The Last Few Words

The Last Few Words by Erika Skyfire

Chapter 3~

That summer was the most stressful one in my life. It sounds odd, 'the most stressful one in my life,' when I have so many summers to look forward to. But I will stand to that statement because since that summer, the others have paled in comparison. Petunia was left at the house to settle the affairs of our parents' death, the funeral, the wills, and oddball things concerning bill collectors. I do not know how she handled it, I was falling to pieces from afar, but apparently she took care of it fairly quickly and easily. I wasn't invited to the funeral, and it neither surprised me nor excited me. It depressed me for not being able to say goodbye to my parents, but I buried that under with the rest of my locked emotions. Nevertheless, I was not looking forward to that summer of brooding in the school. Fortunately, Kira was as stubborn as ever and managed to arrange for me to go home with her.

Kira's parents were extremely good hosts. They weren't lacking in money, so having a few house elves pop up was expected; I was even assigned one to be my personal helper. I was gracious as I could possibly be under the circumstances, but after a week, I realized I needed to feel like my parents were actually gone. Masking my grief and guilt was disbelief, disbelief that this was just a summer visit with Kira before going home for the remainder of weeks.

This upset me so much that I talked to Kira about it. She nodded understandingly and prepared a trip for us to go to my house, to see the dreaded sister, to feel the closure of my parents' death. The moment I arrived though...

~*~*~*~

Lily Evans walked up the path to the door, Kira Ravenstar close behind. Lily turned as she heard a large shriek. On the pavement was Kira, sprawled out and scowling, and nearby a large owl, apparently looking sheepish.

"Lily, dearest, I think it's for you."

Lily nodded as the owl flew up onto her shoulder, sticking out its leg so she could remove the letter attached. Once she had the letter, the owl took off. Lily glanced at it warily before opening it slowly. The house, Petunia, her things... they could all wait. Finally opening it up, she glanced at it quickly.

Dear Lily,

Hope this reaches you in good spirits, since I'm unsure how my owl reacts to people, I'm sure he was quite comical in his landing.

I was curious as to how you're holding up. You were in a fair state at school, but it wasn't exactly convincing to me, since I know how it's felt. My father died a couple years back and I would hide myself in my books and such until Sirius eventually smacked me upside the head. It was actually very interesting seeing as we got into a bit of an... erm... scuffle. But lets say I got the emotional release I needed, and that's what's important. Anyways, if you need anyone to talk to over this break, owl me whenever you feel like it.

James Potter

Lily sighed and tucked the letter away into her pocket. Kira gave her a quizzical glance, but Lily apparently didn't wish to discuss it so she said nothing. They walked up to the door and knocked gently. It was only a few moments before Petunia poked her head out.

"It's about time you showed up, I'm not going to pack your things."

"Petunia, if you dare say one word to me while I'm here, I will not hesitate to hex you."

Petunia glared at Lily's threat but opened the door and went into the kitchen, slamming pots and pans together in irritation. Lily ignored this, apparently used to it, while Kira looked on in disbelief. She'd never met Petunia before, the latter always preferring to hide in her room while Kira and her family picked Lily up in previous summer holidays. Lily showed Kira to her room and asked her to pack a few things while she went and quietly entered her parents' room.

It was exactly as she'd remembered it. The bed was made, her mother's jewelry boxes and perfume bottles perfectly aligned. Her father's ties on the rack, in perfect color combinations, and his reading glasses on the bedside table. Lily sighed shakily and walked over to her mother's jewelry box. She opened it slowly; absent-mindedly remembering which outfits her mother would wear with this pin, those earrings, that bracelet. Lily sorted through her mother's jewelry for a long time, sometimes her tears falling on the box that she would have to hastily wipe away.

"Lily?"

Kira was at the door, looking unsure if she should disturb her or not.

"This was on your dresser, I didn't know if you wanted me to pack it..." she said quietly, and held out a white envelope. Lily walked over to take it and smiled a little as she saw her name on the front in her mothers handwriting, even if it was a bit messy.

"Thanks Kira. I'll be there in a minute," she replied, and Kira left, closing the door behind her. Opening the letter, Lily sat down on the bed and began to read; taking note of how the handwriting had changed.

Dearest Lily,

Hello, love. I don't know when you'll receive this, but I wanted to give you something very important to me. When you were gone at school, I would sit in your room and dream of the day I would give it to you, but now it seems that I won't see your face while you put it on, or see it on you when you graduate, or perhaps when you get married. Writing this takes all my strength, and even then I have to have a nurse write it for me.

I first want to tell you about your dad. He was the best man I have ever known. When the train hinted of derailing, your father did everything in his power to protect me. When I heard of his death, it struck me deeply for a brief moment... until I realized that I am soon going to join him. Please, love, don't cry too hard for your father and I. I love you and Petunia greatly, and I know your dad did as well.

