Chapter Text
A chilling scream jolted Narcissa Black from her lilac sheets and lead her out of her room and down a familiar wing of her childhood home to a bedroom at the very end of the hall. In the pitch black, she saw Bellatrix stark white against her forrest green sheets. Drinking in the strange sight, Narcissca realized with no small ounce of awe that her sister is all supple skin and delicate points; she looks-young-and it made Narcissca's breath catch. Yet, she is not the first to speak, the patter of feet came from behind and she turned just in time to see her other sister, Andromeda's wide eyes.
"No..." Her sister muttered and Narcissa can't help but feel the same dread.
"Andy?" Narcissa murmured, gazing up at her sister's rigid features and rich black hair.
"No...this can't be happening," Andromeda moaned; falling back, she shouted out, "Teddy?" When this Teddy didn't answer her, she cried out more shrilly, "My grandson, where are you!?"
Narcissa's oldest sister's unusually lucid eyes spark with a quickness she had rarely - if ever - associated with Bellatrix.
"Stop her," The teenager ordered. The blond stayed frozen to her spot, eyes moving back and forth between each sister. Abruptly, Bellatrix's ruby lips pull back in a feral snarl. "Do you want mother and father to come?" She demanded.
Narcissa's eyes go wide and then gathering up her virgin white gown, she tackled Andromeda to the floor; successfully smothering her mouth in the attack. Andromeda gave a muffled screech and fought her, but Bellatrix surprisingly came to her aid and tokk over keeping Andromeda covered. When the elder became a tad too rough in Narcissca's opinion of quieting Andy, Narcissca pushed her white-clad shoulders and shouts. "Cut it out! Don't kill her!"
Bellatrix backed off instantly, eyes flashing fretfully, "I don't want to kill anyone," she whispered.
"You already have!" Andromeda bit, pushing herself up on her elbows.
The thin teenager fell back from her two sisters and curled into herself, hands gripping her head in a tight hold. "I-I didn't want to, he said-" She sobbed then and Narcissa found herself more scared than she ever thought possible, (she had not felt such fear even when she had walked to the gallows).
"Bellatrix?" The youngest sister implored, laying a dainty hand on the bony shoulder.
"Don't feel sympathy for her! She's a monster!" Andromeda yelled, making to yank the smaller girl from the other.
Narcissa danced out of the way and places one hand on her non-existent hip, while keeping the other on her elder sister's shoulder. "So? She's family," she hissed.
"She's killed-" The older girls started, but Narcissa was quick to cut in.
"So have I," she said firmly.
Andromeda stumbled back and gazed at the young blonde with hurt eyes. "How could you? I thought-"
"What? I'd stay innocent and pure in war?" She barked with eyes narrowed dangerously, "It's war Andy. You may not have blood on your hands, but what else can't you expect from a coward who shirks away from battle?" The girl said disdainfully.
The dark-haired sister flushed angrily and pointed a finger at the blonde. "You know that's not true, I do not hide! I had people to protect, my daughter, my grandson!" She argued.
"Yeah? I had a son you know, that did not keep me from fighting," Narcissa sniffed.
Andromeda balled her hands into fist and opened her mouth to scream at her sister when Bellatrix broke in. "Stop," she commanded. Looking up at them with a determined gleam, she told the two, "We will be divided no longer, I will not watch us fall apart a second time."
Andromeda crossed her arms, glaring at the elder, "Really? How are you going to stop that? You went insane," she sneered.
Bellatrix gave a twisted little smile, stirring a feeling reminiscent to the one her grin of madness used to give. "Yes, I admit that I did. This time, though, I'm not a naïve nor do I believe he can harm you. I will not be his puppet any longer," she declared.
Narcissa threw her oldest sister off balance with a hug, "Oh do you mean it? I shall love you for always if you do," She gushed, all smiles and hope. The elder smirked at the child cusping adolescence and squeezed her back.
"I do," she answered and with a wary, but wistful gaze. Andromeda took a step forward and fell beside her sister in a plume of white fabric.
"You better," she warned Bellatrix, but her doubt did not stop her from hugging her sister for all she is worth. Maybe, just maybe, the three sisters think they can survive this war entact as a family.
Just shy of midnight and not unlike his cousin, Sirius Black awakened. Panting and with frantic fingers, he ran them across his body relieved to find it whole, if only smaller. It was certainly better than what he expected after falling into the veil. Some of the tension drained out of him in that moment, but it returned ten-fold at the sound of a terrified shriek. Without a thought, Sirius bolted from his room and to one he remembered from his childhood. Entering the room, he discovered his baby brother sitting up in his pretentiously large bed, looking utterly disproportionate to his room.
