Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, places, magic or anything to do with the world of Harry Potter that you recognise.
Trusting James (Chapter 6)
Like a thunderstorm
On a sunny day
Pushing your happiness away
Drowning in the downpour
Feeling low
No one to trust
Nowhere to go.
Lily managed to keep her composure as she strode away from Ari, and through to the head's common room. After that, she couldn't carry on. All her pent up emotions surfaced and she broke down. The tears pooled in her eyes, making everything go blurry before rolling down her cheeks in mini rivers, and falling onto her top. Everything that had been waiting to come out, everything that she needed to cry about came into her mind. She sank to the floor and let the huge sobs consume her body. She didn't hear James say her name, and barely felt him sit down next to her. Her grief consumed her and she was blind to the outside world and anyone there, until she felt James' arms pull her into a loving hug.
Lily felt James speak softly into her ear. "What happened?"
Lily knew that he didn't mean the argument with Ari – he'd probably heard the shouting anyway – he meant in the Easter holidays.
FLASHBACK!
She sprinted from the scene as fast as her legs could carry her, deaf to the wailing sirens, deaf to the wind rushing through the trees. Her heart drummed in her chest as her feet pounded along the dirty, chewing gum strewn pavement.
She didn't see where she was running to, and she didn't glance behind. All she knew was that she needed to put as much distance between the scene and herself as was humanly possible. She couldn't apparate in the middle of a largely populated muggle city, so she ran.
His unknowing face stayed etched into her mind and all she could hear was the voices of bystanders, the few survivors of the horrific attack describing the attackers to the Ministry of Magic officials, describing the instant deaths that befell their neighbours and friends. Tears ran down their faces as they desperately tried to make sense of the supposedly unexplainable situation and realisation that their loved ones were gone.
Lily was too stubborn to let the tears fall down her face, too shocked to take everything in. She didn't want to believe that he was gone for good, but she knew it in her heart. When he died something inside her died too, it felt like a chunk of her heart had been stolen.
* * * * * * * * * *****
She raised her tear filled eyes to look into James' hazel eyes, and saw them full of concern. She knew that James was genuine and decided to put her trust in him.
"Jack was just – just walking to work when they – they-"
Lily cut off as her immense sobs somehow grew bigger and shook her body. She mustered the strength to carry on.
"It was a Death Eater attack. I live in a big city and they just a – attacked."
"Oh Lily…" James hugged Lily closer to him and her sobs wracked his body too. His jumper was soaked with tears. He gently rubbed Lily's back and she began to talk again.
"He's my older brother, he was always there for me. He didn't call me a freak or anything like Petunia does. We were really close."
James held Lily while she sobbed, and hoped that he was helping her to cope with her pain.
After a while, Lily stood up, the tears still sliding down her face, and staggered across to the window. She stared out at the star constellations twinkling in the night sky and choked on her sobs. James figured that Lily wanted some space; he sat down on one of the sofas.
"He always told me that when someone d – dies, they b – become a – a star."
It was Lily who went to James this time. She slowly crossed the room and lightly sat down next to him on the sofa. James' arms encircled her again and she cried for what seemed like an eternity. Lily forgot about the world around her and finally managed to let out her emotions and grief. She didn't hear the voices coming from the common room and neither did James. James gently held Lily while she cried and tenderly rubbed her back. He knew that she needed to get everything out. They forgot about prior engagements and head pupil duties.
Meanwhile, outside the Head pupil's common room (in the Great Hall)…………………………………………………………………
"Hey, where's James?"
Ari looked at Sirius guiltily.
Sirius gave Ari a searching look. "What did you do, S.A?"
Ari wasn't in the mood for Sirius' teasing. She knew that she'd upset Lily, and that she hadn't known for definite if Lily had even told anyone. She chose to ignore Sirius' comment. What the hell did S.A mean anyway?
"I had a go at Lily. She went to the Head's common room. James was already in there and he hasn't come out, so he's probably comforting Lily."
Sirius pulled a strange face and quickly tried to hide himself behind Ari as Helena approached them. Andy stood next to Helena looking angry.
Helena seemed guilty and rather embarrassed about something.
"Ari – I heard about your argument with Lily in your common room."
Ari scowled. "Yeah and? It's hardly any of your business. Piss off."
Ari turned to walk away and ended up with her face only a few millimetres away from Sirius', as he had hidden behind her.
"Ari?" Helena's voice was really quiet, for once it seemed that she wasn't going to say anything bitchy.
Ari stood still and let out a low growl – Sirius was still standing in the way. She span around. "What?"
Helena's voice fell to a whisper. "It was me. I heard you telling Lily. I told everyone, it was me."
"YOU BITCH!"
Ari launched herself at Helena, with a mind to rip her face off, or her vocal chords out, or something like that. Sirius pulled her back just before she reached Helena.
"I" Sirius' words came out singularly, as he struggled to hold Ari back. Ari tried to bite him. "think – you – should – go."
Helena let out a frightened squeak and backed away from Ari.
"Let go of me, Black!" Sirius managed to drag Ari away from the Great Hall, and the crowd watching them.
"No way, Miss Sapphire. Quit struggling."
Ari carried on struggling for about 10 minutes before she finally gave up and stood still.
Sirius grinned. "Right – promise you won't go after Helena?"
Ari got annoyed again. Partly because there was no way she would promise any such thing, and partly because Sirius still wouldn't let go of her.
"What? Are you mad, Sirius Black? She spread my private business and you expect me to let her get away with it?!"
Sirius sighed. "Promise you won't run?"
"What?"
"Promise you won't run."
"Promise."
Sirius let go of Ari and she turned round to face him.
"Right – first things first, we'll get revenge later on. That way we can plan something so you don't get caught."
Ari remained silent.
"And before that, you need to apologise to Lily."
"Why would you care if I got caught?"
"I heard the 'rumour', you know. I thought it wasn't true, but then you had a go at Lily………."
Ari froze.
A/N: Hahaha! Give me a review and I'll post the other chapter sooner – find out what the rumour is and what else happened to Lily! Hahaha "It was I!" Lol, my grammar check keeps telling me to write that! It sounds like Shakespeare or something!
Lily could see the stars already because it's winter – in winter it gets dark quickly (between 4 and 5 o'clock usually), so this is why there are still students in the Great Hall (dinnertime etc.).
See – it is long, and I still have another half to write! (Well, I've written some of it already.)
Thank you for all the reviews of Chapter 5 – Knowing!
Child-of-scorpio: In the next chapter the rumour (true), is revealed! BTW: I don't know about that story you're searching for! Thanks!
Sanddeer: Thanks!
Karen: What Ari said to Lily is in the next chapter – you will not hit me! As for my meanness, yeah I know I'm mean, but I've posted now!
Tanya*: Haha, I reviewed my own fanfic!
J.E.A.R.K.Potter: Thanks!
LiLy MaLfOy13: Thanks!
Loni: Lol thanks! I have one other fanfic JELP: A Year To Remember, which is complete. Maybe I'll email you – I don't usually write very long emails though! Do you have MSN messenger?
KrisKG: Hahaha, I'm being incredibly mean (ask Karen, apparently I'm mean all the time!) Lol thanks! I just realised you reviewed my other fanfic! Takes me a while to catch on sometimes! I might write a fic about the proposal and stuff when I've finished this one.
Luthien RhiannonCat5: Lol, I read your story, but I didn't have time to review! I will review sometime soon.
Jay: Lol, thanks!
Tanya*Please review!
