A.N: I'm sorry that I didn't upload it for so long. I hope I didn't lose all my lovely readers. But I don't have a laptop anymore. I'll have to buy one and am thinking that I will soon. After I buy my laptop, I promise updates will be regular. And i just want to tell you all I WILL NOT ABANDON THIS STORY.
Important: In the before chapter I wrote that the Potters cleared it with the Ministry that they're alive. But that won't set with hoe the story is going to progress. So pretend that I wrote that they came under glamour charms.
Chapter 16:
As they walked out of the tent, the smile on Lily's face slowly turned into a frown as she thought of her son's behavior. The boy hesitated to introduce them as his parents. She knew that her relationship with Harry wouldn't be as easy as it was with Emma. But, now, she was afraid if there would be any relation between them at all. Harry wasn't just uncomfortable with them but he is reluctant to even speak to them. Making up her mind on what to do, Lily turned to face James which was when she took in her surroundings.
She didn't notice that they had walked all the way to the lake until then. Lily felt nostalgic as she took a look at the scenery in front of her. She smiled as she remembered the number of times she and James sat in front of Breech tree kissing or just relaxing in with their arms wrapped around the other. It was a time when they didn't have a care about the world outside the walls of Hogwarts and where the reality of war still didn't hit them.
That was when it hit her that she was back at Hogwarts, again after nearly twenty years. She was back at the castle, her second home. Lily always regarded Hogwarts as her save haven since she didn't have to bear Petunia and her petty taunting. Sure, she might have missed her parents while at the castle but she had her friends with her and she also had her best friend with her. Only till the fifth year, she had to remind herself. She chuckled humorlessly as she recollected that it was under that very tree that she lost her best friend as he insulted her by calling her a mudblood.
"What is it?" James asked, looking at her intently.
"Just remembering what a big egoistic head you used to have." replied Lily.
James looked at the tree and said, "Is this about the Snape incident?"
Lily glared at him as she said, "Yes, James. I was recalling how I lost my best friend."
"What do you mean mum?" Emma asked, with a hint of mirth in her eyes. She understood that her mum was mad at her dad for some reason. But, due to the fact that her mother is a sensible person, Emma knew that she wouldn't be doing any real damage by asking, except maybe getting her dad in a bit of trouble.
"Do we really have to get into this topic now?" James asked, scowling at his daughter, who in return smiled at him like an angel.
"Why not, James? Tell our daughter how your head weight used to be more than the weight of your entire body when you were in school?"
James ran a hand through his hair, looking thoroughly embarrassed. "Emma already knows all about that. Don't you Em?" he said, adding the last part to Emma.
"I might have forgotten. Why don't you refresh my memory again, daddy." she said, as sweet as possible, while laughter was threatening to burst out of her mouth.
"You would, wouldn't you?" James said as he tackled Emma and started to tickle her. Emma burst out laughing and was soon begging him to stop. Lily was smiling at how childish her husband was behaving.
Before Lily could get them to stop, she saw Harry and his friends coming near them. All of a sudden, she saw Harry stop walking. She continued to look at them as his friends told him something which made him start walking towards them. Lily sighed as she thought that she had a inkling of what that short conversation between the four of them was. She then remember that she forgot to tell James about her decision.
"James," she called to get the attention of her husband. But before she could say anything else, the kids approached them.
After the four kids sat down and made themselves comfortable, Harry took a deep breath and said, "Remember the last time you asked me about the Basilisk, dragon and all and how I said that its a long story?"
Unable to say anything, Lily nodded her head and saw at the corner of her eye, James, doing the same thing.
"Well, I think it's better to start from the first." Harry said.
Lily could see that he was struggling a lot with this and it was evident for her, that, from his tone, he doesn't want to do this now. So, Lily said, all the while praying to Merlin that James would also understand, "Harry, wait."
Harry looked at her with confusion in his eyes.
"Tell us everything when you're ready, Harry. I know you're doing this now because everyone is forcing you to do so. But, it's alright. We'll wait till then." Lily said in a soft voice, hoping to reassure her son. "Won't we James?" she added in a tone that James knew well that he shouldn't argue.
"Um.. Yeah. Sure, I guess" James answered, in a puzzled manner.
Lily rolled her eyes at James's reply and looked at Harry. She felt hurt as she saw the sense of relief on Harry's face. She hoped, somewhere, deep in her heart, that Harry would start his story, despite what she told him. But she knew that her hope was in vain as she continued to stare at her son.
"Um... I would like that." Harry said. "Thanks" he added in a small voice.
Lily smiled at him which he returned whole-heartedly. Lily knew at that second that her relationship with Harry took a turn in the right direction and that she did the right thing.
"So, how's school?" James asked the kids.
