The defining moments of James Potter's life.
Disclaimer: ONLY the plot, fragmented as it is, is mine. The characters and basic outline belong to the Goddess With A Pen that is JK.
A/N: YES! After a muchly absence I am back! Not that I haven't writing. I have been writing a lot, inc 10 Lily and James stories. But I get other ideas and get side tracked. Like just now….This is the first one I've completed in a while. Encouragement will make me finish the others sooner…..
James trudged down the train looking for a compartment. Remembering something his mother had said about the one at the end being a good place to meet people he ignored the empty ones near the front and continued down the train. He opened the door to the last compartment and stuck his head in. it was empty except for what looked like a pile of rags over a few seats. On closer inspection James discovered it was a boy of his age fast asleep. He had floppy light brown hair and looked very pale. James studied him and decided they'd be friends once he woke up and proceeded to sit down opposite him. He pulled put a pack of exploding snap and started to make a tower. He'd used up almost all the cards when the compartment door flew open and a messy black head poked in. James paused, fascinated at this almost identical boy who blinked large eyes at him. There were a few differences between them, height, eye colour, noses, the fact that James wore glasses, but they could have been brothers. James liked him immediately.
"Seen a rat anywhere?" asked the boy.
"A rat rat, or a rat person?" James asked. "cause there's this guy a few carriages down…"
"A rat." The boy replied with a role of his eyes.
"Not in here." James shrugged but the boy was looking at his tower.
"Hasn't that exploded yet?" he asked surprised.
"No, it's my dads old pack, it's exploding is wearing out. You can make a whole tower before it explodes, and when it does it makes one hell of a bang." James grinned and the boy flashed an identical grin in reply. A grin that would soon be the cue for many people to run away. Fast. The sleeping boy moved in the corner and both James and the boy at the door looked at him.
"So no rat?" asked the boy in the door once more.
"Nope. Want some help looking?" James asked and the other boy grinned again.
"Sure!" he pulled the door open all of the way and waited for James to put the rest of the exploding snap deck next to the almost complete tower.
"James." James smiled at the boy as he walked past.
"Sirius." The other boy replied. James blinked at him.
"I…wha…How do YOU spell that?" he asked hesitantly
"S, i, r, i, u, s." Sirius replied, raising an eyebrow
"Ah! Cool." James nodded and closed the door behind him.
"No jokes about my name." Sirius growled at him. James held up his hands.
"No way! Though must admit I thought you were asking if I was serious that my name was James. That's why I asked how you spelt it." James grinned. Sirius paused.
"Y'know…that was kinda clever." He muttered. And James bowed causing Sirius to laugh.
"Shall we hunt?" James grinned and Sirius nodded once, a grin forming on his full mouth. They asked in all the compartments they came too but had no luck until they came to the 4th compartment of the 3rd carriage.
"Woah, look! Is that it?" Sirius asked pointing to a shadow near the door James lunged to catch it just as the compartment door was opened by a red haired girl. James blinked at her as he fell backwards at her feet, rat in hand, and hit his head of the floor. He blacked out for a minute before blinking up at the people over him. There was Sirius, the red head, a blonde and a podgy boy holding the rat James had caught between his fat hands.
"Ow." James muttered and Sirius sniggered.
"Are you all right?" the red head asked and James looked at her. His eyes widened and he blushed before attempting to sit up.
"Yeah, fine, fine." He muttered softly, running his hand through his hair as he stood up.
"Blacked out for a second there mate." Sirius grinned patting James on the shoulder.
"No thanks to you." James patted back.
"See anything good?" Sirius joked.
"Well…" James glanced at the red head who was muttering to the blonde. "You could say that." He muttered
"we're going to be there soon, we better change." The blonde said softly.
"Care to leave?" the red head asked the boys kindly.
"Only if we must fair lady." Sirius bowed causing the girls to giggle James grinned at him, bowed to the girls and exited the carriage.
"well that was fun." James muttered rubbing his head.
"Looked like a hard hit." Sirius commented.
"I dunno, missed it." James grinned and Sirius grinned back.
"Oh, James, this is Peter. It was his rat we were a-hunting." Sirius introduced
"Hello." James smiled
"Hi." Peter muttered they were almost at their carriage when there was a loud explosion and a yell from their carriage. They ran to the door and dashed inside to find cards floating everywhere and the floppy light brown haired boy sitting on the floor looking scared. James looked at Sirius who looked at him and they both burst into laughter.
"sorry!" James giggled
"I was making a tower and forgot!" Sirius fell to the floor, tears of laughter flowing down his face. James looked at him.
