Disclaimer: See previous chapters. Sorry it took a little longer than
normal to update this but fanfiction.net was being an asshole all week and
wouldn't let anyone update anything. Thanks to everyone who gave me my
lovely birthday wishes :) you are all soo sweet.
(December 21...five days later)
Lily and Diana had overslept that day, which was not good considering it was the Monday of their last couple of days before Christmas vacation, and they had tests all that day. James had cut them slack practice wise, for he needed sleep as well, and wasn't doing too well at catching up on that the last couple of days.
They ran into the great hall at 8:15, about fifteen minutes before the bell. They were hungry, tired, and unorganised. They thumped themselves on the benches and stuffed their faces with everything in sight. They drowned the pumpkin juice, much to the boys' amusement.
"Did we miss the post?" Diana asked with a mouth full of bread and butter.
"Ugh, no." Sirius said, amused by her behaviour. "There it is see?" he said, pointing upwards. She nodded, dismissing him.
"Shit!" Lily shouted.
"What?" Diana asked, exasperated. She felt nothing else could possibly go wrong.
"When do we have DADA?" she frantically asked.
"I don't know!" Diana realized, panicking. "Why?!"
"We have an exam! A big one and I forgot all about it!" she whined.
"Oh no!" Diana cried.
"Ladies, ladies." James said, trying to contain his gratification over watching the flustered girls. "Calm down. We have it third, just like every other day. Remember?" he said calmly nodding his head.
"Third? Third, right." Lily said. "What's it on?"
"Everything." Sirius said.
"Great, we're going to fail, fantastic." Diana said, slamming her hand on the table, which jolted everyone else, and gave Lily a more painful headache.
"Please don't do that." Lily pleaded, rubbing her temples.
"Evans, Renton, calm down it'll be fine." Sirius reassured. "Besides, Renton, DADA is your best subject so I don't know why you're so worried."
"You don't understand, I don't know anything." She said, emphasizing every word.
"Well you can't cram now." Remus said.
"Just relax and eat slower. You still have ten minutes." Nicole said.
"Ok, ok." Lily said and began to eat in silence.
"Hey Black?" Katrina asked, impishly.
"Yes?" he sighed. Regardless of how nice she was, Katrina annoyed him, most of the time.
"How's the pussy hunt going for you?" she asked, as if it was nothing.
"Oh shit." Diana said, calming down a bit due to the distraction.
"Fine thanks." He said, hoping that would be sufficient.
"Oh that's right, did you ask out Winters yet?" Diana asked.
"Um, yea I did." He said.
"Oh that's great, when?" Diana asked, giddy.
"Yesterday." He replied, in the midst of a yawn.
"So?" Lily said, staring at him, noticing how he refused to make eye contact.
"So?" he repeated, wanting the attention to shift immediately.
"Oh Lily, don't make him talk about it. He's shy." Diana mocked, laughing at such a ludicrous thought.
James snorted, while Sirius glared at her mockingly.
"Well, Potter thinks I'm funny." She said, not pleased by the response
"I didn't know that was a joke." Peter inquired. He then received a nasty sneer from Diana, who liked Peter less and less by the minute.
"Well you wouldn't, now would you, Peter." She said, and began to eat slower.
"Now, now Renton. No need to get on Wormtail's case. It's not his fault he's a little slow." James said.
"I resent that." Peter said plainly, before chugging the remains of his Pumpkin Juice.
"I want a nickname." Lily said, calmer than she was when she walked in.
"You can't have one." James answered her, smugly, but contemptuously.
"Why not?" she asked, actually becoming annoyed.
"You have a nickname." Sirius said, praying she wouldn't lose her temper so early, and over something so ridiculous.
"I do?" Lily asked.
"She does?" Diana chimed.
"I'd love to hear it." Remus said, siding with the girls, a childish grin on his face.
"Ok.." Sirius said with a frown. "It's..uh..Lil...Flower." he admitted his own defeat.
"That was pathetic Sirius." Lily said. "Not at all up to your usual standard. I am quite disappointed."
"C'mon, I had, what three seconds?" he said, defending his own wittiness.
"Mm hmm." Lily responded. "What do they mean anyway?"
"What does what mean?" James asked.
"You names, stupid." Lily answered.
"Sound a bit like animal names, don't they?" Diana asked, looking at each of the boys, noticing how uncomfortable they had gotten in such a short amount of time.
"I don't think so." Remus said. "Right?"
"Not at all." James said, hoping the subject would drop.
"There's something you boys aren't telling us, I can tell." Lily said with a playful sigh.
"You have a secret, don't you?" Diana asked, kidding, but she noticed Sirius blush nervously.
"No." he said, dismissing them and concentrating unbelievably hard on his breakfast.
"Alright, alright." Lily said, even though they all knew the conversation was not over. "You can continue being all secretive and Marauding around, that's fine."
"Marauding?" James chuckled.
"You all are just regular Marauders, aren't you? You know, trouble makers." Diana said, hoping they understood.
"Right." James said, thinking intently. "Good word."
"I know." Diana said, and smiled at her own intelligence.
Just then the morning bell rang and they all collected themselves quickly, rushing over to their first period class, knowing they were going to have tests all that morning. They were reluctant to go, and Lily and Diana felt dreadfully unprepared. Sirius and James were the first out, waiting for Diana and Lily to go to their individual classes. They leaned against the wall and waited.
"So what's up with you and Lily?" Sirius asked, watching the entire student body walk past them.
James shrugged. "Um, less than I had hoped. She loves flirting with me but-"
"No action yet?"
"Nope. She's taking things slow, which I am so not used to."
"Well you said yourself that she was different." Sirius said, glancing at his watch. They were going to be late.
"She is." He said, and Sirius saw him smile at the thought. "But, anyway..." he began, changing the subject. "Are you really taking out Winters tonight?"
"Yea." Sirius said, without a smile.
"Don't sound too excited." James said, derisively.
"Um, I am, well, to be finally getting out of the common room. All that research was getting boring." He said, honestly.
"Well, we are getting somewhere. We're close." James said. "We already know where most of the passages are."
"I suppose." Sirius said. "I don't know. I am a little nervous about tonight."
James looked at Sirius as though he had never seen him before. "Really?" he asked in intense disbelief. "Why? You're not still hung up on Renton are you?"
"Not really. She's fading. Rebecca is very pretty too. She's certainly distracting."
"Well good then. You'll see, she'll blow over. You just have to experiment a little more. You'll forget about Renton by the end of the month, and you'll see how silly you've been and you can just go on being friends." James said.
"You're right." Sirius said, convincing himself. "I've been silly. It'll work out. I'm sure we'll have loads to do tonight." He said with a smirk that James well understood.
"Now there's the Sirius I know." He said, punching his arm.
Sirius chuckled. "By the way, that was a close one just now."
"I know." James sighed. "And we weren't convincing at all. We're losing our touch."
"Do you think they know?"
"I don't know. We just have to hope that they don't think too hard about it." James said.
"Right. We're just being paranoid." Sirius answered, and discharged his nerves.
~*~"I notice we didn't get any post today." Lily said, as she went to join James to go to Arithmancy. Diana noticed this too, but simply shrugged. She didn't choose to dwell on it.
"Nobody loves us." She said and sighed.
"When are our parents coming? Tonight or tomorrow?" Lily asked.
"I don't really know. I'm sure they're in Alexandria by now. I expect tomorrow morning."
"Alright." Lily said. "They're probably just enjoying the sights. Or else they would have written."
"Exactly." Diana said. "Now let's go, Trelawney is going to be up my ass if we don't hurry up."
"Ok. See you at Lunch." Lily said, and they exited the doors side by side, and approached James and Sirius.
"There you are. We were waiting forever." James complained.
"Sorry." Lily said plainly. "You didn't have to wait."
"I wanted to." He smiled, and she blushed, as they made their way to what would be the first of many exams.
"Ready Renton?" Sirius said casually.
"Of course." She said and they too went to class.
By lunchtime the moods of the two girls only worsened. Lily couldn't be bothered with her obvious feelings for James. She was stressed out beyond the capacity to control herself.
"Oh that was awful." She said, as she put her head in her hands.
"Don't worry, I'm sure you did fine." James reassured.
"No!" she yelled. "I failed. It was horrible!"
"It wasn't that bad." Diana said, trying to calm her down.
"Oh what would you know? You know exactly what you're doing. I saw you take it. You looked like you were enjoying it." Lily said, cold-heartedly.
"No, it was difficult." She said, clearing her throat. "Sort of." Diana had to admit that Defence Against the Dark Arts was her favourite class, and she found the exam quite easy. She just didn't want to make Lily angrier than she already was.
"Yes, it was." Sirius said, while nodding in agreement. None of them wanted an angry Evans around. "Exceedingly."
"Outstandingly." Remus added
"Extraordinarily-" said James with enthusiasm.
"That's enough, although I do appreciate it." Lily said, feeling a bit better. "And I know your lying."
"Never." James said, smirking.
"Sure." Lily answered with a wink.
"Hey, are you guys ready for the game tomorrow?" Nicole chimed in. Everyone was glad she did.
"Oh right, that reminds me," James started. "Practice tonight, 9:00."
"What?!" Lily and Diana said.
"Practice tonight, 9:00." He repeated, slower then before.
"Potter you can't do that." Katrina said, evenly. "It's too late."
"It's not like we have class tomorrow." Sirius said.
