Chapter seven, Reassuring
When she doesn't answer for a long time, reassure her that everything is okay
Just for those of you who didn't remember: Last chapter when Lily told James she loved him, it was more of her saying it back to him. Re-read chapter three and you'll see he did say it first! On with the chappie:
He was still giddy after Lily proclaimed her love the other day, and that might have been what put the extra spring in his step as he almost skipped down the hall towards the common room. What sprang into his view when he stepped inside the room was, not Lily as he'd have preferred, but his best friend Sirius Black, which wasn't that bad.
"C'm 'ere!" Sirius said, grabbed his arm in a tight grip and led him to a couch where his other best friend, Remus, sat waiting.
Sirius pushed him down in the armchair opposite Remus, locking eyes with him intently with a serious look on his face. James smiled, predicting whatever would happen next would be somewhat amusing. It could only be, when it concerned Sirius and seriousness.
"Soo," James said after an awkward pause where nobody knew what to say.
"James, there's something we need to talk to you about…" Sirius said, his voice semi-calm and with the tone of one speaking with a child.
"Yes, go ahead."
"I'm about to if you'll be quiet already!"
"Alright…"
"You see, ever since two days ago you've walked around with this big smile. Huge, in fact. It's embarrassing, James, and it needs to stop. I have a reputation to uphold, you know? I can't be seen with a loony grinner or people will think I've suddenly gone and befriended Xenophilius Lovegood." Sirius continued with a condescending and serious voice throughout his monologue while Remus scowled at him. James found it difficult not to laugh as he had an idea what was going on.
Remus had wanted to ask what he was so happy about but Sirius wanted the "old James" back, as he'd already said once. Now they'd spoken with each other but Sirius had said the opposite of what Remus thought they should say. It was always that way, with everything.
"You cannot keep prancing around like a lovesick fool all days long, James. We need to pull some pranks, we haven't pulled any pranks in sooo long!" Sirius' voice was suddenly fifty years younger – whining.
"Let me get this straight…" James said a little confused. "When I'm sad, I'm not allowed to be sad but then when I get happy I'm not supposed to be happy?"
"Yes! Well, no. But you're not happy now you're…"
"Happy?"
"Unnaturally so. I can't even describe it, Remus help me out here, man."
Remus shook his head. "I don't think he shouldn't be happy so I can't help you Sirius, but I would like to know what the cause of this happiness is…" He grinned wolfishly. "Is it something to do with Lily?"
"Of course it is! Everything has something to do with her nowadays!"
"She loves me. She loves me, guys!" James grinned, his eyes gazing over slightly. "I wished, I wished so much, I was certain of it. Almost. But I must admit I doubted it when she never said anything. Now she has. She loves me!"
"Congrats man!" Remus fist-bumped him and Sirius looked awestruck.
"Really?"
"Yes!"
"Really, she said 'I love you'?"
"Yes!"
"Well, after what? Seven years of chasing, you totally deserve this!"
After a quick man-hug from both guys they sat down again. "So, you feel neglected, Sirius?" James teased.
"No! Well, yes… But it's only because we never prank anymore, you're just with Lily!"
"Never prank? We've pranked many times, Padfoot."
"Yeah, when?"
"There was that awesome prank in the great hall," "Yeah, it was pretty awesome…" "Then the week before it was the first years Transfiguration class," "The looks on their tiny faces were priceless!" "then we pranked the Slytherins a few times, the annual Valentine's day and the back-from-Christmas-holidays pranks, the one with the water balloons, the one with Peeves, the one with Mrs. Norris, the one with Remus' underwear…"
"WHAT?"
"Uhm, you didn't tell him?" James gulped.
"I thought you said you asked!" Sirius wheezed.
"Argh, just… argh!"
"But I guess I can try to spend a little less time with Lily…" James said reluctantly, "and a little more with you guys."
"Or," a sweet, feminine voice interrupted, "you could bring your girlfriend with you to meet your friends? Just a suggestion…" Lily surprised them all with her unexpected presence. She greeted the Marauders with a happy wave, as she sat down on James' lap, and James with a kiss.
