Lily lounged on the majestic purple velvet etched sofa that she and James
had just bought for their new home. Their home. It felt strange saying it.
They weren't technically living together yet, but in two days they would be
Mr. And Mrs. Potter, and they would share this house. James had surprised
her with it for her birthday two months ago. She had seen it in passing and
fell in love with it. It had a huge porch, daunting chimneys, great stone
columns and fabulous architecture all around. It reminded Lily of her
favorite muggle novel, Gone With the Wind. She was Scarlett and James was
her Rhett. She had wanted nothing more than to make the house their home
when she saw it, and James had done it for her. He was always doing things
that she didn't deserve.
Lily had been lounging for hours now. She'd brought home a book from work and she couldn't teat her eyes from it. It was a wizard romance in which a young couples love was tested when the main character, Sierra, was lost at sea and returns a great deal of time later with no recollection of her former life. Could her young lover bring back the memories of the love they once shared?
Lily turned to the last page and discovered that sadly, Sierra never remembered her love. Lily stretched her arms above her head and threw the book onto the table before sitting up and making her way for the kitchen.
She heard clanking that grew louder and louder the closer she approached. Lily paused once she reached the doorway. James was standing over the stove stirring away at three pots before him. The counters were littered with countless ingredients and a great mess that she would no doubt be stuck cleaning later.
James was humming softly to himself the anthem for the Puddlemore United Quidditch teacm, and was therefore unaware of Lily's presence in the dorrway. She silently crept up behind him and snaked her arms around his waist. He didn't flinch.
Lily rested her head upon his back. "How come I never scare you?"
James smiled. "I can always smell you. You smell like nothing I've ever smelled before. Like lavender and vanilla. I love the way you smell."
"Liar," Lily huffed.
James kept stirring. "I swear. Blindfold me in a room full of women, and I'd be able to pick you out based on smell alone."
Lily got up on her tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on the back of James' neck. "I love you."
James turned around and wrapped Lily in his arms. "I love you, future Mrs. Potter." He kissed her quickly before turning back around to the stove. "How was your book?"
"Depressing," Lily admitted while gathering plates from the cupboard and placing them on the table, "but utterly fascinating. I'm going to offer the author a publishing contract tomorrow."
"Sounds great. You're going to make some new author very happy," James said as he dished up the two plates with his special pasta. He placed Lily's plate back in front of her and handed her a glass of wine.
She savored the aroma of his pasta. She loved it when he cooked. "I swear you should have been a cook, James."
He laughed and sat down next to her. He kissed her cheek. "But dear, I think you're the only one who appreciates my cooking."
"That's not true. Sirius appreciates it too," she smiled.
James shook his head. "Maybe, but Padfoot would eat dog food even in human form."
Lily nodded. "Good point. But really, you're going to have to give me cooking lessons, sweetie."
"I know. If you're going to be wife, you've got to know how to cook."
Lily stuck out her bottom lip and pretended to pout. "You should have told me that before you asked me to marry you, James."
James put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "Lily, I just want you to know that there is no one else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with."
Lily turned and threw both her arms around James' neck. "Me too. I love you so much, James. I never dreamed someone could make me so happy."
Lily let go and returned to her dinner. She glanced at James. The pin he wore on his shirt from the office was glowing. He was going to have to go to work. She frowned.
James saw her face and followed her gaze to his chest.
"Don't they care you're getting married in two days?" Lily queried.
"Of course they do, Lily, but dark magic doesn't stop because we're getting married."
Lily crossed her arms over her chest. "Well it should."
James moved to her and placed his hands on her arms. He kissed her forehead. "I agree, it should. The whole world should stop for the two of us," he said as he looked her deep in the eyes.
Those emerald eyes that he had fallen in love with. Those emerald eyes that he wanted to get lost in for all eternity. "But it can't, and I have to go to work."
He kissed her on the lips, slow and sensual. He didn't want to come up from air, he didn't want to leave her, but he had no choice. The Auror business was his calling, and somewhere people needed his help. They needed him more than he needed Lily right now, but he guessed the gap wasn't that large. "I'll see you in the morning, Lily love. I'll be next to you when you wake up in the morning."
"I love you, too" she called out to him as he disapperated to work. Gone in an instant.
Lily sullenly went back to the tale and removed his plate. She covered it before placing it in the fridge. He'd be hungry when he got home. She took his glass of wine and poured the remainder into her own glass before placing his in the sink.
