Disclaimer: I own none of the Harry Potter characters or anything related to them in this story. I own some of the characters, but if you recognize one, chances are it isn't mine.
June 1968
"James Potter! Get down here right now!" Lily Evans stood underneath a large oak tree in-between her and the Potter's yard. Looking up, she could see her neighbor's head poking out of the window of the tree house that James's and her own father had built for the two of them.
" Aww Lily," James grinned, showing a gap in his mouth where a tooth was supposed to go. "You're not mad at me, are you? Lily? All I did was put a frog in your pocket. It's no big deal."
"James! You are so mean! You know I don't like frogs. They're slimy." She shuddered to emphasize her disgust.
"I'm sorry Lily. It was just a joke." James started to climb down the rope ladder to the ground. The second both feet were off the ladder, Lily tackled him to the ground.
"Ok, We're even now." She smiled as she got off of James. She looked at him with her deep emerald green eyes and questioned him, "James." Her seven-year old voice was full of innocence, "Will we be friends forever?"
James looked thoughtful for a moment, the solemnly replied, "Lily, I promise that no matter what, we will be best friends forever."
Lily smiled and hugged him just as Mrs. Potter came out onto the porch and called, "James! Time to wash up for dinner. And don't you dare even think about bringing anything slimy into this house."
Laughing, Lily and James broke their embrace and walked off into different directions towards their own houses, not aware of what obstacles were in store for them in the future.
*****4 YEARS LATER*****
"Come on Lily," said James, impatiently waiting in the tree house for his friend to climb onto the platform at the top of the old rope ladder. "Hurry up slowpoke," he gently teased her, his big brown eyes full of sadness. "Sit down," he directed, pointing to a child-sized chair, dusty from lack of use.
As Lily settled herself into the chair, she looked around at their childhood escape. She smiled as she thought of memories from her and James's youth. Comic books and action figures were scattered all over one side of the tree house, while Lily's old tea set and paper dolls were neatly placed on shelves along one wall. Notes and pictures were tacked up on the walls along with a chalkboard used in the past to write notes to each other. Memoirs from when the tree house was the envy of the neighborhood kids. Sure, they had let other kids up here, but only their closest friends. Others had never set foot inside it. Not for a lack of trying, however Lily and James were especially careful, making sure that the door was securely locked every night after they had finished playing in it. Not all the tree house memories were good, Lily recalled, remembering the time when James and his friends Sirius, Remus, and Gryffin had held a sleepover in the tree house, and hadn't even bothered to invite her. In fact,
they had kicked her out when she had come up to see who was in her and James's play house. They had laughed at her and she ran home crying. That was two years ago, too long to stay mad at her best friend. Besides there had been times when she had played with one of her friends without inviting James.
But now, it was her and James in the tree house alone. Lily turned to look at her best friend and saw him close to tears. Immediately she began to worry. Something had to be wrong. Was Someone dying? Lily knew that James potter never cried. She had known him her entire life and had only seen him cry twice. Once, at her father's funeral last year, and then also when they were eight and she had gotten mad at him and kicked him in the balls. Lily had cried when she did that too, because she was afraid that James would hate her. When she had started to cry, he had stopped and comforted her. He was her best friend and they knew everything about each other. Even though at school they played with their separate friends, after school, on weekends, and all summer long they were almost inseparable.
Now Lily sat in their tree house, which was used less and less the older they became. This summer, neither of them had stepped foot inside until the warm day in mid-July when James asked Lily to meet him up in it before lunch.
James cleared his throat and refused to make eye contact with his best friend in the world. He was silent for a moment, deep in thought, absentmindedly running his finger through his unruly dark hair. Lily saw this and realized how serious this must be. James always ran his fingers through his hair when he was nervous. James looked up at lily and started to talk. "Lily," he began, "We've been best friends for as long as I can remember. You've always been there for me, and you've always understood me. I…I'm gonna miss you so much." He turned his head so she couldn't see his eyes start to water. He continued: "I hate lying to you, but I'm not allowed to say anything without getting into huge trouble. We've always been different but I've always had to hide it, now I have to leave, and I can't even tell you why." He slammed his fist on the tiny wooden table and looked at Lily. "When summer is over, you're going back to school and be with all of your friends, while I get sent away to live in a school without anyone I know. Its just not fair. Why Can't you be like me? Or why I can't be mug..normal I mean." He pounded his fist on the table again, making dust scatter.
Lily got out of her tiny chair and walked around the table to squat next to James's chair. She threw her arms around him laughed. "Don't be silly," she said, "Even if you do have to go away to a boarding school, we'll still be best friends. I can come and visit you, and we'll write to each other all the time. We'll be like pen friends. And you never have to lie to me. You know you can always tell me the truth, even if you're not supposed to, I won't tell anyone. You know me better than that. As for the school, you'll make new friends and bring them home for me to meet over the holidays. It'll be fun!" She tried to sound cheerful, but inside she was devastated. How could he?!?! Here she about to start in a new school where she knew no one but her snobby older sister, and he was leaving her!! This was not fair!
