Summary: It's Lily and James final year, and with head prefects duties, jealous rivals, a dangerous stalker and the threat of Voldemort looming ever closer, they are in for a hell of year indeed. Slightly AU.
Disclaimer: I do not own James Potter, Lily Evans, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Gideon Prewitt or any of the characters that are recognisable from the Harry Potter Books. They belong to JK Rowling, Bloomsbury and Scholastic, no infringement intended. Isabelle and Giselle McKinnon are mine.
Author's note: Eeeek! Never mind how silly that sounds, I'm so happy someone actually reviewed this! Amy-gryffindor, nikki-101 and prongs 122 thank you so much! Here's chapter two, hope ya enjoy!
Chapter Two
" Boring. Boring. Definitely boring."
Tall, with unruly black hair that stuck out every which way, seventeen year old James Potter stood in front of a large box at Flourish and Blotts, skimming through the books inside it, all on curses, hexes and jinxes. He had been attracting exasperated stares from the assistant from the minute he stepped into the shop, but James was far too used to this to care. He got exasperated looks 24 hours a day at home and at school. It wasn't anything new.
He shook his head at the book he held in his hands. These spells were so easy, even a first year could cast them. With a snort, he tossed it carelessly back into the box, ignoring the scandalized gasp from the assistant hovering behind him. James glanced at his watch, checking the time. It was half past ten already, and still, there was no sign of her. Head down, he walked out of the shop, feeling as if someone had grasped his heart in a grip that was slowly tightening. What if she didn't come? It had been almost two months since he'd last seen her, and James hadn't been lying when he said he was going out of his mind. He'd been fighting a crazy urge to hop on his broom and fly to her house. He'd be breaking a thousand laws about secrecy, but he was fast approaching the point where he didn't care.
Again, he shook his head. Life was completely ironic. He had finally gotten the girl of his dreams to agree to go out with him, but it had to happen on the very last day he'd see her for two months. Letters were all right, he supposed, and they certainly gave him and insight into Lily's life at home, the part of her world he knew nothing about. He'd heard rumours that she didn't get along with her sister but he had never known to what extent she loathed Lily. That bothered James a great deal. Even when he had been fighting with her, he'd always known that Lily was special. That was the reason he was fighting with her in the first place, it was the only way he knew how to gain her attention. If he, who at one time, could honestly say he had never met a more annoying person than Lily Evans, could still see how amazing she was, why couldn't her own sister see it?
Letters just weren't enough, he mused, absently messing up the back of his hair. He wanted to see her. He didn't even have a picture of her! What kind of bloke didn't even have a picture of his girlfriend, especially when the girlfriend was someone he'd been mad for since fourth year? In fifth year, James had gone through a phase where he had carried a small, muggle camera around with him for weeks, trying to discreetly get a shot of Lily. Sirius had laughed his head off at that one, and Remus had shaken his head in that way that he had, bluntly telling James that he thought stalking Lily was a very, very bad idea and was hardly the way to get into her good books. Needless to say, Remus had been proved right when Lily had caught him aiming the camera at her while she was eating during lunch, and had promptly given him detention for voyeurism. At that moment, he'd been incensed that she'd given him detention and more than a little embarrassed at having been caught, but he'd managed to pass it off as his trying to assemble an album of Hogwarts' ugliest people. Now, he wished he'd managed to get a shot. At least then he would've been able to look at her image, even if she was eating soup.
Several admiring glances were sent his way, but James hardly noticed, so absorbed was he in his own thoughts. In an effort to break the melancholia that had forced his parents and Sirius to send him out of house, James tried to grin back as an especially pretty blonde girl gazed flirtatiously at him. The grin faltered halfway though and James sighed, missing the disappointed look that flashed over the girl's face. It was no use. The only way he was he was going to smile today was if Lily was around. He stopped in front of the display window in front of Quality Quidditch Supplies, staring at the items on display without interest. Alarm spread through him as he realized even Quidditch wasn't working it's usual magic on him. What in the name of Merlin was the girl doing to him? James heaved in a breath, suddenly very aware that the air smelled of strawberries and rain, the same scent that always hung around Lily. He closed his eyes. Maybe, if he tried hard enough, he could pretend she was near…
" James?" A bemused voice called. " What are you doing?"
He smiled. He was better at this pretending thing than he thought. He'd gotten her voice exactly right.
" I'm playing pretend," he answered softly.
" Why?"
