Disclaimer: The characters are the property of the amazingly talented J.K Rowling! I'm only borrowing the characters and world that she has so brilliantly created.

Beta by: ilovethedotgame

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Chapter Ten: Just One of Those Things

Hestia was quite sure that nothing had ever taken her by surprise quite the way the last ten seconds of her life had.

"What?" she heard herself say, not quite believing what had just happened and wondering if she had indeed heard correctly. How was it possible that Lily was in love with James? Lily had greatly disliked James until the middle of sixth year and had only been friends with him starting in seventh year. They had worked together as Head Boy and Head Girl, but surely…one year… was that possible?

Lily was silent, staring back at her with a mixture of guilt and sadness.

"You…you're in love with James?" Hestia asked again, trying to draw a response from Lily. "Answer me!" she added when Lily remained silent. In her confusion, Hestia didn't realize that her voice sounded much sharper than she had intended.

"I'm so sorry," Lily whispered, the words practically a sob.

Hestia felt as though Lily had just slapped her across the face. "Sorry? That's all you have to say?"

Alice cleared her throat, causing Hestia to jump. She had forgotten Alice was present.

"Maybe we should go into the front room…or something," Alice suggested, clearly trying to avoid a scene on the doorstep.

Lily shook her head sadly. "There's nothing to say."

"Nothing to say?" Hestia echoed incredulously. As far as she was concerned there was quite a lot to be said. She wanted an explanation, for Merlin's sake!

"I didn't mean for this to happen. It…It's just one of those things."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hestia demanded, feeling tears threaten her eyes. "You're in love with my boyfriend. How am I supposed to respond to something like that, Lily?"

"I honestly don't know," Lily told her. "But I can't stay here…" And with those words, she turned on her heal and Disapparated.

Hestia stared at the spot where Lily had just been, her mind trying to process and deal with what had just taken place. "Alice…what do I do?"

Alice said gently. "Lily's your friend; don't you think that if she could change the way she feels she would? She's been - I'm sure she's been fighting her feelings for him. Why do think she was here? She's obviously upset about the situation."

Hestia was silent for a moment as she thought about Alice's words. Wait…hadn't Alice Lily "had been…"

"You knew she fancied him!" she accused, her mind racing as she wondered what other secrets her friends were hiding from her. "You knew, and you didn't say anything to me?"

The color drained from Alice's face as she found herself put on the spot. "It wasn't my place to tell anyone! I figured it out on my own; Lily didn't tell me. Hestia…it's not easy for her. She doesn't want anybody to get hurt."

Hestia considered this, chewing her bottom lip. "I suppose…I suppose I should go back to our flat and talk with Lily. I was a bit short with her. But I was just so completely floored."

So many things made sense now… Lily's reaction to her confession of her own feelings for James, for one. There had also been the reluctance to double date, and the limited enthusiasm of her and James' status as a couple.

Poor Lily, she thought sadly. It must be hard to be in love with someone who doesn't love you back and that can never be with you.

L … J

Lily's head throbbed as she lifted a mug down from the cabinet above the sink. She lit the stove with a jab of her wand and placed a kettle of water over the flame. Lowering herself slowly into a chair, she rested her weary head on her arms folded in front of her on the small circular table that resided in the corner of the small kitchen.

A loud rap on the front door caused Lily to suddenly jerk out of her brief moment of peace. Hestia would have simply let herself in with her key, so it wasn't her. She was probably still talking with Alice. Goodness knows that they had quite a lot to talk about.

A thought struck Lily. Wasn't Hestia supposed to have been out with James? Why had she been at Alice's?

Feeling too emotionally drained to deal with anyone at the present moment, Lily chose to ignore the person at the door and finish making herself a mug of tea. After that, she would curl up on the couch and read some of the new book she had bought from a muggle shop down the street.

The knocking came again, more insistent this time, followed by a male voice.

"Lily! I know you're in there!"

James.

He would show up at the most inopportune moment. And what was worse, she couldn't pretend that she wasn't home. The son of an Auror, James knew handy spells that were able to detect the presence of witches and wizards and their magic. She had seen him use such spells before during missions for the Order.

"Just open the door, Lily!"

Sighing, Lily pulled herself up from the table and made her way to the front door. When she opened the door, he was standing with his wand out stretched, muttering under his breath.

