Author's Notes at the bottom, as always.
"You've got to be kidding me?" Sirius gasped, trying to look over Remus's shoulder at the piece of parchment in his hands.
Remus was smiling. "Nope, Lily and James are actually together. For real."
"I didn't think it would work," Peter noted, his own face bright.
"Well it did - I wonder what Katie and Beatrice will say when they find out," Sirius wondered.
"Oh," Remus said with a shrug, "probably shriek. It was a wonderful idea, Sirius."
"Yeah. Congratulations, man." Peter nodded.
"Had nothing to do with me - thank the lovebirds," Sirius said, with a laugh.
"Have you thought about how much this is gonna change stuff?"
"Yeah - it won't change much at all."
The three looked at each other and laughed.
***
The perfect snow fell around them, catching and sticking in Lily's hair. The breeze blew at the two of them, harsh but they didn't seem to notice it at all.
James noted the way that the snow fell from her hair and the way that his feet crushed the ice forming on the ground with the wild snow. The dark gray sky seemed to crash down on the two of them and they were totally alone, looking out on the frozen lake.
It was official. They were Lily and James now. Not to be referred to as Just James or Just Lily - but Lily and James, forever now until the end of time. He had sent a letter to his friends, a happy letter noting the events surrounding the past week of Christmas break that had brought he and Lillian together. It was perfect; almost as if it had been planned.
Again the wind pushed at him, causing Lily's red hair to flow around her. He was glad to be outside, with her beside him in the snow.
Suddenly, he felt himself slip and fall to the ground and she was laughing at him, the sound rising up and brightening the gray of the day.
"Lily - I slipped, help me up please?"
She went to him and when she offered him her hand, he pulled her down along with him.
"You bastard," she cried, after hitting the ground.
"No, Lily dear, I know my father."
He pushed himself up from the snow, easily - watching her struggle to get up herself. Finally, she grabbed onto his arm and pushed herself up.
They continued their walk to the lake. "You sent the letter, right?" she asked, turning her face up towards his own. "You told them about us?"
"Yeah - I did."
"I wonder how they're taking it," she sighed.
"Hopefully well," James said, as they reached the edge of the lake.
"Hopefully," she sighed. "I'm just worried they'll think it's weird."
"You and me - weird? Never!" James laughed.
"Oh yes - we're so totally meant to be," Lily said, rolling her eyes.
"Right," he said, smiling. "I know the boys - they'll take the news well. Have you sent your letter to the girls yet?"
"The girls? You talk like they're my friends," Lily sighed.
"You mean they aren't?" James looked suddenly interested.
"We get along and we talk some, if that's what you mean," Lily looked out over the lake, contemplative - her jade eyes sweeping over the ice.
"But you aren't friends with any of them?"
She shook her head, no.
"I bet they'd still like to know," James said, "I bet they'd be happy for us."
"I don't know..."
"Why wouldn't they be?" James was shocked. He thought Lily and the other girls in Dorms Year Five were pretty close.
"Well - Beatrice and Katie are best friends; you knew that of course. They've never liked me - I don't know why," Lily paused. "This next part is top-secret information, so you can't tell a soul - Natalie sort of has a crush on you and has since around second year."
"Natalie?!" James cried, shocked - thinking of the shy, thin dark-headed girl with the light blue eyes. "You aren't serious!"
Lily looked at him with confused eyes. "Totally serious..."
"And Mara?"
Lily sighed and looked away. "Mara doesn't have time to notice me, James. She's too busy with Frank."
James briefly picture Frank Longbottom, the only non-Marauder in the 5th year boys dormitory, - who was serious, studious, and shy. He also thought of Mara, with her strawberry-blonde hair and soft eyes who was constantly at Frank's elbow.
"You mean to tell me that we're your only friends."
Lily looked toward the ground.
"You don't have to answer that."
"Popularity isn't everything," she said, looking away from him.
"I know - it's just..."
"Just what?"
"Nothing! So you won't be sending a letter?"
"Oh - no, I don't think so." She shook her head, her red hair and snow falling over her shoulders as she did so. "I don't think they'd care."
"Ah - well." He wrapped one arm around her shoulder and held him close to himself.
All that matters, he thought, is that she's mine.
