Chapter 16
The End
Lily, James and Mrs. Evans spent the remainder of the
afternoon getting the house ready, each thinking their own thoughts. Mrs. Evans
was scared. How could her husband do this? Hurt them past the point of no
return, and then come back into their lives?
James was nervous and edgy. He was curious, and wanted to meet Mr. Evans, see
if he had changed and wanted to live with them again, or if he was still the
evil man that had destroyed the life of someone who was now one of his closest
friends. Hopefully, after they got through this, more than friends. Lily had
left their "break up" open ended, saying that she wasn't ready. When WAS she
going to be ready?
Lily's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and fears, confusing her. Nightmares, memories,
pain – all of these things were flooding back and she didn't feel that she
could deal with it. She was jolted out of her whirlwind by James directing a
question at her mother.
"Excuse me, Mrs. Evans, but just how did he get out of jail," he said.
"He appealed three times, on the grounds that it was a crime of passion and he
did not mean it," she said in a monotone. "He presented a full apology and now
he's out on parole and there's nothing I can do to stop it,"
James noticed Mrs. Evans wasn't comforting Lily, or even speaking to her all
that much. She was so caught up in her own pain that she couldn't see her
daughter's problems were far worse, and that was sad.
~*~
It was six thirty, and everything was
ready. The table was set, a casserole was cooking in the oven, and thanks to
James' dad and the ministry, the fireplace was connected to the floo network.
There were also five ministry Aurors down on the street, just in case something
went wrong.
James didn't really have an idea of what to expect. He had never known if
Lily's dad was mean to her before the acid-throwing incident, or if it was a
one off thing. He was so nervous he felt sick, so he could only imagine what
Lily and her mom were feeling.
The doorbell rang, and both Lily and her mother froze, paralyzed by fear and
anticipation. When James realised neither of them were going to get it, he
slowly walked over to the door and opened it a crack. A man stood there with a
piece of paper in his hands, and James instantly recognized him as Lily's
father from the newspaper article he'd read in his diary. He was older, and
looked so much more tired and sad than what he had, but he was still the same
person.
"Er.." Lily's dad hesitated. "I think I must have come to the wrong address or
something…"
"No, this is it," replied James, not really sure whether to be friendly or not.
He decided to play it cool for the moment. "Come in."
"Thanks," said Mr. Evans, sliding past him.
James surveyed him from behind. Mr. Evans was only a little bit taller than
James, and looked tired and sad. He found it hard to believe that this man had
literally scarred Lily for life. Needless to say, the moment he peered into the
small kitchen where Lily and her mother were standing, still frozen, was more
than a little awkward.
In fact, it would have been one of those cringe-worthy incidents to laugh about
at family birthday parties and the like years later, except that after tonight,
Mr. Evans would not be present at family get-togethers …
The unusual group had just sat down to dinner. So far, all had not been going
so well. Mrs. Evans was nervous and stuttered often, talking about stupid
things like how raspberries weren't in season for very long. Mr. Evans didn't
seem all that thrilled.
Lily, on the other hand, was a jumpy rabbit. James, even when she first arrived
at Hogwarts, had never seen her so scared. She continually looked down, not
even bothering to look like she was eating, giving her father that famous "silent
treatment". Her hair, like it used to, hung all over her face, masking the fact
that her scars were now removed.
And James? He was just stuck in the middle, trying to make conversation when
nobody but Mr. Evans really wanted to speak to him anyway.
Up until dinner, Mr. Evans, although looking so much older, came off as an
extremely jovial man, who spoke mostly to James, because Lily and her mother
were too scared.
"So, James, why are you here?" he asked, digging into his casserole.
"Oh, I'm a friend from Lily's school," said James.
Mrs. Evans' head snapped up.
"Which school would that be?" he asked, giving a hint of an edge to his voice.
James' mind went into panic mode. For the first time, Mr.
Evans' eyes glazed over, like some crazed Jekyll and Hyde who had just begun to
show his true colours and morph into Hyde.
He knew if he said Hogwarts, Mr. Evans could get out of control and do
something drastic. And in fact, right then he was practically tearing his
casserole apart with his steak knife, waiting for an answer. James knew it
would be dangerous if he told the truth.
But then, what was the point in lying? If Mr. Evans wanted to start over with
his family again, lying definitely wasn't the best way to do it. James knew
that Mr. Evans didn't want Lily going to Hogwarts and that was what sparked the
fight leading to him throwing acid. James was torn; he didn't know what to say.
