A.N. / Hope you all have like the last two chapters. Read and Review!!
Time after Time
By: Harry Potter FrEaK04
"Well, you see," James began. "Dumbledore has this big white ball on his desk."
"Like a crystal ball?" Lily asked.
"Well…um…kind of…I guess. Anyways, when someone approaches the gargoyle the ball lights up and it shows the person or people that are about to are trying to get into his office. Get it?"
"Yeah," Lily said crossing her arms staring around the office. There were lots of things all around them. It was a lot to take in. There were pictures of all the old Headmasters or Headmistresses. There were all kind of devices around the room, and then there was Fawks. "He's really beautiful," Lily commented.
"Why thank you," James said laughing brushing himself off.
Lily gave him an evil look, "I wasn't talking about you, Potter." She rolled her eyes.
James was hurt, he was only playing and they were back to snapping at one another. "You know Evans, I was only playing with you. If you'd lighten up for once."
"Potter," Lily was trying to keep her cool. To be nice to him since he had been there for her last night, and was going to the funeral with her…no strings attached. "I just can't stand it…I don't think this is going to work. I really don't believe that we can go to the funeral together."
"What?" James was stunned, he was hoping he could show her this weekend he was more than fun and games. That he could be serious and help her through this hardship of hers. "I was only playing, why are you freaking out, Evans?"
"Because, if you act like this at the funeral and embarrass me, I'll never forgive you. I hate you until I die, do you understand me Potter?" Lily looked angry, but maybe it was just a front she was putting on to get him scared.
"Yeah, Evans I understand."
"You can't go acting at my house like you do here at school. You have to act like a normal person! You have to wear muggle clothes, you can't say muggle around all of my family and friends, and you can't act like an idiot, and be nice and polite. Oh! And one more thing, you can't flirt with any girls!"
"Okay, but I get to flirt with one girl…"
"No, Potter no girls."
"I can flirt with you, because we're playing as if we are boyfriend and girlfriend"
Lily sighed, Potter always found a way to point out that she was wrong. "Okay, you can flirt with me and hold my hand and that's all. Nothing more."
"Nothing more," he nodded.
Dumbledore's office opened, and the Minister of Magic, David Greenwell and the Headmaster exited the office door. "Well, Albus I guess you were right you do have guests. Mr. James Potter, and who is this lovely young woman?" Greenwell asked making Lily blush. Greenwell wasn't like the rest of the other Ministers of Magic. He was really young, he didn't look the average fifty-sixty years old…he looked around in his thirties.
"My name is Lily Evans," she replied still blushing. Lots of older people always told Lily she was pretty, beautiful, or lovely…but no matter what Lily always blushed.
"Nice to meet you Miss Evans," he turned back to the Headmaster. "Well, I must be going. Fudge is bugging me again about the knight bus, he says it's too fast and makes too much noise. He's afraid that the muggles will hear it."
"But, hasn't the knight bus been running for years?" Lily asked interrupting someone else's conversation on accident.
Greenwell turned around and smiled at her, "Right you are Miss Evans. Fudge just likes to stir up trouble. Well I must be off. Good-day Albus, Mr. Potter, and Miss Evans." He shook Professor Dumbledore and James hands, but he kissed the top of Lily's.
"Courteous man, isn't he Miss Evans?" Professor Dumbledore asked Lily, and Lily blushed again.
"Yes, professor he is."
"Well, I know the two of you didn't come up here to talk about Minister Greenwell, and to stand out here in the round room. So let's go inside of my office and talk about what's bugging the two of you." They followed Dumbledore into the office and sat down in the two chairs across from his desk. He sat down interlocked his hands together on his desk and smiled at the two. "So how can I help the two of you?"
Lily looked up at James and James nodded for her to tell him. "Well, Professor." Lily started, this was going to be hard, really hard. "I got a letter from my sister last night, my grandmother died two days ago, you know on Tuesday, and the memorial is on Friday, and funeral on Saturday. My family is holding is holding it off until the weekend so I could possibly go attend the funeral. My mum was hoping, Friday after classes I could leave Hogwarts and return Sunday night?"
