Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter or Harry Potter related copyrights.
Song: Come Back to Me by David Cook (this one I strongly suggest listening to, not only because David has a gorgeous voice, but also because it fits almost perfectly for the first part of this chapter).
"I- I-" stammered James. As he gazed into the emerald eyes he loved so much, he saw the years of scars, the many times Lily was forced to sacrifice what she wanted for the needs of her family and friends. How could he deny her this? But as he thought about letting her go, he felt painful pangs attack his heart. How could he bear to lose her?
"You should go," he finally said. "Go and find yourself and then come back to me. Just don't change too much, because I love you just as you are."
Lily's face lit up with a soft smile. "Thank you," she said serenely as she kissed him softly on the mouth. As she pulled away, emerald eyes met hazel, and their lips brushed again. Soon their kisses grew hungrier. Hearts pumped rapidly and breathing grew erratic as Lily shifted so that she was straddling James. He groaned as she tangled her fingers in the sensitive hairs at the base of his neck. Her breath caught as he lavished kisses along her jaw.
"Really? I leave for two minutes and this is what happens?" joked Sirius as he interrupted the couple. "Mr. Potter should be paying me to stick around you two."
"What makes you think we have to stop because you're here?" asked Lily, her attention temporarily diverted. "You're the one who looks like a perv if you stay."
"You underestimate me," Sirius told them gravely as James recaptured Lily's attention. "I'm bored, because I really don't want to go to bed, so I will be forced to be a complete and utter prat to entertain myself. Thus, Wingardium Leviosa!"
"Sirius Orion Black, you put me down this instant!" demanded Lily as Sirius made her fly around the room.
"Padfoot I am going to kill you, you bloody arse!" thundered James.
"Only if you can catch me!" he cackled, levitating Lily out of the room and running out soon after her.
Due to the fact that Sirius kept throwing things in James's path, James failed to catch up to his devious friend until after Sirius had dunked Lily in the middle of the lake.
"You threw her into the lake?" asked James disbelievingly. "I refuse to protect you in any way. You deserve whatever you get."
"Come on Prongs, we've been friends for seven years, that has to count for something, doesn't it?" asked Sirius worriedly as he spied the red head swiftly swimming to shore.
"It would except for the fact that you interrupted a snog session I was having with my girlfriend, who, after tomorrow, I won't be able to kiss or see until Christmas," James informed him.
"But that was all in good fun!" Sirius tried to convince him, still keeping on eye on Lily. "You'll be able to talk her out of her rage won't you?"
"I suggest you start running now," James said simply.
"Best idea you've ever had Prongs," Sirius said as he started running.
"He's gone?" asked Lily as she stood next to James, slightly shivering as a cool summer breeze picked up.
"He's gone," James confirmed. "And not likely to be back."
"Then do you fancy a swim?" Lily inquired.
"With you? Always," James replied with a grin.
-----
James was awoken from a very peaceful slumber by the very obnoxious sound of an owl pecking on his window. He groaned as he reached to his nightstand and put his glasses on. Trying not to wake Lily, he slid her head off of his chest and placed her carefully on a pillow. His breath caught as she made a small sound like a kitten mewing in her sleep.
Silently cursing the owl for not going to the main foyer like all other owls, James opened the window and took the letter. He quickly scanned it and almost danced with joy. It stated that although the aurors had successfully repelled the Death Eater attack, the training center had received some structural damage, so training was postponed for three days.
In a state of bliss, James slipped back into bed and curled up against his girlfriend. He couldn't believe his luck- three extra days with Lily!
Lily awoke panic-striken around eleven. She knew by the amount of sunshine in the room that she had overslept; James and Sirius were due to leave at eight! She couldn't believe that she had missed her opportunity to say good-bye to them. Clumsily she tried to get out of bed, hoping that for some reason they would still be there. However, getting out of bed when another person is holding on to you and the sheets are every which way twisted around your legs is no easy thing.
Lily was normally a graceful person, but this morning was an exception. With a yelp she crashed to the ground next to James's bed, one of the sheets still twisted around her ankle and her hair covering her face. She sat there, dazed for a minute, still not fully awake.
