PART ONE: IN VITAM
Chapter XII: Lily Evans
Lily Evans bore her injuries with a smile. The pain of the burns had reduced to little more than a light stinging a few hours after the incident. The marks, however, remained a couple days longer despite Madam Pomfrey's careful care.
Dumbledore had cast warding spells on the Hospital Wing, and Madam Pomfrey had confined Lily to bed for two days. Lily uttered not a word of protest. She smiled and assured the professors that she wasn't in pain.
On the day after the incident, Lily's friends had been in and out of the Hospital Wing. First, her closest friends had stopped by, Marlene smuggling in some scones for her. Then, during lunch, the Marauders had come. Sirius had apologized profusely for his absence the night before, and James had done his best Slughorn imitation in effort to cheer her up. After that, a couple of Lily's Ravenclaw friends had checked in on her. Emmeline Vance had sworn she'd curse the Slytherin who did this, while Caradoc Dearborn had brought eclairs from the kitchens. Persephone Rowle had come bearing Charms notes and promising to take over Lily's Head Girl patrol shifts.
Lily met them all with her best smile, repeating again and again that she would be all right, no permanent harm had been done.
There were no other long-term patients in the Hospital Wing. A sixth-year Hufflepuff came to get treated after a bad run-in with a Venomous Tentacula in Herbology class, and a fifth-year Slytherin received some Pepperup Potion to help him through a bad cold.
Madam Pomfrey had limited visits to fifteen minutes, complaining that the Hospital Wing would become a student lounge at this rate. So once her friends had used up their time, Lily spent the evening alone with only her textbooks for company.
Early Tuesday morning, Sirius announced his arrival by dropping a beautifully wrapped box of Honeydukes' chocolates onto Lily's lap.
"Do I even want to ask how you got this?" asked Lily as she tried to stealthily peer around Sirius to see if anyone else had come with him.
"Probably not," said Sirius. "And he's not here."
Lily blushed, embarrassed to have been caught looking for James. She stopped craning her neck and instead tried to look unconcerned, as if it didn't matter to her who came to visit.
"Don't know why you'd care about him when you have my marvelous self here." Sirius settled into the chair next to Lily's bed and picked up the box of chocolates. "He's on patrol with Remus, but he'll probably stop by after classes."
"Where's Peter?" asked Lily, still trying to maintain her façade of nonchalance.
"Doing Charms homework with Marlene."
Lily watched as Sirius opened the box, took one chocolate for himself, and then offered one to her.
"Didn't you bring that for me?" asked Lily as she selected a delicious-looking piece of dark chocolate. When she took a bite, the center was gooey blueberry.
Sirius grinned. "I bought it for both of us. You'd be much more willing to share if you knew what I had to go through to get it—"
"Don't tell me. I don't want to have to put you in detention."
Sprawled out in the wooden chair, Sirius lazily selected another chocolate from the box. Lily hid a smile as she recalled the first-year boy with a posh accent and perfect posture. Things had changed so much since then.
Last year, when the boys had finally started realizing the world didn't revolve around them, Lily and Sirius had ended up partners in Charms. After five years of Lily's sharp critiques and Sirius's sarcastic comments, they discovered that they actually got along rather well. It turned out they had similar senses of humor and the same taste in muggle music. Then one night, when James had been out with Joanna Stebbins, Lily and Sirius had shared a bottle of firewhiskey and swapped stories of their siblings. Their friendship had been sealed ever since.
It had been Sirius and Marlene who insisted to Lily that James wasn't all bad, that she shouldn't give up on being friends with him, that he wasn't as much of a toerag as he used to be. They had both fought hard for her and James' friendship. As a result, Lily had come to the conclusion that Sirius and Marlene suited one another perfectly. The warm, open Marlene balanced the sarcastic, jaded Sirius. And, Lily had thought this privately after hearing about the house of Black, Sirius needed someone who loved him unconditionally.
Sirius noticed the piece of parchment on Lily's bedside table. "Letter from your parents?"
"Yes, it arrived this morning."
"Are you going to tell them what happened?"
"Of course not. That would only worry them." Lily took another chocolate from the box. As she did so, she spoke lightly, despite her feelings being anything but. "My sister is engaged now."
Sirius pulled a face. He knew Lily hated to hear her sister spoken badly of, so he only said, "You never told me she was dating someone."
"I didn't know," admitted Lily
"Ah, I see. Have you told your friends?"
