Out of the Past, Into the Future (a Harry Potter fanfic)

3 - Bad News

Chapter Three - Bad News

Saturday 8th of August, 1981

The Potters’ house, Godric's Hollow

It had been just over a week since Harry's birthday, but the Potters were still in a good mood. However, that was all to change with the arrival of the post on Saturday.

Lily woke up to the soft screech of an owl, delivering the Daily Prophet from Sirius. She got up from her bed, slid into her slippers pulled on her dressing gown, before walking over to the window.

After slipping the owl an extra treat from the box she kept by the window, she unfolded the paper and gasped. Pulling out a chair from the small desk, she sank heavily onto it and began to frantically scan the front page. Flipping a few pages in, she began to read intensively, a frown on her face.

"What is it?" James asked groggily, sitting up, but Lily only held up her hand. Rolling his eyes at her gesture for "not now, I'm reading", he sank back down onto the pillow and closed his eyes. It could wait...

He was interrupted from his slumber not even a minute later as Lily had finished the article and was now sobbing quietly into a tissue. James was there in a flash, his arm tucked around her.

"Lils, what is it?"

Wordlessly, she handed him the paper. The headline on the page she had flipped to said it all.

TRIBUTES PAID AS MCKINNONS ARE MURDERED

"Oh Merlin.." James trailed off. They had been friends with Marlene and her brother at Hogwarts and were in the order together. They had met their parents many times, and now James could feel a dull ache in his chest, as if something was missing.

For a while they sat there, united in their grief, Lily sobbing quietly, James lost in thought. Neither said what they were both thinking: it could have been them.

"Harry will be awake soon," James stated blankly.

"Come on," he said, his voice softer. "I'll make you a cup of tea." Lily dried her eyes, and they went down to the kitchen together, James still with his arm around his wife. He sat her down at a bar stool, and quickly made two cups of tea. Lily took hers gratefully. Then they sat in silence, thinking.

How long they sat there they did not know. Time passed, but without meaning. They said nothing - they just sat, thinking.

After a while, cries became legible from upstairs.

"I'll get him," James said and Lily squeezed his arm gently as he walked past her. Having already experienced a feeling quite similar to this before, - the Bones and the Prewetts had already been killed - although admittedly not to the same extent, she had a feeling that this would not be the last time she would have this feeling of loss this year.

* * *

"Hey Lils, I'm just putting Harry to bed."

James stuck his head through the door, and upon registering what he was seeing, walked right into the room.

"What's wrong?"

Lily was sitting in the on the floor, a stack of empty boxes beside her. Paper, photographs, and little objects were strewn across the carpet, telling a story about a group of friends. In the middle of it all was Lily, sobbing softly, and trying to wipe off her smudged mascara at the same time.

James picked his way delicately through the sea of mementos, until he reached Lily. He deftly swooped up and into his arms and went to sit on the bed, placing her on his knee.

"Lils, what's up? Is it Marlene? You should have waited until you got all this stuff out, honey."

James wiped off her tears gently. "There now, shhh. It will all be ok, you know that?"

"Yeah," Lily sniffed. "But I keep thinking : I'll never see her again!"

At this, Lily dissolved into a fresh round of tears. Pulling out a small used tissue, James transfigured it into a fresh packet. Pulling one out, he offered it to Lily who took it gratefully.

"Now Lils, the key here is to stop thinking about it, okay? I know you're upset, and I am too, but right now, for Harry's sake, you need to pull it together. I'm going to get him in a minute, okay?"

Lily sniffed a yes.

"Good. Good."

For a while they sat there, James rocking Lily softly, calming her down. For ages, even when she was at her calmest, James would always wind her up. He still could, of course, but he could also calm her down, just as he was now.

"I'm going to get Harry. I'll put him to bed, but he'll want to see you."

Lily smiled faintly as James kissed her on the forehead, and left the room. She was so lucky to have him. Lily looked sadly at the mess on the floor. She was going to organise it by people - a box for Marlene, one for James, one for Harry, but she wanted to do it by hand and that would only upset her today.

So, sighing, Lily flicked her wand and the paper, photos, objects - everything - went into the boxes. Of course it was really unorganised, but that would have to wait. Closing the cupboard door to the mess, Lily went over to the mirror - how exactly could she fix the troubling problem of running mascara..

* * *

Sunday 9th August, 1981

There was a loud CRACK outside the Potters’ front room, and Lily and James immediately leapt to their feet, wands drawn. Glancing through the window, James could see nothing - until he realized that there was a rat outside his window ledge.

Most people wouldn't dream of opening the window, but James Potter wasn't most people. He opened the window. Closing the window as the rat jumped onto the floor, he gave a quick glance down the street. No-one there.

"So how are you, Wormtail?" He asked, spinning around to face the man who had appeared in his living room, who was now hugging his wife.

"Oh you know, alright, I guess," Wormtail replied, stepping forward to hug his friend, although he certainly didn't look it - he was pale and tired looking. "How've you been keeping, Prongs?"

"As well as to be expected, I suppose."

"And Lily, how are you?"

"Alright thanks, Wormy. Did you hear about the McKinnons?"

At this Wormtail, whose real name was Peter Pettigrew, paled even more and looked away. "Yeah, I did."

The three friends chatted for about half an hour before Lily excused herself to go to the bathroom. As she headed upstairs, she thought that there was something off about Peter - almost as if he was trying to appease them in some way. And he was very down as well ... it must be about the McKinnons, Lily thought. Who wasn't upset? But he was certainly very pale...

"Well, feel free to stop by again, Wormy," James said, as he hugged his friend goodbye.

"Bye Pete," Lily smiled, having arrived back from the bathroom an hour ago. "Give Moony and Padfoot our love, yeah?"

"Will do," Wormtail replied. "I'll go out the window again."

He opened the window and turned back to them, staring, seemingly confused, before transforming into his animagus form. The rat jumped onto the ledge of the window and scurried out the house. At the gate there was a loud CRACK and the rat disappeared from sight.

* * *

A/N

1) Disclaimer : sadly, I own nothing! All rights etc. to J K Rowling

2) Thanks so much for reading this! I really appreciate any reviews! comments and votes!

3) This is also fairly short, but soon (I think) they will get a lot longer!

Jenny xx