Stormy eyes wide and gloss, the child stared at him. "Siri," his brother uttered, face crumpling.
Sirius stared.
"What is with all the racket!?" An angry, but sleepy voice snapped from the doorway. Twisting around, Sirius found his mother and father in their dressing robes, hair mused and faces irritated, but not awake enough to feel truly furious. Glancing between the two, Sirius lifted his chin in defiance and took a step toward them.
"Sorry, I thought I'd play a prank on Reg, he didn't take to it too well!" He apologized in a petulant tone.
His father's eyes flash and a hand came out knocking Sirius to the ground. "You insipid child!" He snarled, "If this ever happens again you can expect more than a slap!"
Sirius stared down at his tiny toes and grounded out between clenched teeth, "Yessir."
The man huffed and putting a hand on his mother's arm ordered. "Go back to bed, don't expect the elves to give you breakfast this morning," and with that, the pair leave.
"You lied," Regulus quietly stated.
Flopping his head back to get an upside down image of his brother, Sirius sneered. "Yes, well, we know how much they like your bed-wetting," Regulus flushed, blinking back ashamed tears. Sirius struggled to his feet in the silence, coming closer to his brother he hesitated.
"...Did you wet the bed?" He sighed in part regret for his snide tone and the rest in exasperation.
Hot tears ran down his brother's cheeks as Regulus shook with unsounded sobs. "I-I haven't wet the bed in years and now...!" He whimpered.
"Aw shite, I didn't-Alright, c'mon get up," Sirius ordered padding over to his little brother and tugging at the sleeves of his pajama top. Regulus reluctantly allowed his older brother to pull him from his bed and strip him of his wet clothes.
"Why are you being so nice?" He sniffed, shivering a bit at the draft caused by living in such a large home.
Sirius looked back with sympathy and hope in his expressive eyes. "Years, huh?" He murmured.
Regulus flushed, but after a pause nodded his head, "Uh-huh."
His brother's eyes cloud with tears and pulls Regulus against him in a brief hug, "I'm sorry, so sorry."
Regulus averted his gaze to stare at his small bare feet and mumbled, "S'okay, I understand now, he is evil."
Sirius nodded his head in agreement and the pulled away to bring out a pair of new sleep clothes for Regulus from the boy's armoire.
"Yeah," His brother exhaled, "Put these on."
Regulus did as he was told while Sirius tossed his old pajamas on to Regulus's soiled bed.
"Kreacher?" Reg called out uncertainly.
With a pop, the elf appeared in front of the two children. "Yes little masters?" He inquired, hands folded in front of him.
Blushing, Regulus stammered. "I, um, I kinda wetthebed."
The elf dipped his head sagely. "Kreacher will take cares of it," he declared and before Regulus can get in another word, his brother's hand grasped his.
"Reg's gonna sleep with me for the rest of the night, don't tell mother and father okay?" He told the elf, hoping for once Kreacher will heed him.
The house elf gave Sirius a suspicious look, but tilted his head in acknowledgement. The two brothers then leave the bedroom and return to Sirius's still warm bed, they crawl in it and fall into exhausted sleep in the bright shine of the full moon.
Different from any other, Lucius Malfoy did not make a sound as his eyes open to darkness of the dead of night. He gazed up at the canopy of his bed-a reflection of the night sky-something he'd not had since he was a student at Hogwarts. A cold feeling washing over him, Lucius slowly curled into a ball and cried. He found himself relieved, terrified, angry, sad and so, so disappointed. For all his money, for all his fight, he had not been able to save himself or his wife from the aftermath of the war. He and Narcissa had been tried and executed for their Death-Eater status and forced to leave their son without guidance or solace. If there was any silver-lining, it was that the Malfoy fortune was intact as was their boy.
Crying into his silken sheets Lucius vowed he would fix everything; starting right now - he would not allow his father to die thinking Lucius hated him, he would not let Narcissa doubt his love or decisions and he would not become a Death-Eater.Crawling out from under his sheets, Lucius pulled on a dressing gown and a pair of well-worn slippers before whispering down the long hall to his father's room. Coming to the tall mahogany doors, the blond pushed them open to find his father sitting up in bed his face ashen and jaw tight with pain.
"Father?" Lucius called. In the moon's glow of early hour, the man's eyes open to reveal blue dulled by pain, yet a tiny smile rose on his lips. With great strength, the man's hand managed to reach out to his son and he beckon to him with a spastic jerk.
"Lucius," he rasped, "Come, what's woken you at this hour?