"What do you want, James?" she asked wearily. It hurt her heart every time she saw him, knowing that she had effectively severed the romantic ties between them, and she wasn't sure that after her meeting with Hestia that she could emotionally stand any more drama.

"I need to speak with you," he said, his voice extremely serious. He stepped into the apartment without waiting for her to invite him in. "It can't wait," he told her at the look she gave him.

"I just put the kettle on," she conceded, leading the way to the kitchen. Setting a mug down in front of James, she poured him some hot water and handed him a tea bag.

Lily swirled her teabag around for a moment with a spoon, and then James asked, "Why didn't you tell me before how Hestia felt about me?"

Lily nearly dropped the spoon she was holding in surprise. "She told you then?" she asked cautiously, taking the spoon from the mug and tapping it gently on the rim.

"Yes," James answered, looking at his tea rather than at her. "Right after I told her that I wanted out of our betrothal."

This time Lily did drop her spoon. It clattered on the wooden table and she let it rest where it had fallen. "You did what?"

"I went out with Hestia today with every intention of telling her that I wanted to be free of our betrothal. I was going to be as kind about it as possible, but then…Well, the conversation didn't exactly start as I'd planned, and I ended up telling her in the middle of an argument."

"I-" Lily began, thousand of thoughts racing through her mind faster than she could keep track of them.

James looked up, meeting her gaze, his hazel eyes intense. "I know you lied to me when you told me that you didn't care for me anymore."

Heart beating quickly, Lily began to protest, but he stopped her.

"You were just trying to be a good friend because you knew that Hestia fancied me. But Lily… she and I will never be happy together. It takes two people to make a relationship work."

"How do you know you could never be happy with Hestia?" Lily challenged. "You're friends with her aren't you?"

"I can't force myself to love her! Believe it or not, Lily, I have tried. I don't want to see her unhappy. I want her to marry someone she loves and to have a good life."

"Then marry her!" Lily cried, feeling tears begin to well up in the corners of her eyes.

"She loves you, and being married to you is what would make her happy!"

James leaned forward slightly, a decidedly determined look masking his face. "Don't you see! Just because she loves me doesn't ensure that she'd be happy! Being married to someone who doesn't love you back isn't exactly conducive to happiness."

"You might have come to love her in time. It happens all the time in other countries."

"I can't marry Hestia when I'm in love with you!" James shouted.

There was a tense silence as James realized what he had revealed and Lily sat back in shock. He loved her? Truly loved her? Or was love for her a way out of his impending marriage?

Lily didn't know what to say to this confession. Her heart had longed for him to say those words to her, but at the same time her mind told her that it was wrong. He was supposed to care about Hestia, not her. It was, after all Hestia whom he would be spending the rest of his life with. Harboring feelings for her would only make his marriage an unhappy one for both him and Hestia.

"James, are you-" she finally began to question, but he refused to let her finish.

"Yes, I meant what I said." He took her hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly. "I want out of my betrothal to Hestia because I love you. Just thinking of spending my life with anyone else feels as though I'm going to be imprisoned for the rest of my life."

"Thanks, James. I'm really chuffed that you equate being married to me with going to Azkaban."

In all the years that Lily had known Hestia, she had never seen her like this, and although Lily was not easily intimidated, for a moment, she was frightened of her friend.

"Listen, Hestia – " James began, his voice even and level, "I think the three of us need to sit down and talk this over."

"What's there to talk about? It appears that you've both already talked it over without me," Hestia replied, attempting to sound scathing through her trembling voice. Lily could tell that Hestia was trying to put up brave front, but she also knew that her friend was close to tears.

James clenched his jaw and tried to reason with her again, but Hestia simply cut him off.

"We are dating, you know!" Hestia choked out, blinking furiously. "Even if you haven't been physically unfaithful, you have been emotionally unfaithfull. And I think that's just as bad!"

She turned and stormed out of the kitchen. A few seconds later, Lily heard a door slam, and she winced.

"That did not go well," she sighed heavily, rubbing her temples.

"I think that's putting mildly," James agreed, his voice emotionless.

The two sat in silence for a few more moments before James rose to his feet. "I should be going. I'll…I'll talk to you later. When she's calmed down a bit."

Lily nodded and rose to her feet as well.

"I can see myself out," he told her. "Thanks for the tea."

Leaning down, he pressed a light kiss to her forehead. Then he was gone.

