A/N Bond songs galore! There are only songs from the 007 movies in this chapter -- except for My Way, which is an old song I adore. I don't know if you've watched any of the older movies... But oh well. "Tomorrow Never Dies", "The World Is Not Enough" and "Die Another Day" are here too. Enjoy!
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Hopelessly Addicted
Chapter 14
"Die another day"
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Darling, you've won, it's no fun - martinis, girls and guns
It's murder on our love affair… But you bet your life every night
While you chase the morning light, you're not the only spy out there!
It's so deadly, my dear, the power of wanting you near
Until the day, until the world falls away, until you say
There'll be no more goodbyes - tomorrow never dies…
Sheryl Crow, "Tomorrow never dies"
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"They're all waiting in the visitors' entrance," Lily muttered, peeking inside. "Why on earth are they just standing there?"
There were at least half a dozen Death Eaters in the hall, most of whom were talking quietly in small clusters; two of them were having some fun destroying the Ministry furniture and throwing random hexes.
"Well, the most logical question would be, why did they attack the Ministry in first place?" James replied in a whisper. "What or who do they want?"
"They should know the Minister's not there… They wouldn't expect him to come back. So they're not after him."
"Maybe they just want to kill as many people as they can."
"But it's useless! Every employee Apparated away after hearing the alarm! It wouldn't be a smart move to attack the French Ministry, unless they were after something specific… like, if they wanted to look at the Registry, or to destroy Auror Headquarters."
"Well, attacking the French Ministry is a smarter move than attacking the British one, at any rate."
"Certainly. They don't have as many backup systems here."
"They probably didn't plan this very thoroughly - it was an impulsive decision… Your boyfriend's little stunt, instead of impressing you, created an irresistible window of opportunity for the Death Eaters."
"You think they didn't even have a goal? That they just felt like causing mayhem in the Ministry?"
"Perhaps. I wouldn't go as far as saying they didn't have a goal…"
Lily sighed, frowning.
"We have to enter."
"Yeah, let's go. Aren't we supposed to have a plan of sorts?"
"Er… We'll Stun as many as we can, that's all."
Lily threw him a look. "I thought there was a reason that everyone considered you the best strategist in the Ministry."
"Nah, it's just a big misunderstanding. All right, let's go."
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I did what I had to do, and saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course, each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this: I did it my way…
Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew, when I bit off more than I could chew
And through it all, when there was doubt, I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I stood tall, and did it my way…
Frank Sinatra, "My Way"
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"This… is useless!" Lily yelled, panting. "Stupefy! Protego! The bloody room has no protection - Stupefy! STUPEFY! - against Apparition! They just keep changing places!"
"We need help," James replied, running towards her and away from the three Death Eaters that had just tried to jinx him with the Cruciatus Curse. "Impedimenta! Stupefy! STUPEFY! Do you reckon we can get in touch with anyone?"
"There's no way to send an owl from here now. You can go… I'll try to -"
"Like hell I'm leaving you alone, Lily," he interrupted at once, roughly pushing her to the ground behind a desk. "Not a chance."
She looked at him with a worried expression, breathing heavily. They were definitely in trouble. There were at least ten very skilled Death Eaters in the room… Fortunately, they seemed to have orders not to kill Lily or James - but that gave the couple little relief.
"We might just have bitten off more than we can chew this time," James admitted with a grimace. "But we have to find a way to deal with it… Stupefy! If possible, without being captured."
"We have to deal with them one by one… We'll never get rid of them otherwise. If only we could just - split the group or something! STUPEFY! I don't know, I think dealing with five Death Eaters would be easier. A diversion?"
James continued to throw hexes at the dark wizards while thinking hard. He had been in tough situations before… he worked well under pressure! There had to be a way.
Think, damn it. Just THINK.
"Maybe we could take five or so each?" Lily suggested tentatively. "Impedimenta!"
"No, no. It's too risky."
"It's the only way."
"No, it can't be."
"Stop being so protective! I'm a big girl, James! I'm an Auror - a Chief Auror, just like you!"
He shook his head stubbornly. "Stupefy! STUPE- damn it - IMPEDIMENTA!"
"PROTEGO!" they yelled together, trying to prevent five red jets of light from reaching them. Immediately, a brilliant light shield was formed in front of them, deflecting the curses.
"We're running out of time," she stated hurriedly. "Come on, you can either think of something or we'll split."
