A/N: Hey my lovelies! It was awesome to see the reviews. You guys are pondering a lot about a certain revelation between James and Lily. There will be more of that in the next two or three chapters I think. I hope you all had a lovely Easter. Muah.

Disclaimer: JK Rowlings

Chapter 8 of After the Quidditch Game

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Lily looked at James incredibly but somehow knew that it was the truth he was speaking. She thought frantically and put all the pieces together. How could she have not seen the resemblance between Sirius and Regulus? She knew there had been something familiar about him but he was a Death Eater! And how did Sirius get tied in with such an…evil brother?

"This is crazy." Lily breathed out and she sank into her futon chair shaking her head. James observed her from where she was sitting. He couldn't lie to himself and say he wasn't worried about her. James knew she was strong but was she strong enough for this?

Lily felt James eyes on her and she looked up at him, her emerald eyes were looking soft with unshed tears. "So what happens now then?"

James looked at her and said, "I don't know. I'm gonna head home and owl Dumbledore immediately and tell him. Are you okay by yourself? I can stay if you want me to." He said anxiously.

Lily mustered a smile and said, "Nah I'm fine. Just a bit disturbing."

"I'll come get you tomorrow or something okay? We'll spend the day together if you want." James said looking at her and he smiled.

Lily nodded tiredly and then hugged James tightly before padding down to her room. Pushing the door open she fell onto her comfortable bed pulling the Eeyore blanket tightly around her body and then the tears began to come. She didn't know exactly why they were coming.

Perhaps it was her dreaded hormones from the approaching monthlies or it could be the disturbing fact that Sirius's brother was a Death Eater. Also that he revealed that him and Lucius had tried to kidnap her? She didn't know. Sleep soon took over her thoughts and questions and she fell in surrender to it.

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James yawned widely as he awoke the next morning to a tapping on his window. Bloody owl always came and disturbed his sleep to deliver the Daily Prophet. He didn't even know why he bothered subscribing for it. Actually scratch that he had never subscribed for it. They just sent it to him somehow.

James grumbled and opened the window up. The wizard newspaper fell in and he ran a hand through his hair and blinked his eyes a bit looking at the front page. There was a bit of rubbish about the psychotic bonding of marriage with none other than Luscius Malfoy and Narcissa Black. How lovely… James grimaced and was about to toss the newspaper aside but his eyes had caught a rectangular of an article about the death of a certain pureblood wizard.

James squinted his eyes and he felt his insides lurch forwards. Oh god it couldn't be. It was an unmistakable picture of Regulus Black and James quickly read the article, his eyes roved back and forth and once he had finished he glanced into space thinking wildly.

The article had stated that it was suspected murder. They had found the body of Regulus in an abandoned warehouse where it was alleged that activities of Lord Voldemort and Dark Magic had been experimented with. They declared that it was murder. 'His eyes held the glassy look of the most feared curse of Wizardkind' a healer without a name told the Ministry that morning. The family hasn't set a date for the funeral yet.

James brought his hand up to his forehead and thought rapidly. If the murder had been discovered just this morning how fast had the murder occurred the previous night? Him and Lily had gotten home about 9 50 pm since they hadn't stayed too long. What had Regulus done the rest of the night to be murdered a little afterwards the fact?

Was the murderer at the bar last night? James racked his brain but only remembered the queer vampires and the tough knocks he played some wizarding pool with. And the guys he had joined to play pool with could hardly have been the murderers. They just didn't seem like the smartest chaps on the block.

James paced the room and than he looked up quite suddenly thinking of one person and how he would be affected by this information. Sirius. What was his reaction going to be when he heard that his only brother had been murdered and that his parents were already gone anyways?

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Lily was brushing her long auburn hair when an owl banged into her window giving her quite the fright. She opened the window and the owl shimmied inside and hooted grumpily. Taking the note that it offered to her she read it.

Lily something terrible has happened.

Regulus was murdered last night right after we left the bar. If you have the

Prophet the story is in there. Can you come over immediately to my flat?

-James

I haven't talked to Sirius yet.

Lily inhaled her breath sharply when she read that Regulus was dead. And the last line of his note caused even more lurches inside of her stomach. Oh gosh it couldn't be happening all right now could it? What would Sirius be like when he found out? Blood ties were for life no matter what.

She summoned the Daily Prophet that Julia had begun subscribing to. Her eyes narrowed at the marriage of the slimy git Lucius but she immediately caught the article cramped in the side about Regulus. He had died last night? How was that possible?

Lily ran to the bathroom and washed up quickly. Slipping into a pair of running pants and a loose shirt Lily quickly wrote a note to Julia explaining where she was going. Lily breathed in a deep breath and then prepared to apparate to James apartment.

Lily fell forward into James kitchen and she heard voices coming from his sitting room. Slipping off her shoes Lily walked into the room cautiously wondering whom she might find there. James turned to her and there was a helpless look in his eyes that Lily didn't comprehend until she saw Sirius sitting there reading the article. Remus was also there sitting down on James chair his fists clenched. He was looking very pale.