They eventually ended talking about the teachers at Hogwarts. Lily was shocked to learn that Snape became the DADA teacher but didn't say anything while James expressed his feelings openly.
"That greasy git became a professor?!" James shouted.
"Yes, he did." Ron said, gritting his teeth.
"You knew Snape?" Ginny asked James.
When James didn't give a reply, as he was still coming out of the shock, Lily said, "James and Severus had a bit of enmity between them when they were in school."
"Yeah, we know." Harry said, pointing to himself, Ron and Hermione.
When James gave him a questioning look, he shrugged, saying, "Many people told me."
Lily could tell that there was more to that then Harry was letting on and a look at James made it clear that James felt the same. But the couple let it slide.
All too soon, in Lily's opinion, it was time for the three Potters to leave.
"We should get going." Lily said and as she said that, she could have she saw a sad look on Harry's face. But before she could confirm it, it was gone.
"Alright. We should also head up to the castle. " Harry said.
"It was really nice meeting you, Mr. and Mrs. Potter." Hermione said. "And you too, Emma." she said looking at the little girl.
"It was nice meeting you all too." James said looking at her.
Ron, Hermione and Ginny said goodbye and turned to leave, while Harry lingered near them.
"Bye." Harry said, awkwardly.
"Bye Harry." Lily said.
"Um Harry?" Emma asked shyly. James laughed at her tone since it was a rare thing for them to hear Emma speak in such a small voice. But Lily silenced him with a glare.
"Yeah?" Harry asked her.
"Would you give me a reply if I wrote to you?" she asked. Seeing the surprise on his face, she added, rather hastily, "I just want to be in touch with you. But its fine if you don't want to."
"Sure, Emma. I'd like that. You are my sister, after all." Harry told the little girl, smiling warmly at her.
Emma ran up to him and hugged him, which stunned Harry. But he soon returned the gesture and the siblings stood hugging each other till Harry broke it.
Lily had a wide smile on her face as she saw the exchange between her children. Lily considered doing the same that Emma did and hug Harry, but at last decided against it. Harry said goodbye to the elder Potters and soon left, rushing after his friends to catch up to them.
That evening, Lily and James sat in the drawing room of Grimmauld Place with Remus . They had just finished telling him the events of the day.
"I still can't believe that you refused to let Harry tell you about his life." Remus said, in a astonishing voice.
"Well, I thought it was best to let Harry set the pace of how our relation goes." Lily said.
"And I agree with you." James said, taking her hand into his.
Lily had, initially, been afraid of how James would react at what she did. But, thankfully, he didn't say anything, apart from asking an explanation for what she did. After Lily explained how she felt by Harry's actions towards them, James also agreed with her and told her that she did the right thing.
"Now, Remus, we don't know how long it will take for Harry to comfortable with us. But I want to know what happened in my son's life." Lily sternly told the werewolf.
"And so, we decided that you will be telling us the highlights of his life." James said.
"W-What?!" Remus stuttered. "I told you that it's not my story to tell.
"Yes, you did. But you also told us that you would tell us if Harry wouldn't." James said.
"Please Remus." Lily pleaded him. It hurt her to plead someone else to get to know what happened in her son's life.
Remus took a deep breath and said, "I guess I did say that."
After looking at the faces of the couple, he said, "I don't know much about his life before he started Hogwarts. But I do know that he hates going back to his aunt's house for every summer."
"He won't have to go there from now on." James said in a stubborn tone.
"Do you know what happens there?" Lily asked him.
"Harry never talks about the Dursleys but it's obvious that they didn't treat him properly. Molly mentioned something about him being malnutritioned when he came to the Weasley's house before his second year started."
"They starved him?" Lily asked in a deadly tone.
"Maybe not starved him, but they probably just didn't take proper care of him." Remus replied in a small voice.
"Petunia's my sister. The least she could have done is treat my son properly." Lily said with tears in her eyes.
James gathered Lily in his arms and tried to console her but was failing as his own anger was getting the better of him.
"What else do you know?" Lily asked him.
"Well, the first birthday gift had after his first birthday was for his eleven when Hagrid gave him his owl. He also feels uncomfortable talking about his feelings and he thinks that no one loves him."
James gathered Lily in his arms and tried to console her as she started crying but was failing as his own anger was getting the better of him.
"Leave the Dursleys, Moony. Tell us about his Hogwarts years." James said.
"It's getting late. You both are tired from your day. Let's have this conversation in the morning." Remus said.
Both James and Lily nodded at him and left for their room to get some sleep.
A.N: How did you like it? What do you all think about how Lily handled the situation? Leave your thoughts in the reviews!
And a BIG SHOUT OUT to my 100th reviewer BellaK26. Thank you to all who took time to give my story a review. It means a lot to me. Thanks a lot. Love you guys!