"Morning love," said James with a smirk as he peered down at her.
"Oh shut up you big prick," huffed Lily testily. "I thought you had left without saying good-bye."
"I would never leave you without saying good-bye," James promised her.
Lily's face took on a shocked look. "You didn't decide not to go, did you?!"
"No," James laughed. "Due to the attack, they postponed the opening of the Academy. You're stuck with me for another three days."
"Three days," Lily said softly, her eyes shining like a small child on Christmas day.
James smiled and pulled Lily back into bed with him.
"You know that we should get up eventually," Lily murmured as they lay cuddling on James's bed.
"Eventually," James agreed as he burrowed his face further in Lily's hair, her scent entrancing him.
"What is your mother going to think if we stay up here all day?"
"That we are very considerate for not being all lovey-dovey in front of her and Sirius," answered James.
"Speaking of Sirius, he is probably becoming bored as we speak and you know how dangerous that is…"
"Lily," James pouted, his feelings slightly hurt. "It sounds like you don't want to stay here all day with me."
Lily turned on her side so you could face James properly. "There is nothing I want more than to stay here with you for forever. I'm just afraid that if we're left on our own for too long… things would get out of hand."
James's imagination exploded. He tightened the hand he had entangled in Lily's hair into a fist.
"Exactly my point," said Lily softly as she stroked his face. "You know that we can't, not now."
"Someday cannot come soon enough," groaned James.
Lily closed her eyes and tried to get her rapidly beating heart under control. She wanted him so bad… was so completely and utterly intoxicated by him…
"If I don't leave now I won't be able to stop," she whispered fearfully as her eyes shot open looking a little terrified.
"Go," James urged her huskily. He knew he didn't have the willpower to leave; he knew that if she even made the slightest move he would never be able to control himself.
Lily kissed him chastely on the lips and slipped out of his grasp before he could reciprocate. She dashed through the door without looking back. Hastily she ran into her room and shut the door behind her. Then she sat up against the door, breathing heavily. It frightened her how easily he could break down her every inhibition, how she could barely think straight when he was that close to her… looking at her that way… Lily groaned and buried her face in her arms that lay upon her knees.
Across the hall James was already fully immersed in a freezing cold shower, furiously trying to think of anything except Lily. He first tried to recite the twelve uses of dragon blood, but that reminded him of the time he and Lily were studying for their N.E.W.T.s together and she was trying to drill the uses into his head and he kept kissing her neck between each use. Then he tried to recall the forty-seven steps it took to become an animagus, but that only made him think of the time that Lily jumped out of her window and transformed in midair… and then what happened in the woods between them. So then he tried to think of nothing at all, but still images of Lily seemed to seep through. James groaned and slammed his fist into the tile of his shower in frustration.
Eventually both Lily and James arrived at lunch, though not together. Lily had been quietly eating her salad when she felt James enter the room. She glanced up briefly, met his gaze, blushed furiously and returned her concentration to her food. James glanced at her for a second longer and then he too, tore his attention away and sat down next to his best friend.
Sirius looked between the two teenagers with extreme amusement. He couldn't imagine why they refused to look at each other, yet continued to blush as they sat in such close proximity. Then Sirius noticed that his surrogate mother was watching them with the same enjoyment. As Sirius met Mrs. Potter's gaze, they both nearly exploded with laughter. James and Lily thought they were being so sneaky, yet they couldn't have been more obvious.
"Wow," said Sirius as he groaned quite obviously. "I am so full. I really wish I could do more… but sadly this was all I could do."
"Well Sirius dear, you shouldn't push yourself to forbidden limits. Be content with what you are able to have. Maybe someday in the future you'll be able to have more," said Marilyn, playing Sirius's game.
"I know Mrs. Potter," sighed Sirius girlishly. "But it's just so appealing right now. I don't know how I'm going to be able to control myself from just having it all."
Sirius and Mrs. Potter grinned devilishly as they watched the couple grow redder and begin to fidget uncomfortably while still trying to pretend they were unaffected.
"Excuse me," muttered Lily, her gaze still cast downward as she fled from the table.
