Chapter Twenty-Three: While They Were Away

The train ride back to Hogwarts was rather uneventful in itself, and Lily and James were quite glad they had a compartment all to themselves, so they could freely kiss and cuddle whenever they wanted.

The week spent after the wedding was perfect. Lily and James did various things, mostly muggle, to get to know each other. They went on many dates—to a fair, to the mall, to the movies, a football game, and on their last night, they went out to eat in a quaint Italian restaurant. Lily loved the fact that she could not only laugh with James, but confide in him and have him do the same.

Making it back just in time for lunch, Lily and James arrived in the Great Hall. ("Thank Merlin, I'm starving!" James had said jubilantly.) They were utterly shocked when they found that the overall mood was somber and solemn. Many people were in black.

At the Gryffindor table especially, things were tense. Remus and Selene were in between two very unhappy people: Sirius Black and Estella White.

Alice was at the Ravenclaw table, comforting a black-sporting Frank.

Quickly, Lily and James made their way to the Gryffindor table. "What's going on?" James immediately wanted to know.

Remus looked up at the two and smiled sadly. "I suppose you haven't heard?" He said.

Both shook their heads. Lily didn't receive the Daily Prophet during the school year.

"Death Eater attacks," Sirius answered bitterly. "Took out a bunch of families, including Frank's parents."

"Poor Frank," Lily whispered sympathetically.

"Yeah," Estella said quietly. "Seems people in every house but Slytherin were attacked."

"Typical," Sirius glared at the Slytherins, who seemed completely unaffected by the atmosphere or the sobbing people.

"So," Selene said before Sirius lost his temper, "how was the wedding?"

Lily smiled. "Very… over the top."

"But the food was smashing," James announced.

Lily smacked him lightly, rolling her eyes. "You have a one-track mind, you know that?"

"And you love me for it," James grinned.

"Lucky for you," Lily rolled her eyes again, but was smiling.

The Gryffindor table watched this, a bit stunned. Just what had happened between the two during that one week?

Lily caught Selene's eye and gave her a look that clearly said "I'll tell you later." But for now, it was time to be sympathetic and comforting.

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It was a few days later when Lily was able to tell Estella, Selene, and Alice just what exactly happened during Easter Break.

Her Head Girl duties made it nearly impossible to tell them any sooner—she had to help deliver homework to any students who were affected by the Death Eater attacks and didn't feel well enough—emotionally or physically—to come to classes. She and James also were tutoring and doing patrolling, and between that and all of the homework (to prepare them for the rapidly approaching N.E.W.T.'s), Lily had nearly no time for her friends.

But when they all met in the Gryffindor Common Room, and Lily told them just about everything—the girls were stunned.

"How romantic!" Selene sighed, referring to James staying the night with Lily.

"What a bitch," Estella frowned, referring to Shannon and her antics.

"It's about time!" Alice said, referring to the entire ordeal.

"I'm so happy for you, Lily," Selene smiled. "You and James really are well-suited."

Lily laughed. "It only took us about seven years to realize it!"

As the girls chattered and laughed, Lily noticed that Estella was being especially quiet.

"Hey," she said. "What's wrong?"

Shockingly, Estella bit her lip as tears shone in her eyes. "Oh, Lily," she said, "I blew it!"

"Blew what?" Lily asked sympathetically. Selene and Alice knew what was wrong, Lily could tell by their faces, but they stayed quiet.

"I should tell you," Estella said in a small voice. "That Sirius and I—well, we were seeing each other."

Lily gasped. "Since when?"

"We first kissed right about Christmas. Things were so awkward, we decided to pretend like it never happened… but, a few weeks before Easter break, we couldn't any more. It was… no-strings attached. I didn't want a relationship—you know me—and Sirius was fine with that." She started to choke up. "But last week, Sirius said that he wanted more—to be boyfriend and girlfriend… but I told him no. And we got in a fight and…" Estella started to cry. "And I know I made a mistake! But he's… he's so mad at me, and I don't know what to do!"

