I heard a crack in the apparation point near my house.

I crossed the distance from the table to the door in two quick strides.

" Welcome Black"

"James- what?" But he stopped speaking just when he realised that james knew.

"Look I know you are about to die of your unrequited love for her but why do you want me to die with you?"he started blabbering nonsense.

"What?" I asked him Lily forgotten.

" Uh- You know .. I , stop looking at me like that!" Sirius shot helplessly.

" Come in." I ordered him quietly.

Sirius and the others shared a small smile, but I couldn't be more bothered about this reunion.

" Sit." I ordered him again but went to make his tea.

"So, are all the people here who know about Evans' disappearance?" I asked while putting the kettle to heat.

" Yes" Lily replied but the sound didn't come from the dining table but from just behind me.

I turned to face her and was startled to find her watching me from behind.

I didn't know who did it but within a second we were hugging each other.

I spoke in her hair about how worried I was for her and how I just wanted her to be okay and everything was so frustrating.

She allowed me to speak.

If Remus and Sirius were astonished by this then I was far more than that.

I had LILY EVANS in my arms and I was speaking in her hair. Any other situation and my words would have changed.

Lily rubbed my back as if to give me support and I took it. When I detangled myself from her bright green eyes were brighter and ...wet.

" Don't cry Lily" I hurriedly said.

" No james, I - I never really thought I would matter so much to any of you and here you are shouting on your best friends for not telling my whereabouts to you because you were worried about me. If somebody would have told me that this would happen they would have been down in the hospital wing with a combination of hexes which Madam Pomfrey would never be able to heal. "

We both chuckled at the memory of the sweet hospital nurse.

" I really want to know what happened Lily, please tell me otherwise thinking about it for years will make my life shorter and if I die, you know how girls might not be able to live because.of their grief"

" You arrogant ass"

"Eh?"

And we walked back to the table with Sirus's tea in my hand and other hand held by Lily firmly as if to prevent me from flying or her from leaving again.