Lily awoke the next morning to a cold, empty bed. She was a little surprised that he wasn't home from work yet. It was eight in the morning all ready. He'd been gone over twelve hours. Maybe he'd got caught up with paperwork. He was always complaining that he spent more time in the office doing paperwork than he spent out in the field.
She rolled over and hugged James' pillow to her chest. His scent still lingered on it and she buried her face deep into the pillow to savor every little bit of him.
Tomorrow they would be getting married. Tomorrow they would pledge themselves to each other forever. She would be Mrs. James Potter. Three years ago she would have never believed it.
She had despised James during most of their time together at Hogwarts, but somewhere along the way, he changed. Or maybe it was just her who changed. But she no longer despised him, in fact, she fancied him, and they had spent their seventh year at Hogwarts inseparable.
Lily smiled at the thought as the rose from bed and headed for the shower.
Showers were a strange thing. Peaceful yes. Relaxing yes. But they also give you too much time to think, and somewhere Lily's shower had gone from relaxing to all out stressful. She couldn't shake the sense of foreboding that was hanging around her. She felt as if there were a black cloud hanging over her head.
No, not just over her head, but over her entire house, over her entire life. She wanted to avoid the dark cloud as long as she could, to stay in the soothing warmth of the shower for the rest of the day. Maybe James would be home by the time she got out.
Lily turned the water off at that notion, grabbed her favorite purple towel, and wrapped herself tightly in it.
She hurried into the bedroom. Their bed was still empty. She left the bedroom and called his name. The only answer was silence. Lily closed her eyes and headed back to her room to get ready for work.
Lily had found it hard to concentrate before coming to work, and she was finding it even harder to concentrate now that she was at work. Every time her phone rang she had the greatest urge to yell "James" into the receiver, but she managed to restrain herself.
There came a soft knock on her door.
"Come in," Lily said as she swiveled her chair around to face the door.
It was her boss, Mathilda Nickels, an older woman, soft spoken and caring. "Lily, I've been hearing you're having a rough day. Care to talk about it?"
Lily wondered how this woman could know anything. She tried hard to keep her work life and her personal life secret, but then again, she could never keep quiet about James. She loved him so much. "Oh, it's nothing really."
"You needn't lie because I'm your boss, Lily. I can read your face like an open book, and I care just as much about you as I do my own daughter."
Lily sighed and relaxed into her chair. "James didn't come home from work last night. Auror business, you know? Our wedding is tomorrow, Mrs. Nickels, I'm worried. I can't help thinking that something bad has happened."
"That boy would travel through hell or high water to be near you, dear. I wouldn't fret about it. But, if you'd like to take the rest of the day, just stop by my office and let me know."
Lily nodded as Mathilda walked towards the door. As Mathilda was leaving, a young man about James' age entered the office. He was handsome, but there were bags under his eyes. He hadn't slept all night, and was stressed. Stressed seemed to be an understatement.
Lily looked up at him. It was James' partner. "Rupert," Lily yelled as she got up and gave the man a warm hug.
Rupert tensed under her touch.
"What is it?" she asked, taking a step back. "What's happened to James?"
"You may want to sit, Lily," Rupert said, taking a seat himself.
Lily hesitated before feeling her way to her desk chair. She never once took her eyes off Rupert.
"We were called last night because a group of Death Eaters appeared near Durmstrang. We left to control the situation, they were close to the school, we needed to make sure none of the students were injured, but instead of running like the Death Eaters usually do when we show up, they fought back. We were holding our own, but James.James seemed to be their target."
"Oh, God," Lily cried, covering her mouth with her hand and struggling to fight back tears.
"He's not dead," Rupert said, answering the very question she was afraid to ask. "But he's disappeared. No one can explain it, and no one knows where he went. We've spent the whole night doing various locating charms, but there was no luck."
Lily stared at him, dumbstruck.
"I'm really sorry, Lily. I know the wedding was tomorrow. I'm sorry I had to tell you this, but I assure we are going to do everything we can to find him for you and bring him home safe."
Lily just stared at him transfixed as he stood up. He gave her one last pitying glance before heading out the door.
Lily broke down in tears as soon as he left the room.
She didn't know how long she sat there, crying into her stationary, but she imagined it wasn't very long because Mathilda soon ran into the office and pulled Lily into a tight hug. "Rupert just informed me of the situation, dear."
