Some Day | Wolfstar

Fifty-five

Lily couldn't sleep. She sighed and rolled over under her sheets. It was cool inside, but the dormitory felt hot and stuffy. She sighed again and ran a hand through her damp hair. She quietly slipped out of bed, and sneaked down the stairs.

Part of her was hoping that James and his friends -or better yet, just James- would be sitting by the fire in the common room, like they were so fond of doing, despite having been given detention over it by Professor McGonagall at least a dozen times.

But the common room was empty. She pulled her dressing gown tighter over her nightdress. The fire had died out, and it was quite cold. She sat down by the empty fireplace and stared at its ashes.

As she sat, she thought of Sirius. What are they not telling me? Please let him be alright. Please.

She didn't know how much time had passed when someone stumbled in through the portrait hole. She raised her head to see who it was.

Lily stared at the blonde boy in shock. His blue eyes were wide and fearful, and his wand was lit up.

"Peter?" Lily rushed over to him. "Peter, what's wrong?" She sat him down on a chair. Peter looked at her, his lower lip trembling. Large tears fell down his pale cheeks. "It's alright, hey," Lily whispered, gently patting his shoulder.

"Did something happen? Where are James and Remus?"

At the mention of his friends' names, Peter let out a loud wail, and dropped his wand. He dropped his head in his hands, and started to sob. Lily bit her lip, not knowing what to do next.

However, she was saved from making that decision when Professor McGonagall's sharp voice rang out.

"Miss Evans! What in heavens is going on?"

***

Miles away from Hogwarts, silence had befallen the three boys who lay on the floor in an almost comatose state - too shocked to process anything that had happened. They stayed like that, with their eyes closed, until their bodies relaxed and the gravity of recent events started to slowly sink in.

It was Sirius' soft cries that made Remus snap back into the real world. He moved off of Sirius' smaller frame, but Sirius wouldn't let go, so he sat up with Sirius still clinging to his shoulders.

Remus turned his head and kissed him everywhere he could reach, his cheek, his neck, his lips, his shoulder. Sirius just cried. Cried and trembled like a leaf caught in the wind and struggling not to fall from its tree.

"I love you," Remus cried with him, rocking them back and forth. Sirius hadn't stop crying when James came and sat down next to them. There was a small cut on his cheek, just below his eye.

"Moved on to ruining Moony's clothes, now?" He tried to smile, but his voice gave way to a quiet sob. They just held each other there, all three of them wrapped up in a tight embrace, and cried for some more. Until there were loud footsteps echoing towards them, seemingly up a staircase.

Sirius either didn't notice, or didn't care. He just cried and cried, shoulders shaking and fingers trembling as he tried to stop. But he couldn't. How could he?

James looked around the room.

They had landed in what seemed to be a large, circular hall with a marble floor. The debris from the fireplace were scattered around them. There were snow white pillars holding the massive domed ceiling up, which was enchanted to look like the night sky above them. One half of the hall - their half - had large French windows, seven of them. The one directly behind the fireplace was larger than the others. Directly opposite to the fireplace was the entrance, a pair of large white doors.

Aside from that, the hall was absolutely empty. With its spotless white walls, it looked almost regally austere.

Remus felt Sirius flinch when the doors flew open. Two figures entered the hall. One of them was thin and tall, dressed in dark robes whose colour wasn't clear due to the lack of light. The other was short and wobbled along awkwardly in front, and had a misshapen head with large ears.

"Who are you?" The taller figure spoke, walking towards them in lomg strides. A familiar voice. Sirius tensed in Remus' arms.

"Who are you? How did you-" he stopped. "Sirius?"

***

Professor McGonagall looked at the hysterical boy in front of her with pursed lips. Lily Evans stood beside him, eyes narrow with worry.

The Professor gave the boy some Calming Draught. Once his crying ceased, she sat down on her chair. "Sit, Miss Evans." Lily sat down next to Peter.

"What happened, Pettigrew?" The Professor asked, her hard eyes trained on his face. Something didn't sit well with her chest.

"James and Remus-" Peter sniffled. Lily went tense.

"What about them?" The Professor urged.

"They were gone when I woke up... and-" he sniffled again. "I couldn't find them."

Lily sighed in relief. James could be anywhere. Peter couldn't possibly search the whole school for them. For all they knew, he was in bed. The Professor, however, didn't share her optimism. Her face was set grimly as she spoke. "Go to bed, Miss Evans. Pettigrew can stay."

Lily looked at her as if to protest, but the Professor's face refused any questions. "Go to bed," she said in a gentler tone, which Lily knew she reserved for students who were upset. For students with parents fighting for divorce, or whose grandmother passed away, or whose parents wouldn't want them home for Christmas. For students who she thought deserved some kindness, because they were going through something bigger.

So why was she looking at Lily like that? Like Lily was someone to be pitied, and to be protected?

"Good night, Professor," she said stiffly. She quietly left McGonagall's quarters. The Professor stared after her, and sighed. She watched Lily disappear down the corridor, closed the door, and turned the key. "Now, Pettigrew," her voice was no longer lenient. "Let's start telling the truth."