a/n- Studying is going really good right now, and because I got some reviews suggesting how heartless I was for leaving you all out on in the cold like I did in the last chapter...I decided to post another chapter!

Chapter Seven: Heart to Heart

Jack had to nearly carry Lily up the stairs she because she was so upset from their discussion downstairs. She was sobbing uncontrollably as she clung to him for support. He had never seen her so upset in all the years he had known her. She was always so together and displayed great control and restraint over her emotions, only allowing them to show in desperate situations or when she was under great stress. He mentally kicked himself for confronting her the way he did and making her spill her heart with everyone there to see.

Once they reached the top of the stairs Jack could hear Joe playing in his room. He knew all his other brothers were at home and he didn't want them to see Lily like this, so he led her into his room which was the first door on the right. The house they lived in was very large and the rooms were spacious. There were plenty of bedrooms for each of the children to have their own, but when they were younger they used to share rooms. Their parents insisted on this because they wanted their children to be close. Jack and Andrew shared a room up until Jack left for school. He had thought his parents were crazy for making do this at the time, but now that he looked back on their childhood memories he was glade they had been so adamant. It made really did make them closer.

Opening the door he pulled Lily inside quickly. Once inside, she let go of him and walked into his bathroom to get something to dry her eyes. When she came back Jack was sitting Indian style on his bed waiting for her. He motioned for her to join him so they could talk some things over without the pressure of having his parents and a total stranger listening to them. She sat down in front of in a similar fashion like he asked, but never met his eye.

"Are you okay?" he asked trying to get her attention.

"Yes, I'm better now," she said flatly.

Jack looked at her more closely and saw that she was fighting back tears. He lifted her chin with his index finger, "No you're not. You forget how well I know you. I don't even need to get inside your mind to know that you're still shaken and scared to death over this. It's okay to be scared, Lil! You don't need to be tough as a rock all the time, it's just me after all and I know the real you. I can tell when you're hurting."

Lily looked him in the eye shortly before returning her eyes to her lap. He was beginning to wonder if he should give her sometime to think by herself when she leaned her forehead into his chest. "I'm so sorry," she said in a muffled voice against his shirt.

His heart nearly broke to hear her say this as he wrapped his arms around her once more. He was the one who should be sorry, not her. "What do you have to feel sorry for?"

"I yelled at you down there. I always seem to do that. You didn't do anything wrong…I was just so…" She attempted to pull away from him but he held her tight.

"You were upset and I pushed you to tell me something you may not have been ready to talk about at that exact moment. I'm the one in the wrong here, Lil."

Lily pried herself from him and looked him in the eye willingly for the first time since they entered the room. "You were right, Jack. I should have told you about this a long time ago. The truth is that the dreams have been getting really bad lately. They're happening about three or four times a week, mind you they usually aren't as bad as they were last night."

Jack looked at her confused, "But I've only ever heard you scream in pain like that a dozen times in the past year, and never more than once in a single week. In fact last night was the first time in weeks I've had to wake you up from one of those dreams."

She broke their eye contact again, "Yeah, well I've taken to putting a silencing charm on my room so that when they happen I don't wake anybody up. I must have just forgotten to do it last night because I was upset about what happened with Luis. I don't even remember falling asleep I was just lying on my bed thinking and the next thing I knew I was in the hospital with you. I put the charm up because I don't want to worry you and your parents."

This time Jack was the one who brought his body to hers, "Lily, why would you do that. You know I'd stop at nothing to make sure you're safe."

"But you do help me when I have them without even knowing it! When I'm in the dream all I usually have to do is think of you and want to be with you, and then I wake up. Then once I'm awake I sneak into your room and watch you sleep. Being near you comforts me for some reason," Lily said returning his embrace.

Jack thought back to how many times he'd woken up in the early morning with the distinct feeling that she had been in his room. "Why don't you ever wake me up," he wondered

Lily smiled and looked up at him, "Well, you're just so cute when you sleep. I'd be a crime to disturb you."

"Why don't you just hop in bed with me and spend the night in here," Jack asked as he brushed a black curl out of her face.

