𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗹𝘆, james potter

-ˋ 08

CHAPTER EIGHT
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-: seventh year :-

── IN WHICH SHE EXPLAINS

. . .

Despite the constant chatter in the Great Hall as they waited for McGonagall to appear with the first years it was completely silent where Tiger sat. James, Remus, Sirius, Marlene, Lily, Lydia and Peter just stared at her, confused.

"What do you mean?" James asked finally, perhaps the most concerned by the entire thing, as he watched his girlfriend's face drain of life and emotion other than clear horror and confusion.

"Over there. That man, the blonde one sat at Ravenclaw." Tiger's voice was shaky, although it was kind of robotic. She seemed to be trying to process something as incredulous as Voldemore dropping dead and the looming threat of war no longer exisiting. 

"Tiger, that's just Luke. What do you mean he's not supposed to be here?" Marlene looked rather taken aback and rather disgruntled by this outburst. "Sure, it's weird he's transferring for his last, year but he has every right-"

"Marlene, he's supposed to be dead." Tiger said, and the blonde fell silent, staring at her. As did the six others, none of them knowing what to say. 

"Tiger, you're acting strangely, just tell us what you mean." Lily pushed her, and Tiger seemed to falter for a moment, before raising her hands up to her head and covering her eyes, trembling like a leaf. 

The others just stared at her, waiting for some sort - any sort of explanation. How could she just burst out with something like that and just fall silent? 

"Luke isn't supposed to be dead, Tiger." Marlene hissed, eyes narrowing as she stared at the girl. "Just explain what you mean or drop it, because I'm sorry but I don't really fancy mine and Luke's relationship being ruined because he's supposed to be 'dead'."" 

"I don't blame you if you don't understand or trust me or whatever, at this point I don't care. And it's not Luke. It's Leo. As in my dead ex. Who I supposedly killed. Very much alive. Very much sat at that Ravenclaw table." Tiger's words became chopppy, no sentence longer than a few words. 

"The fuck?" Sirius exclaimed, looking between Tiger and the blond boy. "Also why do these stupid feasts have the most drama in them - first Olivia now Luke.. Leo - that blond guy." 

"Tiger you're going have to explain further than that because I have no idea what you mean." Marlene's voice had become slightly more high pitched, confusion clear. 

"My ex.. my dead ex. Who was killed.. in an explosion. Oh God. Dead.. explosion.. Leo." Tiger seemed to be dissolving into a panic, and James was instantly by her side, although he was no less confused than anyone else. 

It was just then that McGonagall burst through the doors into the Great Hall, and made her way down to the front of it, the stream of first years behind her. 

The usual speech took place, and the boys began their guessing game, yelling out certain houses when they figured they could get it right. All this time, Tiger remained tucked into James's side, eyes focused on nothing in particular, but drifting along the empty table, glazed over. 

She seemed to have entered a state of shock, and nothing anyone said really went in. She just stared into space, often taking sips of water or bites of the potatoes that James forced down her. 

"Tiger come on, you have to eat something." Remus prompted, as desserts appeared and she didn't touch anything. He and Sirius had been sat opposite the couple, and had whispered between themselves for the majority of the meal, glancing every so often over to the blond boy sat at the Ravenclaw table, who seemed to be getting along just fine with a few other seventh year boys there. 

"I can't. I just don't think I can.. I think I'll throw up." Tiger shivered. "Maybe I'll go down to the kitchens later or something.." 

Her words seemed empty, and despite her previous outbursts, even Marlene seemed to worrying about her. "I just can't.. I don't even know how or why or anything.. he's just here - and alive." Tiger covered her face in her hands, rubbing her eyes and looking up at them all. "I need to talk to him."

"Tiger are you sure that's wise?" Lydia said softly. "It's clear that you're shaken up by this - maybe it's better if you wait."

"I don't think I could sleep, I just need to talk to him - find out whether it even is him or if he had a twin or a clone or something to try and explain why the hell he's alive. I just need that. I don't care about the why or how right now. Would you mind waiting for me?" Tiger asked, looking up at James as the dessert dishes disappeared. 

"Of course, anything. I'll be waiting nearby." James promised, the pair of them falling silent as Dumbledore finished the feast with his usual short speech, before sending them off to bed. 

As soon as they were allowed to go, Tiger took off, James following behind her, watching as she stopped in front of the blond Ravenclaw boy, who looked just as shocked to see her. 

"I think we need to talk." Tiger said quickly, feeling rather faint as her hand actually clasped around something and not just thin air, as she dragged Leo out of the hall, James following behind.

He had no idea what was going on - nobody did at this point - but it was clear now that there never seemed to be a welcome back feast without the interuption of something.

And this one was far of a lot more confusing and interesting than Olivia was.

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