The party lasted a few hours, and after everyone had enjoyed a wonderful
meal cooked by Lily, they enjoyed cake while watching Harry and James open
Harry's presents. It was a good laugh, watching James crouch down beside
his son, looking just as curious and eager as the one year old.
"You know Lily, you're nuts for marrying such a man," Moody joked, "It's more like you have two kids,"
Lily grinned at him, wrapping her arms around James as he sat on the floor,
"No I think I was very lucky," she smiled at him.
James reached up and stroked his wife's cheek, smiling his toothy, lopsided grin. Sirius let his eyes avert the happy couple, who were no doubt very much in love. Why was he letting his mind assault their relationship? Why was he letting his mind push he's best friend and brother away? He got up with a sigh and moved to the kitchen to top off his fire whiskey. From the commotion he heard in the living room, it was very probable that many of the guests were leaving. That meant he could get away from Lily faster, which meant he could stop thinking about her, and stop feeling guilty. He downed the glass of fire whiskey in one gulp and wiped his mouth before slamming it down on the counter. Still pain riveted through his head, causing his eyes to flutter shut.
"Sirius?" Remus called from the doorway, "Are you okay?"
Sirius opened his eyes but didn't bother to look over at his other friend,
"I will be fine Moony, don't worry about me,"
"Did you write to Dumbledore?" Remus whispered coming closer.
"No, I went and saw him, and he gave me the sleeping draught, but he didn't give me answers," Sirius fussed, rubbing his eyes.
"What kind of answers were you looking for?" Remus asked, narrowing his eyes.
Sirius turned to look at him, his deep eyes piercing his bestfrined sharply, "I need to know why, even when I'm perfectly awake, I find myself thinking about her, and having all these, visions of her in my head, when I don't even care about her, and the memories I see aren't even mine. I need to understand why it feels like there's a part of me that's missing, and I need to know why everything that she does haunts me,"
"He didn't say anything?" Remus asked.
"All that he said was that 'All things happen for a reason,'" Sirius muttered as he leaned against the counter.
He closed his eyes, as the sentence tugged on his mind.
"Hold me closer Sirius," whispered Lily desperately.
"Sirius?" Remus was holding him by the shoulders and looking into his face with concern filling his eyes.
"I'm okay," Sirius said pulling away.
He looked up, and past Remus he watched as Lily pulled James to his feet and whispered something in his ear. His face became grave as he turned towards Remus and Sirius, who were standing in the kitchen.
"Moony, Padfoot, would you come in here, there is something we need to talk to you two about." James called, as he stooped to pick up Harry who'd crawled towards him.
Sirius entered the living room giving James a questioning stare, before noticing that he, Peter and Remus were the only guests left.
"Please sit down," Lily said quietly coming up beside him and placing her hand on his arm to comfort him.
He winced at her touch but sat down. He felt his nerves racing in the pit of his stomach. Had Dumbledore said something to Lily and James about his dreams? He took a large gulp of air and stared at his hands.
"Lily and I, would like all of you to know that Dumbledore told us some very interesting news." James paused, waiting for his friends to look up at him, but Sirius couldn't bare to do it. Dumbledore had gone and told them. Sirius closed his eyes waiting for James to say it.
"Dumbledore has informed us that we are next on Voldemort's list," James gulped, "I understand why, I mean Lily and I are way to involved in the Order, and I am one of the best Auror's in the ministry, and my Quidditch Carreer makes me known to many wizards and witches, so my death would become very public, inflicting fear on all those around us." James lowered his voice to a whisper, "So Dumbledore decided it would be best if we found somebody we trusted to be our Secret Keeper. The Secret Keeper would keep the secret of where we were so that Voldemort will not be able to find us, and therefore protecting us."
"I will do it!" Peter cried out, startling baby Harry who sat in his arms.
"We appreciate that Peter," Lily said softly, "We really do, but you're marks weren't that good in Charms or Defence Against the Dark Arts, and the position of Secret Keeper would be very dangerous. Dumbledore said that Voldemort might think that we would be using a Secret Keeper and try to interrogate all of our friends, or even torture it out of them."
Sirius opened his eyes, starring at James. Voldemort was after him, and Lily and Harry. He wanted to kill them? How was this possible?
"We had to narrow out Remus as well, although he would be a wonderful Secret Keeper as he as excellent at Charms, but being a Werewolf, we can't let him be Secret Keeper, incase he is transforming at critical times, We are sorry Moony," James explained, "So Sirius that leaves you, and we all know here that I trust you beyond anybody else, so I am asking you, can you be our Secret Keeper?"
"Please understand," Lily whispered as tears entered her eyes, "We did not wish to ask any of you, we care about you too much, but Dumbledore suggested we keep this within our close friends, since noone can tell who is working for Voldemort these days,"
Sirius stood up, at the sight of his frightened friends.
