Chapter 3: It Runs in the Family
James was sitting on the curb with a dumbfounded expression on his face by the time the others made it out of the pub.
"Where's Lily?" Jem asked with great concern.
"She left... headed back to school."
"Oh god, what did you do now, James?" Virginia asked.
"Nothing! We just had a fight, that's all..."
"Come on, up you go." Sirius lifted James up to his feet. "I think you've had enough to drink for one night."
"We had better head back too, and try to find Lily," Remus added with a sigh, all the while thinking so much for our fun night out...
It was almost 2am when the seven drunken, exhausted Gryffindors entered into their common room.
"Thank god!" said Jem, losing a battle against the yawn she was trying to suppress.
"I second that," Peter said. "I'm going up to bed."
"You're not gonna help look for Lily?" James asked.
"I'm sure you'll find her, I'm just really tired."
"Yeah, do you guys want help, or do you mind if we go to bed too?" asked April.
"That's fine... just go. We'll manage without you." roared James, heading back toward the portrait hole.
"Wait a sec there, buddy," Sirius said, grabbing the back of James' shirt. "I have a better idea."
"Ooh! Good thinking!" chimed in Remus.
The girls had given up on the guys and headed up to bed. "G'nite!" the yawned from the stairs up to their dorm.
"I'll be right back," said Remus, and he ran upstairs after Peter.
"You, sit, and drink some water," Sirius instructed James, handing him a glass.
"I'm fine," James insisted, starting to turn red again. He now spoke through gritted teeth "I... just... want... to... talk... to... Lily..."
"Ok! I got it!" came Remus's voice from the stairs. He held out the Marauder's Map in front of him, which caused James to calm down a little, even though he still snatched it out of Remus's hands.
"Okay, where is she... where is she..." James was anxiously skimming every inch of the map looking for Lily's name. "There!" he yelled, pointing at the hospital wing.
"Severus? Are you awake?" Lily whispered as she crept toward his hospital bedside.
"Who...?" he answered weakly. "Lily..."
"Shh... it's alright," she said, taking his hand. "Everything is going to be alright..."
"Lily, I don't know what happened... I... I'm sorry," Snape spoke barely above a whisper.
"I know, it wasn't your fault... I'm just sorry that they did this to you."
"No... I mean, really, if I had hurt you at all... I wouldn't be able to live with myself..."
"You didn't though. That's all that matters. Just try to rest," she said, stroking his hand. "You have been a good friend to me, perhaps too good at times..."
"That little slut!" James shouted as he stormed out of Gryffindor common room. Remus and Sirius ran after him. "When I find that little b1tch, I will make her pay for this... and that stupid ass, I don't know why she trusts him! He is evil!"
James was beyond anger, beyond hurt. He was flying somewhere around murderous rampage now. Sirius and Remus knew that they were going to have a hard time controlling him when they found Lily, but it still hadn't occurred to them why.
Sirius and Remus tailed James all the way to the hospital wing, where he came to an abrupt halt. "Shh!" he commanded.
They then tiptoed inside, careful not to make a sound. It was obvious that James was listening for something.
"Lily, really... I am very sorry for everything. I shouldn't have been upset with you about Potter," Snape insisted.
James looked like he was ready to kill both Snape and Lily right about now.
Lily sighed. "I know you don't like him... but I love him. I hope that you can understand that one day..."
"You're too good for him. He doesn't deserve you."
"Oh, and I suppose that she'd be far better off with you?!" demanded James, bursting through the curtain walls.
"James!" Lily exclaimed, just as Snape's eyes narrowed and he practically spat out the word "Potter."
"My god, Lily! Have you no shame? Or dignity?"
"You will watch your mouth around my friends, James!"
"Friends?! How can you consider this slime to be a friend? First, he does nothing but fight with us, your real friends since day 1, and then he practically rapes you! And after all of this, YOU FORGIVE HIM?!"
"I WOULD FORGIVE HIM FOR THAT, SOMETHING WHICH HE HAD NO CONTROL OVER, LONG BEFORE I FORGIVE YOU FOR TONIGHT!"
She then ran out of the room sobbing, leaving the four boys in there all looking rather uncomfortable.