"Okay, okay," he agreed. "Tell me something: what's this ceiling made out of and how is linked it to the house's external appearance?"
"Ordinary bricks and cement. This place is basically a Muggle house, just magically expanded and with a few extra protections."
He frowned. "Here's what you're going to do: you Apparate outside, do some kind of glamour so that the Muggles don't notice what's happening, and transfigure this ceiling so that it's made out of stone. Got it?"
After a brief second, she nodded. "Go."
Lily Disapparated, and James continued hurling different curses and trying to deflect the ones thrown at him. He honestly hoped that the Death Eaters didn't get sick of this cat-and-mouse game any time soon… If that happened, all they had to do was close the circle around Lily and James, forcing them to leave.
But would it be that bad an idea? If they left, at least they could get more help…
James scolded himself at once. He couldn't leave the Death Eaters and let them take full control of the French Ministry just like that!
Lily Apparated beside him with a small pop. "Done."
"Good. Now…"
"Bombarda!" they said together, pointing their wands at the ceiling above the dark wizards. Immediately, big rocks started falling, forcing the Death Eaters to Apparate around quickly just to avoid being injured.
"We have a couple of minutes until they realise what to do. Come on; let's take advantage of the situation."
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People like us know how to survive
There's no point in living if you can't feel alive
We know when to kiss, and we know when to kill
If we can't have it all, then nobody will
The world is not enough, but it's such a perfect place to start
My love, if you're strong enough, together we can take the world apart…
Garbage, "The world is not enough"
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"Three… two… one," Marlene whispered.
Dorcas followed her, tightly clutching her wand, poised for a full-on attack.
It didn't happen. Two Death Eaters were on the ground, bound by an Anti-Disapparition Jinx, and Lily and James were duelling with two wizards each. The others had left - presumably to get backup.
The room was impeccably neat - it was easy to guess that one of the Aurors had used magic to clean up the place.
"Hey!" Lily greeted them, smiling. The two girls noticed that she looked very, very tired… The situation didn't look too bad, but it had obviously been hard to achieve the current balance.
"What can we do to help?"
"We need to block this place against Apparition," James replied from the other side of the room. "We can handle these guys for now - but we need seven people to cast the spell before more come."
"I'm going," Dorcas replied at once, Disapparating.
"Take one of them, would you, Marlene?" Lily asked, barely dodging a hex.
"Okay, sure."
After a few minutes of rough duelling, Dorcas returned, with Sylvie, Katrina and Alain. James gave her a pointed look when he saw the latter, and she grinned - unfortunately, they had been the only ones available… The rest of the team was busy taking Jacques Neveu to safety in Godric's Hollow, just in case the Death Eaters wanted to attack him there as well.
"Three!" Lily yelled from her corner of the room, conjuring a shield so that she could do her part in the anti-Apparition jinx.
"Two!" James and Marlene replied, also preparing to cast the spell.
"One!"
They all pointed their wands at the ceiling, and chanted as one the incantation necessary to prevent anyone from Disapparating. The Death Eaters took advantage of the pause to Enervate their Stunned companions and free them.
"Dorcas and I will manage to handle three of them between us," Marlene said as soon as the spell had been cast, looking at the Chief Aurors. "You two take a break… You've done enough."
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Hey baby, thought you were the one who tried to run away
Oh, baby, wasn't I the one who made you want to stay?
Please don't bet that you'll ever escape me once I get my sights on you
I got a licence to kill, and, you know, I'm going straight for your heart
Got a licence to kill anyone who tries to tear us apart…
Gladys Knight, "Licence to kill"
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Lily and James nodded, and he wiped the sweat off his brow, sitting on the ground. She followed suit, and they watched the others duelling with dark wizards. It was certainly easier to handle just one Death Eater each - the Aurors were more than capable of maintaining theit current advantage.
"Delacour's not bad," James remarked, not loud enough for the others to hear. Oh, he wouldn't be caught dead complimenting Lily's boyfriend in public. "He duels quite well."
"No, he's not," Lily agreed. "He's a great Auror."
"I don't have a very high opinion of his skills… he doesn't seem to have the right temperament for the job."
"Oh, and I do?" she retorted at once. James smiled. "He's very good at what he does. It's just - well, he's more of an office guy. He's one of the few Aurors I know who can deal with politicians… He can do it better than you, actually."
"You do know that it's useless to try and make me envy him, right?"
"Yes, of course," Lily replied, grinning. "I'm just saying… He's good at it."
