Fiona C
07-19-2005, 09:34 PM
Nightmare at Godric's Hollow
Disclaimer: K, I don't own Harry Potter. That glory and credit belongs to Miss Rowling, who deserves it for her hard work. I'm just a broke, nearly-university-student, waiting for exam results. So suing me would be pointless. ^.~
A/N: This was started a month or two back. I'd had a nightmare in which somebody whom I see as a mentor told me that I was in danger from somebody that I love. In order to soothe myself, I decided to write this story in which Lily (who is, at-the-time, pregnant with Harry), has a similar nightmare.
~o~
"I have reason to believe, Lily, that you are in danger." Dumbledore's face was creased with worry. Lily was sitting in her headmaster's office, feeling strangely small under his gaze. "It has basis," Dumbledore continued, quieter now, leaning forward across his desk. "And I have it from reliable sources that -- I'm so sorry, Miss Evans -- James is a Death Eater."
Lily Potter sat up in bed, gently running a hand across her ever-growing belly. It was just a dream. The cold night air chilled her arms, and she shivered, then picked up her wand. James grunted as Lily placed a foot on the floor. She froze, taking shallow breaths, trying to avoid making any noise. James hadn't noticed. He was still asleep.
'Ssh, it's alright…' Lily thought, stroking her stomach. The baby had kicked, as if picking up on her fear. 'Uncle Remus will know what to do.'
Lily's feet carried her to the lounge without thinking about it. She took the tin of floor powder from the mantelpiece and whispered, "Flagrate!" A fire appeared in the hearth, on to which, Lily sprinkled floo powder. The flames promptly turned green. Leaning in, she choked, "Remus John Lupin -- Number 15, Byres Road, Glasgow!"
The last time that Lily had heard from him, Lupin had taken a job as a university lecturer in Scotland. 'With any luck, he might still be awake, marking assignments.' Lily fervently hoped this was so, because weaving through the floo network was making her extremely dizzy, and it would be an irritation if it was for nothing.
At last, her head came to a stop in what she guessed to be Remus' fireplace. The room looked grander than she had expected, and the various candles and lamps were still lit. Remus was reading; not an essay, but a book -- "The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner" -- and was not paying attention to the fireplace.
Lily blushed as she looked up at him, suddenly shy. Why was she bothering him with something as silly as a dream? She tried to pull out the fireplace when Lupin made eye contact with her. The initial surprise on his face warmed into a smile as he put down the book, and leaned his elbows on his knees to look into the fire.
"Lily?" He asked.
"Hallo…" Lily replied.
"It's been a while." Remus's voice held the same compassion and kindness that she had remembered. It was slightly hoarse, though, and then it came to mind that the full moon had been two days ago. Lily berated herself, knowing that rest would be vital to him right now, and that she was keeping him awake. "How are you?" Remus continued, oblivious to her self-reproach and internalised scoldings.
"I think the baby is getting impatient to get out into the world." Lily said, laughing a little, while holding her stomach.
Remus's smile grew and he chuckled lightly. For a few brief moments, Lily wondered if she had managed to get away with her lie -- focusing his attention on the baby instead of telling him that, no, she was not alright. The smile faded from Remus's face as he tilted his head. "I thought you didn't like the floo network?"
Lily nodded. Disliking the floo network was an understatement to her. "I hate the floo network," She agreed. "But it's quicker -- and possibly more secure -- than owls." Seeing Remus's confused look, Lily sighed, and gazed at the logs beneath her chin. "Remus, do you remember my Boggart?"
Remus nodded. "Dumbledore." He said. Lupin had been the only one who hadn't laughed at the fear represented by their old headmaster.
"The first time I tried to fight the Boggart, as Dumbledore, it had told me that my family was in danger -- Voldemort was coming after us." Lily told Remus, her voice sad, almost chilled by the memory. "James had you show me the Patronus charm."
"'Riddikulus' is somewhat harder when you can't laugh at your Boggart." Remus said thoughtfully. "Naturally, the only other thing that you could use was the Patronus. It took a lot of practice…" He was furrowing his brows now. "Lily, do you have a Boggart in your house that you can't get rid of?"
"No, no, it's not that!" Lily replied quickly, shaking her head. "It's -- oh, Remus, this is going to sound so silly -- I had a nightmare. Dumbledore was there. I was in his office. He-- He said…" It was hard not to feel a bit silly, squatting in the fireplace, confiding her dreams to one of James' best friends, particularly when it was obvious it would never come true. Lily choked back the lump in her throat. "He said that I was in danger, and that James was a Death Eater!"
