A.N. – First off, this fic will, most likely, make no sense, what so ever. That's just how it went. Sorry. But I do think this is possibly the best thing I have ever written. Then again, that isn't saying much. I really hope everyone likes it though!
Oh, and there are numerous things in here I took from the movie Donnie Darko, such as: some of Donnie's personality (put into James), some of the plot, many lines of dialogue, most of the letter at the end, the time thing, a parody of the book title and author's name, and some other stuff I can't think of right now.
And I hope the time thing doesn't get too annoying.
Disclaimer – I don't own Harry Potter or Donnie Darko. But if I did own Donnie I wouldn't be able to enjoy him because my kleptomaniac sister Heather would steal him from me.
Every Creature Dies AloneIt had hit him like a ton of bricks.
It shouldn't have.
But it did.
His parents warned him before he left for Hogwarts that Voldermort was after the Potter family. To be careful. You never know what could happen.
He knew Voldermort was after him, but he figured his parents warning was just a way to keep him out of trouble in school.
How wrong he had been.
They didn't even die together. That made it even worst.
His father was found dead in the house. His mother was found dead in the woods near their house. She had tried to escape on her broom.
James would bet anything his father had forced her to leave. To save herself.
It didn't work. The Death Eaters found her anyway.
They killed her right in the air.
They didn't even die at the same time.
His mother died 13 minutes and 6 seconds later.
No one died together, did they?
It had been exactly 5 days, 2 hours, and 12 minutes since he found out his parents had been murdered.
Exactly 5 days, 2 hours, and 10 minutes before he ran out of Dumbledore's office.
Exactly 5 days, 2 hours, and 4 minutes since he ran into his dorm.
Exactly 4 days, 19 hours, and 52 minutes since his friends found him curled up under his bed.
But it had only been 8 minutes since James Potter got out of his bed.
His arms and legs were stiff from little moving over the past 5 days. Dumbledore had arranged for a house elf to bring him meals three times a day. Not that there was any point to it since he hardly ate any of it.
He didn't know why he left the sanctity of his dorm to come walk around. He had gotten up to use the bathroom. When he came out he realized how stupid it was to just lock you're self away from the world for so long. Or at all.
So he started walking.
His friends had been trying to help, but none of it seemed to be working. They were being very nice about it. They even tried to keep him up with all the things that had been going on. Like how Sirius threw a Dungbomb into Amy Pettigrew and Frank Longbottom's potion yesterday causing it to explode (Amy and Frank were the ones being punished for it, of course. Sirius always fled at times like that).
Nothing seemed to have any effect of him.
The girls, Mallory and Delia, came up everyday too. They would also tell him stories to make him feel better. Like how they hide all of Arabella Figg's shoes and she had to go to class in bunny slippers everyday that week.
Still no effect.
Then, this morning, Sirius and Remus were trying to encourage him to come to class. Professor Kettleburn was bringing in Nifflers today for Care of Magical Creatures and they weren't something to miss. James showed no sign of getting up.
Then Peter snapped.
"James! Get you lazy ass up! You've been lying in your bed for five bloody days! You can't just hide from the world forever! They are people in this school suffering just as much as you! Get over it!"
Then he stormed out. Sirius and Remus said quick goodbyes, and followed him.
It was still another hour or so before James remembered Peter's father had also been murdered by Voldermort. When he was only eight.
He also remembered Peter saying that there weren't many kids his age in his village, so he never had many friends when he was younger.
Plus Peter had a twin sister and two older brothers.
He hadn't been comforted much by anyone.
He was sure Peter wasn't just talking about himself, but about the several people in the school who's families had also been attacked.
Just last month someone from his own house, in his same year had her family attacked. Not to mention she was from a muggle family.
Lily Evans probably had it worst off then he did.
Maybe he should do something for Lily Evans?
That was why he was walking around the halls while he really should have been in class. Or in his dorm. Because he should get off his lazy ass. To do something. To do anything!
He wasn't walking anywhere special. Just around. He didn't want to run into a professor.
He walked and walked and walked.
So far no people.
Then he heard a sound.
He checked his watch and saw that the next class should have just started. No one should be out of class.
Except him.
He followed the sound. Then he found it.
Scattered all over the floor was parchment, books, quills, ink, and several bottles of nail polish.