But then Lily answered for him.
In the first words she had said all night, she whispered to him "Hogwarts."
James pressed a tiny buzzer in his pocket that would send the Aurors up to the
apartment.
Mr. Evans' eyes widened, his old tired eyeballs dangerously close to popping out of his head.
"I didn't quite hear that," he said, ever so softly.
Lily was visibly shaking, but she opened her mouth again, and said, a little louder "Hogwarts".
Mr. Evans stood up in a rage, his hand knocking his casserole on to the floor. He began yelling and screaming while Mrs. Evans whimpered, James looked on in astonishment and slight fear, and Lily just sat frozen.
"HOW DARE YOU GO TO THAT HELL-HOLE OF A SCHOOL! THE ENTIRE ACCIDENT WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED IF WE WEREN'T ARGUING ABOUT IT! HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID! BOTH OF YOU!"
Mr. Evans was now waving his steak knife dangerously, and James was relieved when the two Aurors stormed into the apartment, wands at ready. Mr. Evans didn't even see them before he was stupefied and bound up.
James could do nothing but watch sadly as they flooed to the ministry, taking Mr. Evans with them for mental health tests. He put his arm around Lily's shoulder and did nothing but stand there and comfort her as she cried into her shoulder.
"I thought he would be different … I thought he'd changed …" Lily was saying through muffled sobs. "Why? Why, just for once, can't I have a normal family …"
"It's alright Lily," muttered James. He wanted to be part of her family, and make it better for her, but he couldn't just say that, could he?
~*~
The next day, James took Lily and Mrs. Evans to the ministry to find out what happened to Mr. Evans. Still shaken from the night before, nobody said anything during the car ride, and when they got into the ministry's main foyer, they were surprised to see Albus Dumbledore standing there, waiting for them.
"Come this way," he said, with a thin smile that didn't really reach his eyes.
Dumbledore led them through a maze of hallways, ending in a small holding cell for people not been sentenced to jail or not sick enough to be admitted to hospital. On a blue, neatly laid bed in one of those cells lay Mr. Evans, passed out.
Dumbledore turned to a ministry worker, dressed in green
standing near them.
"Hal, can you tell Mr. Evans' family what's happening?"
"Well," Hal began, in a slightly nasal voice. "It seems that Mr. Evans here has been cooped up in jail for so long that he harbored intense feelings of hatred and disgust for all things magical. Running a series of pensieve-like tests, we have determined that what he is feeling inside is not safe to others, and would do best in a muggle mental institution."
"So…" began James. "He really is just a psycho out to hurt everyone?"
"Pretty much," agreed Hal. "It would be best for y'all just to move on. He needs solitary confinement because of his bitter thoughts,"
"Why?" asked Mrs. Evans softly. "What did he do to make this happen?"
"It's all in control, really. If there are things in a persons life they feel they can't control, then some have to shut it out, or try and put a stop to it. Mr. Evans couldn't control your daughter's magical talent and her thirst for learning, so he tried to put a stop to it by hurting you, m'am but instead hit your daughter. It's wrong, but true,"
"I'm ready to go," said Lily softly.
"Fantastic, then," said Dumbledore, looking a bit happier. "Why don't we all go out for a Chinese lunch?"
So, after casting one last look in the direction of her father, Lily turned and left, James' arm around her. James was elated. Maybe, just maybe, she was finally letting go.
~*~
It was the day before Lily and James took the Hogwarts Express back to the next school term, and James was laying on his back at the park near Lily's house, thinking. Thinking about Lily and how she was coping. It was a week after they left Mr. Evans at the ministry cell, and Lily had cried a lot since then. She was also a lot happier. She could finally just try and forget about him, and move on in the magical world. It seemed to James that although it was one of his more scary experiences, it had turned out for the better. He knew that there was no magic cure for Lily, but she seemed to be recovering well, and enjoying life. He didn't have to drag her out of bed everyday, or try and motivate her to do her essays; she did so many more things by her self now.
She was talking more as well. About trivial things, like the weather or the bird's nest in the tree on the other side of the park. She seemed so much more alive than what she used to, and he was beginning to wonder what his chances were with dating her.
He cast his mind back to before the holidays.