"But we have a lot of holiday work." Diana said.
"It's not like you were going to start any of it tonight anyway. Now I know you are all tired, I am too, but we HAVE to practice." James said, putting his foot down.
Lily groaned. "But, Potter, it's only Hufflepuff. And let's not beat around the bush here, they suck."
"Lily's right they are really terrible." Diana said. "What could we possible practice to beat them, flying in a strait line?"
"Oh did I forget to tell you? We're not playing Hufflepuff anymore. We're playing Ravenclaw." James said. "Madame Hooch told me yesterday."
"Are you kidding?" Diana asked.
"They can't just change it at the last minute can they?" Katrina asked, now a little nervous. She had to work harder than she wanted to on the field now.
"Well they did, it seems." Sirius said. "What's the big deal?"
James looked at him wide eyed. "The big deal? We have to beat them or else- "
"We'll be in second place?" Lily added
"God forbid." Remus said sarcastically.
"You have to sort out your priorities Potter." Lily said. "It's just too late, we'll be playing until dawn if we start then. I know your practices and it won't do us any good at the last minute."
James sighed out of annoyance but refused to buckle. "Oi Frank!" he called to the other side of the table. Frank's head propped up. "Practice tonight at 9:00!" he yelled.
"Ok! See you then!" Frank yelled back.
"See, not everyone gives me problems." He said, glaring at his keeper, seeker, and chaser, especially.
Lily huffed, but said nothing after that.
"I'm a little nervous about tomorrow." Diana chimed in, a few minutes later.
"Please tell me you're joking." James said, not wanting to be more stressed out then he already was. "I swear to god Renton, if you crack tomorrow-"
"Relax Potter. I'll be fine, it's just that, well, my Mum's never seen me play before, you know, outside of my backyard. Not to mention that it's Ravenclaw, and she happens to work for the Department of Magical Games and Sports-"
"Wait, wait, wait." James said, stopping her. "What exactly does she do?"
"I told you, she recruits players for Puddlemere United." She said, straightforwardly.
"Don't worry Potter, you'll have your glory." Lily said. "You don't actually think she'll sign you on the spot now do you?" Lily laughed.
"That is ridiculously cool Renton." James said, fidgeting more. "Padfoot, could you imagine if we got contracts tomorrow?" he wasn't listening to Lily. "How awesome would that be?"
"Breath-taking." Sirius said, rolling his eyes. "So what's the deal Renton, are you, like, automatically on the team after graduation?"
"Nah, I don't want to play for a living. The life isn't that glamorous, well, except for the World Cup, and the after parties, and the fans, and the money..but I wouldn't really want to do it. I don't like to travel." She said, offhand.
"You're insane, I'll just leave it at that." Sirius said. She smirked.
"Why thank you Black." She said, cutely.
"Now what's this?" came a harsh voice from behind them. "Forget about me that quickly?"
"I didn't forget. I happen to be hungry." Diana said, innocently. "And I have a lot of tests today. I can't be distracted." She said, waving it off.
"I don't see you studying?"
"What an excellent observation Lucius." She answered, still not turning around.
"May I speak with you?" he said, clenching his teeth.
"We're speaking now." She answered, airily.
"I mean in private. You're nosy little friends don't seem to know the meaning of confidentiality, blabbermouths that they are. If I wanted a goddamn audience-"
"You have a lot of nerve coming to this table and speaking to one of our own like that, Malfoy." Sirius hissed.
"You're on our turf." James said. "You cross the line, once, and see what happens." James said. Sirius was reaching for his wand.
"It's not your business Potter." He argued, and put a possessive hand on Diana's shoulder. "Arabella, a word." He ordered.
"The bell's about to ring-"
"Now!"
"Don't you talk to her like that!" Lily yelled, fuming.
"Stay out of it Mudblood!" Lucius screamed, pointing at her.
"Both of you shut up!" Diana yelled, getting up. "You-meet me outside." She said to Malfoy. "Lily, please. Just stay out of it." She pleaded, and got up from the table.
He was alone, leaning against the wall, red with anger. She was not happy with his behaviour and made sure to let him know.
"How dare you come to my table like that!" she screamed as she shut the doors behind her. "You have no right to demand my attention, especially in front of my team and captain! I talk to you when I want to, not when you demand my time like an impatient little child! You wait, got it? If you tell me it's important, nicely, then I would be glad to step outside with you, but not when you just stomp over like you own the place-"
"Are you quite finished?" he asked, looking obviously bored.
"What?" she asked, incredibly offended. "No-"
He seized her arm and tuned her around, knocking her hard against the stone wall. She flinched in pain.
"Well I'm finishing it. Your insufferable shrill is giving me a headache." He whispered.
"How dare-" she started.
"Shut up and listen to me." He said, grinding her into the wall even more. "I do not appreciate your behaviour Arabella. It doesn't look good for me when you act like a whore, do you understand?" he said, as if she were a child.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, slightly afraid.
"You and Black seem to be getting oddly close lately. Your flirtatious nature is going to get you in trouble with me one of these days if you don't end it."
"You're paranoid." She said. "There is absolutely nothing-"
"Don't interrupt." He said. "Now he may not know what a slut you are, but I do, my dear. He may fantasize about you, but I know what you really are, you tease. Stop making him think he has a chance, or you'll be the one cleaning up the mess. I have ways of making both your lives miserable, Arabella. Am I making myself clear?"
She was speechless. Her arm was numb from his tight grip and she didn't want to anger him even more. She was staring her down, expecting an answer.
"Well? Answer me." He said, a bit calmer, but with the same attitude.
She nodded without looking.
"Good, good." He said, in a better mood. He loosened his grip, but didn't let go. "Now remember, I am only warning you because I love you, and you know that. A simpleton like Black will never care for you like I do, darling. Now I know you don't mean it, but watch yourself. I don't mean to be harsh with you, but that's the only way you'll listen. You're mine, and when you realize that, then we can all be happy. You want to be happy don't you?"
She just stood there, knowing that if he let go she would collapse. He had definitely cut off some of the circulation in her arm.
"Yes." She said, although it was barely detectable.
"Of course you do." He said, and let go. She remained against the wall, leaning on it for support. The bell had rung, and students began to exit the Great Hall. "Oh, and don't snap at me again, Arabella. It's really very rude." Then he disappeared into the crowd.
Diana knew she had to collect herself quickly, but didn't know where to start. She had no idea what just happened and she had never seen that side of him before. She didn't like it. She didn't want that to happen again. She saw her friends leave. First Remus and Nicole, who smiled at her, unknowingly. Then Lily, Katrina, Peter, James and Sirius. Lily walked right over to Diana, a puzzled expression across her face.
"So what happened?" she asked. James and Sirius followed while Katrina and Peter went to class. "What did he say?"
Diana swallowed loudly but acted as though nothing was wrong. She tried to be resilient. "Oh, nothing. You know." She said, and attempted a chuckle. Sirius could tell something was wrong. Her eyes told him that she was scared.
"Listen, Renton, we still have practice tonight, so try and finish work early. If you're late, that's ok, but don't go with Malfoy tonight. You have other priorities." James said, trying to figure out what was possibly wrong with her. He could tell Lily was thinking the same thing.
"Don't worry Potter, I'll be there." Diana said, and attempted a smile. "But we should go, we're going to be late." She said, and walked ahead.
"Why the rush Renton?" Sirius asked. "We'll get there." He tried to walk next to her, but she kept picking up speed or slowing down when he got too close. He didn't understand, but knew it had something to do with Malfoy. He didn't think he could hate him anymore, but he was wrong.
~*~
"You ready to go down Lily?" Nicole asked, as she poked her head into their dorm. Dinner is about to start.
"Right, I know. I just want to finish this essay really quickly so I don't have to think about it for the rest of the vacation." Lily said, not looking up from her paper.
"Where's Diana?" Nicole asked surveying the room.
"Bathroom." Lily simply said. "Out in a minute."
"She's been acting weird all day." Nicole mentioned. Lily closed her textbook and threw the parchment on the floor, a look of mild satisfaction on her face because she was finished. Then she took into account to what Nicole had said.
"Well, since lunch anyway." Lily pointed out.
"She was awfully quiet, especially during Potions." Nicole said.
"I know. She told me she was just tired but she didn't seem to be concentrating on anything. And when Sirius tried to ask her a question she got all nervous and would only give him one word answers." Lily remembered.
"Hmm, weird. Maybe she's just PMSing, you know. Mood swings and all that. She'll be fine."
"Well, let's hope so." Lily sighed. "I'm starting to get a little worried."
"Worried about what?" Diana asked, upon walking back into the room.
"Nothing." Lily and Nicole said at the same time.
"Whatever." Diana said, not believing them. "Let's go down, I'm really hungry."
"Ok, should we wait for the boys?" Nicole asked.
"Um, you two could, I'm going to go down ahead to get a seat." Diana said, fidgeting.
"There will be seats in a minute Diana." Nicole said, looking at her oddly.
"Yea well, I don't want all the food to be gone. See you downstairs." Diana said, and quickly left the room. She had a pain in her stomach all the way down the stairs. She really didn't want to see Lucius, especially alone.
When she got into the great hall she found all four boys already down there, much to her distress.
"Evening Renton." James said. "Feeling better?"
"What do you mean?" she asked, sighing and plopping herself down. "I'm fine."
