I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS IN THAT SERIES BECAUSE THEY ALL BELONG TO J.K. ROWLING!

Chapter 19

Albus on the couch with his father and sister, watching a television show. Lily had barely spoke a word. Lily coming along was a surprise for Albus and even Harry, but Albus didn't care. He was just glad to be home for a couple of days.

When Albus saw his father, Mr. Potter walked over to him and Lily and wrapped one arm around each of them. Albus hugged his father back while Lily just stood there still, her suitcase still in her hand while Albus dropped his. Albus noticed that his father had lost a little bit of weight and he was paler now. He looked worried and tired, but he welcomed his children and thanked Professor Longbottom.

Now, Albus and Mr. Potter were having a bowl of ice-cream while they watched television. Lily was reading a muggle book that Oliver had gotten her for her birthday. 

"Thanks for letting us come home, dad." Albus told his father during a commercial in the show that they were enjoying. 

"It isn't a problem. It's nice to have another person in the house." Mr. Potter told his son.

Mr. Potter looked over at Lily. He felt as if to cry. He hasn't seen Lily in years. He missed years of memories with her. For the past couple of years, he didn't see her grow. This Lily in the house that was here now, was an extremely different Lily Potter who used to live in this house. Harry missed his daughter.

Lily was his little girl. Lily was his princess. He always wanted a daughter. Lily was perfect. She was his little baby girl who made him smile whenever he called her 'Daddy'. Harry spoiled her rotten as a child. He would carry her around everywhere. He could remember holding her for the first time and how she looked up at him and smiled. He remembered the countless amount of times where he would pick her up to take her to bed and her head would rest on his shoulder and would fall asleep.

He wondered how all of it went away. Lily may not remember those memories, but Harry certainly did. He wished that he could take back the things he said that night. He never wanted to hurt his daughter.  

"Lily, are you sure that you don't want ice-cream?" Mr. Potter asked his daughter.

Lily looked up from her book before she then shook her head. 

"I'm not that hungry." Lily told him.

Mr. Potter watched her go back to her book. Albus sighed. 

"Lily, why don't you at least watch with us." Albus suggested trying to hide the anger in his voice. Couldn't Lily see that she was hurting their father?

Lily looked at him and was about to glare before her gaze went to her father. He saw the hope in his eyes. She didn't want to be in a fight and she didn't want to upset her father more. After a deep sigh, Lily shut her book after placing her bookmark and she set it on the ground beside the couch. She crossed her arms and watched television as well. She had no idea what they were watching or what the show was about, but she kept her eyes on the television to make her father happy.

When Mr. Potter and Albus had finished their ice-cream, Mr. Potter took both bowls to the kitchen. The instant that he left the room, Lily glared at her brother. 

"Don't start a fight." Lily hissed her whisper. 

"Why did you come. I know that you don't want to be here." Albus whispered. 

"It is none of your business why I am here! Dad is sad enough, Albus! Don't make things worst!" Lily whispered. 

"I can tell that you don't want to be here, so why are you?" Albus asked. 

"I told you, none of your business!" Lily whispered, "At least you have a room here. I thought that you would be glad that I was here."  

"Not if you are ignoring us!" Albus said. 

"Just don't pick a fight! Don't make things with dad worst!" Lily whispered.

Albus opened his mouth to say something, but Mr. Potter had already entered the room. He gave them a weak smile before he looked at the clock on the wall. 

"I think that it is best that you two go to bed. Is there anything that you want to do tomorrow? Maybe go to Diagon Alley and to your uncle's joke shop...or maybe go out to dinner?" Mr. Potter asked them. 

"You don't need to do things with us, dad. We are happy just staying at home." Albus said while Lily just stayed silent and looked at her father. 

"I think that both of you will get bored if you stay just at the house." Mr. Potter said. 

"Lets, see some family then." Albus suggested. 

"Okay. Lily...would you be...comfortable with that?" Mr. Potter asked his daughter.

Lily didn't move for a while. She hated the idea of facing her entire family again. She knew that she would only get judged, but her father really seemed to want her opinion and she wanted to help make things easier for him. 

"Yeah, that's fine." Lily answered.

Mr. Potter nodded. 

"I will send a letter then. I'm sure that we can have dinner together." Mr. Potter told them.

His two children nodded and Albus turned off the television. Lily took her suitcase that was set beside the couch. Albus had placed his suitcase in his room. Lily didn't know where to set her suitcase, but she planned on sleeping on the couch. Albus got up to leave for his room and Lily opened her suitcase to grab her toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, and pajamas. She held them in her hands as she went to the downstairs bathroom. She took her time getting ready for bed. She wanted to take her time with everything while she was here.

