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.

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Beta by: ilovethedotgame

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Chapter Twelve: Resolution

Dedicated to Sarah and Karin. Thank you for your enthusiasm – you two truly renewed my creativity and my dedication to this story. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it for you.

"What about this color, dear?" Dorea asked kindly, holding up a swatch of fabric for Hestia to see. They were sitting in the front parlor of the Potter manor picking out colors for the wedding party apparel. Hestia had once looked forward to planning her wedding, but now she took no enjoyment in the process.

Dorea, torn between her loyalty to James and her duty to Hestia as surrogate mother, was doing her best to appear cheerful, but she couldn't completely hide her dissatisfaction with the process of wedding planning. Hestia too, was growing more and more displeased at the idea of planning a wedding that would bind her to James.

"Mother?" James' voice called, echoing through the large entrance way. Hestia briefly closed her eyes at the sound his voice.

"In here, dear," Mrs. Potter called, glancing quickly at Hestia as though to judge her reaction.

James appeared in the doorway, a wide grin on his face. The smile slowly faded as he spotted Hestia sitting next to his mother. Hestia looked away from his gaze, hurt washing over her anew.

"We're picking out the colors for the wedding," Dorea explained as James came fully into the room. "Would you care to join us?"

Hestia silently prayed that James would decline, but to her great surprise he took a seat next to her and leaned forward to examine the color pallet resting on the table amid swatches of fabric and bits of lace and frills.

For the next half hour he sat with them and acknowledged his preferences about the colors that would be chosen. Hestia could hardly help from staring at him. What had happened to the James of last week? He had been extremely angry and defiant, but now it was almost as though he was another person entirely. It was true that he did not seem to enjoy participating in the wedding plans, but he was doing so anyway.

It almost seemed, Hestia thought, as though he was at peace with the situation. If this was the case, he was lucky. She had no peace of mind about anything at the present moment.

"I suppose that's enough for now," Dorea said finally, setting the long scroll of parchment she held to the side. "We'll start with the invitations next week."

Hestia nodded, but a sense of unease settled into her stomach. Invitations made the whole ordeal seem much more final. Once they were sent out, it Charles would never allow them to be retracted. Not for a kingdom.

Bidding goodbye to Dorea and James, she flooed back to her London flat. It was solely her flat now. She had come home two nights ago to find all of Lily's belongings removed and a note resting on the kitchen table. Along with the note was enough money to cover one half of the rent for the month.

Hestia thought back to what Dorea had told her; next week she would be picking out invitations. Today they had planned the guest list. Naturally, Charles had included his own long list of acquaintances and co-workers who had to be invited for the sake of appearances. As Hestia had looked through the list of people she knew only by name, she had truly realized how much of her marriage was for appearances. She had thought that she understood the situation before, but she hadn't, not really.

Hestia sat down on the couch, considering her future. It was strange living alone, and the flat seemed empty without Lily's presence. Living with another person could be difficult, but also loads of fun, and Hestia found that she missed having someone around. She had often wondered what it would be like to live with James, but she had never been able to imagine occupying the same living space as him. In her mind, she struggled to picture their belongings mingled together on the shelves and in the drawers, sharing their meals together, but the images simply wouldn't come.

Her brow furrowed as her thoughts drifted to James' changed attitude. She had wanted him to be more optimistic about their joint future, but his new behavior was almost unsettling. He was polite, yet distant, and he was willing to let her make her own decisions and only be involved in her affairs as little as was required of him. Would he always be this way in their marriage? Would the rest of her life be spent in this manner?

L … J

"So this is where Lily Evans grew up?" Sirius asked rhetorically, glancing around her room.

Lily nearly dropped her book, startled by the sight of him in standing in the doorway to her room. "Sirius, what are you doing here?"

"I just thought I'd come by and take you out for ice cream. I figured that we should take advantage of a perfect Saturday afternoon. With all of the training we're going to be doing in the upcoming years, who knows when we'll have another Saturday off?"