"Why of course Miss Evans." Dumbledore replied, "I am very sorry to hear of your loss, I hope you're doing alright."
"I'm better, than I was last night, Professor. But, thank you for your concern."
"Miss Evans, you will be excused from classes all day on Friday, and you can leave at lunch. All of your teachers will be notified about your absence, and you will not have to come back until Sunday night. I think your mother wants you to stay after the funeral, am I right?" Lily nodded, she knew that was what her mother was thinking. "I agree with her Miss Evans. You will Floo from my office to the Leaky Cauldron with your bags. Tell you mother to park at the muggle record shop next door to the Leaky Cauldron, at noon, and after you arrive at the Leaky Cauldron you can meet her there. Alright?"
"Yes sir," she smiled. She was going home, and she'd be able to give her respects to her grandmother and say good-bye to her.
"Okay, well I'm guessing that's it. You may leave Miss Evans." Dumbledore now turned his attention to James. "Mr. Potter, may I ask what you need?"
"Oh," Lily piped up.
Dumbledore turned his attention to Lily, "Is there something I forgot, Miss Evans?"
"Well, you see Professor." James noticed Lily was twisting her hands in her lap, as if she was nervous. James really didn't know, because he hardly knew a thing on her, because she'd hated his guts all up until…yesterday…. "Well, you see…the funeral is going to be very hard for me, and muggles usually bring a date to a funeral to have a shoulder to cry on."
"Yes, Miss Evans I am aware of this. Who were you wanting to bring?"
"James Potter," she spoke up.
"Are you sure? I thought the two of you hated each other," Dumbledore asked looking back and forth between the two twins.
"No sir," James spoke this time. "I've never hated Lily, she's always hated me though."
"Oh, I see. Miss Evans, so why is it that you want Mr. Potter to accompany you?"
"Well, last night I was very distraught and I ran away to be by myself. No one knew I was gone. James, went to…"
"Find Professor McGonagall, Peter had gotten really sick last night, but I was unable to find her before I found Lily crying her eyes out." James said trying to cover both of their butts over being out past curfew last night.
"Yes, and I told James to leave me alone, but he wouldn't until I told him what was wrong. He read the awful letter my sister wrote me and he told me he'd be my date. I tried to tell him no, because I didn't need a pity date…especially from him. But, he persisted over and over again. He comforted me, I'd never had thought it…but he did. So I agreed that I'd let him come with me. That's why we are up here, to ask you if you'd let him come with me, as a date only, to help me out in my time of trouble."
Dumbledore was quiet for a few minutes, and he was stroking his beard. You could tell he was thinking hard. Lily was getting nervous….then Dumbledore finally spoke up. "Mr. Potter, I am very pleased about how you stepped up to help out a fellow classmate and housemate. You may leave with Miss Evans tomorrow to attend her grandmother's funeral and you are not expected to come back until Sunday night with Miss Evans. Your teachers will also be told that you are excused from classes all day. I advise you both after classes today, to get your make-up work and have it in by the next time you have that class, agreed?"
"Yes sir," Lily and James said at the same time.
"You will both need to attend breakfast tomorrow with the rest of the school, then you may go back up to your dormitories and pack. You will both leave at noon to go meet Lily's mother. Again, Lily I am very sorry for you loss, and I hope you will be okay." Dumbledore paused and got a piece of parchment out of his desk drawer, and dipped his quill in his ink and began to write a letter. "Miss Evans what class are you late for?"
"Transfiguration."
"Alright, Mr. Potter, I assume that you're also in Transfiguration?" James nodded his head. "Alright, let me finish writing Minerva and the two of you will go down to her classroom."
Dumbledore finished writing about five minutes later and handed the letter to Lily. "Miss Evans, Mr. Potter I will owl all of your teachers that the two of you will be excused from classes tomorrow. The two of you have about twenty minutes of class left, you will both need to get your make up work from Minerva. Alright?"