"You looked a little off in Potions." Sirius mentioned.
"Nope, false alarm." She said, nervously piling food onto her plate.
"Oh, you're already down here." Lily said, as she walked to the table. "We waited." She said, folding her arms.
"Didn't know we had to make an announcement Evans, but alright. Sit down." James said, sweetly.
"Thank you." Lily replied. Just then she let her eyes wander to the teacher's table for an instant before she sat down. There was one more chair placed there than necessary. Nicole noticed too.
"Why is the Minister of Magic here?" she asked, and James' head propped up instantly.
"What? Why?" Sirius said, taking the words out of James' mouth. "Do you know anything about this Prongs?"
"No." he said, shrugged and piled more food on his plate than necessary.
"Is you Mum here too then?" Lily asked, looking at James.
"Doubt it." He answered. "She usually stays home. She isn't affiliated with the Ministry."
"I wonder why he hasn't come over to say hello?" Remus inquired.
"Busy." Was all James said.
"But he's your dad." Peter said evenly.
James sighed. "I know."
"Probably just wants to talk to Dumbledore about something." Sirius said.
"I'm sure it has nothing to do with you." Remus said.
"It never does." James said, uniformly.
Lily watched as The Minister of Magic, Harold Potter whispered what seemed to be very urgent news into Dumbledore's ear. He jolted up and she watched them go in the direction of his office. After about a minute McGonagal joined them.
"Weird." Lily said.
"I don't get it. Did he just show up randomly?" Sirius asked.
"He only comes here when it's important." James said. "Not for trivial things like-"
"Seeing his son play Quidditch?" Lily asked, finishing his sentence. James' look turned solemn at the bluntness of her comment. She smiled at him out of remorse.
"Everyone! Everyone!" they heard and the entire great hall turned around. There was Dumbledore, ready to make some announcement. He didn't have his usual cheerful look about him. He looked very grave indeed.
"I need to see two students in my office at once!" he said. Everyone tensed up at what he said. "Will Miss Lily Evans and Miss Diana Renton please come to my office immediately!" he said. All eyes went on the two girls, who were each thinking the same thing.
"What's this about?" Diana asked Lily.
"I don't know." She answered shrugging.
"Are we in trouble?"
"We didn't do anything." Lily said. "We'll, uh, be right back guys." She said, as their friends looked at them strangely.
They walked hastily together to Dumbledore's office. They were both very confused and overwhelmed. They also wondered why they had to be in the same room with the Minister of Magic. It made them slightly more nervous.
"The password?" Diana asked, as they reached the large phoenix that was firmly placed at the opening. Just then the door opened, and there stood McGonagal.
"Let's go ladies." She said, glumly. She took their hands and led them upstairs. Lily wondered why they were receiving this special treatment, especially from their stern Transfiguration teacher.
They made their way up the stairs and entered the magnificent office. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk with the Minister of Magic in the seat in front of it. This forced the girls to stand. On his desk were three pieces of paper. Two letters and one that looked astoundingly like an article out of a newspaper.
"You wanted to see us, Professor?" Lily asked, feebly.
"Yes." He simply said. "If you two would just come here for a moment."
They walked closer to his desk. McGonagal stayed back. Diana thought she heard her sniffle.
"First of all, I would like to introduce you to the Minister of Magic, Mr. Harold Potter." Dumbledore said, calmly.
"Yes, we know." Lily began. "We're friends of your son." She held out her hand, and he shook it kindly.
"My son? Oh yes, James." He answered.
"You do remember him, don't you?" Diana said, with no respect whatsoever. "He goes here too."
"Let me get to the point, Miss Renton, and Miss Evans." Mr. Potter said, disregarding her comment.
"Wait, what are those Professor?" Diana asked, noticing that two of the letters were addressed to them.
"Oh, well, in time you may see them." He hesitated. "They're letters from your parents." He whispered.
"Why can't we see them?" Lily asked, the room growing stuffier by the minute.
"Now, now ladies." Mr. Potter started. "You're parents, well, they were...let me rephrase this." He was getting nervous, and the girls could tell. He cleared his throat. "This morning, we discovered, well, your parents were stationed in Alexandria, correct Miss Renton?"
"Yes, but what does this have to do with anything?" she answered, crossing her arms to keep her fingers from shaking.
"Perhaps I should tell them Harold." Dumbledore said. "There was an attack this morning in Alexandria." He hesitated, not knowing how to phrase his words. "Your parents, were.....they were killed." He said, looking down.
They were both so shocked that they had forgotten to breathe. Diana was visibly shaking now, not knowing what to say.
"What do you mean?" Lily said, disbelievingly. "How? I don't understand." Her eyes were beginning to water.
Diana put her hands over her mouth. She thought she was going to throw up. McGonagal suddenly ran to them both, putting a concerned hand on both their shoulders. It was obvious that she was crying.
"I don't get it. Who attacked them?" Diana said, trying to make her voice stop shaking.
Dumbledore and Mr Potter exchanged a quick glance before the Minister nodded.
"Death Eaters." Dumbledore said.
"What the hell is that?!" Diana said. She was getting angrier now.
"Dark Wizards who follow an evil overlord named Voldomort." The minister said, trying to retain his disposition.
Lily couldn't contain herself. She broke out sobbing on the ground. An image flashed in her mind. The image of her mother, waving goodbye to her, that first day on Platform 9 ¾. It was the first day Julia Evans had met Alison and Mark Renton.
Diana crouched down next to her, and cried along with her.
"How could this have happened?" Lily cried. "My parents weren't wizards." She blubbered. "They shouldn't have been-"
"Why would he come after my Mum and Dad?" Diana screeched, getting up, and trying hard to balance herself on the Minister's chair.
"Calm down ladies, please." He said, trying to explain.
"Diana..." Dumbledore said, addressing her by her name for the first time. She looked at him, tears streaming down her face. "This is all very overwhelming for you, I know. But you must understand that there is a war coming. Voldomort wants to knock out whoever stands in his way. He sent people there to murder you mother and father because they were good. They would not submit to his followers so they were destroyed. You parents would have been valuable to him, Diana, and he didn't want them on the opposite side."
"Was that the only attack?" Diana asked, enraged and heart broken at the same time.
Dumbledore sighed. "Well, no. The rest of your family, I'm afraid-"
"NO!" Diana yelled, slamming her fist on the table. "No...." she started crying again.
"I am sorry." Dumbledore said, although one tear managed to escape his eye. "They were exceptional people."
"But Lily's parents." Diana sobbed. "Why them? They didn't do anything. They were no use to them."
"They were simply in the way, my dears. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time." Mr. Potter said, not helping. "It couldn't be helped."
"This can't be true, this can't be true." Lily whispered.
"Funeral arrangements have already been made." Dumbledore said. "Lily, we have yet to notify your sister."
With this comment Lily cried even harder. She had forgotten about Petunia. She shuddered to think what would happen when she found out.
"You will remain here for the rest of the year. You will spend all vacations at Hogwarts. In the summer, well, we have yet to decide that." Dumbledore said, looking at the Minister, who shifted uncomfortably.
"So this means..." Diana started, wiping her eyes. "We're orphans."
"You don't have to look at it like that." The minister said. Dumbledore agreed.
"You will always have a home here at Hogwarts. We will always look after you." McGonagal said.
"I'm the only one left." Diana muttered.
"Yes, but that is a conversation for another day, Diana. Don't be overwhelmed." Dumbledore said.
"No, he'll come after me next." She said, growing horrified.
"Now, now, he will not. He doesn't know you exist yet. You, after all, have your father's last name." Dumbledore explained. "But I suggest that you two go back to you dormitories at once. There is nothing more to be said at this time."
"The letters." Lily said, as Diana helped her up. "I want to see my letter." She held out her hand.
"I'm afraid that-" the Minister began.
"And the article too." Diana said. "I believe we have the right to read it before the world does."
"Alright." Dumbledore said, nodding. He handed the girls their letters, the last words from their parents. They folded it, choosing not to read it there. "Professor McGonagal will escort you back to the common room."
"That's ok Professor-" Lily sniffed. "We haven't finished eating yet."
Dumbledore looked at them strangely. "Dinner is finished I'm afraid. But your friends are in the common room by now, I assume. You may speak with them there." Diana and Lily turned to leave, McGonagal right behind them.
"And ladies.." Dumbledore stopped them. "You have experienced a terrible tragedy, and I want you to know that I will always be here if you need to talk, about anything at all."
"Thank you Professor." They both said, at odd times. Then they left, not speaking all the way to the Gryffindor common room. McGonagal hugged them both tightly before they went inside, saying how sorry she was, and how much she loved Diana's mother, who was the only wizard out of the four.
They shuffled into the common room, and everyone jumped up when they saw the two enter. The younger years were in their dormitories, so the only ones in the room were James, Sirius, Nicole, Remus, Katrina, Peter, Frank and Sarah. They had all been talking about Diana and Lily, and from the looks on their faces, something terrible had happened.
Just the site of their friends looking so concerned cause Lily and Diana to start crying again. They were touched and hurt at the same time and were so confused and scared they didn't know what to do.
Nicole ran to Diana and Lily and hugged them closely.
"What happened?" Nicole asked, as Diana clutched her tightly.
Katrina and Sarah joined in wile Diana and Lily showed them the article and the letter. All five girls hugged and cried together. The boys were profoundly confused because they had no idea what had happened and they couldn't see anything. All they could hear were muffled cries of consolation and questions concerning the events.