Lucius took several halting steps to his father's bedside before gingerly sitting down on the edge of the mused covers. The man's eyes alight with a bit of life and his out stretched hand came to rest on the blond's own hand before his eyes focused in on his son.
"Father," Lucius began.
The man waited with a patience learned by those who only have one thing left to wait for - death. Swallowing back a whimper, the young teenager whimpered, "I'm sorry."
The senior Malfoy frowned, "What for, my son?"
"For-for everything," Lucius whispered and without a second thought, buried his face into his father's lap and cried again. It's a short while after he had finished his sniveling that it dawned on him that his father's fingers were running through his fine flaxen hair. "Father...stop, you're causing yourself pain," Lucius mumbled pulling away from the fingers and gazing at the man in shock and worry.
His father smiled, "You're my son, I'm meant to comfort you."
Lucius's face morphed with a rage-filled scowl.
"Not when it causes you pain!" He hissed.
"Most everything causes me pain these day, son," his father sighed tiredly.
Lucius grit his teeth and growledm "They call themselves light, but look what they do! They curse a man with a painfully slow death."
The father's face softened to sorrow and he grabbed hold of Lucius's own, "It was an accident, misfires happen sometimes."
"In the middle of a nearly empty street? With his wand pointed directly at you?" Lucius countered.
His father almost shook his head, but winced in the end, "I've made more than one enemy in my time, and caused many more to dislike me, yet I will not blame him. I am just as much at fault as he," He told his son.
Lucius couldn't't hold back even more tears and so, he clung to the hand that held his own.
"I don't want you to die," he whispered.
His father smiles at him and said, "All of us must someday, I'm just a bit earlier than expected."
"Dad..." Lucius hiccuped.
"Please don't cry anymore, it reminds too much of your mother," the man begged, his frail hand squeezing Lucius's fingers tightly.
"Please daddy, don't leave me, not-not-" Lucius stammered, holding back the again by sheer force of will.
"Be strong and remember, keep my death a secret. It's terrible enough that one father is about to be robbed from his son, let's not make it two," he inisisted.
"I will dad," Lucius agreed.
With a last smile, the older Malfoy leaned in and planted a papery kiss to his son's cheek and relaxed back against his pillows.
"You remind me so much of your mother..." he muttered and with a final breath, Abbrax Malfoy passed away. Lucius did't leave his side till the sun had replaced the moon high in the sky and his father's gaunt hand was stiff and unyielding in his grasp.
In the mid hours between midnight and morn was when James Potter woke with a cry of anguish sounding from him. He wailed and sobbed, never one to hide what he felt from anyone; much less himself. Mother and father come rushing into his room, dad swooping him out of his gold and red sheets frantic hands running up and down the length of his young body as mum pressed her cool hands to his flushed face begging for him to tell her what'd upset her baby so.
James flinched and whimpered from the attention, only one thought in mind; His family. He died, he left them to fend for themselves, he left them to die! He couldn't tell this to his mother and he couldn't tell this to his father; he couldn't tell them how awful he felt for leaving behind his wife to defend his infant son, how terrible he felt for failing. James didn't deserve such lavish attention, he was a failure.
"Love, can't you tell mummy what's wrong? Please sweetheart!" His mother sniffled taking him from his father's capable arms and into her own, her gentle hold having her cradle him to the nape of her neck, soothing his sweat soaked mop and humming a wavering tune. The boy was so very confounded, but he didn't question the situation he had found himself in. Instead, after a minute of rigid uncomfortableness, he melted and wound his skinny arms around his mother and began to cry in earnest.
"Mum, mummy," He hiccuped.
"Oh darling," his mother choked swaying with him in her arms. "Why won't you tell me what's upset you so?" She warbled. James shook his head and continued to wail hot and wet into her front, his fingers scrabbling to find a hold that will bring her closer. Suddenly, arms wrap around his middle and James screeched; causing the hands that are attempting to grasp him falter and in turn, almost drop him. The hands strengthen their grasp and with one final tug pull him from his mother.
"Mummy!" James shrieked, grabbing for her with beseeching eyes.
"James," his father's voice grunted gruffly. The boy ignored him in favor of blubbering and squirming in the hold of his captor. "Goddamnit, James! Look at me!" He shouted and James goes rigid his little head tilting to look up at his captor to find it was his father.
"Dad?" His snuffled.
His father sighed and brought him against his chest. "Want to sleep with us tonight, son?" He asked.
"John-" His mother began when his father held up a hand.
"Not now, Jenna," he growled and at his mother's stricken look said softer, calmer, "We can all have a nice, long chat after breakfast tomorrow, okay?" She nodded numbly and together the trio headed off to his parents' room. Entering the room, his father took him to the mused bed and laid him down in the middle, tucking him in.
