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Song is property of: Luther Vandgross
Song Title: Dance With My Father
Characters: All Harry Potter characters and the wizarding world belong to JK. Only Lily Potter and James Potter I came up with.
Enjoy!

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To Dance With My Father...Again

Lily Potter sat in her bed, the drawings closed. She hugged her legs to her chest and let out the silent tears. The salty, bitter tears rolled down her cheek and onto her robes.

She could hear girls downstairs squealing and deciding on which dress robes to pick. Girls running out of the Dorm to owl their homes, and than coming back in to wait for the return responses.


Back when I was a child, before life removed all the innocence
My father would lift me high and dance with my mother and me and then
Spin me around ‘til I fell asleep
Then up the stairs he would carry me


She closed her eyes and recalled the memory of when her mum and dad would dance. Her dad, the famous Harry Potter, would let her step onto his shoes, and than they would do a small step.

Other times he would hold her up and they would go gliding across the room. She would shriek in excitement as he turned and swirled around. Her mum, Ginny Potter, would stand in the doorway of the living room, laughing. Than walk in and dance with him after he put me to bed.

They would dance every night, and she would hear the soft classical music. It would put the young girl right to sleep. She quickly came to like the slow cry of the lyre as it played, and she quickly learned and would sometimes play it, as her parents would dance.

She opened her eyes. They were almost as red as her long tendrils. She swiped a fragile hand across her eyes, wiping away the moisture. Another tear rolled down her cheek as she saw a barn owl fly to the window and down the steps with a reply. She heard a girl shriek with excitement.

A Father/Daughter dance was going to be held this year. They held one every year for the graduating class. And this year Lily was finally allowed to go, she was graduating Hogwarts in July. She had looked forward to it since her first year.


And I knew for sure I was loved


And she recalled the bitter memory.

“Daddy! Daddy!” Lily had shrieked when she came into the house.

He looked at her happily. “What’s wrong, love?”

“Nothings wrong! Guess what?”

“What is it?” he asked, letting her sit in his lap.

“When I graduate they have a Father/Daughter dance! Will you come with me?” she asked.

Harry chuckled. “Lily, that’s six and half years form now,” he said to the young girl.

She pouted. “So you won’t come with me?”

Her father put down his quill and stood up, holding her in mid-air and danced with her slowly. “Of course I will go!”

The girl smiled and then snuggled into his shoulder as he danced around the room slowly with her. “I love you, Daddy.”

“I love you too, love.”

Lily’s tears came down more quickly as she recalled the memory. She had been so happy when she returned to Hogwarts from her Christmas Vacation.

A snowy white owl came flying into the room and into Lily’s bed.

“Hello, Hedwig,” she said untying the letter from the owls leg.

She looked at the addressee.

To: Lily Potter
From: James Potter

It was from her brother. He was three years older than she was. She loved James, he was her favorite out of her five siblings. He worked as an Auror, exactly what her father had done, and what she was planning on doing.

She opened the letter and read the contents:

Lily,
I hope your doing well. Don’t cry over dad…he’s fine. I know you’re crying now because of the Father/Daughter dance. Don’t. It hurts me. Good luck on your NEWTS.

Take well, Lily.

Your Brother,
James

Tears came down her face. It was just like James to be that way. He was always concerned about her being. She closed her eyes and suppressed sobs that were about to erupt and rack her body.


If I could get another chance, another walk, another dance with him
I’d play a song that would never, ever end


Lily opened her eyes at the thought. She would. If she could play one more song, and dance with her father once more, she would. She would make sure that it kept on going, on and on and on and on, for all of eternity. She would keep the track playing.

“Just one more, papa,” she said aloud to herself. She let another tear trickle down her cheek. It was her father that had taught her how to slow dance. She owed so much to him. “Just one more.”


How I’d love, love, love
To dance with my father again


She would love to dance with her father again. She would do almost anything!

“Dad, why?” she asked the shadows dancing on the curtains of her bed. “One more dance, dad?” she asked the room, ina whisper.

She closed her eyes and brought back a memory of them dancing around their living room. No matter how old she got, she was never ashamed to dance with her dad. No, never.


When I and my mother would disagree
To get my way, I would run from her to him
He’d make me laugh just to comfort me
Then finally make me do just what my mama said
Later that night when I was asleep
He left a dollar under my sheet


Lily laughed. She always disagreed with her mum. Her dad would look at her mum with pleading eyes but her mum would not relent. She never relented. Her dad would say no or make her do whatever needed to be done. He would then put a galleon under her pillow.

She reached under her bed. Her hand grazed against a tin. She took it out. It was scarlet and gold. Her father had given it to her for her thirteenth birthday. She knew she was her father’s favorite, and she enjoyed it.

She opened the tin by inserting the wand into it, her father’s wand. The tin clicked open and she picked up a small scarlet and gold bag, it was a gift from her father. Inside galleons clicked against each other. She never spent the galleons her father gave her; no she kept them. She took one out. It was weathered; it had a small pink dot on it. She had put the dot on it; it was the first one that she got.

Lily closed her eyes and held the galleon close to her heart.


Never dreamed that he would be gone from me


It was true. She never imagined having Professor Dumbledore calling her and her brother’s and sisters to his office, their mum there. She told them. She had cried and ran out of the office, leaving her whole family to mourn by themselves.

She hadn’t gone to classes for a week, and then at the funeral she refused to say anything. She didn’t want to believe it.

She had cried for weeks. She cried while reading. She cried when she was alone. She cried herself to sleep.

And now…she was crying.


