“Lily!”
Lily groaned; she hadn’t slept very well at all. Nightmares that featured (but were not limited to) Dumbledore, Severus, lethal thoughts in the form of tentacles, and an alarming representation of Fred Croaker cast in pearly white brains had disturbed her rest, and she felt far less ready for the day than she had last night, discussing possibilities nestled in James’ arms.
“Lily, get up!”
With a final groan, Lily rolled over and opened her eyes. James was standing there, wand at the ready.
“If you don’t get out of bed this instant, Lily, you’ll find yourself quite wet!”
“James! Please no.”
“Get up. It is time to get ready for the day.” A few drops of water landed on Lily’s coverlet.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, I’m getting up!” Lily snapped. “Do me a favor and make me breakfast while I’m getting dressed, would you, dear?”
James looked slightly hurt at her tone of voice, but only said, “Anything for you, love.”
Lily sighed. She didn’t want to hurt James’ feelings, but she was terribly uptight. If she got caught removing Dumbledore’s memory, she’d get fired. Not only that, she could get arrested. People in general did not mess with the Department of Mysteries’ affairs. And with good reason; she wasn’t quite sure she’d heard the deactivation spell quite right, and it was very possible Fred would come by the next day and see her suffocated body.
“That’s a pleasant thought,” she murmured, opening up her closet. It was surprisingly hard to choose an outfit for the day; she just wanted to look normal, but didn’t know how to achieve that without it looking overdone.
“Are you all right, love?” James asked, holding a steaming tray of food.
“I can’t decide what to wear!” she cried, throwing various dresses onto the bed and narrowly missing him with a particular red one.
“Why don’t you just calm down and eat some breakfast with me?” he said, helpless in matters of fashion. “It doesn’t really matter what you wear, you’ll be wearing the Invisibility Cloak anyway.”
“Not all day,” Lily retorted snidely.
“Well, don’t talk to me about it!” James said abruptly, setting down the tray and stalking out to the kitchen.
“Oh, no. James!” she called, throwing on the first thing she picked up and running after him.
“Eat your breakfast, Lily,” he said in a dull voice as she approached him. He was sitting at the table, his back to her. “You need your strength for today.”
“James, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t treat you like this just because I’m under a lot of stress. You’re doing all you can for me and I really appreciate it.” She leaned down and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I love you.”
He sighed. “I love you, too. Now eat your breakfast. We can’t have you fainting today.”
“Though that might not be a bad idea...” Lily said, tussling her fiance’s hair lightly before standing up and Summoning her breakfast to her.
“Do you have my cloak?” James asked as they finished the last of the bagels and hot chocolate.
“Yes, it’s in my pocket,” Lily replied, patting her dress reassuringly.
“Do you have your wand?”
“Of course, James.”
“Do you have my kiss?”
Lily grinned. “I think that one’s still missing.”
“Well, we’d better fix that.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Lily finally pulled away, butterflies in her stomach and fear in her eyes.
“You can do it,” James told her, flipping her hair behind her ear. “We all believe in you.”
“I know,” she said shakily. “That’s part of what’s so scary. If I fail, will I be evicted from the Order?”
“Don’t be silly!” James chuckled. “Now go, my love, and do well.”
Lily whimpered, “I can’t do this alone,” as she popped out of sight.
“Whoa, Miss Evans! Careful, there. Are you all right, Sally?”
“I’m fine, Eric,” said the young woman Lily had narrowly missed Apparating on top of.
“I’m so sorry!” Lily gasped. So far her plan to be inconspicuous was...failing spectacularly.
“Don’t worry about it,” Sally replied, looking twice at Lily. “You’re the young lady that Fred was touring around yesterday, aren’t you?”
“Yes, that’s me,” she said, putting on a brave smile. “It’s a lot more interesting than I remember from the first time I walked through.”
“Well, I hope you join us,” Sally said with a smile, indicating by her stance that she expected Lily to walk down to the Department with her. With a silent sigh, Lily straightened her dress and joined her.
“Your hair is so vibrant,” remarked Sally. “It’s how I recognized you. Is it natural?”
