LEGACY
By Lady Radcliffe
Summary: In a kingdom where blood is still everything, Lily Evans, the very first female advisor, will rise to the top and catch the attention of the very handsome, and very good kisser, James Potter. Slight AU.
Disclaimer: I am the real J.K. Rowling, trapped in a teenager's body! That other person claiming to be me is a fraud!
A/N: Italics are used for thought. And emphasis. You know the drill:-D
Chapter Five
James didn't see Lily until the day afterward. She had opted to take all of her meals inside her room and refused to answer his knocks at her bedroom door. He spent the entire night imagining all of the ways he could beg her forgiveness, instead of the usual schemes to bring the wizarding world together. But hours of thoughtful planning did not prepare James for the new Lily that emerged from her chambers.
He heard a rustle of cloth coming from her room's direction and her dainty step coming his way, so he stood up and walked to the doorway of the breakfast room, ready to lead her to her seat and apologize. As he noticed her approaching, he frowned a bit and squinted his eyes. There was something… different… about Lily today. She looked normal enough though. Her flaming hair was brushed neatly into a chignon and her robes were clean and decent. Her face appeared to be smooth and dry of tears. As she approached, he held out his hand and she lifted her eyes to meet his and swept past him. He noticed right then and there just what was wrong.
Staring at her back in astonishment, he felt a bit chilly all of a sudden, as if a breeze had blown through the room. Lily's eyes, which were usually warm, were suddenly devoid of any emotion. He could trace the slightest bit of resentment in them, but that was about it. And at the moment, James Potter couldn't fathom why she was acting that way. It was quite obvious that he had hurt her and it wasn't as if he were expecting her to come rushing into his arms, but still…
With a rather perplexed look on his face, he sat down opposite Lily, occasionally casting a curious glance at her. Breakfast was a silent affair. There was none of their idle chatter or silly little jokes shared. James felt very uncomfortable just sitting there but he finally mustered up the courage to speak.
"Um, so how are you today, Lily?" he managed to say, after clearing his throat to rid it of that oppressive feeling of doom.
She merely raised an eyebrow in reply, as if to tell him his stupid question did not even deserve an answer.
"Listen, Lily, I really am sorry. I never should have said those things to you. I don't know what I was thinking, and there's no excuse for treating you that way, but I really, really hope that you can forgive me. Being with you made me the happiest man alive and I just want to be with you again. I miss you already, Little Lily."
His attempt at familiarity did little to move her. "You're forgiven, James."
James felt ecstatic. Then suspicion overwhelmed him. She's forgiving me already? It didn't seem possible. Here she was, love of his life and overlooking his most stupid mistake ever, like a miscast spell? It didn't seem right.
He cautiously looked into her eyes and she stared right back with no qualms.
Lily, it seemed, was indifferent about what was going to happen in their future. It looked as if she only accepted his apology because she couldn't bear to waste more time on such a trifle. And that stung. He might not have minded so much if she had appeared broken-hearted, or bitter, or angry, but to be cast off like that… well, he had never felt that way before. He had the sudden sensation of being lost, lost in Diagon Alley right before Hogwarts began, just abandoned by his closest friend. He didn't like that feeling much at all.
James was brought back to reality as Lily scraped her chair back and stood up. With a brisk nod, she walked out of the room, leaving James to ponder the situation by himself.
The rest of the day was spent in another world. At the advisory meeting, he was prone to spacing out and when he did participate in the discussions, it was only half-heartedly. His friends noticed and exchanged glances worriedly.
This continued for a few more days. No one was quite sure why James was always in deep thought lately. He didn't talk much, and he ate his meals silently. The only explanation he offered to his friends was that he was thinking, which, all in all, wasn't very helpful. He was unwilling to help out and only attended meetings out of a sense of duty to his kingdom. Even so, it was obvious that his realm was being neglected and it was only a matter of time before an enemy took advantage of the opportunity.