Lily wasn't quite sure whether to be angry or not with her friend for not telling her, but now wasn't the time to be a bitch. "I'm sorry, Stella," she soothed. "Just give Sirius some time… then, tell him, perhaps."

"It's too late," Estella said, laughing bitterly. "He's reverted back to his old ways—I already saw him snogging his old girlfriend Alexis yesterday."

Lily sighed. Couldn't Estella see that Alexis looked almost exactly like her? That Sirius was most likely only using his ex?

Not knowing what else to say, all three girls comforted the sobbing Estella, and once managed to get her on her bed, where she would drift into a dreamless sleep.

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A few days later, James received a letter from his mother while doing his homework in the common room he and Lily shared. He had written to her the week before, telling her about Lily and himself and other various bits of going-ons in his life.

At home, James would talk about Lily constantly, driving his parents up the wall. They were quite impressed with her intelligence, though, especially for a girl who grew up in a non-magical environment.

Opening up the letter, James wasn't prepared for what he saw.

My dearest James,

I am so thankful that you are all right, my darling. When I heard of the attacks and knew you weren't at Hogwarts, I panicked.

I'm glad you had a nice break, James, and I was pleasantly surprised when I heard that you and Miss Lily Evans were finally a couple.

Which, really, is why I'm writing.

Lily seems like a nice girl, James, and from what I hear from my various friends, it's true: Head Girl, top grades, beautiful personality, good friends, and she has you as a boyfriend.

But I'm worried, James. Lily is muggle born.

It does not bother me in the way you are thinking, James—I am no Slytherin. However, I'm afraid that your connection to her will put you in more of a risk of being targeted by Voldemort and his followers.

It is bad enough that your father was an auror, James. I'm not saying that I am not proud of what he did, because I am, but I don't want you to get hurt or killed like your father. I want this family to remain as neutral in the war as possible.

So, please, James, stay away from Lily. If not for yourself, then do it for me.

Love,

Your Mother

Leave Lily?

The idea was unthinkable.

How could his mother ask him to do this? He understood what she meant, but… dammit, he would rather go down with Lily by his side than spend the rest of his life without her.

Because James knew one thing: Lily was it for him. She "ruined" him for anyone else. Whether she felt the same way or not, James knew that he could never love another girl as he loved Lily.

And his mother, though he loved her as well, couldn't separate him from Lily. That fucking bastard Voldemort couldn't separate him from Lily.

James crumpled the letter in a ball with disgust and threw it somewhere. He took his cloak and grabbed his broom—he needed to fly and let his anger die down. He needed to find the Marauders (who, needless to say, were quite ecstatic over Lily and James's relationship. Especially Remus, who had several bets going on when the two were to get together. Sirius himself won quite a few and Peter even won one.)

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"James?" Lily called as she walked in the portrait door. She and James were supposed to meet after Lily's tutoring sessions so the two could study and just talk and be together. But he was nowhere to be found.

"He must have forgotten," Lily shrugged and decided to get started on her own.

Then when she saw a crumpled up ball of paper near the fireplace, she wondered if it was some messed-up version of a note from James.

What she got, however, was none other than James's letter from his mother.

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A/N: I wanted to finish this story by tomorrow, but now I don't know if I'll be able to. There's so much packing to do, and I still have two more chapters to write. (Bites nails) However, I've successfully acquired a laptop with internet access (in some places… it's wireless) so never fear, if I do not finish it tomorrow… it shall most DEFINITELY be done by the sixteenth. I swear it.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed—I'm sorry I didn't have James and Lily make out in front of Shannon but I've already "borrowed" the idea of a jealous cousin from another story… I didn't want to borrow that as well. (It's called Just Friends? By: Amynoelle… bloody awesome story for any HHr shipper!)

Ta ta for now!