Tale As Old As Time.
Chapter I:
Say it isn't so
Peace spread all through out Godric Hollow, the old king had died leaving the kingdom in the hands of his son, Prince James, who was known to be kind and fair to he's people. In spite of his youth, everyone agreed Prince James would be remembered as on of the best rules in the history of the hollow. Everything was going fine, the whole kingdom rejoiced when the news of the upcoming nuptials between Prince James and the beautiful Lady Helena- who was part of on of the most aristocratic families in Trinity City, the town closest to the royal palace.
James (he insisted he was not to be called 'highness' or 'prince') thought he was happy. A month away from his wedding, however, all this changed…
Sirius Black, one of James' best friends, was partying (as it was his custom) in a 'Gentlemen's club' (yeah, right!) in Trinity City, he was about to leave for the palace when a couple in the street caught his attention.
Said couple was talking, whispering as if talking of a secret, near a street lamp on an alley. The light from the lamp didn't quite reach them but Sirius was able to recognize the voices. One belonged to Helena…
"He's almost on my hands. We'll be married in a month. After that it will be only matter of time, Godric Hollow will be ours."
"I hope you aren't letting him get too far…" the man spoke, it was a raspy, deep voice that sent a chill down Sirius' spine, "Keep in mind that all of this," he roamed his ands all over Helena's body, "is mine."
"Don't worry," Helena answered. Her voice was a little bit too breathy. "James is too 'honourable' to even suggest it."
"He's a romantic fool, and that will be his downfall," the man laughed a very creepy laugh. "Now go, Lady Helena, be the chase, pure and virginal bride-to-be you're pretending you to be."
"You make it sound so sordid…" Helena smiled, retreating to the darkness and exiting the alley. The man waited for a moment or two and then left, as he passed the street lamp, Sirius was able to see his face and he did not very much like what he saw: Severus Snape. Sirius knew Snape, he and his father had been exiled by James' father years ago under charges of treason.
Next day, in the Royal Palace…
"If what you tell me is true, you have to tell James." Remus Lupin, another of James' friends told his other friend, Sirius, as he finished his retelling of what he had seen on that darkened alley.
"What do you mean 'if is true what you say'? Do you doubt my word?"
"Of course not, Sirius, but you haven't been the same since Clarisse left you… you have been drinking a lot, and that might have clouded your judgement."
"It has nothing to do with Clarisse, Remus, don't play that card. I know what I saw."
"Then you have to tell James."
"Tell me what?" James asked entering the drawing room where his friends were. "Remus? Sirius?"
"It's about Helena, I saw her yesterday when I was leaving the gentlemen's club in the village, she was talking to Snape…"
"I can't be, Snape was banished from these lands."
"I know that, James. But I know what I saw, they were together and they are conspiring against you…" Sirius told James exactly what he had seen the day before, James listened to the whole thing with an expression that went from disbelief to anger.
"It can be." James repeated, though he sounded lest sure.
"James, have I ever been wrong?" Both James and Remus looked at him. Sirius rolled his eyes, "when it has been something important?"
James shook his head. "It's true, then."
"I'm afraid so." Remus answered in his soothing voice.
"My lord," the butler said, "Lady Helena has arrived."
"Tell her to come here." James said voice cold.
"What are you going to do?" Sirius asked uneasy.
"You'll see."
Helena came in.
"James, darling, if we hurry we'll make it just in time to the bakers. We have to pick the cake."
"I won't go."
"But darling!" Helena whined. "You promised we would go! If you keep cancelling the appointments we will never marry."
"Precisely. The Wedding is OFF!"
"What!" She screamed offended.
"Say hi to Snape for me, and next time find a better place to meet with your lover."
"Is not true," Helena cried, "whatever they told you, is not true!"
"Helena, unlike you, I have don't make lying a custom of mine." Said Sirius, voice grave. "I saw you." Helena was silent, she knew there was no possible defence she could make up. Faced with the choice between her word and Sirius', James would pick Sirius' without hesitation.
"Aren't you even going to defend yourself? Is true, isn't it? God dammit! Speak!" James was furious; in his rage he threw a table across the room. "Say something! I know you can't defend yourself, because you're noting more than a serpent! If you bite your tongue you would poison yourself!" There was such hatred in James voice that Remus and Sirius feared he would do something… er… harsh.
"What do you want me to do?" Helena yelled suddenly.
"Run, runaway and never, NEVER come back. Go with your lover… and if I hear you have set foot on my lands again I'll have you killed and throw your body to the dogs. Now, get out!" James grabbed Helena's arm and threw her out the door.
Closing the door in his face James spun around and, for the second time in his life – first being the one during his sixteenth birthday, thanks to Sirius – James proceeded to get truly, utterly drunk. Sirius and Remus drank with him, not saying a word, there was noting they could say to make things okay.
"Why?" James asked to himself once Remus and Sirius had passed out wasted. "I put my soul and heart in her hands, I thought her an angel and all the while all I had been doing was letting a snake into my house."
James stumbled across the room till he reached a set of double doors that opened to the balcony. "I'll never love again." James swore.
And that's how His Royal Highness James Potter, Regent Prince of Godric Hollow, swore out of love before even reaching the age of nineteen.
Far away from James' troubles, a pretty sixteen-year-old girl by the name of Lily Evans was swearing never to fall in love in the first place.
Lily lived in Quiet Village, a little town in the outskirts of Campo Real, Godric Hollow's neighbouring kingdom. Lily was the daughter of the resident crazy inventor of her town. She was very happy with her father, who encouraged her to be independent and think for herself.
It happened the morning of Lily's sister's, Petunia, wedding. She was marring Sir Vernon Dursley, Quiet Village's Major.
"This is so surreal!" Lily commented with her friend, Cinthya Kersh.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, look at Petunia, she is being all love and smiles… so unlike her! And all because she is marring the caveman we have for Major."
"Well, Lilly, Love does that to people, Lily. Sometimes it brings out the best of us but others…"
"It turns you into a complete idiot?"
"Something like that."
"Well, I'm telling you now, Cinthya, if I ever start acting like … that – " Lily motioned towards her sister, "You have my permission –as well as my plea – to kill me and put me out of my misery. Never will I drool over some caveman with more muscles than brain!" Lily declared.
"You say that now that you're a girl, sweetie." Sarah Kersh, Cinthya's mother, told Lily. "When you grow up everything change, believe me. One day your heart will just start to do weird flip flops inside your chest and you will feel butterflies in your stomach and that weird emotion that comes when you're near the person you love and…"
"It sounds a lot like being sick." Lily muttered as Sarah kept talking about the wonders of love.
"I can't wait to feel that way." Cinthya said.
"I won't fall in love, Cinthya. I just simply won't let my heart do it." Lily said with a resolute glint in her eyes.
As if it was so easy…
And that's how two people gave up on love, unconscious of what fate had in store for them…