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fox_confessorTitle: Half of Something Else
Author: Dani
Pairing: Lily and Alice
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 3282
Warnings: none
Summary: During the war, Alice and Lily find a moment of peace.
Notes: written for the 2011 mwpp_mischief rarepairs challenge. Inspired (and prompted) by Joni Mitchell's "Urge for Going"
It was just after twilight when Alice stumbled into the ramshackle cabin, her wand out, bringing a blast of frigid air with her. She could tell immediately that they were alone and so finally safe. She could have sunk into the absolutely filthy floor with relief. The only thing that kept her on her feet was Lily, who tumbled in right behind her, shaking the snow from her thick ponytail and impractical clogs. Alice hurried to slam the door shut behind her, afraid it would fall off its hinges and relieved when the latch seemed to hold.
“Where are we, Lily, that it’s snowing in September? We survived four Death Eaters only to freeze in the end,” she whinged, clasping her hands together and blowing warm air onto them to restore some feeling to her frozen fingers. “There’s a fireplace at least. Do you think we can get something started?”
“I don’t know. Do you think it would be safe to use a little magic? Dumbledore said—“
“Dumbledore didn’t know we’d be freezing our bollocks off, if we had any.” Alice walked around the cabin, pacing it off with her feet out of habit. It was nothing more than a shack, barely big enough for two, and obviously long ago abandoned to the elements. Alice kicked at a grubby mattress pushed up against the far wall and frowned at the broken chair in the corner as she mentally took inventory of her bag.
It wasn’t good news. She hadn’t really packed for an extended trip and doubted that Lily had either. When the mission had come up, Alice hadn’t thought it would take more than hour. She had envisioned catching lunch with Lily afterwards and being back home in time to get the laundry done. Of course, when she had originally read the message, she thought Frank would be coming along. Not that she was complaining. She had always been rather fond of Lily but she had to admit that at the moment, she really missed Frank, if only because he was such a furnace.
“Well, I bet it’s more shelter than the boys have, anyway,” Alice continued on cheerfully. “You know, James and Sirius were offered this mission first but turned it down because they thought monitoring some boys’ club all night in Chelsea would be more exciting.”
“It’s more than a boys’ club,” Lily said quietly.
Alice turned to see she hadn’t moved away from the the door, her arms folder over her chest. There was a long, thin cut along her cheekbone that had stopped bleeding but still looked like it hurt. Alice felt bad that she hadn’t noticed earlier, or how pale Lily looked as she stood shivering in her thin jumper. “Lucius Malfoy is known to be a member. Last year when the Ministry raided the place, they took out all sorts of illegal artifacts.”
“So send the girls to the south while the boys have all the fun?”
“You’re as suspicious as Mad Eye. They couldn’t have known it was a trap.”
“I suppose not,” Alice said but she was dubious. She always felt like there was more going on than they were ever told at Order meetings. She supposed it was the way of war but it didn’t mean she had to like it. Of course, it wouldn’t help their current situation to dwell on it, especially with Lily looking as though she might collapse from shock at any moment. “I’d forgotten you could duel so well. Does it hurt much?”
Lily probed her cheek with careful fingers, barely touching the broken skin. “Not much. I suppose I should wash it off if I can.”
She looked around the sparse room and sighed, clearly coming to the same conclusion as Alice. The place was a dump, but at least they’d probably be safe until morning though safe didn’t mean running water or electricity at what was an apparently remote muggle camping grounds. The only part they hadn’t explored was a small cupboard in the corner, its door hanging off its hinges. It was definitely too narrow to be concealing a kitchen or a water closet but maybe something useful could be pulled from its recesses.
Alice drew out her wand as she clasped the handle, grinning to reveal the gap in her front teeth. “If I were a boggart looking for a nice place to live.”
“You shouldn’t—“
“Only in emergencies, I know, but I don’t fancy tackling my worst nightmare without a little help. One disaster a day is enough.”
Alice drew up the catch and warily opened the door, cringing when it scraped along the warped floorboards. There was nothing more terrifying inside than a couple of moth-eaten blankets and a few kitchen items. “A bit of luck. Finally.”
She tucked her wand back into her belt and drew out the blankets to thrust them into Lily’s arms. Reaching into the dark corners she found little else except an old boot, a spoon with a bent handle, and a thin pamphlet advertising camping equipment from a store in Leeds.