"What about what happened today? A good Auror wouldn't have let that happen."
She sighed, and deflected a stray curse that had come their way. "That was unforgivable. He'll probably suffer some kind of sanction because of that stupid blunder."
"Probably? He should be sacked!"
She shook her head. "Things don't work that way. His father is one of the richest men in France… They can't fire him just like that."
"But if he screws up -"
"They won't sack him. They might demote him, or perhaps not even that. Alain's really the best Auror when it comes to diplomacy, and everyone knows it."
"But when it comes to field work -" James said with a snort.
"Everybody likes him," Lily replied impatiently. "He is good at this. Alain could be better in the field if he put more effort into it - but he works mostly in the office, that's all."
"Office people shouldn't be isolated from the field. The results of that are missions like the Strasbourg one - a Chief Auror who's totally distant from reality ends up spoiling the work of all the other lower-level ones."
"Well, yes. But that wasn't his rationality talking - he was just trying to prove to me that he was as good as you. Protego!"
"Ah, he did a pretty good job, didn't he?"
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For every sin, I'll have to pay; I've come to work, I've come to play
I think I'll find another way: it's not my time to go
I'm gonna avoid the cliché; I'm gonna suspend my senses
I'm gonna delay my pleasure; I'm gonna close my body now
I guess, die another day…
Madonna, "Die another day"
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Lily grinned. "He just forgot to think about the consequences, that's all. You can't blame him for not thinking like a Death Eater."
"This isn't too complex a guess! The Ministry's void of Aurors - hey, who knows, they might just think about invading! Voldemort wouldn't lose an opportunity like that."
"Only if he thought this was a trap…"
"I bet his people checked the Strasbourg place and noticed that it would be hard for Aurors to leave, and respond to his attacks."
"Probably."
"But yeah, I guess no one can be blamed for not trying to follow Voldemort's trail of thought."
Lily's voice was suddenly very quiet, and she looked away, deep in thought. "Have you met him?"
James grimaced. "Yes. He - we duelled. He almost killed me… But Sirius managed to create a brief diversion, so we escaped. He's - dark."
She nodded. It was hard to describe the feeling one had upon confronting the Dark Lord… He was chilling, terrifying, powerful, and dark.
Lily couldn't imagine how he could have ever been anything remotely human. Yes, that was it - one of the reasons why his presence was so unnerving was that he was notably inhuman. He was a… a being who would never hesitate before killing someone, or destroying someone's life just for fun.
Voldemort was incredibly frightening. It was one thing to fight his minions, and another altogether to look into his snakelike, red eyes and rise above one's fear of the most powerful evil wizard of all time…
The actual decision to raise one's wand and attack the Dark Lord was very signifying. When meeting him, most people just stood there stupidly, frozen with fear. But a few managed to conquer their terror and attack him… futilely, yes, but for them the gesture meant a life-changing liberation.
Oh, of course Lily remembered the day she'd met Voldemort for the first and only time… She would never forget it. Even now, the memory still filled her with dread and a strange kind of panic she had never before experienced.
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Golden words he will pour in your ear
But his lies can't disguise what you fear
For a golden girl knows when he's kissed her
It's the kiss of death from Mr. Goldfinger
Pretty girl, beware of this heart of gold
This heart is cold…
Shirley Bassey, "Goldfinger"
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Lily remembered the initial shock of confronting Lord Voldemort. He had appeared unexpectedly - no one had had any idea that the Dark Lord was in France. But there he was… and he had targeted Lily as his prey.
His eyes had zeroed in on her, and before she'd realised it, she'd been hit with the Cruciatus Curse. The Dark Lord knew she was the leader of the team… He just knew…
Yes, Voldemort seemed omniscient and omnipotent… He was like Dumbledore, in a way - but of course the two of them couldn't be more different. Lily felt incredibly insignificant when facing either one, but for entirely different reasons.
It was useless to fight it; it was useless to hide from him. That was the only thought running through her mind as she bent forward - she just wished the pain would end…
But then Lily had come to her senses. She couldn't do it - it wasn't worthy of the trust Dumbledore had put in her. She was a member of the Order of the Phoenix; she was one of the best Aurors in the French Ministry… She couldn't give in this effortlessly!
