The Autumn air was icy against the soft skin of Lily Evans' face. She walked along the path that had started to become so familiar to the crumbling Victorian house at the end of the street. It wasn't raining, but the sky was thick with dark grey clouds and the silvery frost covering the fiery leaves on the ground proved that a cold winter was coming, whether they were prepared or not.
Glancing sideways at the rusty railings that lined one side of the street, Lily reached out to the old iron gate and pushed gently. With a creak, it swung open and she padded through the overgrown garden to the front door decorated with patchy, peeling paint in a shade of forest green.
The house was old and downtrodden, there was no doubt about it, but Lily could still sense that light buzz that made it so plaintively obvious that this house wasn't filled with bad people or dark magic. This house wasn't there to intimidate or scare her - that was simply a side-effect that came with the upkeep of a teenage werewolf.
Lily knocked twice on the door with a gloved hand and, within ten seconds, it was open. Stood in the doorway, dressed in a white t-shirt, jeans and a leather jacket, was Sirius Black.
"Evans!" He grinned pulling her into the dark hallway with one hand and closing the door with another "Everyone's upstairs - obviously."
Yes, it was obvious; for the past few months the Marauders and Lily had taken to gathering at Remus' childhood home under the pretence of helping him clear it out after the death of his parents, but always ending up sat around drinking coffee and talking - basically, attempting to bring a little light back into Remus' eyes.
Lily followed Sirius up the dark, creaking wooden stairs until they reached the shabby door resting on its hinges, not entirely closed. Inside, the wooden floor was illuminated by the lights over several candles floating above their heads and the torn cream curtains were drawn. The room had very few items of furniture - there was an elaborate, mahogany coffee table (by far the most valuable thing in the house, discovered by Lily in one of the downstairs rooms on her first visit), a stripy deck-chair (also brought by Lily), a lumpy green arm chair and several cushions that Sirius had commandeered one way or another. The house was dank and dark, but this room, despite its lack of class, was somewhat of a shelter.
Peter Pettigrew was sat on the arm chair, his legs crossed and his mouth open as he watched James scribble notes onto a piece of parchment. The young man in question looked up and smiled as Lily entered, his hazel eyes reflecting the relief that they'd all felt when she'd arrived. He stood up from the floor and crossed the room in two easy strides, reaching for Lily's hands and pulling her towards him, kissing her lightly.
"Any trouble?"
"No, I apparated to the end of the street."
James nodded briefly, before pulling her in to kiss again. The coolness of her lips stung slightly on his mouth and the relief of having her that close was overwhelming - James squeezed her slightly, thanking every God he'd ever heard of that she was safe.
Lily sat in between James and Remus on the floor, pulling up a cushion as Sirius flopped onto the deck-chair, his long legs folding over each other as he lit up a cigarette and dangled it between two fingers.
"I wish you wouldn't do that - you're killing yourself..." Lily told him, pulling a bar of muggle chocolate from her bag and handing it to Remus with a smile.
"Thanks, Lils." Remus hugged her with one arm, the other hand holding the chocolate bar to his mouth as he tore the foil wrapper with his teeth.
"We're all going to get killed in the fucked up mess anyway..." Sirius muttered to himself, but loud enough for everybody to hear.
"Don't think like that." Lily frowned, resting her head on James' shoulder.
Sirius ignored her but put out the cigarette all the same, throwing it into the air, clicking his fingers and watching it disappear.
"What's all this?" Peter asked, and everybody in the room looked up to see him dangling over the side of the armchair, his arms buried inside one of the many cardboard boxes that were piled against the back wall.
"Record collection." Remus replied, his voice dull.
Lily's eyes widened as everybody else appeared to be confused "Really?"
"Dad was into muggle music." He shrugged "There's all sorts but the labels have rubbed off with time - you can't tell what's what."
Lily's eyes were suddenly bright and alert "Is there a player?"
"Yeah." Remus watched her with light amusement as she crossed the room "In the small-ish box to your left."
Lily pulled out the chestnut coloured player and set it on the ground, before holding out her hand to Peter.
"Pass me one, please."
"Wha-what-" he stuttered and Sirius snorted.
"A record, please." Lily smiled and Peter handed her one.
She pulled it out of the smudged, bright pocket, secured it in and pressed a small, circular button. A piano began playing the familiar intervals that Lily had heard so many times throughout her childhood and, before she knew it, tears were welling up in her eyes as the lyrics began:
When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be.
"The Beatles, isn't it?" Remus asked.
"Yeah." Lily nodded, smiling and wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her cardigan.
James looked up, concerned "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." She laughed slightly "I just like music."
It sounded odd even to her, so she was sure that the rest of them would find her positively insane if she voiced her thoughts out loud, but the music was making her feel better, as if they weren't completely alone in this horrible mess - as if there was a bit of hope, after all.
Sirius wandered over, pulled out a random vinyl and handed it to Lily, who willingly swapped the discs. The song 'Always On My Mind' by Elvis Presley began to play and then Peter pulled one out, which turned out to be another Beatles hit - 'I Want To Hold Your Hand'. At this, Sirius began to mime the lyrics to Lily, holding out his hand and spinning her around the room, lightening up the atmosphere considerably. For the next several hours, the five got through a fair amount of the records, dancing, laughing and singing along to the famous songs.
At five o'clock, Remus declared brightly that he was going downstairs to make some food and Sirius and Peter followed. James walked up to Lily, who was stood in the doorway, and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"I want to show you something."
She nodded and followed him over to the player, watching as he pulled out a faded pocket with the name 'Billie Holiday' just about visible in gold lettering.
He pressed play and led her into the middle of the room as the gentle music began to play. the pulled her close to him and, ever so slightly, he began to move, until they were swaying from side to side, arms wrapped around each other and eyes locked together.
I'll be seeing you
In all the old familiar places
That this heart of mine embraces
All day and through
James smiled, spinning her and laughing at the whole situation, despite the stress at the Ministry, the horror with Remus' parents, the pain that he was going through at the mere age of eighteen - barely even out of school.
In that small cafe
The park across the way
The children's carousel
The chestnut trees, the wishing well
I'll be seeing you
In every lovely summer's day
In everything that's light and gay
I'll always think of you that way
I'll find you in the morning sun
And when the night is new
I'll be looking at the moon
But I'll be seeing you
I'll be seeing you
In every lovely summer's day
In everything that's light and gay
I'll always think of you that way
James looked at Lily then and kissed her as if he'd never see her again "I'm so sorry that you're being dragged through all of this."
She smiled, stroking the back of his neck with her little finger "I love you, James Potter."
James smiled "I love you too, Lily - I just wish it wasn't in the middle of a war."
She shook her head "It'll be worth it."
"You think?"
"Of course it will - if we don't make it, other people will. All we can do is our best - you never know, it might even help with ending this awful, horrible mess."
"You deserve so much more than this life." He sighed "I wish I could-"
Lily stopped him then, by pressing her mouth, now warm and comfortable, against his.
"That's ridiuclous." She shook her head "You're the only person I want to spend my life with - no matter how much of it I have left. What we deserve isn't important, what we have and want is." She paused and smiled as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear "And it just so happens that I want you...luckily, I also have you. And, right now, that's all that matters."
And for James, that was enough. That was all he needed to make him a very happy man.
"Happy Halloween, Lily."
"Happy Halloween, James."
I'll find you in the morning sun
And when the night is new
I'll be looking at the moon
But I'll be seeing you.