Before it Began
By. SkyQuill
Summary
James knew he was in love at first sight, but what would it take for Lily to love him back? Read their story leading up to their deaths and discover the dangers they faced and the loves and friendships they shared.
Disclaimer
I do not own most of the characters and places or anything else that may seem familiar. J.K. Rowling has the exclusive claim to this as well as the general plot that formed this fanfic.
Chapter 13: Dates and Danger
"I think it's brilliant!" Cadence exclaimed late one evening. Alice, Frank, James, Lily, Callidora, Peter, Cadence and Remus were all visiting Sirius in his new place. He had bought a small cottage type house with the money his uncle left him in the will. Sirius beamed at her and kissed her briefly on the lips.
"So I guess we're all really getting on with our lives hey?" Callidora smiled as they all lounged on the sofas, "Alice and Frank are married, we're all working or looking for work and we finally have our own places."
"Yeah..." Lily replied from where she was sitting with James. "So much has changed since last September."
"You don't say." Remus commented, "You still loathed James at that time." Lily smiled reminiscently.
"Yeah I did."
"We've come a long way then haven't we?" James smirked causing Lily to smack him playfully on the arm.
"If only Serena was here." Calli' mumbled. There was an awkward pause of silence.
"Well Lily, Calli', we'd better get going. We've all got to work in the morning!" Cadence said briskly, interrupting the uncomfterable silence. Lily nodded and got to her feet.
"Want me to come with you?" James asked hurrying to fetch her coat.
"Oh I think I can manage." Lily replied back tauntingly. They kissed again, ignoring their friends amused faces.
"Well see you then." Cadence told Sirius, pecking him on the lips.
"Alright."
"Bye!" Calli' called, waving. The marauders all bade them goodbye and the girls stepped outside.
"See you at the house!" Cadence called and with a 'pop' she disappeared. Following her lead, Lily and Calli' mimicked her and apparated back to their flat.
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"I'm back!" Lily called happily as she stepped out of the stone fireplace the following day. She had had quite a load of homework to bring home and had flooed home seeing as it was more difficult to apparate with objects. Lily's cheery smile disappeared as she spotted Callidora curled up on the couch, he eyes red and puffy.
"What's the matter?" Lily asked alarmed as she put her books on a table and sat down beside her friend.
"B-Briac was cheating o-on me!" Calli' wailed burying her face with her hands. "He was going to come a-and visit me at practice t-today but he cancelled because he s-said he was sick! So I decided to pop by his place and he was t-there with another girl!"
"Oh Calli!" Lily exclaimed distraught. "I"m so sorry!"
"W-w-what's wrong with me?" Calli' sobbed to her hands. Lily wrapped her arms around her tear-sticken friend.
"Nothing's wrong with you! It's him whose got the problem! Dirty, cheating, troll-headed scum!" Lily finished viciously. Calli' looked up tearfully at Lily.
"R-really?"
"Yes. You're ten times better then any girl who helps a guy cheat on his girlfriend." Lily responded firmly. "Now lets go and get you cleaned up." After Lily had helped Calli' change out of her quidditch robes and helped her re-apply her makeup, she hurried around to make supper. Cadence arrived home half-way through the proceedings and pitched in. It wasn't long until the girls had managed to make themselves a nice meal and sit down to eat it. Lily explained to Cadence about what had happened with Calli' earlier while they were busy washing the dishing with magic. Cadence swore venemously,
"I know. I think she'll be better now but still." Lily said once she had explained the entire thing. Callidora was wiping down the table.
"Yeah I suppose. You know when she's a bit better about the whole thing we should try and set her up with someone." Cadence said thoughtfully.
"Cadence! I'm sure she can find a date herself!" Lily exclaimed taken aback by her friend's mischievious scheming.
"Yeah but maybe not a decent one. Look at what just happened" Cadence said carelessly. Lily pondered the idea for a moment,
"I guess maybe." she said slowly. Cadence's face split into a wicked smile.
"Now I was thinking, how about Remus Lupin?"