“I usually have some tea bags with me,” Lily offered as she dropped the blankets onto the mattress then kneeled in front of the cold fireplace. She took her rucksack from her shoulders and began rummaging around inside. “I brought a packet of biscuits, too. They’re probably crushed now.”
There was a catch in Lily’s voice that made Alice stop her own poking about to examine Lily more carefully. Still pale, still cold. There were deep shadows beneath her eyes that spoke of the day’s exertions. Neither would have stayed up so late the night before drinking wine and eating pasta with Frank and James in a tiny cafe near Alice’s flat on an infrequent double date if they’d known how the day would turn out.
It was just meant to be a quick trip up the coast to visit a friend of Dumbledore’s to persuade her to give up a book he thought might be helpful. It would barely take a few minutes by the Floo Network. Order business but the biggest danger was that Mrs. Guster, the old friend, was chatty and, from the sound of it, lonely. When the tip came in about the club in Chelsea and James and Sirius were called down to do surveillance, Alice volunteered instead. She had the afternoon off with no plans bigger than cleaning her flat and doing the laundry. After Frank was called into work, Lily was volunteered to tag along both because she was also lucky enough to have a free afternoon and because Mad Eye Moody had strict rules about anyone going off on their own.
“I could have been more practical.” Lily gave up her search and tossed her bag down in disgust. “No matches. I didn’t think we’d really be gone for long or that we wouldn’t be able to use our wands.”
“No matter. There was a kettle on one of the shelves in the cupboard and some dishes. We’ll have biscuits and tea for dinner. I think I might even have a bar of chocolate with me.” Alice knelt down next to Lily and cupped her chin to look at the cut again. She could see that Lily’s bright green eyes had welled up with tears though she was bravely fighting them back. It made Alice like her all the more. “We’ll have ourselves a jolly time tonight, Lils. Won’t the boys be jealous when we turn up tomorrow and tell them we fought off four Death Eaters in a proper duel?”
“They’ll be worried when we don’t turn up home but I’m sure they’ll never think to look for us here,” Lily said as she straightened her shoulders and forced a smile. “This can’t have been used for ages. I used to come here on holidays when I was a girl. It looked bigger when I was a kid.”
“Doesn’t everything?”
“I can’t imagine what made me think of it. My sister and I hated coming here. It’s always cold no matter what time of the year and the midges will eat you alive.”
“Sounds character building. I’m glad you did think of it, though. I was so mad I probably would have apparated straight home, bringing most of them with me. The place is such a mess, I’m not sure I would have noticed. Frank and I might have been tripping over them for days.”
“You wouldn’t have,” Lily said. Her eyes were still wet with unshed tears but there was more color in her cheeks as she forced a smile.
“I suppose not.” Alice stroked Lily’s cheek with her thumb. Not for the first time, she noticed how pretty Lily was, with her bright eyes and hair. She smiled back softly when Lily leaned in to her touch, reaching up to pat Alice’s hand as she looked steadily back. There was something in the look that made Alice feel warm and oddly appreciative that their contact, old Mrs. Guster, had turned out to have been Bellatrix Lestrange in disguise.
“It’s really going to be all right,” Alice whispered, then immediately felt stupid for whispering. It was only Lily, after all, and they had been friends since they were eleven years old.
Of course, since they left Hogwarts it was as if they had grown up into responsible adults all at once. Lily had become a capable young woman instead of the little girl with freckles across her nose and braided pigtails that James had once tried to dip into an inkwell. Alice smiles at the memory. She had hexed him with the only spell she had known straight off at the time, making his hair stand up and wave so that he looked like a great sea anemone. She had seen one once on a trip to a magical creature emporium with her dad the year before he died. The sight of it there in their transfiguration class had made her laugh out loud before she burst into tears. It had been Lily who had comforted her then, and they had been fast friends ever since.
Alice hadn’t realized how much she had missed her old friend until this very minute though they saw each other all the time. It was hard because her auror training and Lily’s job at the hospital didn’t leave much time and the war took up what was left. Frank was Alice’s rock but she missed whispering with Lily late into the night about books and spells and boys. Though, it wouldn’t do to get all nostalgic about their school days, either. They still had to survive the night.
“I’ll just go find some water, yeah?” Alice stood up so fast that she cracked the top of her head on the old mantle piece. She rubbed at the sore spot before brightening as she spotted a small cardboard box. “Look! Matches! We can break up that old chair and I’m sure I have some paper in my bag for tinder. See if I’ve brought something more useful than that bar from Honeydukes while you’re at it.”
