It was a lovely muggle park. There were trees blossoming, flowers
blooming, and soft green grass. James walked beside Lily with a smile. He
took her hand, gave it a squeeze, and led her to a little stone park bench
by the pond.
"I can't believe I haven't seen you in two monthes!" Lily said with a laugh, giving him a peck on the cheek and a hug. James had grown up a lot since they had first met. Now, he was just over six feet tall, and he had strong, wiry muscles that made him much tougher than he looked. His brown eyes had a depth to them that she had never imagined before, and they gleamed when he looked at her. Even in muggle jeans and a tee shirt, he looked handsome. He had a deep tan, which suited him well.
James sat down on the bench, pulled her to the seat next to him. "I've missed you so much, Lil. You have no idea!" Her long fiery curls wafted in the breeze, and her eyes that were more beautiful than emeralds were looking only at him. She looked good in her muggle outfit, proudly bearing a jacket from Rowena Ravenclaw's University, a jacket that simply had 'RR' on it in blue and gold to avoid muggles. She was radiant. I'm the luckiest man alive, he thought with a smile. "Guess what?"
She grinned back. "What?"
"I got into the Aurors!" he said, practically hysterical with joy.
Lily's eyes grew as round as saucers, then she shrieked and threw her arms around him. "I'm so happy, Jamie! I can't believe it!" She hugged him to pieces, then took a breath and pushed herself a little ways back from him. "What about Sirius?" she asked, remembering James's long-time best friend.
"He got in too," James said with a gigantic grin. It was the career both of them had been hoping for since they were little, and they had done it. "So, how has higher learning suited you?" They both knew that Lily had gotten into Rowena Ravenclaw's University.
"RR's is great! My roommate, Juliet, is a little out there, but she's wonderful! I'm president of the Latin club, and it looks like I'm going to be valedictorian," she said "though I sometimes find myself missing the scent of dungbombs!"
James just laughed and wrapped his arms around her. "Somehow, I suspect that the other aurors won't take to acid pops too well."
"It would be funny if you tried, though," Lily replied with a soft smile, just leaning into his arms. "Though it might be a good idea for you two to lay low for a while. You don't have me to watch your back anymore, Jamie."
"You little...!" James said, mildly exasperated, tickling her furiously in his arms. Lily kicked and squirmed and even shrieked a little before they both settled down again.
"So, how are Remus and Peter?" Remus and Peter were friends of both Lily and James, though she hadn't spoken to either in quite some time.
James sighed. "Peter's got a desk job at the ministry. Mostly filing, or so he grumbles."
"I just can't see him doing deskwork," Lily said. Peter had never been good at homework, and she had always had to help him. "Is he still going out with Louise?" she asked, remembering the nice Swedish witch he had been dating not too long ago.
"No, she dumped him about a month ago. Something about his refusal to commit. He's trying not to be too broken up about it, but we all know he's not taking it too well."
Lily sighed. "And Remus? Hazel really wants to know." Remus and Hazel had been dating for just as long as she and James had. Unfortunately, Remus was a werewolf, which left little time for dating around the full moon.
"Oh, he's doing all right, as far as we know. Last I heard of him, he was wandering around in Moscow. There is a huge population of people like him there, and he seemed optomistic about the Russians knowing something that could be of use."
"Next time you hear from him, tell him that Hazel misses him."
James nodded. "So, how is she?"
Lily smiled at the memory of Hazel Weatherby, her shy, quiet friend. "She's doing a lot of part-time work. A muggle greenhouse during the week and spending nights and weekends taking care of magical creatures at Magical Menagerie in Hogsmeade. Then, somehow, she makes it to St. Mungo's twice a week to visit the patients! I don't know how she does it," she said in mild wonder.
James nodded again. "And we all know how Arabella is. Best chaser the Chudley Cannons have ever had, Sirius and I go to watch her every chance we get." Arabella Figg and Sirius Black had been a long-standing couple as well, and James had played quidditch with them both for several years at Hogwarts.
"I wish I got to see Ara more," Lily added with a sigh.
"Hmm," James replied. "Why don't you come with Sirius and I to watch the next CC game?" He saw the skeptical look on her face. "Oh, come on, Lil! It'll be fun!"
"Famous last words," Lily replied with a laugh, giving James another hug. "I've got to get back to RR's, my next class is in twenty minutes." She stood and gave him a kiss, then walked away.
