As if Looking in a Mirror

James paced outside of the Prefect bathroom. Wendy Damon, a fifth year Gryffindor Prefect, had promised both he and Lily the password so they could talk where no one else would see them.

As he walked back and forth waiting for Wendy he couldn't keep Lily out of his head. She was beautiful and mysterious. She couldn't stop the effects she had on him.

But James Potter had a secret. He had a terrible secret that no one could understand. It threatened his present life and his future at the same time.

It went back to when he had first learned about Hogwarts. He wasn't aware of it then, but magic would drag him into a world full of pain that no one else could imagine. No one else ever would.

"That's it James! Now tip forward…good! You are a natural flyer!"

Anders Potter was so proud of his little boy. His oldest and only son, James, was only eleven years old and was already flying up to twenty feet in the air. James had just received his acceptance letter to Hogwarts and Anders couldn't have been more proud.

"James! Tell your father it's time for lunch!" A pretty woman with waist length black hair called from inside their house.

Anders headed to the house and watched his son fly around in their backyard. He smiled at James who was laughing at his younger sister; she was chasing him with her plastic wand.

The glass door slid shut and Anders made his way into the kitchen.

"Anders, when are we going to tell James?"

Anders rubbed his forehead and leaned against the counters.

"Cassandra, he's only eleven. You really think he'd understand?"

She shook her head and laughed out of frustration. "I cannot believe this sometimes! It's too unreal!"

Anders followed Cassandra into the living room where she collapsed onto their couch. She pressed her face into her hands. When she looked up there were tears pooling in her eyes.

"I'm a witch. I graduated with nobilities from Hogwarts. I can make things morph with the wave of a hand and I can appear out of no where at will but I cannot stop my children from fulfilling an evil prophecy." She said in a choky voice.

A small couch was heard. Anders and Cassandra looked up to see James standing behind the wall. His scruffy black hair was sticking out and he clutched the broomstick he had been flying on.

"Mum? Dad?" He whispered.

Cassandra wiped her eyes and smiled. "Yes, darling? Lunch is ready. I made cucumber and Swiss cheese sandwiches."

James walked up to his parents; a look of fear covered his face. "I'm going to do something bad? Something I can't stop?"

His parents gave each other a nervous glance.

Anders placed a loving hand on his shoulder. "When you're thirteen I'll explain everything. It's not your fault. You're not going to do anything wrong. I promise."

James nodded and went to get his sandwich while his mother fought to keep back tears.

"Rosebush." James said firmly to the Prefect portrait.

He entered and saw Lily, already standing there. She was sitting on the edge of the bathtub, rocking back and forth, her hair blocking her face. James leaned against the wall, aware that she knew he was there.

"You shouldn't have done that," Her heard her murmur before she rose to her feet, wringing her hands. She had changed out of her school robes and into a pair of jeans that looked like they must have belonged to Stephen and a white T-shirt that showed a sliver of skin from her stomach.

James crossed his arms defiantly, flicking some stray hairs that found their way in front of his eyes. "I did though, there's no changing it."

Lily crossed over to him, her eyes burning with anger. "You bastard."

James snorted with laughter. "Me? I tell you exactly what I want and go for it and I'm the bastard? I'm the bastard even though I you're /I the one who just allowed me to feel like shit for the past few weeks?"

Instantly a crack was heard and James grunted with pain as Lily slapped him hard across the cheek. He rubbed his hand against the spot that was now burning.

"I can't believe you," She whispered in a low voice before turning on her heel and walking towards the window. "I can't believe how insensitive you are. You think you're life is so incredibly hard. You are a stupid brat, Potter."

"You don't know a thing about me, Evans," James said slowly.

She whirled around, an angry tear slipping down her cheek. "Likewise."

James took a step towards her, she back up in response, not allowing him to shorten the gap that stood between them. "That could change…"

"No, it couldn't," She interrupted, quickly brushing another tear off her cheek. "It won't."

With that she pushed him aside and slammed the door. James ran his hands through his hair and let out a groan of sheer rage as he kicked the wall with all his might. Tidus Lamb, a Gryffindor prefect entered at the moment when James kicked the door, sending the Fifth Year falling backwards.

"What are you staring at?" James growled before storming out of sight.

He stomped out of the bathroom just in time to see the last flash of Lily's red hair burst into a door that hadn't been there before. The Room of Requirement was favorite hiding spot of the Marauders, James had been unaware that anyone but he and his friends knew of it's existence.

He carefully pushed open the door and stepped inside. All he could see of Lily were her bare feet, sticking out from behind the bookcase she'd wedged herself behind. He plopped himself across from her, she didn't budge.

"Why me?" She sobbed, into her arms, clearly aware of James's presence.

"I don't know," He murmured softly running his fingers through his hair.

Lily looked up to him, her eyes wet and her mascara running. James felt his heart fall as his stared into her eyes, not because of his feeling for her but because of the look behind her eyes.

It was a look of being lost. It was a look and a feeling James knew entirely too well. It was the same look he saw staring back at him each day when he allowed himself to think of the tragedy to come. It was as if he were looking in a mirror and seeing his own reflection.

"Oh Lily…" He murmured, realizing what she was feeling.

Lily's steady breaths broke into a sob and she crawled out of her hiding spot. She fell against James, breathing in the scent of him. She cried for the confusion they both felt. She cried for longing her heart felt every time she looked at him. She cried because she knew being his would inevitably hurt her in more ways than one.

Yet, as she felt him wrap his strong arms around her she couldn't help but feel something stronger than anything else.

She felt safe.

So right then, in the Room of Requirement, under no one's eyes but there own, Lily Evans made a choice.

"I don't know why me," She began, her voice shaking as she rose back to his level. "But I'm glad it is."

And with that she kissed him softly on the lips, taking it slow.

They had all the time in the world.

Right now, all she needed was this.