~~~~~~Still Lily's POV~🐍~~~~~~~
I saw Matt with Sai one day, they were talking and she laughed very loudly. Matt reached in, going for a kiss. I cleared my throat, interrupting them.
"L-lily. W-what er doing 'ere?"
"Oh my Merlin your hopeless, I'm trying to go to class but you two are blocking the way. Let me through then kiss." I said, toneless.
They both looked at me, shocked. I shrugged and they moved apart, letting me through. I didn't bother looking back. I walked off to my classes and the rest of the day passed normally, so did the rest of the week. It started getting strange when school ended.
--⏱time skip to the Hogwarts Express-
I was all packed and in my Muggle clothes, the train was packed with people so Sai, Matt, Stryker and I had to share a carriage.
I sat on the right by the door, Sai sat next to me, I was opposite Stryker, who was next to Matt. The train ride was awkward and tense. I was staring down Stryker, not blinking until I absolutely had to. Stryker looked nervous and sad. But I pretend not to care, he deserved this.
Just after the trolley Lady had gone an owl started pecking at the window, a huge thorny owl. I heard Stryker exclaim a single word.
"Enchantress!"
Matt opened the window and let the bird in, for the first time in more than a year I heard Stryker laugh as the bird circled around the roof of the carriage.
The bird landed and stuck out its leg. Stryker, with some trouble, untied a small note from the bird's leg. I heard him whisper to Matt.
"Dad hadn't written to me in a while."
He opened the note and his face fell, horror replaced the joy. He passed the note to Matt. I didn't really care what happened to Stryker but I was curious.
"Can I..?" I stared.
Matt looked at Stryker, who nodded.
I took the letter from Matt, on it were three words, they were scribbled on and there was something that looked like blood staining the paper. It read.
'Don't come home.'
Something inside me seemed to snap me back to reality. I had mini-flashbacks of Stryker and I being friends, playing together as kids, then of when he changed, when I changed.
Matt spoke.
"You'll have to stay at the burrow with me." He said.
Stryker said nothing and just nodded, his mind probably a million miles away.
I decided to give him a break so I just talked with Sai for the rest of the trip.
Eventually, we made it to 9 and 3 quarters. My mum dad were standing there, hands in their pockets. Probably expecting trouble. They hugged me and said their hellos, my father on the verge of tears again. When they had finished my mother spoke.
"Where is Styker staying these holidays? And what about after?"
I shrugged.
"He's staying at the burrow with Matt and I don't know about after," I replied.
They looked at each other like they knew something I didn't.
They took me home and I unpacked. Setting everything down and letting Midnight out of her cage. We had dinner and did things that a normal family does. I heard nothing from or about Stryker until three days later.
It was about 1 am. I was trying to sleep, tossing and turning in my bed until a loud cracking sound startled me. It sounded like it came from the foot of my bed. I reached over and turned the light on. I looked where the sound had come from and screamed.
"Mum! Dad!" I yelled.
Matt was lying on the floor at the end of my bed. He was covered in soot from an explosion and was bleeding heavily. I shook him but he was unresponsive.
"Matt! Please!" I yelled.
He gasped and grabbed my arm, very weakly he whispered some words.
"Burrow...Stryker...Lily...help."
Then he blacked out again.
My mum and dad ran into my room and saw Matt lying on the floor. My father acted first, his voice detached and businesslike.
"Ginny, get the healing book and some water."
My mum rushed out of the room, nodding.
"Lily, did he say anything before he blacked out?" He asked.
I was taken back, I stuttered but spoke.
"He said fragments of sentences. But I think he was trying to tell me that someone attacked the burrow and took Stryker. I think it was Lucis."
My father cursed and called my mother who came running into the room with water and a thick book.
"Ginny, look after Matt and Lily, take them into the basement."
"What about you?" She asked.
"The Burrow's been attacked. Don't argue, go!"
Then he disappeared with a whip crack. My mum looked at me...
"Lily..."
"I'm so sorry mum, I'll be right back, I promise," I said, before disappearing.
I got one last look at my mothers desperate, pleading face before I vanished.
