A/N: The song is by Martina McBride and the characters are owned by J.K. Rowlings. Just here is some background information for the songfic. Draco ended up helping the Order defeat Voldemort, although it was Harry, Ron, and Hermione who were the ones at the final duel. Hermione protected Ron from the Death Eaters as Harry dueled Voldemort, and ended up killing him by some ancient magic. What? It doesn't matter. You'll understand everything by the end of the story.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lillian, or Lily as her friends called her, sat in her seat with the rest of her friends and colleges. She had never been more nervous in her life. She was about to give a speech in front of the entire school, in front of him. She looked behind her, back to a head of black hair and green eyes. That was all she was able to see of her first true friend. But that had changed over the years. Smiling she turned back to Dumbledore who stood in front of them all.
It had started a little more than ten years ago, when she was about eight years old. That was really when she met her savior.
~Flashback~
Well, she seemed alright by dawn's early light
Though she looked a little worried and weak
She tried to pretend he wasn't drinkin' again
But daddy left the proof on her cheek
And I was only eight years old that summer
And I always seemed to be in the way
So I took myself down to the fair in town
On Independence Day
Lillian walked down the sidewalk, trying not to notice everyone's stares, as she made her way to the parade. She didn't know why everyone stared and asked someone once, but all they did was look away with pity in their eyes. But right now she just needed to get away from the house.
Her mother and father fought often, mainly when he was drunk. Lily tried to stay as far away or as hidden whenever possible. Most of the time, he hurt her mother and then sometimes Lily. Both of them were scared to death of that man. Sometimes, her mother would lock Lily's door and they would fall asleep in each others arms, her mother apologizing from some unknown reason to the child in her arms. Often she would say she went with the wrong man.
Lily didn't have too many friends, mainly because her father scared them all away. She was bright and pretty, just like her mother, but at school everyone made fun of her and her weird family. She often found console in books. Her mother said she had a fine collection but had to leave it back in London. She didn't talk much about that, only that she missed it greatly.
Although her father tried to suppress it, Lily and her mother had a bond that couldn't be broken. She was very proud of that relationship. And the one she formed with her only friend outside of her mother, a firefighter. To her, he was a knight in shining armor. With the deepest emerald eyes she had ever seen and the wildest black hair. He called it an untamable fire. She called it funny.
Today was a day of great importance to everyone in town. The day of American's independence. But to Lily, it was just another day. They were holding the fair in town, and although she didn't have a lot, she really wanted to go. As she approached the main street, she could already hear the bands marching down the street.
Pushing her way to the front, she watched as the bands passed. She loved music, and at home other than books, it was her only console. Her friend at the fire department, Harry he told her to call him, gave her a compact disc that became both hers and her mother's favorite. But Lily's father broke it a while back. Now she didn't have anything.
Well word gets around in a small, small town
They said he was a dangerous man
Mama was proud and she stood her ground
But she knew she was on the losin' end
Some folks whispered and some folks talked
But everybody looked the other way
And when time ran out there was no one about
On Independence Day
As the fire trucks began their passing, Lily felt her heart jump when Harry came by. Jumping off the truck, he came over and picked her. Without missing a beat, he was back on the truck, still holding her in his arm.
"Miss me," he asked a large smile on his face. She just nodded as the siren rang again. "How's your mother?" He asked as she looked at everyone. The pity was in all of their eyes, but she never understood why.
"Alright," Lily lied, avoiding Harry's gaze. He gave her a look before changing the subject. He knew that it often was hard to talk about, sometimes even for him, Lily found out.
"How's that CD I gave you?" Lily felt like she was about to cry as she told him. "Don't worry angel, I'll make another." She began to smile, like she always did when he called her that. He was so much better than her father, and didn't touch her like her father sometimes did. His eyes always shone with the love that only her mother showed her.
"What's this day all about?" Lily asked as they road down the road some more. She too began to wave as Harry answered. She never felt this happy before.
"Well today, around two hundred years ago, America gained her independence from England." Harry smiled. The other crew sent a smiled back to him as he continued. "One this date, a man by the name of Thomas Jefferson, wrote a very important paper. `The Declaration of Independence.'"
