HEAL ME | JAMES POTTER

THIRTY-FIVE

- CHAPTER 35 -

❝Don't leave me Grace.❞

The Potter Manor.

IT HAD ALMOST BEEN FOUR YEARS since the war had started, and two years since the Marauders had finished school. Every single night had felt gloomy, the moon shining high up in the sky, with only the clouds surrounding it.

The alleyways were eerie, with no one but the busy rats to keep them company, some a lot more than the others.

"Have you heard from Lily?"

"No, not after Marlene's news."

Over the past few months, the two had lost many important people in their lives. Marlene Mckinnon, and even the two Prewett brothers, who had been rather close to the Marauders during school.

Throughout it all, Sirius Black had moved out of the Potter Manor, and into his apartment that he had shared with Remus. Whereas for Grace and James, they had stayed back at the Potter Manor to take care of the parents.

Euphemia and Fleamont had been suffering with dragon pox, along with both Hope and Lyall Lupin. It was something that had made the war seem a lot worse, the elderly being much more weaker than before.

The two were starting to lose hope in everything, their happiness being nowhere in sight anymore.

"You've got to eat James, it's almost nine."

"I'm not hungry Grace, you go on ahead."

James Potter had been at the lowest point in his life, and not even Grace could stop that. The girl had made him feel a little better, that was for sure. But every single night, when the moon would start to bestow upon them, James Potter would once more start to cry in the arms of his lover.

His mother's embrace, it was the one thing that he had missed very dearly. Not being able to be with her, and not being able to help her in any way, it had made James feel like everything was his fault.

And when the two were left alone in the Manor, with nothing but the memories of his parents to keep them company, James Potter could feel his world crumble apart.

He would not eat, nor would he sleep. He would just stay in his parents room, and stare at their pictures with an emotionless face. Was it bad, that he had gotten used to it all, the feeling of death, and the feeling of agony?

"G-Grace."

The girl had no solutions to stop his tears, except to hold him close against her chest. The tears welling up in her eyes, she had felt like her own parents had left her alone in this world.

Grace Valdez had grown extremely close to Euphemia and Fleamont, treating them as her own family, and her only one. To lose them was like to lose the people who had been her two pillars, helping her stand up even during the hardest of times.

And if Grace had been feeling this way, she could not imagine how hard it must have been for the boy.

"Come on, let's change your clothes."

James Potter had been incredibly thankful of the girl, without whom he wouldn't have survived. She had been doing everything for him, which had included taking care of the house all on her own.

When James would finally go to sleep on his parents bed, the girl would go around the Manor and start tidying up the place. Making food, cleaning their clothes, and even taking care of the letters that would start to arrive.

"Don't leave me Grace, not like them."

"I won't leave you James. Not now, not ever."

The words that would escape her mouth, Grace was not sure whether it was the truth, or a blatant lie. She could not decipher anymore whether the things around her were the reality, or just fragments of her little imagination.

Even the moments of the past that had brought her joy, would just leave behind a bitter feeling in her mind.

"Just another bite James, you're doing so good," the girl said with a nudge.

"I can't Grace, i'm full," he replied with furrowed eyebrows.

Grace Valdez looked at the boy with a fond smile. He had started to get better, something she had been looking forward to seeing ever since the passing of his parents. And even though James would still feel down on most days, just a little laugh from him was enough to make the girl happy.

James Potter had gone through a lot, they all had. And the worst part was, it isn't even their fault. They're suffering, and all because of someone who had craved power to his core.

The two were interrupted during their conversation, by a blue light emerging from their window. It was a patronus of a wolf, one that had reminded them much of their dear friend, Remus Lupin.

"Death eaters at Hogwarts, come quick."