So The Story Goes

Kimali Lautoka

A/N: Psst. Guess what? I'm baaaaaaaack!

Lily and James fics have always been a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine, although I have never had the inspiration to write one. Until now. Muahahaha! Anyways, this picks up near the end of the summer before James and Lily's seventh year. I haven't written ANYTHING in over a year, so please please pleasebear with me as I try to get back into the swing of things.

The chapter titles don't really have anything to do with the content of the chapters; they're just the song I was listening to while writing the chapter. It's kinda like creating a soundtrack to the story. Now that that's said…

I'll just say right now that if you don't like this fanfic, you can SUCK IT. Nasty comments are a waste of both your time and mine.

Disclaimer: All copy written characters belong to someone who is not me. Because I am not J. K. Rowling. I have enough faith in you guys to be able to recognize the original characters. (This applies to all chapters.)

Chapter 1: Young Pilgrims

The Shins

It had been a relatively quiet, peaceful summer for one Lily Evans at number sixteen, Crown Close. Lily rested her folded arms on the sill of her window and breathed in the sweet floral scents of summer's dying days. It was almost impossible for the beautiful redhead to believe that, in two weeks, she would be starting her seventh and final year as Head Girl of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and –

"AAAAAUGHHHH!" Lily nearly jumped out of her skin as a wail that sounded peculiarly like a combination between a banshee and her elder sister Petunia reached her ears from the kitchen below her room. "Lilyyyy! Get this- this thing away from me!" the voice screeched. Definitely Petunia.

Lily had to double-take to make sure she was seeing correctly. Petunia stood as far from the kitchen window as possible, brandishing a pan with freshly scrambled eggs escaping the edges at what was unmistakably the Potters' eagle owl, Darius. Darius watched Petunia peculiarly, thoroughly puzzled by her behavior, until Lily walked through the doorway and he flew to her shoulder. Petunia shuffled to the right, spilling slippery eggs in her wake. Not again, thought Lily as she unfolded the piece of parchment addressed to her in James Potter's scribble.

Evans-

All right, I hope? Hey, guess what! I'm Head Boy! And if the rumors are true (as I suspect they are), you're Head Girl. Isn't that great? But to the point. Even though you've turned me down all summer, and all last year, and every year before that, I thought I'd try my luck again. Would you consider going out with me before summer holiday ends?

Yours truly,

James Potter

He's pathetic, Lily thought as she reread James' letter. After every letter she'd ever received from James Potter, Lily had always scribbled back a quick 'Grow up.' On this particular day, however, she was feeling rather forgiving. It could have been from the August heat, or just the sight of Petunia's breakfast endeavor falling to the floor that made her feel compelled to feel, well, sorry for James. Lily sat down at the kitchen table where she easily located a Muggle ink pen and began to write. "Petunia, could you give Darius a biscuit?" Lily distractedly asked her sister.

Petunia gaped at Lily like she had just sprouted another head. "Are you mad! That thing will peck my hand off!"

Lily didn't look up from her letter. "He won't peck your hand off, don't be daft. Just throw him something to eat." Lily could hear Petunia grumble as she tossed a stale cracker at the bird, almost hitting him. Darius hooted in alarm, which caused Petunia to jump and shriek.

Ignoring the commotion, Lily read her finished work to herself:

Potter-

Yes, I have been named Head Girl. I have planned to go to Diagon Alley later today. If you can find me, we will talk.

Lily Evans

All in all, Lily was quite satisfied with her response. She patiently waited until the owl had devoured the last of his biscuit before handing him back the letter he had brought. Lily had always wanted an owl of her own. Spreading his impressive wings, Darius took flight, playfully swooping towards Petunia before leaving the way he entered. Lily rolled her eyes as her sister screeched yet again. Honestly, Lily thought, you'd think she'd be used to owls by now.

Lily was about to return to her room when her way was blocked by a large, burly man. Isaac Evans held a pair of garden clippers in his hands and had dirt stains on the knees of his trousers. Lily had always thought he resembled an American lumberjack she'd seen in one of her Muggle textbooks, long before Hogwarts. He shared his straw-like hair color with Petunia, but had blessed Lily with his emerald eyes. Those same gem-like eyes darted around the room menacingly. Are you two alright?" Isaac asked his daughters. "I heard screaming.

Smiling kindly at her father, Lily replied. "It was nothing, Dad. Just an owl dropping a letter off for me."

Petunia, however, wouldn't let it rest at that. Face reddening, Petunia's voice reached an unnaturally shrill pitch. "That owl tried to decapitate me, just like it has almost every day this summer! I'm telling you, Dad, it's one of those freaks she goes to that dreadful school with." Petunia's finger pointed accusingly at Lily. "I'll bet it's that Potter who showed up here last summer, polluting the neighborhood with his abnormalities. You know that their kind is going to be the end of us!"

"Put your finger down, Petunia; it looks an awful lot like a wand when you do that," Lily said coldly to her sister, and Petunia gasped in horror as she hurriedly hid her hand behind her back. Lily shuddered to remember last summer when James had stood outside her window all day long, serenading her and begging her for a date. He was only defeated when she had dumped the family cat's litterbox over his head and threatened him serious bodily harm if he ever tried anything like that again. If only he wasn't such a miserable git, she absently thought to herself. Lily shook her head of the memory. Petunia had already stormed out of the room before Lily announced her departure. "I'm off to Diagon Alley, then," she said to her father.

Isaac only nodded distractedly as he reached into his pocket and pulled out several large pound notes. "Here," he said to his daughter. "A little Head Girl present from your mum and me. We know how you've always wanted an owl," he said, a bit of a twinkle in his eye. Lily hugged and thanked her father, and with a pop she was gone.

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It's short, I know. But it'll do for now. I would greatly appreciate some feedback, and I promise the next chapter will be longer.