Title: Lily by The Zazu
Rating: T
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series belongs to J.K. Rowling. The wonderful movie Hum Tum belongs to Yash Raj Films.
Timeline/Series: James Potter Timeline; Alternate Universe (AU)
Author's Note: Thank you to all the reviewers! Your words are continuously inspiring. A majority of this story takes place in the past – a bit like a flashback, one could say. As I always say, I hope you all enjoy.
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Chapter One: Taking Off
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Ten Years Ago – Heathrow Airport
"Gracious, darling, I still cannot believe that you are travelling to the United States! I do wish that you could have gone to university here, but I suppose the calibre of the schools there are equal to ours!" Mrs. Janet Ashley Marie Evans beamed broadly at her younger daughter, Lily. "Oh, darling, I am so excited for you! It will be a wonderful experience!" the exuberant mother stated loudly, wrapping an arm around Lily's shoulders, and catching the eyes of the passers by.
Lily Evans, seventeen years, merely shot a look at her mother, embarrassed. "Oh mother, please do stop with the dramatics. Everyone is staring at us," she muttered uncomfortably. Lily sighed, tucking a strand of thick red hair behind her ear. Although used to her mother's antics, Lily often got exasperated with them. "Yes mother, I am sure that Stanford University is decent enough," she replied finally, a hint of sarcasm colouring her statement.
Mrs. Evans only nodded a bit absent-mindedly, her thoughts drifting away in a sea of nostalgia. It only had seemed like a few years ago when Lily was a mere child, toddling around. She recalled her daughter's voracious love of books. 'Stephen helped her so much with her reading before his passing. He was always such a good man,' Mrs. Evans thought wistfully. 'I wish Petunia had decided to attend a nice school, instead of just meandering through the local college and then getting married to that… that…' The slightly plump woman shook her head, banishing such thoughts. Her older daughter, Petunia, had done what she had wanted to do, and the past was the past.
"Mother?"
"Yes, dear? Oh, I'm sorry, Lil. I was just remembering your father," Mrs. Evans apologized. She squeezed her daughter's shoulder gently. "He would have been proud of you… The flat is going to seem so awfully alone without you around, my flower child."
"I know, mother, I know," Lily answered softly, giving her now teary mother a small smile.
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Close to the reminiscing mother and daughter, stood a rather slim woman who, at the moment, was scanning the throngs of people quite impatiently. One could tell she had been absolutely stunning when younger. Her glossy brown hair was streaked with a dignified silver, and her intense hazel eyes were wise with a mischievous twinkle. Judith Potter had a wonderful personality to match – she was sweet, quiet, and definitely determined to keep her infernal son in line. Once again, Judith scanned the crowds. "What to do with that boy of mine?"
Although exasperated, she couldn't help but smile inwardly, recalling the images of her son James. James had his father's messy black hair and Judith's own vivid hazel eyes. These features, combined with his lovely deep voice and pleasing appearance, had quickly made her son quite the lady-killer. 'I don't even want to know how many hearts he's broken,' Judith thought, sighing. 'He's just like his father, Harold…' The woman quickly broke out of this train of thought and asked, "Remus, is he here yet?"
Slender, handsome, and intelligent, Remus Lupin had always been a close friend to James and was definitely willing to see him off. The brown-haired man was about two or three years James's senior, and was already studying at Oxford in computer engineering. Remus shook his head slightly, responding in his soft, gentle voice. "I haven't seen him yet, Mrs. Potter… I have no idea how he's going to survive in university!" Remus paused, before exclaiming, "Oh wait, hullo there… There he is!"
"Mum, Lupin… hey," eighteen-year-old James Potter commented as he ran up to the pair, slightly out of breath. Almost immediately he began to make an excuse. "Sorry… The lift got stuck… And I forgot something in the car too…" He offered a sheepish smile as he slipped into his jean jacket and slung his carry-on over his shoulder.
"James Potter, there are no lifts to get to this terminal. I do not want to hear your excuses any longer!" Judith harrumphed.
Remus merely rolled his eyes at his friend and sighed good-naturedly. "Yeah… you did forget something," he commented with a slight smirk, handing a passport, ticket, and boarding pass.
"Oy, how did you get that? I swore I had in my carry-on…" James snatched the items, sounding puzzled. He then grinned broadly. "Thanks, Remmy, dunno what I would do without you, you know! "
His friend crossed his arms and sighed in mock exasperation. "I don't know what you would do without me either. Probably die, or something equally horrible. I hope you survive university without my awe-inspiring presence. It's a good thing 'Cissa will be there to take care of you…" Remus paused before adding, "And don't call me 'Remmy' either, Jimmy."
"Jimmy? Jimmy?" James looked appalled. "Fine! Anything to avoid such a horrendous name," he relented. "Yeah, Narcissa, sure," James added with afterthought, earning him a curious look from Remus.
"She's awfully pretty and she puts up with you. What more do you want from a girlfriend? And I thought you fancied her!" Remus asked James, not even expecting an answer. He shook his head. "I just hope you don't bungle things up with her. For once, you have a relationship that's going for you. Don't be a prat."