His eyes fell on a Muggle photograph of their group of friends, taken in their seventh year. He leaned forward to more closely examine the photo.

"After the Gryffindor versus Slytherin match seventh year," he commented, his voice full of nostalgia. "I remember taking this picture… We all look so happy."

"Sirius…this isn't a date, right?" Lily asked hesitantly. She had thought that he was over her, but perhaps she had been wrong. She hoped not. There was quite enough drama in her life at the present time.

"No, I'm over you," Sirius assured her with a wry grin and Lily couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Sirius paused briefly, then continued. "Listen, I'm sorry I was such a right pest last year. But I really did fancy you, you know."

"I know," Lily replied, looking up at him. "But I didn't want to hurt you… I didn't mean to hurt a lot of people, and I ended up hurting them all."

"Hey," Sirius said, placing a large hand on her shoulder. "Don't be so hard on yourself. I suppose I was a bit crushed at the time, but it was good for me. No one had ever turned me down before." He paused, then said, "Everything will work itself out in time. Just wait and see."

"I hope you're right… I hate hurting the people I care about. I feel like such a horrible person," Lily admitted softly.

Sirius moved forward and gathered her up in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his broad frame in return.

"You are not a horrible person, Lily Evans. You are one of the kindest people I know. Anyone who can stand up for old Snivellus in front of a crowd is not a horrible person. Enough of this self-pity; let's go eat our own weight in ice cream."

Lily smiled in spite of herself, and seeing this Sirius grinned widely.

"There's the Lily I know. Now come on, Remus and Peter are waiting for us at Fortescue's."

L … J

"Albright!" A young Healer by the name of Cillian raced frantically into the ward where Hestia had just finished tending to a young wizard who had accidentally swallowed nearly a pint of skelegrow. His lime green robes had a streak of what looked like blood smeared across his chest and his glasses were nearly falling off of his liberally freckled face.

"There was an attack on a street in Muggle London!" he gasped, clutching his side. "Several Muggles and a number of Aurors were badly injured. They've just brought the lot in. All Healers not attending to serious cases are required to immediately –"

"Where are they?" Hestia cut across Cillian's words.

"They're in the Aithne Hughes ward on the Fourth Floor."

Hestia raced out of the ward and sprinted to the stairway. Running as fast as she could up the stairs, Hestia made her way up the stairs, pushing through the crowd of people who were trying to make their way to the fourth floor to look for their loved ones. Hestia's heart was pounding in her ears. Five of her friends were training to be Aurors, and she knew several Aurors from her acquaintance with the Potters. The chance that someone she knew had been injured – or even killed – was extremely high.

Skidding into the Aithne Hughes ward, she was faced with pure chaos. What seemed like every Healer in St. Mungo's was there, and the ward was swarming with Ministry officials and other people in billowing black robes.

"Thank goodness!" Healer Jackson, the head supervisor, cried as she spotted Hestia entering the ward. "I have a patient who needs tending to. Several Aurors were just brought in; this one's in a bad way. She's been hit with several nasty curses and she's unconscious at the moment. This way."

As the supervisor led Hestia through the maze of beds and people, Hestia heard someone calling her name. She felt her heart drop as he turned to she see Dorea Potter standing there, wringing her hands.

"Is James hurt?" Hestia asked, searching for his figure with her eyes. She quickly found him. He was lying on a bed a row over; his face was deathly pale. His shirt had been removed, revealing deep, red slashes across his chest. Graham stood over him, applying a bright purple cream that smoked as it touched the open wounds.

"Albright!" Healer Jackson called out impatiently.

"He'll be fine," she told Dorea, trying to summon her own courage. "Healer Jones is one of our best."

Moving to where Healer Jackson stood, Hestia towards the bed. What she saw made her breath catch in her throat.

"Whatever she was hit with caused her to be knocked unconscious. She hit her head when she fell. Cracked her head clean open, poor thing," Healer Jackson shook her own head sadly, her dark, curly hair swinging back and forth.

