A/N: Hi! I wrote this following the Prologue, so I uploaded them together. The Prologue is a flash forward and then this is where our story begins: just before the 7th year. Let me know what you think! Also, again, if there's any canonical mistakes, let me know so I can remedy that!
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to the Harry Potter story or characters. All rights belong to J.K. Rowling.
Chapter One
Lily gave one last look around her bedroom, making sure she had grabbed everything. For the first time, the room was almost completely empty. When Lily packed up for another year at Hogwarts, Petunia's things usually stayed behind, since Petunia never left. But Petunia had moved in with Vernon this summer, leaving the entire room to Lily. She had never been happier to be rid of Petunia's glares and snide comments.
She grabbed her trunk and hauled it down the stairs on her own and parked it in the foyer. She huffed and waltzed into the kitchen where she met her father, sipping his coffee and reading the morning paper. He looked up at his daughter, dancing her way into the kitchen and grinned at her. "Look who's in a grand mood this morning! I'm surprised you're so chipper, you're never usually up this early. I expected you to be a grumpy mess..."
She cocked her hip, and aggressively placed her hands on them, a fake scowl on her face. "You don't have to be so mean about it," she said, stealing the toast off his plate and munching on it, crumbs falling all over her shirt.
"Oi, watch it, you're making a mess there! Your mother just swept the floor in here yesterday!"
Lily shoved the rest of the toast in her mouth and ran away, looking for her mother. She found her folding towels in their laundry room, humming pleasantly. "'Lo there," she said, her voice low.
"Look at you! Awake before noon, that's gotta be a first. Who knew your alarm clock worked, eh?" Her mother joked, continuing to fold the towels.
"What is with everyone and my sleep schedule? Is it so wrong that I like to sleep through my summer before I give it up for the next eight or so months?" Lily protested, throwing her hands into the air exasperatedly.
"Do you really not sleep during the school year? Maybe I should have a chat with the head..." Her mother said, her head snapping up, looking inquisitively at her daughter.
"It was an exaggeration, Mother, don't worry about me. Besides, I've only one year left, I can stick it out," she winked, disappearing around the corner before her mother could argue with her. She ducked her head back into the kitchen, addressing her father. "You've got about ten minutes and then we've got to be on the road. I'd really rather not miss the train. Last year was a close call, yeah?" Her father grinned up at her again, his mouth full of eggs and gave a thumbs up.
The year before, he had been so busy trying to make sure everyone had eaten breakfast before they got on the road. It was a long journey, and he didn't want to hear any complaining that anyone was hungry, as he had experienced in past years. Petunia was notorious for skipping breakfast to save time, but then complaining about her hunger until she was satisfied. She was an annoyance to the entire car, which wasn't unusual for her. She did her best to annoy those around her, whether it was on purpose or not.
She skipped over to her trunk, ensured the locks were fastened. She was anxious to get on the road and on the train. She had missed her friends, only able to correspond via owl for the last two months. Marlene had asked Lily to visit on several occasions, but Lily could never find a way to get there. Plus, she enjoyed helping out at home, spending time with her parents. Now that Petunia was out of the house, their house seemed far more like a home. The tension had settled, and her parents seemed happier. She knew they could never choose a favorite daughter, but no one could deny that Petunia made their lives harder. She pushed and pushed when there was just no room left for anyone to go. Since she had moved out, Lily hadn't felt like leaving. She spent more time with her parents and loving her home, something she had never quite felt before.
"Ready, sweetheart?" Her dad called from the kitchen, his voice getting nearer.
"I've been ready!" She giggled. "Come on, slowpoke, we've got a long drive ahead of us."
She watched as the red bearded man came into view, hiking up his trousers, his belly spilling slightly over his belt. He hadn't noticed his youngest daughter watching him, so he continued to adjust his outfit. She smiled to herself, thinking she would surely miss this one day. A tear slid down her cheek, and she wiped it away before her father could see.
After a few hours, Lily started to recognize the buildings, her stomach turned as she realized she would be departing for Hogwarts in less than an hour. She leaned out the window and stared at the passing cars, the excitement etched on her face.
"Don't look so excited, Lily Pad. You might give some of us the impression you're dying to leave us," her father joked, using her childhood nickname.
"What are you going to do when I move out after this year? You'll have an empty nest, isn't that a dream of yours? Being alone in that house with Ma?"