Lily shook her head. She knew they would be sympathetic, willing to listen and comfort. But they wouldn't understand. Dorcas and Marlene got along well with their siblings, while Mary was an only child. Briefly, she'd thought about telling James, but something held her back. It was embarrassing, in a way, to admit the full extent of how much her sister disliked her.
"The bloke's called Vernon Dursley," said Lily. She glanced at the letter, recalling her mum's words of forced politeness. "My parents don't think much of him."
"Muggle?"
"Yes." Lily let out a small laugh. "As if Petunia would marry a wizard. Apparently, he's a junior executive at the office she works at in London."
She could feel Sirius watching her. He had always been good at reading people, at knowing what would set them off. Most of the time, he used his talents to annoy people on purpose. But other times, the times when Lily truly admired him, he could diffuse person's emotions with ease. Lily still remembered, in sixth year, when Mary had been on the verge of panic after hearing of a Death Eater attack on the Ministry. Sirius had sat with her, using his natural charm and careful honesty to calm her.
"We can't force people to think the way we want them to," said Sirius at last. "Believe me, I've tried. Maybe Petunia will come around one day, and you'll get along like you used to. But I wouldn't hang onto that hope. Better to focus on the things you do have—Dorcas, Mary, Marlene, James, Remus, Peter." He grinned. "And me, of course. The best of all."
"Of course," said Lily with a smile.
His words weren't comforting, but she hadn't expected them to be. She appreciated the honesty, the truth she needed to face. Still, letting go of people had never been easy for Lily. How long had it taken her to end her friendship with Severus? Too long.
"Regulus will probably join the Death Eaters," said Sirius.
He spoke so suddenly that Lily's head jerked up, causing the injury on her neck to sting.
"Why do you say that?" she asked, ignoring the pain.
"Do you see the people he hangs out with?" asked Sirius with a bitter laugh. "Dovetail, Avery, Rosier, Wilkes." He glanced at Lily. "Snape."
Lily winced. She wanted to defend her childhood friend, wanted to insist that they didn't know that everyone in that group would become a Death Eater. But she knew Sirius would see right through her self-delusion.
"Sometimes," said Sirius, "hanging onto hope will only end in disappointment."
They fell into silence. Lily found herself remembering her childhood, playing in the backyard with her sister. Petunia had smiled and laughed in a way Lily hadn't seen in years. Then, Lily recalled leaning over the fence to talk to Severus. His eyes had glowed as he'd told her about the wonders of magic. No one would dare bully a wizard, he'd told her. The idea seemed so childish now.
"Chocolate?" Sirius held out the box to her.
"Thanks." Lily selected another dark chocolate and then added, half-joking, "I'm still mad at you, by the way."
"For snogging my girlfriend in the corridor?" asked Sirius incredulously.
"For jinxing Will Spinnet with James," said Lily. "But now that you mention it, I'm mad at you for that too."
"You already took ten points from Gryffindor. I'll go straight to the broom closet next time."
"Not about that. I don't care about house points." Lily shot him a meaningful look. He knew why she was mad.
Sure enough, Sirius released a long sigh. "It's not like I ever wanted to hurt Marlene. She's a great girl, honestly. She's just…too good, you know, for me." He stole another chocolate from the box before adding, "Besides, she doesn't fancy me anymore."
"How do you know that?"
"It's obvious," said Sirius with a laugh. "If anything, I'd say she dislikes me now." He clutched a hand to his chest and cried, "Oh woe, how quickly unrequited love can turn to hate."
Lily frowned. She hadn't believed it when Marlene had announced herself over Sirius Black. There hadn't been any warning. Could people move on from someone they'd fancied since third year that easily? Besides, Lily comforted herself, Marlene had admitted to feeling upset after seeing Sirius and his new girlfriend. Nothing had changed. Marlene still fancied Sirius.
Sirius must have read something in Lily's expression because he said, "She really is over me. I'm not blind, Lily. I figured it out on my own that she fancied me. I did not need the obnoxious hints James kept dropping. And now, I don't need her or anyone else to break the news that she's gotten over me."
"But she hasn't," said Lily softly. "She's fancied you ever since third year."
"What does that have to do with it?" asked Sirius.
Lily didn't know. She couldn't put it into words, but some part of her felt that Marlene had to keep liking Sirius. It was expected, normal, familiar. Marlene fancied Sirius; James fancied Lily. That was a constant, how things had always been. If Marlene changed…
"You'll like my new girlfriend, Lily." A wide grin spread across Sirius's face. "Louisa's nice and funny—" He broke off upon seeing Lily's stony expression.
