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Chapter 14: Never Surrender
Elsa applied some sort of Chinese ointment to James's head. James smiled as he leaned back against the soft pillows. He had forgotten that Elsa had a Florence-Nightingale complex and even though he felt fine now, she had insisted on making him hot herbal tea, dinner in the bed she was supposed to be sleeping in, and using some Chinese meds she'd found in the medicine cabinet. Back in Italy, Elsa had done some basic study on Oriental meds and James trusted her to know what she was doing. "Elsa, you don't have to do this," James said, although he wasn't exactly protesting. "I do. Evan, you are one of the few people in the world who matter to me. I don't want anything to happen to you." "Well, where are you going to sleep? I've got your bed," James persisted. Elsa waved her hand dismissively. "I'll crash on the sofa. The important thing right now is to not let you get sick." James sighed. "Okay. I'm just not comfortable with you having to worry about me." Elsa cocked her head. "I care about you, Evan. I have since you came into my life, and I always will. That's why we're here. Because I'm not giving up on you."
Remus sat back in his chair. "Could that guy really have been James?" he mused aloud. "I mean, for all I know, I could have had it all wrong." Phoebe had helped Remus to try and locate the couple, but they'd been long gone. Phoebe had cut off their date to give him time to track down Sirius and Lily and tell them about this discovery. But Remus was chickening out. Big time. Should he even tell them? Sirius and Lily were very happy together. And the James look-alike seemed to be doing well with his companion. Things were already good, and Remus knew that this news could throw a wrench into Lily and Sirius's relationship. Then again, if there were a way to contact Phoebe if she had gone missing like that and Sirius had known about it but neglected to mention it, Remus reasoned that he wouldn't be too happy either. But... Remus tried to organize his thoughts. Finally, he grabbed his cloak and headed over to Phoebe's. He really needed advice, and Phoebe was good at giving that. The maid escorted him to her room. "I need help," he announced as he entered. Phoebe turned from her dresser, hairbrush in hand. "Remus, what's the matter? Did you find Lily?" Remus shook his head. "To tell the truth, I don't know whether I ought to tell them," he admitted. Phoebe came over to sit beside him. "Why?" Remus gestured. "Look at them. They're so happy together--I really don't want to spoil their relationship." Phoebe smiled. "Remus, the answer is clear. Didn't you tell me that James and Lily were also a beautiful couple? Well, it's not exactly fair to let her miss out on a chance to find someone she really loved. Let it be up to her to choose." Remus sighed. "I know, I know. But it's still so hard." "Besides," Phoebe added, "you honestly can't tell me you're not thrilled about finally finding a best friend you haven't seen for more than half a year." This time, Remus smiled as he recalled the loud, arrogant delinquent James. Yes, he was a jerk--all of them knew it-- but a more loyal friend could not be found. He'd always been fiercely protective of his territory: The Marauders, Lily, and Hogwarts itself. Phoebe cocked her head toward the door. "So tell them."
Lily was letting herself in the door after a busy day at the jewelry store. Today, Sirius had not been able to pick her up like he usually did as he was meeting with Remus and Peter. She spotted an owl waiting on the porch, a letter in its beak. A letter that was not on parchment, which meant that it was probably from her parents. Lily slit open the envelope. The letter was from her mother, asking her to go home for a while. As Lily refolded the letter, Sirius sauntered up the doorstep. "The Three Broomsticks?" Earlier at work, Lily had received another letter from Phoebe, asking her to drop by the popular hangout. Lily sighed. "I can't. Mum asked me to go home. Something's come up. Could you tell Phoebe I couldn't make it?" Sirius turned his puppy-dog eyes on her. "You're leaving tonight?" Lily nodded. "I have to run upstairs to grab some stuff, then I'm off." Sirius followed her inside the house. "I might as well walk you there. I want to make sure you get there safe." Lily felt a warm feeling spread throughout her entire self. It felt so nice to have a boyfriend who was so concerned for her. She ran upstairs to her room, gathered some clothes in a bag, and went back down. Sirius was sitting patiently on the couch. When he spotted her, his face lit up. Taking her bag for her, he held out his free hand. Lily took it. "Did something happen with Remus and Phoebe? Is that the 'important' thing she wanted to tell us?" Sirius looked sheepish. "Uh, I don't really know either," he admitted. "I guess Remus didn't mention it," Lily sighed. Sirius looked uncomfortable all of a sudden. Lily narrowed her eyes. "I mean, you guys were together all day, weren't you?" Sirius cleared his throat. "Actually," he confessed, "I haven't seen any of them. I went to look for a job." Lily stopped dead in her tracks. "A JOB?" Sirius turned red. "I thought the word 'work' wasn't part of your vocabulary!" Lily exclaimed. "Well," Sirius explained, "my bank account won't last forever. Besides, I need to be able to support my future bride." He glanced at Lily as he said this. Lily felt touched, but she also felt a little uneasy. She really liked Sirius; they'd been dating for a month or so already. But did she love him enough to be able to marry him?"