"How did it happen?"
"At least they didn't suffer?"
"What's a Death Eater?"
"Everything will be alright."
"What a tragedy."
They figured it out and just looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Remus slowly walked over to the girls and expressed his condolences, and Lily and Diana each gave him a friendly hug.
This prompted James and Sirius to do this. It wasn't that they didn't feel bad for them, they did. They just felt a little nervous as to how they would react to them.
Lily was crying like a child, sobbing and whining. She ran upstairs before James could even get close. She crashed onto her bed and smothered her face in her pillow.
Against his conscience James ran up after her, leaving Sirius alone. He hesitated at her door, hearing her weep. He felt a pain in his heart at the sound of her cries, and he entered the room, despite being a tad afraid.
He approached her slowly. She was face down on the bed. He gently sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to push her. She didn't seem to notice he was there. He placed his hand on her back, and she jolted upwards. She put her hand over her heart and her chest was heaving in and out. When she saw him she cried harder, and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him close to her.
He suddenly didn't know what to do. He had never been in a situation like this before, and it scared him. It scared him to think that he cared so much about her feelings. He wasn't usually like this. But he wanted to make her happy. He wanted her to feel better, because he knew it would make him feel better. He put his arms around her waist, and returned the embrace.
"What am I going to do James?" she cried, in between sobs.
"I don't know." He said, honestly. "Shh, shh, it will be alright." He said, whispering in her ear.
"They're gone James, they're gone!" she screamed. "I'm all alone."
"No you're not." He said, stroking her hair. She released herself from him.
"Yes I am." She said, wiping her eyes, but still crying. "My sister hates me, my parents are dead. I have no one."
"Yes, yes you do." He said, putting his hand on her swollen cheek. "You have me."
"What are you talking about?" she said, wiping her nose with her sleeve. James then leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. She returned it and placed her hand on the back of his head.
"You'll always have me, Lily, I promise." He whispered, and he kissed her cheek. "You'll be alright."
She shook her head. "No." she whimpered.
"Yes, you're brave, Lily. You'll get through this."
"James?"
"Yes."
"Will you stay with me? I don't want to be alone." She cried, trying to force the tears to stop.
"Of course." He answered, and lied down beside her. She put her head on her chest, and they fell asleep in each other's arms.
~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Diana was downstairs, crying in the arms of her four close friends. She was beside herself. Never in her entire life had she felt so alone. Sirius stood there, unable to do anything. He felt guilty about not comforting her, and he didn't know what to say if he did. Remus repeatedly looked in his direction, asking silently for help. He ignored it. He wanted to help. He wanted to do anything he could. He wanted to make her forget, to make her smile, but he lacked the courage and was afraid what her reaction would be. Then he remembered, he had a date with Rebecca Winters that night, in about twenty minutes.
He was just about to walk over to her when he saw her get up, wipe her eyes, and exit the common room. He heard Nicole beg her not to go, to spend the time there with them, but she shook her head and closed the door.
The remaining girls wiped their eyes and went to their respective dorms. Nicole kissed Remus goodnight and left. Remus then walked over to Sirius, who was still firmly planted on the other side of the room.
"You're an idiot." He said, folding his arms at his friend.
"She doesn't want me to." Sirius said, and plopped down on the couch. "It would be too weird."
"What are you talking about? She asked for you, you know." He said, and sat down next to him.
"Don't lie."
"I'm not. She was a little disoriented and didn't see you." Remus explained. "I think she wanted to speak to you."
"Where did she go?" Sirius asked, solemnly.
"Where do you think?"
Sirius sighed. "Why? Why is she with that piece of shit? He brings her nothing but bad luck. He's bad for her."
"I know. We all know, but who else is there for her to run to?" Remus asked. "She's a woman. There is only so much consoling friends can do. She wants to be loved right now. She feels alone."
"But why him? God, I hate him. She deserves so much better. She deserves to be happy and treated right. She deserves-"
"You?"
Sirius just shrugged. He told himself he would get over her. He told himself she didn't mean much to him. But he knew he was lying to himself, knew he wanted no one else.
********************** Diana ran to the dungeon as fast as she could. She couldn't feel her legs moving, but knew where they were carrying her. She was so distraught, she couldn't think strait. She ran down the hallway and stopped short on front of a door. She banged loudly.
The door was opened reluctantly and she saw the perplexed expressions of unfamiliar faces. Through the crowd she heard her name being called. It took her a second to recognize it.
"Arabella?"
The crowd cleared and she stumbled inside. He was sitting there, reading a book of some kind. She didn't bother to find out what. She just ran to him and threw her arms around him.
Uncomforted by this sudden change in events he pulled away.
"What happened?" he asked casually, his mood not altered by her tears.
"Th-they're gone!" she wept and buried her head in her hands.
"Hold on." He said, shooing away all of the prying eyes. She was embarrassing him. "Who's gone?"
"My parents. They're dead, he's killed them." She cried.
"Who?"
"I don't know some Dark Wizard. Moldywart or something." She said, not thinking it was relevant. He looked slightly insulted.
"Voldomort." He corrected.
"Right, whatever." She said, dismissing it. Then she looked up. "Do you know anything about him?"
"I've heard of him." He said, offhandedly.
"Yea, well-"
"When did this happen?" he asked, as if it were an interrogation.
"This morning." She sniffed.
"Oh. Well, there's nothing you can do about it? And stop crying, I can barely understand you." He commanded.
"How can you say that?" she said, getting a little angry.
"Well, crying isn't going to bring them back, now is it?" he said, forcefully.
She sniffed loudly. "No, I suppose not. I just-"
"Exactly. Now I'm not going to baby you dear, but if you would like, I can make you forget about them for a little while." He said, with a wicked smirk.
She just looked at him disbelievingly. "Are you serious?" she said. "No."
He became annoyed. "Well then you should leave, don't you think?"
"You are such an asshole." She screeched.
"Well what do you want me to do huh? Sit here and let you cry all over me?"
"Well-"
"Darling, I don't believe in petty forms of sympathy. I have none for you. I can offer you a remedy if you like, but don't expect me just to sit there and hold you. I have better things to do." He said, getting up and walking over to the stairs.
"Wait." She said, knowing that it was either him or crying alone in the bathroom. She chose him.
"Yes?" he said, turning back around and leaning against the banister.
"Ok." She said, trying desperately not to cry again. He smiled inwardly.
"Fine. You'll feel better in a few minutes." He said, walking over to her and taking her wrist. She followed him up the stairs, and wondered again where Sirius had gone.
.......9:15pm..........
Diana entered the common room, feeling indifferent to what had just happened. Sirius was there, again.
"Hi." She said as she shut the door. "Why aren't you at practice?" she said squarely.
"I think James forgot we had it." he said, trying to decipher her mind.
"Oh." She said and walked to the stairs. She stopped at the bottom. "How did your date go?" she asked, trying to lighten her own mood.
"I, uh, I cancelled."
"Why?" she said, and walked over to him.
"I just didn't feel up to it, that's all." He said, shrugging. "It just didn't feel right. She understood."
Diana nodded. "You should have gone. Anything is better than being here." She said, feeling the tears form in her eyes again.
"Diana." He said as he got up. She sniffed in response. "I am so sorry." He said, spitting it out awkwardly.
"Sirius, don't. You don't have to-"
"No, I want to. I-I feel terrible about what happened to you. You didn't deserve it. Nobody deserves that." He said.
"Thank you." She said, and tried to smile. "Where's Lily?"
"Upstairs. James is with her."
"Great." She said, and sighed. "I guess I'll uh, crash down here."
"Well I was going to, but, you could sleep in our dorm. I can stay here."
"No, no. I don't want to be any trouble. You can go ahead, sleep upstairs, its ok." She insisted.
"No really, you can." He said.
"It's fine down here. One empty room versus another. It's all the same to me." She said, glumly.
"You know, Diana, I-I can stay with you, I mean, if you want to." He said, inarticulately.
"Why would you want to do that?" she asked.
"Well, it's just that, I don't think you should be alone, that's all." He admitted. She found this comment to be very sweet. She smiled at him.
"That's a really nice thing to say." She said, and began to cry again. He got up from his chair and walked over to her. Then he sucked up his courage and hugged her. She was incredibly surprised at first, but began to cry harder.
"I'm sorry." She said. "I don't mean to cry all over you." She said.
"You can cry if you want to cry, Diana. I don't mind. It's ok, it's all ok."
"I don't know."
"Do you want me to walk you upstairs?" he asked.
"Uh, sure, alright." She said, and half smiled at him.
They climbed the stairs together. Diana was feeling very confused and hurt, but grateful. He opened the door for her to their room.
"Thank you Sirius, for, uh, being so nice to me." She said, rather shyly. "And offering me the room and all."
"You're welcome." He said. "I'll be downstairs if you need anything."
"Right, ok." She said, a little disappointed.
"I really am sorry Renton, I really am."
All she did was smile. A sad smile that thanked him, but didn't make the pain go away. She just nodded and closed the door, while Sirius walked down the stairs slowly, not knowing what to make of anything.
(Please don't hate me for this chapter, I know it is very sad and I was depressed when I wrote it. But on a happier note, yeah I got more than 200!!! This is so cool and I am so glad you all like it!!! Oh yea, ff.net also wont post most of the reviews on the panel and my computer erases old mail after a couple of days. I will eventually thank all of you individually :) Love ya!
