Being Minnie's Daughter

Chapter 65

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Lily's POV

Rain streams down the windows, shrouding the garden with a hazy fog. I tilt my head, squinting my eyes to barely make out the flowers covering every inch of space. Even the flowers look dull, matching the mood filling the manor. I sink onto my bottom slowly, my large black skirt billowing out around me. I rest my arms on the windowsill.

A reflection comes into focus in the window.

"Lily?"

"Go away James."

"Sorry, no can do; Mackenzie's orders."

I turn around and look up at his messy hair. "Fine. What do you want then?"

He surprises me by sitting down next to me. "Nothing, just think you shouldn't be alone."

"Sirius is the one who shouldn't be alone," I snap.

James leans his back against the wall below the window.  He stares me down not saying a word.

I drop my head, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be upset with you."

"Trust me Lily, as much fighting we have done over the past six years, I can take you snapping at me."

I shake my head, "No, you are hurting too. I can't..."

James' face snaps up quickly, his head turning to face a random hallway. "Mum wants you." He stands up quickly, holding out a hand.

I rise slowly, "I didn't know being a stag meant you had supersonic hearing."

Immediately our hands drop. His face grows as white as a ghost as my hands fly up to my mouth.

"Excuse me," I mumble quickly, rushing down the hall he had looked at before.

"EVANS!" James shouts, a moment later. Footsteps pound behind me before I'm swooped up in a set of strong arms.

The air rushes out of me as my stomach comes in contact with his muscular shoulder. "PUT ME DOWN POTTER!"

He ignores me and continues strutting down the hall. I cross my arms as best as I can and take notice of the various rooms we walk through until we reach a large sweeping staircase.

"James," I whine. "Didn't your mother need to talk to me?"

He pauses on the second step and spins around. "I asked Lily Mum," he shouts, "She agrees it's a good idea."

Silence fills the air for a moment before her answer comes back. "That's excellent. I will invite her parents for supper tonight then and ask them to deliver her trunk."

"James." I growl as he continues walking up the stairs. "What on Earth did you say I agree to?"

He continues ignoring me until a door is slammed open. I watch him kick the door shut with his heel before I'm tossed off his shoulder.

"Oof," I groan as my head flops back onto a soft surface. I sit up quickly and see myself surrounded by a sea of scarlet. I look up and see James standing angrily at the foot of the bed.

"Is this your room?" I ask quickly, hoping to distract him.

"Yes." He mutters through his teeth. My eyes wander around the room. A tall black wardrobe in one corner with multiple broomsticks leaning against it. Quidditch posters hang on every section of the walls except for the section containing a rock fireplace. My eyes quickly see his desk before he clears his throat.

"How do you know?"

"Is that a photo of me on your desk?"

His hand reaches up and messes his hair. "That's not important right now, I need to know how you found out about me being an animagus."

I sigh, "Sirius told me to follow you all down to the forest on the night Mackenzie came back."

James groans, "That bas-"

"James!" I say quickly cutting him off.

"What!?" He asks innocently. "He knows I was trying to figure out the best way to tell you everything and he pulls this stunt."

I raise my eyebrow, "Everything?"

He sighs before pulling his wand out of his pocket. "Expecto patronum."

A wispy stag comes running out before stopping and staring at me.

"Expecto patronum," I whisper softly, thinking of when I woke up to see James staring at me in the hospital wing. A small doe sprints out straight at the stag, the run around the room once together before disappearing. I look up at him and smirk at his shell-shocked face.

"How long have you known?" He whispers.

"Valentine's Day."

He nods and sits on the edge of the bed. "I've known a lot longer," he whispers. He gestures towards his desk, "Hence the photo."

I move slowly until I'm sitting right next to him. "I was going to tell you I knew after we visited your parents at St. Mungos."

His faces perks up in realization, "That's why you told Sirius to-"

I nod, cutting him off again. "I think Snape thought you were going to tell me, that's why he was trying to hit you. Not that it was the other way around."

He chuckles, "Oh yes, wasn't that fun? Watching you almost die."

I shake my head, "I didn't almost die. And anyways what did you tell your mother I agreed to?"

His mouth drops open. "Well, um... you see..."

My eyes narrow, "Spit it out Potter."

"Mum wants you to stay here until we go back to school. Since Marlene was targeted for knowing Mackenzie she believes you could be next."

My hands drop into my lap, "Oh."

A warm hand grabs mine, "I'm sorry if that's not what you want. I can go inform my mum."

I look up at his circular glasses framing his skinny face. "Is it really that bad James?"

He nods, squeezing my hand tighter. "Those have been the only articles in the Prophet lately."

I look down at our hands and trace my thumb against the back of his hand. He reaches out and brushes my cheek softly. I lean my head to the left into his hand and close my eyes softly.

"Your parents would know best," I sigh. "Being aurors and all."

His minty breath hits my face, "Yes they do."

"No one can know I was here though."

"Only Sirius and Remus would know, we haven't heard from Peter all summer."

I nod silently.

His hand let's go of mine and I hear him move away from me. My eyes flicker open to see him walking towards the door. "Supper is going to be soon, we need to go get your parents."

I look down at my hands, "Of course." I stand up and walk out the door James holds open. I slip down the stairs silently, fingers trailing slowly down the railing next to me. At the base of the stairs I turn back to look up at James standing a few steps above me. "I'll disapparate there now."

He shakes his head, "Not without me, you won't."

"I'm just going home James, you don't need to come."

"But-"

I shake my head, "No James. Just because we both know the truth, that doesn't mean anything has changed."

I turn on my heels and disapparate to my bedroom. I stumble across my room and plop onto my bed.

"Lily is that you?" My mother calls from the downstairs.

"Yeah mum," I croak. I run my hands through my hair. After all we proclaimed, why didn't he kiss me?