Chapter 9
When James and Lily had arrived back upstairs, Lily had ran to the bathroom to get some tissue to dry her face. This had to have been the worst week ever. First, she gets news about her grandmother dieing. Second. she's had to endure all the hell that Petunia had been giving her. Third, Lily's eyes stung so badly from crying from her Grandma Rose's Memorial and Funeral. And the most recent, Mitchell Clemmons had to stop by and talk to James. She didn't blames James, he had no clue what had happened almost a year ago.
Yes, the day after Christmas. Now for the rest of her life she got to remember December 26th, not only as Boxing Day, but the day that Mitchell Clemmons tried to rape her. Glorious, just glorious.
James was sitting on his bed, he'd taken off his dress shoes was starting to take off his tie when an owl flew through the opened window that James had opened as soon as he'd gotten in here. James recognized the owl immediately, it was his parent's owl named Brian. Brian landed on James's arm and hooted happily.
"Nice to see you too, boy." James said stroking the old owl that his parents had had for ages.
Brian held out his leg so James could take the letter from him. James opened it and began to read it.
Dearest James,
Your father and I need you to come by the house as soon as possible. I know this isn't a good time, with all that Lily is going through and everything. With the up rise of Voldemort, your father and I have been called out to the field and need to leave immediately. We won't be back when you come from Hogwarts, you can stay at Remus's and tell Sirius we're sorry too, we know how awful his parents are to him. Stay where you please, but please let Dumbledore know so he can tell us. Dumbledore said he'd be at the Evans' home at ten to five, please come and see us before we leave. Lily is welcome to come also, if she would like. We love you very much, we hope you come and see us away…but if you don't we understand.
Love you,
Mum and Dad
James sat back from the letter; he didn't imagine his parents would go out to the fields this early. But, then again his father was the top Auror, and his mother as a Healer obviously had to be out there to heal the sick. But, he thought it would be a lot to ask Lily to come.
Lily walked out of the bathroom with tissue paper crumbled up in her hands. Lily noticed the stressed out face that was on his face.
"Anything the matter James?" Lily asked worried about him.
"My parents are about to go out in the field, you know Order stuff. They want me to come and see them before they leave. They just want me the there to be able to say good-bye to them before they leave…kind of a tradition. They told me that you were welcomed to come to; they really want to meet you. But, Mum said she'd understand if you didn't, with all that you've been through."
Lily smiled, "James, I'll go with you. I kind of need to get out of this house, and I'd like to meet your parents…since you've met mine. Besides they'd like to meet one of your friends that they'd never met before…right?"
"Yeah friend," James sighed. "Yes, Lily they'd love to meet you…are you sure that it's not too much…especially with all that y…"
"James, please don't remind me. What time do we go see them?"
"Dumbledore is suppose to show up in," James looked at the only clock that was in the room. "In about two minutes! We better go down to the Living Room."
"Why the Living Room?"
"I bet that's where he'll meet us."
"Okay," Lily said half way out the door. "Oh, no!"
"What?" James asked baffled.
"I am in my pajamas. I need to change!"
"You've got to hurry Lily." James said.
"I will…"
James had explained to Mr. and Mrs. Evans what was going on and asked them if it was alright if Lily came with him.
"Why of course James," Abigail Evans said smiling. "You've been here for Lily during this whole ordeal…and she probably needs out of this house."
"What's what she said," James said blushing.
Albus Dumbledore appeared out of no where and smiled at the Evans and James. "Good Afternoon all. You must be Lily's parents." Dumbledore said smiling, and they nodded. "Lily is an excellent student, and one of the best that I've seen go through Hogwarts, you must be proud."
Abigail and Blake nodded and said, "Yes we are."
"Who is this Mum?" Petunia asked walking to the room, seeing an oddly dressed old man in the living room.
"Oh, Pet." Abigail said smiling, "This is Lily's headmaster, he's telling us how well Lily does at school, and would you like to talk to him with us."
"No," Petunia spat, rolling her eyes. "I don't talk to freaks, especially freaks that associates with that sister of mine!" She yelled running off.
"Jealous that one is, isn't she?" Dumbledore asked smiling.
"Yes, she always gets mad when we bring Lily's name up. She's just going to have to get use to it."
"Speaking of Miss Evans, where is she Mr. Potter?" Albus asked James.
"She said she'd be right…"
"Here!" Lily said red in the face and out of breath. "Ready!" She said her smile widening on her face and those brilliant green eyes sparkling and James felt his breath taken away.
"Alright, James and Lily, grab on to this Port-Key, it'll bring us all to the Potter's home. Ready?" They both nodded. Dumbledore tapped the old sock three times and they were taken away from the Evans's home.
When the two teenagers and Albus Dumbledore's feet hit the ground of the Potter Mansion, James looked around and smiled…this was home and he was here…with the beautiful Lily Evans at his arm. James turned to see his parents, and he ran to them. "Mum! Dad! I'm so glad to see you!"
James's mother chuckled as he had hugged his mother and then his father. "It's nice to see you two dear, but you haven't introduced us here to the lovely young lady in your presence." Mrs. Potter said formally.
