Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the other characters that are in the Harry Potter books. J. K. Rowling does, like everyone already knows.
Author's Note: Thanks to Black's Gurl, padfootandprongs4ever, Adnama, Marshmallow, lizziee, pale pink roses, sassafras, lOvEiNhEaVeN, kelliethehottie, dee, Serena, hpjsr, Desolation Lily, LeslieGlady, KLLRS, PammaPotter, sblomie, kelala, damned for eternity, Blad3, PhOeNiX fLiEs MaGiC, stressed and depressed, Black and Potter, Kristanna, and Princess-Unicorn-Kyla for reviewing the old version of Love Affair!
Thanks to Juicilyn, wefeedowls, julies07, sugur-huny-bun, lazyhazy, sunlitmist, kkroonie, Percephone, me, Fairy-GYAKUTENNO-MEGAMI, BlueJeanMistress, wh00t, x0x-Mystique-x0x, Corso, thesweetestlittlejazzkiller, babi-gurl8907, Faith Forever in Harry, Miss Myrtle360, xxxMs.Mexxx, iris2489, wizemunkee006, and bratski for reviewing! You all are simply the best reviewers in the entire world! Over 1000! It's incredible! I love you all!
sunlitmist: I completely agree with you, it is nice to see that everything doesn't end in sex. And as for your question, I'm actually not sure if Jason will be in this fic again, he is mentioned, I can promise that. He might make a couple of appearances in the sequel, although he won't be considered a major character in that.
"I quit my job at the ministry," James told Lily. The two of them were going out to dinner that night. It was their first dinner together as an official couple once again, and both of them had been very excited about it. It had been about a week since they became an official couple, but this was the first time that the public had a really good look at them together.
"James, why'd you do that?" Lily asked.
"Well, it was kind of awkward having Jason as my partner," James began.
"How bad is it?" she asked.
"Awful. Actually, that's probably an understatement," he answered, "The other day, when I got there, I saw him looking at a picture of you and crying."
"Oh my God, are you serious?" Lily asked, a worried look on her face.
"Yeah, I was so embarrassed and felt so guilty that I went and got coffee, and didn't come back for another twenty minutes. And when I did come back, his eyes were all puffy and stuff," James recalled.
"That won't last forever though," she said.
"Lils, every time I see him, I feel guilty, and it's as if he knows," he replied.
"He doesn't know," Lily told him.
"I know that, but the way he looks at me, I swear he's thinking, 'Damn you Potter, you stole my girlfriend, you piece of shit,'" James told her.
"You do a pretty good imitation," Lily brightly told her boyfriend.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome," she replied before taking a small bite from her dinner.
"I still quit though," he said after a couple moments of comfortable silence.
"You could ask for a new partner," Lily reminded him.
"I know, but Jason being there wasn't the only reason. You see, Professor Dumbledore got in contact with me the other day. And he asked if I would join some group that they have, it's about the war with You-Know-Who. It's called the Order of the Phoenix. And, I guess, we'll be trying to stop him," James confided in her. The latter part of the speech, he said in a voice that was barely above a whisper.
"Oh," was all Lily had managed to say. Although she was silently saying, "Jeez, as if I didn't have enough to worry about with him being an auror. Now in this thing, he'll be in even more danger."
"Yes, so I've got to find some other job now. I think I'll pick one that isn't too difficult, that way I can devote my time to the Order, and to you," James told her.
Lily smiled at his last words; she loved it when he flattered her. Even though that wasn't a flattering comment, it still made her feel special, feel like she was the only one who mattered to him.
Once the couple finished their meals, James nodded his head toward the dance floor, and asked, "You want to dance?"
"I'd love to," Lily replied, remembering the intenseness of their last dancing outing. This one would surely be different though, as it was a fancy restaurant, and the music wasn't for salsa dancing.
As the song began to play, and the singer's voice flooded the room, Lily felt James's arms wrap around her hips, pulling her closer to his body. She placed her arms delicately around his shoulders, and couldn't help but smile at how perfect she felt that night, how amazing it was just to be with him.
