Author's note: Hey, what do you know! It doesn't always take me literal months to update. Enjoy!

Dedication: To the random anon a few weeks back who was hoping that Harry's Quidditch-playing crush wasn't Draco. I don't know if you're still reading, but I literally accelerated a plotline here to say I gotchu.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, this is based off of plotlines, characters, settings, and a world invented by and belonging to JKR. You can tell I'm not her because #transrights.

9.

The Goblet of Fire Part 1: This Branded Flame

"You know, you don't have to follow me around anymore. Pettigrew's gone."

Tonks froze with her mug of coffee halfway to her mouth when Harry walked into the kitchen and made his deadpan statement.

"I'm kidding," Harry said. "I know you're dating Remus now."

Sirius burst out laughing and Remus looked up from the toast he was buttering to give him a look. Lily bit her own smile back as she stood at the stovetop frying bacon, minding her own business. The trouble Harry got into with his uncles, after all, was Harry's problem. Besides, they had done enough to kindle the mischievous streak in him anyways.

"Dating is a big word," Remus muttered.

"Wait, what the fuck else am I here for then?" Tonks asked. "The scenery? Wait, can we swear in front of Harry."

"I challenge you to say something in front of him that Sirius hasn't," Lily said.

"I need new words," Harry said. "Please."

Lily turned around to shoot her son a look.

"You're really laying it on thick this morning, kid," Sirius said. He'd been leaning on the counter waiting for Lily to pluck more bacon on the plate so he could grab a piece. She whacked him with her spatula.

"You'll miss me when I'm gone," Harry said. "The Weasleys are picking me up at nine, right Mum?"

"Right," Lily said. They'd packed him up last night to go to his first Quidditch World Cup—which he was extremely excited about, on account of it being the first game he watched outside of Hogwarts, and a big one at that. Lily knew that it was probably a crime to have kept him so clueless about Quidditch. James wouldn't have stood for it, but Lily truthfully did not know how to begin caring about the sport. Thankfully, Arthur Weasley had her covered after inheriting a number of tickets from various friends he had around the Ministry.

She snatched the next stolen piece of bacon out of Sirius' hand and dropped it on top of Harry's fried eggs and toast, tapping her wand to the plate so that it landed before him.

"Who are you rooting for?" Tonks asked from her spot, leaning against Remus as she finished her morning coffee, wearing one of his shirts and a pair of purple pajama shorts. Her hair seemed particularly chaotic today.

"Ireland, but if Bulgaria wins, I won't be mad because it'll be Krum's doing," Harry said. "Are you working the Quidditch Pitch tonight? Mr Weasley said nearly all the Aurors are."

"I, unfortunately, am stuck babysitting the office tonight," Tonks said. "Being the youngest Auror in a decade sounds impressive until you get to the drudgery."

"You'll stay for supper though, right?" Lily asked, calling over her shoulder.

"I don't know, am I invited, or would that be considered a date?" Tonks asked, giving Remus a pointed look. She stuck out her tongue and he rolled his eyes, putting a hand on her knee. "As far as I'm concerned, you're always welcome," Remus said.

"Gross," Harry said.

"Eat your eggs," Remus replied.

"Oh, thank Merlin," Sirius exhaled. Her eyes fluttered and she looked up at the living room ceiling, the yellowing lightbulb blinding her until Remus leaned over her, pressing the back of his hand against her forehead. She was vaguely aware of a knit blanket thrown over her legs.

"Remus?" Lily asked. His hand was on her back the second she started pushing herself up, steadying her. "What...?"

As she spoke, she realized that the corner of her mouth was numb—as was the left side of her face and her chest. No, not all of her chest. Just the part from the place above her heart where the lightning bolt stars began stretching out across her chest and shoulder, up her neck, across her face, cutting over her eye… Lily hadn't felt anything past the scar tissue in years, but now her entire face was somehow simultaneously numb and burning.

She reached out to brush her fingers against the scar tissue that turned her side into a topographic map, that made her the wizarding world's most recognizable woman.

"Are you feeling alright?" Remus asked. "Sirius go get her water. No—juice, something with sugar."

"What happened?" Lily asked, working extra hard for her lips to form the right words clearly.

"We were reading one minute and then you fell off the sofa," Remus said. "Did you hit your head?"

"I… I don't know, maybe," Lily said. Sirius brought her a glass and she took it gratefully but was too afraid to drink until she could move her lips more.