" So that I can have you here with me, Lily." James murmured
Lily's mouth fell open at his words, and in spite of the promise she'd made to herself to remain cool and collected, she felt her heart begin to beat faster. His reason for standing with his eyes closed finally penetrated her brain and Lily smiled with amusement. Tickled at the thought, she giggled and reached out to touch his shoulder.
James heard the soft, throaty chuckle and felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. Eyes snapping open, he spun around and stared at Lily in shock. She was smiling at him, green eyes sparkling in amusement. Her hair had grown slightly longer and for once, she had left it loose, letting it fall down over her shoulder in slightly wavy curls. The simple white dress with a pale blue floral print suited her, skimming over curves James had always wished weren't so hidden by the Hogwarts robes. All in all, she made a pretty amazing sight and when he finally met her eyes, it was to see that she had raised an eyebrow at him in question.
" Playing pretend? The great James Potter, Quidditch Captain extraordinaire, playing pretend?"
Realizing what he had said before, James felt his cheeks heat up in a blush.
" Err…about that,"
Lily winked. " Don't worry, Potter, your secret is safe with me."
James grinned down at her, still not quite believing that she was really here. He took a step closer.
" I thought we agreed that you'd start calling me James?"
Lily took a step back, eyeing him impishly. " And what if I want to call you Potter?"
" Well then," He began, taking another step forward as she stepped back. "I'll just have to change your mind," He answered. They stood still, staring challengingly into each other's eyes. And, quite suddenly, James let out a great shout of laughter, and swept Lily into his arms, swinging her round in glee.
" James!" Lily laughed in surprise. " James, what are you doing? Put me down!"
Around them, some elderly witches and wizards gasped in disapproval, but most smiled indulgently, recalling times long past when they too had been young and blissfully in love.
James spun them around one more time before setting Lily down gently, grinning widely at her all the while.
" Ah, you see. It worked."
Lily swatted him lightly, frowning in mock anger. " A little warning next time, please?" She couldn't keep up the act though and the next moment, she had launched herself back into his arms, hugging him as tight as she could. James laughed at her abrupt move, and Lily looked up at him, smiling prettily as she said,
" Hi."
James, who was holding on to her just as tightly shook his head at her belated greeting, thrilled beyond words that she had come.
" Hello." He reached up to tuck a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. " I wasn't sure you were going to show up." He told her softly. Lily pulled back just a little, so she could properly look into his eyes.
" Why wouldn't I?"
" Erm…it's just that I've been waiting for hours," James admitted.
" Hours?" Surprise was clear in her tone and James coloured again. He couldn't blame her for being surprised. He was after all, known for never being early.
" Yeah," He began, making his tone light. " Been here since seven. You ready to go shopping?" He rushed on, releasing Lily, but keeping a tight hold on her hand.
" Seven!" Lily exclaimed, gaping at James. " James, you've been here since seven?!"
He nodded sheepishly. " Yeah. That makes you three and a half hours late."
Lily grimaced. It hadn't been hard to obtain her mother's permission to tag along to London with her and Petunia. What had been hard was to get Petunia to agree to her coming along with them, convinced as she was that Lily was doing everything in her power to ruin her wedding. Eventually, their mother's will had prevailed, it was her car after all, but on the condition that Lily finally attend the fittings she'd been avoiding all summer: her bridesmaid gown. Under Petunia's critical eye, Lily had been measured and poked and prodded at, finally being encased in a tight, very frilly, cream creation that she was sure would give her nightmares for life. After an hour or so of standing stock still as the tailor had pinned the fussy dress to the correct length, Lily had been released upon her promise to meet her mother outside the Leaky Cauldron at four. It had been 10 o clock by then, and she was worried she might miss James. She had never dreamed he'd wait three hours for her.
" I'm so sorry," She apologized immediately, feeling terrible. " James, I had no idea, you didn't give me a time to meet you, you see, and then I got held up at this fitting for my god awful bridesmaid's dress and-"
" Lily, Lily, calm down!" James interrupted. " It's all right, really. It's my fault, like you said, I didn't give you a time. I just… I wasn't sure you'd be coming that's all, so I decided to let you decide what time you wanted to come." He frowned." Did that make sense?"
" Perfect sense," Lily affirmed, but then a worried look appeared on her face. She stepped closer to him and laid her free hand on his chest. " But what if I'd only come much later?"
" What, later than three and a half hours?" James teased.
" Yes, later than three and a half hours," Lily bit her lip. " What if I been later than that? You'd have been here all day!" She fretted.
