Chapter 18

Home Sweet Home

Last time on Unexpected

            *James touched Lily's arm.  "My parents are waiting, we better get going."  She nodded mutely, wanting to see Kari one last time.  They turned and headed towards the barrier.  But before they had gotten all the way through, a scream rang through the station.

            Alisa stumbled out of the Express, "Kari…Kari…she's dead."  She muttered before collapsing to the ground.*

            Lily spun around on her heel.  Her green eyes open as wide as they could be.  "No...No...No.  This has to be some sort of joke."  She ran over to where Lizzie was now trying to wake up Alisa.  "Someone, we need help!"

            "I'll go get my parents.  They should be just outside the barrier."  James shouted, running through the gateway.

            Alisa was beginning to come around when several train attendants dashed over to them.  "What's happened here?  We heard someone yelling for help."

            James's parents, along with Kari's, Remus's, Alisa's and Lizzie's arrived just then, in time to hear Alisa mumble the compartment that Kari had been in.

            "Lily, stay here with her, we'll be back in a few minutes."  James's father whispered as the rest climbed aboard the train.  She nodded and then turned to Alisa, who was sobbing uncontrollably. 

            "It...it...was horrible, Lily, just...horrible.  Who would...would...do something like that?"  Alisa murmured shakily.

            Lily shook her head, tears now framing her own eyes as reality hit her.  "I don't know.  I don't know."  She scooped up her friend in a hug, letting her cry.

            It was a couple of minutes before everyone else came out of the train once more.  Kari's mother had no expression on her face.  She was too sad to really feel anything at the time.  Lily let go of Alisa, and stood up, tears still flowing down her face.

            "I am so sorry about Kari.  If there is anything I can do..."

            Kari's mom smiled weakly, her eyes dull and dead.  "Lily, don't worry yourself.  You've got enough on your mind.  I'll be...I'll be ok."

            Lily nodded, "Alright.  Oh, I never got a chance to really thank you for letting me stay when..."  Her voice cracked and trailed off.

            Mrs. Beckman's face lit up with pity for second, "You're welcome.  I'll see you all...sometime."  Lizzie's parents escorted her through the boarder as Lizzie and Remus said their goodbyes.

            Lizzie turned towards Lily and James.  "Thank you, guys, for being my friends.  Promise to owl me if you need anything at all."  She gave them each a hug before following her parents.

            "Are you three ready to go to the house?"  William Potter asked Sirius, James, and Lily.  He was a distinguished looking wizard, with silver hair and hard, hazel eyes.  His wife was equally distinguished.  She had dark brown hair and lively blue eyes.  They all nodded mutely.  Lily dismissed her surprise that Sirius was coming with them.  She had known superficially that he lived with James.  Now she only wondered what he would do when James left for the new house.

            The ride home was an ominously quiet.  Lily was already missing Kari, who had been one of her closest friends.  Nothing could possibly replace her.  Sirius was upset only because he had never really gotten to know this girl and now he never would.  And James, his thoughts were those of sadness and guilt.  He too had never known Kari at all and yet he had fucked her and dumped her, like a piece of trash...like she didn't matter.  A voice inside his head comforted that she had asked for it, but, it didn't lessen the remorse.

            While James and Sirius looked out at the passing countryside, Lily dozed off from exhaustion and grief.  The cool glass of the window soothed her now pounding head as she rested it upon it.

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            The sound of the engine slowing down roused Lily from the nightmares she was having.  Kari's death had brought back painful flashbacks of her own parent's death.  But she pushed these into the back of her mind, trying to instead focus on the Potter's house.

            Lily herself had grown up in a rather large, private house.  It could be considered a small mansion, but it was nothing in comparison to the place in front of her.

            A white brick roundabout that they were currently driving on genteelly curved around a bubbling fountain.  Behind that stood a magnificent dwelling made entirely of light grey stone.  It was at least 4 stories high and was adorned with numerous French windows.  Sprawling out on either side, Lily could see an endless lawn and garden.  Even in the moonlit darkness, it was wonderful.

            She suppressed a sigh of awe as the car pulled to a smooth halt in front of the doors, but the doorman who opened the car door managed to irk a soft cry of surprise.

            Mr. Potter and Mrs. Potter (Dawn) led the three adolescents into the house while directing their bags to each respective room.