James looked down at Lily; she looked so at ease with herself. He loved it when she looked like that, always so gorgeous without even trying. He looked into the pools of emeralds that made her face shine, she truly looked happy. He could see the love in her eyes, see it in her face, and feel it in her body.
Love though? Be wondered if he saw correctly, but quickly erased that thought from his mind. No, Lily Evans didn't love him, not yet anyways. Of course, he did love her, although he wouldn't ever admit it quite yet. It was too soon, way too soon.
Lily gently laid her head against his chest, taking in the smell of his cologne, which she found just perfect. He never wore too much, and always smelled different than any other guy she had ever met. She didn't even know how to describe the scent, but whenever it was present, she instantly smiled, knowing that it could only be James, the man of her dreams.
James felt her head rest upon his chest, and looked down at her deep red hair. She wore it down that night, and added light curls to it. He had the urge all night to run his fingers through her glossy hair, but knew it would look quite odd in the restaurant, so he restrained himself. James bent his head down a little, almost leaning down to reach her level. He wanted to be closer to her, hold her tighter, and love her more than anyone else in the world.
James saw Lily's head come off his chest, and he looked into her smiling eyes, they seemed to be dancing that night. Dancing just as the couple was, as if a reflection from them could be seen in her eyes.
"You're beautiful, Lily," he whispered right before landing a light kiss on her cheek. Although he had kissed her cheek millions of time before, he was still amazed at how soft it felt under his lips.
---
"Dinner was fabulous," Lily told James as the two of them left the restaurant. It was dark outside, and the only light available was that of the streetlamps, moon, and stars.
"I'm glad you liked it," he responded, grasping her hand with his as the two walked along the pathway. "So, do you want to go back to my place?"
She looked over at him and then said, "I'd love to, but first, do you want to hang out here?"
"Here?" he asked, looking around and seeing nothing exciting around with the exception of the restaurant.
"Yeah, I know a place just around the corner," she answered, flashing him a smile.
"Lead the way," he replied, knowing only too well that when she smiled like that, there was no way he would be able to deny her anything she wanted.
They walked in silence toward the place around the corner. It wasn't a bad silence, not at all. It was the type of silence that was needed in a relationship, the type of silence that made the world function.
James was surprised to see their final destination. It wasn't at all what he expected it to be. It was a playground, equipped with a swing set, monkey bars, a slide, and plenty of benches to sit on.
"I take you to a fancy restaurant and you take me to a playground?" he teased.
"This isn't just any playground," she told him.
"Is that so?"
"Yes," she answered, "It's the playground that I used to come to when I was a child."
"You used to live around here?" James asked, shocked at the information he was discovery that night.
"Until I was seven," she answered as they walked toward the swing set. She sat down on one of the swings, and James followed her lead and sat down next to her.
"Did you come here a lot?" he asked as he watched her drag her feet across the dirt surface.
"All the time," she replied, closing her eyes to remind herself of the past, "My sister and I used to come down here with our mum and dad every Sunday after church. It was like a tradition; we'd go to church, go home and change very quickly, and then bring a picnic lunch to the park and play."
"I bet that was fun," he said, and he truly meant it. "When I was a kid, that would have never happened…My mother, well, she was so uptight, hated anything to do with the outdoors. And my father was just the same, with the exception of Quidditch. That's the only time he wanted me outside, was to play Quidditch and get fantastic at it."
"No playground time?" Lily asked.
"Nope," he answered.
"That sucks," she said, not caring that it was rather blunt and somewhat rude.
"Tell me about it," he joked, and then said, "Plus, I didn't have a brother or sister, so it was just me, or at least until Sirius came and lived with us for a couple years."
"He lived with you?"
"Yeah, from the summer before fifth year until we graduated and each found our own places," James answered. "Those were the best times at my house, when Sirius and I would hang out and cause all sorts of trouble. It drove my mum mad, but we did it anyways."
Lily laughed, imagining the scene perfectly. She wasn't exactly a fan of Sirius Black, but still found it humorous anyways.
Once her laughter stopped, James asked, "So, does that mean you came to that restaurant at all?"
