James forced himself to look away from his pale faced parents. He walked
away from their caskets looking for somewhere he could be alone for a
while. A rush of November air hit him as he pushed open the double glass
doors and walked out of the funeral parlor. It was cold, but James was
alone and that was all he needed.
James looked in through the window and saw Lily holding Rose in the middle of the room, obviously looking for him. For the first time in his life, James found he didn't care. Let her look for him, if she was smart she'd know where to look next. He needed to get away from everything and everyone. He needed to disappear. He needed to fall asleep and wake up back at Hogwarts where life was happy and simple.
There was a tap on the window that James was absentmindedly staring into. Lily had found him. Her cheeks were stained with shed tears and her eyes were glistening with unshed tears.
Courage. A word that was once described to James by his father. James would remember his words forever: "Courage is not the absence of fear, it is recognizing that there are more important things than being afraid."
Lily, to some extent, was showing courage in their present situation. She offered fake smiles when James needed them and knew exactly what to say and when to say it. She kept her feelings inside and didn't let them get in the way of her everyday activities. James wished he was strong enough to shake off the feeling of looming depression and feel happy again.
James offered Lily a fake smile and motioned for her to join him outside. She smiled back and walked away from the window. James sighed and leaned against the glass as he waited for Lily and Rose to join him. It was cold and James could see his breath condensing in the air. He wouldn't have been surprised if there was a demetor hovering over his shoulder. There were no happy feelings left in his mind.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lily worked her way through the parlor and grabbed her jacket to wrap around Rose. She opened the door and shivered as the November breeze touched her face. She looked down at Rose and found she was still sleeping. Lily's heart fell as she saw Rose's sleeping face. She would have no memory of her grandparents that loved her to pieces. They had lived with her for four months and were with her when she needed them. Now, they were gone from her life.
Lily found James sitting under the window sill with his hands over his face. She sat next to him on the cold stones and leaned against the brick building. "Rose still sleeping?" James asked as he looked at Lily.
She nodded and held Rose out for James to hold. He smiled at his sleeping daughter and touched her cheek lovingly. "It just breaks my heart sometimes," said James.
Lily looked up from the dead leaf that she was picking apart and studied her husband's face. "What breaks your heart?" she asked after a minute.
"Knowing that Rose won't remember her grandparents when she gets older," replied James.
Lily sighed and looked down at Rose. "You never know, she might be able to recollect something about them," she said softly.
"But she'll never be able to hug them or get pampered by them at Christmas time," James said after kissing Rose's forehead.
Lily sat in silence next to James and Rose as she watched the clouds roll by in the sky above. The world was passing slowly by, and yet for Lily, time was standing still, leaving them stuck in their despair and heartbreak. Rose was sleeping and probably unaware that her grandparents wouldn't be waiting for them at the house, ready to open the door and shower her with kisses.
James looked over at the glass doors to the parlor. He had to go back in sometime, he knew it, he just didn't want to say good bye to his parents. The mere thought was depressing and unbelievable to James, but he had to do it sometime. He would regret it forever if he didn't.
James shook himself away from his thoughts and found that he was standing in front of the glass doors, reaching out for the handle. "James, you have to do it sooner or later," said Lily as she reached out for Rose.
James shook his head and held on tighter to Rose. There was no way that he was going to be able to do this alone. And besides, Rose still had to say her good byes too.
Once again he found himself looking at his parent's pale faces with tears stinging his eyes. He held up Rose, who was now awake, and began talking to her softly. "Remember them Rose? They were- are your grandparents," James broke off, not knowing what to say.
Rose began to squirm in his grasp. James knew he didn't have much time until she would start fussing. "Mom, dad, Rose and I wanted to say good bye and thanks for everything," said James.
A tear fell from his eye. James caught it in the palm of his hand and looked at it for a minute before tipping his hand over his mother's face and watched as it fell onto her forehead.
He stared at her young face. She was too young to meet the end that she had. It pained James to think that he was never to see a smile on her face again or see her face light up when she laughed. The smell of her perfume when he used to curl up with her at night when he was younger and the smell of her hair after a day of working in the garden were two things he would never forget about her. James had always counted on her being there forever and it pained him to think of the times he took her for granted.
James' eyes moved to his father's face. He was holding a plaque from the Ministry of Magic thanking him for his services. James knew that if his father had been given that when he was still living he would have refused it telling the Ministry that it was the least he could do.
His father was always so modest and helped everyone that needed his help, even the muggles in the neighborhood. He was always there for James when he was having problems, although he rarely gave and good advice, he was a great listener. James would never forget the look on his father's face when he told him that he liked a girl.
