his beard, "The minister is entirely befuddled."

"He's a marionette." Kingsley finished Dumbledore's thought, his voice flat and matter of fact.

Lily sat in an armchair by the fire, its warmth spreading through her like a sip of hot chocolate.

Lily watched as Molly rose from her place across the room. Her hair glowed in the light like a furnace as she began pouring saucers up with tea. Molly was what you would call a "nervous hostess." Whenever things got uncomfortable, she started bustling about, taking care of others.

Lily thought it was sweet. She would make a wonderful mother one day, if they succeeded in this war.

"They're after half-bloods and blood traitors." Sirius cut in, his tone clipped. "Anyone they can pin as a threat to their game."

Half-bloods. Lily scoffed at the term. She preferred mudblood. A word that had once held so much power over her. Now? It was a symbol of her power over them.

Let them underestimate her.

"James is likely being held within the ministry itself," Kingsley cut in, "there are prisoner cells within the hall of mysteries. They have been able to keep a remarkably low profile... the wards are impossible to get through. I am almost certain its some type of dark, blood magic."

Lily watched as the group began talking over each other, the conversation building with heat and frustration. She was worried for James, frightened, even. But her mind kept drifting elsewhere.

The look on Severus' face when she left him this morning...

His eyes were etched in such angst and sorrow. Beautiful sorrow.

A crow, perched upon a mausoleum.

Lily could feel the weight of his turmoil. She wanted to sink into his bones, to feel his pain and wear it as her own. She knew he had wanted her once, but now she was not so sure. His jesting seemed calculated. Like he always wore a mask to hide the phantom beneath.

What was behind that mask? Lily wanted to know.

She was not afraid. Not anymore.

"I have an idea," Lily spoke abruptly, somewhat distracted as she started parsing through the plan in her mind.

The others stopped their bickering and turned towards Lily. The weight of their gaze fueled a fire within her.

She wasn't sure how she was going to pull this off, only that she wanted to.

She was going to fight.

"I'm a mudblood. You are going to use me as a ruse."

Sirius began shaking his head, the curls of his hair sweeping in disagreement. "Absolutely not."

Lily didn't acknowledge Sirius. She pushed forward.

"Kingsley, you will bring me in as a captive. Say you... believe me to be involved in treasonous activity... get creative," Lily stood from her seat, walking towards the center of the room. "Once I'm in the prison, I can relay information about the wards. We can rescue more than just James."

"Lily, those wards require specific magic to enter, let alone to navigate through- we won't have the ability to access it- or you." Kingsley argued back, concern written all over his face. "It won't do anything but give them two captives rather than one."

"Yes, but I remember learning about a potion that exists where we can fool the blood magic...walk through as one of its own."

"Lily, I love you- but you're mental. You're talking about some seriously dark stuff." Sirius cut in. "Even if a potion did exist, we don't have the knowledge or resources to procure it!"

"We don't," Lily smirked, her eyes meeting the rest of the Order members.

"But I know somebody who does."