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[Wristbands: Chapter Sixty-Eight]

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           In less than two months Aspen lost two of her close friends. One in which was killed by another friend, and another who was massacred alongside her own family. She couldn't feel anything, she couldn't believe it. She couldn't even go to the funeral of her best friend Marlene McKinnon. No one in Marlene's family were alive to plan it other than Marlene's aunt who lived on a whole other continent. The muggle woman planned all of their funerals out from where she lived.

       Due to the funerals being so far, none of the teenagers would be able to make it besides Lily who was being flown in by Marlene's aunt herself a few days later. Lily was the most devastated out of them all, Marlene McKinnon was her first Hogwarts friend and now she was dead. When the Aurors came hoping to search Marlene's bedroom for evidence indicating foul-play, Lily nearly killed them in devastation.

     Peter hadn't come home yet, he probably didn't even know what happened. Than again, he most likely had access to the Daily Prophet or even some type of muggle newspaper wherever he was at seeing as the muggles found out about the murders first. Dumbledore called for a meeting that night to discuss what had happen, to announce that a member has fallen. None of them went as they stayed home to grieve. Aspen held her baby in her arms sadly as she caressed the sleeping girls cheek.

       It was around eight o'clock at night. According to the Aurors, that was the time Marlene's heart most likely stopped beating the night before. She sat on her bed, leaning against the wood at the end as she stared down in silence. Beside her Sirius slept, as he had been sleeping already for the past few hours. Aspen had her head leaning towards the wall, through it she could hear the sniffles of Wendy and the voice of Remus attempting to soothe her fellow Gryffindor.

       "You don't understand what's going on right now, little one," Aspen whispered in a raspy voice to her daughter, "but someone very important to us lost their life yesterday. She was mummy and daddies best friend a-and your Auntie Marls. She would've loved to be here, but it seems Merlin didn't want it that way. She loved you very much and I'm going to remind you of that everyday of your life."

        "Marls would be laughing at how sappy you're being," said the raspy voice of Sirius, who's eyes were now open. He was laying on his stomach, his arms under his chin as he looked up at her and Cassie. "she'd either be amused of you speaking so nicely about her? or embarrassed because you're exposing all of her sentimental secrets."

       "That's oddly accurate," Aspen giggled, a small smile growing on her lips. It quickly diminished when she then asked, "did I wake you? I'm so—"

       "No, you didn't wake me, I've been awake for a half an hour already." Sirius confessed, sitting up beside her. "I've just been faking cause I didn't want to bother you."

       "Lovely," Aspen sighed, laying her head on his shoulder. He then took Cassie out of her arms and held the little girl himself as Aspen crossed her arms and snuggled into his side. His skin was warm due to sleep which made him even more comfortable than he was. "I don't know why, but I can't cry," she mumbled, "I want to cry, I want to know I'm not a sociopath, but nothing's happening. I miss her but I'm just . . not crying."

      "That's normal, I think," Sirius said, leaning his head on hers. "normally in the muggle films the person goes through some shock before someone close to them dies, then they start to feel everything."

       "But I cried when my mum died, I cried when Emma died. Why aren't I crying now?" She asked, her voice concerned. 

    Sirius shrugged, "Different deaths effect people in different ways. Right now, Marlene's death doesn't even feel real. I'm expecting her to walk in any minute and ask if I have any hair curlers."

       Aspen looked up at him with a grin on her face, "Hair curlers?"

       "Yep, she came in almost everyday asking for some, and everyday I have to tell her that I don't and will never own any." Sirius said in an amused voice. "She didn't seem to ever believe me, said my hair was suspiciously curly sometimes and that I must've been hiding them."

       "That sounds like Marlene alright." Aspen sniffed, "you know that one time she came in and stole a few of your flannels and sold them for tickets to see Queen, right?"

       "You mean the Queen tickets that she won at a wing-eating contest back in July? The ones she used to take us all to see?" Sirius asked, his voice coming more and more into realization as he asked the questions.

     "Yep, it's surprising that people bought them for the price she sold them for," Aspen giggled quietly, "then again, she did say that they were the flannels worn by the prince of England. She even made fake photos."

       "Bloody hell," Sirius whispered, "I want to be mad but honestly, I didn't even realize they were gone."

        "That's because I bought some new ones to replace them, along with a new hairbrush. She took yours because there was a homeless man outside our complex who apparently had hair so knotty that Marlene herself brushed them out with your brush," Aspen informed him, a grin on her face.

      "Oh wow," Sirius said, "wait, why did she steal all of my things out of everyone here?"