"Is that all?" she asked timidly, praying it was.
"Yeah," James mumbled, "That's all."
June 1968
"James Potter! Get down here right now!" Lily Evans stood underneath a large oak tree in-between her and the Potter's yard. Looking up, she could see her neighbor's head poking out of the window of the tree house that James's and her own father had built for the two of them.
" Aww Lily," James grinned, showing a gap in his mouth where a tooth was supposed to go. "You're not mad at me, are you? Lily? All I did was put a frog in your pocket. It's no big deal."
"James! You are so mean! You know I don't like frogs. They're slimy." She shuddered to emphasize her disgust.
"I'm sorry Lily. It was just a joke." James started to climb down the rope ladder to the ground. The second both feet were off the ladder, Lily tackled him to the ground.
"Ok, We're even now." She smiled as she got off of James. She looked at him with her deep emerald green eyes and questioned him, "James." Her seven-year old voice was full of innocence, "Will we be friends forever?"
James looked thoughtful for a moment, the solemnly replied, "Lily, I promise that no matter what, we will be best friends forever."
Lily smiled and hugged him just as Mrs. Potter came out onto the porch and called, "James! Time to wash up for dinner. And don't you dare even think about bringing anything slimy into this house."
Laughing, Lily and James broke their embrace and walked off into different directions towards their own houses, not aware of what obstacles were in store for them in the future.
*****4 YEARS LATER*****
"Come on Lily," said James, impatiently waiting in the tree house for his friend to climb onto the platform at the top of the old rope ladder. "Hurry up slowpoke," he gently teased her, his big brown eyes full of sadness. "Sit down," he directed, pointing to a child-sized chair, dusty from lack of use.
As Lily settled herself into the chair, she looked around at their childhood escape. She smiled as she thought of memories from her and James's youth. Comic books and action figures were scattered all over one side of the tree house, while Lily's old tea set and paper dolls were neatly placed on shelves along one wall. Notes and pictures were tacked up on the walls along with a chalkboard used in the past to write notes to each other. Memoirs from when the tree house was the envy of the neighborhood kids. Sure, they had let other kids up here, but only their closest friends. Others had never set foot inside it. Not for a lack of trying, however Lily and James were especially careful, making sure that the door was securely locked every night after they had finished playing in it. Not all the tree house memories were good, Lily recalled, remembering the time when James and his friends Sirius, Remus, and Gryffin had held a sleepover in the tree house, and hadn't even bothered to invite her. In fact,
they had kicked her out when she had come up to see who was in her and James's play house. They had laughed at her and she ran home crying. That was two years ago, too long to stay mad at her best friend. Besides there had been times when she had played with one of her friends without inviting James.
But now, it was her and James in the tree house alone. Lily turned to look at her best friend and saw him close to tears. Immediately she began to worry. Something had to be wrong. Was Someone dying? Lily knew that James potter never cried. She had known him her entire life and had only seen him cry twice. Once, at her father's funeral last year, and then also when they were eight and she had gotten mad at him and kicked him in the balls. Lily had cried when she did that too, because she was afraid that James would hate her. When she had started to cry, he had stopped and comforted her. He was her best friend and they knew everything about each other. Even though at school they played with their separate friends, after school, on weekends, and all summer long they were almost inseparable.
Now Lily sat in their tree house, which was used less and less the older they became. This summer, neither of them had stepped foot inside until the warm day in mid-July when James asked Lily to meet him up in it before lunch.
James cleared his throat and refused to make eye contact with his best friend in the world. He was silent for a moment, deep in thought, absentmindedly running his finger through his unruly dark hair. Lily saw this and realized how serious this must be. James always ran his fingers through his hair when he was nervous. James looked up at lily and started to talk. "Lily," he began, "We've been best friends for as long as I can remember. You've always been there for me, and you've always understood me. I…I'm gonna miss you so much." He turned his head so she couldn't see his eyes start to water. He continued: "I hate lying to you, but I'm not allowed to say anything without getting into huge trouble. We've always been different but I've always had to hide it, now I have to leave, and I can't even tell you why." He slammed his fist on the tiny wooden table and looked at Lily. "When summer is over, you're going back to school and be with all of your friends, while I get sent away to live in a school without anyone I know. Its just not fair. Why Can't you be like me? Or why I can't be mug..normal I mean." He pounded his fist on the table again, making dust scatter.
Lily got out of her tiny chair and walked around the table to squat next to James's chair. She threw her arms around him laughed. "Don't be silly," she said, "Even if you do have to go away to a boarding school, we'll still be best friends. I can come and visit you, and we'll write to each other all the time. We'll be like pen friends. And you never have to lie to me. You know you can always tell me the truth, even if you're not supposed to, I won't tell anyone. You know me better than that. As for the school, you'll make new friends and bring them home for me to meet over the holidays. It'll be fun!" She tried to sound cheerful, but inside she was devastated. How could he?!?! Here she about to start in a new school where she knew no one but her snobby older sister, and he was leaving her!! This was not fair!
"Is that all?" she asked timidly, praying it was.
"Yeah," James mumbled, "That's all."