“Yes, it is,” Lily replied, casting about in her mind for something polite to say back, but all her brain was putting out was “This is awkward, this is so awkward, why do I get in these awkward situations...”
After a minute, Sally continued on, “Are you working on any exciting potions in the Dev lab?”
“Just a poison.” Why couldn’t she talk? Lily had always been told that she was easy to talk to and a great conversationalist. This woman seemed nice, and if she did end up working in the Brain Room, she’d have to work with her every day. So why wasn’t she saying anything?”
“Uhh...” she tried to continue. “You see, poisons aren’t really my thing, which is why I’ve been considering brains as a replacement; not that I need any replacement brains, as it were, though perhaps I do, as I’ve been losing mental capacity lately, it seems.” She took a deep breath, knowing her face was bright red. “My recent babble a prime example,” she finished, resisting the urge to put her head in her hand.
Sally laughed. “A little nervous? There’s no reason for that, we’re all friends here as Unspeakables! Open yourself up and let everything out “ except anything at all relating to your work, of course.”
Lily smiled. “That’s right. My poor fiancé is tired of me not being able to say anything about my work.” Except when it relates to the Order, of course, she added silently.
“Oh, you’re engaged? How wonderful!”
This was a conversation topic that Lily had navigated several times before, so it was easy for her to chatter back to Sally about James, his profession, what his family was like, without having to put too much effort into it.
“Good morning, Miss Evans, Miss Cox.”
“Good morning!” replied both girls, smiling at each other before going their separate ways. Once out of sight of Mr. Bode, Lily leaned against a wall and breathed deeply. As traumatizing and terrifying as that was, the worst was, of course, yet to come. But first she had to actually attempt her work.
“Lily, you don’t look fit to pick up a cauldron,” Owen said after one look at her.
“Thanks, Owen, I appreciate the concern,” Lily replied wearily, poking her potion and wondering what she’d done with it the previous day. “Good thing I’m not planning to pick up any cauldrons anytime soon.”
“Yes, good thing,” he said, rubbing his chin. “Want to talk about it?”
“No, I don’t think so,” Lily replied, closing her eyes briefly. They flew open again when she felt hands on her shoulders.
“I can see that you’ve been under a lot of stress lately,” Owen murmured, massaging her gently. “I hate to see it affecting your work.”
“I’m sorry,” Lily said, trying but failing to pull away from the relaxing rhythm of his hands that were now moving down her back and releasing tension there.
“Don’t worry about it. Maybe I should give you the day off.”
“That’s not necessary,” Lily began, thinking that she had to be at the Department all day anyway, she might as well be trying to work, but as soon as she said that, Owen’s hand whipped down to her pocket and took out the Invisbility Cloak. She realized with a gasp that a cornere had been showing.
“What’s this, my bonny lass?” Owen said, flipping the end so the cloak billowed out tauntingly toward her. “An Invisibility Cloak? You know, these are discouraged at the Ministry; I should turn you in.”
“How would that benefit you?” Lily asked, reaching out a hand for it but missing. “It’s not mine, anyway; it’s my fiance’s.”
“So why did you bring it?”
Lily didn’t reply, but she could feel herself starting to blush.
“Ah, now, you see? I really should turn you in!”
“No, Owen, don’t,” Lily pleaded, but he just smirked at her and flung the cloak around his shoulders so only his head was visible.
“I won’t...if you let me borrow this for a while. I can see some good use coming out of this.”
“No, I need it for today!”
“You’re going to do something you’re not supposed to, aren’t you?” Owen said, nodding, bodiless, at her frozen expression. “Well, too bad for you. I don’t want to risk one of our most promising Potioneers doing some silly stunt with an Invisibility Cloak and getting caught. You won’t be seeing this cloak again anytime soon. Give your regrets to your fiancé.”
“Arggh!” Lily cried, drawing out her wand. “Petrificus Totalus!”
Owen became still as a statue, still looking smug but with a hint of surprise in his eyes. Then he fell over.
