A/N: Sorry for the wait. Here's the next chapter. Please review! As always.
By the time she'd decided to get out of the bath and get dressed, Lily had decided that she would tell James exactly what happened. That was the only thing she could possibly think of to get out of this mess, and maybe, possibly, HOPEFULLY he'd know something about it.
Maybe he was the one behind it all along, but she was pretty sure that he wasn't. He seemed to think that nothing was wrong, except the fact that, his wife (oh yes, the wedding ring she had finally noticed on her finger was proof of this…) was well, a bit moody today.
She made her way out of the bathroom, her red hair dripping all over the floor. She stopped once she was in the hallway not sure where to go to find James. After all, this house wasn't hers, and she had no clue where anything was. Then her nose hit her brain with a smell. The most heavenly smell in the world.
She hurried down the stairs towards it, wanting to find out what it was immediately. Her nose led her to just outside the kitchen door. She pushed open the door to the kitchen and instantly a smile took over her face. She couldn't help it.
James looked towards the door.
"What?" he said tilting, his head to the side completely unaware of why she was smiling, or what was so funny.
She grinned, looking down and then back up at his face.
"It's just…"
She giggled, hardly able to get the words out.
"…the apron" she ran a hand through her hair, as he looked down at his pink 'kiss the cook' apron. He sighed as he pulled it off and looked over at her with a frown.
"It's the only one we have…" He took something off the stove (Lily guessed that it was the thing that was calling her nose) and placed it in the middle of the table. He pulled out a chair for her, and she sat without complaint. Then he seated himself across from her.
"I just put Harry down for a nap a minute ago…which means…we'll have some peace and quiet for at least another hour." He said, watching her face and making her feel extremely awkward. Lily blushed and then nodded; looking down as she began to pile some food onto her plate, and began to eat hungrily.
James Potter was a good cook. Who would've guessed? Definitely not Lily, he watched her eat for a minute before piling food on his own plate. They ate in silence for awhile and it gave Lily time to think it over what exactly she was going to say. A thousand scenarios were going through her head. 'Well James, I woke up this morning and I wasn't quite myself…' no that was not good. He'd think she was crazy. 'James, Remember back in 7th year when I hated you?' Ugh. Nothing was working. She opened her mouth intending to make it up as she went along but then James shook his head.
"Lily…not now okay?"
She nodded softly, sighing, but then looked up.
"But James it's important!" she said a slight whine to her voice. James looked up at her and nodded, which Lily took as her cue to start talking.
"I woke up…and…" but then she stopped, realizing that any thing she'd say would sound crazy, because it was. She was definitely on her own with this one.
"I woke up…and…I was in a really bad mood…sorry about today…" She finished, not meeting his eyes. She'd always been a terrible liar.
He nodded, raising an eyebrow and biting his lip, the facial expression suggested that he didn't quite believe her. It was something he did in 7th year too. Every time she said she didn't want to go out on a date. Lily smiled in spite of herself.
"It's alright, Lily. We all have our off days. I love you."
He said looking at her a strange expression on his face. She realized instantly that he wanted her to say it back, but…could she? She hated him. Not loved him. Not in anyway…but this James was much different then the one she knew and hated. She didn't want to hurt him…He didn't seem all that bad. He actually seemed to really love her. She took a deep breath.
"I…" but then she bit her lip. She couldn't do this. She couldn't fake it.
"I…I'm tired. I want to go bed."
James nodded, somewhat sadly.
"Alright." He said a forced smile on his face. Something told her that this wasn't the first time, recently that her future self hadn't said I love you back to him.
She stood up, and headed for the door, wanting desperately to escape the awkwardness of the situation. Then James called after her.
"Lils?" he said softly.
She turned around. That name… Lils. The only other person in the world who called her that was her mother.
"Yeah?" she said just as softly as he had.
"I never forced you into this…or anything did I?" She could hear the fear in his voice. He was afraid of her answer.
She turned around slowly to look at him. What was he talking about though? Forced her into what? Into…Marriage?
"I'm not quite sure I know what you mean…" She finished a slight frown on her lips.
He sighed "Just…you want to be here? With me? Right now?" He asked, he sounded like he was going to break at any moment.
The clear answer was no. Where she wanted to be was back at Hogwarts in her normal 17 year old body, but she couldn't bring herself to say that, not at all. She shook her head. "Yes…I want to be here…with you…right now." She said it…and quite frankly…she was starting to believe it, not of herself. But maybe, someday. Her future self.
