Author's Notes:

Hi everyone! As some of you know, I'm the author of my other story, Ignoring Destiny, an AU pre- and during Hogwarts story. I'd been thinking about working on this second story since it came to me in a dream a month or two ago. Because the basic plot isn't already manifested like it is when you write an AU HP story, I had to take some time to develop some of those plot points for this story. Basically, I know some of the secrets and how this story is going to end!

This story is going to focus on James Sirius Potter and a female character of my own creation, Devin Spencer.

The Lost Ones won't be updated as often as Ignoring Destiny will be. Due to the bar exam, and having already committed to weekly updates of ID, I don't want to tie myself to weekly updates for this story. But I will post at least once a month, sometimes more often depending on how much I work on it. Like I said, I need to make sure I can develop the plot and characters and do this story the justice it deserves. For now, here's a little bit of a prologue for you. I really hope you guys like it! My writing style for this will be a bit more gothic than ID is, but it'll still be 3rd person omniscient and have similar undertones.

I didn't want to put any author's notes before the prologue because I felt it was a powerful paragraph and that author's notes interrupted that feeling. I hope you liked it and it didn't give too much away!

So, please, like and follow The Lost Ones and check out Ignoring Destiny!

Chapter One: Fight or Flight

Devin stepped into the dimly lit bar and glanced around. Several people were seated at the many tables lining the walls. Devin noted that the table where the Nintendo 64 sat was still available. That was one of the main reasons she tended to choose this bar over any others, every table had a different video game system and there was never a domestic beer on tap. Sure, you could buy a pint, but they only came in a can or bottle. Well, except Guinness; no self-respecting bar would refuse to keep that on tap.

She frowned, wondering where he was. She searched for that mop of hair so brown it was nearly black as she scanned the room. When she couldn't find him, she grew concerned that he had stood her up. It was only their third date; it was possible he had changed his mind. Devin shook her head and glanced back down at her cellphone, he was her friend longer than they'd been dating, he wouldn't just stand her up without saying anything to her. She tucked a lock of her black curly hair behind her ear as she pulled open their text messages and confirmed that he had wanted to meet at the pub at 8.

Devin: You still coming?

She sat her phone down and grabbed a seat at the bar and glanced at the menu. When Mykl, the bartender, stopped by her, she opened a tab and ordered a Guinness. She was about halfway through her drink when her phone buzzed on the granite top.

Jay: I'm so sorry! I'm on my way.

Devin sighed as she set her phone down. She had only known Jay for a few months, but she had already come to realize that this was par for the course. Why she had even worried he'd stood her up was beyond her. Jay was so damned forgetful that he once went to the market for her for a pint of milk, bought the milk, and then subsequently left it at the register, returning to her place empty handed.

When the door to the bar opened, she heard a familiar voice. Devin looked up and smiled when she saw Taylor, one of the ID checkers for the bar.

"Taylor!" Devin said loudly from the bar, waiving at him.

"Hey!" Taylor said, a smile on his bearded face.

Taylor made his way over to Devin and leaned on the bar next to her, waiving at Mykl as he was passed a beer. Taylor drank some of the amber liquid before turning to Devin who had shifted in her seat towards him by this point.

"You working tonight?"

"Nah, I'm off. You here alone?"

"I'm waiting for Jay," Devin said, blushing.

Taylor choked on his beer slightly and coughed, "Right," he coughed, "I forgot you two had started dating. How did you two meet again?"

Devin pulled the hair tie off of her wrist and started pulling her kinky black hair up into a messy bun, "Well," she started, "We literally ran into each other outside of this coffee shop, Witch's Brew—"

"Right, that coffee place I've never heard of."

Devin frowned, "Yeah. Anyway, I literally ran into him as he was coming out. I was too focused on writing an email on my phone and knocked into him and spilled his coffee everywhere. I mean all over him. I was so embarrassed but he was so nice about it. He thought it was a great idea for a prank, I guess. He started going on about how to make it look like an accident and then I offered to replace his drink. And, well, that's about it. But you knew all that."

"Yeah, I just, I don't know. I've always felt like he's hiding something. I just can't put my finger on it, you know?"

"Everyone's entitled to have their secrets, Taylor," Devin said as she took a swig of her Guinness.

"Well, yeah," Taylor said taken aback.

"That's why I don't pry. If he wants to tell us whatever it is he's hiding, he will. But I suspect it has to do with his parents. They must be embarrassing or they have a strained relationship because every time they're brought up he changes the subject."

"But, Devin, you don't even know Jay's last name."

"What's my last name, Taylor?"