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James, Remus, Sirius and Peter sat that afternoon infront of Florean Fortescue's ice cream shop. Each of them slowly licked their ice cream cones, savouring each of their unique falvours. Sirius had taken a dare and was licking one flavoured ketchup and caramel with a look of utmost disgust on his face.
"You are a git James Potter, a real git." he grumbled.
"You accepted the dare!" James replied grinning broadly, "And if you really want I suppose you could just throw the rest away..." Sirius shot him an annoyed look,
"Oh and just forfeit the five galleons? Not a chance." Remus and Peter sat on either side of the squabbling pair, gazing at Sirius' half finished desert with disgust.
"So what are your plans for tonight Prongs?" Peter asked finally taking his eyes off the revolting ice cream.
"Well I was thinking..." James said casting a furtive glance at Sirius and Remus, "That we all do a bit of double dating. Or triple or quadruple, or whatever." Remus looked at him warily.
"What exactly did you have in mind?" he asked supiciously. James shrugged and answered non-chalantly.
"Well I thought dinner maybe at that new wizarding restaurant. You know, I could go with Lily and Sirius with Cadence. Then you two( he gestured at Remus and Peter), well one of you can go with Callidora and i'm sure the girls can grab another friend. Then of course we could invite the Longbottoms." Sirius stopped licking his ice cream for a moment and looked up with intrest,
"I'm all for it!" he announced. Peter considered it for a moment. He had only ever had a few girlfriends in the past, probably only because of his friendship with the marauders, but he thought he might like to give it a go.
"Alright, but i'm not going with Calli'. Do you see the look on her face every time she looks at me?" Peter finally answered.
"Well maybe if you hadn't retched all over her that time in third year..." Remus said sharply. James grinned.
"So how 'bout it Moony?" he asked, "I'm sure you and Calli' will get along." Remus flushed unnoticeably,
"Oh I suppose." he muttered reluctantly.
"Great!" James exclaimed, "I'll owl the girls tonight." They all nodded in agreement except for Sirius who blurted angrily,
"Fine James, I give up!" he chucked his ice cream into the rubbish bin, "Here's your galleons!"
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"Cadence you and James didn't set this up did you?" Lily asked in a low voice as all the girls got ready for their group date. She had just changed into her best, emerald green dress robes and was fastening her hair in an elegant bun.
"Well I might've had word with him about it." Cadence replied, "Besides, it'll do Calli' some good to get out." Lily opened her mouth to reply but was deprived of the chance when Callidora's voice rang out from the front room,
"Marlene's here!"
"Alright." Cadence called back hastily. The girls had invited Marlene to go with Peter. She hadn't been thrilled at the prospect but Cadence eventually persuaded her with her pronounced gift of convincing people.
"Hey Marlene!" Lily said as she stepped out of Cadence's room where they had been preparing, "Thanks for coming."
"Ah don't worry. Hey have you heard from the Ord-" Marlene replied but stopped abruptly at Lily's warning gaze.
"Orowen brothers?" Marlene finished feebly. Fortunately Callidora and Cadence were too busy locking up to notice the suspicious mid-sentence change.
"Ready to go?" Callidora called as she tapped the front door's locks with her wand. They all nodded.
"Then here we go." Cadence said and apparated. The others right behind her.
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"This is nice." Lily said happily as she cast an appraising glance over the wizarding restaurant. She had her arm hooked with James, and they were leading the other pairs. Upon further inspection, Lily noticed the odd assortment of guests. Three middle aged witches were conversing in a heavy Irish accent at a corner table, a couple dressed in all purple robes were chatting animatedly against the far wall and what looked like a group of Veela and their dates sat elegantly at a wide table in the midst of the restaurant. The restaurant itself was magnificent. Highly polished oak table and chairs were stationed spaciously around the room and various portraits decorated the high-walls. Most of them seemed to feature gorgeous unicorns or beautiful mermaids.
"A table for- Oh my!" exclaimed a witch waitress hurrying to seat them. "Quite the large lot you've got here."
"Yeah, "James said grinning broadly, "A table for ten it is."
"Right." the witch replied and she whisked out her wand. With a swift wave she magicked two tables to converge, providing the appropriate seating. "This way please." They all followed her as she led them through the maze of booths and to their designated table. Lily sat down between James and Sirius. Remus and Callidora took seats opposite. Then they all ordered their drinks and the flustered looking waitress bustled off.
