A/N: hi all, I think this is gonna be the last chapter. Let me know if I should do one more or if that's just pushing the proverbial envelope. It's been a great run, thanks for reviewing, I really appreciate the support and criticisms. I really liked writing this fic and I hope you enjoyed reading it. I feel like I just gave birth and gave it up for adoption. O god! ENS!!! ::weeps:: Why god! LoL. Let me know what you think. K?
"Here we are again. The last time ever riding back to Hogwart's. Everyone take it in." Lily was looking around her. To her right, a window with a gorgeous scenic view of the surrounding countryside. To her immediate left, her wonderful, adoring, cute, smart, funny, sweet boyfriend and best friend, who she loved more than she, herself thought was possible. By the summer's end, Lily had come to realize that James was definitely going to be with her for the rest of her life. Yes, she still thought herself too young for marriage, but that didn't mean that she was too young to embrace something that could quite possibly turn out to be the best thing in her life. To her far left, one of her best friends, funny, smart, and a lady's man, Sirius was making a face at Remus when he noticed Lily studying him. He realized how very childish he must've looked and stopped. "Heh, you caught that one huh?" He looked down with a stupid grin on his face. Remus just sat in laughter. "O, Padfoot, don't change. Ever. No matter what situation, you will always be considered comic relief." Everyone chuckled. The ride went smoothly enough after that. Around the time they reached the station, it was drizzling, though it was still very warm out.
The four got off of the train and headed for carriages. They knew the route to the school like the back of their hands. They could've walked it blind-folded. But after this last time, they wouldn't need to. The thought was immobilizing at times, and completely intoxicating at others. They would be able to decide their own futures, write their own stories, do what they really wanted to. But they would also be on their own. They wouldn't have the safe haven of Hogwart's to rely on in a world full of rising dark forces. This thought never had the effect on James that it had on others though. He always felt that if he had someone to go through it all with, he would be able to take on anything. The fact that he found that someone, gave him a feeling of invincibility.
The start-of-term feast was slightly different for the group due to the fact that Head Boy and Girl were titles that were within reach for two of them. Surprisingly enough, only one got it though. "Congratulations!" Was all that was heard around the table as James headed up to receive his badge. "Wait, wait, Lily didn't get called up." Sirius was standing now and thinking aloud. "Hang about, that's not quite right. OY! Professor Dumbledore! You didn't call Lily Evans as Head Girl!" Sirius waited for the mistake to be corrected but much to his, and everyone's surprise, Dumbledore's reply was quite the opposite. "I'm sorry Mr. Black, but the fact of the matter is, while Ms. Evans is a wonderful student, athlete, and all-around girl, she was beat out of the position." With this said, Sirius walked over to the faculty table and spoke privately with Dumbledore for a few minutes.
"Now you're not telling me that there is someone who deserves it more than Lily are you?" Sirius tried hard not to glare. "Sirius, Lily does deserve this honor, very much so, but the deciding factors in its recipient were that her marks were better on the NEWTS last year. And this isn't only my opinion, but that of the rest of the faculty. Miss Evans has been through quite a bit during her time here. She needs to relax. She doesn't need the extra weight of this duty put on her."
"Well, with all due respect sir, I think that's a bunch of bullocks. In her time here, Lily has gone through quite a bit, but has she not maintained impeccable attendance, marks, attitude toward others, service, sportsmanship? She has gone above and beyond before and I think that should qualify her more than anyone else that you pick for this position. Besides, James will do something stupid and try to give up his position so she doesn't feel bad if you don't make her head girl." This was a likelihood and Dumbledore knew that. "Sirius, you would make an excellent attorney. I believe you've swayed my decision as to who gets this honor. You may sit with the rest of the Gryffindors and await the announcement." With that, Sirius grinned, thanked the old professor and practically skipped back to his seat.
"Sirius, I hope you didn't get yourself in trouble. I mean, it's no big deal if I don't get Head Girl, really. The fact that you actually got up and protested it was really unexpected. Thanks for your vote of confidence and all, but ..." Lily continued talking for a few minutes as the teachers huddled around the headmaster in discussion. After a few minutes, Dumbledore turned around and faced the assembly. "Ahem..." he waited for silence, but not too long because everyone wanted to hear the decision. "It has come to my attention that we didn't take into account some of our prefect girls' ...err...extracurricular...activities." He glanced over at Sirius and winked. Sirius nodded and smiled. "It seems as though we've forgotten that there are multiple aspects to this award besides good marks and athleticism. One needs to take into account how the recipient responds to adversity. Now, my colleagues and I have come to a point where a popular vote is needed. We can't seem to decide amongst ourselves. I'm going to give you all a choice between two girls, and I would like to hear your opinion. Our first candidate is of Ravenclaw, Nina Gretchen." There was a loud applause after the name was said. Very loud. She got great marks last year. Second only to James. She was nice too. There was a very good chance that she would win. Count on Sirius to lighten the mood. "O, give me a break, she has two first names for crying out loud." Lily giggled at this realization.
