A/N

To my new readers: Thanks for checking my story out, if you have time (and feel like it) tell me what you think. I am always happy about feedback. Also english is not my first language.

To my older reader/followers: Sorry doesn't quite cut it with more than a year of radio silence, but be assured that I had my reasons. Reasonable reasons. This story will be completed, maybe not as fast as I (or some of you) would like it, but it will be completed.

I do not own Harry Potter, I am not making any profit with this story, I am merely playing in JK's sandbox.

I thank Iwillrunforever very much for being the beta-reader of this story.

Without further ado: Enjoy

30th October 1986

Hidden home of the Potters

Presumably somewhere in the United Kingdom

"Draco! Come here at once!" Lady Narcissa Malfoy was a woman of perfect manners. And now she was yelling after her son, a telltale sign that she had lost patience with the boy's mischief. One spell later, she picked her son off his petrified broom. "Caught you," she tried to use a strict tone, but her loving smile betrayed her.

"You cheated, mummy!"

Draco cuddled up against her fur-lined robes anyway. And watched his friend flying another round through the living room.

Lily Potter was having a tad more trouble with her daughter, "Rose!"

She longed to tie the damn broom in midair using a charm, as Narcissa had done. But she feared that Roslyn might fall off at a sudden stop. It was a toy, but somehow the child managed to set a downright terrifying pace. She had a talent for flying, one of the traits she had hoped James would not pass on to their daughter.

And... The girl was at the other side of the house. Again.

She stopped running, already feeling a stitch. "'It's a toy. What could go wrong?'" she mimicked Sirius's words. He had said that when he had gifted his goddaughter the flying nightmare of doom for her last birthday.

She looked at her friend, who still cuddled with her son. "Cissy, do something!"

Narcissa watched an unladylike smirk on her face, as Rose flew by, waving at Draco.

"She will have no problems joining her Hogwarts Quidditch team."

"You're not helping here."

Lady Malfoy shrugged, in a very similar way her cousin Sirius would do. "You can't suit everybody, darling."

Lily huffed and used her last resort, "Roslyn James Acacia Potter!"

The six-year-old froze upon hearing her full name. She flew to her mother, showing her most innocent smile. "Yes, mum?"

The smile was every bit her father's. Charming and all: 'Me? I never misbehave in any shape or form!' And Lily could not bring herself to be angry or even annoyed. Not when they looked at her like butter wouldn't melt in their mouths, despite knowing better.

The opening of the front door interrupted her musings. James Potter announced his homecoming, "It's me, my fair ladies! Peter is here as well, and there's a mutt we can't get rid of."

"That joke is getting old, prongs," Sirius chided him while they took off the dirty battle robes.

"As old as you are, Padfoot?" Peter asked and Sirius did them the favour. "Exactly! That's what... Wormtail, you -" his friends' laughter drowned out his next words.

"Dad! Sirius! Uncle Peter!" Rose flew with minimal braking straight into the arms of her godfather. He barely avoided falling to the ground under the impact, "Are you training for the World Cup again, Bambi?"

"I'll be the best seeker of like all time!" Roslyn announced and then gave a yelp when Sirius threw her over his shoulder. "I would never dare doubt that!" he said, following James into the living room.

"Hello, Uncle Peter," Rose grinned at the only marauder in her field of view.

"It's nice to see you. Did you have fun today?"

"So much! Aunt Cissy and Draco are over and we played 'Enchanted Orchard'! And Quidditch! And Aunt Cissy made cookies for us! And -" Roslyn bubbled on about her day. She didn't notice how Peter's friendly expression had turned into a pained grimace.

In the doorway to the living room, Lily stood with her arms crossed, exhaustion showing on her face. But she smiled at her husband and how could James do anything but beam back at her? He hugged her, still enjoying their difference in height. He rested his chin on her head. "Long day?" he murmured the question into her flaming red hair. His grin grew wider when she made an indignant huff, but he knew she was happy, too. "She will never be able to pass off as anything but your daughter."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," he teased.

"We'll leave now," Narcissa announced - in her wisdom she had her son still in her arms.

Neither child was particularly fond of the idea. "Can't we stay longer, Mum?"

"Or Draco could spend the night!" Rose added.

"Pleeeeaaaase!" They had long ago mastered the art of whining as one, along with pouting lips and puppy dog eyes misting over.

Sadly, the performance was useless. While the men melted on the spot, it left Lily and Narcissa unimpressed. "The two of you spent the whole day together, Draco. You'll see each other again soon."