And of course one redheaded girl with purple earmuffs chanting "Shit, shit, shit!" and she picked up all her stuff.
This redhead on the floor was none other than Lily Evans.
The same Lily Evans whose parents had been murdered a month ago.
The same Lily Evans who had spent the past 4 years and three months being tormented by James and his friends.
The same Lily Evans who was friends with Arabella Figg, Amy Pettigrew, and Frank Longbottom.
The same Lily Evans who, for some unknown reason, wore purple earmuffs to class everyday, even when it was warm.
And the same Lily Evans who had just had her bag split open by Sirius Black.
"Shit, shit, shit!" she continued. She crawled around on the floor. Her school skirt was now covered in dirt and her ripped bag was hanging off her shoulder. With a quick spell she fixed it and began stuffing things into it.
She had no idea any one was watching her.
Smiling to himself, he stood over her. "Need a hand?"
With horror in her eyes she jumped up, as if to defend her self. She simply stared at him for a moment. A single book was clutched in her hand.
"Shut up!" she yelled so suddenly it startled James. Despite the fact that she was yelling he could hear something else in her voice.
Fear.
He knew what he had to do.
He put his hands over her earmuffs and held her face. He looked down into her green eyes.
"Lily, I promise one day everything will be better for you," he said.
"Shut up," she whispered. Tears were brimming over her eyes. She dropped her book.
Quickly Lily ducked her head. James still held on to the earmuffs. Lily ran full speed down the hallway.
James watched until she was out of sight. Then he smiled.
He placed the purple earmuffs on his head.
"Things really will be better for her one day," he said to no one in particular. Well, to no one really. There was no one else around.
All that was left on the floor was the book she dropped. He picked it up.
The book was rather old and worn. As if it had been read one too many times. It was called "The Philosophy of Life" by Clarissa Robin.
On the first page in a quick scrawl it said:
Lily,
This book changed my life. Hope it will help you out!
Amy
James wondered if Peter knew his sister was into this stuff. Not that Peter would actually care, but he still wondered if he knew about it.
With the earmuffs on and the book under his arm he made his way back to the dorm. He checked his watch.
1 hour and 52 minutes.
He had been away from his dorm for 1 hour and 52 minutes.
It wasn't a lot, but it was something.
On the long walk back to the Gryffindor tower he realized something.
Lily didn't spend 5 days locked in her room after her parents died.
Actually, she had only missed one day. And not even the whole day.
Before today James Potter always thought of Lily Evans as this weak little target that was so easy to pick on.
Now he realized she was a stronger person they he was.
He had been gone for 2 hours and 3 minutes when he finally got back. Up in the dorm he kept the earmuffs on and began to read the book.
To his utter and complete surprise "The Philosophy of Life" was one of the best books he had ever read.
It was all about how know one could ever really know them self.
How every was someone else.
How you can be someone else with out even knowing.
He got so into the book that 3 hours and 29 minutes later when Sirius, Remus, and Peter walked in he was surprised they we back already. He threw the book to the foot of his bed.
"James," said Remus eying him suspiciously, "what did you do today?"
"Walked around," he answered simply.
Sirius smiled. He nudged Peter and whispered something to him.
Peter laughed and whispered it to Remus.
Remus rolled his eyes and laughed.
"What?" asked James.
"Earmuffs!" Sirius exclaimed excitedly. "Lily Evans came to Charms 20 minuets late without her earmuffs. She looked like a mess."
"You're the one who ripped her bag!" Peter laughed, referring to Sirius.
"Anyway she started crying and Professor Flitwick sent her to the hospital wing," said Remus. He smiled sideways. "Did you have anything to do with this?"
"In a way," he answered.
It was true. He did do it.
But he didn't mean to do that to her.
He had just been trying to help.
James Potter was a bad guy.
He was also a coward too. Because right then he took the earmuffs off and threw them on top of the book.
Then he laughed along with them.
18 minutes Mallory and Delia showed up and each gave him a large hug. They made it there job to fill James in on every thing he had missed that week.
He never realized so many things could happen in a week.
Exactly 1 hour and 43 minutes after the boys first came back (and 1 hour and 26 minutes after the girls came up) the door opened again.
Frank Longbottom walked in.
