Early morning rays crept through the dark curtains, lighting up the room, and a pair of hands started to stretch as a heavy yawn sighed out Sirius mouth like a lion.
Hermione said without opening her eyes, "What time is it?"
Sirius showed his head from under the sheets, focused his foggy sight at the clock and before he said the time, Lily called from outside.
"Sirius, Hermione, wake up its 9 in the morning."
Sirius laughed at the fact she called them both; she knew and only a fool would question it.
"Hey, Hermione, I think you heard what the time is."
Hermione gasped, "Merlin's grave! We slept more than 12 hours!"
Sirius said, "Together."
As he moved to put on his clothes he took out a cigarette. She smacked him with the pillow. "Then we should tell them something now."
"Tell something? No need to tell anything it's obvious, and we all know. We're just gonna act normal; don't stress out."
"It's just the idea that we had sex last night and they are very sure of it... Heavens knows how many times they knocked the door," she said while putting on her clothes.
Sirius laughed loud, "Welcome to my world! It's alright, pet, I can remember old situations like this. Once at the Potter's house when I used to live with them... Me and James's parents knew about what James and Lily did upstairs very well, and we had breakfast... the five of us the following morning! Like nothing happened."
He paused for a moment and then said, "Speaking about James, where is he?"
Hermione said, "I will find him, leave it to me." She kissed him and headed downstairs.
The stairs creaked at every step; the portraits were talking and staring at the muggle-born witch with disgust. She cursed them under her breath and ran to the kitchen very fast.
"Lily, hope you made something good! I am starving" Hermione said while studying the cauldron.
"Hello there, how was it?" Lily smirked at the witch a very mischievous smirk. As she poured her coffee, Hermione acted like nothing happened.
"Nothing."
"Yeah, right." Lily rolled her eyes at the Daily Prophet and kept eating.
"When do classes start today?" Hermione asked.
"10."
"Oh shit! Its 9:30!"
"And Snape's class is the first one."
"Then you will intercede for me in front of him."
.o0o.
At break time, Hermione collected the newspapers that had James's photos with Angelina. She noticed a hotel sign colored dark blue with black frames on the entrance. She knew where he was, and owled Harry with the address.
As Harry received the letter, he apparated at centeral London within seconds. He followed the address; it was crowded like a bee cell there. He couldn't step a foot without saying "Excuse me." After 15 minutes of walking, he reached his destination. It was the Baglioni Hotel. He looked at the name of this ancient and luxurious hotel and complained under his breath, "Seriously, dad?"
such a generous from James to spend his nights there with her at an expensive hotel.
Harry moved to the hotel reception and asked for his father. "James Potter, please. he haas been there since... a month ago, maybe."
The employee made a telephone call to James room, so he waited for a few minutes. The man told him, "Sorry, sir, no pickup... We will inform him if we see him, of course. You can leave your contact information here down the paper.
Whats your name again?"
"His son," Harry said with disappointment, and left the hotel crying.
His body crashed into a tall, skinny figure. He raised his head and saw Ginny in her school robes, and her eyes sparkled with tears.
"Ginny! What are you doing here?! In Hogwarts robes!"
"I am sorry for everything, I shouldn't have..."
He hushed her gently and embraced her, "It's ok, I understand."
Seeing her after all this time was more important; he could feel his world is slightly gathering together again.
He left with her, and they had their lunch at an Indian curry house, They then walked at Hyde Park . As a witch, Ginny never went to a muggle park, so it was good way for turning back with her beloved fiancé. They gossiped about Sirius and Hermione's relationship updates, they rearranged their wedding plans, and all was well.
Lily spent her time between classes staring at the backyard, recalling memories of her and James when they were there together.
A tear dropped from her cheek. She sighed heavily, and for a moment, she imagined young Severus under the tree that stood in front of her. She remembered a day when she went to him to talk, and James interrupted her way, and since then, the wheel turned very quickly and found herself married to him.
"What if I ignored him? And kept calling him an arrogant jerk?"
She asked herself this tiny question, just a thought about her chosen path. Until she saw that view again. Severus stood under the tree, checking some sort of list. His black hair strands covered his face, and his dark long robes flowed with the wind as the tree spread some leaves. Lily found herself taking the same steps towards him but this time without anyone showing up in the middle.
"Severus."
"Hello, dear, have any problems with lessons?" He turned his attention to the books she was holding.
"No, the lessons are fine. I was wondering if you could come with me to Hogsmeade after classes. I would like to buy Hermione a gift and have you as company."
He turned the papers inside his book, ruffled his hair and quickly said "After classes? Why not now; I am free."
