Disclaimer: Not mine. Never will be. Let's leave it at that, shall we?
Now approaching Chapter 9…
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While James was busying catching snitches and Sirius was snogging every Gryffindor girl he could manage to lay his hands on, Lily was at home, attending her parents' funeral.
It was a somber day, when she arrived on the train platform with Hagrid, that Friday morning. Where it was sunny and bright at Hogwarts, it was dark and overcast at the train station. Lily was silent the entire carriage ride there. Hagrid tried his best to be as cheerful as possible, but he knew he could not say anything that could possible lift Lily from her melancholy state. He opted for more quick, supportive glances at her throughout the ride, to check if she was okay. Lily returned the glances with a smile, but continued to look gloomily out the window.
When they arrived at the station, Lily's train was already there and waiting and Hagrid helped Lily with her trunk. When everything was loaded, Lily turned to Hagrid and thanked him.
"Thanks Hagrid, for accompanying me to the station. I know I wasn't exactly the most friendliest passenger to ride with in the carriage." Lily smiled a weak, apologetic smile. Hagrid swatted his hand.
"Never you mind, Lily. I'm really sorry about yer folks, m'dear. So sad to see a girl of yer age having to deal with all've this. Take care've yerself, and I'll see you in three days." Hagrid smiled and waved to Lily as she boarded the train. She waved back from the window. He continued to wave as the train began to move and grew smaller and smaller toward the horizon.
~*~
The funeral services were private, simple, and extremely touching. Luckily neither Lily nor Petunia had to speak, for which Lily was entirely grateful. She did not believe she could say anything remotely related to her parents without dissolving into tears in front of everyone.
Various family members, including Petunia, were there to greet Lily at the train station, and she was taken to her home. She sat in the backseat of the car with Petunia, who refused to look Lily in the eye. Lily was incredibly saddened. Despite the fact Petunia was never very warm to her in the past, Lily was hoping that for this day, this occasion, Petunia would be there for comfort and for security. Glancing at Petunia's solemn face, Lily figured that today would not be that day. She felt her heart clench.
Walking through her house was like walking through another time zone. Even though everything was in its ordinary place, with pictures of Lily and Petunia scattered amongst her parents' Muggle belongings and furniture, without the warm, caring presence of her parents, it just did not seem the same. Lily walked up to her bedroom and placed her trunk by her large canopy bed. She walked over to her large, bay windows and glanced outside to her balcony. Her gaze fell to a shiny, crystal wind-chime that was hanging above the balcony. Lily smiled as she remembered a time in her fourth-year when Sirius, Remus, and James flew to her house and nearly collided with the wind-chime. Her father had made that when she was sick with pneumonia, when she was eight. Lily remembered screaming at Sirius when he barely missed breaking the chime with his broom.
"Gosh, Lily, I did not mean to hit it. Sorry." Sirius said, throwing Lily and apologetic glance.
Lily smiled fondly at the recollection. She was glad that Sirius did not hit, or even worse break, the chime now. Items such as those were all she had left of her parents, besides their living memories in her heart.
Since the funeral was to start in about an hour, Lily changed out of her school robes and into a long, black Muggle dress that was in her closet. It was very expensive, and her mother always said to wear it for "special occasions only." Lily held back tears as she contemplated the irony of that statement now. 'I did not want that special occasion to be your funeral, Mum.' Lily said as she zipped up the dress and grabbed her heeled shoes. Lily walked downstairs to see many more relatives sitting around her living room and in the kitchen. She also saw Petunia speaking to a very loud, and very large, young man.
By that time, people began to head toward the cemetery, and Lily joined them. There had already been a wake at the funeral home the day before, but Lily did not attend that. At the cemetery, it was a solemn sight to see both sides of Lily's family there, crying and praying at the graves of her parents. The priest spoke a few words and prayers before the eulogies began. Lily's Aunt Lavinia spoke first, and she promised to "do everything in her power to ensure Petunia and Lily's happiness" just as her parents had wanted. A few of her parents' closest friends and co-workers spoke and finally their coffins were lowered into the ground. Lily and Petunia both threw flowers after the coffins, and Petunia began to wail. She was convulsing and crying and she was lead to the car by a few of their relatives. Lily, on the other hand, tried to remain strong and walked slowly back to her Aunt.
When the ceremony was over, and everyone was leaving the cemetery, Lily wanted to stay back for a moment to be with her parents. Aunt Lavinia understood, and told Lily that she would be waiting by the car with Petunia. Lily thanked her and slowly made her way to her parents' shared tombstone.
Wiping away a tear, Lily started to speak slowly. "Hello Dad…hello Mum. How are you? I am so very sorry I did not get to say goodbye to you, because I really wanted to. There is so much left unsaid that I never got a chance to say. I miss you guys so much…I miss you the most, Mum, in the nighttime, right before I go to sleep. I can still hear you singing to me, before I go to bed. I know this may seem childish, since I've been going to boarding school for about six years now, and I don't see you very often, but I still miss you. I love you both, Mum and Dad. And when we meet again, I promise I will say that to you." By this time, Lily was crying freely. She did not hold back her sobs. "I did not want things to end this way, Mummy. I am so sorry…you were not supposed to have felt any pain when you died. I am sorry that I was gone for so long at Hogwarts…I am sorry that I am a witch…I'm so sorry…"
Lily started to get up, wiping the tears that were trickling down her face. "James sends his regards. You remember him, don't you Daddy? He was that nice fellow with the glasses, who stopped by the house early in the summer. He was the one asking you all those questions when you were fixing the car. He helped you too." Lily knew she had to leave before she dissolved into one giant tear. "Everyone says I should just let this go, and move on with my life. But I can't. I can't let go. I don't want to let go of our memories." Lily stood up and touched her parents' gravestone. "I will love you forever, Mummy and Daddy."
And with that, Lily turned her heel and walked back to the car. She did not look back.
~*~
"Would you like some more water, dear?"
Lily looked up from her glass of water. She was standing in her living room, talking with some of her relatives after the funeral. Her mother's friend was holding a pitcher of water, and was pouring some of that water for the various guests scattered throughout the house after the services at the cemetery.
"Oh, I'm perfectly satiated, thank you." Lily responded politely, taking another sip of water. For the past hour, Lily was subjugated to the tortuously mindless conversation of her sister Petunia and Petunia's new boyfriend, Vernon.