"Sleep tight, Jamie," he murmured whilst pulling the silk sheets over his body as his mother does the same.
"Night dad, mum," James whispered and in his spot, he stayed perfectly still until both of them were breathing deeply in their sleeps. After he is certain they are both far enough gone into their nocturne worlds, James tossed about until he was free of the quilts and can stare at his body in the receding moonlight. He was unfinished limbs and soft edges; he was a boy. Face scrunched in a mixture of perplexment and misery, he mumbled to nobody, "What's going on?"
Remus blinked, his body wracked with the leftover pangs familiar to his transformations, but he could not riddle out why that was. He and Tonks had just rushed head long into battle, hexes flying from their wands and curses flying straight at them, he vaguely remembered a streak of green shooting toward him when everything went black...
"Remus?" A voice from across the room whispered, a warm ball of light giving away their location.
A ripple of wind whistled into the dark room causing him to shiver and the light danced, teetering toward extinction. "Hm?" He grunted struggling to pull himself up with clumsy, weak arms.
The person breathed a sigh and shuffled into the room. "Do you need help?" They asked and then the flame lifted up to their face and the werewolf has to hold back a gasp at the shadowed contours. It was mother. But that could not be so, his mind whispered; she'd been dead for years and years.
"Mum?" He muttered, voice wavering between confusion and pain.
"It's alright my boy, I can help," she said to him, setting her lantern aside. She kneeled beside him and pulled a pair of pajamas from her cloak. She held out the shirt and commanded, "Come here child."
Remus listened and allowed her put his arms through the child length sleeves and found himself surprised when it fit. She then helped him up on his coltish legs and into his bottoms before picking Remus up and letting the werewolf cling to her as she put a hand in front of the lantern to keep the wind from extinguishing it.
In the morning dusk, they tromp across the patchy lawn he remembered from his childhood and into the homey kitchen colored yellow with splashes of orange. Taking him to the chipped and creaky kitchen table, she set him in a chair and glided over to the cupboard above the sink pulling out several potions and next to the fridge, where she took out a jug of chocolate milk. Swinging over to him, his mother's wispy blond hair plastered itself to her face as she puffed out a breath of air.
"Here baby, take the potions while I get you a cuppa," she told him and moved away to reach into the drying rack by the sink to bring up a washed cup for him. Remus ignored the potions in favor of staring at her in wonder; she's alive, in all her wispiness and early lines that mar her forehead far too soon.
When mother turned to find that he hasdn't taken the medicine like ordered, she put the glass down. Her brow's creases deepened further in worry and she knelt in front of Remus, holding up a finger, "Darling, how many fingers am I holding up?" She whispered.
The boy frowned, "Why-oh. I haven't got a concussion mum."
He sighed and to dispel her unnecessary fears, took the potion and chugged them down one by one under her careful gaze. Slamming the last bottle to the table, he wiped away the grimace and smiled up at her, "See mum?" Remus prompted.
She bit her lip and poured him a tall glass of chocolate milk. "I see," She agreed.
Knowing his mother was still unconvinced, Remus's shoulders dropped. "It's-It's just a bit disorienting sometimes, okay?" He explained.
His mother's brows raise a bit in surprise and then she chuckled, "Disorienting? Where did my little man learn this word?"
Remus glowed red and sipped at his milk.
"A book, I think," he muttered around his drink. Mother laughed again and her skin crinkled around her eyes in a way that was far too rare in the Lupin household; Remus found himself giggling soon after. In a moment of silliness, his mother's eyes alight and with a sudden swoop her fingers were tickling him beneath his arms. Remus squirmed and squealed while his mother laughed joyful. As they enjoy themselves, Remus vowed to himself, This time you'll be happy, I'll make sure of it.
In a pastel room dimmed by coming morning, a little girl with a head of fire, laid upon a bed of white frills and lace, tossed. Her relaxed face furrowed and tears started to leak from underneath her red-blond lashes as her features twisted into a horrifying mix of agony and terror. Suddenly, her body turned rigid; a breath later, like an arrow leaving its quiver the girl sprung up from her bed, a deafening scream unleashed from her rosebud lips.
At first, Lily hadn't a clue what was going on. All she knew was she was in her childhood bedroom, stuffed animals and books of fairy tales lining all available surfaces and her mother's arms engulf her entirely as she wailed and screamed.
"Mum, mum, mummy," she sobbed into the soft curves as her fingers entwined in the woman's linen nightgown.
