A/N:In honor of our favorite Boy-Who-Lived and the incredibly wonderful J.K. Rowling celebrating birthdays today, here is my first Harry Potter fic since my one-shot "James Sirius Potter"!

Summary: Before the end of their final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, James Potter and Lily Evans find dark and difficult times await them as the war against the Dark Lord Voldemort intensifies. Will their love survive all that is to come? Only time will tell...

(Pairings: James/Lily, Harry/Ginny, Ron/Hermione, Remus/Tonks)


Chapter 1:

The End Is Only the Beginning

As Seventh Year- and Head Girl- Lily Evans made her way down to the Great Hall for breakfast one morning in late April, she couldn't ignore the feeling of dread settling in her stomach. She had a feeling something was wrong, but couldn't figure out what or why. As she headed toward her seat at the Gryffindor table, Lily giggled at her boyfriend- and Head Boy- James Potter, who had a smudge of jelly on his cheek, clearly from a piece of toast.

James looked up, half-smiling at Lily, as she giggled. "What's so funny Lily-flower?" He asked. Instead of answering, Lily picked up James's napkin and wiped his cheek. "How is it you get so messy when you're eating toast," she teased, "you're like a four-year-old when it comes to food." James laughed and glanced at the members of his gang- the Marauders. "Padfoot's worse than me, though." He laughed at the look on Sirius' face. "Sorry, Padfoot," he said, still laughing, "but it's true." Sirius looked at Remus and Peter, the other Marauders, and just shrugged, going back to shoveling food into his mouth.

"Whoa, Sirius!" Lily exclaimed. "What?" Sirius looked up at Lily, mouth filled with food. Lily shook her head, "Don't put so much in your mouth at once or you'll choke." She said. Sirius swallowed the dog-sized bite of food and threw his head back in a bark of laughter. "It'll take more than stuffing my face to kill me, Evans. Quit sounding like a mother hen." Lily blushed at the comment and finished eating.

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"So, Lily," James said, looking down at Lily as she lay in his arms later that morning. The couple was enjoying some time to themselves by sitting under the maple tree near the Black Lake, watching the giant squid's tentacles lazily poke out of the water. Lily turned her head to look up at James, "Yes?" James smirked and kissed the tip of Lily's slightly up-turned nose, silently counting the freckles sprinkled across it as he continued, "What are you planning to do after we graduate?" Lily looked out at the Black Lake, thinking. "Well," she replied after a few minutes' silence, "I've always wanted to be a Healer at St. Mungos. I'd love to help people who need the care, and that includes you, Mr-Soon-to-Be-an-Auror Potter."

James snorted and tickled Lily's side, causing the feisty redhead to laugh uncontrollably, as the sun sank lower over Hogwarts.


A/N: There's the first chapter! Sorry if it's kind of short. I ran out of ideas. Lol.

Read and review and I'll post a second chapter!

-Morgan