Sirius caught sight of her and tossed the newspaper aside with a venomous look but said to her in a faked cheery voice, "Hullo Lily! D'you have fun with James on your little mission last night?"

Lily felt her insides grow cold and she had the sense not to look at James when Sirius asked that. Obviously James hadn't told him they had seen Regulus there. She felt herself prickle with anger a bit at James for not telling him. What was he playing at?

"Oh it was fine y'know the usual scumbags who try and hit on you. We did see some pretty creepy vampires though." Lily said and she could feel James burning glance on her willing her not to say another word about it.

"Hey Padfoot, James and I are just going to get that muggle food we wanted you to try out and since it's nearing lunchtime I think we should go get it eh Prongs?" Remus asked and Lily's eyes rose at the nicknames they had for one another but didn't question it. Now was not the time.

"Oh yeah Padfoot you'll like it. With your big appetite I'm sure you could eat a whole one. Lets go Moony." James said and he looked at Lily with pleading eyes, not to tell Sirius about Regulus.

Lily rolled her eyes and nodded at them. If it had been anytime earlier than now Lily probably wouldn't have felt comfortable hanging around with Sirius by herself because she didn't know him much but she did now. She knew what he was going through at this moment even if his features weren't displaying the turmoil of emotions.

Remus and James left and then it was just Sirius and Lily lounging on the couches in James vast sitting room. Lily decided to say something to him, he needed to get some of those feelings out or he would go crazy. Biting her bottom lip in a nervous habit Lily said, "Look Sirius I'm really sorry to hear about your brother."

This simple phrase caused Sirius to change from calm to whirl around at Lily with his eyes blazing with fire. He snarled out in an angry voice clouded with emotion, "I don't have a brother!"

Unknowingly that brought back a painful memory to Lily. The memory knocked out her presence and brought it back to the past when she was fourteen at Beauxbatons when she had received a very life changing letter when life had been okay. This simple letter changed everything.

() () () () () () Flashback

Lily was sitting at the big crystal round tables in the Great Hall of Beauxbatons with a bunch of her school friends. It was noon and they were all digging into the delicacies that the Faeries had cooked up that morning. Grabbing the pitcher of water she poured herself some and sat back to listen to her friends gabble on about the cute new transfer student who had just arrived that morning.

"Oh did you see his physique?" Elissa demanded them in French a bit too loudly and then had the grace to blush when she saw the boy look over at them with risen eyebrows. The girls at the table burst into laughter and Elissa just smiled.

"Good job Elissa! Geesh now he's gonna be all scared of you, don't you remember what happened last time an exchange student came here?" Julia asked and shook her head but grinned at her friend.

"He was just shy!" Elissa said back and twirled her hair between her fingers dreamily thinking back to the boy she had somewhat scared off by her pushy demeanor.

Lily snorted at Elissa's response and was about to say something when a regal looking owl came flying towards their table. Owls usually never came to their dining area since their headmistress wouldn't allow. That must mean that whatever message the owl was bearing had to be important.

To Lily's surprise the owl landed in front of her and than offered her it's leg with the tight scroll. Lily took it and could feel the population of Beauxbatons staring at her as she unrolled it. Lifting her curious emerald eyes at the scroll she began to read it. Something cold gripped her heart as she read the note and then a single tear rolled down her face as she read the end of it. Dropping the note she ran from the dining area and she ran and ran.

She ran up to her room beginning to sob but she rummaged through her dormitory looking blindly for Elissa's broom. Taking it she pushed open the window. Before jumping out into the light air of spring she contemplated on what she was about to do. Elissa will understand. I'm not sure if the headmistress and professors will but the hell with them she thought vehemently.

Jumping onto the broom she fell out of her dormitory and into the blue sky near France. She quickly charmed herself invisible and then she was off zooming through the clouds over the large crystal like castle of Beauxbatons her heart racing with disbelief. It couldn't be true.

They couldn't be dead. She had just been there for Easter break and they had been fine. Salty tears fell down her face and she felt it blind her vision. The wind that was hitting her face seemed to slap her causing external pain. She cried out loudly knowing not many could hear her. She honestly didn't care. She needed to get there, to see for herself.

Swooping down through the thick dense clouds Lily saw that she was actually nearing Surrey. Thank God for Elissa's speed on this broom or she wouldn't even be halfway here. Lily flew down keeping her gaze on a certain red-bricked house but still didn't miss the horrifying sight a little down the road from her house. She felt bile rise up in her throat and she threw up violently crying as she did.

Throwing the invisible broomstick aside she lifted the invisibility off and ran down the street crying out to God asking him why. When she reached the rubble her parents were no place to be found. It happened yesterday. That's what the letter had read. Lily looked wildly around and then a persons name came to her mind, Petunia.

She ran down the sidewalk and located her childhood home. Lily ran up to it and grabbed the knob but found it wouldn't budge. She banged on it loudly. Footsteps could be heard and Lily felt a little hope rise in her heart. The door opened up and Lily let out a small gasp at the sight of her unusually unkempt sister. Her sister's blonde hair was in a greasy mess and her eyes had a sunken appearance to them.

