HP: Fairborn Adventures

August 1st, 1977

The first thing she noticed as she woke was that the familiar warm body Marlene had gotten used to waking up next to was missing. No matter how far her fingers trailed over the mattress, they didn't brush against anything but the soft blanket of the bedding.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and tentatively blinked them open. Warm sunlight flooded Harry's room, indicating that it was perhaps around noon already.

'Not surprising in the least, since sleep didn't find us easily last night.'

Harry had been hurting and watching him suffer almost caused her physical pain as well. All she had been able to do was hold him and gently stroke her fingers through his unruly hair. Meanwhile, the young man who was stronger than anyone Marlene had ever met, either threatened to spill hot tears into her lap or shook with nearly uncontrollable anger, the loathing practically leaking out of him.

The death of Lily's parents had sucked him into a deep spiral of despair. She didn't know why exactly her boyfriend had taken things so badly; perhaps because he'd been there to see it? All she knew was that the boy she loved was hurting and Marlene saw it as her duty to try her best to ease his suffering.

Just as her fingers had confirmed earlier, Marlene found Harry's side of the bed empty when she turned her head to glance over her shoulder. Stretching her neck even further, she glimpsed at his pale wand on the bedside table, right next to a muggle clock that showed 20 minutes past 12.

'Where was Harry?'

'He never left without his wand.'

Movement from the curtains at the window led her to believe that the door to the balcony might have been opened. Marlene swung her feet off the edge of the bed and staggered through a minefield of clothes on the floor, picking up one of Harry's larger shirts to cover herself temporarily.

Pushing the curtains aside, Marlene found Harry outside on the small balcony attached to his room, leaning against the railing and staring over the wide grounds of Potter manor. Besides the gentle breeze that played with his ebony hair, he was completely motionless, almost like a stature.

'He's still suffering.'

Marlene slowly stepped outside, squinting her eyes as the sunlight blinded her, and gently put her arms around Harry's waist, hugging him from behind and leaning against his broad backside. She felt the muscles in his back tense at her touch before he relaxed again.

"I'm sorry." Marlene whispered in his ear as he exhaled deeply: "I didn't mean to startle you."

He didn't say anything, merely swallowed heavily and resumed staring out onto the grounds.

She let her fingers trail down the length of his arm to where he steadied himself on the railing, placing her small hand over his: "I could say that I know exactly how you feel, that the pain is natural, and that it eventually gets better; however, we both know that suffering and loss are terms you've come in contact with far more often than me..."

The muscles in his jaw tensed, but otherwise, he gave no indication that he even heard her.

"So instead, I'm going to ask you what we're going to do about it, Harry?"

His fingernails dug into the wooden railing of the balcony: "He wants to play a little game with me... Voldemort will slowly take the people close to me and see how far he can push me until I either break or become the very thing he became..."

"Play his game..." Marlene whispered into his ear, wrapping herself tighter against his backside: "But don't play by his rules. Set your own..."

Harry nodded ever so slowly: "I've seen inside Avery's head; I've seen the faces and learned the names of those that follow him willingly. He took someone from both of us. Perhaps it's time I take someone from him..."

"Let's do it together then." A small spike of excitement raced through her at the thought that she might be included: "You know I will be with you in whatever you decide to do. Voldemort is not fighting alone; you don't have to either..."

"I -I don't want to risk the life of my- " He paused for a second, clenching his jaw: " -family and friends."

"I'm not asking for that. I don't want you to take James or Lily; Charlus or Dorea..." Marlene replied: "But you know I can be of value; you taught me how to fight yourself after all. Please, Harry, take me with you once you start hunting them down..."

"It's dangerous." Harry seemed to consider the issue. He removed one of his hands from the railing and placed it on top of hers: "But I will probably need you."

"And you know I would drag you back to me the moment you went running off without me." Marlene placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"You probably would." Harry's lips curled upwards for a split second before he continued staring over the ground.

"Come back inside with me, love." Marlene took his hand and applied gentle pressure to turn him around: "Let's get you something to eat."

"I'm not even hungry," Harry grumbled, yet allowed her to lead him back inside.

