So, it's been a bit frazzling trying to make this chapter work. However, this funeral is an EXACT replica of a real one it's based after. So, this is a bit personal. But I write what I know. So here it is.
-irishphoenix615

Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to Bryan Barnes, the former most amazing person alive, for giving me the strength to write about his funeral, even if he couldn't possibly help me with it.

The two days she'd spent at Potter Manor were some of the best days Lily could remember in the past few months. Everyone was so light and joking, almost as if trying to make up for what was to come. Of course, Lily wasn't fooled; Remus and Miranda had been the ones to do most of the joking. She knew that both were secretly dying inside, barely containing all of the pain. She herself felt the wounds ache every time she glanced their way.

However, this particular morning was not going to be filled with any fluff. As Lily donned her black dress robes, she fought the urge to cry.

That morning, she would be burying Annetalia Meilani.

Someone knocked on the bathroom door. Judging by the sniffling, Lily guessed it was Miranda. And the second she opened the door, the tiny blonde fell on her, crying.

"I can't believe it, Lily," she sobbed into Lily's shirt. The calm redhead just simply wrapped her arms around her comfortingly. "I still expect her to be in the next bed when I wake up. And now it just seems so much more real."

"It's okay," Lily murmured while gently rocking the distraught witch. "Come on, Miranda, Anne wouldn't have wanted tears. It'll be okay. We'll get through this."

Miranda stared openly at her, disbelief and reverence on her face. "How do you do it?" she wondered aloud. "How can you be so strong?"

Lily's voice cracked. "Practice." she whispered. Miranda nodded, understanding dawning on her face. Alex poked her head in.

"Time to go," she said gently, taking in Miranda's tear-stained face. "We'll be waiting."

Lily pushed Miranda's hair back and gently tapped her cheek with her wand. Miranda's makeup righted itself instantly.

"Y'know, Lil," she said conversationally as the two strolled down the stairs, "I never would've picked you for a winner at household spells." Lily's laughter, bubbly and cautious, was swallowed up as soon as she got into the black limousine.

She had to admit, to herself only, so as not to start a new wave of hysterics from Miranda, that the site they'd chosen to conduct the burial was beyond gorgeous for the middle of November. There were beautiful daffodils all over the place, mixed with violets and roses. When I die, she made a mental note, I want to be buried here.

They had chosen to forego the typical church ceremony for burials, because Anne had never stepped foot in one, so it would be a tad pointless. Besides, Anne had always said she wanted a beautiful backdrop for her funeral. She just hadn't expected it to be so soon in her life.

Shaking, Miranda (the person chosen to deliver the speech) stood and slowly made her way up to the podium with all eyes on her. She cleared her throat loudly, trying so hard not to look Anne's parents or cousin in the eye.

"Anne was," she began, "a remarkable witch, an incredible person, and an outstanding friend.

"She was talented beyond belief when it came to magic. Indeed, she was the last living witch who could read and speak the Olde Language. She was absolutely brilliant, second only to Lily. But then again, that's not saying much, since Lily might as well have swallowed every textbook." A small ripple of laughter wound through the congregation; a small smile tugged at Miranda's lips as her confidence grew a tad. "Anne was a very talented Metamorphmagus, something I was, on occasion, jealous of. But not for very long, because I realized that being upset about a friend's gift when I had one of my own was just plain selfish.

"Anne would help anyone…" But Lily couldn't pay attention anymore. Her head pounded; her eyes went blurry; her ears rang. No, not now, not here! she begged silently. She could feel James, who was seated next to her and gently squeezing her hand, tighten his grip. But then her vision cleared, her ears stopped ringing, and Lily saw –

A beautiful, dark-haired man raced through the forest, evidently focused on some distant destination.

He had pale, icy skin, and deep scarlet eyes, though she couldn't see anything past his cheekbones. There was something alluring about him, something that drew her in and made her want to just be with him, made her think that anywhere he was, she would be happy.

She knew, although she couldn't explain exactly how, that this man's name was Vladimir.

"Lily," James hissed in her ear, bringing her back to reality with a very unpleasant bump. Judging by the movement around her, she had accidentally missed the rest of Miranda's speech. "Lily, are you okay?" he whispered, more urgently this time. Lily forced herself to nod so as not to constitute more panic. "Do you need anything? To lie down, or-"

"Water," she croaked. He was offering her a bottle in an instant. "Thank you." She gulped down half of the bottle, ignoring the stabbing pains in her head. Alex was at her side in an instant.

"Lils, come on," she tugged the shaky girl up, causing her to stumble, "you need air."

"No," Lily managed to say through her dizzy fog. "I want to stay with him. Go tell S-Sirius that we need to talk, the four of us." Alex nodded and hurried off to Sirius while Lily continued to gulp down the water.

"Lil, you scared me," James whispered into her hair, drawing her to him tightly. She closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she said shakily, gingerly pressing her palms against her head. He kissed her hands gently, making her smile. "I won't do it again."

