James slung the manual across the room, glaring into the top of his desk. He shouldn't have wasted the galleons on the test. He was sure he'd missed it now. The correct instruction would've been to have the Chaser engage in tactical blagging. It would've better accommodated for the fact that the hypothetical team he was managing were narrowly leading, rather than behind. It was too simple. He pounded a fist onto the dark wood before sitting down muttering to himself darkly.

His fuming was interrupted by a soft rapping on the door.

"James…darling…are you awake?" his mother asked gently.

James sighed. "Yeah, mum. What is it?"

"Are you decent?"

"Yes mum…" the young wizard groaned.

The door swung open letting light from the hallway into the dim room. James watched as his mother scanned the room, silently tutting to herself. Between the clothes strewn about the room, his unmade bed, and the fact he hadn't dealt with the stubble on his face in the past three days it was hard to blame her. Despite it all, the silver-haired witch strode carefully over to the end of his bed, smoothing her dress as she sat before placing a frail hand tenderly on James's shoulder.

"I need you to take a moment to clean yourself up today, James."

"What's the point? I've got nearly a month left of summer. It's not as if we're going anywhere."

"That's true…but I'm afraid I have to insist. You're needed downstairs."

"Another bloody function?"

"James Potter! I know you're upset, but you mind your tongue with me. Your father and I never raised you to be unnecessarily coarse."

The messy-haired wizard frowned, lowering his eyes briefly. "Really though mum…what's the occasion?"

"You have a visitor."

"If it's Sirius again, I told you to tell him to sod off. I can't deal with him at the moment."

"It's not any of your friends. Now wash up. It won't do for you to keep him waiting," she said with finality as she stood and left the room, pulling the door behind her.

Walking into his bathroom, James regarded his razor carefully. Normally, he preferred the instrument. Of course, before he was of age, he'd been forced to rely on it, but one of his earliest experiments after his seventeenth birthday was to see if the rumors were true. Witches always complained that they were forced to use the Muggle-made blades on their legs because the Depilatory Charm didn't get close enough, but it wasn't until he'd tried it on his face that he realized the complaints had merit. Today, James felt lazy. Fishing his wand out of his pocket he pointed it toward his starting point on his left cheek.

"Aufero capillus," he said clearly, feeling the familiar tingling sensation as the short hairs fell away onto the cold tile floor. Tinka would sweep them up. He knew his mum would use this visitor as an opportunity to have the elf sneak into his room and clean things.

Finishing the job, James looked at himself in the mirror. He looked paler than usual and his eyes stayed rather dull. It was impossible to ignore the discolored skin beneath them either, but he couldn't trouble himself to care. The same went for his hair. It was a bit messier even than usual he thought, but then it didn't really matter. If the visitor couldn't be bothered to give any notice he was coming 'round…well, James couldn't be bothered to give the man his best effort either. Tucking in his shirt and fastening his belt, he headed downstairs.

When he reached the bottom, Tinka led him toward the sitting room at the rear of the house. It was a peculiar choice of venue for a random guest. Perhaps his parents had tricked him and some official had come to call on them. It wouldn't be the first time he'd been forced to complete the family portrait under false pretenses.

Instead of accompanying him inside however, the small elf bowed before leaving him at the door. Curious. Pulling the handle down and opening it, he entered to find the very distinct figure of Albus Dumbledore staring out the broad back window and into the gardens.

"Ahh…Mister Potter," he began without moving. "I am truly glad you were able to join me." The old wizard turned around slowly, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles as he extended an arm, bidding James to join him.

"Professor Dumbledore!" James started. "What are you doing here?"

The headmaster chuckled. "It may come as a surprise to you, but on occasion I do pay certain students individual visits if the situation merits it."

The black-haired young wizard stared out toward the horizon. "Why me?"

"It is your last year at Hogwarts, naturally. I was surprised to hear from Professor McGonagall that you haven't attended any supplementary career sessions."

"I'm not interested in some job with the Ministry. I have my own plans."

"Yes, of course, of course. How did the examination go then? Will Hogwarts have its first Ministry-credentialed Quidditch Captain?"