Just then they heard a noise. "Who's there?" came Madam Pomfrey's voice.
"Oh crap! Let's get out of here!" whispered Remus, rather loudly.
Snape and James were still glaring at each other as Sirius grabbed James's arm and dragged him out.
Unsure of how she made it there, Lily somehow found her way back to Gryffindor tower. She climbed up the dormitory stairs and crawled into bed. I really hope that nobody wants to talk right now, she thought to herself as she pulled the covers up over her head and buried her face in a pillow to muffle the sound of her sobs.
"Sometimes I hate you, James Potter," she whispered into the pillow. Lily suddenly felt the loss of her mother, even though she had been dead for several years now. This was definitely supposed to be one of those mother/daughter moments though. Unfortunately, this thought caused Lily to sob even harder. Her body was now shaking, convulsing, her breathing was staggered. She couldn't handle it, but she had nowhere to go.
"What the..?" Lily heard a familiar voice say.
Suddenly the covers were pulled off of her, exposing her poor, shaking, tear-stained body.
"Lily, what are you doing in here?" asked James gently.
"What?" She was genuinely confused. Then she sat up and looked around. Somehow she had went up to the boys' dormitory rather than the girls' and had climbed into James's bed. This realization made her cry even more. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry that you hate me now... I'll go."
She got up, but her legs simply wouldn't carry her. Luckily James caught her and lifted her back onto the bed.
"Guys, can you give us a minute?"
Remus nodded and dragged Peter out of bed and out of the room. Everyone else followed.
James sat next to Lily on his bed. He shook his head. "What am I going to do with you?"
"I don't know," she replied, a faint smile appearing on her face. It quickly disappeared though. "James, your temper really scares me sometimes. This isn't going to work if you don't trust me."
"I know, and I do trust you... it's just other guys that I don't trust..."
"That may be the case, but you have to know that I love you with all of my heart. We were meant to be together, and I'm not about to let some other guy come between us. Please, I beg of you... trust me."
"Lily, I'm trying... and I admit that I overreacted at the Grady situation. But really, Snape!? Come on..."
"James, now is not the time to have me justify my friends to you. Just trust that I know what I'm doing. That's all I ask..."
"Fine," he whispered into the top of her head before giving it a kiss. "I will try..."
Just then they heard a shuffle at the door and the sound of breaking glass.
"Jesus!" exclaimed James. "You guys might as well come in, since you're just going to listen in anyhow..." He then grabbed his wand and the door disappeared, causing Remus Sirius and Peter, along with 4 or 5 other boys to tumble onto the floor.
"Sorry," Sirius muttered as he tried to get up but couldn't, from the weight of everyone else.
Lily couldn't help it, she started to laugh. This made James smile, and he realized that he would go to the ends of the world for that laugh.
"So are you staying in here tonight?" asked Peter, looking rather uncomfortable.
"Yeah, I think so... I don't think I could sleep by myself tonight."
"Good, because I wasn't going to let you leave anyhow," said James. "Here, you can wear these if you want." He offered her a pair of his pajamas, and she gave him a skeptical look. "Honey, they're clean, don't worry."
Sirius and Remus burst out laughing.
"If you say so," Lily said nervously. She got up and went into the bathroom to change.
Lily came out of the bathroom giggling. "They're a little big." It was true. She was a bit shorter than James, so the pajama pants were rather baggy and clown like. Not that she cared though. "It's ok, really... they're cozy. G'nite guys!" And with that, Lily jumped up onto the bed closed the curtains around it. "So..."
James smiled. "So."
"Whatcha thinking?" she cutely asked.
"I dunno," he answered, a troublesome grin appearing on his face. He moved closer to Lily.
"No, oh no.. please don't!" she giggled. James came closer still and started to tickle her. "No! James! Come on, we'll walk everyone else up!" She was laughing as uncontrollably as she had been crying earlier.
"No, we won't... the curtains are sound proof. I cast that spell my first year here... you've obviously never heard Peter snoring."
It was 15 minutes before James finally gave up tickling Lily.
"Thank you," she said, very out of breath but still with a big smile on her face.
"You tired yet, hun?"
