The Parents Who Died

The Parents Who Died: Part V of Tale #1

Snogging Pieces of Toast Go Well

With Teenage Witches

Yes, and the ocean parts when I walk through,

and the clouds dissolve and the sky turns blue
I'm held in very great value by everyone I meet but you
'cause I've used my talents as I could,

I've done some bad, I've done some good
I did a whole lot better than they thought I would

so, c'mon and treat me like you should

Because everybody loves me, baby,

what's the matter with you?

Won'tcha tell me what did I do to offend you?

-"Everybody Loves Me Baby" by Don McLean

Magid (Mag’id)- A witch or wizard of above average magical aptitude. They are very rare, very powerful, and therefore very regulated. All are noted by the Ministry of Magic. Madness is most often the result of these abilities, and suicide is common. Magids also have special abilities in becoming animagi and...

Lily Evans slammed the magical dictionary shut in a cloud of dust, completely unaware that this caused her to sneeze five times. It was early morning, so early that Lily’s mind seemed to still be half-asleep. 

She’d woken up as musty light seeped in through her dorm window, and had, thereafter, not been able to sleep. She was tired, yet she still buzzed. All those nagging thoughts and realizations ate at her.

It was as she’d crawled into bed the night before that she’d realized she’d cried on James Potter’s shoulder. Simple enough. Except for that fact that she always told herself the one guy who let her cry on his shoulder willingly was the one for her.

Lily didn’t like that, and she was troubled.

Then there was Narcissa Clever’s warning. She’d seemed sincere, and Lily was chilled by this fact.

James Potter...one of these Magid people? Wanted by Lord Voldemort to such an extent that, being unconquerable, Voldemort would resort to extremes like torture so James would either become insane or commit suicide?

"Bloody crazy," Lily muttered to herself, staring off into space.

The library was dark and chilly. Filtered gray light trickled in through the high, narrow windows, dim though dawn had broken almost an hour before. It was eerily quiet, and this lack of sound permitted Lily to get lost in thoughts.

Attracted to the windows as Lily had always loved the sight of falling snow, she made her way to one, weaving through tables and chairs, footsteps echoing, until she was close enough to peer through.

It wasn’t snowing. It was sleeting.

Lily didn’t like sleet as much as snow, but still looked out the window.

She could see Hagrid’s hut in the distance, just barely, a dark shape amidst the white. She caught a glimpse of a silhouette attending some sort of business out in the snow, and, assuming it was Hagrid, smiled slightly and leaning forward to see more clearly.

On closer inspection, the shape she’d thought was Hagrid proved to be someone else, as it was slimmer and slighter, and though she didn’t recognize it as someone awful, she felt a chill and was jogged back into her previous train of thought.

She sighed and turned away.

In his next means of torture, Narcissa had said, Voldemort planned to kill James’s parents. 

Lily didn’t know whether to believe this or not...but then again, hadn’t she, a day ago, immediately suspected her parents’ deaths to be associated with Lord Voldemort? And Sirius’s and Remus’s parents were dead, too...

She kneaded her forehead as she made her way to the library door.

Why would he go after her then? Why would he think her pain would hurt James? They had given no signs of liking each other to anyone. Why would Voldemort suspect James cared for her?

This question brought on another one that had lain dormant in her mind for a while now: Did James care for her?

And, most importantly, did she care for James?

She snorted aloud, pulling open the library door and stepping out into the dimly lit hallway. "Yeah, right. He annoys the hell out of me."

But then she thought about how warm and nice and sweet he’d been and how good he smelled and...

"Evans," she said to herself as she strolled down the stone corridor. "I don’t think it’s Potter who’s losing his mind. I think it’s you."

* * * * *

"Would yeh like a rock cake?" offered Hagrid, holding out a plate jam-packed with them. "Just made ‘em."

Lily had to work hard not to wrinkle her nose. She’d experienced Hagrid’s cooking (especially his rock cakes) before. "No, thank you, I’m really not hungry," she politely declined, holding up her hands.