"Do your scars hurt?" Remus asked with a frown.

Lily ran her fingers down the lightning bolts until she reached her shirt collar.

"Yes," she finally said quietly.

"That's not supposed to happen," Sirius said. "Is it? Moony?"

"I don't think there's exactly an answer to that, people don't usually get scars from a killing curse," Remus said.

"More pressing issues usually come up, I suppose," Sirius said. He turned back to Lily, the concern on his face abundantly clear. "Has it happened before?"

"It… it's tingled before," Lily said.

"Tingled?"

"During nightmares," Lily said. "After, sometimes. But not…"

"You didn't tell us," Sirius said plaintively, brown eyes wide with concern.

"Nor did I have to, I'm a grown woman with my own body," Lily said defensively.

"Sorry," Sirius said. "Sorry, that's not what I…"

"I know," Lily said. "But this isn't a tingle, this is…"

She was interrupted by the sound of banging and tumbling in the chimney, before a silver jackrabbit leapt from the fireplace, shaking off some soot from its back. Tonks' voice burst out.

"Trouble at the World Cup—Aurors dispatched. Eyes on Harry. Told a colleague to update me. Don't panic. Will tell you as soon as I know more."

Lily's shoulders stiffened.

"Why would they be looking to get eyes on Harry specifically?" Lily asked quietly.

"Why…"

"Hold on," Remus said. "Dora will call us as soon as she knows more… let's get you on the couch…"

She let Sirius and Remus sit her down and rearrange the blanket on her lap, picking up the book that had slipped from her hands. Sirius turned on the radio and started flipping through the channels, looking for a broadcast but finding nothing. They sat anxiously, hands linked, and an hour later another Patronus appeared.

"Harry well. Arthur Weasley bringing him home shortly."

Lily breathed a sigh of relief, but for what she did not know. Yet.

"Here you are," Lily said, putting the ham and cheddar grilled cheese on his side table. Harry hadn't wanted to come down from his room which was fine, but Lily would still have him eat. He was currently curled up in bed with an open book on his bed and Medusa the snake curled around his shoulders.

"Thank you," Harry said.

"We don't have to talk about it," Lily said. "But we can if you want, alright?"

"Alright," Harry said. Lily walked away and she was in the doorframe when his voice piped up.

"Did they always wear those masks?" Harry asked. She knew who he was talking about and what masks he was refering to. She could picture them herself well.

"Yes," Lily said. "They didn't want us to know who they were."

"Did you wear masks to stay safe when you were in the Order?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Lily said. "Whatever cloth we could find, tied around our faces."

"But they still found you," Harry said quietly.

"Yes," she said. She leaned against the doorframe. "Sometimes we found them too, Harry. There's… there was honor in the Order's work, but we took no pleasure in hurting Death Eaters and taking them down. We talk about our wounds more than our victories, but… there were some. There were some, and we won the big one. A few of them made it out of the war unscratched, but a few of us did too."

"Yeah," Harry said. "Yeah, that's good."

The first school board meeting of the year, when summer was still dawning, took place in Hogsmeade as Dumbledore had booked a private room in The Three Broomsticks.

"Alright, everyone, settle down," Lily said. "Has everyone got a copy of the agenda? A butterbeer?"

"Some of us have something a little stronger," Amos Diggory giggled.

Lily grinned. "Well, I don't so I'll try to keep us on track. Let us start with announcements from the headmaster, then."

Lily sat and Dumbledore rose, launching into this year's speech. Lily had packed the night blue ink she usually liked to save for special occasions, and she took quick notes.

"Now then, treasury report aside I must admit that all my other announcements for this year would be senseless, were it not for what our guest is here to address. Please, fellow school board members, welcome Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation."

There was a polite round of applause as Crouch rose. Lily had seen him at Pettigrew's trial and at the ceremony where James had been awarded a posthumous Order of Merlin, but mostly she recognized him from The Prophet. It had torn into him brutally for throwing his own son in Azkaban, but Lily had never quite managed to resent him like the rest of the wizarding world had.

"Thank you for inviting me to speak, Headmaster, I am thrilled to be able to announce this year's Triwizard Tournament to the board, personally…"

Oh God, Lily thought, distantly remembering that term from a book she'd read. Please don't let this be open to minors.