Soon the applause died down and silence fell upon the hall. "Our second candidate, from Gryffindor, Lily Evans." Lily blushed at the recognition and just sat there, waving shyly. Have you ever been in a room that echoed so much, if a sound was loud enough, it was deafening? As soon as the word "Evans" had left Dumbledore's lips that is was the Great Hall sounded like. Lily had no idea of the impact she had on people's lives. She saw James standing up with the teachers clapping as hard as he could, Sirius next to her on the table jumping up and down like a mad man. Even Remus was whooping particularly loudly. What really stunned her was that when she looked across at the other tables, she saw that the majority of the room was standing and clapping for her. Ludo Bagman was standing on the table, just like Sirius, jumping around like an idiot. Even Nina Gretchen was clapping and smiling at Lily.
Waiting a few moments to let the accolades die down, Dumbledore stood again and began, "Well, I think it's safe to say who the new Head Girl is. I couldn't have picked it better myself. Let's all thank Sirius Black for reintroducing her into the candidacy." Everyone clapped and Sirius, being hyper from his previous table antics, climbed up on it once more and did a quick jig for his audience. "Ah yes, always the entertainer, thank you Sirius. Now, without further ado, Ms. Evans, if you would be so kind as to join the Head Boy up here." Everyone applauded again and Lily made her way up to the faculty table. She got her pin and stood in front of the rest of the school, looking over a small sea of people who were smiling and cheering. "It's all for you." James was smiling at her. "You too, don't forget that you did make Head Boy, silly." She couldn't have smiled more if her life depended on it. "Yah, but I'm not the most beloved person in the room right now. Lily, I don't think you realize how much people respect you and value you." He slipped his hand into hers and they stood there for a little while as Dumbledore made a few more announcements, after which they went to join the rest of their friends to celebrate and eat. The rest of the day was spent in a daze for Lily and James for the most part. They were both so happy about their newly bestowed honors. Though it was a blissful start of term, the rest of the term couldn't be described the same. The new positions meant loads more of work. Lily and James had to look and play the part of the Hogwart's poster kids. Model students, exemplary athletes, and good showmanship. It was all very exhausting and time consuming. Though they were together a lot, James and Lily barely breathed a word to each other that didn't regard school functions, grades, classes or something related to the facility.
Months flew by without either of them noticing how little time they had left in their second home. Until one day, Lily looked up from her Ancient Runes essay. It was five thirty in the morning. She had pulled another all-nighter. There, sitting across from her in an armchair near the fire, was James. No matter how late she stayed up, he was always there with her and she him. He was snoozing softly as the glowing rays crept through the common room and landed lightly on his face. "Just think, you get to wake up next to that for the rest of your life." "What are you doing up so early Padfoot?" Sirius was yawning and stretching. "Well, seeing as neither of you decided to go to bed last night, I woke up to find James' bed empty. I figured you were down here and I thought I ought to let you know, that it's Saturday, so you don't go killing yourselves. Aww, little Jay. What time did he pass out?" Sirius was leaning against the back of the armchair Lily was in. "To tell you the truth I really don't know. I just looked at the clock now. The last time I looked at it, it was 2:15 I think. But I'm done. I've completed all of the weekend's work. I've done everything I needed to." She heaved a huge sigh, which consequently woke James up. He stretched like a cat and looked around, bleary-eyed. "What time is it? Are we gonna be late for class?" He was only half awake and he was asking about class, very un-prongslike. "James, hun, it's Saturday. You can go sleep upstairs." Lily was now kneeling at his side speaking softly into his ear. "O, thank god. I think I will. Hey you wanna come with." He winked and she laughed her wonderful, musical laughter that he hadn't heard in ages. "I dunno, give me some time to think about it." She smiled slyly. "Aww screw waiting for an answer. I need sleep dear. I'm off to bed,' he joked, kissed her forehead, got up and left.
"Bed sounds awfully good right about now. I think I will be heading up there. See you later Sirius." She thought she had gotten away with it, but she had underestimated Sirius's ability to remember things. "Hey, where do you think you are going on your birthday? Come now Lily, what kind of friend would I be if I let you do what you wanted on your birthday? Seriously. Now, let's go eat some breakfast and then maybe, I'll think about letting you go to sleep." He smiled and took her arm, leading her to the great hall in yesterday's clothes. It was a sweet gesture, but if Lily didn't get sleep soon, she was sure to mistake her sausage for a pillow. When she got down there she realized how hungry she really was though and she was thankful for his making her go. When they got back to the common room Sirius gave her a little present and a card. She opened the card first. It was blank inside except for Sirius's own thoughts.
