Chapter 38

A knock broke up the laughter in the kitchen. Remus placed his new jumper down and made to stand up.

"No don't get up son I'll get it."

Remus wasn't going to argue as he picked up another mince pie. His mother turned from the stove with a smile on her face.

"I wonder who would be calling us at this time?"

"Maybe its dad's girlfriend."

The pair laughed as his mother took a sip of juice. They had been winding his father up something rotten over the last week. It seemed that a young witch within the ministry was quite taken with him. His father turned a startling shade of red every time it was mentioned, so of course they were having tones of fun.

The kitchen door opened and Remus looked up to see a strange glance on his fathers face. Before he could ask though he noticed the small girl stood beside him. Remus looked her up and down and felt the colour on his face drain. The mince pie he had been holding just fell onto the table as she took a step into the kitchen.

"I'm very sorry to intrude on Christmas morning like this."

Remus didn't move as he looked at his friend. She looked a state and that was the best he could describe her. She was dressed simply in muggle trousers and a jumper with boots but she looked too pale for normal. Under her eyes he noticed dark circles which were more likely to be seen under his own than hers. He knew something must have happened.

"Mand –"

"You haven't had the radio on yet this morning have you?"

"No. Why?"

She simply nodded as she looked around the kitchen. There was something almost wishful in the way she took in the detail. Remus realised that she had never visited his home before. She smiled shyly as his mother caught her eye.

"You have a very lovely home Mrs Lupin."

"Thank you."

It all sounded very formal to him. Again Remus wondered if Amanda had ever met his mother. She had seen his father only a few days ago at the station but his mother had been absent. His father though was now shooting looks at Remus. He quickly cleared his throat.

"Mand don't take this the wrong way but what are you doing here?"

She yawned as a response quickly covering her mouth with a hand. Blinking a few times she seemed to gain control of herself.

"Sorry it's been a long night."

"You look like you haven't slept."

"I haven't. Remus I know it's Christmas and it's a time to celebrate and be happy but I have some news that can't wait…"

Her eyes went to the floor a second before her left hand covered them. She spoke the next sentence with her eyes hidden from his view.

"A group of Death Eaters attacked the Potter house last night. Jacqueline is dead."

The startled yelp from his mother drew his attention but his eyes remained on the girl. He stood up on legs that felt like they might give way and covered the space between them. His arms wrapped around her but she made no move.

"Was anyone else hurt?"

He felt her shake her head.

"James is in pieces I've had to take him to Lily's because he started to freak out over whether she had been attacked. Umm Alice and Sirius went straight to Franks place. I haven't seen them since it happened so I don't know what state they're in."

"Sirius didn't go with James? That's odd."

She pulled away and looked a little up at Remus.

"I grabbed hold of James during the attack and took him to Hogsmeade. I didn't think about Sirius or Alice I just had to get James out of there. Apparently Alice grabbed hold of Sirius and thought of Frank and took him there."

"Do you need me to go see James or anything because I want to help?"

She gave him a small smile and he could see the exhaustion that lingered on her features. She looked ready to drop to the floor and sleep.

"Thank you but I promised James I would go back later and take him back up to Hogwarts. We've kind of snuck out without Dumbledore's permission this morning."

"Okay I'll come back with you."

This time the smile was sad as she shook her head.

"Remus its Christmas."

"But Jacqueline –"

"Remus please. Listen you actually have a family. You're one of the lucky ones. Please stay here and have Christmas together. I know Jacqueline would want it that way."

Remus shook his head looking over at his parents. He couldn't imagine what was going through James' head at the moment. The thought of being attacked and watching his mother die sent shivers through his body. He held onto Amanda's hand tightly.

"What's going to happen now then?"

The girl shook her head slowly.

"I've no idea. I'm going to Peter's next to tell him and then I'm heading over to Frank's to see Sirius and Alice. After that I'm going back to Lily's to get James and then we're heading back to Hogwarts. After that well I just don't know."

"It's going to fall to James to arrange the funeral. He's the only surviving family member."

Remus looked up at his father at this. All he could do was shake his head in response. His mother it seemed finally found her voice.

"The poor boy. He shouldn't have to deal with that. Surely there's someone else."

"There is."

