The Offer

The days immediately following Christmas seemed to speed up in their time. Lily found herself exploring the Potter manor and had even been able to find time to speak with James' father about the imminent war.

She had found him 2 days after the Holiday sitting in his office and pouring over some of his papers from the Auror office. James had still been sleeping when she managed to slip out of the room unnoticed.

"Mr. Potter?" She tapped on the door frame quickly before stepping in.

"Oh, good morning Lily. Up a little early I see; did you sleep alright?" He smiled at her and crossed his arms over top of the papers to give her his full attention.

Lily couldn't help but have affection for the elder Potter; he was so like her own dad had been.

"I slept wonderfully, thank you. Some days I just feel the need to get up and do something with myself." She laughed away the awkwardness that she felt by intruding in his office at such an hour.

"I quite agree. Was there something that I could help you with though?" His keen eyes were looking for any sign of what the young girl could need.

"Actually, I was just wondering if we could talk; about Voldemort I mean. I got the feeling that Martha doesn't like the topic an awful lot but I'd really like to get your opinion." She had moved over and taken one of the small armchairs across from his desk.

"You really are something special Lily." He said, as the corner of his mouth turned upward, "What would you like to know?"

"Well when you were discussing it with Sirius, you said that he wouldn't work out in the open? And that he would get others to do his bidding. Can there really be that many people who are willing to follow him?"

"Unfortunately, a lot of the old wizarding families agree with his philosophies. Even if they didn't, wizards like him have other ways of gaining support. Some may be blackmailed; others may be forced into servitude by the Imperius curse."

"But how will we be able to tell who we can trust?" Lily could feel the weight of her words as she spoke them; would she be able to tell her friends from her foes?

"That, my dear, is the major question. In the coming months it will be very important for everyone to find those that they can trust completely. Make safety words that only you and the other person will know; never travel anywhere alone or at night.

I'm afraid that you and your friends at school will soon be entering into a world full of chaos and fear. Do you have any plans once you leave Hogwarts?"

Lily thought for a moment about what she could do. Would she try as Severus might and make it her goal to stay alive? No; she was certain that hiding out and waiting for the war to end would drive her mental.

"If I have the chance," she began slowly, "I'd like to try and fight against these people. They kill muggles for sport and hurt innocent people; they tear families apart from one another and have no qualms about anything."

Mr. Potter gave her an appreciative nod. "I understand, but I must warn you that should you walk down that path, it will be very dangerous."

Lily nodded and smiled. "I know that, but what these people are doing is horrendous." She let out a dry laugh. "But school won't be out for another few months and I don't even know where I would start trying to fight."

"When the time comes, I can help you if it is still what you choose to do."

She had left his office shortly after to continue her wanderings through the manor and to ponder what her future may hold in store. Could she really find a way to help in this war?

The next morning Lily was spending time with James and Sirius, watching them play a round of wizard's chess, when a post arrived for her. Mipsy came scurrying into James room and stopped right before her, curtseying and holding up the letter.

"Mistress has a letter."

"Thank you Mipsy." Her curiosity grew as she noticed the familiar slant of her sister's hand writing. A few days before Christmas, Lily had sent out a package in the muggle post for her sister. She had not been expecting a reply but had listed the Potter's address just in case.

Slipping her finger into the envelope, she tore into the letter quickly and, with much anticipation, began to read.

Lily,

Thank you for the sweets and Christmas wishes. I am glad to hear that you are doing well. Things here are much the same as they were when you left. I was wondering if you would care to join me and Vernon for supper some time this week; I have some news that I would like to share with you.

Please phone me back with your reply quickly,

Petunia

Lily read through the letter 3 times before looking up into the curious eyes of her two friends. Had Tuney really just asked her to supper? Perhaps this was the chance she had been hoping for to reconnect with her sister. She was the only one who really understood what she was going through.

"What is it Lily? What's wrong?" James' voice broke through her hopeful thoughts and she noticed that small tears were gathering at the corners of her eyes.