"I think you're mum might be a little upset to come into your room and find me in your bed. Don't you think," she asked but with a rather seductive voice.

"Lily, my mother trusts us a lot more than you think she does. Besides we've taken naps together before and she's seen us. The first time she saw us together I believe was when she came into the common room one afternoon during fifth year. You were sleeping, but I was wide awake. I think we had a Qudditch game the next day or something and I was thinking about it. Anyway, she came in the portrait hole and I thought she was going to be mad at first. But she just smiled and told me that she was glad we have each other. She even thought we were cute there together if you can believe it," Jack said this as he moved his body up the bed to lean against the pillows. Once he was comfortable he opened up his arms up to her, "Come here, love."

"She really saw us and thought it was cute?" Lily asked as she laid her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around him.

"Yeah she did. She and Dad and I have had the whole sex talk, you know. Just before they left for America last Christmas they sat me down and talked to me about some stuff. They thought we were already having sex," Jack admitted glad that he had gotten her mind off the row they had downstairs.

Lily raised her head in astonishment and looked up at him, "They didn't!"

"Oh yes they did! They told me they were our age when they started sleeping together and they felt you and I were mature enough to handle having that kind of a relationship so long as we were careful. They said that as long as they didn't catch us in the actual act of having sex, than they were okay with us sleeping together," he glanced at Lily who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow and he added sarcastically, "Sleeping together in a sexual sense Potter, not in the sense you were discussing about your dreams. So I know they'd be okay with you sleeping in my room to avoid having nightmares!"

She rested her head on his chest once more, "So what did they say when you told them we have never had sex."

"They were surprised at first. But I explained to them that we had talked about it and you told me you weren't ready," he said rubbing her back gently.

Lily sat up when he finished what he was saying. Jack looked at her puzzled for a second as she took a deep breath, "There something about this whole Malfoy thing I have yet to explain to you, and I need you to be quiet and let me get it out before you say anything in response, okay?"

"Just tell me Lil," Jack said now sitting up himself.

"In order for a woman to carry the child of a Malfoy…he has to be the only man she has ever been with, which means that in order for his plan to work I need to be a virgin. It's some protection charm that was created by the families founding members and placed over all the Malfoy men and the woman they have children with. Supposedly it's meant to protect against promiscuity on behalf of the wives. Anyway, this was never a problem until you and I started dating. I know we had the sex talk and I told you I wasn't ready which was actually true because at that time I wasn't. I was scared and confused about a lot of things. But what I didn't tell you was that there was more to my reasoning than just being scared about the actual act of losing my virginity. You still didn't know what happened to me, and I didn't want you to find out months or years later and think that only reason I decided to make love to you was because of this whole Malfoy issue. I didn't want him to rule that part of my life. That part of our lives. Because deep down I have always thought you would be the first and only man I ever made love to," Lily finished her explanation and looked at Jack closer to gauge his reaction.

Jack had tears of his own running down his face by the time she was done talking. He took both her hands in his and looked her in the eye, "I have wanted to make love to you so badly for so long. But I understood why you weren't ready then or even now. I think you were right in not wanting Malfoy to control this part of us, because that would be allowing him to win and he's never going to win Lil. I'm not going to let him. Just know that whenever you're ready, than we'll take that next step and not a minute sooner," he laid back down opened he arms for her once more. She smiled and followed his lead.

Lily again lay down next to him, this time holding on to him tighter than she had before. "I know that when we do make love it will be special…because I'll be doing it with you," she said softy as she drew tiny invisible circles on the front of his shirt with her index finger.

"You mean that?" he asked with a voice full of emotion.

"With all my heart," she said quietly and then added after a few moments pause, "Thank you Jack," she said against his chest.

"For what, love," he wondered as he absentminded ran his fingertips through her long black hair.

"For everything," she answered softly. His shirt was already wet from her tears before, and he could feel she was crying again now. But this time he knew she wasn't crying because she was upset. "You've always been there for me when I needed you."