"Yes sir," they both said at the same time as Lily clutched the letter in her hand and they both excited the room.
As Lily and James were walking down the hallway from Dumbledore's office to McGonagall's classroom they walked in silence until James finally spoke up, "Are you alright?"
Lily turned to him, she wasn't crying and didn't have tears in her eyes, but her eyes were very dull looking…there wasn't the twinkle that was in them this morning. "I'll be alright, just a little upset. I want to say goodbye to her, but I'm not ready."
"I understand."
Lily stopped walking, "Do you?"
"Yes, I do. My grandfather died last year," James stopped in the middle of the hallway talking to her. "Whenever my parents were out of town, when I was little, on Auror business he'd always have me over and take care of me. He died my first year…"
"Did you have a date?"
"No," James said. "I wasn't really into girls back then, but Sirius came with me. He knew how close, my grandfather and I were. Sirius was also close to him too. Sirius was always at my house when I was little, his parents were very mean to him when he was little."
"Why are you telling me all of this?" Lily asked.
"I don't know," James said starting to scratch his head. "You're just east to talk to."
Lily and James started at each other for a little while, and then Lily realized that she was gazing at James. "Um…I think we should get to class."
"Oh…yeah! We should." James piped up and they walked all the way to class without talk to one another again.
"Now your homework will be half a roll of parchment on the physical changes of one who can perform…." Professor McGonagall was saying until her classroom door was open.
"Mr. Potter? Miss Evans? Why are the two of you so late?" Lily handed the note that Dumbledore gave him to give to McGonagall. She read it and her face changed from anger to sorrow. "I see, I expect the two of you to see me after class to get the work you missed from me tomorrow, I'll expect it on Tuesday when I see the two of you again. You also have to do the homework I'm assigning." They nodded and took their seats. James went to go sit between Sirius and Remus, and Lily sat between Cassidy and Alice.
"Where have the two of you been?" Cassie asked Lily.
"Dumbledore's office, he's going to come with me to my grandmother's funeral."
"Their actually going to let him?" Alice asked looking amazed.
"Yes."
Gabriella leaned over Alice, "Your actually going to trust the one guy you hate the most at this school."
"Yes, I'm going to trust him. No, he's not the guy I hate the most at the school."
"Then who is?" Cassie asked.
"Snape, he can never call me my name…I'm just Mudblood."
"When do you and James leave?" Alice asked.
"Tomorrow at noon, we excused from all classes tomorrow, but we have to go to breakfast. Then we go back to Gryffindor Tower at about ten minutes before noon we have to be back in Dumbledore's office to Floo to the Leaky Cauldron, my mum will be parked at the muggle record store next door. We won't be back until Sunday night…anymore questions?" Lily asked, she loved her friends to death, but they were really getting on her nerves right now.
"Yeah, two more." Cassie spoke up, and Lily sighed. "Does your mum know about James? Do you need to copy my notes?"
"I wrote my mum and told her James was coming, but I haven't gotten a response yet. Yes I need your notes." Cassie handed them to Lily and the bell rang.
They got up and began walking out in the hallway, "What class are we going to again?" Lily asked.
Gabby started giggling, "Your favorite class, History of Magic." Lily sighed, she really did hate that class, not as much as Potions, but she did hate it. Lily never slept in a class, but she always had to make herself stay awake in there.
"I guess I'll just copy your notes in there Cass, and get my instant quill to copy down the notes that it hears Binns say." Lily said walking down the hallway with her friends.
"Good," Cassie said. "Because I'm going to sleep and I'll copy down your notes from History of Magic."
"Me too!" Alice and Gabby said at the same time.
A few steps behind the girls…
"So excited about your date with Evans?" Sirius asked nudging James in his side.
"It's not a date, I'm just going there to support her and help her out."
"It's a date," Sirius said.
"No it's not."
"Uh, yes it is Prongsie."
"Remus?" James asked turning to his other best friend.
"I'm sorry James, but I have to agree with Sirius on this one."