Evidently, they began dating at the end of the summer and Petunia was eager to 'show him off' to the family. Vernon, apparently, had come to the house a couple times and met Mr. and Mrs. Evans. Lily rolled her eyes as Vernon and Petunia continued schmoozing with the relatives. There was something about him that Lily could not stand—his demeanor, his awful laugh, and the way he looked at Lily as if she was some piece of meat. Lily just smiled a tight smile when they were introduced.
'Well, I am happy for her, I guess.' Lily said, taking another glance at Vernon, who was rubbing Petunia's back in an almost obscene way. 'Whatever makes her happy. Though I do believe he WILL be a frightful brother-in- law.' Lily downed her water in one gulp and headed back up to her room. She had a headache.
After engaging in some chit chat with her relatives, answering the usual asinine questions ('So, how's school like?' 'You still go to that boarding school for gifted people?' 'Do you have a boyfriend?' 'My, Lily, you're all grown up and beautiful!') Lily found sanctuary in her room. She could not wait for Sunday to arrive and to be back home with her friends. Even though closure was necessary and comforting for Lily, she wanted things to return back to normal…and that meant going back to Hogwarts.
When Sunday morning arrived, Lily was already packed and ready to return back to school. She took a heartfelt glimpse around her house one more time and headed out the door with Petunia and her aunt. Lily made sure to pack extra pictures of her parents from home in her trunk.
At the station, Petunia actually gave Lily a hug and wished her a safe trip back. Lily was surprised, but appreciative.
"Goodbye, Lily. Have a safe trip…uhh, be careful…doing the things that you do." Petunia shifted uncomfortably as Lily returned her hug.
Lily smiled and tried to find the love in her sister's statement. "Bye, 'Tunia. I'll be careful. You be safe too. Have fun with Vernon." After kissing and thanking her Aunt Lavinia, Lily boarded the train and waved from the window. Aunt Lavinia waved back, and Petunia mustered out twitching smile from her scowl.
Lily met Hagrid at the station and they returned back to Hogwarts. Running through the entrance and up toward Gryffindor Tower, Lily was enlivened by the energy of the students and her friends again. She waved to her tutee that was walking in the hallway, and she practically crushed Juliet in a hug, when she saw her in front of the Portrait Hole.
"Lily! You're back!" Juliet hugged her friend. Her look of excitement turned to that of concern. "How are you? Is everything alright?"
Lily calmed down and nodded. "Yes, everything is alright, Jules. I had a nice talk with my parents and I think I have come to terms with what's happened." Juliet and Lily both smiled a teary-eyed smile and they hugged again. All to soon, Juliet released.
"I am so glad you are back and are okay. I would love to stay with you longer Lils, but I have to get down to McGonagall's classroom." Juliet pointed to the opposite direction and started walking quickly down the hallway. "I'll catch up with you later!" Lily smiled and proceeded to walk through the Portrait Hole with her trunk. After dropping off her trunk in her room, Lily discarded her robe and walked over to the boys' dormitories, hoping to see her other friends. The door was open, and Lily saw that they guys' were crowded around something on Peter's bed, with their back's to the door.
Lily quietly snuck over to where the guys were sitting and put her hands over James' glasses. She bent down and whispered in his ear. "Guess who?"
James spun around quickly, and jumped up. "Lily! You're back!" He jumped off the bed and pulled her into a huge hug as the Sirius, Remus, and Peter began to turn around also.
Lily wrapped her arms around James and laughed as he nearly cut off her oxygen with his strong grip. "Geez, Jamesie. Miss me much?" She heard James' muffled laughter, as he slowly moved his face away from her hair.
"Well you know," James said in a quiet tone, "absence does make the heart grow fonder."
Lily looked straight into James' piercing eyes and said, in the same tone, "Yes, it does, doesn't it?" Their faces were inches apart when Sirius' screaming suddenly rang out.
"Hey, James! Would you stop hogging Lily and let us get a hug too? C'mon!" Sirius shook his head in mock anger, as he opened up his arms toward Lily. Directing their gaze from Sirius back to each other, James sheepishly let go of Lily as she walked to Sirius and gave him a hug.
"That's more like it! Missed ya, Lils." Sirius said to Lily as they embraced. Lily then walked over and gave Remus and Peter hugs too.
"Glad you're home, Lily." Remus said.
"Me too. We missed your smiling face around here." Peter said quietly. Lily's face brightened. They started asking her about her trip when Lily held up her hand and silenced them.
"No," Lily said, as everyone seated themselves back on the bed. "I have to ask the most important question first." She directed her gaze to Sirius and James. "Did Gryffindor beat the crap out of Ravenclaw in yesterday's game?"
By the blinding smiles that James and Sirius gave Lily, she could only guess that the answer was 'yes.' She congratulated James and by that time, Juliet had walked into the room also. For the rest of the evening, Lily spent time laughing and talking with her friends. It felt good to be home.
~*~
A couple weeks later, the mood had unmistakably changed at Hogwarts. Christmas was definitely on its way. Professors Flitwick, McGonagall, and Crogh could be seen all around the castle putting assortments of decorations up. Their festive spirit was contagious, and soon everyone had holiday fever. The various corridors and classrooms were filled with boughs of holly, and enchanted singing snowmen were all throughout the castle, singing and spreading cheer to all the students and teachers. In the four corners of the Great Hall, ice carvings of the four house creatures had been erected, with a large ice sculpture standing behind the High Table.
The weather was perfect also, with beautiful snowfalls each night, blanketing the entire campus in glittery, powdery snow. Hogwarts looked like a wintry wonderland. Because of the weather though, the House Cup championship had to be postponed until the snow had thawed, much to the Quidditch players' dismay.
As usual, Professor McGonagall came around a few weeks before the end of term with a list of students who would be staying at Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays. After the fun he had had last year, James had opted to stay at the school again, and had sent an explanatory note to his parents. Mr. and Mrs. Potter did not mind James' decision, because they decided to visit some long-distance relatives over the holidays. Their reply back to James included James' presents and an acknowledgement that he would not be returning on the Hogwarts Express. Sirius and Peter were visiting their parents over the holiday season, so none of them would be staying also. Remus had also decided to visit his parents this year; he told Juliet in private that it would make his transformation more bearable.
Of the girls, only Lily decided to stay, because she couldn't bear (or so she said) spending Christmas with Petunia and watching her ogle her boyfriend. Therefore, she would be staying at Hogwarts for the holidays. Juliet was spending half of her holidays with Remus and the other half with her older sister Ophelia, who was married and just had a new baby girl. Lily bought a little gift and gave it to Juliet to give to her new niece. Juliet smiled brightly and hugged Lily.