Lying on the white sheets of the hospital bed was Lily, her red hair splayed across the stark white pillow. Even from this distance, Hestia could tell that much of Lily's hair was clumped together by blood. Her naturally pale face was almost a ghostly white.

Hestia set to work determining what curses had been used on Lily and began treating her patient. She preformed several spells to close the wounds that had been inflicted and cleaned the dried blood from her head and hair with a handy spell. Finally, she was able to revive Lily.

"H-hestia?" Lily stammered as the spell took effect. She tried to sit up, but immediately clutched her head and lay back against her pillows.

"Lily, I need you to drink a few potions for me," Hestia instructed, trying to keep her voice free of emotion. She couldn't let herself fall to pieces simply because her patient was her best friend.

After Lily had taken the necessary potions to replenish her blood and treat her most serious injuries, Hestia gave Lily a sleeping draught to give the healing potions a better opportunity to work and to help rebuild Lily's strength.

Seeing that there was no more she could do for her friend at the moment, Hestia ventured to where Graham was still tending to James. She approached the bedside, standing opposite of Graham.

"Will he be all right?" Hestia asked quietly, mindful of Mrs. Potter sitting a few feet away.

"I'll do my best," Graham replied softly as James began stirring and mumbling incoherent words under his breath. "He's lost a lot of blood. When he is conscious, he's delirious and doesn't recognize anyone."

"Lily…Lily," James muttered in a distracted manner as his eyelids flickered open. "I have to save her…I need her… Lily…where is she?"

Hestia sucked her in breath sharply. He was asking for Lily. Not his parents, not Sirius, or Remus or Peter, but Lily.

"James, she's safe. She's been taken care of," she tired to reassure him. Her heart felt as though a herd of Hippogriffs were trampling all over it.

"Lily," he gasped, trying to sit up. His eyes were wild and unfocused. "I love you, Lily! I won't let them hurt you!"

"Would it be possible to give him a sleeping draught?" Hestia asked thickly, refusing to look Graham in the eyes.

Graham nodded and poured a measure of potion for James to drink. "Mr. Potter, I need you to drink this for me."

"I have to save Lily," James protested, leaning away from the extended beaker. "Take me instead! Don't hurt her - I love her!"

"This will save Lily. It will make everything better," Graham assured James. He immediately quit thrashing and allowed Graham to pour the sleeping draught down his throat. James settled back onto his bed, muttering something, but his words were indistinguishable once more. In a moment, he was a sleeping, his breathing deep and even.

"He loves her," Hestia said out loud to herself, her voice wavering. "He's never going to love me. She's my best friend, and he loves her… It's not supposed to be like this!"

Hestia turned away, fighting back tears. Lily wasn't just a way for James to escape his arranged marriage. He wanted to protect Lily, and he was willing to die to ensure that she was safe. He truly, deeply, loved her.

"Hestia...I'm sorry."

As many times as Hestia had recently heard that phrase, the way Graham said it made her feel as though someone finally meant it. She nodded to show that she understood and appreciated his words.

"I'm going to go check on Lily," she told him, smoothing the sheets on James' bed.

Graham frowned slightly. "But - "

Hestia smiled wryly. "She's my patient."

Returning to Lily, she found two Aurors standing by Lily's bedside.

"Cor, she was lucky," a tall man with cropped blonde hair was saying. "She's not even a fully trained Auror yet. Mind you, if Potter hadn't taken that last curse for her, I reckon she'd be dead now. Don't know what Wright was thinking, sending trainees out there."

The other Auror, a short woman with dark brown hair nodded in agreement. "She got all of those children out of that shop. It was bloody brave of her, but Potter's in a bad way right now. The Healer tending to him said he's delirious."

"Excuse me," Hestia muttered, her ears ringing with the words she had just overheard.

"Are you her Healer?" The female Auror asked. "Will Lily wake up?"

"Yes, I am. And yes, she's only sleeping due to the effects of a sleeping draught. She'll wake in a few hours. She'll be sore for a few days, but she'll be fine."