"Not on your life." Lily suddenly jumped up and pounced on James, pinning him down. James was surprised by how strong she really was. "Now apologize."
"Never!" he laughed.
"You'd better! You know that I hate being tickled!"
"Nope!"
"Fine then, have it your way." Lily pulled something out from behind her. It was her wand.
"Oh, no, what are you gonna do?"
"Apologize or you'll find out!"
"Whatever, you're bluffing... you wouldn't do anything to me..."
"Oh you think so, huh?" Lily pointed her wand at his face and opened her mouth about to say something.
"Okay! ok! I give... I'm sorry."
"You are so weak... I knew I had to wrapped around my little finger!" Lily leaned down and kissed James so he couldn't respond.
The rest of the night went by far too quickly, at least for Lily and James. It was the first time that they had ever slept in the same bed.
Lily woke up the next morning feeling safer than she had ever felt before. She found herself in James's arms. He was still asleep and breathing lightly on the back of her neck. This is it, she thought. This is how I'm meant to spend the rest of my life.
She pulled James's arms tighter around her and sighed happily. James then started to stir.
"Morning, sunshine," Lily whispered.
"Morning," he said, kissing the back of her head.
"I need to head back to my room... I've got to finish packing, not that I really have anywhere to go." Lily frowned.
"You know you can come stay with me."
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm going back to my parents' house for a while... Petunia agreed to wait on selling it until I knew what I was going to do after graduation."
"I'm surprised she was that agreeable."
"Well, she wasn't really. It's just that my parents stipulated that in their will... otherwise all of the proceeds from the sale would go to me."
The curtain was suddenly opened and Sirius peered in. "Hey... you two lovebirds might want to get up and dressed really quickly. James, your parents are in the common room to help you move your stuff out."
"Oh crap!" yelled James. "Quick! The invisibility cloak! Lily, I'm sorry, but my mother will kill me! We have to get you out of here undetected!"
Lily couldn't help but laugh at this. "Calm down, James! It's not like the world is coming to an end..."
"No, Lily, you don't understand. My parents love you and all, but my mom is very old fashioned when it comes to stuff like this."
"Ok... give me the cloak and I'll go."
"Thank you!" said a relieved James.
Lily gave him a quick kiss, waved goodbye to everyone, and threw on the cloak. "See you guys later," she whispered as she walked out the door and down the stairs.
"Jeez, James. Do you really think that your mom is going to throw a hissy fit just because Lily was in your room?" Remus asked. "I mean, come on... there are a lot worse things..."
"She just doesn't agree with stuff like that, ok? She's more traditional."
"Hah! Right! Isn't she the one who makes you send home a record of the pranks you pulled just so she could use it against you some day?" chimed in Sirius.
"Not exactly... she just likes to know in advance what kind of trouble I'm gonna be causing, that's it."
"Hahaha. Doesn't want to hear it from the owl Dumbledore would send, eh?"
"Oh, shut it, Sirius. At least I don't still get grounded when I stay out past 11pm." James grinned.
"Like that's gonna happen any more anyhow. When do we move into our new flat? Monday?"
"Yeah, baby!" James high 5'd Sirius and Remus.
"It's gonna be so great... no more parents telling us what we have to do, when we have to eat... nothing. Just us!" Remus was really excited. He knew that this also meant he'd have "people" to keep him company when the full moon appeared.
James quickly got dressed and went downstairs to meet his family. When he got there, he was very surprised to find Lily was already on the couch and in an animated conversation with his mother.
"Ahem," he said, signaling his arrival.
"James! There you are darling!" exclaimed his mother, jumping up to give him a hug and a kiss. "I was wondering if you would ever make it downstairs to say hello! And after all, we didn't even get to see you yesterday after your graduation..."
James had been ready for this. His mother was notorious for guilting people. "Sorry, mum. We just had a lot on our minds... very excited, you know."
"Of course you did!" she turned back to Lily. "Look at you, isn't this wonderful? Soon we will all really be family..."
"Marilyn and I were just discussing some preliminary wedding plans, James."
James hadn't expected this. Lily was already on a first name basis with his mother? Oh well, he thought, it was bound to happen one day...
Just then someone came up from behind James and put him in a headlock.
