Broken Ever Afters

Chapter 3

"Hi Sirius, sorry about your dad."

"Hey Potter, you OK?"

"I heard about your dad."

~

Sirius rubbed a hand across his forehead and stared out the window at the countryside speeding past. He had been happy to get away from the crowds on Platform 9 ¾.

"Sirius?" He spun around.

"Yes, I'm sorry too. No, I am not OK. I'm not surprised you heard about him. It was all over the damn Daily Prophet!"

"Does that mean you want me to go away?" Cass stood in the compartment doorway looked at him with one eyebrow raised.

"Hey Cass. No, I thought you were someone else."

"It's OK. I bet it's been tough today. Are the others handling it?" She sat down across from him.

"Depends on your definition of 'handling it'. James had to be dragged into coming back at all, Remus is half asleep, Lily isn't talking again and Ced stole a watch from some lady at King's Cross."

She moved and sat next to him, sliding her thin arm around him. He leaned his head on her shoulder and within minutes was asleep. Cass looked down at her boyfriend. He looked so peaceful. She had to be strong for him. He had always been there for her, now she had to be there for him.

~

James slumped in his seat in the only available empty compartment. Last year he had been in an overflowing one, laughing and talking with his friends and cousins. But that was last year.

He dug through his trunk and unearthed an innocent looking butterbeer bottle. James tipped it back and the burn of firewhiskey slid down his throat.

~

Lily looked nervously around at the other four 1^st years in the compartment. She knew Alice Longbottom and Maria Jordan, but the two boys were unfamiliar. One had brown hair that he had to constantly brush out of his eyes and the other was pale, with short, newly shorn black hair and big dark eyes.

"I'm Alice Longbottom. Ali." Ali smiled at the two, "This is Maria Jordan and Lily Potter. What are your names?"

The brown-haired boy brushed his hair away and half-smiled, "Lucas Norman."

The other boy looked down at his hands, "Orion Zabini. Rion."

Lily looked up and spoke for the first time, "You're father was Blaise Zabini. Slytherin."

Rion blushed and didn't look up, "He's dead now and Mum says I'm not like him."

"It's all right. My father says...said he was a good man." Lily looked away.

"What about you, Lucas? Who are your parents?" Maria asked interestedly.

"They're not magical. What's the word you use?" he asked.

"Muggles." Ali supplied. The conversation swirled around Lily she blocked it out until Lucas spoke again.

"Lily, what about your parents?" Lucas looked at her, smiling calmly. She almost laughed. Someone who didn't know.

"My Mum is part owner of The New Prophet. She and Auntie Luna bought it out after...the war." Ali, Maria, and Rion shuddered. Lucas looked confused.

"What war?" he asked, looking around from face to face.

"The War." Maria and Ali said in unison. Lucas still looked confused, but shrugged it off and turned back to Lily.

"What about your Dad? What does he do?" Lily tensed and shivered. Maria's eyes widened. Ali's looked worriedly from Lily to Lucas and back. Even Rion's head shot up.

"He used to be an Auror." Lily's voice was hard. She was not saying more than that.

Lucas looked nervous, "Used to be?"

Lily stared out the window so the others wouldn't see the tears pouring down her cheeks. Used to be. Her father was a 'used to be'. Past tense. Gone. Not coming back.