"Albright!" Healer Aasheim called. A short woman with long brown hair, she was the Healer in charge of the ward. "If you're done with that young lady, there's a whole load of Muggles who could use medical attention. Please come with me."

L … J

Lily woke up feeling as though her entire body had been severely beaten with a large, thick stick. The pain in her head was especially sharp, and she groaned slightly.

"Here – " A beaker was held in front of her. "This will help with your headache."

Struggling to properly sit up, Lily gratefully accepted the beaker and swallowed the vile tasting potion within. It felt like sludge, and she gagged a bit, trying to force the potion down her throat.

"Thanks," she said, handing the beaker back to her Healer, only to discover that the Healer was Hestia. The fact that it had been several weeks since she had seen Hestia and the realization that she had never seen Hestia in a professional setting made her blink in surprise.

"How are you feeling?" Hestia asked. She looked very tired; her hair was falling out of its ponytail, and her eyes were weary.

"Sore," Lily admitted, wincing at the pain in her body.

Images raced through her mind. They had been at Auror training on a practice mission when there had been an actual attack on a street in Muggle London. Qualified Aurors had been brought in to stop and capture the Death Eaters who had been torturing Muggles. She had been trying to rescue a small group of children who had been in a candy shop when she had been hit with several curses. James had thrown himself in front of her, taking the last curse, which had rendered him unconscious. Lily had managed to get the children out, and then too had given into the darkness of unconsciousness.

"Is James all right?" she asked, knowing that James was a sensitive subject, but needing to know what had happened to the person who had probably saved her life.

"I don't know," Hestia told her honestly. "Graham – that's James' Healer - said he's lost a lot of blood. He's been in and out of consciousness and when he is conscious, he's delirious. He's been that way for several hours now."

Lily clenched her eyes shut. "It's my fault. If I'd been more careful, James wouldn't have had to save me."

"If you'd been more careful, those Muggle children might be dead," Hestia told her.

"They're safe?" Lily's eyes shot open.

"I only know what the two Aurors who were here earlier said. They said you had gotten some children out of a shop, that you had been wounded, …and that James had taken the last curse for you."

"Noble git," Lily swore. "If he hadn't – "

"You'd probably be dead now, Lily!" Hestia exclaimed, shocked at Lily's seeming ungratefulness.

"But what if he dies!" Lily cried, her eyes filling with tears. "If he dies or is injured beyond healing, then I'm responsible for taking something else from you! I don't want to be the one to hurt you anymore."

Hestia stared at Lily, a sudden realization beginning to form in her mind. She took a deep breath and placed her hand on Lily's shoulder.

"Lily," she told her friend evenly, "you didn't take him from me. You can't help the fact that he loves you anymore than he can."

L … J

It was two days later when James finally woke from his delirious state. Opening his eyes, he saw lots of white sheets and something lime green.

"Don't try to sit up just yet," a deep, mellow voice told him. "Just wait a moment."

The voice belonged to a tall, young looking Healer. "I'm Healer Jones," the man introduced himself. "You gave us quite a scare, Mr. Potter. But I daresay you'll make a full recovery."

Once he had helped James to sit up, James scanned the ward he was in.

"Where's Lily?" he asked frantically as the memory of the attack came flooding back to him in a rush. "Is she alive? Is she safe? Is she hurt?"

"She's fine," Graham assured him, pointing to a bed a few rows over. "Hestia - Healer Albright - is taking care of her. She's an excellent Healer. Lily is in very capable hands. She's merely being monitored at this state, and she should be released tomorrow."

James closed his eyes in relief. "Thank Merlin."

"James!"

Hestia had noticed that he was awake and was hurriedly making her way towards him. As she reached him, she sat down on the edge of his bed and threw her arms around him. He winced at the pain, but hugged her back. Over Hestia's shoulder, James saw Graham avert his eyes.

"I'm so glad you're awake," Hestia told him, pulling away. "We've all been so worried! Your mother has barely left your side. We had to make her go home and get some rest. Sirius has been stopping by before and after training, and Remus and Peter have been here quite often as well."

