Chapter 11: The Funeral
The next day, the group got up solemnly and dressed in all black. Lily had already spoken to Professor Dumbledore and they had been given permission to go. He had even hired a car to come and pick them up. So, at exactly 9:30, they all left Hogwarts castle and headed for the car parked just outside that was bound for the Funeral Home.
A grizzled old man sat in the driver's seat and as they slid in, he turned around and smiled toothlessly at them. "Alrighty then little masters and mistresses?" The group nodded no one feeling talkative. "Well, if this is all of yins, would ya please close the door?" he said with a smile. He was rewarded with a few smiles and a somewhat lighter atmosphere.
Even so, it was a grim ride; no one spoke. Everyone looked melancholy, or in the case of Rose, angry. Perhaps… perhaps jealous is a better way to describe her, though none of the group saw it for what it was.
When the car arrived at the Funeral Home, the group disembarked. A pretty woman who bore a slight resemblance to James stood in front of the doors to the Home. She smiled a strained sort of smile at the group as she smoothed her pure black dress.
"Hello Dearies. Thank you for coming. James could really use his friends around him just now," the woman said her strained smile falling a bit more.
Sirius went forward and hugged the woman that was like a second mother to him. "I'm really sorry Mrs. Potter," he said as he drew back.
"Thanks Sirius," she said with a quiver in her voice. "Go on in. He's waiting for you," she motioned them inside.
A large crowd dressed all in black stood around the large room. There was hardly a dry eye in the place, for Tiana had been well loved.
Lily looked straight at the coffin and for the first and last time, she looked at James' sister. Her long bright brown hair was around her pale face in little ringlets. Her seemed to be peace and there was a faint smile on her ruby lips. She looked almost as if she was just sleeping and would wake up at any moment. Even in death there was a very strong resemblance to James about her face. Tiana had been only 17.
Lily sighed softly and came forward to pay her respects while the rest looked for James and some of them spoke to some of the family, whom they knew from a long time of knowing James. Lily knelt at the stand and said a brief prayer for Tiana's soul. "May angels fly thee home," she whispered as she stood.
"She was an angel in and of herself," said a strangled voice to her right. She turned and saw James, his face a stark white against his black hair and black suit. His green eyes were very bright as he stepped forward from the corner where he had been hiding.
Lily felt a tiny prickling from somewhere behind her eyes and she felt a pang in her heart. "I'm… sorry I never got to meet her," Lily said wishing she could comfort him in some way.
"I think you would have liked her. I know she would have like you," he said, struggling to keep his voice level.
Lily bit her lip and looked away, blinking furiously. "The others came with me," she said hoping that that would help in some small way.
He gave her an almost stricken look. "Thank you Lily."
"Least I could do," she began but she was interrupted by Rose.
"James!" Rose said as she hastened over to his side.
A little of the tension in James face left as he turned to look at Rose. "Hey Flower," he said giving her a quick hug. Rose looked at Lily out of the corner of her eye then grabbed James' hand and pulled him a little bit away. As Lily walked away looking for Kit and Lucille, she sighed again.
"I seem to be doing that a lot," she thought almost amusedly, trying to ignore the slight pain in her chest. She hadn't gotten very far away from Rose and James when out of the corner of her eyes she saw a flurry of movement. She turned to look and she saw James almost running from Rose. He sped to a door that was nearby, went into the room and slammed the door behind him causing the people nearest the door to gaze at it disapprovingly. Rose glared after him then sped off in another direction, heading for the front door.
Lily stopped and looked around for a moment. When the few people still watching the door had turned away, she walked over to it. She opened it as silently as possible and slipped inside.
James was sitting on a bench turned away from the door but Lily could see the shaking of his shoulders. "Want do you want now? Haven't you done enough already?" he said savagely.
Lily swallowed the pain that ensued. How much things had changed. Before, any harsh statement hadn't meant anything to her. Now it was like a dagger in her heart. "Sorry," she said softly as she turned back to the door and rested her hand on the brass doorknob preparing to leave.
James spun around. "No wait! Please stay. I thought it was Rose," he said in a distressed voice.
