February 2002
The crisp chilly air greeted Lily as she stepped out of her flat in Diagon Alley. It was extremely early in the morning, too early for anyone to function as her fiancé George Weasley would say. There was something about early mornings that Lily found so peaceful. The moment before the hustle of life truly began, when birds were just waking up from their deep slumber, the sun barely peeking out, this was her favourite time of day.
She would usually go to the bakery and get a loaf of fresh bread, but today was different. With a quick glance behind her to make sure she wasn't being followed, Lily smiles to herself before Apparating out of the street.
Most people would not consider visiting a cemetery as a particularly normal habit, especially on a seemingly ordinary Sunday. Unsurprisingly the area was deserted. Yet this was exactly what the young lady was hoping for. Making her way through the graveyard, her heart sinks as she reads the familiar names of her former classmates. One particular name stands out.
Lavender Brown.
Stopping in her tracks, Lily pauses at the grave, before conjuring up flowers to rest on the headstone. Lavenders, in the name of the girl who died too young. Despite not having the best of memories of her, Lily could not deny the horrific manner in which her life ended. Now she had another reason to avoid Butterbeer, the drink was just a cruel reminder of the brutality of war.
Blinking, Lily sighs, moving onto the person she came to see this morning. Therapy sessions after the war helped her sort through her emotions. It meant that she once again did not allow herself to succumb to the temptations of the diamond. Instead she somehow found a way to forgive herself for crimes that she alone blame herself for. With a small smile Lily stops at the tombstone and sits next to it. The grass is damp from the frost, but she did not care.
"Morning Dad."
Smiling to herself, Lily pulls out a drink from her bag. She pours out the hot chocolate into two mugs and places one on the top of the tombstone. The inscription read:
Severus Snape
Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Loving father
Lily often found herself visiting her dad's grave, especially since she ended up burying him with the other fallen victims of the Battle of Hogwarts. He died a hero, Potter made sure everyone knew the sacrifices Severus made. But that was not the reason Lily visited, for she always knew that he was a hero. Growing up, he made sure to be always there. One of the main reasons she refused to succumb to the powers of the diamond was because she refused to insult his memory. It was hard, and for the most part after the war, she spent a lot of it alone. Without the therapy sessions, she probably would not have found her way back to him.
The pain of losing a father all over again was doubled since the war claimed the life of Fred too. Other victims like Tonks also hit her pretty hard. The bitter aftertaste of the war meant that no one really wanted to reach out. Everyone was busy barely surviving with their own pain. Without the safety net of her dad, Lily found herself at a crossroad. George needed the time to heal. Ginny was dealing with her own demons. There was no one else she could turn to, yet her memories remained accurate.
Her mother's promise of always watching over her was one she held onto dearly.
"Everyone's doing okay here. The store is doing well. I think Ron's planning to come work there too, I don't blame him. Ministry work can be so dull sometimes." Lily takes a sip of the warm drink, savouring the taste. Her eyes narrow as she scans the other grave stones. Heart sinking at the many names that plague the field, she shakes her head, grateful for the ability to live another day.
Sighing, Lily rests her head against the side of the tomb. As morbid as it was, the action helps her remember all the many times Severus held her. Often she found herself wondering whether he found any peace after death. Was he able to find Emilia and reconcile their differences? The thought of how her mother would react makes Lily smile.
It's not difficult for her picture her family standing with her around this grave; Emilia, Severus, Ben and even Thomas. Though she could not see them, the picture Lily conjured up was completely accurate.
"I've got some news. I mean you all probably know but I've got the results," Lily mumbles into her drink getting to the point of her impromptu meeting. Rummaging in her bag, Lily pulls out a sealed letter from her Healer's visit last week. She had an inkling for a while, but always put off the visit in fear of finding out the truth. Once Ginny found out why she had been acting so weirdly, she practically kidnapped her and dragged her to see one. The only reason Lily agreed was because the girl promised not to tell George. At least not until Lily knew the results herself.
With shaking hands, she flips over the envelope.
"I'm so scared." She whispers inaudibly. Unbeknownst to her, in another realm, her little family had been joined by a couple of gatecrashers. Namely, Fred Weasley who tried his best not to find it offensive that he wasn't invited to the party. But of course, he knew how much her family meant to her. Strangely, his entrance was welcomed heartily by Ben Fowler who took it upon himself to drag the boy closer to Lily.
Fred found the whole situation quite unnerving, especially considering the ex-Potions Master was crouched opposite Lily watching with keen eyes. He barely acknowledged the Weasley twin, only to receive another scolding from Emilia. Hastily Severus stands and offers his hand to the boy. With a sideways glance at Emilia, he can't help but wonder how much longer he would have to grovel for her forgiveness.
Beaming at Fred, Emilia gives him a hug, thanking him for all the support he gave to her daughter. She knew he loved her, perhaps not in the same way as his brother, but enough for her to adopt him into her family.
All of them stand watching the young girl fumble with the envelope. Fred crouches down on her other side, longing to reach out and comfort her.
Lily suddenly feels a warmth shiver run down her spine, turning her head to the left. She couldn't explain it, but somehow she just knew that Fred Weasley had decided to join this early morning party. Truth be told, she would often think of him, visit his grave to add more bright flowers, but she hoped he was busy creating havoc wherever they all ended up. After all, her family had promised to stand by her, that did not mean she could rely on everyone to do so. But of course, the occasion of this particular meeting was significant enough for all her loved ones to turn up.
Smiling to herself, she whispers: "hello Freddie."
Feeling ready now, she rips open the envelope. Her mind goes blanks as she reads the words on the paper. It vaguely makes sense to her, but the whole thing felt like reading another language. Fred, Severus, Emilia and Ben all peer around her shoulder to read the contents of the letter. Tears form in Lily's eyes as she releases the breath she did not realise she was holding.