"I'll go and owl your parents, Mr. Potter," Graham said. "I'm sure they'll want to know you're awake."

"He fanices you," James commented conversationally to Hestia as soon as Graham was out of hearing distance.

"What?" Hestia asked, her face showing her complete shock at such an idea. That he had suggested such a thing was equally as shocking. "How can you even think such a thing?"

James shrugged, then winced as a sharp pain shot through his left shoulder blade.

Before he could respond, Healer Aasheim appeared in front of the two. She smiled warmly when she saw that James was finally awake. "Good to see you looking better, Mr. Potter. Albright, now that your patient is well, I need you on the third floor."

Hestia nodded and rose to her feet. "I'll talk to you later, James."

L … J

Hestia knocked on the front door of the Potter Mansion, a knot of tension twisting like a writhing snake in her stomach.

The sound of footsteps echoing through the entryway could be heard, and then the door was flung open to reveal James. It had been a week since he had been released from St. Mungo's Hospital. She had been avoiding him as she had wrestled with the issue of their betrothal. It had been a difficult process, but she knew what she had to do.

"Hello," James greeted her, avoiding her eyes.

Hestia took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I need to talk to your mother."

James opened the door wide to allow Hestia inside. "Mother is in her library."

In all of her time spent over the years at the Potter manor, Hestia had always considered the large house to be friendly and inviting, but today the building held no warmth for her. The gray stone walls seemed drab and cold; the tapestries decorating the walls dull and lifeless.

James pushed open the door to Dorea's sitting room and showed her to a seat. "I'll just go and let mother know you're here," he told her before making his way to the door. He had his hand on the handle when he stopped and faced her.

"I'm sorry," James told her. "Believe me, I never meant for you to get hurt. It's…"

"I'm not angry anymore, James," Hestia told him. "I know you didn't choose to love Lily. And I know you didn't mean to hurt me. What's done is done, and we can't change things. I realize now that we need to leave the past behind and move forward. I told Lily those words before when I was cross, not really meaning them - but I mean them now."

"Thank you," James told her, his voice filled with sincerity. Pressing a quick kiss to her forehead, he turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Returning to her seat, Hestia watched the door. She could still feel his kiss on her forehead, but it didn't make her skin tingle as it once had.

Suddenly the door opened and Dorea Potter appeared. She looked exceptionally weary, but glad to see her guest.

"Hestia, how lovely to see you!" she exclaimed warmly, giving Hestia a brief hug before settling herself in the next chair over. "How have you been?"

"Dorea…I'm here because I want to end my betrothal with James."

There, she'd said it. The plan had been forming in her mind since Lily and James had been hospitalized, but it was the first time she had said it out loud to anyone. The words seemed strange, but she was glad to get them out in the open.

Dorea watched her carefully for a moment before responding. "Dear, you know that Charles will never sign the annulment papers…"

"I'm going to sign them first," Hestia told her firmly. Her mind was made up and nothing was going to stop her. "You and I are going to draw up the papers together, and then we're going to take them to Mr. Potter and he is going to sign them."

Dorea smiled slightly. "Let's find a quill and some parchment, shall we?"

L … J

Hestia looked sideways and caught Dorea's eye. The older woman smiled gently and nodded in a reassuring manner.

Raising her hand, Hestia rapped smartly on the door of Charles' study. There was a brief moment in which the two women waited, and then the door was thrown open.

"Are you in need of something?" Charles asked, impatience lacing his voice.

"We need to talk with you," Hestia said firmly, determined not to be brushed aside. She had come this far; she wasn't leaving until she and James were free.

Charles eyed them, but opened the door to admit them. With a flick of his wrist, he conjured two straight-backed chairs for them in front of the desk. Hestia and Dorea settled into the uncomfortable chairs while Charles took his seat behind his desk.

"Well?" Charles questioned.

"We're here to discuss ending the betrothal between James and me," Hestia announced, sounding much more confident that she felt.