On the last day of school, Lily and James escorted their friends to the train station to wish them a wonderful holiday. After helping Remus, Sirius, Peter, and Juliet with their trunks and gifts, Lily and James waved to them from train platform.
Sirius, opened the window and yelled to his friends. "Happy Christmas, James! Happy Christmas Lily! Take care of yourselves, and have a good time!" Lily and James called back.
"Happy Christmas to you too, Sirius! Say hello to your parents for me! Wish them a nice holiday!" Lily said, waving to Sirius. James reciprocated.
"Bye Padfoot! I'll owl you later! Happy Christmas! I hope you like my gift!" James waggled his eyebrows.
Remus, Peter, and Juliet each took their turns saying their good-byes to James and Lily. When Juliet stuck her head out the window, she blew a kiss to Lily.
"Happy Christmas, Lils! I will be thinking of you! Write me, okay? Have a good time…with James." Juliet said slyly, throwing Lily a smirk. Lily opened her mouth to respond, but all she could do was blush. Sensing Lily's embarrassment, and her own good judgement, Juliet laughed and waved once more to her friends.
"Bye James! Bye Lily! See you after Christmas…happy new year too!" James and Lily waved again, as the Hogwarts Express began to move.
Inside the train compartment, Remus said to Juliet, who was sitting back down, "So it's only James and Lily staying at Hogwarts this year?"
Juliet smiled slyly and nodded. "Yeah. Of course, they are not the ONLY ones at Hogwarts…but they are alone. God knows what they'll do." Sirius, sensing what Juliet was getting at, spoke up.
"I knew it! I knew it! None of you guys believed me, but I knew something was going on between them!" With an assured smile on his face, Sirius crossed his arms across his chest and sat back in his seat. Peter looked confused.
"James and Lily are dating? When did that happen?" Juliet shook her head to Peter's question.
"No, they are not dating…yet. But anyone could tell that Lily has a thing for James, and with this golden opportunity—ahem, them being together Christmas holiday—something is bound to happen." Juliet nodded her head.
"Yeah, and James is acting like a lovesick fool too. You've seen how he can't keep his hands off her." Sirius replied, knowingly. "It's just a matter of time before they admit their feelings to each other."
"And when they finally decide to admit that to us." Remus emphasized, as train continued to move away from Hogwarts. "But whatever happens, let's just say it's going to be a very happy Christmas."
~*~
Standing on the train platform, watching the train disappear, Lily and James fell silent. Now that their friends were gone, it was just the two of them left.
"So," Lily said, turning to James. "What do you want to do now?"
James looked down to Lily and said, "To be honest…I have no idea. With Sirius gone, it already seems that much quieter." Lily laughed.
"Well, want to head back to Hogwarts?" Lily asked, watching the other students start to head back as well from the train station. James considered that idea and nodded his head.
"Hmm." He said, rapidly jumping up and grabbing Lily's hand. "Come, Fair Goddess of Beauty," he said, while Lily laughed at his sudden burst of energy. "We must find a way out of here." And at that, James dragged Lily out of the train station, cackling insanely.
Once out the station, James and Lily began running, rather clumsily, through the thick snow towards the entrance of Hogwarts. They still had their heavy robes and scarves on, so it was quite a sight to see two teenagers trying to sprint towards the castle. Still holding tightly to James' hand, Lily squeezed it to catch James' attention.
"James, would you mind slowing down a bit? My legs aren't exactly as long as yours." Lily was a tad bit out of breath as James slowed their pace on their way through the snow. The castle looked very magical at that moment, with the light snowfall covering the roof and surrounding the grounds. James and Lily took in the beautiful atmosphere as they gazed around them. James also took this opportunity to talk to Lily.
Rather quietly, James said, "I'm really happy that I get to spend Christmas holiday with you, Lily." He voice was slow and sincere, and Lily nearly missed his statement since he was looking down at the snow. At the moment, Lily got rather shy too.
"I am very glad I get to spend Christmas with you too, James."
James continued speaking. "I know we really didn't have such a great start, you know, with me hating you most of third year and all, but I really want to get to know you better. I mean, you're one of my closest friends, and I know you pretty well, but what I mean to say is that, well, I want to REALLY get to know you, and…" Lily smiled shyly, as James continued to mumble. She held his hand tighter.
"It's just that you are a really special girl, and I like you a lot, and I don't want to ruin the friendship that we already have, but I can't help feeling this strong attraction to you. Please don't feel obligated to like me back, because I'm not exactly the most perfect guy in the world—I mean, I have a horrible way with words, my hair's funny, these wierd glasses, and I have this devouring obsession with Quidditch—and now I feel like some bumbling idiot who is boring you to death with all my nonsense…" Lily laughed as James nervously ran his free hand through his hair. Noticing Lily's reaction, James stopped walking and turned to face Lily.
Taking a deep breath, James started again. "I just wanted to tell you how incredibly special you are to me, and how much I enjoy being your friend. I know this is all really sudden, and if you don't feel the same way, I will definitely understand." Looking down, James locked eyes with Lily, who was still standing there, firmly holding his hand. After a few awkward moments, James was certain Lily did not feel the same way and was about to continue back up to the castle, when suddenly Lily released her hand from his hold.
Standing on her tiptoes, James was about to speak but was stopped when Lily's hands moved to his face and she kissed him squarely on the lips.
It was a chaste kiss, but sweet nonetheless, and by the way Lily was kissing him, James could tell that she took everything he just said to heart and felt exactly the same way too. He was surprised at first, and just stood there in awe as Lily was kissing him. But after registering what she was doing, and breathing a huge sigh of relief, he closed his eyes and began kissing her back.
They stood there for a long while until Lily's lips slowly detached themselves from James'. He mentally groaned. His eyes remained closed, hoping to savor the sweet moment that had just unfolded before him. He opened his eyes slowly and said, "Lily…" He looked in front of him, and was surprised to see that Lily was not there. He got confused.
"Lily? Lily?" James started to turn around but could not find her anywhere. His shoulders slumped.
"Hey, Potter!" James turned around quickly and saw Lily standing about five feet away, with her arms behind her back. "Think quickly!"
Just as James was about to move, he was hit by a snowball directly in the chest. Lily laughed as she noticed James' horrified expression and began to make another ball. James brushed the snow off of himself and laughed too.
"Evans, do you always pelt guys with snowballs after they express their innermost feelings to you?" He said as he began scooping up snow into a huge ball. "Especially after you kiss them?" He ducked another snowball as he threw his own, hitting Lily on the arm.