"So, are you going to introduce me, or what?" said a girl's voice.
"Or what!" shouted James.
"You always were the little smartass, weren't you?" she laughed.
"Claire! Really..." said Marilyn.
Claire laughed some more. "Sorry mother." She turned her attention to Lily. "You must be the unfortunate one who for reasons beyond my understanding loves my brother."
Lily tried hard to fight it, but she started to laugh. James was even less pleased when he realized that everyone else in the common room had heard his sister as well and had also started laughing.
"Thanks, Claire. Really... I do so love it when you come to visit."
"Well, what's the point of having a little brother if you can't embarrass him?" She winked at James.
"Shouldn't you be off trying to cure some bizarre disease or something?" James asked.
"Haha. Well, I thought I might as well take a couple of weeks off and see my little baby of a brother actually graduate from the family alma mater. I have to tell you, James, I didn't expect that you actually would... especially not on time... I mean, with all of your pranks and everything." James rolled his eyes. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to have a conversation with my future sister-in-law. Shall we, Lily?"
"Sure," Lily said, feeling a bit nervous. "We can go up to my room."
"Wow, this brings back a lot of memories," Claire sighed as Lily led her up to the girls' dormitory. "It's been forever since I've been up here. Ohmigod! Look!" She pointed to the 3rd years' room. "That was my room! Do you think they'd mind if I took a look?"
"I doubt it," Lily replied. I think everyone pretty much moved out either before or right after graduation... we're the only ones left."
"Great!" Clair cautiously opened the door. "Wow, it's just as I remember it. Hmm... I wonder..." she thought aloud. Claire then climbed into one of the beds and seemed to be feeling for something along the wall.
"Um... if you don't mind my asking, what are you doing?" asked Lily, rather concerned by Claire now.
"You'll see... just one sec and I should have it. A-ha! There it is!" She pushed something on the wall, and, much to Lily's surprise, a little door popped open and Claire pulled something out of it. "Good as new!"
"What's that?"
"It's a time capsule that my friends and I left here. We hoped that someone would one day come across it, but apparently not!" She was beaming from ear to ear. "No matter. At least we can enjoy what's inside! Let's go to your room and I'll show you."
Leaving everything as they found it, the girls left that room and headed to Lily's.
While the girls were busying themselves upstairs, Sirius and Remus decided to seize the opportunity to tease James even more.
"Is da wittle baby bwothew gonna cwy?" asked Sirius.
"Da poor wittle boy... his big meanie of a sister had to pick on him..."
Remus and Sirius roared with laughter.
"Oh, shut it!" yelled James.
"James! That's enough!" shouted his mother.
James buried his face in his hands as Sirius and Remus pointed and laughed at him even more.
"Who is that?" Lily asked, pointing at a picture of a boy who was smiling and waving.
"That," Claire sighed, "is Marshall Clements. He was my first love. God, it's been years..."
"What happened to him? I mean, do you guys still talk?"
"Alas, no. He was killed by a dragon about 5 years ago. I was devastated, which upset my current bo, causing him to break up with me. Anyway, that's a story for another time." She smiled as she pulled what appeared to be a pocket watch out of the box. "Yes!" Lily looked puzzled. This was one of the great inventions that my roommates and I created in our time here. Look." She opened the pocket watch and showed it to Lily.
"I don't get it... I don't see anything."
"Of course you don't, silly." She looked at the watch. "Gin & Tonic!" she said. Lily watched in awe as a mist of blackness started swirling around in the small case. Claire reached her hand in, and somehow it fit through the tiny casing. When she withdrew it, she had a glass in her hand. "See?"
"That's interesting..."
Claire laughed. "Ordering drinks is only one of the benefits. We used to use it to get the keys out of Filch's office so we could wander the grounds at night, or things like that." She sighed again. "Those were the days..."
Now Lily laughed. "So I see it runs in the family..."
"You have no idea. The Potter troublemaker gene seems to go back generations. You can ask Professor Dumbledore, if you don't believe me."
"I don't doubt it at all." Lily grinned. "I can only imagine what my son will be like in his day here..."
"Already planning on having kids with my psychotic brother, eh?" Claire teased.
"Not yet, Claire... but some day..."
