A/N: Thanks to everyone that reveiwed. I love you all! And just so you know...this story is rated M for a reason, and the end of this chapter is that reason. Please review!
Chapter 7
The City That Never Sleeps
"Are you ready yet?" James called through the closed door as he put his coat on.
"In a minute!" he heard Lily reply testily.
"You've been saying that for the past ten minutes."
Lily rolled her eyes as she straightened her dress, it was a black halter top dress that fell just above her knees, with a neckline just low enough to see a hint of cleavage, and most of her back was exposed. Her dark red hair was pulled into a messy, yet elegant bun. The only jewelry she had on was her "wedding" ring. She sat on the bed, put on her black heels and stood up to survey herself in the mirror. Not bad, she thought.
She grabbed her coat and headed out of the bedroom to meet James.
"It's about ti– " but he was silenced when he saw her.
"What's wrong?" she asked in fake curiosity as she put on her long black coat.
He shook his head. "Nothing...nothing."
As they left the hotel, Lily kept her expression clear, but she was laughing in her head.
000
They arrived at the restaurant shortly after Kent, his wife Stacey, and his cousin Mark. Stacy, a pretty brunette, looked at Lily for a moment as though she were trying to place her.
As they were seated, Stacey finally said, "You know, Lily, this may sound strange, but I swear I'm seen you before. What was your maiden name?"
"Evans."
"That's it! You were an assisting Healer when we had our daughter."
Lily blinked. "Oh, yes, I remember," she smiled, "that was the last birth I assisted with before I went out on my own. You named her Kimberly, right?"
"That's right. She'll be a year old next month."
"And you have an older son, right?"
"Yes," Kent said. "Tim will be five in May."
"Do you two have any children?"
"No," James said. "Not yet."
"We've only been married for a few months." Lily said, a sudden idea striking her. "Right now really isn't the safest time to start a family in Britain."
"How is the war going?" Mark asked.
"Terrible," James replied somberly. "I believe that last count was over a thousand lives have been lost, but that doesn't even begin to count the Muggles."
"Are those his main targets?" Stacy asked in a small voice.
"At first, yes." Lily answered. "Then he moved to Muggle–borns, like me, but now..." Lily sighed. "Now he won't hesitate to kill anyone in his way."
"But," James said, "he has started torturing Muggle and Muggle–born women in a whole new way...our information tells us that he and his followers – Death Eaters – have begun some type of torture camp."
"That's terrible!" Stacey said as her eyes widened in shock.
"Is it true," Mark said, "that these – Death Eaters – leave a signal over the places they attack?"
"Unfortunately, yes," Lily said. "It's a giant green skull with a snake coming out of its mouth. They generally only cast it when they've killed someone."
"And once you see it," James said, "you'll never forget it."
"I did speak with a few of my Aurors," Kent said, "and there were some that seemed eager to do something."
"But before we could actually send anyone," Mark pointed out, "I'll have to set up something with your Head of International Magical Cooperation and go from there."
"With the way things are going now," James said, "I highly doubt he'll refuse any help."
The rest of dinner was pasted with general small talk. Just as they were about to leave, Stacey took Lily's left hand and said, "What a beautiful ring. You must have great taste, James."
"Thank you," he smiled. "The minute I saw it, I knew it was perfect."
Lily smiled, but something began to nag at in the back of her mind. Where had James gotten the ring? He had said that it was lying around his place, but she didn't buy it. Could it have been in his family? But this couldn't be it either...this ring looked nothing like his mother's, and James didn't have any aunts or female cousins...and its design was too modern to be an heirloom.
As they got back to the hotel, only one rational explanation came to her: it was meant for Ashley.
It made perfect sense...James had bought the ring to propose to Ashley with, but when Dumbledore had given them this mission, he had decided to let Lily borrow it.
That meant that Ashley and James would be married...
Lily felt suddenly ill as they entered the hotel room. Without realizing it, she went to the bedroom, tossed her coat on the dresser and stood facing the glass doors.
James leaned against the doorframe, watching Lily. "I thing it went well. At least they're going to try and do something."
Lily turned to face him. She held her left hand up so James could see the back of it. "Where did you get this ring."
The look in her eyes told James that it would be best not to lie. "A jewelry store in Hogsmeade."
"When?"
"What does it matter?"
"Because I think that I should know if I'm wearing an engagement ring that you're about to give to Ashley." she said fiercely.
"That ring was never meant for anyone but you." James blurted out before he could stop himself.
Lily blinked. "What?"
James ran his hand though his hair nervously. He had to tell her.
"I bought that ring for you a month before we broke up." Her mouth fell open and eyes widened. He continued, "I was going to propose to you, but I was forced to break up with you."
Lily's green eyes narrowed in anger. "If I recall properly, you told me that you were no longer in love with me. No one forced you."
"It was a lie." He pulled an old looking piece of parchment out of his pocket that looked at though it were about to fall apart from being folded and unfolded so often. He handed it to her. "This will explain it."
She began to read the letter that had been left of James's desk at the Ministry all that time ago.
When she finished, her hand fell limply to her side and looked stunned.
"The only other people that know about that letter are Sirius and Rachel, who had tried to convince me to tell you. I was so afraid that they would make good on the threat that I couldn't bring myself to do it. But by the time I'd finally given in, Rachel went over to your apartment but–"
"I had already left." Lily finished miserably. James nodded.
She sank onto the bed. James knelt in front of her. "As much as it killed me to hear that you had left, I was at least relieved that you were safe. I told myself that if you ever did come back, I would tell you everything. But the look on your face when you saw me...I just couldn't."
James looked into her emerald eyes, silently begging for forgiveness. Before he knew it, they were close...really close...Lily seemed to be holding her breath – and then –
He kissed her.
She was surprised at first, and for a fleeting instant she wanted to push him away. But she couldn't; it just felt right. He lips moved against his, her tongue begging for entrance, which he was only too happy to give her.
One of James's hands began to massage her breast while the other slide down her back. Lily threw her head back, running her hands though his black hair, and moaned. He bent his head to kiss down her neck and they fell back onto the bed.
She flipped him onto his back and straddled his waist. She loosened his tie, threw it across the room and began to unbutton his shirt, leaving a trial of kisses down his chest along the way. By the time she reached his belt, his erection was straining against his pants.
An erotic grin played across Lily's beautiful face as she pulled his pants off. She moved up to kiss him again, his hands traveling up her black dress until he reached her lacy black panties, which he slid off her legs. Together, they pulled her dress over her head and it joined the rest of their clothing on the floor.
He leaned over her. She spread her legs as he slowly entered.
"Oh, God, James..." she moaned, arching her back and running her nails down his shoulders. She was grinding her hips against his as he increased his speed. It didn't take long before she was tossing her head back and moaning...she was so close.
But he suddenly paused, his whole member throbbing inside her, sending her spiraling over the edge and taking him with her. They laid in bed, there arms wrapped around each other, listened to each other's heart beat slow until they fell asleep.