Alice took the kettle and practically ran outside before Lily could protest about going out alone. She felt as though she needed some space to think about everything that had happened before she got overcome and said something silly. Once the door was closed, Alice leaned her back against its rough hewn wood and looked up at the sky, taking in a deep gulp of the sharp night air. They were safe, she reminded herself, and it was time to be practical.
It had stopped snowing but was still bitterly cold, surprisingly so for the time of year. She knew it must be very far north, further than even Hogwarts. Hurrying along to find the stream they had passed on their way in, Alice noted the faint path that led through tall pine trees. Not very far along, she found the fast moving rivulet along a steep slope that opened into a deep pool of dark water. As she knelt to fill the kettle with the icy cold water, she listened to an owl hooting very far away, and then an answering call much nearer.
She froze, dropping the kettle onto the muddy bank, nervous suddenly that it was a sign—a signal—and drew out her wand. She waited until her fingers and toes had gone numb from the cold, straining to listen, before she decided her nerves were getting the best of her. Once the duel was over, Lily had apparated them to three different locations in quick succession before landing here. It was beyond their protocol. They couldn’t have been followed.
Still nervous, she hurriedly finished filling the kettle, slopping a good bit on the way back to the cabin as she hurried along the dim path. Before she slipped back inside, she decided a protective charm was likely worth the risk and cast it quickly.
She was delighted to find the cabin was warmer than she had left it, a fire burning merrily in the grate. Lily was adding bits of splintered wood to the pile of burning paper, which cracked and popped as it caught in the flames. Soon they had a bowl and a small creamer as makeshift cups filled with steeping tea, and had set the smashed and stale biscuits on another broken half of a plate to warm by the fire. When they were finished with the chocolate bar, they added the paper wrapper to the flames, watching it twist and curl as they pinched biscuit crumbs into their mouths with their fingertips.
“Were you afraid at all, Alice?” Lily asked after a while.
They sat huddled on the mattress Lily had pulled closer to the hearth, with the blankets pulled around their shoulders. Above the stench of mildew and smoke, Alice could smell the soft scent of lilacs on Lily’s skin. It was nice.
“Of course, I was. It was terrifying,” Alice admitted without hesitation. “But once I realized that it wasn’t old Mrs. Guster, my training kicked in.”
“I hope she’s all right. Dumbledore said she used to be a teacher at Hogwarts when he was in school. I can’t imagine how old she must be now.”
“I bet she cleared out ages ago. The house looked like the Shrieking Shack. It should have been my first clue something wasn’t right.” Alice hesitated, not sure why she had ignored her instinct when they had arrived at the house. It had felt off. She had even double checked the address twice before knocking on the door, sure that it was wrong. “I just thought nothing could go wrong since they sent two girls. Stupid of me.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Alice. I didn’t notice anything was out of place either. I would be dead right now if it hadn’t been for you.”
“How many times have we heard that though? It won’t be dangerous so just send the girls. Even I started to believe it, walking around as if nothing could happen to me. I walked us right into a trap. They ought to kick me out of the training program.”
“Nonsense. As soon as you figured out what was going on, you took complete control. They never had a chance. You’re completely capable and you’re going to make a great auror, Alice. You certainly don’t have to prove to me how brave you are.”
“My mother calls it recklessness.”
“It’s courage. I see it often enough. You had that same look in your eyes that James gets right before he does something noble. I promise you, James or Frank or any of the other boys would have done the same thing we did—we stood our ground and we fought.”
Alice’s cheeks warmed as Lily spoke. She knew that look, had seen it on the face of nearly every member of the Order at one time or another. She had seen it in Lily’s eyes just that morning before they stepped into the preternatural quiet of Mrs. Guster’s house and into a Death Eater’s trap.
“They don’t often accept girls into the auror program, you know,” Alice said. “Mad Eye is always watching me, as if he thinks I’m going to fall to pieces at any moment.”
“And you haven’t, have you?”
“Not even a whimper.” Alice grinned at Lily, her tongue pushing at the small gap between her front teeth. “I was scared when I saw Bellatrix go after you with that knife though. She never did fight fair. I couldn’t imagine having to go back to tell James that I’d lost you. He would have never forgiven me.”
“She might have had me, too, if you hadn’t been there. I didn’t thank you yet, Alice.”