Dear Lils,
Hope you have a great birthday. Just wanted to say how much of a great friend you've been and how proud I am of you. I'm also very happy to see that you and James finally saw what everyone else had seen for years. Don't screw that up. I don't mean to nag you in your own birthday card, but I'm gonna. I love you and you've been like a sister to me. Thanks for everything and happy birthday.
Love,
Sirius
She looked up with tears in her eyes. Maybe it was the fact that she hadn't slept in over 30 hours and tears came so easily after that, or maybe it was just that the card was really sweet. He smiled, "Open it." She did as she was told. Inside the little package was a little glass ball. "Aww hey! It's a remembrall how could you have possibly remembered that I had said I wanted one? That was ages ago! Thank you!" She gave him a big hug. Despite the great gift, she felt sleep was more important though and decided to continue this joyous occasion on a later day.
Though when she did wake up, it was still Saturday, just very late in the day. Late enough for her to be hungry again. She saw that it was around 7:30 p.m. now and she was quite famished. The dorm was dark, but she could still feel someone lying next to her. "Why hello. When did you wake up?" She tried to start a conversation with him, but James was fast asleep in her bed. "Ah well, for the best I suppose." With that she got up noiselessly, and went down to get some food. She came back a few minutes later and found him still sleeping in the same position as when she had left. She climbed back into her covers and cuddled up next to him. He stirred, but didn't wake. He only just moved to his side and put his arm around Lily, as if he knew to do so by instinct. Slowly she drifted off to sleep again, but not for long as she had already slept for such a long period of time. They both had. About an hour later James awoke to find Lily in his arms, a smile on her face. He smiled and stroked her hair. This woke her and she turned to face him. "Well, hello sleepy head." She said inbetween a yawn. "I should say the same to you. What time is it now?...half past eight. See at least I woke up long enough to come in here and fall asleep again." He grinned. "Well I went to sleep later than you and I woke up and hour ago to get food." She pushed him slightly and he teetered on the edge of the twin mattress. "Hey, hey now that's not funny." He pulled himself back up to stability again. Lily got up, "sure it is. Now if you had fallen I would've been obliged to say aww, poor baby and give you sympathy. But since you didn't quite fall, I can still laugh." "Alright then. If those are the rules. O by the way, happy birthday." She looked over and smiled sweetly from her dresser. "Why thank you very much. It just makes me realize how little time is left before we're out of this place." She stopped looking for socks and stood in a contemplative state. "I know, but it also makes you realize how much more of the world we can see. How much we can do once we've graduated. We can really make a difference Lily. We could help to bring down the terrible dark reign." Now was James's turn to sit in reflection. "Hold that thought. I'll be right back." And with that Lily disappeared into the bath for a good ten minutes before reappearing freshly showered and in a new pair of pajamas.
"The way I see it, it's already night time you know? Why put clean clothes on for a few hours?" She flopped down on the bed next to hers facing James. He was flipping through a magazine that was on Lily's dorm-mate's nightstand. "Well, I don't care what you wear, you're always gorgeous to me. However, I think the people at the three broomsticks might give you funny looks if you show up in ...ducky? Pajamas. You better hurry, I did make reservations for 10." He continued to flip through the magazine, trying to act as if he thought it all so mundane. "Why you little sneak." She threw a pillow at him playfully. His excellent quidditch skills paid off as he was able to dodge it. She heaved a heavy sigh and disappearred once more into the bathroom. This time James called from outside and told her he would be waiting downstairs. She dressed and made her way to the common room. Strangely enough, he was the only one there at ten on a Saturday.
"James, you didn't have to do this. We could've just grabbed something from the house elves if you were hungry. What money do you have to spend anyway?" Lily questioned as they made there way through the secret passage to Hogsmeade. They ended up in the infamous "Shrieking Shack" where Remus had his monthly appointments. From there they walked to the Three Broomsticks. All the way down the street you could see that it was rather crowded, even for a Saturday night. When they reached the pub, you could see that the whole of the Gryffindor house was there! Every last underclassmen. There wasn't even room to breathe. Somehow Madame Rosmerta found them and led them through the crowd to a table in the back where Remus, and Sirius sat, waiting for their friends. "Hey guys! Have a good cat nap?" Sirius was winking and smiling. Neither James nor Lily paid him any attention though. "You guys didn't have to do this for me! A simple 'Happy Birthday' or card would've done fine." Before any of them could reply, Ludo was standing atop the bar. He tapped his throw and muttered something. Then, when he spoke, "CAN I HAVE EVERYONE'S ATTENTION!!! THE GUEST OF HONOR IS HERE!!" He tapped his throat again and climbed down. Everyone started to sing "Happy Birthday" loud and off-key but it was funny nonetheless. Everyone came over and told her individually and a lot of people gave her presents. A few hours later, the place was pretty emptied. This was due to the fact that people didn't want to get in too much trouble and that they had to gradually wane the numbers in the bar so that it wasn't just like a mass of kids coming from behind the old witch's hump in the castle.
