I have recently fallen in love with James and Lily fan fiction. This doesn't mean I have abandoned Snape in any way; the Prince's tale is truly heart-breaking. However, he pretty much left Lily to follow the path of dark magic and only realised his mistake when it was too late.
Also for those of you who are reading 'feels like flying' my KatieXOliver story, I haven't forgotten about it, getting back to it when this is up!
"I grew up over the summer," Said James.
Lily snorted, "Yeah, right!"
"No, really," James persisted, "I'll prove it to you, you'll see."
Lily glared but didn't retort- she was in a terrible mood. Her morning had been ruined by the fact Dumbledore had inconceivably lost his mind. She had walked down the train this morning with a grin plastered to her face and her shiny, new head girl badge glinting on her chest. Until she had reached the prefect carriage that was, sitting there, next to his best friend and fellow Gryffindor student Remus Lupin was none other than James Potter himself. She had opened her mouth to shout at him for being in the prefect's carriage when her eyes had fallen upon the familiar badge he wore proudly upon his t-shirt. She gaped at him for a few seconds, which she was sure he was aware of before dazedly sitting down and reeling off prefect duties.
Now that they were alone he was sat there with a smug grin on his face and Lily couldn't take it anymore,
"I'm doing patrols," she said, standing abruptly and striding towards the door.
"What do you want me to do?" James almost felt dumb asking, he was probably meant to know.
"Ah…well," Lily coughed nervously, "You could ah, sort out the prefect rotas for this month, if you want?" She looked at him questioningly.
"That's what I'm here for Evans," James said, shooting her a grin before pulling a pile of parchment closer and leaning over to study it.
Lily's eyes rested on him for a few moments before she swept out of the room, trying to maintain as much dignity as she could. What had she been thinking, 'if you want?' it was his role now and he had better get used to it, Merlin, she had better get used to it. This was going to be a hell of a year.
Potter was a trouble maker, there was no two ways about it, and Dumbledore had made him head boy? She couldn't get her head around it, what would possess him to do such a thing? She groaned, realizing how much of her time would now be spent with Potter. They already shared a fair amount of classes and a common room and it was her final year, she could do without him constantly demanding her attention. She snapped at a bunch of first years who were loitering in the corridor, sighing as they scuttled off, get a grip Lily.
She returned to the prefect carriage to check on his progress and found it empty, she should've known. He was probably off somewhere, pulling a prank, setting the worst example for first years, ignoring the badge he wore on his chest and all it stood for.
James was wondering where on earth Lily had gone, deciding to wait for her back at the prefect compartment he slid open the door. She had never looked so beautiful to him; it was plain to see she was dealing with far too much stress. Her head was resting on her hand as she stared out at the passing trees, long red hair falling over her shoulder, fire and ice. That he thought, sums her up perfectly, when she wasn't freezing him out, she had a blazing temper.
Her eyes widened slightly as she looked up, "Ja- Potter!" Lily smirked slightly as if she had made a mistake before continuing, "Where have you been?" her gaze was steady, Merlin, he loved her eyes.
"Looking for you, you know, we should probably start using each other's first names now, huh Evans? Don't want to give the kids the wrong impression." James sat down across from her and returned her gaze.
"Lily," she replied
"What?" he raised an eyebrow, confusion plastered across his face.
"My name, if you wish to use it, is Lily."
"Oh, yeah ok," James blushed, inwardly cursing, he shouldn't be blushing, it was so uncool. Looking across at Lily he could see her smiling, not a smirk but a genuine smile, it took his breath away.
The minute she saw him looking at her she turned to look at the timetables he had drawn out and was pleasantly surprised.
"They ok?" he asked.
"Yeah, they're really good actually," Lily looked up at him, "why don't you go find Sirius, I'm sure he's looking for you."
"Good idea actually, he probably thinks we've killed each other," getting up he turned to face her, "See you later Lily."
She smiled up at him, "try to stay out of trouble James,"
As he left his previous words echoed in her mind, 'I'll prove it to you, you'll see.'
Lily watched as a dark figure hurried across the courtyard, she was huddled beneath the shadow of a tree, pouring over a book that had been left on the bench. The sudden movement startled her and her head had snapped up, the book closing with it. Her eye caught the end of a cloak as it disappeared around the corner. No student should be in that much of a rush at this time of evening she thought, following.
The figure came to a sudden stop ahead of her, just outside the entrance to the dungeons. Now that he was still she recognised the outline, she was about to call his name when 3 other figures joined him.
"Severus." The greeting had come from a fellow seventh year from the colours of his tie and his slimy attitude Lily deduced; Slytherin.
"You've decided to join us?" Another of the group clustered around her once best friend asked.