He was the same Frank Longbottom who was friends with Lily Evans, Amy Pettigrew, and Arabella Figg.
The boys hardly ever saw him in the dorm. Only when he came up late at night to go to sleep.
Six people glared at him as he dropped his book on his bed. That was all he had come up to do.
But that wasn't going to happen.
James could tell Frank was trying not to look at them. He always did.
But his glance fell on them.
It was just for a second.
But that was long enough.
He saw the earmuffs.
"Are those Lily's?" asked Frank.
"No shit," said Sirius, with a slight attitude. He didn't like people bothering him.
With out a word Frank grabbed the earmuffs off the bed and left the room.
James had to admit he was a little disappointed.
But not as much as he could have been thought.
Because Frank might have taken the earmuffs away, but he left one crucial thing.
He left the book.
11 minuets later the six left for dinner.
James put Lily's book inside a transfiguration book so he could read it while he was eating.
Sitting in their regular seats, several people came to congratulate James on getting out of his dorm. Sirius little sister, the 1st year Persephone Black, sat with them.
"Look," Mallory said 7 minutes into their meal. She pointed to four empty seats at the end of the table.
"So?" asked James.
"None of them are here," said Delia.
No need to ask who 'them' were.
6 minutes later Amy Pettigrew and Arabella Figg came into the Great Hall.
Peter rolled his eyes at them. "Why is Arabella still wearing those stupid bunny slippers?"
"We gave back her shoes two days ago," said Delia.
"They are such children," Mallory said, also rolling her eyes.
"Hey Figg!" Sirius yelled out.
"Oh Sirius, don't," moaned Persephone.
Arabella turned to look at them. In the same matter she yelled back, "Hey Black!"
"Come over here!"
"Why don't you come over here?"
"Just get over here!"
Amy whispered something to Arabella and both girls walked over.
"What?" she asked in a bored voice.
"Why are you still wearing those slippers?" asked Remus.
She sighed. "I don't know. Why did you turn into such an ass?"
Remus stayed quiet.
"Really, why are you wearing those?" asked Delia.
"We gave you you're shoes back two bloody days ago!" Mallory exclaimed.
"What's wrong with you?" asked Peter.
"What's wrong with you?" Arabella asked back.
"You're being quiet," said Amy to James. "How unusual."
"No one was talking to you Amy, why don't you get out of here?" Peter asked his twin sister.
"No one was talking to you either!"
Peter pounded his fist against the table. "You are such a fuckass!"
She and Arabella let out little laughs. "Did you just call me a fuckass? Well you can go suck a fuck!"
"Oh, please, tell me Amy, how exactly does one suck a fuck?"
"Would you like me to show you?"
Chaos broke through. Everyone began yelling.
"You are both such children!"
"Shut up!"
"Don't talk to them that way!"
"You shut up!"
"Bitch!"
"Everyone be quiet!"
"SHUT UP!!!"
The voice came from James. Everyone turned to look at him. He calmed down. "Just calm down."
Everything was silent. For 8 seconds.
Persephone looked around questioningly. "What's a fuckass?"
The group burst out laughing. Arabella and Amy just rolled their eyes.
"Why don't Bunny Slippers and Purple Gasses get out of here," James suggested.
Amy and Arabella looked at each other.
"You're making fun of my glasses?" Amy asked, a smile plastered over her face.
The two girls left.
12 minuets later Sirius remember he had a date.
5 minuets after that Peter and Mallory went off to play Exploding Snap.
And 2 minuets later Remus and Delia left to study. They asked James if he wanted to go with them, but declined.
He had a book to read.
But where to go to read it?
Remus and Delia would surely be in the library.
Mallory and Peter were in the common room.
And knowing Sirius him and his lady of the evening would end up in the dorm.
37 minuets after he had started his first real meal in days he decided the lake would be a good place to read. The sun would be setting soon though.
Walking to the lake he saw what a wonderful sight it was. He took a seat under a tree.
The book had taught him so much in so little time. Every line made him think long and hard.
Particularly the first line.
Every creature on this earth dies alone.
It made him think of his parents.
He had only started reading the book for 3 minutes when a soft, sweet voice whispered over his shoulder, "Makes you think, doesn't it?"
Large green eyes stared at him. A few red curls were in front of her face.
