Chapter 15: You Belong with Me

Waking up to massive snow flurries was not how Lily imagined spending her last full day in Lake Placid. She wouldn't have even woken up, had the snow not been reflecting the first rays of light into the bedroom. She opened her eyes wearily, turning her cheek against her pillows and blinking rapidly as she realized the falling snow had started piling against the door. James was still sound asleep beside her, his forehead pressed into the pillow. One of his arms was draped across her stomach, pulling her in tighter. Lily snuggled deeper under the covers and into James as the world grew lighter, but the snow stayed flurrying around.

His black hair was splashed across the white bedspread like he was out in the snow. He breathed gently, sleeping soundly under her loving touch. Lily leaned her chin on his chest and felt him breathe. It felt so good to just appreciate the lines to his face, the tiny pockmarks in his jaw and his impossibly long black eyelashes. James was more handsome to Lily than any man she'd ever met, if only because she found every one of his imperfections beautiful.

She just wished James could see himself the way Lily saw him.

"Hey! Evans? It's Mundungus!"

Fletcher's voice right outside Lily's door made her shoot up into a sitting position, her fingers pressing down into James' chest. James moved underneath her, eyes flying open. Lily shoved the thick feather tiled covers over James' head and heard his muffled protest underneath. He'd thank her later, when he realized what was happening.

"Fletcher?" she called out and James stilled under her hands and covers.

"Hey, your manager is on the phone for you, Evans!"

Peter.

She took a deep breath as she realized what conversation she was about to have. Lily kicked the covers off and walked over to the bedroom door, roughly pulling the door open halfway. She hid her exposed form behind the door, only letting her head pop through. Fletcher was holding her work phone, the one she often kept downstairs. Lily took it from him with a quick thanks and shut the door as she answered the phone. James threw the covers back over his head and ruffled his hair as Lily leaned against the back of her bedroom door.

"Hello?"

"Lily!" Peter's over joyous air made her wince, "I just saw your private concert! I cannot believe I didn't think of that publicity stunt!"

"Hi Peter." Lily crossed her left arm to cover her bare chest, the cold morning air eliciting goosebumps everywhere, "how are you?"

"You're everywhere!" Peter ignored her sentiments, "approval ratings are up by twenty five percent!"

"That's great Pete." Lily was distracted, if only because James was watching her closely from the bed, his hazel eyes tracing her form like he was staring at Aphrodite herself.

"Can you come back to New York before you leave for England?" Peter's question made her small smile at James disappear as quickly as it came, "Peter, we're snowed in up here."

"That's a damn shame," Peter tutted his tongue, "Disney was asking if you'd sing on Good Morning America tomorrow before you leave, I was about to switch your tickets back to JFK."

Lily had never been more thankful for snow in her entire life, "yeah, it's a real bummer."

Peter didn't catch the sarcasm in her voice, "Are you planning on singing at your sister's wedding? Can I book you for a few quick acts in New York?"

"Peter no," Lily said firmly, "I'm not ready to start singing yet, that was just a favor."

"Lily," Peter's own voice turned firm, "I can't keep turning down performances for you or eventually, people will stop asking."

Lily bit her tongue, all so she wouldn't say what she wanted to say. All she wanted to tell Peter was that she prayed that people would stop asking her to perform. She wanted to sing for fun, not for people who didn't give two shits about her. Still, she knew her fans were waiting on her to return and Peter clearly was having a harder time accepting her current time off. It was only a matter of time until she'd have to make a choice.

"I'll think about it." Lily told Peter sensitively, "I'll let you know after the Piper première."

She hung up before Peter could rope her into a thirty-minute conversation. Lily tossed the phone on the nearby dresser before cracking open her door. Fletcher was gone, thankfully, leaving her able to talk freely with James. She closed the door again and locked it, before walking back over to the bed and crawling back under the covers. Her head hit the pillow and James shifted into her, their noses almost touching.

"That was close." He murmured.

Lily was unable to answer due to the fact that he'd started kissing her, keeping her mouth otherwise occupied. She melted from his touch, her elbow digging into the mattress as she adjusted to improve the methodology. When he pulled away, his hazel eyes were twinkling roguishly at her.

"What?" she asked, feeling her own smile take over her face.

James tucked a strand of her red hair behind her ear, "feel like going for a run?"

"No."

He laughed knowingly as he sat up, leaving her alone on the pillows. James started pulling on his prosthetic, Lily watched as he messed with the gears before he pulled on his joggers over his boxers. She admired the curved muscles on his back as she also started pulling on clothes. James glanced back when he heard her moving.

"Change your mind?"

"No," she stuck her tongue out at him, "I'm just going to walk in the snow."

