A/N: Written fror the second challenge in the European Quidditch Cup
If you had walked by the lake at Hogwarts one chilly spring morning, you would've been met by a very strange sight. But as there was no one awake at that hour, James Potter sat by himself, brooding at the edge of the water. Normally, James was a complete social butterfly; always surrounded by his friends or chatting with anyone nearby, but yesterday night he had realized something… something so frightening shocking that he hadn't been able to sleep all night. So as soon as he could, he had come down here to clear his head a bit.
The cold unyielding surface of the large rock James was leaning against dug into his back, and he shifted to make himself more comfortable. Staring across the surface of the lake, he could see ripples travelling outward from where the Giant Squid lounged lazily in the middle of the lake. James really didn't know how to put his thoughts into words. The realization had come to him near midnight while he was on the brink of sleep. He just felt like… he was still the same as he was back when he first entered Hogwarts. He felt like he was frozen in time, staying the same while he watched his friends and family change and grow. He watched as Lily changed from a thin, adorable girl to someone who was smart and charming in everything she did, and how Slughorn claimed that Snape was going to be a great Potions Master while in first year, he had only been slightly better than him at it. And yet, James was still the same as he was when he was younger. Sure, he had changed physically and had gotten some new prank tricks, but he was essentially the same as he was back then. Even his best friends were now thinking about the future, and becoming a little different in accordance to their goals.
James knew it was childish to think that his Hogwarts years would last forever. That he could keep pranking people and having fun with his friends. That he could still ask Lily out and she would one day say yes. That he would always be able to make fun of Snape. But the thing was, that he now realized, everyone was moving on without him. No matter how much he wanted to stay in the present forever, they would keep moving on without stopping. Life didn't just stop for you because you wanted it to. Maybe, James thought belatedly, this is the reason she won't go out with me.
With that thought in mind, James made a silent vow to himself. He was going to start changing, from here on out. No matter what little steps he had to take to get to his goals, no matter how many obstacles he had to struggle through, he would start moving towards the future with his friends and family. He wasn't going to be left behind.
It was a promise he would carry until his last moments in this world.