Grave Tidings

James fingered the coin which was tied to Lily's with the protean charm. The grave news he held was too important for owl post. He wished that the two-way mirror which had belonged to Sirius had not been destroyed. It would have made communication so much easier. He hoped that she would be able to sneak safely to the room of requirement. James prodded the coin with his wand, and their old muggle telephone number showed up on the coin. Right now Lily's coin should be burning too, and when she saw the number, she'd know that he was trying to pass on an urgent message.

That done, James walked slowly to the fire place and threw in a handful of floo powder then stuck his head in to await Lily's arrival on the other side.

((If Aleks is gonna be there, this will have to take place after the Peacekeepers are established because otherwise he wouldn't know about the room of requirement. I figure the room of requirement should be able to grow a fireplace or whatever. Aleks can just walk in on them or something.))

((Sounds good))

Lily haunted the Room of Requirement because it was safe, and because that's where all of her allies could be found. Currently, she was alone and, boy, was she tired. She sat in a corner of the room, her head lolling onto her shoulder though she wanted to stay alert. Her legs were splayed out and she held her wand in her lap like a shotgun, bringing forth images of protective fathers falling asleep as they waited for their daughter to return home from a date.

And then, she was startled by a whooshing noise. She sat up straight, raising her wand as she let out a cry of alarm. But there was the intruder - her brother's head in the fire.

"James!" she cried. She turned and crawled to the fireplace frantically. Her eyes drank in the face of her brother. "Wh- what are you doing here? They monitor these, you know! It won't take them long- it's so good to see you!"

"Lily!" James exclaimed, the tenderness and love he felt for his younger sister welling up within him. The only member of his blood left.

"Did you ask the room of requirement for a fireplace which cannot be traced?" James asked her, "It should give almost anything you ask of it....except for food, of course. Try after I leave, for now I'll make this quick. Do you still have dad's old DA coin? I sent the code for contact before using the fireplace. You should keep that on you at all times."

James smiled sadly at her, realizing how much like a parent he must be sounding. The fun and carefree James seemed to be nothing more than a long-forgotten dream. His face fell as he remembered what he was here to discuss with Lily.

"Lily...I...I have some grave news which you must know about."

She remained on her hands and knees, earnestly taking in all there was to take in of her last remaining kin from her immediate family - besides, of course, her father, but she would not be able to say her father, the man that raised her, was truly alive anymore.

She floundered, realizing that she had forgotten so much - cleverest girl in the castle, and she had made two stupid errors. Pink flushed her cheeks as she said, "I didn't think- I'll fix that! I will. The coin? Ah - oh! My bag!"

She began to scuttle towards it, but his words caught her. She slowly turned, and crawled back towards the fireplace, readying herself. "What is it? What's happened?"

James remained silent for a long while, not meeting Lily's eyes. He was afraid that she'd blame him. She and Teddy had always been so close, and James feared that Lily would be dealing with this all on her own. He decided to forego the news for just a few more minutes. The teacher first.

"Before that," James said, "I need to ask you about Mr. Fronsac. Has he been at the school? Have you seen him lately?"

((Still trying to decide if Sully is going to bring Victoire to the school...probably not because it'd be dangerous, so she probably wouldn't have seen him for today at least. I'm kind of under the assumption that James is contacting her the same night that they received the text message.))

She knit her eyebrows together. "Fronsac? What does he- " she forced herself to stop, because what did it matter? "No, he wasn't here today. We had a substitute actually. Why, James, what's happened?" She was desperate for knowledge, being so in the dark in the castle from the news of the outside world.

((Hope this works for it.))

James sighed, shaking his head regretfully.

"It's Teddy," he said in a voice, shaking with grief, "Teddy's been captured by the Death Eaters. There is some good news, however, Rose and Victoire are apparently alive. Victoire is with Sully de Fronsac somewhere, but we don't know where Rose is...only that she was alive at the time in which Teddy was captured."

Lily felt the air leave her body. Teddy was gone. Teddy was in trouble. She began to breathe heavily. "But, but, no. He can't-"

James pressed on, and she did feel some relief to know Victoire and Rose were still safe. Without Victoire, Teddy would be a broken man, and Rose was close with Lily. Still.

"You have to let me help you find him. We can't lose Teddy, James! We've already lost Mum and Albus and we've lost dad too! We can't lose Teddy!"

Once again, James felt himself fighting back tears. He felt responsible for Teddy's capture, and now Lily was suffering.....and James didn't know how he could comfort her. James quickly blinked his tears away, so that Lily wouldn't see.

"You can help us by staying right here," James said consolingly, the concern clear on his face, "We need to find Professor Fronsac. He has Victoire, so if we find him, we find her. If we find her, she can tell us what happened when Teddy got captured, and we can start planning a rescue. I need you to keep a lookout for the Professor, and find out what he has done with Victoire. There is no guarantee that he will be able to return to the school, with Draco as Headmaster now, but if he does I need you there to speak to him for us. We cannot just waltz into the school, but we don't have to...because you are already there."

James smiled at her, hoping that she'd realize how important this was to them. She wasn't being brushed off, and he wasn't saying it just to keep her safe. They really were in need of her help....and it hurt James so much to have to ask this of her. He wanted his sister safe, and this could put her at risk.

He didn't know what he was asking. For a brief moment when she had seen her brother's familiar face, she had thought she was being rescued. She thought they had finally managed to work around all of the issues preventing her escape from the school. He didn't realize that she was planning on giving up classes if things didn't change. Most days, she went to one of the few classes that were led by a non-Death Eater, and then had to run for safety somewhere and hide out. She was eating only a meal a day, as it was too risky to go the Great Hall, and the kitchens were monitored. She was sleeping a few meager hours. And she was scared. So, very scared.

