A/N: My Internet still isn't working at my house so for now everyone will have to make due with weekend only updates cuz that's the only time I can get to a computer with Internet access.

Anyway, I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, I've had the worse case of writers block and this was all I could come up with all week. Thanks to everyone who reviewed for the last chapter. Enjoy.

Dear Dad,

Hogwarts is GREAT! The castle is so huge that I got lost on my way to my first class (luckily I had Transfiguration with Teddy so I didn't get into trouble). I wasn't lost alone though, Ethan was with me. We were both sorted into Gryffindor (YAY!).

I haven't seen the Quidditch Pitch yet, but I want to fly so badly. The rule that first years can't bring brooms is so stupid. As soon as I get into second year you can bet I'll carry my broom with me everywhere I go (just because I can).

Classes are alright, though I'd rather be outside. The other girls in my dormitory are fun and I think I made a friend of this one girl named Lauren. She agrees with me that first years should be allowed brooms and she can't wait to be able to try out for the Quidditch team too.

I miss you like crazy! And I can't wait to see you again; I'm counting the days 'till Christmas break.

Love,

Amber.

P.S. I haven't got to put the pudding in Teddy's chair yet (since I was so late for his class) but now that I have an idea of where I'm going you can bet that I'll do it.

P.P.S. Please don't get too bored without me.

XOXOXO

Amber was gone…gone…gone. And James didn't know what to do. She had left on Thursday; Friday James had gone to work; but now it was Saturday and James had nothing to occupy his time. She had asked him not to be bored without her but he hadn't had alone time for eleven years, was it his fault that he had forgotten how to use it?

The fact that he missed her like mad didn't help either.

James was currently lying on the floor of his living room in front of his couch. He didn't know why. Maybe he had dropped something and bent down to fetch it and then hadn't gotten back up. He was blowing at a particularly large dust bunny and watching as it skittered across the wood floor.

He heard the crackle of a fire that he hadn't built and entertained the idea of getting up, just in case a thief, who would take all of his things as he lay on the floor playing with a puff of dust, was coming through the floo. But he didn't get up.

Let them take everything, at least tracking them down to get all of his stuff back would give him something to do.

"James," he heard a female voice say in disbelief. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Playing with a dust bunny," he replied. "I can't remember the last time I cleaned underneath this couch but the dust bunnies have built a colony in that time."

He felt a pair of hands grab under his armpits and try to lift him up. He obediently stood but didn't see why he should.

"Why are you here Lily?" he asked her as he stood.

"Amber asked me to check on you this weekend. She thought that having time to yourself wouldn't be good for you and now I know what she means. Look at you, lying on the floor playing with dust bunnies!"

"Amber sent you!" James perked up. "How is she doing? Is she alright? Couldn't you bring her with you?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "James you know I can't do that."

"What use are you then?" James asked.

Lily chose to ignore his comment, "James you need to get out and find something to do to get your mind off of Amber being gone," she instructed.

"Why?" James whined. "I want to stay here and play with the dust bunnies under my couch."

"James, stop sulking."

James gasped dramatically, "I. Am. Not. Sulking."

"Yes, you are, and you have no right to," she told him.

"No right to!" he said outraged. "My daughter is-"

"Growing up," Lily cut him off. "It happens, James, get use to it and move on."

"I'm allowed to sulk a little," James grumbled, crossing his arms and sitting roughly on the couch.

"No," Lily corrected him. "I'm allowed to sulk a little, I had a miscarriage last week, your kid just went to Hogwarts."

Damn her, playing the 'I lost my baby for real' angle. He couldn't top that. Lily had miscarried the baby that she had been carrying. Most of the family was sad over the lose but, ever strong, Lily was treating the fact that having a baby would be difficult for her as a challenge. She was already planning on trying for a new baby (not that they had tried for the first).

"Fine, you win," James reluctantly admitted. "But what am I suppose to do?"

"Well," Lily thought for a moment, "This is the perfect time for you to start dating more."

James groaned, that wasn't what he wanted to do at the moment.

"Oh, stop acting like I asked you to kill a puppy and get out!" Lily ordered.

James did leave after grabbing his jacket and grumbling his way out of the door but just to get away from Lily's nagging. He ended up in Diagon Alley; he wandered from store to store in a stupor, not knowing what else to do. Amber usually dictated what stores they go into.

This was stupid. He was a grown man; he shouldn't need the company of his child all the time. He could find things to do without Amber.

He could go visit Adam and Sarah. But when he thought about it he couldn't do that, it was always awkward to go to a married couple's house uninvited.

And Freddie was probably out with that woman he's been seeing…what's-her-face, James felt slightly guilty about not knowing her name, Freddie had been dating her for a while.

That was alright, he didn't need them. He could find something else to occupy his time.

"James?"

Who was he kidding; this was going to be horrible!

"James?"

No Amber to keep him company, what was he going to do?

"James!"

James jumped at the sound of a voice yelling his name. He looked around to see-of all people-Charlotte looking up, worriedly at him. "Are you alright?" she asked him.

"Yes," he lied, "why do you ask?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "I only said hello to you twice and called your name three times before you even knew I was here. You were standing there staring into space, completely lost in your own world."

James looked around for the first time, he was in a store that he didn't even remember going into, standing in front of a shelf full of broken quills.

"Nothings wrong…" he said slowly, searching for an excuse for his strange behavior. He decided to go with the truth. "It's just, Amber went to Hogwarts." he finished lamely.

To his surprise Charlotte seemed to know exactly what he was talking about. "Oh," she said as full comprehension dawned on her, "How long has she been gone?"

"She left Thursday," he said and he couldn't keep the sadness from seeping into his tone.

Charlotte shook her head sympathetically, "Is this the first time that she's been away from you?" she asked.

"Maybe," he said, shrugging like it was no big deal.

"The first time Isaac and Sophie went to stay at their dads I didn't know what else to do so I ended up passing the time by counting the tiles on my bathroom floor," she confided in him. James was surprised to hear this. So he wasn't the only parent whose life pretty much circled around their children? "And they were only gone for a day," Charlotte continued, "I can't imagine what it must be like for you."

He sighed and his shoulders slumped in defeat. "I don't know what to do now that she's gone"

"Come on James, we are leaving." Charlotte reached out and grabbed James's hand.

"Where are we going?" He asked, surprised as she dragged him out of the store.

"Coffee," was all she said.

A/N: Some of you are probably asking, "what was the point of making Lily miscarry?" but I do have my reasons so please just go with it. The next chapter will be James' coffee with Charlotte.

Please review.