"You're weird." James told him, pulling a face and Sirius sat up
"Hey!" he protested and the floppy haired boy laughed before putting a hand over his mouth. James grinned at him.
"Hello, I'm James. Sorry about the cards thing, I forgot I left them there." He blushed and the boy smiled hesitantly.
"Remus." He said softly.
"Nice to meet you." James smiled. He pointed to Sirius
"This lump is Sirius and the shadow over there is Peter." James introduced.
"hello." Peter said softly and Remus nodded to him. Sirius jumped up.
"Yo." He nodded to Remus.
"Not sleeping well?" he nodded to the seat where Remus had been sleeping. Remus blushed
"Uh…no." he said softly
"Hey, sleeping is cool. I sleep a lot!" James exclaimed
"So do I!" grinned Sirius
"we need to change." Peter said looking out of the window. The boys rushed around getting ready and played exploding snap until the train pulled into the station. They stepped out and looked around. In one direction there were horseless carriages that every one was migrating towards. Remus and Peter kept looking at them strangely as they were walking towards the tall young man who was calling the first years to him.
"Four to a boat!" he was telling them.
"Boat?" asked Peter paling.
"Ye'll be fine!" he said ushering him into a boat. He then ushered James, Sirius, Remus and the red head into a boat.
"Have we got to row?" asked the girl softly. She shrieked and grabbed hold of James as the boat rocked and started across the lake. James beamed at the others as the girl brushed and let go.
"Sorry." She muttered
"Not a problem…uh…miss." James grinned
"Evans. Lily Evans." The girl replied
"Ah, a perfect name to match perfect eyes." James muttered. Lily gave him a weird look before screaming as the boat tipped. James grabbed her wrist and pulled Lily to safety, accidentally falling on top of her
"Get OFF!" she yelled pushing him.
"Your welcome." James huffed sitting up.
"What…what for?" Lily demanded
"Preventing you fall in the lake!" James exclaimed as if it were obvious.
"I didn't need your help, I wasn't gonna fall in." Lily crossed her arms
"Were too."
"Were not."
"Were too."
"Were not."
"Were too!"
"Oh my god, are you five?!" Sirius demanded as the boat ran aground.
"hrumph." Lily muttered exiting first.
"She's cute!" sighed James.
"Oh God." Muttered Sirius rolling his eyes, watching as the red headed Lily Evans told her blonde friend about the incident in the boat.
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James looked over the table as Remus stumbled into the great hall. He'd been ill again, he was ill a lot. It was a shame really because he'd missed the view from the tower in the full moon. James stopped, his toast half way to his mouth, thoughts racing through his head. I wonder, he thought.
He kept track of Remus' time away until he was sure. Then he told Peter and Sirius.
"WHAT?" yelled Peter
"We have to tell Dumbledore! We have to tell…" He was cut off by a look from James
"Don't you think he already knows?"
"But it's so dangerous!" Peter started again
"Dumbledore has it well under control. He wouldn't endanger us." James sighed, exasperated.
"That explains a lot!" Sirius burst out making James jump
"Yeah! So, we going to tell him we know?"
"No! He'll kill us!" Peter exclaimed. Sirius hit him over the head
"This is Remus, R-E-M-U-S!! He wouldn't hurt a fly." James gave Peter a look
"And if you believe anything else…"
"No! no!" Peter exclaimed James gave him a look before turning to Sirius
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"You are unbelievable, Know that Potter? No way that Mudblood will like you, she's so far up her own arse she wouldn't even notice if you got killed in front of her." Snape sneered as he cursed Sirius.
"She'll never look at you again Potter, not after the rumours she's been hearing." Snape paused in his cursing and laughed.
"She hates you! Always will! That prophecy'll never come true."
"Prophecy?" asked Sirius as James sent a curse after the retreating back of Snape. Lily, who was watching disapprovingly from the shadows was about to yell at them when James dropped his wand and sat on the floor. Sirius looked down at him.
"Does Lily really hate me?" James whispered.
"Na, don't listen to him mate, he's trying to depress you." Sirius replied picking up James' wand and handing it over. James ignored it.
"She says she hates me." James muttered
"Yeah, well that's one thing Snivlus got right, she IS so far up her own arse. Her problem is she thinks she's too good for you." Sirius sat down next to James.
"She is." Sighed James and Sirius swung around to face him.
"No she is NOT! You are the kindest most down to earth person I know." Sirius shook James
"What you got us to do for Moony, how he's grown because if it, you're the best mate a guy could ask for. NO ONE's too good for you so don't think like that." He forcefully lifted James' head to look into his eyes.
"The woman you marry will be unbelievably lucky." He imformed him.