"Uh," Taylor floundered, "Uh, Spicer? Ok, fine, point taken."

"I couldn't say I know your last name or Mykl's. No one puts those on social media anymore and, honestly, they don't really matter unless you're doing a background check."

"I guess, but—"

Devin's phone buzzed and she picked it up, ignoring what Taylor was saying as she answered the phone. She quickly held up a finger in Taylor's face and mouthed, "It's Jay."

"Hey, where are you? Did you die or something?"

"No, I promise! I got stuck doing something at my parents' house. I'll be there in just a minute. Sorry for keeping you waiting." Jay said over the phone.

"It's fine. Taylor showed up and he's been keeping me company."

"Is he still going on about his conspiracy theories about me?" Jay asked, laughing.

"Yeah. This time it's your parents," Devin laughed.

Taylor gave her a look, his hands out, basically saying, "Come on, man!"

Devin stuck her tongue out at Taylor as Jay babbled in her ear, "Uh huh. I'll see you soon, then!"

"Be there in a minute! Bye!"

Jay hung up and Devin sat her phone back down on the bar top and ordered another round from Mykl, "And can you get another beer for Jay? Whatever lager's on tap. And put Taylor's on my tab too."

"Sure thing. How are you doing, Devin? We haven't seen you in here in a week or two," Mykl said as he poured the beers.

"I've been good. I've just been busy getting the new book ready for publication."

"Right! You did mention you'd finished your latest novel," Mykl said as he put the beers down, "When will it hit the shelves?"

Devin took a sip of her beer, "Hopefully two months. We'll have to see. How have you been?"

"I've been alright. Just slinging beers and telling tales; the usual."

Devin jumped when an arm suddenly came around her. She turned just in time to see Jay's mess he calls hair descending on her as he kissed her head.

"Hey, Jay," Taylor said as Jay sat down.

"Sup Taylor. We've missed seeing you the last few weeks."

"Oh, so you're the one who's been keeping our Devin from us, huh?" Mykl said with a smirk on his face, "I don't think we've met. I'm Mykl, the bartender."

Jay raised his glass towards Mykl, "Sláinte."

"Alright, gents," Devin said as she looked at Taylor and Mykl, "We're going to take our date over to a table if that's ok with you."

Devin grabbed onto Jay's arm and pulled him from the bar as he tipped his glass towards Taylor and Mykl again. The two spent the evening drinking and playing video games at the bar. They talked about Devin's newest book and Jay's work at the joke shop. Devin still didn't understand why he continued working as a manager there instead of opening his own storefront. Jay simply continued explaining that it was family run. She simply shrugged; she had never understood families. Her parents hadn't been around much when she was growing up and she still to this day felt little to no attachment to them. Before they realized it, the bar was making last call. They decided to finish up their drinks and head back to Devin's house since she was in walking distance.

As they walked back to her house the two laughed and joked about everything around them. Devin and Jay were feeling a little tipsy after drinking so many beers. They didn't notice right away the shadowy figure that was walking closely behind them.

As the two of them turned down Devin's street Jay heard the sound of feet on gravel. He grabbed Devin's hand and squeezed it before leaning over.

"I think someone's following us," he whispered.

Devin tensed as she put her hand in her pocket and wrapped her hand around the knife she carried concealed there. She carefully looked over at Jay, his brown eyes boring into her, trying to say something she couldn't quite make out. She watched as his eyes hardened and he mouthed, "I'm sorry."

Confused, she watched as Jay turned and in one swift motion pulled out a thin stick from his sleeve. As she turned, she saw the man who had been following them hold up a gun and point it at Jay who was now pushing the stick into the man's face.

Devin's eyes darted back and forth as she watched the scene unfold, her eyes wide as she watched Jay waive his stick around the man. She watched as the man's hand tightened on the gun pointed at Jay.

"No!" Devin shouted as she jumped forward and tackled the man in front of them just as Jay's stick shot out a jet of red light.

The jet of light bounced harmlessly off of Devin as she pushed the man to the ground, his gun scattering to the side from the force of the fall. The man looked back up at Jay who still held his stick in front of him and ran.

Devin looked up at Jay with fear in her eyes and saw the shock written in his.

"Well," Jay said, "This isn't good."

Jay glanced around them as Devin heard multiple loud cracks around them. she could see the shadows of people in the dark to their left and right, the street lamps barely illuminating their figures. Shifting, Jay covered Devin's body as he yanked her up to her feet and turned with a loud crack, leaving the several wizards who had appeared around them in the empty road.

End Notes:

Thank you for reading The Lost Ones! Please like, follow, and review!