A/N Warning, there is violence and perhaps a little gore in this chapter, so be warned.
On the morning of her departure, Lily woke up at 8 am, and panicked. She wasn't packed, she wasn't ready, she hadn't eaten, and she wanted to have a shower. She flew out of bed, had a quick shower, and, at 8:22, she ran down through the Gryffindor Common room, and to the great hall. Much to her surprise, she found James, Sirius, Remus and a rather disgruntled Peter already sitting at the Gryffindor table.
"Lily! Heard you were going, just wanted to give you an early birthday gift." Sirius called out. Lily stopped short. No one knew when her birthday was. In the 5 past years she had been at Hogwarts, she had never told, and her presents had been dropped off discreetly in her room.
"E-early birthday present?" she squeaked, looking nervous. James smiled and nodded, patting the seat between him and Sirius. Lily reluctantly sat down, feeling rather nervous. She knew they were going to sing happy birthday, and she hated that song with a passion.
"Yes. For your birthday. On the 31st?" Remus said, smiling as sweetly as he could.
"Oh. You guys don't have to." Lily told then, putting cold Yorkshire pudding on her plate, followed by a toasted bagel, eggs and hashbrowns.
"Oh, but we want to. So here, Lily, open this up and tell us how much you love it." Sirius grinned, handing Lily a package. Lily shook it carefully, smelt it, and finally put it on the table to the amusement of her friends and some of the teachers who were watching.
"If this is something mean, neither one of us will be very happy after I open it." She warned them, brandishing her wand threateningly.
"Lily, I am wounded!" Sirius cried, pretending to faint onto Remus. Lily snorted, but carefully began to unwrap the present, casting nervous glances in the direction of the teachers, particularly Professor McGonagall, to see if they were watching. The layers of paper falling away, Lily revealed a box, very plain. Apprehension growing in her chest, she slit open the lid, and reached a hand cautiously inside.
Lily drew a ball out of the box. It was perfect in shape, and fit into the palm of her hand as if it had been made exactly for her.
"Wow." Breathed Lily, completely lost for words by the gift she had thought to be a mean joke.
"See, I told you she would like it Peter." Sirius said
"What does it do?" Lily wanted to know.
"Well, if you have a particular happy memory, it will seep into the ball. Just from holding it in your hand for about a minute- look, it's doing it already!" James exclaimed, as everyone leant in closer to see the small picture that was slowly appearing in the foggy glass.
Two young girls were sitting in a very large and comfortable looking tree. The youngest had flaming red piggy-tails, and was wearing a pointed hat. The other had blonde hair, and was waving a stick around, chanting. Both had huge grins on their faces, and seemed to be having the best of times. As the picture slowly faded out, Lily felt the familiar pricking sensation behind her eyes, and on the pretense of yawning, wiped a hand across them.
"Was that ikkle Lily?" Sirius asked, grinning widely
"And ikkle Petunia" Lily said dryly, allowing herself a moment of anger that that memory, of all the happy ones she had, would be the first to surface.
"Hey, look, there's more too." Remus said, trying to look again. But Lily slipped the ball into the pocket of her robes
"That's enough happy memories for now." She declared, giving them each a hug and a thank-you for her gift.
"I have to leave too." Lily said, grabbing the bagel and abandoning the rest of her food. "I'll see you all Monday, shall I?" Not waiting for a response, Lily skipped out of the room, elated by her gift, and the prospect of spending a weekend in Hogsmeade.
"Lily, it really is great to have you visit." Mrs. McKinnon said, spooning beans onto Lily's plate in a motherly gesture that Lily appreciated.
"It's great to be here!" Lily said, and meant it. Being in the McKinnon's house was almost like spending time with her own family.
"Mum, thanks for taking Lily and me shopping!" Ann exclaimed, smiling as she glanced at the bags still sitting by the door. "I can't wait to go to the ball, especially dressed as a faerie! Don't you think it suits me, Lil? And how about Lily's costume, eh mum? Isn't it pretty?" she laughed.
"It's going to be wonderful, I am sure. How about you girls go change into your costumes, and show them to us before we eat?"
"All right, lets go then Lily!" Ann exclaimed, pushing her chair back so hard that the legs scraped the floor, making everyone grimace. The two girls flew upstairs, bags in hand, and began to dress.
Ann was dressed before Lily, who had opted to do so in the bathroom, so that she could see to do up her buttons.