James squeezed the hand he held in his. " I'd have waited. I'd have waited till the shops closed and probably till they turned me out of the alley. And even then, I would have stayed in the Leaky Cauldron till you came." He ducked his head a little. " I've…well, I don't know if you noticed, but I've been waiting for you a long time Lily. What was another couple of hours?"
Wordlessly, Lily hugged James again, wondering why she had ever hesitated in agreeing to his request. Well, all right, she did have several reasons why, but right now, they seemed to fade into nothingness.
" I would've found a way to come you know," She said, glorying in finally being close to him. " Wild hippogriffs couldn't have kept me away."
He chuckled, and just like in her dream, she felt it rumble through his chest.
" That's good to know." He leaned back and smiled brightly at her. " Now, what was that about a bridesmaid's dress?"
Lily groaned, following behind him as they began to walk down the alley, hand in hand. " Don't remind me. Remember Vernon, Petunia's boyfriend?"
James nodded, glancing at Lily curiously. " Yes, of course I remember Vermin," He replied casually, ignoring her half admonishing, half appreciating cry ( "James!") " What about him?"
With some effort, Lily managed to contain her urge to laugh at the nickname. " Well, as of the beginning of the holidays, he officially became Petunia's fiancé."
" They got engaged?" Incredulous, James stared at Lily as she nodded. He grimaced and shook his head. "Well… I will say one thing for them. They deserve each other." He nudged her playfully. " Why didn't you mention it in your letters?"
She shrugged. " Oh, I don't know. I had this crazy idea that if I didn't write it down, it wouldn't seem so…final." Lily sighed. " I know I should be happy for her. I haven't seen Petunia act like this since she had her first date. But still, I can't help but wish it were anyone but Vernon. He…doesn't exactly approve of me."
James temper flared. He knew exactly what Lily wasn't saying, could read everything that she was feeling through those luminous eyes of hers. " Well I don't exactly approve of him either," He said, disdain dripping from every word. His face softened, and he drew Lily closer to him. " Don't let them bother you Lily. If they can't see what I can, then it's their loss."
" I know. And I don't. Not usually anyway. It's just…she's my sister James. We grew up together and in spite of everything she's said and done over the years, I do want her to be happy. I just wish the price we had to pay for Petunia's happiness wasn't letting Vernon be part of our family. He's not exactly going to be the world's best brother in law."
" If he says anything to you Lily, anything at all," Jaw clenched, James frowned into the distance, already imagining all sorts of fitting punishments. " I can deal with him for you."
Lily rolled her eyes at him. " While I do appreciate the thought James, I'm perfectly capable dealing with Vernon myself."
" I know you are," He grinned at her, " But if you're ever in need of inspiration, you know where to find me, yeah?"
" Yeah." She agreed, suddenly uncomfortable, with both the subject and the stares she and James were attracting. Surely they weren't talking that loud, were they? Belated, she recalled James very enthusiastic greeting and she blushed, sure that she had found the reason for all the attention. It didn't occur to her that people were staring simply because she and James made a rather good-looking couple, young, attractive and so full of life. " Anyway, let's not talk about me anymore. What about you, how's your holiday been so far?"
" I've been writing letters to you everyday for almost two months, Lily." He regarded her with amusement. " You know how my holiday has been so far."
" Oh right," It was Lily's turn to look sheepish as she realized that was he said was true. " Have you got your list then?"
James nodded, patting the breast pocket of his robes. " Sirius' too. He, er… he didn't feel like coming today." The truth was, Sirius had threatened to curse him if he heard the name 'Lily' from James mouth one more time, and his parents were heartily tired of his gloom and doom expression too. And so, even if he hadn't asked Lily to come, he probably would've spent the whole day in the Alley anyway, for he had the sneaking suspicion that his parents, egged on by Sirius, had locked him out of the house for a day.
Lily gave him a strange look but accepted the comment with question.
" Excellent. I just need to make a quick stop." She pulled on his hand to halt him and James groaned when he saw the shop they were standing in front of.
" Madam Malkins? But you're going to take forever in there!"
Lily raised her eyebrows at him. " I am?"
" Of course you are." James insisted. " You'll spend hours in there, and then we'll have to rush around like chickens with their heads cut off to get all our school things."
Wrinkling her nose at the comparison, Lily gazed at James appraisingly. " It sounds like you're talking from experience."