"Ofcourse I will be you're secret keeper. I will not tell a soul, James, you, Lily and Harry mean the world to me, and if it was any of us, we know that you and Lily would keep our secret." Sirius whispered, looking away from his hurt friend, that trusted him so much.
Guilt washed over him for the umpteenth time.
"Well now that that is settled," Peter piped up standing and handing the baby over to Lily, " I guess I will be going, got a lot of work to do." He muttered.
"We will be seeing you soon?" Lily asked with a smile.
Sirius glanced at Peter who seemed so eager to leave, and watched him smile sadly, "You will be, Goodbye, Padfoot and Moony,"
And with that he was gone.
"What was he rushing off for?" Remus wondered standing up and walking towards Lily and James, "I just want you to know that I understand you're decision and even though I am not your Secret Keeper I will do everything I can to help protect you," he whispered reaching up to kiss Lily's cheek, ruffle Harry's hair and hug James.
"Everything will be fine I promise," Remus said smiling weakly at James.
"Remus," Lily whispered, burying her head in her baby's black hair, "Promise me that if James and I don't survive this you will take care of Harry, and you to Sirius," she looked up at them with tears streaming down her pale face, "Promise me!"
"We promise," Sirius whispered, pained by her tears. He watched James put an arm around his wife as he tried to control his emotions.
"Well I guess I should be going," Remus whispered, "We'll see eachother soon," he muttered sadly before disaparating with a loud "POP!"
James let out a deep sigh and reached down to collect the empty goblets that guests had left behind.
"Sirius, you know I can't thank-you enough. All these long years, you have done everything I can think of for me, and you have been a true brother, the true brother I didn't have, please promise me that if anything bad happens, you give up our information instead of getting yourself k-" James paused not able to say the words.
Sirius reached out and put his hand on James's shoulder,
"I promise," he whispered, and James pulled him close, the two best friend holding each other close.
James pulled away, wiping his eyes hastily and carrying the load of goblets to the kitchen. Lily and Sirius stood alone in the dim living room. She stood there clutching her baby to her chest as fear filled her green eyes. Sirius stared at her his breath picking up, his mind tugging at his heart. What was going on with him? How could he still be thinking about her at a time like this?
"We'll I'd better be going," he said awkwardly, "Goodnight Lily,"
She starred at him, her green eyes boring into his deep ones.
"Goodnight," She whispered and closed her eyes rocking Harry back and forth.
Sirius disapartated with a loud "Pop!"
"You know Lily, you're nuts for marrying such a man," Moody joked, "It's more like you have two kids,"
Lily grinned at him, wrapping her arms around James as he sat on the floor,
"No I think I was very lucky," she smiled at him.
James reached up and stroked his wife's cheek, smiling his toothy, lopsided grin. Sirius let his eyes avert the happy couple, who were no doubt very much in love. Why was he letting his mind assault their relationship? Why was he letting his mind push he's best friend and brother away? He got up with a sigh and moved to the kitchen to top off his fire whiskey. From the commotion he heard in the living room, it was very probable that many of the guests were leaving. That meant he could get away from Lily faster, which meant he could stop thinking about her, and stop feeling guilty. He downed the glass of fire whiskey in one gulp and wiped his mouth before slamming it down on the counter. Still pain riveted through his head, causing his eyes to flutter shut.
"Sirius?" Remus called from the doorway, "Are you okay?"
Sirius opened his eyes but didn't bother to look over at his other friend,
"I will be fine Moony, don't worry about me,"
"Did you write to Dumbledore?" Remus whispered coming closer.
"No, I went and saw him, and he gave me the sleeping draught, but he didn't give me answers," Sirius fussed, rubbing his eyes.
"What kind of answers were you looking for?" Remus asked, narrowing his eyes.
Sirius turned to look at him, his deep eyes piercing his bestfrined sharply, "I need to know why, even when I'm perfectly awake, I find myself thinking about her, and having all these, visions of her in my head, when I don't even care about her, and the memories I see aren't even mine. I need to understand why it feels like there's a part of me that's missing, and I need to know why everything that she does haunts me,"
"He didn't say anything?" Remus asked.
"All that he said was that 'All things happen for a reason,'" Sirius muttered as he leaned against the counter.
He closed his eyes, as the sentence tugged on his mind.
"Hold me closer Sirius," whispered Lily desperately.
"Sirius?" Remus was holding him by the shoulders and looking into his face with concern filling his eyes.
"I'm okay," Sirius said pulling away.
He looked up, and past Remus he watched as Lily pulled James to his feet and whispered something in his ear. His face became grave as he turned towards Remus and Sirius, who were standing in the kitchen.