"I don't care." Marlene pulled off the shirt she had thrown on and handed it to Harry. Then she walked over to his closet to take out some of her own clothes: "You told me that you wanted to grow as tall as Dumbledore one day and you're not quite there yet..."

"Don't mention him. I'm glad I've finally been granted a break from the old snoop." Harry groaned as he dressed.

With Harry being slightly less gloomy, they took the staircase down onto the main floor and the kitchen. Charlus and Dorea looked up from their spot at the table when they entered; the dark rings underneath their eyes indicated that they too didn't find sleep easily last night. Tilly wordlessly brought them a cup of tea each as they sat down.

"I've been to the Ministry this morning and I've spoken to your brother, my dear." Charlus addressed Marlene: "Matthew was on duty yesterday and received your Patronus and its message." The Potter patriarch swallowed heavily and his expression fell: "However when they showed up in Cokeworth, the entire house had been burned to the ground already with nothing left of it."

"Not even a body left to bury..." Harry's fist tightened around his spoon. He flexed his knuckles until Marlene placed her hand on his to calm him, gently brushing the back of his hand with her fingers.

"And did my brother do as promised?" She asked Charlus. 'He owes me more than just a favor.'

"He did." The man nodded: "Although, even if we didn't ask him to keep Harry's involvement and my son's presence at the crime scene out of it, the Aurors wouldn't have found anything to suspect so in the first place. As of now, the Ministry assumes the Evans' home had been attacked in the early hours of the morning, with only Lily's parents falling victim during the attack since we told them she stayed the night with us."

"Didn't they want to talk to her?" Marlene asked incredulously.

"I don't bloody care what they want." Charlus huffed, earning him a small scowl from his wife: "Dorea has worked as a healer for almost twenty years; we don't need to go to Saint Mungo's and, by extension, let the public know that my son and Lily have been attacked and injured. Lily will remain here with us until she has fully recovered and processed what happened to her and her family. The Ministry won't find her here anyways."

Harry merely murmured something incomprehensible under his breath and continued staring angrily at his cup of tea.

"I know it's terrible and you're hurting, Harry; we all are." Dorea swallowed: "But it would be even more terrible if it wasn't for you. Lily wouldn't be with us anymore... James- " She sniffed: " -my son wouldn't be with us either if you didn't accompany him and brought him back. You saved both of them, Harry; please don't be too hard on yourself for something that is out of your control. It's not your fault Mr. and Mrs. Evans died yesterday."

'But he still blames himself.' Marlene felt his fingers cramp once more and knew immediately he was about to snap. 'Or he has just bottled up his anger.'

"I know all that already!" Harry slammed his fist down on the table, making each of them jerk back in surprise. Dark shadows roiled in his green orbs: "I've lost people before, more than I can count! I'm not being swallowed in some dark hole of self-pity because there will always be moves that are impossible to anticipate! That doesn't mean I can't be pissed off though! Do you want to know what Evan Rosier told me before I blew his fucking brains out?! He said: 'The Dark Lord sends his birthday wishes'."

"Harry, please- " Charlus stood up, holding out his hand.

"No, I'm not done yet!" Harry insisted, shaking his head vehemently: "I've shown you the memory; all of you! You've heard Voldemort that night at the Bones manor. He promised to take away everything from me and now he's starting with the people he knows I'm close to."

"But how did he even figure out where the Evans family lives?" Charlus frowned: "The Ministry only keeps track of the residences of wizarding families, not every muggle-born family in all of Britain. I doubt he would have his followers searching for it the muggle way through their registry either."

"Her address has to be documented somewhere though." Marlene pursed her lips: "How does the school send the first Hogwarts letters to muggleborns if the information doesn't stem from the Ministry?"

"Actually, the school has a book that is said to have been enchanted by the four Founders, similar to the Sorting Hat." Dorea explained: "No one knows how exactly it works, but it's similar to the trace in that it detects the residence of any child born with magic that is eligible to attend Hogwarts by having British ancestry. However, that information is only available to the Headmaster..."

