They're hazel. His eyes.

They sparkle like a thousand stars. No, like a thousand suns.

Six years ago if you had asked Lily Evans what the color of James Potter's eyes was, she would have said brown. But now, as she sits in her Charms class, not listening to her professor, she closes her eyes and pictures James' eyes. They are hazel. Not brown.

James' eyes are a million different colors at the same time. There are the golden flecks here and there that are especially evident when he is outside on a sunny day. There is the green that Lily has noticed when he gets really happy - a green that mirrors her own green eyes. There is the occasional grey - when he is particularly upset - and then there is the glassy brown - when he is calm. And those were just the main colors. In addition to these, there were the in-betweens - the grey-greens, the golden-greens, the golden-browns, the golden-greys…

"Uh, Miss Evans!"

Snap! She blinks her eyes open to find Professor Flitwick looking at her curiously. "Miss Evans, are you alright?"

"Fine, professor." She blushes, embarrassed. She looks around to find the class empty. Had she fallen asleep? Fallen asleep while thinking about Potter's eyes? Potter's eyes… "I've - I'm a little - "

The professor smiles at her kindly. "It's alright, my dear. You look exhausted." He pats her hand comfortingly. "Get some sleep."

She gathers up her books and quills, and walks out of the class.

As she heads towards the dining hall, she sighs. I fell asleep in Charms because I was distracted by Potter's eyes. She groans.

………………………………

During dinner she eats quietly, while Dorcas and Mary talk about the upcoming Hogsmeade weekend.

Lily forks some pumpkin pie into her mouth, and looks sideways at James Potter, sitting a couple of seats away from Dorcas. He doesn't seem to notice her. He talks animatedly with Sirius, laughing and grinning every couple of minutes. Lily sighs. Eyes.

When he laughs, he throws back his head and laughs loudly, hiding nothing. His eyes are half shut. But then, when the laughter subsides, his eyes open up, and they are like a thousand magnificent suns. And then suddenly, those eyes are on her, and she blinks, caught.

She can't look away. She tries, but she can't. He smiles slowly, a dimple appearing on his left cheek. He gets up from his place at the table. Black throws him a confused look. But James proceeds to get up and walk slowly towards where Lily is seated. He sits down, across from her. Dorcas and Mary stop talking abruptly, and look at James strangely. But, he isn't awkward.

"Hello, Dorcas… Mary," He nods at them. They smile back. He turns to Lily - "Hi."

She says, "Hi."

"How are things?"

"Things are okay," she says. They haven't broken their eye contact. And frankly, for Lily, this was getting a little intense. His thousand suns are burning into her eyes. Her eyes are watering, and yet, she cannot look away.

"How are you?" It's not a question that was meant for making conversation. No, he actually wanted to know how she was.

Not too well, she wants to say. I feel like I'm missing something. I feel a longing for… something.

Instead, she says, "I'm alright." His raised eyebrows tell her that he doesn't buy it.

She sees the difference in him. He is changed. He isn't the same James Potter anymore. He still walked with his head held high, like he owned Hogwarts, but there was a certain humility in it. He just wasn't as arrogant anymore. She still saw him pull the occasional prank, but it just wasn't as immature anymore. Or… was it her? Had she changed? Maybe he was as bad as ever, but she had gotten used to it. Or worse yet, started liking it?

No, it was him… and her. They had both changed.

He had become a teensy bit more mature. And somehow, his annoying little habits were annoying no more.

………………………………......................................................................

He is the crowned prince in her fairy tale . He is the hero in her story.

She used to hate that he acted like he owned the earth he walked on - his head held high, his height giving him that imposing look, his eyes bright - so, so bright. Bright as the sun. But, he is the crowned prince. It's him. He didn't act like he was that way. He just was. She sees that he was born to be great, to do great things, to save the world… to save her.

The savior. He has it in him to be the savior. He is almost always the first one to volunteer for any mission for the Order. It isn't just that he likes the thrill in it. Yeah, the risk, the danger involved play some part in James's enthusiasm. But, that isn't the main thing. No, one look at his eyes and you know that there is something more to it.

Those eyes tell all - they convey his ambitions, his dreams, his destiny. They tell of his passion, his need to fight against the darkest forces of the time, his need to protect everyone around him…

They run, their arms and legs scratched and cut by the long sharp limbs of trees. They run, their feet crushing fallen leaves on the ground of the forest. They run, their hearts hammering like drums, their feet getting sore, and their minds numb with fear. There's a flash of green from behind… missed…. Then a flash of red….missed… Green again… missed again…

They keep running. They cannot apparate, because they have to find Dorcas before apparating… and she is nowhere to be found. Sirius, leading the group of them, looks pale, afraid. Lily finds it scary, seeing the usually cool and calm Sirius look so grave. He's yelling out, "Dorcas! Dorcas!" But in vain.

And then suddenly, they find Dorcas running towards them, from the opposite direction. Sirius yells, "Dorcas!" The group runs towards her, and she towards them. When they meet, Sirius grabs onto Dorcas, hugging her to him, a huge smile on his handsome face.

"Let's apparate together!" Sirius says, and everyone grabs on to the hand closest to him or her. Lily reaches over for James' hand, but -

From behind, a Death Eater has caught up with them, and he grabs Lily by her waist. She shrieks. The others have apparated. And she feels her heart sinking. She is left alone…

She struggles to point her wand at the man holding her captive, but he is behind her. She also cannot remember any spell at this point. Her mind is blank.

She's going to die…she is going to die… she is going to die…

But -

"STUPEFY!"

And suddenly, she is free.

It's James.

"LILY!" And his arms go around her waist. "Hold on!"

They apparate together.

When they hit the ground, she has no idea where they are. But she doesn't care where they are. They're alive - that's all that matters.

His arms stay on her waist. He holds on as if he refuses to let go. She is fine with that.

When he does let go, she turns around and sees it. Sees him - her savior, her hero.

There are cuts and bruises on his face. There are bleeding wounds that may leave scars. And then, there are his eyes. They are untouched, but troubled. There are no physical wounds on those eyes. But, there are plenty of worries in them. Worries for her… But, there is something else too in those eyes…

Her future… the rest of her life.

………………………………................................................