Title: Echoes
Author: CC
Rating: PG for dark themes
Summary: Two moments of despair
Dedication: To the Fugitives whose continuing silence irked me into this. And to my Tiger whose love of angst justifies it, cheers vanima elen.
Disclaimer: While this is perfectly canon I am not JK nor do I wish to be.

The morning is quiet and cold. The fire has burned down hours before. But James Potter does not notice. He stares at the ashes of the fire unseeing. His face is drawn and pained. How long he has sat thus is unclear as Lily finds him, but it doesn't matter. Even if he has just sat down the scene will haunt her to the end of her days, and, with a shiver she adds to herself, 'perhaps beyond.'
Rousing her courage she shakes his shoulder, "What is it James-love? What's happened?"
His eyes snap to her with speed and pain, "Oh Lils," He sobbed softly.
"Please, you're scaring me," Lily pleads worriedly.
"I'm sorry. But they're practically my brothers. I can't believe, I won'tbelieve, none of them could ever..."
"What is it you've been told they've done James? And which ones, or all three?"
"Just one, only one of them. But there's the rub, we don't even know which one it is."
"Once again what've they done?"
"One of them is the spy," James manages at last. "It's one of them that's after our little boy."
Lily crumples beside him, losing herself to grief in the knowledge that somehow she'd already known that.

The morning is bright but chill. All around him people have been celebrating for hours on end. Ron Weasley doesn't notice. He stares, unseeing, at the wand that lies in his hands. His face is an emotionless mask but tears stand in his eyes. Ginny breathes a sigh of relief on finding him, but her relief does not last upon seeing his face. "Ron? What's wrong? We've won haven't we?"
"I- We- He's-" Ron lifts his eyes to her, "It was too high a price."
"Ron, what are you on about? What price could be too dear?" Ginny demands, but not unfeelingly. A terrible fear takes her at that, "Has Hermione died?"
"No.Not Hermione. Gin, it's Harry..."
"What about Harry Ron? Surely he's celebrating his victory."
"No," He repeats, cold and hurt. "He won, that much is true, but he died doing it." He looks up at her then, "We've lost him Ginny."
Ginny faints dead away, crying even in her unconsciousness, knowing, in her heart of hearts, that she'd already known that.