TALE AS OLD AS TIME

Chapter IV:

Truth be told.

Lily adapted to her new life in James' castle rather quickly, thinking that, in the best case scenario, - if what Anabel said was true- she would only be living there for a year. It wasn't like she was happy about it but, you know there was nothing she could do so she chose not to trouble herself. Much. And things could always be worse. Besides, James had fully stopped grunting every time he crossed paths with Lily. And the Tuesday, a week after Lily arrived to the castle, Lily could have sworn that James almost smiled at her.

Even though he really didn't want to, James had to admit that things were more fun with Lily there: Anabel had stopped bugging him 24/7 now that she had someone to talk to, and during the meals the conversation was almost as entertaining like when Remus and Sirius were there. Everything seemed a little happier and Lily was most definitely something pretty too look at, James had to admit that Lily was very beautiful.

"But I've have enough of pretty women" James kept telling himself each time he caught himself thinking of Lily when he ought to have been going over state matters. James always promised not to think of Lily again but all his resolutions vanished the next time he saw Lily's tilty green eyes.

On the other hand, Anabel was acting very weird, she knew that Remus and Sirius were going to stop by the castle in a few days because James had asked them to go because he wanted to ask them if what Anabel had said- about Lily having to stay in the castle- was true. That's why, when she wasn't playing around with Lily, Anabel was looking outside the window, running for the door each time someone knocked at the door and muttering to herself.

Friday morning, Remus and Sirius finally arrived at the castle.

"Boys!" Anabel yelled, running down the stairs at full speed, so fast that she nearly tripped by the last step but Remus caught her and steadied her. "I need to talk to you guys before you see James. It's important." She took Remus hand and tugged it to draw him to an adjacent sitting room. "Come with me."

"What is it, Nan?" Remus asked, while he blushed a little as he trailed behind her.

"I'll explain in a moment. Sirius, would you mind moving?"

Sirius just smiled at the sight of the couple in front of him. "In what kind of trouble did you got yourself into, this time? Why is James mad at you?"

"What makes you think I'm in trouble with James?" Anabel asked indignantly.

"That James asked us to come Ipso Facto, and that if you keep squeezing Remus hands like you're doing you're going to cut the circulation of his fingers?" Sirius answered happily while sitting in one of the couches and looking up at Remus and Nan as if that were the most entertaining thing in the world. Nan let go of Sirius hand.

"Sorry," she said blushing and turning around.

"That's okay." Remus said soothingly and looking at Sirius with a sour look, all Sirius did was rise his eyebrows in a questioning way. "Now, in what kind of trouble you're in?"

"Remember last time you came you told me about this man James had meet in the woods and how James had asked for 'The first live being that greeted him when he got home'?" Anabel asked. Both men nodded. "Well, the thing is that things didn't work out quite as he planned, he expected a dog and he didn't got a dog, what James got was a girl and her name is Lily."

"Now you got my attention." Sirius said entertained. "Is she pretty."

"Very." Nan said nodding. "And she's fun, and smart and very nice. Naturally, James can't stand her. And see, the thing is that James wanted her to go but I wanted Lily to stay because if she did I wouldn't be alone all the time. And so I told James that Lily had to stay a whole year here if he sent her away before, then something very bad was going to happen to both of them."

"That's not true and you know it." Remus said, turning serious. "You know that all James had to do was realise her of her oath and she was free to go."

"I'm aware of that, Remus, but is just that I thought it would be fun… you know how James gets when there are girls around that are not from his family… and the castle is such a lonely place and Lily is really nice. And if we don't force James to socialize with other women he is never going to marry and that would be very bad for the kingdom and…" Anabel had started to twist the end of her ponytail in one of her fingers and put puppy-dog eyes while looking up at Remus, hoping he wouldn't get mad at her. "And I didn't want to be here alone and one thing lead to the other and before I knew it I had said it." Remus sighed. "You're not mad, are you?"

"No." Remus answered, he could never really get angry at Anabel, let alone when she looked at him like that. "But what do you expect Sirius and me to do?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Sirius asked. "She wants us to keep up the lie, right Nan?" she nodded. "Great! Now that everything has been decided I think I would like to…" Sirius trailed off as if he were thinking something very important. "I would like to try one of Mrs. Potts's famous cupcakes!" And the, as if he were the master of the Universe, Sirius turned around and walked to the dinning room, it was time for breakfast.

"Might I escort you?" Remus asked and gallantly offered his arm to Nan.

"I would be delighted."

When they reached the table, Sirius was already there; talking with James and Lily was just about to sit. James grunted something while Nan made the proper introductions.

"So you are from Quiet Village." Sirius said. "I'm pretty sure I know someone in Quiet Village."

"One of your many girlfriends, I suppose." James commented.

