Chapter 12
The last day of school had come for the four. Hestia and Sirius were as smitten with each other as two love birds were. The Hogwarts atmosphere was one of tension, sadness, and happiness all put into one. All the couples had been together on that one last day, except for Lily and James.
Both went around the school, avoiding each other for a reason no one could figure out, moping through the hallways, sulking in the corridors. Once or twice, Hestia would ask Lily how she and James were doing. She would just grimly smile and shake her head. James did almost the same thing, though with Sirius asking the questions.
"Sirius, d'you see how Lily and James are acting?" Hestia tugged on the boy's arm. Sirius sighed and nodded. "They should really work out their problems, you know." With that, the two walked down the corridor to the Great Hall in search of their friends.
Meanwhile, Lily sat in the Common Room, her eyes teary and her cheeks damp. She'd never expected to feel this hurt in all of her life. After today, she wouldn't see any of her friends. Nor James. And, as if on cue, the boy sulked down into the room, his face more downtrodden than anything Lily had ever seen. She looked up to him, her eyes puffy and red.
"Lily," James murmured, beginning to say something but not having the heart to. With a frustrated sigh, he planted himself next to Lily. In only seconds after their eyes met, Lily was sobbing into James's robes, clinging to him like a sock fresh out of the drier. "It's gonna be ok, Lily . . ." James whispered, reassuring her as well as himself. In reality, he had no clue what would happen after they left. All he knew at that moment was that he wanted to see Lily's shining face at least once after they'd left. That'd make him more than happy.
"I don't wanna leave Hogwarts," she choked out between fresh waves of tears. "It's my home – My life. What am I going to do without it?" James ran his hand up and down her back, holding her tighter. Thank the stars that no one else was there, James thought mentally. He hated for people to see Lily crying.
"It's ok. I'll help you any way I can, Lily." With a sniff, Lily wiped her eyes on her arm and smiled up at James, giving a slightly hollow laugh. "You must think I'm real pathetic, huh?" She said, still wiping her tear-stricken face. James smiled grimly and shook his head. "No. You could never be pathetic. Besides, I know exactly how you feel."
Lily and James sat there holding each other for a few minutes. With a sigh, Lily stood up, only to be pulled back down, this time on top of James. Rolling her eyes, Lily shook her head at the boy. "And just what do you think you're doing?" She said in a falsely angry tone. James gave her a smirk. "This," he whispered, then pulled her head down to meet his, pressing his lips to hers.
"Ahem," a clearing of the throat was heard at the portrait hole. Looking up, both Lily and James scrambled to their feet, slightly embarrassed. "Hello, Sirius. What brings you here?" James said, loosening his tie slightly. Lily was half hiding behind him, half peering out from behind him. She waved to Hestia who just laughed.
"Well, this happens to be the Gryffindor Common Room, isn't it? And I do think I'm a Gryffindor, James." Sirius snorted. Then, looking to Hestia, he winked. "But, I see this room has already been taken, so Hestia and I'll have to find a different place to snog. G'day!" Sirius and Hestia ran out of the Common Room like a bullet firing out of a pistol. He just narrowly avoided the pillow that was chucked at him.
"Now, where were we?" James said slyly, tackling Lily back into the sofa. With a laugh, Lily pushed him off and sat up. "Well, this sure did lighten my day," she said, calming her fit of giggled. James stared at her, leaning on his arm. "Hmmm, which part? The snogging or the being interrupted?" Lily just whacked him with a pillow. "What'd I say?"
Lunchtime came and went, as did dinner. Lily was up in her dorm with Hestia, packing her trunk. Her bottom lip was bleeding from the pressure her teeth put on it, for she bit her lip to keep from bursting into tears. Hestia could tell her friend was hurting; so she did what she thought would help her. "Lily, how're you and James?" Hestia said, lugging her trunk over to her friend's bed. Lily's eyes watered.
"We're doing great, actually," she said, the stinging in her eyes becoming even greater. "Very well . . .I just wish that – that . . ." Lily collapsed on her bed, tears streaming down her face. Hestia sat next to her friend, holding her like a sister. Slowly, Hestia rocked her, trying to get her to calm down. "It's ok Lily, believe me," she muttered to her sobbing friend. "That's what he said!" Lily wailed again, wiping her eyes to only have them become clouded with tears again.