Lily closed her eyes and took a deep breath to offset the surge of happiness that ripped through her whole body at his words. She turned around again and leaned her back on the door. "Ok," she said simply and stood waiting for him to speak.
He tried to smile, but it was almost as if his face had forgotten how to. "Do you know what that… do you know what she said?" he said bitterly. She shook her head wordlessly. "She said, 'I can't believe you didn't tell me James! You didn't tell us about your sister's bad health and we could have supported you during that time. But worst of all, you lied about your sister's magical ability. I just can't believe that your sister is a squib!' And she said it with complete disgust. Well, that's why I did!" James said harshly. "Because people like her would just make something terrible out of it!" he broke down and the tears began to flow. He closed his eyes and turned his back on Lily again.
Lily went to his side without a thought except for him. She sat down next to him but he turned his face away, not wanting her to see him crying. "She was only thinking of herself without a thought for you. What does it matter that Ti was a squib. You loved her," Lily gestured to the door wildly. "All of those people out there loved her. And not all of them are muggles. In fact, I'd say it's about half-and-half. It wasn't her fault that she was a squib. But it was her fault that she made so many people love her. And how can that be called a fault?" Lily fell silent and lowered her hands to her lap.
James turned to her, his face dry but his eyes a faint red. "I loved her," he whispered and Lily didn't know if he meant Rose or Tiana. Then he sighed and turned away again. "I'm sorry to bore you. I'm sure that you have much better and more important things to do. Sorry I made you come."
She stared at his back incredulously. "More important things than you?" she blurted out. He froze but she continued, not realizing the mistake. "I mean, it's not like I had to come. I coulda said no," she rambled on as James turned around to look at her searchingly. "But I came. Because you are my friend and this is a time when you need your friends around you." She was getting no response from James except the fact that he was gazing into her eyes. This made her extremely nervous, so she looked away and continued to ramble. "And you shouldn't even think about Rose. I mean she's really…"
If anyone outside the room had been listening, they might have wondered why the rambling had suddenly stopped. For anyone inside the room, it was a different story.
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A/N: What do you think? I had fun writing this chapter. Plz review! More reviews = faster update…
~Teva~
The next day, the group got up solemnly and dressed in all black. Lily had already spoken to Professor Dumbledore and they had been given permission to go. He had even hired a car to come and pick them up. So, at exactly 9:30, they all left Hogwarts castle and headed for the car parked just outside that was bound for the Funeral Home.
A grizzled old man sat in the driver's seat and as they slid in, he turned around and smiled toothlessly at them. "Alrighty then little masters and mistresses?" The group nodded no one feeling talkative. "Well, if this is all of yins, would ya please close the door?" he said with a smile. He was rewarded with a few smiles and a somewhat lighter atmosphere.
Even so, it was a grim ride; no one spoke. Everyone looked melancholy, or in the case of Rose, angry. Perhaps… perhaps jealous is a better way to describe her, though none of the group saw it for what it was.
When the car arrived at the Funeral Home, the group disembarked. A pretty woman who bore a slight resemblance to James stood in front of the doors to the Home. She smiled a strained sort of smile at the group as she smoothed her pure black dress.
"Hello Dearies. Thank you for coming. James could really use his friends around him just now," the woman said her strained smile falling a bit more.
Sirius went forward and hugged the woman that was like a second mother to him. "I'm really sorry Mrs. Potter," he said as he drew back.
"Thanks Sirius," she said with a quiver in her voice. "Go on in. He's waiting for you," she motioned them inside.
A large crowd dressed all in black stood around the large room. There was hardly a dry eye in the place, for Tiana had been well loved.
Lily looked straight at the coffin and for the first and last time, she looked at James' sister. Her long bright brown hair was around her pale face in little ringlets. Her seemed to be peace and there was a faint smile on her ruby lips. She looked almost as if she was just sleeping and would wake up at any moment. Even in death there was a very strong resemblance to James about her face. Tiana had been only 17.
Lily sighed softly and came forward to pay her respects while the rest looked for James and some of them spoke to some of the family, whom they knew from a long time of knowing James. Lily knelt at the stand and said a brief prayer for Tiana's soul. "May angels fly thee home," she whispered as she stood.