"No, I would remember that. But maybe you're right. Do you like living there?"

"It's alright, I got my dad and my friend Cinthya, and everything is fine as long was we don't run into Lady Helena and Lord Snape."

"In this household," James interrupted. "The names Snape and Helena are never mentioned. Got it?" He yelled at Lily with sudden ferocity which irritated Lily quite a bit, since one thing she hated was when people yelled at her without a reason.

"I didn't know, but there was no reason to yell." Lily yelled back. "I didn't know you didn't like them either but I don't start screaming my head off each time someone mentions them."

"It's my bloody damn castle; I can yell all I want!" James yelled getting to his feet.

"Good for you!" Lily yelled right back and stormed out. Who did that idiot thought he was that gave him the right to yell at her.

"You know, James, I don't think that was necessary." Sirius said after five minutes of silence, "How was she supposed to know what happened with 'you-know-who'?"

"Sirius is right, James." Remus agreed. "Besides, a gentleman never yells at a lady."

"¿Was I that bad?" James asked, feeling guilty for yelling at Lily.

"Yes, you were." Nan, Remus and Sirius answered at the same time.

"Should I apologise?" he asked.

"Yes, you should." Came the response. James sighed.

"I'll apologise, but before I wanted to ask you something, Remus. It's about Lily and the circumstances in which she came to reside in this castle. Anabel said that you told her that Lily had to stay a year in the castle or something very bad was going to happen to both of us."

"Yes, that's true." Remus said without elaborating, it was bad enough already that he was lying to James.

"But is not so much that she has to stay in the castle, more like she has to be with you, I mean, she could go out or to the town if she goes with you." Sirius added; he never had much trouble toying around his friend.

"See, I was right." Anabel said triumphant. "And quite frankly none of this is Lily's fault but yours, so you should really apologize because she has to spend a year with you because of your stupidity." Nan was on a roll. "And for changing her name all the time when she first got here, you should apologize for that too and…"

"I get it Anabel, you can cut it now." James said. "I'll go to apologize now." He added, getting to his feet and going in search of Lily.

"That was easier than what I thought." Sirius said pretty entertained. He hadn't missed the way James looked a Lily each time she walked in – pretty much like the way Remus always looked at Nan – James liked Lily and that was good. "I don't know but I think that maybe Lily might be able to un-bitter our friend James."

"I don't think she's a miracle worker." Nan said with a smile. "But we don't lose anything by trying."

"You too are the two worst matchmakers in the history of ever," Remus said. "I don't know how you always manage to drag me into your messes."

"Because is fun, my little grasshopper." Sirius answered while Nan tried not to choke on a bubble of laughter. "Besides, you know you always say 'yes' when certain brown eyed girl asks you to do something." Sirius nodded in direction of Anabel who was obvious of it and then he laughed in the face of Remus reaction. "Like I said my friend, it's all about the fun."

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

James was standing in front of Lily's room, gathering the courage to knock. When she didn't answer James chose to open the door and walk in, just to make sure that she was alright.

"I knocked but you didn't answer." James said when he saw Lily sitting in the floor, leaning against her bed.

"I didn't hear." She answered softly, looking at her teddy bear.

"I'm sorry I yelled, is just that…" James didn't know if tell the truth or not but he finally decided it was for the best. "Lady Helena and I were going to get married a few years ago, but she was cheating on me with Snape." Now Lily kind of understood why he had gotten so mad earlier. "Why you don't like them."

"I meet both of them because of my sister, she is married to the town's mayor; that is pretty bad on itself, my sister and her husband aren't exactly the best judges of character, the judge people based on how rich they are. Besides that, Lady Helena has always been rude to me, and each time I see Snape he tries to scare me into marring him."

"And you don't want to marry him? Why?"

"Well, for starters he makes me want to throw up when I look at him. And he's cruel and mean… I don't know; let's say that Snape has all the qualities I dislike and none of the vices I admire." Lily concluded.

"I'm really sorry I yelled." James repeated strangely pleased that Lily disliked both Snape and Helena. "I'm sorry about everything; this whole thing is my fault."

"Its okay; this is just for one year, we'll survive." For some reason, Lily didn't want to make James feel bad. "Is just that I would like to write to my dad, let him know I'm alright and that I'll be back home someday. I am all he has."

"Then write him. Write him all you want, I'll make that one of my messengers take your letters to him and bring you his answers." James said, suddenly all he wanted was to please her.

Lily smiled at him. "Thank you." Lily said and threw her arms around him. "Thanks!"

James patted her in the head a few times, feeling awkward and then left her alone.

He didn't know why but Lily always made him feel so weird. "I'm in such big trouble." James muttered to himself, leaning against Lily's door. "So BIG trouble."

…..

End of Chapter Four.

Next chapter: The Engagement.