A Rose Renamed

Grace Journal 2.0 Entry 35

Date: October 25, 1977

Ergh! I still can't stand this new journal! The one I have back in 2023 is so much better! I actually have to write in this one because I can't remember the "insert memory" spell anymore. I just hope that James and Fred don't find that one…I have all my personal memories in there. Literally. I still can't believe that they honestly thought that I would put all of my prank ideas in their journal. You always have to have some secrets, right?

Anyways, today was more than eventful. I went into James's room to look for his Transfiguration textbook (and other things…*cough* invisibility cloak *cough*) when I opened his cabinet. Apparently, the Head dorm has a pensieve like the Headmaster's office does. So anyways, I was totally not snooping around, and I kind of looked at it, got dizzy, and next thing you know, I'm submerged in the memories that James put in.

I swear that I was going to pull myself out of the memory. But my curiosity got the best of me. The memory showed how James and Lily became friends and all of James's sensitive moments. How could I miss out on that!? Here is what the memories showed:

Flashback #1:

I found myself right outside the Whomping Willow. Standing right next to me was James, Sirius, and Peter. Peter and Sirius looked exhausted but otherwise perfectly fine. James, on the other hand, looked like he had survived the Hunger Games or something.

"Moony needs to lose weight," complained Sirius, "He's getting fat off of Honeyduke chocolate! He should be considerate of us having to haul him over here every time!"

"If you want to be the one to wrestle him to throw away the chocolate, be my guest," Peter said quietly. If he had said it just a bit louder and more sarcastically, it could have been funny.

Sirius completely ignored him. He turned to James and blinked. "What the heck happened to you?"

James opened his mouth to explain, but he didn't get very far. From afar, someone had just screamed.

"Nooooo!" screeched a voice that could only be Lily. I could see her running toward the guys now. She had dropped all of her books in a hurry to get to them.

Up close, Lily looked as pale as death itself. James opened his mouth to try to explain, but Lily was hysterical.

"You're covered in blood – and your shirt is ripped – and there's tufted fur in your hair! I knew that you idiots would try to do something to help Remus! Now you're going to have to pay the price!" She broke down sobbing again, hugging James, who looked quite overwhelmed by all the attention he was receiving.

Sirius mouthed something that looked like "Milk it for all its worth!" James finally got over the fact that he was being hugged by the love of his life and hugged her back.

It was all lovey-dovey when Peter decided to ruin it. He looked so confused. "What do you mean he'll have to pay the price? You don't actually think that he'll become a werewolf, do you? He'll be fine; we're all Animagus after all."

Lily staggered away from James for a second. "What?" she asked, still sniffing a little while removing her grasp from James.

Peter rolled his eyes. "He'll be fine! He's an Animagus!" he exclaimed, "And you all always call me dumb."

Sirius took the moment to slap his own forehead and take in Peter's stupidity.

It took Lily a few seconds to comprehend what he said. Then, she took a deep breath and asked with a much more dangerous tone, "What?!"

James opened his mouth to talk again, but Lily had lost it. "JAMES HARRY POTTER! HOW COULD YOU DO SUCH A THING!? THAT IS SO IRRESPONSIBLE AND YOU COULD HAVE DIED ON THE WAY OR BEEN PERMANENTLY DISFIGURED! AND NOW YOU COULD GO TO AZKABAN FOR BEING UNDERAGE AND UNREGISTERED! YOU THREE ARE SUCH IRRESPONSIBLE, ARROGANT AND UTTER IDIOTS!"

James gaped at her, clearly not knowing what to say. Lily's face gradually returned from bright red to its normal color. She tackled him with another hug and sobbed, "Don't do that ever again to me, okay? Don't make me worry about you being okay! And don't be so idiotic ever again!"

I caught one last glance at James's shocked face before the Whomping Willow dissolved.

Flashback #2:

The scene reformed into a hallway. A sickly looking Remus was walking with Lily. I was with James under his invisibility cloak. Lily was clearly interrogating Remus for answers.

"Remus! Please!? Oh, come on!" begged Lily. "Just tell me what you guys have been up to! I'm worried that you guys are going to get hurt! You know that these kinds of skills can attract Voldemort–"

James seemed a little startled by the name. He tripped over his invisibility cloak and fell on top of Remus. Both Remus and Lily looked startled to say the least. Or at least, Remus did for a moment. He lost consciousness in a matter of seconds. Lily took one look at the invisibility cloak. She looked bitter and spat out, "Another secret? Seriously?"

