The Treasure Hunt

by kaz74p

When a note from James arrives at Lily's door inviting her to meet him at Hogwarts, she has no idea what he could be up to, but she hurries off to Hogwarts to find out.

A/N 1: Sorry if you have already read this story and thought I had posted a new story but I noticed a mistake and needed to change it and am completely computer illiterate so didn't know how else to change it.

A/N 2: I'm not sure what Lily did after she left Hogwarts, so for the purpose of this story she has trained to be an Auror with James and Sirius.

Disclaimer: I alas do not own the wonderful world that is Harry Potter it is all J K Rowling's. She is the extremely talented lady that brings all of us together with our common love of all the things Harry Potter.

Dedication: Thank you very much to the very talented Giddy Girlie. She was kind enough to be my Beta for this story, and I am truly grateful.

The Treasure Hunt

I can't believe it has been a year since we all left Hogwarts. It honestly feels like yesterday, but so much has happened since then. Straight out of school Marlene, Alice and I rented a flat in London. It isn't much of a place, but it is cosy, and we're all happy to call it home. We each have a bedroom and share a bathroom, kitchen and lounge area. We had had fun finding furniture, appliances and other knick-knacks to fill the place; going to markets and boot sales, and accepting any hand-me-downs friends and family could spare. It is an eclectic mix of items, but somehow it works all together. My favourite piece of furniture would definitely have to be the big squashy couch, which is positioned right next to the open fire place. I love nothing more than to snuggle up on it in the middle of winter with a cup of tea and a good book.

All the years of being roommates at Hogwarts have prepared us girls to live together fairly harmoniously. We manage to share the cooking and cleaning with minimal fuss. As soon as school finished, each of us had signed up as members of the Order of the Phoenix, along with James, Sirius, Remus, Peter and Frank. This prompted most of us to train to become Aurors, so we're all putting in different hours depending on assignments and training schedules. This meant that we each had the flat entirely to ourselves a lot of the time, which is how I find myself this afternoon.

I'm waiting to hear from James as he's heading to Hogwarts on guard duty. During the school breaks Dumbledore holds Order meetings there, and when he's away from the school on Order business he assigns an Order member to watch over the school and keep track of the goings on of other Order members, as we all usually report back to Hogwarts at the end of each assignment. James usually complains about the Hogwarts assignment. It's usually pretty boring being there on your own, and this weekend was going to be very quiet there, as most members were only given assignments a day or two ago, so no one was due to report back until the end of next week. But, come to think of it, James hasn't really complained about guard duty at all this time. He usually spends the week beforehand begging either Sirius or I to ditch our assignments to keep him company. Mind you, I've been so busy this week that I've barely had time to see James, let alone listen to him complaining. Remus and I had been assigned to watch over a couple of suspected Death Eaters. This meant Remus and I have spent the past week squashed behind garbage bins, perched on tree branches or disguised as Muggle tourists lost in London. Needless to say, I ache from head to toe. All I was planning to do tonight was run a nice hot bubble bath and hope it washes away some of the dull ache coursing through my body.

I had made myself a cup of tea and had just settled into the couch when a knock sounded at the front door. I freeze, and instantly grab my wand. No one uses our front door; we usually Floo or Apparate in and out of here. I cautiously walk to the front door and look through the peep hole...nothing. I press my ear against the door to see if I can hear anything from the other side of the door. There appears to be no one there. Leaving the chain on the door, I slowly open it a crack to reveal absolutely...nothing. Hmm. Then I see it. A single stemmed white lily hovering in mid-air with a note pinned to it. I unchain the door and bring the beautiful flower inside. The note reads:

Dear Flower,

A Lily for my Lily.

I have a surprise evening planned for you.

Meet me at the gates of Hogwarts at 6 pm.

Until then, sending you all my love,

James

When James had first called me Flower I had detested it...and him for that matter. It was back in fifth year, and James spent the majority of his time trying to gain my attention and affections to no avail. I hadn't known him properly then and found all the attention he tried to lavish onto me quite embarrassing really. I often laugh at myself from back then as now I can barely even imagine my life without James in it, without seeing him, holding him, kissing him or loving him. That time seems foreign to me now. When he calls me Flower now, my heart skips a beat, as it is his name for me and his alone. It's our special thing that no one else shares. Whenever I hear him say it, I can't help but smile.

