"Expecto Patronum!"
"Expecto Patronum. Expecto Patronum."
The room was swirling with silver mist and the chaotic hum of twenty plus seventh year students attempting to cast the charm correctly.
Laughing in the back of the classroom James and Sirius didn't even have their wands out. Remus was occasionally paying attention to their conversation but he had his wand out practicing a non corporeal patronus. He was capable of making a corporeal patronus, a wolf, he chose not to. Peter was happily sitting next to the other boys with his silver rat running around between their legs.
"Class!" Professor Silsbury called getting their attention. "With the remaining time we have I'm going to call each of you up individually and have you cast the patronus charm. You will be graded, however you will not be marked less for not being able to make a corporeal patronus. I'm looking to see who is actually trying. Now please return to your seats and we can begin."
"Great. Not only did I have to sit through watching them try, but now I have to sit quietly through it one by one. Kill me know Prongs." Sirius whined to James as they took their customary seats at the back middle table right behind Remus and Peter.
"It sounds like you would like to go first Mr. Black." The professor called from the front. Sirius was never known for whining quietly.
"As you wish." He replied winking saucily as he sauntered to the front of the room. Earlier that school year James had found out that Lily's favorite book was the Princess Bride by American author William Goldman. To try to prove to Lily that he had changed, he purchased the book and read it. Which really meant was Remus bought the book after James complained about not knowing how to locate it in the muggle world and then had every intention of reading it until Sirius challenged him to a Quidditch competition and he forgot all about it. For reasons unknown but either pertaining to a bet or boredom, Sirius managed to find the book in James' trunk and read it. Ever since then he quoted Westley's classic love line to Professor Silsbury, the curvy brunette Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor that was hopelessly in love with him but couldn't admit her true feelings for fear of her new husband finding out and failing him at his apparation test; at least according to Sirius.
A second's pause and then "Expecto Patronum." A silver dog bounded from the end of his wand and pounced on the professor, knocking her over in shock.
"Okay, okay!" Professor Silsbury said, pulling herself up and straightening her robes.
"Full marks Mr. Black. You may return to your seat now."
"As you wish." Sirius winked with a bow before heading back to his seat.
"Let's see. Mr. Humly. You're next." One by one the students went to the front and performed the spell. Most were able to at least produce a shield, a couple were able to produce full body patronus like Sirius. James had gotten bored quickly and was playing with his snitch. Professor Silsbury only allowed it because it was better than him disrupting or encouraging Sirius to be disruptive, who was dozing in his tipped back seat with his arms crossed.
"Ms. Evans. You're turn."
Lily walked to the front of the classroom. She took a deep breath. "Expecto Patronum!" She yelled. Nothing happened. Not even a wisp of mist slid from her wand.
"It's alright Ms. Evans. Not everyone gets it right away." Professor Silsbury said.
"I can do this! Can I please have one more chance?" Lily's eyes pleaded with the professor more than her words.
"Alright. One more time."
"Thank you." Lily turned back to her classmates. Scanning the room, her gaze landed on James. He had forgotten about his snitch and had his eyes glued on her. When he saw her looking he gave her one of his crooked little smiles, an encouraging, hesitant one that she had only seen a couple times before. Lily felt the corner of her mouth pulling up slightly. Taking another deep breath she closed her eyes tightly, concentrating on her happiest memory.
"Expecto Patronum!" she yelled from the bottom of her soul.
A gasp in the dead silence of the room is what made her eyes shoot open, fearful that it hadn't worked. Her mouth dropped open in shock as a beautiful silver doe looked out over her classmates. Lily was so entranced by her patronus that she missed the shocked expressions on four troublemakers faces at the sight of her doe. Sirius, Remus and Peter turned to stare at James, his jaw hanging open and eyes never leaving Lily.
"Beautiful Ms. Evans! Full marks. You may return to your seat now."
Lily let the spell end and her Patronus faded into nothing before she went and sat back down.
"Mr. Potter. I believe you are the last one."
Remus had to shove James' shoulder to get his attention.
"You're turn." He whispered at his best mate. James flushed slightly before standing up and heading to the front of the room.
Sirius looked like the cat that got the canary as his friend reached the front.
"Uh. Professor. May I talk to you?" James looked hesitant, an expression that Lily had never seen on him in DADA, one of his best subjects.
"Is there something wrong Mr. Potter?" Professor Silsbury didn't look amused at him avoiding what was required of him.
"Ummm…" James took the two steps needed to be standing directly next to her. He whispered something quickly and the Professor's expression changed from annoyed to overjoyed and excited at his words. She gave a slight nod and he smiled.
"Okay class is dismissed for today. For those of you who weren't able to produce a shield, keep practicing. I'll see you all next week."
James headed back to his seat to collect his things. Lily was flabbergasted. never had she seen Professor Silsbury allow a student to pass on an assignment like that. Gathering her things quickly she walked back to where James was with his friends.
"Hellow Lilyflower! Now I wonder what memory you used to produce that beautiful doe. What do you think Prongs?" Sirius asked turning to James. Remus slammed his book bag into the back of Sirius' head as he swung it up onto his shoulder.
"Oi!"
"Sorry Padfoot. Didn't realize you were that close." Remus said, shooting Sirius a look that told him to shut up.
"How did you not see me? I've been standing here forever." Of course Sirius was always oblivious to Remus' warning looks. Rubbing the back of his head he gave Remus a glare before turning back to Lily. He opened his mouth to say something before Peter interrupted.
"Padfoot! Didn't you say we needed to get to lunch before Sarah?"
"Right you are Wormtail. Thanks for reminding me. You're a real mate." Another glare at Remus which was returned with an eye roll.
"We'll meet you later Prongs." Remus said herding the other boys toward the door.