“Don’t, Lily. I would do anything for you, you know that,” Alice said in a rush. She could feel her cheeks burn harder as Lily looked back at her, surprise in her wide green eyes. Alice glanced back to the fire, the flames jumping high to lick the blackened bricks of the chimney, until Lily caught Alice beneath her chin with gentle fingertips.
Their first kiss was gentle, just a brush of lips, and this close up, Alice could see the pale freckles dotting Lily’s nose and spreading across her cheeks like a constellation of stars.
“Oh,” Alice whispered against Lily’s lips—against her sudden smile that was at turns beguiling and mischievous. This was the Lily of adventures in a magic castle and secret treks into the Forbidden Forest. Of holding hands beneath the covers late at night as they swapped secrets. This was her Lily—Alice’s Lily—before they had grown up and apart.
Alice smiled back, no longer shy and awkward. No longer the gangly girl with scabs on both knees and a habit for falling up the shifting staircases. She claimed Lily’s mouth with her own, kissing her with a fervency she hadn’t felt in a long time, and laughed when Lily reached for her as well. Alice needed no other encouragement. She was happy to be alive, grateful to have Lily with her in this cold, decrepit little shack in the middle of nowhere. They kissed open mouth, gentle yet urgent until they finally both had to pull away, breathless and giggling like schoolgirls as they clung to each other.
“I suppose we should take turns standing guard and try to get some sleep,” Lily said long after their giggles died away. Alice wanted to tease her for being so practical but knew she was right. Lily usually was.
“I’ll take the first watch. We should leave at first light. They’ll be worried.”
“Not too terribly. James said he wouldn’t worry as long as I was with you.”
“Did he?” Alice laughed merrily as she watched Lily lay down on the mattress and pull the blanket over her. “Frank said he knew I could handle myself but that you were a sensible girl and I’d be all right as long as we were together.”
“I am glad you’re here, Alice.” Lily reached for Alice’s hand, curling their fingers together.
Alice was glad, too, and strangely contented, at least for the night in the middle of the crazy war they’ve found themselves part of. It gave her hope, and renewed her faith that all would be well. She bent low to press her lips against Lily’s cheek. They’d go home tomorrow, back to their lives and back to the fighting and the fear, but in that moment, they were safe and warm and happy. “I’m glad I’m here, too, Lily.”
Author: Dani
Pairing: Lily and Alice
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 3282
Warnings: none
Summary: During the war, Alice and Lily find a moment of peace.
Notes: written for the 2011 mwpp_mischief rarepairs challenge. Inspired (and prompted) by Joni Mitchell's "Urge for Going"
It was just after twilight when Alice stumbled into the ramshackle cabin, her wand out, bringing a blast of frigid air with her. She could tell immediately that they were alone and so finally safe. She could have sunk into the absolutely filthy floor with relief. The only thing that kept her on her feet was Lily, who tumbled in right behind her, shaking the snow from her thick ponytail and impractical clogs. Alice hurried to slam the door shut behind her, afraid it would fall off its hinges and relieved when the latch seemed to hold.
“Where are we, Lily, that it’s snowing in September? We survived four Death Eaters only to freeze in the end,” she whinged, clasping her hands together and blowing warm air onto them to restore some feeling to her frozen fingers. “There’s a fireplace at least. Do you think we can get something started?”
“I don’t know. Do you think it would be safe to use a little magic? Dumbledore said—“
“Dumbledore didn’t know we’d be freezing our bollocks off, if we had any.” Alice walked around the cabin, pacing it off with her feet out of habit. It was nothing more than a shack, barely big enough for two, and obviously long ago abandoned to the elements. Alice kicked at a grubby mattress pushed up against the far wall and frowned at the broken chair in the corner as she mentally took inventory of her bag.
It wasn’t good news. She hadn’t really packed for an extended trip and doubted that Lily had either. When the mission had come up, Alice hadn’t thought it would take more than hour. She had envisioned catching lunch with Lily afterwards and being back home in time to get the laundry done. Of course, when she had originally read the message, she thought Frank would be coming along. Not that she was complaining. She had always been rather fond of Lily but she had to admit that at the moment, she really missed Frank, if only because he was such a furnace.
“Well, I bet it’s more shelter than the boys have, anyway,” Alice continued on cheerfully. “You know, James and Sirius were offered this mission first but turned it down because they thought monitoring some boys’ club all night in Chelsea would be more exciting.”
“It’s more than a boys’ club,” Lily said quietly.
