CHAPTER TWO – FAMILY AND FRIENDS

"Is she okay?"

"She is. She's just fainted."

"I knew she would take this news badly."

"We all have."

Lily could hear people talking around her suddenly. She opened her eyes groggily and saw her mum's fiery hair hovering over her. "Mum? What happened?"

"Lily dear, everything's alright. You just fainted."

And suddenly, she remembered it. The reason she fainted. Her dad is…dead. She paled all of a sudden.

"Where is he?" she asked as tears started flowing freely from her hazel eyes. "Where's dad?"

Her mum opened her mouth to answer but couldn't bring herself to say it so James replied instead. "He's body is at the ministry," her eldest brother told her in a voice which made her feel sick. James was always cheerful and it was a rare occasion in which you would hear grief in his voice. And this was far more than grief. It was agony. Just like what she was feeling right now. "They were examining it for any signs of his…" But he couldn't make himself continue. Everyone knew what he was going to say though. They were examining it for any signs of his…death.

Suddenly, Lily's temper rose. "WHY?" she asked angrily, wiping away the anguish tears. "THEY DON'T HAVE TO PLAY WITH MY FATHER'S BODY! CAN'T THEY GIVE HIM SOME RESPECT?"

She couldn't bare it all and so she turned around and left the room. Ivory followed her. She couldn't let her best friend do something stupid because of her emotions. She needed someone to help her and she was always there for her, no matter what.

They were inside the drawing room and Lily sat herself on the floor and started crying. Ivory approached her carefully, knowing that she might burst out again any minute now. "Lils," she said softly, sitting beside her and putting an arm on her shoulder. Lily leaned her head on her best friend and started crying her heart out. "Don't worry. I'm here for you. We all are. Just let out all your emotions."

"T-Thanks," she sniffed. "I just…couldn't b-believe it, Ivory. My d-dad…he's the strongest, bravest person I've ever known. I don't know h-how we could live without him." She sobbed again before continuing. "And I'm going to regret every single day I've spent without him this summer," she added remorsefully.

"Shush," Ivory whispered in her ear. "You know, if I was your dad and I was already in Heaven, I would get lonely if I see my family, especially my only daughter, like that."

"I know but –"

"No buts. Don't blame yourself for something you have done and something you haven't done. You weren't the reason for what happened to him. You know my dad died when I was ten and I was left to his sister, Aunt Penelope. I know it's hard but I learned that you shouldn't keep blaming yourself and you should just treasure the good memories you have with him."

"I will," she said after a moment and erased the last remnants of tears from her face. "But it might take a while." She pulled her head from her best friend's shoulder and stood up. "Come on. I guess my family needs me right now."

The next days have been the worst of Lily's life. She couldn't even go out of the house because every time she did, people she didn't know would start asking her questions about her father. It was all infuriating. Even Albus, who was the most patient of all the Potter siblings, burst out one evening that he looked even more dangerous than Lily.

Their cousins sometimes popped in and out of the house to give them their condolences and have someone to talk to. Albus talked mostly to Rose and Hugo while James always had Louis and Lucy to talk to him. Lily would've liked to talk to Victoire but someone needs her more right now – Teddy. Teddy was suffering just as bad as all of them. Harry Potter was the father he has ever known even if he was truly just his godfather. It pained him that, like his real father Remus Lupin, his godfather's dead. All they could see of him now was a glum boy with mousy hair and black eyes reflecting his feelings in being a down Metamorphmagus. He always wore light blue hair and blue eyes and the difference was more than noticeable.

So, Ivory was the only one Lily had. She didn't leave her side ever since the news. She even slept in Lily's room instead of the guest room she always occupied just so Lily has company at night. Her trunk was brought by his Aunt Penelope and it was now slumped on the corner of her best friend's room.

"Lily," her mum told her patiently one afternoon. "You've got visitors."

"Who?" she asked dryly. She honestly didn't want to deal with people other than family and friends right now.

"Beth, Aimee, and Chris."

"Oh. Where are they?"

"They're in the kitchen. They arrived by Floo."

