Disclaimer: None of the characters, objects, or places in this story are mine. They all belong to JK Rowling.
The Stone
Lily Potter kicked a rock as she passed through the forest. Her thoughts were as dark as the trees around her.
She had received news that her father has died that morning. She had been expecting it, after all, he had a fatal disease, but that didn't mean she liked it.
"Why should it happen to him of all people?" she cried out into the silence. "He's the saviour of the wizarding world. He defeated Voldemort, only to die later from some sickness! It's not fair!"
Lily collapsed to the forest floor then, sobbing with grief. Nobody was around to comfort her. She was way too deep in the Forbidden Forest for someone to be around. Not even Hagrid.
Through the tears than ran freely from her eyes, Lily blinked at the ground as she saw something sparkling. She reached out and picked up what she discovered to be a ring. A ring with a cracked stone on it. Lily wiped her tears away and studied the stone in more detail. Suddenly, she remembered the story her father had told her of the final battle. He had told it to her and her brothers many times.
His voice seemed to echo through her head.
"I dropped the stone in the forest just before I revealed myself to him."
The stone hadn't been found, that she knew.
"The resurrection stone," Lily whispered to herself. If this was the stone her father had talked about, could she really see him again? Could she bring him back just one last time, to say goodbye?
Lily stood eagerly. She was about to turn the stone, but then paused. What about James and Albus? He was their father too, after all. They would want to say goodbye. And her mum too.
Lily tucked the ring into one of her pockets and stumbled back the way she had come. She made her way up to the castle, all the while keeping her hand in her pocket, as if making sure the ring was still there. It was her last hope.
Lily found James in Albus in the Great Hall, eating dinner side by side at the Gryffindor table. Lily, being in Ravenclaw, never sat by them, but today, she walked in and sat beside James.
Nobody protested. Everyone had heard the news. Harry Potter was famous, after all.
"James, I found the resurrection stone dad talked about," Lily whispered under her breath.
James looked up at that. He hadn't been eating, just swirling his mashed potatoes around on his plate, but now she had his full attention.
"The resurrection stone?" he repeated.
Lily nodded. James' eyes went wide. Albus looked up from the other side of the table at their whisperings.
"What?" he asked.
"Lily's found the resurrection stone," James whispered to him, surreptitiously casting a glance at the person sitting nearest to them, a first year who was reading a book while simultaneously eating soup.
Albus turned a surprised gaze to Lily. "And what were you doing out in the forest?" he questioned.
Lily shrugged. "I had to get away from everything. Now, do you want to try it out, or not?"
Albus nodded. "Let's go,"
The three of them stood as one and exited the Great Hall. They all felt everyone's eyes on them, but ignored them. They were far too used to it by now to care.
They didn't speak, but headed automatically toward the Room of Requirement. It was their sanctuary when they wanted to be along together, as they were some of the few people who actually knew how to get in.
As James pulled open the door and they entered, Lily looked around the room. It was small and had three padded chairs sitting in a circle in the center of the room. Other than that, it was bare.
Each sibling took a chair and sat down. Once they were seated, Lily pulled out the ring with the stone on it. She held it in her hand and stared at it. James and Albus stared at it as well.
"Do it, Lily," James said after a few moments of silence.
Lily held her breath and closed her eyes as she turned the stone three times. She only opened her eyes when she heard her brother's gasp.
Their father stood in the midst of them, looking healthier than ever. The last time she had seen him, he had been laying in a bed, sick and pale looking.
"Dad," Lily whispered. His sorrowful eyes turned to his daughter and he gave her a weak smile, but she didn't return it. She couldn't. Instead, she let out a sob. "Why did you die, dad? I need you!" she cried out.
"I'm sorry, Lily," he then turned to his eldest son, "Take care of the family, James. You're the oldest now. Tell your mother that I love her," he whispered.
James gave him a fervent nod.
Harry then turned to Albus, who was looking at him with something like betrayal in his eyes. "You'll see me again, I promise. I was an orphan myself, you remember. I lived a long, hard life, and now I'm with my parents and Godfather. I'll miss you, but we'll meet again," he told Albus.
Albus nodded, the tears coming down his face now as well.
Harry turned back to Lily. "I love you, all of you," he murmured at last.
Lily closed her eyes, tears falling down her cheeks. When she opened them again, Harry was gone.
Lily looked down at the stone in her hand and dropped it on the ground. It clattered loudly against the stone floor and the three of them just stared at it.
The remnant of their father was gone, just as he was gone in real life. James came around to his sister and wrapped his arms around her to try to comfort her. Albus joined the hug and they stayed like that for a very long time, all three sobbing at the loss of Harry Potter. Not because he was a hero, or a brilliant auror, but because he was their father.
A/N - This is just an idea I had while reading the end of Deathly Hallows one time late at night. I don't think it turned out as well as I thought it could, but it works for a oneshot.