Framboise et Coquelicot

Chapter 10: Framboises Givrées

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There was a loud 'thud' as Lily shut the lid of her trunk.

Everyone had gone down to the Great Hall for breakfast but Lily relished the first moment of solitude she had since last night.

She walked over to the window and stared at the frozen lands unseeingly.

Dead. They were dead.

It was final and irrevocable.

Oh, she had been worried about them before... She had known that the parents of Muggleborn witches and wizards were easy targets. She had spent many sleepless nights wondering if Hogwarts was the right place for her since the summer.

It would have been so easy to give everything up, to turn her back on the last six years and go back to the blissful anonymity normal life procured. No more Voldemort.

But she hadn't done it. And it hadn't mattered in the end.

A car crash. A stupid car crash. Nothing even remotely magical. She wasn't to blame. They had made sure to drill the thought into her head last night after she had woken up in the Hospital Wing.

But still, she felt guilty.

Guilty because a tiny part of her was relieved she hadn't indirectly been the cause of their death. Guilty because she didn't feel anything but emptiness. Guilty because she couldn't even cry.

She loved them. Oh how she loved them--even Petunia although she was in less than cordial terms with her.

Petunia...her only sister... They should have stood together in this time of grief. They should have tried to put the past behind and re-forge the bond that had united them in their childhood.

But judging from the letter Petunia had sent her-along with another one for the school--she had lost her sister too.

Although only three years older, Petunia was engaged to a beef of a young man called Vernon Dursley and she was going to live with her future parents in laws until the wedding. Lily wasn't welcome there, even for the brief two weeks of the Christmas holidays.

But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Not yet anyway. When realisation would settle in for good, Lily would feel all the things she didn't at the moment. Then she would cry at last. Maybe it would break her but in the meantime she was just a shell. A beautiful, fragile shell, as cold as the sea.

She wouldn't have minded staying at Hogwarts but Madam Weasley had insisted that she shouldn't be alone after such an ordeal. Lily could tell that the good nurse had been appalled when she had told her that her sister could not take her in. But the old witch had rallied rather well and had said that friends were also a possibility.

It was impossible for her to go to Marian's but James had offered to take her home with him and Dumbledore had approved. Cléobulle was to stay at Hogwarts for Lily didn't have the heart to uproot him in an unfamiliar environment for a mere two weeks. He would be well taken care of by Madam Weasley (who wouldn't leave the castle this year).

A knock at the door pulled her from her contemplative state. She wasn't surprised to see James stepping in, already dressed in his winter cloak. She had been waiting for him after all.

James smiled a tentative smile at the sight of his friend standing at the window. "Are you ready? The carriages have been brought around a few minutes ago. Here... I'll take your trunk downstairs."

Lily followed him outside the room without a word but she made sure to smile her thanks to him. If there was one person she felt she could rely on then that person was James. She knew she was very lucky to have him for a friend.

***

From the large windows of the teachers' lounge, Keanan Raven watched the students streaming out of the castle and pilling into the carriages. He sighed as he caught sight of a girl with red hair going down the front steps with a tall black-haired boy. He remembered when the whole mess he was in had started...

***

Scotland, winter 1790

Sprawled carelessly in a comfortable armchair with a glass of brandy in his hand, Keanan Raven was staring into space, pictures of a red-haired girl from the future flashing in his mind.

A fire was burning merrily in the grate and it gave the room a warm and cozy atmosphere in great contrast with the icy December wind that could be heard howling outside.

There was a soft 'pop' and a rather tiny house-elf appeared in front Raven. The little creature frowned at the sight of the almost empty glass.

"Master Keanan knows that he shouldn't be drinking considering his rather dangerous occupations."

Raven glanced dispassionately at the dark liquid remaining at the bottom of his glass. Was that his second one already? He fancied that if he swirled the alcohol just this way then the flickering light of the fire gave it a beautiful reddish hue.

"What do you want Pippin?" he asked, his eyes still on the glass and intent on recapturing the fugitive colour.

"Will Master Keanan be coming to the dining room for super?" Pippin asked, taking advantage of his master's lack of attention to take a peek at the decanter resting on the desk on the other side of the room. The thing was actually three-quarters full and, satisfied, Pippin tried to coax the brooding man out of his study. "Faidi has made some of that raspberry shortcakes you like so much for dessert..."

