A.N./ And so this is the end to this chapter, the next you'll hear out of me will be for the sequel, Only Time Will Tell. Last chapter was sad and touching as of course this one will be too, not as sad as the last.


Chapter 50

Lily woke up the next morning and turned to look at James, unfortunately he was still asleep. She was hoping he'd see his loving hazel eyes staring back at her, but she knew he needed to get his rest and sleep. Yesterday had been so terribly hard for James, but the funeral was still to come. Of course it had been hard for Lily too, Grace and Sarah had welcomed Lily into their family before they ever knew that James would pop the question. Lily had been welcomed in before her parents had been murdered, and even before Harold had been murdered.

As much as it killed Lily to leave James in his bed alone, she had to see what Cassidy's letter had said. Lily noted in her mind that Cassidy's usual neat handwriting was very scribbled, almost as bad as James and Sirius's handwriting.

Lily,

Sirius, Remus, Frank, Alice, Gabriella, Peter, and got word from Professor Dumbledore a few hours ago. We've heard about Sarah and Grace, and of course we're all devastated. Sirius won't come out of his room and won't even see me. I've just come back from Dumbledore's office and he has agreed to let Sirius and I go to the funeral as Grace and Sarah had been Sirius's family too.

I know how devastated James and you have to be. I am too, I loved Grace and Sarah and it's too much of a shock. I'm still shaking and crying at the moment.

I angers me to know that Lord Voldemort goes after innocent people like Sarah and Grace when they had nothing to do with Aurors except that Harold been one. Sirius has said that he is defiantly going to try to get into Auror School after Hogwarts, I know not to argue with him.

Take care of James, what am I saying? Of course you're taking care of him.

I'm sending love from Sirius and I to you and James. The rest of the gang send their love too. Remus, Gabby, Alice, Frank, and Peter are as shocked as Sirius and I were.

We hope to see the two of you at the Great Hall soon for a meal, but if not I understand as James needs to grieve. Like I said earlier Sirius had been grieving too.

I hate to leave now, but I need to check up on my husband.

Love,

Cassidy

"LILY!" Lily heard James yell from his room, he sounded scared as if he'd lost her too.

"I'm in my room!" She yelled back, "I'll be back in just a moment. Cassidy sent me an owl, just responding back." Lily didn't get a response back from James and she figured he understood and let her alone to her writing.

After Lily was done writing Cassidy back she heard a voice from downstairs, a very familiar voice. "Miss Evans? Mr. Potter?"

Lily ran down the stairs to see Professor Dumbledore, "Professor?"

"Can you get Mr. Potter please?"

"Of course," Lily said running back upstairs and remembering her robe for when she went back downstairs. "James?"

"Yeah?"

"Professor Dumbledore is downstairs, I think he needs to speak to the two of us." Lily stated as she tied her robe around her waist. James nodded and followed Lily downstairs to their Common Room.

"Sit," Professor Dumbledore said motioning to the couch across from the piece of floor that he'd been pacing. The Head Students sat down as they had been ordered to by their Headmaster. "I am very sorry for the loss that the two of you have received. I know that Grace and Sarah had become like your family even before your loss Miss Evans. But I know that this is traumatic to you Mr. Potter. Of course Miss Evans and yourself will be excused for the funerals and all the preparations for the funerals. I have no problem with Mr. and Mrs. Black, Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom, Mr. Pettigrew, Miss Martinez, and Mr. Lupin may go to the funeral services if they wish. I explained this all to them last night when the two of you were at St. Mungo's. You are both excused from the next few days of class and Mrs. Black and Mrs. Longbottom have agreed to bring your homework by everyday that the two of you are absent."

Lily and James nodded silently through Professor Dumbledore's talk to them, but then he spotted something on Lily's left hand and smiled. "Congratulations."

James and Lily looked at their Headmaster confused, "About?"

Dumbledore chuckled, "The Wedding Engagement."

"Huh!" James and Lily looked at each other with wide eyes, how did he know!

"I see Grace's old engagement ring from Harold on Lily's finger."

"Oh," James nodded smiling. "I proposed early this morning, I'd been debating on proposing for a while now. Didn't think this lovely lady would say yes to goofy looking me," James said with a smirk on his face.

"I suppose Lily will also wear Grace's old wedding band?"