"Sorry." Lily wanted to rub the exhaustion from her eyes, but she remembered the bandages on her hands and stopped herself. "She sounds lovely, Sirius, really. I just worry about Marlene."
"Ask her," said Sirius. "Rather than assume what she wants, why don't you ask?"
His gaze flickered over the Hospital Wing office. Lily saw Madam Pomfrey, half out the door, making a shooing motion with her hands. Sirius's fifteen minutes were up.
"Get better," said Sirius as he rose from the chair. "The sooner you're released, the sooner James will stop sulking."
"Thanks. And I'll talk with Marlene."
Sirius grinned. "Good. And I'll introduce you to Louisa when you're out of here."
With a wave to Madam Pomfrey, Sirius left Lily alone with her thoughts.
Lily fought back a sigh as she reclined against her pillow. She didn't want to be here, in the Hospital Wing, being fussed over by her friends. Every time they came to visit, she could see the pity and concern in their eyes as they stared at the bandages on her face, neck, and hands. Lily found herself plastering on a smile whenever they came.
Somewhere, at the edges of her mind, Lily could feel a shadow starting to grow. But she refused to acknowledge it. Better to ignore the fear, the horror. Better to push it away and keep pretending she was all right.
She wouldn't cry. She wouldn't make her friends worry. Everything would be fine.
After lunch, Mary and Marlene came to visit. They were an odd pair standing side by side. Marlene towered over the petite Mary. Mary's movements were light and small, while Marlene carried herself with a newfound, quiet confidence.
Lily beamed at them both. "Please tell me you didn't bring me more scones. Sirius already smuggled in chocolates for me. I swear you lot are trying to fatten me up while I'm here."
Mary laughed. "Sirius told us he was bringing Honeydukes' chocolates. You'll never guess what he did to get them—"
"I don't want to know," said Lily quickly.
After placing a stack of class notes on the bedside table, Marlene settled in the wooden chair. Her brown eyes scanned the Hospital Wing before her attention shifted back to Lily.
"Dorcas is out walking the grounds with Jenn," said Mary. "It's too cold out to go look for them."
"It's fine. Madam Pomfrey will kick you out if there's too many visitors."
"There's no one else here to bother," observed Marlene, looking around at the rows of empty beds.
"Madam Pomfrey just wants Lily to get proper rest," said Mary.
"At least I'm a better patient than James," said Lily. She still remembered visiting him in the Hospital Wing last year after he suffered a Quidditch injury. He had complained constantly and insisted he was fit to leave.
Mary glanced at Marlene, and Marlene's left eyebrow quirked up. Then, they both looked back at Lily.
"James was frantic when he heard you were in the Hospital Wing," said Mary.
At this, Lily struggled to keep back a smile. Vivid in her memory was James's face as he had rushed to her bedside and apologized profusely for jinxing Will Spinnet. Seeing James, Lily had felt the worry and fear fade away. The shadow had been pushed to the back of her mind. In that moment, inexplicably, she'd felt safe.
The door to the Hospital Wing office opened.
Lily started to look around, but she stopped when she noticed Marlene's reaction. At the sudden noise, Marlene had jumped, her hands flying to the edges of her chair. When she saw that it was just Madam Pomfrey, she slowly relaxed.
"Good afternoon." Madam Pomfrey saw Mary sitting beside Lily's bed and didn't remind them of the fifteen-minute restriction. Likely because she was old school friends with Mary's mum.
"Hello," called out Mary.
Marlene nodded her head in mute greeting.
Lily frowned. For the past year, Marlene had been jumpy and nervous. It'd gotten even worse when she returned from the summer holidays. As if she was constantly on guard, Marlene would check her surroundings and startle at loud noises. It almost reminded Lily of Sirius. The way he always watched people, judging their reactions and seeing what set them off.
Marlene hadn't always been that way. She used to be cheerful and carefree. It broke Lily's heart to see how the war had changed her friend. To see Marlene grow more and more serious until there was only a faint reminder of the girl she used to be.
Who else would the war change, Lily wondered. Dorcas and Mary? James? Herself?
Madam Pomfrey called Mary over to help her something. Mary sent an apologetic smile in Lily's direction before heading to the office.
Lily found herself suddenly left alone with Marlene. Sirius's words echoed in her memory: Rather than assume what she wants, why don't you ask? Lily hadn't expected the opportunity to come around so quickly.
