Rated K+
Angel by Sarah McLachlan inspired me to write this story. For now this is a one shot, but if you really like it, I may consider doing a sequal.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does, as well as the opening part, which is basically part of Snape's Worst Memory in OOTP. I also do not own the song Angel, Sarah McLachlan does.
Time Gone By
"I will if you go out with me Evans," said James quickly. "go on…go out with me and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."
"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," said Lily.
James tried to pretend it didn't hurt when she said things like that to him. Snape however pulled him out of his internal conflicts when he cursed him. A cowards' curse, his back had been turned.
The next second Snape was hanging upside down, showing all of the students outside his underwear. Everyone started laughing once again. Everyone that is except for Lily.
"Let him down!"
"Certainly," said James, once again releasing Snape. Sirius used petrificus totalus to stop him from causing any further damage to his best mate.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted. Drawing her own wand, successfully causing James and Sirius to become very nervous. The whole school knew that Lily Evans was the best in charms, not even the Marauders would dispute that.
"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said James earnestly.
"Take the curse off him then."
James sighed deeply then turned to Snape and muttered the counter-curse.
"There you go," he said as Snape struggled to his feet. "You're lucky Evans was here Snivelus - "
"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"
Lily blinked. Such insults from Snape, and all of the Slytherins were commonplace. She had grown accustomed to them, but that didn't mean that they didn't hurt.
"Fine," she said coolly. "I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash my pant's if I were you Snivelus."
"Apologize to Evans!" James roared at Snape, his wand pointed threateningly at him.
"I don't want you to make him apologize," Lily shouted, rounding on James. "You're just as bad as he is."
"What?" yelped James. "I'd NEVER call you a – you-know-what!"
"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to like you just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can – I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK."
Turning she strode away.
"What is it with her?" James asked his friends. No matter how hard he tried to make it seem like he didn't care, his friends knew better. For years they'd been trying to help him get over Lily Evans. But no matter how many girls he snogged or went out with, she never left his head.
"Reading between the lines, I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited mate," said Sirius. Finding over the years that the best way to deal with his friend's obsession was to be blunt.
"Right." James muttered staring off into space. A moment later his usual cocky grin was back in place. "So, shall we start planning our next prank?"
For the next few hours the Marauders plotted ways to prank every single Slytherin in the school. James often stopping and just staring off into space. He seemed to have finally taken Lily's words to heart. Not enough to stop him from pranking his enemies of course, but enough to make him stop and think for the rest of the year.
Up in the girl's dormitories Lily was having a similar conversation with her best friend Alice.
"what is it about James Potter that makes me act this way? He's the only person I know who can make me completely lose my cool. I mean even Black doesn't make me react this way."
"Um, Lily, have you ever considered that maybe it's because you sort of. In some weird, subconscious way – now don't you hex me – like him." Alice cautiously regarded her friend's face.
However instead of blowing up like usual Lily actually seemed to consider it for a second. "Don't be ridiculous Alice. Now if you'll excuse me for a moment, I need to use the washroom." With a swish of waist length red hair, Lily walked out of the room.
Alice swore, for a second though, she actually saw something a lot like love flicker across her best friends face.
In the washroom Lily's piercing green eyes stared right back at her in the mirror. Could Alice be right? Could I possibly have a crush on Potter? The prankster who thinks he is king of Hogwarts? No. Impossible, Alice must be wrong. At least, I hope she is.
Start of Seventh YearSpend all your time waiting
For that second chance
For a break that would make it ok
There's always some reason
To feel not good enough
And it's hard at the end of the day
I need some distraction
Oh beautiful release
Memories seep from my veins
Let me be empty and weightless
And maybe I'll find some peace tonight
James Potter stared at himself in the mirror. This was it, his final chance to win Lily's heart. He'd cut back on the pranks in sixth year, started to care about his studies and tried to change every other thing that Lily Evans had ever criticized him on. Maybe, just maybe, he would finally be good enough for her. He'd combed his hair this morning, even though it hadn't made much of a difference, at least not to him, Sirius had noticed. Maybe Evans would to.
Much to his surprise, and Sirius's dismay, he'd been made Head Boy. New responsibilities were being presented to him, and it was time he showed her that he had changed.
In the arms of the angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here
Images of him holding her, finally being happy. Her love washed away the fear of the Lord Voldemort, changing his darkness into light.
A banging in the outer compartment snapped him out of his day dream.
Lily's POVSo tired of the straight line
And everywhere you turn
There's vultures and thieves at your back
And the storm keeps on twisting
You keep on building the lies
That you make up for all that you lack
It don't make no difference
Escaping one last time
It's easier to believe in this sweet madness
Oh this glorious sadness that brings me to my knees
Over the summer holidays, something had occurred to Lily Evans, she missed James Potter. Despite Alice's accusations that she loved him for the past three years now, Lily had always passed it off as a joke. Her, Lily Evans, prefect, top student, love arrogant prankster James Potter? Preposterous!
However, by the end of July, Lily had to finally admit that she did have some pretty strong feeling for James. Her heart beat wildly in her chest when she thought of him, and according to her sister, Petunia, she was even more spacey than usual. It had taken her a long time to admit that those offensive daydreams were about James.
