t w o   i  s   a   c r o w d

summary… James is two years older than Lily. They are good friends during their time in Hogwarts through being prefects, but find themselves losing touch after James graduates.

disclaimer…Whatever sounds familiar isn't mine. What doesn't is….=)

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Chapter 1 : Welcome back…into my life

4 years later…

"Mum! I think the turnips are overcooked."

Mrs. Evans rushed to the kitchen just as a scream was heard from upstairs.

"My dress, Mother! Its ruined! All ruined!"

"Alright Petunia! I'm coming, I'm just going to check on the turnips." Mrs. Evans cried over her shoulder.

"Lets have a look Lily." Mrs. Evans looked into the pot and a pale expression spread over her face. "Oh dear, its Vernon's favourite dish too."

Lily grimaced.

"So what, mum…its his birthday, why isn't he spending it at his own home…why do we have to cook for him? Besides, I like mash potatoes myself."

"Now, Lily dear, you know your sister absolutely adores him. Pass me the salt, hon…"

"I know that, but mum, he practically lives here now. You know what I found him doing the other day? He was sleeping on my bed. The big lump of fat was on my bed, almost dribbling on my pillow. And Petunia didn't even care."

"Now, now…there is no need to call Vernon names. After all, he'll be your brother in law one day. "

Lily made a gagging gesture. Mrs. Evans smiled.

"Pass me the strainer over there." Lily saw it over the other side of the room. She took out her wand.

"Wingardium Leviosa." Mrs. Evans watched with interest as the strainer made its way to her hands.

"I thought you gave up magic when you graduated."

Lily smiled. "I find uses for it. After all, I am not going to throw 7 years down the drain, am I?"

"Well, your column in the Tillarney Times is receiving warm response. I don't see why you should make the change."

 "Yeah I guess. But I miss the magic world. I mean, 2 years not touching my wand, and performing spells and charms. It feels weird." Lily said as she strained the overcooked turnips. They looked ridiculously silly.

"Well, miss witch," Mrs. Evans said as she and her daughter looked at what was left of the turnips. "Anytime in those seven years did they teach you to un-uncook turnips?"

Lily laughed. "We don't perform miracles, mum. The obvious solution I can come up with, is to perform a disappearing spell on it. Its very simple. See that bin over there, I just have to make these turnips end up there."

"Disappearing spell, honestly." Mrs. Evans said with a grin on her face. " If that's what they taught you, you might as well stick to Tillarney Times."

 "Im sure Pet would love to see me make a disappearing act. She was never fond of my 'freakiness' or 'magic tricks'."

"Well, you are not disappearing anytime soon, my dear girl. Now, I say we throw the rest of this into the waste and start on that mash potatoes, shall we?"

"Dinner was um…um…" Lily was trying to contain her laughter as she watched Vernon swallow another round of mash potatoes with a grimace on his face.

"umm…it was um…"

"what's the matter dear?" Mrs. Evans said with a look of concern. She was afraid that Vernon was going to be sick.

"…food was…" Lily finally saw Vernon swallow that bite. "…was good."

"Excellent." Mr. Evans said cheerfully. "Glad you like Mrs. Evan's special mash. Its mixed with avocado. Lily absolutely adores that dish, don't you?"

"Of course I do." Lily said smiling, until she caught the double glares Vernon and Petunia was giving her.

"Mum, where's the turnips? I thought I told you to make them tonight?" Petunia asked her mother sweetly, while still gloating at Lily.

"Oh, sorry dear. You know how Lily called me into the kitchen, that was because the turnips were too dried and overcooked. Not suitable for consumption."

Lily knew from the look on her sister's face, that Petunia was blaming her for Vernon's mediocre meal. And her assumptions were confirmed when her sister pulled her aside after dinner.

"What are you trying to pull, Lily?" Petunia said, glowering at her.

"Nothing, Petunia. What makes you think I am?" Lily retorted angrily.

"Go to the living room, and apologize to Vernon NOW!" Petunia screamed.

"Why should I…and speak of the devil, he's right behind you." Petunia glanced around, and smiled at Vernon.

"Ah, Vernon…" but she was pushed aside as Vernon grabbed Lily at the blouse.

