The Marauders - Always - Part 2

October 31, 1981 (Attempt Number 6)

The Potter Cottage was quiet, dark, the thin crescent of the moon - 3 days new - barely illuminating the streets of Godric's Hollow. A dim glow from inside the stained glass window in the face of the old church across the way provided a colorful gleam on the street. A single street lamp overlooking the grave stones in the kirkyard in an eerie sort of way - perfect for Halloween night.

It should not have been visible at all, that house. Yet there it stood, not entirely unlike an apparition itself.

The clock in the tower in the square in the village was ringing, counting off the hour. Clustered all around the village streets were young people, dressed in their costumes, singing and playing games, enjoying their revelries of the night. The stars dotted the sky as the bells tolled.

And a young woman was running up the road, her dress swishing about her ankles as her heels clicked on the pavement. A golden necklace bounced against her chest as she moved as quickly as she could, her hair falling from a once beautifully-done updo. She panted as she ran, her hand clutching a beech wood wand with delicate runes etched into the wood.

The living room windows were covered with closed gingham curtains - yellow, happy curtains, that belonged to the little, happy family - which glowed with firelight and lamps from inside.

They were reading.

On the couch, all three of them.

She'd been close enough once that she got in the door and saw them before getting pulled back by the Turner.

James had been lying across the cushions, of course, with Lily lying on her stomach across his body, the baby, Harry, on his chest between them, cooing and gurgling happily as James rubbed his back, listening as Lily read out loud.

"At that moment, with a crunch, the boat ran ground. The water was too shallow now for it. 'This,' said Reepicheep, 'Is where I go on alone.' They did not even try to stop him, for everything now felt as though it had been fated, or happened before..."

Lily's voice carried through the cottage as the baby yawned and stretched and James smiled sadly, sliding an elbow behind his head as he listened, his other hand on Harry's back, keeping him steady, protecting him from falling.

"I love and hate this part all at once," James murmured.

Outside, Ottalie Potter ran faster knowing these last few moments of peace were coming to an end...

Knowing that even as her heels clicked, the darkness in the road there before the cottage had already shifted and a man was reaching for the gate handle, a second, more deadly shadow looming behind him, dark cloaks pulled close to obscure their faces, to shroud them in the dark of the nearly moonless night...

Knowing the gate was creaking...

That James was sitting up, scooping Harry into his arms...

Lily had dropped the gold-gilded page book to the floor...

It happened too fast from that point. From the moment the gate hinges creaked to the moment it was over happened too fast. She had no hope of making it in time from here, and she could already feel time pulling her back, feel the necklace against her chest burning and spinning of its own accord...

She swore as she felt time stop around her and the curtains in the window flashed green.

Another attempt failed.

Ottalie slammed into Dierk's chest, and he caught her, expecting her this time, his strong arms gripping her. Alphard stood just behind him, eyes wide as Ottalie's breath rasped, burning her lungs, her heart racing and tears tracking over her cheeks.