"Then why doesn't she like me Pad'?" James all but wailed
"There has to be something wrong with me!" he tried to look away from Sirius, but he held James' head firmly. From where she stood Lily say the tears on James' cheeks and something in her chest tightened painfully.
"The only thing wrong with you is that you fell in love before you were meant to know what love truly is. You worship her like a goddess on a throne and you'd give her everything if she'd just look at you and smile. It's unnatural but it's what the fates have given you and you have to cope the best way you can. But you can do it. I KNOW you can." Sirius tried helping James up. James didn't want to get up.
"You're wrong." He informed his friend
"I wouldn't give up everything for her to look at me and smile." He sniffed
"She wouldn't even have to smile!" he burst out suddenly and rather loudly, making Sirius, and Lily, jump.
"Shit, c'mon Prongs, you need a serious bowl of soup and a TALL glass of pumpkin juice." Sirius heaved his friend up and half dragged him along the corridor, every now and then protesting to what James said. The last Lily heard was James repeat
"But there has to be SOMETHING wrong Pad! Otherwise she wouldn't hate me." Lily let her legs go and her back slid down the wall till her bottom touched the cold stone floor.
"I don't hate you." She whispered to the empty hall, a hand going to her face. She removed it and looked at it in surprise when she found her cheeks were wet.
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Lily had had enough. James wasn't himself he moped around in the halls, stared off into space in class and never looked her way. It wasn't like him at all. She wanted the old James back. She wasn't overly sure when he'd become James instead of Potter but she liked it. Just as she liked him. There she'd admitted it. At least to herself. And she had an idea of what would bring James back to himself.
James didn't really want to be at the heads meeting but it was his duty. He arrived a few minutes late to find the room empty. He checked his watch and his minutes from the last meeting. It was the right time and place. He sighed and sat, waiting for an unnaturally late Lily. She burst in a few minutes later in a gust of wind. The top few buttons on her shirt were undone and her tie was askew. Her hair was a mess and her cheeks were red. James knew what it added up too but he refused to let his brain follow the train of thought.
"You're late." He sighed
"I know!" Lily put her books down on the table. Suddenly she smiled at him and he blinked
"But I have a good reason." She promised. James just looked at her
"There's been some rumours going around the school about you and I was looking for those whom started it." she continued
"I found them and was having…words." She finished. James still blinked. He stood up to pace.
"There were rumours." He said and she nodded
"And you knew them as such." She nodded again
"I heard a little…." Lily paused and smiled with half her mouth
"…snake…talking." She informed him
"And you had…'words'" he finished.
"Yup." Lily nodded.
"Oh, and there's one more thing." She lent over and grabbed his tie, pulling him towards her.
"I don't hate you." She whispered
"in fact…" her words were cut off as his lips met hers. It took him a while to respond to the kiss, as Lily knew it would, but when he did the world exploded in a shower of colour and they forgot that a world outside of themselves existed.
No Head work was completed that day.
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"I cant be your girlfriend any more! Not if it's going to be like this!" Lily yelled. She couldn't stand how their relationship had turned out. They were always arguing. Every single thing caused a debate which lead into an argument.
"well, shut up and marry me then." James said absently and Lily stopped
"What?" she asked and James blinked, seeming to realise what he'd just said. Then a look came into his eyes, one Lily should have recognised. He wanted something, her, and he was going to fight for it.
"Marry me. Please? Promise you'll be there forever to annoy me the way only you can, the only way I like to be annoyed?" her asked of her, his eyes never leaving his
"Are…you're proposing?" she asked,
"Yes! I'm addicted to you and I can't get enough. If you leave I'll die." He smiled crookedly.
"I need my daily fix of Lily, I'd die without it. I love you." He informed her lightly.
"No pressure then." She whispered before looking at him
"But we argue…."
"like a married couple."
"James…"
"Lily." He looked out the window
"I think, without the arguments, there would be no fire in our relationship. It's the arguments we live for. Haven't you ever wondered how we could argue over what to have for dinner for four hours? It's what gets us going, wakes us up, keeps our minds sharp, this endless quest for dominance." He smiled
"Not to mention the make up sex is on another level. There's elements of the fight for dominance in that too Lily, and it's what stops us from getting bored in this relationship. It…" Lily's hand on his stopped him and he looked at her. She smiled at him and the look in her eyes was one of surprise and…agreement.
"I…I think you have the right of it." she muttered before giving him a sly look
"Ok. But only as long as you annoy me in the thoroughly enjoying way only YOU can manage to pull off." she smiled softly. She lent over
"I love it." she whispered in his ear before biting gently on it. He shivered in a rather pleased manner.
"Speaking of love…" she continued, licking his jaw line.