"I am just going to get mum to fasten this hook, Lily!" Ann called, running down stairs. Lily smiled to herself, she really could not wait for the ball. She could just imagine herself, gliding into the great hall, radiant in her dress. All eyes would turn to her, and people would whisper "Who is that lovely witch?" and…Lily broke out of her fantasy as she became aware of someone screaming, and heavy footsteps pounding up the stairs. She left the bathroom that adjoined Ann's room, this being the only exit, and was just about to leave the bedroom when Ann came running in, face flushed, and eyes bright with tears.
"Ann, what's wrong?" Lily cried. But her friend's eyes stared back at her, cold as marble.
"Lily, you're my best friend, honest to god you are, but that's no reason for you to be hurt. I am sorry, I really am." Ann said, giving her friend a quick hug before she ran out the door, slamming it as she went. Lily tore to the doorway, and desperately tried to open it, but the muttering of a spell told her that her efforts were useless.
"Ann! Open the door now!" Lily cried, aware of the silence that remained after her friend, and of the noises coming from downstairs. "Open the damn door! Now! Ann!" Lily was sobbing, beating her fists against the door in the agony of knowing that something was happening, and not knowing what it was. Pulling out her wand, she spelled the door again and again, muttering all of the charms- and curses, whether magical or otherwise- that she knew. It was not until she stopped, gulping for breath, that she realized the noises downstairs had stopped, and that an eerie silence had begun to rise up through the house, penetrating the rooms slowly and deliberately. As Lily tried the handle again, the door opened, admitting her to the main hall. Carefully, Lily tiptoed down the stairs, clutching her wand like a spear.
The house was ghostly silent, as if someone had placed a spell over every particle in it, and Lily was intruding on a burial of some kind. She walked through the living room, and into the main hall, which adjoined the dining room. The sight her unfortunate eyes met there made her recoil in shock and fear. The McKinnons were scattered; as if by a giant hand; across the room. The dinner on the table was destroyed, perhaps by the fact that the table had been split in half. Lily, forcing herself to walk through the carnage, saw Ann, face down on the floor. Later, Lily would recognize this time as the second she lost what little sanity remained, and fell to her knees on the floor, sobbing as uncontrollably as she had when she was three.
James Potter stopped in the middle of writing a sentence on his homework. He had just felt an irresistible urge to see Lily. It was as if something was tugging at his mind, and he really couldn't put it out of the way.
"I am going to Hogsmeade." He announced. Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Tell Lily I said hello." He said, returning to the book her had been reading. James managed a small grin, but the feeling of immense foreboding he had felt the other night returned, and he dashed off for the statue of the hump backed witch, forgetting the invisibility cloak entirely.
When he came to the McKinnon's house, James saw that the door was opened wide. This struck him as odd, very, very odd. As he walked inside, he heard wild sobbing, and saw a crumpled figure on the floor in the room adjoining the hall.
"Lily?" James took a couple of steps forward, and saw her sitting on the wooden floor, her head in her hands. She was white, and her hair made it seem as if she was on fire.
Come my love, I'll tell you a tale
of a boy and girl, and their love story,
Lily didn't look up, but he could hear her sobs, raking her body.
and how he loved her oh, so much,
"Lily." James knelt beside the girl, and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Get lost James." Lily snarled, recoiling from James. This stung him. He felt tears well up in his eyes. Everything was going wrong and Lily didn't even care for him. He took several deep breaths, to steady himself. But they came out choked. Lily raised her head to see that James –James Potter- was crying!
and all the charms she did possess.
"James?" Lily put one hand on his knee, trying to comfort him through her tears.
"My god, Lily,. Oh my god." Lily turned to James.
"Don't cry, James." Was all she could think to say. "Your not supposed to cry."
"Why not, Lily. I knew Ann too..."
"Your not supposed to cry! Not in front of me!"
James almost smiled through his tears "That's awfully sexist, Lily Evans" he remarked, reaching one hand up to touch her chin. Lily reached up, and squeezed his hand.
"Don't cry, James. I hate it when people I love cry."
Now this did happen once upon a time
When things were not so complex,
James looked at Lily carefully, not fully comprehending what she had said. He realized that Lily still had her pale white hand over his.
"Didn't you hear me, James?" Lily said, putting her hand on the side of his face "I said I love you." James smiled, and felt warm water drip onto his hand. Lily was crying too. Her green eyes looked into his, and he could see trust and love in them.
