April stood outside the Potter house in Godric's hollow. She was just having a quick look outside. She turned to the house and smiled. Her collar was turned up against the chilly November wind. April had just spent a few hours with Lily after not being able to hang around for a few months. She had finally had her seventh assessment and could now go on proper raids and missions as long as her mentors were with her. She stayed with her mentor group at all times anyway. She felt so honoured to have Moody and the Potters as her mentors. There was nothing wrong so April got her wand out and making sure no one was looking she apparated to Sirius' house. She hadn't been for a while but it was a lot cleaner then it usually was. April smiled and went around the sofa in the middle of the room to the bedroom. Sirius was usually lying around in his room moping about now. He'd done a lot of moping recently and he wasn't really talking to April. It had April very worried about him and she had come to check up on him. Her parents also wanted to know when their wedding was going to be so April had to ask Sirius about that. She went up to the door and knocked on the door gently.
"Sirius." April said happily.
"April!" came Sirius' surprised voice through the door. April opened the door slightly, "Don't come in." Sirius said. April frowned.
"What? Sirius, it's ok if you're not wearing much." April said opening the door and went into the room. She wasn't completely in the room when she stopped dead at the sight in front of her. Sirius was pulling on a pair of jeans that Lily had bought him and he was rushing to his feet. In the bed was a woman that April vaguely recognised with long brown hair. She was looking quite smug as she held the duvet around her.
"Hi April." She said. April recognised her voice instantly. April didn't know what to do. Sirius, in bed with another woman. April turned to Sirius. He looked at her anxiously. April turned and rushed into the main living area. She slammed the door shut behind her and put her hands to her head. This isn't happening, Sirius would never cheat on you. April tried to tell herself but she had just seen Sirius and Jessica Lowe in bed.
"April." Sirius said pulling the door open and following her. He put a hand on her shoulder to try and get her to turn around. It worked but not in the way Sirius intended it to. April turned around and Sirius was hit by a jinx. Sirius went straight into the sofa and he looked like he was going to be sick.
"Don't you dare touch me." She screamed at him, "What are you doing?"
"I don't know, April, I asked you not to come in."
"Why? So that you could finish off shagging that whore?" April asked pointing her wand at the bedroom door. Sirius didn't know what to say. "You gave me a ring Sirius. An engagement ring. Doesn't that mean anything to you? We've been seeing each other for two years!"
"I know. I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was doing." Sirius said. He looked like he was going to be sick.
"I do." Said Jessica from the doorway with her robes on. April looked at her dangerously.
"You stay out of this Lowe" April said angrily.
"No, it's your fault that he's done this. You were never around to satisfy his needs. Always off training to be an auror so you can get revenge on those who killed Jenny. You just didn't give the time to poor Sirius here." Jessica put a hand on Sirius but he pushed her away.
"Get away." Sirius said.
"Don't you dare mention Jenny, you worthless bitch." April said angrily to Jessica. Jessica looked very offended at this and was about to get her own wand out.
"April." Sirius said standing between them and going to April. "Please, just hear me out. Jessica is right, only slept with her because you weren't around. I'm so sorry." Sirius said. April looked into his eyes and the shocking truth came to her. Her eyes widened and Sirius cursed himself for forgetting that April could almost read his mind.
"Four months?" April asked very hurt. "You've been sleeping with Jessica for four months?" Sirius let his gaze drop and he nodded hopelessly. April felt anger surge through her and hit him with all the strength she could muster. Sirius fell to the floor and instantly put a hand to his chin where April had hit him.
"Stay away from me! Never ever come near me I don't want to see you ever again!" April screamed at him. He looked up but April was gone.
"I thought she'd never leave." Jessica said. "Now-"
"Get out." Sirius said to Jessica. "You've already ruined my life enough." Jessica shrugged.
"As you wish but you know where I'll be." She said. She blew Sirius a kiss before apparating out.
* * * *
Eleven year old Lily Evans sat in an empty compartment of the Hogwarts Express, the school train. She looked nervously out of the window at the sea of parents that were seeing their children off. There was laughter down the train and many people seemed happy to see each other. Lily sat nervously, she didn't come from a magical family so the news that she'd been accepted into Hogwarts came as a great and pleasant surprise to her and her parents. The door of her compartment opened and two young girls her age looked at her smiling.
"Do you mind if we sit here?" asked a fairly short blond haired girl.
"No," Lily said. She ran a hand nervously through her red hair. The blond haired girl and a Chinese girl with long black hair came in holding a cage with a beautiful Barn owl in it.
"I'm Jenny Chang" said the Chinese girl happily. "This is April Marsden"
"Lily Evans." Lily said. April grinned.
"Is it your first year? It's our first year but I'm not scared, I'm looking forwards to it. Mum and Dad told me about when they were in Hogwarts. They said it was the best time of their life" April said excitedly turning to Jenny.
"My parents didn't go to Hogwarts. They moved to England seven years ago." Jenny said.
"You're not English?" Lily asked.
"No" Jenny and April giggled.
"She's Chinese" April said. "Are you a muggle born?"
"What's a Muggle?" Lily asked.
"She's a muggle." Jenny said to April. April grinned and sat down and began to explain everything to Lily with the help of Jenny.
"Lily!" came a faint upset voice. Lily turned from where she was watching and just saw the passing scenery outside the carriage.
