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Chapter 38
The portrait hole was opened and Professor Dumbledore walked in, "Lily, James. We need to talk. There's been an attack…"
Lily began to sob knowing what was coming next, "I need the two of you to follow me to my office."
On the way to Dumbledore's office Lily read her letter over again that was splattered with tears,
Dear Lily,
I thought that you should find this out, I just got a letter from the Ministry myself. There was an attack last night in Diagon Alley and all Aurors were called to the field. Tyler died at the hand of a Death Eater tonight. I'm going make the preparations for the funeral tonight, father will let you know the rest later. I know how much you cared for Tyler and I know he cared for you too. Take care, Lily dear.
Sincerely,
Ms. Smith
Lily began to cry all over again and James clutched her tightly even though they were getting odd looks from everyone in the hallways. Lily took James letter from his hand and felt her heart crush when she read James's letter too.
Dear James,
I'm sending Sarah a letter after I send you this one. There was a Death Eater Attack last night and your father was killed by Voldemort himself. I'm going to start making funeral preparations tonight and I'll owl you once I know anymore. Take care of Sarah for me, and even though you and Lily don't talk…please send her my love.
Love always,
Mum
Lily collapsed to the floor and James stopped to pick her up, "Your d…d…dad too?"
James looked at Lily oddly, "I thought you knew about dad?"
"No I got an owl from Ms. Smith, T…Ty…Tyler's dead." She sobbed, "And the last thing I said to him was that I h…ha…hated h…him."
"Shh," he said holding her close. "Don't worry about it just calm down."
Once they were in Dumbledore's office he sat down behind his desk and sighed deeply as he put his hands together, "I'm afraid there has been a horrible tragedy. There was a horrible attack last night in Diagon Alley, many innocent people were murdered last night." Lily's sobs got louder and louder and James tried to console her as much as he could with out breaking down himself. "All Aurors were called to the field. Many of the best Aurors were killed last night, but many were spared. The McKinnons were murdered last night, the Prewett's are in serious condition at St. Mungo's. Alastor Moody lost one of his eyes last night and many others that the two of you didn't know were murdered, along with your father James and my grandson Lily."
Lily's cries were now muffled into James's chest and James was trying to hold his emotions in. His father had always been his role model, his hero and now his father was gone. He'd just said good-bye to his dad a little over a month ago and he would never see his father's smile ever again.
"I figure the two of you have been notified?" James nodded to the Headmaster's question, "Please let me know any information you get from Grace about your father's preparations." James nodded, "Lily I will let you know what happens with Tyler's preparations. The both of you will of course be allowed to both services. The two of you are excused from the next few days of classes. When you are ready to return to class you may, Mr. Black and Miss O'Brian will bring you your homework."
"But they don't have our password Professor, you told us not to give it to anyone."
Dumbledore smiled, "And I'm glad the two of you didn't disobey my orders. I will give Mr. Black and Miss O'Brian the password. It is still 'Slytherin Sucks,' right?"
James blushed, "No sir. Lily changed it to 'Sugar Quills.'"
Dumbledore nodded and excused them from his office, Lily was still so upset that James carried Lily back to their quarters with now lots of eyes staring as everyone was heading to the Great Hall for breakfast.
When Lily and James got back in their Common Room there was a house-elf standing there looking helpful, "Headmaster Dumbledore has told me to get Master Potter and Mizzez Evans breakfast."
Lily shook her head no but James knew if she didn't eat she'd get sick later on, "Two trays of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and strawberry jelly." The house-elf nodded and 'popped' away. James carried Lily up to her bed and tucked her back in, he was leaving her room when she finally spoke.
"No."
He frowned at her, "No? No what?"
"I meant please don't leave me," she said with tears still in her eyes.
"I promise I'll be right back, I'm going to wait in the living room for the house-elf to bring us our breakfast."
"Do you think you could get us some orange juice."
"I'm sure she'll remember it, and now I'll be right back. You need anything else?"