James nodded, "And I'll have my dad's old band."

Dumbledore smiled, "Again congratulations and I do expect an invitation to your joyous event."

"Of course Professor," Lily said blushing.

"I assume your friends know?"

"Not yet," Lily said shaking her head.

"Oh?"

"I just proposed after we we'd gotten back from St. Mungo's last night," James almost chocked out the end of the sentence. "So no one besides the three of us know."

Professor Dumbledore nodded, "I'll let you give your friends your happy news." Their Headmaster was about to leave but then he changed his mind, "After the funerals I need the two of you at my office, a few days later, and we need to discuss what the two of you want to go into after your graduate from Hogwarts."

Dumbledore turned his chair to the window and Lily and James took the hint that he was done talking to them and left.

"Lily?" Came a voice behind them as Lily and James were walking hand in hand back to their Common Room. Lily turned around to see her best friends, they must have been on their way to lunch. James turned around to see who was calling Lily's name and went white when he saw who was sitting there behind them.

Standing there looking at the happy couple was Cassidy, Sirius, Gabriella, Remus, Alice, and Frank.

"Hey you guys," Lily said looking at James to see if he was okay to see people who held sympathy in their eyes for him. He didn't seem to see it, but then again he was probably looking over their heads so it only looked as if he was looking at them.

"How are you?" Came Alice's concern and Lily saw James fidget, he wasn't ready to talk to anyone else about the murder of his sister and mum.

"Oh Merlin!" Gabriella gasped and before they could ever answer Alice's question Gabby yanked Lily's left hand into her right. "Lily!" Gabriella squealed, "Allie, Cassie! Look!"

The other two girls rushed over to see what Gabriella was gushing about but as soon as they got on either side of Gabriella and both gasped as they saw the gorgeous rock that sat up Lily's left ring finger.

"LILY!" Alice said with a smile from ear to ear and hugging her friend.

"When!" Cassidy said taking Lily's hand from Gabriella and bringing the enormous rock to her eye level so she could check it out.

"Early this morning after we got back from Hogwarts from St. Mungo's," James spoke up and Lily was surprised that he'd actually even said anything.

"Congrats!" Lily's three best friends squealed and threw their arms around her.

James looked at the guys and noticed that Peter was missing, but let it roll off for now. He'd ask Peter later why he wasn't hanging out with them as much as he use to.

"Congrats!" Frank said shaking James hand.

"I told you that you'd be next," Remus said laughing and giving James a brotherly hug.

"I told you she'd come around and you'd finally get, Red, to be all yours!" Sirius said throwing his arms around two of his three best friends. "Hooray for the future Mr. and Mrs. James Harold Potter!"

James laughed, a true laugh that made Lily turn around and smile, "Sounds good doesn't Lily Flower?" James asked wrapping his arm around his fiancée and kissing her forehead.

Lily looked up into James's handsome hazel eyes, "Of course Jamie."

Everyone looked at her oddly and James chuckled, "Jamie?"

Lily nodded, "It was different then what everyone else calls you and I thought it fit you. What do you think?"

"If you like it, so do I."

Lily smiled at James with all of her love for him shinning in her eyes, "It's settled then! Jay it is!"

"Yay for Jamie!" Sirius yelled and Lily hit him in the back of the head. "Hey!" He groaned. "What did you do that for!" He grumbled.

"Jamie is my nickname for James, not yours."

"Fine!" Sirius huffed and stuck his tongue out maturely.

"Where are you guys going now?" Cassidy asked as she saw James was trying to sneak off and trying to steal Lily away from him.

"I'm a bit sleepy," James said yawning.

"I guess back to our room," Lily said looking at James. She knew he was lying, he'd slept a lot last night but he probably wanted to be alone with her. Lily knew for James being around people right now was too much. He was afraid they'd bring up the subject of Sarah or Grace.

"Lily?" Gabby asked hopefully.

"I've got to start planning for the Seventh Year Dance."

"I thought James had to help you with it?" Alice asked.

"He does, but I'm going to write down a bunch of my ideas and then go over it with him. So we'll see you guys later." Lily and James walked away.

Narrowing her eyes Cassidy turned to Sirius, "Was it just me or does it seem like their trying to avoid us?"

Sirius nodded, "But it's because James misses them too much."