"Shhh..."Her mother soothed, petting her tangled hair and peppering kisses on her crown. "What's got you so worked up, hm?" Even admist the confusion, pain, anger, worry and sorrow, Lily understood she could not tell her mother anything. Not a sliver of the truth can leave her lips or she risked much more than she could ever regain.
Instead, she hiccuped and gazed up at her mother's tired, yet concerned face and whimpered, "Mummy it-t was the worst night-tmare ever! I-I-everyone was dead!"
"Oh sweetheart..."Her mother sighed, squeezing her close and kissing her forehead, "It's just a dream, it's all over now."
Lily wanted to call her a liar, tell her she's wrong; but she couldn't. So, Lily did the next best thing, "Can I sleep with you and daddy for the rest of the night?" She had no interest in sleeping alone. Not after - everything.
Her mother smiled and maneuvered Lily onto her back with a great heaving grunt. "Just tonight, love," She said and Lily only clung tighter.
"Okay," She murmured. Mother and daughter fell silent as they shuffle into her mother and father's bedroom, Lily saw her father turn over in her parents' bed and gaze over at them with eyes little more than slits.
"Everything alright?" He mumbled.
Lily felt her mother smile against her hair, "Yes, just a nightmare Paul. I told Lily she could sleep with us for the rest of the night."
The girl's father snorted. "All of two hours," he yawned and then with a groan, flipped himself over making room for Lily to curl up in the middle. Her mother set Lily down and she scrambled under the sheets as her mother slipped in beside her.
"Night mummy and daddy," She muttered, closing her so very tired eyes.
"Goodnight, baby," Daddy said and the room descended into silence.
Lily gazed up at the ceiling as her parents sleep on either side of her. She didn't know what had happened to her; she didn't know if it was only her, she didn't know if this was real or if it was all a dream. At this point, Lily would be willing to bet her entire life from the moment of learning the truth of magic to her death trying to save her only son was all just a terrifyingly wonderful dream. With a frustrated sigh, she tried to think of someone she could go to and find out if the life she'd lived had been real or fake.
With sinking stomach and stab of guilt, she remembered a little boy she once called her best friend.
Adrenaline running low, Lily thought with a bit of trepidation if anyone can prove her right or wrong about what'd happened it was Severus Snape, and if he didn't remember like her? Then, maybe she could save him from the dark once and for all.
In a parallel scene only streets away from the little girl, a little boy with eyes of the night sky startled awake to the enclosing sunrise with a strained gasp leaving his parted mouth. Severus Snape sat up and his hand came to clamp around his whole neck; he released a shaky exhale of relief at the finding. Eyes darting about the sparse gray room he tried to puzzle out just where he was. In a matter of seconds, fear funneled into his gut as he realized he was back at Spinner's End in his childhood bedroom. With gasping breaths he waited for the sound of creaking floors and lumbering steps that always came with these night terrors, but none come.
Confused, the black-haired boy frowned and pinched his arm. Nothing. This only pulled his frown even further down, disliking the disorientation he felt, Severus tumbled out of bed and realized he's the child he once was instead of the man he was now. "No..." He whispered, this wasn't - couldn't - be a dream then! In desperation, he called for his magic and was frightened when he found that it was lacking and not nearly as disciplined as it had been only hours before. With a quiet whimper, he begged for this all to be a some curse. Quivering, he forced himself to pace his room until he's spent away enough of the unease for him not to shake any longer and with a resolve of a man possessed, he opened his door and tip-toed to the bedroom his parents share.
Pattering down the black hall, he paused at the door in uncertainty, if this was real, he did not want to wake his father by accident and end up on the wrong side of his belt. But...he had to know. So, without a second thought, he twisted the tarnished knob and peered through the crack to see his mother's dark hair cascading off the bed on one side and his father's lanky arm hanging over the edge of the other. Heart beating rapidly, Severus pulled the door closed again and stifled a scream. This was no time to become irrational or daft with his fright, instead, Severus deliberately strode back to his room and trudged through his closet for a pair of shoes, after sifting through a pile of clothes Severus found a set of raggedy tennis shoes a size too small. Tugging them on, he left his room.
He didn't know if he was the only one, but he planned to find out. His first stop will be the spot by the creek where he and Lily met every morning throughout their summers together, heading down the stairs he skipped over the creaky steps and slipped out the back door with its broken lock and into the forest behind his home. Gliding through the woods, Severus took little notice of the still dark sky, all of his focus on seeking out answers and if he was to admit it, giddiness at the thought of seeing Lily after so many years.
Coming to their spot, Severus marveled at the turn of events, he would have never guessed this a possibility for his afterlife.