James's eyes had followed Lily through most of the game. His obvious lack of attention toward Janice had caused her to begin sulking and pouting, but James didn't care. He had eyes only for Lily. When he saw the Quaffle hit her arm, he knew what was coming and reacted instinctively. But she was too far away and falling too fast; he would never make it in time. He could not reach his wand; it would slow him down too much, and he could not remember the exact spell which would slow her descent. He needed to move faster. Bending his head, he managed to increase his speed slightly. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, but he cared about nothing but the falling figure which was rapidly approaching. A sudden burst of speed brought him directly under Lily, and he caught her in his arms with a sigh of relief. He expertly guided his broom to the ground with his legs and landed lightly.

As soon as he stopped, Lily struggled out of his arms and onto her feet. She turned to storm away, but he caught her arm. "Let go of me and go back to Janice," she told him angrily, attempting to twist her arm out of his grip. He held firm, however, and stepped off his broom. Her eyes seemed consumed with rage. He remembered that look well. It was the same look she had on that night Sirius had nearly killed Snape. Thoughts of that fateful night came flooding back, and James instinctively pulled her to him once more. She struggled briefly before passion took over, and she eagerly returned the kiss. He pulled back after a few seconds and looked at the others who were hovering above, watching the scene unfold. "We'll be back in a bit. Continue without us," he called. As they walked into the forest, the others shook their heads and began to fly back into position for the game. Janice, however, broke off from the others and followed James and Lily into the forest.

After walking for about five minutes, James sat on a stump and pulled Lily onto his lap. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and said, "I guess you want an explanation."

"It's okay," Lily assured him. "I understand now that nothing's going on. I'm sorry I got so jealous."

"No, I want to explain. You see, my parents have been good friends with Janice's parents since before I was born. Awhile back, Janice's parents decided that I would make the perfect husband for Janice, and she agreed. My parents had no objections to the match. I think I was the only one who did not like it. Since then, they've been pushing us together whenever they can. I've told them I don't want to marry Janice, but they're quite persistent."

"Your parents didn't seem upset that I was your girlfriend and not Janice."

"Yes, well, they don't think our relationship's going to last that long. They still hold onto the naïve belief that Janice and I will eventually get together."

"Why don't you want to? She seemed perfect for you. She's beautiful and a good Quidditch player."

"And those are her only two attributes. I want someone who's funny, kind, smart, has a good personality, modest. . . I want you, Lily. I love you with all my heart, and no one else can ever replace you. I want to be with you forever."

"Forever? As in marriage forever?"

"Once we get a bit older, sure. I love you, Lily Evans. I always have, and I always will." With that, he brought his lips to hers and pulled her close to him.

The following night, the Potters and Lily visited Janice's house for dinner at her parents' request. James knew the dinner was merely another chance for the Coltons to persuade James to date their daughter, and he was determined to resist their efforts. When they arrived, the Coltons ushered the four into the dining room, directing them to their seats. As he had expected, James was sitting next to Janice while Lily had a seat next to Janice's younger sister, Chelsey, at the opposite end of the table. Immediately, James inquired, "Can I switch seats with you, Chelsey? I like that side of the table better." Chelsey, who had always been in awe of James, immediately agreed, and James took a seat next to Lily with a smile. The Coltons frowned but saw no way around the new development.

"You could have stayed where you were. It's not like they're forcing you to marry the person you're sitting next to," Lily told him.

"Ah, but then I couldn't have done this." James reached under the table and squeezed Lily's knee. She jumped slightly before beginning to reprimand him under her breath.

"So, your last name is Evans, correct?" Mr. Colton asked Lily.

"Yes, sir," she answered.

"Funny. I don't recognize the name Evans, and I know most prominent wizards."

"My parents are Muggles," Lily explained.

"Oh, really. How nice." Mr. Colton exchanged a look with his wife which clearly showed he thought Lily's heritage was anything ut ice. James decided it was time to intervene.

"Lily makes top marks in everything, Mr. Colton. She's top of the class," James said.

"I wouldn't go that far," Lily said.

"You're just too modest to admit it," James told her. "She got seven O's on her O.W.L.'s."