Still, it wasn't easy to voice aloud. After all, didn't she already have the answer? Marlene had been upset when she saw Sirius and Louisa in the corridor. She'd even admitted the scene had bothered her. There was no need to bring it up and hurt Marlene all over again. But Lily had promised Sirius that she'd ask.
"I've been wondering." Lily struggled to find the right words. "You said you were over Sirius, but I know his snogging Louisa Pickering in the corridor Monday bothered you. So, I wondered, do you still fancy him?"
At first, Marlene stared at Lily with a blank expression. However, as Lily spoke, understanding flashed through Marlene's eyes, followed by something indecipherable. Then, Marlene let out a long sigh. "I don't fancy him anymore."
Panic welled in Lily's chest, though she couldn't put into words why it was so important that Marlene continue to fancy Sirius. Especially when he'd said outright that he wouldn't fall for Marlene. Stumbling over her words, Lily found herself saying, "B-but you've liked him since third year."
Marlene surveyed Lily before she said, "I don't think it's as simple as getting over him or not. I fancied him for a long time. Something like that doesn't vanish into nothing. I doubt I'll ever be able to regard him the same way I do Remus and Peter. But I don't fancy him. Not any more. I know now he's not right for me."
Lily frowned. The only person she'd ever dated was Caradoc Dearborn, and they'd had transitioned easily to friends after ending things. There were no lingering or complicated feelings.
"Do you dislike him?" asked Lily, remembering Sirius's words.
"No," said Marlene quickly. "It's just a complicated feeling."
Relief washed over Lily. She didn't know what she'd do if Marlene held a grudge. She didn't want her friends to fight.
Marlene's expression remained unreadable as she scanned Lily's face. When their eyes met, she quickly looked away. Then, she said, "Just because I've gotten over the person I've fancied since third year, it doesn't mean everything will suddenly change."
"I-I know that." Even as she said the words, Lily realized that maybe, somewhere deep inside, she hadn't. She'd been clinging on to the past, to her childhood, to her life at Hogwarts.
"Somethings change." Marlene spoke with a calm certainty. "Somethings do not." She paused and then said, almost to herself, "And somethings we have to change ourselves."
Marlene's gaze landed on the bandages, and then she turned away.
The action was odd. Lily didn't understand why Marlene had a hard time looking her in the eye. It was almost as if she felt guilty. But why would Marlene feel guilty? It wasn't as though she had caused the potion to explode.
Lily's heart skipped a beat. Or did she?
Marlene had been acting off for a year now. Remus worried she might be under the Imperius Curse. Could Marlene have swapped the ingredients?
Even as the thought formed in Lily's mind, it was swiftly dismissed. The war had made her paranoid. She had even doubted Marlene. Marlene, who had been her friend since first year. Marlene, who saw the good in everyone and loved determinedly. Marlene, who had rushed to the Hospital Wing to see if she was all right. What would James say? If you can't trust your friends, who can you trust?
Lily would have laughed at her own paranoia if she hadn't found herself gripped by a sudden panic. Who could she trust? The horrible, fighting truth finally started to reach her: someone had purposefully hurt her.
"I need to go," said Marlene, rising from her seat. "Divination starts soon."
"Yeah." Lily tried to smile but couldn't find the strength.
"Get well soon."
Marlene spared one last glance for Lily before heading to the exit. Despite her almost frantic departure, Marlene moved with calm, unhurried steps.
The shadow that lurked at the edges of Lily's mind had started to grow. The fear, the panic, the frightening truth. As she watched Marlene close the doors of the Hospital Wing behind her, what had happened to her finally came crashing down around Lily.
Someone had purposefully hurt her.
Someone hated her, and what her parents were, so much that they had caused her potion to explode. They had snuck into the ingredients cupboard, knowing which potion she would make. They had taken the time to plan and prepare to hurt her.
Who could hate her that much?
Lily stared down at the bandages on the backs of her hands. She felt the stinging pain and remembered the red blisters on her skin.
What had she done to them? Besides being born to muggle parents, what had she done to deserve this? Or was that all it took? She was muggleborn, something she had no control over, and that was all the reason they needed.
Lily barely noticed when Mary stopped by after helping Madam Pomfrey. She nodded noncommittally when Mary spoke and felt relief when Mary finally left.
The world seemed to have fallen out of place, and Lily couldn't put the pieces back in the right order. She couldn't understand the people who had done this to her. She couldn't comprehend such hate.
