Lily brought her fist up and pounded on Ron's door. He opened and smiled at
her. "Come on in Lily. It's a damn cold night.
"Where's your dad?" Ron asked, putting the kettle on.
"Well he's not trying to find me. That's for sure." Lily pulled her mittens off and stuffed them into her pocket.
Ron leaned his head out from the kitchen and frowned. "That bad is it?"
"Do you think my dad is a hopeless case?" Lily asked, accepting her cup of tea.
"I wouldn't have gone to London to get him if I thought that."
"So why does everyone else think that?" Lily asked, blowing on her tea.
"Either because they don't know him, or because they do."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well to some one who doesn't know him, it would seem that he is extremely depressed. To people who do know him it would seem that he's in this hole, for lack of a better word. He's not the same as he used to be."
"Why not?" Lily asked furiously.
"Because."
Lily's eyes flew open and she stared at Ron with anger. "I thought you would be able to help me, but no one can tell me what his goddam problem is!"
"That's it!" Ron said. "He doesn't HAVE a god damn problem! Everyone wants to say that he's died inside, or he's empty, or he's lost everything. But he hasn't. Jesus Christ, he's changed. Everyone changes, people just can't deal with the fact that there's no reason for it. Everyone needs a reason for someone to be quiet, or moody or insane. There is no reason. He's like that just because. Just because."
Lily and Ron sat quietly for a moment, blinking at each other. "Well." Ron said finally. "That was refreshing."
Lily blinked again. "Yes, well. Uh, that was strange."
Ron grinned sheepishly. "It was wasn't it? Well it's true though. So fear not, your dad doesn't have any problems, aside from the mandatory insanity. Now come on. You'll have enough problems coming up, I think you need to forget about Harry."
"What kind of problems?" Lily asked cautiously.
"No use sugar coating it. Marit has Dementors. We don't know how she got a hold of them, they were all supposedly destroyed before the last war. Dementors will be your worst enemy. I suggest you get Lupin to teach you a Patronus. Giants, although they are allies, can't defend themselves against Dementors. And right now, none of your friends can either."
"When do you think she'll attack?"
"When's your birthday?"
Lily thought the question was rather odd, but she answered anyway. "March 17th."
"St Paddy's." Ron said meaninglessly. "And you'll turn fourteen this year? Hmmm, I'll have to remember that."
"What are you talking about? Are you going to tell me when Marit will attack?"
"No."
"What!? Ron!"
"Well I don't know when she'll attack! If I knew that I would have told the Ministry. I'm not a Divination person or whatever."
"A psychic?"
"Yeah. One of those."
"Well why not?"
"Because I'm a Ministry member. Ministry members are dull and boring and wear funny hats."
"Oh."
Ron laughed and looked at his watch. "I suppose we should head back over to your place. Everyone will be getting their second wind by now."
They walked back over to Lily's house and went in the door. Everyone was clammoring about, laughing and talking, not knowing how the next day would change the course of their lives forever.
"Where's your dad?" Ron asked, putting the kettle on.
"Well he's not trying to find me. That's for sure." Lily pulled her mittens off and stuffed them into her pocket.
Ron leaned his head out from the kitchen and frowned. "That bad is it?"
"Do you think my dad is a hopeless case?" Lily asked, accepting her cup of tea.
"I wouldn't have gone to London to get him if I thought that."
"So why does everyone else think that?" Lily asked, blowing on her tea.
"Either because they don't know him, or because they do."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well to some one who doesn't know him, it would seem that he is extremely depressed. To people who do know him it would seem that he's in this hole, for lack of a better word. He's not the same as he used to be."
"Why not?" Lily asked furiously.
"Because."
Lily's eyes flew open and she stared at Ron with anger. "I thought you would be able to help me, but no one can tell me what his goddam problem is!"
"That's it!" Ron said. "He doesn't HAVE a god damn problem! Everyone wants to say that he's died inside, or he's empty, or he's lost everything. But he hasn't. Jesus Christ, he's changed. Everyone changes, people just can't deal with the fact that there's no reason for it. Everyone needs a reason for someone to be quiet, or moody or insane. There is no reason. He's like that just because. Just because."
Lily and Ron sat quietly for a moment, blinking at each other. "Well." Ron said finally. "That was refreshing."
Lily blinked again. "Yes, well. Uh, that was strange."
Ron grinned sheepishly. "It was wasn't it? Well it's true though. So fear not, your dad doesn't have any problems, aside from the mandatory insanity. Now come on. You'll have enough problems coming up, I think you need to forget about Harry."
"What kind of problems?" Lily asked cautiously.
"No use sugar coating it. Marit has Dementors. We don't know how she got a hold of them, they were all supposedly destroyed before the last war. Dementors will be your worst enemy. I suggest you get Lupin to teach you a Patronus. Giants, although they are allies, can't defend themselves against Dementors. And right now, none of your friends can either."
"When do you think she'll attack?"
"When's your birthday?"
Lily thought the question was rather odd, but she answered anyway. "March 17th."
"St Paddy's." Ron said meaninglessly. "And you'll turn fourteen this year? Hmmm, I'll have to remember that."
"What are you talking about? Are you going to tell me when Marit will attack?"
"No."
"What!? Ron!"
"Well I don't know when she'll attack! If I knew that I would have told the Ministry. I'm not a Divination person or whatever."
"A psychic?"
"Yeah. One of those."
"Well why not?"
"Because I'm a Ministry member. Ministry members are dull and boring and wear funny hats."
"Oh."
Ron laughed and looked at his watch. "I suppose we should head back over to your place. Everyone will be getting their second wind by now."
They walked back over to Lily's house and went in the door. Everyone was clammoring about, laughing and talking, not knowing how the next day would change the course of their lives forever.