"Guys, I want to thank you so much. This was so wonderful. I mean you really didn't have to, but it was so wonderful of you to do it anyway." She gave Remus and Sirius hugs and turned to James, "I mean it, thank you." She hugged him for a long time. "Well I didn't give you my present yet." Was all he said. At that moment Remus and Sirius both mumbled some poor excuse to leave and they headed out of the bar. "Lily, now I know how you felt before, and I know it's a long shot that over the course of a year you've changed your mind but, I just want you to know that I am serious about this." And with that James pulled a small box out of his pocket. Lily's pulse quickened. She knew what was coming. She had a feeling when Sirius and Remus left. Still she had no idea how to answer. He opened the box and inside was the most exquisite diamond engagement ring Lily had ever seen. It must've cost a fortune. It was truly breathtaking. "James, I...where did you get that? That's not real is it? You shouldn't be spending money like that on me." Lily was talking rather quickly, trying to match her heart rate. "Don't worry, it was my mother's, and my father's mother's before her, and so on." Wow, James was really serious about marrying Lily. She realized this now and for some reason, it didn't scare her anymore, it was almost reassuring. It was a great feeling to know that someone would love her no matter what she did. She knew her answer now.
"James, I love you and I would love to marry you." Not ready for such an easy victory, James was a little take aback. He had prepared a little opening statement. He was determined to have her see that it's not that big a step. Now all that work, all that preparation, he didn't even need it. "Aww, I had a whole speech planned out, for when you said no." He feigned disappointment and went in to hug her. "I love you Lily. You don't need to be afraid of being engaged. We don't have to marry until you're ready, ok?" she loved that he was so understanding, but she didn't feel scared at all. She was actually elated that she would be spending the rest of her life with someone she cared so much about.
Meanwhile, peering through the dim windows of the pub were tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum. When they saw Lily except the ring they both hopped up and down like goofballs and danced around. Then they stopped and Sirius dusted his shirt, "I believe our job here is done. I think we should go." And with that they turned and walked away. Lily and James sat in the pub for another hour before they decided that they'd better go back. So they walked along the street lamps, zigzagging through the lights until they reached the shrieking shack and went back to school.
Despite the fact that they had slept all day, they still were tired, so each had decided to go catch up on sleep. It would be a while before they could ever sleep this much again. After March comes April, then May and that's when the seventh years take their exams. Since Lily had been studying extra hard throughout the year, she felt that the exams were a piece of cake and she wasn't very stressed out at all. She received top marks, as usual, along with James and the two of them graduated with honors. James was to give a speech at their graduation. Something he wasn't so great at, but he made his way through it, and all and all it wasn't such a bad speech. Delivering it would be the easy part.
Graduation came all too fast for everyone. So many people would, in all likelihood, never be seen again. Emotions were running high and people were crying at the drop of a hat. The one thought that keep coming back into Lily's head was how thankful she was that she wouldn't have to go through that with James. She didn't know about Sirius or Remus. She assumed that she would see Sirius quite a bit, at least until she got her own apartment. Since Remus lived in Whales to begin with, she feared that they would keep in touch less. It was a hot day and everyone was so glad when James finally got up to give the speech. He was the last of the speakers and after this they handed out licenses, certifying each member of the graduating class as a full-fledged witch or wizard. James stood up and swallowed hard. He was hot, tired and parched.
"With the world in the condition it is in today, it's not hard to see why a newly certified wizard would be afraid to jump in. But that's just it, many innocent people have died because so many decided not to jump in. Here we are. Now's our chance. We can make a difference, despite the fact that you are only one person. This is true, but together, we are a group of intelligent, brave people who can go anywhere if we really wanted to. The decision is yours. You've come this far, why stop now?"
No one had expected such a short, inspirational speech. It took a second, but the clapping was tumultuous in the end and everyone was very proud of James. He bowed and took a seat. This was the mark that closed a large, important chapter in his life. But it opened a new, exciting, unknown one that he couldn't wait to start with his fiancée. Life was wide open for his exploration and he was all for jumping in.