Alice turned to see she hadn’t moved away from the the door, her arms folder over her chest. There was a long, thin cut along her cheekbone that had stopped bleeding but still looked like it hurt. Alice felt bad that she hadn’t noticed earlier, or how pale Lily looked as she stood shivering in her thin jumper. “Lucius Malfoy is known to be a member. Last year when the Ministry raided the place, they took out all sorts of illegal artifacts.”
“So send the girls to the south while the boys have all the fun?”
“You’re as suspicious as Mad Eye. They couldn’t have known it was a trap.”
“I suppose not,” Alice said but she was dubious. She always felt like there was more going on than they were ever told at Order meetings. She supposed it was the way of war but it didn’t mean she had to like it. Of course, it wouldn’t help their current situation to dwell on it, especially with Lily looking as though she might collapse from shock at any moment. “I’d forgotten you could duel so well. Does it hurt much?”
Lily probed her cheek with careful fingers, barely touching the broken skin. “Not much. I suppose I should wash it off if I can.”
She looked around the sparse room and sighed, clearly coming to the same conclusion as Alice. The place was a dump, but at least they’d probably be safe until morning though safe didn’t mean running water or electricity at what was an apparently remote muggle camping grounds. The only part they hadn’t explored was a small cupboard in the corner, its door hanging off its hinges. It was definitely too narrow to be concealing a kitchen or a water closet but maybe something useful could be pulled from its recesses.
Alice drew out her wand as she clasped the handle, grinning to reveal the gap in her front teeth. “If I were a boggart looking for a nice place to live.”
“You shouldn’t—“
“Only in emergencies, I know, but I don’t fancy tackling my worst nightmare without a little help. One disaster a day is enough.”
Alice drew up the catch and warily opened the door, cringing when it scraped along the warped floorboards. There was nothing more terrifying inside than a couple of moth-eaten blankets and a few kitchen items. “A bit of luck. Finally.”
She tucked her wand back into her belt and drew out the blankets to thrust them into Lily’s arms. Reaching into the dark corners she found little else except an old boot, a spoon with a bent handle, and a thin pamphlet advertising camping equipment from a store in Leeds.
“I usually have some tea bags with me,” Lily offered as she dropped the blankets onto the mattress then kneeled in front of the cold fireplace. She took her rucksack from her shoulders and began rummaging around inside. “I brought a packet of biscuits, too. They’re probably crushed now.”
There was a catch in Lily’s voice that made Alice stop her own poking about to examine Lily more carefully. Still pale, still cold. There were deep shadows beneath her eyes that spoke of the day’s exertions. Neither would have stayed up so late the night before drinking wine and eating pasta with Frank and James in a tiny cafe near Alice’s flat on an infrequent double date if they’d known how the day would turn out.
It was just meant to be a quick trip up the coast to visit a friend of Dumbledore’s to persuade her to give up a book he thought might be helpful. It would barely take a few minutes by the Floo Network. Order business but the biggest danger was that Mrs. Guster, the old friend, was chatty and, from the sound of it, lonely. When the tip came in about the club in Chelsea and James and Sirius were called down to do surveillance, Alice volunteered instead. She had the afternoon off with no plans bigger than cleaning her flat and doing the laundry. After Frank was called into work, Lily was volunteered to tag along both because she was also lucky enough to have a free afternoon and because Mad Eye Moody had strict rules about anyone going off on their own.
“I could have been more practical.” Lily gave up her search and tossed her bag down in disgust. “No matches. I didn’t think we’d really be gone for long or that we wouldn’t be able to use our wands.”
“No matter. There was a kettle on one of the shelves in the cupboard and some dishes. We’ll have biscuits and tea for dinner. I think I might even have a bar of chocolate with me.” Alice knelt down next to Lily and cupped her chin to look at the cut again. She could see that Lily’s bright green eyes had welled up with tears though she was bravely fighting them back. It made Alice like her all the more. “We’ll have ourselves a jolly time tonight, Lils. Won’t the boys be jealous when we turn up tomorrow and tell them we fought off four Death Eaters in a proper duel?”
“They’ll be worried when we don’t turn up home but I’m sure they’ll never think to look for us here,” Lily said as she straightened her shoulders and forced a smile. “This can’t have been used for ages. I used to come here on holidays when I was a girl. It looked bigger when I was a kid.”
“Doesn’t everything?”
“I can’t imagine what made me think of it. My sister and I hated coming here. It’s always cold no matter what time of the year and the midges will eat you alive.”