Clearing her throat she told the boys of her sister's invite.

"Do you know where I could go to get a hold of a telephone?"

And so here she sat, just minutes before the appointed time that she would meet up with her sister. Upon dialing her, Lily had asked if James could come along; she wasn't sure how many times the two of them may get to meet. Petunia had agreed and it was set up that they would eat at some muggle restaurant near her aunt's home.

"Calm down Lily, you're twitching like the Whomping Willow." James murmured in her ear. "Everything will be fine."

"James," she replied in a shaky voice while gripping his forearms for emphasis, "Please, please be on your best behavior. Magic will only set her off and, however tempting it may be, pranks of any kind are not tolerated. Vernon is the most stuck up, pompous man that I've ever met. Honestly, I don't know how Petunia can put up with him."

Lily had watched the couple from the first time that Petunia brought him home from university to meet her family. When her sister had left, she had smiled at the small things in life, like a lady bug landing on her shoulder or the gentle hum of rain on their tin roof; Lily used to love looking for these things that would remind her of when they were young children.

After only a term at university, though, Petunia had come through the door with this large boy and a scowl on her face that conveyed that nothing was good enough for her. She would turn up her nose at all of the little thing that she once secretly loved and Lily could only sit at a distance as her only sister changed herself more and more to be like the woman that Vernon wanted to date.

Lily was snapped out of her reminiscing by the gentle chime of the bell hanging above the door. Her head whipped up to see her sister entering while Vernon held the door open. Giving James' hand a slight squeeze, Lily jumped up and made her way over to Petunia.

There was an awkward moment as the two sisters stood feet apart from each other wondering if they should embrace. It ended when James made his way forward and placed his left hand on the small of Lily's back while extending his right toward Petunia.

"James Potter. You must be Petunia; it's nice to meet you." Petunia sized up the boy in front of her before a small smile slipped onto her face and she grasped his hand.

"Hello James, pleasure to meet you." Lily was caught off guard by the ease of which her sister had greeted her boyfriend.

"Vernon Dudley." As he spoke, Petunias boyfriend thrust his hand out aggressively towards James while eying Lily as he always did, as though she were not to be trusted.

The two men seemed to have a test of strength as they clasped hands and Lily had half a mind to nudge James in the ribs. Just as she was about to act on the impulse, however, they broke apart and the four of them were left to stand in silence together as they waited for their table.

They were soon seated at a small table to the left of the main seating area. Lily took the seat opposite Petunia. As soon as their drinks had arrived, her sister folded her hands and stared at Lily.

"Vernon has asked me to marry him," she said with a slight smile to the man sitting next to her, "and I accepted his offer." Looking at his face, Lily saw a smug expression like one that might appear on a child's face after he won a prize.

"Oh! Well congratulations Tuney, that's wonderful news." Lily wasn't altogether surprised; Petunia had always talked about getting married and keeping a home.

"Petunia." Vernon cut in gruffly.

"What?" Lily asked a taken aback.

"Her name is Petunia. Not Tuney." He gave her another look that portrayed his dislike for her. Lily wondered what it was that had made him dislike her so much. Did he blame her for the death of her parents as well?

"I'm sorry. Petunia, that's wonderful news. I'm very happy for the both of you." She forced a smile onto her face; this was the man that Petunia was choosing to marry and Lily would support her in anything.

"Thank you Lily. I just wanted to get together and tell you in person. Aunt Eileen and Uncle Richard are thrilled. I've asked Richard if he would be the one to walk me down the isle." Lily could see her sister's eyes water with sparkling tears but it was soon replaced with a bitter grin. "And I was wondering if you would want to be the maid of honor?"

Lily was struck speechless for a moment. Had she really heard her sister correctly? Her heart was beating quickly and she wondered if this could be her chance to really reconnect with her sister. "Oh Tun—Petunia, I would be overjoyed. It really means a lot to me that you asked."

