One moment she was there, and the next, she was gone.
James blinked once, and then twice, and then rubbed his eyes. It was her, he knew it was. He had spent seven years sitting behind her in class, and spent nearly every waking moment watching her, admiring her, memorizing her every detail. Not much had changed at all.
The loose braid she always wore, taming her wild auburn hair only just so. The way her lips curled up in the corners when she smiled. The slight spring in her step as she walked, always with a book clutched to her chest, as though she was trying to keep up with the rest of her classmates who were a good foot taller than her.
Oh, he would definitely remember Lily Evans.
Fate was funny in that way. Lily Evans and James Potter were as alike as a cloud and a bush, water and fire, day and night. Thus, they never got along, and any interactions between the two would usually result in a shouting match, a battle of wits. He secretly enjoyed those. Perhaps he was a masochist. Or perhaps they were the only time she would look him in the eye.
She had lovely eyes.
So how they both ended up at the same place, that Station along the F-Train, at the same time - 6:03 pm, in New York City, 3 years post-graduation, when he'd thought he would never, ever see, her again…well, the irony only made James chuckle. Fate had given him a second chance.
The last time he saw her, was too at a railway station. It was the last day of school at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, his home for the last 7 years.
All around him, tearful goodbyes were being exchanged, promises made to keep in touch, and of course, frantic last minute searches for missing luggage and owls.
She was standing among her friends, arms linked together in one last final show of togetherness. They were talking, laughing, and his heart gave a little flop as it always did when he saw her.
The sudden sharp barks of laughter from his friends caused him to pull his gaze away. He wouldn't miss this lot, because they would be in his life even past this day, he was certain. They were like brothers - they were inseparable.
"Go get her," nodded Peter. Of course they knew what he was thinking, they always did.
With nothing more than their encouraging smiles, sweaty palms shoved in his pockets, and fragments of the things he would like to say to her, he turned on his heel and walked resolutely in her direction.
Suddenly, the shriek of the train's whistle sliced through the night, and the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station, it's thick tower of black smoke rising tall among the blue Scottish sky.
"Potter!" shrieked and all too familiar voice.
James turned, finding himself face to face with Professor McGonagall.
Strange, he remembered her to be taller.
"Didn't you sign up for apparation home instead of the train? Please, would you mind making room for the ones who actually are boarding?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes Professor, but you see…" James trailed off, his eyes catching on a quick movement of red that had just disappeared into the train.
One moment she was there, and the next, she was gone – but this time, he would not let her get away.