"Nice isn't it?" Cadence commented, surveying the glass paned ceiling. The clear starry ngiht sky beamed above them.
"It's still not as beautiful as you." Sirius whispered audibly into her ear and kissed her cheek. Cadence blushed slightly, giggling. Across the table, Lily saw Calli' shift in her chair nervously. Remus was also looking distinctly uncomfterable.
"So," Lily said in an attempt to ease the tension(she could see Marlene sitting as far away from Peter as possible from the corner of her eye), "It feels so weird not to be at Hogwarts." Remus seized the subject gratefully,
"I know. It's odd not having to do homework every night for a change."
"Speak for yourself!" Alice grumbled from the end of the table where she was sitting with Frank. "Lily, Frank and I are kept on our toes with the amount of work auror training's giving us."
"Tough is it?" Sirius asked.
"Yes." Frank replied, "We're still learning all sorts of things they never taught us at Hogwarts. Lets see you try and master the sound muffling charm in three hours!"
"Hey i've been busy myself!" Sirius retorted though there was no trace of anger or annoyance in his voice, "I've been doing a lot of paper work for St. Mungos!"
"You're working for St. Mungos?" Lily asked raising her eyebrows. She had never pictured him doing an office job. Sirius blushed and muttered something about 'waiting for something better.'
"What've you been doing Remus?" Calli' asked, attempting to make conversation with her date.
"Oh i've just been er, working on files and speeches about, er, magical creatures and stuff." Remus studdered nervously. Lily knew he meant werewolves and taking pity on him, she decided to rescue him from these dangerous waters.
"Well like we said the other day. It seems were all fully into the adult wizarding world now." she explaimed. Remus gave her a thankful look.
"Hear, hear!" Cadence said. The rest of the night passed safely. Remus and Calli' were waming up to each other steadily and he even kissed her good night before they went home.
"Well I think that went well." Cadence exclaimed as they arrived back at their place. "You and Remus certainly seem to be getting along, Calli'!" Callidora blushed slightly.
"Yeah, you know he really is a nice guy."
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Peter slunk away miserably after his date with Marlene. They had hardly spoken the whole time and their only short bits of conversation were simple statements such as, 'Pass the salt please, " or "Have you tried this pasta yet?". What's wrong with me, Peter thought angrily as he strolled up the deserted street, leaving his friends and date behind.
"How come James and them are so popular but i'm not?" he muttered angrily. In his mood, he had decided to walk home, in order to vent some of his feelings.
"It's because they don't respect you." a voice hissed from the alley he was now passing.
"W-w-who's there?" Peter called nervously, backing away in panic.
"Just me." a soft voice hissed, "I've come to see if you've thought any more of my propostion?"
"Rosier." Peter said in a low voice.
"Well?" the voice persisted and a hooded and masked wizard stepped out from the darkness.
"I-I thought I told you back then!" Peter said in an attempt to be bold but failing miserably.
"Come now, the dark lord can offer you more respect and rewards then your so-called friends. Come to his side and you will have much more then you do know. Including the respect of many pure-blooded witches." the death eater called Rosier persisted.
"Y-yeah but what about m-m-my friends?" Peter asked warily. The man let out a raspy laugh,
"Friends? If they're really your friends then why are they the popular ones? They've never bothered to help you have they? Didn't you say that night before Christmas that they were always embaressing and teasing you?" Rosier asked. His voice was so quite it sounded like a mere hiss. Peter considered this for a moment.
"You're right." he said slowly.
"So are you in?" the man asked, his eyes glinting in the shadow.
"Y-yes. I am." Peter said making up his mind. He would show those so-called marauders that he was just as worthy of respect as them.
Author's Note: Whew, today was my first day of grade nine and I have to say, I'm surprised I had energy to write this. Anyways I hope you all like it! And just in case you didn't pick up on it, that night Sirius and Cadence had been on Hogwarts ground was the night Peter first met with the death eater Rosier. Anyways please review and tell me what you think!