Finally James looked up to watch Lily leave. His face said that he very much wanted to follow her, but his fist that was clenched around his fork showed that he knew he couldn't. After Lily's departure, the table fell into a silence that was only broken by the sounds of James's furiously spearing his lettuce.
Then Mrs. Potter inquired, "Sirius, dear, what are you doing?"
James looked over at his best mate who was furiously waving his knife up and down through the air.
"I'm trying to cut the sexual tension!" he cried. "Lily's not even here anymore and I can still feel it!"
Mrs. Potter erupted into giggles, but James was not so amused. He hurriedly pushed his chair back from the table and stomped toward the Quidditch Pitch, not even bothering to grab his own broom but settling for using one of the ones in the broom cupboard.
"Oh Sirius, you are naughty," chastised Marilyn, her eyes shining with mirth.
"I think that Uncle Harry and Auntie Eileen would find this situation particularly funny," Sirius said with a grin.
Marilyn mirrored his grin and said, "I wonder if they have any plans for dinner…"
Meanwhile James was airborne, enjoying the feeling of the wind rushing through his hair and washing over his skin. For awhile he flew meaninglessly around the pitch, doing some tricks to entertain himself. He was finally able to think about something other than his incredibly irresistible girlfriend. Well that didn't last long.
Once he got bored of the pitch, he started roaming the Potter grounds, thankful that they lived in an all-wizard area. That was when he saw Lily, who was, as he had predicted, running. He swooped down to tail her. It was as if a magnet was pulling him in; he had meant to only watch from a distance, but all too soon he was close enough that he could hear her even breaths as she tried to outrun her frustrations.
"Lily," he murmured from behind her.
Lily didn't dare turn around, her hormones were still running wild and free through her veins.
"Lily," James persisted.
Lily knew she couldn't outrun James on land, but she did know what could give him a run for his money… Unexpectedly a beautiful and sleek falcon was on the ground in Lily's place, and without breaking stride, launched itself into the air.
James was so surprised he nearly flew right into the wall that formed the boundary of the rose garden his mother adored. Always a fast thinker, James rapidly recovered and the chase was on. Lily had the advantage of being small, and fast, but James wasn't exerting energy like Lily and he had logged many more hours in the sky than she had.
Lily made sharp turns and sudden stops, but she couldn't seem to shake James off of her tail feathers. She flew in and out of the goalposts on the Quidditch Pitch and still he followed her every move. She skimmed the surface of the lake; he followed and even dared to splash her. Still she flitted and dived, enjoying the thrill of the chase almost as much as the notion of being caught.
Deciding to give James a challenge, Lily darted toward the woods. For her, navigating the trunks, branches, and boulders would be easy; her streamlined body would have no problem fitting through even the smallest of gaps. James, however, was a nearly full grown man who was limited in his mobility by the abilities of his broomstick. While Lily was flying as gracefully as any natural falcon, James was bumbling around the woods being scratched by branches and just barely flying away from collisions with a few scrapes.
After the third time he nearly killed himself James lost sight of the auburn arrow he had been pursuing so he rocketed himself above the treetops. Slowly he floated above the branches, hoping to catch a glimpse of the falcon that sported feathers the same hue as her hair. After a few minutes of searching, James began to get nervous. What if something had happened to her?
His anxiety was alleviated when the object of his affection broke through the uppermost layer of the tree branches only a few meters away. James stretched out his arm and Lily perched upon it. However, she was not totally aware of exactly how sharp her talons were; James hissed in pain as she accidentally tore into his bare forearm. Lily squawked softly in what James took to be remorse.
"You look tired, can I give you a lift?" offered James grinning.
Lily nodded but soared back into the safety and privacy of the woods, hoping James would follow. He did. By the time he had navigated the web of tree limbs, Lily had already returned to her human form, her back to James. James surprised her by soaring behind her, picking her up and depositing her on the broom in front of him.
Lily shrieked in surprise and then laughed good-naturedly. "You are a prat, you know that?"
"Yup," James confirmed grinning as he led them out of the woods. "I also know that you wouldn't want me any other way."
"You sound so sure about that," joked Lily.