She looked over at him, expecting a playful response, but a dark cloud seemed to pass over his face. "Don't say that. You know when you're gone, the house will lose it's life. You've always kept us all on our toes, even Petunia. Even if the two of you had your differences, you kept us all from tearing our hair out. Once you're gone...things will be different, Lily."
Lily stared at her father, a somber look on her face. "It's not forever, Daddy," she said, placing a hand on his arm.
He gave a weak smile, but didn't respond. The car slowed as they pulled into King's Cross. He parked and Lily didn't get out right away. She leaned over and gave him an awkward hug across the center console. His thick arms wrapped around her small frame, the only way a father's arms can. "I love you," his whispered into her thick red hair.
"I love you, too. Now let's clean ourselves up before we head in there," she said, her voice thick and laced with tears. She rearranged her features so she didn't look like she was about to cry; a skill she had perfected over the years.
The two heaved the trunk out of the car and bickered about who would carry it into the station. Lily insisted that she could handle it, but her father was keen on carrying it in himself. They each had a hand on the trunk and lugged it through the doors of the station until they could find a cart.
"If you're going to insist on pushing it, I'm going to sit on top of it," she threatened.
"Please don't, I couldn't handle that much weight," her father joked, poking at her side and jabbing her right in the ribs. She was as thin as a broomstick. She squirmed away from her father, her infectious laugh filling the station and spreading to those around her. People were watching her and her father, smiling courteously. It felt as if all eyes in the station were on Lily and her father.
"Oi! Get your soggy lump of an arse up or we're gonna be late!" Sirius said, jumping on James to wake him. He rubbed his eyes and reached for his glasses, placing them clumsily on his face.
"Alright, alright, relax! What are you, barking mad?" There was sleep still in his voice, and his anger was pouring through.
"Barking yes, mad no. Part of my charm, you see? Now get up, or we'll miss the train," Sirius joked, throwing a clean towel at James' head. "Take a shower, yeah? Or else Evans will avoid you like the plague. Except, maybe more than that, since she already kind of avoids you like the plague."
James clambered out of bed, trudging down the hallway to the bathroom. He could hear Sirius downstairs making conversation with Cooper, the butler. Sirius had always gotten on well with Cooper, something that James always admired about him. He always treated everyone as an equal. Well, everyone except the Slytherins, but they didn't deserve any kindness, anyway.
James climbed in the shower, scrubbing every last bit of summer off him. He wanted to arrive at King's Cross as a new man, one that was going to have a magnificent final year at Hogwarts full of danger and adventure, and (hopefully) Lily Evans.
He took the stairs, two at a time, rounded the corner, and skipped into the kitchen, having a seat next to Sirius. He stole a sausage off his best friend's plate, munching happily on his partner's breakfast. "Thanks pal," he said with his mouth full.
"I'd be upset, but Cooper will just make more if I ask, won't you Cooper?" Sirius looked over at the butler expectantly. Cooper was already taking out another pan of sausages. "See mate? Ask and you shall receive. Not a problem; eat the whole plate if you'd like. Just don't take your time, we've got to leave soon. I'm not missing the train and I don't think you want to either."
James started shoving several sausages into his mouth at once. Sirius was right (for once), missing the train would be a horrible way to start the year off. It would be their last time departing for Hogwarts, a tradition he didn't intend on missing. "Get a move on, then," he said through a mouthful of sausage.
Sirius followed suit and threw in as many sausages as he could fit. However, his had just come out of the oven and were very, very hot. His eyes widened and he hopped off his stool, bouncing around and trying to swallow. James doubled over in laughter, chuckling at his dearest friend. When Sirius finally swallowed, he scowled at James. "Thanks for the help, you useless git," swatting at James' head. James ducked just in time, still laughing.
"Come on, let's get going," he said between bouts of laughter. He clapped Sirius on the back and guided him upstairs to their waiting trunks (empty, of course).
The two young men hauled their trunks down the stairs a few moments later, haphazardly packed and undoubtedly missing important items, but they decided they didn't much care. As long as they made it to the train station on time, nothing else was important. They dipped their hands into the Floo Powder that the Potter's kept on the mantle, and disappeared in a puff of green fire and smoke to King's Cross Station. The two fell out of the fireplace, still laughing, pulling their trunks along behind them. They found two carts and pushed their things to the train.