Chapter 14: Never Surrender
Elsa applied some sort of Chinese ointment to James's head. James smiled as he leaned back against the soft pillows. He had forgotten that Elsa had a Florence-Nightingale complex and even though he felt fine now, she had insisted on making him hot herbal tea, dinner in the bed she was supposed to be sleeping in, and using some Chinese meds she'd found in the medicine cabinet. Back in Italy, Elsa had done some basic study on Oriental meds and James trusted her to know what she was doing. "Elsa, you don't have to do this," James said, although he wasn't exactly protesting. "I do. Evan, you are one of the few people in the world who matter to me. I don't want anything to happen to you." "Well, where are you going to sleep? I've got your bed," James persisted. Elsa waved her hand dismissively. "I'll crash on the sofa. The important thing right now is to not let you get sick." James sighed. "Okay. I'm just not comfortable with you having to worry about me." Elsa cocked her head. "I care about you, Evan. I have since you came into my life, and I always will. That's why we're here. Because I'm not giving up on you."
Remus sat back in his chair. "Could that guy really have been James?" he mused aloud. "I mean, for all I know, I could have had it all wrong." Phoebe had helped Remus to try and locate the couple, but they'd been long gone. Phoebe had cut off their date to give him time to track down Sirius and Lily and tell them about this discovery. But Remus was chickening out. Big time. Should he even tell them? Sirius and Lily were very happy together. And the James look-alike seemed to be doing well with his companion. Things were already good, and Remus knew that this news could throw a wrench into Lily and Sirius's relationship. Then again, if there were a way to contact Phoebe if she had gone missing like that and Sirius had known about it but neglected to mention it, Remus reasoned that he wouldn't be too happy either. But... Remus tried to organize his thoughts. Finally, he grabbed his cloak and headed over to Phoebe's. He really needed advice, and Phoebe was good at giving that. The maid escorted him to her room. "I need help," he announced as he entered. Phoebe turned from her dresser, hairbrush in hand. "Remus, what's the matter? Did you find Lily?" Remus shook his head. "To tell the truth, I don't know whether I ought to tell them," he admitted. Phoebe came over to sit beside him. "Why?" Remus gestured. "Look at them. They're so happy together--I really don't want to spoil their relationship." Phoebe smiled. "Remus, the answer is clear. Didn't you tell me that James and Lily were also a beautiful couple? Well, it's not exactly fair to let her miss out on a chance to find someone she really loved. Let it be up to her to choose." Remus sighed. "I know, I know. But it's still so hard." "Besides," Phoebe added, "you honestly can't tell me you're not thrilled about finally finding a best friend you haven't seen for more than half a year." This time, Remus smiled as he recalled the loud, arrogant delinquent James. Yes, he was a jerk--all of them knew it-- but a more loyal friend could not be found. He'd always been fiercely protective of his territory: The Marauders, Lily, and Hogwarts itself. Phoebe cocked her head toward the door. "So tell them."
Lily was letting herself in the door after a busy day at the jewelry store. Today, Sirius had not been able to pick her up like he usually did as he was meeting with Remus and Peter. She spotted an owl waiting on the porch, a letter in its beak. A letter that was not on parchment, which meant that it was probably from her parents. Lily slit open the envelope. The letter was from her mother, asking her to go home for a while. As Lily refolded the letter, Sirius sauntered up the doorstep. "The Three Broomsticks?" Earlier at work, Lily had received another letter from Phoebe, asking her to drop by the popular hangout. Lily sighed. "I can't. Mum asked me to go home. Something's come up. Could you tell Phoebe I couldn't make it?" Sirius turned his puppy-dog eyes on her. "You're leaving tonight?" Lily nodded. "I have to run upstairs to grab some stuff, then I'm off." Sirius followed her inside the house. "I might as well walk you there. I want to make sure you get there safe." Lily felt a warm feeling spread throughout her entire self. It felt so nice to have a boyfriend who was so concerned for her. She ran upstairs to her room, gathered some clothes in a bag, and went back down. Sirius was sitting patiently on the couch. When he spotted her, his face lit up. Taking her bag for her, he held out his free hand. Lily took it. "Did something happen with Remus and Phoebe? Is that the 'important' thing she wanted to tell us?" Sirius looked sheepish. "Uh, I don't really know either," he admitted. "I guess Remus didn't mention it," Lily sighed. Sirius looked uncomfortable all of a sudden. Lily narrowed her eyes. "I mean, you guys were together all day, weren't you?" Sirius cleared his throat. "Actually," he confessed, "I haven't seen any of them. I went to look for a job." Lily stopped dead in her tracks. "A JOB?" Sirius turned red. "I thought the word 'work' wasn't part of your vocabulary!" Lily exclaimed. "Well," Sirius explained, "my bank account won't last forever. Besides, I need to be able to support my future bride." He glanced at Lily as he said this. Lily felt touched, but she also felt a little uneasy. She really liked Sirius; they'd been dating for a month or so already. But did she love him enough to be able to marry him?"