"Really? Are you taking N.E.W.T.'s this year?"

"Yes, sir," Lily answered. "I'm taking eight."

"Well, that's a lot. Our Janice here is taking eight, too."

"Really?"

Mr. Colton glanced nervously at his wife before continuing. "Well, not quite eight. Actually, three. But they're very hard."

"Which ones are they?" Lily asked.

"Herbology, Divination, and Muggle Studies," Janice answered proudly.

"Those are diffieult," Lily said, attempting to keep the sarcasm from her voice. James wisely held his tongue, for it would have been impossible for him to refrain from being sarcastic. "What school do you go to again?"

"Slaketon. It's up north," Janice told her.

"In my opinion, it's the best wizarding school in Britain," Mr. Colton declared. "Hogwarts is a close second, of course."

"Of course," James said, his voice dripping sarcasm. Mr. Colton appeared not to notice; however, Lily glared at James. He merely gave her his childish grin and grabbed her hand under the table. "Couldn't help it," he muttered under his breath. His fingers slowly caressed hers, tracing each one. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she told him.

"I'm sorry about putting you through this. Whenever you want to leave, just say so."

"It's okay. I can handle it."

"Sometimes, I think you have more guts than I do."

"Impossible."

For the remainder of dinner, Mr. Colton continued to enumerate his daughter's good qualities. When Lily excused herself to use the restroom halfway through the meal, James followed. He met her in the hallway where she was slowly taking deep breaths. "I told you they'd get to you," James said as he joined her. "We can always leave if you like. The door is right over there."

"No. We need to stick this out."

"Suit yourself. Before we go back in there, though, how about a little pick-me-up?" He brought his lips down on hers, and his hands slowly traced the small of her back. Before he could move them up any further, Lily pulled away. "Anybody can walk through. Wait until we have more privacy."

"If I must."

Lily saw the raised eyebrows when she and James returned together, but she ignored them and took her seat. It took less than a minute for Mr. Colton to recover and begin praising his daughter once more. "I think you and she would make a great couple, James. Don't you?" he said after a couple minutes. As he said this, James suddenly snapped.

"Haven't you figured out by now, Mr. Colton, that I am not interested in your daughter? I do not want to date her, and I certainly have no desire to marry her. I'm in a wonderful relationship with Lily, the girl I love whole-heartedly. Yes, I said love. Now, if you'll excuse us, I think we should leave before I do something I'll regret." He grabbed Lily's hand and pulled her with him out the door, heedless of his parents' shouts. When he was finally outside, he was breathing heavily, trying desperately to control his rage. "I apologize for everything," he told ily. "I know you wanted to tough it out, but I couldn't stand to sit there and watch them act as if you were invisible." He stepped closer to her. "You mean the world to me, Lily Evans."

"They're coming out," Lily muttered as he leaned toward her.

"Let them." James closed the small gap between their lips as the door opened forcefully.

All too soon, it was time for Lily to go home. "I'll see you again in two days," she reminded James as he said his goodbyes.

"That's a long time," he told her. "I don't' know if I'll last that long."

"Oh, come off it. You're being silly." Although she told him this, Lily understood his feelings perfectly. She was very reluctant to pull away from his embrace. "Two days," she reminded him, blowing him a kiss. With that, she was gone.

For the following two days, James sulked around his house, counting the minutes until his visit to the Evans's. Christmas was not nearly as enjoyable without Lily. When the morning of December 26 finally arrived, he said a quick goodbye to his parent before grabbing his trunk and coat and Apparating into Lily's backyard. She was waiting for him; the door opened as soon as he appeared, and Lily rushed out to greet him. He dropped his trunk and spread his arms wide as she grabbed his neck. His mouth soon found hers, and the two eagerly kissed as if tomorrow would never come. A figure appeared at the doorway, and James felt something hard collide with the back of his skull. He looked up to see a short, plump woman brandishing a broomstick. She was wearing an apron with a large, red stain across the front and seemed quite motherly in appearance—except for her eyes which shot daggers at James. "Get away from her!" she shouted, swinging her broomsticks again.

Lily grabbed the end of the broom and said, "Mum, this is James. Remember, I told you he'd be coming today."