"What's that?" Lily asked.
"So full of questions, my angel," Harry laughed. "Well that paper said that all men were created equal."
"What about women?" Lily asked, putting her hands on her hips. Harry and the rest of the crew laughed at this.
"Well, that was amended or added later," Harry said, still laughing. "But what is important is what that document represents. The breaking away of a tyrannical ruler who hurt the colonial Americans, through taxes and attacks. On this day, the weak grew strong, and over came the first step of freedom."
"Wow," Lily said as Harry's gazed turned toward something else. Most of the other crew was talking about it now as well. "What else is there?"
Let freedom ring, Let the white dove sing
Let the whole world know that today is a day of reckoning
Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong
Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay
It's Independence Day
Before Harry could answer, the truck gave a lurch forward as it speed up. Lily wrapped her arms tighter around Harry's neck as they sped down the street. She had seen a large pillar of smoke and assumed that was where they were heading. Harry began to try and comfort her as they sped down the road.
"What's this all about, Sam?" Harry yelled over the siren.
"House on Washington Avenue is up in flames," the man next to him replied.
"Which number?"
"Thirty five," Sam yelled as they turned a corner.
"That's my home," Lily cried. Harry did his best to soothe her as they turned the final corner. Lily pulled out of Harry's neck to see what was happening.
Well she lit up the sky that fourth of July
By the time that the firemen come
They just put out the flames, and took down some names
And sent me to the county home
Now I ain't sayin' it's right or it's wrong
But maybe its the only way
Talk about your revolution
It's Independence Day
The large pillar of smoke she had seen before was now several. Flames engulfed the house, and now large tears began to fall from her eyes as Harry put her down. Harry and his crew began to work as fast as they could to put the fire out.
"Mama!" She screamed as ran toward the flames.
"Charlie, stop her," Harry yelled as he ran to the front porch and into the house.
"Sssh, it's going to be alright," the man named Charlie said. Charlie looked back at the house, fear in his eyes before turning to her again. But to Lily, it couldn't be alright. Her mother was in there, and by the looked of the fire she wasn't coming out.
"Mama!" She screamed against the sirens. Charlie walked her away from the fire. As the firemen worked, she was wrapped in a blanket and the soot cleaned off her face. All the while, her face never left the front door. She did however overhear several men and women talking.
"They said the fire was started from inside," a police officer was saying. "We think the wife started it and from what the neighbors said, her husband often hit her and the child." Lily shook her head. Her mother would never do such a thing, never. Her mother was a saint.
"Anything else?" A man in blue asked.
"Fire Chief Potter ran inside, although it's a death trap." At these words, the house began to fall apart.
"No!" Lily began to scream as she watched the firefighters fought on. A man walked over to her, on dressed in a suit and tie. He was rather tall, and had the wildest red hair she had ever seen.
"Miss, what is your name?" He asked, but Lily just shook her head.
"Mama can't be dead, she can't," she cried. She looked up to the man with her redden blue eyes.
"All evidence says she is." At this she began to cry even harder. The man with red hair and suit sat down and tried to put an arm around her shoulder when she flinched away. She felt a fear, like when her father tried to touch her, when the man sat near her. "I'm not going to hurt you." He said in a comforting voice.
"Somebody get a stretcher!" A voice yelled as Lily heard a loud crash. Everyone's gaze turned over to a man, walking out of the flames, holding a body close to his chest.
Let freedom ring, Let the white dove sing
Let the whole world know that today is a day of reckoning
Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong
Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay
It's Independence Day
"Somebody get me a stretcher," Harry yelled as an ambulance pulled up. Still holding the body, he pulled off his mask and threw it to the ground.
"Put her on here," one of the people from the ambulance said as they brought the stretcher. "Who's coming with?" The same man asked. Lily came running over to Harry's arms as he threw off his over coat.
"Me and this little tike," Harry said, turning back to the almost crying faces of his crew.
"We thought we lost you," Sam said, putting a hand on Harry's shoulder.
