James sat in an empty classroom mindlessly flicking his wand. Colorful lights lit up the room but quickly died out. He was paying very little attention to the magic he was performing. Earlier that evening, during dinner, he had received a letter from home.
James,
Your father is not doing well. Dumbledore is going to allow you to floo home Friday night for a visit. I'm really sorry you have to find out this way. Just know that we love you.
Love,
Mum
P.S. If Sirius would like to come he is also allowed.
Sirius had quickly agreed to go with him and although the Marauders were quick to offer sympathy, help and anything else he could need all that he really wanted was to be alone. While everyone else had been in the common room talking and studying he had grabbed the invisibility cloak and slipped out. Now here he was in the Transfigurations classroom, his favorite. James didn't hear the door open so he was unaware of another person in the room until they spoke his name.
"Potter," Lily started. "You really shouldn't be here right now you-"She stopped quickly when she saw the tears in his eyes.
"Sorry Lily, I'm just," James didn't know he had been crying. He quickly tried to wipe the tears away before looking back up into her brilliant green eyes.
"Pott-James are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," he replied. "Perfectly perfect." HA! He thought. I'm so far from perfect it's not even funny. As Lily walked closer to him he found himself wondering what it would be like to touch her hair, to run his fingers through it. It looked so soft. He tried giving her the signature Potter grin but she seemed to see right through him.
"Okay Potter but what is it really," she asked.
"I got a letter from my mum today," he started, finding himself very at ease with her. "My dad's health is declining. He doesn't really have much longer. The funny thing is, most Auror's kids would be happy to say their parents lived long happy lives and died of natural causes instead of at the hands of a dark wizard but I just feel like I didn't have enough time with him."
"He's taught me so many things, I just don't know what I'll do without him," James said, the tears starting again. Way to go Potter, James thought to himself. Now she's going to think you are an arrogant crybaby. He was even more upset that he'd divulged so much. She didn't need his problems.
"Oh James," Lily said. "I'm so sorry. I lost my father over the summer and it was horrible."
The next thing he knew she was hugging him. HER! As in Lilly Evans, the girl of his dreams. The one he'd wanted to hold for three years. She was hugging herself to his chest and he was sitting there like a moron in complete shock by her actions. She mistook his shock for displeasure and began to pull away from him.
"I, I'm sorry James. I didn't mean-"
Before she could finish her thought he pulled her back to him, holding her tight. If he couldn't have her as his girlfriend he would definitely take her as his friend.
They sat for a long time in silence, holding one another and crying quietly. Finally James spoke in a slightly shaky voice.
"Lily? I was wondering," he began. "Well since we seem to be comfortable enough to sit and hug each other in silence, well, I was just wondering if we-"
JLJLJLJLJLJLJLJL
Oh no, thought Lily. I gave him the total wrong impression! He is about to ask me out again! And I'm going to have to turn him down again! And right after he's told me about his dad. The thoughts were racing so quickly through Lily's mind she almost missed the actual question.
"I was just wondering if we could, maybe, be friends?"
"What?" Lily asked, shocked. She was quite surprised that his arrogance didn't encourage him to ask her out again.
"We don't have to be if you don't want," he answered quickly.
"No, no, I think that would be perfectly perfect," Lily said before her brain could say no.
Less than 10 minutes later they were standing in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady. Thanks to James' short cuts and invisibility cloak, that she had had no idea about, they had made it rather quickly. Lily found she was not quite ready to say good night to James Potter but at the same time was not sure what to say to get him to stay.
"Good night Lily," James said.
"Good night friend," replied Lily with a small wave before heading up the stair to her dormitory.
The moment she stepped foot inside her room her roommates bombarded her with questions.
"Was that James Potter's voice we heard?"
"Where have you been?"
"Are you okay?"
"Did he make you cry?"
"Can everyone please calm down and be quiet?" was Lily's only reply.
"So…?" asked Dorcas Meadowes.
So Lily began telling her friends the story. They giggled and gossiped well into the night before Alice said, "Well Lily, it's true, you both have got it bad for each other."
As Lily quickly denied the statement the girls dissolved into giggles while they returned to their beds and as Lily drifted off to sleep she wondered if James was dealing with the same inquiries.
He was.