And although her head continued to throb and she was more than a little apprehensive about having to face Hestia in the morning, her heart still felt warm from his kiss and she smiled in spite of herself.

L … J

Lily awoke tired after a night of fitful slumber. She had been unable to sleep until nearly dawn, and then before she knew it, it was time to get up.

Stumbling into the kitchen she was surprised to find Hestia already there, sitting at the round table with a mug of tea in her hand. She would have thought Hestia would be avoiding her after what had occurred the night before.

The two merely stared at one another until Hestia broke the silence. "How could you?" she accused. "Didn't our years of friendship mean anything to you?"

Lily purposely ignored Hestia's question and went about making herself a cup of tea.

"Why him?" Hestia questioned again, her voice rising in volume. "Of all the people in the world, you had to pick him."

Lily bristled at Hestia's harsh words. How dare she accuse her of falling in love? It wasn't as though she had deliberately set out to take James away from her best friend. She would never do that!

"Don't you think if I could have picked any one else I would have?" Lily yelled back, angered that her best friend of seven years would accuse her of trying to steal her boyfriend.

"Oh, sure, it really shows," Hestia sneered. "I should have seen it earlier, the way you act around him, the way you look at him…"

"You're seeing things that aren't there Hestia! I treat James no different than Remus, Sirius or Peter. He's just my friend!"

"But you'd like him to be more wouldn't you?"

Lily opened her mouth to deny it, but found that she couldn't. She had spent all of seventh year at Hogwarts denying her feelings for James to others and to herself, and she couldn't do it any longer. To deny something she felt so strongly hurt too much.

Hestia nodded tersely, as though she had expected this response. "You just had to pick him."

"You're acting as though I've been plotting against you!" Lily cried, completely frustrated with her friend. "I didn't mean to fall in love with James, I just did. It's just one of those things, Hestia! Do you really think we would be in this situation if I had the choice? I would never willfully hurt you!"

"Yeah, well, you did."

Lily wiped a tear off her cheek. "Don't you understand? He's yours! You think I don't know that by now? Guess what? I do! I've had to watch you two date, and I've been forced to double date with you. How do you think that makes me feel? Do you think I enjoyed that?

Hestia shook her head slightly, then sighed heavily. "But why him? Why James?"

Lily laughed, but it was a humorless laugh. "You don't choose who you fall in love with! I just did. He's wonderful…he makes me laugh and feel worthwhile. He's there when I need someone. Talking with him is incredibly easy. Just being around him…he makes me feel safe."

Hestia was quiet for a moment before she spoke again. "I – I'm …sorry, Lily. I guess…My mother always assured me that one day I would come to love James even though we weren't marrying for love…I never believed her, and for a while I fought my betrothal. But then it just got too hard to be constantly arguing with my parents over something I knew would never change. So I gave in and accepted it.

"And then when I started to fancy him, I thought that maybe my parents were right. If I was falling in love with James, maybe he was falling in love with me. Maybe everything would be all right… But nothing good has come out of this betrothal. Only heartache."

"I am sorry," Lily said, moving forward to hug her friend.

"Don't be," Hestia replied as her arms circled Lily in return. "I overreacted. I understand that you aren't trying to take him from me. The fact that he's in love with you…I know you didn't encourage it."

Lily pulled back and regarded her friend, wondering how much of what she said was true. "Thank you."

L … J

James was sitting in the parlor reading a book on defensive theory when he heard his mother's voice coming from the foyer.

"Charles, I need to speak with you."

His father's voice was dismissive. "I have lots of work to finish, Dorea. Another time would be more convenient."

"This is important," his mother insisted, but James could tell her confidence was wavering.

"So is my work."

Footsteps sounded on the stairs.

James clenched his jaw in anger. Work had always come first for his father and look at what it had gotten him. He had a large home and more money that he could ever want, but he lacked the love of his family. He had chosen the Ministry over James and his mother, and this was the result.

"It's about James!"

The footsteps stopped.

"What about him?"

"This isn't the place. Couldn't we sit in my sun room and talk it over?"

"You can tell me here just as well as anywhere."

James waited with baited breath.

"It's about James' engagement to Hestia…Don't you think…Well, don't you think the two of them should be allowed to-"

"No," came his father's voice, cold and strong. "And that's my final word."

"But-"

"I said, no." The footsteps continued.

Tossing his book onto the sofa, James stormed out of the parlor, every particle of being filled with anger towards the man who had caused so much unhappiness.

