Taste of Youth

I stared at Lily who looked very awkward standing there shuffling her feet. Hilly was yelling obscenities from her painting obviously upset. I glanced at Lily and hurried over to sedate Hilly before she woke up the whole castle.

“Hilly, quiet down a little please.”

“Quiet down? Quiet down? This- this tart comes around and starts asking questions. Demanding that I let her in! Well I demand an apology before I let something like that in.” Hilly harrumphed and crossed her arms.

“Look I’m sorry, but I had to talk to, Luciana.” She gave me a hopeless look, “It took me the promise of going to the first Quiditch match and cheering for James to get them to tell me where you were.”

“It’s fine, Hilly. Here are the keys, let us in before Filch comes around.” When the girl kept her arms crossed I sighed, “Please, Hil.”

“Fine but the next person who comes around making demands of me is getting hurt.”

When the two of us had finally entered the room after many underlying insults Lily looked about her eyes curious.

“What is this place?” She asked picking up one of the quills from the desk.

I tossed my bag into the wardrobe and crossed my arms leaning against the door, “What is it that you wanted, Lily?”

She set down the quill and looked sheepish, “Remus came and found me.”

I rolled my eyes, “Of course he did.”

“Ah, well he told me about your new lesson plan and about what a prick James was being. I just-” She sighed heavily, “I just wanted to say I was sorry for being such a wanker. I didn’t have any right calling you a coward because you’re not. I know that.”

I didn’t want to hear her apologize really, I don’t know what I wanted but it wasn’t to see her looking so unlike Lily. The incredibly stubborn, imposing, unbelievably terrifying girl I’d met a week ago. It was that girl I wanted back.

“These are my brother’s rooms. I found them a few days ago. His will was in here, in the desk there. I’ve been in the library looking up the legal whatevers that I have to go through to finalize it. I’ve also been searching up wizarding funerals, my mom will kill me for it but it’s what he would have wanted.”

Lily’s shoulders relaxed visibly, “Will you have to talk to her?”

“Regardless if I like it, she’s still our mother. I have to, honor or something.” I shrugged, “So, James actually got you to say you’d go to a Quidtich game. I would have thought he’d ask for a date.”

“I did too.” She laughed, “Even Alice pulled away from Frank for that one.”

“I bet. Those two always get like this towards school time?”

“Yeah, after class starts they don’t get a lot of time together.”

“Just us then.” I smiled vaguely and walked over to the desk opening the drawer that held all of Leon’s letters.

“What are those?” Lily questioned leaning over to peer into the drawer.

“They’re letters my brother wrote…to me.” I pulled out a stack and set it on the desk.

Lily looked so sad in the one moment I thought she would cry, “Oh, Luce.”

“Don’t Lily. Just don’t.” I sat on the bed while she went through them, “I spent the whole day here when I found it. He was trying to help me, three years he worked to find someway. There are at least fifty letters apologizing to me, Lily and another sixty wishing me well. I think there are more, from the time he spent with the family he was protecting, I was going to talk to Dumbledore about it after the funeral.”

“Merlin’s beard.” She muttered and retied the stack, “I can’t even begin to understand-”

“I’d rather you not try.’ I smiled warily, “It’s not something that I like to understand myself.”

Lily nodded, “Have you told Alice yet?”

“No, she comes when I’m in the library and leaves after a few minutes. Never had the chance.”

“I’ve noticed that. We might have to ambush her at some point.”

“Luciana! Ms.Lucy!” Hilly’s frantic voice came from the small picture next to the door, “I heard from my painting up in the Astronomy tower, the Headmaster’s looking for you. Knows your not in the Gryffindor tower too, he’s coming down now. You want me to let him in?”

I glanced at Lily and chewed on my lip. McGonagall had made it clear when more people came that the same rules applied now as when classes would start. They could take Lily’s prefect badge for being out after hours.

“Not yet, Hilly. Can you open the back door for me? I need you to help, Lily back to the dorm okay?”

Hilly eyed Lily for a moment before she nodded and took the keys I offered. The creek of an opening door came from inside of the bathroom and I ushered Lily toward the door.

“Go out this way and follow Hilly, she’ll show you how to get around without Filch finding you.”

“But Luce-!”

“No buts. You love being a Prefect, it gives you the right to mess with James when he’s being a prat. Now beat it.” I pushed her toward the bathroom and headed to open the front door.

The door swung open smoothly to reveal Dumbledore looking curiously at Hilly’s painting. At the sound of the door he turned and raised an eyebrow at the sight of me.

“Ms.Rein, I see you’ve found your brother’s quarters.”

“Yes, Professor.”

“May I?”

“Of course, Professor. Please come in.” I moved quickly away from the door frame to let him in.

Dumbledore made the room look small and shabby, messy. He looked about turning his head this way and that taking in the room.

“It hasn’t changed since the last time I was here.” He said and touched the stack of letters on the desk, “Every week he sent these he seemed very down. Seems they were returned.”

“They don’t allow letters when you’re on suicide watch.” I murmured, “Paper cuts or something.”

“I see and phone calls?” He turned curiosity in his eyes.

“My mother’s doing. I wasn’t allowed visits either.”

“Yes, you’re brother had mentioned something like that.” He tapped the letters, “You’ve read them I assume.”

“Yes.”I paused, “Were- were there more, Professor? From when he was with the Abbot’s?”

Dumbledore nodded slowly, “Yes, there are. I can get them to you if you like but it may take longer than it should. The Ministry has taken what has been left at the Abbot’s.”

“Why would they do that?”