One-shot about the night Lily finds out her parents is my first Harry Potter story so let me know what you think!
Disclaimer: If I owned Harry potter do you really think I'd be writing fanfiction?
Lily Evans couldn't sleep. It was midnight on a full moon so her boyfriend of 4 months, James Potter, was out with his friends Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew keeping their werewolf comrade, Remus Lupin, company.
To ease her mind, Lily thought of her home. She was remembering the summer after her eleventh birthday when she received that fateful letter. To say her acceptance into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry came as a shock to her family would be an understatement. Her parents, though skeptical at first, were thrilled their youngest daughter was so special. Her sister Petunia on the other hand, she wasn't quite as thrilled. She was jealous that Lily got to go away to a special school and learn magic. She became so jealous, she grew to resent her baby sister and resorted to calling her a "freak."
Despite her sister's less-than appealing attitude, Lily's parents always supported her 100 percent. They went with her to Diagon Alley to purchase all of her supplies for school, they drove her to and from the train station every year, and they grew to love all of Lily's friends when they came to visit.
After Petunia married Vernon Dursley, ghastly oaf that he was, Lily got to come home to a much more peaceful house with only her parents living there. Her friends were able to come visit more often, they were able to stay longer than an hour or two, and, when the time came, James was able to meet her parents without interruption.
Mr. and Mrs. Evans positively adored James Potter. He was charming and considerate. He treated their little girl like the princess she deserved to be treated as. He even knew how to cook! (A major plus on Mrs. Evans' list.) And vice versa, James loved her parents. Lily hadn't been happier in her entire life.
As she lay there, staring at the top of her four-poster bed in her private Head Girl dormitory, Lily's thoughts took a much darker turn.
Lord Voldemort had become a much more powerful threat in the last two years than anyone had anticipated. Deaths and disappearances dominated the front pages of the Daily Prophet and muggle news sources alike. The muggles were calling it gang activity, which was more or less true, but no less frightening. Victims ranged in age from newborn children to the most elderly members of both worlds. Most of the targeted families were those of muggle born witches and wizards, which cause Lily to worry daily about her family.
With these thoughts plaguing her mind, Lily drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
No more that 4 hours later, Lily was gently shaken awake only to find her Head of House standing above her in a tartan dressing gown.
"Ms. Evans," Professor McGonagall said to her in a light Scottish accent, "you need to come with me immediately."
"What's wrong professor?" Lily asked stumbling out of bead.
"Professor Dumbledore will explain everything, dear."
Uh oh. Minerva McGonagall wasn't one to use endearments lightly. It was then that Lily realized something very, very serious had happened, and she began to feel a bubble of panic well up in her chest.
Lily followed her professor through the dark stone corridors until they reached the stone gargoyle that hid the entrance to Dumbledore's office.
"Sugar quill," McGonagall said to the statue that jumped aside as the password was given.
McGonagall motioned for Lily to go up ahead of her and, as she climbed the spiraling staircase, Lily could feel that bubble in her chest growing with every step she took. When she reached the large wooden doors, Lily knocked lightly and opened the door when she heard the Headmaster give her permission to enter.
"Good evening Ms. Evans," Dumbledore said to her as she stepped into the large office. "Please take a seat."
Lily made her way slowly to the cushioned chairs set before Dumbledore's desk. She didn't like the look she saw in his bright blue eyes. Tonight they were dull and lifeless rather than sparkling. They held a look of despair instead of their usual joy. She took her seat nonetheless and waited to hear what her Headmaster had to say to her that couldn't wait until morning.
Lily and her two professors sat in silence. No one seemed willing to break the silence that sat around them like a heavy fog. The only sounds that could be heard were Lily's breathing, the fire crackling in the fireplace, and Fawkes the phoenix's occasional squeal.
After several long minutes, Professor Dumbledore took a deep breath and began to speak.
"I'm afraid I have some… rather distressing news for you Ms. Evans." Dumbledore began. "I assume you're well aware that the dark wizard Voldemort and his followers have been targeting many muggle families these last years."
Lily nodded, the bubble getting larger with every passing second.
"It is my deepest regret to have to inform you of this my dear," he continued. "But just a couple of hours ago, some of Voldemort's followers attacked several homes in your neighborhood. I'm so very sorry Lily, but your parents did not make it."
Lily was completely still. "I'm sorry professor," she said with an uncharacteristically flat voice. "What did you say?"
At this point McGonagall came to lay a hand on Lily's stiff shoulder to offer some kind of consolation or support for the young girl.
"Voldemort sent some of his followers to your neighborhood, Lily. Your parents didn't make it out in time." Dumbledore spoke softly when he told her for the second time that her parents had died, yet Lily still refused to believe it.
How could her parents be dead? She had just received a late owl from them after dinner with a box of fudge her mother had made for her and James. Her father had attached a letter reminding Lily to study hard, have fun, and that they loved her. That had only been seven or eight hours ago. How could they have died?
It was at this point that realization began to dawn on Lily. Her breathing started to get heavier. Tears began to well up in her eyes. As she stood to run from the room her legs shook, and she collapsed in front of the fire in a ball and cried.
Lily forgot about the presence of her teachers. She forgot where she was. She just cried and she didn't think it would end anytime soon. She started remembering every moment she had with her parents over the last 17 years of her life. Her father teaching her to ride a bike when she was 6, her mum showing her how to make the perfect chocolate chip pancakes at 12. She even remembered one day the summer before her fifth year at Hogwarts. They were having tea in her kitchen. That's all, just having a quiet cup of tea with her mum and dad. But even that tiny memory felt like a sharp knife to her already breaking heart.
Eventually the tears ran out, but Lily continued to stare into the dancing flames before her, and she'd gone completely numb. She was vaguely aware of the blanket that was draped around her shoulders, and that Dumbledore had sent McGonagall to rouse her friends and bring them to his office.
One by one they arrived. McGonagall had clearly told them what had happened, as they all had tears streaming down their faces already. Marlene McKinnon put one arm around Lily's shoulder while Alice Williams grasped one of Lily's hands in her own. Marlene whispered that Gemma Anderson had stolen James' cloak to wait for the Marauders to come back.
They didn't have to wait long. Barely 10 minutes later the doors to Dumbledore's office were thrown open and James immediately rushed to Lily's side. He knelt in front of her, his dark eyes glistening with unshed tears. Lily broke again at the sight of him. She fell forward into his warm embrace and cried in his arms. His shirt was quickly soaked with her tears, but he didn't seem to care. After several minutes, Lily felt another pair of arms wrap around her, and she looked up to see Sirius' grey eyes welling up with tears of his own. Just a moment later the rest of her friends joined their embrace and they mourned the loss of Lily's beloved parents together.
Love it? Hate it? Please review and let me know!