"I don't know why Evans would actually go with you, I thought she hated you Prongs." Peter said.
"Duh, Wormtail!" Sirius said rolling his eyes, "I already explained all of this to you at Breakfast."
"Do any of you have your notes?" James asked.
"Not me," Sirius spoke up.
"Nope," was Peter.
"You know you can't read my hand writing," Remus said. "You might want to ask Lily to borrow hers, I know she's copying Cassie's."
"Good idea, I'll go and ask her." James ran up to where she was with her friends.
"Spend time with Ludo," Gabby said sighing.
"Doing something with Frank," Alice said blushing.
"No clue," Cassie said staring at her feet. Cassie and Lily always spent the weekends together since Gabriella and Alice both had boyfriends, but Lily would be gone this weekend and she'd be all alone.
"You can hang out with Sirius," James said once he'd caught up with the girls.
"Hardy, har, har." Cassie said, "I'd rather die over. I know Sirius with his pranks, and I don't want to be one."
"Lily?" James asked, and all her friends were staring at the two of them now.
"Yes?" She asked while she was still walking.
"Do you think I could borrow your notes from Transfiguration?"
"I don't have any James," the girls' eyes popped and they all looked at one another when they heard Lily actually call James…well James. "You know that, I was with you all period. I'm copying Cassie's."
"Yeah, well I meant can I copy them when you're done?"
"I've got a better idea. How about you sit by me in Binn's class and we can copy Cassie's notes as the same time?"
"Are you sure you want me to sit by you?" James asked wondering when he was going to awake from this dream.
"I owe you for comforting me last night when I ran away, and for coming with me this weekend."
"Lily, you don't owe…"
"But, I do."
"Fine, I'll copy the notes with you." James said.In History of Magic the seats were connected by twos. It really surprised the other Marauders, and the rest of the class when Lily and James sat next to one another. Lily took her usual seat, and James sat in Cassie's. Alice sat with Frank and Gabby was with Ludo. Frank and Ludo were both fifth year Hufflepuff's and this class was fifth year Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors. Peter and Remus sat together, and Cassie had to sit with Sirius. "Why are you sitting with me? And why is James and Lily sitting together?"
"Well, Lily has my notes from Transfiguration and James doesn't have them either. So their going to copy my notes together during this class."
"Good then I can get mine from James," Sirius smiled, but then it faded. "Wait a minute! If Lily and James are copying notes from last class now…how are you and I going to get notes from this class?"
"Lily has her instant quill to copy down all the notes that come out of Binn's mouth."
"So, I'm guessing you'll copy from Lily and James will copy from Lily?"
"I'm guessing that too," Cassie said.
"Good," Sirius smiled. "Then I'll copy them from James, and I can sleep in this class." Cassie laughed at him, "What?!" He asked getting paranoid.
"Do you ever do your work?"
"Yes, but not when it comes to copying notes." Sirius said as he laid down his head, and Cassie did the same as Binn's started droning on and on about History of Magic."You done copying this page?" Lily whispered to James.
"Yeah," he looked over at her paper. "You write really pretty, did you know that?"
She looked at him, "Are you joking me? It's so sloppy right now."
"Okay, Lily." James chuckled, "Not everything has to be perfect, and we already know you're a prefect."
She looked at him and he was afraid he'd said the wrong thing, "What's wrong with being a Prefect?"
"Nothing, just isn't my thing, you and Remus are total prefects…that's why you two got the job."
"So you're not insulting me?" She asked giving him the evil eye again.
"No, Lily I'm not." They were quiet again copying the rest of Cassie's notes. "Lils?"
She looked up at him and gave him a look he'd never saw from her before, "What did you call me?"
"Oh, Lils. Sorry if you don't like it…it just came out."
"No, it's okay. It's just no one ever called me that, if you want…I guess you can."
"Okay," this was turning into a weird conversation James thought to himself. "When Cassie is done copying your notes from this class, do you mind if I borrow them?"
"Well," Lily debated it for a few minutes. "I guess it would be alright."