A/N: I know, I know, lame ass, but I don't care. I didn't want to end it with one of those Hollywood shots of James and Lily kissing as everyone is throwing their graduation caps up and the camera widens with some corny ass pop rock. LoL. I feel empty...I have nothing to write now...Ah well... maybe I should consider leaving the computer for a little while...::ponders:: hmmm...
"Here we are again. The last time ever riding back to Hogwart's. Everyone take it in." Lily was looking around her. To her right, a window with a gorgeous scenic view of the surrounding countryside. To her immediate left, her wonderful, adoring, cute, smart, funny, sweet boyfriend and best friend, who she loved more than she, herself thought was possible. By the summer's end, Lily had come to realize that James was definitely going to be with her for the rest of her life. Yes, she still thought herself too young for marriage, but that didn't mean that she was too young to embrace something that could quite possibly turn out to be the best thing in her life. To her far left, one of her best friends, funny, smart, and a lady's man, Sirius was making a face at Remus when he noticed Lily studying him. He realized how very childish he must've looked and stopped. "Heh, you caught that one huh?" He looked down with a stupid grin on his face. Remus just sat in laughter. "O, Padfoot, don't change. Ever. No matter what situation, you will always be considered comic relief." Everyone chuckled. The ride went smoothly enough after that. Around the time they reached the station, it was drizzling, though it was still very warm out.
The four got off of the train and headed for carriages. They knew the route to the school like the back of their hands. They could've walked it blind-folded. But after this last time, they wouldn't need to. The thought was immobilizing at times, and completely intoxicating at others. They would be able to decide their own futures, write their own stories, do what they really wanted to. But they would also be on their own. They wouldn't have the safe haven of Hogwart's to rely on in a world full of rising dark forces. This thought never had the effect on James that it had on others though. He always felt that if he had someone to go through it all with, he would be able to take on anything. The fact that he found that someone, gave him a feeling of invincibility.
The start-of-term feast was slightly different for the group due to the fact that Head Boy and Girl were titles that were within reach for two of them. Surprisingly enough, only one got it though. "Congratulations!" Was all that was heard around the table as James headed up to receive his badge. "Wait, wait, Lily didn't get called up." Sirius was standing now and thinking aloud. "Hang about, that's not quite right. OY! Professor Dumbledore! You didn't call Lily Evans as Head Girl!" Sirius waited for the mistake to be corrected but much to his, and everyone's surprise, Dumbledore's reply was quite the opposite. "I'm sorry Mr. Black, but the fact of the matter is, while Ms. Evans is a wonderful student, athlete, and all-around girl, she was beat out of the position." With this said, Sirius walked over to the faculty table and spoke privately with Dumbledore for a few minutes.
"Now you're not telling me that there is someone who deserves it more than Lily are you?" Sirius tried hard not to glare. "Sirius, Lily does deserve this honor, very much so, but the deciding factors in its recipient were that her marks were better on the NEWTS last year. And this isn't only my opinion, but that of the rest of the faculty. Miss Evans has been through quite a bit during her time here. She needs to relax. She doesn't need the extra weight of this duty put on her."
"Well, with all due respect sir, I think that's a bunch of bullocks. In her time here, Lily has gone through quite a bit, but has she not maintained impeccable attendance, marks, attitude toward others, service, sportsmanship? She has gone above and beyond before and I think that should qualify her more than anyone else that you pick for this position. Besides, James will do something stupid and try to give up his position so she doesn't feel bad if you don't make her head girl." This was a likelihood and Dumbledore knew that. "Sirius, you would make an excellent attorney. I believe you've swayed my decision as to who gets this honor. You may sit with the rest of the Gryffindors and await the announcement." With that, Sirius grinned, thanked the old professor and practically skipped back to his seat.
"Sirius, I hope you didn't get yourself in trouble. I mean, it's no big deal if I don't get Head Girl, really. The fact that you actually got up and protested it was really unexpected. Thanks for your vote of confidence and all, but ..." Lily continued talking for a few minutes as the teachers huddled around the headmaster in discussion. After a few minutes, Dumbledore turned around and faced the assembly. "Ahem..." he waited for silence, but not too long because everyone wanted to hear the decision. "It has come to my attention that we didn't take into account some of our prefect girls' ...err...extracurricular...activities." He glanced over at Sirius and winked. Sirius nodded and smiled. "It seems as though we've forgotten that there are multiple aspects to this award besides good marks and athleticism. One needs to take into account how the recipient responds to adversity. Now, my colleagues and I have come to a point where a popular vote is needed. We can't seem to decide amongst ourselves. I'm going to give you all a choice between two girls, and I would like to hear your opinion. Our first candidate is of Ravenclaw, Nina Gretchen." There was a loud applause after the name was said. Very loud. She got great marks last year. Second only to James. She was nice too. There was a very good chance that she would win. Count on Sirius to lighten the mood. "O, give me a break, she has two first names for crying out loud." Lily giggled at this realization.
