Omg I am sooo sorry I know its been forever since I updated but you have no idea how bad I had writers block and I just seriously must have written this chapter six times over before I got it at least half way to the way I liked it. This is the last chapter after this there will be an epilogue thought. Sadness I really love this fic. Please read and review!

Disclaimer: For the last and final time I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER… and if you sue me you'll only get 50 cents…hehe.

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Chapter 25: Christmas Horror

Lily stormed down the hall. The audacity of that, that Hufflepuff!!! She couldn't believe he would even have the nerve! Well, she had been broken up with James, but still…It hadn't even been a full day! Guys didn't really want her that much before! Did it all change because she had gone out with James? No, it couldn't be. Anyway what did it matter. She had screwed up everything, she had lost James and now if he didn't blame her for her mistake then he would blame her for their relationships breakup. She sighed deeply and continued to her dorm.

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Back in the room with the marauders, Avril was just getting into the story she was set on telling…

"The play was a Christmas one, you know the nutcracker?" Avril looked around at the guys confusion on their faces. "Well, anyway it was a ballet and Lily was cast as the lead. The night of the play's opening fell on a Friday night and Lily's mom, my Aunt, had to work. Lily was devastated and begged and pleaded her mom to find some way to come. Her mother made a deal with her boss apparently he owed her one, she was allowed to get out early to go and see Lily in the play. Well, it was a dark night and it had begun to snow the road was slippery and ice was forming. A car on the other side of the highway went to break and slide into oncoming traffic…into Aunt Lila," Avril lost herself tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Avril you don't have to go on…" started Remus.

"NO!" screeched Avril composing herself to speak tears still pouring like little waterfalls down her face. "This is my story as much as Lily's and I swear I will finish it out!" Avril breathed deep. "The on coming car hit her head first, when rescuers got to the scene she was still alive, she had always been a fighter my Aunt," Avril smiled a little at this comment. "She was trapped in the vehicle for three hours before they were able to extract her from the wreckage. They took her to the hospital, where they said she was stabilized. After Lily's play her father found out when the police were sitting outside of his house when they arrived home. They told him what happened and he took both Lily and her sister Petunia to see her in the hospital. They said she would be alright that they had gotten her out in time. Lily was first to see her mother after her father and before her sister Petunia," Avril paused taking in a shaky breath then continuing. "Lily walked in and saw her mom, not even a few seconds after she entered, her mom went into a spasm, apparently she had a punctured lung that the hospital didn't pick up on…Lily watched in horror as her mother passed away…my Aunt," Avril broke down in hysterics, "She wasn't supposed to die! They said she would be ok! They lied…they lied! They said she was gonna live and she died!"

Avril cried for minutes on end. Then Remus was finally able to help her pull herself together. After taking a seat back on the couch she spoke again her voice hoarse from the crying. "Lily was like stone for the next few weeks she had been witness to it all. Lily finally opened up to me when I got there…her mother had said she was proud of Lily, she was going to succeed where she hadn't she was gonna be a prima ballerina. When she went into her spasm of coughing blood up Petunia and Lily's father rushed in. Lily's mother's last words were that she loved Lily. Not her husband not Petunia that she loved Lily…Petunia her sister blamed her from that day forward, she was upset because her mother had said Lily's name not hers in her dying words. And her father was no better…he blamed Lily for making her mother miss work that night to come to her 'stupid' ballet. He said it was her fault for her mother's death, and Lily believed him, she was young and knew no better she still doesn't believe that it isn't her fault. Petunia reminds her everyday that she is the reason that her mother is dead and her father…my uncle…he cant even look at Lily she looks so much like her mother. He can only stand Petunia because she is so ugly there is no way she looks like my aunt…did."

Avril leaned her face into Remus' chest and let the tears trickle down her cheeks, she was more controlled than her earlier out burst had been. "James," James looked up at her as she talked. "Its not Lily's fault she has been acting like this. Its coming close to the anniversary of her mother's death. As I told you her mother's last words were how proud she was of Lily's dancing and how much she loved her. Lily does this to herself every year. You only noticed it this year because of the fact you took notice in her. Please don't make this harder on her than it already is."

James looked at Avril and shook his head. He tried to speak but his voice came out all hoarse from disuse. "I, I would never, I didn't know…she never told me. Why couldn't she tell me?"

"James, you have to understand," began Avril, " Lily's only ever been shown hatred after her mother's death, she thinks everyone blames her. She thinks you would too if you knew. I know better, you know better, but she doesn't. James her entire family turned on her after her mother's death. I was the only one who didn't blame her. Me and my family, but my uncle doesn't let us have very much contact with them any more. He became detached after Aunt Lila's death. I'm sorry you got caught up in it James but maybe you can help Lily out. Right now she needs you James."

James stood up from his seat. He had to find her tell her it was alright that it wasn't her fault he had to tell her it was going to be alright and that he was sorry. He left quickly out of the portrait, three pairs of eyes following him as he went.

Remus looked at his watch, "Sirius…you still have time to catch dinner."

Sirius was staring blankly at a wall… "I'm not hungry anymore."

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Lily was sitting in her dorm reading a book. It was one of those cheap romance novels that she normally hated. She had come into her dorm with the hopes of finishing up a DADA essay due in two weeks when she noticed it on Avril's bed. She did always read that kind of crap, thought Lily as she picked it up. She took a look at the cover it didn't sound half bad. She decided to page through it and got caught up in it…

Leonardo the main character had just been captured by naked natives of Mt. Humishu and was going to be burned at the stake as his beloved Miranda watched. Miranda was in a cage watching her poor Leonardo, as he was carried away from her warm embrace. She watched as the bald, wicked , old voodoo master with one eye, a peg leg, and a crooked nose cast an incantation on the fire. The flames rose up climbing towards Leonardo when suddenly…KNOCK! KNOCK!

What the hell do they want!? thought Lily angrily as she looked up from the book she was engrossed in. It's just getting to the good part!!! Lily had tears streaming from her eyes the book was so sad. She felt like such a sap for reading this but the woman in her couldn't put it down. She reluctantly climbed out of her bed carefully placing a tissue in the book marking her page. She glanced back at it sighing heavily. Then opened the door…James stood behind it.

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James stared openly at Lily. She was crying, he knew this because tears quietly flowed from her red puffy eyes. James mentally berated himself he couldn't believe that he had given her more cause then her mother's death for these tears to come. He quickly wrapped her up in his arms and she quietly nodded her head, she felt comforted by his presence.

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Lily quietly thanked whoever it was that led him back to her. She could feel his embrace tighten on her and she couldn't help but sigh at feeling so safe and content in his arms. She looked up at him and knew it was him who she wanted to be with she knew it was him who made her happy and him who inspired her. And she wanted it to be like that always…

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Wow okay so I had tears in my eyes writing this that's how I knew this was what I was posting. I hope you liked it please review and tell me. The epilogue will be easy for me to write since I have it planned out already please, please tell me what you think!

~*~Midnight~*~