"We're always so early."
She resettled herself on the gravestone, kicking her heels against the granite. He moved closer and hopped up to sit beside her.
"You say the same thing every year, do you know that?" she asked as she leaned into his side.
James rested his cheek against the top of her head, "Do I?"
"Hm, yes. I tell you 'I'll not waste a minute of my chance', then you agree. Typically with some joke," Lily said, resting her hand on his leg.
He chuckled, "Is it a good joke then?"
"It's horrid," she grinned, trailing her eyes across the graveyard.
They sat still, pressed together, watching as streams of sunlight dimmed and disappear. Vibrant red leaves swirled down with each breeze, catching the last glimpses of light as they fell to the ground. She envied those who still experienced the breeze, but pushed the thought away as soon as it'd come.
"There," James said, pointing off to the side a bit.
Two figures followed the winding path, and she trained her gaze upon them. James grunt opposed her bright smile as they both looked on. As the pair came into view, she could tell that they were murmuring to each other.
"Loosen up Evans, if I wasn't dead you'd be bruising me," James said as he wiggled his leg.
Lily released her tight grasp and rubbed the spot for a moment in apology. She pulled her legs up as the men approached, folding them under her and out of their way. Her eyes rolled when James didn't move his at all, allowing Harry's arm to travel through his foot. That was always unnerving.
She drank in the sight of her son. This year he had changed little, but the circles that persisted beneath his eyes seemed to have faded a bit. When the votives were lit she could feel warmth, a once per year luxury that she'd never grow tired of. James sighed, and she hummed in response. It was that infusion of feelings that began to change James's opinion of Severus, that he sat for both of them. Though her husband would never admit it.
Severus laid his cloak on the ground and sat, while Harry took a seat next to him and unhooked his own to drape over both of their shoulders. Lily heard James huff through his nose, though he stayed otherwise quiet in his observation. She watched as Harry slid his hand over the back of Severus's and their fingers entwined.
"He looks happy," James whispered.
Tears well in her eyes and looked away to will them beck. Once she had control of herself, her gaze fell back to the two men sitting on the ground.
"They both do."