I hope everyone has an excellent 2012! Thank you all so much for your support and love for the story over the past year! Every review has been appreciated and I value everyone's opinion! Sorry for any spelling/grammar mistakes.

Chapter 25: Shattered

Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron brought Lily back to Hogwarts that afternoon after they ate at the Leaky cauldron. Lily was quiet through most of the meal, dwelling quietly on her conversation with Mortellea. Ron and Hermione spoke mostly between themselves about work, which rather bored Lily at first.

"… and Harry and I still haven't found any more leads with the Gringe case."

Lily blinked and looked up from her half-eaten food. "The Gringe case?"

Hermione glared at Ron, as though he had said something he shouldn't have. "It's nothing, Lily," Ron assured her quickly.

"Is it another murder?" Lily persisted.

Hermione sighed. "Yes, Lily, but don't tell anyone." She looked around and lowered her voice. "The ministry doesn't want the murder of a prestigious Death Eater getting around."

"A Death Eater?" Lily exclaimed as her aunt and uncle quickly shushed her. She lowered her voice and almost whispered, "They murdered a Death Eater? That goes completely against what the ministry has been saying about this all being done by rogue Death Eaters!"

"Exactly," Ron agreed quietly. "No one will like to hear that the ministry was wrong about that. And they'll want to know who it was, which we have no answer for."

"You're going to release this to the public soon, though, right?" Lily pressed, resisting the urge to vehemently exclaim that here was the proof the Mortellea was behind the attacks. "They have a right to know, and not place blame on the innocent."

"Harry's going to a press meeting this afternoon," Ron answered.

Lily pressed her lips together, not sure what she would say if she allowed them to open. "I see," she said at last before she lapsed once again into silence, picking at her food.

It wasn't long before lunch was wrapped up and Aunt Hermione was clutching Lily's hand, preparing to Apparate to Hogsmeade. Lily felt the sudden pull and stumbled forward in the middle of the almost-deserted street in Hogsmeade. "Come along, Lily," Ron said, starting up the path to Hogwarts. Hermione and Lily followed closely behind.

They reported straight to Headmistress Wilkinson when they arrived. Wilkinson's obvious surprise at Lily's appearance was not very well hidden at all. Lily was almost offended. "What, do you think I'm some sort of psychopath? I don't have a permanent room at St. Mungo's yet, ma'am."

Wilkinson tried to compose her features into the strict mask that a headmistress should have. "Miss Potter, you are far behind your studies. You have missed the first two weeks of term."

"Yes, I know," Lily grimaced.

"It will take much time and work to catch up."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Seeing as this is the case, your detentions will be postponed until you have caught up on your work."

Lily beamed, taking a deep breath before she would launch into a thousand and one thank-you's.

"But," Wilkinson continued, and Lily exhaled, knowing that whatever she had to say would not be good. "I expect you to be in the library every evening from six o' clock to ten, catching up on your missed work. Madame Pince will be making sure that you report every evening and that you are using your time wisely."

"Yes, ma'am," Lily answered dejectedly. Hopefully it wouldn't be as terrible as detention.

"Classes will be over soon, and then you may go to your teachers to receive your assignments." Wilkinson turned her attention to Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione. "Thank you for your help. I hope things are going well."

"Not as well as they could be," Ron mumbled quietly so that Wilkinson could not hear, and Lily swore that Hermione stepped on his foot to make him shut up as she put on an innocent smile.

"Oh, yes," Hermione said. "Things are going brilliantly. But, um, Ron and I really should be getting back to the ministry."

"Yes, of course," Wilkinson agreed. "Have a good day," she said with a cheery smile.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs that led from the Headmistress's office, Hermione gave Lily a hug that nearly suffocated Lily and so did Ron. "Goodbye, sweetie," Aunt Hermione said, brushing some of Lily's loose hair out of her eyes. "Are you going to be okay?" she asked softly.

Even though Hermione wasn't her mother, Lily felt that her aunt treated her almost like a daughter. She nodded after a moment, and tried to put on a James-ish smile that was cocky enough to alleviate worry. "Of course I will."

Ron kissed her forehead and said, "We love ya, kid. And… so does your mum and dad."

Lily frowned slightly but before she could say anything, Ron said, "Would you at least consider writing to your mum? She's terribly upset about what happened and she hated not being able to see you. Please don't do something like this to Ginny. She loves you to death, and she just wants to keep you safe."