"April?" she whispered. Lily turned back to the three excited eleven year olds. This was her first day in the Magical world, the first day she had met her two best friends. The scene suddenly changed before Lily could do anything
"James passes the Quaffle to Black, who hits it with his bat, they're playing fast and it seems it's outsmarting the clever Ravenclaws" said Shona Wilkins. James passed over the heads of the Gryffindors and did a very complex Barrel roll in front of Lily and April
"Stupid berk. I'm going" Lily said to April.
"No, you'll miss Jenny's first catch." April said. Her nose was red and her cheeks slightly rosy.
"Black hits his bludger towards the Ravenclaw Goalkeeper. Oh, Jenny Chang has seen the snitch. Go Jenny!" shouted Shona. Lily stopped in mid turn to look. Jenny bolted down towards the ground where Lily could just see a spec of gold. James also turned and looked to see Jenny heading for the snitch. He headed for it as well as did the Ravenclaw seeker.
"What is Potter doing?" Shona said. Lily watched anxiously as Jenny and James were even. Jenny held out her arm to catch the snitch but James launched himself off his broom and closed his hand around the snitch.
"That stupid arrogant, pathetic-" April clamped a hand over Lily's mouth.
"You don't want anyone hearing you swear about James." April said.
"He stole Jenny's victory." Jenny flew high in the air looking quite annoyed. She flicked her long straight black hair behind her back. James held the snitch in the air
"Gryffindor WIN! Oh, James, you always know how to steal the show." Shona said. Lily and April headed towards where Jenny was landing.
"I can't believe him. I almost had the snitch." Jenny ranted. James walked over. They were both in their fifth year.
"Hey, Evans-" James said.
"No Potter, I will not go out with you. You big headed arrogant show off." Lily said turning to face him angrily. James shrugged.
"Fair enough, I'll try again some other time." James said. Lily turned back to her friends. Jenny was staring daggers at James but Lily knew that Jenny secretly fancied the pants off James.
"Lily!" came April's faint voice. Lily closed her eyes and felt like she was being pulled out of something. When she opened her eyes she was back in her room. April was standing facing the mirror and wiping her eyes.
"April?" Lily asked uncertainly. April turned and ran to Lily throwing her arms around her.
"It's terrible. I can't believe him. He asked me to marry him and then he went and did something like that." April cried. Lily frowned and held her friend by the shoulders.
"What did Sirius do?" Lily asked April. April's body was shaking slightly.
"He slept with Jessica Lowe." April said. "He's been sleeping with her for four months. I always suspected something was wrong with him because he hasn't really been speaking to me as much as he used to and then today I went to his house and I saw them-" April stopped and started crying again. Lily looked at her in sympathy.
"Sit down." Lily said. "And I'll be back in a minute." Lily gave her a promising smile and April sat down as Lily left the room. Lily returned with two bottles of butterbeer, a large piece of chocolate and Harry. Harry was laughing as the butterbeer bottles jingled slightly as Lily carried them. Lily sat down on the bed and put the food and drinks on the bed. She held Harry and then passed him to April. April smiled slightly and took Harry. Lily got out her wand and opened the butterbeer.
"Ok, have one of these." Lily said. She handed a butterbeer to April. April smiled and took a sip as Harry played with a few loose strands of April's hair. April immediately felt slightly better but nothing could stop the immense pain she felt in her chest. Her heart was breaking and April hated it, it was like being physically hurt.
"Now. Just let it out." Lily said. She gave April a sympathetic smile as April let all her feelings out. How hurt she was and how much she loved Sirius and how she felt her heart breaking, how she suddenly felt very lost and young. All the time she let it all out she held Harry and let Harry play with her fingers. He stuck one in his mouth and started sucking it about half way through April's confessions. Lily sat patiently and listened. Lily was always good at that, she'd listen to April talk about anything and never once complained. Even in Hogwarts when Lily rarely had boyfriends and sometimes felt lonely she'd listen to April and Jenny's boyfriend woes and she'd always know what to do. It took an hour for April to let everything out and feel better. At the end Lily was actually seething herself. Sirius had gone back to the cheating player he'd been before Lily and James had started getting close.
"Have some of this." Lily said handing April some chocolate. April took the chocolate as Lily took Harry back. Harry gurgled and grabbed for the chocolate. "No, it's for aunty April." Harry looked as though he understood and his hands went down but he stared longingly at the chocolate.
"What am I going to do?" April asked after a while.
"God I can't believe Sirius would do that, with Jessica. Jessica was always after James, not Sirius." Lily said angrily. April nodded.
"I know." She said. Lily sighed sadly and let April take Harry back. It seemed to be comforting April when she held Harry. Harry put his hands against April's cheeks and wiped the tears making her cheeks even damper. He muttered a load of nonsense syllables and April smiled.
"Stay here for a while. James will make sure Sirius stays away from you." Lily said to her friend.
"No, I can't do that." April said.
"April, you're my best friend." Lily said, "And I'm not as good at making speeches as you are but you have to stay. At least we can decide whether Sirius can apparate into the house or not. You can't do that with your house can you? Stay for a while." April smiled even more.
"You suck at speeches." April said.
"I know." Lily said smiling. "Stay?" April nodded.
"As long as I can share a room with Harry." April said playing with the infant.
"Oh, be my guest." Lily said quickly. "If you're in there he wont get all stressed and cry." April smiled and looked at Lily. Lily was her sister that was for sure, even if they didn't share the same blood. They were sisters and nothing could break them apart. Lily smiled at April and wiped away a new tear on her cheek.