Lily began to cry harder and clutched onto Mathilda's sweater as if she too would disappear if she let go. James, her James was missing. "I'm going to have Gwen escort you home."
Lily didn't answer, she just continued to cry into Mathilda's sweater.
Lily had been lounging for hours now. She'd brought home a book from work and she couldn't teat her eyes from it. It was a wizard romance in which a young couples love was tested when the main character, Sierra, was lost at sea and returns a great deal of time later with no recollection of her former life. Could her young lover bring back the memories of the love they once shared?
Lily turned to the last page and discovered that sadly, Sierra never remembered her love. Lily stretched her arms above her head and threw the book onto the table before sitting up and making her way for the kitchen.
She heard clanking that grew louder and louder the closer she approached. Lily paused once she reached the doorway. James was standing over the stove stirring away at three pots before him. The counters were littered with countless ingredients and a great mess that she would no doubt be stuck cleaning later.
James was humming softly to himself the anthem for the Puddlemore United Quidditch teacm, and was therefore unaware of Lily's presence in the dorrway. She silently crept up behind him and snaked her arms around his waist. He didn't flinch.
Lily rested her head upon his back. "How come I never scare you?"
James smiled. "I can always smell you. You smell like nothing I've ever smelled before. Like lavender and vanilla. I love the way you smell."
"Liar," Lily huffed.
James kept stirring. "I swear. Blindfold me in a room full of women, and I'd be able to pick you out based on smell alone."
Lily got up on her tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on the back of James' neck. "I love you."
James turned around and wrapped Lily in his arms. "I love you, future Mrs. Potter." He kissed her quickly before turning back around to the stove. "How was your book?"
"Depressing," Lily admitted while gathering plates from the cupboard and placing them on the table, "but utterly fascinating. I'm going to offer the author a publishing contract tomorrow."
"Sounds great. You're going to make some new author very happy," James said as he dished up the two plates with his special pasta. He placed Lily's plate back in front of her and handed her a glass of wine.
She savored the aroma of his pasta. She loved it when he cooked. "I swear you should have been a cook, James."
He laughed and sat down next to her. He kissed her cheek. "But dear, I think you're the only one who appreciates my cooking."
"That's not true. Sirius appreciates it too," she smiled.
James shook his head. "Maybe, but Padfoot would eat dog food even in human form."
Lily nodded. "Good point. But really, you're going to have to give me cooking lessons, sweetie."
"I know. If you're going to be wife, you've got to know how to cook."
Lily stuck out her bottom lip and pretended to pout. "You should have told me that before you asked me to marry you, James."
James put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. "Lily, I just want you to know that there is no one else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with."
Lily turned and threw both her arms around James' neck. "Me too. I love you so much, James. I never dreamed someone could make me so happy."
Lily let go and returned to her dinner. She glanced at James. The pin he wore on his shirt from the office was glowing. He was going to have to go to work. She frowned.
James saw her face and followed her gaze to his chest.
"Don't they care you're getting married in two days?" Lily queried.
"Of course they do, Lily, but dark magic doesn't stop because we're getting married."
Lily crossed her arms over her chest. "Well it should."
James moved to her and placed his hands on her arms. He kissed her forehead. "I agree, it should. The whole world should stop for the two of us," he said as he looked her deep in the eyes.
Those emerald eyes that he had fallen in love with. Those emerald eyes that he wanted to get lost in for all eternity. "But it can't, and I have to go to work."
He kissed her on the lips, slow and sensual. He didn't want to come up from air, he didn't want to leave her, but he had no choice. The Auror business was his calling, and somewhere people needed his help. They needed him more than he needed Lily right now, but he guessed the gap wasn't that large. "I'll see you in the morning, Lily love. I'll be next to you when you wake up in the morning."
"I love you, too" she called out to him as he disapperated to work. Gone in an instant.
Lily sullenly went back to the tale and removed his plate. She covered it before placing it in the fridge. He'd be hungry when he got home. She took his glass of wine and poured the remainder into her own glass before placing his in the sink.
Lily awoke the next morning to a cold, empty bed. She was a little surprised that he wasn't home from work yet. It was eight in the morning all ready. He'd been gone over twelve hours. Maybe he'd got caught up with paperwork. He was always complaining that he spent more time in the office doing paperwork than he spent out in the field.