"You can't really know, James. You haven't kissed me enough yet." Lily said, ducking another snowball. "Though from the expression on your face, I think you actually WANT to find out." Lily smiled as threw another snowball, aimed at James' chest.
James stopped what he was doing and began running towards Lily. "Believe me, you have NO idea."
Sensing that James was charging toward her, Lily yelped and began running away from James. They continued to throw snowballs at each other and even enticed some other Hogwarts students that were on the grounds to join them in a huge snowball fight. Pretty soon, snowballs were flying from every direction, and no one was safe.
~*~
Later in the evening, after the snowball fight subsided and everyone returned inside the castle, Lily was sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room. She was sitting alone on the couch, in front of the crackling fire. James' and her robes were laid in front of the fire to dry, and Lily was sitting cross-legged on the couch. James was not there, so Lily had some time alone to fully contemplate what James had told her previously that afternoon. As the other Gryffindors that had stayed at Hogwarts walked through the Common Room, Lily was deep in thought.
She had always known that there was a spark of attraction between her and James but never in her wildest dreams did she guess that James would come out and tell her his feelings that day. She had figured that he probably valued their platonic friendship more and would not want to jeopardize that for a fleeting, physical relationship. Lily laughed. 'How wrong was I,' she thought to herself, running a finger along the edge of the couch.
Lily was very excited to know that James liked her more than a friend, and she the same, but also very nervous about how those newfound feelings would change their relationship and their relationship with their friends. After James had professed his emotions to her in the snow outside of Hogwarts, they hadn't spoken about that incident since. Lily was confused and troubled, and there was still a lot to work out, but overall she felt happy. She was just about to think about that some more when a sound from the Portrait Hole diverted her attention.
Lily saw the door open, but no figure walk through it, and watched the Portrait slam shut. She heard footsteps approach her and then James' head pop out of thin air, as if floating on nothing. James proceeded to take off the rest of his Invisibility Cloak. He then started walking toward Lily.
"Hey. You hungry? Just made my rounds down in the kitchens." James pulled out a mince pie from his bag and began to devour it. Lily felt her stomach grumble as she saw James' mince pie.
"James, if there is a lemon scone in that bag…it could be love." Lily said with a smile, as James sat down next to her on the couch.
With a mouth full of pie ("Attractive" Lily commented sarcastically), James said, "It must be fate, Lily" and placed the bag in Lily's hand.
Lily opened the bag and, to her astonishment, pulled out a lemon scone. Laughing lightly to herself, Lily could sense James' smiling face above her.
"It definitely must be fate, Jamesie." Lily said as she began nibbling on her scone, resting her head against James' shoulder, as they sat together on the couch. James laughed as the pair continued to sit and eat in the front of the fire for the rest of the night.
~*~
A/N: Thank God, that's chapter's over. It took forever…I swear, I must be the worst mush writer in the world. Anyway, to everyone who's been waiting patiently: L/J ACTION HAS FINALLY ARRIVED! Granted, it might be a little slow (hey, I'm much better dealing with it in real life than on paper), but it has come now, full-fledged.
Many of you have commented on the speed of my posting. I am surprised that I managed to come out with a chapter a day this week. But please consider that I am on Spring Break, so that means I have a lot of writing time on my hands. By the time I get back to school next week, I will be back to 2-3 days per each update. I haven't even started some of my break homework due to this story! Ahhhh! I usually start writing a chapter at about 7am, finish by 8pm, and post again at about 8am the next morning. Weird schedule, but it works.
And yeah, for all you readers who caught my (second) X-Files reference…uggh, I can't help it! It's too cute to miss! And because of that, I'll write a disclaimer…
Disclaimer: All X-Files references to text belong to Chris Carter and the rest of Ten Thirteen Productions…Frank Spotnitz, Kim Manners, David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, etc.
Anyway, thanks for reading and please review! Take care, ff..net readers!
~ (a tired) Stellar
REVIEWERS: Readers Emitting Valuable Information Enclosing Words Exemplifying Rational Statements (hmm…my acronyms need work!)
Seshat – Alrighty then! L/J action is here…or at least now, they're somewhat more "close". Yeah, my posting has been extremely fast this week. Scaaary. Oh well, onto Chapter 10!
Abforth – My updating is scaring me also! I manage to keep churning the chapter out…yowza. But anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing, and I am very happy that you like my story! Though I personally do not like Peter, I am trying to keep him involved in the story while making Lily and James seem like normal teenagers (by avoiding the usual cliches seen in some fanfics lately). But yeah…thanks so much for your kind words, and I'll write as fast as I can!
Orca – I am very pleased that you like the whole Remus/Juliet thing. I know some people do not like original characters and how they are placed within the plot, so I am trying to make Juliet as real as possible. Thanks for your input!
Krissia – I am so happy that you like my story! It's great to hear that my story has evoked real emotions from you, the reader. Makes me feel as if I'm a decent writer! Thanks for all the compliments…yeah, I did not want this to be a love/hate story (those I know L/J did not like each other originally, and I incorporated that factor in the beginning), but those are good sometimes too! Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Snow Flurry – Oh gosh, after reading your review, I sure hope the L/J stuff isn't too rushed for you! They had to get together sometime…took me about 9 chapters to do so! Anyway, thanks fore reading and reviewing again!
Thislemeg – L/J action finally arrived. Nothing to major, since it's just starting out, but it's in its "cutesy" stage…Thanks for reading the story and reviewing, and next chapter is coming out very soon!
Anime girl – Hey! Thanks for reading and reviewing my story! Yeah, the Internet can be a real hassle (I can't upload chapters from my comp anymore…I have to do it on my sister's computer!), so thanks for the extra long review! I really appreciate it! I'm really trying my hardest to make Lily and James seem as normal as possible—though I know they are extraordinary characters, the 'most popular' and 'the cutest or coolest' cliches are a bit overdone. I know exactly what you mean about the repetitiveness in the fanfics nowadays…they are all great, but they seem the same sometimes (PLEASE don't thank that statement as condescension…believe me, I don't think I'm the best writer either!) Ohh, my condolences to your friend's dad! Thanks for all the compliments, and I'll update as soon as I can! (And about the weather thing…the sunshine is very nice! ^-^ How's MA? I've always wanted to go there… Sorry about the gloomy weather for you! Email me Anaplasia203@hotmail.com …let's chat!)
Quinn – My faithful reviewer! Thanks for sticking by me and all my chapters! Thanks for readin' and reviewin' as usual! I really appreciate it…good for the 'ol self esteem! Yeah, I hope Gryffindor wins too! Slimy Snape is starting to get me…eww…Glad you love the story! I love your input! ^-^
Vielen Dank!
