A/N: Hello! I'm in the middle of my AP testing (it's testing for college credits, FYI) and SOLs, so this is my therapy.

Haunted Essence: I'm glad you liked it, and I hope I didn't send you into too bad withdrawal!

OceanMist05: Thanks! No worries, Flame, Breeze, Gaia, and Ice will be back very soon.

Littlespongecake: Yay! Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying it, and don't worry! All will reveal itself in due coarse. . .

Chapter 16: Loss and Life

Lilly lay on her bed at 9 o'clock on New Year's Eve, completely alone. Her parents and Petunia had gone to parties, leaving her to fend for herself. Her parents went to a Parliament gala, hob-knobbing with the diplomats. Her sister had gone to a Grunning's party with Vernon.

'What is a "grunnings" party, anyway?' she thought to herself, 'probably some ridiculous fashion trend'

Christmas had come and gone, as had holiday visits and shopping sprees with the girls. Lilly was embarrassed to admit that she had expected a gift from James. She'd gotten one every year, a small something, even just a chocolate frog.

"Don't be ridiculous!" she said aloud, "You shouldn't expect a gift from someone, that's rude!"

'Well yes,' she thought 'unless that someone had gotten you one every—'

"No! It's always . . .oh, God. I'm arguing with myself."

As she prepared to smack herself over the head for her pathetic-ness, as tentative voice called from her living room.

"Lilly? Lilly Evans?"

"Who is it?" she yelled, looking for something heavy to throw, or possibly use as a club.

"It's Sirius!"

"Prove it!"

"I'm a mangy mutt of a git!"

Recognizing the insult as one of Gretchen's, she ran downstairs.

"Hello!" she cried, wrapping him in a hug. "How was your holiday?"

"It was . . .eventful. Look- James needs you/"

"What? What's wrong, is he ok?"

"Yea, physically, but—I've never seen him like this before. I don't know what to do. Come on, he's at my flat. Hurry! He doesn't know I left"

Lilly quickly scribbled a note to her family and apparated away. Appearing with a faint pop! in Sirius' foyer, Lilly was greeted by a hurried looking Remus.

"Lilly? Oh, thank Merlin you're here"

"yes, Remus, hello. Now will someone tell me what's going on?"

"Just . . .Just go to James"

Walking past Tabitha and Gretchen, Lilly passed into the Family room. James sat in front of the fire, his glasses winking from the light of the flickering flames. He sat as if an iron rod had been fused to his spine. His eyes looked unblinking into the fire.

"James?" he didn't move.

"James?" no response.

Lilly moved silently over to the couch, and sat down. She stared with him into the flames, neither speaking, until –

"My house is gone."

"What?" Lilly looked up, startled.

"My house. In London. It's gone. Burned down."

"Oh James, I'm so sorry." He continued to speak, still staring into the flames.

"My sister had come to our house. She's in Auror training, remember? She came into London for a New Year's lunch." He paused, clearing his throat.

"I should have been home at one, but Sirius and I were finishing some business around London. I got home around three, and over my house was this- this- mark. There were Aurors ev-everywhere. They said it was this guy who calls himself 'Lord Voldemort' All that was left of my parent's house was some indestructable belongings and some ash. Then they-they-they walked up and said 'We're so terribly sorry. There was nothing we could do' I saw- I saw my parents, and my sister. They're-"

A tear slid down his cheek

"They're dead"

"Oh, James, I-"

"It's my fault!" he yelled, standing up, eyes ablaze. "If I'd just come home earlier-"

"James Potter, don't even thing that! All that would've happened is that you'd be gone too!"

"No . . .no!" he shouted, tears streaming down his face. She gathered him in her arms, hugging him close as he whispered

"They shouldn't be gone . . . they can't be gone . . ."

"Shhh . . . ."

She drew away, and leaned against him, as he held her hand as if it were a lifeline. They stared down the fire, and the future.

In the kitchen, 3 hours had passed.

"Well, Happy New Year" Sirius said dryly. Kissing Gretchen's tear-stained face gently.

"Cheers." Remus relied, equally as sarcastic.

"I've been meaning to stop by and give this to you" James said to Lilly, pushing a box her way.

"Oh! Um, Thank you." She replied.

Opening the box, she gasped to see two soft, golden hair combs inlaid with jade and lapis lazuli resting in a bed of blue velvet.

"Oh, James . . ." she breathed "they're gorgeous! However did you find them?"

James took them out of the box, and gently placed them in her fiery mane. His hands send shivers down her spine as they brushed her curls away from her cheek. He looked at her for a second, before turning back to the fire.

As the clock began to slowly chime the midnight hour, he said softly-

"My mother helped me."