Silence fell in the room, and Remus sat back in his chair. "It's not really that silly." He commented.
"Yes, it is!" Lily's voice was getting louder. The baby kicked in her stomach, and she reduced her voice back down to barely above a whisper. "James would never become a Death Eater. Which is why it's silly."
"Lily, listen to me." Remus got to his feet, then kneeled in front of the fireplace. His voice had become sterner, now. "It is perfectly valid to feel this way. You've had a nightmare. You're afraid, you're in shock, and I'm barely surprised." Lily opened her mouth to say something, but Lupin held up his hand to stem the flood of protests that he knew would come. "Boggarts are nasty creatures, and they feed on our fears. But dreams…. Dreams can likewise reflect our fears, usually in the worst way imaginable. It's not silly, do you understand that?"
Lily nodded, but stayed quiet.
"Furthermore," Remus added, lowering his voice, "Dealing with Voldemort demands caution."
This statement stunned Lily into silence. Remus heaved a sigh.
"James would never harm you, Lily, and you know that. He hates that 'pure-blood' nonsense." Remus wrinkled his nose. "I have a distaste for it, myself. But fear," He continued, "When understood and respected, can be the very thing that keeps us safe." Lupin smiled a little, some of the usual warmth and cheer returning. "Don’t discount the validity of your opinion and thoughts."
"Thank you, Remus." Lily whispered.
Remus just nodded. Lily smiled and felt a yawn coming, one that she couldn't hide from her old friend.
"Go back to bed, Lily." Remus said quietly. "You need your rest."
Lily nodded and gently rubbed her belly again. The baby had become still again, and since Remus's advice was usually sound, her panic began to ebb away.
"Alright." Lily began to pull out of the hearth. "Sorry to bother you at such a late hour."
"Never a bother." Remus replied softly, raising his eyebrows at the very suggestion. "Goodnight, Lily."
"Goodnight."
It had been, Lily decided, one of the stranger conversations that she had ever had with Lupin. She quickly doused the flames ("Aguamenti!"), then climbed the stairs to the bedroom. It was just a dream, even if the fears presented therein were real. With that thought in mind, Lily smiled again, and crawled into bed, nearly instantly falling asleep.
-The End-
~Fif
Disclaimer: K, I don't own Harry Potter. That glory and credit belongs to Miss Rowling, who deserves it for her hard work. I'm just a broke, nearly-university-student, waiting for exam results. So suing me would be pointless. ^.~
A/N: This was started a month or two back. I'd had a nightmare in which somebody whom I see as a mentor told me that I was in danger from somebody that I love. In order to soothe myself, I decided to write this story in which Lily (who is, at-the-time, pregnant with Harry), has a similar nightmare.
~o~
"I have reason to believe, Lily, that you are in danger." Dumbledore's face was creased with worry. Lily was sitting in her headmaster's office, feeling strangely small under his gaze. "It has basis," Dumbledore continued, quieter now, leaning forward across his desk. "And I have it from reliable sources that -- I'm so sorry, Miss Evans -- James is a Death Eater."
Lily Potter sat up in bed, gently running a hand across her ever-growing belly. It was just a dream. The cold night air chilled her arms, and she shivered, then picked up her wand. James grunted as Lily placed a foot on the floor. She froze, taking shallow breaths, trying to avoid making any noise. James hadn't noticed. He was still asleep.
'Ssh, it's alright…' Lily thought, stroking her stomach. The baby had kicked, as if picking up on her fear. 'Uncle Remus will know what to do.'
Lily's feet carried her to the lounge without thinking about it. She took the tin of floor powder from the mantelpiece and whispered, "Flagrate!" A fire appeared in the hearth, on to which, Lily sprinkled floo powder. The flames promptly turned green. Leaning in, she choked, "Remus John Lupin -- Number 15, Byres Road, Glasgow!"
The last time that Lily had heard from him, Lupin had taken a job as a university lecturer in Scotland. 'With any luck, he might still be awake, marking assignments.' Lily fervently hoped this was so, because weaving through the floo network was making her extremely dizzy, and it would be an irritation if it was for nothing.
At last, her head came to a stop in what she guessed to be Remus' fireplace. The room looked grander than she had expected, and the various candles and lamps were still lit. Remus was reading; not an essay, but a book -- "The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner" -- and was not paying attention to the fireplace.
