We fear death, the unknown.
Death fears us, the unknowable.
We fear death's necessity.
Death fears our Divinity.

. . .

If asked, Lily Potter would say she loved both her children equally.

. . .

Like most first time mothers, she had been both frightened and excited when she discovered she was pregnant. Frightened, because oh, will I be a good mother and how will I tell James?, but excited; I can't believe I'm going to be a mother! and will it be a boy, or a girl? James had taken the news surprisingly well, twirling her around and grinning in happiness as she giggled and told him to stop before he did something stupid like drop her.

It had been a beacon of hope in the suffocating darkness of the war. They had told a few select people that both trusted, but mostly kept it quiet, though Lily had sent a letter to Petunia in the hopes of finding a common ground with her, as she had managed to find out through the tabs she kept on the Dursley family that her sister was also recently pregnant.

She never received a reply.

. . .

A few months in, she stopped fighting actively with the Order of the Phoenix, though she still attended meetings and attempted to help as much as possible. It was hard though; trying to show her support yet keeping her child out of danger.

They had decided not to find out the gender of the baby, wanting it to be a surprise, but Lily went to regular check-ups at a Muggle hospital to be sure of its health. By going to a Muggle hospital (and here she was grateful for being Muggle-born, as she did not have to fake medical records or Obliviate anyone) she did not have to go to St. Mungo's, though superior in health care she wouldn't know who to trust – it would be too dangerous.

The baby had been fine, much to her relief. Unfortunately, even during such a joyful time the war continued. Terror and chaos gripped the wizarding world, even leeching into the Muggle world as the brutality of the Death Eaters increased, forgoing subtlety for the most part in favour of brute force and numbers.

Voldemort was certainly making use of his allegiance with the Giants, werewolves and other Dark creatures, though after the Giants defeat most had gone into hiding, whole tribes wiped out as they fought against the Aurors. Personally, Lily thought it was amazing none of the non-magical people had noticed, even if they did tend to be quite ignorant and unaccepting of what they believed to be 'impossible'.

Most of the war on Voldemort's side consisted of hit-and-run tactics; mostly attacking Muggles and Muggle-born witches and wizards. The Order tried to prevent or crush these assaults, as well as trying to flush out Death Eaters from within the Ministry. This resulted in the sad mistrusting of anyone and everyone she knew, never quite able to let her guard down except with James.

She truly hoped this was not the world her child would have to grow up in.

. . .

She would also say that she did not favour one over the other.

. . .

"It's a boy!"

The birth had been long and painful, and though she had quite a high tolerance for pain it did not stretch to how tired she was feeling. She knew that if she ever had more children after this, she would insist on drugs or painkillers or something to help ease the process.

However, when her eyes fell on her newborn baby, cocooned in a blanket and held by her midwife, she knew she'd do it all over again.

James, who had been holding her hand at her side, reached slowly for the baby, as if afraid he'd hurt it – him, she realized, a little boy. My boy. Her husband's face was lit up with a smile, and after staring at their son's face for a few long moments, he handed him over to Lily.

"Come and see Mommy," he whispered, even though there was no chance of the young child understanding.

Lily carefully took the baby in shaking arms, resting him against her front. He was still crying loudly but had calmed down somewhat, though his face was still a light shade of red. He had James' brown hair, thin as it was, and hazel eyes.

"Daniel," she murmured the name they have agreed on, if the baby was a boy. She noted happily that he was about average size for a newborn, and that his wailing was quite natural. Chubby little cheeks, small hands blindly grabbed her finger-

A wrenching pain spiked in her lower regions, and Lily gasped in pain as the contractions began again. She barely felt it as Daniel was take from her arms by an alarmed James, the midwife telling them in slight surprise that there must be another baby-

This one came quicker, the birth fast but much more painful. When it was finally over she collapsed against the bed rest, hoping that now she could relax, and get some much needed sleep. But first, she must see her other child.

The midwife – Annie, a Muggle-born – passed the newborn straight to her, as James was still cradling Daniel. This one, a girl, was much smaller than her twin, but still healthy. Her hair was white in colour (unnatural, her mind whispered, even as she reasoned that it was probably just some kind of medical defect; a faulty gene) and when she opened her eyes Lily couldn't help but be startled to see grey orbs that were so dark they were almost black (she briefly, almost desperately searched her memory for anyone in her or James' family that had that colour, or similar. She couldn't find any).

She didn't cry, but seemed almost calm as she stared around at the new world she had been born into, even if Lily knew that her daughter's newborn brain would be unable to process the world around her.

Lily smiled though, even if the baby seemed slightly strange – odd, wrong! - and named her, as her consciousness left her.

"Natalie..."

. . .

But as knowing grey eyes watch her every move, she can't help but turn away.

. . .