The Marauders: Year Five #Wattys2017

Oak, Rowan, Birch, and Holly

Oak, Rowan, Birch, and Holly

Lily waited until it was quiet upstairs before she went to check on James.

There had been a night the month before, still reeling from her father's death (not that she wasn't still... it had only been a month, after all... and all of this anguish James as feeling was certainly reviving horrible emotions inside her), that she'd locked herself in her bedroom and sobbed and sobbed until there were no tears left in her eyes. She knew what it meant to want to be alone to cry and to mourn. She also knew there was a moment, not very long after all the tears were spent, that you lay there feeling horribly alone and empty and that was the moment she waited for... because she didn't want anybody to feel that horrible emptiness.

Especially not someone as full of life as James Potter.

The floorboards in the upstairs hallway creaked as Lily walked and she pushed open the door to the bedroom.

James stood in the middle, his arms hanging to his sides, shoulders slumped. Papers were strewn about the room, and one of the walls had some damage - his fist had gone right through the plaster and his knuckles were bleeding from it, scraped by the drywall. Lily walked over and calmly lifted his hand up in hers, waving her wand over his knuckles without a word, healing them cleanly. She tucked her wand calmly into her pocket, then held out both her arms wide.

James looked up.

Quietly, Lily said, "C'mere."

He stepped forward slowly, and she scooped her arms 'round him, cupping one palm over his head as he laid his cheek against her shoulder. He closed his eyes and just breathed, his heart rate slowly steadying as she stroked her palm over his hair gently...

Lily Evans held James Potter until they heard the door below open and close and a rush of voices echoing up the stairs. James pulled back slowly, sweeping his hand over his eyes. She followed then, as he walked downstairs, and found Professors McGonagall and Viridi, Gideon and Fabian Prewett, and headmaster Dumbledore as well. Professor Viridi had let out a deep wail the moment her eyes landed upon Maryrose's body laying on the couch, which was what they had heard from upstairs, and now she knelt beside her student, crying and holding onto Maryrose's hands, tears pouring over her cheeks. McGonagall turned 'round as James and Lily came down the stairs, her jaw quivering with sadness.

Although neither of them were technically still employed by the Ministry, Gideon and Fabian both went into Auror mode - asking questions about what happened, which Lily answered as James stood, staring numbly at the body as Dumbledore crouched beside Professor Viridi, whispering in her ear words of comfort, his arm around the poor Herbology teacher's shoulders. James suddenly felt Lily Evans's hand slide around his own, and she squeezed his fingers gently, staring into his eyes.

"Do you know where this cave is, Potter?" Gideon asked.

James nodded.

Fabian asked, "Could you show us?"

"He's not showing you right now," Lily said sternly before James, who was about to agree to do it, could say a word in reply. Lily glowered at them, "Shame on you! Can't you see this poor boy is broken? He needs rest! He needs to sleep and recover. He's only got one shoe on, for bleedin' Merlin's sake! You let him alone!"

Fabian looked abashed, "I'm sorry," he stammered. "I didn't mean - I just -" he blushed and turned away.

Professor McGonagall put her arms around James, "I agree with Miss. Evans. This boy needs a turn at a good rest. "And to think, Poppy has only just released you. She's not going to like this." McGonagall looked at Lily, then back to Dumbledore, who was still talking in low tones by the couch as Viridi sobbed, nodding and clutching Maryrose's hand to her cheek. Drawing herself up like a mother hen, McGonagall turned back to the twins. "I will escort Mr. Potter and Miss. Evans back to the castle and see to it that they are properly taken care of. If you would both assist the Headmaster in anyway he sees fit, it would be most appreciated."