Chapter 35

The next month was more a blur than anything else for Lily. She remained in the hospital wing of the school for three days before Madam Pomfrey released her. She hadn't realised but there was a lot to be done in a very short amount of time.

Everyday for the next month there was a funeral that she had to attend. She sat through the services held for Robbie Clarkson and Tabby Carter. She was there for the funeral of Janine O'Sullivan and Jason O'Reilly. She said goodbye to Simon Harper and with Sirius at her side attended the joint funeral of Janet O'Neill and her husband John Jones.

That funeral had been hard to sit through what with the fact Jones was a Puddlemere player just like Sirius. It didn't get any easier with the funerals of Kathleen Walters, Paul Pratt or Todd Pipes. Lily sat in the pews with James as Sirius stood up to give speeches.

Then following that were the funerals for the Arrow players. She found herself sat with Gideon as they said goodbye to the players she had become so use to seeing at games and in social events. Zack Thomas was the first they said goodbye to followed by Jack Shadow. The team did have a small amount of joy felt though when Bobby Hardwick pulled through although he would never fly again.

The next funeral was for Holly and Clint. Lily had sat in the pew with the Harpies team, which was now reduced to Emma, Kat and a grieving Delia. She had sat in tears as she remembered all the times she had spent with the pair. What their wedding had been like and just the amount of laughs they had shared.

The next of the Harpies to be buried was Sian. Again Lily was with the girls as they remembered all the good times Sian had provided them with. Lily even went up and said a few things. The next funeral had been tough with them having to bury Stuart. Lily had sat in the pews holding his son Jacob while Delia cried her eyes out. Then they had had to say goodbye to Amanda who although being the new girl had fitted in so well.

The hardest funerals for Lily though were the last ones. The two that she herself had organised. Ryan and Lyn had no family. Ryan's family had been killed in the November by Death Eaters and Lyn's mum had died when she was a child and her father had followed when they were in their fifth year of Hogwarts.

Ryan's funeral was a day earlier than Lyn's and as the day progressed Lily found it difficult. His remaining team mates spoke in the ceremony and carried the coffin out to the ground. That night Lily had laid in bed tears flowing down her cheeks.

The morning came too early for her. Turning she whacked the alarm clock to stop it beeping. Slowly she flung her legs from under the covers and looked at the date on the calendar. Eighteenth February. It was circled in a red circle and inside were two sentences, Lyn's birthday, Lyn's funeral.

Lily stood up and moved to her wardrobe. She pulled out a plain black dress. Looking inside it seemed that black was now the only colour she had, she had been wearing it for so long. She slipped into the dress as she pushed the flat shoes on her feet.

It was only just past nine o'clock but she knew she was home on her own. She didn't care though. Slowly she made her way down the stairs. It was difficult what with the fact she had just reached the seven month mark of her pregnancy a few days earlier.

As she got to the living room a small squeak left her lips. Inside sat the coffin of her best friend. She had forgotten that it was going to be brought to her house after all Ryan's had gone to a team mates.

All thought of breakfast left her as she stood in the doorway looking at it. She couldn't move. It seemed small, should it really be that small? A pop sounded through the silent house but still she didn't take her eyes from the box.

"Lily, Merlin what's that doing here?"

She finally broke contact with it to look at Sirius who was stood there looking at her.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to get you; you were suppose to be at our place twenty minutes ago. James is going frantic he can't get his suit to sit properly so I said I'd get you. But what's that doing here?"

"Where else could it go?"

He fell silent as if realising for the first time that Lily was Lyn's family. She felt his arm come to rest on her shoulder and he nodded.

"Come on lets go into the kitchen and you can sit down."

"No."

"Lily –"

"No I can't leave her again."

He was silent and then she heard him swear under his breath.

"Fine look you stay here. I'm going to get the guys and then we'll take the coffin to the church for you."

His pop told her he'd gone but she didn't care. Slowly she moved over to the coffin and looked at the small bronze plaque on it.

Caitlyn Sanders

Born 18th February 1955

Died 16th January 1978

"Lyn I'm sorry. I should have done something to help you. I wish that I could have but I was too slow. I miss you so much already and I'm scared Lyn really scared. In two months I'm going to have this baby and you're not here. And then there's James. I wish I could speak to you about him but –"

Four pops sounded and she stopped talking. She just placed her hand onto the coffin. She knew that tears were running down her cheeks but she couldn't stop them. Lyn had been there with her for twelve years since that first train ride to Hogwarts.

"Lily."

James' voice was soft. His hand rested around her and she leaned onto his chest. She still couldn't force herself to look away from the coffin of her best friend. It was strange to hear voices and she was startled by Peter.

"Come on its nearly ten we better take the Portkey."

They placed the small book that contained the hymns for the service on top of the coffin. Lily watched as each man took hold of one of the handles on the coffin. She knew that as long as the pamphlet remained on the coffin they would all go. As she kept her palm on the wood she felt the tug on her stomach.

They reappeared outside the church. Instantly flashes of light went off around them as photographers snapped at them. James lowered the coffin with the others and looked around. He nodded at the boys and Lily watched as he disappeared into the church.

A few moments later Gideon, Frank and Fabian were outside with them. Lily watched silently as Remus stood in the front on the left hand side with Peter and Fabian behind him, then opposite him stood Sirius, Frank and Gideon. The six men slowly began to walk into the church. James' arm wound around Lily's shoulder they followed them with Kat, Delia and Emma.

