The sun had just dipped below the horizon, leaving the clouds a candy floss pink. The wind whispered through the trees, gently ruffling the newborn leaves and flowers that had only just poked out of the ground. An old swing set swayed back and forth, a reminder of much more peaceful simple times.
A woman, fresh out of schooling, walked along the familiar path, past the swings. She smiled nostalgically for she had spent her childhood summers here, giggling and trying to fly. A black haired boy had told her she was special here, but now the black haired boy she was with was not the original. A twang of sadness passed through her, and as if he could tell, her new companion squeezed her hand. She felt the odd, unfamiliar sensation of a ring adoring her finger.
Cokeworth, England. The woman, Lily Evans, had all but abandoned her old neighborhood as soon as school had been out. She'd written to her mother saying that it was dangerous for her to live at home because muggleborns and their families were being killed every day. It wasn't so bad, living away from home; she'd done it for seven years already. Now was different, she supposed, because she wasn't living inside a school with hundreds of kids and teachers, but instead was living with James Potter, her boyfriend—er, fiancée—in a tiny flat just outside of London.
That was the whole reason she was coming back anyway, she'd gotten engaged.
Engaged to a boy she'd heavily disliked for some time. To a boy that she'd only ever complained to her parents about. A boy that, to her parents knowledge, she still despised. And now she was engaged to him, they were getting married in two months and dear god what was she thinking? She was dating James, but to their knowledge, not James Potter. Not the one she'd hated. But she was. There was so much they didn't know! They were going to hate her for barely writing and—
The sudden sensation of a kiss being planted on her cheek interrupted her quickly down spiraling thoughts. "It's okay, Lil, I'm right here." Sometimes she wondered how he was so in tune to her that he could pick up on the slightest negative feeling, and know just what to do. She was in the present again, and grounded and oh god, was that her house?
"It's not too late to go home right?" Lily reached out and gripped tightly onto James' sleeve. He laughed heartily, dropping her hand and throwing the same arm around her waist.
"We've come all this way already." He said. "And the door's just a couple steps away."
"I can't do it." She spun around, planting her hands on his chest and pushing him backwards. "Let's go home and do something else. We can shag, that sounds like fun, yeah?"
"I'm not disagreeing," He placed his hands on her hips, effectively stopping her shoving. "But I would rather meet your parents before we've gone off and gotten married."
Lily huffed loudly. "Brilliant." Spinning around, she marched right up to the door, James just behind her, and knocked. She began to tap her foot with impatience.
"I'm not saying we can't shag later." James muttered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. Right. Perfect. Something to look forward to then.
When the door opened, it revealed a stout, balding, ginger man who had eyes like Lily's. Mr. Evans smiled upon seeing her, throwing his arms out and enveloping her in a hug. And she was a little girl again, in her father's arms as he told her that Petunia couldn't stay mad forever. They'd work through it.
It felt so good to be back in her father's arms.
"Flower!" He squeezed her shoulders.
"Dad," Lily smiled brightly for the first time in too long.
"Is that Lily?" Came a voice from within the house. Not a moment later, a woman with graying-blonde hair stepping into the doorway with her husband. Mrs. Evans kissed her daughter on the cheek as way of greeting, turning to James next.
"Is this him then?" Mr. Evans asked gruffly, surveying James.
"I'm James," James said holding his hand out, which both Mr. and Mrs. Evans took and shook in turn. "Very pleased to meet you, finally."
"It took Lily entirely too long, dear." Mrs. Evans smiled. "Come in, both of you! There's tea in the kettle and biscuits on the table, eat what you please!"
In typical James fashion, he made straight for the food. Lily watched him go with a smile adorning her face. She headed to the den, where her and her parents settled in. They made small talk for a few minutes, until Mrs. Evans almost burst completely.
"Lily?" She all but shouted.
"Yes?" Lily was sitting on her hands.
"You're happy aren't you?"
"Very, why?"
"Well your father and I…" Mrs. Evans hesitated.
"We don't hear from you anymore." Mr. Evans finished, clasping his wife's hands in his. "He's not… keeping you from calling right?"
"Oh god, Dad, no," Lily almost laughed. "I've already told you it's because I'm muggleborn and it's dangerous!"
"I know, dear, but we're only worried." Mrs. Evans sighed.
"I'm fine, Mum, I am." Lily sighed, catching James' eye as he walked in, mouth full of biscuits. "In fact, James and I have some news."
Her parents exchanged a look. "News?" Mr. Evans questioned.
"Oh god," Her mother gasped. "You're pregnant!"