"Can you close the door real quick? I'm going to change to some jogging pants and a big shirt."
"Yeah, I'll knock on the door when I'm back."
"I can open the door once I'm changed."
A few minutes later Lily reopened the door so James could walk in with the breakfast, and ten minutes later he was back with their breakfast and glad to see her in her bed awaiting him.
"For you madam," he said handing her tray of food and orange juice.
"Where's yours?"
"Accio!" His tray zoomed by and his orange juice too.
She chuckled and rolled her eyes, "Show off."
"You seem better now."
"Slightly I guess."
"You good enough for me to leave?"
Lily blinked, "Where are you going to go?"
"Well I figured it was just your emotions that wanted me to stay…you seemed pretty heartbroken over…well you know."
Lily sighed and placed her tray beside her bed and she patted her bed. "Sit." She ordered him and he listened, "I did care for Tyler."
"Didn't you love him."
She shook her head no, "I like him a lot, I cared for him a ton. But I didn't love him. Tyler told me a few times he loved me, but I just didn't feel that feeling my mum always explained to me. I'm upset he's gone and I'm really upset that the last thing he heard from my mouth was that I hated him, because I didn't. I'm also upset that Harold…"
"Me too," James said looking down and Lily this time hugged James tightly.
They ate their breakfast and then laid on the bed talking, and comforting each other. Lily back asleep in her bed at about noon while James was talking to her. He smiled at her and kissed her cheek as he snuggled up to her and spooned her.
Two hours later Cassie and Sirius saw this site and smiled at one another, they decided to leave the homework on the coffee table in the Common Room.
"Should we leave?" Sirius asked Cassidy.
"I believe so, they need one another right now. How is Sarah doing?"
Sirius shook his head, "She's really bad off. She was daddy's little girl after all, while she wasn't at school and he wasn't busy with work she was stuck to him like a leech."
"I'm surprised you're not upset."
Sirius shook his head, "I am. Harold was like a father to me. In my eyes he was my father."
"Then why didn't you take off today to grieve?"
"I don't grieve."
Cassidy gave him an odd look, "Everyone grieves. How about I sleep with you tonight?"
Sirius's eyes almost popped out of his head, "Cassidy! I didn't know you were ready," he said starting to purr at her and she giggled.
"Not like that you goof! Like Lily and James."
He nodded, "Deal. Now let's get out of here before they see us."
Lily and James woke about four o'clock Lily and James were a woken by someone knocking on Lily's bedroom door. Lily blushed to so deep her face was almost the same color as her hair, "Who do you think it is?"
James shrugged, and walked to the door to answer it. It was the little house-elf from early this morning. "Hello Master Potter, Headmaster Dumbledore has sent me here again to find out what you and Mizzez Evans would like for dinner."
Lily blinked, "Dinner? Is it really that late?"
"I did come around lunch but a girl and a boy were here and told me to leave the two of you alone."
"Cassie? Sirius?" Lily said turning almost a purple color now.
"Can you come back in ten minutes and we'll tell you what we want for dinner." The house-elf nodded and left the room. James shut the door and sat back down on the bed with Lily. "I can't believe we slept the day away," Lily sighed checking her watch again.
"I can," James said nodding.
"How do you think Sarah is doing?" Lily asked as she had completely forgot about Sarah this morning.
The thought of Sarah looked as if it had just dawned on James too, "I don't know. Oh how could I forget Sarah!"
James got out about to bolt the door, "You going visit her in Gryffindor Common Room."
"No she's probably in her room Lily."
"You can't get up the girls staircase, I should come with you."
"What about the house-elf?"
"We can go to the kitchens later." James said grabbing Lily by the hand and dragging her out of their living quarters and to Gryffindor Tower.
"Are you sure we can do this?"
"What?" James said questioning Lily's question towards him. "Of course we can go to Gryffindor tower."
"No I mean let Sarah come in our living quarters?"
"I don't care, she's family and she lost her father as did I."
"Flobberworms," James said at the Fat Lady's portrait. She nodded and opened the portrait.
Everyone in Gryffindor Tower's eyeballs enlarged to see Head Boy James Potter and Head Girl Lily Evans actually holding hands!
"Can you go get her now?" James asked.
Lily knew how worried James was about his little sister or she would tell him to address her more properly. Lily went up the familiar staircase to stop in front of the Second Year Girls Dormitory. Lily opened the door and everyone stopped and looked at her in awe. That the Head Girl had actually taken time out of her busy schedule to see the second years.
"I'm sorry to hear about your boyfriend," a girl with curly blond hair and green eyes said walking up to Lily.
Lily felt her eyes well up but shook herself, "Thank you. You're very sweet. What's your name?"
"Bethany Longbottom."
Lily smiled, "Are you Frank's little sister?"
She nodded and fidgeted a bit, "You know Frank?"
Lily nodded, "He's dating one of my best friends."
"Alice?" Lily nodded to the young girl's question, "I love Alice! She's so sweet and she really makes my brother happy."
"Sounds just like Lily," Sarah said coming out of the bathroom and she looked horrible. Sarah was staring at the ground not looking up, "Sounds just like the way Lily makes James." Sarah crawled back into her bed and shut the curtains. "Bethany can you shut the door, there's a breeze."
"Someone's here to see you Sarah," Lily said smiling at the door.
"Who said that?" Sarah said still behind the curtains.
Lily walked over to the bed that was Sarah's and she opened the curtain to see Sarah still in pink pajamas and clutching on to a stuffed penguin for dear life, "Lily!" Sarah said jumping up on her bed. She looked so happy to see Sarah and Sarah began to hug Lily and began to cry. "H…he's gone…and…and…I'll never…s…see him again!" She wailed, "H…he'll n…never see me get m…married."
"Shh," Lily said hugging the young girl back trying to sooth her.
"James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Gabby, Alice, Frank, Cassidy, your mummy, and I will always be there for you. And we'll all see you get married, you know your daddy will even be there."
Sarah pulled back from Lily with tears in her eyes, "Really? How?"
"Well his body won't be there but he'll be there in spirit. You know how you use to get sad to even be away from him?" Sarah nodded to Lily's question. "Now he'll always be with you."
"How?" She asked scratching her nose but not letting go of her penguin.
"His spirit will always be around you and he's right here." Lily said placing her hand over Sarah's heart.
"Here?" Sarah asked putting her hand over Lily's and Lily nodded at her. "He'll always be there?"
Lily nodded, "As long as you love him he'll be there."
"I'll always love my daddy!" She said smiling.
"Guess who's downstairs?" Lily said trying to be strong for the young girl, as Lily's heart was breaking that not only was Tyler dead but so was Harold Potter. After her father he was the sweetest man she'd ever met.
"Who?!" Sarah asked excitedly.
"James."
"James! Where?! What's he doing here?!"
"Yes James! He's downstairs waiting for you!"
"Really?!"
"Yeah let's go!"
"But dinner is going to start soon and I'm still in my pajamas."
Lily shrugged, "So what? We're not going to eat dinner in the Great Hall."
"Then where?"
"You're going to come with James and me and we're going to eat dinner in James and my Common Room."
"Are you sure I can?"
"James and I don't care. We want you to come with us."
"Okay!" She started jumped off her bed and started to follow Lily but then stopped.
"What's wrong?"
Sarah motioned for Lily to come close so she could whisper, "Can I bring Mr. Waddles with me?"
"Who's that?" Lily asked and Sarah pointed to the penguin that was sitting alone on her bed. "Of course." Sarah smiled and followed Lily down to the Common Room.
As soon as Sarah saw her older brother James she smiled from ear to ear and practically tackled him, "JAMES!"
"Wow!" He chuckled holding his baby sister close.
"I missed you James."
"I missed you too. You two ladies ready to go?" He asked after he'd pulled back from Sarah's bear hug.
