Title: Those Left Behind.
Rating: G
Pairings: James/Lily
Time: 30 minutes.
Word Count: 941.
Author's Notes: This is my first post here, and only the second time I’ve timed myself. I would also like to note that this did not turn out exactly how I’d expected it to, but since it made me a little teary, I’ll probably be writing more and posting it in my journal.
Lily didn’t need a lot in life, really. Just enough days like this to make the difficult days seem fewer and farther apart. She held James’ hand as they walked through the magical zoo. She’d been there once before, the summer after her second year at Hogwarts. Her parents had wanted to help her learn as much as she could about her new world, to get her on even footing with the students from already magical families. Petunia had refused to come with them, but Lily had brought her back souvenirs anyway. She’d found them in the trash the next day.
She shook her head, as if to clear the unhappy memories and caught James’ frown. “Uh, what?” She asked, instantly feeling bad that she hadn’t even noticed him speaking.
“I asked if you wanted to go see the Unicorns. It looked like you said no, but I thought you liked them.” He looked a little puzzled. She knew how hard he had worked to try to remember everything she liked. He had said that it had been so difficult to get her, he wasn’t about to lose her. Ever. The attention sometimes made her blush, but she had to admit that she loved every minute of it.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Yes, let’s go see them. I was just thinking, that’s all.” She let him lead her towards the large gates that closed off the forest area where the unicorns were kept.
“What were you thinking about?” He asked.
“Oh, nothing, really. The last time I was here was with my parents, my second year. Petunia wouldn’t go. You know how she is. I brought her back a little poster with all these different creatures on it. I thought it was really neat. She screamed when the hippogriff moved and later I found it crumpled up in the trash.” Lily sighed, “But I don’t want to think about that now. I want to enjoy today. The sun is shining and the weather is perfect and I like being with you. Just you.” She paused at the fence and watched the majestic creatures streak through the forest. “They’re so beautiful. I wish I could--” She felt her hand being tugged backwards and glanced over to James.
He wasn’t paying attention to the unicorns at all. In fact he had turned his back to them and was staring intently at an empty cage. “James?” She ventured, softly. What had grabbed his attention so completely? There was nothing there. But he wasn’t the only one looking. There were others staring just as transfixed on the empty cage. And then there were their companions, like Lily, who looked confused.
She let him pull her away from the unicorns so he could take a closer look at the cage. Once they were right up next to it, Lily was able to read the sign:
IF YOU CAN SEE THE THESTRAL, WE ARE SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS.
That was it. Lily scowled. It seemed like a trick to her, and she hated being tricked. There was clearly nothing in that cage! “Come on.” She insisted, “There are more interesting things to look at than an empty cage.”
For the first time since he’d spotted the blank space, he turned to face Lily, “You can’t see it, can you?” he asked, curiously.
Lily was starting to lose her patience, “See what?! There is nothing in that cage!”
James smiled, though he should have known better than to smile at her when she was getting angry. “It’s a Thestral, love.” He brought her closer to the bars, as close as the partition around it would allow. “It’s a great winged horse. Black and grey and white. It’s amazing. They’re supposed to move fast, faster than any broom or almost anything else.”
Lily yanked her hand out of his, “James Potter, that is an empty cage!” She was just about to storm out of the zoo when a little girl who’d been listening to them, tugged on her cloak. Lily was surprised, but stooped down to the girl’s level.
“It’s in there.” She insisted with such honesty and sincerity that for Lily to call her a liar would be a crime. “It’s huge. It’s black and white and grey, like he said. And it’s horrible and beautiful at the same time.”
The man that was holding her hand spoke up, “She’s right. Only those who have seen death can see the Thestral. My daughter knows that well.” He sighed, unable to look at the little girl. “She knows that quite well. She watched her mother die. That’s why she can see it. I’m like you. I’ve been spared, for better or for worse.”
Lily was stunned into silence, still stooping down at the little girl’s level. She wanted to say something along the lines of she was sorry for her loss, but like the sign, it seemed woefully inadequate. She put her hand on the little girl’s cheek, “Thank you.” She whispered.
The girl nodded with a smile that spoke of wisdom beyond her years. “I have to go now. Daddy is going to buy me an ice cream.”
Lily smiled, too, thankful for the insertion of childish reality into the moment. “Have fun.” She stood up and watched the little girl and her father head off until they were completely out of sight. And even after they had disappeared into the ice cream shop, she still watched them. She felt familiar hands rest on her hips.
“Sad.” James commented.
“No, not sad. Inspiring.“ Lily turned around to face him, “Maybe we’ll be lucky enough to have a child so brave.”