Holding Onto Hope

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

Beta: Cookies and Cream1234567

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"Sunshine!" Sirius exclaimed, running forward and wrapping Lily's form in his arms. He twirled a bit, causing her feet to swing off the floor. He set her back down on the grass in their front yard. She gave a heavy sigh before smiling sweetly.

"If you mess up my house, Black, I will personally gut and wring you out to dry. Are we understood?" He gulped at her words before nodding wearily. He looked at James over her head.

"Everything okay, Prongs?"

"Brilliant," James grinned. His smile faltered for a moment before he mouthed the next sentence to his best friend. "Just stay on her good side!" Sirius nodded.

"So, James tells me you nearly burnt your house down," Lily commented, leading the boys inside. She slipped her shoes off at the doorway, relishing in the soft feel of the carpet. Sometimes she was sure it was more comfortable than her own bed.

When she was a child Lily would be known to climb underneath their office table and fall asleep on the carpet. For some reason all the outside sound was blocked underneath that little table. Lily surmised that it had been uncontrolled magic causing the little barrier around her special spot. Now that she was older, lying or sitting on the carpet still brought her comfort.

"Those stupid muggle lighter things? Who cares about the house, I nearly burnt my own hand off," he exclaimed, waving said hand in front of her face. The smallest of burns was seen along the side of his pointer finger. Lily laughed before walking into the kitchen.

"So am I allowed to sleep tonight or are you two going to be loud and obnoxious?" She joked as she handed Sirius a glass of water.

"Sleep? Come on Lils, what are you talking about?" James asked merrily. "We are going to pull an all- night-er and you're invited."

"Invited?" she winced, sitting down on the dark wooden chairs around their scratched table. She traced the little pictures that had been carved into it with the tips of her fingers.

"More like…required to attend," Sirius corrected.

"Required?"

"Come on Lily Lu, stop questioning us! If you really don't want to then you don't have to, but it'll be really fun," James spoke convincingly.

"But Jaaaammmmeeeesssss, I'm tired."

"Just give it a try Lils, it'll be really really really fun!"

"As you've said," Lily smiled. "But fine, I'll try to pull an all-night-er with you guys." The two high fived each other, knowing that the more people the present the more fun staying up all night was. "If," they froze at her words. "If we can go to the grocery store and buy ice cream, I've been craving it for ages," she spoke rubbing her pregnant stomach.

"Deal," Sirius agreed eagerly. If there was one thing he enjoyed, it was muggle grocery stores.

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"I've always disliked the sound of shopping carts," Lily frowned as she pushed the squealing cart across the polished floor of the store. James winced as it gave a particularly loud screech.

"Are you kidding? There's nothing more exciting than racing down an isle in a shopping cart," he grinned. "Well maybe that's an exaggeration, flying is brilliant and sneaking into the kitchens was always a kick, but you guys get the idea."

"Well I'm sorry bud, but no racing down isles tonight," Lily chuckled.

"But Liiiillllllyyyyy."

"Maybe next time, Padfoot," James said patting his friend on the back.

"Fine then, what are we looking for?"

"Well, I'll get my ice cream and you guys can get whatever it'll take to keep you occupied and out of trouble tonight."

"Anything?"

"Absolutely no alcohol and you can't get anything but food, no little toys and NO silly string."

"Can you find silly string at grocery stores?" Sirius asked, giving James a look.

"Don't even think about it buddy," Lily chuckled. "I'll come find you guys when I'm done."

"Deal," James grinned. Lily shook her head before walking off, tapping the shopping cart as she pushed it forward.

"Ice cream, ice cream, ice cream," she muttered under her breath. She shivered a bit as she neared the isle she was searching for. "We gotta hurry Harry, Daddy and Uncle Sirius are gonna get into trouble," she spoke down at her stomach.

During this moment Lily wasn't watching in front of her and accidently ran into someone. She instantly began to apologize, but her eyes lit up as soon as she saw who it was.

"Annabelle!" she exclaimed. The girl's head shot up.

"My goodness, Lily!"

Lily rushed forward to hug the girl she had met in her seventh year. In a way Annabelle represented the start of everything: The start of Lily's journey from a quiet studious girl to someone who would fight for her friends and easily give her life for them. It seemed as if it had been ages since she had last seen the girl. What time of year was it? Early May? What was Annabelle doing in a muggle grocery store?

"What are you doing here?" Lily voiced. Annabelle's face fell.

"My grandparents took me out of Hogwarts."

"What?"

"They…they don't understand."

"Hogwarts is the safest place right now!"

"We're not sure," Annabelle winced, brushing a piece of her sandy hair from her pale eyes. Lily took in her form and noticed that the girl had grown several inches, though she was as thin as a rail and sickly looking. Her face was horribly pale making the freckles on her cheek stand out incredibly.

"Annabelle, what's wrong?" Lily asked with eyebrows furrowed. She rested her hand on her stomach, a nervous habit. She saw Annabelle glance down and her eyes widen.

"You're pregnant!" she gasped.

"You didn't notice?" Lily chuckled.

"N-no," Annabelle stuttered, eyes still on Lily's stomach.

"It's a boy," Lily smiled. "His name is Harry."

"Harry," Annabelle said with the first smile Lily had seen that night. It was reserved, tiny, nothing but the tiniest uplift of her lips; nevertheless, something brilliant shown in her eyes. It was the very thing Lily lived to see. "There's hope yet, Lily. There's hope yet with your little boy. I just know it." The smallest of tears dripped from the corner of her eyes.

"It's going to be okay, Annabelle," Lily whispered softly. She moved forward and wrapped the girl in her arms, calming her shaking form. "What's happening?" she asked.

"There are so many people going missing Lily, people dying. My friends! Dumbledore keeps disappearing. He was rarely there. There are all these scary rumors about…. plans and creepy future seers getting interviewed. I want to be there; to…help somehow…my grandparents won't let me though. I don't know what to do."

"You just hang in there, sweetie," Lily cooed. "Just hang in there."

"I'm sorry Lily, putting this on you," she sniffled.

"It's fine I really don't mind," Lily assured her. Annabelle nodded and her head perked up at the sound of her name being called from several isles away.

"I hope to see you again soon," Annabelle spoke with a small smile. She gave Lily once last hug before running off.

Lily sighed, grabbed her ice cream, and went off to find James and Sirius.

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Chapter six is a little short, but seven is sure to be a fun one! Please review and tell me what you think! Thanks so much as always :)

-Sweets5236