The cabin was covered in a fluffy pile of white snow. It sparkled like it was made of glitter and the air was as fresh as ever. Lily met James outside once they had both snuck around Fletcher, separately. She wore her granda's old hunting jacket, the warmest clothing she found in an old cupboard. James had on his usual joggers and a black fleece.

They both walked slowly across the virgin snow, their shoes crunching in the powder. James was finding hard to walk, constantly having to step down twice in the same spot with his bad leg. Lily slowed down and once they were out of sight of the cabin, she even wrapped her fingers around his hand. When she grabbed his hand, he looked over at her with a upset frown.

"Sorry," he apologized, "I've never tried walking in snow."

Lily just tucked herself closer to him as they walked through the silent and snowy forest, "Yet you were going jump right into running? Haven't you heard that expression that you're supposed to walk before you run?"

James chuckled, letting go of her hand to wrap an arm around her shoulders warmly, "Mum used to say I learned to run first, then slowed down to a walk."

Lily looked up at him amiably, "I wish we'd met when we were kids."

"Do you?" he shrugged, "I'm glad we didn't, I was kind of a prick."

"I don't doubt that." Lily laughed when he pursed his lips perceptively.

"No really," James assured her, snow blowing around their feet, "I spent more time in detention than I did in class at fifteen."

"At fifteen," Lily mused, "I was winning Sing It! and about to be thrust into the life of the rich and famous."

James turned them along the trail, following the pink markers on the pine trees, "do you regret it?"

Lily chewed on her lower lip before answering, "no, I don't regret it."

James nodded curtly, "then why do you sound so bitter when you talk about it?"

Lily shrugged in his arms, "I guess I'm just upset that I worked my ass off to be a credible singer and songwriter…only for the media to paint me as some naïve child who can't ever be happy in love because heartbreak paid her bills for so many years."

"Well that's not true." James said, "you write about other things besides love and heartbreak."

"I know that," Lily said, "but it doesn't make their attacks any less painful when I read them. It doesn't stop the naysayers from writing awful reviews. It doesn't stop people from being so infatuated with my love life that sometimes, I don't ever want anyone to find out about you and I."

James stopped walking and she turned into him, her arms wrapping around his neck casually. He leaned down, his cold nose brushing her own. She was crazy for him, every piece of him. The way he just so casually blew her mind, even with something as simple as a nose touch, made her crazy.

He kissed her gently before whispering, "We should be more concerned with what my boss would do if he found out, not what the media would do."

Lily pushed her eyebrows together, "what are we going to do when your contract is up?"

James licked his lips, "I don't know."

Her heart broke a bit from the pain in his voice and she gripped his neck tighter, "I don't want to lose you."

"Oh Lily," he pressed his forehead to hers passionately, "I'm yours, forever and always, remember?"

She fought back tears, "until your contract is up, and you get reassigned to some rich heiress in Saudi Arabia and we never see each other again."

"I can't remain your bodyguard if I want to be with you," James reminded her, "so I'd have to be reassigned."

"Just quit."

"Lily," he unwrapped her hands from around his neck to pull them to his chest as he stared lovingly at her, "I know you don't understand but, this job gives me a sense of normalcy, something that I can be proud of."

"You have a lot to be proud of, James."

"Do I?"

Lily pursed her lips together looking up at him with heartbroken eyes as she saw the resolve on his face. She swallowed heavily and rocked into him, snow falling from the tree branches around them. Despite being pressed against James, the cold cut to her bones. James' eyes searched her face as he lifted her fingers to his lips for a kiss. That broke her heart even more.

"I want to make you proud too in more ways than one, I want to stay with you." he whispered, "but I want to be able to live for myself too. I want to have my own income and I want to make a difference. Most of all, what I want most, is to feel like I can support myself again without leaning on my parents, or my therapist or even my extremely rich best friend…"

Lily rocked forward, "I hope you're talking about me."

"You are my best friend, the only woman I've ever loved so unequivocally." He frowned, "And this job makes me feel like I'm able to live in a sense of normalcy. Except, of course, when I'm kissing you."

"How am I the singular difference?" Lily asked in disbelief.

"Because you're you," he motioned to all of her and she blushed, "you're radiant, poised and everything I could never imagine calling mine, in this life or the next."

"You don't give yourself enough credit." She raised her brows, "because you've been mine since the very first day that I met you, when you saved my life on that stage."

James pressed another kiss to her hands, "I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered, "so let me help you, whenever you don't feel confident or handsome or even happy…let me help you remember who you are, James."

James took a deep breath, eyes dragging over her face, "do you know what it was like, laying in that hospital bed and not even being able to go to the loo without help? Do you know what it feels like to close your eyes and feel like waves are crashing down into you? Do you know how helpless I felt for months as I learned to walk again? I never want to feel that helpless again."