James almost choked.
"I knew it! You've been acting off since the moment you got here!" Mrs. Evans continued, covering her face with her hands. "You're pregnant and, Lord Lily, you're too young for kids! What will you do? How will you make money?"
"AND JUST WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT THIS?" Mr. Evans bellowed, turning rather red in the face. He wagged his finger about at James, backing the poor boy into a corner. James glanced at Lily, eyes screaming for help.
"I'm not pregnant, okay?" Lily shouted standing and placing a hand on her father's shoulder. "I'm engaged! We're engaged, James and me." She lifted her left hand into the air, waving it about. That seemed to calm her father down, and he backed away from James, who quickly sidled up behind Lily, the big chicken.
"Oh," Mrs. Evans blinked. There was a moment of awkward silence as her parents grappled for something to say.
"How does Potter feel about it?" Mr. Evans piped suddenly.
"Excuse me?" Said James.
"That Potter boy, you must know him," Mr. Evans gestured wildly with his hand. "Flower here was always complaining 'Potter this' and 'Potter that'. Said he fancied her. Said she didn't, but the Missus and I never believed that one. You went to school with her. You'd know him." There was another moment of silence before James completely busted up. He placed an arm around Lily, leaning into her for support as he laughed. Completely red, Lily hated her father's habit of rambling on when he was nervous. Something she'd adopted herself. She sighed, elbowing James in the stomach.
"Careful, Evans," He muttered quietly against the skin at the base of her neck. She tried very hard to hide the shiver of pleasure that rocketed through her.
"Careful, Potter or I'll aim much lower next time." She threatened, in an equally hushed tone.
"Is that a promise?" She could feel him smirking. She could bloody feel his stupid prattish smirk that drove her mad, and at the same time made her want to snog him senseless.
Mr. Evans cleared his throat.
"Right, um, Dad," Lily began. "This is James Potter."
Her mother gasped. "The tosser?"
James began laughing anew. "That'd be me, Ma'am." He managed between fits.
"Oh," She echoed. "I wish you'd written more Lily, this is embarrassing!"
"I told you, I can't!"
"Why not?"
"It's dangerous!"
"You keep saying that, but—"
"Mrs. Evans?" James cut in.
"What?"
"It is dangerous." His voice was serious, more serious than he'd been all night. And Lily remembered the harder, darker version of James that came out in Order meetings. She recalled how he could draw the attention of a room very easily. She remembered how he'd promised a shag later.
"There's a war between pureblood wizards, like myself, and muggleborns, like Lily." James continued. "A man named Voldemort has been systematically infiltrating our government and murdering our people. It's dangerous because if you're a known muggleborn, they can find your family. They being the Death Eaters, Voldemort's knights, so to speak. Once they've got your family, they'll do horrible things to them for you to give information or allegiance. They believe in blood purity, meaning no muggle-wizard breeding, and a lot of the purists aren't Death Eaters. They're just people in society.
"It's dangerous because at any moment the two of you, and Petunia, could die, simply for being related to Lily." James' hand slipped into Lily's. "So she can't write much."
"Lily," Her father breathed, eyes betraying nothing but pure terror for his daughter.
"It's okay, Dad." Lily assured. "We're fighting them. James and me, and a whole group of other people are fighting them. Mom, Dad, we're going to win."
"We have to." James finished, nodding solemnly.
"Right," Mrs. Evans swallowed. "I believe in you both. Can we change the subject now?"
Lily laughed. It seemed everyone agreed to that because soon enough they were laughing and joking about old times. Her parents told stories about when Lily was a child and dishes would shatter for no reason if she didn't get her pudding quick enough after meals. Even digressing into the story of how the Evanses met. All of their minds were off the war until it was late, and time for James and Lily to leave.
They all crowded around the door, kissing and hugging goodbyes. Lily was successfully out the door, when Mrs. Evans grabbed onto James' sleeve.
"You listen to me," She looked at James with an expression so like her daughters; James couldn't help but stand straighter. "No matter where you are, who you're with, you're going to protect my daughter and any children you may have together no matter what."
"I would die for them." James promised.
"Good man," Her mother cupped his cheek affectionately before finally letting them go.
Halfway down the street, James leaned over Lily, grinning crookedly. "I believe I promised you a shag?"
"That you did, James Potter. That you did."
A/N- Hey! Hoped you liked it! Long time no post, right?
Anyway this is from an anon request I got on Tumblr, and usually I wouldn't post it, but I really enjoyed how I wrote this one. So here it is, in all its glory.
As always, I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters.