The Truth

The next morning, James Potter was nowhere to be found. At noon, Sirius started panicking, in the evening Remus started getting worried too. And, by dusk Sirius was fully upset, using located spells. But, he couldn't find him. James had particularly gotten good at hiding himself.

Sirius Black disappeared, looking for him, so had McGonagall.

Lily Evans spent the whole day in her room,

"Hey?" Remus Lupin came into the room, "You okay?"

"I am trying," She replied.

Both of were a little quiet for a few minutes,

"I am sorry, Lils." He said, quietly. "About what happened on the first day of school."

"What?"

"I screamed at you." He said, "I am sorry about that."

"It's fine." She replied, absentmindedly. "What happened to him, Remus?"

"To James?" Remus looked at her. "I don't know."

"How has he changed? Why has he changed so much?" Lily asked, "Why does he hate me?"

"Hate you?" Remus laughed. "He doesn't hate you, Lils. He still loves you."

"Does he?" Lily demanded. "He doesn't love me! He screamed at me, Remus….when I mistakenly broke his little bear."

"Florence?" Remus raised his eyebrows, "You broke Florence?"

"What is with you men and that teddy bear?" Lily stood up and walked around Remus's chair. "What is wrong with you all?"

"You don't know, do you?"

Lily Evans didn't know a lot of things right now.

"The bear belonged to Charlotte." Remus told her.

"I know!" She said, impatiently.

"Then, why did you do that?" He demanded.

"Who is Charlotte?" She almost shouted,

"Oh, you really don't know." Remus Lupin realized how private James kept his real life from everyone else. "Charlotte is James's sister."

"Oh…" Lily stopped,

"James loves his sister. You know." He was in a deep thought, "James has always cared deeply about the people he loves. He is like a candle."

"A candle?" Lily raised her eyebrows.

It was rather funny to compare a broad six feet tall man to a tiny candle.

"He burns himself to give light to others." He said, "He has helped me so many tipmes that I can't count. Anyone who Prongsie calls a friend is a lucky person. And, the girl that comes into his life...."

He sighed,

"She'll be the luckiest girl ever because James will give up everything for her. Even his life."

Lily stared at him,

"James is a changed man." He said, "A grieving man….sure. A struggling man. But, a great one."

"What about Charlotte?" She asked. Impatient to know more.

"Oh, all she wanted was to come to Hogwarts," Remus waved his hand, "So, she could have all the time in the world with him. She just adored him."

"Then, why did she go to Beauxbatons?" Lily wondered. "Why would she go to France?"

"She didn't go to France, Lils. James made the whole story up." Remus stood in front of the fire, looking straight into the flames. "She died."

"What?" Lily's mouth dropped. "She…she died?"

The words barely came out of her mouth.

"Last summer, Snape and other death eaters barged into the Potter Manor." Remus turned towards her, his eyes glistening with tears, "Mr and Mrs. Potter died. And, Snape….Snape…he….."

Remus really didn't want to say it. None of the other Marauders had sisters and Charlotte had been a sister to them all. She had been the light in the darkness. She had been James Potter's greatest gift in life. A gift taken too soon.

"What did he do?"

"He….used dark magic." Lupin's face was tear streaked, but didn't bother to wipe them off. "The same he used on James recently and he recovered, but she couldn't take it."

"What?" Lily was incapable of saying anything else.

"She was eleven, Lil." He sat down, his head in his hands, "How could she survive such a deadly attack, never having learned any magic?"

"Oh no….." Lily Evans recalled all the things she said to him earlier that year.

'Your family should leave you more often.'

'Of course, she left…..she must have known what a prick you are.'

'You deserve this.'

The words echoed in her mind. What was wrong with her? How could she say all this to him? No wonder he wasn't the same.

James Potter was found a few hours later in Godric's Hollow, he had been sitting in front of his family's graves for hours. Even though Charlotte was dead, he still came to her and told her all his secrets. She kept them safe when she was alive. She kept them safe in death. And, Sirius would have gone to him but Remus convinced him it was best that Lily did.

Lily Evans came inside the cemetery. It felt odd, she had never been in a cemetery before. James was standing in front of Charlotte's grave with freshly placed flowers in his hand. He bent down and put them the grave,

"Lily?" He was surprised to see her.

"I didn't know, James." She came near him, "Remus just told me, I swear.....I didn't know."

He didn't say anything, his face didn't display any emotions.

"I am sorry, James. I am so sorry." She shook her head, "I told you I loved you in the hospital Wing. I wouldn't have left...I am not…"

She wanted him to say something. But, he didn't. He didn't say anything. He hugged her.

"Oh god, thank you." He held her tightly. "You don't hate me."

She was very surprised.

"Of course, I don't hate you." She whispered back.

That day was the day James Potter got the love of his life to accept him.

James Potter and Lily Evans got engaged and moved into the Potter Manor the day they both graduated.