Lily and James Fanfic
Chapter 3 Some More Bad News
Sirius had been called back out on a raid soon after leaving The Villa, and when he got to the house where the Dark Mark had appeared, his face fell and he knew that after tonight, this was the last bit of news that James and Lily needed but they had to be told. Apparating to The Villa once again, he knocked impatiently on the door and waited for someone to open it.
Having laid back on the couch to just momentarily quiet his mind, James had almost drifted off once he had heard Lily reach the top of the stairs, meaning she was complying, by and large, with what he had suggested. He'd give her a few minutes before he went up himself, having agreed that just 'being' and holding one another would probably be best and they'd face their further options when the new day came. However, as soon as he was on the edge of sleep, a knock came at the door and he blinked, looking at it - almost afraid to open it. Would the day never end?
Slowly rising, quite reluctantly, James crossed to the door and pressed the wood to activate the charm that would allow him to get a view of the person on the other side before opening it. Immediately, he noted the expression on Sirius' face and it immediately chased away the tendrils of sleepy fog from his mind. James swiftly unlocked the door and opened it, "Sirius. What's the matter? What's wrong?"
Sirius stepped into The Villa, his expression a mix of concern and of the businesslike expression that he wore when he was working, "Where's Lily? Has she gone to bed yet?" He said, looking around and obviously avoiding the subject. When James gave him a look that he needed him to go on with it, his eyes filled with sorrow, "James, soon after I left here tonight, I was called out on another raid. There was another attack on a Muggle household. When we got there, the Dark Mark was there and whoever had created it was gone," Sirius knew that this was really going to throw his friends into a frenzy, "James, it was the Evanses, Lily's parents."
For some reason, as soon as Sirius stepped through the threshold of The Villa, James sense of protection was immediatly kicked into high gear. Whatever it was that his 'brother' was bringing to him, he had a feeling Lily wouldn't like it. It was for that reason that James was reluctant to tell Sirius where she was and he gave his friend that 'you better tell me first' look. Somewhere, he couldn't help but think their child would never be born at all, due to the stress they were under. And his instinct, unfortunately, proved itself out. His jaw dropped almost immediately as soon as Sirius got the news out and he swallowed hard before closing it again.
"Merlin..." was all he could whisper out and he glanced up the stairs as if Lily had been standing there. Grateful that she wasn't, "Your kidding me," he said as if saying that would make it a joke but he knew it wasn't. Sirius would never even play around that way, surely not. "What... what the hell am I gonna say to Lily?" he asked Sirius, almost pleading that he could hold that information off.
Sighing, Sirius nodded, "I know, this is going to be horrible for her. But once word gets around, James, she's going to find out. You two are well known and liked, and I'm sure that your friends will be sending their sympathy greetings. It's better for her to hear it from you than to find out by chance," Sirius looked at James and put a hand on his shoulder, wanting to comfort him and to give him strength, "Do you want me to stay with you and help you?"
Upstairs, Lily had changed into her dressing gown and gotten into bed, wondering where James was. Alone with her thoughts, she had time to think about the oddity of her parents not answering the phone. They almost never went out this late at night, especially with the goings on in the world. She had warned them that it wasn't safe to be out in the dark. Downstairs, she heard James talking to someone. It sounded like Sirius...what was he doing back again? Getting out of bed and pulling a robe over her nightdress, she went downstairs, "Sirius? What are you doing here?" Judging by his looks, he looked as if he had just come in off a raid, "There's been another attack, hasn't there?"
There was no way in the world that James could honestly entertain not telling Lily and not telling her immediately, but he cursed to himself that fact, that night of all nights, he'd have to do it on this one. Was there no mercy in the deity whatsoever? "You have to stay and help me," he told Sirius, leaving no room for discussion, not that he expected his best friend to protest that at all. Taking a deep breath, James had to prepare for the eventuality that Lily just may collapse on the spot, if not physically, then emotionally. He genuinely liked her parents but the pang of grief he felt was nothing compared to the impact the news was likely to have on his wife.
