Lily leaps down the stairs of the dorms, ready to go to Hogsmeade and hang out with the Marauders.
That's what James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter call themselves, she's learned, and it gives her such a laugh. As she finds out more about the four boys, the easier it is for her to see through their 'macho' exteriors. Sirius is deeply emotional and fiercely loyal. Remus is brilliant beyond his marks and incredibly compassionate towards others, which, to be fair, she did know this about him – just not the extent that she knows now. As for Peter, he's a sweet and helpful as any boy could be, which is heartwarming in every way.
Though, the one that continues to surprise her after all of these months is James Potter.
Not only does James exhibit all of the personality traits of his friends, but he's also maturing into an excellent young man of phenomenal possibilities. James openly offers to tutors his classmates from any house, he works with the first years aspiring to be Quidditch players someday, and goes out of his way to make amends with those that he's picked on in the past. James has spent the new term trying to redefine the reputation that he had as an arrogant bully.
Of course, these changes have come with even more ogling eyes and desperate admirers. There's not a single girl in Gryffindor that isn't drooling over James when he walks by, though now – Lily almost can't blame them.
"Good morning!" Lily whoops as she jumps onto the floor of the Common Room. Sirius is sitting on the couch with Remus, who is passed out on his shoulder. There's a secret between them, and, not that it's any of Lily's business, she suspects that it is one that is best kept that way – for their safety. A quick smile flashes over her lips before she asks the obvious question. "Where's James?"
Sirius looks down at Remus who stirs slightly at the sound of her loud voice. "James said he was going out for a little bit but that he'd be back by the time we had to leave for Hogsmeade. So, your guess is as good as mine."
Lily slowly nods, thinking about where he'd been off to last year.
Meet me at the edge of the woods and the Black Lake.
Part of her wants to go to see him, to see the garden he kept, and the other part of her dreads it. What if Severus is with him, getting help with Herbology again? Would she be able to hold her tongue? Would she be able to see James in the positive light that has formed around him?
She takes a seat in a nearby chair, watching Remus snore softly on Sirius' shoulder, comfortable where he's at in this unconscious moment.
"I think I actually might know where he's gone," Lily mutters just loud enough for Sirius to hear her. A sideways smirk indicates that he suspected as much. Without a second thought, she gets up to leave. Sirius shouts after her that James owes him a sickle for the bet they made last night, but she's gone before she can hear the whole story.
The brisk walk down to the Black Lake isn't that bad, though Lily wishes that she had a jumper or a scarf. When she finally reaches her destination, however, one step into the protective bubble revitalizes her. The warmth from the controlled environment is lovely.
"I guess I should have known you'd memorize the spell to get in," James says without looking up at her. Even if she cannot see his face, Lily can tell that he's impressed with her recollection – and may even be glad that she showed up. "Sirius is still up?"
Lily kneels down with James, dirtying her dark wash denim in the soil. Her hands instinctively start working on the flowerbed of browning wood lilies alongside her friend. Last year these flowers were being "maintained" by Severus Snape. It is no surprise that in James' absence they died…. No surprise that they were the perfect reflection of her decayed friendship with Severus…
"Yes, and he mentioned that you owe him a sickle?" James chortles almost like he's choking. He doesn't give any new details, but confirms that he'll be paying up when they get to Honeydukes later.
"Sirius doesn't mind being paid in treats," he tries to say smoothly, though he breaks out into the goofiest grin. He glances over at Lily with tears welling up in his eyes, but they're happy tears. It melts Lily's heart, which is thoroughly frustrating because she knows what that means.
And she does not like James Potter.
They work on the wood lilies in silence for a long period of time after this, and it's surprisingly comfortable. It reminds her of Remus sleeping on Sirius' shoulder in the Common Room. Or when McGonagall and Sprout have a good laugh during dinner, holding hands and clinking their glasses together like old friends.
It reminds her of her parents, when they danced without music in the backyard under the stars on their wedding anniversary.
This moment needs nothing more and nothing less than what it has at this exact second. "Are you going to keep the garden?" Lily asks, hoping to distract her wondering thoughts.
"Yes," James offers, reaching for spare soil piled up near her knees. As he pulls it back around what few lilies are on their stems, he explains himself a bit further. "This is where I came to clear my head and figure things out last year. It's been a great spot to get myself straightened out this year too."
Lily reaches out and grabs his hand before she can even convince herself not to, squeezing his fingers into her palm. "Thank you for letting me be a part of this."
Nothing happens next. Nothing happens at all. Lily just watches James, who watches their hands, which don't move. Something in his expression looks startled, maybe satisfied too, but he also looks hurt. What she could do to ease his mind, Lily isn't sure, but she wants to try.
Much to her surprise, she wants to try.