"Is that why you got so upset last night?" judging by the look on his face, she knew that was why, "It's okay to have help, you're the one who told me that, months ago."

"I know," one of his hands shot to his hair, "But Hell, Lily, do you know what it's like to look at someone like you? I feel so utterly unworthy to even get a moment of your time because you're so beautiful and so kind? And I'm just a broken old soldier who's fallen in love with you."

He put her up on such a pedestal, never knowing that in fact, she always felt the same way about him.

"Do you know what it's like to look at you? You went to Hell and back, James, and I constantly can't believe you'd waste your time on someone like me! I've got no right to complain about my life, when compared to yours, I live a life of luxury! I wake up in the night and you're there protecting me, but I feel helpless because how can I protect you in the same sense? I can't even run a kilo without breaking into tears." She snickered through her sentiments and he chuckled too, "James, no one will ever know my story like you do and that's why I love you so damn much. James, I choose you. All of you, for all of me."

With a sudden rush of emotion, James leaned down to close the space between them. Lily propped into her tiptoes to kiss him back, her hands firmly clasping around his neck yet again. James picked her up to swing her slightly before setting her back down on her feet. He forehead pressed into hers.

"All of you, for all of me." He agreed breathlessly, "I love you."

Lily broke away just to take his hand and lead him back to the cabin. All the while, they stole small kisses in the woods. The danced in the shadows, making sure Fletcher didn't catch them. His mouth was on her neck up the staircase and into her bedroom. When Lily's door closed behind her, James pressed her into it, locking the door with his spare hand. She took a struggling breath as he picked her up, using the door as support while they kissed fearlessly.

For once, there was no one there to stop them. James pulled back; hazel eyes eager as they stared at each other in the bright light shining from the windows. Lily was warm in her grandas jacket and she slowly slid down from James' grip, starting to unzip the jacket. James watched as she dropped the thick jacket to the floor. When her shirt joined the jacket on the floor, his eyes scraped up her torso favorably.

Lily stepped forward, her fingers starting to unzip his jacket for him. The fleece fell to their feet and her hands lifted his long-sleeved polo over his head next. James' glasses were lopsided, and he took them off as Lily started kicking off her boots. She then began shimming out of her leggings, taking the initiative ahead of time. James consumed her with his eyes, especially when she was left standing in nothing but her socks.

She grinned at his euphoric expression, leaning back against the door to give him a better view. He shook his head, almost like he was in disbelief.

"You need to stop being so irresistible." He said gruffly.

"Sorry, is this too much for you?" she wasn't sorry in the slightest, but she had to pretend.

James looked like he struggled a bit, hopping on to one foot, then the other. She knew it was a battle inside his head, but she'd hoped, after their talk in the forest, he'd be open to a little more with her.

"We don't have to do anything," she vowed, "I just want to look at you, the way you look at me."

James dragged his eyes back up to her face, "I'll need help."

The three, flawless words that she'd been looking for.

James' hazel eyes were smoldering, making her weak in the knees as he bent forward slowly, kissing her delicately. Lily breathed in as she kissed him back, her hands reaching down to tug at his joggers. James took her cue, helping her push the fabric down his hips. She slowly kneeled as she began dragging the joggers past his prosthetic. James help as best he could, only slightly unsteady when she pushed the clothes to his ankles to pull them off.

When she stood back up, they both remained frozen, inches apart, taking in each other's bodies. Her green eyes examined every plane, every divot. There were some scars, previously hidden from his clothes, new ones she got to admire. Her eyes lifted back to his face and she smiled tenderly at him when she saw how tense he was.

"You're absolutely, one hundred percent, remarkable, James."

Suddenly, James stepped forward again, kissing her in a soft, slow kind of kiss saved for moments so special. His hands traced her sides, fingertips sliding up and down her undecorated skin. She breathed into his kiss, feeling nothing but bliss as they came together in a way that only lovers can.

When he began walking backwards, Lily followed him fervently. James sat down on the edge of her mattress and Lily straddled him quickly, without thinking. He pulled back from kissing her, eyeing her guardedly. She just smiled at him, her chest rising and falling between them as she stayed eye to eye with him. His hands had stopped tracing her sides and instead, had taken up residence on her thighs. He shook his head at her, like she was being funny.

"What?" She asked, her fingertips pressing into his chest, "why are you looking at me like that?"

James reached up with one hand to brush her fringe from her eyes, "I just can't believe how beautiful you are."

She leaned forward, capturing his lips with hers once again. James' left hand had taken up residence in her hair and his other hand was tracing up her spine. She sat higher on his lap. She protested with a whine when his lips left hers, but she was pacified when James started kissing her neck, focusing right below her ear.