"Damn right you won't." He helped her stand. "They're about to lower the casket. Come on, you don't want to see this." Lily allowed herself to be carried, bridal style, back to the car.

"Thank you, James," she whispered hoarsely. They both knew that she wouldn't have made it to the limo on her own. He merely shrugged.

"What are you going to tell Miranda? She noticed…"

Lily's head swam again, and for one terrible moment, she thought she was having another vision. But it was just an aftershock of dizziness. "Dehydration. She'll believe it." She felt a little bad for lying to Miranda on the day of Anne's funeral, but she guessed that it would be better than telling her that she had a premonition during what Lily was sure would've been a fantastic speech. "It's so cold out here!"

James looked at her in fear before shrugging off his cloak and handing it to her. "What happened back there, Lily?" She could tell by his tone he'd been dying to ask her. She winced. Bad choice of words, Lily. "You got all stiff, and you were burning up, but breaking out in a cold sweat…" She sighed, knowing that he deserved a truthful answer. But still, it was somewhat terrifying. Some witches and wizards didn't accept Seers because they were so different, and she really didn't want James to be one of those wizards. His muscles tensed as she rested against him, causing her to glance up at him in fear.

He laughed a little and pointed. "It's just Padfoot and Alex, Lils. Relax." She poked him; playfully jabbing a finger in his ribs.

"Don't scare me like that!"

"Hey, lovebirds, focus!" For once, Lily was thankful for Alex's strong need to take charge. "Lil, what did you-"

"First, um," Lily began, Sirius' and James' eyes boring holes into her forehead. "I'm kinda, um, well, I can sometimes have, uh…" She shot a look at Alex, vivid green eyes pleading. Alex rolled her own astounding eyes and finished for her.

"Lily's a Seer," she said, watching with amusement as Sirius' eyes popped wide open and James' jaw dropped in shock.

Lily smiled at Alex, grateful that she was able to say what Lily herself couldn't spit out. "And back there, I saw this… guy. He was… I don't know, mysterious. Gave off a serious bad boy vibe. His name was Vladimir."

"Vladimir?" James asked, surprising the other three with the jealous in his voice. Lily just laughed at him.

"Yeah. There was something so alluring about him…" James' face was so red, he was literally emitting heat. "He had red eyes."

"Oh!" James' face returned to normal. Sirius was the one to laugh this time. "That explains things. You were Seeing a vampire," he explained to Alex's and Lily's confused faces.

"A vampire?!" Alex nearly yelled. James looked at her in surprise. "You're glad she saw a vampire?!" James blushed again.

"Just because-"

Alex was swelling like a balloon, getting the picture without him having to say anything. "You were just grateful she wasn't dreaming about some other guy! Some human guy she just might like! You selfish prat! You-!" Lily's sharp jab to the ribs stopped Alex's tirade.

There were strange sounds coming from the other side of the car. Excited, eager sounds. Lily glanced at the others and pulled out her wand, jumping around the edge of the car to confront whatever evil was waiting for them next. What she didn't expect to find, however, was Remus and Miranda, clutching at each other, glued at the mouth. So, Lily did what every normal teenage girl would do in this situation.

She screamed bloody murder.

So, chapter 26? I really like this for some reason. Thank you for allowing me to work through my emotional shit by writing about Anne's death.
And! The plan is to have this (Part One) wrapped up in the next four chapters.
What's to come (in no particular order):
1. The First Task
2. Lily and James' talk
3. A meeting with Dumbledore
4. And much, much more!
(I couldn't put anything else without giving away a lot of plot)

So, thank you for bearing with me.
It means a lot.
-irishphoenix615

Thanks To My Reviewers (There Were So Many!!):
Chels: I hope this chapter was good too. Thank you for the review!
Flying Fawkes815: (review one) He is indeed a softy. I hate how everyone makes him such a womanizing slut. Granted, he probably was, but still. He's not completely coldhearted. Thanks for the review!
LilyHeartsMarauders: (both reviews) She was, but I wasn't completely convinced she had been when I came up with this idea, so I just stuck her in Ravenclaw. Plus, I liked that House better. And yes, James was a Chaser, but I also overlooked that detail too. Thanks for the review!
Blue-Eyed Chica: It means a lot to me when people say they love what I write. They are, but not yet. They still have to talk first. Thanks for the review!
Brianna24: It was a bit slow, and very short. Not at all what I wanted. But I couldn't think of another bridge chapter, so I just settled. I hope it won't happen again. Thanks for the review!
Flying Fawkes815: (second review) That dream sequence has been almost a year in the making. I finally settled on a version I liked. Thanks for the review!
Flying Fawkes815: (third review) They went for Anne's funeral, for reasons explained in a few chapters. I love reading your reviews, they really make me smile. Thanks for ALL of your reviews, and your continued support!

Oh wow, that was a lot. You all mean a lot to me. Thank you so much. (I'm feeling a bit emotional at the moment, but thank you for putting up with it!)