Her sister had bad sight but refused to wear glasses or let Lily heal them. Therefore she squinted and said in a hoarse voice, "Who is it?"

Lily felt shocked that her sister hadn't at least recognized her at all so she said in a crumbling voice, "It's your sister Pet! Lily."

Petunia's eyes narrowed and her face took on a very mean look. She walked up to Lily and gave her a hard shove and said in shaking yet cruel voice, "I don't have a sister." And with that she swung around and slammed the door locking it tightly. That was the last time she had ever spoken to her sister.

OOOOOOO

Lily fell forward breathing harshly and to her embarrassment tears had begun to pool out of her eyes. She tightly closed them cursing herself for this happening now, she needed to be strong for Sirius.

"You don't mean that." Lily said thickly at what Sirius had said.

"Couldn't be more serious in my li- Lily what's wrong!" Sirius asked as he finally noticed her state as she was rapidly wiping away at her tears that were coming down.

"Oh Sirius what you just said about your brother reminded me of what my sister said to me 7 years ago. You and I, we're in the same boat I think when it comes to family." And Lily proceeded to tell Sirius about what had happened involving her parents death and what had happened when she had arrived at her old house.

"That was the last time I ever talked to her." Lily said sadly and Sirius looked at her sympathetically.

"My whole family was so deep in the Dark Arts and the pureblood nonsense and I hated them for that. We never got a long my brother and I because we both were so different. He was a follower and sucked up all the bullshit my father and mother fed him. I lost contact with him two years ago when he joined forces with Voldemort. We were both on separate sides. We almost always have been." Sirius said and he sunk his face into his hands. Lily slid over to him and tentatively put a hand on his back and rubbed it soothingly.

"I really am sorry about him though." Lily said and Sirius looked up at her with his red-rimmed eyes that still held in so many unshed tears.

"Me too, but only because the way he had to leave. I'm glad you told me about your parents. Sounds like you haven't talked about that much eh?" Sirius asked her hesitantly.

"No I daresay I haven't. After Petunia wouldn't let me in I just flew back to Beauxbatons. The girls were there and they didn't question my escapade. I went to the headmistress and told her honestly where I had been and she didn't ask any questions. They were all so good about it." Lily said and she rubbed the tear that trickled out of her eye.

Lily tentatively moved over to him where he was sitting on the wide couch and snuggled against him breathing in softly letting the flow of tears come down. Sirius brought a hand up and softly rubbed her head soothingly. Lily lay against him with her legs tucked in front of her and closed her eyes and squeezed Sirius's hand in thanks.

Before she drifted off into the welcoming arms of sleep she heard Sirius mutter quietly to himself, "I can see why he likes you so. An angel in disguise." Before Lily could ponder too much about this she was gone to the world and fell into a pattern of dreams all consisting of her parents, Regulus Black and terrifying flashes of bright green light.

Lily opened one of her eyes as she heard voices talking. Rubbing her eyes and cursing herself for her weakness at always falling asleep she got up and walked into the kitchen where James, Remus and Sirius were eating down a few boxes of pepperoni pizza.

"So you do like our muggle things then don't you?" Lily asked smirking slightly as she let her presence be known. James turned around at her and grinned at her handsomely and nodded. There was one box of vegetarian that surprised Lily very much so. Who was the vegetarian in this household?

Lily shook her head and then smiled inwardly at the pizza sauce on the corner of James mouth. She wiped it away and found herself lost in his hazel eyes. Remus raised his eyebrows the corners of his mouth twitching. Lily yanked her hand away blushing slightly.

"Sorry boys but I have to bust this joint." Lily said as she gathered up her purse. The three of them looked at her blankly and Sirius said with his mouth full, "Come again?"

Lily shook her head and than said, "Erm yeah I have to go meet Jul tonight. But I'll be seeing you soon I think."

"Yeah me too." James said and he winked at her, which brought back that darned blush. Lily waved to them and said bye then left and walked out to the porch and slid into her shoes. For some reason or another Sirius had followed her out. He waved her to go outside and than he too stepped out.

"Um I'd just like to say thanks Lily. Thanks for y'know caring enough to tell me about your parents and then thinking about Regulus. We're still far from recovering but I'd say we're on the move on eh? You're the best woman I've ever met. You're so different from them. That I really respect about you." Sirius said with his eyes averted but than looked up at her with his gray eyes smiling.

"You've helped me a lot more than you know Sirius. I thank you for that." Lily moved towards him and gave him a tight hug, which seemed to surprise him.

"I better get going before James thinks I'm up to no good with his favorite girl." Sirius said and he waved at her and than closed the door. Lily stared at the door where Sirius had just shut. James thought of her as his girl? Lily left his flat with a stupid grin on her face.

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A/N: Toughness man, poor Lily and Sirius. I thought it was so interesting how Lily and Sirius seemed to be in the same relationship zone with their families. Have you seen the pictures of the kids their getting to play for young James and Lily for the scene in OotP? The guy that plays James is pretty hot.