"A little fire's not going to stop me," Harry said as he helped Lily into the ambulance. "Listen I'll be back at the party as soon as I can." The crew just nodded as he climbed. "Hell of a job, you are true heroes."
"You're the hero sir," the only female of his crew, Grace, said. He didn't even blush as they closed the doors. As he sat down, Lily wrapped her arms tightly around Harry's stomach.
"You're my hero," Lily said with tears in her eyes. She looked up at his green eyes, finding them glazed over and his face blushing. "You saved Mama." Harry just smiled as the tears began to fall down his eyes as well. Pulling her up on his lap, he picked up the hand of Lily's mother.
At the moment, her mother's normally beautifully curled brown hair was a mess. She had large bruises on her face and her lip was split. The man who brought the stretcher was busy, placing a mask over her mother's mouth and bandages on her left arm.
"She's has a concussion and we'll check for any internal damage at the hospital," the man said as he moved over to Harry. "Just let me have a look at you." Picking up on of her mother's hands in his own, Harry held both hers and Lily's as the man began to flash a light in Harry's eyes. "Everything is fine, a miracle that you two survived."
"No, just magic," Harry whispered solemnly. Lily looked up at him confused, but his eyes were on her mother. "Don't leave us now `Mione. Not now, not when we need you the most." Lily put her hand over Harry's and squeezed both of them.
"You won't leave me, will you?" Lily asked the sadness in her eyes. Tears were freely running down both of their faces. Harry looked shocked by the statement.
"Why would you say that?" Harry asked in a bewildered tone. "I'd never leave you. Even if I wanted to, I don't think I can. You've grown on me too much."
Once at the hospital, her mother was taken to a private room, in which Harry put Lily. He had gone to clean himself up as well as get her something to eat. Lily sat in a chair as the doctors hooked up several monitors to her mother.
"Please wake up, Mama," Lily said, taking her mother's hand in hers. She didn't know what would happen now if she lost her mother. She turned to see Harry back, holding two glasses in his hands as he talked with two people in business suits. One was Asian female; the other was the guy with red hair. Standing up from her chair, she walked over to the door to listen.
"We're with child services," the female said. "We're here to take the child."
"Why else would child services be here," Harry mumbled. Lily put a hand over her mouth to stop the laughter.
"Harry, listen, it's for her own good." The man with red hair said. He wasn't as well built as Harry was; he looked more like a beanpole to Lily. Fear began to overcome Lily, and tears began to fall.
"She's not safe," the female said. "The mother started the fire and if the child hadn't been with you, she would've been dead."
"Two things," Harry said, his face growing red with anger. "One the child's name is Lily. And second, did either of you stop to think about why the fire was started instead of by who?"
"Harry, Lily isn't safe with her mother." The other man said.
"No, you listen, Ron," Harry said, dropping one of the glasses he held in his hand. He began to poke at Ron's chest, making him back up. "You do know who we are talking about right?" Ron nodded. Lily began to walk back to her mother, but kept her ears open. "It's Hermione, the most logical person we know. It she did this, she had a damn good reason."
"But it still was child endangerment," the female said. Lily picked up her mother's hand as Harry let out a sigh.
"If she has to leave her mother," Harry started. "Then I will take full custody over her." There was another pause and the tears began to swell in her eyes. She didn't want to leave her mother, no matter how much she liked Harry. "But let me tell you this, I will get the charges dropped and Hermione will have the custody of her child within a few months."
"You can't do that," the female said.
"Why not, Cho?" Harry asked. "I've got enough connections here as I did back home. Don't think I wouldn't call in a few favors for something like this."
"But that is unethical," Cho stammered.
"So taking a child away from her parent," Harry nearly yelled before turning into the room. Lily turned to look at him when he walked in.
"You're not letting them take Mama are you?" Lily asked him as he pulled her into a hug.
"Not in a million years." Harry said as he hugged her tightly. Pulling back, he wiped some of her tears away. "You and I are going to be her for your mother, every step of the way."
"Why are you doing this?" Lily asked as he put her down.
