CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE - Career Day

Lily was late for a Quidditch match.

This in and of itself was surprising, as Lily rarely found herself anywhere running late, but it was even more surprising because it was technically her first date with James since she'd asked him out the previous week. Lily was usually exceptionally timely with even the least consequential of things; her weekend homework done before breakfast on Saturday, five minutes early to each class, never spending longer than ten minutes getting ready in the morning. So you'd think that for something as important as her first date, she'd have been waiting in the common room for him, not frantically searching her room for something to mend a scarf with.

She'd been too busy to schedule a Hogsmeade weekend, but fortunately there was a Slytherin/Hufflepuff match anyways, so (after some coaxing) she'd convinced James to go with her.

"But I need Slytherin to win," he'd complained. "I can't cheer on Slytherin, Lily!"

"Then cheer on Hufflepuff," Lily had said.

"I can't! If Hufflepuff wins, we'll need to score an additional fifty points in the next match against them! If Slytherin wins, we only need an additional twenty!"

Through some cajoling and the promise of cookies Lily convinced James that the match was a better alternative to his suggestion, which was to just sneak out of the castle to Hogsmeade and Apparate to Diagon Alley.

"As Head Boy, you should not be condoning that behavior," she'd scolded lightly.

James had grinned. "As Quidditch captain, I should not be going to this match at all. We'll wear Gryffindor colors, alright?"

Lily had attempted to protest this, the thought of his damaged scarf in her room, but had eventually given in.

But finally the day had come, and the tear in James' Gryffindor scarf had gotten so large the entire scarf was in two pieces. Lily found herself a minute before the game sitting in her room, the two halves on her lap, wand in hand.

"Reparo," she muttered for the fifteenth time. The stitches wove back together, but they were loose and ripped easily when she picked it up. "Shit."

There was a sharp rap on her door, to which she quickly responded, "I'm coming, I'm coming—I know I'm late."

"Relax," Marlene called through the shut door. "Last I heard from Sirius, James is freaking out over where his scarf is. Apparently he lost it."

Lily flung the door open, mangled scarf in hand. "I may have the solution to his problem," she said grimly. "It's the source of mine."

"Merlin's balls, what did you do?" Marlene pushed past Lily into her room, snatching the scarf out of her grasp. Sighing, Lily shut the door behind her friend. "Did Herbie get to it?"
"No!" Lily said defensively. "James gave it to me before the last match. It snagged as I was sneaking away from stunning those Slytherins."

"Yes, we know you're very proud of that, as you should be." Marlene patted Lily's cheek condescendingly. "Have you tried Reparo?"

"No," Lily said sarcastically. "I'm completely incompetent, Marlene, and I've just been sitting here staring it, hoping my gaze can resurrect Merlin himself to mend it with his bloody holy bullocks."

"Touchy," Marlene said, wrinkling her nose. "Why won't reparo work?"

"I think it's old," Lily said, frustrated. "Sometimes the older and more sentimental an object, the more it resists a repairing spell. Very inconvenient, if you ask me."

Marlene examined the scarf closely, holding each half up to her eyes individually. "It's hopeless," she announced finally. "I think you just need to show it to him, Lily. I'm sure he won't mind, considering the circumstances. In fact, I think he'll be thrilled."

Lily took the scarf back with a sigh, tugging at the hem of her maroon sweater. "Alright, alright," she grumbled. "I'll tell him. Are you going to the game?"

"No, Mary and I were going to study in the library. Hestia and Aaron are going, though. I told them to report back everything that happens."

Lily raised her head from the scarf. "About the match?" she asked suspiciously.

"Of course not," Marlene said cheerfully. "About your date!"

Lily left then wordlessly, abandoning Marlene in her room.

"I told her to tell me everything!" Marlene called down the stairs gleefully as Lily waved a hand sarcastically back at her.

Remus and Peter were in the common room, hovering around the stairs. Remus looked amused, but Peter was twitching.

"Everything alright?" Lily asked suspiciously, stuffing the scarf under the hem of her sweater. It was a bit lumpy, but it effectively hid the evidence.

"James is...James has..."

"He's gone batshit insane," Remus finished for Peter. "Can't find his lucky scarf. Something about his future with you being in jeopardy, the world as we know it ending, I didn't really pay attention once he started hyperbolizing."

Lily forced a smile that looked natural. "Of course he can't find it. He gave it to me, remember?"

"Right!" Peter's muscles relaxed. "I'll go tell him. Thanks, Evans."

As soon as Peter had disappeared up the stairs to the boy's dorm, Remus rounded on Lily. "What did you do to the scarf?" He demanded. "I can see it poking out from under your sweater."

Lily blanched. "I ruined it," she whispered. "Nothing will work."

He raised an eyebrow. "Good luck explaining that."

"Are you saying he'll be mad?"

"Nah," Remus said. "If it had been any of us, yes. Because it's you, no."

Lily bristled. "That's ridiculous. I shouldn't get a free pass. I'll tell him I ripped it up out of spite, then."

