A Love Purer Than Blood

21. Unforgivable

Lily escorted them to McGonagall's office despite the monster now having been dealt with, her need to protect the boy so much stronger now after he had been once again so close to death. Ginny had finally begun to calm, the girl's hand clasping both Lily and Ron's as they walked, pausing every few steps at any sound that wasn't them. The bird, which Harry confirmed for everyone was a phoenix called Fawkes, flew above them, slightly ahead as if scouting for danger.

As they paused on a moving staircase which was luckily sending them where they needed to go, Lockhart gasped and exclaimed at the ingenuity of the movement.

"So, what happened to the buffoon?" Lily asked Ron over the top of Ginny's head. "He seems worse than usual."

"It's actually a funny story." Ron began, launching into his rendition of the story from the other side of the caved in tunnel.

They got to the door of the office just as Ron's story started to merge into Harry's as the boy returned through the gap Ron had made in the rocks. Lily urged them inside with a smile and a quick hug from Ginny before the voice of Mrs Weasley echoed from inside the room.

Lily waited outside for a while, listening to Harry tell the story of him and Tom in the chamber, Dumbledore confess he taught Tom, and then Ginny confess to her involvement thanks to the diary. Lily took a step back as Ginny soon after confessing emerged with Molly and Arthur close behind her.

"Lily dear, why didn't you come inside?" Molly asked, pulling the girl into a tight hug.

"Wasn't my story to tell, I only found them after attempting to go to the toilet by myself." Lily smiled at the family.

"Well how have you been, ears better?"

"No popping or crackling."

"And you've been taking your eardrops?"

"The course finished before the new year, but I had them all before they finally removed my bandages at the manor. I think Monah was finally happy to have someone other than Lucius to talk to, even if just for a week before I came back here." Ginny and Arthur shared a curious look over the name Monah, but Molly just smiled and nodded before taking Lily's cheeks in her hand and placing a firm but warm kiss on her forehead.

"You keep yourself safe, and make sure that man will let you visit over the summer, or I'll be over there myself to collect you."

"I'd like to see that Mrs-Molly, thank you." Lily corrected herself quickly, having been urged by the woman through her hospitalisation to call her as such.

"So that's what it's like to have a real mother." Lily thought to herself as she watched the trio head out of sight towards the hospital wing. Almost as soon as they were out of sight Lily turned to see the door open once more. Minerva came out and was shocked to find herself face to face with the auburn haired girl.

"Did you need something dear?" The professor asked, unsurprised to see the student awake and in the hall. The woman almost used to it by now.

"I just happened to have been in the bathroom when Harry and the others came out of it and I walked them here. But, now I don't really know what to do with myself."

"Come with me then, we are to wake everyone and put on a feast."

"Now?"

"Now." Minerva repeated.

Lily did as she was bid and apparated through the common rooms to spread the message before realising she had never before been in Ravenclaw tower so had no way of apparating in. She snuck into the Slytherin dorms the first time, and she had been allowed into Gryffindor tower the previous year by using the password, but she had never needed entry to Ravenclaw tower before.