Disaster struck in the form of a big bang. When people heard the noise, they automatically assumed some wizard had a mishap with his wand and went to investigate what extra body part he might have accumulated. When they left the safety of their homes, they found a rather gruesome fate waiting for them.
At least twenty Death Eaters were in the town square, cackling with glee as they viewed their new prey. Many tried to run, tripping over already motionless bodies on the ground. One person managed to send sparks into the air before being killed.
Aurors flew into action. They surged into the town square, defending villagers and battling Death Eaters. Then, in a flurry of green smoke, more theatrical than practical, a bold man stepped into the middle of the fight. He had a ruthless air about him, one that could invoke fear in even a Hungarian Horntail. His slit-like eyes glowed red as they swept the area. Raising a spindly arm, he swished a wand and murmured a few deadly words. Smiling sadistically, he watched the few around him collapse to the ground, never to get up again.
Those at the palace were under in a nervous state. They weren't sure whether to join in the fight themselves or stay and protect the vulnerable. James, who never really was very sensible when his knight-in-shining-armor complex took over, declared he was going to fight along with the Aurors, completely forgetting that, as the king, he had a duty to his country to stay alive in a time of need, not running off, trying to get himself killed. He had undertaken a series of training courses before becoming king, but he had none of the experience needed to handle Voldemort. He ignored any protests and raced to his room, gathering a few necessary supplies.
Most courtiers were left gaping. What were they supposed to do? Then, as James came barreling out of his quarters, ready to assign posts to his advisors if he didn't make it back, he noticed that Sirius, Remus, Peter and a few others had taken up arms too. Grimly, they apparated to the town square, clutching their wands tightly.
As chaos reigned, Lily was blissfully unaware in her room. She had retreated there to read a rather thick tome. She was no where near done when she put it down, even though it had been a few hours. Stretching her arms, she stiffly walked out to the main hall, where, to her surprise, it was up to its neck in worried courtiers. Inquiring about the odd state the palace was in, she received a rather shocking answer.
"Why, Miss, haven't you heard? You-Know-Who has struck the town square. There are supposed to be twenty Death Eaters there and already, they're overpowering all of the aurors. The king and his friends have just left to join the fight." All of this was said in a hushed voice, as if the man were afraid of breaking the tense silence of the room.
Lily felt a bit dizzy. James left to go fight? What was he thinking, the idiot! He should have left it up to the aurors! They're probably better than he is!
Loudly admonishing him in her mind, Lily was completely unprepared for the next words, from a harried messenger, who just rushed through the doors, to hit her ears.
"The Death Eaters," he panted. Breathing in between every sentence, he gasped out, "They're gone. So is He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. But the king. He was struck."
A/N: Cliffhanger! DUN DUN DUN! lol We all know how it's going to turn out in the end though, don't we? lol To all of my reviewers, thanks for the effort! I am closer to reaching 35 reviews now! (I use exclamation marks a lot also when I write my author's notes lol I'm not like that often though... You guys must bring out my happy side lol) I've been exhausted lately with school and band but it all works out when I see "Review Alert!" on my e-mail lol
pinkraindrop21: You can already hear the wedding march playing in the background as you read. lol Lily and James forever. They really are cute together, aren't they? lol
J.E.A.R.K. Potter: Whoo! I'm up to 29 reviews now! lol Only 6 more to go!
The Big Dance: I always enjoy reading your reviews for some reason. "Cheers!" is such a nice way to end things lol Do you have a pen name? Because I tried searching The Big Dance but I couldn't find anything. Please tell me if you do! I would love to read some of your work!
Only Secret: Awww.. You're too kind! lol I go through that whole phase a lot, when I get depressed because people aren't updating and sucky stories are being posted up daily. Then I find a fabulous story and I'm addicted until it ends, which is when I become depressed all over again, because I have to find a new story to read lol I'm glad you liked my story so much! Keep reading, please!
Elspeth Renee, Flame Of Desire: Thanks for the helpful review! People like you guys make my day for taking the time to write a few nice words. I could use a few more of you guys (Hint, hint! lol)