"What exact-"Snape started.
"Don't worry Severus; you don't have to take the mark just yet, not whilst we're still here." The last in the group to speak and seemingly the leader glanced around with a look of disgust on his face; Lily shrank back in desperation not to be seen.
"Come Severus, we meet soon," Snape took one last look around the hall before disappearing after his fellow classmates. He thought he glimpsed a pair of green eyes staring out of the darkness, willing him not to go. Sighing, he turned; there'd be no going back now.
Lily shuddered; there had been talk, for a few years now, of a powerful dark wizard, doing unmentionable things in order to gain power. Maybe that was the last chance she had to stop her once best friend from falling under his spell, and she'd failed miserably.
Sinking to the floor, she let the tears come. She was glad it was after curfew, she couldn't be seen weeping in the potions corridor. Letting out a strangled sob in lieu of a laugh she thought she heard a noise at the other end of the hallway. Putting her head to her knees she didn't realise she wasn't alone until an arm rested over her shoulders. At one of the most vulnerable moments of her life all she could do was limply rest against the warmth of the body next to her until her sobs subsided.
Opening her eyes seemed to make her other senses distinctly stronger as well. The smell coming from the robes she was leant against was distinctly male; the hand that was rubbing hesitant circles on her back was sending tingles up and down her spine. Noticing the head boy badge on the chest she was currently cuddling against pushed her to speak at last.
"You tell anyone about this, and I'll hex you into next week," she tried weakly.
"You know Evans, I imagined the first time we were this close would have been under a little different circumstances than this," James said, with humour in his tone. She appreciated him acting normal; she wouldn't have been able to stand it if he'd acted sympathetic towards her. Sighing, she cuddled in to his side more, as close as she dared, not having the strength to argue back. Lowering her head, her ear was right beside his heartbeat, which, she noticed as she slid into sleep was beating rather faster than it probably should be. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.
Her heavier breathing brought him out of his day dream, Lily had been asleep on his chest and he had been stroking her hair. Sighing, he probably should be going to bed, Merlin, he was that tired he seemed to be having all too real hallucinations, never a good sign. Glancing down he almost gave a yelp, but managed to restrain himself. Placing a hand on the sleeping redhead's shoulder proved she was real. Extracting himself and gently picking her up was no easy task, made harder by the fact she insisted on slipping her arms around his neck and burrowing her head into his shoulder.
Stepping gently through the portrait hole he glanced up to see his 3 best friends looking at him as if Merlin himself had just walked into the Gryffindor common room.
"Prongs…" Lupin began cautiously.
"When I said just drug her and take her to bed mate, I was joking." Sirius looked particularly scared for Lily's wellbeing at this point.
"Have a little faith guys and Peter, move will you." Peter scampered off the sofa he had been sprawled across, taking his crisps with him.
James laid Lily down on the sofa and heard her mumble his name, his first name; he had to pause before he turned around in order to wipe the gigantic grin off his face. He ran up to his dormitory without saying anything and returned under a pile of sheets, tripping over the bottom step Sirius and Peter burst into guffaws with Remus quietly shushing them.
"The awkward knight returns, you know James you could probably give Sir Cadogan a run for his money," Sirius resumed his laughter.
"Shh, you'll wake her," James complained. He walked over to where Lily was sleeping, lifted her head to gently insert his pillow and tucked his duvet over her sleeping body.
"I'm going to bed," James announced when he was done.
"No sitting and staring at sleeping beauty, my James, I'm shocked!" Sirius exclaimed as they pushed open the door to their dormitory.
"But Prongs..." Lupin started, "where exactly are you planning on sleeping?
"With Padfoot," James grinned at his shaggy haired friend before turning his gaze on the amber-eyed lycanthrope, "unless you want to do the honours Moony, and give me your bed," winking at Lupin who by now was red and stammering.
"I don't get it," Peter said before collapsing onto his bed and starting to snore.
"Why must you do that to me James?" Sirius said when they were tucked up in bed.
"You've been teasing me about Lily long enough," replied James with a yawn before turning over and falling to sleep, leaving Sirius wondering what potion his best friend had taken tonight.
The next few weeks passed uneventfully, the only exception being when Lily had returned his duvet and pillow to him, to general wolf whistles and catcalls and even a burst of applause. As time passed James made multiple efforts to get Lily alone to talk to her but there was always someone with her. Mary McDonald and Marlene McKinnon didn't seem to ever leave her alone. However she had started to return his grins sent in her direction with hesitant smiles of her own.
