AN: Hello again!

Alright, we're already getting towards the end of this thing so I'm already going to start planning the epilogue, and YOU get to decide what happens! PM or REVIEW with either: A-James's marriage proposal and wedding, B-the last few moments before their death, C-both A and B, or D-no epilogue. I'm also open to any other suggestions not mentioned above, additions or elaborations! Just let me know! Thanks for your help!

Thanks to my reviewers: MayFairy, DayDreaming0f y0u, percysis16, tresamigas, and rolfshuvakomail, Roseflower94, summerfull21, FairoNeko, and .andLily! Where are the rest of you? I know you're there!

Red

Chapter 24

I found myself standing outside Dumbledore's office, once again, waiting nervously for him to open the door. He soon opened it, and invited me inside.

"Do sit down. I have a few things I would like to say."

"Thank you, Professor."

"Your parents' funeral is this weekend. Would you like to go?"

"Yes," I told him decidedly.

"I would have a portkey available to take you there and back. Seeing as it can be very dangerous outside of these walls these days, I would suggest bringing someone from Hogwarts with you."

"Of course."

"Finally, we have a lead on where the three are hiding. The ministry is going to send out some aurors as soon as we are sure where they are."

I forced a smile. "That's great," I said weakly.

He paused, and looked at me intently. "Miss Evans, are you holding up alright?"

"Yes, thank you," I lied, trying to sound as polite as possible.

"I'm glad to hear it. Losing loved ones is one of the hardest things to go through in life."

I nodded.

"I'll let you go, I'm sure you have much studying to do with NEWTS approaching."

"Yes, professor. Thank you."

XXX

"Brittani, would you be able to do me a favor?" I asked her, as we sat in the library.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"I wanted to go to my parents funeral, and Dumbledore wanted me to go with someone because it's not the safest place out there and…"

"Of course! When is it?"

"This weekend."

Brittani cringed. "Shoot. Shoot shoot shoot. I have this huge family reunion this weekend, and it carries through Easter break the next week and I can't get out of it because I'll be in charge of all my brothers and…Merlin, I'm so sorry."

"No, its fine; I'll just ask one of the boys."

"Ask Sirius," she advised. "I'm sure he'd go with you."

"No, you should take home to meet your parents," I insisted with a grin.

Brittani grinned. "I will. We're really getting serious, and they've been quite anxious to meet him. Remus, Pete or James then; either would go with you."

I smiled a little. "Yeah. I'll ask one of them." By one of them, I meant James. I hadn't told Brittani about my feelings for him yet, although I had a feeling that maybe it was a little more than a short infatuation. I still didn't want to tell her yet, until I was completely sure.

"One of who?" a voice asked from behind me. Turning around, I saw that is was none other than the man who was currently occupying my thoughts.

"Uh," I articulated eloquently.

"One of you four," Brittani covered for me, even slapping a smile on her face for the full effect.

"Oh really? Just talking about how amazing we are, eh?" He asked, sliding into a chair next to me. I felt his pant leg brush my knee as he sat down.

"Of course," Brittani grinned.

"Actually," I began, trying to summon my courage. "My parents funeral is this weekend, and he suggested that seeing as things are as dangerous as they are, I go with someone. Would you mind going with me?"

"Yeah—I mean, no I wouldn't mind. Yes," he laughed, running a hand through his hair.

I smiled gratefully. "Thanks, James."

"Don't mention it," he replied.

I saw Brittani smirk widely at me, looking back and forth between James and me. She raised a knowing eyebrow, and I looked down uncomfortably, silently praying that I wasn't blushing—although I probably was.

"Wellp, I have practice to get to, so you two have, er, fun!" Brittani bubbled, and hurriedly swept her things up and started to rush out of the library.

"We don't have practice until six!" James yelled after her.

"Oh! Right! Well, I still have to—Sirius, you know, just wanted to—okay bye!" she cried as she dashed out of the room. James chuckled.

"Are you sure you don't mind going with me this weekend?" I asked him, feeling guilty for taking away his holiday.

He grinned reassuringly. "Positive."

XXX

The next weekend passed swiftly, full of the usual quizzes and exams. The professors seemed to realize that we only had a bit of the year left until we were out, and were cramming material in as quickly as they could. We had an Order meeting, which James and Remus mostly took control of. They mostly talked about what would happen to the Order once we graduated (Dumbledore would spread it to the older generations that had graduated previously and include us as well, and we were going to hand pick some sixth years to take over at Hogwarts), what had happened to my parents, and explained the reason for Severus's absence. I considered leaving when the subject of my parents' deaths came up; I felt tears start to prick at the corners of my eyes. But when they brought up my childhood friend I left. Remus gave me a worried look as I quietly slipped out the door, and I forced back a reassuring smile.

