Things had changed, that much was evident. Since the celebration of Lily's sixteenth birthday, James had begun to see her differently. She was no longer that young girl racing through the streets. It was time to come to terms with the fact that she had bloomed into a beautiful woman. Well, not like she wasn't beautiful before, it's just that she wasn't a woman before.
They were lying in the hammock behind the Evan's house, staring up at the shimmering sky between the leaves of the trees. They stayed in comfortable silence for quite a time, until Lily broke it.
"You're eyes shine. You know that, right?"
"Huh?" James shifted his weight to his arms so that he could look at her on the opposite end of the hammock.
"Like pretty lights. They sparkle," Lily replied contentedly. He sat, propped up on his forearms, just watching her. She really was beautiful. His lips parted in a slight smile as his hazel eyes locked with hers, a startling emerald.
Meanwhile, the Evans' and Potters stood inside, sharing a nightcap after their frequent barbecues. The fathers were looking out the glass sliding door, witnessing the scene unfold before them.
"I never thought it would actually happen," Mr. Potter said, pleasantly baffled.
"Can't say I did, either," Mr. Evans responded. He swirled the beer around in the bottle he was holding before continuing. "But I really hoped it would. Make sure he treats my daughter right." Mr. Potter simply nodded, preparing himself for a talk he needed to have with his son when they returned home.
The mothers just smiled as they always did, rolling their eyes. They shared a look and turned their attention back to the couple in the hammock.
All the while, Petunia Evans sat at the table, alone, fuming.
*insertpagebreakhere*
"It's late. We should head back," Lily said. She glanced up at the sky, where the moon had risen and was past its peak. James nodded his consent and they stood up. Lily wiped her dirty hands off on her denim shorts and reached over to grab her father's old baseball cap.
They started towards James' beat up truck, abandoning the creek at which they'd spent the last hours of the day and well into the night. He opened the door to the passenger side and stepped back.
"Your chariot awaits, milady," he said sarcastically.
"Why thank you, good sir," she replied, sliding into the seat.
James jogged around to the other side of the car, hopping in and turning the key. The engine roared to life and the digital clock started flashing. It read: 2:00.
"Yeah, we've got to get back," Lily repeated.
"Your dad's going to kill me." James pulled out of the dirt annex where he parked, back onto the barren road.
"Nah, he likes you. He would go so far as to kill you."
"I guess if I were to die, I'd prefer it to be for you. Martyrdom sounds kind of cool."
"Shut up!" Lily laughed, gently shoving him.
By the time the truck puttered to a stop in Lily's driveway, she was leaning against James with her eyes half closed. A smile was spread across James' face like peanut butter on toast. He softly pressed his lips to the top of her head, whispering "Lily, we're here." She inhaled deeply and sat up.
"I'll see you tomorrow," Lily said, her voice coated in sleep. She peeked at the clock and chuckled. "Or later today, I suppose."
"Get some sleep, beautiful," James murmured as she got out of the car. "Good night."
She trudged up the front steps and opened the door, pausing to wave to James. Closing the door behind her, she leaned against it and exhaled deeply with a smile on her face.
*insertpagebreakhere*
"Well, fine! Don't apologize! See if I care!"
"Good, because I'm not going to!" James shouted back at her. He turned on his heel, stomping off towards his house. Behind him he heard a door slam, accompanied by an agitated shriek. At this point, he couldn't care less.
What had he done wrong? It seemed like the only thing remotely questionable in his actions was the fact that he smiled back at some flirtatious cheerleader at the football game he and Lily had attended together. Admittedly, that probably wasn't the best way to respond to the situation, but did it merit this full-fledged brawl between them? No, it didn't.
As he sat in his room, the bubbling anger had subsided and he began to feel a guilty sensation creeping in. He remembered rumors floating around school saying that he was cheating on Lily, and was bound to break up with her sooner or later. The rumors couldn't be more far from the truth. They were most likely started by some jealous schoolgirl, dumbfounded by the fact that James, the most popular and arguably best looking guy at Hogwarts (aside from Sirius Black, of course) could be in a committed relationship with Lily, the nerd. They obviously didn't see Lily the same way he did.
He sighed and grabbed a pad of paper and a marker. By that time it was late, very late, but he still strode out the back door and positioned himself below her window with the pad of paper held out in his arms.
The moon receded and was relieved by the sun and he still sat underneath her window. His eyelids grew heavy and his muscles ached but he persevered. When the sun had risen high enough to flood her room with golden light, she woke. He saw the shadow of a slim figure walk over to draw back the thin curtains. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When her eyelids drew back to reveal the emerald orbs she was known for, she gasped.
Lily had laid eyes on James, with his rumpled clothes and dark circles under his eyes. Not only did he look like he hadn't slept for weeks, he was holding a sign above his head that read "I'm so sorry." He caught her eye and turned the page. The next piece of paper read "I love you." When her jaw had dropped, he flipped the page once again. The final sign read "Forgive me?"
She nodded as silent tears stained her cheeks. The biggest smile she'd ever seen graced James' face and her heart swelled. Lily sprinted out of her room down the stairs, almost missed a step, out the door, and into James' outstretched arms.
A/N: Look who's updating so quickly? Should've been studying for my remaining finals... but oh well. You lot are more important. I finished writing parts three and four... when would you like me to post them? Let me know! It makes my day to see what you think, so keep that in mind as well. Special thanks to those who favorited and reviewed. Also, listen to the song that this is based on. ("Mary's Song" by Taylor Swift) It's seriously adorable.
Much Love, Sadie.