Disclaimer: You all know the drill – characters you recognize belong to the talented Ms. Rowling; those you don't recognize, well, I have no idea were they came from!

Author's Note: Before anything else, I would like to apologize for the extreme lateness of this last chapter. I've been extremely busy with summer school and I haven't had the time to actually cook this chapter up. That and the fact that I've been in a huge state of writer's block for the past couple of months…but have no fear – the seventh and final chapter of Serendipity is finally here! Originally, I had planned to leave the sixth chapter as the last chapter. But then I realized, "There are still a couple of questions left unanswered…I should write another chapter!" So here is the product of that little epiphany. Hopefully you all will like this chapter and hopefully you will feel some sort of closure to this story – the previous chapter wasn't a good place to end the story, I thought. So yeah, please read this and let me know how it was (i.e. please review this chapter!). And again, thank you for all the support! Enjoy!

Chapter Seven: A Destiny Fulfilled

Lily Evans sat in a round table for two at the Leaky Cauldron, her eyes scanning the many faces present in the pub as she took a small sip of her drink. With a sigh, she gently set the glass onto the table, taking a glance at her watch. "Where are you, James?" muttered the redhead, turning her attention towards the entrance, where a family of three had entered, faces all alit. 

With a somewhat defeated sigh, Lily turned her gaze at a bead of water trickling down the edge of her glass, absentmindedly tracing her fingers on a crack embedded on the table. Goodness, it's getting hotter by the minute, thought the girl as she watched another bead of water slide down to the base of her glass. I hope he gets here soon.

A small smile crept across Lily's lips, her eyes still fixed on her glass. Her mind, however, was on something other than the summer heat slowly making its way inside the Leaky Cauldron: James Potter. It had almost been a year since she met James at Flourish and Blotts, and almost seven months since their reunion at the library. And since that fateful night, she and James have been in a relationship (or as James himself put it, "that evening, destiny had been fulfilled.").

It took all but three seconds for Sirius, Remus, and Peter to grin triumphantly when Lily and James entered the Great Hall hand in hand, the morning after their reunion. With a giggle, Lily recalled the wide-eyed looks her friends sent her way when the couple entered amidst whispers. It hadn't been her intention, really, to enter the Great Hall with James' hand clasped gently with hers. But as always, fate had a different plan…

Lily glanced at the oak door leading to the Ravenclaw girl's dormitory, a sigh escaping her lips. She had been waiting for no more than five minutes, having agreed to go down to breakfast with Arabella, Diana, and Agatha. But the strong growling of her stomach – and even stronger desire to see James that morning – drove the usually calm girl into impatience.

Pushing herself off the comfortable armchair she had occupied, the redhead marched towards the oak door with a determined look, reaching for the doorknob. She yelped, however, when the door suddenly swung open to reveal two surprised girls.

"Good, you're here," said Lily as casually as she can, trying to hide her alarm. "I'm starving, so let's go."

"Actually, is it alright to wait for thirty more minutes, Lily?" asked Arabella, brushing her hair with her fingers as she moved to stand next to the redhead. "Diana didn't get much sleep last night – she had just woken up a few minutes ago…"

"What?"

"She and Sirius Black – I don't' know if you know him – were dancing enthusiastically last night," explained Agatha, closing the door behind her. A small, embarrassed blush crept across the first year's cheeks. "I overhead Sirius telling Diana to meet him at around 1 o'clock in the Astronomy Tower."

"I don't even want to know what those two did," muttered Lily, returning to the armchair she previously occupied, heaving a defeated sigh as she sat down. I just hope there will be enough food left once we get down to breakfast, thought the prefect, tapping her foot as she waited for her friend. And hopefully, James would still be there…

Thoughts of their shared kiss the previous night lingered in Lily's mind for a while, recalling the gentle and sweet way James had kissed her. She was snapped out of her reminiscent thoughts, however, when Arabella called her name. "Wh—what is it? Is Diana here already?" asked the girl, her cheeks flushed a light crimson.

"Goodness, Lily!" began Arabella, a bit shocked. "You're THAT hungry, are you?"

Lily flushed a deeper red.

"Why don't you go ahead and save us seats?" offered Agatha with a smile. "Arabella and I will wait for Diana."

"Alright," said the girl, inwardly cheering as she went for the main door. "I'll wait for you three at the table!"

And with that said, the ecstatic Ravenclaw prefect snapped the door shut behind her, starting her trek to breakfast with a triumphant smile plastered on her face. As she rounded a corner, her smile still in place, a boy with sandy, blond hair approached her with an incredibly huge grin. "Lily," said the boy, halting a few feet in front of the bewildered redhead. "Euan has come to!"

"Are you serious?" exclaimed Lily, her already wide grin becoming wider. "Can I go see him then?"