"I won't find out until after term begins. October."

"Right. I had forgotten. You know…I knew a young man once, a housemate of mine at school, Albert Teakwood who everyone agreed would make a phenomenal manager. He was a natural leader. A bit of a rogue, but still took his studies seriously. We both followed Puddlemere United zealously…" Dumbledore trailed off, nodding gently to himself. "I think I would have liked to see him lift the title for them one day," he finished, staring off toward the horizon once more.

James shot his headmaster a perplexed look. "What happened to him?"

Dumbledore inhaled deeply. "Oh. Albert? He was muggle-born. Found himself on the wrong end of one of Gellert Grindelwald's patrols while shadowing Jozef Wczycwicz in Poland."

"They killed him?"

"Yes, quite cruelly I might add," the old wizard said sadly. "I warned him against the trip, but he was headstrong. You know, I wonder sometimes…how many prodigies have been lost to the ignorance of a fundamental truth about war – it has no regard for individual dreams, but an insatiable appetite for sacrifice."

Looking out into the gardens, James saw several ravens fighting over the highest perch in his mother's wild cherry tree. It had long since lost its blossoms, but the birds still appeared to yearn for the prominent vantage point it gave. James remembered climbing it in his youth. It was too frail for him to reach the top, but he could imagine that from the point the black beasts were bickering over one could see nearly the entire estate.

Turning to look at Professor Dumbledore, James noticed an uncharacteristic gravity lurking in the older man's eyes. Up close it was possible to see that his wrinkled face was not as uplifting as his default disposition. At the moment, the whole thing seemed to sag, as if under an immense weight.

"Professor…I take it you didn't come here to check on my Quidditch exam…"

Tightening his lips and nodding briefly, the gray-haired wizard produced an envelope from his robes. "Quite right," he said, handing it over to James swiftly. "I came to give you this."

"My school letter?"

"I think you'll find something more than a letter in that envelope."

Opening it carefully, James noticed it carried more weight than usual. Ignoring the parchment inside for a moment, he shook it lightly into his hand. Immediately he was taken aback by the glint of gold in his hand. The object was slightly largely than his Captain's badge. His brow furrowed. He couldn't be serious.

"Professor?"

"Yes?"

"I…this is the…this is the Head Boy's badge. I don't understand."

"What about that badge coming into your possession is confusing?"

"I'm…well, sir, I'm–"

"One of the most prolific rulebreakers in the long and storied history of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?"

"Exactly."

"And yet, I cannot think of a single male student more fit to wear it."

"Sir, respectfully…I haven't earned this," James said firmly.

"But here it is, resting in your hand, given freely by the only person at Hogwarts presently empowered to deliver it."

"How am I meant to be Head Boy? Nobody will respect me telling them to follow the code of conduct!" he protested.

Dumbledore smiled, placing a hand on James's shoulder. "I do believe you'll find that there is far more involved in earning respect than simply following the rules. Just as there is far more involved in being Head Boy than simply enforcing them. Especially now."

"But the Head Girl–"

"Lily Evans," Dumbledore supplied.

"Evans?! She'll hex me just for wearing this. She's liable to think it's my idea of a joke."

"A mistake I am confident you have the wit and temerity to correct quite quickly."

"She's never been much on my wit, sir."

"Perhaps the issue is less with your wit and more your delivery?" the older wizard offered.

James looked toward the bookshelves on the wall behind his headmaster.

Dumbledore nodded sagely, a thin smile playing across his lips. "Regardless, I think you will find yourself perfectly capable of working well, and as you may find necessary, quite closely with Miss Evans."

"I appreciate the vote of confidence, sir, but I don't think it's going to be that easy."

"Important things so rarely are, Mister Potter."

James sunk into an armchair. "What's so important about me being Head Boy alongside Evans?"

"Hogwarts needs both unity and protection this year. Of course I, as Headmaster, and your Professors are capable of providing these things in some measure, but as you are no doubt aware there is a darkness growing in our world. I am afraid before too long, it may breach the walls of Hogwarts. Indeed, there are those who fear that it already has."

The young wizard's face immediately darkened. "What do I need to do?"