Charles sighed heavily and sat back in his chair. "We have had this discussion before, and I believe that I specifically said the answer was no."

Hestia ignored his words and laid the rolls of parchment on the desk. "We've drawn up the necessary paperwork."

"If you're asking me to sign that –"

"We are not asking, Charles," Dorea interrupted, her voice cool.

Charles blinked in shock. Hestia was sure that Dorea had never spoken to her husband in that tone of voice before. If she had, it had certainly never been in the company of other people. She couldn't help but feel as though the annulment was empowering for Dorea as well as James, and she fought to keep herself from smiling.

"The boy's just being stubborn," Charles gruffly countered. "He's still too young to know what's good for him."

"Charles," Dorea said sharply, "I want James to be happy, and he won't be in a marriage like ours. You didn't love me, and James doesn't love Hestia. Can't you see that more than one person's happiness rests on this issue? Do you want Hestia to be trapped in a marriage where her husband doesn't love her in return?"

"How can you agree to sign something that will sever you from him forever?" Charles demanded of Hestia.

Hestia's stomach clenched painfully at Charles' choice of words, but she forced herself to reply and keep her voice from trembling. She must not show weakness to this man.

"I know that I'll never be truly happy with him, knowing that he loves someone else. And when that person is my best friend…I can't abandon seven years of friendship and tell Lily that I don't want her in my home reminding my husband that he doesn't love me. And don't you dare say that he should forget her," she added, "You shouldn't have to forget the person you love."

"But the Potter line…" Charles protested weakly.

"You're a hypocrite, Charles," Dorea accused, her voice firm and even. "How can you go to work and speak out against Voldemort when you're practicing his principles in your own home! You don't want James to marry Lily because she's Muggle-born and you don't want her Muggle blood mixed with our so-called pure-blood! Well James doesn't care about that. Neither do I,…and neither should you."

Charles' mouth opened but no words came forth. He closed his eyes and brought his hands up to his face with a shuddering sigh. He remained motionless for nearly a minute before he looked Dorea in the eye. "Is that what you think of me?"

There was no compassion in Dorea's steely blue eyes. "I'm right, am I not? You're so obsessed with what other people will think that you're putting your wants before those of your son's. James is of age; he's an adult and he should be the one who chooses how he lives his life. If he wants to live his life with Lily that should be his decision to make, not yours."

Charles was silent, staring at past both of them. His expression looked troubled.

Dorea stood up, her back straight and her voice firm. "Charles, you will sign."

L … J

"Come in," Charles' called, and James hesitantly pushed the door open. His mother stood next to his father, who sat in his usual spot in his chair behind a large desk. His father looked weary and slightly cross, but his mother was beaming.

"Have a seat, James," his father instructed him, motioning to one of the two empty chairs that sat in front of this desk.

James did as he was told, and after he had settled into his seat, Charles began.

"It seems…that is - your mother and Hestia have persuaded me to end your betrothal."

James sat back in disbelief, his mouth hanging open. "What?" he croaked, his vocal cords not seeming to want to cooperate.

"All of the proper paperwork has been signed by all the necessary parties. You are no longer betrothed to Hestia Albright."

James opened his mouth to say something, but found that the words wouldn't come. He swallowed and tried again. "Thank you," he told his parents.

Dorea smiled and came around the desk to hug him. He stood and held her tight as she stroked his hair as she had when he was younger. When he pulled back, he saw that her soft blue eyes were glistening with tears.

"Don't cry, Mum," he told her as he reached up to brush her tears away.

"I'm just happy for you," she answered, smiling up at him lovingly. "So very happy."

L … J

"James," Hestia said as she opened the door to her flat. He thought that she sounded surprised to see him. She shouldn't have been. She must have known that he would come to see her once he knew.

"My mother and father told me what you did for me," he told her. "Thank you."