" Oh I am," James nodded in the affirmative, missing the way Lily's eyes had narrowed. " Three times I've made the mistake of letting the girl I was with in there, and three times I was forced to break the speed record trying to get everything. It was a nightmare, I-"
Lily frowned thoughtfully, tuning James out. Three times. That would mean he'd done this with the three girls before her. Feeling slightly sick as she realized that she was actually experiencing jealousy of the flighty air heads he'd been consorting with before her, Lily set her jaw and cut into his increasingly long winded explanation. Did he honestly not know that he was putting his foot into his mouth and in a rather spectacular fashion at that?
" Fascinating, James," She gave him cool, polished smile, hard as diamond. " Well, since you've done this before, with Lyselle, Gina and Jennifer, obviously, you'll know how to entertain yourself while I'm inside."
She swept into the shop, leaving the bells tinkling in her wake. James stared stupidly after her. Had he done something wrong? What had he said? He had been complaining about how 'girls' meaning his exes always took an unbearably long time in clothing shops and…James groaned, hitting his forehead rather dramatically with his palm. He had just broken one of Remus' cardinal rules about being in a relationship. While Remus certainly hadn't had as many girlfriends as James and Sirius and even Peter had, he was the unchallenged relationship guru of the Marauders, due to the fact that out of the four of them, he had been in a relationship the longest. And quite apart from that, Remus was the most sensible one of the group, the one all the girls confided in and liked. He had an insight into how their minds worked and was an invaluable asset to them. James recalled a conversation they'd had almost a year ago, with Remus holding court in their dormitory as usual…
" Never, NEVER talk about your exes with your current girlfriend, unless she asks. And even then, tread lightly, because you don't want to make an ass of yourself by saying that one of your exes is a better kisser than her. Padfoot, Prongs? Are you listening to me? PRONGS!"
Cursing vehemently under his breath, James turned, intending to go where no Potter (apart from his father and grandfather, poor, love struck men they were, wrapped completely around their spouses little fingers) had gone before. He threw open the door to Madame Malkins, running inside…and promptly collided with Lily as she was coming out of the shop.
With the speed borne out of countless hours practicing lightning speed passes, James reached out, grabbed Lily, and the packages she was carrying, somehow managing to keep all of them from falling to the ground. A moment passed and neither moved, James frantically searching Lily's eyes for a hint of what she was feeling. All he got was a blank. Sometimes, her neutral façade was even harder to read than Remus, and that was saying something.
" Are you all right?" He whispered to her.
She nodded and opened her mouth to say something when they were interrupted. Lily broke eye contact with him as she glanced over her shoulder.
" Oh dear!" Behind them, Madam Malkin was hurrying forward. " Are you two all right?"
" Yes, Madame Malkin," Lily answered a little breathlessly. " We're fine."
" Thanks," James said, looking at her over Lily's shoulder. He adjusted his grip on her parcels as she abruptly stepped out of his hold and turned to wave goodbye to the shopkeeper.
" Thanks for everything, Madame," Lily called with a smile.
" Oh, my pleasure dear. Come again soon!!"
Lily walked out of the doorway, leaving James with her packages to follow after her.
" Lily! Hang on!" Breathing a little loudly, James fell into step beside her. " I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking. I…I wasn't comparing you to the others, I'm sorry if you took it that way-"
" And how am I supposed to take it, James?" Lily inquired curiously, cutting him off mid-sentence. " I am a girl, in case you failed to notice."
" Of course I've noticed, Lily, I've been noticing since practically forever! Please, just, I know, I made a royal ass out of myself and I am sorry. It's just that I find it so easy to talk to you, sometimes I forget that you're not just a friend of mine anymore." He was getting a little desperate. He and Lily had had dozens and dozens of fights before, but never one since they had become a couple. Of course, that might've had something to do with the fact that this was the first time he'd seen her since she'd agreed to go out with him, but that was hardly the point. " Look. Just so we're clear. I could never 'compare' you to any of the others, because, to be frank, it's just not possible. Not one of those girls could ever compare to you and you know it. I would never wait three hours for one of them."
She was silent, still walking along as if she hadn't heard a single word he was saying.
" Lily?" James ventured, cringing as he thought of Sirius and Remus' reactions when he told them about this. If he chose to tell them about this. He wasn't quite sure what had happened himself, and he really didn't even want to consider the possibility of Lily breaking up with him after only a few hours of being with him. The thought was too damaging to bear. " Please say something." He implored.
She sighed. " James."
" Yeah?" He managed.
" You do know that that you would be making it very hard for me to stay angry at you if I was actually angry at you, don't you?"
Hazel eyes narrowed as James processed her words and then a smile of relief broke out over his features, causing one or two young witches in the vicinity to get slightly dazed expressions on their faces.
