Spoiler: Sorry, but i still don't own these people, except some of 'em, hehe. THose are just figmints of my imagination, hehe.
AN: Read and Reivew Please! Thanks for whoever was daring enough to read this piece of work!
Ch. 19 And then there was Life...again
James laughed, "when I say Sirius is my brother, I really mean it."
Father and son remained in the University, they didn't feel a great urge to go home because nothing big was happening. And if there was a battle or something, someone pop in and tell them. James was sitting next to his son, talking to him but doing it so absently. The wedding day had sparked new memories for him. Memories he hadn't thought about so a long time. The ones he went to only when his darling wasn't with him. And this was the mother of all occasions.
Flashback Monte Carlo the night of the wedding
"AH! JAMES!" Lily yelped as he picked her up, putting her over his shoulder. James, laughing, carried her through the threshold of the castle by the sea as she pounded on his back, screaming and asking for him to put her down.
"It's tradition darling," he said finally setting her down in the humungous hall.
"Tradition?" she yelled laughing, "you're supposed to kindly pick up the wife and go over the threshold in your own home love."
"Same shit," he said waving his hand, looking around the great hall.
"Master Potter!" a house-elf shrieked after they heard a pop.
"Hey Lala," smile James kindly, "I'd like you to meet my wife," he said proudly gesturing towards Lily.
"Hello," she said with a gentle smile.
"Mistress Potter, I am your servant!" Lala cried, bending so low that her floppy ears touched the ground.
"That won't be necessary," she said awkwardly.
"Ah, why don't you get the all the other elves and go to the mansion in England? A little vacation for a week or two," James said stuffing his hands in his jeans pocket.
"Yes master," Lala said obediently.
"My parent's will be expecting you guys," he said, "so hurry along now."
"Yes master," said Lala, bowing for the last time she disappeared.
Suddenly noise arose from somewhere in the house, as though golden bricks were being laid against each other. They were acoustic and tinkling. As suddenly as they had started, the noise stopped. "They're gone," James smiled satisfied, "it's just you and me now," he said looking at Lily with a dangerous hint of mischief in his eyes.
He began to slowly walk towards her, like a lion about to attack, she smiled and began backing away from him slowly, "James? What are you doing?" she asked cautiously.
"Collecting my bounty for wearing a suite without ripping it off," he said still walking towards her.
"You took the tie and coat off as soon as we got to the hall!" she said, "you're scaring me."
"I won't hurt you," he said, stopping and stared into her eyes.
"I know," she said and walked towards him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, "I know you would never hurt me…intentionally."
"And unintentionally," he said and they began to kiss each other with such a crazy passion. He pulled back, breathless and an ever present smile on his lips, "that was good," he smiled, "where d'you learn that?" he asked licking his lips.
She giggled, "sorry, sort of reflex," she said, somewhat proud of herself for having bitten his lip.
"No! Don't apologize, it was good!" he laughed and kiss her again.
She laughed and backed away from him, "can't catch me Potter."
"Yes, I can Potter," James said and chased after her. Being too fast for her, he caught her in the living room from behind, "you're a Potter now."
She made a sound as though she'd just tasted the most delicious cake on earth, she arched her back so her butt rubbed against him from the back.
"I've taught you bad things," he said in a whisper as she started to rub against him.
"Oh yeah," she breathed, closing her eyes as he put his arms around her waist, she let her head fall back against his shoulder.
"Right here?" he asked as she guided his fingers down to the end of the short skirt.
"Right now," she whispered as he lifted the skirt.
"Ok," he said, his eyes opened and he looked around the grand living room in the house and saw all the portraits of his ancestor staring at him. The women looked disapproving and the men looked anxious, typical. "Sorry guys, you have to go," he said as Lily turned around, facing him, and began to suck at his neck.
They all grumbled but left the room, since he had the power to destroy their portraits. "Oh," he moaned as she continued sucking his neck. His hand traveled up between her legs, lifting up the skirt so he ran up against her bare inner thighs.
She moaned softly as his fingers reached her, he felt her tremble underneath him as his fingers slowly entered her. "James," she whispered in his ear, her arms around his neck.
Modern Day
James and Harry had been walking along side the man-made lakes of the University and had managed to walk quite the distance without speaking to one another. Both were greatly preoccupied by their own thoughts, possibly recollections of Lily.
"OY! JAMES!" they heard someone yelling after a whistle.
Reluctantly, James got himself out of the memory, he had just gotten Lily on the couch, "what's up Sirius?" he asked and began walking towards him.
"Petunia and Vernon Dursley, they're here," he called, putting his hands on either side of his mouth for better projection.
Father and son looked at each other, "yey," Harry said sarcastically as they began walking back towards Sirius, then to their home.
"What the hell were you thinking about? I was calling you're name for an hour!" Sirius said as they walked back to the house.