"Yeah!" Sarah followed closely behind James and Lily and she noted to herself that they were holding hands which she thought was odd as James just broke up with Amelia and Lily was suppose to be dating that Tyler guy. Sarah wasn't objecting though, she wanted Lily to get back with her brother. Lily had been Sarah's favorite of all of James's old girlfriends.
Eating dinner in the Head Boy and Girl's lounge with Sarah had been a blast and Lily had forgotten how much fun Sarah was for a little girl. Lily remembered how much she liked being around Sarah and wished she had a little sister like Sarah. Lily realized how much she'd missed with Sarah this summer because Lily had been with Tyler trying to forget James but now she couldn't remember why she tried to forget James.
Even though James had lost his father, his hero he was still being there for Lily and Sarah. Finally at about eight James told Sarah that they had to get her back to Gryffindor Tower and even though she complained that she didn't want to leave they all knew that she had to go.
"Are you two going to classes tomorrow?" Sarah asked as they walked her back to Gryffindor tower. "Professor Dumbledore told me that we would be able to go to daddy's service." Lily looked at James and even though it shouldn't have Lily was shocked to see tears in his eyes, even though he refused to let them fall.
"I know he told me that too Sarah."
"Are you two going back to classes tomorrow?"
"I don't know why?"
"Well I didn't go today and I was lonely and cried by myself all day today and if you don't go to classes tomorrow maybe I can keep you company James."
"That's fine Sarah, but Lily will be with us too."
"Why?"
"Her boyfriend died."
Sarah gasped and looked at Lily, "I'm sorry. Did he die a hero like my daddy?"
Lily nodded and felt tears well up in her eyes, and Lily was only so happy when they were back in their lounge Sarah free where the both of them could weep without scaring her. Lily cried a bit more in James's arms in the lounge in front of the fire on the couch and James still refused to cry.
Somehow after Lily's tears had dried up, Lily and James began talking about their childhood. And James began to tell Lily about things he did with his father as a young boy and how when he'd come home for holidays he'd dad would take time off his busy schedule as Auror and plan father/son activities. How James looked forward to it every time and since Sirius had moved in he actually came with them a few times too. But Sirius had suggested that James and Harold only go because they needed father/son time alone.
James had been staring at the fire for sometime now and hadn't said anything and Lily wondered what was going on inside that head of his.
"James?"
He turned around and Lily wanted to break down and cry. He looked so helpless, so confused, and she didn't know what to do to make him feel better and she wanted to see his smile. She wanted to hear his laugh anything to get rid of the way he looked now. "Sarah's right. I'll never see him again. We'll never have our outings again, we'll never go Muggle fishing again and laugh for hours when Sirius falls out of the butt."
"Boat." Lily corrected him.
"Boat," he nodded as the tears that had been held inside seemed to look like they'd all explode. One single, solitary tear streamed down his face and Lily pulled James close as he buried his face into her shoulders. She had no clue whether he was crying or not but he was holding her closer than usual. Lily ran her hands over his back trying to sooth him.
After a while James pulled back, "Thanks Lily."
"No problem," she said shrugging. "After all you helped me out earlier."
"Lily did you love him?"
She shook her head no, "No I didn't."
"Then why were you with him for almost a year?"
"Keeping tabs on me, Potter?"
"Well I've got to keep tabs on the lovely lady."
"So why did you stay with him for a year?"
"I guess I felt safe with him I guess. I mean he never broke my heart."
"Sorry," James said looking down.
"You didn't have your memory, you shouldn't be sorry."
"Didn't he hurt you last night?"
"I cared for him like a brother, I knew he'd protect me and I knew that's where my feelings went. I feel that our fight last night got him all upset and that's why he died last night, he didn't focus. I feel that the reason he's dead is because of me."
"No, it's not your fault that he's dead. He had a target on his head because he was an Auror. That's why my dad is dead also."
"Do you think we'll ever get over this?" Lily asked looking deep into James's hazel eyes.
"In time we will, we'll over come this tragedy together." James said staring back into Lily's emerald green eyes as he leaned in closer.