"When you were unconscious at St. Mungo's, you asked for Lily. Then I heard what you did for her in the attack…everything had been building up to that moment, I suppose. When your mother I and I were planning the wedding, I began to realize I was planning a wedding that would never take place. You love Lily, and nothing I do is ever going to change that fact. It took what happened in the hospital for me to realize what I needed to do – that I needed to let you go and to move on with my life."

James felt guilt settle in the pit of his stomach, but he could not help but be happy at the same time. "I'm not sorry for loving Lily, but I am sorry for all of the pain I've caused you. I know you have no reason to believe me, but I am."

"I believe you," Hestia replied solemnly. "You've always been honest with me, James. I have to give you credit for that at least. You never pretended anything that you did not feel. You never lied to me about your feelings for Lily, and I thank you for that."

She paused. "Who's going to tell her?"

"You should," James replied without a moment of hesitation. "She'll want to hear it from you, and besides…it's your right."

"Thank you."

James felt himself frown at her words. "Don't thank me. I don't deserve it…But you know, I'll always be here if you need me," he vowed.

Whatever had happened, there was too much history between them to be completely ignored. In their own way, they would always be friends. It would take time to reestablish their friendship; he knew that. But he had no doubts that someday, after the sharpest pain had dulled, their friendship would be strong once more.

L … J

"What a day!" Graham exclaimed as he and Hestia made their way out of the hospital. "Want to grab a tea or coffee or something?"

James' words about Graham fancying her flitted through her mind, but Hestia quickly pushed them aside. It was such a ridiculous idea. Wasn't it?

"I'd like that," she agreed easily. She enjoyed working and spending break time with Graham. He was so good-natured and incredibly easy to talk to that she found herself at complete ease in his presence.

As they chatted over their tea, Hestia's thoughts drifted to what lay ahead of her. She had to somehow tell Lily the news…she just didn't know how.

"I can that see I don't have your full attention tonight," Graham commented wistfully.

"I'm sorry," Hestia apologized. "I'm just…you see…I'm not betrothed to James anymore." She saw Graham's eyes widen, and she continued. "I broke it off because I realized that I was never going to make him happy. They're my friends, and I want them to be happy. And if that means they're together, then I need to accept that and move on. But you know…for all that I'm sad, there's also a bit of relief as well."

"How so?" Graham asked, taking a sip of his tea.

"Being raised to marry James Potter, I was taught that I was just supposed to be a wife and mother. But I've found that I like working. It gives me a sense of purpose and satisfaction. I like helping people – I can't imagine doing anything else with my life right now."

"And James wouldn't have let you be a working mother?"

"James didn't care. He told me I could work if that's what I wanted," Hestia explained, feeling as though she had to defend James to Graham. "But Charles Potter wouldn't have stood for it. He would have found some way to keep me from working."

Graham considered this, his dark eyes exploring the bottom of his teacup. "So you never want to get married now that you're free?"

Hestia shook her head. "I think I'll get married if I find the right man. Someone I can love and make happy… someone who loves me with every fiber of his being. It won't be for a while…the pain is still very fresh. But I think that in time I'll be able to love someone else."

Graham smiled, a warm smile that always seemed to reach his eyes. "Good. You deserve to be happy."

L … J

It was a few days later when Lily opened the door of her parent's home to find Hestia standing on the doorstep.

"May I come in?" Hestia asked, her voice shaking slightly.

"Of course," Lily stepped away from the door to allow Hestia in. The two women moved into the sitting area of the Evans' home and settled themselves onto the sofa along the west wall.

"I – I have something to tell you," Hestia began.

Lily's heart began to race. What if James had been hurt again? Or Sirius, or Frank or Alice? She expected to be told news of the very worst, and so was not prepared in any way for the words that tumbled from Hestia's mouth.

"I ended my betrothal with James. All the papers have been signed and everything is taken care of. He's free." She held up her thumb where a long, vertical scar was just beginning to fade. It took Lily a moment to comprehend that Hestia had signed in blood.

Lily sat stunned. James was free? Hestia had ended it…she had instigated the entire annulment?

"Why?" was the only question her mind could formulate at the moment.

