The Rise And Fall Of The Stag And The Doe

everything will be alright

Lily locked her bedroom door and turned to face Sirius, James, Marlene and Peter, all of which were sitting her massive bed.

"Describe the boy." Lily insisted, her eyes focused purely on Sirius.

"Lil, it was her brother. He..." Sirius paused. "Looked just like her."

James looked at Marlene. "Has she ever mentioned-?"

"No. Never...She doesn't have any...Oh my Merlin..." Marlene whispered, her eyes widening. "Those nightmares she used to have...Do you remember Lily? First year?"

Lily's face tensed up, "...She used to call out a name. Wasn't it Ajax?"

"Yeah...yeah. You don't think-"

Peter piped up quietly. "It was her older brother. He poisoned himself right in front of her around the time her mother died."

"How do you know that?"

"She talks in her sleep sometimes and first year she used to fall asleep in the common room." Peter said looking away.

"Holy fuck," Sirius remarked, "...How did you not know she had a brother?"

Marlene glowered at Sirius hatefully. "She never talked about her family asshole. We didn't even know she wasn't going to live there until she told James."

"Where is she now?" Peter wondered aloud, sitting the farthest away from everyone.

"Moony carried her back to the room, she stayed with him, but when we woke up she was gone." Sirius answered, "He's been gone all day looking for her I think."

"Christ," Lily mumbled, pressing her fingers to her lips and pacing. "Just...god."

James ran a hand through his hair. "Is there anything we can...do?"

"No." Marlene said, "If it happened years ago...she won't want to talk about it. Remus will take care of her. Honestly the only thing we can do is give her space..."

Lily muttered, "Shouldn't we...tell someone?"

"Who are we going to tell? What could anyone do?" Marlene reasoned. "Her mother is dead, her father doesn't care. We're all she's got and honestly if she doesn't want to talk to Remus about it I think we should just leave it alone."

"You're not the type to leave something alone." Sirius voiced.

Marlene shrugged, a defeated expression on her face. "She didn't tell us about this for a reason. Maybe some things are left buried."

Everyone glanced over at Marlene, but none of them said a thing. She rose to her feet and said, "Let me know if anyone hears anything about Dora."

"Where are you going?" James asked, his eyebrows puckering together.

"Out." Marlene answered simply, slipping out of the room.

Peter left next without anyone asking where he was going and he never gave an explanation. Sirius got up last, his hands shrugging in his pockets. "Anyone heard about Cooper?"

"She's okay, but that's why Defense is cancelled today, Mr. Cooper is staying in the hospital wing with her." Lily replied.

"You guys still going to Transfig?"

Lily gave him a look. "Of course. And you will be there too."

"Oh I will?" He asked, a hint of amusement in his tone.

She inched up and ruffled up the front of his hair. "Yes, you will."

"What, are you my mother now?"