Lessons began two days later, and with all the work that had been piled upon them, the amount increasing as the years went up, pupils were beginning to wonder if the May Ball had all been an illusion. Certainly breakfast the next morning was a bit strange, seeing everything back to normal. It was rather a quiet affair though, many of the students choosing to spend the morning in bed, so in reality the majority of students present were years one to three, who hadn't been allowed to attend the ball anyway.
For the sixth years, things were worse than they had been the previous year, and their work load was so heavy that they barely had time to sleep outside of completing last minute assignments and revising for the upcoming exams. For her part, Saffron was glad of the distraction. Less time for socialising meant less time to dwell on what she had done, and it was also a very good excuse for avoiding spending time with Sirius. She smiled to herself, she had never thought she'd see the day when she didn't want to fritter away time chatting to her friends.
Lily on the other hand wasn't sure what she felt. Her emotions were such a mixed bundle that she was having trouble separating them from each other. Stress about the upcoming exams, she could easily identify. It was a smaller part of her this year because not only did exams mean less to her, but the exams this year didn't count to anything of great importance anyway.
Then there was that nervous, excited feeling she got every time she passed James in the corridor. They would smile at each other and exchange some sort of meaningless conversation, but inevitably they would be in between classes and would have to rush off in different directions. The classes that they did have together were more of a distraction than a help. Having decided upon an unspoken agreement that they wouldn't work well as partners the way things were between them, Lily spent many lessons staring at the back of his head.
And then there was another feeling, slightly familiar, yet somehow different enough to defy identification. It was something like the anticipation she had felt twice previously during the school year, but lacked the urgency and agitation that had come with them before.
The dreams hadn't stopped either. Again and again she would dream of white feathers and large intelligent eyes that regarded her appraisingly, and flashes of an oasis calmly waiting for her set amidst an arid and dry land.
Saffron gave a shriek of pleasure as she threw her bundle of notes into her chest, kicking the lid shut, and dancing around in a circle,
"I'd burn them if I didn't know I'd need them again next year," she said, grinning ruefully.
Lily laughed. She was sat on her bed watching her friend's post exam celebration, gently stroking Amy's kitten, Belle, who was dozing next to her. The window was open and a warm summer breeze was gently ruffling the curtains. Their last exam had ended ten minutes ago and she and Saffron had picked the short straw of returning the other two girls things to their rooms for them, on account of their being single. Ben and Ryan had appeared at the door of the Hall as they had finished Transfiguration and asked if Meg and Amy wanted to go for a walk outside.
Saffron suddenly ended her mad dance and came and flopped down on the end of Lily's bed. "Explain to me again why you and my brother aren't dating?"
Lily looked shocked and Saffron started to laugh, "hey!" Lily protested, pulling out the pillow from behind her and chucking it at her, "stop it!"
"Sorry," she replied, trying unsuccessfully to stifle giggles, "but you should have seen your face! Besides, I've been an angel as far as you and James go. I've not said a word about it."
"Well, that's true enough," Lily admitted grudgingly.
Saffron grinned, "despite the number of people that keep coming and asking me if you two are seeing one another."
Lily flushed.
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Don't be silly, Lily," she responded with a playful push.
"Alright, alright. I guess because…because he hasn't asked me."
Saffron burst out laughing again, managing to splutter out, "now that…is…the lamest… excuse I've ever heard!"
Lily crossed her arms and glared at Saffron. When she was finally able to get her laughter under control again she said, "well, I'll just have to prompt my brother to ask you then."
Lily wasn't sure what to say to that.
But Saffron must have been true to her word, for later that day, just after dinner, James came up to her and asked if she'd like to go for a walk. He's looked so nervous about it that she'd wanted to laugh, but had curbed that impulse and settled for a reply in the affirmative.
Now they were walking down towards the lake, side by side, talking companionably. The sun was just beginning to set and the sky was a watery shade of dusky blue. A warm wind ruffled the leaves of the trees and stirred the water's surface into small ripples. Reaching the water they paused their chatter for a moment and James put his hands in his pockets, crossing his fingers,
"Lily, there's something I've been wanting to ask you for a very long time." He was glad he had his hands in his pockets, because he had a very strong urge to run his hand through his hair, but as Sirius had told him it looked like a nervous habit, he was trying to get rid of it.