His mother turned to stare at him, tears glistening in her eyes. "I'm sorry, James," she told him quietly, trying to keep her composure. To allow her tears to fall would be admitting to her unhappiness. James wanted her to let the tears fall for everyone to see. This was what a marriage of convenience had done to such a kind and giving woman.

"Don't be," he told her, putting his arms around her and holding her close. "I'm sorry I put you in this position. It was my place to ask him."

Dorea shook her head. "No, it's mine. You're my son, and your welfare is my first concern. I never should have allowed him to arrange this marriage in the first place. I could have stopped it. He listened to me more in those days. I'm so sorry you ever had to be put in this position, James."

"I'm going to talk with him," he announced, feeling empowered. "And don't try to stop me. I'll make him listen to me."

Releasing his mother, he strode to the stairs. Once he had reached the landing, he turned right and made his way down the wide corridor. At his father's study, he rapped loudly on the heavy wooden door.

"Come in," his father commanded at once.

When James entered the room, his father was standing near the door, looking into the foe glass that hung on the wall.

"I never thought I'd see the face of my own son when I looked into this," Charles motioned to the glass. "But there you are."

James ignored the statement, knowing that his father was simply attempting to make him feel guilty. It wouldn't work. "I need to speak with you about my betrothal to Hestia."

"I'll tell you what I told your mother. The answer is 'no'," Charles' voice was hard. "I've had enough of this nonsense. I thought we had cleared that up back when you were in school, but it appears I was wrong."

"It isn't nonsense!" James protested, trying to remain calm. "I just want to make my own choices in life. I want to marry someone I love. Do you love mother?" he blatantly questioned, locking eyes with is father.

Charles stiffened and drew himself up to his full height. "This conversation is completely inappropriate, and I won't sit here and be questioned in this manner by my own son."

"You don't," James accused. "You don't love her! Well, I don't love Hestia, and I don't want to spend the rest of my life chained to her!"

"I am not chained to your mother, James. I do not regret following the wishes of my parents that I marry her. Your mother gave me you, and I love you, James. I only want what's best for you."

"What's best for me?" James exploded, pounding his fist against the desk in rage. "What's best for me is to marry someone I can love!"

"You will learn to love Hestia. Forget Lily, James."

"No! I don't want to learn to love Hestia, and I certainly don't want to forget Lily."

"You have no choice, James," Charles' steely eyes booked no argument. "This discussion is over."

Seeing his father make a move for the exit, James leapt in front of the door, barring the way. Pulling his wand from the pocket of his robes, he pointed it at his father.

"Now you listen here, James –" Charles began, but James interrupted him.

"No, you listen!" James yelled, feeling desperate. "I love Lily!"

There was a ringing silence after the words were spoken. Charles searched his son's eyes, looking for truth; waiting to see if the words would be taken back.

Taking a deep breath, James brought his wand to point at his chest. "If you force me to marry Hestia, I swear to you I'll kill myself."

L … J

Dark sunlight penetrated the room, peeking under James' eyelids and waking him.

Sitting up slowly, James realized that he was lying on his four-poster, still in his robes. His glasses were neatly folded on the nightstand.

"Is Master James awake now?" a high-pitched voice questioned from the doorway.

Dingle stood in the doorway, balancing a breakfast tray laden with crispy bacon, lightly browned toast and a tall glass of orange juice.

"How did I get here?" James asked, picking himself up off the bed and crossing the large expanse of his bedroom.

"Master Charles did not want to do it Sir. But you makes him. You threatens to kill yourself, so Master Charles must do it, Sir."

Of course. James realized that he was stupid to have thought that his father couldn't have prevented him from doing anything rash. Charles Potter had been one of the Ministries top Aurors for a reason.

James reached for his wand, but he found his pocket empty except for an old chocolate frog wrapper and a handful of knuts.

"Where's my wand?"

"Master Charles took it away when he brings you here, Sir. He says it isn't safe for you to have it, he does."

James swore and kicked the dresser.

"Mistress Dorea sent you breakfast, Sir," Dingle suggested in a helpful tone.

"I'm not hungry," James replied in a deadpan tone.

"But Master James must eat!" squeaked the house elf. "You must, Sir!"

"I don't have to do anything." James replied tersely and strode across the room and sat down at his writing desk. He crossed his arms defensively.