"Hey guy, I was thinking…" Sirius began.
"Did you get hurt?" Lily shot back quickly.
Sirius pouted while James looked like Christmas came early. "I think he did!" he said and squeezed her closer, feeling relaxed.
"I'm appalled Lily! I expected this from James, Remus even, but never from you!" Sirius said wide-eyed and pressed a hand to his chest.
"Let's go, Remus." Sirius said grumpily, "I need some food…"
While they left James and Lily cuddled up in the coach, happily shutting out the rest of the world.
"You know I do like your friends, and if you want to be with them I'm totally fine with it? It may sound cliché and cheesy, but as long as I am with you I am totally fine." Lily said after a while.
"Now I know. But it doesn't matter. I love them, and I love you and if I can combine those two loves… well, that's great. But I see them every day, Sirius is just overreacting and I think he knows it himself, perhaps it is the upcoming graduation. Anyways, I'm just as cliché and cheesy as you are, so I'm fine as long as I'm with you." He replied sincerely.
"Good. Well, the graduation is scary. But one thing that is so great with you, James, is that sometimes you make me so happy I forget that I have nowhere to go after graduation. Sometimes you make me believe I'm not in danger, that I couldn't be one of Voldemort's next victims, just because I'm a mudblood. Sometimes, I think that the world is a happy place where we can all live happily ever after in peaceful harmony with the world. But we can't, and that sucks a huge amount of crap."
"Honey, I know. But don't worry, you won't be one of his next victims, you know that. Right? You must know I would never let him even lay his wormy slits of eyes on you! It's just a week left of school; you know everything will work out until then. Don't worry." He patted her back while he spoke, his voice quivering with emotion.
A thick silence spread when Lily didn't answer, nor made any indication she'd even heard a word he'd said. He knew she was worried, and had all right to, but still he wished she would answer him. But he was worried as well, not for himself. No, James was never worried for his own sake but there were many people around him he feared for. His best friend Remus who was in danger just because he was a "half-breed", because once a month he turned into a werewolf. Even though it was not his own choice, this fact put Remus' life in danger. Then there was Sirius, his other best friend, who had defied his families' beliefs, thus become an outcast amongst his family and relatives, and also wanted by Voldemort.
His parents, his beloved parent Harold and Jane Potter, known as blood-traitors in Voldemort's world because they didn't share nor support his visions. So their lives had to be cut short according to Voldemort. Then Lily, his Lily, was perhaps in more danger than any of them, and she meant the most to him. He couldn't even imagine a black ministry letter arriving for him one day, with her name inside. Bright, happy, loving, beautiful Lily Evans had to live until she was an old, really, really, really old woman. She was too nice not to. But still, there was a big risk she wouldn't, as she was like the Jews were to Hitler to Voldemort. But he'd fight for her, until he couldn't fight no more.
"I'd die for you, Lily. Everything will be alright. I swear it, it'll be just fine. Maybe not now, not this instant. Maybe not in a year, or two. Maybe not even in ten, but one day, he'll be gone and you and I we'll be just fine."
An: I'M SO ASHAMED BY MY POOR UPDATING. BAD AUTHOR, BAD AUTHOR! Honestly guys, I cannot say how ashamed I am. All I can really say is, life got in the way. The last weeks in school were though, you'd think they'd be pretty chill, but they weren't =( And I needed good grades so I had to study 24/7, then I lost my papers with KTG chapter 7 so I had to re-write everything, but it's better now and that's a positive thing! Anyways, on Thursday I'm going to Portugal for two weeks and I don't know if I'll be able to update from there. However I will update at least one more time before I go, my goal is three but two is the actually pretty though in itself. So if anyone is still reading this, I'M SORRY. But I'd be thrilled if some of you were still reading.
I've also decided the end, I've even written it, but there'll be 18 chapters so there's a few left until we come there. Sounds too much/little? I won't tell if the ending will be AU or canon, it a surprise! Anyways, I sincerely hope you'll forgive my poor updates and I'll try to fix another chapter already tonight! Much love to anyone still out there! (and anyone new!)