"I'm not hungry tonight."

"But maste-"

"I said I wasn't hungry, Pippin. And I wish to be left alone."

Pippin knew that when the master spoke in his no-nonsense tone it was useless to argue and he vanished quickly.

Once the elf had gone Raven tossed back the rest of his drink in one gulp and started to pace on the expensive Persian rug covering the cold stone floor in front of the fireplace. He didn't have to look at his pocket watch to know that the old crackpot was late. He was, after all, the master of Time--in his own bizarre way at least.

He remembered how awed he had been when the illustrious Merlin of the legends had appeared in front of him for the first time. His ethereal form had been almost invisible but it had still created a great impression on a lad of thirteen. He hadn't believed it at first when the old wizard had told him he would do great things in the years to come. More ludicrous was what came next: he, Keanan Raven, was to be a very special member of the Tempus Fugit Order. Order created by Merlin himself to 'observe the world and sometimes rectify the acts of the Great Goddess' (in Merlin's own words), for, you see, the Great Goddess didn't always do things right.

It had taken little convincing to make young Keanan join. And now, fifteen years later, there were few things or times he hadn't seen. A very peculiar magic was flowing in his veins and he could freely go backward or forward in time in a three hundred years margin. Raven knew that this travelling had a price and that it was taking a toll on his body but he wasn't overly worried, it usually took him no more than a day or two to recover completely from a sudden time change.

The Tempus Fugit Order must be one of the oddest ever created considering that none of its members lived at the same period. The oldest of them all was Merlin of course. They could communicate with one another by ways of ethereal transportation and Raven was the only one who could actually travel physically at will through time. Consequently he was some sort of handyman. Meaning he was sent on missions. Mostly to observe and more rarely to intervene, for life had to follow its course and the unbalanced forces of the universe had a wicked knack to upset it.

It was his most recent mission that had caused Raven such distress. He had arrived back to his normal time a day ago and was now waiting for Merlin to contact him so he could do his report. His abilities did not allow him to actually visit the old wizard in his own time.

Raven suddenly felt a light breeze unsettling his messy hair. Speak of the devil...

"Good evening, my boy," Merlin said jovially. He was seated behind Keanan's desk and the leather of the chair could be seen through his flickering ghostly body. "Goodness me! You look absolutely awful!" he added with a chuckle. "Ladies trouble?"

"Nothing of the sort," Raven replied testily. He had great respect for the man, he really had. A very powerful wizard he was. But it didn't mean he wasn't an old coot all the same.

"If you say so." It was hard to tell because the ghost was barely visible but Raven was sure Merlin's eyes were twinkling merrily.

"Now, about the mission..."

Merlin sobered instantly. He may be an old coot but he had a world to watch over. "Yes?"

Raven started pacing again. "I had to visit several different years. You know, the before, the after and the in-between." Merlin nodded. "Well, it seems that all is taken care of thanks to some 'keys'. The dark wizard Flamel feared will be brought down."

"Well, this is good news indeed. So we had nothing to worry about after all?"

"Not exactly. I've felt some disturbance. It was very faint but there is a possibility of the future taking a different path. I would say that it had approximately one chance out of ten to take the wrong one."

Merlin's ghostly eyebrows knitted together, his face couldn't actually darken but it was clear that it wasn't good news to him. "We cannot take chances, Voldemort must fall," he murmured.

Raven stopped his pacing and looked at the old man. So much depended on him, he looked very tired and very old all of a sudden.

"I have identified the keys," Raven said gently, "I will tell Flamel who they are and he will have them watched."

"Would you watch them for me?"

For a moment Raven stood frozen. No, this wasn't happening, he wouldn't let it happen. He swallowed nervously

"I can't do this, Merlin. I would have to stay in the same time for a very lengthy period and I was never gone more than a couple of months. To do this properly I would have to stop my travelling for at least two years..."

Merlin rose and glided through the desk to come and stand-or rather float-near the young man.

