Chapter 58- Goodbyes
The wind was cold as it blew on the faces of the passengers of the Big Blue. The Big Blue was a magically enhanced sailboat that carried people from the wizarding world to the dark, mysterious island of Azkaban.
The waves were tumbling and it felt as though the ship was literally going to be blown away as it sailed on.
Lily, James, and Katy could see the island ahead of them. None of them had ever been to Azkaban and they weren't quite sure what to expect. With future careers as Aurors, Lily and James needed to become routine with visiting the cold, dark prison.
It had cost them seven sickles each to ride the shabby little boat, although the captain did not believe anyone would want to travel to such a place.
"Azkaban in three minutes," the captain called from the wheel.
Lily, James, and Katy were heavily draped in garments such as cloaks, scarves and gloves. The weather was freezing and the water was just thawing from winter.
"What exactly are we going to say to her?" Lily asked, looking up at James. His arms were around her tight, refraining her from sliding off the boat itself.
"I don't know. I've never done this sort of thing before," he answered her.
"Neither have I," Katy said. "Your parents did when they were alive though, didn't they?"
"I am sure they did," James said. "Dad used to return from Azkaban a mess. The Dementors are cold creatures who lack mercy and compassion. I just hope we feel slightly more cheerful than he did."
The boat stopped at the island, the prison visible. Lily saw no one except a guard standing at the door. He seemed to be the only human aside from prisoners. She wondered how he had done it all those years. How had he maintained his life with Dementors floating around constantly? Although, she assumed he didn't have much of a life as guarding Azkaban was a constant job.
The three of them joined hands before they asked the guard to visit with Venus Adams.
They walked down the aisle, seeing stares from prisoners. Many recognized James and shouted obscure things at him.
"That's the Potter boy," they hissed. "His parents sent me here. Deserves to die, he does."
"The Dark Lord will catch up to him some day," another spoke, as they walked to the back of the prison.
They felt a cold chill fill their insides. The lights flickered and James knew Dementors were most likely floating above their heads. He noticed that the guard from outside seemed to be controlling it; that was probably the only reason the Dementors did not attack.
They saw her, staring out the small piece of window she was given. The guard at the end saw her lack of attention and decided to do something.
"Adams, you've got visitors," he shouted.
"Thanks, Carl," Venus said, sincerely fake. She turned around and saw the three of them, more alive than she had wished.
"Takes a lot of brain to become an Azkaban guard these days," she muttered coldly. The guard probably heard her but didn't say a word.
He brought three chairs over to the end and quietly left them to visit.
Venus sat on her bed and took a pack of cigarettes out from her pillowcase. She lit it and inhaled, still casting her eyes upon the three children she despised.
"So, Jacobs didn't do his job did he?" Venus asked.
"If you mean Cole, then I could say you're right," James said. "I can't say he didn't try though."
"Never did anything right," Venus muttered. "I should have known he didn't have it in him."
"You're an awful woman," Katy whispered.
"Why, I certainly have missed that brutal touch of honesty you possess, Miss Jones," Venus said sarcastically.
They sat in silence for a few moments. Lily had to look at her feet as she felt those sharp, penetrating eyes sinking into her.
"What are you really here for?" Venus asked.
"We thought you'd love a first hand account of the amount of misery you've caused us," James informed her.
She laughed. "Always telling it like it is, Potter. Just like your father."
"I would think that a compliment, considering you used to be obsessed with him," James said, meeting her eyes.
"You Potters always thought you were the center of everyone's universe," Venus said.
"Don't you even care what happened to Cole?" Lily asked, abruptly. The thought had been killing her.
"Well, I am sure you're going to tell me," Venus answered.
"He's gone insane," Lily said. "We had to defend ourselves to such an extreme because he was on your orders. That's not the worst of it all either."
She felt tears sting her emerald green eyes but she didn't fight them. This woman needed to know the damage she had caused.
Venus simply brushed off Cole's state of injury and cast an amused look at Katy Jones.
"What is the matter with you?" Venus asked her, blowing smoke in Katy's direction.
"I just am wondering how someone so nice could have been spawned by someone like you," Katy said.
"If you're referring to my daughter then you must know that she hasn't always lived up to my expectations," Venus said. "I originally asked her to do Cole's job, but she declined. Instead, Cole Jacobs came here with her and took on the job. Grace seemed to feel that morally it was wrong. If only she had gone through as much as I had."
"You bitch," Katy shouted, standing up and pounding on the bars. "You don't know half of what your daughter has been through."
"And you do?" Venus asked, somewhat amused and somewhat insulted.
"Grace is dead," Katy whispered. "She died to save me and stop your demented plan from succeeding."
For the first time, they saw true emotion in Venus Adams face. They saw true, genuine, emotion coming from her eyes. They were no longer cold and intimidating, but hurt and shocked.
"She died?" Venus asked. "She's gone and no one bothered to write and inform me?"
"It just happened. That's why we're here," James explained. "We didn't feel it proper to just write something like this in a letter."
He didn't want to sink as low as the Ministry and disclose all the details of a death in a letter. It was a low and uncompassionate way of breaking hard news. Even Venus Adams deserved to know in person that her daughter had died.
"I want you to know that there was no reason that you shouldn't have been proud of Grace," Lily said. "Even though this may not be right according to your standards, she did the moral thing and warned us of Cole. She stopped him from killing Katy. She gave her life to do the right thing. She will be remembered with honor, something you can no longer achieve."
"The reason we've come here today is to show our condolences and aware you of our goodbyes," James said. "I hope you'd have learned after your daughter died in one of your plans that you can't take refuge on innocent victims. We want to permanently wish you well in your stay in Azkaban. May you rot here for all you've done."
"Grace was a great child, even if you can't see it," Lily said, standing up. "Goodbye, Venus Adams."
She and James walked hand in hand out of the prison. Katy was still sitting in her chair.
"You and I have never gotten along but I want you to know that I still think there's a person inside of you. I read about you and researched you. You may think I was too nosy for my own good, but that is the reason I still believe you have a heart. I think you're only human and Grace's death is really tearing you up inside. It's ok to be human, most of us are. I just think there's still the same person who befriended Judith and Harold Potter in there," Katy declared.
She saw a tear fall down Venus' face. She knew she had been right in assuming that underneath all that bitterness and evil, there was still a person with feelings.
"She made me proud," Venus whispered.
Katy nodded her head.
"May your bitter heart rot here, Venus," Katy said. "Away from me and my friends."
"Goodbye, Jones," she called, her voice regaining it's wispiness. She wiped a tear from her eye.
"Goodbye Venus Adams," Katy said, feeling those eyes upon her and honoring Grace's memory.
A/N: Please review.