𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐁𝐈𝐀 // Remus Lupin

(𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝟐𝟑) the war's over

Sirius' motorbike was sitting outside and Athena wondered what he was doing here. She walked forward on shaking legs, knowledge didn't help her here. Even though Athena knew what she was about to see it didn't help to comfort her. If anything it made it worse.

Athena continued to walk towards the open door, yellow light pooled onto the front porch, onto the bricks and the grass. She pushed the door slightly and saw him. James.

He was lying face up just as he had been in the vision. Athena let out a strangled cry as she hurried towards him. Kneeling beside him, she straightened the glasses on his face and watched as her tears dropped onto his skin.

James was staring straight at her yet he couldn't see her. Athena was shaking now as she held onto him. There was glass around him, smashed from a missed spell she presumed. There was no wand in his hand. He'd been completely defenceless yet he'd tried to fight anyway. He'd tried to give Lily a chance.

Lily. Athena looked towards the stairs and dreaded going up there. She could hear noises outside. Someone else was here but she wanted them to go away and was holding onto James tighter than ever before. She had been hoping to see them again before it happened. Athena should have been quicker, she shouldn't have waited. Not with what was at stake.

Footsteps came sprinting down the stairs and Athena looked up to see Sirius. His eyes were full of tears and fury and he stared at Athena, pausing slightly,

"Rena I know what this looks like but I swear—"

"I know it's not you" Athena interrupted, "it's Peter"

"I know it is" Sirius snapped, "and I'm going to kill him!"

"Sirius wait!" Athena called but it was too late, Sirius had pushed out the front door leaving Athena sitting alone beside James. She wanted to tell him to stay put. Really Athena didn't want to be alone.

Outside she heard Sirius talking to someone. Looking out the crack in the door she saw it was Hagrid. Why he was here, Athena didn't know. However this didn't matter to her right now. All that mattered was Harry.

She moved away from James, looking at him one last time before she began to climb the stairs. Athena had been dreading this, she didn't want to leave James. She didn't want to leave her brother and she didn't want to admit that he was actually gone even though she had known it would happen.

Athena couldn't keep herself up as she climbed the stairs. She clung onto the banister and had to lean against it to stop herself from passing out. Most of the rooms looked the same as ever. Lily and James' room, where Harry had been born.

She turned the corner and faced the open door of the nursery already knowing what she was going to find. A shiver shot through her. Her mind was willing her not to keep going. Athena was internally screaming at herself to turn back. There was still time. She'd spent so long pretending that she was under the false hope that if she closed her eyes she could convince herself that none of this was real.

Reaching the nursery she opened her eyes again. Collapsing into uncontrollable sobs, she fell beside Lily who was lying with her hair spread around her on the floor.

"Lily" Athena cried over her, willing her to be alive. Hoping that this was all some big joke. Athena placed her hands over her face as she cried. Cried louder than she had ever cried before.

It hurt, it hurt so fucking much. The last part of Athena's soul shattered as her heart wilted. Whatever thoughts had been keeping her going were gone in an instant. There was nothing holding her up anymore. She was standing on her own, sinking beneath the sea because nothing could be worse than this.