Lily blinked quickly before she could tear up. She loved her mum and knew that she really had no reason to be angry with her mother. Things didn't have to be this way between her and Ginny. "I—I'll write to her," Lily promised quietly, but she didn't know if she would keep this promise.

"Tell Rose and Hugo we love them," Hermione said before they parted ways.

Lily felt a little uncertain without her aunt and uncle with her. But Hogwarts was her home, and already she started feeling her heart lighten at the familiar suits of armor and the paintings that chatted amicably among themselves. She meandered through the corridors, making her way as slowly as she possibly could to Defense Against the Dark Arts to pick up her work. Classes were dismissed as she maneuvered through the corridors, and students quickly clogged the hallway. She tried to make her way through the mass of people, mumbling apologies when she bumped into someone. She ran into a burly Slytherin that she thought she vaguely remembered. "I'm sorry," she said politely.

She was about to move around him as usual when he said, "I don't want your apologies, you whore."

Lily froze, shocked. "Excuse me?"

"I called you a whore. Do you have a problem with that?" he asked with a sneer, as though taunting her to retaliate.

"Um, yeah." She nodded, more than a little angry at this boy whose name she didn't even know. "I do have a problem with that."

"That's what you are, a two-faced whore. Alicia Baddock never did anything to you. And then you paraded yourself around Scorpius like you owned the world."

"I never did anything to them!" Lily exclaimed.

He ignored her and leaned over to her level. He was suddenly holding his wand and pointing it at her. "Come near the Slytherins again, and I swear you'll end up like Alicia, or worse."

Lily opened her mouth to say something but he strode away before she could retort. She continued down the corridor, almost in a daze. She should have realized that everything about her had been screamed in the headlines of the Daily Prophet. Rita Skeeter wasn't the only one who'd like the goods on almost celebrity families like the Potters and the Malfoys.

Although she knew she should retrieve her makeup work, she found herself returning to Gryffindor Tower, needing family and friends to help her sort through things. She hesitated once she reached the Fat Lady. She wasn't exactly on speaking terms with her family at the moment, though. "What's the password, Dearie?" the Fat Lady asked.

Lily rummaged through her head but realized that she hadn't been informed of the new password. "Gillyweed?" she asked, using the old one.

"I'm afraid not," the portrait said grimly.

"I've only just returned. Can't you let me in just this once?" Lily begged. "Please?"

"Sorry, Hon, but you know the rules."

"But it's me," Lily said. "You know that I'm a Gryffindor!"

"No, I don't," the Fat Lady answered. "What if you're some killer using polyjuice potion? Then what would happen? No, I can't let you in."

Lily sighed in exasperation. "Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Wait till someone who knows the password shows up."

Lily glared at the Fat Lady as she sat down on the stone floor, leaning her back against the stone banister. She hadn't even gotten the chance to change from her business clothes that she wore to the trial, and she pulled her knees up to her chest. After half an hour, Lily muttered, "I hate you."

The Fat Lady rolled her eyes and continued talking to her friend Vivian who had shown up not long after Lily was denied entry.

It was an hour until dinner when Rose miraculously appeared, carrying a load of books. "Thank Merlin you're here!" Lily exclaimed.

"What are you doing out here?" Rose asked quizzically.

"I don't know the password," Lily answered miserably, her back aching from the uncomfortable seating arrangement.

"Oh, it's Luminatas." The Fat Lady swung open at last, after Lily threw her one last dirty look. As they entered the common room, Rose asked, "So… you're talking to us again?"

"Oh," Lily responded haltingly. "Well, I really don't have anything against my extended family…"

"And yet, when you were bleeding to death, you still had the vehemence to scream that we weren't allowed in your room."

Lily refused to look up at her cousin, instead studying the plush red rug beneath her shoes. "I was confused then. Please, forgive me."

Rose's silence intimidated her, and Lily finally glanced up warily through her light curtain of eyelashes. A tiny smile tugged at the corner of Rose's lips and she said, "Of course I forgive you, Lily. That's what family's for."

"I-is everyone upset about Scorpius and me?" Lily asked quietly.

Rose bit her lip before she slowly answered, "It depends. Granddad is livid, but Uncle George and Uncle Charlie have nothing against it. Dad… basically reacted the same as Uncle Harry, and Mum was too busy comforting Aunt Ginny to give her opinion…. The truth is, Lily, the adults would give anything to have you back. Do you realize how terrible Christmas was? Grandmum was in tears, Granddad, Uncle Percy, Uncle Charlie, Aunt Penny, and Uncle Harry and Dad were arguing all day, and half of the family wouldn't speak to the other half! The family's in tatters without you."

