The Chaser: a Marauder's Era Jily Fanfic

Chapter Twenty-One

You're all gonna wanna kill me... In advance, I'm sorry!!! But a heads up--there will be one more chapter after this! (I know I'm horrible for letting this drag on...)
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"James, it's past time to put Harry to bed," I scolded, looking from the man with messy black hair to the nearly identical little boy in his arms. James opened his mouth in protest.

"It's quite late--" I began, and my supposedly adult husband stuck out his bottom lip. "James, really!" I insisted, exasperatedly. He gave me puppy-dog eyes. "Make sure he's in bed in the next ten minutes," I folded, crossing my arms, and walking back into the kitchen.

"Oh! And I need to talk to you later!" I said, poking my head back around the threshold. He muttered something about me not being his mother, and I rolled my eyes. "Boys..."

Quarter of an hour later, I re-entered the living room, which was filled to bursting with puffs of coloured smoke. Upon seeing me, James hastily threw his wand down on the couch.

"Just putting Harry to bed!" He attempted as a cover, quickly picking up our giggling baby. I couldn't help but laugh along with him. Rolling my eyes at James, I took Harry from him.

"I'll put him to bed," I offered, smiling down at Harry's chubby face. James stood up and stretched. "Come up when you can, though, I really do have something to tell you!" I reminded him, smiling excitedly. Harry grabbed at some smoke over my shoulder, and smiled happily. He let out a "Ha!" of laugher as our cat sprinted down the stairs we were going up. Balancing Harry on my hip, I pushed open the door to the bedroom. I caught sight of a small stack of documents on the desk, and grinned. James would be so ecstatic when I told him later.

"You're going to have a sister, Harry, you know?" I told him, in a high-pitched baby voice. He beamed at me, and I laughed. "You two will have a lot of fun together. I did, with your Auntie Petunia before--well... You two shan't have that problem!" He began to giggle, as I heard a loud bang from downstairs, and whirled around.

"Lily! Take Harry and run! I'll hold him off!" I heard James's voice shout, panicked. Him. He must be Voldemort. My brain went numb.

"James..." I muttered, and made to dizzily exit the room, but Harry's laughter turned into crying, and I was brought back to my senses. I looked around frantically. He couldn't be here, not now! The Fedalius Charm was still in effect. It could only be broken if Peter--Peter! Peter must've told our location to Voldemort. The truth sunk in, and it was all I could do to not melt to the ground. Peter was our friend, and he betrayed us! He sold us to You-Know-Who! My hands went clammy, and my heart rate and breathing quickened. I kissed the top of Harry's head, and placed him on the emerald greet mattress of his crib. Time seemed not to matter anymore. I searched my pockets for the wand that could mean our salvation, but I came up empty. Cursing my stupidity, I desperately prayed that James had picked his up from the couch. I did the only thing I could, and shoved a chair under the door handle to the bedroom, pushing over the bookcase and filing cabinet as reinforcements. I knew it would be no good. These were simple Muggle ways of hiding, not ones that would work against the darkest wizard that had ever lived. The tears came, and I took Harry, who looked confused and upset, and tried to pacify him, rocking him back and forth in my arms.

"Shhh... Harry, listen, Mummy loves you! Daddy loves you!" I heard a shout that reared a piece of my heart out. It felt like something was being tested out of my chest, and I couldn't breathe.

"Avada Kadavera!" His voice was ruthless, merciless. The flow of tears intensified, dripping onto Harry's head.

"Mummy loves you, Harry! Mummy and Daddy love you so much Harry!" I heard a swooshing of a cloak outside the door. "Be brave, Harry! Be strong!" I kissed him, and had just dropped him in the crib again when the door burst open in a burst of light. I positioned myself in front of Harry, guarding him. I hadn't wanted to go down like this, begging, but I did want to go down doing my damnedest to save Harry. With a new sense of purpose, a feeling of determination joining the panicked desperation. I threw my arms open, shielding the baby boy.

"Take me!" I pleaded to the cloaked figure, who let out a derisive laugh.

"Move out of the way, girl! Stand aside!" His voice was icy cold, and Harry began to cry again.

"Please! Please! Take me! Kill me instead!" I repeated, dazed but earnest. My heart hammered in my chest, but I had no way of calming it.

"Stand aside, you silly girl! This is your last warning, now stand aside!" Voldemort insisted, bringing up his hand as if to push me away.

"No! Have mercy! Please! Kill me instead!" I begged. He couldn't kill Harry. No matter what! I wouldn't let him! It would be over my dead body that--! As if reading my mind, he brought his wand slashing down in front of him, and I saw the green light before I heard the words. Buzzing consumed my ears, and the last thing I heard was Harry's crying mingled with a cackle of joy, before my vision went black and I had no feeling. No being. No nothing. I was nothing.

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Hiiii...

So... Awkward... Please don't kill me! Because I do have good news--there will be one more chapter! (I'm so bad at ending this...)

Yeah... Well thank you guys so much for reading!!! And for not tracking me down and murdering me...

I love you all so much! Thank you for sticking with this story nearly all the way. :)

-Ginny