The Wake

He gulped as her grandfather stepped in, Chad wondered what he would assume, but his fears left him as he walked out without saying a word. He stood up after she complimented her and took a deep sigh. "I wonder what your father will think of me?" he said smiling at her in anticipation of her fathers thoughts of being in a bedroom alone with a Slytherin.

He heard Susan greet a man by the name of Ernie; bingo. "Well I think I shall meet the lovely gentleman that created you," he kissed her on the neck, accidentally leaving a hickey, he swore out loud, "I'm so sorry, you're father will kill me" he gripped her hand and began to descend the stairs, "wish me luck"

Amelia didn’t answer Chad right away because she had a feeling it wouldn’t be very good. “I don’t think you want to know what I think he’d think. Let’s just say he wouldn’t be very happy. According to my mother he has a thing against Slytherins but who knows the truth,” she said knowing that her mum wouldn’t lie. She cringed when she heard her mother greet her father, so much for a moment alone with Chad. This could end up being the third war.

“Get back here bonehead! Do you have a death wish! “called Amelia darting after him. She forgot about fixing the bed as she ran down the stairs. She stopped dead in her tracts when she saw something that definitely an effect of her astral projection. She was staring dead into the eyes of Claire. She was frozen there as Claire pointed at her then made an ‘x’ above her own heart. Then just like that she was gone. She saw her grandmother looking at the same direction. But she was just a muggle, what did that mean? Was that real? One glance from her grandmother she realized that she wasn’t the only one to see Claire.

James observed the interactions between Susan and her family, coming to the realization that everyone seemed to be a tad drunk. Shortly there-after, another conclusion came to mind: This family is on the verge of war with each other.

Taking slow and steady steps towards the table with the whiskey bottle, James raised his wand behind his back and murmured the incantation for the drought charm. He hoped that it would be enough to slow the ebb of the alcohol drinking tonight, as he was worried it could lead to a full-out throw-down between the tense family members. Attempting to look innocent, James sidled away from the table, and directed his attention to Ernie.

"Ernie!" James exclaimed quietly, holding out his hand, "Glad to finally meet you. I remember my mother mentioning you every now and again when I was a younger gent. I am so sorry to hear about your loss."

Lily heard James before she saw him, but it did not take long for him to enter. If only he had come sooner. While Susan had went for the door, the only other students had abandoned her with grouchy grandparents, and an unsettling silence had settled. Not that silence lasted long here. When James entered, she had company- and potential Firewhiskey. Her eyes fell on the bottle, but a slight movement on her brother's side indicated she would find little relief in it. She glanced up, pouting at him slightly.

Amelia had disappeared. However, Jessica was oddly silent. James was occupied, so she looked over at Jessica, pausing before giving the girl an awkward smile.

Susan didn’t really have to stomach to drink anymore. She felt sick to her stomach but not from the alcohol but from something deeper. It was really starting to hit her that her two oldest kids were dead. They wouldn’t be home for Christmas; she’d never see them again. It was breaking her heart over and over and hurt more each time.

She walked into the kitchen for privacy. Only moments after she heard the door shut behind her did she break down. She just slumped with her back pressed against the refrigerator. She felt as lost as she had at sixteen when her aunt died but this pain was so much worst. She remembered the first time holding them in arms, teaching them to talk and to walk and watching them grow up into young adults. She felt so lost and scared. It wasn’t fair but then again left had never really been fair. Lives taken so young, lives taken too late, there wasn’t always a right or wrong there was just life.

She felt her youngest son, Drew, curl up next to her. She stroked his curly brown hair. She held him like there was no tomorrow. She didn’t want to lose another child. She couldn’t bear this pain again.

She smiled shyly at the girl and waved. She walked casually up to her with a brandy cup and rum, "Would you like a drink? I suppose your of age?" she said casually while pouring herself one, and another for the girl just in case. "Your Lily, I haven't seen you since we were young and well, Edgar and Claire were" she blanked out her voice slightly cracking.

"I really look up to you, the way you can have been through all you've been through and not breakdown, first with Harry and whatnot" she hoped she wasn't creating awkwardnessism (I know it's not a word xD)

Jessica broke the silence, thankfully, for Lily's mind had drawn a blank on trying to conjure something of use to say. She spoke of a drink, offering Lily brandy. Lily had learned only to drink when the occasion really called for it, and with James so close by, it wasn't the greatest of ideas. "No, thanks, I'm quenched," Lily said, smiling a faded smile. "Yeah, I'm Lily," she clarified.

Jessica's voice cracked and Lily glanced around, before looking back at Jessica and resting a hand limply on the blonde girl's shoulder in what she meant to be a reassuring fashion. It slipped from her shoulder as Jessica spoke of her own struggles. "I'm nothing to look up to," Lily responded. "It's not much, getting over the death of the father you never knew. And I only lost one mother, not two siblings. So, not much of a comparison right?" Wrong, but she had come to accept Ginny's death. Jessica's grief was fresh.

"Of course not" he said trying to drag Amelia off, "Are you ok? he said, he knew what was happening, but knew now that it had happened, he shook her violently, while looking directly into her eyes, "Amelia, don't worry it's not real!" his shouts were now loud enough to alert the whole house, and he picked her up and carried her down the stairs flopping her on the couch, he could look like an idiot, or a hero, and he didn't care as long as she was safe, once on the couch, he kissed her forehead, not knowing if it was deadly or not, he prayed she wasn't seeing anything too violent.

(Sorry for the god-mod)

((I'm just reply to Lily, and in the next post I'll reply to the hectic Amelia!)

"But a mother is worth five siblings, they look after you when you're sick, tease you when your grumpy, tell you off when you need it, they're everything, I'd rather lose my sibling," but this was her alcohol talking, she'd never say this if she wasn't inebriated, sadly this wasn't the case.

"AND.... you're so famous, and you look beautiful, I wish Harry Potter was my father"

Lily shrugged. "It's hard to compare the death of anyone. Every life lost is sorely missed by someone. I don't think comparison helps at all. It's no competition after all." Lily patiently reminded herself that Jessica was grieving and not exactly sober. She would suffer through the girl's claims for today and forget about her tomorrow. That was as far as Lily could stretch her compassion right now.

The compliments kept coming. Lily glanced around, unwilling to deal with this right now. "Have you met my brother James?" she said quickly, attempting to change the subject. "He's a doll. James!"