Lily awoke with a start, heart pounding, and a resolving dread settling in her stomach.
Something's wrong.
She stumbled out of bed and made her way to the kitchen. She had to keep her hands busy and occupy her brain or this feeling was going to consume her. She painstakingly made tea - concentrating with all her might to remember how her friends take their tea.
James likes way too much sugar. Remus, lemon. Sirius, nothing at all. Peter, just a hint of sugar. Marlene, a little bit of everything. Dorcas, milk. She ran down the list several times in her head until the kettle was whistling urgently.
She sat down at the table, her cup steaming in front of her. She let her hand fall to her slightly rounded abdomen. There was something soothing in reminding herself what was happening inside her body. The day she found out, she was terrified of what it meant in a world torn apart. But now…now that she's accepted it, it grounded her. It gave her something to hold on to when her world felt like it was crumbling down, which seemed to happen more and more as the days went on.
I have to be strong for you.
She picked up her cup finally and sipped, the liquid soothing her throat but not her heart. She stared at the wall, waiting, until she heard feet behind her.
James.
He touched her shoulder gently as he joined her at the table. She looked at him, read the question in his eyes, but did not speak. Her hand moved to her baby again.
I have a bad feeling.
They sat in silence until it happened. The tap on the window was urgent. Lily's eyes slid closed and took her head in her hands as James let the owl in.
He read the letter quickly and fell into his chair.
"Marlene and Dorcas are dead."
Her tea crashed to the floor and she let her tears fall.