Hagrid shrugged, setting down his plate. "Yer choice." He poured her some tea. "How’re yeh doin’, Lily?" he asked, looking at her through thick eyebrows, beetle-black eyes sparkling in friendly concern.

She smiled a crooked smile. "I’m okay."

Carefully placing his hot teakettle on the stove, Hagrid snorted. "No, yer not."

"I am," Lily insisted, her fiery-redheaded instincts coming on.

"Now, Lily, do yeh really expect me to believe that?"

"Yes," she bristled.

"Yer parent’s jus’ died," said Hagrid helpfully.

"Oh, they have, have they?" said Lily. "Thanks for telling me, I wasn’t informed of that bit of information."

Hagrid fell silent and looked at Lily intensely. His beard quivered. "I take it tha’ you don’ want to talk abou’ it then, eh?"

"Well-spotted," said Lily icily, sitting back and crossing her arms over her chest. Her eyes wandered to look out the window of the gamekeeper’s hut.

"I’m not nosin’," said Hagrid gently. "I’m jus’ concerned."

"And I don’t mean to be rude," said Lily. "I’m just pissed."

"All righ’ then," said Hagrid with an air of accomplishing something. "Then let’s talk abou’ somethin’ else!"

"What else is there to talk about?" Lily muttered, drawing her eyes away from the snowy, icy scene outside to look at Hagrid.

"I dunno," said Hagrid. "You decide."

Lily shrugged. She didn’t really know why she’d come to visit Hagrid, as she’d known he’d ask her how she felt, but she’d needed warmth and some escape from Hogwarts and James Potter and Lord Voldemort.

But, obviously, this was no escape from these thoughts and ideas either.

"Do you know anything about Magids?" Lily blurted out.

Hagrid, who’d been sipping from his teacup, was so startled by this sudden question that he nearly spilled the scalding liquid. "Excuse me?" he asked gruffly.

She blushed a little. "D’you know anything about Magids?" she repeated.

His forehead creasing, Hagrid deliberated her face for a moment before answering. "Yer wonderin’ abou’ James Potter, aren’t yeh?" he asked shrewdly.

Now it was Lily’s turn to be startled.

"Yeah, he’s a Magid," Hagrid answered her confused face. "And I know abou’ it. All the staff at Hogwarts do. We ‘ave to keep an eye on him."

"Why?" Lily whispered.

"How much d’yeh know?" Hagrid inquired suspiciously.

"That maybe Mum and Dad," her voice cracked here, "died because of his being a Magid," she said in return.

There was a moment of silence in which Hagrid obviously rolled over whether to explain or not. Finally he spoke. "I s’pose yeh’ve got the righ’ to know," he said gruffly. "But all I say here is in confidence and can’t be repeated to any one else in the school, yeh hear?"

Lily nodded, leaning closer.

His eyes narrowed for a moment, but then Hagrid, too, nodded. "I know I can trust yeh," he said with a smile.

"You bet," said Lily seriously.

"A Magid, as yeh probably know, is a witch or wizard with stronger magic powers than normal," Hagrid began, weaving his salami-sized fingers together on the tabletop. "They’re very rare. I think about one ev’ry fifty years, give or take some. James is the one fer this fifty year span, an’ we’ve known tha’ since he was a baby."

"How?" Lily asked, curious.

"Magic blood count," Hagrid explained. "Shows what potential yeh have, and James’s was mighty high."

"What was mine? Do you know?"

Hagrid looked thoughtful. "Depending on yer grades, yers was, mos’ likely, a little bit higher than normal, but nowhere near James’s."

"I always wondered how he got such high grades without ever working," Lily said resolutely.

Hagrid chuckled appreciatively. "Well, now yeh know why." He took a swig of tea, wiped his mouth, and then continued. "The funny thing abou’ the Magids of this century is that there’ve been two, which is normal, but not fifty years apart. More aroun’ thirty-five."

Lily’s brows knitted together. "What?"

"The firs’ one was You-Know-Who," said Hagrid, looking about with his black eyes fearfully.

"Voldemort?"

Hagrid blanched. "Yeah. Him. And then James."

