Chapter Two: Until The Very End

The first thing Lily saw the next day was the white ceiling.

"Where am I?" she whispered. She got up and saw her clothes. She looked around and her question was answered. The hospital? How did I end up here? She checked the time on the clock on the wall and ran out of her ward.

"Excuse me, miss. Is there a patient named James Potter?" asked Lily nervously. "I think he is in the ward there." pointed the nurse. Lily thanked her and ran off without waiting for the nurse's reply.

She opened the door and found a pale-looking James Potter, lying on the bed with Remus and Mr and Mrs Potter standing beside him. His parents were sobbing sadly. The only child of theirs was dying and they couldn't do anything. Remus was shaking his head, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"James!" Lily called as she rushed to his bed and knelt, trembling. His hair was still as messy as always. She lightly ruffled his hair. The other hand reached for his fragile hand and grasped it tightly, scared that he might just vanish in front of her. She didn't want to lose him. Not now, not tomorrow, not without her. He said he will be there for her, until the very end.

She rested her head beside him and started to weep. Suddenly, the door flew open. Sirius and Peter rushed in and trembled when they saw James as pale as a sheet. James never looked so pale before. He was always cheerful and active. Unlike now. Peter curled into a ball and cried silently. Sirius fell to his knees, tears streaming down his handsome face. He muttered something that was too soft and Lily was too sad to even bother listening.

"Hey," rasped James. Everybody turned to look at him. He gripped Lily's hand more tightly; afraid that he will lose her very soon. He wanted to marry her, to be by her side always. All he ever wanted was happiness and having a family with the woman who he always loved with all his heart. All his wishes and hopes had died on the moment when he knew that death was already signing him up to another world. Another world where his friends and family are very far away.

He smiled and said "I know I don't have much time. Mom and Dad, I love you and I'm sorry for not being a good son. I'm probably the worst son ever…" He held back his tears, crying would only bring him more pain. "No…you're not." replied James' mother. "You're always the proud and best son we have. We love you too!" said James' parents. James smiled and even that ached. "Wormtail, Moony, Padfoot… Before I leave, let's say it one last time. I'm afraid when I reach up there I may forget it." "I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good." said the Marauders together for the last time. They four cried, losing a best friend was much more painful than dying.

"Lily?" whispered James. "I'm here." replied Lily. They two locked eyes and Lily leaned closer to him. "I love you. Don't forget me. My heart belongs to you until the very –" James' hand fell and his heartbeat stopped. "James…James! Don't go… I love you too…" said Lily and she burst into tears. Her heart was shattered into a million pieces. The pain of losing the cheerful, charming, positive and mischievous James Potter made her want to die with him. There was no point of living without him. James Potter left them with his most handsome smile that burnt into the remaining Marauders, Lily and his parents' mind, impossible to forget.

The third day after James Potter's death, Lily woke up with her eyes swollen after sobbing. It was 7 in the morning and she got up. She grabbed her bag and went to get her car. She searched for her car keys in the parking lot and saw a photo. It was the photo of her first kiss with James. Tears pricked at the back of her eyes. She drove to the only destination in her mind: the beach. She blinked back her tears whenever she pass by the places that she and James had been. Precious memories of James kept on popping in her mind: the memory of them dating, the memory of them kissing, the memory of them holding hands, enjoying the presence of each other. The last words of James kept on ringing in her ear. She couldn't hold back her tears anymore.

She parked her car and ran to the small coconut tree. She dug out the bottle and took out the delicate paper slowly. Inside the paper was scribbled with James' perfect handwriting:

Dear Firecracker,

Don't get angry yet. I know you don't like that nickname but that is the only name I will call no one except you. There are too many people named 'Lily' and you, Lily Evans, Firecracker, my girlfriend, is the only woman for me, James Potter, one of the Marauders, Prongs and your awesome boyfriend. Love you and may I kiss you? (Even if you say no I will kiss you anyway.) I hope our relationship lasts as long as Professor McGonagall's lecture. (Seriously. She does know how to make you regret for getting in trouble by giving you a loooooooong lecture.) Anyway, um…will you er… marry me?

P.s. you may wonder how did I write so neatly on the sand and the answer is I wrote it at home and it took me like two nights writing you this. Yes, yes I know it's not romantic and all but I really hope you would, you know, be the Lily of my Prongs.

P.p.s. don't take that joke too Siriusly.

P.p.p.s. Will you, Lily Evans, marry the awesome and charming James Potter?

Love, the fantastic James Potter

James

Tears kept running down her face as she read every single word. "He was going to propose to me…" whispered Lily to herself. No one would see her crying there as it was still early. No one was there to comfort her. The letter flew away from her hands. In a blink of an eye, the letter was gone, just like James Potter. She trembled. She curled up into a ball and sobbed helplessly. Why must the world treat me like this? Haven't I suffered enough? thought Lily. Her life was never easy and when she thought she finally found happiness, the love of her life was gone, just like all her hopes. She lifted up her head as the sun rises. She imagined James sitting beside her like the past few days, when he was still alive. She could feel the heat radiating from his body. She just wanted to hug him tightly and never let him go. She imagined him comforting her, telling her that it was just a dream, he hadn't died at all. "Until the very end…" Lily muttered. Suddenly someone was standing in front of her, blocking her view. James she thought. She raised her head and she saw James. She happily reached to touch him but he disappeared. It was just my imagination. Tears dropped.

"Hey," said Sirius as he walked and sat beside Lily. "The ones who really love us never really leave us. You could always find them in here." pointed Sirius at his heart. "Yeah," sniffed Lily. She wiped away her tears. "He is always with me… Until the very end…"