Shooting Star

Chapter Twenty-Eight

I managed a little smile when Hogwarts came into view. I've missed this place. I loved my parents and all, but Hogwarts had always been a better home than they had been.
"Eliza, Sirius. What are you doing here?" McGonagall said as we rushed in the school.
"We need to speak with Professor Dumbledore. It's urgent. It's the Potters." I said. My voice cracked, but nobody commented on it.
"Right away." She nodded and led us up to his office. She said the password, and we were allowed in.
"Ah, what a lovely surprise." Dumbledore stood up and came around his desk. "What can I do for you?"
"The Potters are dead." I said. Sirius walked out, thank God. "It's bad. It's... Bloody. I didn't know what to do. Do I go back and clean it up?"
"Minerva, can you..." Dumbledore said.
"Yes, Albus. I'm on it." She walked out.
"If you can let me know once it's okay, I'll tell James."
"Of course. Have a seat, Eliza." He gestured.
"No, I have to find Sirius. Thank you, though."
"No, sit. I'm sure he'll be fine for just a moment."
I sat, completely uncertain about that.
"Are you all right?" He asked, leaning against his desk.
Is that all this is about?
"Yes, Professor."
"Please, call me Albus."
"... I can't call you Albus."
He laughed. "As you wish. I heard about your sister." His smile faded. "Tragic."
"Yes." I said. Tragic.
"And you're all right?"
"Yes."
"Regulus Black is dead too, I'm sure you know."
"Yes, Professor."
"And Sirius is okay?"
"I guess. I need to find him."
"Yes, of course. I'll alert you once we're done."
"Thank you."
I hurried from the room. "Siri--" I began, but he was waiting outside.
"You're Sirius Black!" A girl was saying. She looked to be in about third year.
"Yes." Sirius agreed. "The one and only, at your service." He said with an elaborate bow.
"I admire your work. I have a question."
"I may have an answer." He smiled a little bit, looking at me.
"What's the best way to sneak out?"
"My--"
"Sirius!" I said.
"No best way to sneak out." Sirius shrugged. "Focus on your studies, kid."
The girl looked crestfallen. "But--"
"This is my fiancée." He explained.
She nodded in understanding. "Ah, I see."
"Sirius, we ought to go." I said.
As we were walking away, he turned around and said to the girl, "You know the one-eyed witch statue outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom? If you tap the hump and say Dissendium you can get through the hump into Honeydukes." He did that thing where you point, wink and click your tongue, and followed me nonchalantly.
"Sirius, she's a child." I sighed.
"What's the harm in having some fun, Taylor?" He draped his arm around me.
We got back into Hogsmaede and apparated back to his flat. "Do you want to write to Remus and Peter or me?" I asked.
"Why are we writing to Peter?"
"Because he was her son too."
"I'm not writing to him. You can. You should probably write to Remus too. What about James?"
"I was thinking about going over there after Dumbledore gets it all cleaned up and stuff." I said, and he nodded.
Mr. and Mrs. Potter were murdered. It was terrible. It wasn't with magic, though. It was brutal. There was blood everywhere. Why would anybody want to hurt them like that?
Don't say anything about it to James, though. We don't want him going over there while it's still messy. He'll know by tomorrow though.
I'm sorry, Remus.
Love,
Eliza
That was hard. And blunt. But there aren't many ways tell people that.
Peter,
Mr. and Mrs. Potter were murdered.
I hope you're still happy with the side you've chosen. I'm so sorry. I wish things could have been different.
~ Eliza
That was even harder.
I had absolutely no desire to be there to tell James. I wasn't sure I could bear to see his heart break.
Sirius and I sat on the couch. He had his head in my lap. I peeked down to see if he was asleep. His eyes were closed. I leaned down and kissed his cheek. "I'm so sorry." I whispered, starting to cry as I sat back up.
A silvery phoenix flew in. "You may tell James now." It said in Dumbledore's voice, and disappeared.
I swallowed hard as I slid out from under Sirius, replacing my lap with a pillow, but he jumped up before his head hit it. "What?" He asked. "What's wrong?"
"I was going to go in the other room to have an anxiety attack." I said casually, my chest so tight I wasn't sure my lungs would work. Obviously they were since I was talking. My eyes stung.
How am I supposed to tell James this?
I'll have to leave out the part about "The Dark Lord Rises" being written on the walls with their blood.
I wanted to throw up.
"Come on, sit down. What's wrong?"
"This is worse than telling him about Peter." I sat down, trying to take calm breaths.
"I can do it if you want, Eliza." He put his arm around me, and I couldn't tell him that that made it worse.
"No. I'm not going to make you do that. I'll be all right." I exhaled. "Okay. I'm going. Do you want to come?"
"Not really, but I am."
"Actually, Sirius, you should probably tell him. You're his best friend."
"What would I say?"
"What did he tell you when he told you about Regulus?"
"'Regulus died, Padfoot. I'm so sorry.'" He quoted.
"Say something like that."
"'Hey, Prongs. Your parents were brutally murdered in their kitchen. I'm sorry.'"
"Maybe I should do it." I said.
"Good call."
"Are you sure you don't want to?" I asked after we got to Godric's Hollow.
"I'm positive." Sirius said, leading the way to their front door.
I knocked on the door, heart racing.
Lily answered, grinning. "Hey!" She smiled.
"When did you get that?" I asked immediately, pointing to her finger. There was a ring.
"Tonight." She grinned.
"Congratulations!" I smiled, hugging her.
"Congrats, Evans." Sirius hugged her. "I expect many Potter babies."
"Shut it, Black."
"Hey, guys." James said, appearing behind her in the doorway to the living room.
"I call best man and godfather." Sirius told him.
"Of course." James smiled.
I started to cry. Fuck.
Everyones' smiles faded. "What's wrong?" Lily and James asked. He came forward.
"Nothing, I'm just really happy for you." I put on a smile and sucked it up.
Coward, Eliza. You're a fucking coward.
I hugged James. "Congratulations." I hugged him tightly, for much longer than necessary.
"Are you okay?" He asked, hugging me back.
I don't want to ruin this night for them. I don't want to hurt James.
"I have to tell you something." I said, letting him go.
"All right. Let's sit down, then." James put his arm around me and led me to the living room. Sirius and Lily followed.
James and Lily sat. Sirius stood against the wall. I paced.
I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to hurt James. I don't want to ruin their night.
Suck it up, Eliza. You have to. I told myself.
"Mum and Dad..." Sirius began.
"What happened?" James didn't even let him finish. "What happened to them?"
Sirius started crying. Lily looked pained, getting up and hugging him. She looked like she wanted to cry too.
"What happened?" James demanded.
"They were killed." I said through a cascade of tears.
"No." He said. "No they weren't. No."
"I'm sorry." Sirius told him.
Lily went to sit by James, putting her arm him.
That was the first time I saw James Potter cry.
The funeral was the last.