"If you're wondering what my happiest memory is you could ask Marlene, Lilyflower." Sirius casually mentioned, winking as he walked away.
Confused by the whole bizarre situation, which was actually normal whenever Sirius was involved, Lily reminded herself to talk to her best friend Marlene after she figured out what was going on with James.
"So why did Professor Silsbury let you go with a pass?"
"I guess she likes me." James shrugged his shoulders.
"That's rubbish and we both know it. I want to know why."Lily crossed her arms.
James sighed, knowing she wouldn't leave it alone until he told her something. "If I tell you will you promise to leave it alone?" James looked into her eyes.
"I promise." she said.
"No. You have to mean it. If I answer your question you won't ask for an explanation or ask me or any of my friends any questions about it?" James held her gaze, a determination in his eyes.
"I promise." he knew her curiosity won out in the end.
"Embarrassment." James admitted.
Lily was shocked. James was embarrassed that he couldn't do something and he admitted it to her.
"There's nothing to be embarrassed about." The sympathetic part of her shining through even to the boy she claimed to hate. "I can tutor you and if you practice more than you will learn it in no time."
James was just smiling. "No. You promised that was it. I told you and now you have to let it go."
"But…"
"No 'buts' Lily. You promised."
"Fine." Lily grumbled.
"I'll see you at lunch." James said and went back to packing up his bag.
Lily huffed and walked out of the room. She couldn't ignore the itch to know what James was hiding. Halfway to the Great hall her mind was made up. James would tell her, promise or no promise. Turning around she headed back to the DADA classroom.
Hearing voices inside Lily slowed down and peered through the cracked door.
"I've heard of them but never had the opportunity to see them for myself." Professor Silsbury was saying. "Go ahead Mr. Potter."
"Expecto Patronum." James said. Lily wasn't able to see him but she clearly saw the magnificent, dignified stag jump out of his wand and canter around the pair, glowing softly.
"It's amazing." The professor said awestruck.
James smiled wider at the reverent look on the older woman's face.
Lily however was entranced by the stag moving around the room, the shock freezing her body in place. She was broken out of the trance by the sound of her name.
"Why didn't you want Ms. Evans to know?"
James' smile faltered and his Patronus slowly faded away.
"I don't want to put that on her. I want her to fall in love with me because she wants to, not because she feels like fate is making her."
Professor Salisbury smiled and nodded her head in understanding. "Well thank you for sharing this with me. Full marks. You may go now Mr. Potter." James turned to grab his bag. "And Mr. Potter."
"Yes?"
"Don't give up hope just yet."
"I don't plan on it." Before Lily had time to react, James pushed through the door and almost plowed her over.
"Lily?" James asked surprised.
Lily was just as surprised but gathered her wits before he could.
"Embarrassed?! You bloody lied to me! You weren't embarrassed. You were thrilled when Professor Salisbury saw your Patronus. What I can't figure out is why you didn't want the entire bloody class to know your secret. That would have been the icing on the cake. Everyone knowing that our Patronus were a pair. Is that what Sirius meant?! He thought I was thinking of you?! That bloody arse!" Lily was so enraged and confused that everything just came pouring out of her mouth.
"I didn't lie to you." James said, cutting off anything else she was going to say.
"What?"
"I didn't lie to you. I didn't say it was because of my embarrassment though." James' eyes penetrated hers, hoping to convey some mysterious message that she wasn't understanding.
Finally it clicked.
"Oh." Was the only thing that her brain was capable of releasing from her mouth. Not his embarrassment, hers. Their Patronus' were a pair, meaning they were soul mates and he didn't want to show everyone because he didn't want to embarrass her.
Lily felt like she was looking at James in a whole new light but as she thought about it she realized that he had been in that light for a while, it was her who was just opening her eyes. Forgetting his past, James was everything she was looking for in a man; caring, sweet, protecting, smart, funny and handsome. Most of all, he loved her. She could actually see herself having a life with this man. Loving him, marrying him, having children with him and growing old with him. She'd known it for a while, she just had never allowed herself to think it.
Thinking back to what he had said to Professor Salisbury, Lily smiled slightly.
"You're wrong." James sighed and ran his hand through his hair, mentally preparing himself for the fight that was sure to ensure.
"Wrong about what?" If James was going to have to defend himself he sure as bloody hell was going to know from what.
"If you really think that I would have been with you just because our Patronus' were a pair then you obviously don't know me after all. I do things because I want to, not because of 'fate'."
"Huh?" James was confused at Lily's response.
"If I want to be with you then I will be with you." Lily stated simply.
James deflated. "Thanks for the reminder." He started to turn away. A small hand on his stopped him.
"Do you want to know the memory I chose?" Lily practically whispered, eyes down, refusing to break eye contact with the floor.
"Yes." James whispered to not scare her off.
"You." She breathed, glancing up at him from under her eyelashes. "When I looked out at the class and you smiled at me it reminded me of the night we all stayed up late before our OWLs. We were all burnt out from studying and Sirius had cracked from the pressure and pulled out some firewhiskey he had knicked from Slughorn. You guys convinced Marlene and I to join in. Eventually it was just the six of us. Sirius had done something that had us all laughing and I remember thinking that I could get used to that. Laughing with you all. We locked eyes and you gave me the same smile that you gave me today. That's why I remembered that memory. Because of your smile. Sirius was right; I was thinking of you. That's what made my Patronus so strong."
During her confession, James had maneuvered himself closer to Lily until they were standing inches apart. He slid his arm around her waist while she interlocked their fingers on the hand she was still holding.
"You're my happy memory too." James whispered before pressing his lips against hers.
From that point on, nobody ever doubted what fueled James and Lily's Patronus' and that they really were soul mates.