(December 21...five days later)
Lily and Diana had overslept that day, which was not good considering it was the Monday of their last couple of days before Christmas vacation, and they had tests all that day. James had cut them slack practice wise, for he needed sleep as well, and wasn't doing too well at catching up on that the last couple of days.
They ran into the great hall at 8:15, about fifteen minutes before the bell. They were hungry, tired, and unorganised. They thumped themselves on the benches and stuffed their faces with everything in sight. They drowned the pumpkin juice, much to the boys' amusement.
"Did we miss the post?" Diana asked with a mouth full of bread and butter.
"Ugh, no." Sirius said, amused by her behaviour. "There it is see?" he said, pointing upwards. She nodded, dismissing him.
"Shit!" Lily shouted.
"What?" Diana asked, exasperated. She felt nothing else could possibly go wrong.
"When do we have DADA?" she frantically asked.
"I don't know!" Diana realized, panicking. "Why?!"
"We have an exam! A big one and I forgot all about it!" she whined.
"Oh no!" Diana cried.
"Ladies, ladies." James said, trying to contain his gratification over watching the flustered girls. "Calm down. We have it third, just like every other day. Remember?" he said calmly nodding his head.
"Third? Third, right." Lily said. "What's it on?"
"Everything." Sirius said.
"Great, we're going to fail, fantastic." Diana said, slamming her hand on the table, which jolted everyone else, and gave Lily a more painful headache.
"Please don't do that." Lily pleaded, rubbing her temples.
"Evans, Renton, calm down it'll be fine." Sirius reassured. "Besides, Renton, DADA is your best subject so I don't know why you're so worried."
"You don't understand, I don't know anything." She said, emphasizing every word.
"Well you can't cram now." Remus said.
"Just relax and eat slower. You still have ten minutes." Nicole said.
"Ok, ok." Lily said and began to eat in silence.
"Hey Black?" Katrina asked, impishly.
"Yes?" he sighed. Regardless of how nice she was, Katrina annoyed him, most of the time.
"How's the pussy hunt going for you?" she asked, as if it was nothing.
"Oh shit." Diana said, calming down a bit due to the distraction.
"Fine thanks." He said, hoping that would be sufficient.
"Oh that's right, did you ask out Winters yet?" Diana asked.
"Um, yea I did." He said.
"Oh that's great, when?" Diana asked, giddy.
"Yesterday." He replied, in the midst of a yawn.
"So?" Lily said, staring at him, noticing how he refused to make eye contact.
"So?" he repeated, wanting the attention to shift immediately.
"Oh Lily, don't make him talk about it. He's shy." Diana mocked, laughing at such a ludicrous thought.
James snorted, while Sirius glared at her mockingly.
"Well, Potter thinks I'm funny." She said, not pleased by the response
"I didn't know that was a joke." Peter inquired. He then received a nasty sneer from Diana, who liked Peter less and less by the minute.
"Well you wouldn't, now would you, Peter." She said, and began to eat slower.
"Now, now Renton. No need to get on Wormtail's case. It's not his fault he's a little slow." James said.
"I resent that." Peter said plainly, before chugging the remains of his Pumpkin Juice.
"I want a nickname." Lily said, calmer than she was when she walked in.
"You can't have one." James answered her, smugly, but contemptuously.
"Why not?" she asked, actually becoming annoyed.
"You have a nickname." Sirius said, praying she wouldn't lose her temper so early, and over something so ridiculous.
"I do?" Lily asked.
"She does?" Diana chimed.
"I'd love to hear it." Remus said, siding with the girls, a childish grin on his face.
"Ok.." Sirius said with a frown. "It's..uh..Lil...Flower." he admitted his own defeat.
"That was pathetic Sirius." Lily said. "Not at all up to your usual standard. I am quite disappointed."
"C'mon, I had, what three seconds?" he said, defending his own wittiness.
"Mm hmm." Lily responded. "What do they mean anyway?"
"What does what mean?" James asked.
"You names, stupid." Lily answered.
"Sound a bit like animal names, don't they?" Diana asked, looking at each of the boys, noticing how uncomfortable they had gotten in such a short amount of time.
"I don't think so." Remus said. "Right?"
"Not at all." James said, hoping the subject would drop.
"There's something you boys aren't telling us, I can tell." Lily said with a playful sigh.
"You have a secret, don't you?" Diana asked, kidding, but she noticed Sirius blush nervously.
"No." he said, dismissing them and concentrating unbelievably hard on his breakfast.
"Alright, alright." Lily said, even though they all knew the conversation was not over. "You can continue being all secretive and Marauding around, that's fine."
"Marauding?" James chuckled.
"You all are just regular Marauders, aren't you? You know, trouble makers." Diana said, hoping they understood.
"Right." James said, thinking intently. "Good word."
"I know." Diana said, and smiled at her own intelligence.
Just then the morning bell rang and they all collected themselves quickly, rushing over to their first period class, knowing they were going to have tests all that morning. They were reluctant to go, and Lily and Diana felt dreadfully unprepared. Sirius and James were the first out, waiting for Diana and Lily to go to their individual classes. They leaned against the wall and waited.
"So what's up with you and Lily?" Sirius asked, watching the entire student body walk past them.
James shrugged. "Um, less than I had hoped. She loves flirting with me but-"
"No action yet?"
"Nope. She's taking things slow, which I am so not used to."
"Well you said yourself that she was different." Sirius said, glancing at his watch. They were going to be late.
"She is." He said, and Sirius saw him smile at the thought. "But, anyway..." he began, changing the subject. "Are you really taking out Winters tonight?"
"Yea." Sirius said, without a smile.
"Don't sound too excited." James said, derisively.
"Um, I am, well, to be finally getting out of the common room. All that research was getting boring." He said, honestly.
"Well, we are getting somewhere. We're close." James said. "We already know where most of the passages are."
"I suppose." Sirius said. "I don't know. I am a little nervous about tonight."
James looked at Sirius as though he had never seen him before. "Really?" he asked in intense disbelief. "Why? You're not still hung up on Renton are you?"
"Not really. She's fading. Rebecca is very pretty too. She's certainly distracting."
"Well good then. You'll see, she'll blow over. You just have to experiment a little more. You'll forget about Renton by the end of the month, and you'll see how silly you've been and you can just go on being friends." James said.
"You're right." Sirius said, convincing himself. "I've been silly. It'll work out. I'm sure we'll have loads to do tonight." He said with a smirk that James well understood.
"Now there's the Sirius I know." He said, punching his arm.
Sirius chuckled. "By the way, that was a close one just now."
"I know." James sighed. "And we weren't convincing at all. We're losing our touch."
"Do you think they know?"
"I don't know. We just have to hope that they don't think too hard about it." James said.
"Right. We're just being paranoid." Sirius answered, and discharged his nerves.
~*~"I notice we didn't get any post today." Lily said, as she went to join James to go to Arithmancy. Diana noticed this too, but simply shrugged. She didn't choose to dwell on it.
"Nobody loves us." She said and sighed.
"When are our parents coming? Tonight or tomorrow?" Lily asked.
"I don't really know. I'm sure they're in Alexandria by now. I expect tomorrow morning."
"Alright." Lily said. "They're probably just enjoying the sights. Or else they would have written."
"Exactly." Diana said. "Now let's go, Trelawney is going to be up my ass if we don't hurry up."
"Ok. See you at Lunch." Lily said, and they exited the doors side by side, and approached James and Sirius.
"There you are. We were waiting forever." James complained.
"Sorry." Lily said plainly. "You didn't have to wait."
"I wanted to." He smiled, and she blushed, as they made their way to what would be the first of many exams.
"Ready Renton?" Sirius said casually.
"Of course." She said and they too went to class.
By lunchtime the moods of the two girls only worsened. Lily couldn't be bothered with her obvious feelings for James. She was stressed out beyond the capacity to control herself.
"Oh that was awful." She said, as she put her head in her hands.
"Don't worry, I'm sure you did fine." James reassured.
"No!" she yelled. "I failed. It was horrible!"
"It wasn't that bad." Diana said, trying to calm her down.
"Oh what would you know? You know exactly what you're doing. I saw you take it. You looked like you were enjoying it." Lily said, cold-heartedly.
"No, it was difficult." She said, clearing her throat. "Sort of." Diana had to admit that Defence Against the Dark Arts was her favourite class, and she found the exam quite easy. She just didn't want to make Lily angrier than she already was.
"Yes, it was." Sirius said, while nodding in agreement. None of them wanted an angry Evans around. "Exceedingly."
"Outstandingly." Remus added
"Extraordinarily-" said James with enthusiasm.
"That's enough, although I do appreciate it." Lily said, feeling a bit better. "And I know your lying."
"Never." James said, smirking.
"Sure." Lily answered with a wink.
"Hey, are you guys ready for the game tomorrow?" Nicole chimed in. Everyone was glad she did.
"Oh right, that reminds me," James started. "Practice tonight, 9:00."
"What?!" Lily and Diana said.
"Practice tonight, 9:00." He repeated, slower then before.
"Potter you can't do that." Katrina said, evenly. "It's too late."
"It's not like we have class tomorrow." Sirius said.
"But we have a lot of holiday work." Diana said.
"It's not like you were going to start any of it tonight anyway. Now I know you are all tired, I am too, but we HAVE to practice." James said, putting his foot down.