        "Don't worry, she stole plenty from everyone else. Besides Lily, Wendy, and I, of course. She loves-loved us most." Aspen snorted, "from my knowledge, she stole pounds of chocolate from Remus, along with a few oversized hoodies. She stole two pairs of James' glasses, hence why he keeps 'losing' them. And from Peter. she pretty much took all of the clothes from his room. Not that he's ever home enough to notice."

       "I feel slightly better knowing that I'm not the only victim," Sirius told, he then sat up more causing Aspen to lift her head. She looked up to see Sirius looking towards the door. At the door stood James who looked a mess. His hair was messier than the usual mess, and his shirt was soaked . . most likely with tears. His face was pale and he had eye bags that looked like they were about to cover his entire cheeks.

      "You okay, Prongs?" Sirius asked, concerned as he sat up. Aspen took Cassie from his arms and Sirius stood up to his friend who leaned against the doorframe tiredly.

      "I—yes?" He said, his voice raspy and his glasses sliding down the bridge of his nose. Sirius pushed them up before they could fall off and grabbed his friends shoulder.

      "When's the last time you've slept? Or . . eaten?"

       "Whenever the Aurors came and delivered the news." James said tiredly, "and that's the thing," he said before yawning, "I hate to ask this but, Aspen, can you go keep an eye on Lils for a little bit? I just need a small nap, an hour tops and then you can—" He yawned again, "wake me up."

      "Yeah, it's fine, James," Aspen said standing up. "Sleep as long as you want, and maybe eat something before sleeping, okay?" James nodded as Sirius wrapped his arm around his neck, he looked at Aspen.

     "You got this? I'm going to—"

       "Yes, go help the lad," Aspen said, shifting Cassie in her arms more comfortably. 

       "Okay," Sirius said, he then patted his friend on the back before directing him down the hallway, "Let's get you some food, bud,"

     Aspen smiled sadly at the two as she grabbed a small blanket and wrapped it around Cassie. She then walked across the hall and lightly knocked on the door before opening it. It was dark, but on the bed on the opposite side of the room she could see a small lump. She also heard sniffles. Aspen turned the light on to see Lily under the covers curled up in a ball with messy red hair as she silently cried. There were tissues everywhere, and a small indent on the bed from where Aspen could tell James sat for the past twenty-four hours.

       "Lils?" Aspen called softly, walking towards the bed. "Cassie and I came to visit you, hun, how are you doing?" She was met with no reply as Lily continued crying. "That's okay, you don't need to answer," she said, turning off the lights and pulling out her wand, enchanting 'lumos.' "I understand you're upset, so am I. Sirius and I think I'm in shock over her d—passing, it should all be hitting me as hard as it hit you soon." Lily continued to cry. Aspen climbed on the bed with Cassie and sat in the warmed spot where James sat. She placed Cassie in her lap and put one hand on Lily's back in which she rubbed. "I'm going to tell Cassie about her Auntie Marls whenever I can," Aspen told, "I'm going to tell her all the funny stories and happy moments with her. Her names going to live on as long as I can make it." Aspen determinedly stated, looking down at her friend. Lily's green eyes were open as she stared at the white wall beside her. They were red from crying so much, Aspen could even see Lily's lip quivering. "This may not be the time, but would you like to hold Cassie?" Aspen asked, "I heard holding pets could help comfort, and since we don't have pets . . . I guess Cassie would be a good substitute." She joked, "At least she's helping me. Then again, I could get Sirius to turn dog."

        There was a few seconds of silence before Aspen continued speaking, "that's okay. Just know that she and I will be here and if you ever want to hold her, just ask. Or if you want Sirius, that's okay too." Aspen leaned her head back as they then went into silence. The only sounds being the sobs of Lily. That was until the sound of moving covers were heard. Lily slowly started sitting up, she sat in the same position Aspen sat in and looked at Cassie with her watery eyes.

       Aspen smiled softly and handed Cassie over, the little girl shifted in Lily's arms but continued sleeping softly. Lily held her and brought her knees up for support, she then laid her head on Aspens shoulder, just like how Aspen did to Sirius just earlier that night, her knees slightly fell over towards Aspen. Aspen undid her spell and wrapped her arm around Lily.

       "You're going to be alright," Aspen reassured as the girl silently cried into her shoulder. "We all are. And whoever did this is going to pay, we'll make sure of it, Lils."

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AUTHORS NOTE:

Okay, after writing my fourth chapter today I think I'm finally out of ideas.

December 30, 2018
1,891 words