It had been hard to stand and duel with Lord Voldemort. Beyond any doubt, he was the greatest wizard against which she'd ever fought…
The skirmish had lasted only a few minutes, but Lily had been scarred for a long time - both physically and mentally. He had asked her to join the dark side; he had offered knowledge greater and deeper than she could ever obtain… He knew power attracted her, and knowledge…
To this day, Lily didn't know why or how she had managed to escape from the Dark Lord. Perhaps he didn't want to kill her yet -maybe he thought she'd still join him later… Well, that didn't matter. She'd survived an encounter with the Dark Lord… Not many Aurors lived to tell similar tales.
"I met him soon after I came to France, too."
James sighed. "We're lucky to have survived."
"We're lucky to survive each day, being Aurors and all."
"True. I wouldn't trade this life for any other, though."
"Of course not. I love my profession."
"Did you ever really consider being a Healer?"
"No."
"So… what? You did Healer training just for kicks?"
"It almost killed me! I was permanently on the verge of a nervous breakdown! It's hard enough to finish Healer training maintaining a good average, let alone finishing both Auror and Healer courses!"
"You're insane."
"Oh, no, I'm normal. You drive me insane, that's all."
He grinned. "Yes, it's all my fault."
"Entirely."
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The living's in the way we die
Comes the morning and the headlights fade away
Hundred thousand people, I'm the one they frame
I've been waiting long for one of us to say
Spare the darkness, let it never fade away…
A-ha, "The Living Daylights"
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Angela Fenwick's greatest dream was to be a journalist. And not just any journalist! Oh, no, Angela wanted to be the new Rita Skeeter.
Miss Skeeter, despite only having been around for a few years, had already built a solid reputation (as a sensationalist con artist, but that wasn't the point) and was one of the main journalists at the Daily Prophet. Whereas Mrs. Fenwick's greatest career achievement yet had been becoming supervisor of the secretaries working for Rita Skeeter…
It was depressing, really. She often wondered if she'd ever make it big time. After all, it was her job to obtain big scoops - but it was Rita Skeeter who chased them and turned them into Daily Prophet cover stories. Angela hardly ever had the opportunity to write her own articles… And, whenever she did, Rita always looked down on them, and criticised her heavily.
Well, perhaps she wasn't that good a writer. And Angela did admit that she had never gotten along very well with grammar. And yes, her articles had never exactly been front cover material - not even close.
But that wasn't the point. She had never had a real opportunity!
Until now, that is.
An owl had just arrived with a story. A big story. And there was no way Angela was going to give that to Rita Skeeter. The journalist was really busy, after all, making the final touches to the story of the Potters' marriage for Witch Weekly.
But oh, Rita's story would be a mere footnote in the Prophet! The Potters had just saved the French Ministry from a murderous hoard of Death Eaters, and Angela would write about it!
She sighed dreamily. A promotion was bound to come out of this… Who knows, perhaps she'd even manage to nail Skeeter's current post!
All she had to do now was go to Paris to collect some first-hand accounts of what had happened - which wouldn't be too hard - and then somehow she would have to get in touch with the Potters themselves…
Normally, that would be nearly impossible. Even Skeeter had had a hard time obtaining all the clearances necessary to get in touch with the couple, since they were both extremely high-profile Aurors. But Angela would face no such difficulties.
In truth, she had known Lily for quite some years now, even though they had never been friends. And her husband, Benjamin, certainly had a way of getting in touch with her. See, he'd had an affair with her a few years ago - Angela wasn't quite certain of when it had ended, or how, but she knew it had happened. And, strangely enough, she'd forgiven him.
It was now time for him to do something in return. Having connections to Lily Ev- Potter was going to save Angela's career.
Not losing a second, she had sent Benjamin an owl the moment she heard the first rumours. She now held a parchment with his answer: he was going to pass by the Prophet to pick her up in a few minutes, and they'd go meet Lily.
Benjamin's confidence was interesting, really. How could he know for sure that he would manage to get in touch with Lily?
An annoying suspicion began to form in the back of Angela's mind. What if they had resumed their affair?
Angela then remembered James Potter's face - his warm, charming smile… The protective way he'd behaved around Lily, and their blatant attachment…
No, Lily wouldn't cheat on James with Benjamin. Angela hadn't read Skeeter's story yet, but she knew for sure that the Potters - despite whatever Rita wrote in her article - were a happy, loving couple. Of course she wondered why they had gotten married in secret, but she'd certainly read all about that in the next edition of Witch Weekly. It didn't matter.
Even though Benjamin might have meant something to Lily at some point, he didn't mean anything else to her now. James had her heart.