Trying to formulate some way, any way, to cushion the blow, James' thoughts were interrupted by the soft sound of a voice as it floated down the steps. As he turned around, he could hear the voice change to have an edge of fear in it. With good reason, no doubt. James immediately rushed to her side, hoping it looked more like the concern of a husband for his expecting wife, but he cringed knowing that Lily was a bit brighter than that. "Lily, you may want to sit down..." he began and her sharp look at him told him to belay that, "Nevermind," he said and picked her up and put her on the couch himself. He sat next to her and took her hands in his, leaning forward so he could look at her directly. Before telling her anything further, he gave a quick look to Sirius as if to warn him to 'hold on to his hat' and brace for the worst reaction possible. "Lils, there's been another raid, yes."
He paused, fighting the fact that his throat wanted to close up, and he whispered, "At your parent's house."
Lily looked at James, then at Sirius, knowing that something was going on. Her feelings were confirmed by the intense feeling of urgency with which James rushed to her side and told her that she needed to sit down, then picked her up himself and put her on the couch. She think she knew in her heart what she was about to hear but somehow her mind was denying it. When the fateful words came out of James' lips, she heard them as through a tunnel, her mind not wanting to register them.
When the words had sunk in, she looked with disbelief at her husband, wanting so much for it not to be true, begging him to tell her that it wasn't true. Looking at Sirius for some sign of assurance and finding none, she whispered, "They didn't suffer, did they?" Her green eyes filled with tears as she realized that her parents were gone, her remaining part of her family who stood up for her and James when Petunia got on their backs. They would never get to see their beautiful grandson that was on the way, they didn't even know he was coming.
Sirius reached forward and put his hand on her arm, "No, Lils, they didn't suffer," He said, knowing it was little consolation for the pain she was feeling. These friends of his didn't deserve so much bad news in such a short while, they had done nothing to deserve any of it and it made him angry.
Guessing that her parents were more than likely taken out by the killing curse, he knew they probably hadn't even known what hit them before it had taken their lives. Sirius, surely would have known if they'd been tortured with any other unforgivable just from evidence alone. Not that he was sure if he'd say so to Lily or not. Still, it was better to think they hadn't been tormented first - the Death Eaters didn't usually bother with mere muggles. James puller her close, letting her pain pour into him if she wished. He'd have time enough to grieve later - for now, he was there for her. He swallowed and made a small gesture to Sirius to calm down, noticing the murderous look on his face.
The news of her parents death overwhelmed Lily and she broke into sobs, soaking James' robes with her tears. She was spent and had not much more in her to give. She put her hand over her abdomen, the baby that had been made by her and James' love, and her wonderful husband sitting there, cradling her in his arms gave her the only hope she had left for the future. Her heart ached and she so desperately wanted it to all go away. She was thankful that Sirius had come and told her the news, it was easier to hear it from someone as close as he was to her and James. Her body and soul were spent and her resources were wearing thin. It wasn't long before she felt the darkness consume her and take her into oblivion.
Sirius sat there next to James and Lily, feeling helpless and didn't know what to do. He watched as James held her tight in an effort to comfort her as she cried and wishing he could do something himself. After a few minutes, it seemed as if Lily lost consciousness, and he looked at James with concern in his eyes, "Is she okay?"
A few silent tears slid down James' face unnoticed by himself. He just let Lily vent everything that she was feeling, pouring it out in a torrent of emotion that fell down on him like heavy stones. Once again, his mind slowly floated to the stress she was under and the child she was carrying, made more conscious by watching her hand drift over it as if to hold onto it for dear life. He felt so helpless about all of it and all he could do was sit here and cradle his wife in his arms until she calmed, almost unnaturally. Doing some quick checks of her vitals, he looked up to meet Sirius' watchful eyes, nodding at his inquiry, "Exhaustion."
Picking her up, he placed her on the couch, finding a pillow for her head and a blanket to cover her up with as the chill in the night was likely unable to be dispelled.
Sirius looked at his two dearest friends, feeling so badly for them and not knowing what to do. He was thankful that Lily was okay, but he was still very worried about both of them. He felt reluctant to leave them, he wanted to be there for James who more than likely would have trouble sleeping, but he also didn't want to butt in, "Do you want me to stay with you? I am willing to stay if you want me to. The night could be long and you have had a lot of shocks tonight."