“Sounds character building. I’m glad you did think of it, though. I was so mad I probably would have apparated straight home, bringing most of them with me. The place is such a mess, I’m not sure I would have noticed. Frank and I might have been tripping over them for days.”
“You wouldn’t have,” Lily said. Her eyes were still wet with unshed tears but there was more color in her cheeks as she forced a smile.
“I suppose not.” Alice stroked Lily’s cheek with her thumb. Not for the first time, she noticed how pretty Lily was, with her bright eyes and hair. She smiled back softly when Lily leaned in to her touch, reaching up to pat Alice’s hand as she looked steadily back. There was something in the look that made Alice feel warm and oddly appreciative that their contact, old Mrs. Guster, had turned out to have been Bellatrix Lestrange in disguise.
“It’s really going to be all right,” Alice whispered, then immediately felt stupid for whispering. It was only Lily, after all, and they had been friends since they were eleven years old.
Of course, since they left Hogwarts it was as if they had grown up into responsible adults all at once. Lily had become a capable young woman instead of the little girl with freckles across her nose and braided pigtails that James had once tried to dip into an inkwell. Alice smiles at the memory. She had hexed him with the only spell she had known straight off at the time, making his hair stand up and wave so that he looked like a great sea anemone. She had seen one once on a trip to a magical creature emporium with her dad the year before he died. The sight of it there in their transfiguration class had made her laugh out loud before she burst into tears. It had been Lily who had comforted her then, and they had been fast friends ever since.
Alice hadn’t realized how much she had missed her old friend until this very minute though they saw each other all the time. It was hard because her auror training and Lily’s job at the hospital didn’t leave much time and the war took up what was left. Frank was Alice’s rock but she missed whispering with Lily late into the night about books and spells and boys. Though, it wouldn’t do to get all nostalgic about their school days, either. They still had to survive the night.
“I’ll just go find some water, yeah?” Alice stood up so fast that she cracked the top of her head on the old mantle piece. She rubbed at the sore spot before brightening as she spotted a small cardboard box. “Look! Matches! We can break up that old chair and I’m sure I have some paper in my bag for tinder. See if I’ve brought something more useful than that bar from Honeydukes while you’re at it.”
Alice took the kettle and practically ran outside before Lily could protest about going out alone. She felt as though she needed some space to think about everything that had happened before she got overcome and said something silly. Once the door was closed, Alice leaned her back against its rough hewn wood and looked up at the sky, taking in a deep gulp of the sharp night air. They were safe, she reminded herself, and it was time to be practical.
It had stopped snowing but was still bitterly cold, surprisingly so for the time of year. She knew it must be very far north, further than even Hogwarts. Hurrying along to find the stream they had passed on their way in, Alice noted the faint path that led through tall pine trees. Not very far along, she found the fast moving rivulet along a steep slope that opened into a deep pool of dark water. As she knelt to fill the kettle with the icy cold water, she listened to an owl hooting very far away, and then an answering call much nearer.
She froze, dropping the kettle onto the muddy bank, nervous suddenly that it was a sign—a signal—and drew out her wand. She waited until her fingers and toes had gone numb from the cold, straining to listen, before she decided her nerves were getting the best of her. Once the duel was over, Lily had apparated them to three different locations in quick succession before landing here. It was beyond their protocol. They couldn’t have been followed.
Still nervous, she hurriedly finished filling the kettle, slopping a good bit on the way back to the cabin as she hurried along the dim path. Before she slipped back inside, she decided a protective charm was likely worth the risk and cast it quickly.
She was delighted to find the cabin was warmer than she had left it, a fire burning merrily in the grate. Lily was adding bits of splintered wood to the pile of burning paper, which cracked and popped as it caught in the flames. Soon they had a bowl and a small creamer as makeshift cups filled with steeping tea, and had set the smashed and stale biscuits on another broken half of a plate to warm by the fire. When they were finished with the chocolate bar, they added the paper wrapper to the flames, watching it twist and curl as they pinched biscuit crumbs into their mouths with their fingertips.
“Were you afraid at all, Alice?” Lily asked after a while.
They sat huddled on the mattress Lily had pulled closer to the hearth, with the blankets pulled around their shoulders. Above the stench of mildew and smoke, Alice could smell the soft scent of lilacs on Lily’s skin. It was nice.