Lily blushed as she looked up at him, suddenly shy. Why was she bothering him with something as silly as a dream? She tried to pull out the fireplace when Lupin made eye contact with her. The initial surprise on his face warmed into a smile as he put down the book, and leaned his elbows on his knees to look into the fire.
"Lily?" He asked.
"Hallo…" Lily replied.
"It's been a while." Remus's voice held the same compassion and kindness that she had remembered. It was slightly hoarse, though, and then it came to mind that the full moon had been two days ago. Lily berated herself, knowing that rest would be vital to him right now, and that she was keeping him awake. "How are you?" Remus continued, oblivious to her self-reproach and internalised scoldings.
"I think the baby is getting impatient to get out into the world." Lily said, laughing a little, while holding her stomach.
Remus's smile grew and he chuckled lightly. For a few brief moments, Lily wondered if she had managed to get away with her lie -- focusing his attention on the baby instead of telling him that, no, she was not alright. The smile faded from Remus's face as he tilted his head. "I thought you didn't like the floo network?"
Lily nodded. Disliking the floo network was an understatement to her. "I hate the floo network," She agreed. "But it's quicker -- and possibly more secure -- than owls." Seeing Remus's confused look, Lily sighed, and gazed at the logs beneath her chin. "Remus, do you remember my Boggart?"
Remus nodded. "Dumbledore." He said. Lupin had been the only one who hadn't laughed at the fear represented by their old headmaster.
"The first time I tried to fight the Boggart, as Dumbledore, it had told me that my family was in danger -- Voldemort was coming after us." Lily told Remus, her voice sad, almost chilled by the memory. "James had you show me the Patronus charm."
"'Riddikulus' is somewhat harder when you can't laugh at your Boggart." Remus said thoughtfully. "Naturally, the only other thing that you could use was the Patronus. It took a lot of practice…" He was furrowing his brows now. "Lily, do you have a Boggart in your house that you can't get rid of?"
"No, no, it's not that!" Lily replied quickly, shaking her head. "It's -- oh, Remus, this is going to sound so silly -- I had a nightmare. Dumbledore was there. I was in his office. He-- He said…" It was hard not to feel a bit silly, squatting in the fireplace, confiding her dreams to one of James' best friends, particularly when it was obvious it would never come true. Lily choked back the lump in her throat. "He said that I was in danger, and that James was a Death Eater!"
Silence fell in the room, and Remus sat back in his chair. "It's not really that silly." He commented.
"Yes, it is!" Lily's voice was getting louder. The baby kicked in her stomach, and she reduced her voice back down to barely above a whisper. "James would never become a Death Eater. Which is why it's silly."
"Lily, listen to me." Remus got to his feet, then kneeled in front of the fireplace. His voice had become sterner, now. "It is perfectly valid to feel this way. You've had a nightmare. You're afraid, you're in shock, and I'm barely surprised." Lily opened her mouth to say something, but Lupin held up his hand to stem the flood of protests that he knew would come. "Boggarts are nasty creatures, and they feed on our fears. But dreams…. Dreams can likewise reflect our fears, usually in the worst way imaginable. It's not silly, do you understand that?"
Lily nodded, but stayed quiet.
"Furthermore," Remus added, lowering his voice, "Dealing with Voldemort demands caution."
This statement stunned Lily into silence. Remus heaved a sigh.
"James would never harm you, Lily, and you know that. He hates that 'pure-blood' nonsense." Remus wrinkled his nose. "I have a distaste for it, myself. But fear," He continued, "When understood and respected, can be the very thing that keeps us safe." Lupin smiled a little, some of the usual warmth and cheer returning. "Don’t discount the validity of your opinion and thoughts."
"Thank you, Remus." Lily whispered.
Remus just nodded. Lily smiled and felt a yawn coming, one that she couldn't hide from her old friend.
"Go back to bed, Lily." Remus said quietly. "You need your rest."
Lily nodded and gently rubbed her belly again. The baby had become still again, and since Remus's advice was usually sound, her panic began to ebb away.
"Alright." Lily began to pull out of the hearth. "Sorry to bother you at such a late hour."
"Never a bother." Remus replied softly, raising his eyebrows at the very suggestion. "Goodnight, Lily."
"Goodnight."
It had been, Lily decided, one of the stranger conversations that she had ever had with Lupin. She quickly doused the flames ("Aguamenti!"), then climbed the stairs to the bedroom. It was just a dream, even if the fears presented therein were real. With that thought in mind, Lily smiled again, and crawled into bed, nearly instantly falling asleep.
-The End-
~Fif