Inside everyone was stood up looking at them. Lily spotted her old school friends Stephanie, Louise and Kayleigh among the crowd. Then there were all those Quidditch players that had survived the attack. She noted also that many of the Order members had turned up, even those she was sure had never met Lyn along with Aurors and Healer friends of Lily's.

As she reached the front of the church she moved into the pew after Delia, Kat and Emma. James was on the outside but she would easily be able to make her way to the front of the church. They started with a hymn and then the priest stepped forward.

"My friends it is yet another sad day for the Wizarding world and the sport of Quidditch. We are here today to lay our sister Caitlyn Sanders to rest. Caitlyn was a strong woman with a good head on her shoulders. She knew what she believed and she stood by those even if it meant that she was in danger. Today we are going to hear from those that knew her best."

Emma climbed to her feet and moved out past Lily and James. She was extremely pale as she stood in front of everyone.

"Caitlyn was a friend. She was a good woman with a large heart. She was always opinionated and would speak her mind. She was a fine woman who was always up for a laugh. I've never met anybody like her, she was dedicated to everything that she tried. I think that her best quality was the fact that she never let you down. If you were her friend she would do anything for you. I will always remember her before a game when she would be smiling and singing to herself. Always cheery with the belief that we could win and that always spurred us on. We've lost somebody great and I know as a team we'll find her hard to replace but as a friend it will be impossible."

Lily stared ahead as Emma pushed past her to take her seat again. The team had decided that they would each speak at one of their team mate's funerals and Emma had been made the one at Lyn's.

From behind her a small hubbub was drawing attention as Sirius stood up and made his way to the front. Lily guessed that it was probably their old school peers. It was the fact that Sirius and Lyn had never gotten on and it was only after Hogwarts that they became civil to one another.

"Caitlyn, Caitlyn, Caitlyn. Anybody that knew her at school wouldn't have believed that she would become what she did. I still remember that first flying lesson when she fell from her broom. I mean who would have thought she would be one of the worlds best Beaters. I bet that only a handful of you knew that Caitlyn had made the England team. She and I were going to be on the same side again, I was quite looking forward to that."

He looked around and smiled as his eyes landed on the coffin.

"We hated each other did Cate and me. She always use to hex me when I called her that. You see Cate and I went to school together, both Gryffindors and beaters together when Gideon was thrown off, but we don't talk about that incident. But we never gelled there was always something between us. I'll admit that I thought she was an ugly know it all, but that changed. When she was in the air she was the most beautiful thing. All that self-consciousness that haunted her on the ground would disappear and she'd become herself."

He sighed gently causing Lily to look up.

"I consider myself lucky because I was given the chance to get to know Cate. I saw her grow up from that ugly duckling into a beautiful swan. When she left Hogwarts she really did find herself. She became a strong independent woman that all the other women wanted to be. She was liked by everyone who met her, you couldn't hate her. I was lucky enough to date her once and see the woman behind the persona and she was just as beautiful."

"I was there that night I witnessed the act that has taken so many of our best players from us. But before that happened I watched Cate and I can tell you she was happy. I've never in twelve years seen her happier than she was that night. She had found love and it suited her. Cate you lived each and every day to its fullest, enjoying what was given to you. It is my belief that this woman was an example to all of us; we should enjoy what we have and not worry about tomorrow. Rest in peace Sanders."

Lily couldn't believe it, he tapped the coffin. It was as if he was tapping her. She had seen him do that to her many times, but to her coffin. Sirius was just a man of his own, but Lily had to admit what he said was beautiful and if Lyn could have heard him she would have tapped him back, and probably have hexed him for calling her Cate.

Slowly Lily began to pull herself to her feet and walked up to the front. She was huge now and waddling more and more everyday. As she reached the spot she turned and looked at all the faces gathered. A flash went off in the back but she held herself.

"Lyn was my best friend, my sister. We met on that first train ride to Hogwarts that we've all taken. She was very different back then. I'd never met anybody as shy as she was. She couldn't even look me in the eye when we were talking. But over our time there we grew closer and closer. When her father died in our fifth year it was me she turned to."

"Emma earlier said that Lyn knew who her friends were and stuck with them and that's something I'm ever so grateful for. When my world was falling apart when we left Hogwarts she was the only one to stick by me. All my other friends left and I've never heard from them since but she stayed and refused to leave."

"When Larry was taken from me in August Lyn was one of the first to comfort me. She though knew that I needed space and gave it to me, she was the one that went back to the flat and emptied it for me. When I found out about my pregnancy she was the one I turned to."

Lily could feel the tears leaving her eyes as she stood there.

"She wasn't the easiest person to get along with at times, her opinions often left her in trouble. But when you needed her she could be counted on. I don't know how I'm going to get through the next few months without her here. But I know she'll never be gone. She was such a big part of my life as well as in most of yours. She will always be here in our hearts and I'm thankful for that."

Slowly she turned and stepped next to the coffin of her friend placing her hand gently onto it.

"I love you Lyn and I miss you already. You better be good wherever you are now and keep an eye on me and the baby. I'll be seeing you again and when that day comes we'll have a lot to talk about."

Slowly Lily made her way back down to the pew as the men stepped forward to carry her outside. Lily followed behind with James and as the coffin was lowered into the grave she threw a single white lily onto the casket. A symbol of her friendship with Lyn.

Then she felt her legs begin to wobble as her head began to spin. She heard James call out her name but he sounded far away. Then everything went quiet as darkness engulfed her.