James was sitting on the curb with a dumbfounded expression on his face by the time the others made it out of the pub.
"Where's Lily?" Jem asked with great concern.
"She left... headed back to school."
"Oh god, what did you do now, James?" Virginia asked.
"Nothing! We just had a fight, that's all..."
"Come on, up you go." Sirius lifted James up to his feet. "I think you've had enough to drink for one night."
"We had better head back too, and try to find Lily," Remus added with a sigh, all the while thinking so much for our fun night out...
It was almost 2am when the seven drunken, exhausted Gryffindors entered into their common room.
"Thank god!" said Jem, losing a battle against the yawn she was trying to suppress.
"I second that," Peter said. "I'm going up to bed."
"You're not gonna help look for Lily?" James asked.
"I'm sure you'll find her, I'm just really tired."
"Yeah, do you guys want help, or do you mind if we go to bed too?" asked April.
"That's fine... just go. We'll manage without you." roared James, heading back toward the portrait hole.
"Wait a sec there, buddy," Sirius said, grabbing the back of James' shirt. "I have a better idea."
"Ooh! Good thinking!" chimed in Remus.
The girls had given up on the guys and headed up to bed. "G'nite!" the yawned from the stairs up to their dorm.
"I'll be right back," said Remus, and he ran upstairs after Peter.
"You, sit, and drink some water," Sirius instructed James, handing him a glass.
"I'm fine," James insisted, starting to turn red again. He now spoke through gritted teeth "I... just... want... to... talk... to... Lily..."
"Ok! I got it!" came Remus's voice from the stairs. He held out the Marauder's Map in front of him, which caused James to calm down a little, even though he still snatched it out of Remus's hands.
"Okay, where is she... where is she..." James was anxiously skimming every inch of the map looking for Lily's name. "There!" he yelled, pointing at the hospital wing.
"Severus? Are you awake?" Lily whispered as she crept toward his hospital bedside.
"Who...?" he answered weakly. "Lily..."
"Shh... it's alright," she said, taking his hand. "Everything is going to be alright..."
"Lily, I don't know what happened... I... I'm sorry," Snape spoke barely above a whisper.
"I know, it wasn't your fault... I'm just sorry that they did this to you."
"No... I mean, really, if I had hurt you at all... I wouldn't be able to live with myself..."
"You didn't though. That's all that matters. Just try to rest," she said, stroking his hand. "You have been a good friend to me, perhaps too good at times..."
"That little slut!" James shouted as he stormed out of Gryffindor common room. Remus and Sirius ran after him. "When I find that little b1tch, I will make her pay for this... and that stupid ass, I don't know why she trusts him! He is evil!"
James was beyond anger, beyond hurt. He was flying somewhere around murderous rampage now. Sirius and Remus knew that they were going to have a hard time controlling him when they found Lily, but it still hadn't occurred to them why.
Sirius and Remus tailed James all the way to the hospital wing, where he came to an abrupt halt. "Shh!" he commanded.
They then tiptoed inside, careful not to make a sound. It was obvious that James was listening for something.
"Lily, really... I am very sorry for everything. I shouldn't have been upset with you about Potter," Snape insisted.
James looked like he was ready to kill both Snape and Lily right about now.
Lily sighed. "I know you don't like him... but I love him. I hope that you can understand that one day..."
"You're too good for him. He doesn't deserve you."
"Oh, and I suppose that she'd be far better off with you?!" demanded James, bursting through the curtain walls.
"James!" Lily exclaimed, just as Snape's eyes narrowed and he practically spat out the word "Potter."
"My god, Lily! Have you no shame? Or dignity?"
"You will watch your mouth around my friends, James!"
"Friends?! How can you consider this slime to be a friend? First, he does nothing but fight with us, your real friends since day 1, and then he practically rapes you! And after all of this, YOU FORGIVE HIM?!"
"I WOULD FORGIVE HIM FOR THAT, SOMETHING WHICH HE HAD NO CONTROL OVER, LONG BEFORE I FORGIVE YOU FOR TONIGHT!"
She then ran out of the room sobbing, leaving the four boys in there all looking rather uncomfortable.
Just then they heard a noise. "Who's there?" came Madam Pomfrey's voice.