"Unlike the light, darkness often begins in unseen corners – places where people who would thwart it cannot easily tread. But if they have others…good people who can be unshakably trusted…they may be able to keep the darkness from advancing further, especially when they are not acting alone."

"And you trust me and Evans?"

"There are no two students in which I have greater faith," Dumbledore said simply before pausing.

As James waited, the bearded wizard extracted a gold pocket watch from his robes. "Ah, yes. A quarter past three. Alas, Mister Potter, our time is running short. I still need to pay your counterpart a visit before the sun sets."

"Professor!" James protested as Dumbledore turned away.

Suddenly, with a wink of his eye and a nearly noiseless poof, the old wizard was gone, leaving James alone with his new badge, his letter, and his thoughts. As the raven-haired wizard looked outside into the gardens his mind turned immediately toward working with Evans. Staring at the glimmering gold badge in his palm, he ran the other hand through his hair. He knew Dumbledore was a great wizard, but James was far from sure that cooperation, let alone shared leadership between he and Lily Evans was something even Merlin could achieve.

In her bedroom in Cokeworth, the red-headed witch was laying cozily atop her bed, thumbing through an issue of Witch Weekly that Alana had recommended. Though she had balked at first, Lily was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this particular iteration. Rather than focusing on vapid topics like fashion and modern wizarding celebrities, the features this time were on well-respected witches throughout the ages and the causes they were remembered for.

Suddenly her perusing was interrupted by a measured knock at the door. Who could that be? Her father was at work. Mum was out shopping for the ingredients for tonight's meal. Though she had been supposed to come for a family dinner, she had bailed again by phone just after breakfast, claiming to have been surprised with a weekend getaway by her utterly infuriating boyfriend, Vernon Dursley.

She seriously considered not answering, but another equally exact knock piqued her interest further. It wasn't overbearingly enthusiastic like Alana's. It wasn't carefully timid like Severus's had been, not that she expected him. No…this knock was more…elegant. And thoroughly professional. Grabbing her wand from her bedside table, she padded down the carpeted stairs of the family home. One could never be too cautious.

Just as the knock began again – rap-rap-rap – Lily opened the door.

"Professor Dumbledore?" she asked, astonished by the presence of the last savior of the wizarding world standing on her doorstep.

It had been some time since she had met with him one-on-one. Not since the Christmas holiday in the middle of first year, when he'd dropped by to praise her to their parents and assure the Evanses that their daughter was well and fully adjusted.

"Hello, Miss Evans. I am not interrupting a family occasion am I?"

"Of course not, sir. I wasn't expecting you. Would you like to come in?"

"No, no. I actually quite prefer the outside air this time of year."

Stepping out to join him on the stoop, Lily shut the door behind her.

"What brings you back, Professor?" she asked simply, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"I found myself out today delivering all manner of news. An encouraging word at St. Mungo's. A speech to aspiring Aurors about to start training at the Ministry. I was about to drop all my letters in the owl post, but I realized that it might be best to deliver some of my messages in person."

"I see."

Smiling down at Lily, the wizened wizard reached into his robes and produced a standard envelope with the Hogwarts seal. Giving her a knowing stare, he passed the heavier-than-normal letter to her slowly, pressing it into her hand.

Lily immediately noticed the added weight. It reminded her of the summer after fourth year when she'd –

The young witch allowed herself a curious half-smile. "Sir…is this…"

Dumbledore raised a hand as if to shrug. "Why not open it and find out."

Forgetting to be proper for a moment, Lily stuck a finger into a small opening at the top and tore it open, swiftly pocketing the letter as she gazed into the envelope's depths. It was there she saw it. Shiny and gold and glinting beautifully back at her, no part emblazoned more prominently in her mind than the tastefully molded "HG" in the center. Her mouth dropped as her eyes lit with exultation. She had waited all summer for this.

Plucking it out proudly, she straightened herself. "Thank you, sir!" she exclaimed, unable to contain her happiness. "I promise you won't be disappointed."

"I have no doubt of that. After all, were I not already absolutely certain of that fact, I would hardly have given the honor to you."