"I am sure."
"You're also cocky."
"You love that about me too."
"Apparently I love a lot of things about you."
"Do you want to know something else you love about me?"
"Sure," Lily laughed.
"You also love my love of excitement and danger."
"Oh do I?" asked Lily as she glanced back at her boyfriend.
"Want to play a game?" he inquired as he grinned roguishly as his heart began to beat faster as his excitement rose.
"Alright," agreed Lily as she could feel her own adrenaline start to race.
"Do you trust me?" he asked, his tone very serious.
"With my life," she answered just as serious.
James broke eye contact and swiftly knocked Lily off of his broom. They had been flying more than one hundred meters above the Quidditch Pitch. This gave Sirius, who had ventured outside to tease James some more, a fantastic view of what happened. After the initial shock wore off, he mounted the broom he was carrying and shot up into the sky.
Seconds seemed like hours as Sirius watched one of his best mates hurtle through the sky to possible death. He had eyes for only one thing. He was closing in fast, but so was the ground, as he raced toward the middle of the pitch, where it appeared she would land. Once he got to the anticipated spot he soared upwards, hoping to catch her long before she even had the chance to meet the ground. He was sure she was nearly dying with fright.
About twenty meters above the ground Sirius held out his arms and neatly plucked Lily out of harm's way. His broom plunged downward because of Lily's added weight and downward velocity, but Sirius quickly took control by guiding the broom with his knees and lowered them to safety. After a somewhat rocky landing Sirius placed Lily, who did look a little on the green side, on the ground and then looked up into the sky. He didn't find his best mate however, because James had already landed.
"Aww… Padfoot you ruined the whole game," whined James as he reached out a hand and helped Lily up.
"Game?! GAME?!" spluttered Sirius. "She was falling through the sky about to DIE!"
"No one was going to die," said James calmly. "It was all under control."
"I didn't see you saving her life!" bellowed Sirius angrily.
"I would have if you didn't interfere," said James matter-of-factly. "But she wasn't in any danger in the first place."
"James you bloody wanker pushing people off of brooms just so you can heroically save them is not a game!" Sirius informed his best friend rather loudly, emphasizing his point by poking James in the chest with every word.
"We're all just fine," said James defensively. "Right Lily?"
"Sirius," said Lily gently. "I trusted that James would catch me."
"Lily," said Sirius sternly. "He's not even using his regular broom. That broom is much slower and harder to handle than his usual one because it's an older model which he hasn't used for years. In reality he probably couldn't have saved you because he was calculating everything with the wrong statistics."
James blanched as he looked at the broom in his hand. It was an outdated model; Lily really could have died if Sirius hadn't been there.
"Lily," said James haltingly. "I'm so sorry. I didn't realize…"
"It's all okay," said Lily after taking a deep and calming breath. "No one got hurt; well other than your arm which we should probably bandage up because it's still bleeding from earlier... Let's all just calm down and go inside."
"I'll meet you guys later," said Sirius as James and Lily started toward the house. He was still so furious with James for purposefully putting Lily's life in danger that he didn't think he could stand to be in the same room with him. He went to the supply room, retrieved the bludgers and a beater's bat, and vented his frustration by hitting the violent balls around for a few hours.
He just couldn't believe that James would be so careless…smack…so foolish…whack…so childish…hit…to endanger the life of the woman he loved. When would he ever grow up? Bash
And Lily, how could she put her life in his hands? Strike And then when she finds out that her trust in him could have gotten her killed be completely fine? Beat She was a fool too! Clout Two fools, blinded by love and trust and hope. Wallop If this is what love involved Sirius didn't want it. Thump
Hitting the bludgers couldn't alleviate Sirius's rage. However, his anger immediately melted when he walked into his favorite parlor and saw James and Lily sprawled out on one of the couches asleep. His glasses were askew and she was drooling, but they just looked…right together he concluded. Quietly he requested a camera from a house elf and took a picture to show their children someday. Maybe love wasn't so bad after all…
-----
"Sorry we're late," apologized Harry boisterously as he and Christopher entered the dining room where Eileen, Marilyn, Sirius, James, and Lily were already sitting waiting. "Work is a little crazy right now."
