Sweetest Downfall

xxxiii.

Lily was standing behind James, who was sitting as still as he possibly could on one of the rickety kitchen chairs. Amongst the buzz of chatter, the distinctive sound of snipping was present, and James watched as his hair fell to the floor like confetti around him. After her own dramatic cut, James had decided that he too needed to undergo a chop, though not one as severe as Lily's.

"Are you sure it's straight, Evans?" He asked yet again, pulling his head away from the scissors that were snipping away at the hair growing at the nape of his neck. 



She rolled her eyes and put her hand on the crown of his head to hold him still. "For the last time yes." She drawled. "Why?" She added teasingly. "Are you planning on attending a beauty pageant?"

"No but I might meet a fit girl on one of these raids." He teased in response, smirking as he looked straight ahead.

"Do you really want to say stuff like that when I've got a sharp object close to your neck, Potter?"

"I was just teasing." He reassured her. "Are you almost done? I'm bored and I want to actually spend some time looking at your face before I have to leave."

"Almost..." However, they didn't get a chance to spend any more time together, because a moment later Peter ran into the room calling for James, his face grey.

"What is it, Wormtail?" James asked, and Lily pulled the scissors away from his head in case he reacted too viscerally to whatever it was that Peter had to say.

"James..." Peter panted, clutching his side. "It's your dad. He's sick."

"What?" James leapt to his feet, knocking over the chair in the process. Lily, too numb to think of what else to do, picked up the chair and then began tidying away the jet black hair littering the floor. It wasn't until Mary bent down and put her arms around Lily's shoulders, helping her up that the latter realised what was being said.

"He's been sending owls all over the place trying to reach you, finally he tried Dumbledore at the school. He's got dragon pox, James. It's-... It's pretty advanced." Peter garbled as James paced the kitchen, his fingers knotted in his uneven hair. Lily was only half done, and it didn't look like she'd be able to neaten it up any time soon.

"I have to go and see him." James said finally.

Lily stepped forward. "I'll come with you."

"No." James said stonily, and then softening, put his hand on her cheek. "You'll be safer here, I couldn't deal with any extra guilt if I put you in more danger. I'll apparate home and I'll use the fire tonight to talk to you."

"James..." Lily whimpered, but he cut her off by putting his other hand on her face and steering her gaze so that she was looking directly into his eyes, and he into hers.

"Lily, I have to do this." He whispered, as though aware of the others listening in. " I'll be careful, I promise you."

"Okay... Give him my love."

"I will. Don't tell Moody where I've gone until he asks." He replied, ducking down and kissing her gently.

"Best of luck, James." Remus said from across the room as James reached the doorway.

"See ya, Prongs." Sirius added quietly, and Lily could tell that he wished he could go and say goodbye to his adopted father too. But they all knew it would be too dangerous. James was risking a lot going there, if anyone else were to leave the odds would be truly out of their favour.

The front door slammed shut and Lily's bottom lip began to quiver. Remus cleared his throat and sat down in the chair that James had vacated. "Just a trim, thanks Evans. Keep in mind that bald patches will show no matter what form I'm in." Lily laughed and wiped her face with a checkered tea towel before picking the scissors back up and combing the back of Remus' head with her fingers. Everyone volunteered to have a turn, if only to keep her mind off of James, except Sirius who insisted he was growing his hair out.