Now approaching Chapter 9…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
While James was busying catching snitches and Sirius was snogging every Gryffindor girl he could manage to lay his hands on, Lily was at home, attending her parents' funeral.
It was a somber day, when she arrived on the train platform with Hagrid, that Friday morning. Where it was sunny and bright at Hogwarts, it was dark and overcast at the train station. Lily was silent the entire carriage ride there. Hagrid tried his best to be as cheerful as possible, but he knew he could not say anything that could possible lift Lily from her melancholy state. He opted for more quick, supportive glances at her throughout the ride, to check if she was okay. Lily returned the glances with a smile, but continued to look gloomily out the window.
When they arrived at the station, Lily's train was already there and waiting and Hagrid helped Lily with her trunk. When everything was loaded, Lily turned to Hagrid and thanked him.
"Thanks Hagrid, for accompanying me to the station. I know I wasn't exactly the most friendliest passenger to ride with in the carriage." Lily smiled a weak, apologetic smile. Hagrid swatted his hand.
"Never you mind, Lily. I'm really sorry about yer folks, m'dear. So sad to see a girl of yer age having to deal with all've this. Take care've yerself, and I'll see you in three days." Hagrid smiled and waved to Lily as she boarded the train. She waved back from the window. He continued to wave as the train began to move and grew smaller and smaller toward the horizon.
~*~
The funeral services were private, simple, and extremely touching. Luckily neither Lily nor Petunia had to speak, for which Lily was entirely grateful. She did not believe she could say anything remotely related to her parents without dissolving into tears in front of everyone.
Various family members, including Petunia, were there to greet Lily at the train station, and she was taken to her home. She sat in the backseat of the car with Petunia, who refused to look Lily in the eye. Lily was incredibly saddened. Despite the fact Petunia was never very warm to her in the past, Lily was hoping that for this day, this occasion, Petunia would be there for comfort and for security. Glancing at Petunia's solemn face, Lily figured that today would not be that day. She felt her heart clench.
Walking through her house was like walking through another time zone. Even though everything was in its ordinary place, with pictures of Lily and Petunia scattered amongst her parents' Muggle belongings and furniture, without the warm, caring presence of her parents, it just did not seem the same. Lily walked up to her bedroom and placed her trunk by her large canopy bed. She walked over to her large, bay windows and glanced outside to her balcony. Her gaze fell to a shiny, crystal wind-chime that was hanging above the balcony. Lily smiled as she remembered a time in her fourth-year when Sirius, Remus, and James flew to her house and nearly collided with the wind-chime. Her father had made that when she was sick with pneumonia, when she was eight. Lily remembered screaming at Sirius when he barely missed breaking the chime with his broom.
"Gosh, Lily, I did not mean to hit it. Sorry." Sirius said, throwing Lily and apologetic glance.
Lily smiled fondly at the recollection. She was glad that Sirius did not hit, or even worse break, the chime now. Items such as those were all she had left of her parents, besides their living memories in her heart.
Since the funeral was to start in about an hour, Lily changed out of her school robes and into a long, black Muggle dress that was in her closet. It was very expensive, and her mother always said to wear it for "special occasions only." Lily held back tears as she contemplated the irony of that statement now. 'I did not want that special occasion to be your funeral, Mum.' Lily said as she zipped up the dress and grabbed her heeled shoes. Lily walked downstairs to see many more relatives sitting around her living room and in the kitchen. She also saw Petunia speaking to a very loud, and very large, young man.
By that time, people began to head toward the cemetery, and Lily joined them. There had already been a wake at the funeral home the day before, but Lily did not attend that. At the cemetery, it was a solemn sight to see both sides of Lily's family there, crying and praying at the graves of her parents. The priest spoke a few words and prayers before the eulogies began. Lily's Aunt Lavinia spoke first, and she promised to "do everything in her power to ensure Petunia and Lily's happiness" just as her parents had wanted. A few of her parents' closest friends and co-workers spoke and finally their coffins were lowered into the ground. Lily and Petunia both threw flowers after the coffins, and Petunia began to wail. She was convulsing and crying and she was lead to the car by a few of their relatives. Lily, on the other hand, tried to remain strong and walked slowly back to her Aunt.
When the ceremony was over, and everyone was leaving the cemetery, Lily wanted to stay back for a moment to be with her parents. Aunt Lavinia understood, and told Lily that she would be waiting by the car with Petunia. Lily thanked her and slowly made her way to her parents' shared tombstone.
Wiping away a tear, Lily started to speak slowly. "Hello Dad…hello Mum. How are you? I am so very sorry I did not get to say goodbye to you, because I really wanted to. There is so much left unsaid that I never got a chance to say. I miss you guys so much…I miss you the most, Mum, in the nighttime, right before I go to sleep. I can still hear you singing to me, before I go to bed. I know this may seem childish, since I've been going to boarding school for about six years now, and I don't see you very often, but I still miss you. I love you both, Mum and Dad. And when we meet again, I promise I will say that to you." By this time, Lily was crying freely. She did not hold back her sobs. "I did not want things to end this way, Mummy. I am so sorry…you were not supposed to have felt any pain when you died. I am sorry that I was gone for so long at Hogwarts…I am sorry that I am a witch…I'm so sorry…"
Lily started to get up, wiping the tears that were trickling down her face. "James sends his regards. You remember him, don't you Daddy? He was that nice fellow with the glasses, who stopped by the house early in the summer. He was the one asking you all those questions when you were fixing the car. He helped you too." Lily knew she had to leave before she dissolved into one giant tear. "Everyone says I should just let this go, and move on with my life. But I can't. I can't let go. I don't want to let go of our memories." Lily stood up and touched her parents' gravestone. "I will love you forever, Mummy and Daddy."
And with that, Lily turned her heel and walked back to the car. She did not look back.
~*~
"Would you like some more water, dear?"
Lily looked up from her glass of water. She was standing in her living room, talking with some of her relatives after the funeral. Her mother's friend was holding a pitcher of water, and was pouring some of that water for the various guests scattered throughout the house after the services at the cemetery.
"Oh, I'm perfectly satiated, thank you." Lily responded politely, taking another sip of water. For the past hour, Lily was subjugated to the tortuously mindless conversation of her sister Petunia and Petunia's new boyfriend, Vernon.
Evidently, they began dating at the end of the summer and Petunia was eager to 'show him off' to the family. Vernon, apparently, had come to the house a couple times and met Mr. and Mrs. Evans. Lily rolled her eyes as Vernon and Petunia continued schmoozing with the relatives. There was something about him that Lily could not stand—his demeanor, his awful laugh, and the way he looked at Lily as if she was some piece of meat. Lily just smiled a tight smile when they were introduced.