Soon the applause died down and silence fell upon the hall. "Our second candidate, from Gryffindor, Lily Evans." Lily blushed at the recognition and just sat there, waving shyly. Have you ever been in a room that echoed so much, if a sound was loud enough, it was deafening? As soon as the word "Evans" had left Dumbledore's lips that is was the Great Hall sounded like. Lily had no idea of the impact she had on people's lives. She saw James standing up with the teachers clapping as hard as he could, Sirius next to her on the table jumping up and down like a mad man. Even Remus was whooping particularly loudly. What really stunned her was that when she looked across at the other tables, she saw that the majority of the room was standing and clapping for her. Ludo Bagman was standing on the table, just like Sirius, jumping around like an idiot. Even Nina Gretchen was clapping and smiling at Lily.
Waiting a few moments to let the accolades die down, Dumbledore stood again and began, "Well, I think it's safe to say who the new Head Girl is. I couldn't have picked it better myself. Let's all thank Sirius Black for reintroducing her into the candidacy." Everyone clapped and Sirius, being hyper from his previous table antics, climbed up on it once more and did a quick jig for his audience. "Ah yes, always the entertainer, thank you Sirius. Now, without further ado, Ms. Evans, if you would be so kind as to join the Head Boy up here." Everyone applauded again and Lily made her way up to the faculty table. She got her pin and stood in front of the rest of the school, looking over a small sea of people who were smiling and cheering. "It's all for you." James was smiling at her. "You too, don't forget that you did make Head Boy, silly." She couldn't have smiled more if her life depended on it. "Yah, but I'm not the most beloved person in the room right now. Lily, I don't think you realize how much people respect you and value you." He slipped his hand into hers and they stood there for a little while as Dumbledore made a few more announcements, after which they went to join the rest of their friends to celebrate and eat. The rest of the day was spent in a daze for Lily and James for the most part. They were both so happy about their newly bestowed honors. Though it was a blissful start of term, the rest of the term couldn't be described the same. The new positions meant loads more of work. Lily and James had to look and play the part of the Hogwart's poster kids. Model students, exemplary athletes, and good showmanship. It was all very exhausting and time consuming. Though they were together a lot, James and Lily barely breathed a word to each other that didn't regard school functions, grades, classes or something related to the facility.
Months flew by without either of them noticing how little time they had left in their second home. Until one day, Lily looked up from her Ancient Runes essay. It was five thirty in the morning. She had pulled another all-nighter. There, sitting across from her in an armchair near the fire, was James. No matter how late she stayed up, he was always there with her and she him. He was snoozing softly as the glowing rays crept through the common room and landed lightly on his face. "Just think, you get to wake up next to that for the rest of your life." "What are you doing up so early Padfoot?" Sirius was yawning and stretching. "Well, seeing as neither of you decided to go to bed last night, I woke up to find James' bed empty. I figured you were down here and I thought I ought to let you know, that it's Saturday, so you don't go killing yourselves. Aww, little Jay. What time did he pass out?" Sirius was leaning against the back of the armchair Lily was in. "To tell you the truth I really don't know. I just looked at the clock now. The last time I looked at it, it was 2:15 I think. But I'm done. I've completed all of the weekend's work. I've done everything I needed to." She heaved a huge sigh, which consequently woke James up. He stretched like a cat and looked around, bleary-eyed. "What time is it? Are we gonna be late for class?" He was only half awake and he was asking about class, very un-prongslike. "James, hun, it's Saturday. You can go sleep upstairs." Lily was now kneeling at his side speaking softly into his ear. "O, thank god. I think I will. Hey you wanna come with." He winked and she laughed her wonderful, musical laughter that he hadn't heard in ages. "I dunno, give me some time to think about it." She smiled slyly. "Aww screw waiting for an answer. I need sleep dear. I'm off to bed,' he joked, kissed her forehead, got up and left.
"Bed sounds awfully good right about now. I think I will be heading up there. See you later Sirius." She thought she had gotten away with it, but she had underestimated Sirius's ability to remember things. "Hey, where do you think you are going on your birthday? Come now Lily, what kind of friend would I be if I let you do what you wanted on your birthday? Seriously. Now, let's go eat some breakfast and then maybe, I'll think about letting you go to sleep." He smiled and took her arm, leading her to the great hall in yesterday's clothes. It was a sweet gesture, but if Lily didn't get sleep soon, she was sure to mistake her sausage for a pillow. When she got down there she realized how hungry she really was though and she was thankful for his making her go. When they got back to the common room Sirius gave her a little present and a card. She opened the card first. It was blank inside except for Sirius's own thoughts.