James looked at him, tell him with his eyes what he'd been thinking about, "how did they get here anyway? How did they find out about…yeah…"
"Dumbledore," Sirius answered.
James putt his hands in the connecting pockets in front of his sweatshirt, "how?"
"Apparently Petunia was concerned about Lily's health…erm…she wrote Dumbledore…and yeah…" he said scratching his head.
"Dudley with them?" Harry asked, looking nauseous at the idea of seeing them again.
"The pig? Yeah," his godfather said, "I swear, the kids a goddamn whale!"
James chuckled, "he's just spoiled."
"Since when do you take the Dursley's side?" Sirius asked with a frown.
"No clue," he said as he opened the front door of his house. He walked into the familiar living room to see Dumbeldore standing off to the side, talking with Arthur and Bill, his son and Remus standing in front of Petunia, who had her face buried in her gloved hands. Dudley and Vernon stood to one side, in the corner and avoided every bit of eye contact with the twins and Ron who were trying to be civil.
"Petunia?" James asked awkwardly, the image of her crying creating another sense of reality, a pang of reality I should say. She hadn't seem to hear him since his throat was too dry for his vocals to talk, he cleared his throat, "Petunia?" he asked, this time actually making sound.
She looked up at him, tears and mascara making an odd portrait of sadness on her face, she walked towards him slowly, her pearls on, her hands gloved in tanned colored leather and her jacket wrapped tightly around her while her hair seemed perfect, "is it true? Lily died? In the hospital?" she asked, tears streaming down her face.
James looked at his shoes, he swallowed and looked up again, "yeah," he answered softly, "she died last week."
"Why didn't you tell me?" she whispered, her voice shaking.
"I'm sorry, I was too wrapped up with…with things," he said unsurely.
She nodded, "oh James, I can't believe she's gone!" she cried and threw herself into his arms. She stuffed her face in his shoulder, the exact place Lily has designated for herself.
For a moment he didn't react, then slowly put his arms around her. Awkwardly at first, but then eased into her and held his sister-in-law. She came back to him, Lily. This women, however horrible she may be, had been a huge part of Lily's life. Lily had loved Petunia, had looked up to her older sister. Petunia had been a part of Lily once, and holding her gave James the feeling that Lily was in his arms, for just a millisecond.
Petunia gave a sob in his arms, "oh Lily," she whispered as her body quivered.
He squeezed her tighter, letting her know she wasn't the only one suffering. He looked at Remus over her shoulder, his friend stared back, transfixed. He looked as sad as James, and the werewolf that so many loved hadn't visited James since the funeral, since the full moon had been the night after. But he identified with James, shared his inexorable pain. The three true Marauders had seen their share of hell together, and finding true love and having it be taken away violently had become a specialty for them. James was a novice in the field of having someone ripped away from you, but Sirius and Remus would undoubtedly give him pointers and make it easier to survive. A single man with a son to raise.
James started to rub what he hoped to be soothing circled on his sister-in-laws back, hoping she would stop sobbing and writhing so violently, "it's ok Petunia," he whispered comfortingly, finding his voice nearly gone and cracking, "it's ok," he told her knowing fully well he was lying to her, "she's in a far better place, she's happier then we are, everything will be ok."
Unless it was a life and death situation, James Potter would rather die then lie unless it was to get out trouble during his Hogwarts years. But James avoided deception in any form, he preferred to just be honest about everything. He had wanted to get away from Harry for a few days for the soul reason to note lie to him, tell him that everything would be ok when everything had just gone to hell with her death. Life was going to be so different and difficult. For him, it would be like being born again, learning to walk and talk all over again. Learning to breathing without her, waking up in the morning to find her place next to him gone, her warmth would be gone. Life had been difficult with Voldermort (who had quieted down) but Lily had made it endurable, just bearable. But now, all hell had broken lose.
"Petunia," he whispered slowly, "it's ok."
"I never told her how much I loved her," she wept miserably.
This broke his heart into pieces, "she did," he assured her, he pulled back and looked at her, her eyes were nothing like Lily's, he thanked God. For once he saw how much older she was, how experienced she was. "She knew Petunia, you treated her like shit," this made her give a yelp, "but she knew you loved her," he smiled.
She gave him a weak smile.
"Lily…she looked up to you, thought you were the coolest person alive. She was different," he smiled, "she saw clear through everyone, knew their emotions…If you think she didn't know you loved her…you're so very wrong because she did know."
"She was so young," she whispered having calmed down a bit, not aware that everyone was looking at her and that Harry wouldn't even notice if a bolt of lightning hit him he was so shocked. Not just because his aunt was crying for his dead mother, but because she looked to James for comfort, and had thrown herself into his arms. It was a strange site, and he kept his own around tight around Hermione's waist.