Without bothering to hear the boy's reply, Lily ran off towards the infirmary, gaining curious stares from students, professors, and portraits. She had been extremely anxious since the accident, and had waited for the opportunity to finally hear her friend speak again. After all, she had a lot to tell him: the happenings during the ball (or atleast the gossip she had heard from her friends), the reason why the bludgers turned wild, the fateful evening when she saw James again…

She stopped on her tracks.

Should I tell him about James, wondered Lily, slowly resuming her journey to the infirmary. He wouldn't be upset, right? I mean, we were supposed to have gone to the ball together, but that doesn't mean we're officially a couple…we're just friends…

"Good then," muttered Lily, settling the matter as she neared the infirmary. "Euan's a good friend – he would be happy to hear about James." With a confident nod, the Ravenclaw prefect entered the infirmary, surprised to see that Madame Pomfrey was nowhere in sight. She did, however, noticed the open door leading to the sick beds. Lily, eager to see her friend, walked towards to door; she suddenly stopped after hearing a very familiar voice.

"Glad to see you up and about, Euan."

"So am I, Potter," answered Euan, his voice a little raspy. 

Lily poked her head through the open door, curiosity getting the best of her. She sighed in relief when she saw that, although she could clearly hear their voices, the two boys couldn't see the redhead (and neither can the redhead see the two boys). The white curtain around Euan's bed was drawn halfway out, blocking the redhead from view. With her curiosity still getting the best of her, Lily took a seat on a plush chair next to the door, silently eavesdropping on the boys' conversation.

"So, did they ever find out who hexed those damn bludgers?" asked Euan, running a hand through his hair, which desperately needed a good combing.

"Dumbledore placed some sort of charm on the bludgers," explained James, his brows crinkled in recollection. "A few minutes later, the professors found out that a group of Slytherin students hexed the damn thing."

"Why the hell would they want to do that?" asked Euan, his face a mixture of confusion and anger.

"Apparently, you and I are huge threats," said the Gryffindor captain with a shrug. "They wanted to secure the Quidditch Cup for their house."

"Some people just don't go by the rules, don't they?" sneered Euan. A few seconds of silence passed, broken only when the recently revitalized boy cleared his throat and asked, "So, what else happened? Has the ball already been held?"

"Yeah, last night, to be exact," replied James with nod of his head and, noticing Euan's disappointed expression, added, "But worry, I'm sure there will be another ball along the way."

"I suppose," sighed Euan, scratching the back of his head. "But I really wish I was awake for it. I didn't really want to disappoint my date; she probably ended up going alone…"

"I'm sure she would understand, given the circumstance and all," said James with a smile. "Who were you taking anyway?"

"Lily Evans," answered the Ravenclaw boy, unaware that the girl he had just mentioned was now fidgeting in her seat, anxious of the direction the boys' conversation had suddenly turned towards.

"Lily…Evans?" repeated James, his mouth slightly agape and his eyes wide open.

"What, you know her?"

"Is she your girlfriend?" questioned James, not heeding the other boy's polite demand. "I mean, you two aren't a…couple, are you?"

James held his breath, waiting for Euan's reply. A look of deep confusion then flitted across his face when, unexpectedly, Euan gave a good-natured scoff.

"Why does everybody assume that? Just because two people are going to the ball together, it does not necessarily mean they are a couple," said Euan, unaware of the agreeing nod from the auburn-haired girl. "So no – Lily and I are not a couple. Although I do admit that when I asked her to the ball, it was my intention for us to become one. But I realized, after spending some time with her, that we are much better off as friends."

The Ravenclaw captain gave the other boy, who looked extremely relieved, a knowing grin. "Why, do you fancy Lily? You know, you two would make a spectacular couple…"

"Well, I sup—" began James. He was interrupted, however, by the loud shrieks of two women, and the loud clatter of a food tray falling onto the floor. With a bewildered look, the Gryffindor prefect pulled the white curtain open, smirking in amusement as he saw Lily Evans and Madame Pomfrey picking up the dropped items off the floor.

"Miss Evans, you startled me!" exclaimed the nurse, a not-so-pleased look etched across her face. "What are you doing here?"

"I am so sorry, Madam Pomfrey," apologized Lily, her cheeks pink. "I wanted to speak with Eu—"

"I'm sorry ladies, but do you need any help over there?" came Euan's amused voice. The two women looked up at the grinning faces of the two boys, Lily's cheeks turning a notch pinker.

"Euan…J—James," stuttered Lily, looking back and forth from one boy to the other.

"Mister Potter! What are you doing, disturbing my patient?" interjected the strict nurse, her voice as sharp as a whip.