“This is important,” Lily murmured to him, grabbing the cloak off of him and shaking it as if to rid it of impurities. “Don’t get in my way again.”
And with that, she muttered, “Obliviate,” and released him from the Full-Body Bind.
“I’m so sorry I tripped you!” Lily said immediately, helping him up off the floor. “I’m just so scatterbrained today.”
“It’s all right,” Owen replied vaguely. “Wasn’t I about to give you the day off?”
“Um, yes,” Lily said, deciding on the spot that it was probably best to keep out of Owen’s way in case he suspected something suspicious again. “Thanks for that, Owen, I really appreciate it. I promise I’ll start concentrating on my work.”
“Don’t worry,” he said, still looking slightly bewildered.
Lily escaped.
“So much for not getting caught,” she muttered to herself, making sure the Invisibility Cloak was completely concealed in her pocket before walking casually out of the Department.
“Where are you going, Miss Evans?” Bode said.
“I got the day off,” she said, trying to smile. “I’m not feeling too well.”
“You don’t look very well either. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow!”
“If I’m not arrested or dead,” Lily murmured as she took the lift to the Ministry café. It was far too early for lunch, and she wasn’t hungry anyway, so she just sat for a few minutes. Being out of the Department made things difficult, especially now she’d been seen to leave by Bode. Finally she decided to sneak back in using the Invisibility Cloak. Fifteen minutes before closing time should do it....
Lily left the café some time later (she’d finally ordered some lunch but hadn’t been able to eat much of it) and began making her way down to Level Nine for the second time that day. She was surprised at the number of people that were coming up “ there was no chance for her to slip on the cloak without being very conspicuous. Finally she pushed her way into the Department of Mysteries, still visible and feeling a little piqued.
“Miss Evans!”
Great. “Hi, Mr. Bode.”
“Why are you back? I was under the impression you had the day off.”
“Well, um, I got all the way home and realized that I’d left my, um, my purse in the Potions lab so I had to come back and get it!”
“I see,” Bode said, sensing perhaps that there was something that didn’t quite add up.
“Bye!” Lily called, ducking into a side room and slipping on the Invisibility Cloak as soon as she was sure no one was watching. Then she backtracked “ being careful not to run into anyone “ and slid into the Brain Room right as Fred said, “All right, everyone, let’s close up for the day!”
Lily huddled herself in a corner as the cubicles were closed and the tank was sealed. Finally, everybody was out of the room except Fred.
“Guess that’s it, then,” he said to himself, then flicked off the lights and left, leaving Lily in darkness lit only by the pearlescent brains floating in the green tank. Lily let the cloak drop to her shoulders as she stood up.
“Accio Albus Dumbledore’s brain!” she muttered, and a spheroid white shape came hurtling toward her, memory reels unfurling, waiting to grasp her.
“Dormasurne!” Lily gasped, praying that she’d said the right spell. Just before the first tentacle touched her, it fell limp, and the brain fell into her hand. She shuddered a deep sigh.
“I can’t believe I forgot my purse,” Lily heard suddenly, then the door opened and the light flicked on. She barely had time to pull up the Invisibility Cloak over her head before the voices came in view, and she saw Fred and Sally, the latter looking quite abashed.
They were headed on a crash course toward Lily, so she scooted out of the way as quietly as she could, grasping the brain like it was her most prized possession.
“Don’t worry, Sally,” Fred was saying. “I’m just glad you caught me before I left. Do you have it? Now, are you sure you’ve got everything?”
Sally laughed. “Yes, Fred. Thanks so much.”
“All right, let’s go.”
Lily breathed a sigh of relief, but nearly choked on it when Sally turned around, looking around as if she thought something was out of place.
“What’s wrong, Sal?”
“Doesn’t something feel weird to you?”
Lily would have buried her head in her hands, but she was holding something she’d rather not get in her hair. “Just go, just turn around and leave, don’t think about anything, just go home,” she mouthed silently.
“It feels all right to me. All I’m feeling is hungry for some of my wife’s good cooking!”
“Okay,” Sally said reluctantly, turning back toward the door. “Let’s go.”
