Aftermath

Lily sprung her eyes open and found that she was covered in beads of sweat, causing her to feel clammy and sticky. Her hair was almost glued to her face in weird angles and she was franticly shaking. Trails of dry tearstains had left crusty marks on her cheeks and fresh tears continued to spring from her eyes. Herra was stood leaning over her, her hands tightly clenched on Lily's robes, her face fill of worry.

Lily was still lying on her bed in the dormitory; she glanced fretfully around the room for anyone other then Herra and felt a sigh of relief brush through her when the room appeared empty.

"Lily, what happened?" Herra asked uneasily, settling onto Lily's bed while still clenching her robes tightly, as if she were scared to let go.

Her heart was beating rapidly; she didn't think it was possible to give Herra an answer that she would understand. She was still in immense shock after just waking up from a terrifying dream where she had saw her own mother... die. But it couldn't have been that way. Her father had told her that her mother had died in a car accident, she wasn't murdered. But Lily couldn't help but feel horrified, no one would like to dream about their parents dieing, even if they hadn't died in reality... it would still be terrible.

"I-I had a dream." Lily said in a strange quavering voice, most unlike her own.

Herra frowned, watching Lily dubiously. "That wasn't just any dream, what happened?" she asked in a voice that could even match Lily's present one.

Lily didn't know if she could tell Herra, she did trust her, but things quiet personal she tried to keep to herself... however, the anxious look upon her face swayed her over.

"It was about my mum," she said quietly in response to the prying look upon Herra's face.

"Your mum?" Herra questioned, her forehead creased in concern.

Lily only nodded and with a huge amount of effort sat up. She swept her sweaty hands across her tear stained face in an effort to regain her posture, however, the attempt was useless as she felt another tear escape from her eyes.

"I dreamt about her being murdered by-- by Voldemort, I saw her... in my bedroom when I was a baby," she said shakily.

Herra continued to look at her anxious friend, "Lily, your mother died in a car accident," she said softly, putting her arm around Lily soothingly.

Lily wiped another tear away from her eyes, Herra was right; her mum did die in a car accident, at least that was what her father had told her. But a part of her couldn't help but be alarmed by the dream, it seemed impossible not to be afraid after it had appeared so real and everything was so clear ... as if Lily was in the room with her mother as well.

"I know, but it was so real- and, and how do I know for sure?" she questioned, Herra still watching her closely with unblinking eyes, "I've never actually talked to my dad about it, he just told me about a car accident when I was much younger. He might of thought I wouldn't understand because I was too young, but what if it wasn't a car accident, what if it was what I saw?"

Lily hastily wiped at the tears emerging from her eyes.

"Haven't you ever talked to your dad about it, in depth?" Herra asked, her eyes continuing to pry Lily while she frowned intently.

"I couldn't, I didn't know how to... I was only little, Herra, and I couldn't understand, and part of me wanted to think she wasn't dead, that she was still alive... so I guess I don't ever want to talk about it," Lily replied slowly, her voice slightly breaking every now and then as she spoke. She had stopped crying, but that didn't count for anything, as her insides were tearing up with tangled emotions.

Herra tightened her grip around Lily and gestured a small supportive smile, "Lily, there's nothing you can do about your mother dying, but that doesn't mean she's completely gone," she said reassuringly, "you can still think about her, you just have to think positive... even if it's hard."

Lily silently drew in what Herra said, she was right, she couldn't demoralise herself this way, it was all in the past, and that's where it would remain... forever.

"Your right, it was just scary dreaming about something like that and it seemed so real... but it couldn't be, dreams are your imagination," she replied, more to herself then Herra, but still managing to return the smile to her.

Herra nodded, the triumph of slightly convincing Lily was clearly visible, as she seemed to look a lot more content. "Exactly, don't get upset, just try to forget it," she said placidly

Lily sighed, could she really forget about a dream like that? How could she cast her mind upon different things when the dream was the only blunt thing that was invading her thoughts? She wasn't the type of person who could have a worriless carefree life when something was daunting over her, she couldn't just drop all her worries and be happy, no... she embraced her problems, and not in a pleasant way. And her worries would only remain with her alone; Lily would rarely open up to anyone... not even Herra. She would just keep her problems tightly bottled up inside her while she played a smile for an alibi.

However, she did appreciate Herra's efforts, and maybe it was time to make a new system, to open up to someone other then herself... but only with Herra, as she was the only one who could pry her open. She silently agreed with herself and nodded her auburn head, broadening her smile in reassurance of Herra's statement.

"So, you and Sirius, is it then?" Lily asked, in an attempt to steer the conversation into more pleasant waters.

Herra blushed, a small smile playing against her lips. "Yeah, he spoke to me after last lesson yesterday, he was really nice about it... sarcastic, but nice," she replied happily.

Lily smirked. "And how did he ask you?" she probed.

Herra appeared to be stuck in a hazy posture and only broke away once Lily waved a hand in front of her face impatiently, but all the same kind-heartedly.

"Oh, sorry," she said quietly, "We were just talking. Well, truthfully I was trying not to explode and then he just asked me- and I said yes," she flourished with a smile.

Lily gave a wry grin, "I told you, didn't I?" she asked, not needing an answer as self-reassurance was enough. The previous thoughts of her dream had now seemed to flow away and she felt much better.

Herra rolled her eyes, however her smile didn't flinch. "Yeah, you did," she admitted.

Lily nodded, but she still had another thing to clear. "Oh, and, err... sorry for interrupting you earlier, I didn't disrupt anything, did I?" she asked, half-embarrassed and half-mockingly.

Herra slightly blushed, but then shook her head quickly once Lily noticed and smirked again. "No, we were just talking, yeah, we were- talking," she said vigilantly.

Lily arched an eyebrow and watched Herra doubtfully, with Sirius's reputation with girls; she doubted they were just 'talking'.

"You heard us!" shrieked Herra indignantly.

Lily laughed at her friends flustered face, which was obviously deceiving the inner truth of Lily's question, "Yeah, talking... okay. I see, yeah... whatever," she muttered.

"Exactly," said Herra.

Lily sighed and watched Herra enquiring, she would get this out of her... she always did.

"But, as your best friend, don't you think I have a right to know the details?" she asked, quickly reforming herself to expectance with a hopeful smile.

Herra sighed. "If you must know," she said quietly.

"And I must," shot Lily back in an instant.

"I don't kiss and tell,"

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