"A little crazy?" snorted Christopher as he took his seat at the head of the table. "Our training facility was attacked last night!"
"Yeah that was a bit of a bummer," said Harry lightly as he took his usual seat at the foot of the table.
Lily couldn't believe how different the two brothers were; Sirius and James- a Black and a Potter- were more alike than the two Potter men. Physically they were built much the same; same black hair (though Harry keeps his a bit long and messy like James and Christopher's is so short that it isn't given the ability to stick up in odd directions), the same chocolate brown eyes (though Harry's sparkles and Christopher's are sharp behind his round glasses), and the same tall and lean build (though Harry is a few centimeters taller and Christopher's muscles are slightly more defined). But other than that easy-going and happy Harry and stern, responsible Christopher didn't seem to be related at all!
"Let's talk about something more pleasant," suggested Marilyn.
"I agree," said Harry readily. "Let's move onto my favorite topic besides Quidditch- my nephew!"
"Let's not," said James warily as he glanced at the gleeful expression on his best mate's face.
"Oh yes let's," said Sirius enthusiastically.
"We could talk about why James is sitting next to his mother and best mate instead of his gorgeous girlfriend," suggested Harry pleasantly.
"I was wondering that myself," stated Eileen happily as she looked over at the only other person on her side of the table.
Lily shrugged noncommittally, a calm smile on her face. James struggled, but he was able to copy his girlfriend's calm and remain silent.
"Oh I know, I know!" called Sirius as he exuberantly waved his arm in the air as if he were in class. "Call on me!"
"Yes Mr. Black," said Harry indulgently, doing his best Slughorn impression. "If you hand me some crystallized pineapple a.k.a. the rolls you can have the honor of answering."
After passing the rolls down Sirius answered, "Because the sexual tension is bad enough when they are in the same room; if they were sitting next to each other it's likely we'd all be smothered by it."
"And why is there sexual tension?" asked Harry in a teacher-like voice. "I'm going to let you answer this one Chris."
Christopher rolled his eyes; he detested his brother's games. However he knew the easiest and least painful way to get through it was to play along. "Because they aren't having sex," grumbled Christopher.
Lily turned red and refused to look at anything except her roll which she was rapidly shredding. James turned red as well and looked as if he wished to simply slide under the table. Sirius and Harry wore matching grins of extreme amusement.
"We should come over more often Eileen," joked Harry. "Teasing James about girls is so much more fun when he has one."
"How about we enjoy our soup and take the mickey out of James over dessert?" suggested Christopher who just wanted some mundane conversation to dull his mind before he returned to the office.
"Fine," said Harry agreeably. "I need some time to observe and prepare so that I will have some quality quips."
James sighed in relief. He was silent as his family debated the weather, prices of caldrons, and the newest appointments to the Italian ministry.
Lily was also uncharacteristically silent while the conversation whirled around her. She had other things on her mind. She smiled sweetly at her gazpacho as she thought about James, in particular his tongue.
"That's it!" cried Harry in frustration as he threw his soup spoon to the ground as the soups were being cleared and the salads served. "I can't wait for dessert!"
"I've got one," said Sirius brightly. He held his spoon in one hand and his fork in the other. "I've just noticed that spooning leads to forking! Wouldn't you say so James?"
"Ummm… no," said James, clearing his throat.
"But you were just spooning," Sirius pointed out, waving his spoon. "Now don't you think it's about time you got around to using your fork?"
"Nope, perfectly content to use my spoon for a while longer," said James uncomfortably squirming as his father stared at him with an expression of suspicion. James had no choice but to eat his salad with his soup spoon as his uncle and best mate watched with smug grins.
"Hey James, why don't you toss Lily's salad?" asked Harry as soon as there was a lull in the conversation.
"I don't think her salad needs tossing," mumbled James. His blush had just started to die down, but now it was returning with a vengeance. He didn't even dare to look at Lily.
"It would be the gentlemanly thing to do," continued Harry.
"I agree; I think every girl's salad should be tossed," said Eileen teaming up with her mischievous husband.