"None of us are fans of Dumbledore, but I doubt he would give out the addresses of muggleborns in times like these." Harry snorted. Breathing heavily, he sat back down.

"You mentioned Evan Rosier. Was it him who killed Lily's parents?" Charlus spoke up after some time.

"I'm not sure." Harry replied: "Jugson, Avery, and Rosier all attacked her house at the same time. The explosion destroyed parts of the upper floor and kill- " He took a deep breath: " -killed Lily's father. Then one of them cast the killing curse on her mother..."

"What of the Death Eaters?" Charlus regarded him with a long look: "Did you finish it?"

"Of course I did. They're dead." Harry hummed, stirring the spoon absently in his cup: "All of them..."

"Are you sure you're fine, Harry?" Dorea spoke up again after a minute of silence. She examined Harry up and down: "You still didn't let me have a look at those injuries you came back with."

"I told you I was fine, thank you." Harry tried to dismiss her.

"Don't lie to me, Harry. I saw the injuries on James and from what he managed to tell me last night, you stood right next to him when you were hit." Dorea frowned at him: "You were limping badly when you arrived back here with blood pooling from your nose and ears. Since James and Lily arrived via Portkey, I assume it was the only way of getting them out of there, yet you yourself arrived outside of Potter Manor. Why is that?"

Marlene glanced at her boyfriend, rather curious about his explanation herself. 'Although the fact that his injuries had healed in the meantime didn't surprise her at all.'

Still, images of his arrival danced through her thoughts: Robes torn, blackened and scorched, or covered in blood; limbs scraped as if he was dragged through splinters of glass; his entire face a mess of crimson making it hard whether it was his blood or not.

'What in Morgana's name did he do?'

"I didn't escape via Portkey." All eyes were on Harry when he finally spoke up: "I simply tore right through their Anti-apparition wards." He admitted through clenched teeth.

Charlus raised an eyebrow in surprise: "That is almost as impressive as it is dang- "

"Oh, you foolish boy!" Dorea chided him immediately, cutting her husband off. She stood up and flicked her wand at Harry: "That will have caused all kinds of internal damages, perhaps even to your magical core! You should have imm- "

Her wand dropped in her hand; the tip still glowed faintly.

'Well, this will be an awkward talk.'

"What- " Dorea paused with a frown, staring at Harry completely baffled: "But- but you have completely healed already..."

Marlene tried her best to hide her grimace while Harry exhaled deeply: "Just don't worry about it, please. Lily and James needed your attention and my injuries weren't as grave as they looked..."

"You healed them yourself?" Dorea accused him, stepping around the table to perform a few more diagnostic charms on him: "But even then, there should still be some aftereffects from an injury like that. This shouldn't be possible, Harry!"

"What have you done, son?" Charlus' hazel brown eyes, usually filled with genuine warmth, were narrowed on Harry with concern: "Please tell us what magic you've dabbled with?"

"I promise it's nothing to worry about." Harry pushed his chair back and stepped past Dorea, who still tried to check for injuries. "Is James up already?"

He took Marlene's hand and almost dragged her towards the door.

"He's been watching over Lily all night in the guest room" Dorea scowled as Harry dodged her again: "But you should really stay here and- "

"Thank you, we will go and visit him now." Harry quickly said over his shoulder.

"All and every advantage has its price, Harry!" Dorea's reply was drowned by Charlus who yelled after them as they fled from the room: "Witches and wizards are not meant to engage in some aspects of magic!"

The man's words kept ringing in Marlene's ears as Harry led her up the main staircase to the upper floors of the manor.

"Come in." James croaked after they knocked on the door to one of the guestrooms.

The room was rather similar to the one Marlene currently 'occupied' despite spending every night in Harry's bed so far. James Potter sat in a chair next to the canopy bed, holding Lily's hand with his left, for his entire right arm was still in a cast. He did not even look up from his watch as they entered.

Marlene's gaze traveled over the bed and the sleeping form of Lily Evans, her chest rising and falling rhythmically.

"How is she?" Harry asked.

