Epilogue

I wanted to write a good J/L story, a one that would linger in the readers' memory the same way a few of what I've read lingered in mine. So, I'm writing this for the fans who love James and Lily and are looking for satisfaction, the same way I've always looked.

If you have any idea in mind, a direction you'd love to see the story going towards, I'd be more than glad to try to do so.

Disclaimer: I don't own James Potter or any of the characters except for a few obvious ones and Sirius Black is, unfortunately, not in love with me. He doesn't even know I exist. Rephrase: he doesn't even exist.

"That's enough, Potter. That's more than enough."

"Look, Lily, I didn't mean to-"

"You almost KILLED the poor boy! Listen to this, Potter , I can't take any of you. I am not gonna date you, I'll never date you ever in my whole miserable life. I got sick of your silly pranks and your incessant badgering and non-stop invitations to go out with you. I can't take this any longer!"

Lily almost broke down right in the middle of the hollow corridor they were in. It was their last week in their 6th year at Hogwarts and the castle was full of chattering and laughs. Another year had past, getting them closer to adulthood and to a future full of endless possibilities. Footsteps echoed, stories were shared, tears were shed and promises of meeting up again were made. It seemed like Lily and James, at that moment, did not belong to that outsider world. The universe seemed to stop expanding and somehow collapsed on both of them, filling their chests with its whole weight, lifting all the concern and worry from the world and spilling it right into their hearts. The sounds in the castle slowly faded away, leaving their hitched beats take all over their consciousness.

"I am sorry, Lily" James tried again, it seemed like this time the damage was irreversible and irreparable. His voice quivered a bit and he tried to control it, he was never that afraid, he always managed to get a hold of himself in front of her. "I swear I didn't mean it to go that far, I-I will never do it, again. And he's not good for you. Are you that mad at me because of him?"
The disbelief in his voice was evident, he knew what was coming. He knew that, this time, it was different than any other. That this time, he was really risking losing Lily Evans before even having her at the first place.

And the rush of words followed by a rush of tears bursting from Lily shocked them both equally.

"It's Evans, and it's NOT about him. It's about the fact that my life is slowly turning to hell because of you! It's because I've never dated in the past six years cause no boy dared to ask me, and if he did, he'd mysteriously disappear at first then avoid me for the rest of his life. It's because I'm only sixteen and I already have enough responsibility on my plate. I have no friends who could help me when I'm back home. My sister hates me and my family is shattered. My future seems dark even before it begins and you just come and stroll casually thinking you're acting funny! A proud conceited boy whom I hate keeps trying to wow me stupidly and asking for a date! You're lunatic!"

She didn't mean to say all of this, it sort of burst out of her, fluent and unprecedented. She was shocked after all what she said, knowing that this was not fair to James and that her words were harsher than what she intended. She knew it must be because of Petunia's letter she'd just received. James face has gone pale as a ghost and his body stood still, not even blinking, as if keeping still and ignoring what just happened might make the last few seconds dissolve forever. However, words cannot be restored and he knew they will stay carved into his memory.

It seemed like eternity when his lips moved.

"I see." His voice gained some strength and his eyes were on the ground.

"Potter, I-I didn't mean it, to be that harsh."

"No no, it's okay. I understand. I guess I was just too proud and conceited to notice how much I bothered you." His insides trembling. It was all over.

"No, no." Lily said quickly. Her hands stretched and she held his face between her hands, forcing them to meet her eyes, standing closely to him.

"James, this is not all because of you. I mean-" She stuttered for words "Forget all I said, but I am not gonna date you. I can't. I might never date actually, the idea is ridiculous."

What the hell was she doing? She rejects him as no man has ever been rejected and then she holds his face between her warm hands and call him James, trying to re-reject him but softly this time?

"Yeah, you're right. It's ridiculous." He nodded a grave nod, staring at her with an impassive face that seemed to conceal the desperation in his eyes. "I was that pain in the neck, wasn't I?"

"James-" She tried again, but nothing came out. All of a sudden, she recognized that look on his face, that this time it was truly over and, to her astonishment, a part of her was as miserable as he was.

James tenderly put his hands on hers which still rested on his face. Slowly, he pulled them down and returned her hands back to her side.

"Goodbye, Evans." He said, then with a hollow smile added "Guess you won at the end, didn't you?"

It was dreadful, seeing James' empty smile, soulless as if he was just kissed by a dementor.

And with that, he ambled through the corridor, the light in his eyes slowly putting off, and disappeared out of Lily's gaze.