Broken Ever Afters

Chapter 2

"I'm not going." Remus stood in the doorway of his bedroom trying not to meet Aunt Hermione's eyes.

"Remus, you need to be there."

"James isn't going." Remus put on his best defiant face and looked up at his aunt. Her eyes were tired.

"James will be at the dinner if I have to get Ron to carry him there, kicking and screaming." Lily peered around Aunt Hermione and glared at Remus. Her expression clearly told him that if he refused he would not only have to deal with his aunt, he'd have to deal with his silent little sister.

"I guess I'll come."

"Good." Aunt Hermione smiled tiredly at him, "Gran Molly ironed your dress robes

"My dress robes?! I'm not wearing my dress robes." Remus shook his head violently.

"It's a formal banquet, Remus." Aunt Hermione rubbed a hand across her forehead, "Will you wear them for your Mum?"

Remus slammed the door and pulled his dress robes out of the closet. They were a shade of dark red that looked amazing on Sirius (the robe's previous owner), but clashed violently with Remus's bright red hair. He sighed and pulled them on.

"You look like a sick tomato." His cousin Grace Granger-Weasley stood in the doorway looking at him interestedly.

"Thanks Grace."

She grinned and wrapped a flame red curl around one finger, "No problem." Her dress robes were pale yellow and her brown eyes sparkled, "Mum said you're going to escort me."

"Oh, joy."

"Come on, we can have fun."

"Right."

~

"Sirius, darling. Please." Mum perched on the edge of an armchair, her black dress robes spread out around her.

Sirius slumped in a chair across from her, "I'm not going."

"Sirius, your father would want you there."

"How the hell do you know what he would want?!" Sirius sprang to his feet.

"Sirius Evan Potter! Sit!" He dropped back into the chair, glaring at her, "I've known and loved your father since I was 10. I think I know him. He never wanted any of the fame. It always made him uncomfortable. But he knew what he had to do. He went to hundreds of balls and banquets that he would have much rather skipped."

"Well, I'm not the bloody boy-who-lived, alright?!"

"Go get dressed. Send in your brother." Mum's eyes flashed.

"James isn't here."

"What do you mean James isn't here?"

"He's not here. Not like you bloody care. You haven't paid any attention to any of us since Dad died." Sirius turned on his heel and walked out of the room.

"He's right." Lily stood up from behind the couch.

"Lily? What are you doing in here? Wait, I though Hermione said you weren't talking at all?"

"I wasn't. But now I have things to say." She settled her self in Sirius's chair, "I know where James is. I know what Ced's been doing. I know why Remus looks sick. I know what Sirius has done."

"What do you mean?"

"Mum, I mean that Ced has been stealing things from guests, Remus has so many nightmares that he never sleeps anymore, Sirius has a tattoo, And right now, James is at a muggle bar getting drunk because he doesn't want to go to the dinner."

"What? Lily Minerva Potter, are you lying to me?"

"No."

"Oh, hell. Lily, darling, please go get your dress robes on and tell Hermione and Ron I want to talk to them."

"OK, Mum." Lily disappeared into the hallway.

~

"Gin?" Ron dropped into the vacated armchair, "What is it?"

"Oh, Ron! What am I doing wrong?" Ginny buried her face in her hands.

"Gin, what do you mean?"

"The kids. Lily just informed me that Sirius has a tattoo, Remus has so many nightmares that he doesn't sleep, Ced is a thief, and James is at some muggle bar getting drunk! What was I thinking? I can't raise them by myself!"

"Gin..."

"Oh, god, Harry. Why did you have to die? I can't do this without you."

"Gin!" Ginny fell back in her chair. Ron closed his eyes against the tears and tucked a blanket around his unconscious, little sister.

~

"Ron? What did she say?"

"Oh, 'Mione. She started talking to Harry again before she fainted." Ron slumped in the kitchen chair and the tears came.