"Mum, I didn't," Harry said when he looked up to her, her own eyes reflected to her but round and panicked. "I didn't put my name in the cup Mum I promise, I never would do that I promise, not after everything and Dad…"

"I know, baby," Lily said, reaching down to cup his cheek in her hand. "I know you wouldn't."

Harry immediately exhaled and breathed out a sigh of relief.

She looked up just as Dumbledore opened the door of his office. Remus was right behind him along with Minerva McGonagall, Bartemius Crouch, two others that Lily didn't recognize, and—to her absolute surprise—Alastor. Alastor Moody. She hadn't seen him in years, not that she was paying him any attention this particular moment either.

"Stay outside, love," she said. She offered Harry one last smile and a kiss on his forehead before making eye contact with Dumbledore. He nodded and stepped aside so she walked into his office, clutching the strap of her bag.

"Good evening, Li—"

"What is the meaning of this?" Lily asked, looking from Dumbledore to the other grown-ups in the room. Sillily, she even found herself angry at Remus even if she knew he had nothing to do with this tournament.

"Who is this?" one of the strangers—an exceptionally tall woman with a thick French accent—said.

"My name is Lily Evans Potter," she said. Then she registered the other stranger in the room as Igor Karkaroff. Karkaroff? Is that where he was, now, teaching at… well, it had to be Durmstrang.

"As some of you know," she added coolly, locking eyes with the former Death Eater. He looked away.

"I'm Harry's mother," she said. "And I want to hear how, exactly, my son's name found its way into the Goblet of Fire while he was supposed to be safe at school."

"Is it not possible that the boy put his own name in the goblet?" the French woman asked.

"He would never," Lily spat. "Unless he's on a broomstick, Harry hates crowds and he knows better than to put himself in that kind of danger. So, tell me who—"

"The Ministry will launch a full investigation," Bartemius Crouch said. "I have written to the Minister already… and as you can see, by the presence of Alastor Moody himself here, we have increased security for the occasion of the tournament."

"Good," Lily said, clutching the strap of her bag. "Well if it's all one big misunderstanding, why was I called here?"

Her eyes sought Remus's and he met her gaze, his eyes mellow and steady as if he were about to say something unpleasant.

"Lily…" he said quietly. "The Goblet of Fire is an incredibly powerful magical artefact. It's bound by several type A curses with 6B safeguards, some of which are too old for us to precisely identify..."

Lily's stomach twisted in on itself.

"The Ministry has curse breakers," Lily said quietly. She knew they did…

"None that could affect the magically binding contract of the Goblet," Crouch said. "Breaking in was one thing. Breaking out…"

"No," Lily said quietly. "No, he is not participating in this tournament. He is not going to endanger himself for the sake of a show and some fabricated glory."

She saw McGonagall nod, her jaw clenched, and Lily felt better somehow—as if she were a schoolgirl who had just successfully transfigured a flowerpot again. At the moment, she was desperate for any kind of support. Because when she looked around her now nobody else seemed to disagree, nobody else seemed sure that her son would be alright.

"Lily, he'll be perhaps even more gravely hurt if he doesn't participate," Remus said quietly.

Lily buried her face in her hands.

"Listen to me," she said, cupping her son's face with her hands as she knelt before him. "Listen to me before I go."

"Okay," Harry said, nodding. He still looked scared out of his damn mind. They were only a few months into the school year, but Lily registered that he had already sprouted a few extra inches.

"Remus is on your side," Lily said. "Sirius is on your side. I am on your side. And you've got Ron and Hermione and Neville. You are not alone; you are never alone even when you most feel it."

"I know," Harry said quietly.

"You are not going to be doing this on your own," Lily said.

A searing pain shot through her network of stars. Lily shut her eyes and did her best not to hiss or wince too obviously.

She forced her eyes open again and touched Harry's cheek.

"Mum?" he asked.

"You'll be fine," Lily said. "You'll be fine, and we'll find out whoever did this, alright?"

"Alright," Harry said.

She kissed his forehead before pressing hers against him.

"I love you so much," he said. "We'll get you through this."

Harry nodded. "Mum, who would put my name in?"

"I don't know, baby," Lily said. "I don't know but we'll see."

Sirius was already nursing a drink when she came back into the house. Firewhiskey, by the smell. He looked absolutely dismantled.

"They're going to make him do it, yeah?" he asked.