Lily listened solemnly, the revelation only souring her strained optimism more. "You said the adults… What about the kids?"

"That's a mess, Lily," Rose muttered with a sigh. "James is furious about Scorpius, but Al told me that he's been crying in his room every night since you left. Albus gets into arguments every time he opens his mouth. He's been torn to shreds over what happened to Alicia on top of everything with you. Most of the kids hate you for almost betraying us, but me, Molly, Lucy and Freddy want you back. Everyone refuses to talk to everyone else. I can't keep straight in my head who I'm talking to and who won't talk to me, and you know I'm the brightest student in my class. But—"

Lily didn't get to hear whatever Rose was going to say, for everyone seemed to have realized who had returned to the Gryffindor common room. Whispers flared through the room with the intensity of a wildfire. Lily Potter. Lily Potter has returned to Hogwarts. As the laughter began to dwindle and the whispers grow louder, she lifted her eyes and saw many witches and wizards staring at her with unabashed fear. A few groups of younger students scampered upstairs, as though terrified of being in her very presence.

Two tall boys stood up, two that she recognized immediately. "What do you think you're doing here?" James asked, leering angrily at her. Both he and Albus had their arms crossed over their chests.

"I wasn't aware that I wasn't allowed to be here," Lily replied coolly.

"So they decided to spare your life, did they?" Albus asked. His tone was threatening but calm and calculated. "And they didn't even lock you up in an asylum."

"Maybe because I'm perfectly—"

"Psychopathic," Dominique said, lounging in one of the chairs near James and Albus.

"You betrayed us," said Louis, who stood near Dominique's chair.

"I never betrayed anyone," Lily asserted.

"Then why were you flaunting yourself around that prick Malfoy?" Albus yelled.

"I never 'flaunted' myself, and Scorpius is not a prick!" Lily yelled in return.

"How could you go and do something like this, Lily?" James interfered. Although his voice was full of anger, Lily saw the confusion and betrayal in his eyes, and she realized that he truly didn't know how she could have done something so scandalous.

"There's nothing wrong with it!"

"Everything's wrong with it!" Hugo retorted, much to her surprise. Lily and Hugo had always been close friends before Hogwarts, but then they seemed to find their own friends and speak less often with each other. Especially since he started dating Sara-Lynn, they had drifted away from each other. "He's a Malfoy!"

"What does a name have to do with anything? You can't judge him just because our parents hated his!" She cried, wishing that they would see things her way.

"He's a bad sort!" Albus argued. "I'm not going to let my baby sister get herself screwed over by a Malfoy!"

"He's a good person!" Lily was tired after her long day, and her bum was still aching from sitting in front of the Fat Lady for nearly two hours. She took a deep breath. "It doesn't matter what any of you think about him, because it's my life to screw up! If you don't like it, then you can go die in a hole!" she yelled lamely.

"Whatever, Freak," James muttered. His comment effectively ended the argument that disrupted all of Gryffindor Tower, and Lily half-ran up the stairs to her dormitory.

To her utmost relief, the snobby gossips she shared her room with were not around. She stood in the middle of the circular room, at loss with her emotions. Half of her felt like screaming curses to the sky while the other half just wanted to flop onto her bed and sob until her pillow was soaked with tears.

She heard the door softly open with the slight clicking of the handle. Lily turned to see Rose standing apprehensively behind the partially open door. Her cerulean eyes and bright red hair peeked out from behind the door. "Lily, are you alright?"

Lily sniffled and took a step towards the door. "Yeah, I'm fine. I guess I'm just having issues with my temper lately."

"That is an understatement," Rose said as she entered and closed the door behind her.

"Tell me about it," Lily muttered. She sighed, the warm breath shifting loose strand of hair away from her face as she sat down on her bed. "C-can I have some advice?" she asked tentatively.

"I suppose," Rose answered, settling down beside her younger cousin. "What do you want advice on?"

"What am I supposed to do?" Lily asked softly. "I love Scorpius. I know I do, but I don't think anyone can handle our family fighting for very long. Things are already completely out of hand and it's entirely my fault." Her elbows rested on her legs and her face fell into her open hands as she hunched over. "I don't know what to do anymore."