What could James be up to? He'll do anything to get out of being there by himself. I actually find it kind of peaceful to be there on my own. It feels safe and so familiar. I often just spend hours in the library or sitting under a tree by the lake doing a Muggle crossword puzzle. With all the Order business I find life to be very hectic and I never really get much time to myself, so when I get assigned to Hogwarts guard duty I make the most of it. James on the other hand always found Hogwarts to be a place of fun and adventure. He was always off exploring or pulling pranks with the other Marauders, so for him to be at Hogwarts, he feels the need to have others around him, as there is not much point to a prank if there is no one there to pull it on!

I have to admit that I'm not feeling as tired as before. I'm a bit excited to find out what James has planned, and it will be nice to spend some time with him, as the last few weeks have been busy for both of us. I would like to soak in a bath still, but as it is past five o'clock already, I will have just enough time to go and get changed before I have to leave to meet him. What to wear, what to wear? Will jeans and a t-shirt be too casual? Is a skirt too dressy? I'm just going to Hogwarts to see James, for goodness sake! You would think after being together for two years the butterflies would have stopped fluttering around in my stomach at the thought of seeing him, but to tell you the truth I think they have just continued to intensify. Just the thought of him makes me smile and my heart to beat faster.

As it is still quite warm outside, I finally decide on a simple white sun dress. It is now ten to six, so I grab my bag and Apparate to Hogsmeade and walk up the hill towards Hogwarts. As I approach the gates I can't see James, but notice straight away that there is another white lily hovering in the air. Once again there is a note pinned to it. It says:

To My Dearest Lily,

I know how much you love puzzles and riddles, so tonight I have made a game for you to play. I have set up clues all around Hogwarts for you to find and solve. Each one will lead you to the next clue. It's your own personal Treasure Hunt.

Now I hear you wondering what your prize will be if you succeed at your quest?

Well the best prize I could think of would have to be me!

So let's hope you solve all the clues, or I could be lost here at Hogwarts forever!

Clue 1: The higher powers need to stay clean.

Vomit is my least favourite flavour bean.

Well good luck and have fun; I hope to be seeing you soon.

James

I'm glad there's no one around to see me, as I can't stop smiling, and I don't mean a slight upturn of the mouth. I'm talking about a real Cheshire Cat grin; I must look like a loon. I love that James just knows me so well. There is nothing that I like to do more than solve a puzzle or go on a treasure hunt. James has spent an Easter at my house, and my mum and dad still hide my eggs around the house and through the yard, leaving a map or clues at the end of my bed for me to find when I wake up. Petunia thinks it's childish so she refuses to join in, so for years now I get to find the whole stash. Well, except for last Easter when James came to stay.

He had laughed so hard when he saw the map at the end of our bed, but he quickly began to take it seriously when I had said, "Well, I guess you get no chocolate this Easter, as it's finders, keepers, and I have no intention of sharing."

I don't think I've ever seen him move so fast without a broom! As he ran from the room I had had to quickly call after him to not use magic, as not only were we in a Muggle suburb, but where would the fun in that be? I knew he was just a heartbeat away from saying, "Accio Easter Eggs!" James and I had torn through my house opening cupboards, lifting up pillows, checking in appliances and under every piece of furniture in the place. By the time we had finished, the house looked like a bomb had hit it, but I was the proud new owner of fifty-eight Easter Eggs, whilst James had a respectable stash of thirty-two. I may have had a slight advantage, as James was too embarrassed to rifle through Petunia's underwear drawer or even enter my parents' bedroom. It was the most fun I had had at Easter in a long time, because although I love my Easter Egg Hunt every year, it's not the same without having someone to compete against.

I glance at the note again then quickly slip inside the gates, which automatically lock behind me as I start to stroll toward the castle, all the while turning the first clue over in my head. The second part I think I've got, but I just don't know what he means by it. He is referring to Bertie Botts' Every Flavour Beans, but unless they have opened a new Honeydukes franchise here in Hogwarts, I don't see how I can find any. Maybe a student has left a box of them in their dormitory, but it could take me all night to search all the bedrooms, and considering this is clue one, James couldn't possibly want me to waste that much time on each clue, or he really would be lost here forever.

So what could the first part mean? '... Stay clean'. Well I guess that could mean washing, but there are so many bathrooms at Hogwarts. I'm also pretty sure that Hogwarts is not home to any Egyptian or Roman Gods, so what does he mean by 'higher power'? Hmm. Oh, I've got it! He means the prefects' bathroom.

