𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗹𝘆, james potter

-ˋ 58

CHAPTER FIFTY EIGHT
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-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH SHE DECIDES ON SOMETHING

. . .

"So how's the happy couple?" The sing-song voice of Sirius Black chorused the next morning at breakfast. Tiger and James had, admittedly, gotten back far too late from their date, and it was safe to say that they had had fun.

"Happy, I hope?" James replied, and looked over at Tiger, who had her mouth full of toast. The girl nodded, covering her mouth wit her hands to try and stop crumbs going everywhere.

"I'm surprisingly happy for you." Remus commented, as he sat down with Sirius, attempting to oull his collar up over his neck, messing with his hair, and tightening his tie.

"Surprisingly?" Tiger questioned, swallowing her toast and looking over at her cousin, head tilted as she did so.

"Well.. not exactly. I think I knew it was coming. James knew I've been ok with it for ages." Remus shrugged.

"So I am definitely the last to know about all of this, huh?" Tiger smiled, shaking her head as she looked down at her empty plate, reaching and taking another slice, spreading some jam on it.

"Yeah you were the only one." Lily confirmed, and the Howell girl stood up with her toast, nibbling on the edge of it as she gathered up her bags, pulling up her socks.

"Well..." Tiger paused, looking over at James, smiling briefly before swinging the bag over her shoulder. "I know now." She met James's eye, the boy blushing and staring down at his food, his hand running through his hair.

"You're not going to stay for the mail? It's arriving in a-" Marlene cut off as the sound of owls could be heard, and it got even louder as it entered the hall. "Right now." McKinnon smiled, as letters appeared on the tables.

"Tigs, this one is for you." James announced, holding up an envelope.

"What-" Tiger looked confused. "But I haven't gotten a letter since last year" She reached over Lydia, who ducked as Tiger's arm waved over her, taking the letter.

"Who's it from?" Remus asked, recognising the uncertainty in his cousin's voice and the confusion on her face.

"I'm going to.. go." Tiger pointed to the massive doorway of the hall, letter clitched so tightly in her hand that it began to crease, and her knuckles turned white.

"Tiger!" Lily shouted after the girl dashed out of the hall, but as the ginger girl got up, the Potter boy pulled her back down.

"Let her go, just for a moment. If it's something important then she needs space." James suggested, and the group stared at him for a moment.

"So not only has Potter fall in love, he now spews nonsense that actually makes sense." Lydia laughed, and the others nodded, staring at James.

"Who said anything about being in love." James's face burned red, and he jumped up, just as the bell rang to signal the start of morning classes, and the group joined the other crowds of students surging out of the hall.

But whilst most were walking to lessons, Tiger was in the nearest bathroom to the hall, staring at the envelope in her hands, back pressed against the tiled wall.

It was from her dad - a coincidence really, considering she had just been talking to James about the fact she hadn't talked to him since that day on the platform.

But that didn't mean she had thought what might have happened between them. She hoped, that something had clicked with her father, and he didn't blindly trust his wife like he had for years - simply because of the position she had held in his life for so long.

Staring at the return address in the corner, Tiger debated whether or not she even wanted to open it. Her father hadn't spoken to her in weeks. Her own father.

It didn't matter whether or not his believed Grace or if he believed her - he should at least write to her, like he did before the whole ordeal on Platform 9 3/4 went down.

But, as they say, curiousity kills the cat, and Tiger found herself ripping open the envelope with no care for the seal on the back. Pulling out the folded letter inside, another piece of paper floated out.

"Oh shit." Tiger bent down and grabbed the second sheet of paper, staring down at the crayon-drawing, feeling an overwhelming urge to cry. Matilda - her tiny little mind would have no idea what was going on.

Carefully folding up the drawing and slipping it in her robe pocket, Tiger turned to the letter, unfolding the sheet of paper and staring down at the first few words.

"My dearest Tiger." She read allowed, scoffing slightly - how dear was dearest, when you hadn't spoken to your father in years, and he was starting his letters when everything was alright.

She scanned the letter, not fully taking in the words he had written. He began by apologising, multiple times. And then, the words that Tiger had been wondering about for so long.

Her father was divorcing her mother. It was a muggle court affair, which no doubtedly embarass her mother into going through with it.

And it ended with him asking for her help. Now Tiger had no idea how muggle courts worked - she barely even had any knowledge on how wizarding ones worked, but her dad wanted full custody of her.

Her father had requested she write a letter, detailing within it what exactly her mother had done.

However, Tiger knew that not only were the wizarding government in America knew what happened at Ilvermorny, she also knew that the British wizarding court was aware of it.

And with a plan forming in her mind, Tiger sat down on the floor of the bathroom, already writing her reply.

She would ask him to take it to the wizarding court - tell him that her mother would be more likely to actually show up.

And she would somehow appear there, and clear her name. Because she was going to ask Dumbledore to help her prove it.

How - she had no idea, but she had until the summer to do it.

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