Dear Lils,
Hope you have a great birthday. Just wanted to say how much of a great friend you've been and how proud I am of you. I'm also very happy to see that you and James finally saw what everyone else had seen for years. Don't screw that up. I don't mean to nag you in your own birthday card, but I'm gonna. I love you and you've been like a sister to me. Thanks for everything and happy birthday.
Love,
Sirius
She looked up with tears in her eyes. Maybe it was the fact that she hadn't slept in over 30 hours and tears came so easily after that, or maybe it was just that the card was really sweet. He smiled, "Open it." She did as she was told. Inside the little package was a little glass ball. "Aww hey! It's a remembrall how could you have possibly remembered that I had said I wanted one? That was ages ago! Thank you!" She gave him a big hug. Despite the great gift, she felt sleep was more important though and decided to continue this joyous occasion on a later day.
Though when she did wake up, it was still Saturday, just very late in the day. Late enough for her to be hungry again. She saw that it was around 7:30 p.m. now and she was quite famished. The dorm was dark, but she could still feel someone lying next to her. "Why hello. When did you wake up?" She tried to start a conversation with him, but James was fast asleep in her bed. "Ah well, for the best I suppose." With that she got up noiselessly, and went down to get some food. She came back a few minutes later and found him still sleeping in the same position as when she had left. She climbed back into her covers and cuddled up next to him. He stirred, but didn't wake. He only just moved to his side and put his arm around Lily, as if he knew to do so by instinct. Slowly she drifted off to sleep again, but not for long as she had already slept for such a long period of time. They both had. About an hour later James awoke to find Lily in his arms, a smile on her face. He smiled and stroked her hair. This woke her and she turned to face him. "Well, hello sleepy head." She said inbetween a yawn. "I should say the same to you. What time is it now?...half past eight. See at least I woke up long enough to come in here and fall asleep again." He grinned. "Well I went to sleep later than you and I woke up and hour ago to get food." She pushed him slightly and he teetered on the edge of the twin mattress. "Hey, hey now that's not funny." He pulled himself back up to stability again. Lily got up, "sure it is. Now if you had fallen I would've been obliged to say aww, poor baby and give you sympathy. But since you didn't quite fall, I can still laugh." "Alright then. If those are the rules. O by the way, happy birthday." She looked over and smiled sweetly from her dresser. "Why thank you very much. It just makes me realize how little time is left before we're out of this place." She stopped looking for socks and stood in a contemplative state. "I know, but it also makes you realize how much more of the world we can see. How much we can do once we've graduated. We can really make a difference Lily. We could help to bring down the terrible dark reign." Now was James's turn to sit in reflection. "Hold that thought. I'll be right back." And with that Lily disappeared into the bath for a good ten minutes before reappearing freshly showered and in a new pair of pajamas.
"The way I see it, it's already night time you know? Why put clean clothes on for a few hours?" She flopped down on the bed next to hers facing James. He was flipping through a magazine that was on Lily's dorm-mate's nightstand. "Well, I don't care what you wear, you're always gorgeous to me. However, I think the people at the three broomsticks might give you funny looks if you show up in ...ducky? Pajamas. You better hurry, I did make reservations for 10." He continued to flip through the magazine, trying to act as if he thought it all so mundane. "Why you little sneak." She threw a pillow at him playfully. His excellent quidditch skills paid off as he was able to dodge it. She heaved a heavy sigh and disappearred once more into the bathroom. This time James called from outside and told her he would be waiting downstairs. She dressed and made her way to the common room. Strangely enough, he was the only one there at ten on a Saturday.
"James, you didn't have to do this. We could've just grabbed something from the house elves if you were hungry. What money do you have to spend anyway?" Lily questioned as they made there way through the secret passage to Hogsmeade. They ended up in the infamous "Shrieking Shack" where Remus had his monthly appointments. From there they walked to the Three Broomsticks. All the way down the street you could see that it was rather crowded, even for a Saturday night. When they reached the pub, you could see that the whole of the Gryffindor house was there! Every last underclassmen. There wasn't even room to breathe. Somehow Madame Rosmerta found them and led them through the crowd to a table in the back where Remus, and Sirius sat, waiting for their friends. "Hey guys! Have a good cat nap?" Sirius was winking and smiling. Neither James nor Lily paid him any attention though. "You guys didn't have to do this for me! A simple 'Happy Birthday' or card would've done fine." Before any of them could reply, Ludo was standing atop the bar. He tapped his throw and muttered something. Then, when he spoke, "CAN I HAVE EVERYONE'S ATTENTION!!! THE GUEST OF HONOR IS HERE!!" He tapped his throat again and climbed down. Everyone started to sing "Happy Birthday" loud and off-key but it was funny nonetheless. Everyone came over and told her individually and a lot of people gave her presents. A few hours later, the place was pretty emptied. This was due to the fact that people didn't want to get in too much trouble and that they had to gradually wane the numbers in the bar so that it wasn't just like a mass of kids coming from behind the old witch's hump in the castle.