Rose didn't answer, trying to collect her thoughts and phrase them in a way that wouldn't cause any more harm. "I… I'm probably not the best one to tell you what you need to do, Lily. Do you really love Scorpius?"

"With all my heart," Lily assured.

"Do you love your family, Lily?" Rosie asked in a subdued voice.

Lily looked up from her hands. "How could you ever think that? Of course I do!"

Rose didn't say anything, just gave a sad little smile.

"I do," Lily said, more to herself than Rose, but not because she needed reassurance of that truth. She was lost and confused, with no idea of what to do. Her eyes met Rose's. "Why do I have to choose between my family and Scorpius?"

"Maybe you don't. I'm not sure if it would be possible," Rose admitted, "but I think you can find a way, Lily. You have before." The older cousin stood up and brushed off her skirt. "This is your decision to make, and no one can make it for you."

With that said, Rose exited, leaving Lily to contemplate how she would deal with this mess that had become her life.

XxXoOoXxX

The Great Hall was filled with the familiar chatter that Lily hadn't even realized that she had missed until she heard it again. There were no friends that accompanied her to dinner, nor any family, seeing as Rose had disappeared after their conversation. Her emerald eyes slid across the room as she entered. As she glanced past the Ravenclaw table, she noticed Kayla and Lizzy engrossed in a discussion with another Ravenclaw girl that seemed to have grown close to them over the past year.

Laughter and possibly the loudest chatter came from the Gryffindor table, and just seeing everyone have a good time made her smile. She hesitated; everywhere she looked at the table, it seemed to be that there was nowhere that she would be welcome. Knowing she probably looked like an idiot just gawking at the doorway, she walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat near the end, apart from most of the other Gryffindors. The plate in front of her magically filled with food, but she picked at it with her fork, only eating a few bites.

Every few minutes, she glanced up and across to the Slytherin table more often that she would have liked. Scorpius sat with his back turned toward her, amicably carrying on with Rose's boyfriend, Julian. Rose herself had chosen to spend the evening sitting with Hugo, and Lily could tell by the way Julian kept looking for Rose that he wanted to be with her.

Lily, although the courageous Gryffindor she should have been, put off confronting Scorpius as long as she could, trying for what seemed like the millionth time to puzzle out his actions, or lack thereof. She didn't understand why he never came to St. Mungo's, or even written her a letter. His silence confused her, although she assumed that Mr. Malfoy had something to do with it. But what would Scorpius have to say when she finally confronted him? Had his father forbidden him to ever see her again? Had he simply gotten in trouble, perhaps grounded or something? Whatever the answer was, she knew that she had to tell him that she loved him. She had decided on that much. Would he feel the same? Of course, Lily thought, berating herself for even thinking that he wouldn't.

With her shred of Gryffindor courage, she stood up and crossed the Great Hall, unnoticed by most. She tried to keep her head held high as she lightly tapped Scorpius on the shoulder. He turned in his seat and looked up at her with his soft grey eyes that flooded her with happy memories. A light smile pulled across her lips and she breathed, "Hi."

She noticed the minute way his muscles stiffened as he realized that it was her. "What do you want?"

His harsh tone made her blink with surprise. "Um, can we talk?" She didn't catch the expression in his eyes because the attitude threw her off, and despite her Gryffindor-ness, she was too scared to look him in the eye.

"About what?" A considerable amount of Slytherins began to turn towards them, with orbs for eyes that lusted for tidbits of gossip. Julian's face seemed expressionless, an obvious marker that he was hiding something.

"A-about what happened at the party." Absentmindedly, she wrung her fingers with nervousness that she never felt around Scorpius before.

"And?" He wasn't even looking at her; instead, he stared down at his Charms textbook, giving her only half of his attention.

"Scorpius, can we t-talk in private?"

"What's wrong with staying here? Surely anything you have to say to me can be said in front of everyone else."

She took a deep breath, uncertain of how to handle the situation. Despite her obvious confusion, she raised her chin to reserve some sort of dignity and tried to say in her strongest voice, "Is there a problem here, Scorpius?"

Abruptly, his attention was completely focused on her. "Yes, there is," He answered shortly, standing up in one fluid motion. Lily took a small retreating step as he towered over her. He crossed his arms over his chest, and she had never felt so intimidated. Growth spurts had been kind to him since the beginning of her third and his fourth year. But she knew that. She knew that a little too well.

