𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘴 (𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘰 𝘔𝘢𝘭𝘧𝘰𝘺 𝘹 𝘧𝘦𝘮!𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺)

[11]

✭

The train ride home was like always. The Weasleys, Lily, Hermione, Luna and Neville would all take a compartment and attack the trolley. Lily would always buy lots of chocolate frogs, mostly for the cards that she was collecting for years, a habit she didn't forget about.

Mrs. and Mr. Weasley were waiting for them on the platform and didn't hesitate to engulf everyone in big hugs.

The Burrow was just as cozy as Lily remembered, her little heaven. She could still feel him everywhere, but the Potter realized that it was not as painful as before, that she started to forget his voice and the color of his eyes.

It scared Lily, the way she could so easily forget someone she had loved so much, someone who she promised the stars to.

But time had the power to make anyone forget, to leave only faint memories and the ginger started to get used to it.

She was healing.

"Ronald!" Mrs. Weasley's voice boomed from downstairs, startling the trio that was just sitting in Ron's room, talking about Christmas and food.

Ron looked terrified to say the least, his gaze jumping from one girl to the other.

"Go on, Ronald, it's your battle to fight," Hermione said, a chuckle escaping her lips.

Lily shrugged, not being able to offer her best friend any help.

He finally got himself up and out of the room, sending glares to the girls, as he almost tripped over the threshold.

"Mum is probably only going to make him cook," Lily said, turning to lay on her belly on Ron's bed.

She had been calling Mrs. Weasley mum for a while now, because the woman gave her a home and a chance at a new family and she loved her to bits.

"That's right, Ronald is just being dramatic, Mrs. Weasley isn't going to kill anyone...except the twins if they get in the way of Christmas preparations," Hermione said as she stroked Cookshanks fur.

Lily nodded, scratching her ears as she let her head fall onto Ron's pillows. The feeling of guilt was eating at her insides, spreading day by day.

Barely half a year had passed since Will died, barely a year and some months since she was last in that room with him, when he was still as vibrant and alive as anyone.

She felt overwhelmed at the thought that she was so easily seeking comfort in someone else, that their most important memories began to fade, that she couldn't recall the exact shade of his blue eyes or the shape of his smile.

"You're in over your head," Hermione started, long fingers wrapping around Lily's ankle. "What is it?"

"What do you mean?" the redhead muttered, burying her face in a pillow.

"Lils...you know what happened last time you had too much on your mind. Is it such a burden to accept my help?"

"It's the guilt, the guilt is keeping me from doing anything...and there's such a mess in my head, I have no idea how to explain."

Hermione crawled on the bed until she was next to Lily and their elbows were touching. "You can take your time, I'm not going anywhere."