"Lily." he bit down playfully on his skin, "can you stop being so irresistible?"

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?"

James lifted his mouth from her neck, his nose hitting hers, "Not quite comparable to you, love."

Lily kissed him harder, just for calling her love. Her fingers roamed his back as his fingers moved along her chin. Her heartbeat was pounding so hard she could feel in all the way to her toes as they kissed through their passions. Their actions were spasmodic, feeling and testing each other out. On his lap, she was in control, but keeping herself relatively willed away from any arrangements that might be too much for him. It wasn't too long, however, until she couldn't keep her mind and mouth from going south.

"James," she sighed sensitively when he started kissing down her neck again.

"Hm?" his lips vibrated against her pulse point.

Her eyes closed and her lips clenched, "We have to stop."

"Why?" he demanded against her throat.

"Because," she brushed her fingers through his hair, "you're driving me mad."

He kissed her again friskily, "that's the point."

"No," she groaned as she shifted on his thigh, "James, I'm not—I want to keep going."

His head shot up and his eyes blackened, "oh."

"Yeah," she assumed weakly, "and you aren't ready for that? Are you?"

James looked at if it were a real dilemma. His hands were holding her like a kid might hold its favorite doll. He started kissing her again, slowly enough that she didn't protest when he leaned away.

"I haven't done that in years, Lil."

She could see he was still hesitant about it. She knew he was uncomfortable with himself and the idea that someone like her could love someone like him. She understood that. After all, she'd said the very same thing to him in the forest. Yet, for all the words, she'd only managed to focus on one important factor that they both had trouble seeing: they belonged together.

"Then how about a little compromise?"

James paused but then nodded, if only a little hesitantly. Elated, Lily started kissing him on the mouth again, taking care to be presumptuous with her tongue. James kissed her back, a little stiff as he waited for her negotiation, not knowing what she had planned. And it was magnetic, the way his body followed hers. Lily felt him everywhere, her body arching to meet his with every kiss. When her lips dragged away from his to plant hot, burning kisses along his neck, James pined favorably.

Lily's feet were soon planted on the ground and she kissed him again, hovering over him. She couldn't resist smirking against his mouth as she started shimming down, her mouth sabotaging James' hands from continuing to trace her hips. Once she was kneeling in front of him, she felt connected to him, her lips tracing the inside of his thigh. James hands found grip in the mattress when he realized what her compromise was.

Once she took control of the situation entirely, he let out a long string of curses. James' nails dug into the white sheets and her hands kept hold of him while her mouth did the rest of the work. The cold hard metal from his prosthetic rubbed against her arm when he jerked against her, but Lily didn't let up until he'd let go completely.

The last time she'd sucked a man off, it had been Lily's desperate attempt at keeping something that didn't want to stay. It had been her only weapon. Months later, with James, the action was entirely different. It was personal, nothing but tender as she helped James become comfortable with the idea of sex again. He felt himself in the best way, James' words of affirmation mixed with gratified sighs told her all she needed to know. And after, when he was lying beside her once they both washed up, he didn't leave her.

He stayed.

They woke up again, hours later, to Fletcher pounding on the door once more. Lily sat up wearily as James shot up with his hair wild around his head. They both blinked sleepily as their eyes adjusted to the darkness that had fallen while they both slept. Fletcher called out Lily's last name and they both realized they were no longer alone. The door handle jiggled once.

"Don't worry, I locked it." James whispered in her ear.

Clearly, the lock was broken, because light from the hallway began flooding the room. Lily shoved James back under the covers, indelicately, as Fletcher threw open her door. She covered her chest with her hand and the covers not currently covering James.

"Sorry Evans," he said, "but have you seen Potter?"

Lily's eyes dropped to James' form beside her, under the covers. Had it not been for the thick down comforter and darkness, he would've been more easily spotted. She looked back up at Fletcher with wide, hopefully innocent, eyes.

"No."

Fletcher sniffed, "he's an hour late and not answering his phone."

"I'm sure he just went for a run," Lily appeased, clearing her throat, "he loves to run."

"In the dark?" Fletcher wrinkled his nose, "without his phone?"

"I'm sure he'll show up soon."

Under the covers, James pinched her arse and she jumped a bit. She cleared her throat again and motioned at Fletcher.

"Mind giving me some time to change and I'll come downstairs to call him?"

"Fine." Fletcher said gruffly, "better you try, before I have Moody call him."

Fletcher closed the door and she relaxed. James pulled the covers from over his head. Lily glared down at him. James' black hair was truly at its messiest, mostly from her hands. She tried to flatten it as he laughed under his breath incase Fletcher was still close by.

"Did you really need to pinch my arse?"