"Moony, Padfoot, would you come in here, there is something we need to talk to you two about." James called, as he stooped to pick up Harry who'd crawled towards him.
Sirius entered the living room giving James a questioning stare, before noticing that he, Peter and Remus were the only guests left.
"Please sit down," Lily said quietly coming up beside him and placing her hand on his arm to comfort him.
He winced at her touch but sat down. He felt his nerves racing in the pit of his stomach. Had Dumbledore said something to Lily and James about his dreams? He took a large gulp of air and stared at his hands.
"Lily and I, would like all of you to know that Dumbledore told us some very interesting news." James paused, waiting for his friends to look up at him, but Sirius couldn't bare to do it. Dumbledore had gone and told them. Sirius closed his eyes waiting for James to say it.
"Dumbledore has informed us that we are next on Voldemort's list," James gulped, "I understand why, I mean Lily and I are way to involved in the Order, and I am one of the best Auror's in the ministry, and my Quidditch Carreer makes me known to many wizards and witches, so my death would become very public, inflicting fear on all those around us." James lowered his voice to a whisper, "So Dumbledore decided it would be best if we found somebody we trusted to be our Secret Keeper. The Secret Keeper would keep the secret of where we were so that Voldemort will not be able to find us, and therefore protecting us."
"I will do it!" Peter cried out, startling baby Harry who sat in his arms.
"We appreciate that Peter," Lily said softly, "We really do, but you're marks weren't that good in Charms or Defence Against the Dark Arts, and the position of Secret Keeper would be very dangerous. Dumbledore said that Voldemort might think that we would be using a Secret Keeper and try to interrogate all of our friends, or even torture it out of them."
Sirius opened his eyes, starring at James. Voldemort was after him, and Lily and Harry. He wanted to kill them? How was this possible?
"We had to narrow out Remus as well, although he would be a wonderful Secret Keeper as he as excellent at Charms, but being a Werewolf, we can't let him be Secret Keeper, incase he is transforming at critical times, We are sorry Moony," James explained, "So Sirius that leaves you, and we all know here that I trust you beyond anybody else, so I am asking you, can you be our Secret Keeper?"
"Please understand," Lily whispered as tears entered her eyes, "We did not wish to ask any of you, we care about you too much, but Dumbledore suggested we keep this within our close friends, since noone can tell who is working for Voldemort these days,"
Sirius stood up, at the sight of his frightened friends.
"Ofcourse I will be you're secret keeper. I will not tell a soul, James, you, Lily and Harry mean the world to me, and if it was any of us, we know that you and Lily would keep our secret." Sirius whispered, looking away from his hurt friend, that trusted him so much.
Guilt washed over him for the umpteenth time.
"Well now that that is settled," Peter piped up standing and handing the baby over to Lily, " I guess I will be going, got a lot of work to do." He muttered.
"We will be seeing you soon?" Lily asked with a smile.
Sirius glanced at Peter who seemed so eager to leave, and watched him smile sadly, "You will be, Goodbye, Padfoot and Moony,"
And with that he was gone.
"What was he rushing off for?" Remus wondered standing up and walking towards Lily and James, "I just want you to know that I understand you're decision and even though I am not your Secret Keeper I will do everything I can to help protect you," he whispered reaching up to kiss Lily's cheek, ruffle Harry's hair and hug James.
"Everything will be fine I promise," Remus said smiling weakly at James.
"Remus," Lily whispered, burying her head in her baby's black hair, "Promise me that if James and I don't survive this you will take care of Harry, and you to Sirius," she looked up at them with tears streaming down her pale face, "Promise me!"
"We promise," Sirius whispered, pained by her tears. He watched James put an arm around his wife as he tried to control his emotions.
"Well I guess I should be going," Remus whispered, "We'll see eachother soon," he muttered sadly before disaparating with a loud "POP!"
James let out a deep sigh and reached down to collect the empty goblets that guests had left behind.
"Sirius, you know I can't thank-you enough. All these long years, you have done everything I can think of for me, and you have been a true brother, the true brother I didn't have, please promise me that if anything bad happens, you give up our information instead of getting yourself k-" James paused not able to say the words.
Sirius reached out and put his hand on James's shoulder,
"I promise," he whispered, and James pulled him close, the two best friend holding each other close.
James pulled away, wiping his eyes hastily and carrying the load of goblets to the kitchen. Lily and Sirius stood alone in the dim living room. She stood there clutching her baby to her chest as fear filled her green eyes. Sirius stared at her his breath picking up, his mind tugging at his heart. What was going on with him? How could he still be thinking about her at a time like this?
"We'll I'd better be going," he said awkwardly, "Goodnight Lily,"
She starred at him, her green eyes boring into his deep ones.
"Goodnight," She whispered and closed her eyes rocking Harry back and forth.
Sirius disapartated with a loud "Pop!"