Piece By Piece

Chapter Fifteen: Regroup

      Lily spent the hours after Harry and Ron had left as a complete nervous wreck. And when she got nervous, her appetite vanished. She ate nothing at breakfast or lunch; and even when James had prodded her to, "at least eat an apple, Lils, I don't want you to collapse," the best she could do was toss the fruit up and down like it was a toy. 

      She couldn't focus on training, either. It took only 20 minutes in the simulation room for Lily to think of her son and get distracted, allowing the fake Death Eater to fire a killing curse straight at her chest and throw her onto her back. The alarm signaling her failure rang and the room changed from a hologram of a dense forest to blank walls and a cold floor. She sat up and collected herself; putting her head in her hands and trying her best to hold back tears. It took five shaky breaths before she could allow herself to look up; and when she did she saw James standing in the doorway.

      "I know what you're like when you get nervous," he began. His voice was soft; he wore a sympathetic expression and a sad smile. 

      "You should," Lily said, still sitting down and teary eyed. "We've been married for two friggin decades."

      James laughed a little and began to walk towards her. "I just know you have trouble concentrating, that's all. Couple that with loss of appetite and I didn't think you'd make it 30 minutes in here." He arrived in front of her and dropped to his knees. "If it's any consolation," he said, placing a hand on her cheek, "I couldn't concentrate either. Nearly blew myself up in the lab."

      Lily laughed and pulled James into a hug. When she pulled back, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a granola bar. 

      "Please?" He held it out to her. "You look like you're gonna pass out."

      Lily took the bar and twirled it around in her hands. She looked back up at James. "Fine; only because you begged me to."

      James put his hand on his chest in mock insult. "I did not beg. I don't beg!"

      Lily smiled and stood up. "Oh, you begged." She opened the wrapper and took a bite as James stood up beside her. 

      "I don't beg," he insisted, putting his arm over her shoulders. 

      "Mhm. Okay."

      "Wanna go to the weapons lab?"

      "Do I get to blow something up?"

      James paused for a minute. "Y'know, that wasn't on today's agenda... but I think I can make an exception."

      Lily grinned as they left the simulation room and headed towards the lab. "He'll be okay, right?" She asked as they walked.

      "I don't think they'd send him out if he wasn't qualified," James responded.

      "That didn't really answer my question."

      James took a deep breath. "You and I- we haven't seen enough of him in action to really know for ourselves. But with a mission like this, I doubt Hermione would feel comfortable sending the boys out if she didn't think he'd make it back."

      Lily nodded. "Makes sense."

      "I wish I could say I knew for certain, but..."

      "Yeah. Yeah, I know."

      Lily felt James pull her even closer to him as she continued to slowly eat the granola bar. As they continued down the hallway she began to hear shouting from behind. When she looked at James it was obvious that he'd noticed them, too.