This time, Lily remained tense until the light was off and the door closed, then she relaxed her hold on the brain, which was looking a little worse for the wear from her tight grip. “Gotta get you out so I can go home,” she told it, poking it gently. “I’m not sure I remember how to find the right memory....”
Luckily, Dumbledore’s recognition spell clued her in to the right memory at once, and she was glad of the excuse not to go through his memories. A wizard as prominent as Dumbledore would have had some pretty scary stuff in his mind that she wasn’t inclined to see.
It was a long hour to wait as the memory was prepared for transportation out of the Brain Room. Lily expected Sally, Fred, or the Minister of Magic even to burst through the door and catch her in the act.
“I’m not stealing,” she tried to tell herself. “I’m working with a slight detour.”
But it was still a nerve-wracking time.
At long last, the memory was ready to be put in the vial, and Lily wrapped up the brain and Banished it back to its tank. Her mission was accomplished. She put the vial in her pocket, pulled up her Invisibility Cloak, and sneaked out of the Brain Room, trying to make as little noise with the door as possible.
She was almost out of the Department of Mysteries when she stopped dead at the sight of Broderick Bode, still engrossed in his work.
“Oh, no.” She’d never come back after ‘finding’ her purse. Could she just leave without it being noted and commented on tomorrow? After a few frozen minutes, she decided she’d better come back from the direction of the Potions lab and think of an excuse as to why she was still there.
“You certainly took your time, Miss Evans,” Bode said solemnly, looking up as Lily hurried toward him from the lab, looking distinctly exasperated.
“Yes, well, Owen said I’d get the day off, but I come back and find that he’s not cleaned up my workstation like he said he would, so I had to stay and do that, and it took a lot longer than I thought it would,” Lily said huffily, praying that the story wouldn’t be checked against Owen himself.
“How unfortunate,” was the reply. “Well, Miss Evans, I hope to see you tomorrow.”
“You certainly will, Mr. Bode!” Lily replied, never so happy to leave the Ministry as she was right then. Fortunately, there was no one waiting at the Apparition point so she made her exit with much less fanfare than she’d arrived.
James was pacing back and forth in her apartment and when he heard the pop that signaled her arrival he gripped her so hard she thought she might bruise.
“Lily! Are you all right? Are you hurt at all? Are you safe?”
“James, I’m fine, you can let go of me.” Lily grimaced as she rubbed her arms where he’d grabbed her. “I thought you’d ask if I had the memory “ that’s certainly more important than my well-being at this time.”
“Don’t be silly,” James said, stroking her hair and pulling her close to him. “You’ll always be the most important to me.”
Lily pulled away and sat down at the table, suddenly very weary. She pulled the vial with the silvery memory out of her pocket and set it on the table, then cradled her head in her arms. “I almost got caught,” she murmured. “So many times. I had to Obliviate and Full-Body Bind Owen, James.”
“Well, I’m sure he deserved it.” James had never liked Owen.
“And I feel so terrible lying to the people in the Brain Room. They think I’m going to come work for them, but it was all a ploy to get this.” She groped around the table until she picked up the vial and waved it vaguely at James. “I don’t know if I can go back to work tomorrow.”
“Take the day off,” James said, plucking the vial from Lily’s wild hand and pocketing it. “Surely you deserve it.”
Lily raised anguished eyes at him. “I took the day off today.”
“Oh. Blast.” He paused for a moment. “I’m calling you in sick anyway. I’m proud of you, love. And Dumbledore will be too. Now move your head off the table and I’ll give you a cup of tea.”
“Thank you, my love,” Lily said faintly, leaving the table completely and heading for her bed. “Wake me up when it’s ready.”
“It’s about ready now, Lily,” James said, but Lily heeded not, thinking only of sleep.
“Tell Dumbledore,” she murmured weakly, “that I hope the memory works. The thought of Severus joining our side was what kept me going through that interminable wait. Tell him...”
And she drifted into peaceful slumber.
Don't Get Caught by Cinderella Angelina
Chapter Notes: Dedicated to the Twins who Date the Blacks for their snap/blast discussion.