Thinking back, Angela suddenly remembered the way her husband had glared at James. Oh, yes. Benjamin knew very well that he had lost Lily for good… and he didn't like it one bit.
Angela grinned.
She didn't feel sorry for him - not one bit.
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You only live twice, or so it seems
One life for yourself and one for your dreams
You drift through the years and life seems tame
Till one dream appears - and love is its name
And love is a stranger who will beckon you on
Don't think of the danger, or the stranger is gone
This dream is for you, so pay the price
Make one dream come true - you only live twice…
Nancy Sinatra, "You only live twice"
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"'Look, Julia,' he snapped all of a sudden, 'I don't have time for this right now. Go home, we'll talk about it later,'" Julia said, tears streaming down her face. "And then I told him - well, I'm leaving tomorrow on a mission, and I won't see him until after his birthday, and it's not fair!"
Leylann frowned. "What did he say?"
"He barely even looked at me!" she wailed, her frail body shaking with sobs. "He was so busy with the Minister, and making sure his precious Lily was all right…"
"Lily went through quite an ordeal today," Leylann reprimanded her softly. "He was worried about her, it's -"
"Whose side are you on anyway?" Julia spat, tying her hair up in a loose knot. "James always cares more about her! He probably wouldn't even bother attending my funeral if I died on this mission!"
"Now, Julia, it's not -"
"He yelled at me, all right? He's never done that before. 'Get the hell out of here,' that's what he told me. In front of everyone! Can you imagine - the - humiliation? Why's he doing this to me?"
"He was probably just busy…"
Julia shook her head emphatically, and her brown hair fell all over her face, sticking to her wet cheeks. She impatiently brushed it away. "Does that mean he has to treat me like that?"
"No. No, it doesn't."
"Why is he doing this? Does he think I'll start trying to get his attention, which would make Lily jealous and make her dump Alain in order to be closer to James? And that would make him push me even further away… but he wouldn't break up with me, because he'll want to have something to use against Lily at any time? And also -"
"No, no!" Leylann hurried to interrupt her. "You're assuming that guys think like girls… They don't, really. They're totally incapable of following those complex trails of thought."
"But, well, he's a strategist! He -"
"All the Marauders have relationship issues, Julia, and I'm familiar with most of them. I assure you, if James were capable of thinking about all the consequences of his actions, you wouldn't be in this situation. Guys just don't think before doing stupid things… at least those guys don't. Or any other man I've ever met, for that matter. Except for Dumbledore," she added as an afterthought.
Julia gave a watery smile. "How do you know them so well?"
"Well, I've known those guys since forever… Thirteen years, if I'm not mistaken."
"It's a long time… And you dated Sirius - when, exactly?"
Leylann wondered why Julia would want to change the subject… It wasn't like her to avoid discussing her problems. "Sixth year. We get back together every once in a while- but no commitment."
"Do you love him?"
"Only as a friend."
"But… you don't behave like friends. You're all… comfortable… I can't quite describe it."
"Our relationship was never that rare, once-in-a-lifetime feeling that lasts despite time and distance, and all that crap. We just remained really close, so I got to know him."
"Do you think Lily and James are an example of what you said? Do you think they still love each other, despite everything?" Julia asked hotly, and the jealous fire in her eyes alarmed Leylann for the first time.
The girl wouldn't give in too easily - she still had a few tricks up her sleeve. Lily was underestimating Julia… She wouldn't let herself be shoved aside that easily.
Leylann actually wondered how far Julia would go to keep James. She'd probably even forgive him if he cheated on her with Lily…
Merlin, Leylann sure hoped James wouldn't lead Julia on for much longer. It was cruel, really.
Julia had been Lily's friend in first place, and Leylann had never really put much effort into maintaining the friendship- the girl was way too pure for her liking. And yet now she was… Julia was forcing Leylann to take a position against the Potters' reconciliation.
She grinned inwardly. The Potters. Oh, she had to talk to Lily soon about that. How could she just - forget to tell Leylann about her marriage? She'd had to find out all about it in a short article from the Prophet, just like everyone else!
"I'm not sure," she replied hesitatingly. "I don't think so… but they hardly ever convey their true feelings. So how can I know?"
"I don't know!" Julia exclaimed, trying to hold back tears, and failing. "How do you do it, Leylann? You're so tough, and so smart… You can always keep your head straight despite everything. You'd never let a guy play you!"
"Oh, but you couldn't be more wrong. I've let far too many guys play me - I've been heartbroken so many times… No, Lily's the tough one. And even she has gotten thrown off her high horse, even though she tried to keep her cool and not let any guys get to her."
