Lily evans still felt a little guilty about last night. She knew she should be pulling more weight with her head duties but she just felt so tired. Not like she needed sleep but like her mind was just exhausted from dealing with so much. part of her felt like it wasn't that much and she was just being dramatic but the other part was convinced it was too much. Far too much. However, this feeling of exhaustion was prefered to the grief and anger she had been suffering a few days ago. Ever since she had talked to james the other day by the lake and had a conversation with her dorm mates late last night she felt as if the majority of it was off her shoulders. Now she was just dealing with the aftermath.

Right now she was in the great hall. It was lunch and she was trying to do some last minute studying for a test she had coming up next period. It shouldn't be very hard, but she had barely studied for it at all so she was in a bit of a last minute panic.

"Miss, evans," a hand tapped on her shoulder. Lily turned around to see professor mcgonagall wearing a solemn expression. No- she always had a solemn expression, this one was more grim than anything else

"Yes, professor?" lily asked, curious as to why she was being approached outside class. Her stomach flopped for a moment, wondering if she had done something wrong. Was this about skipping out on her head duties last night? She knew she should have just crawled out of bed and done them!

"Come with me please." lily stood up and followed professor mcgonagall out of the hall half filled with curiosity and half filled with dread for if she was about to get in trouble. Bloody hell what if she got detention. She had never got a detention before ever! Oh merlin.

Mcgonagall lead lily down the halls and into her office.

"Please have a seat, miss evans." she gestured towards one of two wooden chairs facing her desk before seating herself in the larger more ornate one behind it.

"I know you must be wondering why you're here," lily nodded "i'm afraid it's not good." her mind flashed to every possibility. She was being expelled. Her position as head girl was being revoked. She had gotten a failing grade on her last transfiguration test. Oh shit what if this was about the transfiguration class she skipped when she was with james down by the lake?

"I'm not sure how to say this so i suppose i'll just get right to it," lily braced herself, but she still wasn't ready for what she was about to hear "it's your father. He's in the hospital. He's had a heart attack. Your mother and sister are waiting there for you now."

The world froze for a moment. She wasn't in trouble for failing a test or having remus cover her duties again last night. No- all that seemed silly and trivial now. Selfish, even. Her father was in the hospital. Her joking, friendly father that could lighten the mood in a room simply by being there. Lily wasn't sure what to do or say.

"Would you like me to escort you there, lily?" mcgonagall asked with a certain tender quality to her voice lily wasn't sure she'd ever heard before. All she could do was nod and slowly stand up from the chair, hardly even aware of the movements she was making.

"Grab my hand." mcgonagall held out her arm and lily did as she was told. Next thing she new hard air was pressing around them and her ears were ringing. She was being squeezed tight and then suddenly released again in a new location. It was a deserted hallway in a hospital. Lily immediately new because of the smell of hand sanitizer and the white tile floor with skid marks on it from the black shoes doctors often wore. There was the sound of rushing footsteps and important muttering in the distance.

"This way." mcgonagall said and started off towards the end of the hall. Lily wondered how she knew where she was going, but then realized it hardly mattered if she got to see her father. They walked briskly, the janitors and nurses that walked by sparing them odd looks because of their pointed hats and robes. Lily couldn't care less what anyone thought of her outfit right about now.

Soon enough they reached the double wooden doors at the end of the hall and walked through them into a bustling environment. Nurses carrying trays and calling things across the room to people. Phones ringing and the sound of charts clanking against plastic counter tops. People in thin gowns walking past with IVs sticking out of their arms.

"Excuse me," mcgonagall swept over to the reception desk "can you tell me where i can find a mister George Evans?"

"Are you family?" came the disinterested, but professional voice seated behind the desk scribbling things on a legal pad

"I'm here with his daughter, i'd say that's family." the receptionist looked up, saw lily and turned around to another woman in colorful scrubs standing behind her

"What room is George Evans in?"

"Who?"

"George evans, heart attack victim." lily's throat seized up at the word. This couldn't be real.

"I don't know, ask louise." and with that she grabbed a metal chart from the counter of the desk and bustled off

"Louise!" the receptionist called. A woman with wild black hair answered

"Yeah, dianne?"

"George evans, heart attack victim, what room is he in?" how could they be so casual about this? This was her father.

"room twelve B." with that the woman with the wild black hair picked up a ringing phone and began speaking rapidly into it

"There you have it, ms, down that hall to your left. Room 12B" she pointed to a hall behind her and picked up writing whatever it was she was so busy with on her legal pad again.

"Thank you." mcgonagall said curtly and began heading towards the correct hallway. Lily followed soundlessly. They arrived at the door and lily's still-churning stomach gave another flip. Mcgonagall knocked twice before cracking the door open to reveal lily's mother and petunia sitting in uncomfortable looking plastic chairs pulled up next to her father's bed. The both of them looked up and her mother stood when she saw lily.

"Oh, lily dear!" she cried and ran forward crushing lily in a hug. Lily squeezed back, needing it right about now. "I'm so glad you're here!"

"I think i'll be going. Farewell." mcgonagall began to back out of the room

"Thank you, professor." lily broke away from her mother and turned around. professor mcgonagall offered her a sad smile

"Not a problem. I hope your father gets well." she walked out and closed the door behind her and lily felt a surge of gratitude towards the stern old woman. She turned back to her mother.

"What happened to dad? What did he do?" she looked over where he was lying so helpless in the small bed, his usual warm smile gone from his face.

"We were out to brunch celebrating our anniversary," oh, yeah. Lily had forgotten what today was "he went to pull something out of his pocket and then he just seized up. His face went pale and- and-" she stifled a sob with her hand

"Oh, mum, mum, it's okay you don't have to tell me. Sit down." she urged, leading her back over to the chair by his bed. Her mother obliged, sitting down and grabbing her father's limp hand between both her own. Lily felt her own eyes tear up but blinked them away because she knew she had to stay strong for her mother. Because she was lily evans and even though she had to be strong she sure wished somebody else could be every once in awhile.