James gave her a sheepish grin, "it's just so cute."

"What do we do?" she asked once her hand fell, "he's looking for you."

James looked around the room, eyes settling on her balcony, "I bet I can get down from your balcony if you distract him."

"And what's your story going to be?" Lily asked as she got up out of bed to find his clothes.

"I'll work on that on my way down that balcony."

"If you die, I'll never forgive you."

Lily thanked the lord for the darkness once again, when she realized they'd left their clothes in a pile by the doorframe. She got up too and they both started pulling on their clothes once more. Lily gave him a chaste kiss before leaving the room, making her way downstairs. Fletcher was waiting for her in the sitting room on the second floor. Lily grabbed her phone off the counter and dialed James' number. There was no answer, not at first. Fletcher watcher her with raised eyebrows.

Suddenly, behind Fletcher, a pair of legs dangled off the balcony. Lily let out a little gasp, her hand flying to her mouth. Fletcher stood up taller, looking agitated.

"What?"

Lily shook herself, trying to look at Fletcher while still watching the legs dangling from the platform above the snowbanks. Lily let out the air she'd pulled in, trying not to look panicked. James' phone still rang.

"Nothing," Lily said, innocently, "I just remembered I forgot to do a face mask last night."

Fletcher's eyebrows couldn't get any higher up his forehead. Lily bit her lip as James suddenly dropped from above. She waited to hear a sickening crash, but no sound came out. She hoped the snow broke most of his fall. She knew for a fact that his prosthetic didn't offer much in the way of high impact.

"He's not answering," Lily dropped her cell, "I'll go look for him outside."

"It's dark."

"My phone has a flashlight."

Lily ran down the stairs, practically hopping two steps at a time. When she made it to the landing, she raced to the screen door that led to where James must've fallen. She spotted him, laying back in the snowbank, black hair spread out like a curly fan. Lily opened the door quickly and ran barefoot into the snow, ignoring the stinging ice at her feet.

"Are you okay?" she demanded, only to find he was laughing.

She stared over him as he cackled, half buried in a snowbank. He looked like he'd been about to start a snow angel, but she knew better. James sat up slowly, eyes crinkled with laughter as he met her concerned stare.

"My arse is a little frozen?" he laughed again, "there's snow in places I never want snow again."

"Did you hit your head?" she asked in concern, but her hand was covering her own giggles.

James shook his head, "nope."

"Then why are you laughing like a loon?"

"Because I haven't snuck out a girls bedroom window like that since I was nineteen years old and about to get murdered by someone's dad."

Lily smirked down at him, "is that so?"

"Oi!" Fletcher voice rang from inside the cabin, "did you find the slacker, Evans?"

"I did!" Lily called back, humor evident in her voice, "he was making snow angels on the job!"

"Unbelievable!" Fletcher barked.

Lily held out her hand to James and he took it, eyes still shining with his laughter. He stumbled a bit on his gears, clearly still recovering from his fall, but he took the opportunity to kiss her swiftly. She tasted snow on his mouth and smiled as he pulled away to shout into the cabin.

"Right, Dung! She's all yours! I'm going to take a long shower!"

Lily stifled her own laughter as James strutted inside, only turning to offer her one more wink before he disappeared up the stairs. Juniper peeked her head out the open door and meowed at Lily, as if confused to why the humans were stupid enough to let the cold into the house. Lily shook her head a little, amused, as she walked back into the cabin. Her feet were frozen and so she placed them near the landing furnace, cooing to her cat while she waited for her toes to thaw.

James snuck into her room well after midnight, curling up inside the covers with her. They kissed lazily, enjoying each other's company while they still had the time. Tomorrow, they were expected to fly back to England and with the future came uncertainty. There had been something so casual about Lake Placid, giving Lily and James the confidence that they both needed to wrap their arms around each other so vulnerably.

She wished they could stay in Lake Placid, but she knew that they couldn't hide from the real world forever. She packed the next morning, wiping away tears as she realized that her little break from Hollywood had only made her ache for normalcy in the way James ached. He wanted to feel normal, without a disability. Lily wanted to feel normal, without cameras focused on her every move. They both just wanted to live a normal life with each other but if anything was made clear…it was that neither Lily nor James would ever be normal again.

Leaving the cabin behind was harder than Lily could've ever imagined. There had once been a time she didn't think she'd ever come back to Lake Placid, but James had changed her perspective. He'd reminded her that she had to appreciate the little things because at the end of the day, Lily had no way of predicting when she might lose it all. She wiped her eyes as she put Juniper's cat carrier in the car.

Amongst the snow and glistening pines, the cabin was a beautiful reminder of her quiet holiday with James. She traced the eves of the house affectionately, hoping that one day she might bring her kids to the cabin. James came out of the cabin to find her staring at the old home and he leaned against the porch, giving her an extra thing to admire.

