AN: Hi, I'm sorry it's been a bit. New Taylor album really inspired me to write. Though that's reflected more on the next chapter bc this one was already written (I usually like staying one chapter ahead of my updates). Anyway, enjoy!
LunaCrusader, aah your review made my day! Thank you for telling me to update, otherwise I'll just keep putting it off. And oh my god, idk how he's not a more common James fancast (probably bc he's not v popular lol).
"my roots go down to the depths of the world, through earth dry with brick, and damp earth, through veins of lead and silver. i am all fibre. all tremors shake me, and the wight of the earth is pressed to my ribs."
— virginia woolf, the waves
Saturday
1:36pm
They walked for probably an hour before they saw the cabin. A little old and run-down but definitely with signs of life.
Lily stopped James before he could walk any further. "Stop. We have to think about what we're going to say."
"Well, we're going to say we're lost and ask for help... right?"
"I mean... yes. But we have to prepare because they're most likely Muggles."
"Oh. Yeah, right."
"We should ask to use their phone and then wait here to be picked up."
James nodded. "If you think that's best. Let's do that."
Lily let go of him and they walked up to the door. Lily knocked firmly three times and waited.
It took a minute, but eventually, the door opened. Inside was a middle-aged white man with a bushy beard and deep-set eyes. He glowered at them in greeting. Lily tried her best to look harmless yet self-assured.
"Hello, sir. My name is Lily, and this is James. We were hiking along the trail and got lost. We were wondering if you had a phone we could use."
That didn't come out how Lily had planned in her head at all. But she supposed it was acceptable.
The man examined both Lily and James for a few seconds. He reminded Lily of a bear with his bulky frame and searching eyes.
He pulled the door open. "Come in then."
Lily smiled. "Thank you."
James placed a hand on the small of Lily's back as they walked in, a completely unwelcome chill went down Lily's back.
"Phone's over there," the man growled at them.
The cabin was kind of small, but nicely furnished, with a sofa, a coffee table, and what Lily was almost sure was an upright piano against a wall.
To the right, a hallway led to the kitchen, in the direction the man had vaguely nodded at when telling them where the phone was.
The phone hung on the wall next to a simple but sleek wooden dining table. Lily unhooked the phone.
James looked at her. "Who are you calling?"
"The only number I know that might help. My mum's."
Lily had figured at first that they could ask the cabin's inhabitant if they knew the number for the park rangers, but upon seeing the man, Lily had been too scared to ask.
Lily dialled the number quickly and held the phone up to her ear. Her mother answered after three rings. "Hello?"
"Mama?" Lily spoke in a low voice.
Mrs. Evans made a strangled noise. "Lily! You said you'd owl me when you got back to school! You were supposed to arrive hours ago!"
It took a moment for Lily's brain to catch up to the switch in language to her mother's fast Russian. "Ya... znayu." She decided then to speak entirely in Russian so the man wouldn't understand in case he was listening. Just to be safe. "Please don't freak out, Mama. But... we got left behind by the train."
Lily's mother made a pained noise as if she'd gotten a physical blow. "We? You and who? I am going to kill that awful professor! Where are you calling from, dorogaya? I'll get Petunia to drive me there right now."
"Nyet, nyet," Lily answered immediately. "You don't have to come. I just need you to call Hogsmeade so they can get a message to the castle and they'll be able to come get us much faster. Tell them James and I are in..." She set a hand against the receiver and turned to James. "Can you ask the man where we are?"
James nodded and went off to ask. It only took a couple of seconds. He recited the directions to Lily and she translated them into the phone for her mother. "We're okay, Mama. I promise. We'll stay here until they come. Please stay calm. Everything will be fine, and I'll call you soon. Ya tebe lyublyu."
Lily hung up before her mother could argue with her any further.
James was looking at her strangely as she put the phone back on the hook. She raised a brow at him.
"What was that?" He asked, eyes glinting with curiosity.
"What?"
"What language was that?"
Oh. That. "Russian, and a little Ukrainian."
James gaped at her. It took him a second to speak. "You—I thought you were Welsh."
"On my dad's side. My mother's Ukrainian."
"So you speak..."
Lily sighed. "English, Welsh, Russian, and some Ukrainian. But that's it, I swear."
James gave her a look she wasn't quite sure how to interpret. It sure made the back of her neck tingle though. "You're always full of surprises, aren't you?"
Before Lily could even begin thinking about what to say to that, they were interrupted by the man. "Any luck?"
Lily turned to look at him, startled. "Oh. Yeah, they'll be coming to get us any minute."
He crossed his arms over his chest. "Well... you can stay here until then."
Lily tried to give him a friendly smile. "Thank you... sir."
"Jacob."
Lily nodded in acknowledgment.
Jacob turned. "Well, I'll just be in the living room."
Lily was almost sure they weren't getting murdered now. Not that she felt a lot more comfortable here either way.
Lily and James eventually wandered out into the living room. They stood awkwardly while Jacob sat on the sofa.