"Those are the two of the nineteen hundreds?"

"So far."

Lily arched an eyebrow. "There could be more?"

"O’course. Those two of each century isn’t concrete evidence. Jus’ an estimate."

"I see," said Lily, nodding. "Go on."

"Well, like I said, Magids are a powerful lot. They’re powerful on their own. They’re even more powerful in groups. And, mos’ of the time, their powers equal each other."

Lily frowned, confused. Where was he leading up to?

"You-Know-Who found out abou’ James bein’ a Magid, despite how hard we tried to hide it. So, course, You-Know-Who planned on enlistin’ him on his side. Make him more powerful an’ all " Hagrid nervously bit into a rock cake. It took him a few moments before he could speak again, as his rock cakes had a tendency to cement one’s mouth together. When he’d unglued his jaw, however, he continued as if he hadn’t had that intervention (he was obviously quite accustomed to his own horrid cooking). "Well, James is a good guy. He wouldn’ have it. He refused. So You-Know-Who got to thinkin’ that if James wasn’t on his side, he’d be a real threat, as Magids are equal, or almos’. But he couldn’ downrigh’ kill ‘im, no. James was the hard type to kill. Wouldn’ take to that either. So then You-Know-Who must’ve though’, ‘Well, why don’ I torture the boy till he’s mad, then, and he won’ be a threat!’ So he took to killin’ the righ’ people, hurting those fer whom James gives a care, and, with tha’, hurtin’ James. He started it men’ally. He made James feel guilty abou’ his friends’ grief. Abou’ those he cares fer’s grief."

"Sirius and Remus," Lily said hoarsely, eyes widening.

Hagrid smiled slightly. "An’ you."

"Well, that hasn’t been proven," Lily said quickly, sure she was pink.

"Ah, it needs no provin’! It’s obvious. He’s been strikin’ on Christmas ev’ry year to hurt ‘im, and this’un’s no different."

"James and I don’t get along," Lily snapped. "Why on earth would Voldemort think it would hurt James if he hurt me?"

"Because he fancies yeh!"

Lily’s mouth opened in disbelief. "He doesn’t."

"He does," Hagrid insisted. "Lily, ev’ry guy in the school fancies yeh."

She was purple now. "Not true."

"It is." Hagrid placed his teacup down in its saucer. "An’ it’s obvious that James fancies yeh the most outta the whole lot of them."

"Why would he?" said Lily, now feeling quite uncertain but still fired up. "I act like a total bitch to him."

Hagrid held up a finger. "Language."

"Sorry."

"Yeh know I don’ like that."

"I said sorry."

"Anyway," continued Hagrid, "James likes that. Haven’t yeh noticed that? With all those girl’s hangin’ over him! Yeh’re like a breath of fresh air."

"How do you know all this?"

"He told me."

"When?" Lily demanded.

Hagrid chuckled. "Lots o’ times. James and Sirius and Remus and Peter visit me jus’ as often as you do. The pas’ month James ‘as come by ‘imself, and ev’ry time you come up. James says he loves how rude you are to him. A nice break from all ‘is ‘admi’ers.’"

Lily, feeling very uncomfortable by this time, played with some locks of hair that had fallen loose from her bun. "He—he told you he fancies me?"

"Not in those words, o’course," said Hagrid. "He is sixteen, after all. But I can tell."

"How— Is—is that why my parents are dead?"

"Yeah," said Hagrid sadly. "And a bloody shame, too. I liked yer parents."

With a sad smile, Lily agreed. "But how would Voldemort know James—fancies me?"

"Sources," said Hagrid, flinching at the name. "He’s got plenty here at Hogwarts, no doubt."

"Let me get this straight " Lily said, raising a hand in the air. "James Potter is a Magid. Voldemort is after him and wants him either dead or insane, and is working on the latter. In order to do this, he is hurting everyone James cares for which has so far been Sirius, Remus, and and me."

Hagrid nodded.

"He’s in danger."

Nod.

"And his mother and father are next in line."

"Yeah."