'Well, I am happy for her, I guess.' Lily said, taking another glance at Vernon, who was rubbing Petunia's back in an almost obscene way. 'Whatever makes her happy. Though I do believe he WILL be a frightful brother-in- law.' Lily downed her water in one gulp and headed back up to her room. She had a headache.
After engaging in some chit chat with her relatives, answering the usual asinine questions ('So, how's school like?' 'You still go to that boarding school for gifted people?' 'Do you have a boyfriend?' 'My, Lily, you're all grown up and beautiful!') Lily found sanctuary in her room. She could not wait for Sunday to arrive and to be back home with her friends. Even though closure was necessary and comforting for Lily, she wanted things to return back to normal…and that meant going back to Hogwarts.
When Sunday morning arrived, Lily was already packed and ready to return back to school. She took a heartfelt glimpse around her house one more time and headed out the door with Petunia and her aunt. Lily made sure to pack extra pictures of her parents from home in her trunk.
At the station, Petunia actually gave Lily a hug and wished her a safe trip back. Lily was surprised, but appreciative.
"Goodbye, Lily. Have a safe trip…uhh, be careful…doing the things that you do." Petunia shifted uncomfortably as Lily returned her hug.
Lily smiled and tried to find the love in her sister's statement. "Bye, 'Tunia. I'll be careful. You be safe too. Have fun with Vernon." After kissing and thanking her Aunt Lavinia, Lily boarded the train and waved from the window. Aunt Lavinia waved back, and Petunia mustered out twitching smile from her scowl.
Lily met Hagrid at the station and they returned back to Hogwarts. Running through the entrance and up toward Gryffindor Tower, Lily was enlivened by the energy of the students and her friends again. She waved to her tutee that was walking in the hallway, and she practically crushed Juliet in a hug, when she saw her in front of the Portrait Hole.
"Lily! You're back!" Juliet hugged her friend. Her look of excitement turned to that of concern. "How are you? Is everything alright?"
Lily calmed down and nodded. "Yes, everything is alright, Jules. I had a nice talk with my parents and I think I have come to terms with what's happened." Juliet and Lily both smiled a teary-eyed smile and they hugged again. All to soon, Juliet released.
"I am so glad you are back and are okay. I would love to stay with you longer Lils, but I have to get down to McGonagall's classroom." Juliet pointed to the opposite direction and started walking quickly down the hallway. "I'll catch up with you later!" Lily smiled and proceeded to walk through the Portrait Hole with her trunk. After dropping off her trunk in her room, Lily discarded her robe and walked over to the boys' dormitories, hoping to see her other friends. The door was open, and Lily saw that they guys' were crowded around something on Peter's bed, with their back's to the door.
Lily quietly snuck over to where the guys were sitting and put her hands over James' glasses. She bent down and whispered in his ear. "Guess who?"
James spun around quickly, and jumped up. "Lily! You're back!" He jumped off the bed and pulled her into a huge hug as the Sirius, Remus, and Peter began to turn around also.
Lily wrapped her arms around James and laughed as he nearly cut off her oxygen with his strong grip. "Geez, Jamesie. Miss me much?" She heard James' muffled laughter, as he slowly moved his face away from her hair.
"Well you know," James said in a quiet tone, "absence does make the heart grow fonder."
Lily looked straight into James' piercing eyes and said, in the same tone, "Yes, it does, doesn't it?" Their faces were inches apart when Sirius' screaming suddenly rang out.
"Hey, James! Would you stop hogging Lily and let us get a hug too? C'mon!" Sirius shook his head in mock anger, as he opened up his arms toward Lily. Directing their gaze from Sirius back to each other, James sheepishly let go of Lily as she walked to Sirius and gave him a hug.
"That's more like it! Missed ya, Lils." Sirius said to Lily as they embraced. Lily then walked over and gave Remus and Peter hugs too.
"Glad you're home, Lily." Remus said.
"Me too. We missed your smiling face around here." Peter said quietly. Lily's face brightened. They started asking her about her trip when Lily held up her hand and silenced them.
"No," Lily said, as everyone seated themselves back on the bed. "I have to ask the most important question first." She directed her gaze to Sirius and James. "Did Gryffindor beat the crap out of Ravenclaw in yesterday's game?"
By the blinding smiles that James and Sirius gave Lily, she could only guess that the answer was 'yes.' She congratulated James and by that time, Juliet had walked into the room also. For the rest of the evening, Lily spent time laughing and talking with her friends. It felt good to be home.
~*~
A couple weeks later, the mood had unmistakably changed at Hogwarts. Christmas was definitely on its way. Professors Flitwick, McGonagall, and Crogh could be seen all around the castle putting assortments of decorations up. Their festive spirit was contagious, and soon everyone had holiday fever. The various corridors and classrooms were filled with boughs of holly, and enchanted singing snowmen were all throughout the castle, singing and spreading cheer to all the students and teachers. In the four corners of the Great Hall, ice carvings of the four house creatures had been erected, with a large ice sculpture standing behind the High Table.
The weather was perfect also, with beautiful snowfalls each night, blanketing the entire campus in glittery, powdery snow. Hogwarts looked like a wintry wonderland. Because of the weather though, the House Cup championship had to be postponed until the snow had thawed, much to the Quidditch players' dismay.
As usual, Professor McGonagall came around a few weeks before the end of term with a list of students who would be staying at Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays. After the fun he had had last year, James had opted to stay at the school again, and had sent an explanatory note to his parents. Mr. and Mrs. Potter did not mind James' decision, because they decided to visit some long-distance relatives over the holidays. Their reply back to James included James' presents and an acknowledgement that he would not be returning on the Hogwarts Express. Sirius and Peter were visiting their parents over the holiday season, so none of them would be staying also. Remus had also decided to visit his parents this year; he told Juliet in private that it would make his transformation more bearable.
Of the girls, only Lily decided to stay, because she couldn't bear (or so she said) spending Christmas with Petunia and watching her ogle her boyfriend. Therefore, she would be staying at Hogwarts for the holidays. Juliet was spending half of her holidays with Remus and the other half with her older sister Ophelia, who was married and just had a new baby girl. Lily bought a little gift and gave it to Juliet to give to her new niece. Juliet smiled brightly and hugged Lily.
On the last day of school, Lily and James escorted their friends to the train station to wish them a wonderful holiday. After helping Remus, Sirius, Peter, and Juliet with their trunks and gifts, Lily and James waved to them from train platform.