"Pour me whatever you're having," Lily fumed. Three glasses in, she cried her heart out into his shoulder.

"The boy is nervous as we sit down for my last interview of the day—perhaps because of his quiet nature and strange upbringing, sheltered from wizarding culture by a grieving mother and two suspiciously close uncles, or perhaps because Mr Harry Potter has realized that he is the youngest, most inexperienced one in the room…"

"Oh, Merlin…" Lily said, putting down her copy of The Prophet and rolling her eyes.

"What's going on, Evans?" Sirius asked, walking into the kitchen freshly showered and wrapped in a towel, pouring himself a cup of copy.

"There's an article on the tournament's competitors in the paper," Lily said. "I can't believe what illiteral cow got the story."

"Fuck," Sirius said, pouring coffee on his feet. "You're kidding me, right?"

Dumbledore ushered her to the infirmary, where Harry was lying in a bed, his arm bandaged and resting over his stomach. There was a bloodied cut near his eye that Madam Pomfrey hadn't gotten around to and Ron was standing by him, eyes wide with panic. In one hand he held a bolt of fabric that Lily would do herself the kindness of pretending wasn't the invisibility cloak.

"Mum," he said.

"What happened?" she said, rushing to his side. She cupped one cheek with her hand. "Who did this to you?"

"It was me," he said.

"What?" Lily asked, her breath leaving her chest.

"Not on purpose," Ron said. "We were trying to…"

"Like Tom Riddle's diary," Harry muttered. "If we could just talk to it…"

"Talk to what?" Lily asked.

"To the Goblet of Fire, I believe," Dumbledore said. He pointed to a charred piece of parchment on which she recognized Harry's handwriting. I will not fight in the First Task.

"The cup spit it back out," Harry said.

"And then it did that to his arm," Ron said, pointing to the bandage.

"Mr. Weasley, why don't you bid Mr. Potter goodnight and make your way back to the Gryffindor Common Room?" Dumbledore asked. Ron gave Harry one furtive look before waving and leaving the Infirmary.

"What did it do to your arm?"

"Remus said I couldn't quit, I should have listened," Harry said.

"It's not your fault," Lily said. "It's not your fault. What happened to your arm?"

Harry didn't answer so Lily unwrapped the bandage. The skin was red and irritated as if freshly burned, and Harry's arm was covered with… with…

"It branded you," Lily said quietly, looking at the lines that etched up her son's arm from the wrist up. If Lily had to think of them as a shape, in the same way that you could look up at the night sky and trick yourself into seeing belts or crowns or swords, she… she would think they were flames.

"I wanted to leave," Harry said, still groggily. "I tried to leave. I found out about the first task and then I…"

"What did you find out?" Lily interrupted, unable to stop herself. Suddenly Harry's gaze sharpened, even without his glasses on.

"I can't tell you that," he said.

"You can tell me anything."

"No, Mum," Harry said. "I hate to see you worried."

"It's my job to worry about you," Lily said.

"You act like it's your life, Mum," Harry said. "You worry about me all the time for all these things and this… worrying about this won't help."

"Harry, you are allowed to ask for help," Lily said. "You're allowed to ask for what you need…"

"Apparently not," Harry said. He met her eyes and raised up his newly scarred arm, drowning in flames.

Dear Lily,

The weather's just turning from Fall to Winter now, and there's frost across the grounds just like you used to love. You'll be pleased to know that the sixth-year students who were part of last year's infamous "Yeti Mating Call Demonstration and Competition" fiasco have not forgotten and are continuing to screech at me across the halls. I fear for the day Minerva McGonagall overhears it and demands an answer.

I found a good moment to talk to Harry about the tournament, when he stayed behind after class to help me put away training dummies. Those poker lessons Sirius gave him over the summer paid off; he drove a hard bargain. My secrecy for his willingness to ask for help for the first task. He does not want to worry you and I thought you would agree that him receiving some adult help was better than none. I know this will both you, but I'll respect our bargain and keep my peace.

I will say, on the topic of Harry, however, that the student body continues to bother him. They see him as a less legitimate Hogwarts Champion. Some of them say he's a coward because rumours about why his arm got marked started spreading. He says it doesn't bother him and his friends have closed rank around him—although I do think he is falling out with Neville Longbottom. He says that he is alright, of course. I keep thinking he says so because of how much worse it could all get.