Turning back to his friend, James nodded in acknowledgment while wiping away the tears that were already drying, "Stay tonight. But..." he said and gestured that they should move to another room, "Kitchen." He figured he might slip something for Lily to inhale while she slept in a little bit - to ease her sleep and stave off any dreams - so that she could get some true rest. But he knew the exhaustion alone would hold her for a few hours, at least, before a certain restlessness would begin. Using his wand to dim the light in the room, James lead Sirius down the hall to the kitchen, he made sure the door closed behind them and he spelled it to contain their voices while allowing him to hear what was going on outside the room.
Putting his wand on the island counter, he found the liquor hidden in a corner cabinet and pulled out a carafe and two glasses for him and his 'brother.' Kicking over a stool for Sirius to sit on, he pulled one up to himself and poured the glasses for both of them, putting the carafe between them on the counter. "So, tell me what happened at the raid," he said, using his healers ability to be detached to get him through.
Taking a sip of the firewhiskey, Sirius found himself beginning to relax, "Well, it was Frank, Alice, and me. We got there after they had left, but it looked like it had been the work of the Lestranges; you know how they like to leave their subtle calling card after killing people. James, they didn't die peacefully. I said that so that Lily didn't worry herself too much, but it looks like they had some fun with them before they died. Their faces were masks of pain and horror, and well..." Sirius said, wondering if he should go on but knowing that James would want to know the truth, "Her mothers clothes were ripped and askew. I think that either Rodolphus or Rabastan might have...forced himself on her."
Sirius took another sip and sighed, "James, it was one of the worst I'd ever seen, and I've been to some bad ones. What made it really bad was the fact that I knew them. Lily's parents were so sweet," He said, staring off into space for a moment, "Soon after I saw who it was, I said my goodbyes to the Longbottoms and apparated back here. I wanted you guys to hear it from me rather than another way," Sirius was visibly shaken up by the night's events and though he tried to distance himself while working, his emotions could only be held back for so long.
Clearly, the news wasn't making it any easier. James had seen some truly awful things himself - being a healer, he sometimes saw things even the Aurors didn't see, after all. Hearing Sirius talk about her parents, he remembered the man who regalled his stories about Quidditch, having taught the man the finer details of the game for hours on end one night, and the mother who hugged him so tightly at times, making him miss his own mother so terribly. Taking a large sip of his firewhiskey, James put a hand on one of Sirius' and patted it to reassure him. Pushing the shotglass to his friend, "Drink. It'll calm you some." He could almost see a visible shaking in his friend, he imagined. He didn't want to imagine anything much further than that, however. Finishing his shot, he poured himself another. His nerves were just about raw, as well.
Sirius downed the shotglass of firewhiskey, thankful for the numbing affect it had on him. Looking at James, he saw the stress and fatigue in his friend's eyes and wished that he could do something to ease it, "I know this was a terrible thing for you to hear, but I figured you would rather hear it from me than to hear it in another way. The trick will be keeping the knowledge from Lily. I don't know what it would do to her."
Not knowing what he ought to be doing, James nodded his head, "I'll contact some of my dad's old friends - get them to lean on the paper to suppress the details. That's what I can do. She'll get mad at me if she finds out, but I am willing to take the brunt of it - to protect her, you know. I honestly thing that too many shocks at this point would be a very bad thing - and I am speaking from a healer's perspective, and not just my own." Opening a cupboard below him on the island, he took out a box with a collection of bottles in it. He needed to mix a sedative for his beloved and something that obviously would not harm the infant growing within her. Already, Lily had quite a series of shocks for the day.
"I don't know how things could get worse," he said, idly to himself and then he lifted his eyes up to meet his friend's silent look. "Okay, I know how things could get worse, but we need to stop that from happening," he said with a sigh, pulling out bottles and lining them up in the order they needed to be mixed.
Sirius nodded at James' idea, "That's a great idea. Your dad had some pull with the press and that should stop anything. Just then an owl came fluttering in the window and dropped a note from the Auror Department in front of . Opening it, he read it and immediately his face paled, "Can this night get any worse?" He said, sadly, not believing what he had read, not wanting to believe it. The Longbottoms had been attacked...if he had stayed he very well could have been attacked too. Folding the note he put it away, a sad look upon his face. He tried to hide his feelings but he knew that James would see.