And how he worshipped the ground she walked.
When he looked in her eyes, he became obsessed.
Lily wrapped her arms around James, and buried her face in his neck "I love you too, Lily." He said, stroking her hair, hardly able to believe that Lily had finally said it. Lily finally loved him.
My love is like a storybook story.
But it's as real as the feelings I feel.
My love is like a storybook story.
But it's as real as the feelings I feel;
it's as real as the feelings I feel.
"I am sorry James." Lily moved backwards to look at him, her arms still around his shoulders. "I am sorry I was so mean. I was scared."
"Are you still scared?" James asked. Lily nodded solemnly.
"Yes, but not like I was before. Do you understand? I think everyone's scared the way I am now, James."
This love was stronger than the powers so dark,
A man could have within his keeping;
"He might be powerful, Lily. But it doesn't mean we can't beat him. You remember how the old saying goes. Love conquers all?"
"Yes."
"I think it has some truth to it. Even if I died loving you, I'd be dying happy" James said, and meant it.
His spells to weave and steal a heart
Within her, but only sleeping.
Lily broke out of the spell she was in. All around them was silence, thick as oil. The pale green mist was still floating around her, and she could make out the shapes of bodies in it.
The McKinnons She though.
It seemed like so long ago that the whole thing happened. She could feel James tense as he looked around. He hadn't noticed the carnage when he burst in, he'd only seen Lily, and had panicked. For one sick moment, he had thought that she was dead.
My love is like a storybook story.
But it's as real as the feelings I feel.
My love is like a storybook story.
But it's as real as the feelings I feel;
it's as real as the feelings I feel.
"James?" Lily said, shivering "Do you hear that?" James listened, and he could make out the faint sound of voices.
" Do you think it's him?" Lily asked
"I don't know, Lily. Stay still, I don't have my cloak." Lily sat closer to James, and he wrapped his arms around her. They both watched the space where the door had been. A figure stepped into the room, robes swirling. Lily drew her wand, and waited. As the fog began to clear. The figure of Albus Dumbledore became visible. He looked down at Lily and James, clearly not surprised.
"Miss. Evans, Mr. Potter, are you alright?" he asked. Lily looked up at James, who smiled at her.
"Yes, Professor Dumbledor, we're alright" she said
He said, "Don't you know I love you oh, so much,
And lay my heart at the foot of your dress?"
As they were lead out of the house, James squeezed Lily tightly. "Will you tell me everything that happened?" he asked her. Lily nodded
"Yes, but you'll have to give me some time. And you'll have to stay with me while I am telling it, right beside me." She felt a tear trickle down her face as she looked back at the house. As they met up with the ministry wizards, a young woman pushed in front of Lily and James. Lily recognized her as Rita Skeeter, a recent graduate of Hogwarts.
"Do you have any comments on what happened here? Did you see You-Know-Who? How many were in the house?" she asked them. Lily looked at her, an expression of disgust on her face.
"Don't you have any respect for the dead?" she asked, pulling herself away from James "Can't you see that people died here. Death is final. They aren't coming back. Give them some respect, and get out of here!" The last sentence was shouted, making the other wizards and witches look at her. Rita hung her head, abashed, and disappeared.
She said, "Don't you know that storybook loves
Always have a happy ending?"
"You were great" James whispered in Lily's ear as they sat in the special Ministry car on their way back to Hogwarts.
Lily rested her head on his shoulder " No I wasn't. I was truthful" she said, her insides churning with emotions. She still couldn't believe that Ann was dead, and she couldn't erase everything that had happened from her memory. She could still see it all. And she had James, she had her head on his shoulder.
If I hadn't just experienced it, I'd be willing to bet a million dollars it's all a dream. Lily thought as the towers of Hogwarts came into view, the sun rising behind them like a crown.
A/N My goodness, how corny can we get here? Not much cornier, I am glad to say. At least, not for me. Did I ever mention I am not so hot at writing romances? Well, I am saying it now.
Thumper, was that enough excitement for you ?J
I plan to have another chapter, but I don't know wether I should continue the story after…..honestly, what do you guys think? I could do a sequel, or just continue with chapters or soemthing……you opinions would be pechy keene!
Disclaimer: which I've been forgetting, I own nothing you have read of in the Harry Potter books. I don't even own Ann, well at least, not her last name.
Please review!