"Your mother and I used to be friends, and a long time ago, she asked me to look out for you and her," Harry said as he handed her the cup. She drank it slowly as she spoke, feeling better afterwards. "I moved out here to watch over you. I know what your father did to you Lily." She began to cry again, as those painful memories came rushing back. "It'll never happen again."
"Where's my name come from?" Lily asked once both of them had calmed down. Harry looked taken back at the question. "My father said that he always hated the name, but to Mama it was what she loved about the world."
"You are named after my mother," Harry said trying to calm her down. He knelt down beside her, wrapping his arms around her. "My parents died when I was little, very little, and I never knew them."
"But why did my father hate that name so much?" Lily cried into Harry's chest. "Why did he hate me so much?"
"I don't know my angel," Harry said as he sat down in a chair. Lily climbed into his lap resting against his chest. "But he can't do it again." She felt herself drifting into a sleep as Harry sang a song to her about ponies.
When she did awake, Lily found herself on the bed, next to her mother. Night had fallen and she had wrapped her mother in her arms. Looking to the hallway, she saw Harry talking to a very old man right outside the door. Harry had his back to her, and wasn't raising his voice this time. The man was smiling, and had a sparkle to his deep blue eyes.
"Thank you sir," Harry said as the man left and he opened the door. "You're awake, my angel." Lily just nodded as he took a seat.
"Who was that?" she asked a questioning look in her eyes.
"That was a man that just told me that your mother is doing fine. Harry said as a large smile grew on Lily's face. "She should wake up soon, at the latest in a few weeks."
"Will I be able to stay with her?" Lily asked as Harry's eyes avoided hers.
"I don't know about that." Harry said, not looking at her. "The people I was talking to earlier are very adamant about make sure you are safe."
"But Mama keeps me safe," Lily cried as Harry picked her up. "She kept stopping my father from hitting me and . . .and . . ."
"I know," Harry said as fear grew in her eyes. "But you know what I said earlier right?" She nodded her head.
"I could be with you until Mama was better." Lily said, as the tears came down her face.
"Not only that, but I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that you get back to your mother." Harry said with a smile.
"But what about you?" Lily asked.
"What about me?"
"What will you do once Mama is safe?" Lily asked as tears began to grow again. "Will you leave?"
"Do you want me to leave" Harry countered as she quickly shook her head. "Then I won't." There was a moment of silence before Harry spoke again. "You know that you're going to need a place to leave and I don't know what your mother's going to say, but. . ."
"But?" Lily asked, a smile drawing on her face.
"Do you want to live with me for a while, both you and your mother?" Harry asked as two little arms choked him.
"Yes, yes, YES!" Lily cried as more tears fell.
"No more tears please, I couldn't handle when you mother cried, and it pains me to see you cry." Harry said as he wiped her tears.
"But I'm not sad," Lily said hugging him again. "I'm happy. Why am I crying?"
"Because everything's right and there's too much joy to be expressed by words." Harry said as his smile joined hers. "You know, there is enough time in the summer left before school for a vacation. You think you'd want to go to London when your mother's better?" Lily's eyes began to shine brightly at this.
"You mean it?" Lily asked. Harry just nodded as she hugged him tighter. "Mama was saying she loved it there and wanted to take me there someday."
"Some day has come my angel, some day had come." Harry whispered as he hugged her close. He began to softly sing to her again and soon Lily found herself drifting off to sleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
A few days had passed and Lily's mother still hadn't awoken. Lily had moved in with Harry and he took her to shop for new clothes. When he told her to buy anything she wanted, she was shocked. Her father always chose for her and it was things that she hated. But Harry said that she could have anything she wanted, as long as her mother would approve of her wearing it.
Harry house was a small apartment in the town, and he didn't seem to own much. But when Lily came, he bought massive amounts of things. Foods, better sheets, clothing, anything that would bring even the smallest smile back to her face. The apartment looked completely different now then it did when Lily first saw it. Now there were new couches, television, and a new bed for her. Every day, Lily would thank him for her and he'd just smile and go back reading a book called Hogwarts, A History. When she asked him about it, he just told her it held his memories and when he was ready for her to see, she could read it.