"I wasn't disturbing your only patient," said James with a grin. "I was merely speaking to him. After all, he needs all the distraction he can get to make him forget about his hungry stomach – his breakfast obviously cannot do that, seeing as all the food has been splattered on the floor."

"Very well, I shall fetch you a new tray, Mister Oldham," said Madame Pomfrey, smoothing out her clothes. "But when I get back, both you and Miss Evans had better not be here. Understand, Mister Potter?"

The three teens watched in silence as the nurse strolled out of the room, mumbling a complaint about teenagers. Once out of sight, Euan gave out a small chuckle. "Where you eavesdropping, Lily?"

"I was not!"

"How long have you been listening then, Miss Evans?" James lightly demanded, his eyes curled up in an amused smile but his eyes filled with fondness.

"Long enough," replied Lily, her face beet-red. The two stared at each other for seconds, each oblivious to the other boy sending bewildered glances from his bed. He cleared his throat.

"So you two know each other then?" remarked Euan, face-faulting when the two continued staring at each other. "Do you know what I reckon? James here fancies you, Lily."

"Does he now?"

"Yes, he does," answered James, walking towards the redhead, who was beaming with delight, her cheeks now an attractive shade of light crimson. "I think the question should be: does Miss Evans fancy him?"

"I don't know," began Lily, a smile creeping across her lips. "Maybe she'll let Mister Potter know on the way to breakfast?"

"Shall we then?" said James, offering his arm to the girl, who gingerly looped an arm around his.

With a nod, the hazel-eyed boy led the auburn-haired girl towards the door, briefly acknowledging Euan as the pair went through the door, failing to hear the Ravenclaw captain's amused comment about having no distraction for his hunger.

"So then, will Miss Evans finally enlighten this humble young man about her feelings towards Mister Potter?" questioned James as the two teens approached the Great Hall.

The redhead did not answer.

When the pair reached the Great Hall, James turned to face Lily, unaware of the curious looks a few students sent their way. "Well?"

Lily slowly reached for the messy-haired boy's hand, a smile still on her lips. With her other hand, she slowly pulled James' face towards hers, giving the bewildered boy a sweet and gently kiss. "I reckon Miss Evans does indeed fancy Mister Potter."

"I'm glad to hear that."

And with that said, James adjusted his robes and walked Lily towards the Ravenclaw table, giving the girl a chaste kiss on the lips, nodding at her gaping friends as he walked towards his own house table.

Not minding the shocked expressions on her friends' faces, the Ravenclaw prefect took a sip of he pumpkin juice, stealing a quick glance at James, whose friends were grinning at him triumphantly, slapping him in the back.

After a few more seconds of gaping, the three other Ravenclaws seated around the prefect resumed their breakfast, Lily smiling as she heard Agatha say, " I told you! You and my brother make a perfect couple, Lily!"

~~**~~~**~~

"Umm…Earth to Lily," came a sweet voice, jerking Lily out of her reminiscent trance. "Are you alright?"

Wrenching her eyes from her glass, Lily smiled as the cheerful face of Agatha Potter came into focus. She stood up, smoothing out her skirt. "Agatha! How are you?"

"I'm fine," Agatha managed to say, since Lily had pulled the younger girl into a warm hug. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm meeting your brother here," explained the auburn-haired beauty, running her fingers through her hair. She looked around the pub. "Where's James?"

"Oh! He said he needed to stop by Flourish and Blotts for a few minutes," answered Agatha. She shrugged, adding, "He had to buy something important."

"That's all well then," said Lily, picking up her purse from the table. "I was going to ask him if we could stop by Flourish and Blotts later anyway. I might as well just meet him there. Would you like to come with me?"

"I think it would be best if I stayed here," said Agatha, tucking a lock of black hair behind her ear. "Just in case James arrives."

"What if he doesn't come?"

"I'll leave," shrugged the girl. "I have stuff to do too, you know."

"Alright, I'll se you later then," Lily said, waving goodbye as she exited the pub, the harsh rays of the sun kissing her skin.

As always, Diagon Alley was filled with wizards and witches doing their summer shopping. Making her way through the throngs of people proved to be somewhat difficult – Lily was bumped on the shoulders atleast fifteen times before reaching her destination. Smiling at a man who held the door open for her, Lily entered the bookshop with a grateful smile, happy to finally be getting out of the heat and the crowd.

Slowly, the redhead walked between rows and shelves of books, gasping lightly when a five-inch thick tome dropped with a thud, a few feet away from her. She looked up and stifled a laugh. "You missed me this time, sir!"

"I'm surprised I still work here," chuckled the man as he jumped down from his ladder, dusting his hands off the black apron tied around his waist. "I've injured so many people and not one complaint has been filed! Haha…well then, how may I be of service?"