"Don't you?" Gabriella asked looking at Sirius oddly.

"Of course I do," Sirius said shifting oddly. "I miss Harold, Grace, and Sarah as much as James does. They were my family, and now my family is gone, except for James."

Cassidy hugged her husband tightly, "Sirius I'm your family. I love you and James loves you and he'll come around. Look happy they are now that their getting married."

"I can't lose them too Cassidy."

"I know," she nodded hugging him even tighter. As the young married couple stood like that, just hugging one another, the other three couples left knowing that Sirius needed to be alone with his wife.

Lily and James tried to keep their engagement secret, but as any secret at Hogwarts always gets out. Within a few days many girls that attended Hogwarts were crushed, not only had school hunk Sirius Black tied the knot almost two months ago but now school hunk James Potter was engaged to be married within a few months.

The next day, Monday February 16th, James had agreed to go to breakfast before they had to Floo to his sister and mother's joint funeral. That day at breakfast Cassidy handed The Daily Prophet across the table to Lily. Lily gasped as she read the article:

Last Potter Heir Prepares For Marriage Same Day Mother and Sister Killed

Last Potter Heir, James Harold Potter, proposes to Lillian Marie Evans just hours after mother Grace Elizabeth Bones-Potter and sister Sarah Elizabeth Potter are murdered by You-Know-Who. Evans, also known as Lily Evans, is a school mate of Potters and are both Head students in their final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Grace and Sarah Potter funerals will be today in the backyard of the magnificent Potter Mansion. It is said that Potter, his fiancée', and friends will attend the services for both family members later on this afternoon. The funerals are closed and only close family members and friends will be allowed on the Potter grounds.

There has been no set date, that the Prophet knows about, for the Potter/Evans Wedding. An inside source at Hogwarts has informed the Prophet about the last Potter heir's joyous new news.

It has also been said that Potter proposed to Evans with his mother's engagement ring, the three carrot square, princess cut diamond ring.

Evans, who is Muggleborn, parents were murdered by You-Know-Who himself, but we at the Prophet have no idea why. But we all know You-Know-Who wants to get rid of all Muggles and Muggleborns. Evans still has a sister that lives in Surrey with her husband.

We at the Prophet will keep you updated on the Potter/Evans wedding that should happen soon. Knowing that the last Potter Heir Wedding will be the event of the season.

Lily sighed as she put the paper down, "What's wrong love?" James asked looking at her with concern.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Of course."

Lily sighed, "You won't like it but here, read it."

A few minutes later Lily heard James swearing under his breath, "They couldn't ever leave my family alone and even with me being the last one in my family alive their still going to haunt me and my dead sister and mother! Do they not have any compassion for them or me on the day of their funeral."

"Sorry mate," Sirius said eating some pancakes. "You know journalists, they don't care how badly they hurt you. All they care about is that they have a good story and they get paid for it and all the praise. Does it say who the writer is?"

James scanned over the paper, "Unknown. In other words it's their inside source here."

"I bet it's Skeeter, everyone knows she wants to become a Journalist when she graduates."

James nodded but Remus disagreed, "Really Padfoot how would she have found out? Lily and James only told us."

"Maybe she has an invisibility cloak," James offered.

"James may be right," Gabriella mentioned. "Lots of old Wizarding families pass their cloaks down. Like James has his fathers."

"And it had been my grandfathers too."

Alice nodded, "My brothers had one in school. But after their deaths from fighting off Death Eaters as they'd been Aurors, I have no idea what happened to their cloaks."

Lily looked at her watch and turned to James, "Jamie?"

"Yes love?" He asked not looking up from the waffles he was eating.

"We need to get going."

He looked up and she wanted to cry because of the sadness that lingered in his eyes, "I know." He got up and grabbed her hand in his as they walked off. Cassidy and Sirius followed the newly engaged couple and then the rest of their friends would show up at the Potter Mansion in an hour and a half.

The funeral had been very emotional, especially for James, Sirius, Remus, Lily, and Cassidy. Lily thought it was odd how Peter looked unfased as he had been one of James's best friends for seven years and during the summer they were always at the Potter Mansion. Lily just figured he didn't grieve like normal people.