"But -"

"No buts, Roslyn." Her mother insisted, "Grab Draco's toys from your room and then you say goodbye."

"Yes..." both children murmured, sounding resigned.

"You two are not only welcome in our home to keep my wife and daughter company, Narcissa." James remarked, his tone soft, after the kids had left.

"I know and I am always grateful for your kindness and hospitality. But you three should spend some time together as a family." The last part she uttered so low that both Potters could've decided not to hear it.

The group moved to the kitchen, where the fireplace was, to see them off.

"You... are probably right," Lily's smile was a little forced, "Thank you, Narcissa - See you soon."

"Goodbye."

Once they had disappeared with a blaze of green flames, Peter announced his own departure.

"We haven't spent an evening together in weeks!" James looked a bit crossed. "Come on, buddy!"

He shrugged in a what-can-you-do way. "I'm sorry, but it's important business."

"Let him, Prongs. At least he knows what he's missing." Sirius ruffled his best friend's hair, ignoring his indignant yelp.

"Are you doing phoenix-stuff?" Rose asked, eyes wide with curiosity, making the adults chuckle.

"Yes, I have to do phoenix-stuff," he gave the child a goodbye-hug before he seemed to remember something. "But I got this for you," he handed her a plush toy, a phoenix. Rose ran circles around them in excitement, jumping and laughing.

"It's from Professor Dumbledore. As a late birthday present," Peter grinned at her shenanigans. "I will tell him she likes it."

After he too had left through the green flames Rose turned to Sirius. With tilted head and her special smile, she asked. "But you stay, right?"

"Of course," he said as he scooped her up again, leaving Lily and James alone in the kitchen. "Let's go play and give your parents the chance to have couple time."

"Couple time?" Rose wondered.

"Well, when people really, really like each other..." He started to say, only to two yells as one interrupting him, coming from the kitchen. "SIRIUS!"

"They spend time together and have fun." He smirked, and then said a little louder. "What did you think I was going to say?" He didn't even try to hide the teasing tone in his voice.

"So Draco and Neville and I are having couple time?" Rose asked confused.

"Well...No," Sirius realized his grave mistake with starting that topic.

"Why not?" the little girl inquired.

"You're only allowed to have couple time when you're at least... thirty."

"Mum and dad are not thirty."

"Well... do you want to play a game? Parcheesi?" Sirius asked trying to get off the subject.

"Yes!" He acknowledged her excited reaction with a sigh of relief.

o ~ O ~ o

Back in the kitchen Rose's parents sat together. Lily started to prepare dinner by charming the knife to cut the vegetables, "How was the day? - You three looked like you were in battle."

James hesitated for a fraction of a second. It had been a usual day, meaning horrible and life-threatening as they came nowadays. "Voldemort attacked London. The Houses of Parliament, but the wards withstood until we arrived."

"I see... Losses?" Lily asked, hoping for the best despite knowing better.

"Gideon took a bad hit and... Fabian is dead. Bellatrix Lestrange killed him." James hated that maniac so much. Out of Voldemort's lieutenants, she was the most unpredictable nightmare.

"Poor Gideon - And Molly! Losing one brother and having the other hurt..."

"Dumbledore will tell her tomorrow. But Moody and Remus managed to capture Rabastan Lestrange. He won't see the outside of Azkaban ever again."

She was silent, looking out of the window, a grim expression on her face. And the knife rammed itself through the cutting board and into the worktop. Both of them looked at the trembling blade.

"Petal?" he approached her like one would do with a wounded animal.

"How much longer can we fight this?" She asked more herself than her husband. "It's been almost 17 years!"

James placed an arm around her shoulders, offering her comfort. "The war will end, love - And we will survive it."

She leaned into his touch, but was still tense. "I don't want to raise Rose like this anymore. I can't even let her play in the garden for fear that..." Lily finally looked at him; there were no tears in her green eyes, only righteous fury. "Damn the prophecy! And damn You-know-who! She is a child! Our daughter!"

"And we'll protect her, nobody will harm our little princess." he reassured her with all the confidence he had. "I won't let that happen!"

"I know," Lily finally smiled at him. "I love you, James."

"I love you, too. I love you so much," he murmured into her hair.

"And tomorrow we'll go together again," she told him.

He would prefer if she stayed at home where it was safe. Even if that meant he had to go into battle without his partner - which she was in every sense of the way. "You should stay here with Rose for a few days - Narcissa is right about how little time we spend with her."