Love,

Remus

"Dragons," Lily roared when she got to that part of Harry's letter. "Dragons was the First Task? The first one? What in the world goes next after dragons when you've already hit…"

"Keep reading," Sirius said, brown eyes sparkling with that strange and disastrous mixture of excitement and absolute abandon Lily had learned to recognize in him. "You'll read the very cool way that your son got around it."

Lily had made Sirius read Harry's letter first so he could steer her through any hard or scary or unpleasant bits. She had been a wreck for weeks as the first task had approached and more and more with every day leading up to it. Yesterday, when it was over, Remus sent them a quick Patronus telling them that Harry was well and had done brilliantly—but, again, Harry had demanded to share all the details himself. His bargain with Remus drove Lily mad but she understood why Remus held on to his end of the bargain so tightly. Harry was anxious at the best of times; with the castle agitated and crowded and unstable, they needed to trust him, and he needed to trust them so that he wouldn't pull away and hide. Besides; if Remus was in on it, Lily could know beyond a doubt that she had someone on and at her son's side.

Harry's detailed letter, three pages back-to-back, had arrived this morning. There was something that looked suspiciously like a tea stain on the envelope, so Lily assumed that it had been written at the breakfast table and sent out with Hedwig right away—which she appreciated.

"That was a genuine question. What are they going to for the second task if they've already released the dragons," she scoffed although she sat down, clutching the letter and her coffee to keep reading.

She was used to waking up from nightmares in her own bed and going to find Sirius if they were really bad. Now, Sirius was already sitting at her bedside, running a cool cloth against her forehead.

"I could hear you from down the hall," he said gently. "I… I've heard you from down the hall all week."

"Sorry," Lily said—or at least she tried to. Her numb lips were frozen in place and the word sounded off.

"Tell us, if you're having nightmares again," Sirius said.

"Last time Voldemort tried to kill my son over a stone," Lily said. Her words were slurred, but somehow Sirius understood. He pulled her against him so that the unscarred side of her face rested against his chest. He stroked her hair.

"Just… tell me what you saw, when you're ready," Sirius said.

She swallowed hard.

"It's a dream about a graveyard," she said. "But one I've never been to."

Dear Lily,

You have absolutely no idea how utterly exhausting it is to watch cohorts of teenagers attempt to ask each other out all at the same time to go to the same place. And this, coming from a man who watched James Potter pine for five and a half long years. There's a Yule Ball coming, and they'll be needing faculty to supervise and organize, so I will volunteer my time. With that, I might be able to negotiate time off the week before—Dora's family celebrates Hannukah and I've been told in no uncertain terms that I'm expected to make an appearance on the last night. She says that she is telling me now "so I don't spook."

Anyways, the reason I'm telling you about the Yule Ball is because I think Harry might stay for it too—in which case, you'll be asked to send over some dress robes for him. Fair warning; he's nearly 5'5 now. He's doing well; he and Neville Longbottom made up shortly after the second task, you might have seen his name crop up in letters again. Now that they've solved it, I can tell you that the fight was about Neville telling Harry he was selfish for putting his name in the Goblet of Fire when he had a parent who'd died to protect him. I don't know if you've heard, but Alice and Frank are worsening, which made things especially raw for Neville, I think. At any rate, they're friends again now and all is well in our golden quartet's world.

Best,

Remus

She gasped in shock when the bedroom door was open by a curly-haired man wearing a pair of boxers and a bathrobe.

"Oh," Lily said, clutching her own bathrobe around herself. "Umm…"

"Are you looking for Sirius?" he asked.

"Yes, well… yes, is he in there?" Lily asked. She sure hoped he was, if a random miscellaneous handsome man was…

"Yes," he said. "Are you his wife?"

"No," Lily said. "No, I'm his friend."

"Sirius, your friend is here," he called back into the bedroom.

"No, no," Lily said. "If he's sleeping, I…"

"Evans is that you?" Sirius muttered from his pillow.

"It's fine, Sirius," Lily said, cheeks flushed. "I hadn't heard you get in, I thought… I'm fine, I'm fine."

"No, no, you've got your nightmare voice on," Sirius said. He sat up in bed and squinted towards his date. "Sorry, umm… you. You're going to have to head home early, I need you out of this bed."

