The Same Vine

Leaving

~-~
July 3, 1993

"'Til we run out of road in this one-horse town
I wanna stay right here in this passenger seat,"
~-~

There were three main reasons why they could no longer live in Plymouth.
1. Clover accidentally almost burnt down the neighbour's barn (without magic)
2. Regulus punched the town 'sweetheart' when he insisted Clover was a psychotic arsonist (she is)
and 3. Lily saw in the Daily Prophet that a one Sirius Black had escaped Azkaban (and going after her dead-not-dead son?)

Of course, there were more reasons but these were the main ones. It explains why in the middle of the night the three adults ran around packing the house up as the girl slept out in the car to not hear the noise. Lily was focused on getting everyone's clothes folded and stuffed into suitcases, Mary was getting all the pictures and valuables from the home and Regulus was shrinking the furniture and putting it into another box.

"Lils, think you've got enough?" Mary crossed her arms and leaned on the door frame. Lily was laying on top of a barely-zipped suitcase.

"Forgot my wand downstairs. Too tired," She waved a hand without lifting her hand. Mary let out a small laugh and walked over, "And yes I folded the clothes nicely, there's just too much stuff. That child has two of her own, I put mine and yours into the same one and Reggies I'm now struggling with,"

Mary leaned down to where her face was, "Get up, I'll help," Lily lifted her head first and then pushed herself off as she held down the sides with her hands. Mary pulled her wand from her boot as Lily opened the suitcase.

"See, nicely folded and placed," Lily smoothed her hands over it as she smiled proudly at herself.

"Yes, yes. Back up," And Lily did. She leaned back on her hands as Mary cast a spell over the suitcase that made it snap shit and zip close without trouble, "There we go,"

"Thank you, Mars," She got off the bed and grabbed the bag with her. "You get everything for your part?"

"All in the car. Almost done just needed the baby boxes," Mary walked over to her closet and bent down, popping open two floorboards. She reached her hands in and grabbed out two wooden boxes, one marked with a C and the other an H.

"Mars, do you think it's real? I mean, Dumbledore said that he had died all those years ago, why would he lie?"

"Because he doesn't care for us," Regulus had come into the room, "He probably had a plan in his head and that wouldn't be completed if you lived. I've owled an old friend for answers, she sent me the daily prophet from that day,"

Lily moved quickly over to him, hands out for it. He gave it to her as she folded it open. They watched as she read it over, watching her face to see how she'll react. When she started to sway, both went for her. They got her up and steady again.

"He told the world we died and Harry was the only survivor. He lied to me," Her voice was laced with anger as the paper in her hands crumbled, "I knew I should have gone back myself! How could I have been so stupid?"

"Because he's a good liar. And you were grieving. You saw him dead, it isn't your fault," Mary put a hand on her shoulders and turned her to face her, "Lily you couldn't have known,"

"I'm his mother, I should have," Lily had tears brimming the bottom of her eyes. Mary pulled her in and Lily dropped her head on her shoulder.

"But you know now. That has to count for something,"

"Yeah, twelve years," Regulus had grabbed the suitcase from the bed.

"Regulus!" Mary kicked him as he walked by.

But it made Lily laugh, and that was it. The three headed out to the car where the girl slept. Regulus put the bag in the trunk as Mary got into the driver's seat and Lily the passenger. In the back seat, the little girl has woken up from the doors being shut. She pulled the blanket around her shoulders as she sat up and leaned in between the console.

"Hi," She gave the two a sleepy smile as she rested her head on Mary's shoulder.

"Hello my love," Lily kissed the girls forehead as she scrunched her nose. "How was your nap?"

"Uncomfortable, the car sucks," The back door was opened and Regulus was about to get in.

"Can you move your cat please?" He asked. In his seat was a little kitten curled in a ball. Clover picked the cat up and placed it on the pillow her head was just on. Regulus got into the car next to the girl, taking half her blanket and covering his legs.

Clover moved her head back between the console, "Where are we going anyways?"

"We're going back to the place we all grew up," Lily put her hand on the girl's head and pushed her back, "Now go back to sleep, it's a long way,"

The girl dramatically fell back, her arms splayed out, one hitting Regulus and one the window. "I can't sleep. Lys' memories scare me,"

"How so?" Regulus moved the girl so she was sitting up in the seat, buckling the belt as the car went off.

"They have dragons and scary monsters she helped defeat," Clover laid her pillow in his lap before putting her head down, "And I saw that Merling guy again,"

"Want to say anymore?" She closed her eyes and a few seconds later shook her head, "Understandable. I too wouldn't want to talk about my past that I had been betrayed by my own brother,"

The girl covered her ears as she shoved her elbow into his rib, "She doesn't like to talk about it,"

Regulus laughed and messed with the girl's hair, "Then tell her to show you a happier one,"

She grabbed the rest of her blanket and pulled it over her eyes, her mind turning off and sending her into sleep.

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You're probably wondering who Lys is but all will be explained later.