"You know that how long you stay will not matter in the end, Keanan," he said gently. " I understand it's still a lot to ask...you won't regain those two years, they will be irrevocably spent. But I have a feeling that it is very important that we see to this particular matter. You are one of the most powerful wizards who have ever existed, your knowledge of the magical arts is nearly bottomless. I believe that you are the most qualified person for this."

Raven knew he was going to regret it but he couldn't well refuse Merlin, not when the old wizard was practically pleading with him. Drat! Who was he kidding? He couldn't resist seeing her again, no matter how much it would hurt to stand by and watch her build her life with another and then die. The temptation was too great.

"I will do it," he said in barely more than a whisper. He swore he could actually feel the weight of the translucent hand Merlin had placed on his shoulder.

"I hadn't expected less of you, my boy. The Great Goddess made the right thing by giving you these powers."

Raven chuckled mirthlessly. "I don't know if I'm very thankful for that. It's not all that it's cracked up to be."

Merlin raised an eyebrow. "What was that? I don't think I've heard that expression before."

"I picked it up on the last mission. They have a very disturbing manner of speaking in the twentieth century. I had to adapt myself."

"Good, good. Now, there will be one person who will be aware of your true identity. He actually asked for our help, his name is Albus Dumbledore. Heard of us by Flamel although the old rascal wasn't supposed to reveal anything about the Order to anyone. Never was one for rules, Nicholas."

When Merlin had gone Raven went back to his comfortable chair near the fire. He decided to give himself a week before starting his new mission. He wasn't ready to see her again yet. Not when just yesterday he had seen her corpse lying on the ground with a crying baby in her arms.

***

"Go and show Lily her room, James. I'll see to diner."

Mrs Potter reminded Lily very much of her own mother. Both had a delicate and elegant figure, kind eyes and beautiful hands. Their ethereal beauty made them look like two animated china dolls but without the proverbial coldness. The colouring and voice differed but the superficial likeliness was enough to bring tears to her eyes. Brushing them away furtively, Lily followed James up the Grand staircase of Potter Manor.

She had known that the Potters were a very old and respected wizarding family and, in her mind, they were bound to live comfortably. She would never have imagined so much...well, opulence was the word. Not that it was too overbearing. Just very impressive.

Lily was from an upper middle-class family and she had been impressed with the sight of the eighteenth century manor and the extensive grounds presently covered in snow.

"Here we are."

James opened a door and stepped back gallantly to let Lily have a look.

"I hope you like it," he continued as she stepped into the room. "I know you're partial to blue. Oh and your trunk has already been brought up."

"Thanks James. It's very lovely," Lily said, turning to face him after a quick inspection of the room. Not overbearing at all. Rather elegant..

James stayed in the doorway as Lily walked to one of the bay windows to admire the view.

"We call it the Blue Room," he said a bit awkwardly.

Lily raised an eyebrow and ran her hand over the blue velvet curtain. "Really?" Was it her imagination or did James seem incredibly nervous? He was rather fidgety.

"It's because of the blue curtains, the blue carpets, the blue bed coverlet..." he trailed off. "But of course you'd already noticed that."

Was he squirming now?

"It'd crossed my mind that the 'Blue Room' would be an appropriate name, yes."

Definitely squirming.

James cleared his throat. "Hmm, well then...I think I'll let you get all settled in; you're allowed to use magic in the house if you want. I'll come back when its time for diner. My room is two doors down the corridor if you need anything."

When he had gone Lily started to unpack her trunk rather mechanically. The tears were coming back but she didn't bother with wiping them away this time. There was no-one to see her cry. In way she was relieved. She had felt guilty about not being able to cry. But it wasn't the big liberating flow she yearned for and the few tears quickly dried on her cheeks.

She wondered how she could act and talk normally with such ease when she felt so empty inside. There wasn't even pain. Just emptiness and a feeling of unreality.

A soft 'pop' made her drop her favourite jumper in surprise.

"Good evening, Miss!"

A House-elf. She had only seen one at Hogwarts before. They were very discrete creatures.

"Good evening," she said with a smile.

"I is Minty, Miss. I wanted to know if Miss was in need of anything."

"I don't require anything, thank you, Minty. And you can call me Lily."