Lily groaned. "But, Potter, it's only Hufflepuff. And let's not beat around the bush here, they suck."
"Lily's right they are really terrible." Diana said. "What could we possible practice to beat them, flying in a strait line?"
"Oh did I forget to tell you? We're not playing Hufflepuff anymore. We're playing Ravenclaw." James said. "Madame Hooch told me yesterday."
"Are you kidding?" Diana asked.
"They can't just change it at the last minute can they?" Katrina asked, now a little nervous. She had to work harder than she wanted to on the field now.
"Well they did, it seems." Sirius said. "What's the big deal?"
James looked at him wide eyed. "The big deal? We have to beat them or else- "
"We'll be in second place?" Lily added
"God forbid." Remus said sarcastically.
"You have to sort out your priorities Potter." Lily said. "It's just too late, we'll be playing until dawn if we start then. I know your practices and it won't do us any good at the last minute."
James sighed out of annoyance but refused to buckle. "Oi Frank!" he called to the other side of the table. Frank's head propped up. "Practice tonight at 9:00!" he yelled.
"Ok! See you then!" Frank yelled back.
"See, not everyone gives me problems." He said, glaring at his keeper, seeker, and chaser, especially.
Lily huffed, but said nothing after that.
"I'm a little nervous about tomorrow." Diana chimed in, a few minutes later.
"Please tell me you're joking." James said, not wanting to be more stressed out then he already was. "I swear to god Renton, if you crack tomorrow-"
"Relax Potter. I'll be fine, it's just that, well, my Mum's never seen me play before, you know, outside of my backyard. Not to mention that it's Ravenclaw, and she happens to work for the Department of Magical Games and Sports-"
"Wait, wait, wait." James said, stopping her. "What exactly does she do?"
"I told you, she recruits players for Puddlemere United." She said, straightforwardly.
"Don't worry Potter, you'll have your glory." Lily said. "You don't actually think she'll sign you on the spot now do you?" Lily laughed.
"That is ridiculously cool Renton." James said, fidgeting more. "Padfoot, could you imagine if we got contracts tomorrow?" he wasn't listening to Lily. "How awesome would that be?"
"Breath-taking." Sirius said, rolling his eyes. "So what's the deal Renton, are you, like, automatically on the team after graduation?"
"Nah, I don't want to play for a living. The life isn't that glamorous, well, except for the World Cup, and the after parties, and the fans, and the money..but I wouldn't really want to do it. I don't like to travel." She said, offhand.
"You're insane, I'll just leave it at that." Sirius said. She smirked.
"Why thank you Black." She said, cutely.
"Now what's this?" came a harsh voice from behind them. "Forget about me that quickly?"
"I didn't forget. I happen to be hungry." Diana said, innocently. "And I have a lot of tests today. I can't be distracted." She said, waving it off.
"I don't see you studying?"
"What an excellent observation Lucius." She answered, still not turning around.
"May I speak with you?" he said, clenching his teeth.
"We're speaking now." She answered, airily.
"I mean in private. You're nosy little friends don't seem to know the meaning of confidentiality, blabbermouths that they are. If I wanted a goddamn audience-"
"You have a lot of nerve coming to this table and speaking to one of our own like that, Malfoy." Sirius hissed.
"You're on our turf." James said. "You cross the line, once, and see what happens." James said. Sirius was reaching for his wand.
"It's not your business Potter." He argued, and put a possessive hand on Diana's shoulder. "Arabella, a word." He ordered.
"The bell's about to ring-"
"Now!"
"Don't you talk to her like that!" Lily yelled, fuming.
"Stay out of it Mudblood!" Lucius screamed, pointing at her.
"Both of you shut up!" Diana yelled, getting up. "You-meet me outside." She said to Malfoy. "Lily, please. Just stay out of it." She pleaded, and got up from the table.
He was alone, leaning against the wall, red with anger. She was not happy with his behaviour and made sure to let him know.
"How dare you come to my table like that!" she screamed as she shut the doors behind her. "You have no right to demand my attention, especially in front of my team and captain! I talk to you when I want to, not when you demand my time like an impatient little child! You wait, got it? If you tell me it's important, nicely, then I would be glad to step outside with you, but not when you just stomp over like you own the place-"
"Are you quite finished?" he asked, looking obviously bored.
"What?" she asked, incredibly offended. "No-"
He seized her arm and tuned her around, knocking her hard against the stone wall. She flinched in pain.
"Well I'm finishing it. Your insufferable shrill is giving me a headache." He whispered.
"How dare-" she started.
"Shut up and listen to me." He said, grinding her into the wall even more. "I do not appreciate your behaviour Arabella. It doesn't look good for me when you act like a whore, do you understand?" he said, as if she were a child.
"What are you talking about?" she asked, slightly afraid.
"You and Black seem to be getting oddly close lately. Your flirtatious nature is going to get you in trouble with me one of these days if you don't end it."
"You're paranoid." She said. "There is absolutely nothing-"
"Don't interrupt." He said. "Now he may not know what a slut you are, but I do, my dear. He may fantasize about you, but I know what you really are, you tease. Stop making him think he has a chance, or you'll be the one cleaning up the mess. I have ways of making both your lives miserable, Arabella. Am I making myself clear?"
She was speechless. Her arm was numb from his tight grip and she didn't want to anger him even more. She was staring her down, expecting an answer.
"Well? Answer me." He said, a bit calmer, but with the same attitude.
She nodded without looking.
"Good, good." He said, in a better mood. He loosened his grip, but didn't let go. "Now remember, I am only warning you because I love you, and you know that. A simpleton like Black will never care for you like I do, darling. Now I know you don't mean it, but watch yourself. I don't mean to be harsh with you, but that's the only way you'll listen. You're mine, and when you realize that, then we can all be happy. You want to be happy don't you?"
She just stood there, knowing that if he let go she would collapse. He had definitely cut off some of the circulation in her arm.
"Yes." She said, although it was barely detectable.
"Of course you do." He said, and let go. She remained against the wall, leaning on it for support. The bell had rung, and students began to exit the Great Hall. "Oh, and don't snap at me again, Arabella. It's really very rude." Then he disappeared into the crowd.
Diana knew she had to collect herself quickly, but didn't know where to start. She had no idea what just happened and she had never seen that side of him before. She didn't like it. She didn't want that to happen again. She saw her friends leave. First Remus and Nicole, who smiled at her, unknowingly. Then Lily, Katrina, Peter, James and Sirius. Lily walked right over to Diana, a puzzled expression across her face.
"So what happened?" she asked. James and Sirius followed while Katrina and Peter went to class. "What did he say?"
Diana swallowed loudly but acted as though nothing was wrong. She tried to be resilient. "Oh, nothing. You know." She said, and attempted a chuckle. Sirius could tell something was wrong. Her eyes told him that she was scared.
"Listen, Renton, we still have practice tonight, so try and finish work early. If you're late, that's ok, but don't go with Malfoy tonight. You have other priorities." James said, trying to figure out what was possibly wrong with her. He could tell Lily was thinking the same thing.
"Don't worry Potter, I'll be there." Diana said, and attempted a smile. "But we should go, we're going to be late." She said, and walked ahead.
"Why the rush Renton?" Sirius asked. "We'll get there." He tried to walk next to her, but she kept picking up speed or slowing down when he got too close. He didn't understand, but knew it had something to do with Malfoy. He didn't think he could hate him anymore, but he was wrong.
~*~
"You ready to go down Lily?" Nicole asked, as she poked her head into their dorm. Dinner is about to start.
"Right, I know. I just want to finish this essay really quickly so I don't have to think about it for the rest of the vacation." Lily said, not looking up from her paper.
"Where's Diana?" Nicole asked surveying the room.
"Bathroom." Lily simply said. "Out in a minute."
"She's been acting weird all day." Nicole mentioned. Lily closed her textbook and threw the parchment on the floor, a look of mild satisfaction on her face because she was finished. Then she took into account to what Nicole had said.
"Well, since lunch anyway." Lily pointed out.
"She was awfully quiet, especially during Potions." Nicole said.
"I know. She told me she was just tired but she didn't seem to be concentrating on anything. And when Sirius tried to ask her a question she got all nervous and would only give him one word answers." Lily remembered.
"Hmm, weird. Maybe she's just PMSing, you know. Mood swings and all that. She'll be fine."
"Well, let's hope so." Lily sighed. "I'm starting to get a little worried."
"Worried about what?" Diana asked, upon walking back into the room.
"Nothing." Lily and Nicole said at the same time.
"Whatever." Diana said, not believing them. "Let's go down, I'm really hungry."
"Ok, should we wait for the boys?" Nicole asked.
"Um, you two could, I'm going to go down ahead to get a seat." Diana said, fidgeting.
"There will be seats in a minute Diana." Nicole said, looking at her oddly.
"Yea well, I don't want all the food to be gone. See you downstairs." Diana said, and quickly left the room. She had a pain in her stomach all the way down the stairs. She really didn't want to see Lucius, especially alone.
When she got into the great hall she found all four boys already down there, much to her distress.
"Evening Renton." James said. "Feeling better?"
"What do you mean?" she asked, sighing and plopping herself down. "I'm fine."
"You looked a little off in Potions." Sirius mentioned.
"Nope, false alarm." She said, nervously piling food onto her plate.