"James has, hasn't he? She really loved him, I remember."
"Yes, she did," Leylann admitted with tranquillity. "She loved him more than she has ever loved another man. And he broke her heart. I assure you she does not want to get romantically involved with him again."
"But they keep flirting!"
"They always do! Face it, Julia: both Lily and James are highly attractive, and they know each other very well - certainly well enough to justify all those innuendos. You shouldn't let those things get to you, that's all."
"If what he's doing with Lily is just meaningless flirting, then why is he so distant?"
Leylann was silent. How could she answer that? She was in a very difficult situation - she couldn't possibly tell Julia the truth. It would be too disheartening for the girl to know that there was no hope whatsoever for James and her.
Anyway, her first loyalty was to Lily; Leylann would much sooner lie to Julia than to her best friend.
"Why did he yell at me, Leylann?"
"Well… That's not too bad."
"Yes, it is!"
"He yells at Lily all the time."
"And she yells back! Because they hate each other! But I'm not like that - of course all I could do was stand there and cry, because I'm not used to having James angry with me!"
Perhaps that's symptomatic, Leylann thought dryly. "Are you sure he's never yelled at you before?"
"Yes! He's always so sweet and attentive… and when he's in a bad mood, he just snaps, or he just hides inside that office of his. He's been doing that a lot lately, actually."
"You two don't have arguments?" Leylann asked incredulously. That certainly didn't seem like the James she knew.
"Yes, of course we do. I say something angrily, he snaps, I reply, he apologises and that's it."
Leylann sighed. James and Julia's days together were numbered - it was useless to try and hide that fact. She just didn't know how to tell it to poor, lovesick Julia.
Ah, well. Thankfully, that wasn't her job. James had always been great with break-up speeches, after all.
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Say that somebody tries to make a move on you
In the blink of an eye, I'll be there too
And they better know why I'm gonna make them pay till their dying day
I got a licence to kill, and, you know, I'm going straight for your heart
Got a licence to kill anyone who tries to tear us apart…
Gladys Knight, "Licence to kill"
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"So that's when I told him, I said, 'Do you know whom you're talking to?' and, as soon as he realised his big mistake, he immediately let us enter," the French Minister said, laughing. "And of course he couldn't stop apologising and making a fool out of himself."
Lily smiled condescendingly. She had been stuck with Jacques Neveu's personal security in this shift… Alas, someone would replace her in two hours. Two WHOLE hours. Much to her chagrin, he couldn't stop talking. And, to make matters worse, he kept flirting with her.
He always had done it, to be honest… But she had never before been forced to spend this much time alone with Neveu. Oh, he was quite attractive, and definitely had the kind of charm she looked for in a man… but he was a relative of her current boyfriend!
Ah, Alain would freak out if he found out about this! Jacques was only daring to go a little further today because he thought she was no longer dating his nephew (well, not quite "nephew"… more like cousin twice removed on his mother's side, but you get the picture).
But never mind Alain's reaction! He was there in Godric's Hollow too, along with a few other French dignitaries, but he was quite busy at the moment. It was James' reaction that amused Lily the most.
To put it mildly, he wanted to kill Neveu.
See, James didn't feel threatened by Alain, not one bit. But the charming French Minister of Magic was an unforeseen threat that greatly unbalanced him. He'd done everything he could to stop Lily from taking this shift, and had in fact changed most of the team's schedule for the next few days because of that… But tonight, she was stuck with Neveu.
"Of course he was fired soon afterwards," he continued. "And the new maitre d' treats me wonderfully. Have to have connections everywhere, that's my motto."
"That's very wise of you."
"Chief," Amelia called suddenly, appearing at the door. "There's someone here to see you."
"Excuse me," she said to Neveu, standing.
"No problem."
Lily left the room and closed the door. "Who is it?"
"Mr. and Mrs. Fenwick."
She raised her eyebrows, surprised.
"They're not here yet, but they've sent word of their arrival. I figured I'd save you from Neveu a little earlier than necessary… You don't mind, do you?"
"No, not at all! Thank you."
"He's quite… charismatic," Amelia pondered.
"Yes, he is. But not quite my cup of tea… Feel free!"
Amelia laughed. "Thanks, I'll pass. Marlene might like the idea, though."
"Make sure to give her the go-ahead, then."
"I will. Listen, I have to go finish something, Lily. I'll see you around."
