eden ➡ james f. potter

epilogue: gravity.

"It's like you can't go anywhere these days without these goons showing up, can you?" Sirius called out.

James nodded, agreeing, "They're like a bad itch that you just can't get rid of."

Within five minutes, backup from the Order had arrived and they had managed to stun and tie up all of the Death Eaters. Or so they thought.

"James, look out!"

Sirius' warning barely had time to register before James felt someone grab him and the familiar pull of Apparition sucked him into darkness.

When James reopened his eyes, he was surprised to see that he was standing in someone's living room. It was small and cozy, reminding him faintly of Hagrid's hut back at Hogwarts. However, there was something more familiar about it but James just couldn't put his finger on it.

Is it the smell? James thought.

And then it clicked.

Wait, he thought as his body tensed, It can't be.

"Hello, Potter."

James slowly turned around, his hazel eyes meeting the enticing mahogany eyes of Cecilia Lestrange for what seemed to be the first time in forever.

His eyes widened and his jaw dropped as James remained glued to the spot, paralyzed as he stared at the girl that had gotten away from him.

Cecilia rolled her eyes, "It's been two years and you still haven't learnt that staring is rude. I really should have a word with your mother."

Deadpan, he replied, "She's dead."

"Well," she said, "It can speak. And here I was beginning to think that you'd taken too much hexes to the head."

Cecilia turned around, her dark and voluminous hair swaying as she walked into what James presumed was the kitchen. He followed behind her, hoping to get answers to the hundreds of millions of questions that were running across his mind.

"Want a beer?" she offered.

He nodded, accepting the drink, as he thought that he would need some sort of alcohol to hear whatever story he was about to hear. James took a swig of the beverage and let it settle in his body, staring at Cecilia as she downed her beer in one gulp.

"You know," she started as she rest down the bottle, "I'd think you'd at least say thanks, considering I just saved your life."

"Saved my life?" James asked.

She nodded, "One of the Death Eaters wasn't really stunned and was about to fire a curse your way. Judging by what Death Eaters like to use, I could almost bet it was the killing curse."

James studied her response, and was about to offer her thanks, before the question of What were you doing there at that time? came to his mind. However, something caught James' eye from the counter behind her in the other room.

A Death Eater's mask.

Simultaneously, James dropped the beer from his hand and raised his wand, pointing the latter at her chest. She sighed, as if she had expected this to happen, before starting, "Potter, I-"

"You joined them?!"

"I did, but I can explai-"

"Explain? What could you possibly say to talk your way out of this one?" James spat, "But then again, all you know to do is sell dreams and lie to people's faces."

"Potter, if you would let me-"

"But you joined them! The organization that you swore you were running away from. The organization dedicated to hunting and torturing and killing innocent Muggles and Muggleborns, just like your best friend. Or was that just a ploy and you took him to be slaughtered to prove your loyalty?"