"Oh crap! Let's get out of here!" whispered Remus, rather loudly.
Snape and James were still glaring at each other as Sirius grabbed James's arm and dragged him out.
Unsure of how she made it there, Lily somehow found her way back to Gryffindor tower. She climbed up the dormitory stairs and crawled into bed. I really hope that nobody wants to talk right now, she thought to herself as she pulled the covers up over her head and buried her face in a pillow to muffle the sound of her sobs.
"Sometimes I hate you, James Potter," she whispered into the pillow. Lily suddenly felt the loss of her mother, even though she had been dead for several years now. This was definitely supposed to be one of those mother/daughter moments though. Unfortunately, this thought caused Lily to sob even harder. Her body was now shaking, convulsing, her breathing was staggered. She couldn't handle it, but she had nowhere to go.
"What the..?" Lily heard a familiar voice say.
Suddenly the covers were pulled off of her, exposing her poor, shaking, tear-stained body.
"Lily, what are you doing in here?" asked James gently.
"What?" She was genuinely confused. Then she sat up and looked around. Somehow she had went up to the boys' dormitory rather than the girls' and had climbed into James's bed. This realization made her cry even more. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry that you hate me now... I'll go."
She got up, but her legs simply wouldn't carry her. Luckily James caught her and lifted her back onto the bed.
"Guys, can you give us a minute?"
Remus nodded and dragged Peter out of bed and out of the room. Everyone else followed.
James sat next to Lily on his bed. He shook his head. "What am I going to do with you?"
"I don't know," she replied, a faint smile appearing on her face. It quickly disappeared though. "James, your temper really scares me sometimes. This isn't going to work if you don't trust me."
"I know, and I do trust you... it's just other guys that I don't trust..."
"That may be the case, but you have to know that I love you with all of my heart. We were meant to be together, and I'm not about to let some other guy come between us. Please, I beg of you... trust me."
"Lily, I'm trying... and I admit that I overreacted at the Grady situation. But really, Snape!? Come on..."
"James, now is not the time to have me justify my friends to you. Just trust that I know what I'm doing. That's all I ask..."
"Fine," he whispered into the top of her head before giving it a kiss. "I will try..."
Just then they heard a shuffle at the door and the sound of breaking glass.
"Jesus!" exclaimed James. "You guys might as well come in, since you're just going to listen in anyhow..." He then grabbed his wand and the door disappeared, causing Remus Sirius and Peter, along with 4 or 5 other boys to tumble onto the floor.
"Sorry," Sirius muttered as he tried to get up but couldn't, from the weight of everyone else.
Lily couldn't help it, she started to laugh. This made James smile, and he realized that he would go to the ends of the world for that laugh.
"So are you staying in here tonight?" asked Peter, looking rather uncomfortable.
"Yeah, I think so... I don't think I could sleep by myself tonight."
"Good, because I wasn't going to let you leave anyhow," said James. "Here, you can wear these if you want." He offered her a pair of his pajamas, and she gave him a skeptical look. "Honey, they're clean, don't worry."
Sirius and Remus burst out laughing.
"If you say so," Lily said nervously. She got up and went into the bathroom to change.
Lily came out of the bathroom giggling. "They're a little big." It was true. She was a bit shorter than James, so the pajama pants were rather baggy and clown like. Not that she cared though. "It's ok, really... they're cozy. G'nite guys!" And with that, Lily jumped up onto the bed closed the curtains around it. "So..."
James smiled. "So."
"Whatcha thinking?" she cutely asked.
"I dunno," he answered, a troublesome grin appearing on his face. He moved closer to Lily.
"No, oh no.. please don't!" she giggled. James came closer still and started to tickle her. "No! James! Come on, we'll walk everyone else up!" She was laughing as uncontrollably as she had been crying earlier.
"No, we won't... the curtains are sound proof. I cast that spell my first year here... you've obviously never heard Peter snoring."
It was 15 minutes before James finally gave up tickling Lily.
"Thank you," she said, very out of breath but still with a big smile on her face.
"You tired yet, hun?"
"Not on your life." Lily suddenly jumped up and pounced on James, pinning him down. James was surprised by how strong she really was. "Now apologize."
