Getting off the train at half past seven that night, Lily sleepily collected her bags and waited her turn to cross through the barrier into the muggle world. Even though Petunia wouldn’t be around, Lily still felt a cloud of apprehension fogging her joy at being home. Walking through a dark King’s Cross, she felt lonely. Her arrangement was to get a taxi and meet her parents at home.
They’ll be so happy about the ring, Lily thought to herself as she walked into the cool night air.
Hailing a cab and stuffing her trunk and Archimedes’ cage into the backseat, Lily got in and directed the driver.
“Got an owl, have yeh?” asked the man, who seemed dodgy at best.
“Yes,” said Lily bluntly.
The man steered down a sidestreet, then said, “Where’re yeh from?”
“Here.”
“No,” he amended, laughing creepily. “With that bird, and the trunk. Are you off of school? Yeh’re not from the nuthouse are yeh?” he added quickly, looking at her from the rear-view mirror.
“I was at school,” Lily said, slightly hurt. Carrying a trunk and a pet was the sign of insanity? Apparently 16 million loons were wandering around England…
With all the attention and curious looks at the owl, Lily decided to magic her belongings the last block and apparate. In the backseat, she took off her robes and replaced them with a sweater over her skirt and blouse; she also decided to fix her hair into a bun of red strands on the back of her head. Claudia had asked for Lily’s hair to be like that long ago, and Lily decided if she was going to be leaving home soon, she ought to at least give her mother that little favor.
“Here yeh’re,” the driver said a short while later. He turned a smiled at her. In the light of the lamppost his greasy head and filthy teeth shone.
“Er… thanks,” she managed to muster. After paying him, Lily gathered up her things and began towards a nice house nearby; once the sinister driver was gone, however, Lily moved away from the house into the shade of a large oak, pulled out her wand, and sent her trunk to her room with a whoosh. Next, her owl and cage went, which disappeared with the same sound.
Just as she put her wand away and was about to apparate, a voice from inside the nearest house called, “Who’s there?”
Damn, she thought. She might be seen apparating by that muggle if she tried it now – an illegal offence. Better just walk then, she reasoned to herself, only happy to be rid of the eerie man and his taxi cab. She smiled inwardly at James’ face if he knew she had been alone with such a person.
Her old neighborhood was exactly the same – Coleford Road, where Lily lived, was still dark, and still boring. She passed old neighbors’ homes, old friends…
She smiled, taking the shortcut through the thin trees, ducking between thorny branches. Things were no different here, nor were they at Hogwarts. It was true, things were dangerous, but the world was a dangerous place, with or without Voldemort in it.
And now she had a real future to look forward to. James was going to be an Auror; she was going to be an Auror. It was perfect. She could share whatever frustration or –
Coming through the last of the rough trees, Lily caught first sight of her house, only feet away. Above her house was a green-lit skull, a snake protruding grotesquely from its mouth. The Dark Mark. Her heart stopped, fear paralyzing her. Filled with terror, Lily unfroze and ran, panic numbing her senses.
“Mum!” she shouted. “DAD!” Inside the door, a large scorch mark was smoking on the walls of the stairs. Chairs had been toppled, and there was a horrible silence but for the soft noise of marbles on the floor from a shattered vase. She ran from room to room, calling their names, pulling sets off beds, ripping open doors, growing increasingly more afraid.
They were here, they had to be!
But something kept whispering in her ear, telling her that those nightmares on the train were not just dreams…
She was sure if she was running, tripping, falling, or standing… her motions seemed far away, and…
And she found them. In the kitchen, sprawled on the floor were the bodies of her parents. Claudia was in a heap, covered by her husband, obviously caught in the act of protecting her. Lily couldn’t breathe correctly. Her lungs were taking in sharp, uneven gasps of air. She stepped back, panic overcoming her.
“Help,” whispered Lily to the silence. “Please… please, don’t be...” she fell to the floor and felt for a pulse on her father. Nothing. His hard face stared defiantly at her, almost daring her to understand. Whimpering, Lily went to her mother. Nothing.
“Oh, god… No…” she cried, tears falling without notice.
Her head spun; it was a jumble of a thousand things – panic, fear, despair, pain, heartbreak. This happened to other people, to Hannah, to Michael Sarpedon, to Christopher Petraca, Jaiden Young, all those people whose families had been slain.
Part of her knew nothing could bring them back; her insides felt cramped, like someone had gripped them tightly and wasn’t letting go. She tried to look away, but she just stood, feeling both younger and older than ever.
I have to get help, Lily finally thought, crying even more.
“HELP!” she sobbed. Dead? Surely, surely Dumbledore could make this better. Or Slughorn, with all his remedies. There had to be someone to fix this, to mend this gapping hole growing inside her.
Lily rose unbalanced to her feet, her hair falling in clumps into her face, her large sweater coming off her shoulder, panting for breath. What do I do?
James. Her body shook with tears. Without another thought, still sobbing uncontrollably, she thought of James. She was gone with a *pop*.
Up in his room, James sat on his bed, thinking and staring unfocused at the ceiling. He felt strangely unsettled, though it was difficult to say why. He didn’t wake Sirius, who was sleeping like a log, and had been so after saying a “long goodbye” to Hannah and apparating to the Potter’s.
Next second, he heard a CRACK from the hall downstairs. “James!” Lily’s voice called, and in an instant he was on the edge of his bed. What was she doing here? And what was the matter, for her voice sounded choked, so unlike it’s normal tone.
“JAMES!” Lily screamed with all her voice, falling to the floor and crying harder still. He’s not here! Everyone is gone! Lily thought without any hope left. Her nightmare was real, but so much worse.
