A/N: This song is called "Fly Farther" –it's an outtake by Jars of Clay that was recently included on their bonus album, White Elephant Sessions. It just reminded me of James and Lily so much that I had to write a songfic for it – however trite this may be. And, as always, never fear. Diamond in the Rough will continue (when I get the time and the muses are being kind… - hey, that rhymed!). This fic was written under the influence of Ski and too much Napster-downloading.
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He picked her up some flowers on a Sunday afternoon
And sat out on the porch swing, underneath a crescent moon
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Lily's eyes wandered aimlessly to the starlit sky, instantly tracing out the contours of constellations she had memorized over and over again. With the barest hint of nostalgia, she remembered the Astronomy lessons that she had suffered through during school. Having a good friend named after one of the stars certainly brought about some interesting conversations in that class. She smiled to herself, her gaze darting straight towards Canis Minor and the brightest star in the sky. Absentmindedly, she fingered the silken petals of the lilies that now sat in her lap.
James had brought them a few hours ago, but she couldn't bare to put them in water, yet. Their golden centers reminded her of a burst of sunshine reaching over the horizon, tiny yellow fingers stretching across plains of white snow. She noted the irony that the pale namesake she held in her hands did not resemble her at all, but she shrugged it off, the smile on her face creeping wider.
James sat beside her, and she could feel him watching her, as she always felt his eyes upon her. It gave her a strange sense of security to know that he was watching her – though it did tend to be unnerving at times.
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A lifetime seemed to pass, staring at the skies
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She finally turned her gaze away from the stars and the moon – relieved to see that it wasn't full – and met his eyes with her own. He smiled, seeing the expression on her face.
"Peaceful out here, isn't it?"
She nodded, grinning as a thought came to mind. Looking heavenward once more, she shrugged his statement off. "Well, I imagine it's because Sirius isn't here to ruin it, hm?"
James sniggered. "Yes, well, that was intentional."
"Oh? Am I to assume that there was something to ruin, then?"
His grin slowly faded, and he averted her gaze as it swung back to his face. He didn't answer. Blinking, she set the lilies onto the armrest of the swing, and reached a hand out to him, brushing a tendril of hair back from his eyes. "Is there something wrong?" she asked, her voice softening to a mere whisper.
He sighed, still avoiding her gaze. "I wouldn't say it's wrong…"
Light laughter came from her end of the swing, and she rose an eyebrow at him. "James Potter, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were scared!"
Again, he didn't answer. Her smiled faded more quickly than his had, and she bit her lip, turning back to gaze at the stars. A silence passed between them, broken only by the sound of the swing squeaking on its hinges.
James' eyes joined Lily's in gazing upward, but his instantly found more than the constellations. He smirked.
The change in expression did not go unnoticed. "What?" she asked.
He still didn't turn to her. "Mars is unusually bright tonight," he whispered. The smirk had vanished, but peering into his eyes, she could see his internal struggle to keep a straight face.
She burst out laughing. She couldn't even remember how many times she had heard the centaurs repeat that phrase, as they looked to the heavens for the answers to life's mysteries. Throwing her head back to rest on the top of the swing, the sky disappeared from her view and she gazed listlessly at the porch's ceiling. Tears were glistening on her cheeks from laughing so hard.
He finally turned to her, a graceful smile having won out over his deadpan face. "I knew I could count on you to make this easier on me."
Still giggling, she tilted her head until his face was in her view. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Well, you're laughing, so this doesn't have to be completely serious. That's a good sign."
She rolled her eyes, and lolled her head back onto the swing. "James, you're as confusing and cryptic as a centaur. I'm beginning to think that that wasn't a joke!"
He sighed, looking down at his lap as he cracked his knuckles. "Well, it was. But this isn't."
He had her attention. She was still smiling, but her giggles were long-gone. "What are you trying to tell me, James? Don't tell me you want to break – "
"No!" he exclaimed. "No…it's not that at all. I just…"
"Well? Spit it out. You're starting to sound like Peter."
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And on the swing,
He gave her the ring
There were tears in her eyes.