"She was," he said, "but the good die young," he said with a small smile.
"How amazing you are James," she smiled taking his hand in hers, " a few months ago, you stormed into my house, and you loathed us for the way we treated Harry. Now…you're so kind and gentle."
He smiled, "I guess I'm like an onion, I have layers, you never know what I'm gonna do."
"Stupid or not right?" Sirius asked with a smile.
"Right," he answered.
James chuckled softly, "if Lily were here, do you know how angry she would be at us for grieving her death?" he asked Petunia, "no no, no more tears," he said not just to the people in the room, but to himself.
"She wouldn't be standing right now," Remus reminded them, "poor girl would've had a heart attack to see you two finally look at each other like family."
Petunia laughed looking at her feet, "right you are."
"Just in case you forgot, that's Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, I think you remember him," James smiled.
"The one that put toilet paper all over our house, of course," Petunia smiled shaking hands with Harry's godfather.
"The one and only," he said proudly.
"I'm sure you know Albus Dumbledore, the Weasleys," he said.
"Ah yes," Vernon said, reminding everyone that he existed, "the lad that blew apart our living room and elongated our sons tongue?"
Fred and George looked at each other sheepishly as Harry and Ron burst out laughing, "sorry," Harry said putting his hand over his mouth, still shaking with silent laughter.
"You did what?" Bill asked his younger brothers.
As they went into a detailed account of the day before the Quiddich Cup, James looked at his sister-in-law again, "are you staying for dinner?"
She looked behind her at her husband and son, she turned around and told him she'd be delighted.
"Good!" he smiled, "I'm sure Molly will cook us a great meal," he smiled.
Molly smiled and walked down to the basement kitchen of the house, "I'll lend a hand," Petunia said and followed her.
"Just don't tweak out if Molly uses magic," Sirius said, standing against one of the pillars.
"I'll be right back," James smiled and ran up the stairs to his room as everyone else scattered, not even noting that James hadn't even greeted the prestigious headmaster into his home.
"Where you goin?" Harry asked as Hermione moved away from him.
"I'll be right back," she answered and went up the stairs after James.
She found him staring at a picture of her on the nightstand in his room, and odd little smile on his lips as his sweatshirt rested on the bed next to him, he was wearing a blue undershirt and his faded jeans, his hair still in it's pony tail. She politely knocked on the door, "Mr. Potter?"
He looked up with a surprised expression which quickly turned into a smile, "hello Hermione, come on in!" he smiled.
"Thank you," she smiled.
"Just remembering the day we took this picture," he said picking it up, Lily was thrown over his shoulders as she pounded on his back, yelling some inaudible, "it was Sirius's daughters baptism, I didn't even wait to take off my fancy robes," he smiled, "she liked formality at times, and scolded Sirius and I for not having respect for the occasion."
Hermione smiled softly, "sounds like me."
James smiled as she took the photo from his hand to examine it, "listen Hermione, I know that Lily and I were a little less than welcome when we heard about you and Harry…it's complicated…but I want you to know that I really appreciate the way you handle him," he smiled, "sadly he's more like me then I anticipated."
She nodded, "thank you, that means a lot….I never told you how sorry I was about Mrs. Potter," she said looking at her feet, "she was a great mentor and I'm really sorry for your loss."
"Thank you," he said nodding with a soft expression, he hugged her, pulling back he said, "lets get downstairs eh?"
She nodded and walked out of the room to the hall.
James lingered back and looked at the picture still, "you sure picked a weird guardian honey," he smiled, "never knew Petunia could actually help me get over your death."
The Lily in the picture just screamed and pounded on his back, laughing all the while.
He chuckled, "love you," he put the tip of his finger onto his lips and pressed against the frame. All was well…maybe not completely, but he was a little less schizophrenic. Thank God for that eh?
AN: Sorry I made it a bit sad, but for things to get better, they're supposed to get worse first right? Tell me what you think of the bonding issue with Petunia and James AND the honeymoon flashback...Thank you!
quee-of-monkey-magic: I'm glad he'll be happy too...someday, hehe. Jk.
smurfinator: Any ideas on how to bring back the dead? Lol. E-mail me or something when u get an idea.
orlin: Hehe, I'm very proud of my own wisdom and word usage in that quote...makes me feel special and all tingly. Jk. I loved the flasback, fun to write. Thank you for ur kind words!
Neurotica: Thanks, I'm thinking of putting more drunk Remus on lol. When my Remus is drunk, let the fun times roll...but hey, that's a good idea...a boys night out...hehe.
AN: Thanks for all those who reviewed! I'm leaving for Disneyland tomorrow with my Orchestra class,hehe. So I can't start the 19th chapter until later. So have patience, and be sure to read and review my other stories though i've started to fall back on the updates...