It was then that he spotted the red hair that he had come to know so well. Even come to love, if he was being honest with himself. There was something about her hair that James would just melt over, though he'd never tell that to the others. They'd never let him live it down.
It was hard not to notice her, the way she was laughing with her father, like she didn't have a care in the world. It was obvious that the relationship she had with her father was important to her, and obvious to everyone in the train station. All eyes were on the pair of them; the way they acted together, things were just easy. It was an anomaly to James, something he had never experienced before with his own parents. He knew his parents loved him, and they spent plenty of time together, but it was never as easy and carefree as Lily and her father. He didn't realize he was staring until Sirius alerted him to it.
"Earth to Potter," he said, waving his hand in front of James' face. "She already knows you're obsessed with her, but if you keep this up, she's going talk to Dumbledore about it, and he might actually do something this time. Like keep you away from her. You've got to start acting like a normal person around her," Sirius said to him, a serious tone melting into his voice.
"I'm gonna go introduce myself. You know, make a good impression on her father," he said, ignoring Sirius and trying to smooth his hair, a concept he wasn't familiar with.
"Prongs, that idea is practically—" Sirius began, but it was too late. James had already wandered off, leaving his cart behind. "—mental."
James shoved his hands into his pockets and swaggered over to Lily and her father. The two were still laughing at some inside joke, causing those around them to glance over at their happiness. There was a glow coming from them that others were noticing, mainly James. "Evans!" he said coming up on them, blindsiding Lily. She didn't see him approaching, caught off guard. Her laughed faded, and he could see a look of panic pass her face before she recomposed her face. A quick glance at her father told him that calling his daughter by her surname didn't quite sit well with him.
"Potter," Lily said, formal. "I would say it's a surprise, but it's not."
"I just noticed you across the way over there," James started.
"Of course you did," Lily interrupted.
"And I thought the only polite thing to do would be come over and introduce myself to your father," he said, without missing a beat.
Mr. Evans looked at James funny, like he was trying to place the young man in a series of stories told by his daughter. "Then who exactly might you be, lad?" he asked.
"James Potter, sir. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm sorry it's taken so long, it's just that your daughter is very adamant—"
"That he doesn't speak to me, but it seems English isn't exactly his first language," Lily interrupted again.
"She's also has a wonderful talent of interrupting. You've got an amazing daughter, there, Mr. Evans. She's definitely something special to me," James said, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
Mr. Evans looked between Lily and James, a very confused look on his face. His head bounced between the two of them, like he was watching a heated tennis match. His left brow was cocked higher than the other and his mouth hung open, watching in awe. His eye caught to Sirius Black a few feet away, shaking his head into his hands, ashamed and embarrassed for his friend. "James, was it?"
"Yes, sir," James said, pulling his hand out of his pocket to shake Mr. Evans' hand.
"It seems that my daughter is very..." he searched for the word. "...perturbed by your presence. I think you might have more luck with someone a little less stubborn," he said, elbowing Lily. She threw a heated glance at her father.
"Listen to him, Potter, because winning with me happens once in a lifetime," her and her father met eyes. "Right, Dad?" He chuckled, holding his belly that just spilled over the top of his pants, nodding.
"Well, I'm betting that this is my once in a lifetime," James said, winking. He started to walk backwards towards Sirius who was still shaking his head. Lily smirked at him, but narrowed her eyes at James. She was annoyed that she had let him get the last word; with him, she always got the last word, and she hated letting her dad see the two of them go at it like that. It just got under her skin. She turned to face her father, but he had a knowing smile on his face.
"What's that look for?" she asked, the attitude leaking into her voice. If they weren't walking, she would have popped her hip like she had earlier.
"Nothing, nothing," he said, all-knowing, as fathers were. She gave him an incredulous look. "I just don't know why you're fighting him so hard. You know you're going to be together one day, right?"
Lily stopped walking, her jaw set. "That's not funny, Dad."
"Oh, come on, you can't see it? Your mom can see it, and she doesn't even know about it yet," he joked. "You're going to give in to that charm one day. You can only fight it for so long. He was pleasant," he said. "I liked him."
"Of course you do," she muttered.
"Oh, don't be such a sourpuss," he laughed, pulling her close. He kissed the top of her head and walked with her to the train, where she began to load her trunk sulkily.