"I may even start a charity to make that dream come true. I'll just go from house to house, tossing the salad of every pretty maiden I come across," said Sirius with a face that seemed serious.
Once it was clear that James wasn't going to say anything else, Sirius turned on Lily, knowing that was an even easier way to get a rise out of James than ribbing him directly.
"You'd like James to toss your salad, wouldn't you Lily?" he asked slyly.
"Well Sirius," said Lily, looking up for the first time. "I've tried cooking with James before; needless to say he's miserable at it. Perhaps I should give you a try instead? You seem to know a lot about tossing salads and such."
She bit her bottom lip coyly and grinned at Sirius in what James deemed a very suggestive manner. James was a biased judge however; he thought Lily looked seductive all the time.
Harry burst out laughing. He hadn't expected Lily to fight fire with fire! Then he decided to allow his shell-shocked partner recover by introducing a "neutral" topic. "So the Arrows are looking good this year. That new seeker of theirs is remarkable."
"Quidditch is a game filled with disappointments in my opinion," said Eileen with a smirk she hoped would clue Sirius in to the fact that she was setting him up.
Sirius absolutely took the bait. "I always think it's sad when the seeker can't seem to bag the snitch. He gets so close over and over and over again, but always it just slips out of his reach…"
"I've always thought that the game would be better if there weren't any keepers on the pitch. Then the chaser could so easily get the ball in the hoop and finally score," said Harry.
"One of my favorite activities when Harry and I first started dating was riding his broomstick," said Eileen, starting yet another barely concealed innuendo. "Has James taken you for a ride on his broomstick yet Lily?"
Lily was torn about answering. Literally she had ridden on James's broomstick before and Sirius knew that so if she said no then he would call her out on it. If she said yes then it could be seriously misinterpreted…
"Ummm… no he hasn't," she eventually answered.
"Lily!" said Sirius in a "shocked" tone. "I saw you riding his broomstick just this morning! It looked like you enjoyed it; I can't believe you would forget so quickly! I'm sure you've bruised poor James's ego."
Lily looked like she was about to vomit, but then she recovered and smiled. "Well Sirius, I know that you'll agree that riding a broomstick for the first time is the truly memorable experience. Riding your broomstick while you were over my house last summer will always be my fondest memory. Though I do wish that you would have let me go first; having new experiences after my younger sister is always so… degrading, not to mention sharing you in the first place…"
For the first time that night James grinned and made eye contact with Lily. She really was too clever for her own good. Lily blushed as she read the admiration and pride that radiated from James's gaze. Marilyn looked adequately shocked and abashed while Eileen giggled as she tried to keep all of the lettuce in her mouth. After that the conversation skirted any topics that could be misconstrued as sexual. Well until dessert at least…
"I really like bread," said Harry as he dug into his bread pudding animatedly. "But I much prefer it toasted."
"You like toast too don't you Lily?" began Sirius covertly.
"I like it as much as the next girl I suppose," answered Lily guardedly.
"James I can't believe you've let this lovely maiden's bread go untoasted all these weeks! Really mate, you have to get on that. We all know that you have so little experience in this area because you're so bad at it, but it's really a very simple operation. In fact it's so basic that it's mostly instinct. I know that you could rise to the occasion if you would just give it a go," ended Sirius with a triumphant smirk.
"Okay! Enough with the innuendos!" shouted James.
"In-your-endo," replied Sirius jokingly.
"That's it!" James slid back from the table and threw the napkin that was on his lap to the ground. He moved quickly around the table, and before anyone knew what he was doing, James pulled Lily's chair across the smooth wooden floor and spun it so that she was facing him. Smoothly he crouched down and crashed his lips against Lily's. She was hesitant at first because of their audience, but James was persistent. He pressed her tightly against the back of her chair as one hand cupped her face and the other cradled the back of her head, angling it to meet his just right. Lily hadn't intended to let things go so far, but she couldn't resist when he parted her lips with his skilled tongue.
Long before either member of the couple wished James pulled away and swept out of the room without a word or even a backward glance.
"You do realize that your teenaged nephew just owned you right?" teased Eileen as she addressed her husband.
