Disclaimer: I don't own them…

AN: This chapter is about two months after April's funeral, K? And it's Christmas, according to my calculations.

Little Eagle

Two months had passed since April's death, and Lily was starting to function again. She didn't need to be coaxed to eat, and the nightmares were becoming less frequent. She even cracked the occasional smile. Remus was still depressed, but not as bad as he had been. Sirius and James were getting on okay, even working up the cheerfulness to turn Snape into a miniature pink elephant. Peter had hardly been affected - he had been in quite a few fights with Lily and Remus when he told them to 'lighten up'. It was Christmas Eve, and the Yule Ball was in progress. Lily had refused to go, and James had elected to stay behind with her. Sirius was going, for the sole purpose of making Snape believe he could actually sing, and sending him up on stage to sing. Peter was going with Vanessa.

"So, game of chess?" James asked Remus, hoping for some signs of life. Lily was immersed in her book, the Lord of the Rings - having taken April's advice and finally started reading it

"Okay." Remus said dully, but a few minutes later was laughing as James's chess pieces solidly refused to do what he told them too - in fact, they were doing the complete opposite. Remus didn't know, of course, that James had cursed his own chess pieces in hope of getting this exact response.

"Lily! Help!" James pleaded, and Lily looked up.

"What?" She asked.

"Uncurse my chess pieces, pwease?" He begged.

"Okay," Lily laughed, and did it for him. It's going to be all right, she realized, I can cope again.

"Tanks Lily-Billy."

"Lily-Billy?" Lily spluttered. "Since when am I Lily-Billy?"

"Since now, Lily-Billy." James smiled at her, and Lily felt her heart flutter.

"I'm going to bed," Remus yawned, "James has lost so completely that it's not worth finishing the game."

"Says you." James said, pouting.

"Yes, says me." Remus agreed, and walked slowly away.

"So, Lily-Billy, got any crushes?" James asked, sidling over to sit next to her.

"Don't call me Lily-Billy!" Lily slapped his arm lightly.

"Well, have you?" James asked, secretly vowing to make whoever it was look terrible in Lily's eyes.

"That's my business, not yours." Lily answered, and James pouted again.

"Pwease," he started, but was interrupted as an owl swooped through the open window and landed next to Lily.

"It's for you," Lily said, as she detached the message.

"Hmm. Wonder what it is," James said as he opened it. As he read he gradually turned whiter and whiter, until he was as white as a clean sheet.

"What is it?" Lily asked, concerned. James wordlessly handed her the piece of paper.
Dear Mr. Potter,

We are sorry to inform you that you parents were killed on Monday afternoon. They were on the way to visit a muggle friend, and were travelling in a muggle car, and were in a car crash.

Yours truly,

Frankious Bufflebert, MoM.

"Oh James," Lily whispered, "Oh James."

"Does it…" James's voice failed him, and he cleared his throat and started again. "Does it happen often?"

"Yes," Lily slipped her arms around him, "All the time."

"Really?"

"Yes." Lily nodded.

"Does it hurt them? Would they have suffered?" James had his head bowed, and was fighting tears.

"Sometimes," Lily said, refusing to lie. "Sometimes, but sometimes it happens quickly, instantly."

"Oh." James lifted his head and looked at Lily, searching for the truth. He found it. "I miss them."

"As you should." Lily said, not knowing what to say.
"Why? I hated them while they were alive." James said bitterly. "My mother never paid any attention to me, she let the servants do that. The only time she truly noticed me was when I was born. My father was never home, and when he was home he would sit in his study and think. I was never allowed in there. I only saw him as he was leaving or coming, and he avoided me when he could. Neither of them were ever home for Christmas, they were always at parties. And when I came to Hogwarts I stayed all year, except for summer. Neither of them ever wished me happy birthday, they were always at work on my birthday. My nurse was more like a mother to me than my own mother was." James was shaking, and Lily hugged him tightly. "Neither of them ever told me they loved me. The last time my father actually spoke to me was when I was five. Five! And all he said was 'Big boys don't cry.' I had just broken my arm!"

"Oh James," Lily sniffed, "oh James." Then she saw he was muttering to himself, always the same four words. 'Big boys don't cry.'

"It's okay to cry James," Lily whispered, "It's okay to cry."

Eeek… short! Sorry!!! I WILL KEEP WRITING QUICKLY! And someone pointed out to me that I said April was muggleborn, but then said her parents didn't have their wands. It was a MISTAKE! A rather large mistake… lets just say that she and her brother were muggleborn, but Daphne and Samuel adopted them when they were like 1. And by some miracle, they were magical. Okay with you?

Fire Lizid.