“Of course, I was. It was terrifying,” Alice admitted without hesitation. “But once I realized that it wasn’t old Mrs. Guster, my training kicked in.”
“I hope she’s all right. Dumbledore said she used to be a teacher at Hogwarts when he was in school. I can’t imagine how old she must be now.”
“I bet she cleared out ages ago. The house looked like the Shrieking Shack. It should have been my first clue something wasn’t right.” Alice hesitated, not sure why she had ignored her instinct when they had arrived at the house. It had felt off. She had even double checked the address twice before knocking on the door, sure that it was wrong. “I just thought nothing could go wrong since they sent two girls. Stupid of me.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Alice. I didn’t notice anything was out of place either. I would be dead right now if it hadn’t been for you.”
“How many times have we heard that though? It won’t be dangerous so just send the girls. Even I started to believe it, walking around as if nothing could happen to me. I walked us right into a trap. They ought to kick me out of the training program.”
“Nonsense. As soon as you figured out what was going on, you took complete control. They never had a chance. You’re completely capable and you’re going to make a great auror, Alice. You certainly don’t have to prove to me how brave you are.”
“My mother calls it recklessness.”
“It’s courage. I see it often enough. You had that same look in your eyes that James gets right before he does something noble. I promise you, James or Frank or any of the other boys would have done the same thing we did—we stood our ground and we fought.”
Alice’s cheeks warmed as Lily spoke. She knew that look, had seen it on the face of nearly every member of the Order at one time or another. She had seen it in Lily’s eyes just that morning before they stepped into the preternatural quiet of Mrs. Guster’s house and into a Death Eater’s trap.
“They don’t often accept girls into the auror program, you know,” Alice said. “Mad Eye is always watching me, as if he thinks I’m going to fall to pieces at any moment.”
“And you haven’t, have you?”
“Not even a whimper.” Alice grinned at Lily, her tongue pushing at the small gap between her front teeth. “I was scared when I saw Bellatrix go after you with that knife though. She never did fight fair. I couldn’t imagine having to go back to tell James that I’d lost you. He would have never forgiven me.”
“She might have had me, too, if you hadn’t been there. I didn’t thank you yet, Alice.”
“Don’t, Lily. I would do anything for you, you know that,” Alice said in a rush. She could feel her cheeks burn harder as Lily looked back at her, surprise in her wide green eyes. Alice glanced back to the fire, the flames jumping high to lick the blackened bricks of the chimney, until Lily caught Alice beneath her chin with gentle fingertips.
Their first kiss was gentle, just a brush of lips, and this close up, Alice could see the pale freckles dotting Lily’s nose and spreading across her cheeks like a constellation of stars.
“Oh,” Alice whispered against Lily’s lips—against her sudden smile that was at turns beguiling and mischievous. This was the Lily of adventures in a magic castle and secret treks into the Forbidden Forest. Of holding hands beneath the covers late at night as they swapped secrets. This was her Lily—Alice’s Lily—before they had grown up and apart.
Alice smiled back, no longer shy and awkward. No longer the gangly girl with scabs on both knees and a habit for falling up the shifting staircases. She claimed Lily’s mouth with her own, kissing her with a fervency she hadn’t felt in a long time, and laughed when Lily reached for her as well. Alice needed no other encouragement. She was happy to be alive, grateful to have Lily with her in this cold, decrepit little shack in the middle of nowhere. They kissed open mouth, gentle yet urgent until they finally both had to pull away, breathless and giggling like schoolgirls as they clung to each other.
“I suppose we should take turns standing guard and try to get some sleep,” Lily said long after their giggles died away. Alice wanted to tease her for being so practical but knew she was right. Lily usually was.
“I’ll take the first watch. We should leave at first light. They’ll be worried.”
“Not too terribly. James said he wouldn’t worry as long as I was with you.”
“Did he?” Alice laughed merrily as she watched Lily lay down on the mattress and pull the blanket over her. “Frank said he knew I could handle myself but that you were a sensible girl and I’d be all right as long as we were together.”
“I am glad you’re here, Alice.” Lily reached for Alice’s hand, curling their fingers together.
Alice was glad, too, and strangely contented, at least for the night in the middle of the crazy war they’ve found themselves part of. It gave her hope, and renewed her faith that all would be well. She bent low to press her lips against Lily’s cheek. They’d go home tomorrow, back to their lives and back to the fighting and the fear, but in that moment, they were safe and warm and happy. “I’m glad I’m here, too, Lily.”