She chuckled and said "No, you're not free--you were working on something. I saw you."
Snape lowered himself to reach her level of sight, "I'll always have time for you. Besides, the weather is good for a walk. Come on... That know-it-all's birthday is soon." He held her wrist, guiding her to the door. She walked by him as he kept bullying few students on his way and taking points until they reached the gates.
"That'ss mean, Severus," Lily said.
"He deserves what he got."
Snape and Lily went to Hogsmeade. Lily stood by a jewelry shop and noticed a pair of pink flower earrings. She excused herself from the potion master, waving at him from behind the window while he was at the herbs and tea shop. "I will be in here, Sev!" Lily entered the jewelry shop. Her eyes immediately went onto the glamorous, pink earrings. "This one is SO Hermione!" she said while studying the details of the small petals of flowers, which curved very neatly with the rose quartz and small diamonds in the middle. "Gift wrapping, please," she said to the cashier woman as she paid for the gift. She thanked the witched and left the shop, meeting Snape who was waiting for her, "Lily, I was going to ask you, how do you apparate from Hogwarts?" She smiled at his clever question. "There is a Floo in McGonagall's office, but to reach it you need to say a password code - Hogwarts-." He raised an eyebrow as he said, "I call you, Lily, dear darling, plus I don't speak about you to anyone. You are something sacred... And Dumbledore is a powerful old fool. How about that?" He frowned. "Come on! Powerful is a compliment!"
They continued to laugh and chat all way back to Hogwarts.
She admitted to herself that she got used to his company, and sometimes she wished to stay with him even longer.
"Shut up, Lily," she hushed her thoughts. "He is my friend."
She kept cursing under her breath, "Your husband is missing with a whore and your son's wedding is soon."
Lily finished her classes and went back to 12 Grimmauld Place , and as she walked through the kitchen, Kreacher gave her a worried look without speaking. She noticed a weird silence in the house. She thought Hermione and Sirius wouldn't be at work yet, as it is not quite time for the night shift.
Suddenly, Harry showed up from the living room as she was about to go up
His face was sad and spooky. "Mom, Come and join us tea is ready."
"Oh, Harry, I didn't know you were in the living room." She moved to the living room and saw them having tea peacefully. Sirius and Hermione stared at her with worry. As they were about to say something, Black smoked heavily, and his ashtray was filled with cigarettes he already consumed. He was very angry, but he kept his poker face expressions.
Until Sirius broke the silence and asked with half smile, "Lily, how was your day?"
Harry handed his mother her cuppa. As she received it she responded, "It was brilliant! I went to Hogsmeade with Snape. A good way to break some routine."
Sirius said, "That's wonderful. How is the dungeon's bat treating you?"
Lily chuckled.
"As a friend, and he messes with others unfairly," she retorted as she rolled her eyes at Hermione.
After a little chat, Sirius showed a paper from his pocket, and carefully handed it to Lily. "Now, Lily, stay calm... this arrived few hours ago, and it was for you."
Lily face went dark, and she started to feel anxious. "What is it?"
Hermione went closer to her and placed her hand on her friend shoulder as the redhead unfolded the paper. After a few seconds, she gasped, and her eyes filled with tears.
Sirius added after she read the message, "He will handle you your dues and expenses without a hearing trial."
"Divorce! Why! And for what!" She couldn't help but to cry and cry, and Harry embraced her very strongly.
"It's his will. He chose this, mom, you are fine without him. All of us are fine without him."
"Promise me you will not try to speak to him. He doesn't deserve you, nor his son," Sirius said to Lily as she went broken and sad. He couldn't end his friendship with James even during his sneaking times behind Lily's sight, but now James decided to end everything by himself... And cut all the bonds and connections for the sake of Angelina.
"He went mad since he accepted the Cannon offer! He signed the contract and did this a day after," Hermione said with fierce tone, like she would slaughter him once she see him.
Sirius added, "She is right, a man's nobility shows once he has everything, and he let you down now once he had fame, peace, and power."
"Sirius, Where is he?" Lily said.
"At a muggle hell hotel! For god's sake, Lily, don't do something stupid."
"Sirius is right, Lily, this must stop! He never answered back to any owl for a month and a half now!" Hermione added.
Lily sighed and wiped her tears, she moved herself to her room and allowed herself to sob and be at her weakest form until she fell asleep while crying.
She missed ten days from her classes, and Severus owls kept raining on her window, but she didn't open the curtains to see them. McGonagall sent owls as well, which Sirius answered them on Lily's behalf. Kreacher delivered food to her room, which was left there abandoned.