But if remaining here meant she could save Victoire... Well, how could she ask James to take her to safety? She nodded at him. "I can do that. I'll contact you when I've spoken with him."

"Und she vill not be haffing to be doing deez alone!" Aleks announced suddenly, stepping out of the shadows where he had been listening from, "I vill be der to help her."

James gasped, instantly regretting it as he choked on the ashes from the fire.

"Who....who are you?" he asked between coughs.

((...and just because I love Ivan so much!))

Lily let out a little shriek as she whipped around, scrambling for her wand. But, lo and behold, it was only Aleks Krum. "Shit, Krum!" Lily said, trying to catch her breath. "You scared me. How long have you been there?"

"Ah, vell," Aleks said, shifting a bit uncomfortably, "To be honest, I haff been sleeping here. It is being too dangerous to sleep even in my own common room. Vord has apparently gotten around that I did defend you."

James frowned, looking hard at Lily.

"Defended you from what?" he asked.

((Don't believe the Order would know how bad things are at the school since the Ministry is under Death Eater control. They would cover the bad things up in the Daily Prophet. He probably knows that Draco is Headmaster, though...))

Lily had intended to ride this thing out on her own. She did not think it was prudent to involve too many people, because she could not bring herself to trust too many people. She had been betrayed, after all, by the person she trusted the most.

Before she could tell him there was no room for him here, though, she had to deal with James. She was sure he would overreact, so she had to be delicate. Otherwise, he'd pull her out of school, and then, what chance did Victoire have? She had to do it for Teddy. "It's just Bella Lestrange. She's always been horrid, though, so it wasn't anything new. There's nothing to worry about."

((That's what I thought. I think, at one point too, once we get a better base at Hogwarts, their communication should become compromised so it's the students on their own.))

James watched Lily carefully. His brotherly instincts were screaming for him to withdraw her from school. There were a couple of teachers there which he was sure would be more than willing to smuggle her out....but they needed her there.

"Lily," his tone deep with concern, "You be sure to let us know if things get too dangerous for you there at the school. Your safety is my only concern....remember that coin....and use it."

Her face became marred with pink as James got all overprotective with her - did he have to be all touchy-feely with someone her age in the room? Despite teenaged hormones, she did hear what he was saying and regard it seriously - though she knew she would keep her own struggles quiet for as long as she was able too. They needed her here and she was not going to upset that until there was no way she could survive it. "I will," she lied, easily giving her brother false assurance.

Where had she learned to lie like that?

James studied Lily for a few more moments, suspicious that she was lying, but finally surmised that if it was too difficult or dangerous for her, she would let him know.

"I have to go now," James told her, "I promise that we'll get Teddy back...and we'll find Victoire and Rose. Stay safe. I love you."

James withdrew his head from the flames, disappearing from the Room of Requirement's fireplace...leaving Lily alone with Viktor.

Lily held James' gaze for as long as she could. "Okay. I... I believe you. We'll do what we can, and we'll get them back. I- I love you too." And he disappeared. She stared into the ashes for a long time, wishing he was not gone so soon.

Aleks inched forward a few steps, steeling himself for any sort of backlash from Lily. He realized that he had intruded on a very private moment, but when it came to damsels in distress, he just couldn't help himself from getting involved.

"Dat vas your broder?" Aleks asked her, "For some reason...he be looking fery familiar to me."

Aleks' words startled her back into the reality that she was not alone, and her tasks did not end with communicating with her brother. She turned around, straightening up, her wand loosely held in her hand. "That was my brother," she confirmed. She grimaced as she knew that, once Aleks knew who her brother was, he would probably be running to report the incident. "You've probably seen his picture in the paper."

Alek's eyes widened as he suddenly did realize where he had seen that face before.

"You're broder is being James Potter?!" he asked excitedly, "Den....dat means you are being Lily Potter?! You are being da daughter of Harry Potter, da Chosen One?!"

Aleks calmed down a bit, as he thought of the implications of this situation.

"Your broder....he did not....he vas not being da actual killer, right?" he said, "My fahder be saying deez: 'No Potter be killing innocent people. Dey heroes of da vizarding vorld.' He not being believing da Daily Prophet."

His reaction implied her very well knew the current news in the Potter saga. She sighed, approaching the room as she began to make sure none of her provisions were out of place. She had stolen goblets of water and juice and some crackers - she didn't know if she'd ever be able to return to the Great Hall.

"He is and I am," she said resignedly, as she began to absently count the goblets. The boy suddenly asked whether or not James was involved and she spun around. "Of course not! Of course, what do I know? I was only there!" She spat this out bitterly, for no one seemed to believe the tales of the survivors.

She perked however, as, in a surprise twist, he expressed that his father believe them. "Who's your father? He actually believes us?"

"Ah, you may be knowing my fahder," Aleks replied with a mischievous smile, his eyes twinkling, "He vas da most successful of seeker in Bulgarian history....his name is Viktor Krum."

Lily swallowed. She did know Viktor Krum. Her father and mother had spoken fondly of the man - they seemed to like him as a person and respected him as a Quidditch player. "Oh," she said, completely confused as what to say. "Look, what are you playing at? Why do I keep running into you?"

Aleks raised his hands in a defensive manner, though his face lit up with what he thought was a winning and endearing smile.

"I do not be playing at anything!" he affirmed fervently, "I do not like to be seeing anyvone being bullied or attacked vithout the provoking!"

Especially beautiful girls he added silently.