That Smile
By Teary Loser
Disclaimer: It sucks, but no. I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, I would not be on fanfiction. But living somewhere in Venice.
Note: Hello. I know. Less than 24-hours to update. :D I hope you like this chapter. There will be more updates soon so please don't give up on me.
Chapter 9: Stubborn for a Goodbye
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Tammie. Isn't it a nickname?"
"Yes."
"So what's it short for? What's your real name?"
"My real name is Leslie."
Sirius stared at her. "Are you serious?"
"No, Leslie."
Sirius rolled his eyes, "Where did Tammie come from?"
Tammie shrugged, "I dunno."
Sirius continued to stare at her with a confused face when Peter walked in, "Hey, Wormtail, guess what?"
"What?" Peter asked as he sat down.
"Tammie's real name is Leslie."
Peter nodded, "Yeah, I know."
"What?" Sirius looked at him, "how?"
"First year, when she was called to the sorting hat, McGonagall said Carter, Leslie."
"Oh," Sirius said, "I wasn't paying attention."
Peter gave a yeah-I-know look. "Are you going home?" he asked.
Sirius looked at him, "You think?"
"Huh?"
"I meant no."
"Oh… okay. I'm going home, and probably go to Italy with my parents."
"Cool." Sirius said, "I'll be staying at Prongs house… and go to the funeral and stuff."
"What funeral?" Tammie asked.
"Mr and Mrs Potter died," Peter said, looking down.
"Oh my goodness… when did you find out?"
"This morning," Peter said. "Prongs was really upset."
"Of course he'll be upset." Tammie said. "They were his parents."
All three of them sat in silence until Remus came back from the prefects compartment and sat down.
"It's the last trip home," he said quietly.
Back in prefect compartment, Lily and James sat down. They weren't sure when they would go to sit with their friends, they weren't very sure about what to do once the train stopped at Kings Cross Station. They didn't feel sure of anything.
"Lily, would you like to stay at my house for a while?" James asked, "and come to the funeral and all?"
She nodded, and looked into his eyes, and hugged him again, "James, I love you."
He kissed her on the top of her head, "I love you."
Lily hugged him tighter, every time he said that it was like he was saying it for the first time. There was something noticeable in his voice when he said it every time, it sounded sincere, truthful and open. There was also a glint of nervousness and edginess about it; like he was afraid she would run away if he said it too many or not enough times.
"I want you to know how much I mean that, Lily," he said, looking in her eyes, and his hands on her shoulders.
"I think I do, James," she said, "this year with you was wonderful," they both went out the door, looking for the compartment their friends were in, "and I'm really looking forward to spending more time with you out of school."
James nodded as they found the compartment, and looked at all their friends sitting together and joined them.
"Um… how are you two?" Sirius asked.
"Fine," Lily and James said.
All six of them sat in the compartment, eating, playing exploding snap, or just talking. Sirius and Tammie sat together in one part of the compartment, "Well, I was thinking of looking for my mum." Tammie said.
"But she walked out on you," Sirius said, "why do you want to look for her?"
"To find out why she left." Tammie said simply, "I thought it over a million times and I've made up my mind."
"So how are you going to look for her?" Sirius asked.
"Well, she's a muggle so she's hard to track down, so I'll just go through some records and things. She's somewhere north of London, so I'll be staying there."
"You're staying there? Meaning you're not staying with us?" Sirius asked. "What if something bad happens? Let me come with you."
"I want to do this by myself." She replied, "I'll be transporting like a muggle, living without magic."
"Why?" Sirius said.
"Because it's just what I want to do."
Sirius opened his mouth to say something, but changed his mind.
Lily's head was on James' shoulder reading a book as James looked out the window. He thought about first year, when he saw Lily for the first time at the station.
"Look, it's Snape." Sirius said, pointing at Severus who just disappeared between Platform 9 and 10.
"Ugh, gross. I can't believe we're going to the same school as him," James said, pushing his new glasses further up his nose.