            "Boys, why don't you go to your rooms?  It's so very late, and James, you have long day ahead of you.  Lily, if you'll follow me."  Dawn ordered, mounting the curving stairs and beckoning to Lily.

            Lily obliged, following Mrs. Potter past room after room until finally they came to a door at the very end of the hallway.  Mrs. Potter opened the door, revealing a large, circular room.  On the floor, plush, red carpet softened their steps to the beautiful queen sized bed covered in gold silk bedding.  Lily's trunk was set beside it.

            Dawn turned to leave the room, but before she had fully exited the doorway, she spun to face Lily.  "It's nice to meet you; I wish we could have met under entirely different circumstances."  Then she left Lily to sleep.

            Lily got changed and laid under the silken bedspread, trying to fall asleep again.  But she found that with everything occupying her thoughts, she couldn't shut her eyes for more than a few seconds.

            She couldn't believe how traumatic the year had been.  Never had so many things happened to her at one time.  The death of her parents and her friend, the disownment from her sister, the baby, James, the rape...everything weighed on her chest until tears erupted silently, drenching and probably ruining the silk pillows.

            The comfort of the bed only added to Lily's unhappiness, though she couldn't figure out why.  It was just, the fanciness, the extravagance, it was wasted on her.

            Lily gazed upward, her eyes adjusting to the darkness.  She realized now that she must be sleeping in a tower because to ceiling was non-existent.  There was only a black, empty nothingness.

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            James woke in his room the next morning to the tantalizing smell of bacon cooking.  It teased him as he threw back the covers and walked the length of his room.  The stairs seemed endless as his stomach growled hungrily.

            Finally, he made it to the dining room where Lily, Sirius, and his parents were already seated.  He took the seat across from Lily and silently observed her face.  It was paler than usual with dark circles outlining her usually bright green eyes.  She stifled a yawn.  James thought she looked as though she had gotten as much sleep as he had, or less.

            The cook, a plump older woman with graying hair and dimples on her round cheeks, soon brought in breakfast.  Lily listlessly served herself bacon and eggs while trying to avoid everyone's eyes.

            It was a blessing to stand up and leave from the silent table over which seemed to hang a mist of gloom, and get dressed.  Lily thought she had never heard such a heavy silence as that.

            She got dressed quickly, consciously forgetting to take the medicine that hid her pregnancy.  Before long, she heard a knock as the doorman came in to retrieve Lily's things.

            She followed the man downstairs and out to the car, where Dawn, Sirius, and James were waiting to board the car.  They all got in and after the boot of the car was closed, a driver got in a started the vehicle.

            The drive was not a long one, only about 25 minutes.  No one said a word as the car swept down the curving road.  The farmhouses and mansions became fewer and the trees grew in number.  Finally, they turned down a dark lane in the thick of the trees.  The tension could be cut with a knife.    

            Before long, they came to a clearing in which stood a small two story house surrounded by forest.  The driver stopped and all doors opened, each person staring at the house.  It was made of dark paneled wood and had an air of secrecy around it.

            "Shall we go in, then?"  Dawn asked crisply, already mounting the stairway leading to the door.  The others followed her warily.  The door creaked open to reveal a fair sized living room, behind it, a hallway led to large kitchen/dining room, a small bathroom also branched off of that hallway.  Climbing from the living room was the staircase.  Upstairs, there could be found two bedrooms and a bathroom/laundry room.  Luckily, every room was furnished so that the two teenagers did not have to worry about that.

            After they had finished the tour, Lily glanced at James nervously and he peeked at her too.  The house was very different from both of their old homes.

            Dawn led them back downstairs.  "I do believe that your things have been brought up to the bedrooms.  Yours Lily is to the left and you James are to the right.  Other than that, is there anything that you need to get through the night?  No?  Well, then Sirius and I will leave it to you."  She gave Lily and James quick hugs before exiting the house.

            James shook Sirius's hand.  "Owl me soon, mate."  Then Sirius hugged Lily quickly and followed Mrs. Potter to the car.

            The home felt oddly empty now that everyone else had left and the two left simply stood in an awkward silence until Lily, overcome with fatigue mounted the stairs and went to bed.  James, not knowing what to do, opened his trunk, grabbed a bottle of firewhiskey and went into the living room to down it.

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Well, there it is...sorry it is so short, I haven't had much time with school and all, but whatever, you got your chapter!  Thank you all so much for the reviews, I love you all so much!  And FEAngel, you are as great as ever!

---dOOdles