Glad to have found a solution for something, at least, James had begun to uncork some of the bottles and had found an empty glass to begin mixing in, "Good ol' dad has to be good for something..." His relationship with his father, after all, had been a bit strained - the pressure mainly revolving around how much he hadn't been home much during his life - practically a workaholic and neglecting his family, for the most part. A great Auror in his day - a lousy father. Not thinking much of the owl, James continued to work until Sirius said something aloud and he miscounted the drops from the bottle, "Damn it."
He stopped pouring and looked up at the expression on his friend's face. "What was it?" he asked, slightly annoyed that he had to ask. He poured out the solution in front of him and began his task again. He realized he had snapped at his 'brother' and apologized, stopping to wipe his face with his free hand, "Sorry, . This is getting to be too much." .
"Prongs, it's alright. No harm, no foul right?" He said, which is what they always said when they accidentally did something that hurt the other person,"
Looking down at the note he had folded and was now subconsciously tearing to shreds, he said quietly, "The Longbottoms, they were attacked. Must have happened right after I left. I was so concerned to get to you and Lily that we didn't secure the area. Damn it! Why didn't I follow procedure?" Softening his tone, he looked at James, "They're at St. Mungo's and apparently Alice got hit really hard. Will it ever end, James? When is this war going to end?"
Giving his friend a dubious look, James raised one eyebrow, "How do I know that whenever you say 'Prongs, it's alright' - then I know the next thing you are about to say is going to upset me?" He asked because it was usually true. He listened to what had to say and he could feel that familiar bubble beneath the surface - but it wasn't he was mad at. This whole damn crazy world was what he was mad at. James put down his bottle that he was pouring ingredients from and grabbed his friends wrist, holding it tight. "Hey!" he said, making sure he had his brother's attention, "It's not your damn fault." He wanted that to be clear from the very beginning. "You're human," he said a little softer, but the anger could still be seen simmering below the surface.
With that hard look on his face, he looked out the window at the stormy sky outside, seemingly swirling with nothing but ill intention. "The war isn't going to end until HE's gone," he said, his jaw tightening and the hatred within him growing. Damn it. Damn the freaking Death Eaters and those who did His bidding, damn the Dark Lord, and damn the godforsaken prophecy. It was all spiraling out of control. "Maybe you should go check on them," James said finally after a long moment of silence and many internal vows of revenge, turning slowly back to his friend.
He let go of Sirius' wrist, realizing he was still holding it tightly, as much to remain his own control as it was his, "Just - don't..." he said and met his friend's eyes firmly, "Don't get any wild ideas, promise me - wizards oath."
James' words offered little consolation, but Sirius nodded his head and seemed to be agreeable. When he said about checking on the Longbottoms, agreed that it would be the thing to do. Check on them and apologize for not making sure that the area was secure before leaving. He had never seen James so angry before, but who could blame him? His wife lay in the next room, carrying a child inside her who had a prophecy foretold about him, and sleeping only due to exhaustion, "James, I promise. Nothing crazy. After all, I have a godson on the way and I want to be around for his birth."
"Damn straight," James said, matter-of-factly. He let out a audible sigh and finished mixing the ingredients for Lily's sleep inducer. Corking the vial, he knew he had only to shake it firmly to make it vapor the next time he opened it. That vapor was the dreamless draught he needed to keep his wife sleeping. The best thing for her, after all - after the shock that she had received - was for her to sleep without dreams or memory. He didn't like to do this to people normally, but in some instances, he knew it was for the greater good. For their health and their sanity. "My son needs a godfather, so no matter what you encounter at the hospital, I need you back here to help me out. Lots of things to plan, you know."
Standing, he patted his friend on the back, "So long as friends stick together, things should go alright." He gave a weak smile, which meant he was at least making the effort to find something to look forward to.
"I'm your friend to the end, you know that right?" Sirius said, clapping James on the back, "You take care of Lily and I'll send word as soon as I know what is happening with the Longbottoms. Once I know they're alright, I'm going to head back and get some sleep myself. If you need me though, just let me know. I can be here in a flash," Giving James one last smile, he apparated to St. Mungo's.