"It's sick, let me tell you that," Sirius said, "but imagine how much pranks and hexes we can do on him. No parents."
They looked at each other and grinned. They pushed they're trolleys towards the platforms when a girl caught James' eye.
"Sirius, look at that girl."
"Which girl?"
"The red-head."
"I haven't seen her before, she's probably a muggle-born," he said.
"She's pretty." James said.
Sirius shrugged, "I guess, but she's not really my type."
"I don't know if I have a type, but if I did, it's all her."
"Ask her out then, sheesh."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"She'll reject me." James said, "plus, someone like her has probably got a boyfriend."
"She's probably eleven like us," Sirius said. "So she probably doesn't."
The girl was looking around nervously, looking down at her ticket. She was looking around for help, and she spotted Sirius and James.
"Um, excuse me, but you're going to Hogwarts aren't you?" she asked.
"Yeah," Sirius said, James just stared, "Do you need help going through the platform?"
Lily nodded, "Yes, please."
"It's cake," Sirius said, you know platform nine and ten? You just go right towards the barrier. You'll go right through."
"How do I know I won't crash?"
"You won't."
"But how do I know?"
"You just won't."
Lily looked at James, who was staring right back at her, "Um… okay. But you have to go first."
Sirius rolled his eyes, "Fine." He ran with his trolley through the barrier and he disappeared.
Lily stared at the place he went through and took a nervous breath. She looked at James. "Um… hi."
"Hi," James said, "I'm James Potter."
"I'm Lily." She smiled at him, and took her trolley and went through the barrier.
"Lily." James whispered.
James smiled as he had Lily on his shoulder. He liked her before he even knew her name.
-
The train stopped at Kings Cross, and Sirius, Peter, Tammie, Remus, James and Lily stepped out of the train and into the station.
They got their trunks and stood in a circle, "I'll be on my way after this," Tammie said.
Sirius rolled his eyes, "You're ditching us, just say it."
"I'm not ditching anyone," Tammie snapped, "I'm looking for my mum and I'll be back once I do."
Everyone nodded, except for Sirius, "Bye Tammie."
She grinned at all of them, "Thank you all so much," she said and she took her trunk and went towards the exit.
Lily looked at James, "Wait."
Tammie was about to walk out when Lily stopped her to give her a hug, "Tammie, whatever happens, just know I love you, okay?"
Tammie nodded, "Thanks, Lily. For everything."
Lily gave her a smile, "You're my bestfriend, Tammie. I couldn't survive these past seven years without you."
A tear rolled down Tammie's cheek as she hugged Lily again.
Sirius looked at them, and rolled his eyes, "Girls."
James grinned. Lily came back. "C'mon, let's go."
They went through the exit, looking around at the muggles around them. "Mum!" Peter exclaimed, and looked back at them, "I'll see you guys later," and waved goodbye.
Remus' father walked up to them, smiled and he and Remus walked away, with Remus waving goodbye.
"So, it's my house?" James asked.
Sirius and Lily nodded.
"So did you kiss Tammie goodbye, Padfoot?" James asked, as they all stood together.
Sirius shook his head, "I was too stubborn to give her a proper goodbye."
He looked towards the road, seeing Tammie walk away.
"Are you ready?" James asked getting ready to apparate.
Tammie was walking across the road… before a truck was coming.
"TAMMIE!" Sirius yelled, running.
Tammie turned around and looked at him.
James and Lily looked at what was happening; it was all happening too quickly. Sirius was running, the truck was coming and Tammie was standing there. Why wasn't she moving?
"MOVE!" Sirius yelled.
Lily gasped, James held onto her. Sirius stopped running. He puffed, tired from running. His breathing was low, he felt his heart pounding in his chest. Why was he still breathing? Why was he still alive? While, Tammie, however...
"James..." Lily said, tears rolling down her eyes, "Tell me it's not true..."
It was all too late.