"Yes?" Just hurry up and ask me, Lily thought to herself. I'm going to say yes anyway.
"Erm…wouldyouliketobemygirlfriend?"
It took Lily a few second to decipher what he had said before she giggled and said, "of course I would, you silly goose."
He grinned sheepishly and she gave him and impulsive hug.
A few days later the six of them set out towards Hogsmeade. Lily and Saffron walked companionably down the road, their arms loosely linked, enjoying the warm weather. A short way in front of them the Marauders strolled along, trading witty banter. The sun shone brightly above and Lily smiled as its soft rays gently warmed her pale skin. Saffron was humming softly and watching the dithering path of a passing butterfly.
"I love butterflies," Saffron commented pointing out the fluttering insect to Lily, "I love the thought that something so beautiful can come from such humble beginnings. I think I'd like to be a butterfly," she spread her arms wide and looked up at the azure sky. She pranced a few steps in front of Lily and turned to face her, arms outstretched still, "I'd emerge from my cocoon, spread my wings and fly wherever the winds would take me!"
"You know, I can see you doing just that, sort of suits you," Lily replied smiling, "but not me. If I had to be an animal, it definitely wouldn't be a butterfly."
"Why not?" questioned Saffron, as she span round in a circle on her pretend wings.
"Well, butterflies are so fragile and delicate, for one thing," Lily answered thoughtfully, "they only last for one season and then they die."
"Well that's morbid," replied Saffron, pausing 'mid-flight', "I think it's kind of romantic the sort of life they lead. No-one lives forever right? And I'd rather lead a short life where I could see the world and act however the moment seizes me. Then I wouldn't mind dying young, I'd rather go out on top."
Lily shrugged, "I'd rather die an old woman, in bed during the night, my husband at my side, knowing my children had grown up and moved on to be their own people having lived a peaceful and contented existence."
"Well I hope you get your wish," Saffron replied frankly, spreading her arms again, "but I don't know that that's how things will end for you. People like you don't often get that kind of choice, you know? But ordinary people like me, well, I can do what I like with my life. But you-you don't get to choose."
"I know," Lily replied softly, "I know." She turned her head slightly to see the tips of the Forbidden Forest outlined against the blue sky on the horizon. Her heart heavy once more with the weight of responsibility and also the shadow of forbidding that Saffron's words had awakened. Somewhere, deep inside, she realised that her candid friend might be right. The path she was bound to tread rarely lead to a quiet life in a small country house. She paused and sat on the low stone wall that lined the path they trod, Saffron came to sit beside her.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," Saffron said, eyeing Lily with friendly concern, "you might have noticed this, but sometimes I just say things without thinking about them, they just spill right out of my mouth before I have time to think what I'm saying."
"It's ok," replied Lily, a faraway look in her eyes, "I like that about you. It means that I never feel like you are thinking anything other than what you say. And that's really rare in a person, that level of honesty."
"Sometimes I think you're too old," commented Saffron, "I mean most of the time you seem like a normal seventeen year old witch and then when no-one else is around you're a different person almost, older, wiser."
Lily smiled a little and continued to stare at the horizon, a wistful expression in her eyes.
"You know," Saffron said perceptively, "you shouldn't worry about what I said. About, you know, about you dying sooner than you might want to. Because even if it is true then think about what you will have done in that time. I won't pretend that I understand a lot about the Huntress within you Lily, but what I do know is that you've been given this amazing gift- the power to make a real difference to the world. Death comes to us all eventually, and not many can say it was when they were expecting it, or when they wanted it, every day we brush against it, some of us more often than others, " she grinned as she thought of the dangerous stunts the marauders got up to before continuing, "It's like a shadow at our backs, not something evil, I don't think, how can it be? I don't know what happens after death but I'm not afraid of it, and you shouldn't be either, because it's just the unknown that most people fear. And you, more than any of us, are equipped to deal with whatever life –or death- throws at us."
