Who: Sturgis and Lily When: After Lily's little freak out in Sturgis's journal. Where: Lily and James's home in Godric's Hollow. What: Lily is crying and Sturgis makes things better.
Lily sniffed pathetically as she waited for Sturgis to come through the Floo, trying to get herself under control. She just couldn’t help it. Things were so scary right now, and it didn’t seem like it was going to get better any time soon. People were dying and being taken and she was brewing illegal potions and everything seemed so hopeless.
Her tears only seemed to fall faster, and she gave up on trying to stop them, just curling up in the corner of the couch and crying into her knees.
This, Sturgis supposed, ought to be James’ job. But he was out, it seemed, and it was more than half Sturgis’ fault that Lily was in this state, he supposed, and so it fell to him to step out of the Potters’ fireplace, dusting himself off quickly as he looked around for the redhead, finally spotting her on the couch.
“Oh, Lily,” he said quietly, shaking his head as he walked over and sat beside her. “Don’t cry. It’s going to be all right. I promise.”
Lily hiccuped back a sob, curling into Sturgis and pressing her face into his shoulder. “Everything’s just so bloody horrible,” she moaned. “It doesn’t feel like it’s ever going to get better. Why is this happening?”
Sturgis imagined this was one of those times when he was supposed to have some sort of wise, sage-like response to that question. He imagined that the right thing to say would be cryptic, but soothing, and generally much better than the words that tumbled out of his mouth as he wrapped an arm around the sobbing girl.
“I don’t know,” he said quietly. “I don’t know why, but it will get better. It has to get better.” It certainly couldn’t get much worse.
It took a minute, but Lily finally started calming down to sniffled and hiccups. She stayed cuddled against Sturgis, resting her head comfortably on his shoulder. “I just want a normal life,” she whispered. “I want to be able to be with my husband and have a family and not worry that someone’s going to show up and hurt us. You know? I want to be happy.”
“You will be,” Sturgis said softly, patting Lily’s back. “That’s... that’s what we’re fighting for, isn’t it? A life where we can all just be happy. And we’re going to get it. I know we are.”
“I want my family to be safe,” Lily told him quietly. “You’re included in that, you know. You and Mary and Em and... God, I want us to all be okay.”
Sturgis felt his chest tighten at the mention of Mary, and felt it tighten more at the mention of Emmeline, but he nodded, swallowing the worries that lumped in his throat. “We will be,” he said. “Lily, I promise you, with all my heart, we will be. None of us will stop until we are.”
Lily sniffed and nodded a little. Another deep breath, and she nodded a little more surely. “Okay,” she whispered. “...And we’ll find, Emmeline, right? We’ll find her and she’ll be okay. Right?”
“Yes,” Sturgis said, nodding. “We’re going to find her. And she’ll be okay.” He swallowed again, forcing a smile. He couldn’t make that promise. Not really. But he was trying to convince himself, too. “Emmeline’s tougher than she looks. We’ll find her, and she’ll be fine. For all we know, she might be the one we’re rescuing Death Eaters from!”
Lily gave Sturgis a little smile in return. “Right,” she whispered, wiping her eyes. “She’ll be okay. ...What about you and Mary?” she asked very quietly. “What are you going to tell her?”
“I’m... not sure,” Sturgis admitted with a sigh. “I mean. She warded me, and we sort of... hashed things a bit,” Sturgis shrugged, hoping Lily wouldn’t ask too much about that conversation, and the fact that the first part of it had been him promising not to tell Lily about the attack. “So... we’re not in a row anymore. We’ve just had a row, you know?” He sighed again, shrugged again. “I think I’m just going to be honest, and tell her that I really care about her, and that I want her to know so she can know what she’s getting into, dating me, and if she’d feel safer not dating me... she is and Obliviator...”
Lily nodded a little, resting her head back on Sturgis’s shoulder. “...Not being in a row anymore is good,” she murmured. “Every couple fights. It’s normal. James and I have had our fair share of screamers. ...You’ll work it out. You’re a good couple.”
“You really think so?” Sturgis asked, his brow arching just a bit. “I thought I’d fallen into never-to-be-forgiven territory after the curfew incident. Hearing that she and I are a good couple... kind of the opposite.”
“You’re still absolutely grounded forever for that,” Lily told him. “...But yeah. You’re a good couple. Just keep taking care of her, okay?”
“Of course,” Sturgis said smiling gently. “I wouldn’t do anything else, you know. She’s... she means a lot to me.” He sighed. “Guess I’m a hopeless romantic, eh?”
Lily shrugged. “I guess,” she murmured, looking up just enough to give him a little smile. “It’s sweet. ...Your dates with Mary are a lot better than our one and only date, I’m hoping.”
“Our one and only date was only the biggest disaster of my life,” Sturgis chuckled. “I don’t think I could have another moment that awkward if I tried... not that I’m going to,” he added hastily. “I don’t want to try and be awkward with Mary. Quite the opposite. Obviously.”
“I know,” Lily said, patting his chest. “You’ll probably be a little awkward, but that’s just how you are. It’s endearing.”
“Thank... you?” Sturgis asked, deciding whether or not he should take that as a compliment.
Lily laughed quietly, giving him another pat and sitting up a little. “Seriously, it’s a good thing,” she promised. “A person shouldn’t be too sure of himself. It just comes off as conceited. You aren’t like that, and it’s sweet.”
“Thank you,” Sturgis said, smiling down at her. “You’re very sweet, too. James is a lucky bloke.”
“Damn right he is,” Lily replied, grinning. “I’m a catch.”
“What was it you were saying about someone being too sure of him -- or her -- self?” Sturgis teased, ruffling Lily’s hair a bit with a smirk.
“I’m already married, I can be as sure of myself as I want,” Lily replied flippantly, gently swatting Sturgis’s hand out of his hair. “You want some tea or something?”
“Tea would be lovely,” Sturgis said, glad to see Lily was in better spirits, now. “Could never say no to a cup of tea.”
Lily pushed herself up and patted his head like a puppy, feeling much better than she had when Sturgis had first come over. Maybe things would be okay after all.