"Oh, God no," she answered very quickly. "Petunia and I, in there at ages seven and ten, no chance. No, we would've caused so much trouble. My parents went there for their anniversary once, and loved it though."
"Did you love it?" he asked.
"James, are you kidding? It was gorgeous in there, and the food was insane," she answered.
"Do you like casual places better though?" he asked, not sure which answer he would prefer to hear.
"Honestly?" she asked.
"Honestly," he repeated, only he made it a statement rather than a question.
"Casual is more my style, and I'm more comfortable at them. When I was a kid, we went to fancy restaurants only for special occasions, like birthdays and Christmas Eve," she answered.
James smiled at her answer and knew at once that it was what he wanted to hear. "Honestly, I'm glad."
"Really? After you spent all that money?"
"Yes," he replied, "You see, what's so amazing about you is that you are everything I was trying to escape as a kid, your life as a kid is everything that I wanted. The only restaurants that I was allowed to go to were these kinds; I wasn't allowed to go anywhere else, not even ice cream parlors. But I desperately wanted to go somewhere else; I wanted to escape from my parent's rich image. I wanted to go to a place where everyone else went; I wanted to go to a normal, casual place."
"Wow," Lily said, not sure what else to say.
"Sorry," he told her, blushing slightly at his little announcement.
"Don't be sorry," she replied, and then added, "If I were in your shoes, I know I'd feel the same way."
He smiled at her, being reminded once more of why he needed to be with her, why he wanted to be with her. He then pulled the chain of her swing toward him, bring her closer to him. He leaned across the gap of air and pressed his lips to hers. It wasn't a long kiss, just a peck, but a peck that would certainly leave an impact.
---
A few days later James was attending his first meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. He was amazed at how many people were present; Dumbledore, Mad Eye Moody, the Longbottoms, and even his dear friends Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew were all there.
"James, you're in the Order?" Sirius asked him.
"Yeah, Dumbledore just asked me the other day," he replied.
"Hmm, that's when he asked me, and from what Remus told me, that's when he asked him and Peter as well," Sirius told his best friend.
"I guess they're in need of a few good men," James told him with a smile.
However, their conversation was cut short when the meeting officially began. "As you all know, You-Know-Who is getting stronger every day. He is gaining more Death Eaters than we had ever imagined," Dumbledore told the group.
"Yes, and now all we need to do is find a way to know exactly who and when he's going to attack," Frank Longbottom announced.
"And it's getting even more tragic as the days go on," a small witch whom James didn't recognize spoke up.
"Yeah, he's even killing pure-bloods now. Everyone who gets in his way, he wants to kill them," a very tall man with blonde hair declared, there were a few moments of silence after the man's comment, but it was odd that no one had really paid much thought to what he had said.
However, the man's statement stung at James. Even killing pure-bloods now. He couldn't get Sam out of his mind, she had been murdered, and that had been months ago. So, why was he saying now?
"Now, there are wizards willing to risk their lives and become spies, which I am very grateful for," Dumbledore began, "but You-Know-Who is still finding a way to beat us. He's still managing to commit murder without us knowing where and when he's going to attack. And we need that to stop."
The meeting continued like that for another hour, different witches and wizard telling new information to the group. James found it very exciting too, he learned who some of the recently enrolled Death Eaters were, including Sirius's brother. When James looked over at his best friend, he noticed that Sirius didn't look shocked or even upset at the news. It was as if he was expecting it to happen one day or another.
And although this was exciting, and James did pay full attention to the words that left everyone's lips, his mind was still concentrating on the blonde haired man. The comment wouldn't leave him, he wasn't sure why, but it was embedded in his brain.
He wondered if anyone else was bothered by the comment, but didn't dare ask now. Instead, he came up with a solution. He was going to personally talk to the man, and tell him his thoughts, and of course, ask him what he meant about now.
James looked down at his watch, anxious for when the meeting would be over with. He wanted desperately to talk to this blonde haired man. To his relief, a few minutes later, Dumbledore did announce that it was over with.