"Your sister has told me all about you. Load of tush, if you ask me. Magic tricks, honestly. You probably joined some circus school for all I know."

"Hogwarts is the best witchcraft and wizarding school around." Lily declared angrily.

"You expect me to believe that? Don't screw with me, Lily. No one screws with Vernon Dursley." Vernon spat at Lily.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I thought that all changed when Petunia started dating you." Lily said with a smile.

"Mum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

* * * * * * * *

"Alright, wands at the ready. Left side to right side."

"Expelliarmus!"

The air was filled with wands.

In the corner, a man was recording notes onto a parchment, occasionally looking up and shaking his head.

"That's it. Return the wands to the original owners and training is over for the day."

There was a hustle as wizards and witches crossed the room, then began to file out.

"Potter, stay behind!"

Soon, the room was empty with the exception of the man and the boy.

"Mr. Moody, what's wrong?"

"James, I need to speak to you. I think you are ready for your first Auror assignment."

James looked at Alastor Moody, the famous Auror, in shock.

"Now? I thought I still had a couple of months to go?"

"You are ready." Alastor said snappishly.

James nodded obediently. His admiration of his Auror master matched his fear of him.

"So, what do you want me to do, Alastor."

"I'm giving you the rest of the week off, and the weekend. Monday morning, report to my office for your first assignment."

* * * * * * *

"Hi Tom."

"Hello James, Auror training finished early today?"

"Yeah." James replied weakly.

"The usual?" Tom said as he passed a pint of ginger beer to a hag on the other end of the table.

"Yeah."

How can he become an Auror so quickly? James thought to himself. He was already behind, what with doing Auror training and completing his Unspeakable certification with Remus.

"Here's your Butterbeer, James." Tom said, sliding the drink over to him.

"Thanks." As James began to sip his drink, and reading his Auror Rights and Responsibilities that Moody had given him, he felt someone plop themselves next to him.

"What can I get you, Lily? How's the room?"

"Comfortable, thanks Tom."

James looked up in shock. He glanced at the girl next to him and her auburn hair.

"Lily Evans?"

She turned around and looked at him. Her solemn face changed to a smile.

"James Potter…wow…haven't seen you for ages."

"I know, how…how have you been?" James said, putting his Auror Rights and Responsibilities away.

"I've been great. Thanks…you? I see you are an Auror now." Lily said, casting her eyes towards his uniform.

James looked down at his clothes. "Yeah, I am."

"Congratulations. You should be proud of yourself."

"I am…hey, I haven't spoken to you since my graduation. Did you become Head Girl?"

Lily smiled. "Yeah, I did."

"That's great. See, I told you, you would. Why didn't you owl me?"

"well…I owled you previously, but I never got a reply, so…"

James felt this guilty feeling hit him. "Sorry, Lily, I was just really tied up with Auror training and I was doing my first year of my Unspeakable certification."

"Wow, you have been busy." Lily said in awe.

"Yeah…look, to make up for it, let me buy you your drink."

"That's ok, James. I know you had a lot on your plate. So I didn't make the effort to try to contact you."

"So, what are you up to now?"

"Well, after graduation, I went back home, bummed around for awhile, and then got a job writing an advice column in the Tillarney Times."

James looked at Lily. "Tillarney Times, what's that?" He asked, puzzled.

"Oh…it's a muggle newspaper…sorry, I forgot you wouldn't know."

"Muggle newspaper? I thought you would find a job here in the magical world…after all, you were head girl at Hogwarts…"

"…and valedictorian…" Tom perked up from the other side of the bar.

James looked back at Lily, who was blushing red.

"You were valedictorian as well? Gosh, I really underestimated you…" James said teasingly.

"You know…" James said with a smile. "I really miss talking to you. It was so much fun, those prefect meetings we had."

"Yeah, I know. You and Narcissa were a joy to watch."

James wrinkled his nose.

"Ewww…hating her was an understatement."

"Hate her…I think given a choice, you would have killed her." Lily said, laughing.

Suddenly James and Lily burst out laughing, remembering all those fun times. Then James stopped.

"I really missed you, Lily. I am really sorry for not replying to your letters."

"Its okay, honestly, James. I understand."

