61

Chapter 61

Brief Meeting

I sat in the kitchen playing chess with my brother.

"Check." I said.

He smirked and moved his knight.

"Checkmate."

I growled and we heard a smash. We ran upstairs wands out.

"You bloody idiot! I worked all night on that!"

Draco knocked over Ron's house of cards.

"Are you kidding me? We thought something serious happened! You scared me half to death!" I snapped.

"Sorry, love."

Ron nodded and I took a deep breath.

"Just don't do something like that again, yeah?"

They both nodded.

Later that night, I sat alone in front of the fire.

Harry's POV

Lily fell asleep in front of the fire. Malfoy picked her up and laid her on the couch. I smiled a little. He really loved her, but it still made me a little sick. I wouldn't say anything though, she'd already lost Snape.

"Snape." I whispered.

If he loved my sister so much, why did he do this?

"Did you ever consider that you ask too much? That you take too much for granted? Has it ever crossed your brilliant mind that I don't want to do this anymore?"

"Whether it has or hasn't is irrelevant. I will not negotiate Severus, you agreed. You agreed the second you held your daughter in your arms. There's nothing more to discuss."

"Have you thought about her at all? About what she'll have to go through?!"

"She's strong, intelligent, you raised her better than you think you did."

Something about their conversation that night was strange. I hadn't had much time to think about it then. I couldn't help but wonder if Snape knew this would happen.

"What about Snape?"

I looked at Malfoy.

"This doesn't concern you." I said.

He scowled.

"See here Potter, I'm here to help you because I love Lily. I want her safe and the only way for that to happen is to help you kill the Dark Lord. But that doesn't mean I like you."

I narrowed my eyes a bit.

"I don't like you either. And I hate that my sister is with you… but…"

He arched a brow.

"But what, Potter?"

This was going to be hard to say.

"Thank you. For helping I mean."

I could see the surprise in his eyes. He nodded and I got up and went to the kitchen.

Lily's POV

When I woke up everyone else had fallen asleep. I smiled at Draco and kissed his forehead. I heard a soft noise in the kitchen. I drew my wand and went to see what it was. My brother was sitting at the table, his face in his hands.

"Harry?"

He looked at me and I sat down next to him.

"Lily… I think Snape knew this would happen."

"What?"

"That night, before everything else, I went to see Dumbledore. When I got there he was talking with Snape. He said something about Dumbledore asking too much and then Dumbledore said he wouldn't negotiate. That he agreed the second he held you in his arms."

I sighed and just hugged him. Of course, the brother-sister moment was ruined when Kreacher came through the door with Mundungus, and he wasn't alone.

"Dobby!"

"Kreacher has returned with the thief Mundungus." Kreacher said.

Ron, Hermione and Draco came into the kitchen.

"Let go of me!" Mundungus said.

"Experlliarmus!"

His wand flew to Hermione's hand. I glared at the thief.

"What are you playing at? Setting a pair of bleeding house elves on me!?"

"Count yourself lucky he didn't set Lily out on you." Draco said.

"You're letting a death eater stay with you? You have gone mad!"

I waved my wand and sent him flying into a chair.

"Sorry, muscle spasm." I said.

Harry smirked and Kreacher picked up a fork

"When you turned this place over, and don't deny it! Did you find a locket that looked like this?"

Harry held up the locket.

"Why? Was it valuable?"

Kreacher jabbed him with the fork, and none too gently.

Draco's POV

I liked this house elf.

"Kreacher, come here."

Kreacher went over to Lily and she knelt down. She whispered something and he nodded. I could've sworn I saw a small smile on his face.

"If you don't tell us, Kreacher here is going to do something very unpleasant."

"You seem pleased by it." Mundungus muttered.

"Oh, believe me I am. So I'm hoping you don't cooperate just yet."

"Lily…"

"What? You'll enjoy it too believe me."

I shrugged. My girlfriend sometimes had a dark sense of humor.

"Are you gonna tell us?" Hermione asked.

Mundungus scowled.

"Do it, Kreacher." Lily said.

MY eyes widened when Kreacher jabbed the fork directly between Mundungus' legs.

"Alright! Okay!"

Lily had a triumphant smile on her face.

"You're right, I did enjoy it." Potter said.

"There I was, selling my wares in Nocturne Alley when some Ministry hag comes and asks to see me license. She took a fancy to the locket and said she wouldn't lock me up."

"Who was she? The witch, do you remember?" Harry asked.

"No, I…"

He stopped when he saw a copy of the daily prophet.

"Well there she is." He picked it up. "Bleedin' bow and all."

He handed Harry the paper and he showed it to the rest of us.

"Oh this is going to be fun." I said.

"Potter, I know where you're gonna go with this. It's bloody suicide." I said.

"We don't have a choice, Malfoy."

"Harry, if you want to do this, we need a plan. An incredibly sophisticated, well thought plan." Lily said.

"Then we better start thinking. Malfoy can't go, they're probably looking for him. Lily could easily hide in someone's pocket."

I had an idea, and I hated myself for it.

"Turn me into a ferret."

They all looked shocked.

"What? It would be easier and I'm not letting Lily go without me. I told her father I'd protect her. And I don't want to break that promise and die."

Potter glared at me when I mentioned Snape.

"Ain't her father a death eater too?"

I grabbed Lily before she could do anything, and she struggled.

"My father is a good man! He had his reasons for doing what he's done!" she snarled.

"Lily stop."

"Get him again Kreacher!" she said.

The house elf dove forward and jabbed him with the fork again. I let her go and turned to Potter.

"So?"

"Fine. I'll do it myself."

"Uh, I don't think so. Granger or Lily can do it."

"Me?"

"You're the smart one of those two."

She seemed very proud of herself.

"And, I think you're less likely to hurt me."

"Yeah, that's probably true." Weasley said.

Lily rolled her eyes before looking at Mundungus.

"If you breathe a word to anyone about where we are or what we're about to do, you won't have to worry about Kreacher. I'll come after you myself. My father taught me a lot of things."

His face paled before he ran.

"You really do scare people."

"It's a gift."

I smiled and put my arm around her.

"A gift I hope our kids get one day."

Her eyes widened and in seconds she was kissing me.

"Oi!"

Unfortunately, she stepped back.

"Sorry."

"What did he say to get that reaction?"

"Why? Wanna try it on your girlfriend, Potter?"

Weasley glared at me and I smirked.

"Harry, I'm not telling you."

"Now I really wanna know."

"Don't we have a plan to come up with?" I said.

"Yes we do. I always had a feeling that one day I'd do something like this. Dad once said my twisted mind could bring down the ministry." Lily said.

"Lily, about your… about Snape."

"He's still my father no matter what he's done."

"But he-"

"He must have had a bloody good reason!" she shouted.

She stormed out of the room and I glared at him.

"You better fix this. It doesn't matter what he's done, he's still the man who raised her and loved her." I snapped.

Potter sighed and went after her.