But that very same hate had fueled seven years of open war. A war that had haunted the magical world from the moment Lily had entered Hogwarts. Her first year had been filled with news of muggles being hunted for sport. By her second year, the Death Eaters had started killing muggleborns. She'd seen article upon article announcing that people just like her had been murdered.
She couldn't imagine life outside Hogwarts' walls. Was there a place for her in this world? Maybe things would have been better if she'd never received that letter from Hogwarts. She would still get along with Petunia. She wouldn't be in this world where so many people wanted nothing more than to see her dead.
Lily didn't know how much time passed as she mulled over these dark thoughts. At some point, Madam Pomfrey left for dinner. Lily could only stare blankly at the empty beds of the Hospital Wing. The shadow had finally dug its claws into her.
Was this what Marlene had gone through? Was this what had changed her so much? Did she feel this despair and realize that the things she'd loved before no longer mattered?
Wrapped in her fear, Lily didn't notice the door to the Hospital Wing open or see the black-haired boy make his way across the room. It wasn't until he stood beside the bed that Lily realized that James Potter had come to visit her.
Lily didn't know what he saw in her eyes, but James started with alarm. "What happened? Who hurt you? What can I do? What do you need?"
"Sorry." Lily's hands flew up to her face. She winced when her fingers brushed against the bandages. "Am I crying?"
"No," said James even as he grabbed some tissues from the bedside table. He sat down in the chair and leaned forward. Delicately, careful to avoid her injuries, he dabbed at the corners of her eyes. His voice was soft, pleading almost, as he asked, "Lily, what happened?"
"I just…" Lily didn't want James to see her like this. She didn't want him to see her crying, giving in to despair. She wanted to stay that headstrong girl that he'd declared himself in love with so many times before. And yet, even as she wanted to hide, she also wanted him there. His mere presence was enough to ground her even as the world came apart at the edges.
"It's all right," said James when he'd finished wiping the tears from her eyes. "Take your time. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
From somewhere, Lily summoned up a thin smile. She largely felt embarrassed for letting him see her like that.
"Sorry," she said again.
"There's nothing to apologize for," said James. "You don't have to apologize for being upset. The only person who should apologize is the one who—" He broke off.
"The one who switched my potions ingredients for mud and blood," said Lily bluntly. It made her feel better to say it aloud, to admit what had happened.
James hands trembled with anger, but he tried to keep his feelings contained. For her sake, Lily realized. She watched as he took a couple deep breaths, and slowly the tension in his shoulders faded. He managed a weak smile for her. "You're incredible, Lily."
She wanted to laugh aloud. She didn't feel incredible. She felt small and scared.
"You are," insisted James. "I know you keep smiling for the rest of us. You're always like that. Worrying about other people before yourself. That's incredible."
Lily stared into those hazel eyes that she'd grown so familiar with over the past year.
James gave a little cough, the tips of his ears turning red beneath his messy hair. "I had patrol this morning with Remus instead of you, you know. He's not nearly as fun. He doesn't laugh at my jokes."
"I only laugh at your terrible jokes to make you feel better," said Lily.
"Sirius would tell you not to bother. It'll only inflate my ego."
"Your ego can't get any more inflated."
"Very true."
"Sirius stopped by earlier," said Lily. "He brought me Honeydukes' chocolate."
"Oh yeah." James glanced at the box. "He snuck into Hogsmeade to get those for you. Had to bribe a fifth-year prefect to cover for him, and almost got caught by Peeves on the way back."
Lily groaned. "I didn't want to know. I mean, how could he? Sneaking into Hogsmeade like that. Visits are banned for a reason. What if something had happened to him? Getting me chocolates isn't more important than his safety."
"I guess I wasn't supposed to tell you," said James.
"I was eating them in happy ignorance," said Lily with a forlorn look at the box. She didn't dare ask for details on how Sirius had snuck into Hogsmeade.
"Keep eating them. If anyone finds out I told you, I'll get an earful." James shuddered at the thought. "Sirius just wants you to get better soon. Everyone does."
Lily found herself unconsciously smiling. Talking with James was so comfortable, so easy. But at the same time, it felt so fragile. It existed beneath the shadow of all the newspapers articles she'd read of wizards found dead in their homes, the dark mark cast into the night sky.
The panic had started to return, seeping into Lily's thoughts. Only, this time, it wasn't herself that Lily felt frightened for. It was James. Bold James who stood against the Slytherins whenever they bullied muggleborn students. There was no way he'd remain silent after graduating Hogwarts. He would fight. James had always been a fighter. Lily didn't know what she'd do if one day she opened the paper to see his name among the dead.