"Don't try to guilt trip me, James Potter - You know as much as I do that neither of us can win such an argument." It was no accusation, but her smile was rueful. Today she had played and taken care of her baby girl for the whole day. For the first time in over a week. But she couldn't and wouldn't allow her husband to fight without her more than necessary.

James tried to reason with her, despite knowing he had lost. "But -"

"I'm a member of the Order," she reminded him. "And the Death Eaters are still more afraid of me than of you!"

"Well that's not surprising..." he murmured lowly, remembering the last time he had been the target of Lily's legendary anger. "What about Rose?"

"She will be very happy to see Severus again."

Her husband made a face. "Shouldn't you add a good thing after telling me the bad news?"

"He is her godfather and she adores him."

"I don't like her being around him so much," James snapped, crossing his arms. He couldn't stand the sarcastic potion master. It was not that he distrusted the former Death Eater. The past few years he had proven his loyalty to the Order of the Phoenix time and time again. It was not for Voldemort's lack of trying that Snape was still breathing.

His wife could practically hear his thoughts and snickered. "I should be glad you get along with Narcissa, shouldn't I, love? - But is it too much to treat Severus like her?"

James and Narcissa had become friends almost instantly after she joined the Order. Most of said Order was still floored about that, Lily included.

"She was never a Death Eater. And Lucius died fighting You-know-who."

"To protect Cissy, Draco, Rose and me. And who was the person stood right beside him?" Lily pretended to think hard. "Do you remember, dearest?"

"Yes, yes, I know what Snape did," he admitted grumpily. "But that doesn't mean I have to like him!"

"No, of course not," Lily replied, a little snippy. "But not everything is about you."

"It's not?" James looked at his wife, wearing a mock horrified expression, a hand over his heart. "But... then my whole life has been a lie!"

She was trying hard to glare at him. It was rather unconvincing as her shoulders shook with silent laughter. "You idiot!" she managed to say that, but it sounded more like an endearment.

"I'm hurt," James smiled, "I'm far cleverer than you give me credit for!"

"Sure thing, love," She kissed him. "Don't worry. I only married you for your looks."

o ~ O ~ o

30th October 1986

Redstone Manor, ancestral home of the ancient and noble house of Nott

Environs of Inverness, Scotland

"I forbade you to ever cross our doorstep again!"

The patriarch of the family was well into his sixties, but age didn't matter with magic. The much younger Allen Nott landed hard on the gravel path several yards from the entrance hall. Groaning he got up, half-expecting another attack.

"Now crawl back to your so-called 'Dark Lord'!"

Lord Nott spoke the title with pure contempt. His eyes held a similar expression for the Death Eater who was staggering to his feet. A young man he had once called his son-in-law.

"I want to see my son! You cannot keep him here forever!"

"Of course, I can," he turned around, only to see his six-year-old grandson. His blue eyes staring wide-eyed and scared at his father. The family house-elf tugged on the child's pyjamas, a worried expression on her face. In vain she tried to coax him further into the house.

Lord Nott was thankful that Allen could not see his son from his position.

"Please!" Allen was begging now, "Just for a moment! I have not seen him since Berenice -"

The giant doors slammed shut behind the Lord's back, which cut off the rest of the rambling.

"You should be asleep, Theo," he chided his grandson softly and scooped him up in his arms.

"I heard screaming. Is the werewolf back?" Theo was close to tears, hiding against his grandfather's robes.

"No, child," he stroked the shock of tangled hair, trying to soothe him. "There is nothing to fear."

"... I miss Mummy, grandpa"

"I miss her, too."

He thought a moment, knowing sleep was out of the question for a while, and then asked, "Should we listen to some music? Or we could paint? You did not finish the picture with the pony yet."

"It's a unicorn!" Theo's indignation made him smile. "It even has two horns! How can you miss that?!"

Of course he didn't miss that. And he had refrained from telling Theo that the second horn made it a bicorn, not 'extra magical'.

"So? We can give it a mane and proper tail."

"Can we paint and listen to music?"

"Of course, child."

It was not an hour later that Theo started to fall asleep over his drawing, a smile on his face. His grandfather waited for the final tunes of 'Wasser Musik' to end and picked him up. Despite his best efforts, he got even more colour on his robes.

o ~ O ~ o

30th October 1986.