"Could you please direct me to where I can find Belinda Bathwick's—"

"—latest book?" said the man, finishing the auburn-haired girl's sentence. He chuckled, motioning for Lily to follow him. "She's been extremely popular, that author. Now then, see that table over there? The one with the red sign? It should be there."

"Thank you so much," said Lily, smiling as the man went back to work. She reached the said table within seconds, congratulating herself as she gingerly grabbed the last copy off the table. She groaned.

NOT AGAIN! Thought Lily as an opposite force tugged the volume away from her. She looked up and smirked. "I'm sorry, but I saw this copy first."

"Did you now? I thought is saw it first," replied the boy, his hazel eyes glinting with amusement behind his glasses. "But I suppose you should buy it. So…I'll just place this book back onto the table here and wait for you to pick it up…"

Lily giggled, shaking in silent laughter. She reached for the indigo tome and gasped – an old man had grabbed the book before the redhead had the chance to enclose it with her hand.

"Umm…excuse me, sir?"

The man turned around and grinned at Lily and the boy. "Well, I see you two are still together," commented the old man, his eyes crinkling as he smiled. "I suppose her mother enjoyed that book you gave her, eh?"

James smiled weakly, clearing his throat as he nodded.

"Well, what is it then?" asked the man, turning her gaze towards the redhead, whose cheeks were a light pink.

"Er…I was about to pay for that, sir," replied Lily meekly, glancing at the boy beside her for help.

The old man chuckled. "Now, now – that's not going to work this time around, young lady," remarked the old man. "You know, it took me six months to find a copy of the first volume. I'm not going to let this opportunity pass. Sorry, lass."

"But—"

"Besides," began the man, waving his hands at the two teens. "You two seem to be in love. I'm sure your mother will get on your boyfriend's good side just for that." And with that said, the man trudged off, the indigo book clasped tightly over his chest.

"But—"

"Don't worry about it, Lily," said James, cutting the girl off as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, walking her out of the shop.

"You heard him," Lily half-wailed as she and James made their way through the crowded cobblestone streets of Diagon Alley. "It took him forever to get the first volume. Imagine how difficult it will be to get my hands on the second volume!"

"Not as difficult as you might think," said James, a triumphant grin on his lips as he lead Lily towards an empty bench shaded underneath a large, leafy tree. The pair sat down.

"What do you mean?"

Instead of answering her question, James brandished a small bag from Flourish and Blotts that he had been holding the whole since he saw Lily inside the bookshop. Satisfied with the confused look on the girl's face, he added, "Go on, look what's in the bag."

"When did you…"

"I had to get something at Flourish and Blotts, remember? Or did Aggie not tell you?" wondered James, his brows scrunched in question. "I saw you walking towards the bookstore when I stopped by Florean Fortescue's. So, being the overprotective lad that I am, I followed you."

"And this is what you had to get?" asked Lily with a grateful smile, gently tapping the indigo book in her hands: More Useful Charms for Everyday Use by Belinda Bathwick. "What about that old man?"

"I didn't plan that," shrugged James. "He just happened to be there, I suppose."

The couple sat in silence, James watching his auburn-haired beauty with a smile and Lily tracing a finger along the book's spine. Running a hand through his messy hair, James broke the silence, asking, "Aren't you going to look through it?"

Sending James, who had an extremely expectant look on his face, a bewildered glance, Lily flipped the bard cover open. She gasped.

"I thought it was appropriate," said James, watching in satisfaction as the auburn-haired girl closed the book, speechless. "You wrote something on the book you gave me, so I thou—"

Before he had the chance to finish his sentence, Lily had brought his lips down onto hers, cupping his face with gentle hands, the indigo book sliding down onto Lily's lap, opening mysteriously to the title page.

Dear Lily,

You changed my life from the moment I laid eyes on you. I was mesmerized by the way your hair reflected the sun. I was amazed by the way your green eyes drowned me with your gentle looks. I was intoxicated by the way you smile. In short, I was intrigued by you. I felt lost during those months when I frantically wondered who you were. But now, we are together. I am thankful for whatever force that allowed us not only to meet, but also to reunite. No longer do I feel lost: a large part of my destiny has already been fulfilled. And that part, Lily, was you…

-James

~~**~~~**~~

YES! I AM DONE! So…how was this for a last chapter? I thought it was a much better (and more appropriate) ending to this story. Don't you guys think so? But yeah…hopefully I answered a few lingering questions some of you have. And also, I hope none of you were confused between the shift from present to past. I did that before, and I wasn't sure if you guys understood that whole shift. Hopefully you did…well then, please let me know how this chapter was (i.e. please review). Thank you for taking the time and reading this little story of mine. I am glad to see that people appreciated reading this. You are all great! Thank you and have a wonderful day!

~~:AzaleaFaye:~~