You Were too Young to Die

Chapter 8

MIEUX QU´ICI-BAS

" If you refuse to work for me, the situation won´t improve. The missions you had made before were not failures... Please, think of the Muggle families of London. "

Lily and the Marauders looked at Dumbledore with a faltering expression. But in the depths of them, they knew what they would answer. Dumbledore continued :

" So, do you accept ? "

James answered the first :

" Yes, I do. "

Dumbledore had a victorious smile. He had been so sure of their answer...

Lily then Sirius, Remus and finally Peter accepted.

" Very well, then, " Dumbledore said.

***

Lily's womb became larger each day. James often put his ear to the belly and whispered :

" I am sure she is a girl... "

And Lily answered :

" And I am sure he is a boy... "

James laughed and squeezed her in his arms.

One day, he told her :

" Dumbledore doesn´t want you to be to the scene during the missions. "

" I was going to ask him that. I become too heavy... "

Un ange par ci

Un ange par là

Un diable aussi

Quand tu es là

Et rien ne va

Mieux qu´ici-bas

***

Lily sat down on the sofa, sighing. James had left for more than two hours. The night fell and she began to worry. She threw ceaselessly frightened glances to the window. She eventually took a magazine. But she didn´t manage to concentrate to read. She tried then the catalog of baby clothes. She managed to focus her attention half an hour approximately.

She threw a glance to the clock of the kitchen.

It was one of these strange clocks hands indicated each of the members of the family´s situation. The hand representating Lily pointed at the registration " At home ".

The young lady saw that James´s oscillated among " At Hogwarts " and " Uncertain situation ".

She frowned. " Uncertain situation "... This does not bode well.

Her decision was quickly taken. She threw a pinched of powder in the fire which crackled in the fireplace of the lounge. When flames became blue, she hesitated.

And what if James returned while she was at Hogwarts ?

No. The clock never lied and James's hand was far, very far from the registration " At home ".

One second later, she rushed in the fire and shouted :

" Hogwarts ! "

***

Dumbledore rushed in corridors. Madam Pomfrey had just asked for him immediately to the infirmary. He pushed the door and entered. The nurse came to him and whispered :

" These are James and Sirius... Do you remember them ? Black and Potter... They left Hogwarts two years ago. "

Dumbledore had a sudden movement of impatience, cutting off the chatterbox home nurse´s speech.

" Go on, Pompom... What happened to them ? "

" An accident during a mission I suppose. "

" Is it serious ? "

" No, I don´t think. They are a little bashed up, but they´re not in danger. Don´t worry. They are simply gashed and have scratches everywhere... But they´re fine. Go and see. "

Et rien ne va

Mieux qu´ici-bas

Et rien ne va

Mieux qu´ici-bas

Mieux qu´ici-bas, rassure-toi.

Dumbledore reached the beds indicated by Madam Pomfrey and observed the two young men. Swollen lips, black eyes and wounds on the face, they seemed to sleep.

But when the Headmaster dismissed the nurse, James lifted an eyelid then the other one. He sat up with a grimace of pain :

" Have you warned Lily ? "

" No, not yet. "

" Please, don´t do it. She would worry. "

" How did you have those... those wounds ? "

James had a sigh :

" You know, during the mission that... "

" Yes. For Madeye. "

" That´s right. You wanted that we kept an eye on him because he has the special talent for finding himself in particularly precarious situations. "

" Yes, then ? "

" Well, we followed him everywhere. "

" Sirius and you, you mean ? "

" Yes. And by an unfortunate accident, we passed a horde of Death Eaters and they attacked us. "

" Madeye, too ? "

" Naturally. But with his third eye, he was able to escape easily... Whereas we... "

" What did they do ? "

" They taught us some good manners " James concluded showing his black eye.

Un temps de pluie

Comme tant de fois

Un ciel aussi rose

Que le bois

Et rien ne va

Mieux qu´ici-bas

***

Lily apparated in the fireplace of the Gryffindors´. The pupils looked surprised when they saw this pregnant young lady who appeared of nowhere and ran towards the door.