"That's never going to change Lily. Not in a million years," he reassured her as she drifted into a light sleep. Jack, however, didn't sleep a wink. He couldn't stop thinking about all that had happened. He sure had not seen this one coming.

About an hour later Lily got up from the bed saying that she wanted to take a shower. Jack said he would go downstairs and wait for her there. Once they stepped outside his door she turned and gave him a soft kiss on the lips and said, "Thanks again for understanding."

"Anytime hun…I'll see you downstairs when you're done," he replied as she turned and walked down the hall to her room. He couldn't help but feel extremely lucky to have her in his life. As much as she said he did for her, Jack still felt unworthy of her. She did so much more for him than she would ever know, and some day he promised himself that he would prove to her just how much she meant to him. After a few minutes of standing in the hallway deep in thought someone's voice interrupted his daydreaming. He was so distracted in his thoughts that he didn't notice another person was present in the hallway.

"Jack…You okay?" looking over his shoulder, Jack saw his dad looking very concerned. He had come from the direction of Andrew's room.

"Sure," he said as he rubbed his eyes and the bridge of his nose in frustration. He still couldn't believe all that he had found out today. He never wanted to kill anyone more than he wanted to kill Draco Malfoy at this very moment.

A few moments later Jack came back down the stairs with Ron who had an arm around him. "Lily's taking a shower. She said she'd come back down once she was done," Jack said as he collapsed on the couch. After a few moments of silence he spoke again. "Hey Mum, where were Andrew and the others going in such a hurry?"

"They're going to go and stay at the burrow with your grandparents for the night. I thought that would give us more freedom to talk," Hermione said reentering the room from the kitchen with another cup of coffee for Jack, as his first cup was now stone cold.

Jack looked up at his parents immediately. "What else is there to talk about? I just found out my girlfriend went through just about the most traumatic thing anyone can go through. I've never seen Lily like that, Mum. She's never been scared a day in her life, or so I thought," Jack added the last comment quietly almost to himself.

Ron and Hermione exchanged meaning full looks before Ron nodded his head and Hermione spoke for the both of them. "We have some other things that your father and I want to talk to Lily about when she comes back down from her shower," Hermione turning her gaze to eye Harry.

"What is this about? I hope it's not anything that's going to upset her," Jack said in almost a warning tone of voice.

"Let's just wait for Lily to talk about it," Hermione said holding up her hand to stop any further argument.

Just then a voice called from the entranceway, "What for Lily to talk about what?" They all looked up and saw Lily standing there looking slightly suspicious.

Jack sat up on the couch he had previously been laying down on to make room for Lily to sit down next to him, "That was quick."

"What do you need to talk to me about?" Lily asked as Jack took her hand and kissed the back of it.

"Well, it's not really us that need to talk to you," Ron said as he came into the room after sending the other children off through a fireplace upstairs.

Harry decided it was his turn to speak up and he knew if he didn't do it now he would loose his nerve, "I'm the one that needs to talk to you," he said in a shaky voice. "I've been lying to you about who I really am since I arrived here yesterday. You see Lily…my name is not Harold. But I was a friend of your parents while they were in school."

"Well then, who are you?" Lily asked nonchalantly.

Harry hesitated long enough to look to Ron and Hermione for some encouragement. They both smiled and nodded at him to continue. "My name is Harry."

Lily and Jack both stared at him blankly for a second. Jack sized Harry up suspiciously and put a protective arm around the motionless girl beside him. Lily looked back at Jack disbelievingly before turning back to face Harry.

"You're who?" Lily asked feebly.

"My name is Harry Potter. I'm your father, Lily."

For a few seconds, no one moved. Lily breathed heavily and stared at him while everyone else just sat there and observed what was unfolding.

Lily looked at him rather funny for a second and then got up and walked over to him. Harry stood up when she reached where he was sitting. She looked deeply into his eyes for a full minute before tears began to well up once more in her own. She said in an even shakier voice than Harry's had been."You have my eyes."