Lily was his first serious crush and James could remember pointing her out to his father when he was getting off the Hogwarts Express at the end of his first year. He spent many hours talking about Lily to his father that summer. It was over that summer that his father advised him to ask her out. It was probably one of the best pieces of advice James had ever received from his father.
Mr. Potter always found some way to attend James' Quidditch matches at Hogwarts. James was always thankful for that. He liked being able to look out into the stands and see his father's smiling face, although he was usually too busy trying to show off to Lily. He always played better when his father was present and cheering him on. The only game that James lost was in his forth year when his father was visiting his dying grandmother and was unable to attend the match. Unfortunately, that match had cost Gryffindor the Quidditch Cup and, according to Professor McGonigal, it had also cost him the nice, silver, shiny, Prefect badge.
James heard soft footsteps approaching him from behind. He didn't bother to even turn around, he knew who it was. Sure enough, seconds later he felt Lily's head on his shoulder, one hand around his waist and the other one on Rose's hand. "Are you ready to go Lily?" James asked.
Lily looked up at him. He had puffy red eyes and wet trails down his cheeks. "Take your time James. Whenever you're ready," she said.
James sighed and looked at his parents. "I'll never be able to go, knowing that I'll never see them again," said James as he felt tears well up in his eyes.
Lily squeezed his shoulder and kissed his cheek lightly. "They'll always be with you James," she said just above a whisper.
"I know," was all James could say.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"You have definitely out done yourself this time Peter."
"Thank you my lord. I am sorry that it took me so long."
"This makes our beloved Potter family weak and unsuspecting. They will never see the next one coming."
Peter gulped. "You mean I have to cause them even more grief?"
"Crucio!"
Peter fell to the floor withering and tossing, like a child unable to awake from a night mare. He was in terrible pain and shock. Finally the curse wore off and he was able to stand on his feet again.
"Peter, don't make me remind you where your loyalties must now lie. You have a job to finish. I need that little girl out of this world, she is threatening my existence."
"Y-yes my lord," Peter stuttered.
"Finish the job and make sure the Potters are completely unaware of what is going on."
Peter nodded before stumbling out of the dark living room. What had he gotten himself into?
A/N- Well I am back from my little vacation and I am very proud to say that I have also completed chapter 33 while I was away. Chapter 33 will be posted as soon as I get around to typing it. I hope you are all enjoying your summer!!
James looked in through the window and saw Lily holding Rose in the middle of the room, obviously looking for him. For the first time in his life, James found he didn't care. Let her look for him, if she was smart she'd know where to look next. He needed to get away from everything and everyone. He needed to disappear. He needed to fall asleep and wake up back at Hogwarts where life was happy and simple.
There was a tap on the window that James was absentmindedly staring into. Lily had found him. Her cheeks were stained with shed tears and her eyes were glistening with unshed tears.
Courage. A word that was once described to James by his father. James would remember his words forever: "Courage is not the absence of fear, it is recognizing that there are more important things than being afraid."
Lily, to some extent, was showing courage in their present situation. She offered fake smiles when James needed them and knew exactly what to say and when to say it. She kept her feelings inside and didn't let them get in the way of her everyday activities. James wished he was strong enough to shake off the feeling of looming depression and feel happy again.
James offered Lily a fake smile and motioned for her to join him outside. She smiled back and walked away from the window. James sighed and leaned against the glass as he waited for Lily and Rose to join him. It was cold and James could see his breath condensing in the air. He wouldn't have been surprised if there was a demetor hovering over his shoulder. There were no happy feelings left in his mind.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lily worked her way through the parlor and grabbed her jacket to wrap around Rose. She opened the door and shivered as the November breeze touched her face. She looked down at Rose and found she was still sleeping. Lily's heart fell as she saw Rose's sleeping face. She would have no memory of her grandparents that loved her to pieces. They had lived with her for four months and were with her when she needed them. Now, they were gone from her life.
Lily found James sitting under the window sill with his hands over his face. She sat next to him on the cold stones and leaned against the brick building. "Rose still sleeping?" James asked as he looked at Lily.
She nodded and held Rose out for James to hold. He smiled at his sleeping daughter and touched her cheek lovingly. "It just breaks my heart sometimes," said James.
Lily looked up from the dead leaf that she was picking apart and studied her husband's face. "What breaks your heart?" she asked after a minute.
"Knowing that Rose won't remember her grandparents when she gets older," replied James.
Lily sighed and looked down at Rose. "You never know, she might be able to recollect something about them," she said softly.