***
The carriages arrived at the school, brimming with students. It was quite a shock to Lily, who had become used to the mostly empty, school and she didn't go down with James to meet every one, preferring to wait in the Common Room.
When students started to file into the Tower, James took a seat beside Lily.
"The boys will be up in a minute," he informed her and she nodded, wide-eyed. She knew there would be questions.
"Lily!" Katie Brewyn cried, running over to her in excitement. "I heard everything on the train! You and James - I'm so glad it worked out for you two."
"Yeah - thanks," Lily began and then realized that Kate had just said 'it'. What'd that mean, anyway?
As Sirius, Remus, and Peter came toward them, James smiled brightly.
"James, Lily - it worked!" Peter cried.
"It?" Lily mumbled, turning slightly to James.
"The plan! It worked!! James - I'm so glad for you." Remus was clapping James on the back.
"Plan?!" Lily said, looking at the three boys. "What plan?"
"That plan that everyone knew about - the one to get you and James together," Sirius cried, smiling.
"What?!" Lily jumped up from her seat.
The three boys stared at Lily, eyes wide. They had no idea she'd be mad with them - they thought she'd be happy that they'd thought up the wonderful plan but instead, she jumped up and ran from the room.
A string of loud swears exited James's lips as he looked at the group of them.
He ran after her.
***
"Fuck," he whispered, as he caught sight of her sitting at the very edge of the lake.
As he approached the crunch of his feet in the remaining snow alerted her. "James? Is that you?" she said, sniffling and he could see her push the tears away from her eyes.
"I'm here," he sighed, pulling her to her feet and wrapping his arms around her. Her breath was shaky - she was crying so hard she could barely breath. Her only friends - pulling a trick on her like that. He'd kill them later. She was also ice-cold.
She had cried hard and now she looked empty and soulless, all that was left now was wracking sobs. And as he held her he whispered, "I love you. It's okay. I love you; I'll love you no matter what they do."
And only this seemed to quiet her.
Author's Notes
Chapter Title: "I'm going crazy/and it's all 'cause of you/it's all 'cause of you/I'm going under/over you/over you/this time is so alive/everybody's tranced/dancing tonight/oh so beautiful/and so strange/oh/it was empty until you came"
"You've got to be kidding me?" Sirius gasped, trying to look over Remus's shoulder at the piece of parchment in his hands.
Remus was smiling. "Nope, Lily and James are actually together. For real."
"I didn't think it would work," Peter noted, his own face bright.
"Well it did - I wonder what Katie and Beatrice will say when they find out," Sirius wondered.
"Oh," Remus said with a shrug, "probably shriek. It was a wonderful idea, Sirius."
"Yeah. Congratulations, man." Peter nodded.
"Had nothing to do with me - thank the lovebirds," Sirius said, with a laugh.
"Have you thought about how much this is gonna change stuff?"
"Yeah - it won't change much at all."
The three looked at each other and laughed.
***
The perfect snow fell around them, catching and sticking in Lily's hair. The breeze blew at the two of them, harsh but they didn't seem to notice it at all.
James noted the way that the snow fell from her hair and the way that his feet crushed the ice forming on the ground with the wild snow. The dark gray sky seemed to crash down on the two of them and they were totally alone, looking out on the frozen lake.
It was official. They were Lily and James now. Not to be referred to as Just James or Just Lily - but Lily and James, forever now until the end of time. He had sent a letter to his friends, a happy letter noting the events surrounding the past week of Christmas break that had brought he and Lillian together. It was perfect; almost as if it had been planned.
Again the wind pushed at him, causing Lily's red hair to flow around her. He was glad to be outside, with her beside him in the snow.
Suddenly, he felt himself slip and fall to the ground and she was laughing at him, the sound rising up and brightening the gray of the day.
"Lily - I slipped, help me up please?"
She went to him and when she offered him her hand, he pulled her down along with him.
"You bastard," she cried, after hitting the ground.
"No, Lily dear, I know my father."
He pushed himself up from the snow, easily - watching her struggle to get up herself. Finally, she grabbed onto his arm and pushed herself up.
They continued their walk to the lake. "You sent the letter, right?" she asked, turning her face up towards his own. "You told them about us?"
"Yeah - I did."
"I wonder how they're taking it," she sighed.
"Hopefully well," James said, as they reached the edge of the lake.
