The owl that through the window on a bright sunny morning didn't bother her. Lily Evans was a witch, used to sending mail to her friends this way. But something about this particular letter disturbed her. She had seen this handwriting before, she knew. She just couldn't place who its owner might be. Smart as she was, Lily couldn't bear not knowing something.

She broke the wax seal and unfolded the small piece of parchment.

Evans,

I'm sorry. I know Snape was your friend. I shouldn't have teased him so much after OWLs last week. I guess it's my fault he called you that offensive word, and I'm sorry. I just don't know when I should quit sometimes.

James Potter

Lily was in shock. He had written her a real note—not an attempt at a love letter like she would have expected, but an apology. She reread it and got stuck on the second sentence. Snape was your friend. Meaning he wasn't her friend anymore, and that horrible scene—the one where he called her Mudblood—threatened to play again in her head.

She wanted to believe that Sev really regretted it, but there was no way to deny the look of pure hatred she had seen in his eyes as he insulted her. Mudblood. Wouldn't Tuney just love this, she thought. Even in the wizarding world, she was considered a freak and an abnormality.

Without thinking, she got out a quill and parchment to write back to Potter, the most unlikely person she could be sharing any of this with.

James Potter,

It's not your fault. I thought he was going to snap eventually; he was spending so much time with those Slytherins, and their pure-blood mania was sure to rub off on him. I had just hoped it wouldn't be so public, but there's nothing we can do about it now. I don't think Sev and I can be friends any more, though.

Lily Evans

She couldn't believe herself; she was forgiving James Potter, of all people. She was admitting to him that he had been right about Sev, as if he needed another reason for his ego. She almost tore the note and threw it out, but changed her mind at the last second. Sure that she would regret it almost instantly, she handed her reply to Potter's owl and he flew off.

Strangely enough, it was almost a relief. Potter had apologized, and she had accepted it. She couldn't be angry with him anymore even if she wanted to.

Almost an hour later, Potter's owl was back at her window. It was with a sense of excited apprehension that she untied the parchment scroll from his leg.

Lily Evans,

It's still my fault that Snape had his mental breakdown on the grounds, in public, after OWLs. I knew he was stressed and I thought it might be fun to see how far we could push him before he snapped. I obviously didn't know how bad it would be, but that's no excuse. I can't help feeling like it's my fault that he was so rude to you, and you have no idea how sorry I am for that.

James Potter

This made no sense. James Potter was an egotistical, arrogant troll. Whoever wrote this note actually had feelings, and cared about someone other than himself. Lily scrawled out a quick reply.

Who are you and what have you done with Potter?

She was embarrassed at her response—she had thought it quite witty at the time—when she read his reply.

Lily, please take this seriously. I really am sorry for being so stupid and inconsiderate. Forgive me?

James

She couldn't just leave it without feeling horribly guilty, so her next note was much kinder.

I forgive you. Better now?

She hoped it was enough to convey her feelings, but couldn't write more without worrying that she was being cheesy. She waited very impatiently for his next reply, unable to focus on her potions essay because she spent so much time staring out the window, waiting for his owl to arrive.

Yes, thank you, Lily. I was wondering...we'll need our schoolbooks for next year, so is there any chance I could meet you in Diagon Alley? Not as a date, just as friends. I want to show you that I can be as normal as any other guy at Hogwarts. I want a chance to start over, as friends and nothing more.

It was something she had never thought about before—James Potter normal? It couldn't be. But then, she wouldn't have believed he could ever sincerely apologize for anything, and he had proved her wrong about that.

Sure, if you can be there tomorrow. I'll meet you at Gringotts at 9:00.

It was a strange feeling, agreeing to meet the guy she had spent the past five years avoiding. She found she sort of liked it, which she never would have thought possible. Everything she knew was being proved wrong today—James wasn't a complete jerk, and she was actually looking forward to meeting him.

She was surprisingly nervous when his owl returned. What if he couldn't come to Diagon Alley tomorrow? She took a deep breath, then slipped her finger under the seal.

I'll see you tomorrow morning then, Lily.

It was a relief, in a way. If this went well, maybe she could get through her first year of NEWT classes without having to worry about James Potter. Maybe her life would be normal.

Please review and let me know what you think!

If you would like to see Lily and James' handwriting the way they look on my computer, the fonts are Shelter Me for Lily and James Fajardo for James. Both were downloaded from DAFONT, which I'm sure you can find if you take the time to Google it. I'm not allowed to link to outside sites or I would just give it to you. Sorry.