Laburnum Manor, home of the Bulstrode family

Dublin, Ireland

Millicent sleepily toddled after her sister. "Where are you going?"

"Shh! – Go back to bed." She was five years older than Millicent. And she really wanted to know why her parents were meeting up with the Flints and Mrs Davis in the middle of the night.

"But I don't want to!" She whined and Cecilia clapped a hand over her mouth before the noise could alert the adults. "Fine! But be quiet!"

Only when Millicent nodded, she removed her hand. Together they went further down the corridor towards the living room. Luckily the door was ajar.

"We will remain neutral in these matters," she heard her father say.

"You are in a precarious situation, Stanton," that had to be Mrs Davis, the mother of Millicent's friend Tracy. Cecilia could not stand the woman. "You cannot evade this decision forever."

"That you actually approve of this war is disgusting!"

"Oh? Maybe you should join Dumbledore? Are you suddenly fond of Muggles and Mudbloods? I had no idea!"

Cecilia could hear the fire cracking over the following silence. She knew there had been said more than she had understood.

"You cannot be on their side!" Mrs Flint sounded furious. "What about your daughter?!"

"I am doing this for Tracy. The question is what kind of world do you want for your children to leave behind? One where those of noble blood have to bow?"

It was Mrs Flint who answered that. "How about a world not built on corpses of the innocent?"

"Trust a healer to be so sentimental."

"Sentimental? Are you out of your -"

Cecilia's mother interrupted before Mrs Flint could finish. "I ask you to leave us now, Mrs Davis,"

"But, my dear -"

"Please," She insisted firmly, "And tell your Lord we won't join his cause."

"I hope you will not regret this decision."

What followed were a few stiff pleasantries and the distinct rushing sound of the floo. Then silence, until their father broke it, "Who wants Firewhiskey?"

"A double!" Mrs Flint's immediate answer drew a chuckle from her husband. "I'll take the same. – But what do we do now? You-know-who does not take kindly to rejections."

Cecilia flinched when Millicent audible gasped behind her, hearing the phrase. The adults were too preoccupied with their talk to notice.

"We cannot go to Dumbledore either..."

"Why not?" It was Mrs Flint again. "He helped Severus. And if I have to choose between him and... You-know-who, I will take my risk with him in a heartbeat."

"But joining his 'order' will make us targets! The Death Eaters attacked the parliament just today! I am not like the Potters or the Longbottoms. I want our children safe from that monster!"

"They will not truly be safe from him until he is dead!"

Cecilia and Millicent never knew how her parents had decided. One of the house-elves spotted them and shooed the girls back to their beds.

Thankfully without telling the master or the mistress of the misbehaving.

o ~ O ~ o

30th October 1986.

Potter Manor, former home of the noble house of Potter

Cardiff, Wales

In the days of Lord Fleamonth and Lady Euphemia, the manor had been lively. Always filled with guests or various family members visiting them. After the death of her husband, she had moved into a smaller house. Her son, James Potter, had sold the magnificent estate a few years back.

It filled Lord Voldemort with a vicious glee to live in the former home of one of his most annoying enemies. Even more so as he was planning the death of the little family this very moment. The pieces were falling together perfectly.

His Inner Circle knew not why he was in such an elated mood. Despite the fact that they had lost Lestrange and several recruits. But none would question it. A night without the Cruciatus Curse hurled in their direction was a good night. Since the betrayal of Severus Snape, Lord Voldemort kept his plans and secrets closer. Only his three lieutenants were in the know.

No one took notice of the small boy sitting on the topmost stair. He watched with avid interest what happened down in the main hall.

The Dark Lord was creepy. But it was fine, to find him scary, because every adult was afraid of him, too. He knew that even his godmother's husband feared him. And he was a Death Eater. Whatever the term meant, but it was something they were proud of.

"Richard!"

He flinched at the low, hissing voice of his godmother. A moment later she dragged him away from the staircase.

"What have I told you?" As sharp as she spoke, it was out of fear and worry. She could not imagine something worse than Lord Voldemort taking notice one of her boys.

"Not to leave my room when he is here," he answered.

"Right. Why are you even out of bed?"

"I can't sleep. You-know-who laughs so loud, like an evil mastermind."

Marian had a hard time not to chuckle at the fitting description.

She grabbed her younger son's hand, leading him to his bedroom.

"Come on, I'll put up a silencing charm and we can read a little bedtime story."

It was one of the nights where she would fall asleep in one of her children's rooms again.