"You look mighty fit against that pole, Potter."

James laughed a loud and booming laugh that she felt all the way to her soul, "not so bad yourself, Red."

He'd been just as sad that morning when they woke up, but there was a definitive sparkle behind his hazel eyes that reminded Lily of a child. She had a feeling that he was feeling more confident, if she had to guess.

He slapped her arse when he walked past her to get to the loo on the plane.

She blew him a kiss when Fletcher wasn't looking while they waited to get out of the jet.

They both sent each other numbing stares as he helped her down the last step onto the runway. She was so distracted by the love in his eyes that she almost didn't notice the paparazzi waiting on the other side of the fence. It was a private airport, which naturally meant Lily had no privacy at all. She threw her sweatshirt hood over her head, hiding her face.

James stayed ahead of her. Fletcher put an unwelcome arm around her waist to drag her to a car waiting just beyond the plane steps. Camera flashes were going off as Fletcher practically shoved Lily into the car and slammed the door. James got into the passenger seat and Fletcher took the spot next to Lily. The driver turned to look at her, making sure her seatbelt was on, before he took off.

Lily felt the most stressed when the car pulled up to her family home and she saw a dozen paparazzi waiting for her beyond a police line. There were fans as well, all waiting with posters and CDs for Lily to hopefully sign. James took a deep breath in the front seat when the car pulled to a stop amongst the crowds. Frank appeared amongst the people, pushing and shoving to get to Lily's door. James got out to help and together, they both managed to make a clear path for Lily to walk on.

Fletcher didn't wait to ask if she was ready, instead he sent the car door flying open. The sound of her name being screamed deafened her and the flashes of cameras blinded her as she got out. She held on tightly to Juniper's carrying case as Fletcher practically ran Lily to the front door. She was almost to the door when it flung open to reveal her father.

A joyful sound escaped her. Lily passed Juniper's carrying case to Fletcher and then she started running, really running, until she was wrapped up in her father's grip. Lily buried her face into her dad's sweater, breathing in his familiar scent. Stephan Evans rocked Lily softly, as if knowing she'd needed a good and long hug.

"Welcome home, Superstar."

"I've missed you, dad." Lily said, "so much."

James and Frank pushed everyone inside, Fletcher had Juniper in his arms. Lily only made it five feet into the house before her grandfather appeared, walking with a cane. Lily perked up and bounded over to the old man, laughing through her tears as she hugged him tightly. Granda Evans hugged her back, kissing her cheek fondly.

"Why are you crying?" he asked gruffly, "this isn't a funeral!"

"I'm happy!" Lily said, pulling back to eye his wrinkled face, "I've missed you!"

Her granda, rough around the edges, scoffed but hugged her again, "we missed you too, Lil."

James and her father shook hands warmly, both of them exchanging pleasantries. Frank and Fletcher were talking in the corner, both of them worried about the fanfare outside. Lily perked up when Juniper meowed from her carrying case in Fletcher arms.

"Oh god, sorry June!" she said, running to take the carrying case from Fletcher and opening it.

Juniper jumped out of the case and onto the floor. Her fluffy black tail rose in the air as she bounded up the nearby staircase. Lily had a feeling it would take a lot to convince Juniper to leave again, she loved the upstairs bedrooms. She only focused on Frank when she heard him arguing with James.

"She's only just gotten home." James was saying to Frank.

"Everyone knows she's here." Frank deadpanned, "we don't have the staff to support this."

"So, what are you suggesting? She can't leave." James ruffled his hair, "she's here for her sister's wedding."

Frank's jaw was hard pressed, "There's the Scotland Chateau."

"I have a radio one interview in the morning." Lily spoke up, not letting the men make decisions for her, "I don't want to be all the way in Scotland."

"After the radio one interview then." Frank said, "but without Alice, I don't feel comfortable keeping you here, Evans."

"Doesn't Moody have an extra body or two?" James asked, "for the week?"

Frank shook his head, "everyone's on assignment, James, Dung was our last option."

"Hey!" Fletcher said, annoyed, "I'm standin' right here!"

James and Frank looked like they cared less where Fletcher was. The boys continued to argue if she should go to Scotland or not. Lily decided to let them argue, despite it being a waste of time because there was no way in Hell she was going to Scotland when she needed to be in England. While James and Frank went over the logistics, Lily unpacked her things in her old bedroom.

Petunia had all but moved out of the room and even the bed was stripped of its linens. Lily dropped her suitcase onto Petunia's old bed and opened it, pulling out a pair of old joggers to wear downstairs for tea. Lily brushed her hair and freshened up, all while staring at the pictures on the wall leftover from Petunia's departure.