Dingle shook her head, her large bat ears swinging sadly. "Master Charles will not like this. No, no. He won't."

"Good," James retorted sourly.

The moment Dingle left the room James bolted to the door and tried the handle. Fighting back a gasp as an electric shock bit through him, he released the handle with a curse.

Racing to the window, he flung open the shutters. Grabbing a book from his desktop, he threw it at the window with all of his might. The book bounced off an invisible barrier and back into the room where it dropped to the floor.

L … J

Lily opened her apartment door to find Mrs. Potter standing in the hall. She looked poorly. Her eyes were wet and puffy, and her usually perfect hair was coming loose from its tight bun at the back of her neck.

"Mrs. Potter! Come in!" Lily invited, wondering what the other woman could possibly doing here in such a state.

Dorea shook her head impatiently. "I need you to come with me. Now." Her voice booked no argument.

"What is it? Is everyone okay?"

"It's James."

"Is he hurt?" Lily asked frantically, her heart beginning to race at the mere prospect.

"Not physically, but you have to talk to him. Make him see reason!" Mrs. Potter's voice was reaching desperation. "He's threatened to kill himself!"

L … J

James was sitting in the midde of his bed, flipping through a photo album of pictures from Hogwarts when Lily's voice startled him out if his nostalgic thoughts.

"James Potter! What in the name of Merlin is going on here?" she exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips as she looked about his room.

The room did look something akin to a disaster zone. There were bits of broken objects and feathers from a shredded pillow scattered around the room. A shattered ink well lay broken in the middle of the floor, ebony liquid pooled about it.

Ignoring her reaction to the broken objects littering the floor, he tossed his book to the side, scrambling off the bed. Striding quickly towards her, he gathered her up in his arms, burying his face in her hair.

Pulling away from her, he ran his eyes over her, feeling soothed by the very sight of her. "What are you doing here?" he asked her, looking over her shoulder only to see a closed door.

"Your mum came to the apartment and asked me talk some reason into you," Lily explained. "She told me you threatened to kill yourself."

James looked down at his feet and nodded. He admitted now that his words had been a bit rash, but he wasn't sure he would do any differently if given the chance. He did, however, regret the fact that he had worried his mother so terribly.

"Why, James?" Lily implored, her green eyes filled with an emotion he couldn't define.

He looked up, meeting her eyes. "I told my father that I'd kill myself if he forced me to marry Hestia."

Lily wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face against his chest. James noticed, not for the first time, how well she fit in his embrace. "James, that's not worth your life."

"I love you, Lily. If I can't live life with you, I don't want to live it at all."

Lily swallowed hard, obviously trying to hold back tears. "James, you shouldn't say things like that."

"No, I should say things I mean to the woman I love. Besides, you want me to say them," James whispered into her hair.

He knew that Lily was right, that he shouldn't be saying such things to a woman who was decidedly not his fiancée. But James also knew that at that moment, he didn't care. He loved Lily, and that was all that mattered.

Lily pulled away and stood at arms length from him. "James…if you do have to marry Hestia –"

"No," James cut her off, unwilling to hear what he knew she was going to say. "I'm not going to have to marry her. I will find a way."

"Stop it!" Lily cried, pulling her hands away from his. "Every time you say that it gets my hopes up that maybe we can be together. But you know what? Life isn't a fairytale, and not everyone gets to live happily ever after! There is a very strong possibility that we won't be able to be together, and you need to accept that!"

"I don't want to accept that!" James shouted back at her, his eyebrows knitting together in anger.

"And you think I do?"

"You're sure doing a good job of it," he sneered at her, crossing his arms. "I thought you were a fighter, not someone who let others push them around and make their decisions for them. You're awfully prepared to accept my marriage to Hestia. Someone might wonder if you actually want to be with me, or if you just enjoy messing with me and ruining people's lives."

Lily was silent for a moment staring at him, her eyes blazing with emerald anger. When she spoke, her voice was calm, yet anger lurked directly below the surface. "You are the biggest prat I have ever met James Potter. If that's what you think of me, then you don't know me at all."

James watched as Lily turned swiftly on her heal and marched to the door. She yanked it open and paused to look back at him before slamming the door behind her.

I'm sorry for the wait. I've been extremely busy with school related stuff and I had some issues with chapter length and how many chapters there were going to be. The next chapter should be up sooner than this one. Again, I'm very sorry. Thanks for reading!