Lily's feet carried her over to the upright piano. It was a little beat up, but it seemed well taken care of. She let her fingers press down softly on a few keys to test it out. It seemed fairly in tune. She heard Jacob shuffling and her head snapped up. She removed her hand. "I'm sorry."
"No, go ahead. It doesn't get much love these days."
That was the nicest Jacob had been since they arrived, and Lily took it as a good sign.
She sat on the piano bench so she could play more comfortably. She played a bit of Clair de Lune, but she figured neither James nor Jacob were the kind of guys who'd be very into Clair de Lune. Without thinking, she launched into a familiar melody.
When you're weary
And feeling small
When tears are in your eyes
I will dry them all
She looked up and made eye contact with James briefly. She couldn't look into those eyes for long. It was like looking right into a warm and inviting fire.
When darkness comes
And pain is all, all around
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay... me down
As soon as she sang the last word, Lily knew this had been a very very bad idea. Because now the only thing she could think of was her dad. And him singing that song to her. His rough hands on the piano keys. Him smiling as he sang. Her throat was so tight she knew she wouldn't be able to contain a sob for much longer. No way she was crying over her dad twice in one day. And both times in front of James Potter.
She thought she heard Jacob say something but she wasn't paying attention. She stood up and ran out of the room with her head down.
She went out the back door into the wilderness. She walked two steps before collapsing to the ground, biting down on her wrist so she wouldn't make any noise as the tears fell down her face. She forced in two deep breaths and got up again, continuing on through the trees.
Once she was far enough away she finally took a gasping breath and sobbed into her hands.
This was why she avoided thinking about her dad. Because this was always the result. She turned into a sobbing mess. She leaned against a tree and tried to get herself in check. But once she started it was hard to stop, she'd found.
"Shit. Lily."
She saw James and her hands immediately went to cover her face. She wasn't sure if she was doing it so he couldn't see her cry or so she wouldn't be able to see him. "Oh my god."
"It's okay, Lily."
His voice sounded closer now. Lily could only hope he wouldn't try to comfort her. The last thing she needed was an awkward pat on the back from James fucking Potter.
She felt his hands but he wasn't patting her. He grabbed her by the arms firmly and pulled her into his chest. His arms squeezed her to him and Lily found that she didn't mind so much.
Slowly, her sobs slowed down and her breathing gained normalcy, although it was still heavy. "I'm... I'm sorry," her voice came out muffled. "I just..."
"It's okay, Lily. You don't have to explain."
She pulled away from him so she could look him in the eye. "No, but I do. I really do." She wiped her face with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. "I... My dad... he was the one who taught me to play piano and bass. Music... was his whole life. He taught me because he loved to share it with me. It was our thing. We always played together. That song... that was one of his favourites. I hadn't played it since he..."
"He passed?" James asked in a soft tone.
All Lily could do was nod once, still unable to voice it aloud.
"Shit. I'm so fucking sorry, Lily." He pulled her into his arms again. "I know that doesn't help... anything. I can't imagine what you must feel. But I am truly, genuinely sorry."
Lily believed him. A couple of stray tears slipped from her eyes. James wiped them away.
"You ready to go back?" He asked in a low tone.
Lily nodded, and he took her hand, leading her back to the cabin. Lily tried not to read too much into his physical contact. He was a very touchy-feely person, just seeing him be around his friends for five minutes could confirm that.
They went back in the cabin. James led Lily to the living room sofa and asked if she wanted a glass of water. Lily could only nod absent-mindedly.
As James went into the kitchen, Jacob came into the room, taking a seat on the armchair diagonal to the sofa.
"Everything okay?" Jacob asked.
Lily tried to smile reassuringly. "Yeah. Fine."
Jacob leaned closer to her. "You know... I haven't heard someone play like that in a long time. You're good."
Lily nodded. "Thank you."
"I'd love to hear you sing me something else."
Lily appreciated him trying to make her feel better but this felt like a bit too much. And she really wished he wouldn't get so close to her.
Before Lily could try to think how to politely tell him to sod off, Jacob reached out a meaty hand and went to put it on Lily's knee. She barely skived it by abruptly standing up from the sofa.
Her heart pounded.
Jacob stood too. "Oh, come on now. Relax. I'm just trying to be friendly."
Lily didn't know what to say. She just stared at him with wary eyes.
"Oh don't make that face. You came in here with your smiles, playing my piano, and now you're pretending like you're surprised it worked. Come on, sweetheart."
He raised a hand in the air, as if to try and touch her.
"You put that hand on her, you'll lose it."
Lily inhaled sharply. James stood behind Jacob, a fiery look in his eyes.
Jacob turned to look at James. "And you're going to stop me?"
Lily took advantage of his distraction to slip by him and scram to James's side. She grabbed his hand, needing to feel something anchoring her away from Jacob.
"Let's go. Please, James," Lily whispered to James in a low voice.
The two men glared at each other for one more second. Then James's glance broke off. "We might not look like much, but I swear to all that is holy, if you try to stop us from leaving, you are going to have a very very bad time. That I can promise."
Jacob looked like he was about to start growling at James. His face red.
Lily grabbed her backpack and tugged James towards the door. They left without looking back.