"Guys, I want to thank you so much. This was so wonderful. I mean you really didn't have to, but it was so wonderful of you to do it anyway." She gave Remus and Sirius hugs and turned to James, "I mean it, thank you." She hugged him for a long time. "Well I didn't give you my present yet." Was all he said. At that moment Remus and Sirius both mumbled some poor excuse to leave and they headed out of the bar. "Lily, now I know how you felt before, and I know it's a long shot that over the course of a year you've changed your mind but, I just want you to know that I am serious about this." And with that James pulled a small box out of his pocket. Lily's pulse quickened. She knew what was coming. She had a feeling when Sirius and Remus left. Still she had no idea how to answer. He opened the box and inside was the most exquisite diamond engagement ring Lily had ever seen. It must've cost a fortune. It was truly breathtaking. "James, I...where did you get that? That's not real is it? You shouldn't be spending money like that on me." Lily was talking rather quickly, trying to match her heart rate. "Don't worry, it was my mother's, and my father's mother's before her, and so on." Wow, James was really serious about marrying Lily. She realized this now and for some reason, it didn't scare her anymore, it was almost reassuring. It was a great feeling to know that someone would love her no matter what she did. She knew her answer now.
"James, I love you and I would love to marry you." Not ready for such an easy victory, James was a little take aback. He had prepared a little opening statement. He was determined to have her see that it's not that big a step. Now all that work, all that preparation, he didn't even need it. "Aww, I had a whole speech planned out, for when you said no." He feigned disappointment and went in to hug her. "I love you Lily. You don't need to be afraid of being engaged. We don't have to marry until you're ready, ok?" she loved that he was so understanding, but she didn't feel scared at all. She was actually elated that she would be spending the rest of her life with someone she cared so much about.
Meanwhile, peering through the dim windows of the pub were tweedle-dee and tweedle-dum. When they saw Lily except the ring they both hopped up and down like goofballs and danced around. Then they stopped and Sirius dusted his shirt, "I believe our job here is done. I think we should go." And with that they turned and walked away. Lily and James sat in the pub for another hour before they decided that they'd better go back. So they walked along the street lamps, zigzagging through the lights until they reached the shrieking shack and went back to school.
Despite the fact that they had slept all day, they still were tired, so each had decided to go catch up on sleep. It would be a while before they could ever sleep this much again. After March comes April, then May and that's when the seventh years take their exams. Since Lily had been studying extra hard throughout the year, she felt that the exams were a piece of cake and she wasn't very stressed out at all. She received top marks, as usual, along with James and the two of them graduated with honors. James was to give a speech at their graduation. Something he wasn't so great at, but he made his way through it, and all and all it wasn't such a bad speech. Delivering it would be the easy part.
Graduation came all too fast for everyone. So many people would, in all likelihood, never be seen again. Emotions were running high and people were crying at the drop of a hat. The one thought that keep coming back into Lily's head was how thankful she was that she wouldn't have to go through that with James. She didn't know about Sirius or Remus. She assumed that she would see Sirius quite a bit, at least until she got her own apartment. Since Remus lived in Whales to begin with, she feared that they would keep in touch less. It was a hot day and everyone was so glad when James finally got up to give the speech. He was the last of the speakers and after this they handed out licenses, certifying each member of the graduating class as a full-fledged witch or wizard. James stood up and swallowed hard. He was hot, tired and parched.
"With the world in the condition it is in today, it's not hard to see why a newly certified wizard would be afraid to jump in. But that's just it, many innocent people have died because so many decided not to jump in. Here we are. Now's our chance. We can make a difference, despite the fact that you are only one person. This is true, but together, we are a group of intelligent, brave people who can go anywhere if we really wanted to. The decision is yours. You've come this far, why stop now?"
No one had expected such a short, inspirational speech. It took a second, but the clapping was tumultuous in the end and everyone was very proud of James. He bowed and took a seat. This was the mark that closed a large, important chapter in his life. But it opened a new, exciting, unknown one that he couldn't wait to start with his fiancée. Life was wide open for his exploration and he was all for jumping in.
A/N: I know, I know, lame ass, but I don't care. I didn't want to end it with one of those Hollywood shots of James and Lily kissing as everyone is throwing their graduation caps up and the camera widens with some corny ass pop rock. LoL. I feel empty...I have nothing to write now...Ah well... maybe I should consider leaving the computer for a little while...::ponders:: hmmm...