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When your dreams have died around you,
She'll be there.
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Harry Potter was sharply awoken by Dudley's screams and protests from downstairs. Aunt Petunia had insisted on putting him on a diet since she had gotten another complaint letter from Smeltings.
Such a shame, Harry thought. I was having such a good dream, too... It was memories from a wedding he had never attended -- that of his parents. No matter how hard he tried to grasp the feeling of the dream when he was slipping into conciousness, it always got away.
Everyone had been there. Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Snape, and many other Professors from Hogwarts, various other people who he assumed must be friends, and of course, a laughing Sirius, a proud Remus, and a quiet Peter were all standing next to James and Lily.
James, his father, was dressed in a nice black tuxedo, his hair slightly tidier than usual, and a bright smile on his face. His arm was linked with his new wife's, and he was glancing over at her every few minutes, a look on his face as though he couldn't believe she was actually there.
Lily was a sight of her own, though. She was dressed immaculately in white, which set off her red hair and green eyes even more than usual. She was absolutely beautiful, to say the least. Her eyes...her eyes were always shocking, yet comforting to him. They were always the last things he saw before he woke up. Her vivid, bright green eyes.
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When you need a hand to guide you,
She'll be there.
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Harry made his way down to the breakfast table to be greeted with the sight of Uncle Vernon reading the newspaper, Aunt Petunia sitting by the window to keep an ear on the neighbours, and a breakfast plate in his spot with a single biscuit and a slice of orange on it. Dudley was eyeing it hungrily, having devoured his own.
Harry sat down and started on his breakfast before Dudley could beat him out of it. It was times like these that he wished he could go live with Sirius, or maybe Remus. They would treat him far better than the Dursley's, maybe even talk to him instead of giving him the usual silence that the Dursley's had. It was times like these that he wished his mother and father were still alive and with him, that he knew he was actually loved.
But those thoughts always brought the image of his mother's eyes to his mind. As vivid and clear as ever, as though she was standing right in front of him. Always comforting him, always assuring that the best is still to come.
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And when you feel rejected,
'Cause life is not what you expected
I know that she'll be there.
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And yet he lived with them. Always having to endure the insults that rained down upon him, always having to be the subject of criticism, always being complained about...The bad stuff was always about him. He had to tolerate it though, or else he might find himself out on the street, as Uncle Vernon was always threatening him.
He could go live with the Weasleys. He thought of Mrs. Weasley as the mother he never had, or as close to a mother as he could get. He was accepted and loved at The Burrow, and it felt more like a home to him than 4 Privet Drive. Hogwarts would always be his first home, though. Even if it had its faults (like actually having to attend class), he would forever be surrounded by friends when he was there.
But there were memories here that Hogwarts would never hold. Even if Aunt Petunia wasn't at all like he knew his mother would be, she often reminded him of her. They had the same shape of eyes, same nose, same mouth…Yes, there were some things here, no matter how painful, that he didn't think he would want to leave.
At least if he lived with Sirius or Remus, pictures, stories, and memories of his parents would always surround him.
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If I hadn't lied and cheated
She'd be here.
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Severus Snape stared down at the blank piece of parchment before him. It was times like these, when he was alone in his office, that his memories haunted him.
At this particular moment, he was taken back to the night that Lily and James had died.
The Dark Lord had summoned him while in a meeting with Dumbledore. He had been a spy by then...Saved a few families' lives by warning them that Voldemort was after them. But he had not been able to save the Potters.
When he arrived at the headquarters, most of the Death Eaters had been assembled. It was a while before Voldemort spoke. The words still echoed in his head, as clear as ever...
"Anyone who can deliver the Potters to me will be greatly rewarded."
He remembered seeing Peter Pettigrew, step forward, trembling slightly and stuttering, confessing that he was their Secret Keeper and where he could find them.
Voldemort had apparated away almost instantly, along with the other Death Eaters. He had cursed under his breath and had hurried back to Hogwarts as fast as he could, arriving in Dumbledore's office out of breath.
"Voldemort...the Potters…"
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If she wasn't so mistreated
She'd be here.
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Another memory came to him.
He was out on the Quiddich pitch with his friends, when James and Lily, surrounded by Peter, Remus, and Sirius had appeared.
Lucius Malfoy sneered at them, throwing insults. It had hurt him to see Lily so hurt by some of the things they said, but it had hurt him even more to see her holding hands with Potter. He never joined in with the name calling, and had always stayed quiet until either his group, or the other left. The other left this time.
He watched as James put his arm around Lily and whispered something comforting in her ear. This seemed to make her feel better, and she leaned her head against his shoulder.