"I don't know." James sighed and finally met their gaze. The rings underneath his hazel eyes were the worst among all three Potters. His lips were still swollen from busting open after the curse he took and his face and arms were covered in scratches and bruises: "She hasn't been awake since she returned. Mom suggested she might be in something like a coma."

"You've been watching her all night?" Harry flicked his wand and replicated the remaining chair, offering it to Marlene.

James snorted, eyes traveling back over Lily's long red curls: "Are you telling me you wouldn't be here in my stead if this was Marlene instead of Lily?"

"I can't say so." Harry denied, his fingers curling around hers: "How are you feeling?"

"It hardly matters." James shrugged: "Mom fixed my arm within seconds and the bruises will heal eventually. I should probably be pissed that you've barely gotten anything yourself. However, this time I'm more than thankful since it allowed you to bring Lily back to us."

The Potter hair turned around, swallowing heavily: "Seriously, Harry, thank you. No matter how much you feel like a brother by now, I will still be forever indebted to you."

"None of that." Harry shook his head; the tiniest traces of guilt washed over his face: "As you've said earlier. You would've done the same if you were in my position."

"I would have tried perhaps." James chuckled weakly: "But I don't even know how to perform half of that magic. I can't throw up a silvery shield as you did and bounce off three curses with it. And don't even get me started on creating Portkeys to get us all out of there."

"Don't mention it." Marlene noticed how Harry tensed momentarily. Obviously, he did not consider it necessary to tell James that he himself apparated out of it.

They all remained silent for some time until Marlene caught some movement from the bed: "I think she might be waking up."

Lily was stirring underneath the blankets, making them all lean over the edge of the bed and watch her expectantly. With a grimace, her eyelids blinked open. Emerald green orbs that looked so similar to her boyfriends, perhaps a tad brighter, stared up at them in confusion.

"Where am I?" She rubbed her head: "What happened to me?"

"You're at my place. You're safe…" James gently squeezed her hand in relief; letting his thumb trail circles over her palm. His expression fell the next second: "What do you remember last, Lils?"

"I- " The redhead frowned; her eyes began shifting from left to right. Marlene could almost pinpoint the exact moment she started remembering what happened to her. A terrible sadness grew upon her face; it crept into her features until the usual freckled and happy visage was a mask of despair.

"My parents... our home…" Lily's voice cracked: "What happened to my parents, James?"

"I'm so sorry, Lily." Her boyfriend slowly shook his head: "I'm so sorry."

"No… it can't be- " Her eyes shifted from James to Harry and then to Marlene, a glimmer of hope within their depths, almost as if she expected either of them to tell her that it was not real; that it was all a cruel joke.

Yet when neither Harry nor Marlene gave any indication, she began to gently sob, shoulders shaking as the tears followed.

James immediately shifted from his chair and sat next to her on the bed, where he cradled her against him and held her as best as his injured arm allowed.

A quick glance at Harry confirmed that watching Lily receive the devastating news pretty much broke his heart as well. Marlene wordlessly slid into his lap and rested her head against his shoulder, holding his hand within her smaller one and gently massaging his scalp.

None of them knew how much time passed as they mourned together. Yet it was Lily, whose breath hitched when she looked up from where she clung to James: "They- They came for my family?" Hot tears sparkled in her ears as she turned to Harry questioningly: "Why did- did they come for my family?"

Marlene felt Harry tense underneath her and swallow heavily. Guilt crept into his expression while he opened his mouth several times in an attempt to speak: "Voldemort... He was made aware of how close you are to me. That's - That's why he sent his followers for you... I'm so sorry, Lily..."

The redhead gasped while she eyed him: "He sent them on the day of your birthday... on purpose? To- to hurt you?"

Harry nodded silently.

"Have you- you know- recovered their..."

"Unfortunately there was only time to get you out." Harry shook his head once more: "When the Aurors arrived soon after, the house had been burned down already..."

Lily fell into another sequence of sobs, burying her shoulder in the crook of James' neck while he gently stroked her back: "But I don't understand... How did they even find us? I never told anyone where I lived... Only Hogwarts has my address... No one else was supposed to know!"