I need room to spread my wings, James. To mature without you, and grow up a bit on my own.
Had she matured on her own? Or was she still the frightened little girl she was when she came to Hogwarts? James honestly didn't know.
~*~
Lily and James picked out their own compartment on the Hogwarts express and sat down. Remus, Sirius and Peter hadn't gone home for Christmas, so Lily and James sat alone, anticipating going back to school. After a train ride of mostly silence, they picked out a carriage and made their way back to greet their friends at school.
Predictably, Sirius was all over Lily and James like a rash when they arrived, and Remus and Peter greeted them both quietly. The five made their way to the feast, the boys all talking about what they did over the holidays.
The boys had advanced a bit in their Animagus potion, and they predicted that by the end of the year it would be ready to use. The whole group ate in silence, too busy savoring the tastes of the feast to chatter. That was, until Lily said quietly
"Pass the butter,"
Sirius' head snapped up, and Peter and Remus stopped chewing. James just smiled, proud of her.
"You …. You … talked!" gasped Sirius dramatically, standing up with turkey hanging out the side of his mouth. He had already attracted the attention of most of Gryffindor.
"Yeah," said Lily quietly, turning red. "Can I have the butter now?"
Remus wordlessly passed it to her, and Lily began to butter her roll.
Sirius was still just standing there speechless.
"Sit down, Padfoot," grinned James, and Sirius sat.
"So…" he began, with a devilish grin on his face. "What exactly have you two been up to over Christmas?"
~*~
While Lily had her shower later that night, James told Sirius and Remus everything. (Peter was off somewhere).
It felt so much better, mused James, to get everything off your chest and confide in your friends. He had even told them about his and Lily's brief "relationship".
"So you gonna ask her out again?" asked Remus, slightly shocked all this had been going on without him knowing
"Nah," said James. "I'll just wait for her to make the first move,"
"Why? You're the one that's supposed to do that?!" exclaimed Sirius. "You're a guy! Remember?"
"Yes, I know I'm a guy," said James, throwing up his hands in exasperation. "I just don't want to push it,"
"Do it when it feels right James, or otherwise you'll be waiting forever," advised Remus.
They heard the shower turn off, and minutes later Lily slipped out in her pajamas, red hair sopping.
Remus and Sirius stood up.
"WE'LL JUST BE GOING NOW!" yelled Sirius, looking pointedly at James.
"YEAH, DO WHATEVER YOU THINK YOU NEED TO DO!" added Remus, and they left the room, leaving Lily and James alone. Lily just shrugged, and sat down on the side of the bed.
"James," began Lily awkwardly. "I need to tell you something."
"Okay," said James, focusing on Lily (as if he already wasn't).
"I think," she started off, wringing her hands. "I think … over the past two weeks I've grown up a lot, and we've been able to talk to each other much better, right?"
"Right …" agreed James, hoping this was going where he thought it was.
"So … I see you a bit differently now. More as a friend than a protector. Right?"
"Right …" said James again, while Lily grew even more anxious.
"So I was thinking … that I still think I have feelings for you and stuff so …. Would you er … like to get back together again?"
James' heart soared. He grinned and put his arms around her waist.
"Let's take it slow this time, okay?"
"Of course," agreed Lily, the happiest he'd ever seen her.
James rested his head on top of hers, thinking about how easy she was to get along with. So good-looking, too. They shared a sweet, chaste kiss, before James pulled back and grinned.
"So," he said. "Ready to surprise everyone by talking in class tomorrow?"
~*~
Lily's last ever diary entry.
11th January
Dear Diary,
When I felt my whole world was falling apart again, I wondered why I just couldn't be normal, like everyone else. But, looking back on it with a different perspective, maybe being different was what gave me everything I love most – my education, my friends, and James.
My life will never be normal, and I accept that now. I'm just happy for what I have, someone who likes me for me, no pity, no nothing. I started writing in this notebook for someone to talk to. I have that now. For the first time in a long while, I have friends who care about me and will always stick by me. And I have James, who is so much more a friend to me than I ever was to him, and now he is something more than that. So, diary, I don't really need you anymore. I have everything (and everyone) I need to get by in life.
I'm glad I confessed my feelings to James. Dumbledore was right in the end. Love is everything, because with love there comes faith and hope.
Lily
THE END
Go to the next chapter for thankyous to everyone who reviewed chapters 1-15