If I could steal one final glance, one final step, one final dance with him
I’d play a song that would never, ever end
‘Cause I’d love, love, love
To dance with my father again


She opened her curtains and felt around for a picture frame. Her hand hit the stain-glassed picture frame and she gripped and brought it into her enclosure.

She looked at the picture of her father and her. Her father smiling, his emerald green eyes dancing, his untidy black hair blowing in the wind, and his smile bigger than ever.

Her eyes were looking up at him, her long red hair was blowing in the wind, and she was laughing.

It was taken last year. She smiled…tears falling from her eyes. Her father’s eyes darted towards the camera…he looked at it smiled and waved. He mouthed words… “I love you”.

Tears sprang right from her eyes.


Sometimes I’d listen outside her door
And I’d hear how my mother cried for him


After her father’s funeral. Lily went to her mum’s door. She would hear her crying. Saying things, and crying about what was going to happen to her. She would hear her often. And when summer came the crying came more and more. Everything reminded her mum of her father. Especially her. Her eyes…her mum would say that she had her dad’s sparkling emerald green eyes.

It broke her heart to hear her mum cry the way she did. It had ceased but sometimes it came out in big sobs and she saw her mum one time.

It was after midnight and Lily was going to go downstairs for a glass of water. She started down the steps, she saw her mum on the sofa. Her face was in her hands; from the light of the fire she could see the tears dripping from the inside of her hands. Her body was being racked by the silent sobs coming from her mouth.

She had walked down to her mum and tried to comfort her, but it wasn’t possible. Her dad had left them with a burden and years of tears to shed.


I pray for her even more than me
I pray for her even more than me


Lily prayed each night. Harder and harder as the days passed, she would pray. She would pray the simplest prayer:

Dear Lord,
Help my mum and my brothers and sisters.

Dad, if you can hear me…I miss you. More than anything, I miss you.

Lord, when my mum is ready make sure she meets my dad. Let them dance in the clouds, and under the light of the moon or sun.

When I come, I want the first dance. Dance forever. With just on person, my dad.

Amen.

She opened her eyes after reciting the simple prayer that she would say.

And than she would end…


I know I’m praying for much too much
But could you send back the only man she loved


And the father I love.

She cried as she realized that it would never be possible. Never. Not until they were all together in heaven.


I know you don’t do it usually
But dear Lord she’s dying


She was…not physically, but mentally. Her mum barely could go through a day without a tear being shed. She missed him so much, and so did she.

She thought about it…she was dying too. Dying for her father…one last dance with him.

----*----

It was the day of the Father/Daughter dance. She was in her room. Her friends had left to meet their fathers in the Great Hall. They had all looked so pretty. So happy. Unlike her.

She was reading a book when a knock rapped on her door. She ignored it and went back to the book.

The door opened slightly.

“Lily?” came the all-to-familiar voice.

“James?” Lily said. She opened up her curtains. “JAMES!”
She ran off the bed and into her brother’s arms. He embraced her back. He smoothed her hair with his hand. He held her at arms length. “How are you?”

“I am doing…fine,” she said half-heartily.

She looked at him. His hazel eyes were sparkling with happiness. His long red hair was pulled into a ponytail (“I took it from your own brother, mum!” he had said to Ginny). And he had his best dress robes on. He had a small bag in his hand.

“Why are you wearing your dress robes? Wait, why are you here!? Is everyone alright?” Lily asked frantically.

James laughed. “I am fine, Lily. I came here to take you to the dance.”

“But, James, it’s a ‘Father/Daughter’ dance.”

“Professor Dumbledore said I could take you. Here, I bought you some nice dress robes,” he said, handing her the bag.

“I couldn’t, James…”

James knelt in front of her. “Lily, you can do anything. You can do this. Now, go dress, I will wait.”

She looked at him and than took the bag reluctantly. “Ok,” she said shakily.

She went into the bathroom. She opened the bag and gasped. She extracted long emerald green dress robes. They sparkled in the light and they were stunning. They had cap sleeves and they billowed out at the bottom. The top was cut slightly low, and it had green jewels on the neckline.

She undressed and dressed in the elaborate robes. She did her hair with a quick curling charm and than took a glance in the mirror.

She looked stunning. Her red hair fell down in soft curls. The robes brought her eyes, and the complimented her hair.

She took a deep breath and stepped out. James had sat down in a chair and he was looking through one of Lily’s photo albums.

“Not much into privacy are you, James?” she asked her brother.

He smiled. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank-you,” she said, blushing slightly.

“Would you like to head down?” he asked her.

She smiled. “I would love to.” He held out her arms and the linked arms. They walked down to the Great Hall and stopped in front of the entrance.

“Are you ready, Lily?” James asked looking down at her.

“Yes,” she said with a low sigh.

James opened the door with his free hand and everyone turned to look at the latecomers. Many people smiled.

James and Lily walked in slowly. The song changed as soon as the doors closed behind them

Lily looked up at James. “What’s wrong?” he asked her.

“This is…this was dad’s and my song…we would dance to it all the time,” she said, suppressing tears.

He held out his hand. “Well, Lily, let’s dance,” he said.

She smiled. “James, you are truly the best brother,” she said.

He smiled. “I know I am. Now, let’s dance…for dad.”

The two of them swirled around the floor, just like Lily and her father used to. It brought memories. For Lily, it was the final stage in grieving…





To dance with my father again
Every night I fall asleep and this is all I ever dream.

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Author's Note ~ Whilst writing this story, it brought tears to my eyes. It's sad, yes. But I like it.

The song is by Luther Vandgross and it's called: Dance With My Father.

Please review!!





You may move on --
Riddle 04 ~

Ron and Hermione’s circle of life have come full circle, wouldn’t you think?