"Okay. I'll go to them," I told my mother and yelled, "IVORY! Our friends are here" She was upstairs getting something.

"COMING!" she bellowed back and after a few seconds, she was there in front of her and they both went to the kitchen to meet their friends. Well, the two girls were their friends and Chris was Lily's boy friend. She hasn't expected him to come here and was afraid because she was going to do something drastic to him.

"Hello," she greeted them not-so-enthusiastically as she and Ivory entered the kitchen.

"Hey guys," Ivory said to them with a small smile.

Beth and Aimee rushed to hug the two of them and Chris hovered there uncertainly. After the girls finished, he said, "Hi Lils."

"Hi." She sighed. "Listen Chris, can I talk to you for a minute? Alone."

He nodded, walked towards her and grabbed her hand as she led him out of hearing range.

"I know this must all be hard for you," Chris said to her when she closed the door of the drawing room. He leaned forward to give her a kiss on the lips but she tilted her head and sighed.

"Listen Chris, I'm sorry but…I can't have this relationship anymore," she said straightforwardly. "I'm breaking up with you." She removed her hand from Chris' grip and said, "Sorry."

"Is this because your father died?" he asked, not quite containing the anger in his voice.

Suddenly, Lily was furious. "Damn it, will you SHUT UP!" she fumed, glaring daggers at his ex. "I've been planning to do this all summer and you happened to show up and I've got the perfect opportunity to tell it! I don't actually have feelings for you! And don't tell me you love me because I know that's rubbish!"

"What? What's the matter with you?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Don't tell me you actually had real feelings for me! I always knew you like the idea of me because of my NAME!" she spat. "Because I'm a Potter! Oh, but you pointed out to my face that my dad – HARRY POTTER – is dead so why don't you leave me alone now? After all, he's the reason you ever asked me out in the first place!"

"So you're telling me I'm playing games on you?" he asked furiously but with a slight hint of guilt in his voice that Lily didn't fail to notice.

"Oh, yes I am," she spat. "Haven't you heard me? Are you deaf?" She took a deep breath and sighed. "Please, Chris," she said in a softer voice. "I don't want to argue with you right now so please, go back to your own house and don't come here again."

"If you wish," he muttered in defeat. "I'm sorry for playing games on you. I didn't mean to do that," he admitted and apparated with a crack. He's of age already, after all.

Lily sighed and went back to the kitchen. "Hey guys," she said exhaustedly. "I broke up with Chris."

"It's alright Lils," Beth said. "You've got more things to handle now."

"Yeah," Aimee conceded. "When and where is the funeral, by the way?"

Lily sighed. She tried not to think about it but knew she couldn't avoid it forever. "Tomorrow at the Burrow," she answered. She has no idea what to expect tomorrow.

Lily couldn't bare herself get up from her bed on the day of the funeral but Ivory helped her up. "Lily, you would regret it if you didn't see him one last time," Ivory said. She was already wearing a black robe for the funeral but Lily was still in her pajamas.

She sighed. "I know but –"

"Please Lily, do as I say."

She nodded in defeat. "Just promise you'll be there for me."

"Of course I will. What are best mates for?" Ivory said with a small smile. Lily returned it with a strained smile. It felt odd for her to smile when it was her dad's funeral. "Now go get dressed. I'll wait for you outside.

"Okay."

She then changed into her own black robes, not unlike the school robes but more elegant in a way. She washed her face, combed her wavy auburn hair and let it flow freely on her face. Her hazel eyes weren't puffy but worse. They were dead. They didn't have the usual sparkle it has when she's cheerful or the dangerous glint it contains when she's furious. It looked expressionless. She didn't want to cry again today because it seemed easier this way.

She opened her door and said, "I'm ready," to her best friend.

So? What do you think of the first two chapters? Shall I continue or not?

I'm not sure whether I ought to continue this since I'm writing another L/S fic but I thought of giving it a try...

Thanks for reading. Please do review! I honestly am not sure to continue writing if I didn't have some feedback...But if I have, I would make sure to make some fat new chapters instead of short ones! :)

REVIEW!