The Marauders: Year Six #Wattys2017

An Artefact of Sorts

An Artefact of Sorts

"OH MY GOD." Lily's voice was shrill, pitched and terrified. "OH. MY. GOD. James. Oh my GOD."

He stared at the dashboard.

"I'm going to throw up." She pulled over to the side of the road and pulled the brake up, running 'round the car to the trees and doubling over.

James sat for a second before he mentally caught up and he climbed out, numb, and walked over to where she was, scooping her hair out of her face and holding it back. He stared back down the road, one fist still tight on his wand, half expecting Bellatrix and Rudolphus to apparate right there behind him.

"James; oh my God. Your house."

"I know."

"Oh my God. James. Oh my God."

"Lily. I know. Bloody hell. I know, alright? Stop saying that."

She shook and sat down on a rock, wiping her mouth pathetically. The car blinked at them, the emergency lights on.

He felt like he'd been through whiplash. He'd been so bloody happy and then everything had literally gone up in flames. He couldn't wrap his mind around it, he had to be dreaming. Obviously. Lily Evans wasn't going to snog him ever and the house did not go up in flames. Both were just as likely as the other. Besides - there as the Fidelus Charm protecting the house. This was rubbish, obviously not real.

"Wake up," he commanded himself and he smacked his palm against his forehead, "Wake up wake up wake up!"

Lily grabbed his wrist, "Don't."

"Evans. I grew up in that house. I - all my things are there. All my school things. My broomstick. I - all the pictures. All my clothes. My mum's stuff, my dad's books. My - my dad's trunk." He looked sick.

Thank Merlin Sirius had taken the Marauder's Map and the Invisibility Cloak with him. James had give them to him before he left, since Sirius would have more use for the cloak at Fallengunder taking care of two werewolves than James would loafing about St. Mungo's everyday.

He held his hands to his head. He was slowly realizing he wasn't going to wake up, it wasn't a dream, and everything was gone. He stared at the dirt beneath his trainers. "Merlin's beard, I'm homeless," he murmured.

Lily pulled him close.

"I - I gotta get to St. Mungo's. I - I need my mum. I need my dad. I dunno what to do. They'll know. They're... they're adults, they'll know."

"Alright," Lily said, "I can take you to Mungo's."

"Bloody hell," he whispered as Lily got up and pulled James to his feet. "Everything is gone, Evans."

She frowned.

"I don't understand," he murmured, "The Fidelus Charm -- but Kingsley Shacklebolt would never have -- how did they --- I mean... how?" James emphasized. He looked into Lily's eyes. "How?"

Lily felt a lump rise up in her throat.

"I don't know," she said quietly because she didn't dare to say it.

Lily helped James to the car and got him into the seat and she closed the passenger door on him and ran 'round to the driver side, her hands shaking. Stay cool, Evans. Drive him to Mungo's and then find a way to get in touch with Sirius. You don't know that it's your fault this happened, it could be a coincidence. It could be that paper was only good for your eyes, that nobody else would be able to see it. And you didn't do it, the Lestranges did it. You aren't to blame.