"Hopefully," she sighed. "I'm just worried they'll think it's weird."
"You and me - weird? Never!" James laughed.
"Oh yes - we're so totally meant to be," Lily said, rolling her eyes.
"Right," he said, smiling. "I know the boys - they'll take the news well. Have you sent your letter to the girls yet?"
"The girls? You talk like they're my friends," Lily sighed.
"You mean they aren't?" James looked suddenly interested.
"We get along and we talk some, if that's what you mean," Lily looked out over the lake, contemplative - her jade eyes sweeping over the ice.
"But you aren't friends with any of them?"
She shook her head, no.
"I bet they'd still like to know," James said, "I bet they'd be happy for us."
"I don't know..."
"Why wouldn't they be?" James was shocked. He thought Lily and the other girls in Dorms Year Five were pretty close.
"Well - Beatrice and Katie are best friends; you knew that of course. They've never liked me - I don't know why," Lily paused. "This next part is top-secret information, so you can't tell a soul - Natalie sort of has a crush on you and has since around second year."
"Natalie?!" James cried, shocked - thinking of the shy, thin dark-headed girl with the light blue eyes. "You aren't serious!"
Lily looked at him with confused eyes. "Totally serious..."
"And Mara?"
Lily sighed and looked away. "Mara doesn't have time to notice me, James. She's too busy with Frank."
James briefly picture Frank Longbottom, the only non-Marauder in the 5th year boys dormitory, - who was serious, studious, and shy. He also thought of Mara, with her strawberry-blonde hair and soft eyes who was constantly at Frank's elbow.
"You mean to tell me that we're your only friends."
Lily looked toward the ground.
"You don't have to answer that."
"Popularity isn't everything," she said, looking away from him.
"I know - it's just..."
"Just what?"
"Nothing! So you won't be sending a letter?"
"Oh - no, I don't think so." She shook her head, her red hair and snow falling over her shoulders as she did so. "I don't think they'd care."
"Ah - well." He wrapped one arm around her shoulder and held him close to himself.
All that matters, he thought, is that she's mine.
***
The carriages arrived at the school, brimming with students. It was quite a shock to Lily, who had become used to the mostly empty, school and she didn't go down with James to meet every one, preferring to wait in the Common Room.
When students started to file into the Tower, James took a seat beside Lily.
"The boys will be up in a minute," he informed her and she nodded, wide-eyed. She knew there would be questions.
"Lily!" Katie Brewyn cried, running over to her in excitement. "I heard everything on the train! You and James - I'm so glad it worked out for you two."
"Yeah - thanks," Lily began and then realized that Kate had just said 'it'. What'd that mean, anyway?
As Sirius, Remus, and Peter came toward them, James smiled brightly.
"James, Lily - it worked!" Peter cried.
"It?" Lily mumbled, turning slightly to James.
"The plan! It worked!! James - I'm so glad for you." Remus was clapping James on the back.
"Plan?!" Lily said, looking at the three boys. "What plan?"
"That plan that everyone knew about - the one to get you and James together," Sirius cried, smiling.
"What?!" Lily jumped up from her seat.
The three boys stared at Lily, eyes wide. They had no idea she'd be mad with them - they thought she'd be happy that they'd thought up the wonderful plan but instead, she jumped up and ran from the room.
A string of loud swears exited James's lips as he looked at the group of them.
He ran after her.
***
"Fuck," he whispered, as he caught sight of her sitting at the very edge of the lake.
As he approached the crunch of his feet in the remaining snow alerted her. "James? Is that you?" she said, sniffling and he could see her push the tears away from her eyes.
"I'm here," he sighed, pulling her to her feet and wrapping his arms around her. Her breath was shaky - she was crying so hard she could barely breath. Her only friends - pulling a trick on her like that. He'd kill them later. She was also ice-cold.
She had cried hard and now she looked empty and soulless, all that was left now was wracking sobs. And as he held her he whispered, "I love you. It's okay. I love you; I'll love you no matter what they do."
And only this seemed to quiet her.
Author's Notes
Chapter Title: "I'm going crazy/and it's all 'cause of you/it's all 'cause of you/I'm going under/over you/over you/this time is so alive/everybody's tranced/dancing tonight/oh so beautiful/and so strange/oh/it was empty until you came"