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He went silent once more as he fumbled for something in his pocket. Realizing what he must be doing, her tears of laughter found themselves renewed – with tears of joy. "James, don't tell me…"
He shushed her, putting a finger to his lips as he finally withdrew the velvet box. "Let me speak, Lily. I had to plan this all out, with Sirius laughing like a hooligan and Remus holding the mirror up for me."
She bit her lip, trying to keep from laughing once more. That sounded like the typical Marauders.
He ran a hand through his dark hair, not caring that it managed to stick up in the back like a ducktail. She smirked. That's my little Alfafa.
"Lily…" he began.
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Said, "Afraid I'm not alone, in my dreams about forever.
You and I could become one and always be together.
We'd grow old and wise through all the days,
For worse or for better
For now it's true,
'Cause I love you
Even now, more than ever."
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A single word from her, and then there were no more words – for they were too busy laughing and crying at the same time to think of anything to say.
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And my, time flies, but we'll fly farther,
Into the night, where the eyes of loneliness can never bother.
All our dreams of together, uneclipsed by never-never.
My, time flies – it's in your eyes,
But we will fly farther.
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There was a thin sliver of moonlight peeking through the kitchen window of Number Four Privet Drive, but the crescent moon was barely visible to a nine-year-old. Being barely four and a half feet tall, Harry Potter could almost stand on his tiptoes to look out, but he usually didn't bother. He didn't know why tonight should be any different, but he had the sinking sensation that it was because it was ten minutes till his birthday, and the only thing he wanted was someone to mention it to him. Taking his glasses off and rubbing the lenses on his shirt, he stared at the reflections the moon made on them before deciding to clamber onto the table. He couldn't help sniggering as he thought of what Uncle Vernon might do, if he happened to have a midnight-snack craving at that very moment.
Throwing caution to the wind, Harry stood on the center of the table and turned around, enjoying the new perspective before he faced the window. Squinting his eyes, he could discern the outline of the thin slit of light that broke through the dark of night. And if he pushed his glasses against his face as hard as they could go, he almost swore that he could see a pair of dark spots on the face of the moon – seas, perhaps? Yes, the Sea of Rains…and there. That was the Sea of Tranquility.
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Fifteen years of running off into the sunset
And the tears that we have cried, ever overflow.
Here we are, counting scars and wounds of life, sounding upset
You're with me and I'm with you, and I will never forget.
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His sleeves drooped past his wrists as they unrolled themselves from the force of gravity, but he didn't bother to shove them back. Tilting his head to one side, he stood still, transfixed by the silver light that bathed him that night in July.
It was then that he heard the voices, floating through air on a breath of wind. It tickled at his ears for a moment, teasing him. But he didn't move, didn't blink. He waited, letting the sounds drift to his senses, letting out a slow and deliberate smile as he heard the voices that had haunted his dreams for so many years.
A woman, laughing, her soft voice reminding him of bells. Why, he couldn't remember. He had rarely heard a voice that could sound so melodic and joyful at the same time. And then the man, chiming in with his own words. Harry furrowed his brow as he tried to discern the source of the voice – the voice that he had heard…somewhere.
Sighing, he shook his head free of the haunting voices. He had heard them before. Sometimes they came as dreams and he never remembered them in the morning. Sometimes he thought that they were real, that someone had actually spoken. But he had always turned around, and no, there was no one there. He sat down on the table, eyes traveling upwards as he let the window and the moon drift out of view. Propping his chin up with his hands, and drew in a deep breath, and peered at the clock on the wall.
It was one past midnight. He was ten years old. And no one had been there to mention it.
He sat in silence for a moment, but finally shrugged it off, and clambered off the table. Padding across the kitchen floor to his cupboard under the stairs, he swore that he heard a dog barking – but there was nothing there.
"There's always next year," he told himself. But he knew it would never happen.
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My, time flies but we'll fly farther,
Into the night, where the eyes of loneliness can never bother.
All our dreams of together, uneclipsed by never-never.
My, time flies – it's in your eyes,
But we'll fly farther.
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