" You're not angry at me then?"
A small smile tugged the corner of her lips upwards. " No. I never was." A slightly embarrassed look crossed her features for an instant as she muttered, " A bit jealous, maybe but never mad."
Fighting the urge to thank the gods, James eyes narrowed once more as he caught her words. " Wait. So…if you weren't angry, why did you let me go through all that?" He demanded of her.
Lily chuckled softly. " It was rather entertaining, James, that's why."
" Not for me, it wasn't. And another thing…wait. Did you just say you were jealous?" He asked, incredulity written all over his face. " Why would you be jealous?!"
" No," she denied immediately. Her face coloured and Lily sighed. She hadn't been lying when she'd told Petunia that she didn't lie. She was just no good at it; she always blushed to the roots of her hair whenever she did so. " Yes." She admitted, pouting at James. " Happy now?"
James blinked, trying to rid himself of the image of Lily pouting up at him, and how she managed to look completely innocent and enticing at the same time. " Why would you be jealous of them?"
She sighed. " I'm not. Not anymore at least. It was just a passing thing."
" Lily," James began gently. " Just so you know, I was serious when I said that none of them could compare to you. They just…they can't. All right? So you don't ever have to be jealous of them. Seriously."
Lily shook her head at him with a smile, wondering where this sweet and extremely perceptive James Potter had come from. Who could have known, after years of squabbling and petty arguments with him that this person was underneath the cocky, pretentious git she'd fought since first year?
" I know, James. It's just… I'm little inexperienced in this whole going out thing, that's all."
James frowned, unable to come up with a ready reply to this. Lily, however, didn't seem to be waiting for a reply, as she pulled him to a stop and started rummaging through one of her parcels.
" Hang on for a bit, I just need to get something…" She pulled out what looked like a set of pale blue wizards robes from one bag, and she slipped it on over her dress. " Ah. That's better. I haven't been able to wear robes since I got home." Lily started to fasten the robes closed but James reached out to stop her.
" Don't." He grinned at her. " I uh…like it this way. But if you really want to you can-"
" It's ok," James, she interrupted. " I haven't seen you in such a long time, I figure it wouldn't hurt to oblige you. Just this once, though. Don't get too used to it." Lily smiled.
" I'll take what I can get."
He stepped closer to her and dipped his head lower till she was meeting his gaze. Lily suddenly felt her mouth go dry. James was close enough that she could see the golden flecks in his eyes, and see that his lips were coming closer and closer….
" Right," Lily said, breaking the gaze that connected them nervously. Dreams or no, she certainly wasn't going to kiss James right in the middle of a crowded street, no matter how hard he was making it to resist. She reached into a pocket in her dress, feeling the smooth wood of her wand and the metallic feel of the coins she had shrunk during the last day of school last term. Lily had figured that she could get someone to put them back to size when she shopped. Her 17th birthday was coming up in a month, she was one of the last people in her year to celebrate it, but until then, she was still just an underage witch. Finding the parchment she was looking for, Lily took a sidestep away from James, towards the book shop. " First stop, Flourish and Blotts."
" Lily," James groaned, following her.
" Come on, James," Lily chided, taking the hand that wasn't carrying all her packages. " I promise, if you behave, I'll give you a treat,"
James heart quickened as he took in the wicked smile spreading over Lily's face. " A… treat?"
" Mmm hmm." She purred, stepping closer to him. " A nice, utterly delicious…" She drew it out, fighting the urge to laugh when she saw his look of anticipation. " Ice cream cone."
James groaned again and Lily laughed at his disappointment and discomfiture. With a low growl and a look of pretended annoyance on his face, James reached out to grab Lily, and she danced out of his reach, laughing all the while, leading the way into the bookshop.
" Come on, James! Ice cream would be perfect, it'll cool you down some."
" Cool me down?" James muttered as he followed his girlfriend. " It might. But it's really not what I had in mind."
******************
Across Flourish and Blotts, hidden by the shadows of several cauldrons stacked five feet high, a heavily cloaked figure watched the two young Gryffindors, scowling at every laugh, every smile that they shared. The reproachful gaze trained on Lily and James intensified when they drifted closer together, and then lessened in intensity when the red haired girl stepped away from her messy haired companion. As the teens made their way into the shop, the watcher's eyes lingered on Lily, hungrily tracking her every move.
Noises from the other side of the cauldrons warned of approaching people. By the time the clerk of the shop got to the other side, the space was empty.
Further down the alley, the sinister figure smiled grimly.
It wouldn't be long now.
TBC.