Without realizing it, she found herself grasping for James's hand. He fingers closed around his, gripping tightly, as if he would disappear unless bound to her.
"I don't want to lose you," she whispered.
James adjusted his hand so that her hold was more comfortable. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."
A bittersweet feeling filled Lily's chest. "You can't promise that."
"I can't," he admitted. Then, in a smaller voice, he added, "I don't want to lose you either."
When had it started? When exactly did James Potter become so important to her? She could still remember first year when he had been the bane of her existence. She could remember threatening to jinx him after he picked on Severus. She could remember James declaring his love for her in the corridors. She could remember shutting him down every time he asked her to Hogsmeade. She could remember calling him arrogant, pigheaded, and a bully.
When had that changed? When had he stopped being the bane of her existence? Had it been when she'd seen him kissing Joanna Stebbins? Had it been when he'd taken charge during the raid on Hogsmeade? Had it been when she realized her feelings for Caradoc Dearborn were nothing more than friendship? Perhaps there hadn't been a single, defining moment that caused her feelings to change. It had been a process. Slow and gradual.
Lily found that she was glad that she 'd received her Hogwarts letter, even if it meant entering this world torn apart by war. If she hadn't come to Hogwarts, she'd be an ignorant muggle, not understanding why so many people had died. She wouldn't have the chance to fight. If she hadn't come to Hogwarts, she wouldn't have met her friends. Dorcas, Mary, Marlene, Sirius, Remus, Peter. They'd be strangers to her. If she hadn't come to Hogwarts, she'd never have met James Potter.
Lily gave James's hand a squeeze, reminding herself that he was still there.
"I still fancy you," he said.
Her heart thundered in her chest. Lily couldn't form a coherent thought, let alone find words to respond.
"I—" James stopped himself and ran a hand through his already untidy hair. "I don't want to tell you like this. Now, I mean, you're in the Hospital Wing. You've been through a lot these last couple days. I don't want to take advantage—"
Lily grabbed the collar of his shirt and kissed him.
James was probably right. This was neither the time nor place, and her face was covered in bandages But, right then, she didn't care. The world had shattered around her and the pieces weren't fitting back together as they ought. James, with his broad shoulders, his warm eyes, his fierce determination, his endless loyalty, his gentle kisses, James was the only thing that anchored her.
Only when his glasses pressed against one of her bandages did Lily remember herself. Her head buzzing, Lily released her grip on James's shirt and ended the kiss.
James stared at her, his face blank. He blinked. Slowly, he pulled himself together enough to ask, "Does this mean you fancy me too?"
Lily let out a small laugh. "Yes."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Absolutely sure?"
Lily lifted up their still clasped hands for him to see. "Yes, James, I'm absolutely sure. I've been sure for awhile. I just didn't know how to say it."
A smile flickered across James's face, at first hesitant and then slowly growing. Then, he beamed at her. Something glinted in his hazel eyes and he said, "I mean, of course. Who could resist me?"
Lily let out a snort of laughter. "You know what? I'm starting to reconsider…"
"I take it back," said James quickly. "I was joking. Honestly, I can't believe it. After sixth year, I thought you'd never feel the same."
Lily gave his hand another squeeze. He glanced down at their intertwined fingers. When he looked up at her, he wore a brilliant smile.
Suddenly, Lily couldn't meet his gaze. Her face burned as she looked at their hands, the bed sheets, the chocolate box—anywhere but at James. She felt self-conscious of the fact that bandages covered her face and she had blisters on her skin.
James suddenly let out a long sigh. "Sirius is going to be insufferable when he hears we're dating."
Lily's heart jumped. Dating. They were dating. With a shaky laugh, she said, "The endless I-told-you-so's from Mary and Dorcas will drive me barmy."
"I wouldn't be surprised if Remus and Sirius have a bet," muttered James. He glanced at Lily, a mischievous spark in his eyes. "We could just not tell them. At least until Sirius loses his bet."
Lily laughed. James opened his arms, and she found herself sinking into his embrace.
The fear, the panic, the desperate worry hadn't left. It lingered at the edge of her mind, reminding her of what waited outside of Hogwarts. But in that moment, wrapped in James's arms, Lily allowed herself to feel happy and safe.
A/N: Well, we all knew that was coming. Sorry if it's bad, romance is not my strong point.
Since the beginning, I've planned to do one chapter from each of the secondary characters' perspectives throughout the story. We finally got to the first one! And yes, this will have implications...
Thank you for reading!