Lily Evans, complete with earmuffs, knelled down beside him. A strange smile was on her face.
"Now would you like to tell me, Mr. Potter, why you have my book?" she asked.
If James didn't know better he would say she sounded almost… flirty?
"Well, Miss Evans," he said using the same tone of voice as her, "you just left it on the floor. I always thought you told people to respect literature."
She stood up completely and stared at the setting sun.
"Walk me around the lake."
It was not a request.
It was a command.
He stood up and they slowly started to walk.
After 53 seconds of walking James said, "You seem a lot better then the last time I saw you."
"No thanks to you."
"I gave the earmuffs back!"
"Frank took them and he gave them back to me."
"Yeah," he said softly, knowing she was right.
She glanced at him. "You're weird."
"Sorry."
"No," another of her small, sweet smile covered her face, "that was a compliment."
"Then thank you I guess. You're weird too."
"More weird then you. I know. You're thanked."
He grabbed her arm. They both stopped. He looked down into eyes.
"How did you're parents die Lily?"
A slight look of terror entered her eyes, but it quickly went away.
"You know already," she said shoving his arm off.
"No. I mean what curse did he use? Were they killed together? Were there other people there too?"
They began to walk again.
"He's read the book. They all have. The Death Eaters I mean. They never leave a family together. Nor do they ever kill them all at the same time. Dad was in the basement, dead at 11:15. Mum was in the upstairs closet, dead at 11:21."
"Oh," James said in a barely audible voice, obviously embarrassed by what he had done. "Mine were –"
"I know," Lily interrupted quickly. "I already know. Don't talk about it if you don't want to. I know how much it hurts."
They came to a stop. The sun was only a few minuets away from setting completely over the mountains on the horizon.
Exactly 3 minuets and 32 seconds since they started walking.
"I guess my parents – both of our parents – are in better places now. With God, I guess." There seemed to be question in his voice.
Lily's eyes rolled and her voice became slightly harsh. "Please James. Do not drag God into this conversation."
"Sorry. What grudge do you have against God?"
"It –" she gulped and caught her breath. "It's not a grudge. I just don't believe in organized religion."
"Why not?"
"You'll get to a point in the book where you'll doubt your faith too. Believe me that."
Tense silence. 27 seconds.
"It's a wonderful book," James said. "I almost hate to admit it."
"It is great. Amy gave it to me for my 12th birthday. Clarissa Robin is a genius."
"Yeah, I guess she is. But can you please explain to be what she means by everyone's world ends. Is there anyway to know when my world will end?"
She grabbed his hand and looked into it. Then she looked deep into his eyes.
"The world will end 6 years, 11 months, 2 days, 4 hours, and 53 minutes."
"Really?" She nodded. "When will yours end?"
She closed her eyes. "6 years, 11 months, 2 days, 4 hours, and 57 minutes."
"Oh."
Silence. It was one of those things you shouldn't discuss.
"I'm glad I scared you before in the hall, Lily."
She turned and looked at him funny. "Why is that?"
"If I didn't we would have never had this conversation."
She smiled at him a true, genuine smile. One that James was sure he would never forget. Not for the rest of his life.
The sun quickly disappeared over the mountains. Darkness was coming quickly.
"I guess we should get back soon," said Lily when she, 15 seconds later, pulled her eyes away from the horizon.
James nodded. "Uh… here's your book back."
She looked at it hard. "Borrow it." She looked up at him. "It would be horrible to start it and never finish. Just remember to give it back."
"Of course."
Slowly the two teenagers made there way back to the castle. A silent bond now formed between them.
3 3 3 3 3 3
6 Years, 11 Months, 2 Days, 4 Hours, and 48 Minutes Later
(The 31st Day of October)
Dear Clarissa Robin,
Once again I have reached the end of your book and there are so many questions that I need to ask you. Sometimes I am afraid of what you might tell me. Sometimes I am afraid this book of yours is not a work of fiction. I can only hope that the answers will come to me in my sleep.
My wife and I have come to realize through your book that our worlds will end soon. Not at the same point in time either, but four minutes apart, because every creature on this earth dies alone. I have come to except this.
I only hope that in 5 minutes my last breath will be that of relief, because there will be so much to look forward to.
Thank you,
James Potter