"See you."
Amelia walked away, and Lily remained in the hallway, thinking. Why were Benjamin and Angela coming? What could they possibly want?
Suddenly, she stood very still, feeling a pleasant source of warmth close to her, and someone breathing against her neck.
There was someone right behind her - and she had a pretty good idea of whom that was.
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You've got all the moves - ah, but baby, I've got them too
No matter your attitude or your mood, I'll come through
The touch of your voice, the feel of your eyes on me - you leave me no choice
Though I know there's danger there, I don't care - let it be
To get it bad with a man who says never may have no future
But then I could just be the woman to reach you
And teach you to say never again…
Lani Hall, "Never say never"
…………..…………..………………….
"Hey," said James, wrapping his arm around her waist from behind. "Are you feeling better?"
With a content sigh, she leaned against him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Yeah, I'm just a bit tired."
"That's understandable. Neveu must have bored you so much."
She couldn't hold back a grin. "Neveu isn't boring."
"So you like it when he flirts with you?"
"I admit he's a bit too old, but then again, he's my boss."
"Oh, so you'll accept a guy's advances if he's your boss?" James asked at once. "That's good to know."
She laughed. "You're not my boss."
"Well, technically -"
Lily turned to face him. "I'll accept your advances any time you want me to do so," she replied, her voice barely a whisper. "Just remember… in this house we're being watched all the time."
"Is that supposed to be a turn-off?"
She shrugged, and he kissed her.
"I really don't mind it that much," James breathed out, biting her lip. "But I'll wait. Not for long, but I'll wait."
"Good."
"Benjy and his wife are coming here - have you heard?"
"Yes, Amelia told me. And don't call him Benjy."
"Any idea of what they want?"
"Well, they've probably found out we're married in today's Prophet. But Skeeter's interview's only coming out tomorrow… so they might just want details. That doesn't make too much sense, but it's the only logical explanation."
"Poor Benjy… He must be so jealous."
"James, would you stop calling him that? He hates it."
"I happen to like it."
Lily sighed. In times like this, she could see with astonishing clarity just why James was Sirius' best friend. How could he be so childish?
"I think it's safe for you to recruit him to the Order now," James stated all of a sudden, surprising her. "We voted on it weeks ago but you still haven't talked to him."
"True. And I'll also talk to him about getting that position for Amelia."
"Oh yeah, good thinking."
"Okay then. I should go meet him," Lily said, but she didn't move.
"Yes, you should," James agreed, but also didn't move an inch. "Have fun."
After a few seconds, Lily shook her head, annoyed at her own reluctance to leave James. "We aren't sleeping in the same room, right?"
"No."
"Good, because otherwise there would be no way we'd ever get any work done."
"Of course."
"Yeah, these days will be awful," she remarked, stepping back at last.
"Tell me about it."
…………..…………..………………….
You'll never know how it feels to get so close and be denied
It's a golden honey trap I've got for you tonight
Revenge is a kiss - this time I won't miss
Now I've got you in my sights with a golden eye…
Tina Turner, "Goldeneye"
…………..…………..………………….
What a day.
Indeed, the past twenty-four hours had been extremely odd for Lily. Funny, she'd already had this feeling quite a few times in the past week… But this time, it was worse than usual.
First she'd almost slept with Alain, but her husband (oh, she never got tired of calling him that) had interrupted; afterwards, she'd faced an interview with Rita Skeeter; then Lily and James had fought off numerous Death Eaters, and had almost been killed. Later, they had both gotten stuck in Godric's Hollow with Neveu - and now this.
Just to wrap up her uneventful day, she'd had to give an interview to her ex-fling's wife, and had been obliged to have a rather uncomfortable talk with him about her latest discoveries concerning her wedding.
Lily knew that her marriage story didn't seem too believable. How could she have been married all along and not known it? It was so far-fetched! But the worst about it was that it was true. It seemed like a bit of a joke, really, but… well, though it didn't quite bug her, she now wondered if it would cause her a lot of trouble.
Anyway, the result of the day's events was that she was completely exhausted. Lily felt utterly incapable of even lifting a finger. Thankfully, James had made sure to schedule some of the Aurors who had worked less today to take the graveyard and morning shifts so that she could get some rest.
So now here she was, staring at the ceiling. Memories kept swimming in her mind, both pleasurable and thought-provoking ones, and she couldn't help but wonder whether James was already asleep.
