"No," He said, "It just says no one reported a girl missing, but many people are going missing everyday now."
"Yeah…."
Remus stood there helplessly. He had to stay here because James wanted him to protect the guests.
Sirius came back with his cousin, Adrianna after a few minutes.
"Where were you, Rainie?" Lily almost ran towards her, "Oh my God, are you okay?"
"She's fine." Sirius said, exasperatedly, "She was out looking for a wedding present from James….and lost track of time."
Lily sighed in relief. She sent a patronus to James and a message to come back.
"Oh, God! There you are!" James saw Rainie standing next to the woman he was supposed to marry and he didn't even notice Lily in the perfect wedding dress.
He hugged her.
"You scared me, Rainie." He whispered, "I can't lose you. I can't lose anymore people."
"Come on," Remus came up to them, "Let's get you married, Prongs."
James smiled. The small party of no more than twenty-five people went out in the yard for a modest wedding for James Potter, the ex-Quidditch player for Holy Harpies.
The ceremony was short and sweet, performed by Remus Lupin, a newly ordained minister. It started to rain so they all headed back inside for an exquisite dinner when a Patronus came dancing inside the room. James recognized it as one of the Order members.
"James Potter, report to St. Mungo's immediately."
Everyone looked at James.
"The girl has woken up and asks for James Potter."
Lily raised her eyebrows. Who was this girl who was unrecognizable and was calling for James?
"Do you think you know who it is?" Peter asked.
"Yeah, I think I do." James said, blankly.
"Who?" Sirius, Remus and Lily shouted together.
"It's Caroline." James headed towards the door,
"James!" Lily shouted, running after him.
"Don't stop me, Lily. Don't ask me to stop." He turned back, "Because, I am not going to."
"Do you love her?" She asked. Knowing the answer.
"No." A hurt look appeared on James's face. "And, how can I?"
"Then……" She wanted to know why he would want to see the girl who had murdered his parents.
"I am not heartless, Lil. And, if I don't go when she is hurt so much." He looked straight at her, "Then, doesn't it make me exactly like her?"
She nodded, "I am coming with you."
"Okay."
He took her hand and they both disapparated. James appeared in front of St. Mungo and a nurse directed him and Lily to a room.
"Caroline?" James was frozen.
Her face was distorted. Her whole body was graying and covered with cuts and bruises. It was evident to everyone that Caroline Trent wouldn't make it to the morning.
"James?" She opened her eyes, her voice was low but clear. "You came?"
"Of course!" He came near her, "What happened to you, Care?"
'Care'….That stung Lily. Even though it was her who he had married. It just stung so bad.
Voldemort" happened." She told James.
Lily flinched.
"I finally got the guts to defy him." She told him, "I said I wouldn't bite kids."
Something she said she would do to save herself.
"I never meant it, James." She whispered, "I mean what kind of sick person does that?"
"That's what I thought." James laughed.
He laughed. Lily hadn't heard him laugh in a long long time.
"I am dying, James." She said, "And, I have to tell you."
"You are not dying." James said, firmly.
"I am dying, not delusional. James." She said, "There is no cure for Nagini's poison and I will be dead soon."
James didn't know what to say.
"I didn't do any of it, James." She grabbed his hand, "You have to believe me! I never wanted to join in the first place…..but, but…."
"But what?"
"It was Snape." Her voice got lowered, "He said if I didn't join you would leave me…..and then, I thought he was my friend. He told me you had planned to join Voldemort too."
James looked shocked, so did Lily.
"And, no matter how much I did to dig myself out of it." She had tears welling up in her eyes. "I ended up getting in deeper."
"And, my parents?" He asked.
"Snape, it was all Snape." She sobbed loudly, "I was just there. He was glad to do it. He told me to wait outside. I didn't know……I didn't know…."
He took her hand into his.
"I didn't do any of it, James." She whispered, "It wasn't me…..I wanted you to know that. I can't die knowing that the love of my life hated me."
"I don't hate you, Caroline." He shook his head, "I can never hate you."
She smiled weakly and suddenly became aware of the presence of another person. She looked at Lily in a spotless cream coloured dress.
"That should have been me." She said, croakingly. "It should have been me and you."
"Yeah." James said, quietly. "It could have been."
Lily's whole world stopped. She had heard from Remus that breaking up Caroline was the hardest thing James had ever done. And, that it had messed him up pretty bad. But, she hadn't seen how badly he had been hurt until now. It had been almost two years since he had broken up with Caroline but still, Caroline had such a grasp on him that she would never have. It was true……..forgetting your first love was the most difficult thing to do. Lily was lucky, she fell in love with James and now she had him….till death did them apart. But, James Potter hadn't been so lucky.
Caroline's eyes closed and they both sat there, not even remembering that Lily was there. The nurse came in to check up on Caroline.
"She's………" The nurse had been doing this job for almost six years but this part never got any easier. "Gone, Mr. Potter."
"No…" James's voice was hoarse. "Caroline! No!"
He held her hand, his head bowed down on the bed next to her. And, how much he tried to hide it, they could hear him crying.
On her wedding night, Lily Evans (Now Potter) watched her husband crying over another woman. But, oddly, she didn't feel jealous anymore. It wasn't that love the emotion James was experiencing. It was pity that he felt for Caroline.