James looked at her smile. Boy she has changed after all those years. She was no longer that sweet innocent girl that he once knew. He remembered calling out her name at the Prefect induction and she was so nervous she didn't answer to it. Now, the timidness was still there, but there was something else. James couldn't pinpoint it. There was this radiance about her that made James look at her differently.

"Lily, alright for us to clean yer room now?" Tom said.

"Sure…go ahead." Lily said to Tom.

"your room? You are staying here at the Leaky Caldron? For how long?"

"For…a while." Lily replied awkwardly.

"Why?" James asked.

"Well…I had a fight with my sister. She kept giving my mother a headache about me.  She was making my mother choose between us, so…I made the decision easier for my mum, and I moved out."

"You moved out…and in here?" James said in surprise.

"Oh, its not permanent." Lily said. "Just until I find a more permanent place."

"But you cant live here…" James said, scanning the customers in the pub. "Its not really a five star place. Not a place for a girl." Then he thought of something.

"Why don't you move in with me?"

Lily nearly spilled her soda.

"What? Move in with you?"

"Well, not just with me. I have a house, my father gave it to me. I live there with my girlfriend Lila, and Sirius, Remus and Peter. You remember them?"

"Who wouldn't?" Lily said with a grin. Then she looked serious again.

"Really, you don't have to. I am fine here."

"Nonsense." James said. "You can stay with me until you find a more permanent place, how's that?"

Lily looked at James.

"You are way too kind, James. Really…" she said with a stammer.

"Look, I have tomorrow off, how about I come back here tomorrow and help you with all you stuff…how have you managed to put everything into your room here?"

"well, my urgent stuff is with me…the rest is still at my parent's house."

"Ok…gather your stuff now, you can move in tonight. Then tomorrow, I will help you get your stuff from your parent's house."

Lily was feeling a mixture of excitement and guilt. She really didn't want to inconvenient James. After all, he has been so kind to her when he was head boy.

"What about your roommates, don't you want to ask them?"

James laughed. "Sirius wouldn't notice even if a hippogriff moved in. They wont mind, unless they want to be evicted."

Lily smiled. James looked at her.

"Well, finish off your drink…you have to go pack."

* * * * * * * * * * *

"Wow…you don't have a lot of stuff, do you?" James said, sitting down on her bed as he watched her pack.

"There is so much you can fit into a taxi."

"What's a taxi?"

Lily looked up. "It's a … thing … I pay someone to operate it and the machine takes me wherever I want to go."

"Why don't you just travel by floo powder…or using a port key?"

"Well…my fireplace is sealed up…and I don't know anything about the nearest port key."

"Oh I see. Gosh I know a lot about the muggle world huh?" James said with a smile. Lily smiled back.

"That was the world I live in. Until now, that is."

"So why does your sister hate you so much?"

"Because I am me. I am a witch and she just can't accept that. What makes it worse for her is that my mother accepts me for who I am."

"I see," James said thoughtfully. "Do you want me to straighten her up tomorrow? I still have some pranks from Hogwarts up my sleeve." He had that famous Potter grin plastered all over him.

Lily looked at James, alarmed. "No way, James. She is mean but she is just being a muggle. Please, don't do anything to her…please…"

James looked into her sweet, innocent eyes.

"Alright, Lily. I wont."

Lily looked around.

"Okay…that should be everything…now I just have to close my suitcase." Lily turned to her suitcase and sat on it.

"What are you doing?" James looked at her actions with interest.

"I…am…trying…to close my suitcase. Its too full."

"Honestly, Lily…valedictorian indeed.." James said shaking his head. "Get off,  Lily."  He took out his wand, muttered something and the items in the suitcase began to shrink and the suitcase closed by itself.

"Just unshrink them when you get home."

Lily smiled. "Gosh, how I missed the magical world."

"Well," James said, levitating the suitcase in mid air. "Welcome back."

* * * * * * * * * *

author's note…

I realised I had all the swearing for the prologue, and I had set the rating at G **Bad Dobby!**. So, I have upped it to PG.

Have a great day. Thanks for the reviews so far. Very, very encouraging. Will update this and ATTWO soon.

Cheers and love yas.