Lily wanted to come back. She missed her family, but it was so awkward now. She only wanted to be here because she wanted to see her father again and she wanted the comfort of him near her while her mother and eldest brother were missing. She loved them, no matter how angry she was at them, she still loved them.

When Lily came out of the washroom, she saw that her father was watching television, but all of the lights were off as he was sitting in a chair beside the table, which was next to the couch. On the table was a lamp and a couple of empty tea cups. Mr. Potter looked at his daughter as she placed her things in her suitcase and grabbed the quilt that her grandmother had made her before she then zipped it back up. 

"Lily, you could sleep in James's room." Mr. Potter offered. 

"It's okay. I'll just sleep here." Lily said as she covered herself with the quilt. 

Mr. Potter looked closely at the quilt. 

"Is that the quilt that your grandmother made you as a present for when you were born?" Mr. Potter asked her. 

"Yes." Lily answered. 

"I'm glad that you kept it." Mr. Potter said.

Lily gave a weak smile. 

"I'll probably be down here for another hour. I usually watch the news." Mr. Potter told her. 

"That's fine." Lily told him, "I'll sleep with it on. Also...dad?"

Mr. Potter put the television on mute so that he could give his full attention to his daughter. He felt his chest swell at hearing her call him 'dad'. 

"Yes?" he asked her. 

"When you go to bed, can you please put the lamp on. Or just keep the television on? Even the hallway light or the kitchen light would be okay." Lily told him, "just please make sure that there is a light on." 

"Alright, sweetheart. Goodnight." Harry said. 

"Night." Lily told him as she then put her back against the television and quickly fell asleep.

Mr. Potter put the television back on to a low volume. As he watched it, he wanted to see if there was any information about his family or any weird things going on that could've involved them. But just like every other night, there wasn't any.

As his program was ending, he got up and walked over to his daughter. He saw that Lily was sound asleep. He kissed her forehead and whispered to her, "It's good that you are finally home."

Lily didn't stir at all. Mr. Potter smiled before he then turned off the television and in the dark he went upstairs. He made it to Albus's room and he silently opened the door. He looked inside to see Albus sleeping soundly. Mr. Potter smiled and then shut the door again before he made it to his room to sleep. Soon enough, the entire house was dark. Everyone was asleep.

*

Mr. Potter jumped awake when he heard a loud scream. He turned on the lamp beside him and realized that the scream came from downstairs. He looked at the clock to see that it was almost 3:20 in the morning. 

"Lily?!" Mr. Potter called worriedly as he jumped out of his bed.

He ran down the hallway, Albus standing at his door, his lamp light on as well to see what the commotion was about. When he saw his father running, Albus did the same. Mr. Potter ran down the steps, almost tripping down them. When he got to the livingroom, he quickly turned on the light. Both him and Albus saw Lily sobbing in the fetal position.  

"Lily?" Mr. Potter asked her.

Lily turned to face her father. Her eyes were red. 

"I told you to leave the light on! I told you!" Lily sobbed.

Mr. Potter felt as if he was going to throw up. He was frozen, staring at his daughter for a couple of minutes before Albus said, "I'll...I'll go back up to bed, dad."

Albus went up the stairs, knowing that this was something to be alone with Lily and their father. Mr. Potter nodded and he then walked over to his daughter. At first, she cringed away from him when he went to hug her, but the second time, she leaned into his chest and found comfort into his arms. Just like she always did when he hugged her. 

"I'm so sorry sweetheart." Mr. Potter told her. 

"I couldn't see!" Lily sobbed, "I was alone! It was like I was blind!" 

"I am so sorry. Please forgive me, Lily." Mr. Potter told her. 

Lily just sobbed and it took almost an hour before Lily calmed down to just sniffles. Mr. Potter was still holding her and rocking her. 

"Do you want some milk? Cookies? Ice-cream?" Mr. Potter asked her. 

"Milk and cookies." Lily whispered.

Mr. Potter nodded. He turned the television on for Lily and she went to pick a show as he went to the kitchen. When Lily was living here, she would always go downstairs to get some milk and cookies when she had a nightmare, no matter what time it was. She said that it calmed her down.

Mr. Potter poured a large glass full of milk and he also took the entire bag full of oatmeal cookies, Lily's favourite. He came back into the livingroom to see Lily sitting up, but the quilt was still on her legs. Mr. Potter stayed down beside Lily, even when she fell asleep. He just stayed in his chair, left the television on, and turned the lamp on so that they were the only lights on in the house. He watched his daughter sleep.