"Oh, right." Mrs. Evans' face suddenly became much more pleasant and less demonic. "I'm sorry. I completely forgot. I hope I didn't hurt you, dear. Please come in and sit down. You can have some leftovers from breakfast."

"Thank you. I'd enjoy that." Mrs. Evans led him to a spotless kitchen where the remains of breakfast still sat on the stove. She quickly filled a plate with bacon, eggs, and toast before placing it in front of him. He quickly began to eat one-handed, his other hand still clasped in Lily's. As he ate, Mrs. Evans peppered him with questions about school, himself, and his relationship with Lily.

"So, how many of these gecko classes are you taking?"

"They're N.E.W.T.'s, mum," Lily reminded her.

"I'm actually taking eight."

"Same as Lily."

"Well, Lily has Ancient Ruins, and I have Care of Magical Creatures. But other than that, we have the same classes."

"And you do well in your classes?"

"I've already told you he's top of the class, Mum," Lily said.

"Well, I must say, it's a pleasure to meet you. And I am happy that my daughter has chosen you."

"I am, too," James told her. Before the conversation could continue, a girl who looked to be a couple years older than James entered the kitchen followed closely by a young man. The girl was short and wiry with a long, bony neck and mousy brown hair. The man, who looked to be about twenty, was large with broad shoulders and a thick neck. His nose was merely a lump in the center of his face, and his small, beady eyes seemed incongruous next to his other large features. The girl, who James decided was Lily's sister, Petunia, walked to Lily and held out her hand.

"Look what Vernon gave me," she announced. "We're getting married at the end of April. And you can't even hang onto a boyfriend." James cleared his throat loudly, and she turned to him. Her malicious expression immediately softened. She offered a hand. "I don't believe we've met before. I'm Petunia."

"I'm James. Lily's boyfriend."

Petunia burst out laughing. "How much did she pay you to say that?"

"Nothing. It's the truth." Petunia looked at him for a second before seeming to come to the conclusion that he was not lying.

"Congratulations, Lily. I wonder how long he'll stick around." Petunia laughed maliciously, and she and Vernon went into the adjoining room.

"Speaking of presents, I've got a Christmas present for you," James whispered to Lily.

"I have one, too. Let's go upstairs." After excusing himself, James followed Lily upstairs. She pulled out a long box. "Merry Christmas, James." Puzzled, he opened the gift to find a poster of the Irish Quidditch team. On each of the players' robes was a signiture. "I know Ireland is your favorite, so I found this poster and sent it to each of the players begging them to sign. Obviously, it worked."

"Thank you." James gave her a long, passionate kiss. When he finally pulled back, he extracted a box from his robes. "I'm sorry it's not a ring," he said as she opened it. "But an April wedding would be fine if you want. . ." His voice trailed off as Lily opened the box and gasped. Inside lay a beautiful gold locket. Opening it, she saw the left side had a picture of her and James in one another's arms laughing. On the right, there was a single word: Forever."

Lily kissed him. "It's perfect. I'll always wear it."

"Are you sure?" he inquired as he fastened it for her.

"Positive. We're too young to get married anyway. Maybe after we graduate."

"Anytime is fine with me. I'll wait for you forever, Lily Evans." He pulled her to him in a deep, passionate kiss. Slowly, he moved his lips down, kissing her neck before beginning to nibble it slightly. His hands moved up slowly, circling her stomach before pushing her bra away. Gently, he lowered her onto the bed. It took all of Lily's willpower to pull away from him.

"We're going to do something we'll both regret if we continue," she told him, sitting up. "Let's go downstairs. Maybe we can watch a movie."

"If you want."

When the two entered the living room, they found Petunia and Vernon settling down to watch a movie. James sat in the available armchair, pulling Lily into his lap. She snuggled against his warm, comfortable body, trying not to smile triumphantly at Petunia who was glaring at her. Vernon had not even placed his arm around her. With a smile, Lily decided the night might not turn out too bad after all.

