Authors Notes: Well, this chapter …well, I don't want to give anything away, but this is

about a certain emotion exploding inside me at the moment, so I had to write it down. Hope

you like! Always ~ Aly

Ever feel your legs give out at the sight of someone?  Chapter Three - Everything I've Known

Distractedly studying in Transfigurations, Lily gazed from her book to James every

other……minute. What had happened? That unbreakable friendship? The constant laughter? The unstoppable four? Why did it seem like Sirius and Jenny were all she had left? Well…in so many words, they were. Her Grandmother, her life, her world, her strength, had died by Voldemorts hand just two years prior. Lily had never known her parents, they had run away when she was born, fearing her natural born "powers" obviously obtained from her Grandmother. Lily was unfortunately blessed with two parents who cared only for themselves, and did not care about her health, her life, her well-being. Lily remembered a summer whenever her Grandmother had left town, and Lily was forced to stay with her real parents for a weekend. By Sunday, they had tried to mold her into their own personal mold of conformity - trying to change her clothes -convince her that she was worth more as a muggle. 

I cannot be what you want me to be, I can only be myself. 

So who was left to love her? Lily never realized how very independent she was. Afterall, she had her own apartment for the summers and even though only one more year of Hogwarts remained…she still recognized her youth, yet depended only on herself.

But then there was James, a shrewd little grin playing across his lips as she studied his profile. Jet black, slightly unkempt hair, sparkling brown eyes, and an arrogant little smile that she hated to admit that she loved.

Her quill dryly scratched the parchment, begging for more ink, but as Lily began to refill it, James stood up, walked over to the empty seat beside her and wrote on a piece of parchment in untidy scrawl. 

Meet me in Astrology Tower at Midnight, don't bring Sirius or Jenny, I know its the spot for all  four of us, but just us tonight. 

Lily stared at the words for a few silent seconds after that. Professor Monnollop's droning voice, the giggling of friends, and the slamming of text books, all the sounds drained from her ears. She placed her books, quills, and parchment, in her satchel, then waited patiently for the class to end.

~~

Dinner was rowdy as usual, the Gryfinndors had decided that the warm weather called for water fights on the grounds and to all other houses dismay, the battle had spread to the table. Soon enough water was going in all different directions, all over the food, all over new quills, pitchers of pumpkin juice, howling textbooks, and angry professors. Lily couldn't help but find herself lost within the moment of bliss. She laughed loudly, and acquiesced to the demanding water battle.

She remembered earlier years whenever she wouldn't dare do anything to upset the professors or the older students, but she had stopped caring long ago. Age had permitted carelessness in some cases, she only wished that age hadn't permitted the carelessness in which James Potter held her heart.

She lost sight of him about a half and hour earlier, and now as she quickly checked her watch she realized she was insanely late. 

~~

"James?" Lily called through the darkened room. A gentle beam of starlight drifted in the windows, and painted the walls a gleaming silver. The light permitted Lily to view the million instruments with in the

room. The spindles, the telescopes, the chiming wind spheres, all made terrific visuals around the room.

She couldn't help but smile at the memory's that were painted on the walls.

"Hey…Potter?" she yelled, walking over to one of the long thin window that stretched, openly from ceiling to floor. She braced her arms on either side of the window, permitting her a glittering view of the grounds, and a fresh breath of air, carrying with it the delicious scent of rain. She smiled, and breathed deeply.

"Lily." James whispered, turning her quietly around. Before she could react he pulled her into his arms and was holding her, a mere desperate inches from his face. She closed her eyes for a second longer than a blink, and prayed that she wouldn't wake up from this reality.

"I know this is wrong, I know that I should stop…but oh..Lil, I can't stop thinking about you."

"This is wrong. Let go of me, you can't just play with my heart like its some yo-yo… I don't work that way."

"Lil, I'm confused, not heartless."

"Could've fooled me." she mumbled

"Comeon!"

"Listen, you said it yourself this morning."

"Lily, I can't help the way I feel."

"Neither can I?! If I could I would make this feeling go away! But I can't….I'm stuck with this aching need to be near you, all the time. Everything is perfect with Greg, everything is settled, and taken care of, but I don't want a planned life. I just love you…that's all I can do." she said softly, avoiding his eye contact.

"Lily."

"Stop saying my name like that." She whispered. "Before I do something I shouldn't."

"Like what?" he answered, as equally quiet.

"This."

Lily placed her hands on either side of his cheeks and pulled him closer to her, she kissed his eyelids, then finally, his lips. Once again, time stood mercifully still, and despite the fact that James went against everything she'd ever known, she couldn't deny the deep rooted love that was starting to bloom.

When she finally released him and slid her hands from his face down his arms; she looked directly into his eyes.

"Tell me that you didn't feel anything." She demanded.

He was silent for a few moments, but then he looked into her sparkling eyes and opened his mouth to respond. "I can't tell you that, because I feel an emotion with you that I've never felt with Katelyn."

"But…." He started.

"I know, you can't hurt her. Hey, that's fine. I just…..wanted two more minutes in your arms."

He gazed at her with so much love, she felt it radiating off of him. "Listen shrimp, you can stay here in my arms, and I won't let you till you let go."

"Why do I have to love you at such a wrong time?" she laughed, leaning on his chest.

"I don't know. Why is it I have to climb 1,000 mountains to get to you, and one glance from you gets me?" he asked.

They laughed, and the pure innocent laughter floated up into the atmosphere where all laughs go, until the giggles bounced between the stars, and rang out among the warm night air.