Lily blushed. "Of course. I didn't mean to–"

Dumbledore chuckled lightly. "I know, Miss Evans. I do not believe any among the staff of Hogwarts, myself included, would ever accuse you of being impertinent."

Lily smiled sheepishly. He was kind, but she must have looked foolish to him, celebrating like a rowdy Quidditch player over being named Head Girl.

"I am afraid however, that my visit was not solely to share this with you. In your new position, and in this world we live in," he indicated, gesturing around vaguely with his off hand. "there will be many difficult choices and responsibilities for you to deal with."

The redhead did her best to puff her chest up. "I'm fully prepared, sir. Whatever you need, I'll do my absolute best to deliver."

"Naturally," Dumbledore demurred. "You would hardly be the witch you are, were that not the case. But I think you will find that what I will ask of you this year may be more than one person alone can bear. That is why when one is named Head Girl, she can never forget that despite her responsibility to be a shining example to our female population, she is not alone. A true Head Girl must willingly share the burdens of the position with another – a partner in leading the student body."

"The Head Boy," Lily offered.

"Precisely. As usual, Miss Evans, you have no difficulty understanding my meaning."

Lily cocked her head to the side, slightly puzzled. "Well, whoever you've chosen, sir, I'm sure they're the right person for the job. I know I can be a bit…strong…at times, but I'm sure we'll work well together. I know all the prefects and I think that honestly…even if you've chosen Bryll Hemsworth–"

Dumbledore stroked his beard lightly before chuckling once more.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'm running on aren't I?" the young witch asked, blushing again.

"I admire your enthusiasm," he said simply. "It is one of the great gifts of youth – boundless energy matched with the capacity for hopeful idealism."

"Will you tell me who it is?" Lily asked suddenly.

"Unlike you, he was far from unanimous," Dumbledore began, "but alas, one of the great gifts of being Headmaster is that I get to make the difficult decisions, even the unpopular ones."

"Sir?"

"I've chosen James Potter to be the next Head Boy."

Lily's euphoria instantly melted away. "James Potter?" she asked, incredulous. "But…he's not even been a prefect. We have to set schedules…we have to enforce rules…"

"Something I have the utmost confidence you can assist Mister Potter with as he grows into his role."

"Grows into it?" she spat. "But sir…" Lily ventured, walking back the disgust that had threatened to erupt, "Shouldn't the Head Boy be an example as well…the finished article?"

Her headmaster's expression soured. "Is that what you truly believe yourself to be?"

The young witch froze.

"Miss Evans, I believe that you will find one of the most important lessons in life is that we are never finished growing."

"Of course, sir…I shouldn't have questioned–"

"Ahh, but that is the beauty of the world I need you and Mister Potter to help me preserve. That today – now – even where I am Headmaster and you are still a student, you always have the right to question."

Lily stared toward the road pensively, watching as the MacKenzie twins across the road ran through the water from a small sprinkler, laughing wildly.

"Sir?" she asked. "How am I supposed to work so closely with a person I can't stand?"

"That you will have to answer for yourself, Miss Evans. But if I could offer one piece of advice, it might be this – sometimes those we dislike are simply the same people we have never bothered to really get to know."

A/N: There you have it. Summer is at an end. There will be one more chapter to segue us back to Hogwarts, but it will involve the Express and other typical beginning of the year events, though I can assure you that those of you waiting for an increase in James/Lily interaction are soon to get it. Things will still proceed on that front quite patiently for now, but naturally their new roles and shared responsibility will prevent James from ever quite escaping Lily's attention and likewise stop Lily from being completely capable of avoiding James as she's done in the past.

For me, the challenge of this chapter was undeniably Dumbledore – both capturing the character and dialogue and making his conversations with James and Lily feel believable. I hope I did that, and I'd love to get your feedback on it. I recognize it was also very dialogue-heavy too. Did you think it was too much?

For those sticking with this story, I know it's been a long journey, and we still have a long way to go yet, but I'm incredibly grateful for your continued support. At times when the writing has gotten tough, it's been you the readers that have kept me going and I'll always remember that.

Thanks again for reading and reviewing!