"But she'll never be able to hug them or get pampered by them at Christmas time," James said after kissing Rose's forehead.
Lily sat in silence next to James and Rose as she watched the clouds roll by in the sky above. The world was passing slowly by, and yet for Lily, time was standing still, leaving them stuck in their despair and heartbreak. Rose was sleeping and probably unaware that her grandparents wouldn't be waiting for them at the house, ready to open the door and shower her with kisses.
James looked over at the glass doors to the parlor. He had to go back in sometime, he knew it, he just didn't want to say good bye to his parents. The mere thought was depressing and unbelievable to James, but he had to do it sometime. He would regret it forever if he didn't.
James shook himself away from his thoughts and found that he was standing in front of the glass doors, reaching out for the handle. "James, you have to do it sooner or later," said Lily as she reached out for Rose.
James shook his head and held on tighter to Rose. There was no way that he was going to be able to do this alone. And besides, Rose still had to say her good byes too.
Once again he found himself looking at his parent's pale faces with tears stinging his eyes. He held up Rose, who was now awake, and began talking to her softly. "Remember them Rose? They were- are your grandparents," James broke off, not knowing what to say.
Rose began to squirm in his grasp. James knew he didn't have much time until she would start fussing. "Mom, dad, Rose and I wanted to say good bye and thanks for everything," said James.
A tear fell from his eye. James caught it in the palm of his hand and looked at it for a minute before tipping his hand over his mother's face and watched as it fell onto her forehead.
He stared at her young face. She was too young to meet the end that she had. It pained James to think that he was never to see a smile on her face again or see her face light up when she laughed. The smell of her perfume when he used to curl up with her at night when he was younger and the smell of her hair after a day of working in the garden were two things he would never forget about her. James had always counted on her being there forever and it pained him to think of the times he took her for granted.
James' eyes moved to his father's face. He was holding a plaque from the Ministry of Magic thanking him for his services. James knew that if his father had been given that when he was still living he would have refused it telling the Ministry that it was the least he could do.
His father was always so modest and helped everyone that needed his help, even the muggles in the neighborhood. He was always there for James when he was having problems, although he rarely gave and good advice, he was a great listener. James would never forget the look on his father's face when he told him that he liked a girl.
Lily was his first serious crush and James could remember pointing her out to his father when he was getting off the Hogwarts Express at the end of his first year. He spent many hours talking about Lily to his father that summer. It was over that summer that his father advised him to ask her out. It was probably one of the best pieces of advice James had ever received from his father.
Mr. Potter always found some way to attend James' Quidditch matches at Hogwarts. James was always thankful for that. He liked being able to look out into the stands and see his father's smiling face, although he was usually too busy trying to show off to Lily. He always played better when his father was present and cheering him on. The only game that James lost was in his forth year when his father was visiting his dying grandmother and was unable to attend the match. Unfortunately, that match had cost Gryffindor the Quidditch Cup and, according to Professor McGonigal, it had also cost him the nice, silver, shiny, Prefect badge.
James heard soft footsteps approaching him from behind. He didn't bother to even turn around, he knew who it was. Sure enough, seconds later he felt Lily's head on his shoulder, one hand around his waist and the other one on Rose's hand. "Are you ready to go Lily?" James asked.
Lily looked up at him. He had puffy red eyes and wet trails down his cheeks. "Take your time James. Whenever you're ready," she said.
James sighed and looked at his parents. "I'll never be able to go, knowing that I'll never see them again," said James as he felt tears well up in his eyes.
Lily squeezed his shoulder and kissed his cheek lightly. "They'll always be with you James," she said just above a whisper.
"I know," was all James could say.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"You have definitely out done yourself this time Peter."
"Thank you my lord. I am sorry that it took me so long."
"This makes our beloved Potter family weak and unsuspecting. They will never see the next one coming."
Peter gulped. "You mean I have to cause them even more grief?"
"Crucio!"
Peter fell to the floor withering and tossing, like a child unable to awake from a night mare. He was in terrible pain and shock. Finally the curse wore off and he was able to stand on his feet again.
"Peter, don't make me remind you where your loyalties must now lie. You have a job to finish. I need that little girl out of this world, she is threatening my existence."
"Y-yes my lord," Peter stuttered.
"Finish the job and make sure the Potters are completely unaware of what is going on."
Peter nodded before stumbling out of the dark living room. What had he gotten himself into?
A/N- Well I am back from my little vacation and I am very proud to say that I have also completed chapter 33 while I was away. Chapter 33 will be posted as soon as I get around to typing it. I hope you are all enjoying your summer!!