There was an awkward moment at the table as Vernon sat silently with his arms crossed and Petunia looked at her sister with a small smile.

"We're having it at the same church that your mum and dad were married in. We thought that would be a good way to remember them." Vernon spoke up finally. "My parents will be putting up for most of the bill so I'd appreciate it if you acted like our kind and didn't mess anything up."

Lily could feel a sort of shock run through her system. So Petunia had told her fiancé about her abilities. Was she really so surprised? She saw her look of shock reflected on James' face just before he opened his mouth.

"What do you mean your 'kind'?" Lily placed her hand just above the top of his knee. She could tell that Vernon was wearing down her boyfriend's nerves.

"I mean to try and be normal. No acting with any of this freak-like behavior that Petunia has told me about. My parents are putting up a lot of money for this day and I won't have a couple of weirdos ruining it. If it were up to me, you wouldn't even be invited."

Lily could feel sadness for her sister building up inside of her. Could this man really make Petunia happy? Her sister was looking at him angrily and told him not to make a scene. Lily looked toward James and could see his eyes flaring up with anger.

"We are not freaks and we are not weirdos. Lily is a wonderful person who loves her sister. We will act accordingly to the situation at you wedding but don't you dare ever disrespect Lily again. She is far more kind and loving than you could ever hope to be."

Vernon's face was growing steadily redder as he listened to James' angry words. He looked at his fiancé for a little bit of back up, but when he saw that she had nothing to say he stood up.

"It was very interesting to meet you tonight and to see you yet again Lily. Unfortunately I will not sit here and be talked to in this way. Good evening to both of you. Petunia, I will bring the car around." With that, he stormed out of the restaurant.

Petunia gave James a small glare and then looked at Lily. "See what you've done now? All he wanted to make sure of was that you wouldn't make anything strange happen in front of our relatives and now he's all upset. I have to go. It was nice seeing you Lily."

Without another word, Lily watched her sister walk out the door and climb in the passenger side next to Vernon. She really disliked that man.

"I want to go home." She told James softly. He grasped her hand as they walked outside of the restaurant. Lily was feeling empty; this night had turned into something completely different than what she was expecting.

"I'm sorry Lils; I shouldn't have talked to him that way. This was about you and your sister and I ruined it. I'm a complete tosser." His head was turned from her and she could hear the anguish in his voice.

"James… it's not your fault. Vernon has always been that way. I've never liked him. Please let's just get home for the night." James turned to look into her sad eyes and kissed her softly before they were both transported through the straw-like suction back to the entrance of the Potter residence.

They knew that Mr. and Mrs. Potter had been out for the time being as well so when they saw that the home was not vacant, James pushed Lily slightly behind him.

"So, you are home at last Mister Potter. Your friend here has been keeping us company." Lily looked at the man standing in the middle of the foyer. He was tall and almost handsome. There were things in his features though, that made him appear off in some way. Perhaps it was the way that his nose was slimmer than most people's or perhaps the way in which his pupils were mere slits; whatever it was, Lily knew he was dangerous.

Looking around the room, Lily saw that he was not the only newcomer in the home. What looked like ten more men were all standing in a half-circle around him. They had their hoods shading their faces so she couldn't make out much else about them. Sirius was held with his hands behind his back by the man on the far left.

"Who are you? Why have to come here?" James was still standing protectively in front of Lily and had a strong voice despite how fearful Lily knew he must be. She could see his eyes dart every now and then onto the gagged face of his best mate.

"I was coming here with an offer to the Head Boy. It was only my luck that I found the elusive Head Girl as well. I value talent, Mister Potter, Ms. Evans. I believe that you can be of use to me. I have heard of your various accomplishments and skills within the walls of Hogwarts and would like to make you an offer."

The man was pacing back and forth in the space before the two teens. He spoke with ease but there was an underlying danger to his words. Lily was shaking and she wished that Sirius would look up at her so that she could know if he was alright.

