The air smelt sweet, like flowers and birthday cake.
Lily Potter stretched out like a cat and opened her eyes, squinting up at the bronze glow in the darkening sky pre-empting the sunset. Legs curled up against her side, she winced as she pushed herself to crouching in the grass, shaking out her deadened limbs languidly. There was a second of bleariness and calm before the panic set in, accelerating her heart rate and ripping through her resourcefulness as she gazed numbly at the street around her. Despite the fact that her memories were scrambled, useless in scraps and pieces, the sight of the meadow sent a wave of warmth through her, nostalgic and poignant. Holding up her hand to shield her eyes from the sun, Lily set off across the park towards the houses across the road, which looked familiar, like she'd seen them before in a dream.
After a few minutes of hesitation, Lily reluctantly knocked on the front door of the house on the corner, wrinkling her nose at the overpowering stench of beer that washed over her as a tall, bearded man wrenched open the door.
"What…do you…want?"
"I was just going to ask for some directions, sorry, but if you're busy, I'll go-"
"You could always come in for a minute, darlin'? I'd even find you a map."
Inwardly cursing all men, Lily stepped back and shook her head. "No, thank you. Sorry."
Looking disappointed, he slammed the door in her face.
Swearing under her breath, Mrs Potter stomped up to the door of the next house and hammered on the front door with badly concealed irritation. A brightly coloured shape approached the frosted glass of the door, fumbled with the keys for a moment and then pulled open the door, the old woman behind it setting her glasses on her nose inquisitively.
"This must be my lucky day, I hardly ever get visitors!"
Lily had no interest in the woman's unfortunate loneliness; her mind was caught up in thoughts of her son, Harry, and James.
"Sorry to bother you, I'm lost, I was wondering if you could tell me where I am?"
"Another lost person, eh? Are you all on holiday or something?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"I had another person up here asking for directions a couple of hours back. Young lad, about your age. Needed to get to London."
"Oh, really?" Lily was struggling to feign interest. "So, sorry, where am I? What time is it?"
"It's seven fifty in the evening, and you're on Maybury Road, on the outskirts of Spinners' End." She chanted the words, and they seemed well-rehearsed.
"Spinners' End?" Hope replaced the fear in her veins, intermingling with sorrow as she smiled. "I used to live around here."
"You say, your name isn't Lily, is it, dear?"
"Yeah…Lily Potter…why?"
"Your husband came around here, about three o'clock. He was looking for you, I think. Like I said, he wanted to get to London."
"James? Which way did he go?"
"Er…he would've went that way, I reckon," The lady pointed down the street to the right. "That's the quickest way to the bus stop."
"He didn't have a toddler with him, did he? A little boy, about this high?"
"No, I don't think so, dear, unless the little 'un was invisible or something."
"It's highly possible," Lily muttered as she hopped back off the front step.
"What did you say, dear?"
"Nothing. Thank you very much."
"No worries, dear. Hope you find him!"
"Thank you!"
Filled with a new energy, Lily jogged off down the pavement and turned right as the kindly woman had directed. The evening was thankfully warm and humid in the fading light, which Lily found odd, seeing as she was sure it was October.
October.
A memory danced just out of her reach, rather annoyingly, but she was still swamped by a powerful sense of dread.
What happened? Why don't remember anything? And where the hell is my husband with our son?
James better have a good explanation for this.
"I…I mean…what?"
Despite being told what had happened four times, James still had not computed it, distracted by worries.
"So you're saying I died, and it's been fourteen years, and Harry is fifteen now, and some magic prodigy witch in his year managed to bring us back to life and Dumbledore's been lying to everyone?"
"In a nutshell, yes."
Remus Lupin and Sirius Black was watching their old friend pace around the living room of Remus' flat, still stunned at how real James Potter was, how incredibly real and solid and human and actually there. Sirius was still struggling with his instincts to tackle his previously deceased friend and never let go, just through sheer relief. It was going to be okay now.
Everything was going to be okay.
"And Harry's at Hogwarts?"
"Yes."
"In his fifth year?"
"Yes."
"And…and…I missed him growing up?"
"Yeah."
James looked like he was about to cry, and then he shook his hands angrily.
"Bloody Voldemort. Where's Lily? Have you kidnapped her and locked her in a flat too?"
Sirius and Remus exchanged a look, neither of them wanting to break the news that there had actually been no sign of Lily yet.
"Guys!"
"We haven't got Lily yet."
"Why not?"
"Well…because…neither of us have been looking?"
There was a second of silence and James' voice shook with the fury that would only emerge when dicussing the people he loved.
"Well get off your sorry arses and look then! I'm coming too! I also need a wand!"
"The Ministry have forbidden you leaving, James."
"They also put Sirius in Azkaban, didn't you say?"
"Yes, but-"
"Lupin, shut up and help me find my wife."
Sirius, who had been watching the conflict without interjection, suddenly spoke up. "Don't you want to see Harry?"
James fell silent.
"He's in the Hospital Wing, the spell Hermione sort of knocked everything out of him, but he's fine, and they reckon he'll wake up in an hour or so."
"Take me there then."
Sirius shook his head regretfully as he stood up. "I can't, I'm technically still a fugitive. Remus'll take you, and I'll go find Lily."
"You better find her Padfoot, or I swear to all that is good and holy I will force you to transform, castrate you and give you to this girl Hermione as a thank you present."
Sirius grinned, but the tears were welling up again as he watched them Disapparate.
He had missed James.
James meets Harry next chapter, and some more Lily sass!
I hope you liked it!
Fly xx