I'm now running through the front doors and heading up the stairs towards the prefects bathroom. When I reach the statue of Boris the Bewildered, I turn the handle of the door and go to push it open, but it's locked. OK...so, not as clever as I thought.

Oh, wait a second...

"Bertie Botts' Every Flavour Beans," I say out loud. The door clicks open. As I walk inside, I can't help but gasp; it looks so beautiful. The candle-filled chandelier is sending a soft glow over the splendid white marble room. The swimming pool sized bath is filled with steaming water, bubbles and red rose petals. At the bath's edge is another white lily with a note.

To My Love,

You have had a busy week and I know how tired you are feeling, so I thought you might like to relax in the bath before you continue on your hunt.

A new clue will appear when you are ready to continue on the quest.

James

I am honestly close to tears. How does he know how much I need this? I undress and slip into the bath and am instantly engulfed in bubbles. The temperature is perfect, and I can feel the stress of the week slowly ebb away as I lay with my eyes closed just floating around the pool. I have no idea how long I stay like this, but I finally open my eyes and make my way to the edge, where I find another lily and note waiting for me. I get out of the bath and dry myself and slip back into my sun-dress, then read the note:

L.

Now that you are feeling more relaxed, the hunt will continue.

Clue 2: Star light, star bright, the first star I see tonight.

J.

Now, James is going to have to make the clues a bit harder than this, or I will find him in the next ten minutes! I race out of the prefects' bathroom and head straight up towards the Astronomy Tower. This part of the castle is not very well lit tonight, so I get out my wand and say, "Lumos."

My wand tip glows, sending a shaft of light out in front of me. The door to the Astronomy Tower is locked, but that is nothing that a little Alohomora can't fix. It is still dark in the stairwell leading to the top of the tower. OK, this is strange...the tower is also in complete darkness. Surely James would have left some candles burning for me...? I look around, stretching my wand out far in front of me to send as much light as I can around the room. Nothing. No lily. No note. Nothing. Think, Lily, think.

Oh my gosh! I can't believe I didn't think of this first! I quickly leave the Tower and make my way down what seem to be never-ending flights of stairs, until I am in the Entrance Hall, and head through the front doors into the grounds. I head to the trees by the lake, where I can see a lily floating in front of "our" tree. When James and I first started dating, we would walk around the lake chatting and getting to know each other, then we would come and snuggle up under this tree and talk some more. We talked about everything; the past, the future, our families, our friends, or even what we were doing in school that week. We would sit there like that until it was turning dark, and James would look up into the sky and say, "Star light, star bright, the first star I see tonight; I wish I may, I wish I might, be granted the wish I wish tonight." Then he'd ask me what I wished for, but I always told him it would never come true if I told him. But truth be told, and as corny as it sounds, all I could ever think about was that I wanted to always be with him, as I can't remember a time in my life where I have ever been happier than when I am with him. He can always make me laugh or smile and the way he looks at me like I'm the only person in the world when we can be in a crowded room still makes me go weak at the knees. James is the most kind, generous, loyal and loving person I know, and that is not just towards me. Once you befriend James he is your friend for life. He is always willing to help out his mates, no matter what time of day or night you need him. I've learnt this one the hard way, mostly through Sirius! Sirius has a habit of getting himself into situations at the oddest hours, usually ones that he needs James to bail him out of. At first, it bothered me being interrupted all the time, but it soon became something more to love about him, as I knew that he was dependable and I would always have him at my side whenever I needed him.

I pick up the lily and read the note:

Dearest Lily,

Your quest is almost over; just two more places for you to find! So, let's see how you fare with the next riddle.

Clue 3: We're both so ticklish, what a great pair we make.

Sending you hugs,

James.

What could James possibly be on about now? Is there a room in Hogwarts full of feathers that I don't know about? The problem is that that could be quite possible. I don't know the castle half as well as James and the other Marauders. And what I do know of the castle now, I only discovered in my last year whilst I was dating James. I had been fascinated by Hogwarts, just as any first year would be, as it is hard not to be overwhelmed by its beauty and vastness when you arrive, but I was also a stickler for rules, and being Muggle born I was always afraid that they had made a mistake picking me and if I put a foot out of line they would have a reason to realise that mistake, so I never ventured out of bounds or explored anywhere that wasn't related my studies.