"I love…" Lily never finished her sentence because James captured her lips with his.
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James gazed down at the small bundle in his arms. It had a surprising amount of black hair for a new born, and bright green eyes that were in a class of their own, only over shadowed by his mothers. James couldn't get over the fact that the perfect bundle of child in his arms was his and Lily's child. Half him and half her. Love swelled up in his chest.
There was something ultimately perfect about creating a child from love. There was nothing more powerful. The only way for two people to completely come together was to merge their DNA.
James knew there were far too many children in the world that weren't created with that same love and he hoped that that didn't ruin their lives in any way, shape or form. Maybe, once they had had all the children they wished, they'd look into adopting a few that needed homes. He knew he couldn't rescue every unloved child, but looking into the not even an hour old eyes of his son, so like his wife's, he wanted to try.
"Hello Harry." He whispered and the baby waved his fist before making a baby noise that made James grin like a loon.
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"James, I have some great news." Lily smiled lovingly at her husband. She'd been a fool in her youth, resisting James Potter. He'd been right all along, they were perfect together. She glanced over to there stairs, up which Harry was sleeping and her hand went unconsciously to her belly. And they made perfect children.
"Hmm?" James asked, putting the newspaper down and giving his wife his full attention. He smiled at her, a look in his eyes that warmed her to her toes. She'd been a fool alright. Wasting so much time. But they had their whole future in front of them.
"James, I'm pregn—" Lily was cut off by the noise of a loud banging pop outside. James was up in an instant.
"Lily, take Harry and run." He said reaching for his wand
"No." Lily breathed. No. Fate couldn't be this cruel.
"Lily! Take the baby. Take Harry and run!" The look in his eyes broke her heart
"No James I wont leave you!" she couldn't see him, everything had gone blury. Her vision cleared as the tears fell, but soon they were replaced by others. She managed to see the look of infinite tenderness in James' eyes however.
"Lily, for Harry, take him and run."
"James…"
"For me. Take our son. Keep him safe." He whispered the last. He kissed her soundly.
"Please. We live on, in him. Don't let Voldie take that from us." He smiled sadly
"Watch him grow. Tell him of me. But GO!" he gave her a shove towards the stairs.
"I love you!" Lily sobbed, running up the stairs. But she was too late. She heard the last words of her husband as he died trying to save her and their son. Their children.
She had thought the sound of James dying would make her cry more but instead her tears faded. Her resolve hardened. She would do as James had requested. His last request to her. Harry would live.
She had been more of a fool than she'd realised. Fate could be so cruel when she wished. When someone resisted the path she set them. Lily hoped she'd see James once more, to apologise to him. If only she could return to the first time James had asked her out and change her answer, what would have been different now? She would never know.
She'd reached the nursery but her attempts would be futile, she could hear Him coming up the stairs, the only way to escape this enchanted house. She dashed in and locked the door, knowing it would only stop him for so long, before turning to Harry. He was awake and sitting up, playing with the teddy Sirius had given him. Then a thought struck Lily. Oh Merlin. Everyone would think it was SIRIUS who had betrayed them…her thought was never finished as the door opened.
"Stand aside girl." He said and she turned to face Him. The man the magical world feared. The man people refused to use the name off. The man who they called You-know-who or he-who-shall-not-be-named. The man who's name they feared to mention, who's name he himself had created while at school, the man whom her husband and friends referred to as voldie, refusing to show any respect, fearful or otherwise, for a man who had no problems with killing whole families, one at a time, on a whim. The man who had just killed her husband, the love of her life and the other half of her soul, who was about to kill her and her son and continue as normal. She faced him and she was not afraid.
"No." she said. The look on his face was priceless. She would have loved to tell James….Her heart, so cracked and fragile, shattered as she heard Harry utter the babble he always saved just for his father.
"Stand aside girl!" Voldemort repeated
"Not Harry!" she told him forcefully, suddenly near hysterics
"You can kill me, kill me, but please, not Harry!" she almost begged. Almost. But it was close. He threw back his head and laughed. Then he killed her.
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A/N: I really wanted to just leave it there with no comment underneath. Just let it stop abruptly, but I wanted to say a few things. Firstly: HUH?! I have no idea where that came from. I came up with the title first which is a first. I thought it just sounded so cool! I decided to have the first one at hogwarts age, I couldn't be bothered with writing about his life before then. I'm not overly convinced it flows, and the last bit is rather…odd but frankly my dear I don't really give a damn. I've been at work all day and it's now some ungodly hour off the morning. Sue me. Or don't. I have no money.
PLEASE REVIEW!!! Tell me what you think….The fangs on the review button are just decoration I swear!