"Oh, you're already down here." Lily said, as she walked to the table. "We waited." She said, folding her arms.
"Didn't know we had to make an announcement Evans, but alright. Sit down." James said, sweetly.
"Thank you." Lily replied. Just then she let her eyes wander to the teacher's table for an instant before she sat down. There was one more chair placed there than necessary. Nicole noticed too.
"Why is the Minister of Magic here?" she asked, and James' head propped up instantly.
"What? Why?" Sirius said, taking the words out of James' mouth. "Do you know anything about this Prongs?"
"No." he said, shrugged and piled more food on his plate than necessary.
"Is you Mum here too then?" Lily asked, looking at James.
"Doubt it." He answered. "She usually stays home. She isn't affiliated with the Ministry."
"I wonder why he hasn't come over to say hello?" Remus inquired.
"Busy." Was all James said.
"But he's your dad." Peter said evenly.
James sighed. "I know."
"Probably just wants to talk to Dumbledore about something." Sirius said.
"I'm sure it has nothing to do with you." Remus said.
"It never does." James said, uniformly.
Lily watched as The Minister of Magic, Harold Potter whispered what seemed to be very urgent news into Dumbledore's ear. He jolted up and she watched them go in the direction of his office. After about a minute McGonagal joined them.
"Weird." Lily said.
"I don't get it. Did he just show up randomly?" Sirius asked.
"He only comes here when it's important." James said. "Not for trivial things like-"
"Seeing his son play Quidditch?" Lily asked, finishing his sentence. James' look turned solemn at the bluntness of her comment. She smiled at him out of remorse.
"Everyone! Everyone!" they heard and the entire great hall turned around. There was Dumbledore, ready to make some announcement. He didn't have his usual cheerful look about him. He looked very grave indeed.
"I need to see two students in my office at once!" he said. Everyone tensed up at what he said. "Will Miss Lily Evans and Miss Diana Renton please come to my office immediately!" he said. All eyes went on the two girls, who were each thinking the same thing.
"What's this about?" Diana asked Lily.
"I don't know." She answered shrugging.
"Are we in trouble?"
"We didn't do anything." Lily said. "We'll, uh, be right back guys." She said, as their friends looked at them strangely.
They walked hastily together to Dumbledore's office. They were both very confused and overwhelmed. They also wondered why they had to be in the same room with the Minister of Magic. It made them slightly more nervous.
"The password?" Diana asked, as they reached the large phoenix that was firmly placed at the opening. Just then the door opened, and there stood McGonagal.
"Let's go ladies." She said, glumly. She took their hands and led them upstairs. Lily wondered why they were receiving this special treatment, especially from their stern Transfiguration teacher.
They made their way up the stairs and entered the magnificent office. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk with the Minister of Magic in the seat in front of it. This forced the girls to stand. On his desk were three pieces of paper. Two letters and one that looked astoundingly like an article out of a newspaper.
"You wanted to see us, Professor?" Lily asked, feebly.
"Yes." He simply said. "If you two would just come here for a moment."
They walked closer to his desk. McGonagal stayed back. Diana thought she heard her sniffle.
"First of all, I would like to introduce you to the Minister of Magic, Mr. Harold Potter." Dumbledore said, calmly.
"Yes, we know." Lily began. "We're friends of your son." She held out her hand, and he shook it kindly.
"My son? Oh yes, James." He answered.
"You do remember him, don't you?" Diana said, with no respect whatsoever. "He goes here too."
"Let me get to the point, Miss Renton, and Miss Evans." Mr. Potter said, disregarding her comment.
"Wait, what are those Professor?" Diana asked, noticing that two of the letters were addressed to them.
"Oh, well, in time you may see them." He hesitated. "They're letters from your parents." He whispered.
"Why can't we see them?" Lily asked, the room growing stuffier by the minute.
"Now, now ladies." Mr. Potter started. "You're parents, well, they were...let me rephrase this." He was getting nervous, and the girls could tell. He cleared his throat. "This morning, we discovered, well, your parents were stationed in Alexandria, correct Miss Renton?"
"Yes, but what does this have to do with anything?" she answered, crossing her arms to keep her fingers from shaking.
"Perhaps I should tell them Harold." Dumbledore said. "There was an attack this morning in Alexandria." He hesitated, not knowing how to phrase his words. "Your parents, were.....they were killed." He said, looking down.
They were both so shocked that they had forgotten to breathe. Diana was visibly shaking now, not knowing what to say.
"What do you mean?" Lily said, disbelievingly. "How? I don't understand." Her eyes were beginning to water.
Diana put her hands over her mouth. She thought she was going to throw up. McGonagal suddenly ran to them both, putting a concerned hand on both their shoulders. It was obvious that she was crying.
"I don't get it. Who attacked them?" Diana said, trying to make her voice stop shaking.
Dumbledore and Mr Potter exchanged a quick glance before the Minister nodded.
"Death Eaters." Dumbledore said.
"What the hell is that?!" Diana said. She was getting angrier now.
"Dark Wizards who follow an evil overlord named Voldomort." The minister said, trying to retain his disposition.
Lily couldn't contain herself. She broke out sobbing on the ground. An image flashed in her mind. The image of her mother, waving goodbye to her, that first day on Platform 9 ¾. It was the first day Julia Evans had met Alison and Mark Renton.
Diana crouched down next to her, and cried along with her.
"How could this have happened?" Lily cried. "My parents weren't wizards." She blubbered. "They shouldn't have been-"
"Why would he come after my Mum and Dad?" Diana screeched, getting up, and trying hard to balance herself on the Minister's chair.
"Calm down ladies, please." He said, trying to explain.
"Diana..." Dumbledore said, addressing her by her name for the first time. She looked at him, tears streaming down her face. "This is all very overwhelming for you, I know. But you must understand that there is a war coming. Voldomort wants to knock out whoever stands in his way. He sent people there to murder you mother and father because they were good. They would not submit to his followers so they were destroyed. You parents would have been valuable to him, Diana, and he didn't want them on the opposite side."
"Was that the only attack?" Diana asked, enraged and heart broken at the same time.
Dumbledore sighed. "Well, no. The rest of your family, I'm afraid-"
"NO!" Diana yelled, slamming her fist on the table. "No...." she started crying again.
"I am sorry." Dumbledore said, although one tear managed to escape his eye. "They were exceptional people."
"But Lily's parents." Diana sobbed. "Why them? They didn't do anything. They were no use to them."
"They were simply in the way, my dears. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time." Mr. Potter said, not helping. "It couldn't be helped."
"This can't be true, this can't be true." Lily whispered.
"Funeral arrangements have already been made." Dumbledore said. "Lily, we have yet to notify your sister."
With this comment Lily cried even harder. She had forgotten about Petunia. She shuddered to think what would happen when she found out.
"You will remain here for the rest of the year. You will spend all vacations at Hogwarts. In the summer, well, we have yet to decide that." Dumbledore said, looking at the Minister, who shifted uncomfortably.
"So this means..." Diana started, wiping her eyes. "We're orphans."
"You don't have to look at it like that." The minister said. Dumbledore agreed.
"You will always have a home here at Hogwarts. We will always look after you." McGonagal said.
"I'm the only one left." Diana muttered.
"Yes, but that is a conversation for another day, Diana. Don't be overwhelmed." Dumbledore said.
"No, he'll come after me next." She said, growing horrified.
"Now, now, he will not. He doesn't know you exist yet. You, after all, have your father's last name." Dumbledore explained. "But I suggest that you two go back to you dormitories at once. There is nothing more to be said at this time."
"The letters." Lily said, as Diana helped her up. "I want to see my letter." She held out her hand.
"I'm afraid that-" the Minister began.
"And the article too." Diana said. "I believe we have the right to read it before the world does."
"Alright." Dumbledore said, nodding. He handed the girls their letters, the last words from their parents. They folded it, choosing not to read it there. "Professor McGonagal will escort you back to the common room."
"That's ok Professor-" Lily sniffed. "We haven't finished eating yet."
Dumbledore looked at them strangely. "Dinner is finished I'm afraid. But your friends are in the common room by now, I assume. You may speak with them there." Diana and Lily turned to leave, McGonagal right behind them.
"And ladies.." Dumbledore stopped them. "You have experienced a terrible tragedy, and I want you to know that I will always be here if you need to talk, about anything at all."
"Thank you Professor." They both said, at odd times. Then they left, not speaking all the way to the Gryffindor common room. McGonagal hugged them both tightly before they went inside, saying how sorry she was, and how much she loved Diana's mother, who was the only wizard out of the four.
They shuffled into the common room, and everyone jumped up when they saw the two enter. The younger years were in their dormitories, so the only ones in the room were James, Sirius, Nicole, Remus, Katrina, Peter, Frank and Sarah. They had all been talking about Diana and Lily, and from the looks on their faces, something terrible had happened.
Just the site of their friends looking so concerned cause Lily and Diana to start crying again. They were touched and hurt at the same time and were so confused and scared they didn't know what to do.
Nicole ran to Diana and Lily and hugged them closely.
"What happened?" Nicole asked, as Diana clutched her tightly.
Katrina and Sarah joined in wile Diana and Lily showed them the article and the letter. All five girls hugged and cried together. The boys were profoundly confused because they had no idea what had happened and they couldn't see anything. All they could hear were muffled cries of consolation and questions concerning the events.
"How did it happen?"
"At least they didn't suffer?"