"She was an angel in and of herself," said a strangled voice to her right. She turned and saw James, his face a stark white against his black hair and black suit. His green eyes were very bright as he stepped forward from the corner where he had been hiding.
Lily felt a tiny prickling from somewhere behind her eyes and she felt a pang in her heart. "I'm… sorry I never got to meet her," Lily said wishing she could comfort him in some way.
"I think you would have liked her. I know she would have like you," he said, struggling to keep his voice level.
Lily bit her lip and looked away, blinking furiously. "The others came with me," she said hoping that that would help in some small way.
He gave her an almost stricken look. "Thank you Lily."
"Least I could do," she began but she was interrupted by Rose.
"James!" Rose said as she hastened over to his side.
A little of the tension in James face left as he turned to look at Rose. "Hey Flower," he said giving her a quick hug. Rose looked at Lily out of the corner of her eye then grabbed James' hand and pulled him a little bit away. As Lily walked away looking for Kit and Lucille, she sighed again.
"I seem to be doing that a lot," she thought almost amusedly, trying to ignore the slight pain in her chest. She hadn't gotten very far away from Rose and James when out of the corner of her eyes she saw a flurry of movement. She turned to look and she saw James almost running from Rose. He sped to a door that was nearby, went into the room and slammed the door behind him causing the people nearest the door to gaze at it disapprovingly. Rose glared after him then sped off in another direction, heading for the front door.
Lily stopped and looked around for a moment. When the few people still watching the door had turned away, she walked over to it. She opened it as silently as possible and slipped inside.
James was sitting on a bench turned away from the door but Lily could see the shaking of his shoulders. "Want do you want now? Haven't you done enough already?" he said savagely.
Lily swallowed the pain that ensued. How much things had changed. Before, any harsh statement hadn't meant anything to her. Now it was like a dagger in her heart. "Sorry," she said softly as she turned back to the door and rested her hand on the brass doorknob preparing to leave.
James spun around. "No wait! Please stay. I thought it was Rose," he said in a distressed voice.
Lily closed her eyes and took a deep breath to offset the surge of happiness that ripped through her whole body at his words. She turned around again and leaned her back on the door. "Ok," she said simply and stood waiting for him to speak.
He tried to smile, but it was almost as if his face had forgotten how to. "Do you know what that… do you know what she said?" he said bitterly. She shook her head wordlessly. "She said, 'I can't believe you didn't tell me James! You didn't tell us about your sister's bad health and we could have supported you during that time. But worst of all, you lied about your sister's magical ability. I just can't believe that your sister is a squib!' And she said it with complete disgust. Well, that's why I did!" James said harshly. "Because people like her would just make something terrible out of it!" he broke down and the tears began to flow. He closed his eyes and turned his back on Lily again.
Lily went to his side without a thought except for him. She sat down next to him but he turned his face away, not wanting her to see him crying. "She was only thinking of herself without a thought for you. What does it matter that Ti was a squib. You loved her," Lily gestured to the door wildly. "All of those people out there loved her. And not all of them are muggles. In fact, I'd say it's about half-and-half. It wasn't her fault that she was a squib. But it was her fault that she made so many people love her. And how can that be called a fault?" Lily fell silent and lowered her hands to her lap.
James turned to her, his face dry but his eyes a faint red. "I loved her," he whispered and Lily didn't know if he meant Rose or Tiana. Then he sighed and turned away again. "I'm sorry to bore you. I'm sure that you have much better and more important things to do. Sorry I made you come."
She stared at his back incredulously. "More important things than you?" she blurted out. He froze but she continued, not realizing the mistake. "I mean, it's not like I had to come. I coulda said no," she rambled on as James turned around to look at her searchingly. "But I came. Because you are my friend and this is a time when you need your friends around you." She was getting no response from James except the fact that he was gazing into her eyes. This made her extremely nervous, so she looked away and continued to ramble. "And you shouldn't even think about Rose. I mean she's really…"
If anyone outside the room had been listening, they might have wondered why the rambling had suddenly stopped. For anyone inside the room, it was a different story.
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A/N: What do you think? I had fun writing this chapter. Plz review! More reviews = faster update…
~Teva~