"Never!" he laughed.
"You'd better! You know that I hate being tickled!"
"Nope!"
"Fine then, have it your way." Lily pulled something out from behind her. It was her wand.
"Oh, no, what are you gonna do?"
"Apologize or you'll find out!"
"Whatever, you're bluffing... you wouldn't do anything to me..."
"Oh you think so, huh?" Lily pointed her wand at his face and opened her mouth about to say something.
"Okay! ok! I give... I'm sorry."
"You are so weak... I knew I had to wrapped around my little finger!" Lily leaned down and kissed James so he couldn't respond.
The rest of the night went by far too quickly, at least for Lily and James. It was the first time that they had ever slept in the same bed.
Lily woke up the next morning feeling safer than she had ever felt before. She found herself in James's arms. He was still asleep and breathing lightly on the back of her neck. This is it, she thought. This is how I'm meant to spend the rest of my life.
She pulled James's arms tighter around her and sighed happily. James then started to stir.
"Morning, sunshine," Lily whispered.
"Morning," he said, kissing the back of her head.
"I need to head back to my room... I've got to finish packing, not that I really have anywhere to go." Lily frowned.
"You know you can come stay with me."
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm going back to my parents' house for a while... Petunia agreed to wait on selling it until I knew what I was going to do after graduation."
"I'm surprised she was that agreeable."
"Well, she wasn't really. It's just that my parents stipulated that in their will... otherwise all of the proceeds from the sale would go to me."
The curtain was suddenly opened and Sirius peered in. "Hey... you two lovebirds might want to get up and dressed really quickly. James, your parents are in the common room to help you move your stuff out."
"Oh crap!" yelled James. "Quick! The invisibility cloak! Lily, I'm sorry, but my mother will kill me! We have to get you out of here undetected!"
Lily couldn't help but laugh at this. "Calm down, James! It's not like the world is coming to an end..."
"No, Lily, you don't understand. My parents love you and all, but my mom is very old fashioned when it comes to stuff like this."
"Ok... give me the cloak and I'll go."
"Thank you!" said a relieved James.
Lily gave him a quick kiss, waved goodbye to everyone, and threw on the cloak. "See you guys later," she whispered as she walked out the door and down the stairs.
"Jeez, James. Do you really think that your mom is going to throw a hissy fit just because Lily was in your room?" Remus asked. "I mean, come on... there are a lot worse things..."
"She just doesn't agree with stuff like that, ok? She's more traditional."
"Hah! Right! Isn't she the one who makes you send home a record of the pranks you pulled just so she could use it against you some day?" chimed in Sirius.
"Not exactly... she just likes to know in advance what kind of trouble I'm gonna be causing, that's it."
"Hahaha. Doesn't want to hear it from the owl Dumbledore would send, eh?"
"Oh, shut it, Sirius. At least I don't still get grounded when I stay out past 11pm." James grinned.
"Like that's gonna happen any more anyhow. When do we move into our new flat? Monday?"
"Yeah, baby!" James high 5'd Sirius and Remus.
"It's gonna be so great... no more parents telling us what we have to do, when we have to eat... nothing. Just us!" Remus was really excited. He knew that this also meant he'd have "people" to keep him company when the full moon appeared.
James quickly got dressed and went downstairs to meet his family. When he got there, he was very surprised to find Lily was already on the couch and in an animated conversation with his mother.
"Ahem," he said, signaling his arrival.
"James! There you are darling!" exclaimed his mother, jumping up to give him a hug and a kiss. "I was wondering if you would ever make it downstairs to say hello! And after all, we didn't even get to see you yesterday after your graduation..."
James had been ready for this. His mother was notorious for guilting people. "Sorry, mum. We just had a lot on our minds... very excited, you know."
"Of course you did!" she turned back to Lily. "Look at you, isn't this wonderful? Soon we will all really be family..."
"Marilyn and I were just discussing some preliminary wedding plans, James."
James hadn't expected this. Lily was already on a first name basis with his mother? Oh well, he thought, it was bound to happen one day...
Just then someone came up from behind James and put him in a headlock.
"So, are you going to introduce me, or what?" said a girl's voice.