"Yes, Miss Lily. Minty will be going then. Minty needs to see to it that Pippin doesn't mess around too much in the kitchen."

Minty was gone before Lily could ask who was this Pippin. She didn't know much about House-elves but 'Pippin' sounded definitely elvish.

Her unpacking done, she started a letter to Marian while waiting for James.

***

Without being a ravenous bookworm, Lily had done her decent share of reading since being accepted to Hogwarts. She was particularly fascinated by the lives and customs of the traditional wizarding families, which were so very different from what she was used to as a Muggle born witch.

It was thanks to her readings that she knew that the elder male still played the prominent role in the old families. So she had thought that she'd better talk about her parents funerals with Mr Potter. They were to take place the following day and she didn't know how she would get to Kent.

He hadn't been at diner the previous evening and neither James nor his mother had enlightened her as to the reasons of his absence. Not that she had dared to ask anyway.

She was now sipping a rich, hot chocolate made especially for her by Minty. Mrs Potter had left for the Ministry early this morning and she was alone in the breakfast room with James. He was playing with his porridge and seemed as nervous as the day before.

"James?"

James started and looked up from his bowl.

"I was wondering if your father would be here today. I have to talk to him about the fun- about something urgent. And--," Lily stopped as James dropped his spoon and paled. Alarmed, she placed her cup back on the saucer and reached across the table to take his hand. It was cold and trembling faintly. "James? Are you alright?"

He swallowed. "I'm fine," he croaked.

Lily scowled. "Of course you're not fine. You're trembling all over."

James looked away and swiftly retracted his hand at her words. "I wanted to tell you ever since we arrived here yesterday...Merlin! I should have told you months ago. But I couldn't...I haven't told anyone..." he stopped and met her eyes again.

"What is it James?" Lily asked as gently as she could.

"He's dead, Lily."

The words took a while to sink in. When they did, they left her stunned. "What?" The last time she had seen Marcus Potter was when he had come to pick James up at Kingcross in June. He had seemed perfectly happy and in good health.

"He's dead," James repeated, as if trying to convince himself.

"But how...when?"

"Last summer. During a Death Eater attack."

"Oh James...I'm sorry I--I--I didn't know. I never even suspected... what kind of a friend am I?"

This time it was James who reached across the table to take her hand. "Don't blame yourself Lily. I didn't want anyone to know and I acted in consequence. You shouldn't worry about me, I have done my mourning but you still need to do yours."

His eyes were so kind, so full of understanding and love...did she really deserve a friend like him?

She didn't respond but squeezed his hand softly and he seemed satisfied. Their little moment was interrupted when the door swung open without any warning. Lily's eyes widened when she saw her Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher walking in as if he owned the place. A House-elf a bit taller that Minty was following him, squealing excitedly. "It is so good to see you again Master Keanan! Will sir be wanting any breakfast?"

"No, thank you, Pippin. I already had breakfast." He talked to the elf but Lily could see he eyed her and James' hands joined on the table. She guiltily withdrew her own but James didn't move.

"What are you doing here?" He was scowling and Lily was appalled to see him talking so rudely to one of their teachers.

Raven seemed unfazed however. "Good morning to you too, James." He then turned to Lily. "Good morning Miss Evans."

Lily nodded in acknowledgement.

He let Pippin take his cloak away before answering James' question.

"I am here at Headmaster Dumbledore's request and I need to have a private word with Miss Evans."

Lily knew that James didn't trust Raven. But she also knew that the very powerful wards around Potter Manor didn't allow anyone with bad intentions to enter the protected grounds.

James was aware of this of course, but he answered with great reluctance.

"You can go to my father's study. No-one uses it anymore."

Lily followed Raven out of the room and was surprised to see that he seemed to know perfectly where to go. The fact that he seemed to be on a first-name basis with James had seemed logical; James himself had acknowledged the acquaintance. But there was obviously more to it that she had been told.

She liked the study immediately. The fire burning in the grate, the old and comfortable leather chairs, the massive oak desk with countless bizarre artefacts haphazardly piled on top of it, the warm Persian rug...everything spoke of a room often used and used by someone who cared. It clearly belonged to someone. And, looking at Raven, Lily thought he might well be that someone. Of course she knew he couldn't be, but, still, the feeling was there.