"I'll owl you about going to see a game!" James called after her. Then he sighed. He already missed her, and she wasn't even out of sight range. You've really got it bad, Prongs, he thought to himself. You've really got it bad.
"I can't believe I haven't seen you in two monthes!" Lily said with a laugh, giving him a peck on the cheek and a hug. James had grown up a lot since they had first met. Now, he was just over six feet tall, and he had strong, wiry muscles that made him much tougher than he looked. His brown eyes had a depth to them that she had never imagined before, and they gleamed when he looked at her. Even in muggle jeans and a tee shirt, he looked handsome. He had a deep tan, which suited him well.
James sat down on the bench, pulled her to the seat next to him. "I've missed you so much, Lil. You have no idea!" Her long fiery curls wafted in the breeze, and her eyes that were more beautiful than emeralds were looking only at him. She looked good in her muggle outfit, proudly bearing a jacket from Rowena Ravenclaw's University, a jacket that simply had 'RR' on it in blue and gold to avoid muggles. She was radiant. I'm the luckiest man alive, he thought with a smile. "Guess what?"
She grinned back. "What?"
"I got into the Aurors!" he said, practically hysterical with joy.
Lily's eyes grew as round as saucers, then she shrieked and threw her arms around him. "I'm so happy, Jamie! I can't believe it!" She hugged him to pieces, then took a breath and pushed herself a little ways back from him. "What about Sirius?" she asked, remembering James's long-time best friend.
"He got in too," James said with a gigantic grin. It was the career both of them had been hoping for since they were little, and they had done it. "So, how has higher learning suited you?" They both knew that Lily had gotten into Rowena Ravenclaw's University.
"RR's is great! My roommate, Juliet, is a little out there, but she's wonderful! I'm president of the Latin club, and it looks like I'm going to be valedictorian," she said "though I sometimes find myself missing the scent of dungbombs!"
James just laughed and wrapped his arms around her. "Somehow, I suspect that the other aurors won't take to acid pops too well."
"It would be funny if you tried, though," Lily replied with a soft smile, just leaning into his arms. "Though it might be a good idea for you two to lay low for a while. You don't have me to watch your back anymore, Jamie."
"You little...!" James said, mildly exasperated, tickling her furiously in his arms. Lily kicked and squirmed and even shrieked a little before they both settled down again.
"So, how are Remus and Peter?" Remus and Peter were friends of both Lily and James, though she hadn't spoken to either in quite some time.
James sighed. "Peter's got a desk job at the ministry. Mostly filing, or so he grumbles."
"I just can't see him doing deskwork," Lily said. Peter had never been good at homework, and she had always had to help him. "Is he still going out with Louise?" she asked, remembering the nice Swedish witch he had been dating not too long ago.
"No, she dumped him about a month ago. Something about his refusal to commit. He's trying not to be too broken up about it, but we all know he's not taking it too well."
Lily sighed. "And Remus? Hazel really wants to know." Remus and Hazel had been dating for just as long as she and James had. Unfortunately, Remus was a werewolf, which left little time for dating around the full moon.
"Oh, he's doing all right, as far as we know. Last I heard of him, he was wandering around in Moscow. There is a huge population of people like him there, and he seemed optomistic about the Russians knowing something that could be of use."
"Next time you hear from him, tell him that Hazel misses him."
James nodded. "So, how is she?"
Lily smiled at the memory of Hazel Weatherby, her shy, quiet friend. "She's doing a lot of part-time work. A muggle greenhouse during the week and spending nights and weekends taking care of magical creatures at Magical Menagerie in Hogsmeade. Then, somehow, she makes it to St. Mungo's twice a week to visit the patients! I don't know how she does it," she said in mild wonder.
James nodded again. "And we all know how Arabella is. Best chaser the Chudley Cannons have ever had, Sirius and I go to watch her every chance we get." Arabella Figg and Sirius Black had been a long-standing couple as well, and James had played quidditch with them both for several years at Hogwarts.
"I wish I got to see Ara more," Lily added with a sigh.
"Hmm," James replied. "Why don't you come with Sirius and I to watch the next CC game?" He saw the skeptical look on her face. "Oh, come on, Lil! It'll be fun!"
"Famous last words," Lily replied with a laugh, giving James another hug. "I've got to get back to RR's, my next class is in twenty minutes." She stood and gave him a kiss, then walked away.
"I'll owl you about going to see a game!" James called after her. Then he sighed. He already missed her, and she wasn't even out of sight range. You've really got it bad, Prongs, he thought to himself. You've really got it bad.