I know that sounds boring, but it wasn't. Hogwarts has so many wonderful places that I was allowed to go, so I never felt the need to look for more. But then came James and the Marauders. By this time, I was Head Girl and figured that they weren't going to kick me out for using a few short cuts around the castle. Besides, James always made me feel safe; he was always so confident that nothing was going to happen whilst I was with him. At first, I hadn't known about his two most prized possessions, which allowed him to walk around the place with that confidence. I have to admit that is was quite a thrill to sneak around under an Invisibility Cloak. At times the Gryffindor common room could be a little over crowded, so James and I would slip on the cloak and head up to the Astronomy Tower, or down to the lake, or even to the kitchens for a midnight snack.

Hang on... the kitchens! That's it! I walk back up towards the castle and once I'm in the entrance hall, I head over to the door leading to the dungeons. I make my way down the narrow corridor that leads to the kitchen, where the painting of a bowl of fruit hangs on the wall. I reach out and tickle the pear. Immediately, a door appears. I open the door and enter the kitchen. There are no house elves here...I wonder what they do during break times? On the long table that sits directly below where the Gryffindor Table is in the Great Hall are another lily and a picnic hamper. I can't believe that James remembered!

For our first anniversary, I had wanted to surprise James, and turned up at his house in Godric's Hollow with a picnic hamper filled with our favourite foods. I had always loved James' house. It was always warm and inviting, and it had the most beautiful garden out back. I had asked Mrs Potter if she would mind if I could borrow her garden for a surprise for James; she had been more than willing to help me out and had even planned for her and Mr Potter to go out for the day. James had been pleased to see me on his doorstep, but was completely baffled when I had said I was taking him on a picnic. He had never heard of this Muggle term before, but was happy to follow me out into his garden where I proceeded to set out the picnic rug and food under a large tree way down the back of the garden. We had sat out there for hours laughing and talking and making our way through the food. When we had finally finished, we packed up the hamper and rug and were headed back inside when I had asked James if he liked the surprise. He said, "I was outdoors with you and food, what more could I want!" I had laughed, but funnily enough I had to agree with him. I too wanted nothing more.

I peek inside the picnic hamper and have to smile. James has managed to pack a traditional Muggle picnic for us. Instead of Butterbeer or Firewhisky, there's champagne and two champagne glasses. He's packed chicken, salad, bread rolls, strawberries, chocolates, and his favourite dessert, treacle tart and mine, Pavlova. Now that I think about it, I'm kind of hungry, so I hurriedly read the last clue:

My Darling Flower,

You're almost there; I hope you've been having some fun. I will see you soon, as this is the last one.

Clue 4: The last clue should hopefully lead you straight to me,

Where would you most like our picnic to be?

James XXX

Where would I most like our picnic to be? Well, I guess the obvious choice would have to be in the grounds, but I had just been there and there was no sign of James, unless of course he had been hiding. Plus, the grounds are in darkness now, so maybe not. The Great Hall would be okay, but not really the perfect setting for a picnic. It kind of defeats the purpose of calling it a picnic, as a picnic is essentially alfresco dining on a rug...which kind of leads me back to the grounds, I guess. Unless James has transfigured one of the classrooms to look like the outdoors...but with so many class rooms in the castle, how would I find the right one? Maybe it's one of our old class rooms? I always did well in Potions, so he may think this was a good site to host our picnic, but I guess it's not somewhere I would pick, and that was part of the clue.

The place I'd most like the picnic to be isn't in Hogwarts at all; it would be in James' garden again. He would never have Apparated there though, leaving the school unattended, so I guess not there either.

Once again, I am seriously glad that there is no one around to see the seriously giddy expression on my face, as realisation dawns on me.

I am now running – well, I say running, but it's more of a brisk walk out of the kitchens and heading up the stairs leading to the entrance hall. This picnic basket is really quite heavy. What was James thinking getting me to lug this up seven floors? Oh, right...I seriously wonder about myself sometimes, am I a witch or what?

"Wingardium Leviosa."

That's better. Now the basket is floating in front of me. I continue up the flights of stairs until I reach the seventh floor and headed down the empty corridor until I am standing in front of the blank wall opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy and his tutu clad trolls. I begin pacing in front of the blank wall with only the image of James' sun filled back garden in mind. After the third time passing along the wall, a highly polished door with a big brass handle appears. Without hesitation, I seize the handle and push the door open. As I step through the door, the sight that greets me is amazing.