James was sending glances over to where she was giggling with her friends when she caught his eye, standing up she started in his direction. Oh bloody hell! He was in for it now, stopping beside where he was sitting she dropped a folded piece of parchment on the table in front of him. James turned to look at her but all he saw was her retreating back, followed by her still giggling friends. Retuning his gaze to the parchment, which his three friends were cowering from as if it was going to explode, James pinched it between his finger and thumb. Lifting it, sure now that it wasn't going to emit foul-smelling gas he gingerly unfolded it. Lily's recognisable loopy writing splashed across the page in pale purple ink, he read:
Astrology tower, midnight.
Followed by two marks that could only be…"Kisses, she's put kisses on the bottom of this!" his three companions laughed at the incredulous look on James' face.
"Are you going?" Peter asked as he appeared from under the table, holding up his fork in way of explanation.
"Course I am!" James looked alarmed at his smallest friends lack of wit, "Blimey Peter, you wouldn't have done well in Ravenclaw would you?"
"Have you thought… maybe it's a trick?" Lupin asked. Known for having perhaps too much intelligence his comments were not always welcome in the mist of elation, he had learned. By the way James' eyes darkened after he had said this particular comment, he deduced that now was one of those times.
Seeing this, Sirius jumped to his rescue, "He does have a point mate; Lily is not beyond a prank or two, as you well know, and the way they were all giggling…" He trailed off as James turned his stony gaze on him.
"I don't care what you lot think, I'm going anyway," James said, defiant.
Huffing as he got ready, James avoided the eyes of his three dorm buddies; he still wasn't talking to them. They should've known better than to ruin that moment for him. He didn't know what Lily wanted but now they'd ruined it for him, he was turning over the worst possibilities in his head. He slipped out of the bedroom without saying goodbye to any of them. He didn't, in his haste, hear Sirius say, 'let's get this party started!'
He climbed the steps to the tower where he knew she'd be waiting, his breaths shallow, the invisibility cloak tickling his arms where the silvery material shifted as he walked. He reached the top, half expecting her not to be there but found he was wrong. She was waiting for him, moonlight dappling her skin; she looked eerie in this light, her alabaster skin almost transparent. She turned when he shook off the cloak, sensing the movement from the corner of her eye. Her piercing gaze rested on him and he felt as if her green eyes could see into his soul.
"I'm here," He said, feeling foolish all of a sudden, why did she tempt him so?
"I can see that," she walked towards him. "I was worried for a minute you weren't going to come."
"You were worried I wasn't going to come?" confusion furrowed his brow.
"That's what I said."
"I thought you were smarter than that." He stepped a foot closer, sensing that she wasn't going to step away from him as she had so many times in the past.
"I thought I was smarter than to fall in love with you," she looked him dead in the eye as if challenging him to say he loved her back.
"W- What?" he screwed his eyes up and opened them again before pinching himself on the arm. Lily giggled, taking hold of his hands and pulling him towards her. "Is this a joke?" he asked her.
"No! Now, are you going to kiss me or was that all just hot air?" she grinned cheekily at him.
He smiled down at her, genuinely flabbergasted that he was hearing these things come out of that sweet mouth that he had dreamed about for so long. Wrapping his arms around her waist he pulled her body tight against his, leaning down he trailed his mouth over hers, tasting her for the first time. Emotion overwhelmed him, desire and happiness. Wanting and having, all that he'd been denied for so long. Tangling his hands in her hair she let out a moan, laughing he pulled away, gasping slightly.
"Did I just hear Lily Evans, Queen of Ice and Fiery arguments moan?" Eyes sparkling she punched him lightly in the chest before taking his hand and gently running her thumb over it, pulling him towards the tower steps.
"Is that cloak big enough for two?" she quipped raising an eyebrow.
"Oh Lily," he sighed, pulling her back by her hand and gathering her in his arms lifted her by the waist and span her around, burying his face in her neck.
"Surprise!" The shout greeted them as they entered the common room; the Gryffindors erupted as the flaming red-head and the untidy black hair were spotted trying to sneak in. An abundance of food and drink rested in various places around the room. And a number of the students in their house had party hats on, including the friends of those who had just appeared.
Lupin, Sirius and Peter enveloped him from different directions, "You knew?" James all but shrieked at them over the whooping and chatter of Gryffindor house.
Sirius bobbed his head cheerfully, "McKinnon told me," Winking over at the blushing girl, he missed Lupin's look of distaste.
At that moment the portrait hole burst open, revealing a stern looking witch clad in an emerald robe. Looking in their direction she raised her voice "This party is now over you must all return to your dormitories immediately," James could've sworn she had a smile on her face as she said it. Striding to where James and Lily were stood together she looked at them levelly. "Mr Potter, Miss Evans, I believe congratulations are in order," Said McGonagall, grinning openly now, she turned the way she had come and exited thought the portrait hole.