Living And Loving In Times Of War
Chapter 4: Christmas Shopping
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Time went by, and soon Lily began to show her pregnancy, though she liked to cover it up with loose sweaters. And how much James kept asking her to take things easy, she wouldn't hear of it. Like she said to James one morning:
"Even if I grow fat as a troll, I can't sit around doing nothing! I promiss you I'll be carefull, but untill July at least, I'll keep working."
In the end, James was forced to agree, since Lily was just as stubborn as a mule.
The holidays rolled around, and both Lily and James took time off to go Christmas shopping.
The 1st of December, they got up early, ready for a day of shopping. They flooed to the Leaky Cauldron, since Lily was restricted of Apparating with the baby coming.
James went first and kept Lily from falling at the other end.
"'Morning, Mr and Mrs Potter." Tom greeted from behind the counter.
"Good morning, Tom. Everything fine, I hope?" James said cheerful.
"It's all going fine, though all those attacks aren't doing anyone any good. Could I offer you something to drink?"
"No, thanks, Tom." Lily said. "Perhaps when we come back."
They went to the side-chamber and James tapped the right bricks to gain them entrance to Diagon Alley.
"You know." Lily said as they walked into the already crowded street. "I still can't get enough of people calling me Mrs Potter."
"Hmmm..." James said, kissing Lily on her head. "Me neither."
Lily wrapped her arm around James and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they walked, looking for promising shops.
"Here," James said as they passed a joke shop. "We'll surely find something for Sirius in here."
Three hours later, James was bearing a kinds of packages, as he insisted on bearing everything.
"Now all that's left is a present for Hallie." Lily said as they came out of Floorish and Blotts.
"What are you planning on getting her?" James asked.
"I'm not too sure. She's absolutely crazy about dogs, but I already got her a book about it, I've even gotten her a miniature set of retrievers that look like they're alive."
"Then give her a puppy!" James said like it was obvious.
"How? I can't just giftwrap it!"
"And then they say you're the one with the brains." James said teasingly. "We're organizing Christmas this year, aren't we? Then we can just keep it with us untill Christmas, and then give it to her when she's at our house."
Lily smiled and kisses James. "Thanks." She said as she lead the way to the animal shop.
Half an hour later, they came back outside again, Lily carrying a basket with a little german shepherd in it.
"Let's go eat something." Lily said as they passed a pleasant looking restaurant.
As James ordered their meals, Lily looked out of the window. It had a nice view of that part of Diagon Alley, and Gringotts Bank on the other side of the street.
They were halfway through their lunch as Lily caught something from the corner of her eye. She quickly looked out of the window and nearly choked on her sandwich.
"James! Look!"
In front of Gringotts stood at least a dozen Death Eaters, guarding the doors, sending curses at anyone who dared coming near.
"They're robbing Gringotts? What are they thinking?!" James asked incredulously.
"I've no idea, but we can't let them do this!"
With that, Lily jumped up and ran to the door. "Lily!" James yelled, to no avail.
Within seconds, she had taken cover behind a large container that was only a little away from the door of the restaurant.
James rushed to the door too, but only opened it a bit. He could see Lily now again.
"Lily!" James called.
Lily, just pulling her head back to avoid a curse, turned to James. "Yeah?"
"Are you trying to give me a heart attack? Stupefy!" James said the last part to a Death Eater that was trying to get to a point in which he could see Lily.
"Don't worry, Love, I'm perfectly fine and don't intent to - Petrificus Totalus! Stupefy! Detentio! Detentio! - get hurt." Lily answered, taking out two Death Eaters and binding them.
Lily and James soon got help from other Order members and Aurors and they managed to let the Death Eaters retreat, but they were nowhere near defeating them.
In the mean time, Lily and James had taken a different position, shoving the container to the middle of the street.
Just as the Light side was gaining some ground, the doors of Gringotts burst open, and there stood none other than Voldemort.
With a powerfull beam of light, two Aurors were smashed against the wall. From all directions came spells and curses towards Voldemort, but they all deflected and crushed into walls and other witches and wizards.
James just managed to avoid his own Stupefy.
Then, as if he had had enough of it, Voldemort waved his wand, slamming everything within 10 yards away, including Lily and James behind their container.
They had no time to think as the wall neared them and Lily did the first thing that entered her mind. She send a powerfull gust of wind towards James, sending James backwards, and herself in the oposite direction.
Almost immediately, Lily was back on her feet, hearing the container crushing into the wall of a house.
Before she could recover, a green light speeded towards her. She stood there, frozen, thinking of all the things she would miss, thinking of the unborn life inside of her.
But then, she felt as though someone pulled hard on her neck and within a second, she was next to her husband again.
"Thank Merlin for Accio." James said and all Lily could do was nod.
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Another one up. Hope it's okay. Some of you might think it's not like Lily to react like that, but I like to think Harry got his rushing in to things from Lily. Besides, Lily's pregnant, and hormones can do strange things ;)