James soon grew bored of the movie (Lily was not surprised—it had virtually no plot line, and she found herself nodding off during parts). He quickly found anther means of distraction which served the dual purpose of keeping Lily awake. When the movie finally ended, Lily glanced over at Petunia and Vernon. Vernon had fallen asleep on Petunia's shoulder, and drool slowly dribbled out of his mouth. Throwing a disgusted look at Lily, she rose suddenly to her feet and left the room. Vernon fell on his side without waking up. "Alone at last," James whispered into Lily's ear before continuing what he had been doing. For once, Lily did not worry about what her parents might think if they walked in or who might see her. She loved James deeply and wanted him to know.

James had to share a room with Vernon that night. It was small and cramped with two beds jammed into it. On top of it all, Vernon snored. James lay awake, staring at the ceiling above and thinking (naturally) about Lily. He imagined what the future might hold and what they would do after leaving Hogwarts. Her certainly wanted children—the more, the merrier, in his opinion. And pets, too. They could have a large house somewhere out in the country. A quiet place where they could be safe.

Safety. With Voldemort's rapid ascent to power, it was paramount. James wondered whether he could protect his family if he had to. Despite Dumbledore's confidence in him and Lily, he could not help but think that Voldemort had killed many wizards with much more power than James. If he continued to target James and Lily as he had been, there would come a time when he would win. James had vowed to protect Lily with his life and would gladly do so. But would his life be enough? Filled with these thoughts, James fell into a troubled sleep.

The following night, James sat on the couch next to Lily, listening to the radio play songs he had never heard before. Suddenly, Lily exclaimed, "This is my favorite! Let's dance, James."

"I don't dance," James told her.

"And I don't play Quiddithc, remember? Now, come on, I'll teach you. It's easy." Sighing, James rose to his feet and let her lead him to the middle of the floor. She placed one of his hands on her waist and clasped the other in her own before beginning to show him the steps. It took a few crushed toes and nearly an hour before he caught on. "This is different than Quidditch," he mumbled, pulling her closer. "If you mess up dancing, you hurt your teacher; in Quidditch, you hurt yourself." Lily laughed and drew even closer to him, laying her head on his chest. She could hear the steady thumping of his heart and smell the cologne he was wearing. It was peaceful and safe in his arms.

All too soon, the clock chimed eleven, and Lily's parents told the two to turn the music off. Since neither was tired, they decided to take a walk out under the brilliant, star-lit sky. Everything seemed perfect to Lily; it was too good to be true.

The next couple days flew by. Thursday found James outside with Vernon and Petunia. Lily had left to find her coat, and James found himself shifting from one foot to the other in the awkward silence that followed her departure. After a few seconds, Vernon spoke. "You and Lily seem close," he observed.

"We are."

"So, have you done it yet?"

"Done what?" Although James knew exactly what he was talking about, he deemed it wise to avoid the topic.

"You know. Have you shagged her?"

"That's really none of your business."

"That's a no if I've ever heard one."

"So what if it is? I don't have to shag someone to have a good relationship with her."

"You need to rethink that, mate."

"I am not your mate! And I think you are the one who needs to reconsider your approach to relationships."

"My approach is fine. If I ever had a girl with an ass like yours has, I'd have her in bed quicker than-"

"Don't ever talk about Lily like that again!" As he said this, James pulled his wand from his pocket and pointed it straight at Vernon. Without thinking, he waved it and said the first spell which popped into his head. Where Vernon had once been standing, a plump pig now stood, squinting in fright. Petunia began to scream.

"You bastard! Look what you did to my fiancé! You and your stupid, horrid magic!" At that moment, Lily walked out. She took one look at the scene before her and realized what had happened. A flick of her wand restored Vernon to human form. Angrily, she rounded on James.

"What were you thinking!?"

"Vernon said-"

"You aren't allowed to do magic on Muggles. You could be expelled! And you shouldn't use your magic for evil anyway!"

"I just-"

"I don't want to hear your excuses! I thought you had changed!"

"I have! If you'd-"

"Obviously I was wrong. I was stupid to think this relationship would work out!"

"No, it can. We-"

"It's over, James! This relationship was doomed from the beginning."

"Lily, I-"

"Just go home, James." She turned quickly, leaving James with no option but to Apparate back to his house.