Lily's lips pursed together, and she leaned onto Petunia's bed to stare at a particular picture in wonderment. Lily's hair was shorter back then, curled around her face to frame her wide smile. Petunia was wearing once of Lily's favorite scarves, her nose red from the cold. The snow around them was falling quickly and Lily could close her eyes and remember what it felt like, little drops of cold on her face. She could remember her mum's laughter and the snowball fights on the lake. She missed those times; they were certainly simpler.

A knock on her door made her turn swiftly to find Frank standing in her doorway. Lily put down her hairbrush and tilted her head at Frank. He was wearing a look that told her he wasn't very happy.

"What's up, Frank?"

"You can stay here." Frank mumbled, "but just be aware that we can't ensure your protection as well here as we can at the Scotland cottage."

"I'll be fine," Lily said, walking over to Frank, "Between you, Fletcher and James…I don't really worry."

Frank nodded behind Lily, "this your room?"

Lily smiled, "my childhood bedroom, I shared it with my sister."

Frank looked around the small room with the double twin beds, "hard to imagine Lily Evans growing up in such a small bedroom."

Lily crossed her arms, surveying the room herself. It was small and decidedly less grandeur than Frank had ever seen her in. The sheets on the old twin bed were yellowed with age and the comforter was painted with rainbows. Lily's side of the room had two posters, one poster depicting Orlando Bloom in Pirates of the Caribbean and the other poster of sleeping cats.

"I didn't have much," Lily conceded, "but I always had music."

Frank nodded once more at Lily before leaving her to finish unpacking her suitcase. She was slow, if only because she was hoping James would come upstairs for a quick kiss. She was sorely disappointed when she was still alone a half hour later. Lily finally gave in and descended the stairs to find the reason James hadn't come upstairs was because he'd been locked in a game of chess with her father. Lily leaned on the bannister and watched as James moved one of his pieces, causing her father to curse.

Something about James getting along so well with her father, made her want to kiss him even more. She held herself back the moment Frank walked into her view carrying a cell phone and talking into it hurriedly. Fletcher appeared, eating a finger sandwich. Lily watched as the older man danced around Frank to go outside, a blunt in his fingers. Lily rolled her eyes before finishing her decent on the stairs and entering the sitting room.

The curtains were drawn shut, likely to discourage wandering camera lenses. Lily fell into the chair between her father and James, placing her chin in her hands. She watched the boys play chess for a while before she made her way over to a guitar in the corner of the room. Lily absentmindedly strummed out Fearlessly Red, lost in the key changes and wondering what she should sing at the radio one interview.

She wanted to sing the Piper song that her friend Benji had written, Memories of Yesterday. She also knew she wanted to sing Starlight, the song she wrote for her granda. She got to sing three songs though and the third was remaining a mystery. It wasn't until later that night while laying alone in bed that she decided to sing Burning because even if she hadn't gotten the song produced, she could easily do an acoustic guitar like she'd done for Carmen.

James texted her, just as she was falling asleep.

James Potter: This hotel room is pretty lonely without you, love

Lily smiled and rolled onto her stomach to text him back: this bed is pretty empty without you, baby

Three little dots told lily that James was texting her back right away, so she waited for his reply.

James Potter: before radio one, would you like to work out with me?

Lily fingered the edges of her phone, wondering if he knew what he was asking: what about the paps?

James Potter: Annie's gym is inside, actually, so you'd be safe from paps.

Lily perked up, recognizing the name of one of the people James talked to quite often. Lily knew Minerva (her therapist) was one of James' close friends but Annie was a mystery to Lily. All Lily knew was that James credited most of his recovery to his gym friend. When Lily didn't text him back right away, James sent her a slew of texts.

James Potter: You don't have too.

James Potter: I mean I want you too.

James Potter: But I understand if you'd consider it a risk.

Lily texted him back, to ease his worries: if anyone asks or gets pictures I can always lie and say I've known Annie for years. They'd just assume you were with me to protect me.

James sent her a smiley face. Lily hearted it before texting him again: I wish you were here.

James Potter: reckon either of us will get any sleep?

Lily moved her fingers swiftly across her screen: not unless you're suddenly standing at my bedroom door

James Potter: Frank was oddly specific that I sleep away from you

Lily smirked as she typed out her reply: I heard him yelling at you to not come back until 8am

James Potter: I think this'll be the longest time we've spent apart since July.

Lily's smirk was replaced by a frown: I miss you James

James Potter: I'll be standing by and waiting at your back door at 8am tomorrow

Lily bit her lip as she typed back: I love you.

James Potter: I love you so much more. Try to get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning.

