James ran down the dormitory stairs two at a time. Potions was over, and it was time for his walk with Lily. He planned to take her around the grounds, on a very...romantic walk. James hoped that this...this would finally be the day that Lily Evans would fall for him. James looked up. Lily was standing at the top of the stairs in a floaty white muggle dress looking particularly pretty indeed. Her hair was loose and messy around her shoulders like a beautiful orange halo. Her almond-shaped green eyes sparkled at she noticed James standing at the bottom of the stairs.

Lily smiled, "Wotcher, James!"

James grinned, "Hey."

"So where are we going?" Lily asked, coming over to stand by James.

"You look great," James said, "And I thought we'd go walk around the lake, by the forbidden forest."

Lily smiled, "That sounds fun."

As they walked out of the dormitory, Lily turned to James, "So...is there a reason for this walk?"

James shrugged. There was no way he was actually going to tell her what the walk was for, "Ah...nothing, much. Just...to talk, get stress off, you know."

"Yeah, I know." Lily grinned

The two of them strolled through the halls and out onto the grounds. The sun was just starting to set, and the lake gave off a gorgeous silver-blue glow. The forest looked prettily ominous against the glow of the lake. James surreptitiously slipped his hand into hers. She looked at him in surprise, but didn't say anything.

James smiled down at Lily, "So...how's your life been going?"

Lily shrugged, "Okay, I guess. Ems is ecstatic because Sirius smiled at her yesterday, though I don't see how that really means anyth-" Lily gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth.

James grinned, "Ems likes Padfoot?"

"Oh James, you cannot tell Emmeline I told you that!" exclaimed Lily, "She'll positively murder me if she knew I told you!"

"Come on, Lils, would I?"

Lily raised an eyebrow.

James laughed, "I get your point. All these years of immaturity. I guess I can't expect you to trust me after only two months of friendship."

Lily smiled, "It's been weird, you know. All these years I've hated you so much and now, all of a sudden, we're friends! It feels strange to call you James calmly instead of yelling Potter out. It feels strange to, to walk with you like this, like mature adults and have a conversation without feeling like I want to pop your inflated head."

"Lils, you had every right to hate me all those years."

"Did I? It seems odd, but I don't get why I hated you so much then, because you're such a great friend now. You know?"

"Well, I remember, even if you dont, why you hated me."

Lily raised her eyebrow again jokingly, "And why is that?"

James sighed and sat down on a stone bench overlooking the lake, and pulled Lily down with him, "Well, for one, I was egotistical, I hexed every slytherin in sight, I kept asking you out for no reason, I bothered you and your friends endlessly, I'm annoyingly better than you at transfiguration, I used to be a prat, I always acted like an idiot, I was caught up in being popular."

"All of those were in the past tense, except for the transfiguration thing," said Lily, casting him an appraising look, "Does that mean that you've renounced your old ways?"

He gave her a mischievous grin, "Not renounced, exactly, but...calmed down, I would say...matured. I'll still pull pranks with my friends, I'll still hex a slytherin who annoys me, especially Snape, but...I don't ask you out randomly anymore, do I? I don't seem as egotistical, or bigheaded or arrogant or conceited."

"Some would say that saying you weren't egotistical without getting a second opinion would be an egotistical thing to say."

"Some would say?" He asked, leaning close in to her so that his nose was less than an inch away from hers, "Would you say that?"

She blushed, and suddenly seemed flustered, "James, we really should go back to the castle, it's getting-"

"It's only eight. Answer my question. Please?"

She lowered her eyes, her face now almost as red as her hair, "Well, I don't know-"

Before she could speak another word the two of the were thrown onto the ground as if by a giant, invisible hand. They were pinned there. A tall, white figure shrouded in black robes calmly stepped out of the shadows of the forbidden forest. He was swiftly followed by three others.

Voldemort towered over James in Lily examining them with slight interest.

"My Lord," whispered the death eater closest to him, "Should we kill them?"

"Not now, Bella. They could be useful." whispered Voldemort in a high cold voice.

Lily tried to scream, but now sound came out of her mouth.

Voldemort chuckled at her attempts, "Yes, mudblood. You are under my power. Silly girl. None of your efforts shall work. I am Lord Voldemort, he-who-must-not-be-named, the most powerful wizard in the world. As if you could fight me."

"YOUR WRONG!" shouted James, breaking through his silencing spell, "Dumbledore's the most powerful wizard in the world."

"Shut up, insolent boy." reprimanded one of the death eaters.

"It's all right, Lucius." said Voldemort, holding up a long-fingered hand, "Now...who have we here?"

Voldemort leaned down to take a closer look at James, "Ah. Of course. A potter. Your father and Mother cost me a lot of trouble. They are worthy opponents, but soon I will crush them, just as I am about to crush you."

Jame shook against the silencing spell and finally managed to whisper, "Never."

Voldemort smiled, his face twisting into a grotesque visage, "I assure you, I will. I don't think you'll come much in handy to me, Potter. I confess myself disappointed. You haven't even threatened to kill me like the dog that I am. That was your mother's favored line whenever she came in contact with me."

"What are you doing here?" grunted James, his teeth clenched, his whole body shaking.

Voldemort let out a lilting laugh, his cold voice hissing in the night air, "Why else would I come to Hogwarts? The muggle-loving fool is the only person of value here."

Lily let out a whimper next to James, her face screwed up in pain.

Tom Riddle shifted his attention from James to Lily, his nose wrinkled up as if she smelt bad, "Ah. The filth."

"SHUT UP!" screamed James.

Voldemort shifted his eyes from Lily to James, then back, apprehension dawned, "Oh, no, Potter. How could you. A fine pureblood wizard such as yourself, with extraordinary skill, associating with such filth like this?" He shook his pale head, his soft brown hair blowing in the breeze, "Wizards such as you and myself should not make ourselves familiar with dirt like this common girl."

"SHE'S TWICE WHAT YOU'LL EVER BE, VOLDEMORT!"

"How dare you?!" Hissed Bellatrix, "Your unworthy lips must never speak his name!"

Voldemort stopped smiling and his lip curled, "For that, Potter, I shall make your death, and hers more gruesome and terrible than I thought to before."

James's breathing was labored, and Lily's whimpers continued.

"I think..." started Voldemort, placing his fingertips together, "You should kill her, Potter."

The three death eaters chuckled. You could tell they were excited to see this.

Lily's eyes widened in fear, and James's fists clenched together, "NEVER!"

Voldemort smiled evilly, "We'll see about that, Potter. Imperio!"

A wonderful, blissful feeling overcame James. He would do anything.

Kill her, James...Kill her...

why should I kill her? I love her...

Kill her, James...just kill her...

no...that makes no sense

It's okay, James...just kill her...

no, why should I?

Just kill her James, and it'll all be over...

but I love her, I don't want to kill her

KILL HER! KILL HER, JAMES!

NO!

KILL HER NOW, JAMES!

"I WONT!" screamed James collapsing to the ground once more, then crawling over to Lily.

"You wont?" Asked Voldemort, surprise apparent in his voice, "Then I will just have to--"

"That wont be necessary, Tom."

The last thing James saw before he blacked out was Albus Dumbledore's silver beard glinting in the moonlight, like a beacon of hope.