She went to Dumbledore's office. She knocked at the door but nobody answered. She stamped her feet, worried. Let´s hope James is safe! Oh... If it had happened something, I will...

She half-opened the door and threw a glance in the room.

Nobody.

She didn´t feel sorry for herself but slammed the door and took the direction of McGonagall's office. On the way, she met Madam Pomfrey who pushed a cart of curative potions and medicines. She decided to ask her for James :

" Madam Pomfrey ? "

The nurse turned around and pushed a shout of surprise :

" Oh! Lily... I didn´t think that Dumbledore had warned you ! "

" Warned me ! Of what ? Please, tell me ! I look for James. He should be at Hogwarts according to the clock of the kitchen... Please, tell me where he is ! "

" Calm down Lily, and follow me. "

" Something happened to him, didn´t it ? "

" Yes. "

Comme tout est fait

Pour aller haut

Les ailes souvent ont des oiseaux

Comme tout est fait

Pour rester chaud

Les flammes, les flammes ont des bourreaux

***

Lily rushed to the infirmary, upset. She didn´t notice the Headmaster, sat near her husband but threw herself at James´s side and took his hands. With a trembling voice, she said :

" I was so afraid, James... Are you all right ? "

James had a poor smile :

" Yes, I am, honey. I´m fine. Don´t worry. I am soon going to be able to compete with Frankeinstein, but... "

She caressed his face, tenderly, avoiding the swollen parts. Slowly, she drew the contour, ran her fingers through his dark hair, put her lips on his, then, had a small laughter :

" You are really horrid like that... Your lips have a taste of blood. "

He sat up with difficulty then murmured :

" I know, honey. But I fought really wildly thinking of you and Laura... "

Lily darkened :

" Did you almost die ? "

" No, I didn´t, sweetie, he answered with an absent expression. And this is the past, now... Now we are together... You, Laura and I. "

Autant de nuits

Que de toi et moi

Un lit aussi

Grand que tes bras

Et rien ne va

Mieux qu´ici-bas

" You certainly mean you, Harry and I, do you ? "

He laughed. He lifted the hand and touched Lily's lips with his finger :

" I love you my honey... "

On change de vie

On change de mois

De jour aussi

Quand on se voit

Et rien ne va

Mieux qu´ici-bas

Dumbledore chose this right moment to cough, calling back his presence. Lily blushed then became confused and apologized profusely.

***

Sirius woke up hearing voices, somewhere next to him.

Where was he ? He fluttered his eyelashes. The white walls became more clear in front of him.

He understood. He remembered everything.

Alastor Madeye.

Death Eaters.

Crucio.

The punches.

He massaged his jaw grimacing.

He must be horrid to see.

He sat up and turned towards James and Lily.

" Jamsie ! So, you passed successfully the diploma of professional wrestler ? "

James smiled and Sirius continued :

" They completely mutilated me, didn´t they ? They will pay me that, one day... They dared to damage my athlete´s beautiful body ! "

Dumbledore cut off the conversation and announced :

" Sirius, do you want me to warn Miss Shielder ? "

" Miss Shielder ? " Sirius repeated without understanding. " Rigel ? Yes. "

Dumbledore thus went out of the infirmary. As soon as he had crossed the door, Sirius pushed away the blanket and stood up slowly. He reached the big mirror and opened the jacket of his pyjamas. He discovered a long scar on his brown chest :

" Barbarians ! Bastards ! Stupid bastards ! Fucking hell ! ( A/N : I know it... Sirius is a badly brought up man ! lol ) I hope that is going to disappear... I have a crook´s head ! "

James interrupted him :

" And me ? Do you really believe that I am better ? "

" No, for sure ! " Lily exclaimed, laughing.

Comme tout est fait

Pour prendre l´eau

Les îles, les îles ont des bateaux

Comme tout est fait pour faire des mots

Je t´aime tant, je t´aime trop

***

Lily helped James to go out of the car, to come into the corridor and to climb the stairs. She settled him on the bed in their room and sat down blowing :

" Here we are ! You are heavy ! And you say that you weigh seventy-five kilos ? "

She looked at James, laughing then added :

" It´s the last time you come back like that, isn´t it ? "