"Oh, sorry mum." James apologized. "Mum this is Lily Evans, Lily my mum; Dad this is Lily Evans, Lily this is my Dad."
Mr. Potter shook his head, "Sorry, Lily. James likes to make many jokes."
"I've noticed in school."
"Harold Potter," Mr. Potter said shaking Lily's hand.
"Grace Potter," Mrs. Potter said taking Lily into a hug, she pulled back to see Lily smiling. "James was right about you," Lily turned to James to see what he'd said about her, and James felt his face getting hot.
"What does he say Mrs. Potter?"
"No, Mrs. Potter, please. Mrs. Potter is Harold's mother, I am Grace. Just call me Grace. Well, James writes us all the time and says how pretty you are, that when you smile you look like an angel, and your eyes are so beautiful. He wasn't lying either. You're very beautiful Lily."
"Thank you Mrs. ….I mean, Grace."
"You've got the most magnificent green eyes I've ever seen."
"It's from my mum's side…"
"Your flaming red hair just sets your eyes perfectly," Grace Potter said, still complementing Lily.
"And, I get the red hair from my dad's side."
"Well, your parents made a very beautiful child, and tell them I said that."
"I promise."
"I'm sorry, Grace and Harold, but it's time to go." Dumbledore said.
"We understand, Albus. This is what we wanted to do with our lives." Harold said grinning, "Ready Grace?"
Grace went up and kissed her sons cheek, and to Lily's surprise Lily's cheek also. "Yes, Harold lets go. Bye love, bye Lily… I hope to meet you again."
"Me too, Grace!" Lily said. They apparated away and Dumbledore looked to James…
"Ready to go?"
"Yeah, lets go. I can't be in this house without them."
When Dumbledore, Lily, and James arrived back at the Evans home, Mr. and Mrs. Evans had gone to bed. "Lily, now remember that you and James need to be back in my office at 7 P.M. You remember what to do right?"
"Yes professor."
Lily had taken her bath, blow-dried her hair, and was in her pajamas on her way back to the room she was sharing with James. When she got in, she was surprised…James had already taken his shower and was lying in his bed reading the magazine, Which Broomstick?
"Well, well, well…James Potter is actually finished with his shower before me? Isn't this a first?"
"At your house…yes. Because muggle water taps are so weird, and I'm just now getting the hang of it."
"How are they weird, James? They look identical."
"Yes, Lily they do. But, the ones in the Wizarding World you talk to and it does what you say….these don't."
Lily cracked up laughing, she was laughing so hard she thought she'd pee on herself. "James, duh! You've taken Muggle Studies…heck your in my class, you don't remember going over that?"
"Lils! I usually sleep in that class."
Lily shook her head and crawled in bed with James, he looked at her bewildered. "What?" She asked as if she'd done something wrong.
"I just…you and…well…yeah?"
"What?!"
"Well, I never thought the lovely Lily Evans would crawl in bed with me." Lily punched him in the arm and he wined like a little girl, "Oww! Why do you have to hit so hard?"
Lily rolled her eyes, "Fine if you don't want me here with you…"
James wrapped his arms around her waist, "I was just picking." He whispered in her ear and instant chills ran up her spine. "I want you to stay; I like to feel like I'm protecting you." She smiled and cuddled into him. He spooned her and they fell asleep that way.
It was 11:30 in the morning when Lily woke up, she turned to roll over and give James a peck on the cheek…but he was gone. Lily saw a note on his pillow on thick parchment to her.
Dear Lily Flower,
Because of Quidditch I run a four laps everyday, I haven't been able to the last few days. Please don't worry about me; I'm downstairs in what I think you Mum called a Gym? She's showed me how to use a Trendsmill? I'm going to walk 12 laps today, so meet me down here.
James
P.S. Your Mum and Dad went with Petunia, their having a lunch with Vernon and his parents. Your Mum wanted you to come, but you Dad insisted you needed the sleep over how upset you've been. Your Dad also told me that he knew that Petunia is hateful to you, and he doesn't want to see you hurt anymore.
James
Lily read the sweet letter that James had wrote her. She laughed when she read 'Trendsmill' and he meant Treadmill. That her dad knew what was going on with Petunia and was trying to give Lily some space away from her horrible sister.
Lily threw on some old jogging shorts, an old tank top, pulled her hair back into a ponytail, and went downstairs to the gym.
Blake had been really kind to James by teaching him and letting him use the 'Trendsmill.' When Lily got down, he was going to ask her what all the other things did. James looked down at the little clock that told you how far you'd gone. The Evans had bought an American Trendsmill, and it had the American measuring system. The four laps that James usually ran around the lake every morning, Mr. Evans explained that in the American world, it's called a mile. So through multiplication, he was doing three miles.
Lily walked into the gym and took the treadmill that was beside James; he turned his head and smiled at her. She looked really pretty, even though she was just going to work out.
"So Potter," she winked at him. "How far have you gotten so far?"
"About half a mile."
"How long you been down here?"
"About thirty minutes."
"You've only done half a mile?!" Lily asked cracking up with laughter.
"Well, Lils I'm not trying."
Lily turned up the speed on her treadmill and began to jog. "Well, I'm speeding up."