Harry told her that he was given time off from his job and was now able to spend as much time as he wanted with her. But that didn't stop Lily from dragging him to the fire department. After what Harry for her, all the crew took a liking to her. On the days that she went there, they let her use the fire-pole and dress up in Harry's gear. She never had more fun in her life.
But everyday, Harry and Lily would visit her mother. Some days only for an hour or so, because of something fun Harry had planned for earlier the day, but mostly it would last them until closing hours. None of the doctors had expected her to stay in a coma so long, and it was beginning to take its toll on both of them. Lily was starting to feel depressed all of the time, but to her surprise, it was Harry who looked worse. It wasn't until he had shown her a photo album with her mother and Harry in it. The two of them looked so happy together and he explained that they had dated, but because of his stupid mistakes they broke up. But never once gave up on loving her and he just wants her to hear it before anything else happens. For the first time, Lily watched Harry break down in tears.
Finally after two weeks, Lily and Harry were told that her mother had awoken from her deep slumber. Although it was the middle of the night, Harry was dressed and had taken Lily out of her comfortable bed before she knew what was happened.
"Your mother's awake," Harry said with a smile as he drove. Before Lily could even speak he was talking again. "They think there might be some brain damage and that she may not remember right away."
"But we'll be there for her," Lily said with a large smile. Harry just picked up her little hand in his and smiled back.
"That's right." Harry didn't speak for the rest of the drive. Lily had fallen back asleep in his truck, even though she couldn't contain her excitement. Her next conscious thought was that of Harry hurriedly carrying her through the hospital halls. Turning the final corner to her mother's room, the sound of two people talking could be heard.
"Hermione, you don't understand-" It was the voice from the other day. The female one, Lily recalled.
"No, I understand," Hermione nearly screamed as several nurses came rushing into her room. This made Harry run all the faster. When they reached the door, Cho was outside, with a disgusted look on her face, but Hermione was still screaming. "You want to take my daughter away from me!" Cho looked at Harry, smiling slight at him as he approached.
"Harry, I'm just doing my job," Cho tried to explain. He gave her a disgusted look.
"Just leave Cho," Harry said. "And don't come back, never come back." Walking into the room, Lily nearly jumped out of Harry's arms and into her mother's.
"Mama!" Lily screamed as tears fell down her mother's face.
"Oh, God, you're safe," her mother said through her sobs. She pulled back as Lily held a large smile on her face. Her mother was safe and that was all that mattered. "And why are you wearing those pajamas?"
"Harry bought them for me," Lily said, hugging her mother again. Her mother's gaze had turned from her child to Harry who was cautiously walking over.
"Hello, `Mione," Harry said simply picking up her hand. "I'm glad to see you're okay." Surprising both Harry and Lily, her mother pulled Harry into the hug and tears were coming even faster. Lily had never felt happier than when she was in that room. Moments passed before any of them said anything.
It was Lily who spoke first, about what Harry had done. Her mother seemed surprised, whether it was from what was done, or the fact that Harry was blushing, she didn't know. But it was Harry that had told them both the fate of Lily's father and what he had to do in the burning home. After that night, it was never spoken again and it didn't need to be.
"I'm sorry," a nurse said, breaking the silence. "Only family can stay." Giving them an understanding smile, and a longing glance, Harry stood up from his chair.
""I'll leave you two alone," he said as he stood up.
"Don't go," Lily said looking between her mother and Harry. "You're family."
"She's right," her mother said with a smile. "And this time you're not leaving me again." Walking back over to the bed, Harry sat on it, brushing some of the hair out of her mother's face.
"Then what do you propose we do?" He gave her a smile as Lily jumped by the pillows.
"We sleep," she said, slipping under the covers to join her mother. She just smiled at Lily, but Harry seemed nervous.
"I really don't think I should Hermione," Harry said, standing up. He still kept eye contact with them, but seemed unsure of what to do.
"Please," Hermione said, this time giving Harry the longing look. Lily watched on with interest as they stared at each other. She had never seen two people in love before, but if she had to guess, her mother and Harry were. Hopping out of the bed quickly, she grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him toward the bed.