Lily slumped back. "God, he’s got one helluva nice life."

"Language."

"Sorry."

But Hagrid was smiling sadly. 

"And I always thought he was just a pervert," Lily muttered.

Hagrid laughed. "That’s a cover-up, Lily. So nobody can see his pain or suspect it and so You-Know-Who won’ notice who he cares fer."

"He does a good job," said Lily, with a crooked grin.

"So I’ve seen."

There was a moment of silent contemplation.

"Well," said Lily, standing. "It’s getting late."

"I know."

"I’d better be going." She reached for her jacket and began to slip it on.

"Remember not to tell anyone," Hagrid reminded her sternly. "That was b’tween you and me."

Lily nodded. "I know." She paused a moment, but then stepped to Hagrid and hugged him tightly. He smelled of alcohol and smoke, but felt warm and comforting when he hugged her back.

When she pulled away, she and Hagrid both had misty eyes.

"You watch out for yerself," Hagrid said nasally, walking her to the door. "An’ I mean it. Yer in danger, and I don’ mean that to scare you."

"I know," Lily said earnestly. She stepped out into the crisp night air. The snow and sleet had stopped falling, and the sky was clear with white moonlight falling over and illuminating the snow banks. "Thanks."

"Yer welcome," said Hagrid. 

"’Night," Lily called over her shoulder as she carefully made her way down the porch steps and into the snow.

"An’ Lily?" 

She turned around to face Hagrid. "What?"

"Keep an eye on James, will yeh? I think yeh might be the only one who truly can."

She blushed, hoping Hagrid wouldn’t notice in the dark (but that huge twinkling in his eye could very well prove he had noticed). "All right," she said softly.

* * * * *

James lay on his bed, playing a quiet game of solitaire, dressed in his old Aerowizards T-shirt and the boxer shorts his mom made for him that had dancing teddy bears flying on broomsticks embroidered into them. ((a/n: I couldn’t help myself Answers the ultimate "boxers or briefs" question )) His mother had thought them completely adorable; James, being the pervert he could be, thought them quite nasty; which is why he only wore them to bed.

It was dark in the room, the only light that of the moon

which wandered in, brightly, through the uncovered windows.

He was comfortable, his socks pulled up his shin and tickling the hairs on his legs (which he tried to ignore as he was cold and needed the socks pulled up), his chin resting in his comforter, his stomach full for once. For once in his life, he was feeling quite content.

At least he was until the door to his dorm flew open and someone intruded on him.

Startled he looked up, halfway expecting to see Sirius or one of the other Gryffindor sixth year guys had returned early; who he saw, though, was a tall, slender girl with red hair pulled back in a messy bun, staring directly at him with large green eyes. She stepped inside and the door slammed shut behind her.

James’s heart felt icy with guilt, but that didn’t prevent him from being shocked. "Evans," he said. "What the hell are you doing in here?"

The highly intelligible answer he received was, "You!"

"Me?" He frowned, sitting up and throwing his legs over the side of the bed, now oblivious to the fact that he was wearing his underwear.

Lily approached him slowly. "You didn’t tell me."

Uh-oh, he thought. "Tell you what?" he asked, though he knew ‘what.’

"I think I’d have the right to know, Potter," she snipped. "And you didn’t say."

"Say what?"

She was standing right over him now, and those huge green eyes were incredibly close. She jabbed a finger at his chest. "Why didn’t you tell me you were a Magid?"

His heart pounced and his stomach turned. He blinked. "Dumbledore told me not to tell anyone," he answered lamely.

"Do Sirius and Remus know?"

James looked slightly sheepish. "Yeah "

"And you told them when their parents were killed."

"Er yes "

"Well, guess what, James?" she snapped, poking at his chest again. "My parents are dead. And you didn’t tell me."

"I would have " said James. "But you were blubbering. I thought it was a very inappropriate time to say, ‘Lily I am a Magid ’"

He did have a point. "You could have told me today!"

"I didn’t." He looked at her thoughtfully. "Which brings me to the question of how you know."

"Hagrid told me because he thought I had the right to know," Lily told him, crossing her arms over her chest.

