Disclaimer: I do not own the universe of Harry Potter or the characters with in it, such as James and Lily Potter; JKR does. All rights to her. No copyright was intended. No profit is being made from this.
Title: To Miss You in Pieces
Rating: T
Warning/s: This is an AU. Solider!AU.
Word Count (not including the A/N): 805 words.
Summary: Missing someone isn't about missing them as a whole person; it's about missing all the little things you love about them. / AU where James dies in a muggle war and Lily is left to pick up the broken pieces and try to rebuild her life. ONE-SHOT.
Author's Note: My first time writing a drabble for the Key Limes forum! I hope you all enjoy. This is a Soldier!AU piece. – El x
To Miss You in Pieces
Lily Evans had met James Potter during the summer time. He was a little older and he was brave and completely irresistible. He had short, jet-black hair and hazel eyes. His eyes were covered by a pair of square-rimmed glasses. His arms were covered in scratches and cuts, that showed he had lived a hard life. He had a tattoo on his left bicep and he had vaguely explained it as a 'war tattoo' and that all of the soldiers had them. He was quiet, hardly spoke much, and his father owned the handy store in town.
Having only come in that day to buy some paint for her own dad, she'd stumbled upon him. James had been putting stock away and they had locked eyes in a fiery of emotions. She remembers, as soon as he'd finished school, he'd enlisted into the army. He had always wanted to fight for their country and Lily and her friends had found it brave. He was gone for prolonged periods of time and Lily had almost forgotten about him.
The army must've taken a toll on him for he was much quieter than Lily remembered. He looked much tanner and toner. There were scars poking out of his neck, which only added to the lure of James. He was definitely even more handsome than before.
Lily, to be frank, was completely smitten by him.
Every day after that, she'd found a reason to keep coming back into the store. Even if she didn't need anything. All she wanted was a few seconds to converse with the handsome soldier. He remembered her and called her by name, every time. It seemed as if he was enjoying her visits. Unnecessary as they really were.
Overtime they had begun to hang out and spend more time together. It wasn't long before Lily fell head of heels for him and he wouldn't admit it at first, but he loved her dearly too. They spent every day together, laughing and enjoying the sun. Lily had asked him out and he'd been furious she'd asked instead of him, but he still said yes.
They had married a year later in the small church on Panderbury lane. Lily wore a beautiful, white, flowery dress and blue earrings. Their wedding was a momentous occasion. Everybody in town attended and wished them a happy union.
Everything was wonderful until he'd left for the army again. The war had come around and Lily had cried for weeks. He promised he'd come back, and they'd start a family, and everything would be wonderful.
Lily truly believed it would be wonderful.
He wrote for a while until it became impossible.
The day Lily Potter found out she was pregnant with a healthy, beautiful boy, was the day the news of her husband's death had reached town.
Her happiness instantly deflated.
As time went by, Lily knew she had to go through James' things. It wouldn't be right for her to pretend everything was okay when it wasn't. As she went through the countless boxes, she stumbled upon many photographs of them two together that told the story of them and how they fell in love.
An epic romance for two epic souls.
"I miss you, James," Lily frowned down at the picture of them two at a carnival. It was the night James had said 'I love you' to her for the first time and her heart ached. She really did love him back. On the back of the photograph, he'd messily written those three words once more so Lily never forgot the way she'd made him love despite his protests.
Missing someone wasn't just about missing them as a whole person, no, Lily Potter found that she missed all of the stupid little things James did.
The way he played with his jet-black hair.
The way he adjusted his glasses whenever he was annoyed.
The way he laughed and smiled at her and how despite the way the army had taken a toll on him, he still found reasons to be happy – and Lily was one of them.
The way he teased her mercilessly and the way he loved to fold the pages of a book like a bookmark even though Lily hated it.
She missed the way he walked and the way he talked with such confidence that it shook her to the core. He was well aware of who he was, and he made no apologies for it.
"I miss how stupidly weird you can be in October," Lily whispered, thinking about his wacky costume ideas.
Her words were met with silence and she tried not to cry.
"I miss the things you did that I took for granted. I miss you completely and wholeheartedly, James until the day I die."