The Other Side by apifgnfu
Chapter 1: Lily, James, and Sirius
"Welcome to the other side my friend."
Sirius turned around to find the originator of the familiar voice and immediately saw James and Lily Potter.
"Dead?"
"Yep"
"What about Harry? He was with me when I died. Did he get out okay?"
"Watch for yourself."
James turned his best friend toward the veil he had just come through and ran his hand over it. All of a sudden, the opal colored veil was clear and it was like standing next to Harry. The picture automatically followed Harry as he chased Bellatrix into the atrium of the Ministry of Magic. He watched and listened as Harry started dueling Bellatrix and all he could think is "this is torture."
"Sometimes" replied James
"Did I say that out loud?"
"Yeah and sometimes, like now, when all I want to do is jump in and protect him it is like torture. But it is vastly better than not knowing what is going on in his life at all." The three of them never took their eyes off the screen during this exchange.
"Oh God! Voldemort! James he isn't ready for this!"
"Calm down Evans there is nothing we can do." He put his arm around his wife as he watched his son facing off with the darkest wizard of all time.
They watched as Harry arrived at the Headmaster's office at Hogwarts. Then listened to Harry falling apart with his grief and Dumbledore's explanation of his role in what had occurred. As Harry left the office and headed to the Hospital Wing to see his friends, Lily reached over and blanked the screen. She watched as James reached over and hugged his best friend.
"He loved you Padfoot."
"Thank you for loving and taking care of our son" said Lily.
"What is going to happen to him now?" asked Sirius.
"Well I suspect he will morn for a while then start moving on. If you are feeling better we can turn the screen back on and fast forward a little to see what comes next," said James.
"But won't we miss things if we fast forward?"
"Time moves differently here. We can fast forward or rewind like watching a muggle movie but only up to a critical life decision. At which point we have to wait for him to make his own choices and chart his own path, his own destiny. Would you like to move forward some?"
"Yes, I think I would," said Sirius.
Lily turned the screen back on and watched the pictures speed by until the screen showed Harry in the kitchen of the Burrow, with his friends Ron and Hermione, watching 3 owls fly towards them deliver their O.W.L. results. All 3 teenagers looked extremely anxious but none so much as Hermione who looked like she was going to be sick from the fear and anxiety. James and Sirius chuckled watching them, thinking back on when they received their O.W.L.s, while Lily looked almost as nervous as Harry did.
They watched as Harry opened his grades. "Not bad, not bad at all."
"Not bad! Who are you kidding? He collapsed in the middle of History of Magic and he had horrible teachers for divination and potions. His grades are excellent," exclaimed Lily.
"And we are in no way prejudiced right?" smirked Sirius.
"Who cares? That's our boy!" Sirius made eye contact with James and they grinned at each other. This went unnoticed by Lily who never stopped beaming at the screen. When the Hogwarts letters showed up with Harry's Quidditch Capitan's Badge it was James's turn to be beside his self with excitement and pride. Lily was still gloating over Harry's grades and Sirius, while proud, could not help but roll his eyes and grin at the 2 insanely proud parents. The 3 spent the rest of the time watching Harry get ready to go back to Hogwarts discussing Harry's possibilities for the future and his outstanding capture record as a seeker.
"I always knew those two were meant for each other," exclaimed Lily at the same time Sirius said, "Well it took him long enough." James just shook his head and smiled, thinking about the Potter penchant for redheads. "So any bets on where they are going to sneak off to in order to be alone?" asked James. Lily gave him a withering look. "I have no idea why I married you." "Yes you do and no matter how much you complain and want to deny it you have always loved me."
Over the next couple of human weeks, the trio had to keep fast-forwarding to keep from invading Harry and Ginny's privacy. However, every now and then they would watch a date or conversation just to see how things were going. One particular occasion was the subject of much discussion.
Ginny and Harry were sitting in front of the lake Harry's back against the ancient beech tree and Ginny's back against Harry. They were taking advantage of a clear star lit night and mild weather to spend some time alone together before Ginny's exams began. As they sat there, they talked about just about everything. From childhood memories to Quidditch to when Ron and Hermione would finally stop playing around and admit they were nuts for each other. Towards the end of the night when it was getting late, Harry said something to Ginny that she never expected. He told her that he wished he could have danced with her at the Yule Ball 2 years before. She laughed and told him nothing would have made her happier than to dance with him. "Well then we will just have to do something about this then won't we." Harry pulled her to her feet, with a couple of waves of his wand conjured a couple of instruments, and charmed them to play. He pulled her into his arms and they started dancing under the stars. "What is this song? I don't think I have ever heard it before," asked Ginny.
"It is an old American song called, A Love That Will Last." She rested her head on his shoulder neither of them feeling the need to speak anymore.
"Hunh now that is a date" Lily said quietly.
"Got to admit it, the boy does seem to know how to achieve romance. He is far more adept at it than I was at his age," said James.
"Merlin, if that isn't the truth. Are we sure he isn't my son?" asked Sirius with a teasing grin at James.
"Ha Ha" said James
"Uh Oh! Is that professor McGonagall coming towards them?" asked Lily
Everyone watched wondering if either would notice the professor before she put them both in detention for the public display of affection and being out after curfew.
"Well what do you know?" asked James.
They all watched in shock and amazement as the older lady drew up short of the couple and watched them for a couple of seconds, taking in the whole scene. Then with wet eyes and a faint smile she turned and walked a little farther away from the couple, then put a disillusionment charm on herself.
"I guess she is going to let them have their dance and then make sure they go back to the dorms without getting in trouble," said Lily.
"Who would have thought the old harridan was such a tender hearted romantic," said Sirius.
So all four spectators watched as the dance ended and Harry transfigured the instruments back and the two walked back to the castle hand in hand.