He watched as people left the room, but always had one eye on the tall, blonde man. James noticed that some people went up to Dumbledore and talked to him, either thanking him for inviting them to join in the war against You-Know-Who or just to continue on talking about their thoughts and beliefs.
Then James noticed that blonde man was standing by himself, and it didn't appear that he was making any movement to either leave or talk to any other member of the Order.
"Excuse me, sir, I'm James Potter," James told the man.
"Hello, I'm Harry Pryce," the blonde haired man responded, it almost looked as if he were delighted that James came to speak to him.
"Can I ask you something?" James asked.
"Well, of course," Harry replied.
"Well, you see, it's about something you said earlier. You said that You-Know-Who is even killing pure-bloods now-"
However, he was cut off by the man when he said, "Now, don't be afraid, I'm sure you'll be just fine."
"No, it's not that," James hastily said. He didn't want anyone to think that he was a scared kid, because that wasn't him at all. Ever since Hogwarts he loved getting into trouble, risking everything. He wasn't afraid of anything, well, maybe some things, but being murdered by Lord Voldermort wasn't one of them.
"Oh, then what?" Harry asked, curiosity shown in his brow.
"I used to be an auror, and my partner, her name was Sam. And, well, she was murdered, along with her sister, and they were both pure-bloods, and that happened months ago," James informed Harry Pryce.
"Yes, I do remember that happening," he answered, and then added, "I'm so sorry about that."
"Thank you, but they were pure-bloods," James reminded him.
"Interesting," Harry agreed, sending him a look of knowing, one that resembled Dumbledore's face expressions.
"I'm sorry for bothering you by this," James told the man, "But, it's just what you said, it really stuck with me. I couldn't get this odd feeling out of my mind ever since hearing it."
"Don't worry about it at all, it certainly didn't bother me," Harry responded, a smile present on his pale face.
"Well, bye then," James said before turning around and slowly walking away.
He stopped short of his tracks when he heard Harry Pryce speak once more. "Did you ever stop to think that it wasn't a Death Eater attack?"
"What do you mean?" James asked, sharply turning around to face him.
"I think you know exactly what I mean," Harry told him, his voice wasn't harsh, but full of wisdom. Once again, reminding James of Dumbledore's silky voice.
"But, the ministry said it was a Death Eater attack," James reasoned.
"Did they? I thought that they said it may have been a Death Eater attack," Harry responded, his eyes looking deep into James's.
He didn't respond to Harry, he just looked straight back into Harry's icy blue eyes. And then he slowly said, "There wasn't a Death Eater sign above the house."
Harry's eyes seemed to twinkle, glad that James was catching on to what he was saying.
"So, it was an ordinary wizard," he dumbly stated.
"I believe so… Do you know anyone who had any sort of grudge toward Sam?" Harry asked. His voice wasn't full of questioning though, instead it was as if once again, he wanted James to realize something.
James thought about this for some time, and the man just continued to look into his eyes, as if trying to absorb his thoughts. "Who had a grudge against Sam?" James asked himself over and over again. "How would I know?" he silently questioned.
"Think about this, James. Truly think about it," Harry whispered, his voice sounded mystifying.
James continued racking his brain, wondering who would murder her. Who would ever want to murder her? She was sweet, kind, and caring. She was a fantastic witch, she was an outstanding girl.
"Think back to the week surrounding her death, did anything happen? Anything out of the usual? Was anyone acting odd, or perhaps jealous?" Harry Pryce asked. The look in his eye appeared to be glowing. It was as if he were trying to force James to remember everything, just by looking at him.
James raked his brain, why couldn't he remember this? Why couldn't he remember anyone acting strange? Why couldn't he remember anyone being jealous? Then it hit him, and he remembered the main events of that week perfectly. His eyes went wide with realization, and Harry's eyes twinkled with amusement.
"Oh my God, I can't believe it," James stammered.
Harry leaned forward, his voice was barely above a whisper, "If I were you, I'd be off with the woman I love right now."
"Lily!" James cried out.
Author's Note 2: Hey guys! I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Most of it was actually taken from the original version of this story, but I fixed it up to match my writing style, so I hope its okay! Please tell me what you think; I'd love to hear your feedback in a review!