"Or what!" shouted James.
"You always were the little smartass, weren't you?" she laughed.
"Claire! Really..." said Marilyn.
Claire laughed some more. "Sorry mother." She turned her attention to Lily. "You must be the unfortunate one who for reasons beyond my understanding loves my brother."
Lily tried hard to fight it, but she started to laugh. James was even less pleased when he realized that everyone else in the common room had heard his sister as well and had also started laughing.
"Thanks, Claire. Really... I do so love it when you come to visit."
"Well, what's the point of having a little brother if you can't embarrass him?" She winked at James.
"Shouldn't you be off trying to cure some bizarre disease or something?" James asked.
"Haha. Well, I thought I might as well take a couple of weeks off and see my little baby of a brother actually graduate from the family alma mater. I have to tell you, James, I didn't expect that you actually would... especially not on time... I mean, with all of your pranks and everything." James rolled his eyes. "Now, if you don't mind, I would like to have a conversation with my future sister-in-law. Shall we, Lily?"
"Sure," Lily said, feeling a bit nervous. "We can go up to my room."
"Wow, this brings back a lot of memories," Claire sighed as Lily led her up to the girls' dormitory. "It's been forever since I've been up here. Ohmigod! Look!" She pointed to the 3rd years' room. "That was my room! Do you think they'd mind if I took a look?"
"I doubt it," Lily replied. I think everyone pretty much moved out either before or right after graduation... we're the only ones left."
"Great!" Clair cautiously opened the door. "Wow, it's just as I remember it. Hmm... I wonder..." she thought aloud. Claire then climbed into one of the beds and seemed to be feeling for something along the wall.
"Um... if you don't mind my asking, what are you doing?" asked Lily, rather concerned by Claire now.
"You'll see... just one sec and I should have it. A-ha! There it is!" She pushed something on the wall, and, much to Lily's surprise, a little door popped open and Claire pulled something out of it. "Good as new!"
"What's that?"
"It's a time capsule that my friends and I left here. We hoped that someone would one day come across it, but apparently not!" She was beaming from ear to ear. "No matter. At least we can enjoy what's inside! Let's go to your room and I'll show you."
Leaving everything as they found it, the girls left that room and headed to Lily's.
While the girls were busying themselves upstairs, Sirius and Remus decided to seize the opportunity to tease James even more.
"Is da wittle baby bwothew gonna cwy?" asked Sirius.
"Da poor wittle boy... his big meanie of a sister had to pick on him..."
Remus and Sirius roared with laughter.
"Oh, shut it!" yelled James.
"James! That's enough!" shouted his mother.
James buried his face in his hands as Sirius and Remus pointed and laughed at him even more.
"Who is that?" Lily asked, pointing at a picture of a boy who was smiling and waving.
"That," Claire sighed, "is Marshall Clements. He was my first love. God, it's been years..."
"What happened to him? I mean, do you guys still talk?"
"Alas, no. He was killed by a dragon about 5 years ago. I was devastated, which upset my current bo, causing him to break up with me. Anyway, that's a story for another time." She smiled as she pulled what appeared to be a pocket watch out of the box. "Yes!" Lily looked puzzled. This was one of the great inventions that my roommates and I created in our time here. Look." She opened the pocket watch and showed it to Lily.
"I don't get it... I don't see anything."
"Of course you don't, silly." She looked at the watch. "Gin & Tonic!" she said. Lily watched in awe as a mist of blackness started swirling around in the small case. Claire reached her hand in, and somehow it fit through the tiny casing. When she withdrew it, she had a glass in her hand. "See?"
"That's interesting..."
Claire laughed. "Ordering drinks is only one of the benefits. We used to use it to get the keys out of Filch's office so we could wander the grounds at night, or things like that." She sighed again. "Those were the days..."
Now Lily laughed. "So I see it runs in the family..."
"You have no idea. The Potter troublemaker gene seems to go back generations. You can ask Professor Dumbledore, if you don't believe me."
"I don't doubt it at all." Lily grinned. "I can only imagine what my son will be like in his day here..."
"Already planning on having kids with my psychotic brother, eh?" Claire teased.
"Not yet, Claire... but some day..."