"He did not!" retorted Harry childishly.
"I'd have to say that he did," said Christopher smugly.
"Absolutely not!" said Harry loudly.
"He clearly had the last laugh," said Marilyn who also sided with her son.
"Thank you for dinner," said Lily, her voice quietly interrupting the playful argument. "It was lovely, but please excuse me; I think I'll go to bed now."
"Your own bed I presume?" said Christopher sternly.
A lovely shade of rose blossomed across Lily's cheekbones as she said, "But of course."
After Lily's departure, Harry laughed at his older brother. "She may be going to her own bed as told, but that's not going to keep them apart! Do you really think that he has some qualms about having sex with her in her bed?"
Blood rushed to Christopher's face. He pushed back from the table just as abruptly as his son had moments before and followed the path of his son's girlfriend.
"James!" he thundered as he reached the top of the stairs.
"Yeah dad?" said James as he stuck his head out of his bedroom.
"Lily!"
"Yes Mr. Potter?" said Lily as she walked out of her own bedroom across the hall. "Did you need something?"
"No, nothing. Nothing at all," said Mr. Potter slightly dazed. He turned around and returned to his dinner companions. Lily and James grinned behind his back.
"Really Chris," said Harry as Christopher reentered the room. "You left them alone?"
"They were in separate rooms," stated Christopher, ashamed that he had revealed the lack of trust he had in his son without any sort of justification.
"I guarantee that they aren't now," said Harry as he rolled his eyes. "Really you're making this way too easy for them. If father had made it this easy for me I wouldn't have even bothered eloping."
"What do you suggest I do? Sit in the hallway?" asked Christopher tiredly.
"Hell no!" said Harry. "I can think of four ways off the top of my head that would allow one or both of them to get by you. My expert suggestion would be to send Sirius up there to hang out with James."
"That's not as effective as you might think," Sirius informed them. "They're so accustomed to me being around that they don't mind doing… couple things in front of me anymore."
"You'll just have to trust them," said Marilyn as she put her soft and slightly wrinkled hand lightly over Christopher's clenched fist.
"I trust her; I just don't trust him," Christopher ground out.
"That's because you still remember what it was like to be a teenager in love," Harry jibed thoughtlessly.
Christopher unclenched his fist and flipped his hand so that his palm faced up. He closed his fingers around his wife's smaller hand and squeezed gently. Christopher remembered; he remembered all too well.
-----
Those three days had been filled with laughter and kisses, but they passed all too quickly. Soon it was time for Lily and Mrs. Potter to bid good-bye to James and Sirius. Mr. Potter would have liked to be there as well, but he was still doing paperwork from the attack on the Academy. It was obvious that there was a huge intelligence leak from within the Auror Department, and they needed to find out who it was fast.
"Bye Sirius," said Lily sadly while Mrs. Potter was saying good-bye to her son.
"See you soon Lils," he whispered in her ear as he gave her a long hug.
"Play nice with the other children," she joked as tears threatened to fall.
"When have I ever not played nice?" he asked rhetorically.
She just laughed and said, "Love you."
"Love you too," he smiled. "Have fun at genius school."
Then it was time for Mrs. Potter and Lily to switch. Marilyn was no less affectionate and motherly when she bid Sirius good-bye, telling him to do his laundry often, and not to talk back to his instructors.
No words were necessary between Lily and James. She threw herself into his arms and he held her tightly, breathing in as much of her as he could. Tears really did fall from Lily's eyes as they kissed good-bye.
"I love you," she said simply as she released him.
"Love you too," he said, wearing his trademark grin that she loved so much. "Always have and always will."
"Come on Prongs," said Sirius seriously, tugging on James's sleeve. "We have to go."
"Okay," responded James quietly. He took one last lingering glance at Lily and then followed his friend as they flooed to the Ministry. From there they would be side-apparated by an auror to the training facility.
"I can't believe they're really gone," sobbed Lily as Mrs. Potter wrapped her in a motherly hug.
