Chapter two! Thanks in advance for replying ;)
-Trinity
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Lily was happy her parents weren't home- nearly an hour later, and she was still bawling her eyes out. Why had he... how could he... Lily couldn't even think about it without sobbing uncontrollably. He... he... she broke into a fresh set of sobs, burying her face back in her hands. Suddenly, a *pop* sounded from the fireplace, and she looked up, surprised.
"Sirius?" she asked, tears running down her cheeks and making the image of Sirius' head sitting in the fire very fuzzy and hard to make out. He had an expression of deep sympathy, and his eyes conveyed his worry.
"Hey, Lils," he replied, a small smile crossing his lips that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm... I'm really sorry about James." Lily nodded, forcing down a new urge to start sobbing again. "But... Lily, he was lying. He...he's been in love with you for so long, and I know he still is." Lily froze at these words, trying to make sense of them. After a long moment, she shook her head, wiping away the tears on her cheeks.
"No, Sirius, but thank you... he told me quite clearly... how he feels," she replied shakily, wiping her eyes as they began to well up again. Sirius looked miserably at her before shaking his head again.
"No, Lily. He told me the same thing- but he's just so afraid of losing you that he's willing to ruin his own life to save yours."
"You talked to him?" Lily sniffed, gazing intently at the head sitting in her fireplace. Sirius nodded.
"Yeah. I think... I got some sense into him," Sirius replied, his eyes glinting briefly. "Come on over- for both your sakes," he invited, and Lily knew she couldn't refuse. Firstly, Sirius would drag her kicking and screaming if she didn't oblige, and secondly, she would do anything to see James again. Even... even if what he said was true. Lily nodded, wiping her eyes again, and rose.
"Where are you?" she questioned softly.
"Godric's Hollow," Sirius replied. At Lily's confused expression, he sighed. "I'm sure he'll explain later," he added, before disappearing with a *pop*. Lily stared at the empty fireplace for a moment before grabbing a handful of floo powder and stepping into the fire.
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Sirius glanced through the doorway to where James was still lying, unconscious, on the floor, and sighed. Lily was probably going to kick Sirius' butt for that, and James was undoubtedly going to the same. But... this wasn't something he could let go.
He turned around at the sound of Lily arriving in the fireplace, and he helped her step out. Lily glanced around the room, confused, before turning to Sirius.
"Where is he?" she asked, sniffing softly. Sirius smiled ruefully and gestured toward the living room. Lily stepped around Sirius and looked through the doorway, letting out a gasp. "What... what-" she stammered before Sirius replied.
"Had to knock some sense into him," Sirius replied simply, ignoring the amazed glare that came from Lily. She quickly abandoned Sirius and ran to James, kneeling down beside his unconscious body.
"James?" she whispered, running a hand through his hair. A lovely bruise was starting to appear on his cheek, spreading to a black-eye beneath his broken glasses, crooked on his face. Lily softly repaired them before replacing them on James' face, and she gazed worriedly at him for a few moments. Watching from the doorway, Sirius noticed James' eyes begin to flutter, and he held his breath as James opened his eyes and focused on Lily's face.
"What are you doing here?" James demanded immediately, gazing up at Lily's tear-stained face.
"Sirius called me," Lily replied simply, eyes welling up again. "Please... please tell me... you were lying," she begged softly. James looked away quickly, and Lily reached down and grabbed his chin determinedly.
"Ow!" James exclaimed, and Lily readjusted her grip.
"James. I... I need to know," Lily demanded, tears trickling down her cheeks.
"I... I was telling the truth," James replied firmly, staring at the ceiling beyond Lily's head.
"You liar!" Sirius exclaimed, glaring from the doorway. James gritted his teeth and shook his head.
"Stay out of this, Sirius," he called, before returning to the matter at hand. "I'm sorry, Lily, but I do not love you anymore," he told her, eyes focused determinedly on the ceiling. Lily bit her lip as more tears flooded from her eyes and stained her cheeks silently.
"God Damnit, James! Look at her! Look at her- she's crying! How can you tell her that- tell her that lie- when she's crying! How can you not comfort her, not feel for her, not cry along with her?!" Sirius hollered, still in the doorway, eyes flashing angrily and glistening. James kept his teeth gritted, not looking at anything. Lily found strength in Sirius' words, and swallowed the sob that wanted to come out.
"Look at me, James. Look at me and tell me that, and I'll believe you. I'll believe you, I'll go away, and I'll never see you again," Lily told him, tears still streaming down her cheeks, but her voice steady and determined. James faltered for a moment, but quickly took a breath and turned his gaze to her.
