Chapter Text
"I don't mind being ogled, ridiculed,
Made to feel minuscule.
If you consider the source, it's kinda pitiful.
The only thing you really know about me is…
That's all you'll ever know!"
My Plague – Slipknot
"Lily!" called James Potter.
Lily was watching the rain fall. It was Hallowe'en, something that her daughter, Kerria, seemed to enjoy, despite her being one-year-old and to young to understand. She wondered how Kerria would take to Christmas.
"Lily!" James called again. This time there was the sound of a baby crying.
Lily turned around to see Kerria reaching out for James and crying. James was trying to hold the wailing baby at arms length. "What happened?"
"Kerria won't stop clinging to me," said James. "She's accidentally knocking my glasses off."
He held Kerria closer to him and she wrapped her arms around his neck, accidentally head-butting James's glasses loose again.
"She really loves you," said Lily.
"I don't think that's it," replied James. He managed to unhook Kerria's arms and held her out again, causing her to cry again.
Harry came over, dragging a black stuffed dog by its tail, and held it out to Kerria. Somehow the dog swung over and smacked Kerria in the head, causing her to cry again.
Lily walked over and took Kerria from James. She held Kerria close and Kerria clung to her mother's neck. She managed to calm down.
"I think she's tired," said Lily. "She hasn't been sleeping well lately."
It was rather odd, considering that Kerria normally slept through the night, except for the week, Kerria had been waking up screaming and crying. Lily was sure that if she wasn't in hiding from Voldmort, she would send out owls to see if it was normal for babies to have nightmare spells like that. Harry didn't seem to have nightmares that were constant like Kerria's.
James nodded, "I know."
"I think it's time for Kerry to have a bath and I'll put her to bed. You're putting Harry to sleep," said Lily. She looked and noticed that Harry had fallen asleep on the ground.
"I guess Kerry's nightmares have kept him up, too," joked James. He gently picked up Harry and went to take him to Harry's crib upstairs.
Lily went to the bathroom to run Kerria a bath. She poured in some rose bubble bath in the tub and took off Kerria's pumpkin costume, leaving the baby looking disgruntled at what happened. Kerria's eyes were red-rimmed from crying and lack of sleep.
"Don't look at me like that, Kerry," Lily gently reprimanded as she picked up Kerria and stuck in the bath.
Kerry babbled something at Lily that sounded like Kerria chewing her mother out in baby.
"Don't talk to me like that young lady," Lily joked back and Kerria babbled back at her. "Hey, watch the language!"
Kerria babbled back, looking up at her with emerald green eyes.
"Are you seriously arguing with a one-year-old?" asked James.
"You hadn't heard the mouth on your daughter," Lily joked. "What have you been saying around them?"
James laughed and shook his head. "The only thing I've been saying around them is how much of a good mother you are."
Lily rolled her eyes and jumped back slightly when Kerria splashed the water, apparently upset at not getting any attention.
"I got Kerry's pyjamas," said James. He set a diaper and a black sleeper with small white stars on the counter.
"Can you get me a towel for Kerry?" asked Lily.
James went and came back with a towel. Lily drained the water as James picked up Kerria with it.
"Hey, Kerry Jamie…" joked James as he started drying Kerria.
"Her middle name is Siria, James," responded Lily as she dried her hands on a hand-towel.
"I know that, Lily," replied James. "I was just trying to make a joke."
"Getting your daughter's middle name wrong is not funny," said Lily.
"I'll wait for you downstairs," said James. He kissed Kerria on the cheek, "Good night, Kerry. You better sleep through the night."
Kerria stared with wide green eyes. For a moment, James paused, looking right into them. Her eyes always seemed to hold some sort of secret. They were mesmerizing in a way, like she was daring them to unlock her secrets. He wondered what secrets can a one-year-old hold.
She was staring back, like she was trying to tell him something and like she was looking at him, like it was the…
"Please, don't look at me like that, Kerry," said James jokingly. "I'm still here, aren't I?" Kerria looked at James as Lily dressed her in her onesie. "And I'll be here tomorrow and forever. I promise."