"What's a Death Eater?"
"Everything will be alright."
"What a tragedy."
They figured it out and just looked at each other, not knowing what to do. Remus slowly walked over to the girls and expressed his condolences, and Lily and Diana each gave him a friendly hug.
This prompted James and Sirius to do this. It wasn't that they didn't feel bad for them, they did. They just felt a little nervous as to how they would react to them.
Lily was crying like a child, sobbing and whining. She ran upstairs before James could even get close. She crashed onto her bed and smothered her face in her pillow.
Against his conscience James ran up after her, leaving Sirius alone. He hesitated at her door, hearing her weep. He felt a pain in his heart at the sound of her cries, and he entered the room, despite being a tad afraid.
He approached her slowly. She was face down on the bed. He gently sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to push her. She didn't seem to notice he was there. He placed his hand on her back, and she jolted upwards. She put her hand over her heart and her chest was heaving in and out. When she saw him she cried harder, and threw her arms around his neck, pulling him close to her.
He suddenly didn't know what to do. He had never been in a situation like this before, and it scared him. It scared him to think that he cared so much about her feelings. He wasn't usually like this. But he wanted to make her happy. He wanted her to feel better, because he knew it would make him feel better. He put his arms around her waist, and returned the embrace.
"What am I going to do James?" she cried, in between sobs.
"I don't know." He said, honestly. "Shh, shh, it will be alright." He said, whispering in her ear.
"They're gone James, they're gone!" she screamed. "I'm all alone."
"No you're not." He said, stroking her hair. She released herself from him.
"Yes I am." She said, wiping her eyes, but still crying. "My sister hates me, my parents are dead. I have no one."
"Yes, yes you do." He said, putting his hand on her swollen cheek. "You have me."
"What are you talking about?" she said, wiping her nose with her sleeve. James then leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. She returned it and placed her hand on the back of his head.
"You'll always have me, Lily, I promise." He whispered, and he kissed her cheek. "You'll be alright."
She shook her head. "No." she whimpered.
"Yes, you're brave, Lily. You'll get through this."
"James?"
"Yes."
"Will you stay with me? I don't want to be alone." She cried, trying to force the tears to stop.
"Of course." He answered, and lied down beside her. She put her head on her chest, and they fell asleep in each other's arms.
~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Diana was downstairs, crying in the arms of her four close friends. She was beside herself. Never in her entire life had she felt so alone. Sirius stood there, unable to do anything. He felt guilty about not comforting her, and he didn't know what to say if he did. Remus repeatedly looked in his direction, asking silently for help. He ignored it. He wanted to help. He wanted to do anything he could. He wanted to make her forget, to make her smile, but he lacked the courage and was afraid what her reaction would be. Then he remembered, he had a date with Rebecca Winters that night, in about twenty minutes.
He was just about to walk over to her when he saw her get up, wipe her eyes, and exit the common room. He heard Nicole beg her not to go, to spend the time there with them, but she shook her head and closed the door.
The remaining girls wiped their eyes and went to their respective dorms. Nicole kissed Remus goodnight and left. Remus then walked over to Sirius, who was still firmly planted on the other side of the room.
"You're an idiot." He said, folding his arms at his friend.
"She doesn't want me to." Sirius said, and plopped down on the couch. "It would be too weird."
"What are you talking about? She asked for you, you know." He said, and sat down next to him.
"Don't lie."
"I'm not. She was a little disoriented and didn't see you." Remus explained. "I think she wanted to speak to you."
"Where did she go?" Sirius asked, solemnly.
"Where do you think?"
Sirius sighed. "Why? Why is she with that piece of shit? He brings her nothing but bad luck. He's bad for her."
"I know. We all know, but who else is there for her to run to?" Remus asked. "She's a woman. There is only so much consoling friends can do. She wants to be loved right now. She feels alone."
"But why him? God, I hate him. She deserves so much better. She deserves to be happy and treated right. She deserves-"
"You?"
Sirius just shrugged. He told himself he would get over her. He told himself she didn't mean much to him. But he knew he was lying to himself, knew he wanted no one else.
********************** Diana ran to the dungeon as fast as she could. She couldn't feel her legs moving, but knew where they were carrying her. She was so distraught, she couldn't think strait. She ran down the hallway and stopped short on front of a door. She banged loudly.
The door was opened reluctantly and she saw the perplexed expressions of unfamiliar faces. Through the crowd she heard her name being called. It took her a second to recognize it.
"Arabella?"
The crowd cleared and she stumbled inside. He was sitting there, reading a book of some kind. She didn't bother to find out what. She just ran to him and threw her arms around him.
Uncomforted by this sudden change in events he pulled away.
"What happened?" he asked casually, his mood not altered by her tears.
"Th-they're gone!" she wept and buried her head in her hands.
"Hold on." He said, shooing away all of the prying eyes. She was embarrassing him. "Who's gone?"
"My parents. They're dead, he's killed them." She cried.
"Who?"
"I don't know some Dark Wizard. Moldywart or something." She said, not thinking it was relevant. He looked slightly insulted.
"Voldomort." He corrected.
"Right, whatever." She said, dismissing it. Then she looked up. "Do you know anything about him?"
"I've heard of him." He said, offhandedly.
"Yea, well-"
"When did this happen?" he asked, as if it were an interrogation.
"This morning." She sniffed.
"Oh. Well, there's nothing you can do about it? And stop crying, I can barely understand you." He commanded.
"How can you say that?" she said, getting a little angry.
"Well, crying isn't going to bring them back, now is it?" he said, forcefully.
She sniffed loudly. "No, I suppose not. I just-"
"Exactly. Now I'm not going to baby you dear, but if you would like, I can make you forget about them for a little while." He said, with a wicked smirk.
She just looked at him disbelievingly. "Are you serious?" she said. "No."
He became annoyed. "Well then you should leave, don't you think?"
"You are such an asshole." She screeched.
"Well what do you want me to do huh? Sit here and let you cry all over me?"
"Well-"
"Darling, I don't believe in petty forms of sympathy. I have none for you. I can offer you a remedy if you like, but don't expect me just to sit there and hold you. I have better things to do." He said, getting up and walking over to the stairs.
"Wait." She said, knowing that it was either him or crying alone in the bathroom. She chose him.
"Yes?" he said, turning back around and leaning against the banister.
"Ok." She said, trying desperately not to cry again. He smiled inwardly.
"Fine. You'll feel better in a few minutes." He said, walking over to her and taking her wrist. She followed him up the stairs, and wondered again where Sirius had gone.
.......9:15pm..........
Diana entered the common room, feeling indifferent to what had just happened. Sirius was there, again.
"Hi." She said as she shut the door. "Why aren't you at practice?" she said squarely.
"I think James forgot we had it." he said, trying to decipher her mind.
"Oh." She said and walked to the stairs. She stopped at the bottom. "How did your date go?" she asked, trying to lighten her own mood.
"I, uh, I cancelled."
"Why?" she said, and walked over to him.
"I just didn't feel up to it, that's all." He said, shrugging. "It just didn't feel right. She understood."
Diana nodded. "You should have gone. Anything is better than being here." She said, feeling the tears form in her eyes again.
"Diana." He said as he got up. She sniffed in response. "I am so sorry." He said, spitting it out awkwardly.
"Sirius, don't. You don't have to-"
"No, I want to. I-I feel terrible about what happened to you. You didn't deserve it. Nobody deserves that." He said.
"Thank you." She said, and tried to smile. "Where's Lily?"
"Upstairs. James is with her."
"Great." She said, and sighed. "I guess I'll uh, crash down here."
"Well I was going to, but, you could sleep in our dorm. I can stay here."
"No, no. I don't want to be any trouble. You can go ahead, sleep upstairs, its ok." She insisted.
"No really, you can." He said.
"It's fine down here. One empty room versus another. It's all the same to me." She said, glumly.
"You know, Diana, I-I can stay with you, I mean, if you want to." He said, inarticulately.
"Why would you want to do that?" she asked.
"Well, it's just that, I don't think you should be alone, that's all." He admitted. She found this comment to be very sweet. She smiled at him.
"That's a really nice thing to say." She said, and began to cry again. He got up from his chair and walked over to her. Then he sucked up his courage and hugged her. She was incredibly surprised at first, but began to cry harder.
"I'm sorry." She said. "I don't mean to cry all over you." She said.
"You can cry if you want to cry, Diana. I don't mind. It's ok, it's all ok."
"I don't know."
"Do you want me to walk you upstairs?" he asked.
"Uh, sure, alright." She said, and half smiled at him.
They climbed the stairs together. Diana was feeling very confused and hurt, but grateful. He opened the door for her to their room.
"Thank you Sirius, for, uh, being so nice to me." She said, rather shyly. "And offering me the room and all."
"You're welcome." He said. "I'll be downstairs if you need anything."
"Right, ok." She said, a little disappointed.
"I really am sorry Renton, I really am."
All she did was smile. A sad smile that thanked him, but didn't make the pain go away. She just nodded and closed the door, while Sirius walked down the stairs slowly, not knowing what to make of anything.
(Please don't hate me for this chapter, I know it is very sad and I was depressed when I wrote it. But on a happier note, yeah I got more than 200!!! This is so cool and I am so glad you all like it!!! Oh yea, ff.net also wont post most of the reviews on the panel and my computer erases old mail after a couple of days. I will eventually thank all of you individually :) Love ya!