James managed to sputter out, "Lily, it's not what is seems like–"

"What is it then?" Lily glared dangerously. That shut James up quickly. "Listen, I know that we've had a lot of bad history. But we already had that conversation about being friends. Just friends." She added that last part after looking at James's expression.

James tried to protest. "We are frien–"

"Friends tell each other everything!" exclaimed Lily, sounding clearly frustrated. "Maybe you guys should trust me. Tell me the truth for once. I could actually help you! Plus, isn't that what you say you always wanted; for me to stop yelling at you?"

James had an indescribable expression on his face. I couldn't tell what he was thinking. Finally, he broke out into an impish smile. "You want to know everything? Well, Professor McGonagall mentioned something about how she'd love to get with Professor Slughorn…"

Lily gave him a slightly disgusted look, but she understood that that was how he was apologizing. She put out her hand to James who was still sitting on a knocked out Remus. "Friends?" she asked.

James's smile faltered for a second before strengthening. "Friends," he affirmed, taking her hand. The hallway dissolved.

Flashback #3:

The scene reformed in the Heads Dormitory. James and Lily were by themselves, finishing homework.

James didn't look happy. "Why did I decide to continue Arithmancy? I hate it so much! I don't even need it!"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Why did you take it then?" she asked.

James stopped for a second before saying, "Well, I got an O for my O.W.L.S. for it." I noticed though that he had to think about what he was going to say. He also blinked too many times; he was definitely lying.

"Well, you're lucky that I'm still taking the course," replied Lily, scooting next to him to look at his work.

"Yeah, pure luck," mumbled James, just so that Lily couldn't hear him.

Lily finished correcting his math. "It's a miracle that you got an O for this class! That was the most horrific math I've ever seen. Lucky you don't need it for…what don't you need it for again?"

"I want to be an Auror," replied James. "Like my dad."

"You must really look up to your dad."

James sighed. "I'll be lucky if I'm half the man that he is."

"We all should be judged on our own merits," Lily spoke softly, "I'm proud to say that I know you."

"What happened to thinking of me as an arrogant, bullying toe-rag?" smiled James.

"Well, you know what they say; you can't tell who someone truly is until you share a room with them for a week," Lily said sarcastically.

James laughed before looking pensive again. "So, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

"An Auror, for sure."

"Any reason why? I don't suppose that your parents are Aurors?" asked James.

"First of all, both my parents are florists, which explain my awful name. Second–"

"–you don't like your name?" asked a bewildered James.

"Ugh, no! I hate it. I wish I were called Rose, or maybe even Daffodil!" complained Lily.

"Well, no matter what, 'a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet'. And I personally love your name. It just has a good ring to it." As he said it, he turned red, as if he were thinking about "Lily Potter" rather than "Lily Evans."

Lily didn't seem to notice. She turned slightly red, but kept going. "I want to be an Auror because I want to protect my family from – well, you-know-who."

James looked a little sad as she said this. "The only thing is that Aurors don't have much of a family life. My dad is always out there fighting. Being in constant danger; I never know if he'll be alive by the end of the day."

For the first time, James looked incredibly vulnerable. I never saw him like this before. In front of his friends, I could tell that they were bonded by something like this. They had seen his insecurities. It was Lily's turn to see him for who he really was now.

Lily realized this too. "But that's why I need to be an Auror," she explained, choosing her words carefully. "I want to make sure that the people I love will be alive by the end of the day, even if I'm not. I also don't have much of a choice of whose side I'm on, like you do."

James looked at her incredulously. "I don't have a choice either!" he exclaimed. Then more calmly, he said, "I always have to choose what side you're on; I stand by you."

I nearly died in excitement. James was the sweetest person ever!

I seriously thought that they were going to kiss, but I never found out. Someone pulled on my ponytail and I fell out awkwardly. Turns out, James skipped class too. And he was not happy about me supposedly snooping around.

He got really mad at me and almost through me out of his room. Apparently I said something that reminded him of Lily. Something along the lines of this happened (James Me)

"You're not allowed back in here! I don't appreciate you going through my stuff!"

"Well, I'm sorry that I practically shared a room with you for a month!"

Apparently, just that little remark was enough to send him on a break down. He went on this little rant about how he loves her and he can't stand being rejected anymore. It was seriously pathetic. He loves her so much, and he is the sweetest thing ever; how does Lily not see that?!

Long story short (too late now), I vow to get those two together! Grace signing out :)

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Remember to post ideas; it can just be words or phrases. I've been having writer's block with this story. Review, Follow, or Favorite please!

Hecate's Magical Ambassador

P.S. Did you guys get my second Shakespeare allusion? ;D