Remus turned his eyes back to his friend. He knew what was going through her mind with one swift glance. He just shook his head towards her trying to find the right words.

"Mand maybe James should be the one to arrange it. I know you want to help but –"

"Re please you didn't see him. I've got bruises up my arms from where he was clinging to me and the way he asked if I was going back to Lily's. I know this will sound strange because he's just my friend but I feel as if he needs me for this."

"Mand he has Lily."

"I know that. But I also know that I was the one with him last night. I know that I was the one holding him when the people in Hogsmeade came out. I was the one who shielded him from them and held him tight while they moved his mother out of the snow. I was the one that took him to Lily and I'm the one that he wants to go back to him. Not Sirius, not Alice and they were there. I feel like I have to do this."

"But not on your own Mand."

She lifted her eyes and looked Remus straight in the eyes.

"Of course not. But I think the less James has to do the better. He's still in denial over this."

Remus could understand that. Losing someone you love takes time to get over. It takes even longer to process and he could only imagine what James was thinking right now. He was probably reliving the attack and trying to come up with ways in which he could have saved his mother. Maybe he really did need all the help he could get.

Peter stared into space as the turkey cooked in the oven. Christmas had never been that exciting a time for him. And this year wasn't turning out to be any different. It was barely ten thirty and his mother was already drunk on cooking whisky.

He was beginning to think that maybe it had been a mistake to come home for the holiday. His mother had been so drunk over the last week that he was sure she was unaware that he was even home. He would have been better off staying at Hogwarts with Branwen. He could have spent Christmas with her and Ddraig. Neither one would have minded.

And the food. Oh it would be mouth watering. Hogwarts feasts were always fantastic and he could still remember that one Christmas he had remained behind with everyone else and wow the food still came to him in dreams sometimes.

But he knew his home Christmas dinner wasn't going to be up to much. He had a turkey crown in the oven that he had bought three days earlier. He had peeled the potatoes and got the vegetables ready. Basically he was the cook for this meal. He didn't mind cooking it was something he had discovered he had a talent for. But he wished that his mother was sober enough to enjoy it.

As for Christmas itself well it was turning out to be a bad one. He had bought his mother a pretty broach in the shape of a raven. And she had given him a bottle of fire whisky which in the space of two hours she had already drunk. It was turning out to be another one of the Pettigrew traditional Christmases even with his father's absence.

The song on the radio came to an end and a breaking news story came over.

A Death Eater attack has ended with the death of one of societies golden witches. It seems that in the early hours of this morning the home of Jacqueline Potter was targeted and the witch was killed while fighting off her attackers –

Peter heard the glass he had been holding smash against the floor. His mother's head, which had been dropped on the table, snapped up as she looked at him.

"Peter-"

"Shh."

Using his wand he increased the volume as the story continued.

"James Potter, her only son, turned up in Hogsmeade village before one o'clock this morning with a young witch locals identified to be Amanda Dixon. Most shocking is the news that they had the witches' body with them. A source who wishes to remain anonymous had this to say."

"The two youngsters were in a terrible state it was clear that they had been through something traumatic. Albus Dumbledore was quick to appear on the scene and once he arrived we heard a rumour that another two youngsters had been at the house with them. But we don't know what has happened to them."

"We spoke to Alastor Moody earlier head of the Auror department who confirmed that Jacqueline Potter had been killed. When we asked him about the youngsters he confirmed that there were four Hogwarts students at the house. He went on to tell us that all four are safe and without injury."

Peter's stomach was knotted and he felt sick. His mind was trying to turn this information over but he wasn't having a very successful job with it. He felt that he needed to go somewhere, to do something but what? Where would his friends be? Hogwarts was the only answer he could think of. He'd go there and see them. He'd do whatever he could do to help.

As he stood up a knock sounded on the door. His head snapped in that direction. Would the Death Eaters attack him? Then a forced laugh left his mouth. Death Eaters wouldn't knock. He made his way to the door with his wand in his hand just in case. Maybe it would be a reporter. They'd probably discovered who had been in the house and were now trying to get information from their friends. It was a pity that he knew nothing. Obviously his friends had over looked him.

As he opened the door he felt his mouth drop a little. He threw the door wider as he grabbed the girl stood on the front step into arms. From somewhere around his shoulder area he heard a voice.

"You've had the radio on."