The black-haired boy growled. "What's that supposed to mean?"
At precisely that moment, Judith's mobile phone rang shrilly, forcing her to pull away from the rather petty argument. "Hello, Judith speaking?" she questioned calmly. Almost immediately, her eyebrows shot up and she sighed. "Hold on, Mr. Potter, let me get hold of James for you." Pressing a hand to the mouthpiece of the phone, Judith commented quickly, "James, it's your father."
"Cool, thanks mum. Give me the phone," James said, smiling broadly as he snatched the phone away from Mrs. Potter. She only smiled faintly. James turned away from his mother and Remus, holding the mobile to his ear. "'Oy, Dad, good to hear from you again. It's been a while! Yeah, I reckon I'll be fine. Yes, I'll say 'hi' to Narcissa from you. Want to meet up next time you venture to the States? Soon, preferably. Great! That'd be brill. Talk to you later." James ended the call and grinned. "Dad's doing well, Mum."
The usually composed woman looked aghast. "I didn't even ask, James. Your dad and I have been separated for at least fourteen years, James." Judith shook her head with a frustrated sigh. Her son would never give up, especially when it came to her relationship with his father.
James merely winked broadly and his mother. "You didn't ask, but you did want to know... I can tell. Anyway, my flight is leaving soon, isn't it? Better get going, eh?" He changed the subject speedily for the benefit of his mother.
Remus nodded, sending a quick glance at the clock. "Yes, and you better hurry from the looks of it." A sudden smile enveloped his features and he pulled the younger man into a tight hug. "Things aren't going to be the same without you, James. Take care of yourself and e-mail and ring me often, okay? If not, I'll... I'll... get back to you on that one," he added, with grey eyes twinkling. "Tell 'Cissa I said hullo, okay? And no flirting with the flight attendants, James. No matter what you think, it isn't polite!"
James pouted childishly and put on doe eyes. "Aw, no flirting? You take the fun out of everything Remmy – uh – Remus." Another grin lit up his features. He then nodded obediently. "I promise I'll e-mail you every other day, at least. I'll also be sure to ring you at the inopportune times. Sound good mate?" Remus nodded his assent, grinning as his rather silly nickname left James' mouth.
As soon as James was finished his talk with Remus, he was enveloped in another hug – this time from Mrs. Potter. "I-I'll miss you, James. Take care of yourself. Phone me. Work hard on your studies. I want you to do well. Make something out of your life," she murmured, burying her face into her son's shoulder.
"Don't worry mum, you know I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Aren't I responsible?" James reassured proudly. Judith broke into a broad smile, hearing her son's response. Remus merely snickered. James shot him a withering stare as he patted his mother on the back. "Thanks Mum, for not making such a fuss."
Judith shot her son a questioning stare. "What are you talking about James?"
Chuckling softly to himself, James pointed a rather exuberant mother and frazzled daughter close to them. The mother was gesturing wildly, dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief periodically. The daughter looked slightly embarrassed.
"Here is your cross pendant, darling. You almost forgot it! If possible, please try to attend the service every other week. The Lord will bless your profusely, I promise you. Also, don't forget to say your prayers before bedtime, Lil. It's a good habit, believing in something!" Mrs. Evans bubbled, handing her frustrated daughter a silver chain with a cross. Lily smiled feebly and nodded automatically as Mrs. Evans continued to spurt her warnings and reminders.
"Now, don't forget to brush your teeth after supper. We don't want your breath smelling horrible, do we now. Also, cavities aren't that becoming anyway. Take some extra floss with you. You might not be able to buy floss in Palo Alto until you get comfortable with the town and the Stanford campus…"
Lily finally interrupted, her voice firm. "Yes, mother, I understand. Now, I'm running late to the gate. Love you." The redhead tried to extricate herself from her mother's grasp. However, Mrs. Evans wasn't so easy to shake off.
Watching with James and Remus, Mrs. Judith otter covered her mouth, attempting to suppress the laugh threatening to overcome her. Thank goodness she hadn't become an overbearing mother. This mother seemed only concerned, though. Perhaps she was only nervous for her daughter. Judith scanned the area around the pair. Where was this girl's father? A pair of brown brows furrowed into a thoughtful frown. Maybe he was running late. Or maybe this lovely redheaded girl didn't have a father. And just maybe her parents had separate, just like she and Harold had. 'I would never wish that on any child,' Judith thought solemnly.
"Hah! That's downright amusing, if you ask me Remus," James confided to his friend. Remus nodded in agreement. Suddenly the younger man added, "And that bird sure is a looker…" He let out a low whistle, much to the dismay of Remus.
"Narcissa, remember?" Remus reminded.
"Oh… right. Well, I better get going. Mum, love you, miss you, take care. You take care of her, Remus. And Remus, get yourself a bloody girlfriend. At least get laid," James murmured the final statement with a mischievous smile to his soft-spoken friend. Remus only growled loudly, thus ushering James to the gate a little faster than necessary. "Bye!" he shouted behind him. Remus' angry appearance softened as he managed a wave. Judith watched quietly as her only child walked away, hoping the best for him.