"What sort of offer could you have that would entice us? I know who you are and I know what you do. You are a killer of many innocent lives. You are the one who calls himself Voldemort." Lily gave a small gasp as his words sunk into her mind. This was the man who was causing so much terror. What was he doing here?

"So much spirit, so much drive; yes, you would be a nice addition to my ranks, providing that we can come to an agreement. But, what of the lovely Ms. Evans? Let us get a closer look."

"No!" James let out a shout as Lily felt her body moving swiftly from around him to be placed right in front of the killer who now has a face. James was thrown backwards when he tried to take the few steps toward her. She motioned for him to stay where he was.

"What do you want with us Voldemort?" She spat the words at him while giving him her fiercest glare.

"I want your loyalty. You are both very skilled and intelligent. You have that fire within… that motivation. Why not be a part of something bigger? Something more important than yourselves? I can offer you that opportunity."

Lily was starting to feel sick. "Why would you want me? I'm a muggle born. I am everything that you want to rid this world of." Looking once more at Sirius, she wished that she knew what to do.

"You are a special case. You were recommended. I have had a trusted member of my group vouch for your abilities. You need but agree to join me and all will be well. You and your family will be safe."

"I would never join a monster like you." Lily could feel her anger rising. "You will never succeed. I will make it my goal to make sure that you are defeated and brought down."

"So be it." Lily saw Voldemort raise his wand and glanced back to see a horrified looking James staring back at her. Just as she thought that everything was hopeless though, his eyes lit up and he reached toward his forearm and glanced out the window.

Lily had one second to realize what was happening before she ducked down under the range of flying spells.

James made his way toward her after relieving Voldemort of his wand and watching him disapparate with a yell of fury. The Potter's had made it home and had called a little back up from the Auror office. James summoned Sirius to them and Lily used an innervate incantation to revive the stupified boy.

Once the three of them were all about the move again, they ran toward the door. James tried to stop and help his father against Voldemort's remaining Death Eaters.

"Go James! Take you mother and the others and find a safe place!" Lily could see James hastily grab a small object from his jacket and place it in his father's hand.

"Be safe dad." And with that James collected them all and Disapparated from the yard.

The sudden quiet of the field cut sharply into Lily's mind. All she could hear was their labored breathing. James found her quickly in a tight embrace while Mrs. Potter inspected Sirius for any cuts or bruising.

"I'm so glad you're safe Lil." She didn't know how to react. Did that all really just happen? Had they escaped the most feared Wizard of their time? Lily nodded into his shoulder and clutched him back.

"What the hell was Voldemort doing in our home?" Mrs. Potter was sitting on a log, having checked over Sirius to her full extent. "Are all of you alright? Lily I couldn't bare seeing you so close to him. You must be terrified poor dear." Lily simply nodded and leaned closer into her one comfort at the moment.

They all sat in silence for a while before James asked Sirius to borrow his two-way mirror. So that must be what he had slipped his father.

"Dad, can you hear me? Please answer me." There was silence as they waited for a reply. After a few moments, James tried again. No answer.

They all decided to chance making the trip back. Apparating a little ways from the property, they noticed a shape in the sky. It was a large green skull with a snake protruding from its mouth. What was it? How had it gotten there?

James ran quickly to a large group of Aurors who were standing around in a circle. As Lily, Sirius, and Mrs. Potter approached though, James turned from the men and with tears on his face, entered the home.

Cautiously, Lily peered between the group as she heard one of the Aurors explaining to Mrs. Potter; Mr. Potter had been hit with the killing curse. Instantly he was gone. Lily ran to a bush and tried to hold herself steady as he body shook with dry heaving.

Mrs. Potter was leaning on Sirius crying and he wore a look of shock. How had this happened? How could he be gone just like that? Lily thought of all of the death surrounding her lately. Her vision started to blur and spin and as she hit the ground, she let the darkness consume her.