'How indeed.' It was a mystery to Marlene as well, yet before she could contemplate the matter, she felt Harry suddenly tense underneath her. She lifted her head just in time to see his eyes widen in what she could only assume was a realization of some sort.

His fingers dug into her thighs as he lifted her out of his lap: "We will give you some time to recover Lily. Again, I'm so sorry. For everything."

As soon as they returned to his room Harry began walking up and down the space between his door and the bed. Marlene decided to question him: "Did you figure something out, love?"

"What?" He stopped dead in his tracks: "Oh no, I was just... it's nothing really."

"Okay." Marlene frowned, slightly concerned about his behavior: "Just remember that we agreed to go together if you do decide on a target."

"No, it's nothing like that." Harry quickly shook his head, "I was just thinking that we should explain the situation to Croaker... Lily should take all the time she needs before returning to the Department."

"Of course..." Marlene nodded, watching as his gaze returned to the window while his wand slipped into his palm and he absently twirled it between his fingers.

'Secrets from your past are fine, my love; I can accept those...'

'But why do you feel the need to hide something new from me?'

August 2nd, 1977

Harry glanced over a dirty river that wound between overgrown, rubbish-strewn banks. An immense chimney, relic of a disused mill, reared up in the early morning sun, shadowy and ominous. There was no sound apart from the whisper of the black water and no sign of life apart from a scrawny fox that had slunk down the bank to nose hopefully at some old fish-and-chip wrappings in the tall grass.

'Today was the first of many, and still, it was special.'

'Today was personal.'

Harry buried the small pang of guilt at visiting this place by himself even after promising Marlene he would take her with him when the time came to do what was necessary. He prayed that she won't be too cross with him; that she might understand one day.

'One day there will be no more secrets.'

He quickly gained the top of the bank, where a line of old railings separated the river from a narrow, cobbled street. He looked across the road at the rows and rows of dilapidated brick houses, their windows dull and blind in the darkness.

'And today brings me one step closer to that.'

Harry easily slipped through a gap in the rusty railings and continued down the road, moving deeper into the deserted labyrinth of brick houses. Glancing up he caught the name of the street sign over which the towering mill chimney seemed to hover like a giant admonitory finger:

Spinner's End

A memory swirled in his thoughts, accompanied by the voice of his younger Aunt Petunia, reassuring him that he was at the right place.

"You're that Snape boy! They live down Spinner's End by the river,"

With newfound determination, he headed towards the very last house, where a dim light glimmered through the curtains in a downstairs room. A pale wand slid into his palm before he thrust it high up into the air, covering the area underneath in a blanket of magic that would trap any wizard inside.

'And there was only one wizard here anyways.'

He stepped towards the door, blended out the stench from the river, and listened to the two voices that sounded from inside; a man yelling, with a younger one responding more calmly.

"Homenum revelio!" The Elder Wand vibrated twice, giving Harry everything he needed to know. The lock made no sound as Harry pushed his will into it, forcing the door open and walking over the threshold.

He stepped directly into a tiny sitting room, which had the feeling of a dark, padded cell. The walls were completely covered in books, most of them bound in old black or brown leather; a threadbare sofa, an old armchair, and a rickety table stood grouped together in a pool of dim light cast by a single candle-filled lamp that hung from the ceiling. Empty bottles, their labels indicating that they once contained liquor of all sorts, littered the floor and a small table.

The voices grew closer, with the louder older one seemingly following its younger counterpart right towards the room Harry had entered: "For the last time, father, I worked for this money and I will not be sharing a single penny of it!"

"You- you ungrateful brat!" The man roared: "You live under this roof and still refuse- "

'Time to do what was necessary.'

His rant was stopped when the two stepped into the sitting room. Tobias Snape's small black eyes froze over when Harry's red flash of light connected with his chest and he slumped to the floor unconscious. His son twirled on the spot in surprise, fingers reaching towards the pocket of his jeans, yet he was too late as well.

"Expelliarmus." Harry lazily flicked the Elder Wand and caught the thin piece of wood. With a second flick the disillusionment charm was dispelled.