Sirius, opened the window and yelled to his friends. "Happy Christmas, James! Happy Christmas Lily! Take care of yourselves, and have a good time!" Lily and James called back.
"Happy Christmas to you too, Sirius! Say hello to your parents for me! Wish them a nice holiday!" Lily said, waving to Sirius. James reciprocated.
"Bye Padfoot! I'll owl you later! Happy Christmas! I hope you like my gift!" James waggled his eyebrows.
Remus, Peter, and Juliet each took their turns saying their good-byes to James and Lily. When Juliet stuck her head out the window, she blew a kiss to Lily.
"Happy Christmas, Lils! I will be thinking of you! Write me, okay? Have a good time…with James." Juliet said slyly, throwing Lily a smirk. Lily opened her mouth to respond, but all she could do was blush. Sensing Lily's embarrassment, and her own good judgement, Juliet laughed and waved once more to her friends.
"Bye James! Bye Lily! See you after Christmas…happy new year too!" James and Lily waved again, as the Hogwarts Express began to move.
Inside the train compartment, Remus said to Juliet, who was sitting back down, "So it's only James and Lily staying at Hogwarts this year?"
Juliet smiled slyly and nodded. "Yeah. Of course, they are not the ONLY ones at Hogwarts…but they are alone. God knows what they'll do." Sirius, sensing what Juliet was getting at, spoke up.
"I knew it! I knew it! None of you guys believed me, but I knew something was going on between them!" With an assured smile on his face, Sirius crossed his arms across his chest and sat back in his seat. Peter looked confused.
"James and Lily are dating? When did that happen?" Juliet shook her head to Peter's question.
"No, they are not dating…yet. But anyone could tell that Lily has a thing for James, and with this golden opportunity—ahem, them being together Christmas holiday—something is bound to happen." Juliet nodded her head.
"Yeah, and James is acting like a lovesick fool too. You've seen how he can't keep his hands off her." Sirius replied, knowingly. "It's just a matter of time before they admit their feelings to each other."
"And when they finally decide to admit that to us." Remus emphasized, as train continued to move away from Hogwarts. "But whatever happens, let's just say it's going to be a very happy Christmas."
~*~
Standing on the train platform, watching the train disappear, Lily and James fell silent. Now that their friends were gone, it was just the two of them left.
"So," Lily said, turning to James. "What do you want to do now?"
James looked down to Lily and said, "To be honest…I have no idea. With Sirius gone, it already seems that much quieter." Lily laughed.
"Well, want to head back to Hogwarts?" Lily asked, watching the other students start to head back as well from the train station. James considered that idea and nodded his head.
"Hmm." He said, rapidly jumping up and grabbing Lily's hand. "Come, Fair Goddess of Beauty," he said, while Lily laughed at his sudden burst of energy. "We must find a way out of here." And at that, James dragged Lily out of the train station, cackling insanely.
Once out the station, James and Lily began running, rather clumsily, through the thick snow towards the entrance of Hogwarts. They still had their heavy robes and scarves on, so it was quite a sight to see two teenagers trying to sprint towards the castle. Still holding tightly to James' hand, Lily squeezed it to catch James' attention.
"James, would you mind slowing down a bit? My legs aren't exactly as long as yours." Lily was a tad bit out of breath as James slowed their pace on their way through the snow. The castle looked very magical at that moment, with the light snowfall covering the roof and surrounding the grounds. James and Lily took in the beautiful atmosphere as they gazed around them. James also took this opportunity to talk to Lily.
Rather quietly, James said, "I'm really happy that I get to spend Christmas holiday with you, Lily." He voice was slow and sincere, and Lily nearly missed his statement since he was looking down at the snow. At the moment, Lily got rather shy too.
"I am very glad I get to spend Christmas with you too, James."
James continued speaking. "I know we really didn't have such a great start, you know, with me hating you most of third year and all, but I really want to get to know you better. I mean, you're one of my closest friends, and I know you pretty well, but what I mean to say is that, well, I want to REALLY get to know you, and…" Lily smiled shyly, as James continued to mumble. She held his hand tighter.
"It's just that you are a really special girl, and I like you a lot, and I don't want to ruin the friendship that we already have, but I can't help feeling this strong attraction to you. Please don't feel obligated to like me back, because I'm not exactly the most perfect guy in the world—I mean, I have a horrible way with words, my hair's funny, these wierd glasses, and I have this devouring obsession with Quidditch—and now I feel like some bumbling idiot who is boring you to death with all my nonsense…" Lily laughed as James nervously ran his free hand through his hair. Noticing Lily's reaction, James stopped walking and turned to face Lily.
Taking a deep breath, James started again. "I just wanted to tell you how incredibly special you are to me, and how much I enjoy being your friend. I know this is all really sudden, and if you don't feel the same way, I will definitely understand." Looking down, James locked eyes with Lily, who was still standing there, firmly holding his hand. After a few awkward moments, James was certain Lily did not feel the same way and was about to continue back up to the castle, when suddenly Lily released her hand from his hold.
Standing on her tiptoes, James was about to speak but was stopped when Lily's hands moved to his face and she kissed him squarely on the lips.
It was a chaste kiss, but sweet nonetheless, and by the way Lily was kissing him, James could tell that she took everything he just said to heart and felt exactly the same way too. He was surprised at first, and just stood there in awe as Lily was kissing him. But after registering what she was doing, and breathing a huge sigh of relief, he closed his eyes and began kissing her back.
They stood there for a long while until Lily's lips slowly detached themselves from James'. He mentally groaned. His eyes remained closed, hoping to savor the sweet moment that had just unfolded before him. He opened his eyes slowly and said, "Lily…" He looked in front of him, and was surprised to see that Lily was not there. He got confused.
"Lily? Lily?" James started to turn around but could not find her anywhere. His shoulders slumped.
"Hey, Potter!" James turned around quickly and saw Lily standing about five feet away, with her arms behind her back. "Think quickly!"
Just as James was about to move, he was hit by a snowball directly in the chest. Lily laughed as she noticed James' horrified expression and began to make another ball. James brushed the snow off of himself and laughed too.
"Evans, do you always pelt guys with snowballs after they express their innermost feelings to you?" He said as he began scooping up snow into a huge ball. "Especially after you kiss them?" He ducked another snowball as he threw his own, hitting Lily on the arm.
"You can't really know, James. You haven't kissed me enough yet." Lily said, ducking another snowball. "Though from the expression on your face, I think you actually WANT to find out." Lily smiled as threw another snowball, aimed at James' chest.
