Disclaimer: I do not own the original canon nor am I making any profit from writing this piece. All works are accredited to their original authors, performers, and producers while this piece is mine. No copyright infringement is intended. I acknowledge that all views and opinions expressed herein are merely my interpretations of the characters and situations found within the original canon and may not reflect the views and opinions of the original author(s), producer(s), and/or other people.
Warnings: This story may contain material that is not suitable for all audiences and may offend some readers. Please utilize understanding of personal sensitivities before and while reading.
Author's Note(s): Just to head off an argument, I want everyone to know that moving on after the death of a partner is not cheating. It is not betraying the lost partner. It's just life, which goes on even when we don't want it to.
Project Note: This was previously posted in Stories That Go Nowhere, due to time constraints. It is reposted on its own after being reviewed and formatting updated.
Challenge Information:
Day/Fic: 07
Representation(s): Polyamory (Triad); Rare Ship (Celestial Petals; Remus Lupin/Lily Evans Potter/Sirius Black)
Word Count: 752 (Story Only); n/a (Story & Epigraph)
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Love is Key
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Lily gave Harry one last squeeze before letting him squirm free. She stayed in her crouch as he ran to join his friends. Her heart ached as it always did in those moments when the idea that James was not there to see their son growing made her feel so alone. She leveraged herself back to standing just in time to see the seven-year-old disappearing through the school doors.
By the time she made it back to the house, she knew that she wasn't going to be able to get any work done without some kind of pick-me-up. The bad days weren't as many anymore, not like they had been in the beginning when things from the Blood War had finally settled enough that she could properly grieve for what she had lost. She didn't know how she could have possibly made it through without Sirius and Remus helping with Harry. She knew that both men had also felt James' loss as keenly as she had. More than once since she had been adopted into their little gang, Lily had noted that those three had always challenged the boundary between platonic and romantic, even if she never once doubted James' fidelity to her.
By this time of day, she knew the guys would be back from the grounds of the Potter seat. The wards of Ashnook were best for containing Remus on the off chance he slipped away from Sirius, but the manor itself was too big with just the four of them living there. It wouldn't have stopped the memories of the years they had all lived there along with Dorea and Charlus. Sure enough, she could hear Sirius puttering about the cottage's small kitchen the moment she was through the front door.
Lily didn't have the energy to go help. It just wasn't a good day.
Instead, she climbed the stairs to the first floor, knowing where comfort could be found the same way that a child did in the middle of the night. She did feel very young as she slipped into Remus' room. She was just as confident of her welcome as she laid down beside the sleeping werewolf whose only reaction was to pull her close and snuffle into her hair. It only took a few moments for the excessive warmth of her best friend to lull her back to sleep.
Waking up was better, if more abrupt. Sirius had transformed into his animal form to wiggle between her and Remus. He was currently giving them both slobbery kisses while whining. Remus' grumbling only earned him wetter swipes of Sirius' tongue. Once the animagus was convinced that both of them were awake, he transformed back into human. The end result was a fully-grown man in his prime sprawled over both of them.
"I'm bored," Sirius whined, exactly as Harry used to when he was three and wanted a new book. Honestly, he had done it on their way to school this morning as well, and for the same reason. The only difference was it being the newest update of the Encyclopedia Britannica instead of 'any book without pictures'. However, what was cute on a seven-year-old was not so cute on an adult, no matter how literal Sirius' puppy dog eyes were. "Wake up and wuv me."
"Sirius—"
"I made tea!" he announced as he propped himself up on his forearms. Lily had to stifle a smile when she realized that Sirius' hips were wiggling like if he still had a tail, it would be wagging. "And nothing got burned or destroyed."
"Good boy," Remus replied drily. "Have a biscuit while we work on extracting ourselves from bed." Sirius bounced off the bed, transforming midair with a sharp bark. Remus barely waited for him to thunder down the stairs before turning towards her. He trailed two fingers down her cheek before tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Will talking help?"
"Maybe later," Lily whispered. "Right now, this is…acceptable. It's just a bad day."
"Then we'll make more cookies to replace the ones that I'm certain Sirius is finishing off as we speak, and later, we can put a record on the gramophone."
"Battle music?"
"Only the best for fighting monsters," Remus said with a grin. He dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. "Up now. We have a mutt to love."
The laugh she let loose felt like it was freeing her from more than a bad day.
It felt like finally coming home.
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An Ending
Story belongs in the Key series
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