"Lily, I'm sorry, but I.... I... I..." James stammered, put off by the expression of pure misery and the tears on Lily's face. "I..." They stared at each other for a long moment, James expressionless, before Lily let out a quiet sob. James lost his battle, and tears began welling up in his eyes. "Oh, Lily, Lily," he murmured, a tear escaping down his cheek. "Come here," he whispered, reaching up and wrapping his arms around her. Looking dumbfounded, Lily slowly lowered down until she was pressed against his chest, and James tenderly kissed her head. "Lily..." he murmured again, and Lily began sobbing uncontrollably once more. "Oh, Lily!" James whispered, tears running down his cheeks to match Lily. With effort, he lifted himself, still holding Lily, until he was sitting, leaning against the couch, hugging Lily to his chest as he gently stroked her back.
"James..." Lily murmured against his chest. "James, did you... were you telling the truth?" she whispered, pulling away to gaze into his eyes, her own eyes full of tears. James sniffed, shaking his head.
"No, Lily... oh no, you... I could never stop loving you," he replied softly, and Lily smiled briefly before pressing back against James' chest and sobbing some more. James squeezed his eyes shut and hugged her tightly, his own cheeks matching her tear-stained ones. "I'm so sorry," he murmured, swaying slowly as he rested his cheek on her head. "I'm so sorry... Lily... can you ever forgive me?" Lily murmured a barely intelligible "yes", and James squeezed his eyes shut in an effort to stem the tears. Sirius sniffed, still standing in the doorway, and turned to go.
"Sirius," James said softly, drawing his best friend back. "Thanks for the shiner," he said, sniffing, a small smile on his face. Sirius broke into a grin and nodded.
"Any time," he replied, smiling, before turning and leaving. James watched Sirius exit for a moment before turning his attention back to Lily, still sniffing against his chest.
"I love you, Lily. I love you more than anything- more than life, more than death, more than anything at all," he whispered, stroking her hair as tears trickled down his cheeks. Lily smiled against his chest before replying.
"And I love you," she murmured, wrapping her arms around his waist and squeezing him as tightly as she could. "Even if you... even if you are a jerk sometimes." James chuckled, squeezing Lily tighter before closing his eyes and sighing as he slowly lowered his head down to rest on hers.
"I'm sorry."
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-Trinity
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Lily was happy her parents weren't home- nearly an hour later, and she was still bawling her eyes out. Why had he... how could he... Lily couldn't even think about it without sobbing uncontrollably. He... he... she broke into a fresh set of sobs, burying her face back in her hands. Suddenly, a *pop* sounded from the fireplace, and she looked up, surprised.
"Sirius?" she asked, tears running down her cheeks and making the image of Sirius' head sitting in the fire very fuzzy and hard to make out. He had an expression of deep sympathy, and his eyes conveyed his worry.
"Hey, Lils," he replied, a small smile crossing his lips that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm... I'm really sorry about James." Lily nodded, forcing down a new urge to start sobbing again. "But... Lily, he was lying. He...he's been in love with you for so long, and I know he still is." Lily froze at these words, trying to make sense of them. After a long moment, she shook her head, wiping away the tears on her cheeks.
"No, Sirius, but thank you... he told me quite clearly... how he feels," she replied shakily, wiping her eyes as they began to well up again. Sirius looked miserably at her before shaking his head again.
"No, Lily. He told me the same thing- but he's just so afraid of losing you that he's willing to ruin his own life to save yours."
"You talked to him?" Lily sniffed, gazing intently at the head sitting in her fireplace. Sirius nodded.
"Yeah. I think... I got some sense into him," Sirius replied, his eyes glinting briefly. "Come on over- for both your sakes," he invited, and Lily knew she couldn't refuse. Firstly, Sirius would drag her kicking and screaming if she didn't oblige, and secondly, she would do anything to see James again. Even... even if what he said was true. Lily nodded, wiping her eyes again, and rose.
"Where are you?" she questioned softly.
"Godric's Hollow," Sirius replied. At Lily's confused expression, he sighed. "I'm sure he'll explain later," he added, before disappearing with a *pop*. Lily stared at the empty fireplace for a moment before grabbing a handful of floo powder and stepping into the fire.
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Sirius glanced through the doorway to where James was still lying, unconscious, on the floor, and sighed. Lily was probably going to kick Sirius' butt for that, and James was undoubtedly going to the same. But... this wasn't something he could let go.
He turned around at the sound of Lily arriving in the fireplace, and he helped her step out. Lily glanced around the room, confused, before turning to Sirius.
