One Word Prompts - A collection of (Jily) Microfics

A tragedy, that’s what was printed in the papers. An unfortunate accident.

With that one paragraph, black letters on white paper, Lily’s life changed completely. He would not return. No matter that she’d promised herself to him. No matter that he had meant to speak to her guardian before departing, but Sir Slughorn had been too far into his cups and had not seen any visitors that morning.

And to think she had thought it her luck to find Lord Potter and herself free from watchful eyes, free to explore more of each other, go further than they had gone before.

How could she have been so careless? She should have known there would be bad after so much good in her life.

The funeral was delayed, for there was no body.

A man lost at sea, only his riding coat washed up on the shore. After two weeks the coat was placed in a coffin and buried, honouring the man who had worn it.

***

“Miss Evans, please accept my sincere condolences.” Lord Black bowed and offered her his arm. “Walk with me, please.”

She should return his words, he and Lord Potter had been like brothers, more than brothers, but she couldn’t speak. About halfway up the hill, away from any prying ears, Lord Black began to speak.

“James was my best friend, he was more family than my own family. And it’s for that reason I wish to speak to you.”

Lily felt as if her chest was slowly crushed until her ribs would snap from the pain of never seeing him again.

“James loved you. He told me he intended to marry you, if he…” Lord Black let the end of the sentence die and covered her hand on his arm with his other hand. Through the gloves she felt him squeeze her arm.
Lily’s eyes misted. She bit her cheeks to stop herself from crying.

They walked on in silence, to the top of the green hill that overlooked the small Church of Godric’s Hollow and its cemetery. There Lord Black stopped and stood to face her, his grey eyes looking directly into hers.

Lily didn’t look away, she stared back at him, numb to the wind that played with her black veil, numb to the sun that was inexplicably shining today.

“I want to keep his promise to you. If you do not object, I will speak with your guardian, today. James told me everything, always. I know about the day he planned to speak to Sir Slughorn...”

Sirius waited. Undoubtedly, so she could catch up to what his words really meant.

She shook her head, then whispered. “I couldn’t accept, lord Black. Since you say you know… everything… you must know I would disgrace you.”

“I beg to differ. You loved a good man, there’s no dishonour in that.”

Lily’s eyes stung. She had loved a good man, the best of men.

”My Lord, if he told you everything, as you claim, you must see I could be…” she halted, could she really tell him? James had trusted him with his life, Lord Black would not expose her, but still…

“Did he tell you why I’m not married?” he asked.

Lily shook her head. “I never asked, there’s no need to tell me something so private.”

”My family, they are the reason. I am the last of the Blacks, my brother Regulus really doesn’t count. I plan to let the name Black die with me.”

Lily nodded, she had heard and seen enough of the Blacks to understand.

”I can not stand idly by and do nothing now, if my name can bring good to you and more importantly the child you could be carrying.”

Lily wrapped her arms around herself. What if she were indeed carrying James’s…

“Let me do this, for him. Miss Evans,  Lily, please. If you do not wish to take my name for yourself and possibly for… James’s child, I will still do anything in my power to protect the both of you. You have my word. It’s just that losing him,” he gestured in the direction of the graveyard. “…has shown me we’re not invincible, anything can happen to anyone. And if it does, he would want you to be cared for, to be safe of a life of misery and contempt.”

Lily looked into grey eyes, pools of silver, devastatingly beautiful but she longed for James’s hazel with its green flecks and… Once more she wished for everything to be different, but it wasn’t. She couldn’t turn back time, she couldn’t stop him from leaving, and she couldn’t undo what they had done. She wasn’t even sure if she wanted to. For what if she was truly carrying James’s child, if she had within herself something that was partly his, to love and care for? Images of a small child with raven black hair and a loud laugh filled her vision. Despite the tears a small smile appeared on her face.

She stopped smiling when she realised what kind of future a child of hers, born out of wedlock would have. Their child would be an illegitimate bastard of a social outcast. Her guardian would not be any help to her, and her sister would never speak to her again.
What if something happened to her? She had nothing to offer a child, apart from her love. 

“Sirius, there’s a chance I’m not…”

“I don’t care, he would still want you to be free from your guardian, free to live the life he longed to have with you. I can’t be him, I don’t love you like he loved you, but I care for you. I’m offering to be your husband, so you won’t suffer from the consequences of your love for James. I’m offering to care for any consequences born from that love, like they would be my own.”

“In that case, I accept, most gratefully.”