It's as though I'm standing in James's back garden. There's a lush green sprawling lawn that stretches as far as the eye can see. Along the edges are beautiful, sweet smelling roses, as well as freesias, lilacs and daisies. I begin to walk across the lawn towards the back of the garden where the huge English Elm tree is. As I draw nearer, I can make out a figure standing beneath its branches. I've finally reached the tree and I can't stop the smile stretching across my face. James is there, standing on the edge of a large picnic blanket with big squashy cushions scattered around it.

I stop at the opposite edge of the blanket and place the picnic hamper beside me. James's eyes twinkle as he smiles at me; then he pulls a white lily from behind his back and goes down on one knee.

For a few seconds, I seriously think my heart has stopped, until it kicks back into motion at a furious pace. My heart is racing and my eyes are glistening with what can only be described as overwhelming tears. James begins to speak.

"Lily, I can honestly say that I am truly blessed to have you in my life. I never thought that I could love you more than I did two years ago, but I am always amazed at how much my love for you grows with each passing day. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, falling asleep with you in my arms every night to then wake up beside you every morning." He chucked, mostly to himself, and then continued. "I know this is a bit sappy even for me, but if a bloke can't get mushy when he's asking his true love to marry him, when can he? So, Lily Evans, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

I'm momentarily speechless, with that whole Cheshire Cat thing happening again. I manage to send a signal to my brain to move my head up and down in the momentary absence of my vocal chords. James's face lit up even more than before, if that was possible. Then, in one fluid motion, he rises from his knee and lifts me from under my armpits. He swings me round so high that I'm almost raised above his head. He then lowers me into his arms, forming a strong embrace.

I eventually pull away from him, so I could look into his eyes, which seem to be afflicted with the similar wateriness mine were earlier. I had finally found my voice.

"James, you are amazing! This whole evening has been perfect. I never thought I would find a man that knows and understands me the way you do. You are my best friend, and there is no one else in this world that I would rather spend the rest of my life with. I love you."

Okay, so maybe this mushy thing was contagious and possibly related to the watery eye ailment we both seem to have been suffering from this evening, but James was right. When else was it possible to be this sappy and get away with it? Make the most of it.

I reach up and place my arms around his neck and draw his face down to mine. James smiles as our lips meet, and all of a sudden I feel the surge of passion that's passing between us. Our bodies seem to melt into one another as James pulls me closer to him and deepens our kiss.

I am unsure how many minutes pass, but I know it is long enough to make my head spin and cause my knees to weaken and it is entirely possible that these effects have something to do with the fact that I have forgotten to breathe. I am just glad James still had a strong hold of me. When we both simultaneously decide that air is necessary to ensure we have a long and happy life together, we manage to pull apart and grin foolishly at each other. James is first to gain his composure and use of his voice.

"Shall we crack open that bubbly stuff the Muggles seem to use when celebrating?"

I nod and retrieve the picnic hamper as James collects some cushions and arranges them against the tree trunk. I make myself comfortable next to him and hand him the bottle, and ask him to do the honours. He manages to uncork the bottle with ease and fills our glasses, holding one out for me. I raise my glass to his and say, "To us!"

James clinks his glass against mine and repeats my sentiment. We both take a sip of our champagne, before he suddenly exclaims, "Oh, I almost forgot!"

He pulls a small velvet box from his jacket pocket and opens it. Inside was the most perfect diamond ring. I can't believe he had chosen this ring for me! It reminded me of my Grandmother's, as I had always admired it when I was a child.

James says, "I went to ask your parents' permission to have your hand in marriage. They were very welcoming and granted me their blessing. Your mother then asked me if I had bought you a ring, and I told her it was my next stop after visiting them. She asked me to wait a moment and hurried out of the room, only to return moments later with this box. She said that this was your Grandmother's ring and she would have loved for you to have it. I hope it's okay, I wasn't sure if you would have preferred a new one, and if you do I'm happy to buy one, but I just thought it might be nice for you, as I know that you really miss your family, living in the Wizarding World. It's...."

I stop him right there. I place a kiss on his lips then exclaim, "James, I love it, you have no idea what this means to me. Thank you!"

He takes the ring from the box and places it on my ring finger. It fits me perfectly. We unpack the rest of the picnic hamper, and sit there, simply enjoying the food and each other's company. Every now and then, I glance down at my engagement ring and can't help but smile. I honestly couldn't have even dreamed that this was what was in store for me tonight. I was going to be Mrs Lily Potter, and I couldn't be happier.