He did not seem to mind her scrutiny. And, had she not known better, she would have thought he relished it.

"Dumbledore asked me to accompany you to your parents funerals," he said bluntly.

Lily found she wasn't even shocked. "Why you?" she simply asked.

"I was available."

He was standing too far away for her to try and read his eyes. Judging from her one failed attempt back in September she doubted she would have read anything now anyway. She bit her lip before asking hesitantly, "Aren't you sorry to be 'available'? I mean, you certainly have better things to do than following one of your students around."

Raven smiled sadly. "I didn't think you would share your classmates' opinion of me."

"Sir?"

"Would you deny that I am thought of as a heartless bastard? Possibly a Death Eater? Or, at the very least, a vampire? I am perfectly capable of understanding and respecting someone's distress."

"I didn't mean to be rude, sir," Lily apologised demurely. When she saw he seemed to soften slightly she thought it safe to ask her next question. "Are you a relative of the Potters?"

Raven stayed silent for so long that Lily thought he wouldn't answer and she began playing with a metallic sphere on the desk to hide her embarrassment.

"A very distant relative," he said at last, watching her small hand rolling the sphere back and forth on the ancient wood.

"I guess the connection would be more evident if your hair was a bit longer. It's too short to be unruly like James' but it's the same raven black," Lily said distractedly, lifting the sphere to have closer look at the runes engraved in the metal. When she realised what she had said she blushed furiously. She sounded like one of those love-sick fifth years she'd heard gushing about the mysterious professor.

She looked up cautiously but he now had his back turned and was examining a painting on the wall. She fumbled for something to say to cover up her blunder. "It was nice of you to agree to accompany me to the f--to Kent. Thank you."

He turned back to her and nodded. "You are welcome. I will and spend the night here and we will Apparate to your home tomorrow."

"But I don't know how to--"

"It doesn't matter. I will take care of it."

The way he said it, Lily had no doubt he would.

***

When Lily woke up on Christmas morning it was still dark and the big house was silent. Blindly, she slid a hand under her pillow and pulled out her wand. She whispered a Lumos spell and glanced at her watch. Five twenty. Surely no-one was up yet.

She knew she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep and she had no wish to dwell on the memories of the past few days alone in her bed. There was only one option left.

Her wand between her teeth, she put on a warm pair of socks and groped for her slippers. She found her Gryffindor dressing gown half hidden under the bed and shrugged it on on her way to the door. She tipped-toed in the corridor, praying for the old wooden floorboards to stay silent.

James had shown her around the house after her tête à tête with Raven and she had been particularly taken with the conservatory and its colourful array of strange plants. When she opened the door she was immediately assailed by the heady fragrance she remembered well. The air was hot and damp when she passed through the mini jungle occupying a good part of the glass room. The tip of her wand provided just enough light for her to follow the twisted path and she could hear the plans moving in the darkness. All the plants were of a wizarding species unknown to Muggles but James had assured her that none were dangerous and she walked confidently.

She came out of the live labyrinth and stepped on soft grass, looking for the raspberry bush James had shown her the other day. It was the 'mother' of the bush he had given her for her birthday. Having found what she was looking for, Lily lay down next to it and reached for a fruit, which she crushed between her fingers.

"Nox", she whispered, letting the sweet aroma of the raspberry invade her senses.

She smiled.

It was there that James found her some time later.

It was till dark and the light of his wand was reflected against his glasses.

"I thought I would find you here," he said, sinking to the ground next to her. He planted his wand in the soft earth and observed his friend. "Are you sad?"

"I feel at peace," Lily answered looking into is eyes.

"Me too."

Then he bent down and brushed his mouth softly against hers.

"Happy Christmas, Lily."

***

In a little clearing on the edge of the Forbidden Forest a red flower had popped out of the snow under a raspberry bush with frozen fruits. The poppy seemed very fragile amongst its taller vegetal neighbours.

The stag walked daintily into his clearing. The red flower caught his eye. It hadn't been here the day before. But it didn't matter. It was in his realm and under his protection now.

Satisfied with his inspection the stag walked away.

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