Two words stand out to her.
Positive.
Twins.
"Holy Merlin," she breathes, tears falling down her cheek. Beaming, she scans the letter again to make sure she hadn't misread the information. "Holy Merlin!"
Positive.
Twins.
"HOLY MERLIN!"
Squealing, Lily stands up drenching herself with the hot chocolate.
It didn't matter though.
Thoughts run through her head at an alarming rate, the main one being a question on how she was going to break this to George. How were they going to explain this to Molly? She'd probably speed up their wedding planning and make them get married that same day. Merlin knows how she'd be able to fit in her dress in summer when they planned to have the wedding. Laughing to herself, Lily jumps in the air, spinning around in her elation. If any passer-by's thought her previous behaviour of hanging around at a graveyard early in the morning was strange, then the sight of a woman dancing around, grinning widely would perhaps make them call St. Mungo's.
I've got to tell George, Lily grins, clutching the letter against her chest. Wiping the tears from her face, she turns to give the tomb one final look, picturing her family's reaction.
"I love you all," she says, knowing that though her intention was to see her dad, there was no way he was alone at that point. It's a good thing too, she wasn't too sure how well he would take the news.
Squealing like a child, she runs out of the cemetery, the edges of the letter flying in the wind. The smile on her face widens as she Apparates out to Diagon Alley. Turning to head towards their flat, Lily falters as she spots a red headed figure in the distance.
There were many things George had learnt about his going-to-be-wife. One of which was sensing when she woke up and left in the morning. Most mornings, she would run out to the bakery to get a fresh loaf for their breakfast. Sometimes though, she would spend longer outside. He always knew where she would end up, going to see her dad and sometimes Fred. But if he was a betting individual, he would put money on his fiancée visiting the late Headmaster's grave. This morning, it was slightly different. She sat next to him, anxiously twiddling her thumbs, glancing at him. He did not need to open his eyes to know it, but whatever was on her mind, Lily was extremely worried.
So when she finally left the flat, George opened his eyes groggily frowning. In her worried state, she did not kiss him goodbye as she usually did in the mornings. Looking at the cabinet he saw the forgotten flowers she usually took to place on the grave. Sitting up, George knew he had about half an hour before she would return, although once, she spent almost one hour sitting by the grave. To be fair, that was the day he officially proposed to her.
Smiling goofily at the memory, he heaves himself out of bed, going straight to the shower as a means to wake his sleepy self up. Early mornings were not George's favourite time of day; way too early for anyone to function. His fiancée was not just anyone though.
His plan was to get them both breakfast sorted, but as he entered the deserted streets of Diagon Alley, he realised he had forgotten to take his wallet. Blaming it on the time of day, George turns to head back to their flat but then a familiar sound of someone Apparating makes him stop in his tracks. Staring from the other side of the street was his fiancée.
Tears dripping down her cheek, yet she was beaming at him. Frowning at the sight George waves at her as she holds up what looks like a letter. The header of the letter could just about be seen in the foggy morning. Visibility may have been low, but the St. Mungo's crest was clear enough for the young man to see. His heart sinks as he goes through all the different illnesses and bad news that it could contain. They wouldn't tell that information in a letter, would they?
But then why was his fiancée crying?
"Accio Letter!" George commands, as the letter flies out of her hand. Too early to function, too early for any of this, but remembering how anxious she was in the morning, George was not about to take any chances.
Lily smiles knowingly, walking towards the man in front of her. She watches him fumble with the letter just like she did moments ago. Her heart rate quickens as he reads the contents of it. His worried frown relaxes into a confused one. Unable to contain her laugh anymore, Lily giggles as he glances up at her, a question written all over his face.
Is this true?
Lily nods as she start running towards him. George stares at her, transfixed by her beauty. They were going to have a child.
Twins!
Yelling out to the empty street, George runs to meet her, as she jumps into his arms. Laughing at the childish behaviour of her fiancé, Lily wraps her arms around him, squeezing him tightly.
"Is it true? You're not pulling a prank on me?" George whispers into her ear breathlessly.
Pulling away slightly, Lily stares into the deep brown eyes of George Weasley. The man she fell for time and time again. The man who taught her how to live again. The man who somehow found it in himself to forgive her, but more importantly, taught her how to forgive herself. The man who let her heal after the Battle of Hogwarts, knowing the burden of pain she carried was not one she was ready to share yet.
He, himself, had to process the loss of his brother and best friend. He had the support of his family though, helping him learn how to function without his other half. On quiet nights, he still found himself wandering aimlessly around the Burrow, almost as if he's looking for Fred.
It took a long time for him to get back to normal, but even then, he knew normality was a luxury he could not have again. But he would try his hardest, knowing that his brother would want him to live his life vicariously, brilliantly, filled with loud crazy antics for the both of them. Once he had reached that point, it would have been selfish of him to assume Lily was ready too.
So he waited, patiently.
By the end of the year, they were back in each other's lives. A couple years on from that they were living together. A few months after she moved in, he proposed to her, knowing that there was no one else he would want to spend his life with. A few months of patience led to an infinite amount of happiness.
And in that moment, he knew that it had been worth it.
"You're going to be a father, Mr. Weasley." Lily whispers back pressing her forehead against his. A strange animalistic sound escapes the man as he lifts the squealing girl into his arms, spinning her around without a care in the world.
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A/N: Officially the end of Shit - I'm falling for a Weasley.
Bonus chapters are coming. A prequel story about Emilia, Ben, Severus set in the Marauders' Era will be coming at some point too. Thank you for all the love on this fanfic. I hope you enjoyed the ride.
Much love
~Saf~