Now she was late, simply because she was still too confused to run into James on the platform. She had waited until the last second to try and get on the train. There was still a great deal of time before she would have to worry about running in to James however. She had to go to then Head's carriage to meet the new Head Boy, then together they had to meet with the prefects. If she had any say in the matter, that meeting would take a very long time.
As she banged into the Head Carriage she noticed a trunk already in the racks. Great, now she was late. If there was one thing that Lily Evans hated more than confusing emotions, it was being late.
As she heard the door to the washroom behind her sliding open, she began to turn. Tripping, she fell face first into the arms of the Head Boy.
In the arms of the angel
Fly away from here
From this dark cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here Normal POVEmbarrassed Lily didn't want to look up. School had started on such a great note hadn't it? However, despite the embarrassment, she couldn't help noticing that it felt so right in the Head Boy's arms.
James was surprised to find Lily in his arms. He was even more surprised that she wasn't moving. It felt just like he thought it would to hold her. He hoped that she wouldn't move anytime soon.
Sadly all things come to an end and Lily stood up, brushing herself off before glancing up into James' face. She couldn't believe it. Her eyes widening slightly as she felt a blush beginning to cover her face.
She couldn't stop staring at him, and James was all to willing to stare back. He'd missed teasing her over the break. Asking her out, seeing her fiery hair, and dark green eyes.
"Um, hi Lily, how was your summer?" James finally got out.
"Good, yours?" Lily whispered.
James couldn't believe she wasn't yelling at him yet. In fact, she couldn't seem to meet his eyes. Her face was slowly returning to its normal colour as she turned to rummage through her trunk for her robes.
"Are you really Head Boy James? Or did Remus lend you his new badge as a joke?" Lily asked, face still buried I her trunk, even though there was a set of robes right in front of her.
"No, it's really mine. Sirius thinks that it is Dumbledore's idea of a joke. What are you looking for? Your robes are right there? Wait a second, did you just call me James?" James said trying, and failing miserably to sound casual.
"Oh, well I thought we better be in our robes for the prefect meeting, are you going to change? Yes I did. Sorry if I offended you, but you always call me Lily, so I thought I'd return the favour," said Lily as she hurried into the bathroom.
With a click of the lock, James was once again left alone with his thoughts. Merlin, she looked good. He'd missed her. And on top of all that, she seemed to have fallen for him, figuratively and literally. He wasn't going to ruin it though. He'd wait six years for this, a few more weeks to show he had really changed wasn't going to hurt anyone.
In the bathroom Lily was confused. Had it really felt so right in his arms? It was like a fairytale. And how on earth was she going to share a dorm with him for a whole year. Awkward scenes like that were going to continue to plague her. Maybe she should just talk to him about it. Yes that's what she would do, but first they had to go to the prefect meeting.
"Ready James?" after his brief nod she led them out the door and into the meeting in the next carriage up the train.
Two hours later, after covering every possible thing imaginable, Lily finally let the prefects leave. Lily overheard James tell Remus that he'd join them in a moment , he just had to grab something from his compartment. Lily hurried after him, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible.
"James?" Lily called as she walked into the carriage.
"Over here," he was in the bathroom attempting to once again flatten his hair with a comb.
"That doesn't appear to be working very well." Lily laughed as his hair continued to stick up all over the place. "Um could I talk to you for a minute? I'll be quick."
"Sure," James said, as he watched her bite her lip. Why was Lily nervous? "What's up?"
"You have to promise not to laugh ok?" Lily glanced up as she saw James nod, looking worried. "you know how for the past two years you've been flirting shamelessly with me and asking me out all the time?" Again James nodded, this time sheepishly. "Well… it… it worked," James' shell-shocked face urged her to keep going. "All I've been able to think about this summer is you. I didn't care that I was Head Girl, or that it was the last year of school, or about my sister getting married and finally moving out. Only you, and if you ask Alice, she'll happily tell you that in her opinion, you're all I've thought about for the last two years. So I don't know if you're still interested, but, if you ask we that annoying question, this time, the answer jus might be different." Lily glanced up at James.
Throughout her confession hope had brightened up his eyes. There was something in them that drew her heart. He glanced down into her eyes and just stared for a moment. Taking a deep breath he said, "Well, I'd best be going then," and turned to face the door.
Lily sunk down sadly onto the seat.
"Oh, by the way," James turned back around and grinned charmingly, " Evans, will you go out with me?" He shut the door just in time.
Lily had thrown herself off the seat and hurtled into his arms. Wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, she smiled happily.
"Yes James Potter, I will go out with you," she whispered into his ear.
James then finally did what he'd been dreaming of doing for years, he kissed Lily Evans, on the lips. And she him kissed back. It was everything that they had always thought that it would be and more.
Sadly, the Marauders and Alice chose that moment to enter the carriage. Causing James to fall on top of Lily, and leaving them both very embarrassed.
"Looks like Jamsie finally got the girl. Or did the giant squid say no Evans?" Sirius said brightly before getting hit with two jinxes.
The two Heads glanced at the other three, daring them to comment, before bursting into laughter. Shortly followed by everyone else, even Sirius after they had removed the jinxes.
Thus started their seventh year of Hogwarts, and the beginning of the end for Lily and James.
The End… For Now
Ok everyone, tell me if you liked it or not please review, I really would like to know. Again, this is my first fan fic, so please give me constructive criticism, but don't be too mean.