"You two love each other," Hestia answered simply. "And you should be together. It's only right."

"But you love him too," Lily protested, trying desperately to understand what had happened to Hestia's earlier anger and resentment.

"Yes, I do," Hestia admitted, her face filled with sadness. "But he loves you. I would try too hard to make him happy and simply end up making us both miserable. I don't want him to be forced to marry me. If we were to get married, I would want it to be because he loved me and wanted to spend his life with me, not because of some agreement between our parents.

"I've realized that he can't force himself to love me because he loves you. His heart won't allow him to love two women the way he loves you. As long as he loves you, there isn't a chance for me. And he truly does love you. I had always thought that he was just using some slight fancy for you, trying to play it up as love to get out of the betrothal, but I know now that he loves you more deeply than I can imagine loving someone."

"You gave him up…for me," Lily whispered, her heart full of conflicting emotions. "How am – How am I supposed to live knowing that you sacrificed your happiness for mine?"

"Lily…" Hestia sighed heavily. "I've thought long and hard about this, and I went into this knowing full well what I was doing. I'm not going to lie and say that right now I'm not heartbroken - because I am. But it will pass. I'm not going sit and wallow in despair. Someday I'll find someone else. Someone who loves me in return, and someone I can make happy. I'll be fine, Lily. Besides…I know you would have done the same for me, had I been the one in your place."

L … J

The pathway to the Potter manor was a long one, but there was no other way to get to the large home. With anti-Apparation spells and other enchantments guarding the location, this was Lily's only way of getting to the manor. She didn't mind in the least. It could have been miles, and still Lily would not have cared, because James was at the end of the walk.

As she neared the massive structure, she saw a figure watching her from an upstairs window. It was James – she would have recognized him anywhere. She raised her hand to wave but he was already gone from the window.

In a few minutes, the front door flew open, and James came racing out. She laughed as she watched him bypass the stairs entirely by simply jumping. Once on the ground, he began walking quickly towards her. Her senses heightening, she quickened her pace to match his. As they neared each other, they were nearly jogging.

They collided in a bone-crushing embrace, and he lifted her slightly off the ground before setting her back down again. She wound her arms tightly around his neck and he pulled her close to his body as though afraid to let her go. He was squeezing her too hard, but it felt so wonderful to be held by James that Lily hardly cared.

He pulled away only enough to lower his head and press his lips to hers. It had been months since their kiss in the Prefects meeting room and much had changed since then. Not only had the betrothal been ended, but they had changed as people as well. What had not changed, however, was how they felt about each other.

What might have been seconds, minutes, or years later, they pulled away from each other, breathing heavily. Lily couldn't remember the last time she had felt so truly and purely blissful.

James cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair. "I wish this could be the part where I'm finally able to ask you to be my girlfriend, but I know we can't."

"We have to wait," Lily agreed decisively. "Hestia's still hurting, and we have to be sensitive to that. Once the pain has dulled, we can be together, but not before then. At St. Mungo's I told her I didn't want to hurt her anymore, and that's still true."

James nodded in an understanding manner. "We've been selfish enough. We don't need to add to her pain. Besides," he weaved his hands through her hair and brushed his lips over her cheeks. "I've waited for you this long, a little longer won't matter. I'd wait forever to be with you."

"I won't make you wait that long," Lily promised him, unable to keep the smile from her face.

James grinned back, his hazel eyes bright with euphoria and fulfillment. "I can still kiss you though, right? At least right now? As a sort of celebratory kiss?"

Lily pretended to think about this matter. "Oh I sup - "

Before she could finish, James leaned in and captured her lips with his. Lily kissed him with all of the love for him that had been pent up in her heart over these long months, and he kissed her back with equal fervor. Her knees felt weak, and all that kept her from collapsing then and there was his strong arms surrounding her body. James was free and the feeling of his lips on hers was all that mattered in that moment.

Thank you for reading! There is an epilogue coming, hopefully before Deathly Hallows, so keep an eye out for that!