He remembered glaring at them and looking away quickly, trying to wipe the image from his mind, but not being able to.
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And if you don't abuse her
I know you'll never ever lose her
And she will always be there
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Now he was at James and Lily's wedding. There were many thoughts running through his head, but one stood out over the rest. How beautiful the bride looked.
He watched her glide over the dance floor as Sirius whirled her around, having stolen her from James as he talked with some of the guests. As the song came to a close, something came over him.
An invisible force seemed as though it was pushing him out to her, he didn't know what he was doing..He heard himself asking her to dance with him.
She had laughed and nodded, her eyes twinkling. He took her hand in one of his and placed his other on her waist, and they both swayed gently to the music. He savored the moment, but all too soon it was over.
He bowed gracefully, thanking her. She laughed again, and thanked him, kissing him on the cheek.
And she disappeared off into Remus's arms.
He retreated to his chair to the side of the dance floor and seated himself, staring at James. James, you lucky bastard, he thought. Don't you dare ever hurt her, or you'll have me to answer to. Take good care of her…
Severus was jerked out of his memories by his quill dropping out of his hand. He hastily wiped the tears out of his eyes and concentrated on the parchment, and what he was to write.
He was a fool to think of times long forgotten. Things that were in the past and couldn't be fixed. But he couldn't help wanting to recapture the beauty of the moment whenever Lily was in them…
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I was too late to discover
How much I really did love her
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Sirius Black stared down at the two photographs in front of him. They were almost exactly the same, but still very different.
One showed him standing next to a tall, raven-haired James Potter. James was grinning widely, giving him bunny ears every few moments while Sirius held hands with a beautiful red-haired young lady. Lily Evans.
She was smiling shyly up at the camera, her big green eyes looking forward for a few seconds, then darting down towards her feet, or off to the side, towards Sirius and James.
He had been a couple with Lily for a few months in their fourth year. She was very quiet, reserved, and shy. It was a wonder to him how she had ever put up with him for all that time without actually trying to kill him. When they had broken up, it had been mutual. Sirius knew she fancied James and that James liked her back. It was hard not to see the way they looked at each other, so why should he stand between them?
The morning after he broke up with her, he had walked down to the Gryffindor common room to find James and Lily holding hands.
It was at that moment, seeing them together, that he realized exactly how much he loved Lily. It wasn't like the love that he knew she shared with James, but a strong bond between the two of them that was more of a brother-sister feeling.
The second photograph was taken in their seventh year, and showed her holding hands with James, while he stood next to them and looked on. Lily was grinning like mad, standing proudly next to James. She had changed from being the shy young lady he had once dated, into a happy, outgoing woman. She had grown bolder as time marched on, not afraid to show off in front of them, not afraid of making mistakes. She didn't seem to be afraid of anything when she was with James.
It was the way it was meant to be.
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But now her place is with you
And I must face it, it's over, we're through
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As Sirius stood next to James on his wedding day, and watched as they exchanged vows, he knew it was final. She belonged with James. It was clear that the two were soul mates. You could see it in their eyes each time they looked at each other, you could hear it in their voices each time they talked to each other, and you could feel it whenever the two were together.
And while they were dancing...That was a heavenly moment for Sirius, holding Lily in his arms while swaying gently to the music.
"Thank you, Sirius." Her voice was like a phoenix song - beautiful and haunting, forever echoing in his mind.
"Hmm? For what?"
"You being you. And I'll always love you for it."
It was only as the song drew to a close that he answered back.
"And I'll always love you." He bent and kissed her hand, smiling up at her.
She was dancing with someone else by the time he had reached James and looked back at her. All he could think about was how much had changed since he was first introduced to her, their first year on the train…
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She'll be there.
She'll be there.
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Lily had left an impression on more people than she had probably ever thought possible. These three men, who had probably never thought that they had anything in common and all loathed each other, were all bound together by the fact that they had all loved her.
She would forever haunt their dreams, their memories, and their daily lives.
Harry, who never properly knew his mother, would always see her in his dreams.
Sirius, who had known her all thoughout school, and through the best years of his life, would always see her in his memories.
And Severus Snape, who daily had to walk the halls in which she had spent most of her life, where every corner held a memory, would always feel her impact in his daily life.
Yes, she will always be there.
Author's Note: All things Potter belong to J.K. Rowling. "She'll Be There" was recorded by and performed by Micky Dolenz of The Monkees, and the song can be found on Missing Links, Volume 3 (The Monkees). Oh, and yes, I know some of the things in the story don't match up with the facts from the books, but it's my story!