Rain poured down from the dark and gloomy clouds. The church was filled with songs sung in Latin, the rhythm oddly soothing. The old stained glass windows let through what little glimmers of light had managed to pass through the dreary clouds. Standing near the ancient dark wooden pews, leaning against the gray stone walls, Lily Evans didn't shed a single tear. It wasn't because she didn't want to cry or didn't feel sad. It was because the loneliness and the pain she felt surpassed any display of emotion. It hollowed out her insides, hardening her heart. She stood in her loose black dress with its conservative knee-length and her dark black tights that fit with her flat ballerina-type shoes. Her hair she had bundled into a tight ponytail and she clutched her small black handbag. She'd never worn so much black in her life. In fact, to pull away from the dreariness the black left upon her, she had placed a bright green belt around her loose-fitting dress. It was cinched at her waist and had brought a few looks of confusion and distaste but she didn't care. She needed color; she lived for it like her mother had.

James Potter stood beside her clad in his simple black suit. His eyes were wet as he gazed at the four wooden coffins lined up before the church. He and Lily had decided to bury their parents together, to save both money and pain at having to go through two funerals.

All too quickly the priest called for him to speak before the church in memory of his parents. As their only son and heir, he inherited everything and carried the burden of their loss alone.

James slowly walked up to the pulpit, fixing his black tie once he arrived there. His hands shook uncharacteristically, the bright shine in his blue eyes had dulled dramatically, and upon his handsome face were the outlines of the paths two tears had taken.

"Thank you all for coming here today…" he began quietly, his voice much more subdued than usual. "My pa…pa…parents would have appreciated it, seeing all of you here." He paused, his eyes filling with tears. "They were amazing people, Harry and Philena Potter. My dad and mum. I can't believe their gone…" he broke down. "I'm sorry, I just can't go on." He walked off of the pulpit, tears flowing freely, and took his place beside Lily again. She looked at him carefully and then reached out to squeeze his hand. He held it tightly as they watched Petunia step up to the pulpit next.

Petunia wore a short black dress that could have been interpreted as a bit too short and low cut. Her tights were black but just barely. Her shoes had heels that reached high but no one commented on it. Most people stared at her face, covered with make-up. It had the tendency to make her appear a bit comical at times.

"My parents told me to marry the man I love. I've chosen to marry Vernon Dursely, love of my life. He's guiding me along this awful path that I've never wanted to travel, with my sister and the loss of my parents. The wedding will still be held in January, however. Their presence will be much missed." Petunia spoke into the microphone, gazing at everyone and without missing a beat, she added, "now my sister wants to say a few words." Smiling a bit, Petunia walked down quickly and sat beside a huge beast of a man with blonde hair and a pink face.

Lily looked at James, surprised. However, she shocked herself by standing up and walking to the pulpit.

"My mum and dad were married twenty-five years ago last June. They loved each other, loved life, and loved us. Not a single day went by without my mother writing me a letter while I was at boarding school. Every single one of those letters I've kept, I reread them the day I was told by my headmaster about their death. In them I've found that the happiest she seemed was when she was with the Potters, when she was going out with them to dinner or even church. The friendship that grew between our families is amazing and pure and I'm proud of it. I'm proud of my parents and the Potters. They were all wonderful people, as James said. I can't believe they're gone but I feel better knowing that the four of them are in heaven, looking down on us and playing bridge." Lily smiled, her voice coming through strong and clear. "My mother had a quote she'd tell me when I was little. 'Live harder, laugh harder, and love harder than ever before.' That's what they're doing up there right now." Lily went over to James when she finished. She smiled at him gently and took his hand again. "It'll be okay," she whispered.

James nodded but didn't say a word. A few rows behind them, Caroline, Pippa, Sirius, Peter, and Remus sat clad in black. Tears had long ago filled their eyes and poured down their cheeks. Caroline cried for her surrogate parents, the one had taken her in after her own had died. Sirius cried for the same reason, only his parents were alive.

Lily and James watched the funeral Mass end and led the solemn procession towards the graveyard. As the dirt hit the coffins, Lily glanced up at the cloudy sky. There, in the brim of the darkest and heaviest cloud, rained down a small ray of pure and holy sunshine.

"Goodbye Mum, goodbye Dad." James whispered, bowing his head. "I love you."

Lily echoed his words, holding his hand again.

Together they walked away from the burial grounds, leaving behind their friends and parents.

After the funeral, Lily and James became inseparable. It wasn't even a question of their dating or not. It was simply understood. They walked around the castle, fulfilled their duties as Head Boy and Girl, and finished their homework, all in a cloud of surrealism. They held hands as they roamed the castle. Unfortunately, they also ignored their friends.

"Do you think they're alright?" Caroline asked Sirius as she sat on the couch beside him. The warm fire in the Gryffindor Common Room toasted them deliciously.

Sirius shook his head. "I think they will be though." He said, stroking her hand. "I'm sure it will be fine, Caro."

"I'm just so worried about them." She looked down at the flames. "I remember what it's like."

"I know, love. But we have to let them do this alone. Or together. We can't fix it."

"I wish we could." She leaned against Sirius.

He wrapped his arms around her. "Me too, Caro, me too."