She mirrored his movement and crossed her arms as well. "And what exactly," she asked coolly, "would that problem be?"

"You." His simple answer made her heart crash into her stomach.

"And… why is that?" She wet her lips, trying her best not to let it show just how much that word hurt her.

"I thought it was fun while it lasted, Lily." She flinched at the way he so scathingly said her name. "It was an entertaining little game to play."

"I… I was a game to you?" She couldn't hide the catch in her voice or the tears that stung her eyes. "No, I don't believe that."

"You know it's true. All the signs were there. I didn't mean for things to go as far as they did." His voice sounded regretful, but her eyes were trained on his chest, watching him inhale deeply during every pause. Despite every order that her head screamed, her eyes refused to look up to his grey orbs. "For that I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I let things go and I let you believe that I cared that deeply for you. But honestly, you thought that a Malfoy would stoop down to the level of a Potter?"

"Stoop?" Her heart beat rapidly in her chest. "Was I your next charity case, Malfoy?" Her voice rose. To herself, she knew that the anger was just a way to cover the pain. She wondered if Scorpius noticed, too, or had he really been lying to her all that time? She had never considered herself gullible, but she knew how easily his silky voice devised lies and made it seem like the most realistic truth. The only question was, was he lying now, or had he been lying before?

"Did you honestly believe that we would ever be compatible? I knew that I could lie to you and make it believable, but I never thought you were that stupid!"

"You weren't lying, Scorpius!" she pleaded desperately. Her voice, she knew, was too loud and easily overheard. In her mind, she envisioned what everyone would be whispering behind her back tomorrow. "Please, I know you weren't!"

"You're not good for me," he continued in a business-like manner. "My future almost crashed and burned because of that fling with you, and I can't let my reputation be ruined."

"That fling? That's what you call the past three months?" Her breathing became strained as though she were slowly suffocating.

"Haven't you figured out that it wasn't real?" he asked softly.

"Then you never cared at all about me?" she asked, trying to wrap her mind around this weird conversation.

"I did. A little too much, if you ask me." His voice mirrored the way his father always spoke. "But then… everything that happened at the party, and I realized that you were bad for me, like a poison that was slowly killing me. If I had continued down the same road with you, my reputation would have been destroyed. Everyone would look down on me as though I had betrayed them. I would never be prestigious with you at my side. Our worlds weren't meant to coincide, but I let you think that they could because then you didn't realize that I didn't mean what I said."

"You're lying," Lily said softly, her last attempt at resistance.

He almost laughed. "What did you think, Lily? Did you think that I loved you?" He laughed.

Yes, she thought to herself as tears welled up and the first one spilled, I did.

She didn't respond aloud, however. Scorpius rolled his eyes. "In love with a Potter! That is simply the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" He picked up his book bag and slung it over his shoulder. He looked to her eyes with the beautiful grey that she had so stupidly fallen for. "I fancied you, Lily, but I could never love you. I can't pretend anymore."

Another tear fell, smearing her mascara. She waited for him to tell her that he was only pretending, that he did love her. She waited for him to wrap his arms around her and comfort her and kiss her until the tears dried. But he didn't. He waited for Julian to gather his things and began to walk away as casually as if he had just told her of a homework assignment.

"Scorpius," she called in a pitiful voice that broke. He stopped and turned to her. Would it have been easier if his eyes were filled with hate? It was only distant sympathy she saw in the swirling grey. "Please." She gasped for her next breath. He didn't love her, and his former feelings weren't enough for him to stay.

He walked away.

Tears flowed down her cheeks, and she hastily wiped them away, at a loss of what to do. She couldn't handle the stares of everyone in the vicinity. The first sob broke through as she felt her heart completely shatter, finally. She had lost her home and her family, all for a boy that didn't return her love. How stupid was she? Her father had been right which only felt like pouring vinegar on her wound. She rushed out of the Great Hall, unable to stop crying now that she had started. She ran away, only wanting to escape the desperation that filled her soul. When she reached the ajar doors of the castle, she slipped right through the large crack, not even caring about the cold and the snow. Her heart fluttered wildly in her chest as though she had been physically wounded and it had to work even harder to get the blood rushing through her body.

OoOxXxOoO

Harry felt like a drum was beating inside his head, pounding on the inside of his skull. This press conference had drained on him for the past hour, and it still showed no sign of ending soon.