"Just for tonight," Lily said as she got Harry to sit back down on the bed. "It'll be like when you stopped the nightmares." Hermione gave them both a questioning look as Lily began to explain what Harry had done.
"Father came back to me while I sleep," Lily said holding Harry's hand in hers as she spoke. "He tried to hurt me again, and. . . and. . . and I was screaming," Lily finally got out as she sought for the words. "But Harry just picked me up and held me. He lay in bed with me for the rest of the night and I didn't have any more dreams. "
"Well, I might have a few bad dreams tonight," Hermione said, blushing as Lily moved next to her mother again. "Do you think you can chase them away too?" Harry still looked nervous as he nodded and rested next to the mother and daughter, with Lily between them.
Picking up her mother's and Harry's hands, watched as her mother lay her head against Harry's shoulder. Shifting slightly, Harry wrapped and arm around her mother and just kept them close. And all of the happy memories she had with the firemen and women, this brought so much joy to her that she didn't know if she could fall asleep. But it was Harry's voice that coerced her into sleeping. Her and her mother.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was about ten years and one month later. Harry had kept his promise. Although there still were side effects, once her mother was well enough to leave the hospital, he took both of them in. Bought all new things for her mother, and defended her against those two "evil" people who tried to take away her mother. They never succeeded. Harry sent one letter and they never heard from them for about three years.
Lily finally did get to go to London, and she was told the truth about her mother, and about Harry. They were a witch and wizard respectively. She found it hard to believe at first, but after everything they showed her, she fell in love with the wizarding world.
They moved back there, away from the painful memories as Harry called it, to an apartment, or flat, in London. Harry got a job as a member of Scotland Yard, and Hermione taught students at a local school. Lily changed schools, and had the same trouble of no friends until she got an owl. And her acceptance to Hogwarts was official. Lily had memorized Hogwarts, A History by the time she had started.
It was also around this time, that she got a Papa. Harry. He asked her mother to marry him, and Lily had never seen her mother happier. And she wouldn't have to leave them. The old man, Professor Dumbledore, from the hospital worked at the school as the Headmaster and got them jobs. Harry was the teacher of Defense against the Dark Arts, while Hermione taught Charms.
She made friends fast with a blond boy, Tyler Weasley. She later found out he was the son of the man who tried to take away her mother, but that didn't matter. They were best friends through their entire history at Hogwarts. But that history was coming to an end.
Today was their graduation day, and it finally was Lily turn to make her Head Girl speech. Her Papa sat in back, holding a blue bundle, her new baby sister as her mother tried to stop the twin boys from messing around too much.
Let freedom ring, Let the white dove sing
Let the whole world know that today is a day of reckoning
Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong
Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay
It's Independence Day
"Ten years ago, I thought my life had ended, when really it just begun." Lily started. "I felt the same feeling now, as I did back then. I know we're all about to step into the unknown, armed with only our knowledge and our wits. I know that a lot of us have spent the last half year or so remember and living in our memories of the past seven years. Friends were made and some were lost. But there always is tomorrow.
"Tomorrow is no definable term, no thing you can hold." Lily said as she gained everyone's attention. "Tomorrow is the hope with hold for a better day. It is the love that we share and want to last the rest of our lives. Tomorrow is where the weak are strong, the right are wrong, and anything can happen. Because tomorrow hasn't occurred yet. Tomorrow lives in our hopes and dreams. It lives in all of us and it will live through us as well. Thank you and godspeed." A loud applause thundered as she stepped off the stage.
Walking back to her seat, she turned to see her mother crying, with Harry's arm wrapped around her. The twins, James and Sirius, both had the black hair of their father but their mother's brown eyes. And right now, Lily felt a sense of pride to see those eyes shine. Her mother's smile made her feel even warmer inside. When she was younger, tears meant pain, but now they were joy, pure joy.
Looking over at Tyler, she smiled inwardly. She was free of the pain of her old life, and with her mother and Papa helping her, she survived the transition to this wonderful world. She met Tyler and so many other friends. But most importantly, she survived, because of her green eyed savior.