Saturday finally came, the day of the funeral. I felt a little queasy, and seeing the multiple photos of my parents scattered around my dorm didn't help. I dressed in a simple black dress, that was fitted but not too tight, conservative but still fashionable, and added a necklace and black heels. I curled my hair into loose waves with my wand, and applied a little bit of makeup. Satisfied with my appearance, I walked into our common room to wait for James.

He was already there, sitting on the edge of the loveseat with his head resting in his hands. I tentatively walked over in front of him. He quickly jumped up, and looked at me up and down slowly until his eyes jumped to my face guiltily. I could've sworn that his cheeks were tinted pink.

"You look great," he said somewhat breathlessly.

I smiled. "Thanks, you do too." He really did, with his muggle dress pants shirt, and jacket. It looked like he had even tried to tame his usually wild black locks.

"Dumbledore dropped this off earlier, he said that we can return it to him when we get back," James said, pointing to an old butterbeer bottle that I assumed was the portkey. "You ready?" he asked. I nodded shakily, and raised a timid hand to touch it just as he did. When my fingers contacted the cool glass, I felt the ground slip out from underneath and went through a series of strange feelings as we travelled. My feet contacted solid ground rather roughly, and I instinctively grabbed onto James for support.

"Sorry," I muttered, releasing his arm almost as quickly as I had grabbed it. He grinned reassuringly at me, and we headed towards the church where the service would be at before the burial at the neighboring cemetery. We had apparated to a dark, barren alley that was a few blocks away from the church. We walked along together, my stomach churning again. It would be open casket, and the thought of seeing my parents…dead…really scared me. But I decided that after the funeral, I would leave this all behind and not mourn and mope any longer. As much as I didn't want to see them, I knew it would bring closure to this whole ordeal.

James seemed to notice that I was very tense, and offered me a smile. "Don't worry. I'll be right here with you."

I wrapped an arm around him in a grateful hug, and only reluctantly removed it when we reached the church doors. He pushed them open and let me in graciously.

My eyes scanned the room, taking in all the familiar faces of family friends, relatives, and my parents colleagues. They, being muggles, were under the impression that my parents had been killed in a car crash, not really knowing the truth. Most of them greeted me, and I introduced James as my friend from school. Some of the women raised speculative eyebrows, but I quickly stifled their suspicions with a small shake of the head. They didn't look too convinced. I got a very cold hello from Petunia, and nothing more. She attended to everyone there with icy civility, all the while holding onto her boyfriend Vernon's arm with her nose stuck up in the air. James eyed her with great distasted, and after she had come over to us for a few brief seconds, I sensed his anger.

"Who does she think she is! You're her sister and all she has to say is a—"

"James," I hissed. "It's fine. Really."

He gave me a look that expressed that he believed it was all but fine, but said no more on the subject nonetheless.

The service started shortly after. The pastor was one of my father's closest friends, and I was glad that it wasn't a cold, insincere stranger. The words he delivered were true and touching, and I could feel tears start to run down my face again as he delved into their lives. James was listening with interest beside me. The visitation started afterwards. I was too far away, at first, too see the casket. But surrounding it I could see pictures, flowers, and a book where people were writing their memories and reflections. I felt my feet begin to move, without command, towards my mum's casket. I stopped abruptly upon seeing its contents.

My mum was lying there, clothed in her favorite dress and string of pearls. Her hair was done up and her makeup carefully applied. They had closed her eyelids, and for that I was grateful, for I knew that if they hadn't I would have completely broken down. Instead only a few salty tears slipped down my face.

I felt very alone, all of a sudden. Very alone. Like they had just left me to wander around this world on my own, face my trials by myself, and celebrate my successes solitarily.

That was, until I felt someone walk up beside me and put their arm around my waist. I didn't need to look to know that it was James.

I stood there for a few more moments, relishing the last few moments with my mother, knowing that this was the last time I would ever see her, until heading over to my father's casket. James was still supportively at my side.

AN: So I know that realistically, there wouldn't be an open casket if her parents hadn't died in a car crash because the body would be so…mangled. But I wanted their deaths to seem so innocent, without murder or suicide, so the family and friends wouldn't suspect a thing. So sorry about the stretch there.