Lily and James worked out for another hour and a half, Lily had not only jogged on the treadmill, but she had began to run. Lily and James now sat on the chairs that were lined against the wall and drinking water so they wouldn't become dehydrated. Lily jumped up to her feet and began to leave the room.
"Where are you going now Evans?"
"Well, I've been working out with you for almost two hours. I'm sweaty, hot, and feel really gross. Mum and Dad should be home soon, so I'm going to take a shower, and start on some of that homework that we were assigned since we missed class…but we've forgotten to do any of it."
"Aww, Evans. You've got to bring up the subject of homework don't you?"
Lily smiled, "Well I am a prefect, and I must keep up my grades. I have top grades for the girls in my class, and I want to be Head Girl on our seventh year. I'm sorry if I take my studies more seriously than you do."
"Wow! You're like fireworks aren't you? Say one thing to upset you and you go off!" James laughed. "I was just going to tell you that, I thought it was very good of you to keep up on your studies. I usually fall a little behind during Quidditch season. I'm going to take a shower also, and then do you think we could do our studies together?"
Lily sat there taken back, "Your actually going to do your homework ahead of time instead of the night before it is due?"
"Sorry to tell you Lils, but you've got me under your spell." James said grinning from ear to ear.
Lily rolled her eyes at him, but couldn't help laughing…it had been really corny. "Whatever James, see you in about thirty minutes."
The rest of the day was pretty much quiet. James and Lily stayed up in the room that they'd been sharing for the last few days. They'd been working on the homework of the classes that they had missed on Friday. James really didn't need Lily's help with his homework, but he knew if he asked her…he'd get all the attention he wanted from her.
James was a little worried on how Lily would be when they got back to Hogwarts. If she would still be very upset about her grandmother passing away, or if she's be alright. Term was about to end…they had a week left. The school had already taken their exams, so the rest of the school just sat back and waited for their results from their tests to come in.
James started to get a little sad. James had fancied Lily since the first time he saw her on the Hogwarts Express, their first year. James wouldn't admit it to his friends or himself until the beginning of this year. James had begun asking Lily to go out with him this year. Lily had hated James since their first day in school, he was trying to pull a prank on a Slytherin, but Lily walked in first and spilled sour butterbeer all over her. From that day on she hated him.
Lily had forgiven the whole butterbeer thing, but James had always been so arrogant, and his head was filled up because all of the girls drooled all over him and Sirius.
These last few days had been a turn around. Lily needed someone to be there for her, and the last person she thought she'd ever had turned to was getting close to her. Lily of course hadn't realized how close James and herself were getting, or she'd have already drove him away.
James was getting excited at how much Lily trusted him.
"LILY!" Abigail Evans yelled from downstairs. "DINNER'S READY! WE'RE ALL AT THE DINNER TABLE, JAMES AND YOU NEED TO JOIN US!"
"YES MUM!" Lily opened the door and yelled back, "LET US PUT UP OUR BOOKS FIRST."
James sighed, there went his time with Lily, without anyone interrupting it. "Is your sister and her boyfriend going to be here?" James asked wanting her to say no.
"I think Petunia will be, she's living with my parents as she finishes College. I think Vernon went back to his apartment though." Lily paused for a second, "You know after dinner we need to pack and my mum has to bring us back to the Leaky Cauldron to go back to school?"
James nodded, "Let's just go eat for now…then we'll worry about all of that."
Lily's mum stopped at the little record store by the Leaky Cauldron again for the second time this week. Before James could get Lily's things, Mrs. Evans pulled James into a hug. "Thank you for looking after my little girl," she whispered to him. "It means the world to Blake and I. You look after her at Hogwarts for us, okay?" James nodded, and got Lily and his things together.
Lily and her mother began to hug and cry together. Lily and her mum had always been very close, and they would always cry when they had to leave one another. "I'll be back in a week mum, and be with you and Dad for two months."
James heart sank, he wouldn't be able to see the lovely Lily Evans for two months.
"Don't forget Petunia too." Abigail piped up, Lily nodded but she wouldn't say it. She'd rather not to see her sister, but she could never tell her mom this. Abigail stepped away from youngest daughter and let the two teenagers go into the Leaky Cauldron and disappear inside of it.
Abigail drove away from the place she'd just been saying good-bye to Lily and James. She began to drive home, back to her family, and start thinking of when she'd see her little girl again. Next week they would go shopping together and celebrate Lily's sixteenth birthday. June 19th.
Abigail smiled as she thought about the day that Lily got her Hogwarts letter.
It had been a few days after her birthday, it had been sitting on the kitchen table and Lily avoided it. She thought it had been another letter from the library asking for it's books back that Lily hadn't finished reading it. Lily read the letter and gave out a squeal.
Abigail got out of her car and noticed that a vehicle just passed the house, it was the vehicle that had been following her since she dropped off Lily and James. Abigail began to get an eerie feeling, but shrugged it off. She was spooking herself and she needed to quit.
The driver of the car turned on another road, got out of the car and smiled smugly. Stupid muggles don't know anything. Lily Evans's family would be the next set of muggles dead if their daughter didn't keep away from James Potter…