Dear Lily,

All is well at Hogwarts for this old man, apart from the castle ghosts making a mess in my storage rooms and making it impossible to find some ingredients. You would think the ghosts would have enough to distract themselves with, given all the new faces in the castle, but apparently not. At least, I presume that this is what is happening. I wouldn't suggest that someone is stealing from the potions chambers!

Otherwise, I am completely engrossed in preparations for the Yule Ball. I told Albus he had to let me play a part since he's annulling the need for my usual Christmas celebration. The "Slug Club" is still meeting in the meantime, however. Your Harry is a shy one, but I've finally gotten him to come out of his shell at our meetings. At first, he would only speak to and sit by Miss Granger, an extraordinary young witch not unlike yourself in many ways, but recently he's even been sitting next to others at the table! Although I don't think that's entirely my doing, either. I saw it in your eyes when that James Potter finally managed to make an impression on you, and I'd recognize that glint anywhere—but I shan't say any more! What happens at the Slug Club, stays at the Slug Club as you know. Though maybe I could be tempted if we were to have a drink at The Three Broomsticks, just like good old times!

Best,

Horace

When Molly had heard that neither Remus nor Harry would be coming home from Christmas, she invited Lily and Sirius over for a Christmas Day diner at the Burrow. Their oldest sons—Bill, Charlie, and Percy—would all be there too, and Molly planned to invite the Diggory's over too since Cedric was also back staying at Hogwarts. Sirius had had the good sense and foresight to snatch up a nice bottle of port that they could bring to contribute to Molly's efforts, along with a tin of Christmas baking.

"We don't go out, much," Sirius said as Lily adjusted the black button-up she'd made him pull on. Not his most festive colour choice. In contrast, Lily had found a green skirt she hadn't worn in ages and pinned some holly in her braid. She had spent nearly an hour braiding her hair, making sure it was perfect and taking offence at every free strand, which she knew was a nervous reaction of hers when it came to meeting new people.

"No," Lily said. "No, we really don't. But we do love Christmas, so we'll be wonderful guests!"

"No, that's why you'll be wonderful, I'll just rely on my usual charming charms," Sirius said.

Bill and Sirius had known each other from the curse breaking community and Lily soon found out, by remembering something Ron had once told her, that the key to starting a conversation with Charlie was dragonology. Of course, Molly was always easy to talk to, though particularly intent on cooking Christmas and thus territorial of her kitchen. Arthur was always fascinated by Lily's childhood stories of growing up Muggle, and so delighted to talk about his work with someone who nearly cared. Percy, meanwhile, was simply pleased to be sitting with the big kids. She had never met Amos' wife Gracie, but Gracie worked as a phoenix breeder, so Lily found questions and things to talk about easily.

They were nibbling on shortbread by the fire when the conversation lulled.

"You know, we worry about Harry," Mrs. Diggory said looking at the flames flickering. "Being in that tournament…"

"Thank you," Lily said, trying not to sound as surprised as she was.

"I know that Amos was defensive at first, unhappy about there being two Hogwarts champions," Mrs. Diggory said. "But Harry's just a boy. He shouldn't be in that tournament to begin with. And after the dragons…"

"It all became much more real," Lily said, looking into the fire too and wondering if she'd see what Mrs. Diggory was looking at. She reached out and took Gracie's hand, squeezing. "I worry about Cedric too. He's bright, he'll get out of this alright."

"Thank you," Gracie said with a little smile. "You should know that Cedric's trying to keep an eye out on Harry. He's felt bad about catching that Snitch on the day Harry had his accident since last year. He and Harry have apparently been working together to try and solve the clue to the next task. I think they might be friends, even—Cedric's been sitting with him at those dinners with the Potions Master and apparently laughs at all of Harry's commentary…"

Lily didn't stop smiling, but she did put the pieces together. The way Harry's face had gawked when Lily had asked him if the boy he fancied was a Quidditch player. What happens at the Slug Club, stays at the Slug Club as you know… How Harry loved to make the people he cared about laugh…

"That's nice," Lily said before hiding her smile in her mug.

"It'll be good that they have visit," the Mediwizard who signed Lily into the ward said.

"How have they been?" Lily asked anxiously, remembering what Remus had heard from Neville. "I mean, I know I'm not family, I shouldn't ask…"

"I think maybe you are," the Mediwizard said. He arched an eyebrow and looked at Lily's scar. He closed the book she'd signed into. "They're doing well, but like I said they'll be happy to see you. The ward… it had more funding after Voldemort first fell, when there were so many things to heal with, but since then… we're stretched far more thinly than I'd like. We just don't have the same time to sit with them, play cards, have tea, work on their speaking, play them their favourite music… visitors are good. I won't keep you from them anymore, follow me in!"