They both fell silent, musing over Saffron's words and watching the colourful butterfly dancing in the air above them.
Out of the corner of her eyes Lily watched Saffron's face, a multitude of emotions flitting across its surface, and she thought that Saffron was like that butterfly she so envied. Her life was filled with a brilliant passion for life, a boundless energy and genuine affection for those she chose to attach herself to. She just hoped that her life wouldn't be as fleeting as the butterfly.
Neither of them said a word as the rest of the school drifted past, chattering noisily. A light breeze tugged at their long hair and the leaves above their head rustled in the wind. And they sat together, alone in their thoughts.
********************************
Reaching Hogsmeade the Marauders looked back for the girls.
"Where'd they go?" Peter asked, looking around them.
"I dunno," replied Sirius, walking a little back up the path to see round the bend leading back to the castle.
"I thought I was the only one with an invisibility cloak," James said with a grin.
"I guess they'll catch us up," said Remus, "I mean they'd probably split up from us here anyway. I can't see Lily being thrilled to spend an hour in Zonko's."
The others grinned at the thought of the barely disguised contempt on Lily's face whenever they got over excited about a prank.
"She can be so…odd about that kind of thing," Peter said, giving up scanning the packed streets for the pair.
"No sense of fun," Sirius added coming back down, "too serious altogether."
"She just thinks it's childish," James said.
"And mostly it is," Remus replied with a smile, "fun all the same, but you have to admit that it isn't the most mature of pastimes to spend all our time concocting schemes involving dungbombs and filibusters fireworks."
Sirius shrugged, "still, I think she need to lighten up, she acts as if she has the weight of the world on her shoulders the whole time."
James was silent as he looked back up the way they had come. The others didn't understand what made her act like that, but he did. He understood that she felt the burden was too much to carry sometimes, and he agreed. Whatever power felt it was wise to force so much onto someone so young was mad. It had stolen her childhood away. And nothing that he or anyone else could do could get it back for her. He shook his head sadly.
"Hello earth to James, have you heard anything of what we just said?" Sirius asked waving a hand in front of his friend's face.
"I'd wager not," Remus replied grinning.
"Ah yes, we were just talking about Lily before remember? My guess is he was thinking about her," Peter deduced, grinning too. Sirius cast a quick glance at Remus and seeing that his friend was well and truly over Lily he couldn't resist continuing Peter's teasing.
"Oh yes, how could I forget about little Jimmy's obsession?" Sirius said in a knowing tone.
"One, she's my girlfriend, so I'm entitled to a certain level of obsession. Two, I've told you before don't call me Jimmy and three, just because you're an inch taller than me does not give you the right to call me little!" James retorted, folding his arms in front of him.
"Riiiight," Sirius replied, "Whatever you say mate." He patted James on his shoulder. James made an exasperated noise and pushed Sirius away.
"Talking about obsessions, and trespassing briefly on James' good nature, we haven't mentioned Saffron recently," Peter added with a grin, deflecting attention from James.
Sirius grinned wickedly, deciding once more to hide his true tumultuous feelings about the girl in question under remarks that were expected of him, "Ah yes thank you Peter. I was wondering the other day, do you think mild infatuation comes above or below obsession?"
"Well if you're talking about physical infatuation, which seeing as it's you Sirius I'll assume is the case, I'd rank that below obsession," Remus postulated, "As for James, I'd say-"
"I'd say we should stop bickering like a group of old women and go to Zonko's," James interrupted, "I do not wish to hear anything further that you lot have to say concerning my sister, especially not you Sirius!"
Sirius grinned as he thought about his favourite and easiest way to rile James, he'd always been touchy when it came to his little sister. 'If you ask me,' he thought, 'James needs to get over his overprotective brother role, Saffron is not going to appreciate him chasing away all her potential boyfriends. Of course not that it'd do any good with me- but then I'm not going to do anything about it-Saffron is…well, I guess I have to settle for a 'I'm not her type''.
Tactfully changing the subject, Remus steered the group over to their favourite joke shop.