He pulled back and looked at his friend.

"They just did a news piece with a breaking story. What happened?"

"Can I come in first?"

Peter stepped aside and let Amanda enter the hall. He closed the door and looked at her. He could see that the attack had been bad from the look of her. She spoke softly.

"Six Death Eaters attacked. They killed Jacqueline and James grabbed her body. I got hold him and took us to Hogsmeade village. I just wanted to get us to the school. Alice managed to grab Sirius and took him to Frank's. They're still there. But James is in Lily's he got scared that they might have attacked her."

Peter closed his eyes and shook his head lightly.

"I wish I had known sooner."

"I'm so sorry Pete I didn't mean for you to find out this way. I've left James at Lily's while I went to Remus' to tell him and then I came straight over here. You two were the only ones that didn't know. Joe is at Frank's so Frank is sure Alice will have told him already and we were in Hogwarts this morning and so we told Branwen. I am really sorry Pete."

"How's James?"

"He's bad. Can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

"I keep thinking about when his dad died."

Peter pulled a face and Amanda gave a soft sigh.

"Henry died while James and I were dating. I remember having this awful feeling that I needed to do something to help him and I've got that feeling again. And its almost like history is repeating itself."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Henry's funeral Dumbledore said that we couldn't all go remember."

"Yeah we had a long discussion about who should be the ones to go. Alice went because she'd known him since she had been tiny because her dad had been friends with him. Then Sirius went because he kept arguing that Henry was his dad too and you went because you were James' girlfriend."

Amanda nodded at him.

"Yeah and we were in the Potter house then the four of us. And it hit me last night. The four of us had been there for Henry's funeral and the four of us were the ones to witness Jacqueline's death. It's the strangest feeling in the world. And I feel as if I took Lily's place last night, but now I can't give it back to her."

"I don't see why not."

"Pete that day in the funeral James broke down. I remember that we were in the middle of the living area and everybody started staring at him. It was the first time I ever saw him cry in public. I wrapped my arms around him and told him that it was going to be okay. I tried to shield him from the eyes."

"Last night he was clinging to Jacqueline's body in the snow and all these people came out of their homes in Hogsmeade and all I could do was wrap my arms around him and try to shield him. Then we were in the pub and he was on the floor sobbing and I just held him and I told him that everything would be fine and that I wouldn't let anything happen. It felt the same as back then. And I keep thinking that its wrong Lily should be the one to comfort him yet I'm itching to get back to him to make sure he's alright."

Peter crossed his arms and thought about it.

"I think we've all been through so much together that it's a natural reaction. When Alice's parents were killed I remember sitting on the sofa with her and thinking that I wished that I could make it all better. And I held her hand and just sat with her. And when Tad died I spent five hours with Branwen that first night in the common room. Everything was all messed up and nobody knew who had died and you were worrying about Sirius and James so Remus was trying to calm you down. Frank and Joe were trying to keep Alice and Lily calm and I just sat with Branwen. And I know that I just wanted to take away her pain. It didn't matter that she wasn't my girlfriend she's my friend. And I'd want to do the same for any of them. Hell I was just planning on heading up to Hogwarts to try and help James."

Amanda bit her lower lip and then slowly nodded.

"I guess it comes down to the fact that we're a family doesn't it."

Peter smiled softly.

"None of us were born into the same family but somehow fate has bound us together. When one of us hurts we all do. I think we've learnt that haven't we."

"Yeah."

There was a silence for a moment and then Peter looked over his shoulder. He could see his mother bent over the table sleeping again. He shook his head slowly.

"You look dead on your feet Mand. Do you want me to take you back to Hogwarts?"

She gave a soft little smile.

"Thanks but I'm heading over to Frank's. I haven't seen Sirius since the attack and it's made me realise something. I really need to see him."

Peter looked at the girl before drawing her into a hug.

"Tell James if he needs anything to contact me."

Okay so this chapter hasn't worked out quite the way I wanted it to but I got the main points in. And I know the attack seems to be repeated and it's all Amanda but there's a reason why she's the one going around. James isn't physically in a state where he is capable of it and Alice and Sirius are not allowed to leave the house until they've eaten and slept. I think the next chapter might be interesting to see how they are coping with being under 'house arrest' by Frank's mother.

Kris xx