She rolled over and hugged James' pillow to her chest. His scent still lingered on it and she buried her face deep into the pillow to savor every little bit of him.
Tomorrow they would be getting married. Tomorrow they would pledge themselves to each other forever. She would be Mrs. James Potter. Three years ago she would have never believed it.
She had despised James during most of their time together at Hogwarts, but somewhere along the way, he changed. Or maybe it was just her who changed. But she no longer despised him, in fact, she fancied him, and they had spent their seventh year at Hogwarts inseparable.
Lily smiled at the thought as the rose from bed and headed for the shower.
Showers were a strange thing. Peaceful yes. Relaxing yes. But they also give you too much time to think, and somewhere Lily's shower had gone from relaxing to all out stressful. She couldn't shake the sense of foreboding that was hanging around her. She felt as if there were a black cloud hanging over her head.
No, not just over her head, but over her entire house, over her entire life. She wanted to avoid the dark cloud as long as she could, to stay in the soothing warmth of the shower for the rest of the day. Maybe James would be home by the time she got out.
Lily turned the water off at that notion, grabbed her favorite purple towel, and wrapped herself tightly in it.
She hurried into the bedroom. Their bed was still empty. She left the bedroom and called his name. The only answer was silence. Lily closed her eyes and headed back to her room to get ready for work.
Lily had found it hard to concentrate before coming to work, and she was finding it even harder to concentrate now that she was at work. Every time her phone rang she had the greatest urge to yell "James" into the receiver, but she managed to restrain herself.
There came a soft knock on her door.
"Come in," Lily said as she swiveled her chair around to face the door.
It was her boss, Mathilda Nickels, an older woman, soft spoken and caring. "Lily, I've been hearing you're having a rough day. Care to talk about it?"
Lily wondered how this woman could know anything. She tried hard to keep her work life and her personal life secret, but then again, she could never keep quiet about James. She loved him so much. "Oh, it's nothing really."
"You needn't lie because I'm your boss, Lily. I can read your face like an open book, and I care just as much about you as I do my own daughter."
Lily sighed and relaxed into her chair. "James didn't come home from work last night. Auror business, you know? Our wedding is tomorrow, Mrs. Nickels, I'm worried. I can't help thinking that something bad has happened."
"That boy would travel through hell or high water to be near you, dear. I wouldn't fret about it. But, if you'd like to take the rest of the day, just stop by my office and let me know."
Lily nodded as Mathilda walked towards the door. As Mathilda was leaving, a young man about James' age entered the office. He was handsome, but there were bags under his eyes. He hadn't slept all night, and was stressed. Stressed seemed to be an understatement.
Lily looked up at him. It was James' partner. "Rupert," Lily yelled as she got up and gave the man a warm hug.
Rupert tensed under her touch.
"What is it?" she asked, taking a step back. "What's happened to James?"
"You may want to sit, Lily," Rupert said, taking a seat himself.
Lily hesitated before feeling her way to her desk chair. She never once took her eyes off Rupert.
"We were called last night because a group of Death Eaters appeared near Durmstrang. We left to control the situation, they were close to the school, we needed to make sure none of the students were injured, but instead of running like the Death Eaters usually do when we show up, they fought back. We were holding our own, but James.James seemed to be their target."
"Oh, God," Lily cried, covering her mouth with her hand and struggling to fight back tears.
"He's not dead," Rupert said, answering the very question she was afraid to ask. "But he's disappeared. No one can explain it, and no one knows where he went. We've spent the whole night doing various locating charms, but there was no luck."
Lily stared at him, dumbstruck.
"I'm really sorry, Lily. I know the wedding was tomorrow. I'm sorry I had to tell you this, but I assure we are going to do everything we can to find him for you and bring him home safe."
Lily just stared at him transfixed as he stood up. He gave her one last pitying glance before heading out the door.
Lily broke down in tears as soon as he left the room.
She didn't know how long she sat there, crying into her stationary, but she imagined it wasn't very long because Mathilda soon ran into the office and pulled Lily into a tight hug. "Rupert just informed me of the situation, dear."
Lily began to cry harder and clutched onto Mathilda's sweater as if she too would disappear if she let go. James, her James was missing. "I'm going to have Gwen escort you home."
Lily didn't answer, she just continued to cry into Mathilda's sweater.