*******************
Five minutes later, when they were alone again on the wall a woman in a long cloak apperated a short way to their left. At first they didn't notice her as they had begun to chat quietly again and she leant against the rough trunk behind her watching the pair.
'They are very young', she thought, 'but to think I got to see Her before I died. I am indeed privileged! In all my days I never thought that I would see Her, but they have been good to me indeed.'
Lily was the first to see her, she looked up and broke off mid sentence. Saffron followed her gaze and saw the cloaked figure.
"Do you think…" she began in a nervous voice.
Lily shook her head, "No, I don't think she's dangerous, it's ok."
Saffron fidgeted a little as the figure walked slowly over to them. Her gait showed she was old, but still had the remains of a grace that was testimony to her spent youth. A few paces from them she threw back her hood. Her hair was almost white, bound back loosely from her face, wizened and wrinkled but it was obvious from her high cheekbones that she had once been beautiful. Her bright blue eyes still shone with vitality. She made a small curtsey to Lily but it was to Saffron that she spoke.
"Will you come with me young one?" she asked, her voice frail but resolute.
"M-me??" Saffron stammered in surprise, clutching the wall tightly with her fingers, "why?"
"I need to speak to you," was the reply.
"Can Lily come too?" Saffron answered uneasily, even as she said it she knew it sounded childish, her brother would never have said it. But then again she wasn't her brother and certainly wasn't used to such odd attention from strangers. Besides, there was something about this woman that made her feel uncomfortable.
"No."
Lily rose and looked down into the woman's eyes, searching their depths for any sign of malicious intent. The old woman flinched under the intensity of her gaze but forced herself to maintain eye contact as long as possible. When she could bare it no longer she averted her head. Lily was satisfied.
"It's ok Saffron," Lily said, "she means you no harm."
"Are you sure?"
Lily smiled, faintly amused, "come now Saffron, I know you're no Gryffindor, but have courage. Trust me."
Saffron nodded, she would always trust Lily no matter what. Rising, she twisted her fingers nervously as she followed the old woman away over the path and into the wooded area behind. Glancing back uncertainly to where Lily stood she saw her friend nod encouragingly and again she had that feeling that Lily lived half in the same world as she did and half in another where she embodied an ancient and ageless wisdom.
Pausing to look back for the last time at the woman she served the old woman fixed the sight of Lily, stood tall and proud, her long hair blowing in the breeze and her brilliant green eyes fixed on her old blue ones. She bowed and turning motioned for Saffron to follow her.
***********************************************
A/N: Mwahahahaha!! Evil cliffy. Sorry people, I'm in a very odd mood. It's 3.30 in the morning and I've just finished an extremely evil essay! So now I'm jubilant because it's over and stressed because I think the essay may be rubbish. Plus it's so late- or should I say early- that there's no-one to chat to.
Anyways….ah yes, the cuteness of Lily and James!!! Did you see James had a Harry moment, well rather Harry has a James moment…well you know what I mean.
Tanydwr- I'm a brit too, no color or favorite for me ;) I'm glad you like this! Have you read my other fics? Oh that reminds me-
*ahem* NEW FIC EVERYONE ok, so there's no need to shout, but like I said, full of stupid energy. Anyway, it's a TP fic so it might not be to everyone's taste, in fact I shouldn't even have started another one really, it's a lot of work to keep these stories on the go. Ah well it's fun *shrug* but you could reward me with reviews? *bats eyelashes* Ah yes…new story…erm called 'Dragonheart' and its about a girl brought up by a dragon basically, set a few years after the Kel books. The main person makes me laugh a lot, she's very innocent *wicked grin*
What else…oh yeah, a couple of you mentioned that you don't get the whole Sirius/Saffron thing, but eventually you'll understand it, and obviously they do get together in the end seeing as Tanwen (main person in 'The White Fire' that is- ah yes that was sort of supposed to be a secret, well never mind, some of you knew already) But one person understood it perfectly, brownie points to Agloechen!
Ok, getting to end of longest author's note ever, story is picking up again in terms of Moonlit Ones stuff (can you guess what's going to happen next? Actually I'd like it if you couldn't, but I like guesses they're fun) next chapter 'Amazon' intrigued anyone?