A/N: SORRY about the late post. Now me giving you another chapter and deleting the author's note doesn't mean that I'll be updating every day :) It's more about 'here, have a chapter. I hope it doesn't looked rushed, I'm still doing my work, but love all of you'.

Chapter Ten: A Certificate of Authentication

"L-Lily?" James stuttered. "You got my note?"

"Of course I did you pillock. Why else would I have met you down here?" she retorted.

She peered at James a bit more closely, walking up to him. He did a funny half-shrug with one of his shoulders, and he seemed transfixed at not catching her gaze.

"Wh-…" Lily began, "What's wrong, James?" She walked over a bit closer, and touched his arm. To her shock, he pulled it away and began to walk off.

"James? Wait, come back!" Lily said, jogging after him. "What's wrong with you? What's the matter?"

"Nothing. Leave me alone, I'm fine," he choked out, blinking repeatedly.

"Since when is it acceptable to lie to your girlfriend, hmm? I think you're forgetting that you asked me to meet you here. Or is it that you want to br-break up?"

No. It isn't possible. We're going to stay together forever, that's what he said.

"No! At least, I don't think I do," James stalled, frowning.

"Good. So why are you upset? Why did you get me to come down here?"

James sat down on the damp grass, and started to concentrate on twirling grass around his fingers.

Lily sat down beside him, not looking at him. She sensed that now was not the time to press him. Merlin knew what went inside boys' heads these days.

Ten minutes had passed. James had halted playing with the greenery, and instead opted for hugging his knees and staring into the distance.

"It's okay if you can't tell me, you know," Lily said softly. "I'm still here."

"It seemed like such a good idea, asking – I mean, uh, telling – you. But it's harder than it looks," James said, looking up. He seemed like he was looking for some sort of approval from her.

"I know," Lily lied.

"Exactly. That's why you're so perfect." James sheepishly glanced sideways at her before looking down at the ground again. Lily moved up closer, and put her arm around his waist.

"You can tell me anything, you know," she whispered softly.

"I – you see, the thing is-" he struggled, suddenly glaring at a wrinkled leaf on the ground. He picked it up, and began ripping it to shreds.

"James? Why aren't you in class? You don't usually have a free period before lunch on Thursdays." A terrible thought hit her. "You haven't done anything, have you? You haven't been expelled?"

"No I haven't been expelled," he spat out, sounding as though he wish he had. His anger soon disappeared in his voice. "McGonagall came to visit me before classes this morning. She – ah – she told me that – that dad had, uh, p-passed. So, you know, I could have the day off. I - I'm leaving tonight to stay with mum."

Lily looked stricken. "He –" she lowered her voice "he's – gone?"

"Yes." James glared at a nearby tree, blinking fast again. Then, he turned around. He got up onto his knees, and looked her in the eyes questionably.

'Come on, Lily. Please understand'.

"Of course I'll come with you," Lily said, answering the unspoken question.

'We really are made for each other. Marry me?' James thought.

"Never leave me?" he asked instead.

"Never leave you," Lily answered, with no hesitation. "Love you. Remember?"

James grinned weakly, and threaded his fingers through her hair. "Do you think McGonagall will let you off school for a couple of days? And do you think the Marauders will mind that you're coming and not them?"

"I think they're used to it, James," she grinned. "I'm coming whether Professor McGonagall says I can or not! I might even go to Dumbledore."

She got up and grabbed his hand, pulling him up with her. "Come on, let's get back inside. It looks like it's going to rain."

Harry looked at the piece of paper. It looked as though Lily had bought some expensive jewellery at Grabbsmiths' Jewellers in Hogsmeade. He wondered why she had put it in her box of rubbish.

He threw it back on the bed. After all, it's not as if he even had the piece of jewellery.

"Here. Have it," James ordered, holding it out to her.

"Oh James – I can't – it's so beautiful. Where did you get it?"

"It was my mum's," he said, looking down at his feet.

"Was?" she asked shrewdly. What sort of family plagued by death had she let herself into? Mrs. Potter was alive and well as far as she knew.

"She's got loads! I'm sure she wouldn't notice, Lil," he protested. 'Oh no, she was going to be mad…' he thought, as Lily's eyes flashed angrily.

"I won't accept this. You stole it!" 'From my future mother-in-law…' she added hopefully, in her head.

"Not really. Once she told me that I could have any I wanted from this certain box, to give to my lady friends," he grinned, inventing wildly. 'I'm so glad girls can't read minds.'

"Really? I truly love your mother. She is almost as sweet as you. You didn't give out much of her jewellery did you?" she added quietly, glancing sideways at him.

"You're the first," he breathed. 'Not counting Helen or Sirius' girlfriend.'

James hated lying. Well, not really. Just to Lily. That was another thing he could add to his mental list of profound changes that Lily could bring about in him.

"Will you put it on for me?" Lily asked innocently.

He stood behind her and she lifted up her hair. He unclasped it put it around her neck, doing it up. He stood there for a little while, breathing on the back of her neck. She slowly dropped her hair, noticing that they had somehow manoeuvred themselves in front of the ornate gilded mirror outside James' room.

They both looked at each other uncertainly, and then Lily looked appreciatively down at her necklace.

It was a locket, with a glittering emerald set in the eye of the face of a girl. She covered it with her hand, and looked up at James. "Is it a real emerald?"

"Uh. No, I don't think mum would like me to give that away if it was," he said, tugging at his collar.

She smiled back into the mirror. 'Liar,' she thought. 'I love you.'

"Lily, could I see you a moment please?" Mrs. Potter called across the table.

Lily's widened eyes met James'.

"I won't be long," Mrs. Potter reassured.

Lily followed her upstairs to her bedroom where she quickly rounded on her. She stalled for a moment, wondering what to say.

"I'm not even going to ask where you got that necklace. Look after James at school for me. And have this," she came out with, looking troubled.

She walked over to a little box on top of her chest in the corner, and rustled around for a few minutes. Finally, she picked out a sheet of paper, looking triumphant.

"Here, you might need this someday," she said, thrusting it into her hands. "Do me a favour and keep James busy. Don't let him think too much, and make sure he gets the grades he deserved. It's what his father would have wanted anyway," she said with a sniff.

"I'll take care of him for you." Lily looked across at her. She nodded in understanding, and Lily felt a bit closer to the woman.

'Yes. We both have to keep an eye on him.'

Lily stood with her back to the bedroom door and looked down at the scrap of paper in slight disbelief. It was a certificate of authentication from Grabbsmiths' Jewellers. Lily knew she'd never sell it. So she slipped it into her box.
Okay, so this began out as a fluff, but then steadily got angstier and angstier. It then grew a bit of fluff. The chapter I was trying to originally write got out of control, so I'll write that one properly another time. I know James is a filthy liar! Sorry about that. James doesn't sound too upset in the necklace part because he's trying to be a strong man.

Please R&R