James stopped what he was doing and began running towards Lily. "Believe me, you have NO idea."
Sensing that James was charging toward her, Lily yelped and began running away from James. They continued to throw snowballs at each other and even enticed some other Hogwarts students that were on the grounds to join them in a huge snowball fight. Pretty soon, snowballs were flying from every direction, and no one was safe.
~*~
Later in the evening, after the snowball fight subsided and everyone returned inside the castle, Lily was sitting in the Gryffindor Common Room. She was sitting alone on the couch, in front of the crackling fire. James' and her robes were laid in front of the fire to dry, and Lily was sitting cross-legged on the couch. James was not there, so Lily had some time alone to fully contemplate what James had told her previously that afternoon. As the other Gryffindors that had stayed at Hogwarts walked through the Common Room, Lily was deep in thought.
She had always known that there was a spark of attraction between her and James but never in her wildest dreams did she guess that James would come out and tell her his feelings that day. She had figured that he probably valued their platonic friendship more and would not want to jeopardize that for a fleeting, physical relationship. Lily laughed. 'How wrong was I,' she thought to herself, running a finger along the edge of the couch.
Lily was very excited to know that James liked her more than a friend, and she the same, but also very nervous about how those newfound feelings would change their relationship and their relationship with their friends. After James had professed his emotions to her in the snow outside of Hogwarts, they hadn't spoken about that incident since. Lily was confused and troubled, and there was still a lot to work out, but overall she felt happy. She was just about to think about that some more when a sound from the Portrait Hole diverted her attention.
Lily saw the door open, but no figure walk through it, and watched the Portrait slam shut. She heard footsteps approach her and then James' head pop out of thin air, as if floating on nothing. James proceeded to take off the rest of his Invisibility Cloak. He then started walking toward Lily.
"Hey. You hungry? Just made my rounds down in the kitchens." James pulled out a mince pie from his bag and began to devour it. Lily felt her stomach grumble as she saw James' mince pie.
"James, if there is a lemon scone in that bag…it could be love." Lily said with a smile, as James sat down next to her on the couch.
With a mouth full of pie ("Attractive" Lily commented sarcastically), James said, "It must be fate, Lily" and placed the bag in Lily's hand.
Lily opened the bag and, to her astonishment, pulled out a lemon scone. Laughing lightly to herself, Lily could sense James' smiling face above her.
"It definitely must be fate, Jamesie." Lily said as she began nibbling on her scone, resting her head against James' shoulder, as they sat together on the couch. James laughed as the pair continued to sit and eat in the front of the fire for the rest of the night.
~*~
A/N: Thank God, that's chapter's over. It took forever…I swear, I must be the worst mush writer in the world. Anyway, to everyone who's been waiting patiently: L/J ACTION HAS FINALLY ARRIVED! Granted, it might be a little slow (hey, I'm much better dealing with it in real life than on paper), but it has come now, full-fledged.
Many of you have commented on the speed of my posting. I am surprised that I managed to come out with a chapter a day this week. But please consider that I am on Spring Break, so that means I have a lot of writing time on my hands. By the time I get back to school next week, I will be back to 2-3 days per each update. I haven't even started some of my break homework due to this story! Ahhhh! I usually start writing a chapter at about 7am, finish by 8pm, and post again at about 8am the next morning. Weird schedule, but it works.
And yeah, for all you readers who caught my (second) X-Files reference…uggh, I can't help it! It's too cute to miss! And because of that, I'll write a disclaimer…
Disclaimer: All X-Files references to text belong to Chris Carter and the rest of Ten Thirteen Productions…Frank Spotnitz, Kim Manners, David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, etc.
Anyway, thanks for reading and please review! Take care, ff..net readers!
~ (a tired) Stellar
REVIEWERS: Readers Emitting Valuable Information Enclosing Words Exemplifying Rational Statements (hmm…my acronyms need work!)
Seshat – Alrighty then! L/J action is here…or at least now, they're somewhat more "close". Yeah, my posting has been extremely fast this week. Scaaary. Oh well, onto Chapter 10!
Abforth – My updating is scaring me also! I manage to keep churning the chapter out…yowza. But anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing, and I am very happy that you like my story! Though I personally do not like Peter, I am trying to keep him involved in the story while making Lily and James seem like normal teenagers (by avoiding the usual cliches seen in some fanfics lately). But yeah…thanks so much for your kind words, and I'll write as fast as I can!
Orca – I am very pleased that you like the whole Remus/Juliet thing. I know some people do not like original characters and how they are placed within the plot, so I am trying to make Juliet as real as possible. Thanks for your input!
Krissia – I am so happy that you like my story! It's great to hear that my story has evoked real emotions from you, the reader. Makes me feel as if I'm a decent writer! Thanks for all the compliments…yeah, I did not want this to be a love/hate story (those I know L/J did not like each other originally, and I incorporated that factor in the beginning), but those are good sometimes too! Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Snow Flurry – Oh gosh, after reading your review, I sure hope the L/J stuff isn't too rushed for you! They had to get together sometime…took me about 9 chapters to do so! Anyway, thanks fore reading and reviewing again!
Thislemeg – L/J action finally arrived. Nothing to major, since it's just starting out, but it's in its "cutesy" stage…Thanks for reading the story and reviewing, and next chapter is coming out very soon!
Anime girl – Hey! Thanks for reading and reviewing my story! Yeah, the Internet can be a real hassle (I can't upload chapters from my comp anymore…I have to do it on my sister's computer!), so thanks for the extra long review! I really appreciate it! I'm really trying my hardest to make Lily and James seem as normal as possible—though I know they are extraordinary characters, the 'most popular' and 'the cutest or coolest' cliches are a bit overdone. I know exactly what you mean about the repetitiveness in the fanfics nowadays…they are all great, but they seem the same sometimes (PLEASE don't thank that statement as condescension…believe me, I don't think I'm the best writer either!) Ohh, my condolences to your friend's dad! Thanks for all the compliments, and I'll update as soon as I can! (And about the weather thing…the sunshine is very nice! ^-^ How's MA? I've always wanted to go there… Sorry about the gloomy weather for you! Email me Anaplasia203@hotmail.com …let's chat!)
Quinn – My faithful reviewer! Thanks for sticking by me and all my chapters! Thanks for readin' and reviewin' as usual! I really appreciate it…good for the 'ol self esteem! Yeah, I hope Gryffindor wins too! Slimy Snape is starting to get me…eww…Glad you love the story! I love your input! ^-^
Vielen Dank!