Chapter Nine
James sat curled up in the bay window facing the empty field surrounding his house, The Crook, in the countryside of West Kent. The Blacks were over for the holidays to share Christmas with James and his parents. Sirius came into the attic where James resided.
"Hey there." Sirius said quietly, as if someone was sleeping and didn't want to be disturbed. "Alright then?" he asked, sitting beside James.
"Alright." James responded, not telling the whole truth.
"You know, she's really taken over your life." Sirius said, not able to look at his best friend. He stared down at his lap, waiting for James to say something.
"I know … I didn't even think it would last this long." James admitted, still staring out the window, looking down on the white blanket of snow that covered the field as far as James could see. "But she just means so much to me. I thought … well I thought maybe we'd just have a one night thing. But then … I don't know what happened but I just seemed to like being hers. You know?" James said, finally looking at Sirius with a very serious expression on his face. Having no dating experience of his own, Sirius didn't actually know how James felt. Not first hand at least.
"Er, no James, I don't." Sirius said, clearing his throat. "Don't get me wrong, I like Lily too, she's great. I'm just worried about how you're dealing with her not being around you all the time. I mean, how will you be when summer comes around? You haven't seen her in, what, under a week? And here you are, locked away in the attic all alone, obviously thinking about her. And James, if you're like this over the summer, one of us will be dead by August." Sirius said. "I think," he cleared his throat once more. "Maybe … it's just an infatuation." James smirked.
"Don't worry about me." James said. He bit back a sigh of anxiety. He wasn't taking the separation between him and Lily very well. In fact, this was the first time he had spoken more then two sentences all holiday.
"James!" James' mother greeted him with open arms and a big smile. Emma Potter was a housewife, and a wonderful cook. She and Sirius' mother, Matilda Black, were making the dinner that evening. James gave his mother a hug, towering over her and giving her a peck on the cheek. It was customary behaviour in The Crook. James' father, Cedric Potter, was an Auror for the Ministry of Magic.
"These are trying times James," Cedric Potter would tell him, when and if he was home. Since it was Christmas, he had been given a few days off.
Sirius, Matilda, Douglas Black, Cedric, Emma and James all sat down at the table in their respective seats at the scrubbed wooden dinner table. Snow started falling in large puffy flakes outside the windows surrounding the dining room. James could almost see Lily perfectly outside the window, in the scarf and robes she had warn when they got off the train from Hogwarts. James twirled food around on his plate, but had suddenly lost his appetite. Sirius kicked him from under the table, jolting James back to reality.
"Ow!" James mouthed at Sirius, but tried not to attract any attention. He frowned and ate a bit of food.
"So James," Cedric's regal voice boomed across from the head of the table. "How's the school year?" he inquired. James shrugged.
"Fine, Sir." James replied rather monotone, and went back to playing with his food and not really eating it.
"And Sirius? Having a good year?" Cedric asked more cheerfully. Sirius looked up and smiled out of respect.
"Very good year Sir." He said, face full of mince pie. He gulped it down and politely asked, "How's the Ministry holding up?" James rolled his eyes and groaned inwardly.
"Well, I'm really not permitted to say. Neither your father nor I can really tell you anything in detail, but all I have to say is … these are trying times, Sirius. If we don't get something done soon, you can say goodbye to Hogwarts and all that comes with it." He said, looking down the table at James. Sirius didn't really know what to say, so he just went back to his dinner, playing with it much like James had been doing.
James had heard far too much about the dark Lord, and all the terrible things that were going on behind the public's blind eye. Many muggles and even some wizards had disappeared by a small organization. James wasn't sure what they were called, but they were well organized, and had one goal: to turn the wizarding world into the hands of one unnamed dark Lord. His name was never spoken, except by Cedric and other Aurors, who weren't as fearful as the general population.
"Your father's leaving tonight. He and Douglas have just received an owl from the Minister himself." Emma explained to her son when she caught him creeping up the stairs for bed. Seriousness and worry flooded James' face as he walked back down the stairs.
"The Minister?" James whispered in disbelief. Emma nodded, her eyes a little misty.
"I'm afraid so. I had hoped that we could have a Christmas morning all together, but … he's leaving just now." Emma said. James' emotions changed from worried to angry.
"He's leaving?"
"James darling, I know this upsets things a bit but, he could stop it! All of it! He could make it go away. We just have to make a bit of a sacrifice."
"He cares more about that Lord Voldemort then his own bloody family!" James yelled and rushed up the stares furiously. Emma gasped at the mention of You-Know-Who's name, and had to hold onto the railing for support.
"James, get back here!" Emma tried to scream, but her shocked voice failed her.
"Are we safe?" James demanded, after bursting into Cedric and Emma's room. Cedric jumped back from talking closely with Douglas, his wand outstretched and at the ready. James knew that his father's wand was the equivalent to a muggle's loaded gun.
"Get out James. You know we've got to do this." Cedric said through barred teeth. "Don't make it any harder then it is."
"Harder on who? You?" he asked. "I have to watch you go off and don't hear a word from you for weeks, even months. I spent the majority of last summer helping Mum who was having breakdowns every time she read the paper because all she could think of was you. All you think about is you. Even I'm worried about you! But answer me this Dad … who's thinking about me?"
"You are in the safety of Hogwarts!" Cedric said, outraged. "I'm appalled that you have the gall to talk to me this way James. Don't you think if this situation could be avoided, it would? Or are you just too bloody selfish to notice the world around you? There's a war James. And it's not between countries, it's between us and them. Lord Voldemort is killing people James, and until he and his supporters are stopped, you'll have to go a few weeks without seeing me at the dinner table while I, among many others, try to save you!" Cedric yelled, and pushed past James and out into the hall. With his wand back in his pocket, and Douglas following closely behind, the two men mounted their brooms, and kicked off from the ground. They accelerated as high as they needed, with just enough moonlight for them to see but not be seen. Then, as James watched them out the window, tears streaming down his face, they shot off like comets into the night sky.
Still working on Chapter Ten. Buh bye and thanks for the comments! Please R+R again (or for the first time)