Kerria stared back and James left.
Lily took Kerria upstairs and rocked Kerria to sleep. She put Kerria in her crib and went downstairs to where James was.
"I can't wait 'til this war is over," said Lily.
"I can't wait 'til Kerry's night terrors are over," said James. "I just wonder what is that she's dreaming of."
As if on cue, Kerria started screaming in her sleep.
James groaned.
"You jinxed it," Lily responded and went upstairs to tend to Kerria.
She took Kerria out of her crib when she heard James yelling, "Lily! It's him! Take Harry and Kerry and run! Go! I'll hold him off!"
Lily realised she didn't have her wand on her. So she set Kerria in Harry's crib, perhaps a little too roughly, but Kerria seemed to have quieted down remarkably quickly.
Harry had woken up, because of Kerria's screaming and was now watching Lily through the bars in the crib.
Lily had tried to barricade the door; desperately hoping that it would hold off Voldemort. She looked at her children, both way to young to be going through this. For Harry…it was a terrible fate for someone to go through. Maybe if she pleaded…he'll let her twins live.
"Harry, Kerry, please be safe and be strong," Lily pleaded.
The door and barricade was blasted away and Voldemort was standing there in the doorway, a terrible smile on his face.
"Not my twins!" pleaded Lily. "Please not Harry or Kerry! Please spare them!"
"Stand aside you silly girl!" ordered Voldemort in a cold tone.
"Please, take me instead of them!" pleaded Lily once more. "Leave my children alone!"
"This is my last warning…" Voldemort said.
"Have mercy – please have mercy!" cried Lily.
"I said step aside!" ordered Voldemort and drew his wand. He aimed it right at Kerria and Lily did the one thing she could do and threw herself right in front of the crib, as green light hit her. Her body hit the ground with a loud thud and Kerria started crying.
Voldemort walked over to the crib and examined the babies. Harry was staring up at Voldemort.
The girl, what was her name again? Kerry? Kerry managed to pull herself together and looked up at Voldemort.
He knew that the boy was the one that was going to bring his downfall. He reached down and picked up the girl, keeping her away from him at arms-length. She was staring at Voldemort with interest now. Her eyes held a certain amount of intelligence…intelligence that her parents surely held…if only they were intelligent enough to keep their wands on them.
It would be a shame to kill her. She posed no threat, but in a way, maybe he should let the girl live…he would like to see if she would turn into a worthy opponent one day. Maybe he could let the girl live. If she finds out what he did to her family and her twin brother…if he let her live, she would definitely come after him, searching, demanding for answers. Maybe they'll duel…and he would kill her. But how would he know who she is?
The prophecy had said something about marking the boy as an equal…maybe he'll mark her instead if, no, when she hears about the prophecy.
He set the girl down in the crib. She grabbed the top of the bars and brought herself to her feet, a feat that her parents would surely love to see, if they had lived.
Maybe he could have his faithful servant, the one who had finally brought him to the self-righteous Potters, raise the girl. Yes, he wanted to see the shock on her face when she finds out what had happened to her family. Then again, maybe Dumbledore could drop her off on one of his followers so they could feed the hatred towards him and train her to be a soldier of sorts.
He drew his wand and pressed the tip on the top part of the girl's neck. She looked agitated and Voldemort said the spell, causing a line to spread and he drew it down, curving it downwards making an S-shape, effectively branding her. He drew it downwards to reach the top of the girl's collarbone. Her skin started bleeding and she started wailing. She fell down onto her bottom and the boy was looking curiously at his sister as blood started staining her onesie.
There. He had marked his true equal. He looked at the boy, who was looking back at him.
Voldemort drew his wand once again and pointed it right at the boy's face. He said the spell and there was a sharp shock going through his body. No…no…he felt drained of energy and he felt pain all over as it seemed like his body was being ripped apart.
No, was his last thought before everything went dark.
The rain kept falling and Kerria kept screaming and crying.