Sighing, Hestia got up, telling Lily to just sit there for a while. With a nod from her, Hestia stalked out of the Girls' dormitory. In a few moments, James was up there. "How'd you get up here? This is the Girls' dorm!" Lily said, trying to hide the fact that she was crying. It didn't seem to work.
"Well, when one's friend is up here sobbing herself half to death, you kinda get some mercy from the staircase," James said, planting himself next to Lily for the second time that day. Hestia, who leaned against the doorway, turned to leave. "I'll leave you two alone. I gotta go find Sirius," and with a wave of her hand, Hestia was gone.
"James, I just can't help it. I feel like my family isn't going to be here anymore," her voice trailed off as she spoke. And no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop crying. A well had opened up inside of her and it would stop flowing until it was dry and empty. James sighed, feeling helpless to Lily's silent pleas for help. Wrapping his arms around her as he'd done earlier.
"Lily, I know this is hard for you, but can you imagine what it's doing to the rest of the students? Their friends and their loved ones won't even be seen by them for another few years. Besides, I know that we'll see each other," James said with a half smile. Lily looked up at him, questioning what he meant.
"What do you mean, James?"
"I – I'll tell you later," he said a bit uncomfortably. He frowned, lines creasing his forehead. Lily sighed. "Don't worry, I will tell you though."
"Sure . . ."
The sun had set along the horizon as student after student loaded their luggage onto the Hogwarts Express on its way back home. Lily stood by herself, wondering where James was. "He's not coming," Lily said to herself. She'd thought that since earlier, the well had dried up. Apparently not, because her eyes began to water again. "Oh, look at yourself, Lillian Evans. You're bawling like a baby," she muttered to herself, glaring.
"Lily," a deep voice came from behind her as a hand rest itself upon her shoulder. Lily turned around, knowing that voice onto too well, and threw her arms around James's neck. "What was it that you were going to tell me, James?" She whispered in his ear.
"Well . . ." He began, but he was cut off by Lily. "Oh, and before you say anything, I want to tell you something first." Lily muttered, releasing him.
"This whole year . . .Well, Hestia gave me an idea. She said to drop hints to the boy I've had a crush on since forever, or at least, since I've known him. . .I did just that. Do you think he would've noticed by now and said something, or what?" Lily said, trying to choose her words carefully. James thought for a moment, then smiled.
"He's already gotten your hints," he said, his chocolate eyes shining. Lily smiled.
"Good."
"Now for my half of the story," James said, breathing in deeply. "I've been thinking. We probably aren't going to see each other much after this year but – Now Lily, don't cry, please – But I wanted to make sure we would." His fidgeted for a moment. Lily raised an eyebrow. "What're you saying, James Potter?"
"Well, Lily, it'd kill me to never see you again. So, I was wondering if . . .Well . . .Well, you know the thing with the flowers and the ring, and the fancy stuff but I don't have a ring and I don't want to get my knees dirty and scuffed by kneeling so I dunno if what I'm saying is actually doing anything but – Hey, what're you looking at?"
Lily's eyes were brighter than ever. Although James was rambling endlessly, she knew exactly what he meant. "You, of course, James. And of course I will, you dolt." She playfully punched him in the arm. James's eyes lit up. "You're serious? You'll – Well, you know . . .M-marry me?" He stuttered, his face going ten shades of crimson. Lily's eyes filled with tears, though not of sadness. She nodded.
James grabbed her under the arms and swung her in the air. Lily laughed and clung onto his neck, wiping her eyes with her fingers. Their eyes met momentarily before their lips met. James cupped Lily's cheek with his hand as he held her there, his other arm wrapped around her waist. Lily's arms where fastened behind James's neck as they stood there. After a minute or two, the couple broke apart, both smiling as brightly as the sun.
"You know how they say at the end of those stories, James?" Lily asked as they boarded the train, hand in hand.
"No, what?"
"And they lived happily ever after."