Hours after the funeral, Peter Pettigrew snuck out of the castle and apparated illegally, as he was underage, to a hotel room in a Muggle area.

"I thought you'd never get here," she said seductively and Peter couldn't help but smile at her.

"You know I'd never give up a moment with you," he said pushing her to the bed and ripping her clothes off.

"I do say," she purred at him. "You are a thousand times better than my fiancée, but you know we must never speak of our affair."

Peter nodded at her, "Why would I risk having the amazing sex that we have once a week?"

"Just make sure you don't tell anyone about our affair unless you want Rodolphus to kill you."

"I know," he nodded as things began to get a bit more heated.

Laying in the bed both naked bodies touching one another Bellatrix Black smiled turning over to her secret lover and kissing his chest, "I never thought you'd be a good lover. True you don't have the looks, but you have the moves."

Peter smiled as his secret lover Bellatrix Black boosted his ego, something his 'friends' never did, they always talked down on him. "So are you going to join me with the Dark Lord?"

"I don't know," Peter said twirling Bellatrix's hair around his finger.

"I need to know," Bellatrix said thrusting most of her body onto his. "Because if you decide to stay on that Mudblood loving fools side then we're over, but if you decide to join me with the Dark Lord, we can keep our affair going on."

"I don't know…"

"Look you can come by one of our meetings next week and decide. We all hate Mudbloods like you do, just make an appearance. Won't you?"

Peter nodded and looked at his watch, "I have to go. Their waiting on me."

"Ek!" Bellatrix said rolling her eyes, "I just don't understand how in Merlin's name you can put up with those 'Marauders.'"

"I'm a Marauder too."

"Ek, I mean I just don't understand how you can put up with those 'goody-goodies,' and their hideous girlfriends. You know your nothing like them. You now that you are so much better than them, right?"

"I know," Peter nodded. "You remind me of this every time we meet."

"Oy, Pete!" Sirius yelled from across the Common Room, "Where have you been?"

"Uh…had detention for Potions."

"Ah," Sirius nodded and the others didn't say anything.

"So when's our next prank?" Peter asked sitting beside Remus.

Remus shrugged, "No clue. Might not even have time for one before we graduate."

"Why not!"

"Prongs popped the question to Lils," Sirius said not looking up from his N.E.W.T.s notes.

"What! When!"

"A couple nights ago," Remus said as he and Sirius thought Peter's outrage was just surprise. "I thought he said that Lily would never accept a proposal from him."

"He did," Sirius said looking up from his notes. "But after Lily and Prongs found Grace and Sarah dead, he told her he didn't have a family anymore."

"He's got us!" Peter yelled outraged.

"Well of course he does," Remus nodded.

"Then why did he propose to her! We're all suppose to be bachelors for the rest of our lives!"

Sirius looked at Peter oddly, "What are you talking about? I'm not a bachelor anymore, remember I married Cassidy."

"You really think you'll be married to that bitch for long?"

"What did you say about my wife!" Sirius said about to kill Peter.

"I didn't mean to offend you," Peter squealed. "It's just that she has a short temper and you on a short leash. I've never seen you listen to a women except her, I didn't think it would last long."

"The only reason Cassidy tells me what to do is because I love her and she loves me and I know that she only has my best interest in mind. If Remus could marry Gabriella he would, but you know that a You-Know-What can't marry."

"Anyways," Remus went on to finish Sirius's story so Sirius didn't kill Peter. "Lily told James she'd give him a family, later on that night he asked her if she was being sincere. She told him she was and James proposed with Grace's old engagement ring from Harry."

Peter nodded and yawned, "I'm tired. Detention whipped my ass good, I'm going to bed."

"Later Peter," Remus said looking down at his N.E.W.T.s notes. Sirius just mumbled as he was still angry that Peter had called his wife a bitch.

Peter laid in bed just floored at what he'd heard earlier. All of his friends wanted to marry those goody-goodies and it made him sick. Sirius wasn't going to leave Cassidy and he actually cared for that awful bitch! Remus would marry that crazy Spaniard, and James was getting ready to throw his life away by marrying a damned Mudblood.

It was right then and there that Peter realized that Bellatrix had been right after all this time. All of Peter's 'friends' were scum and were falling in love with even worse scum. Bellatrix was his only true friend and he'd stand beside her in joining the Dark Lord.