Hey, guys. I usually don't do author's notes but I just wanted to let you all know I have a new tumblr dedicated to sketches and comics of my favorite moments from this fan fiction (and a few other headcannons). The URL is Potter-comics so please go check it out!
James came in that night around eleven. He was expecting Lily to be bustling about cleaning something unnecessarily or curled up on the couch drinking tea and reading some thick book. But she was nowhere to be seen. All the lights were still on and her tea mug was left full on the coffee table. He began to grow concerned.
"Lily?" He called tentiravely looking around and waiting for an answer. But none came.
"Lily?" He called again and stuck his head into the kitchen. Nothing. He hurried to check the bedroom and-
Thank Merlin. She was laying on her side on the bed still in her jeans and she hadn't even bothered to get under the covers.
"Lily why didn't you answer? I thought…" he trailed off when she didn't look up. Something was wrong. Very. Even half asleep Lily always tried to answer when he talked to her.
"Lils, what's wrong?" He moved over and kneeled in front of her on her side of the bed. She was staring straight ahead. He took one of her hands in his and held it against his chest. But she said nothing. And after that, neither did James. He just turned off the light and sat on the bed with her until she fell asleep, and he followed soon after.
The next day dawned early for the both of them. Lily rose and dressed without speaking to James. Her expression remained empty as she made breakfast. She made enough eggs for James too, so he knew she wasn't upset with him. Just upset.
While they were eating the little cat James had found (they decided to call him greedo after that movie star wars Lily loved so much) crawled up into Lily's lap and she didn't even swat him away like normal.
James wasn't sure if he should try and talk to her, or if it was just best to leave her alone.
When he had finally decided he needed to talk to her she rose suddenly, collecting the dishes and throwing them into the sink. Then she walked swiftly to the fire, pulled out a handful of floo powder, and said the words to travel to the shrieking shack.
They were supposed to be doing more training with moody today. Their last mission hadn't gone as well as they hoped. No one was killed, but it still wasn't a success. A few were seriously hurt. Therefore, moody had been putting in more time with some of the people that weren't as good at dueling.
James wondered when he'd find out what was wrong with his fiancee as he followed her lead and used to floo powder to travel to hogsmeade.
He stepped out of the fire into a room that was only about half full of people. They had about ten minutes until nine, which is when they were supposed to start. People were stacking chairs and pushing the table out of the way, making room to duel. James stepped forward and grabbed a chair to help.
He saw Lily go over to help push the table out of the way.
"Hey, Lil." he saw Alice smile brightly at her (her and Frank's wedding was tomorrow) and Lily try feebly to return it. Alice looked around quizitorally at James, who could only shrug. He knew what was wrong with Lily about as much as Alice did.
Once everyone had arrived and all the tables and chairs were pushed against the wall Moody limped into the center of the room, his wooden leg making a thud every other step.
"Alright," he squared his shoulders "where did we last leave off?"
"Advanced stunning spells, sir." Hestia Jones answered from across the room
"Right, then. Everyone pair up and get to stunning. Don't bother talking if it's not related to knocking each other on your arses because i'll hear ya." he growling and stepped back to better observe the room. James looked around and Lily was already paired with Hestia.
Alice and Frank had squared off against each other, and the next person he saw was Remus.
"Oi, Moony!" he beckoned him over.
Remus came over and the two of them got to work.
They took turns stunning each other until they grew sore from falling so much, and then moved to blocking each others stunning spells.
Moody was still prowling around the room, gazing upon each pair like he was daring them to do something they shouldn't. Until he actually met the man James had been convinced that most of what he heard about him was exaggerated.
He couldn't actually be that scary.
His face wasn't actually that scarred.
But nope. All of it was true. The man stood even slightly taller than James, with broad shoulders and a stubby nose that looked as if it had seen its fair share of breaking. James thought he would have been rather scary even without the scars and wooden leg.
After some time of stunning each other, and hearing people fall around the room Moody must have decided they'd had enough.
"Alright!" he yelled, loud enough to silence them all "that's enough for right now i suppose. You've all improved, though i reckon you've got to improve a hell of a lot more if we're actually planning to win this war! Keep practicing, keep fighting, and remember," he coughed "constant vigilance!"
A few people actually jumped. He always managed to get at least one of them with his brash catch phrase.
People started to disperse and mull around, babbling about one thing or another. James walked over to Lily, who was looking better, but still rather distracted and upset. He slipped an arm around her waist and was relieved when she leaned her forehead on his shoulder.
Definitely not mad at him.
"You wanna get out of here?"
He felt her nod against his shoulder.
"Alright," he said softly and the two of them walked back over to the fire and flooed home.
"Lily," he asked as he stepped out of the fire onto the soft carpet of their apartment "are you ever going to tell me what's wrong?"
She stopped walking towards the bedroom for a moment and just stood there. He wished her back wasn't toward him so he could see her face. Have any inclination as to what she was thinking.
She finally turned around, her face unreadable.
"It's my mom," she said slowly, her voice as neutral as her face "she- she's dying."
James couldn't quite believe it. Her mother was dying- not even a year after her father's death and her sister was getting married to that awful bloke. Vermin or something like that.
James was expecting tears after these words. Sobs, even. Some sort of emotion coming from the blank-faced girl in front of him. She simply looked exhausted.
"When did you find out?" he finally asked
"Last night."
Oh.
"I'm so sorry, Lil. so, so sorry."
"Me too." she said in the same blank voice and turned around and walked away from him.