The last day of school had come for the four. Hestia and Sirius were as smitten with each other as two love birds were. The Hogwarts atmosphere was one of tension, sadness, and happiness all put into one. All the couples had been together on that one last day, except for Lily and James.
Both went around the school, avoiding each other for a reason no one could figure out, moping through the hallways, sulking in the corridors. Once or twice, Hestia would ask Lily how she and James were doing. She would just grimly smile and shake her head. James did almost the same thing, though with Sirius asking the questions.
"Sirius, d'you see how Lily and James are acting?" Hestia tugged on the boy's arm. Sirius sighed and nodded. "They should really work out their problems, you know." With that, the two walked down the corridor to the Great Hall in search of their friends.
Meanwhile, Lily sat in the Common Room, her eyes teary and her cheeks damp. She'd never expected to feel this hurt in all of her life. After today, she wouldn't see any of her friends. Nor James. And, as if on cue, the boy sulked down into the room, his face more downtrodden than anything Lily had ever seen. She looked up to him, her eyes puffy and red.
"Lily," James murmured, beginning to say something but not having the heart to. With a frustrated sigh, he planted himself next to Lily. In only seconds after their eyes met, Lily was sobbing into James's robes, clinging to him like a sock fresh out of the drier. "It's gonna be ok, Lily . . ." James whispered, reassuring her as well as himself. In reality, he had no clue what would happen after they left. All he knew at that moment was that he wanted to see Lily's shining face at least once after they'd left. That'd make him more than happy.
"I don't wanna leave Hogwarts," she choked out between fresh waves of tears. "It's my home – My life. What am I going to do without it?" James ran his hand up and down her back, holding her tighter. Thank the stars that no one else was there, James thought mentally. He hated for people to see Lily crying.
"It's ok. I'll help you any way I can, Lily." With a sniff, Lily wiped her eyes on her arm and smiled up at James, giving a slightly hollow laugh. "You must think I'm real pathetic, huh?" She said, still wiping her tear-stricken face. James smiled grimly and shook his head. "No. You could never be pathetic. Besides, I know exactly how you feel."
Lily and James sat there holding each other for a few minutes. With a sigh, Lily stood up, only to be pulled back down, this time on top of James. Rolling her eyes, Lily shook her head at the boy. "And just what do you think you're doing?" She said in a falsely angry tone. James gave her a smirk. "This," he whispered, then pulled her head down to meet his, pressing his lips to hers.
"Ahem," a clearing of the throat was heard at the portrait hole. Looking up, both Lily and James scrambled to their feet, slightly embarrassed. "Hello, Sirius. What brings you here?" James said, loosening his tie slightly. Lily was half hiding behind him, half peering out from behind him. She waved to Hestia who just laughed.
"Well, this happens to be the Gryffindor Common Room, isn't it? And I do think I'm a Gryffindor, James." Sirius snorted. Then, looking to Hestia, he winked. "But, I see this room has already been taken, so Hestia and I'll have to find a different place to snog. G'day!" Sirius and Hestia ran out of the Common Room like a bullet firing out of a pistol. He just narrowly avoided the pillow that was chucked at him.
"Now, where were we?" James said slyly, tackling Lily back into the sofa. With a laugh, Lily pushed him off and sat up. "Well, this sure did lighten my day," she said, calming her fit of giggled. James stared at her, leaning on his arm. "Hmmm, which part? The snogging or the being interrupted?" Lily just whacked him with a pillow. "What'd I say?"
Lunchtime came and went, as did dinner. Lily was up in her dorm with Hestia, packing her trunk. Her bottom lip was bleeding from the pressure her teeth put on it, for she bit her lip to keep from bursting into tears. Hestia could tell her friend was hurting; so she did what she thought would help her. "Lily, how're you and James?" Hestia said, lugging her trunk over to her friend's bed. Lily's eyes watered.
"We're doing great, actually," she said, the stinging in her eyes becoming even greater. "Very well . . .I just wish that – that . . ." Lily collapsed on her bed, tears streaming down her face. Hestia sat next to her friend, holding her like a sister. Slowly, Hestia rocked her, trying to get her to calm down. "It's ok Lily, believe me," she muttered to her sobbing friend. "That's what he said!" Lily wailed again, wiping her eyes to only have them become clouded with tears again.
