Consuming Shadows

Chapter 13

"Félicitations Madame Evans!"

Lily smiled pleasantly when the call reached her. She turned, folding a strip of pitch black hair behind her ear as the man stopped in front of her. "Merci, Julien." She replied softly, watching as he continued to almost vibrate with enthusiasm.

"I always knew zat boy of yours was going places! You must be so proud!" Julien grinned at her, his sun-kissed skin stretching with his smile. "Ma wife and I 'ave already started collecting the newspapers about young 'adrian. It is about time 'e was recognised more!"

Lily chuckled into the palm of her hand, "It was certainly a surprise to hear. Honestly, I had been hoping Hadrian would not be named."

Julien nodded in understanding, a sympathetic light entering his clear blue eyes. "Of course. Aucune mother should 'ave to watch her son go through such dangers. But fear not, 'adrian is as talented as Merlin 'imself! I 'ave aucun doubt zat 'e will be absolutely fine, Madame Evans."

Lily laughed lightly, "While Hadrian is very good, I'm not so sure he is at Merlin's level, Julien."

The merchant shrugged and winked at her. "Will you be 'eading to Britain, Madame Evans? To support 'im?"

"Julien! You ungrateful swine! Leave ze young lady alone and come 'elp me!"

Julien and Lily snapped to look at the fuming woman at the entrance of the store, hair in disarray and wand waving threateningly in the air.

"J'arrive, ma chérie!" Julien hollered back, voice teasing. He tossed one last dimpled smile at Lily, murmuring a goodbye, before trotting off back to his fiery wife.

Lily stood on the little cobblestone street, her pretty red dress flapping in the gentle breeze, and green eyes fixated on Julien and his wife. She watched as he came up behind the angered woman, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling into her neck until her fierce scowl morphed into a breathtaking smile.

The image the two painted sent a sharp jolt of longing and grief through her, and she quickly moved away before any painful memories began to plague her mind.

With a sigh, Lily disapparated from the bustling street, to the corner just around from her house. She leisurely walked down the scenic path, waving to her neighbours when they called out greetings, or shouted their congratulations at Harry's appointment as champion.

It was only once she was safely secluded in the wards, front door closed firmly being her, that her pleasant mask melted away, replaced by a slight frown.

Lily shed the black shawl and moved into the lounge room. She draped the shawl over the back of the closest chair and took a moment to just stand there.

Even though Harry tended to be gone for most of the year, she never could quite get used to the silence. When she was younger, Lily's home had always had someone there, whether it was her parents, or Petunia, or their aunt and uncle visiting. And at Hogwarts, there were so many people around you, you almost treasured the time you could get alone.

One inevitably got used to the noise of life around them.

Lily had always dreamed of having a large family, with three or four children constantly getting underfoot. She had thought that with James, she would get the chance to experience that life.

She disliked the silence.

She extracted her wand and pulled down the shoulder of her dress, pressing the tip to the small, pale, practically undetectable rune there. With a whisper, her dark hair turned back to brilliant red, and her green eyes dulled back to their natural forest green, rather than the almost illuminous shade of her son.