Now to your gift. In this envelope, you should find a little pendant on a silver chain. My mother gave it to me when I was five years old, when she died. I have never worn another, and now I give it to you in my death. I understand Petunia will probably not be too happy of this, since I have not given anything of mine to her, but you were always my special little girl.

All I wish now is for you to hold a happy life like I have. With a wonderful husband that would protect you to life's end, and a couple of children that give you as much joy as you and your sister have given your father and I. Have a happy life, Lily dearest. Don't let the sad things dampen your cheery disposition.

Love,

Mother

The signed handwriting was very soft, and Lily's tears hit the page. She cried, but with a different feeling. Like it was not the end of the world, it was only the end of two wonderful people's lives here, and that she would meet them again. Smiling a little, she pulled the necklace out of the envelope and recognized it. It was indeed the one her mother always wore, silver chained with a silver heart pendant, encasing a star and diamond. Immediately, she took it and clasped it around her neck, smiling because she felt like she had her mother's protection. Folding the letter and putting it in her pocket with the other, she went to the closet to retrieve what she had originally entered the room for. She pushed all the clothes to the side until she found what she was looking for. She plucked it out and carried it out with her, returning to her bedroom to help Kira.

It was her mother's wedding dress.

~*~*~*~

I sigh again. My hand flew up to fiddle with the pendant, and it calmed me. I hear a cry and glance at the crib, seeing Harry thrash a bit in his sleep. I pick him up and shush him comfortingly, telling the unpleasant dreams to pass, since he usually sleeps for much longer then this. He eventually calms as I hum, and I set him back down again. He sleeps.

I glance over at James and find him still asleep. I smile, going over to foot of the couch to grab a blanket and throw it over him. He shifts, muttering something about flying motorcycles. I smile. I know he is dreaming about either his friend Sirius and his motorcycle, or the idea of simply operating it. I kiss his forehead and go back to my desk, where I remember...

~*~*~*~

I have worn that necklace ever since I was presented with it. It has become a piece of me, a part of my body, myself never daring to take it off, lest I lose the piece of my mother in me. Call it strange, I wouldn't mind, but I was very concerned about it.

After leaving the house with my things, my letters, and my new necklace, we went to the cemetery. Kira stayed back, allowing me to see them alone. It didn't take me long to find the graves, they were fairly new and had been put under a large willow tree. I loved that tree the moment I saw it. It's branches and leaves curtained the graves from the rest of the world, giving me a sense of security that no one would bother my parents' resting place. I was very emotional, and tried to cling to my resolve, my self-made promise to my mother that I wouldn't cry. I sat down to stare at their graves, one hand clutching the pendant necklace, the other holding a bunch of lilies. I talked, I fiddled with the earth around their headstones, and I ignored the tears that inevitably ran down my cheeks. They were happy tears though, tears of hope and comfort. I smiled and kissed the stones, leaving the lilies behind. Their youngest daughter would remember them.

After the difficult trip to see my parents' graves, we went back to Kira's home. The summer slowly got better, especially since I had a newfound post-friend to write to. I didn't tell James much about my trip, except that it helped me live with the fact that my parents were gone. I didn't feel like I had a lot to tell him. Despite him being incredibly nice about it all, he was still someone I didn't know very well.

Maybe I should take the time to explain his 'status' at school. The guys his age and younger all seemed to look up to him, as far as I saw at the time. He seemed to be very nice, comfortable, sweet... all the things you'd look for in a guy. Except for his pranks. His pranks always were clever and extremely embarrassing, so you never wanted to get on his bad side. He rarely did it to a house member; they were mostly aimed at the Slytherins, who I must say deserved it. Sirius Black, his friend, was a prankster himself, but he, unlike James, never knew when to stop. So James was the overall good guy, pranking Slytherin's with his friends and stopping them before they got into too much trouble.

The girls all seemed to like him, which he was usually oblivious to unless he was trapped into being alone with one. That always ended up with the girl throwing herself on him while he tried to get her off of him politely. He didn't exactly like that form of attention, especially after Sirius would give him endless grief about it until Remus would tell him to shut up.

Anyways, he somehow managed to get really good grades, especially in Transfiguration, which explained how he was a prefect. I myself was a prefect of the last two years, but I didn't know if I would have remained one since I seemed to be easily distracted from my duties. I wasn't surprised when I received a letter from James exclaiming happily he was Head Boy the upcoming year. But I was surprised when I received my yearly acceptance letter to Hogwart's, and was notified that I had become Head Girl.

I was very confused... why me to be Head Girl? I thought I hadn't done anything the last term, so what did I do to deserve it? I never exactly understood what I did, just that I was definitely going to make up for it this next term.

When the term did come, I did very well. I was on good terms with James, and we planned things very well together. I still managed to keep my distance, though, since I never forgot what I had admitted to the previous year. Kira would make little jokes about it, to where I was determined not to get that close to James just to spite her. Merlin knows why we convince ourselves of things like that, but we do. I wish I had never done anything just to spite Kira.

For that Christmas was the last time I saw her alive.