Lily propped herself up on her elbows and looked at the many panels on the opposite wall. She felt lazy, too lazy to look for him in all those screens… Amelia - who had been chosen to share a room with her - was watching them closely, so it was easier just to ask her.
"Is James awake, Mel?"
Amelia frowned. It took her a couple of seconds to find him. "Yes. He's giving instructions to the French."
"Thanks."
"Alain's on his way here," she announced all of a sudden. Lily groaned. "Do you want me to leave?"
"Yes, I guess so."
"I'm sorry, you probably get this question all the time, but… Why don't you just dump him?"
Lily sighed. "I'm so tired I don't even remember."
Amelia grinned. "Behave, ok? Don't be too mean. I'll be watching."
"It's useless, those things don't transmit sound. But all right, I won't be too mean."
"Just tell him your work colleague can't keep his hands off you. It's really quite simple."
"It's even simpler than that: I've reconciled with my husband, and Alain's in the way."
"You're right, it really is very simple."
"Yes."
…………..…………..………………….
Nobody does it better, though sometimes I wish someone could
Nobody does it quite the way you do - did you have to be so good?
The way that you hold me whenever you hold me
There's some kind of magic inside you
That keeps me from running - but just keep it coming!
Carly Simon, "Nobody does it better"
…………..…………..………………….
"I'm done with this," Alain said the moment he entered the room. "I'm - I'm done. I can't handle it anymore."
Lily sighed tiredly and didn't answer.
"You - you and this Potter - it's - why? Why are you doing this to me, to us? Lily…"
"Listen, Alain, I've had a rough day… Can we talk tomorrow?"
"No, we can't!"
Lily frowned. She hated it when Alain decided to be strong-willed and stubborn. He invariably picked the wrong issues, the ones that annoyed her the most… and the worst of it: always, always at the most inconvenient times.
"Alain…"
"No, hang on a second. It's my turn. Look, Lily, I love you, and I'm pretty sure you already know that. I love you more than I could ever love another woman, and I gave up a lot to be with you."
Oh, no, Lily groaned inwardly. Now he was going to play the guilt card. Yes, it was entirely her fault that he'd rejected his father's choice of a wife. Well, if anything, Alain had at least learned how to resist his family's pressure a bit more.
"I know."
"I think we should end this."
Strangely enough, Alain's statement took Lily by surprise. Oh, of course she'd been treating him horribly - that wasn't the point. But he couldn't break up with her! It was supposed to be the other way around, not like this! She could not be dumped!
The last man who had had the nerve to break up with her had been James. That, her pride accepted with less difficulty. But Alain! Alain! No, he couldn't do this to her.
"But - but -" she stammered.
Lily didn't miss the slight gleam in his eyes when witnessing her shaken reaction. He mistook it for a sign of affection on her part - so she did love him after all… Well, it appeared that he would just have to wait a little, and she would come back to him. Excellent.
Lily did nothing to correct his misapprehension.
"We're over. By all means, go ahead and stay with your husband if you wish to do so. I will no longer be an obstacle. If you ever want to come back to Paris - and I don't doubt that someday you'll realise what a huge mistake you've made -, I might be there."
Not quite knowing how to respond, Lily just nodded. How could she not have the last word? How could he just - just decide to leave her? Alain still loved her… why was he doing this to her?
Lily felt like screaming at herself. Was she actually angry because of the break-up with Alain? By all means, what had just happened was exactly what she'd been expecting for days, or even weeks!
She didn't care about him, she really didn't. The situation had been a little tough on her pride, but her heart had not been upset.
"Bye, Lil."
She was left alone in the room, mulling over what had just happened. Was this really it? Had she gotten rid of Alain at last?
No. No, it was he who had gotten rid of her. What an odd anticlimax. What now? She was officially free to be with James whenever she wanted… But there was still Julia.
Just give me time, she thought smugly, hugging a big pillow with a satisfied smile and soon drifting off into a peaceful sleep.
…………..…………..………………….
A/N I'm sorry I keep forgetting to update this story here, I really am. It is a rather mediocre New Year's Resolution to upload new chapters on fanfiction . net and here at the same time, but it is one I intend on fulfilling.
Hm, something I should probably tell you (even though it is a shameless plug): this story has three prequels, up on ff.net (same author name), which are "Merry Christmas, war is over," "Reason" and "Whiskey Lullaby," in this order. I'll see if I upload them to portkey one of these days…
Anyway, thank you guys for the reviews! And happy new year!