I reappeared in front of a burning, crumbled building. Smoke and fire were everywhere, the building had been reduced to rubble. Small pieces of ambers drifted off up to the stars. The fire blazed high and bright, contrasted against the dark night sky.
It might have been beautiful if it had not been The burrow that was on fire. I couldn't see my dad. He had probably lept into the building to search for anyone who was dumb enough to stay and fight. I waved my wand and said a complicated spell. A thick flow of water gushed out of the tip, I started putting the fire out. About ten minutes later I saw Dad coming around the hill with Ron, Hermione and various other redhaired people that I did not know the names of. I had put out most of the fire and only small amounts of the rubble continued to blaze. When my father saw me I expected him to be angry, but he seemed exactly the opposite. He ran up to me, waving his hands in the air. When he reached me he pulled me into a tight hug. I spoke first.
"Y-your not angry?"
My dad looked at me, shocked.
"Of course not. Lily, you did exactly what I would have done. With parents like Ginny and me, I expected you to bend the rules to help others."
I smiled and briefly hugged him back, before letting go and rushing towards Matts parents. I found Hermione and Ron clutching onto each other as an emergency wizard used healing magic on them. Hermione saw me and spoke in a quick frantic voice between coughs.
"Lily! Are you ok? What are you doing here? And Matt, where is he? I got separated from him during the battle, and Lucius attached the Burrow. He's got, Stryker!"
"Auntie Hermione, it's ok please calm down. Matts safe, he's at home with mum. He apprated to our house and told us to come here. We will get Stryker back. Just focus on staying alive."
At that moment Ron spoke.
"What are you doing here?"
"I'm just trying to put out the fires," I said.
"And your father let you come?!" He added.
I shook my head.
"No, I apperated after he did."
"And what about my sister?"
"Mums fine, she's at home taking care of Matt."
Just as I said this I heard a whip crack behind me and I knew I was in deep trouble.
"The hell I am!" Mum yelled from behind me.
I slowly turned around.
"Muuuuuuuum, how nice to see you here! What a surprise!"
She looked me straight in the eyes, her face hard and furious.
"We, are going to talk about this later."
I sighed and hung my head, one parent was proud and the other one was furious, there's just no pleasing both of them.
My mum rushed over to Ron and Hermione. I decided to let this one go and see how dad was going. I found him sorting through the rubble, Hermione told me that no one died and everyone made it out safely which was a relief. She said that Lucis didn't really hurt anyone, he just blew some stuff up, grabbed Stryker and left.
"Hi, dad!" I yelled.
He looked up, silhouetted in front of the rising sun.
For a moment I thought about Stryker, he loved the sunrise. He loved watching it with me. He said that the way the sun reflected off my hair made me look even more beautiful than I already was.
I shook the thought Stryker out of my head. We would find him, there would be plenty of sunrises we could watch together.
"Hiya, Tiger Lily!" My dad called back.
Merlin, I hated that name, I regret telling him. Ever since I told him, dad and Ron had been calling me Tiger Lily. Mum didn't seem to mind.
"Watch ya doin?" I asked.
"Lily, you've been spending too much time with your mother's side of the family," he joked.
I rolled my eyes and sighed, looking at him.
"Wow ok then, moody teenaged girl. I'm looking for anything that wasn't too badly damaged." He said, waving his hands around, trying to mimic someone being sassy.
I laughed, Merlin, laughing felt good. I hadn't laughed since Stryker and I become something close to enemies. My eyes began to water. My dad looked at me, understanding on his face.
"Look, Tiger Lily, we will find him, but first we need to clean this up. Lucis probably won't hurt him with Draco there. We will find him. I promise," He whispered.
I knew what would happen if I did what I was told. I would help sort through the rubble, my aunt and uncle would have some possessions, they would sell them and have some money. We would find them a place to live and then we would find Stryker. I also know enough about Lucis to know that Draco couldn't stop him. Lucis was angry and was probably going to kill Stryker after he put him through hell. No, I wasn't going to let anything happen to Stryker, not to my best friend. Tears were now trickling down my face. I looked at my dad.
"Lily..." He started.
"I'm...so...sorry dad," I whispered.
I tapped my head with my wand.
"N-..." my dad started.
I got one last look at his horror stricken face before I vanished.