On her way in, Lily emptied the contents of her pocket into the ward's donation box.

When she reached Frank and Alice's room, they didn't do much to acknowledge her. Lily sat on the chair between their two beds and took a deep breath. Frank and Alice both looked disconnected as they lay back, holding hands limply.

"Is this a story you're reading?" Lily asked, reaching out to touch the book on their shared bedside table. "Can I read some of this? Out loud, of course."

Neither of them answered, so Lily sat back and opened the copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard she had opened. A note was scrawled on the inside of the cover, this book belongs to Neville, and Lily ignored it as she flipped to the bookmark.

"'The Fountain of Fair Fortune,'" she observed. "I don't know how someone stopped in the middle of that one, I never can. It's my favorite. James always liked the one with the Three Brothers. Harry favoured the hopping pot, which I suppose is fair…"

Neither of them spoke up, but Lily kept reading on. If people spoke to graves for the sake of their own grief, she could speak to Frank and Alice for the sake of whatever part of them might appreciate the thought if nothing else.

"Lily Potter," someone said.

She spun around and faced Augusta Longbottom wearing a set of emerald robes and one of the gawdiest hats Lily had ever seen. Alice would have hated this one especially hard.

"Mrs. Longbottom," she said. She got up from her place and closed the book against her. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were planning on visiting."

"I didn't know you visited at all," Augusta said. Her lower lip trembled. "Their mentor, Moody, he used to but he hasn't since summer. Dumbledore did too, some of their coworkers did too, but the war… the war ended, and the wound healed. Frank and Alice didn't. I suppose it became… unpleasant."

"I'll never forget the war," Lily said. "And I'll never forget friends."

Her fingers twitched to touch her own scarred face and they longed to take James' hand and they longed to get a splinter from that cheap kitchen table they'd always meant to replace that she would be especially irritable about and that James would kiss away.

Mrs. Longbottom's eyes watered.

"It's good that they still have friends," she said.

She sobbed into Sirius' chest until her throat was raw, until her vision was blurred beyond hope.

"You're alright, Lily. You're alright."

"It felt so real," Lily sobbed again. "It felt so real it was like he was looking at me, like he was speaking to me, like, like..."

"Let it out, Evans," Sirius said, scooping her up against him. "It was a dream, Lily. You're here now. You're here now..."

"I don't care if it was a dream," Lily said. "That's just as bad, Sirius. If I'm dreaming about him again, it's because I'm going backwards..."

"Check it out," Tonks said, putting down her cards. Sirius groaned and Remus laughed, and Lily just drank a little bit more wine to avoid revealing that she still didn't understand poker—no matter how often Sirius tried to teach her.

"I better have better look in the new year," Sirius grumbled.

"I'm afraid we missed midnight," Remus said. Lily looked over her shoulder to the clock above the fireplace, which was roaring and orange. 12:37.

"We're so rubbish at celebrating the new year!" Lily said. None of them were particularly sober, but being 37 minutes late to the year's main event? That felt upsetting.

"Come on then, Evans, start by saying happy new year," Sirius said, just as Tonks and Remus leaned over to one another for a belated midnight kiss. "It might be bad luck or something, ask the Irish."

"No, no, there's a song isn't there?" Tonks said, pulling away from Remus and frowning. "There's a song… on New Year's… babe, you know this, it's a song."

"I don't know things just because they're songs," Remus said.

"Yeah, but it's the song," she said. "You know… cups of kindnesses, and all that."

"Auld Lang Syne," Remus said.

"Shit Remus, we've already missed midnight, you better go and play the bloody song," Sirius said.

They shooed Remus away from their arrangement, sitting on the floor around the coffee table with cards and snacks, and to the piano in the corner of the room. Sirius got up to go sit closer and Lily and Tonks followed, as Remus struck a few random keys before playing.

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne?"

Lily remembered the words now. She leaned her head against Sirius' shoulder now, wondering what a cup of kindness could possibly look like and wondering if she could get one next year. Maybe two, so she and Harry didn't have to share.

"For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet
For days of auld lang syne…"

WC: 6084