She was surprised to see James’s face turn bright red. "Oh."

"Oh what?"

"Hagrid didn’t um explain why Voldemort would go after you did he?" James asked hopefully.

"He explained everything," Lily replied with narrowed eyes.

James purpled. "Oh."

"And I’m wondering why the hell you would care for me, too." The remark would have seemed more confident had her face not, also, been pink.

"Um " James said, fidgeting. "Because I care for everyone!" he added quickly.

Lily raised an eyebrow. It was then that she caught sight of his boxers. "Nice shorts," she said.

"Thanks. My mum made ‘em." He grinned.

"Your mum," Lily repeated. Her eyes moistened now. "Your mum’s going to die, isn’t she?"

James stared at her, mouth open in surprise.

"Oh!" said Lily quickly, slapping her hand over her mouth. "That was blunt and crude, wasn’t it?"

She was relieved that James laughed. "Yes. Horribly so." He stood up, and, doing this, was now very, very close to Lily. "But it’s true. My mum is going to die, and there’s nothing I can do about it but pray."

Lily, uncomfortable, being at such close proximity to James that she could feel his breath while he spoke, took a slight step back. "I’m sorry."

"Don’t be. It’s not your fault. Hell, your mum’s already dead because of me and you’re apologizing?" James paused. "That reminds me. I never got to apologize when you understand why I’m apologizing."

"Huh?"

James grinned, his teeth sparkling in the moonlight. "I’m sorry, Lily."

"I guess I forgive you," she said reluctantly.

He frowned. "You guess? You aren’t sure?"

"No!" she said, stabbing him with her index finger again. "Because if you didn’t show any caring for me at all, then my parents would still be alive."

He smiled sadly and grabbed her hand to stop her from impaling his chest with her finger. "Don’t you think I feel guilty enough?"

Lily blinked. "Oh. Sorry."

He laughed, and, swiftly, jerked her towards him again so that their faces were only a few inches apart. "But, see, Lily, I think that maybe you should feel guilty."

Very uncomfortable now, but somehow pleasantly so, Lily was confused. "Why?"

"If you didn’t act the way you do then I wouldn’t have any feelings for you except hormones and then Voldemort would never have seen and then your mum would still be alive." He squeezed her hand that he still clasped in his own. "Therefore, it is your fault."

"Can I help it that I’m naturally bitchy to perverts?" Lily asked snappishly. The uncomfortable feeling was still there, but less so, as the fact that James’s hand was so soft and warm and dry was distracting to her.

James laughed, and Lily was so close she felt his warm breath on her face and smelled it; minty fresh, she thought, giggling inwardly. "And can I help it that I’m naturally attracted to cute bitches?"

Lily was very aware of the fact that their faces seemed to grow closer together with everything they said. She was so close to James now that her nose touched his.

"This is a very bad time to be attracted to anyone," Lily informed him.

"And I can’t help that either," James said softly.

"Well, you just can’t help anything today, can you--?"

Lily was cut off because James’s lips were now against hers and because her eyes had fallen shut and she couldn’t help but not continue.

She was shocked at how gentle James was kissing her. She’d always pictured him the risqué type, all tongue and no lips. But there was no tongue at all, which really startled and amused her; it was all lips.

She felt his hands twine gently around her waist, tugging her slightly closer, and, finding nowhere else to rest her own hands, she looped them around his neck.

Lily had never had a boyfriend. She’d always scared them away, she supposed, with having looks, brains, and a fiery attitude. So, therefore, she’d never been kissed before.

She wondered if that tingling that seemed to come from James’s lips was normal or special; she liked it either way. And she was also surprised at his soft his lips were.

But what surprised her the most was that she didn’t want to stop until she had to catch her breath.

There’s something wrong with me, she thought, breaking away from James. I’m actually kissing James Potter. Or he’s kissing me. At least we’re not snogging. It’s technically not snogging until you get some tongue

James claimed her lips again as soon as she’d broken away and caught her breath, and though he was still gentle, she noticed a little open mouth coming on.