Lily couldn't help but feel like it was as if the hallelujah chorus when he walked through her back door the next morning dressed in joggers and a sweatshirt. She resisted the urge to jump into his arms since everyone was around but the minute they were in the car, heading into Manchester her hand found his under the dash. They took the route that the GPS suggested, even if some paps were following them. When James and Lily got out of the car, cameras were already pointed at them. James used his arms to block her face from view as a woman came running out of the small gym.

She was short, tiny and had a blond pixie cut. Her clothes were worn, and she flipped a bird at the paps as she helped lead Lily into the doorway. As Lily's eyes adjusted to the dim gym lights, James and the woman hugged tightly. The woman was laughing, rocking back and forth in James' arms.

"Hi James!" the woman was bubbly, Lily liked her immediately, "it's been too long!"

James pulled away from Annie and motioned to Lily, "this is Lily Evans, Lily this is my friend Annie!"

Lily and the woman shook hands, "Annie Faith, Lily, it's such a pleasure to meet the woman James can't shut up about."

James flushed when Lily shot him a coy look and his hand shot to his hair, "I may have mentioned you once or twice."

"Once or twice?" Annie snorted before considering Lily, "for a while, I was muting the phone on him."

Lily smiled kindly at Annie, "I could talk your ear off about him as well."

Annie smiled back, "would you like to work out with us this morning?"

Lily nodded, "just go easy on me, I'm not very athletic."

"I've been trying to turn her," James boasted, "but she's the least coordinated multi-platinum songwriter I've ever met."

"She's the only multi-platinum songwriter you've ever met." Annie laughed, smacking James for Lily.

Annie was just getting Lily on the treadmill so she and James could lift when Lily's phone went off. Lily answered the phone, keeping the treadmill stilled with one finger on the power. She didn't recognize the caller, but she knew that some of her friends often changed their numbers. When Lily answered, she was astonished when it was Samantha, Peter's intern, on the other end.

"Samantha?"

"Hi Lily," Samantha sounded upset.

"Is something wrong?"

Lily stepped down from the treadmill entirely and James looked up with worry from his machine. Lily waved at James to stay put before putting her finger on her other ear so she could hear Samantha better. It was strange for Peter's intern to call her, especially on a private number.

"Peter, did he mention anything bad about Lake Placid?"

"No," Lily said honestly, "he was excited, why?"

"What about me...I don't know what…"

"Did something happen?" Lily asked nervously.

That's when James bounded over to her side, placing a hand on her shoulder. Annie looked up from her ropes and saw the two lovers staring at each other anxiously and Annie called James' name, but James ignored her. Lily bit her lip, staring into James' hazel eyes as she waited for Samantha's response.

"I don't know," Samantha sighed, and Lily could tell she was crying, "but I've never seen him so...I don't know he's just weird."

"Weird?"

"Lily, he fired all his interns last night in an email…" Samantha said, "all of us."

"What?" Lily's voice raised in alarm, "why?"

"He said we weren't necessary anymore." Samantha said, "he told us that we were being eliminated due to company downsizing."

"Marauder Records isn't downsizing." Lily argued, "I would've been told, I'm about to resign with them for three more records in December."

"I don't know Lily," Samantha sounded broken hearted, "I just figured I'd tell you, since you've always been so nice to me, I've loved working for you."

Samantha hung up and Lily dropped the phone in shock, looking at James in disbelief, "Peter fired all his interns today."

"Samantha?" James realized, "What did she say?"

"Marauders Records is downsizing?"

"What?" James furrowed his brow, "how? You're it's money maker."

Lily pressed her fingers to her nose, "I need to call Peter."

She dialed his number, but no one answered.

James consoled her with his hands on her face, "it's early there. Come work out with me and then we'll try to get ahold of Peter, okay?"

Lily nodded but she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong if Peter told people Marauders Records was downsizing. Annie hissed back and forth with James as Lily got back on the treadmill. Annie looked concerned over Lily's expression. James appeased his friend, telling her not to worry.

Lily wished she could be consoled by a few words, but even James knew that was pointless.

Why hadn't she been told?

Downsizing might mean that Peter no longer wanted to record with Lily. Lily worried that Peter no longer saw a future in her career as a singer-songwriter. Lily began to worry she was destined to never record with Marauders Records again.

What if she never got to record…ever again?

Sirius wouldn't let that happen. He was a member of Marauders Records which meant he had to know what was going on. She knew Sirius would never give up on her just because she wanted to take a few months off. Sirius was her best friend and would tell her anything. At least, she hoped so.

Lily texted Sirius as she walked on the treadmill: have u heard from Peter? Apparently, Marauders Records is downsizing?!

She waited with bated breath for an answer from her producer or her manager, unsure what was about to happen when she finally did get word.