Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition: Round 12

Team: Kenmare Kestrels

Position: Seeker

Prompt: Write a TRAGIC story with NEXT-GEN CHARACTERS.

Kudos to Sophie (3cheersforidiots), Sophie (SpacesInOurMind), and Ari (Ari347) for beta'ing!

Lily closed her eyes and sighed, leaning back. Her daughter whimpered, nuzzling into her chest. She felt around for the blanket, hands clenching the worn fabric tightly when she found it. Sighing again, she wrapped the blanket around her daughter's small form.

Veronica reached up, her little fingers curling and uncurling as she tried to bat at Lily's short hair. A small laugh escaped Lily's cracked lips—she wasn't even sure how long it had been since she had laughed. She bent her head down, the straight red strands of hair dangling just above Veronica's rosy face.

Veronica watched them with wonder, her grey eyes wide. Lily raised her head, eyes fixed on the door. She heard footsteps, accompanied by laboured breaths. Running her hand through her hair, she set Veronica down in her cradle and walked to the door.

Her fingers remained frozen around the doorknob, the cold metal stinging her skin. She took a deep breath before opening the door, her other hand fingering her wand. Her eyes squinted for a moment, unable to see the figure behind the shower of snow. "Scorpius?"

Her husband smiled, stepping inside and wrapping his arms around her waist. He pressed a quick kiss to her forehead before drawing away, eyes landing on Veronica's cooing figure. With a laugh, he crossed the room in long strides and picked her up.

"How are you, my little girl?" He bounced her slightly.

"Did everything go as planned?" Lily asked, sitting down beside him. Scorpius pursed his lips.

"We should be ready to take off in about two weeks," he said, sighing. "Things have been a bit slow. You-Know-Who sent out a few Death Eaters to blow up the shipments that were supposed to come in today."

Lily watched him carefully, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Does he know?"

Scorpius shrugged, putting an arm around her shoulders. "He might. All we can do is hope that we can take off soon." He glanced down at Veronica, who had fallen asleep, her little eyelashes fluttering with each breath, chest rising and falling.

"It's going to be hard, isn't it?" Lily whispered, leaning on Scorpius. "Leaving all of this behind, I mean."

Scorpius sighed. "We can't exactly just stay here in hiding. We'll miss Earth, but we have to do this. For our children. For all the people that are still innocent, still have hope."

A small smile tugged at Lily's lips. "For hope."

Lily was swept into the frenzied crowd, only a speck of red in the sea of people. She hugged Veronica, pulling her closer to her chest. Veronica looked around, her eyes taking in everything with the wonder only a child could have. Lily knew who she was looking for, though: Scorpius.

"Daddy will be here soon," she murmured. She wasn't sure if she was comforting Veronica or herself, though. She looked up, trying to find the familiar gleam of platinum blond hair. A hand pulled her back. She flinched and turned around. "Rose."

Rose pressed her lips together into a thin line, crossing her arms over her chest. "Where's Scorpius?"

Lily blinked, swiping her hand across her eyes. "I… I don't know. He told me he'd be back soon."

"Fine," Rose said. "But you can't wait, Lily. You have to get aboard."

"But—"

"Lily." Rose put a hand on her shoulder. "I know how you feel, but you have to think about Veronica."

Lily took a deep breath, trying to hold back her tears. "F-fine." She made to turn away, but Rose pulled her back.

"I'll try to find him," she said, meeting Lily's watery gaze with determination. "Go."

Lily nodded and turned away, whispering a quick "Goodbye" before she began pushing through the crowd. Screams filled the air as everyone fought to get aboard. She finally reached the front, panting.

Suddenly, silence took over the crowd. Lily looked around, wondering where all the screams had gone. She gasped when she saw a green light zoom towards the person standing beside her, striking their chest. They dropped to the ground, eyes rolling back.

"Death Eaters!" someone cried out, and the screaming began again as more green jets shot through the air.

The man standing at the entrance looked around, his frenzied eyes sweeping over the scene. "Everyone in!" he yelled after casting a quick Sonorus. "Now!"

Lily looked back and froze when she saw a glint of platinum. Scorpius. Her heart began racing, the beats almost painful.

Scorpius met her gaze with a sad smile. "I love you," he mouthed, blowing her a kiss. With one last smile, he turned away, pulling out his wand.

"Scorpius!" Lily screamed, unable to stop the tears trickling down her cheeks. "No! Scorpius!"

"Ma'am, you need to get aboard," the man said, grabbing her arm. He pushed her inside as she screamed.

Lily sobbed as she was pushed along onto the spaceship, hair sticking to her wet cheeks. She was directed to a small room. She sat down on the bed, looking around at the place that would now become her home.

Her eyes landed on the tiny window, a small circle of glass. A small circle of freedom, Lily thought. She pressed her face against the glass, peering down at the shrinking sea of people. She flinched as the door was pushed open and another person was shoved in.

Lily ignored them as she searched for Scorpius in the water, hoping with all her might that she would not see him, that he would be safe and sound on the spaceship. That she would see him soon, just like she promised Veronica.

Veronica began crying, her wails ringing out in the room. Lily stared down at her, her bottom lip trembling. In a moment, she broke out into sobs again. She froze when she felt a jolt. A loud, screeching sound filled the spaceship.

"We're going to take off," the other person said. Lily glanced at her before turning back to the window. She bit her lip, trying to stop her crying. She had to be strong for Veronica.

Her gaze scrambled around as the spaceship began to rise. She pulled Veronica to her chest, jaw slack when she saw a speck of platinum.

"No," she choked out. "No. Not Scorpius." She squinted through her tears, trying to see the figure more clearly. She held back a sob as she realized it was him. Scorpius waved.

"I love you," Lily whispered, unable to pull her eyes away from the man.

With another screech, the spaceship shot up, hurtling through the air. She tumbled back onto the bed, fumbling for the buckles she had seen. With a sob, she tethered herself to the bed with Veronica, closing her eyes.

"I love you."