"Peverell?!" Fear invaded the pale features that looked so similar to the man Harry had grown to despise as a student.

"You're scared, that's good I suppose..." Harry murmured. He banished Snape backward into the bookshelf, grimacing as a trickle of blood dripped onto his yellowed dress shirt when he got to his knees with a groan: "You must know why I'm here then..."

"I- I have no idea what you're talking about, you coward!" Snape spat to his feet, clinging to his own shoulder: "You and Potter and Black are oh so alike, attacking someone defensele- Ahhhh!"

A scream was torn from Snape's lips as Harry slashed his wand at the boy's knees: "There's no way you haven't seen the Dark Mark over Lily's house two days ago, Snape. Why did you do it?"

"Wh- What- Lily? What happened to Lily?" He winced on the floor as another ripple of pain surged through him: "I don't know- I swear I don't know- "

"Lily is still alive but her parents are no more... All thanks to you. Don't lie to me, Snape. Only you could have given them the address. You, who was her oldest friend and neighbor..." Anger fueled Harry's magic as he leveled his wand at the boy, forcing him to look back up and meet his eyes: "Perhaps I will make it less painful if you just tell me the truth."

"Please! I- I swear I didn't know! It wasn't me!" Snape whizzed, coughing clumps of blood: "Please, I can prove it! You can see for yourself! I know you've learned how; I know you can! You have to believe me, I didn't do it!"

"Look at me!" Harry seized the boy's neck and turned it up. For six long years, black eyes had bored into emerald green and violated his privacy. Now the tables had turned:

"Legilimens!"

Harry connected their thoughts, not meeting any resistance, and started feeding Snape's consciousness images of Lily and her house and neighborhood in Cokeworth. He delved into the deepest corners, skimming past faces and names.

"I believe you," Harry murmured after not finding any evidence that suggests otherwise. He abruptly ripped out of Snape's mind, leaving the boy with a trail of crimson dripping from his nose and ears.

"But there was something else I stumbled over… something curious…" Harry's eyes found the edge black ink on the pale skin of Snape's forearm, exposed by the shirt that had slid up during the boy's fall: "Perhaps you haven't betrayed her yet. But that won't save you today."

'No more risk.'

'No more mercy.'

With a flick of the Elder Wand, the arm of the shirt was ripped off, revealing a black skull and twisting snake. Images of the very same tattoo, yet on the severed arm of Evan Rosier spun in Harry's mind; the wand between his fingers urged to lash out: "I told you what would happen if you were to join the Death Eaters, Snape. I told you I'd come for you..."

"Please, I- I didn't have a choice." The young man begged in between whimpers of pain: "You don't understand... none of you understand..."

"What don't I understand, Snape? I've given too many chances already and paid the price for the consequences." Harry showered the wooden floorboard in silver sparks as he felt his hatred spike: "You could have gone on to become someone important, you have the necessary talent. Instead, you became fifth that licks another man's boots..."

"You don't deserve her, Peverell." Black eyes narrowed on him with utter loathing: "You don't deserve her friendship! Potter doesn't deserve her love. None of you do!. She was pureand perfect before you took her from me."

"She is still perfect; even more so now..." Harry smoldered a small smile: "In a different time, you might have given your life for her, Snape. But in this one, I will take yours to save her."

"No- no, please!"

"For my grandparents..." Harry twisted the Elder Wand, forcing his magic through the thin wood until Snape started choking.

He watched as the boy covered the floorboard with streaks of crimson from his violent coughs. Harry soon spotted the first white blossoms of a lily in the mess of dark blood. A few coughs later, the first slim, green stems poured from Snape's mouth while he choked for air, black eyes widened in panic and hands clenched around his neck.

Snape slowly and painfully suffocated until his breath came rugged and uneven. Lungs that usually filled with air were blocked by the bright, white flowers that now poured from his mouth in each of the bloodied coughs he managed to retch.

Finally, the spark of life flickered and died within Severus Tobias Snape's bloodshot eyes. The young man lay unmoving on the shabby floor in a pool of crimson, decorated by the very flowers that caused his death.

"And for Lily."