Sighing, Hestia got up, telling Lily to just sit there for a while. With a nod from her, Hestia stalked out of the Girls' dormitory. In a few moments, James was up there. "How'd you get up here? This is the Girls' dorm!" Lily said, trying to hide the fact that she was crying. It didn't seem to work.
"Well, when one's friend is up here sobbing herself half to death, you kinda get some mercy from the staircase," James said, planting himself next to Lily for the second time that day. Hestia, who leaned against the doorway, turned to leave. "I'll leave you two alone. I gotta go find Sirius," and with a wave of her hand, Hestia was gone.
"James, I just can't help it. I feel like my family isn't going to be here anymore," her voice trailed off as she spoke. And no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stop crying. A well had opened up inside of her and it would stop flowing until it was dry and empty. James sighed, feeling helpless to Lily's silent pleas for help. Wrapping his arms around her as he'd done earlier.
"Lily, I know this is hard for you, but can you imagine what it's doing to the rest of the students? Their friends and their loved ones won't even be seen by them for another few years. Besides, I know that we'll see each other," James said with a half smile. Lily looked up at him, questioning what he meant.
"What do you mean, James?"
"I – I'll tell you later," he said a bit uncomfortably. He frowned, lines creasing his forehead. Lily sighed. "Don't worry, I will tell you though."
"Sure . . ."
The sun had set along the horizon as student after student loaded their luggage onto the Hogwarts Express on its way back home. Lily stood by herself, wondering where James was. "He's not coming," Lily said to herself. She'd thought that since earlier, the well had dried up. Apparently not, because her eyes began to water again. "Oh, look at yourself, Lillian Evans. You're bawling like a baby," she muttered to herself, glaring.
"Lily," a deep voice came from behind her as a hand rest itself upon her shoulder. Lily turned around, knowing that voice onto too well, and threw her arms around James's neck. "What was it that you were going to tell me, James?" She whispered in his ear.
"Well . . ." He began, but he was cut off by Lily. "Oh, and before you say anything, I want to tell you something first." Lily muttered, releasing him.
"This whole year . . .Well, Hestia gave me an idea. She said to drop hints to the boy I've had a crush on since forever, or at least, since I've known him. . .I did just that. Do you think he would've noticed by now and said something, or what?" Lily said, trying to choose her words carefully. James thought for a moment, then smiled.
"He's already gotten your hints," he said, his chocolate eyes shining. Lily smiled.
"Good."
"Now for my half of the story," James said, breathing in deeply. "I've been thinking. We probably aren't going to see each other much after this year but – Now Lily, don't cry, please – But I wanted to make sure we would." His fidgeted for a moment. Lily raised an eyebrow. "What're you saying, James Potter?"
"Well, Lily, it'd kill me to never see you again. So, I was wondering if . . .Well . . .Well, you know the thing with the flowers and the ring, and the fancy stuff but I don't have a ring and I don't want to get my knees dirty and scuffed by kneeling so I dunno if what I'm saying is actually doing anything but – Hey, what're you looking at?"
Lily's eyes were brighter than ever. Although James was rambling endlessly, she knew exactly what he meant. "You, of course, James. And of course I will, you dolt." She playfully punched him in the arm. James's eyes lit up. "You're serious? You'll – Well, you know . . .M-marry me?" He stuttered, his face going ten shades of crimson. Lily's eyes filled with tears, though not of sadness. She nodded.
James grabbed her under the arms and swung her in the air. Lily laughed and clung onto his neck, wiping her eyes with her fingers. Their eyes met momentarily before their lips met. James cupped Lily's cheek with his hand as he held her there, his other arm wrapped around her waist. Lily's arms where fastened behind James's neck as they stood there. After a minute or two, the couple broke apart, both smiling as brightly as the sun.
"You know how they say at the end of those stories, James?" Lily asked as they boarded the train, hand in hand.
"No, what?"
"And they lived happily ever after."