"Where is he?" she asked, sniffing softly. Sirius smiled ruefully and gestured toward the living room. Lily stepped around Sirius and looked through the doorway, letting out a gasp. "What... what-" she stammered before Sirius replied.
"Had to knock some sense into him," Sirius replied simply, ignoring the amazed glare that came from Lily. She quickly abandoned Sirius and ran to James, kneeling down beside his unconscious body.
"James?" she whispered, running a hand through his hair. A lovely bruise was starting to appear on his cheek, spreading to a black-eye beneath his broken glasses, crooked on his face. Lily softly repaired them before replacing them on James' face, and she gazed worriedly at him for a few moments. Watching from the doorway, Sirius noticed James' eyes begin to flutter, and he held his breath as James opened his eyes and focused on Lily's face.
"What are you doing here?" James demanded immediately, gazing up at Lily's tear-stained face.
"Sirius called me," Lily replied simply, eyes welling up again. "Please... please tell me... you were lying," she begged softly. James looked away quickly, and Lily reached down and grabbed his chin determinedly.
"Ow!" James exclaimed, and Lily readjusted her grip.
"James. I... I need to know," Lily demanded, tears trickling down her cheeks.
"I... I was telling the truth," James replied firmly, staring at the ceiling beyond Lily's head.
"You liar!" Sirius exclaimed, glaring from the doorway. James gritted his teeth and shook his head.
"Stay out of this, Sirius," he called, before returning to the matter at hand. "I'm sorry, Lily, but I do not love you anymore," he told her, eyes focused determinedly on the ceiling. Lily bit her lip as more tears flooded from her eyes and stained her cheeks silently.
"God Damnit, James! Look at her! Look at her- she's crying! How can you tell her that- tell her that lie- when she's crying! How can you not comfort her, not feel for her, not cry along with her?!" Sirius hollered, still in the doorway, eyes flashing angrily and glistening. James kept his teeth gritted, not looking at anything. Lily found strength in Sirius' words, and swallowed the sob that wanted to come out.
"Look at me, James. Look at me and tell me that, and I'll believe you. I'll believe you, I'll go away, and I'll never see you again," Lily told him, tears still streaming down her cheeks, but her voice steady and determined. James faltered for a moment, but quickly took a breath and turned his gaze to her.
"Lily, I'm sorry, but I.... I... I..." James stammered, put off by the expression of pure misery and the tears on Lily's face. "I..." They stared at each other for a long moment, James expressionless, before Lily let out a quiet sob. James lost his battle, and tears began welling up in his eyes. "Oh, Lily, Lily," he murmured, a tear escaping down his cheek. "Come here," he whispered, reaching up and wrapping his arms around her. Looking dumbfounded, Lily slowly lowered down until she was pressed against his chest, and James tenderly kissed her head. "Lily..." he murmured again, and Lily began sobbing uncontrollably once more. "Oh, Lily!" James whispered, tears running down his cheeks to match Lily. With effort, he lifted himself, still holding Lily, until he was sitting, leaning against the couch, hugging Lily to his chest as he gently stroked her back.
"James..." Lily murmured against his chest. "James, did you... were you telling the truth?" she whispered, pulling away to gaze into his eyes, her own eyes full of tears. James sniffed, shaking his head.
"No, Lily... oh no, you... I could never stop loving you," he replied softly, and Lily smiled briefly before pressing back against James' chest and sobbing some more. James squeezed his eyes shut and hugged her tightly, his own cheeks matching her tear-stained ones. "I'm so sorry," he murmured, swaying slowly as he rested his cheek on her head. "I'm so sorry... Lily... can you ever forgive me?" Lily murmured a barely intelligible "yes", and James squeezed his eyes shut in an effort to stem the tears. Sirius sniffed, still standing in the doorway, and turned to go.
"Sirius," James said softly, drawing his best friend back. "Thanks for the shiner," he said, sniffing, a small smile on his face. Sirius broke into a grin and nodded.
"Any time," he replied, smiling, before turning and leaving. James watched Sirius exit for a moment before turning his attention back to Lily, still sniffing against his chest.
"I love you, Lily. I love you more than anything- more than life, more than death, more than anything at all," he whispered, stroking her hair as tears trickled down his cheeks. Lily smiled against his chest before replying.
"And I love you," she murmured, wrapping her arms around his waist and squeezing him as tightly as she could. "Even if you... even if you are a jerk sometimes." James chuckled, squeezing Lily tighter before closing his eyes and sighing as he slowly lowered his head down to rest on hers.
"I'm sorry."
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