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"Lily, my flower child, don't forget to write!" Mrs. Evans called out, as Lily began to move in the direction of the gate.
"Yes mother," the young woman murmured as complacently as she could. "Love you." Lily brushed past a black-haired young man without giving him even a second glance. She handed her ticket, boarding pass, and passport to the woman at the desk and then proceeded to board the plane.
The black-haired man ruffled his hair in a puzzled manner. Abruptly he muttered, "She's definitely going to be a challenge..." His hazel eyes twinkled merrily behind his sunglasses.
This trip was going to get interesting.
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Flight 183, London – New York – Los Angeles route
James Potter blinked in surprise as he found himself sitting next to the redheaded girl on the plane. Life certainly was a strange thing at times. She was much prettier up close. The man almost wanted to touch her silken hair, to make sure it wasn't a figment of his imagination. 'Narcissa, remember?' The sensible voice of Remus haunted his thoughts. 'I'm not even going to lookat her even if she is looking at me," James thought confidently. James snuck a quick glance at the girl. She was looking out the window, completely oblivious to everything. Damn. Not even a single glance his way.
Moments after the plane had taken to the air, the flight attendant walked by with her cart. "What would you two like?"
"Two teas," James commented promptly, winking broadly at the brunette.
"Wait, miss," the redhead interrupted, sending a pointed glance James. "I would like coffee. Some milk in it, please. Skim milk. And sugar – brown sugar. Two spoons. Thank you." The attendant merely nodded, saying that she would get the coffee in a minute. Abruptly the young woman turned to James, her green eyes flashing brilliantly. "Why did you try to order for me?"
His eyes widened and he held up his hands in mock surrender. "I was trying to be nice. You seemed like a tea type of girl at that moment. But now I see why you're more coffee than tea..." James trailed, realising how stupid he sounded.
"Coffee type?" was her immediate question. The fair girl's words began to border on annoyance.
Clearing his throat, James raised a single eyebrow and let a cocky grin light up his face. "Well, y'know, intelligent and independent. In a hurry, usually. And without the coffee... quite a grumpy person."
The glare James received was akin to a laser boring a hole through a piece of metal. In this case, the 'metal' was James Potter. The young man winced and handed the fiery girl her cup of coffee, given to him by the attendant.
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A few hours later, James was bored.
Bloody bored.
This strange, angry girl wasn't even bothering to start a conversation. She was listening attentively to the music blasting through her headphones. Pity. She might have actually been interesting to talk to. Running a hand through his already tousled black hair, he shook his head. 'On second thought, she just might bite my head off. Great. That doesn't sound pleasing at all,' he mused. James banged his head on the headrest with a sigh.
Maybe I should read a magazine. "Hey... Can I borrow that mag..." James suddenly stopped, noticing that he already had a magazine on his lap. 'God is smiting me,' was his angry thought. James rolled his eyes. Abruptly, he grinned and fumbled for a napkin and took out his pen. Immediately, he began to sketch two childish figures on the napkin. He continued to grin as the figure of an impish boy and a rather angry girl. The boy, with rather mussed up hair, had a 'H' inscribed into his shirt, while the girl had an 'L' drawn on her frock. This wasn't as boring as he thought. James began to hum cheerfully, continuing to add details to the characters.
"Stop humming," the redhead – or 'Angelic Devil Young Woman' as James dubbed her – snapped.
James shrugged, continuing to hum. "Turn the volume of whatever music you're listening to up. No need to get your knickers in a twist." He purposefully ignored the irritated sigh coming from her direction. The Angelic Devil was fun to mess with.
Once again, Angelic Devil Young Woman sighed and finally glanced at his napkin drawing. "What are drawing?" she asked, trying to hide the curiosity that was overtaking her.
"Harry and Lily," he muttered as he worked, wondering why she was asking. James shoved a hand into his pocket and retrieved a few coloured pencils, beginning to shade in his work. Drawing was a relaxing task for him – one reason he was studying graphic design in the United States.
An odd look entered her eyes as she nodded. "Oh... I see."
"Yeah. Our plane is reaching New York City in a couple hours and I don't know your name, nor do you know mine." James' tone was casual as he posed the question, now shading Lily's dress a light green colour. Without realising the similarity, James also started to colour the hair of the girl a rich red.
"All you needed to do was ask," she informed him. "My name is Lily. Lily Evans. Yours?"
"Bond. James Bond," James joked with a bright smile. Seeing the blank, perhaps frustrated, expression on her face James sighed. It was Britain, after all, one would have thought the classic series would have been known to her. "My genius is lost on you... James Potter is my name and girls are my game."
"Idiot."
"Gee, thanks for your kindness."
"Mhmmm."
"Errr... Lily, was it?"
"Were you listening, Potter?"
"Lily. What a coincidence," James muttered to himself, staring at his drawings.
Yes, what a coincidence...
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Author's Note: Sorry for the delay! I might tweak parts of this chapter during the week, since I just wanted to get it finished, but I'm generally satisfied with it – more so with the beginning portion than the scene on the plane… Anyway. Reviews are lovely if you wish to bestow a few to me. ;D