Remus smirked. "No. I meant because you destroyed it while saving his life."

"Oh."

Right then, James came bounding down the stairs. "You have it?" he asked, his cheeks flushed. "Brilliant. We're going to be late."

Lily rolled her eyes. "I've been here for a while, Potter. You're the one who's going to make us late."

"Come along then," he said. "Is that my scarf?"

Remus and Lily exchanged meaningful glances. "I'll explain on the way down," she promised, grabbing his hand in her gloved one.

Though they sat in the Hufflepuff section, James and Lily wore maroon and gold, loyal to a fault. One half of the scarf was looped around Lily's neck, while the other was slung around James'.

"It really couldn't have been more perfect," he'd said, grinning. "Now we can share."

Lily had rolled her eyes and pecked him on the cheek.

The game progressed slowly, with half the players obscured by the thick clouds that swirled in the sky, threatening to snow again. Lily's breath fogged in front of her and her nose was bright red, but she couldn't have been happier. "My weekend homework is done, I've got half a scarf 'round my neck, and I'm on a date. The only thing to improve this day would be snow."

James smiled at her. "You know, there's this thing called magic, Evans."

"It has to be real snow," she insisted. "Fresh from the sky."

"Well, then, I'm sorry, Evans, I can't get you snow as a present."

They lapsed into a companionable silence, watching the game (what they could see of it, anyways) and enjoying the cold mid-February air. Lily hoped none of the Slytherins were hexing the Hufflepuffs. She didn't think she wanted to leave to tell them off.

The game continued for the next two hours, but Lily and James had left.

"Watching colored figures appear and disappear into the fog was not really my idea of a stellar date, Evans," he'd said apologetically as he led her from the stands. Lily didn't care. Nothing, she thought, could ruin her happiness today.

"Oi, Evans!"

Except this.

Dolohov, Jugson, and two Ravenclaws stood before them, arms folded, sneers set on their faces.

"D'you think that by marrying into a pureblood family, it'll make you worth more?"

Lily's hand clenched around her wand. She was about to retort, but James had already strode forward and punched Dolohov in the jaw.

"James!" Lily grabbed his arm and held him back. "Muggle dueling will just get you in trouble," she hissed.

The Ravenclaw girl sneered. "Can't even stick up for yourself, can you?"

"I have nothing against you," Lily said furiously. "Leave us alone." Still holding James still, trying to ignore the murderous look on his face, she continued up to the castle.

"You'll get what's coming to you, Mudblood!" Jugson jeered after her. "The Dark Lord is coming!"

Once inside the castle, Lily sighed, pushing her hair out of her eyes. "The Dark Lord is coming?" she repeated skeptically. "Was that supposed to be intimidating? Honestly."

James, however, was seething. "He can't—they can't talk to you that way! How are you so—so nonchalant about it?"

Lily shrugged. "I'm used to it, I guess."

This only made him angrier. The expression on his face became darker. "You should not have to be used to this abuse," he said, wand in hand. "Let me at them—once they're in Mungo's, they won't be able to hurt you."

"It won't help," she said soothingly, her heart aching. "Prejudice only spreads. Clipping one or two buds won't stop the whole weed. Yesterday we thought only Slytherins were capable of this...hatred. But there are Ravenclaws, too. Stupidity isn't house-specific, James. There's nothing you can do."

"I can become an Auror," he said, his voice taking on a dark, quiet tone. "I can hunt those sons of bitches before they can really hurt anyone."

Lily was suprised. "I thought you wanted to be a Quidditch player. You certainly have the skill for it."

He waved away the compliment, which surprised her even more. "I will become and Auror," he said, with more conviction.

"I will too, then," Lily said firmly. "You don't think you're doing it without me, do you?"

"I don't—it's not safe," he said weakly, running a hand through his hair. "Let me do this for you, Lily."

"It's my war too," she said indignantly. "If you think I'm not fighting, forget about it. We're in this together now, James. For better or worse."

He kissed her then, an unspoken thanks passing between them. Lily for his conviction, and James for her determination. They would not be separated, even in death.

A/N

Hey guys! I've been super busy lately, I'm the secretary of two clubs, and that involves a LOT of running around my mile-long campus. I've also been studying like mad for my permit test...which I failed. Must try again, I suppose. I know this is short, and I meant to include more, but I really wanted you all to know I wasn't dead! I enjoy my every-three-days updates. Anyways, here's this. Coming up next: we skip a month forward to James' birthday, and Petunia's wedding draws ever-closer.

Hope you liked it!

Love,

Alys

Quick edit: I totally forgot! Someone asked me what house I was in. I'm in Hufflepuff! I think. Sometimes I think I'd like to be a Gryffindor, because I've been trying so hard lately to be brave and exist outside my comfort zone, and my mom thinks I'm a Ravenclaw, and sometimes I feel like a Slytherin. But I really value loyalty and determination, so I've put myself in Hufflepuff (as did the Sorting Hat on Pottermore)!