Harry smiled to himself at the remark, "I believe the expression is that you have my eyes. I guess it goes without saying that I never died." Harry had wanted to explain the whole situation to her but he was unable to when Lily ran into his chest and hugged him harder than anyone ever had hugged him throughout his entire life. Her head came up to about his middle chest and after the initial shock left he put an arm around her shoulders and a hand on the back of her head. He kissed the top of her head as tears ran off his face into her already soaking wet hair. After a few seconds of complete silence Harry heard sniffles coming from where Hermione and Ron were sitting. He looked up to see Hermione drying her eyes with the collar of Ron's shirt while he held her with a loose arm around her shoulders.

After another few moments Lily reluctantly pulled away from her father and sat down next to him. "How is this possible?" she asked in a voice no higher than a whisper.

Harry dried his own eyes with the sleeve of his shirt and began to explain, "When your mother was killed about a month after you were born, I was worried for your safety as well. Her death was very hard for me to process, and the thought of loosing you was unbearable. I walked things over with my supervisors and they all agreed that the threat to your life was a valid concern. So I faked my own death to ensure that no further harm would come to you. Though it seems I did it all for nothing because you ended up suffering just as much in the end," Harry said unable to look at her anymore.

Lily touched his shoulder softly, "You're so wrong. I may not have had the most wonderful and happy childhood, but it was certainly better than the not having a childhood at all. At the orphanage I was left alone and allowed to grow up as an almost normal little girl. The people at the orphanage had good intentions and they taught me a lot about how to look out for myself. I mean they did spend a lot of time teaching us to defend ourselves, and yes the atmosphere of the orphanage was often heavy and sad. But I made happy memories there. That's certainly better than no memories at all. I made friends while I was there. There were actually four of us who came to Hogwarts to attend school when we turned eleven. We were all sorted into different houses, but three out of the four of us are still good friends to this day," as Lily said this she looked over at Jack who's facial expression changed slightly when she said that only three out of the four of them were friends. Harry silently reminded himself to ask her about this later.

Her eyes got misty once more as she added, "I'm just so glad that you're real!" Lily again engulfed her father in a large hug, "This makes things so much easier to deal with."

Ron and Hermione were just thinking that perhaps they should let Harry and Lily have sometime alone when Lily spoke up, "Even when everything started to fall apart this past year, I still had Aunt Hermione, Uncle Ron, and Jack to make me feel loved and wanted. They've helped me through so much over the past several years. They became like a family to me."

Harry looked to his friends, "They're the only family I ever had."

Lily continued, "I am who I am today because of you. When I was a little girl I read books about you in the library at the orphanage. I wouldn't change one thing about my life. Well, I guess other than what happened to me the spring before I came to Hogwarts. And I don't want you to blame yourself for my involvement in the resistance movement and with the ministry. If fighting against evil was something I didn't want to do than I would find something else I had a passion for," Lily looked down at her hands folded in her lap, "I wanted so much to make you proud of me."

This time it was Harry who pulled Lily into a rib crushing hug, "You have, honey. I was proud of you the second I laid eyes of you. I mean you're Qudditch caption," he added jokingly.

Lily looked over at Jack was beaming with happiness for her, "I'm only co-caption Dad!"

Harry cleared his throat and stood up crossing his arms. Lily stood up beside him and mimicked his behavior which only made him smile more. He finally said what he wanted to say, "Well, now that we're on the subject of Jack here, are you going to formally introduce me to your boyfriend properly now or what?"

Lily held out her hand toward Jack who came up next to her but instead of taking her hand he slipped his arm around her waist. Lily smiled at him and said to her father, "Dad, I'd like you to meet Jack Weasley."

Jack extended a hand to Harry and said, "It's nice to finally meet you, Mr. Potter."

Harry took Jack's hand but laughed at being addressed that way, "Jack, I'm your godfather for crying out loud! I'll be offended if you don't call me Harry!"

Jack smiled, "I guess you've got a point there. I just want you to know that I love your daughter more than words could ever express. And if I'm able to make her half as happy as she makes me than I think that's saying something. She's the best friend I've ever had." Jack looked down at Lily who again had tears in her eyes.

