Chapter 13: The Chivalrous Monkey Keeper

Petunia felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to see an irate Lily. Lily's hands were on her hips and her eyes were gleaming with anger and amusement. She softly asked Petunia, "Don't you have a boyfriend 'Tuney?"

Petunia turned to look at her sister scathingly. "What are you doing here?"

Lily looked bemused, "I believe we spoke a few seconds ago"

Petunia glared at her, "Well go do something else because I was just speaking to this charming young man," she sent James a not so charming smile.

Before the sisters could argue anymore, there was a cough from behind James. Standing there looking quite irritated was Vernon and Marge Dursley. Lily grinned gloatingly, "I believe your boyfriend is here Petunia."

Petunia gulped and smiled once more, "Vernon sweetie! So glad you're here! And you too Marge! Come in! Come in!" She ushered them in fervently.

Vernon stopped to glare at James, "Who's he?" He asked brusquely

Petunia looked flustered and mumbled, "He's her friend."

"Nothing to do with you?" Marge asked curiously

"Nothing! He's the monkey keeper at the zoo." Petunia said with a frenzied look in her eyes as she led Marge and Vernon into the house

"Monkey keeper?" James asked laughing.

Lily grinned at James, the argument from this morning completely forgotten. "Would you like to come in too?"

James laughed, "I assume that was Petunia?"

"The one and only," she muttered.

"Seems sisters have similar taste then," he said winking

Lily made a retching noise, "She shan't be interested once she finds out that you're a 'freak' too. And what makes you think I'm interested in you anyway Mr. Potter?"

"Why was it just my imagination or have we not kissed twice in last two days?"

Lily blushed and quickly changed the subject, "Why are you here anyway?"

James bowed chivalrously, "To apologize and give you these of course! Your sister almost took them too."

Lily looked down at the tulips and cried in delight, "Oh James! How'd you know? I love tulips!"

James smiled mysteriously, "They omitted a Lily aura around them."

Lily looked at him skeptically. "Oh alright, Kay told me," he said sheepishly.

Lily laughed warmly and beckoned him into the house, "Well I hope you'll stay for dinner, my mom will be thrilled. I'd better go tell her. Go straight down the corridor, it's the second door on your left." She pointed to a glass door that had light spewing from it before she rushed off to the kitchen to tell Mrs. Evans of the new comer.

James began to walk down the corridor and wondered why he was actually there. Earlier that day he had sworn that he would never bother with Lily Evans again and now here was knocking on her door.

He was surprised by his own actions but he knew what had spurred them on.

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James Potter was furious. Furious at his friends, furious at the lady with the purple hat, furious with Mr. Omelette and lastly, the person who had caused all this furiousness, Lily Evans.

Ah! James hated her, okay scratch that… he hated her so much that he actually loved her. "Darn hormones," he murmured.

James knew that it wasn't a hormone that pushed his love for the feisty red head. It was a deep desire that had been kindled within him from the moment he set eyes on her in their first year.

Sure he hadn't thought very much of her then because she was with Snape but subconsciously he knew he had found the one.

This only became apparent to him around fourth year when he began to ask her out relentlessly. She refused obviously and James chuckled at all the silly things he had done to get her attention.

She was his everything. Not anymore, he thought bitterly. He had had enough of being the one to always initiate things. He was tired of being refused every time. He was tired of wanting what Lily had made sure he could never have and most of all he was tired of the constant spur of hope and then the bitter taste of rejection.

He had had enough.

James paused to look at his surroundings. After apparating from Diagon Alley, he hadn't gone directly home. He knew Sirius was probably waiting there to pounce on him with a million questions. He needed sometime to contemplate and pull all his thoughts together.

He was walking around Muggle London. He stopped outside a flower shop to decide what his next move would be. There in the window was a bouquet of tulips, Lily's favourite. He remembered Kay telling him after the giant yellow jellyfish episode.

James scoffed at the fact that when he didn't want anything to do with Lily he had her favourite flowers thrust upon him wrapped in green paper. His eyes scanned the flower shop for anything interesting. A piece of red paper caught his eye.

He walked into the shop to examine it. A bell chimed overhead, alerting the shopkeeper that someone had come into the store. James bent down and, fate again, a vase of lilies was obscuring the message on the red card.

James sighed and lifted it up, underneath was the following verse:

Had I said that, had I done this,

So might I gain, so might I miss

Might she have loved me? just as well

She might have hated, who can tell!

Robert Browning

He read it a couple of times and his mind flashed back to something his father had said to him just before he passed away.

"James one last piece of advice from me, live everyday to the fullest and never have any regrets because they come back to haunt you. If you want something go get it, never hesitate but never hurt anyone in the process. Lastly James love to fullest and whoever you find, treasure her. I love you my son"

Wow, he thought to himself. He had been a fool. Well, not a fool exactly but something along that line for sure. It seemed that everyone could see it except for him. Both his dad and, James looked down at the card - Robert Browning seemed to think that you should always exert all your efforts before giving up. Had James done that?

Well, he had tried. But to the best of your ability? A voice asked. Never tried harder for a girl, he thought with contempt. Nevertheless, Lily's not just a girl, that irritating voice said. He knew it was right and he hated it so much for being right.

"You know she really does like you," said a voice quietly from behind him.

James turned to see Kay's gray eyes on him. She continued, "She's just too scared to admit it. She dreams about you all the time. She hates Jessica too."

James looked at Kay incredulously, "But- I- what?"

Kay laughed, "Don't look so surprised. Everyone can see it besides you two. Hell, even Black can see it."

James smirked, "He won't be too happy when he hears that."

Kay chuckled, "To hell with Black then. But, seriously James, I've known you for practically ever and I know you love Lily."

James sighed, "Okay so let's say, hypothetically, I do love her. Then what? She doesn't like me back." He bitterly thought of what had happened that afternoon.

Kay sent him a glare, "Of course she does you fool! Didn't I just tell you that! Just go apologize and then you two can go have your horned green apples together!"

James looked bemused, "Excuse me?"

Kay shook her head, "Never mind, just go to her say sorry and I promise something will happen."

James snorted, "Yeah, she'll slap me senseless, that's what'll happen."

Kay rolled her eyes, "You're both so stubborn you know that? Just take the flowers and go!"

James gazed at her and timidly asked, "You sure?"

"YES!"

James smiled and paid for the flowers before leaving the shop for Lily's house. Kay watched his retreating form and slowly walked out of the shop wondering why she had done that… she was now officially 100 galleons poorer.

"You did the right thing Smith."

Kay looked up startled to find Sirius, Remus and Peter standing outside the shop. "I- What're you lot doing here?"

"Well Sirius here thought it would be a good idea to follow you," Remus said.

Sirius shrugged, "Seemed like a good idea at the time. It worked though."

Kay smiled, "Well I'll be giving you your 100 galleons as soon as I work out where they're coming from."

"Deals off," Sirius said abruptly

Kay gave him a look of bewilderment, "Excuse me?"

"Deals off," he repeated calmly. "It was stupid bet in the first place. James and Lily would have been together ages ago if we hadn't kept on interfering."

Kay tilted her head to the side and said, "I would never have thought you were capable of doing such a sensitive thing Mr. Black."

Sirius laughed, "Well I like to surprise people Smith."

Remus, Peter and Kay all laughed and the four walked down the road in a comfortable silence. They had done the right thing.

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AN: The end is near folks! Two to three chapters left. Thank you to everyone that reviewed the last chapter! That was the most reviews I've ever gotten for a chapter! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and remember to review. Next chapter should be out sometime next week.

Oh and for those of you that are interested, the Browning quote was from Men and Women, "The Last Ride Together"