He stepped out onto the landing, and seeing her in a crumpled heap by the door, he ran, practically flew, down the stairs, vaulting over the banister and sprinting to her shaking figure.
“What is it?” he asked, trying to hold her. She drew back against a window, crawling backwards on her hands like a crab. Crouching in the corner, she sobbed.
“They’re dead!” Lily said, hugged her knees. She wanted to stand, to demand help, but James’ concerned voice rendered her legs immobile.
“Who is?” he asked forcefully.
Totally hysterical, resting her face in her hands, she gasped, “My parents!”
James got up and walked briskly to the study off the hall. He wanted very much to stay by her side, but he knew this was something for his father. Jack Potter was sitting, reading at his desk. He looked up as James came in, and noticed immediately the look on James’ face.
“What’s wrong?” Jack asked, standing up.
“Lily’s here. She says her parents are… dead,” James said, in a tone of sincerity he rarely used.
“Where is she?”
James walked back to Lily, followed closely by his father.
Her fiery red hair was in bunches and her face was pale as she shook.
“What happened?” Jack said, willing her to explain.
She looked up, tears flowing down her cheeks. She spoke in jagged breaths, between stifled sobs. “I… got home. It was f-floating over my house. T-they were… on the floor…in the k-kitchen-n… Dead,” she gave a silent sob and buried her face in her hands again, softly crying. Wasn’t anyone going to help her? Every second they sat there was tearing her apart.
“What was over your house, Lily?” James coaxed, trying to understand, but he thought he knew.
“The… D-d-dark Mark,” came her voice as she tried to stand. Instantly, Jack called for his wife.
“Helena!” he called, racing up the stairs two at a time. She came from their bedroom, also fully clothed. “Two muggles. Dead. You-know-who. Dark Mark. Must go to Ministry. Now!” he panted, clutching a stitch in his side. She nodded once, and Apparated immediately to the Ministry.
Running back down to James, Jack asked, “Her address?” James repeated it for his father, who then disappeared.
James now turned back to the sobbing girl in front of him. He tried again to embrace her, but she retreated. It was unsettling to see her so scared.
“It’s all my fault!” cried Lily, thrashing to avoid his grasp.
“No, Lily! It’s not your fault!” James said firmly.
“Yes it is!” Lily yelled, and she turned away from him, resting her face against the wall. “I should have told them. I never should have left!”
“No!” he said, and it difficult not to shake her. “It’s not your fault. It’s not!”
She only shook her head, tears still flowing from her emerald eyes. He didn’t know what to do; he knew she needed to lie down.
“Come here,” he said soothingly, and he bent to pick her up. She tried to resist, but she didn’t have enough strength.
She let James bring her to her feet, breaking down, and just wanting to disappear. It was her fault. No matter what he said, she had left them unprotected, knowing that they were more a target than any of their neighbors or friends. All because of her, because she was Muggle-born. She didn’t notice where James was leading her, instead she let him lead her through the hall on their left, past large rooms on either side. He pushed open a door on their left in the middle of the hall; inside, a few steps lower than the rest of the floor, was the kitchen.
James looked around, cursing the lack of furniture. Without much choice, he settled her on the spacious, black leather sofa in front of the fire. She sank fluidly into it, and curled up, cat-like, shaking with tears. He sat on the floor in front of her, unsure of what she wanted.
They sat in virtual silence; James wasn’t sure if he closed his eyes or actually fell asleep. Lily remained still on the couch… until she looked at him sadly, stood, and left… her feet seemed not even to touch the ground… His house swam in and out of focus… from the door, Lily turned to look at him… She was dressed in her black dress robes, and she was again wearing her emerald earrings… he tried to call her back, but his voice was soft and she didn’t hear…
He jerked awake. His vision was blurred, and he readjusted his glasses, which had slipped off his face. Lily was staring somberly into the hearth. It was dark in the room, as though they had been left there for hours.
“What am I going to do?” she said, resting her head against the back of the sofa. She wasn’t crying, though her voice quavered and broke; her pain lingered in each word.
He didn’t speak for a moment. “You’ll stay here.” He sat up to face her, but didn’t extend his hand, not wanting to push her away. “We can figure out what happened.”
“We both know what happened, James,” Lily whispered fiercely. She couldn’t look him in the eyes. Instead, she closed hers. Her hand covered her face momentarily, and when she took it away there were fresh tears on her face; the ring he had given her flickered in the firelight. “Voldemort.” He didn’t cringe, but she shivered as she thought of it. That … monster had killed her parents, her family.
“Why?” she asked, voicing for the first time the question she both knew and couldn’t understand.
“Because, sweet,” replied James, looking into the fire. “He’s not human. He can’t love anyone. He’s evil.”
“I’m going to kill him,” she muttered, bitterness in her voice. In the many years she had loathed him, he had never seen the hurt and anger that filled her eyes now.
“You’re not going anywhere,” James said warningly.
She turned to look at him, face twisted in rage and sorrow. “So I’m supposed to just sit here and let him go? I’m supposed to not care what he’s done?” Lily asked, louder. Her voice broke as she went on, though her voice had dropped to a murmur. “How could they just leave me? They were always there for me, even when they didn’t understand! I hate them! They were always supposed to be there for me. Now what?” she cried, tears rolling down. “It’s all my fault.”
He couldn’t find anything to say. Crawling onto the couch, he held her, locking his arms around her. She sobbed, hugging him tightly.
They sat by the fire, though not feeling its warmth, and he remained there as she cried. After a while, her sobs lessened and her breathing became deep. James held her as she slept, wishing he had something for her. It wasn’t until hours into the morning that Jack and Helena returned with any news.
I'm depressing. Sorry, but anyway... Hopefully, 11 will be up soon.