"I can see how much you love her, Jack. It's in your eyes," Harry said looking at the young lovers and back to Ron and Hermione who were still sitting on the couch watching the scene as if it were a movie. They all sat there talking about various things for about an hour before Lily yawned widely, making everyone laugh.

Hermione stood up after a few moments and dried her eyes for about the twelfth time, "Well I guess I should make us some dinner. I think you and Lily should go up for a nap. She looks tired and so do you. Neither of you got much real sleep last night and I know today has been a trying day on everyone. I'll send Harry up for you latter."

Lily walked over to Harry and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He smiled at her as she and Jack left the room hand in hand, "Have a good nap," he said before he sat back down with Ron. "Do you know how long it's been since I've been flying," Harry suggestively asked his friend.

"Too long I'm sure, mate. I have a broom you can use…Hermione we'll be back later," Ron called as he and Harry disappeared into the hallway to get brooms.

Jack led Lily up the stairs and they went into her bedroom this time. The room was painted a pale green and had a queen size bed in the middle of it. There was a wooden desk on one side and a large dresser on the other as well as a door leading to her bathroom. There were books everywhere. She would read anything she could get her hands on. Most of it was dark arts defense stuff, but there were all sorts of other books. She wasn't as annoying about being book smart as his mother was however. There were pictures all over the walls. Lily loved taking pictures. Most of them were pictures of her and Jack and the rest were of their friends at school and his family. He loved being in here, everything about this room reminded him of her. Last summer she went to an academic seminar at the ministry of magic and was gone for a week. It was the first time they had been apart for that long, and it nearly killed him. He would come in here late at night and sit in the armchair by her window. The room even carried her scent.

She half fell on her bed in exhaustion, "I can't believe he's alive, Jack."

"Neither can I, though I have to tell you I had a feeling he wasn't who he said he was when he told us his name yesterday," Jack said looking around the room for a blanket to cover her up with. Locating a blanket on the armchair he walked back to the bed and covered her up with it. "Warm enough?" he asked as he sat on the edge of her bed. She nodded her head and smiled sleepily. He kissed her on the forehead affectionately only pulling his head away a few inches hovering over hers.

She brought her hand up to his forehead and lightly brushed his hair back. After a few moments of gazing into her electric green eyes he could hold back no more. He slowly closed the gap between them and brought his lips to hers. Their kiss was innocent but full of love and admiration for each other. After a few seconds he pulled away and stood up.

"Sleep well, babe."

But before he could walk any further he heard her say in a low voice, "Stay with me… Please Jack…I don't want to be alone."

When he turned around to face her he saw how helpless she looked. He knew she was still thinking about last night and the worsening degree of her dreams. Looking down at her he also knew there was no way he could ever refuse her anything. Slowly he walked to the other side of the queen size bed and lay down next to her with his chest against her back, wrapping his strong arms around her exhausted body. She pulled his arm tighter around her and kissed the back of his hand.

"I'm not going anywhere, Lil. I'll never leave you," He said as he snuggled closer to her. He thought she had fallen to sleep when she didn't respond after a few seconds so he closed his eyes suddenly realizing just how tired he really was.

"Jack," she said in almost a whisper.

"Yeah," he answered as his eyes fluttered back open.

"I love you."

"I love you too. More than you could ever imagine," Jack answered before he allowed sleep to take him at last.

a/n- This was one of my shorter chapters actually. What's coming up is pretty...well...dramatic. Perhaps if I get a good number of reviews I could be convinced to post another chapter tomorrow night...In the meantime I'll leave you with a little bit from a chapter in the not so distant future-

Seconds later the one and only Richard Luis walked in the house uninvited once more. "Jack, are your parents here?" he asked urgently.

"Yeah…why?"

"I think you'd better bring them down here. I'm afraid I have some bad news," he said with his hands deep in his pockets.

Jack walked to the bottom of the stairs and called for his parents to come down stairs. Ron and Hermione came down looking tired and confused when they saw Luis standing in their living room at such an early hour.

"You'd better have a seat," Richard said as he motioned them over to the couch...