"Mr. Potter, since you have found Gringe, who do you suspect has been behind these murders?" a blonde woman in the crowd asked, speaking above the others as the sound of furiously scratching quills echoed in the short silence.

"Because of our last mistake, the ministry will make no comment on suspects." His voice was worn and tired, and he pushed his circular glasses up his nose.

The other writers flooded him with questions that he had the appropriate ministry response to. He should have expected the question that came next, but until it was asked, he had never even considered it before. A man stood up and asked, "Mr. Potter, due to your recent conflict with your daughter, Miss Lily Potter, has your performance as Head of the Aurors been corrupted?"

He didn't answer right away, and somewhere, a camera flashed, taking a picture of his surely stunned face. Finally he answered, "That pertains in no way to the matter at hand, and I will refrain from commenting at this time."

Perhaps it was the anger that flashed in his eyes when a press reported asked about Lily, but no one else dared to ask another question similar to that man's. As the usual questions began again, Harry found his mind wandering away as his voice mechanically answered the questions.

He missed Lily terribly, and the look of sadness that constantly clouded Ginny's face made his heart crumble to pieces every time he saw it. He found himself having extra reasons to walk past Lily's room, and he kept finding himself pausing in the doorway, waiting for his teenage daughter to yell at him to get out and slam the door in his face. The house seemed haunted by her memory as he often caught himself thinking that Lily was around the corner or down the hall.

Guilt had made him miserable over the past weeks, and he blamed himself entirely for everything that happened. Because Lily had fallen for that Malfoy boy, it was somehow his fault because he hadn't spent enough time with her, or he did something wrong. The argument, he knew, was his fault, and he had yet to forgive himself for losing his temper so severely, certain that his anger had driven his little girl away forever.

Many nights he had spent lying awake long after Ginny's breaths had evened and slowed to a regular rhythm. More often than not, he shed a few tears, wishing that his little Lily would come home.

"Mr. Potter!" a demanding woman interrupted his thoughts. "Mr. Potter, what is your answer?"

He stared at the people in silence for a moment. He stood up, deciding immediately. "I'm sorry to everyone, but I think I've answered enough questions for now. If you'll excuse me, I need to be going."

Harry heard everyone calling after him, wanting him to come back, but he had made up his mind and he wasn't going to wait around. He strode quickly out of the building into the busy street right outside of the Ministry. He ducked into an empty alleyway and Apparated to Hogsmeade.

A few people seemed startled as they made their way home after the long day. The winter sun was beginning to set, casting an orange tint over the little village. He strode through quickly, ignoring the stares that he was used to after thirty years of it. He trekked up the path to the towering castle that he always seemed to be visiting these days. His legs almost felt like they were burning from the exercise as he finally reached the courtyard while a tiny part in the back of his mind reproved him for being so out of shape.

His breath made a pale ghost in the air that dissipated after he inhaled. Something darted through the doors that had been left slightly open and he froze. So did Lily.

She stared across the courtyard at him as though he were a ghost resurrected from the dead. Harry hardly breathed as he waited expectantly for her reaction. Even from this distance, he could tell that her precious green eyes were red-rimmed and tears stained her cheeks. "Lily," he said, and, in a very un-grown-up way, his voice broke as he really got to see her for the first time in what felt like eons.

"Dad," she cried, almost wailing, and she rushed into his arms. After recovering from a brief moment of shock, Harry held the girl tightly to him, wishing that he never had to let her go. Her body trembled as her arms created a death grip around his waist, and she sobbed unashamed.

He let her cry, holding her tight and stroking her fiery hair to console her. Lily was so miserable herself that Harry was glad she didn't notice the two tears that fell down his face beneath his glasses. "I'm so-rry, Dad, I'm s-so sorry," she cried in a watery voice with gasps like hiccups in between her words. "You w-were right," she sobbed. "Y-you were right about e-e-everything."

"Shhh, baby," he told her softly. "I've never been so sorry to be right in my life. I'm so sorry, Lily."

"I-It's a-ll my fault," she answered, tears squeezing out from beneath her shut eyelids.

"No, honey, none of this was your fault." Tears overran Lily's ability to peak and he softly kissed her hair while she sobbed. "I love you, Lily. I'll always love you more than you'll ever know."

His soft voice comforted her, yet did nothing to heal her shattered heart. "I love you t-too, Dad."

Did you like it? Did you cry? How many of you want to murder me right now? Let me know just how much you hate me right now in a review please!