Marilyn, tears sparkling in her own eyes, concurred saying, "I can't believe all of my boys are grown up, off to jobs and auror training… it seems like just yesterday that they were blowing up toilets and telling me girls were gross. I feel so old."
"I miss them already," sniffled Lily.
"Me too," sighed Mrs. Potter. "Although I've said good-bye to James for the term this time every year for the past seven years, this time it seems different. He's all grown-up now!"
"How about we have some tea," Lily suggested, withdrawing from the embrace.
"That definitely has the possibility to help," agreed Mrs. Potter.
That was the first of many hours that Lily spent in the company of Marilyn Potter. Over the next week and a half, the pair tended the rose garden, hosted a tea party, shopped, and packed all of Lily's supplies for school. They found comfort in each other's presence; Marilyn finally received the daughter she had always wanted, and Lily finally found the second mother she deserved.
Suddenly it was time for Marilyn to bid good-bye to the last teenager in her house. She knew that they would all be home for Christmas, but it seemed to her that the time span between September and December had never seemed so long. The moment that Lily disapparated just outside of the gates of the manor, Marilyn started to cry and couldn't stop.
-----
"Welcome to all of you," began an elderly auror as he addressed the trainees gathered before him. "I am Auror Timothy Striker, and I am the Director of the Auror Academy. I will be supervising your training from afar; if you see me before graduation chances are that you will be so deep in shit that you won't be able to see daylight. It's probable that five out of the forty of you will be in my office before Christmas, so don't get too attached to one another."
The trainees laughed uneasily. The man before them looked old, but his eyes were still sharp and his stature was alert. He was obviously not a man to be trifled with.
"That said, I will introduce your trainers. Head of Concealment and Disguise, Auror Mark DuBois, Head of Defensive Maneuvers Auror Pierre Phillipe…" James tuned out the rest of the introductions. He recognized each trainer from his father's dinner parties. Instead, he chose to gaze around at his classmates.
Most were gazing intently at the Director and his associates with a look that reminded James of Remus or Lily. James knew that Sirius didn't want to pay attention to such babble, but knew that he didn't have any choice. Even one slip-up could end his career; thus he looked just as focused as any other would-be auror.
James tuned back in as Auror Striker finished the introductions, "You all completed the necessary personality tests during the application process over the Christmas holidays last year, but over the next few days we will be conducting another series of more stringent tests. If you cannot handle these tests, please remove yourself from the Academy and stop wasting our time and effort because you won't make it. For the rest of the day the third year students will take you on a tour of the facility. Enjoy the last moments of free time you will have until Christmas."
James thought the tour was a bit boring, especially since Sirius wasn't in his group. For the highly advanced training facility of a program ranked eighteenth in the world it wasn't much. The "barracks" as they were lovingly called, were bland concrete buildings with three floors. Each floor had two rows of metal bunk beds. At either end of the sparse halls were loos. That was it.
The Academy also had a dining facility; James agreed when the guides called it a "mess hall" because the old building was certainly not the Great Hall. James caught himself wishing that the hall had been caught in the crossfire during the attack so that he'd have a nicer place to spend his meals. Perhaps a renovation would even have improved the food, he thought dully as he surveyed the plate of food that was handed out to each student as they passed the window to the kitchen.
After a bland lunch which James didn't eat, the group set out again. Now they toured the classrooms, underground rooms formed by slabs of rock slapped together by magic. James took one look at the rickety old desks and wished for Hogwarts, where there were windows to stare out of and the desks didn't look like magic was holding them together.
Next on the tour was at look at the training centers for the upper years. James would have loved to spend more time exploring these rooms, but the guides hurried them through saying that they would come to know the obstacle courses and scenario rooms better than they wanted to during their third year.
Then they came to the exercise facilities and James was finally impressed. The complex was six stories and had a lap pool, indoor Quidditch pitch, weight rooms, cardio equipment, and a track. Unlike the rest of the Academy, this equipment looked new and up-to-date. James was glad that there was a requirement to spend at least ten hours a week there; though he didn't think he would need such an excuse.
The last two areas on the tour were the fields where mock battles were staged, and the library. James's tour guides cackled as they informed the impressionable first years that they would be spending most of their time in the library since the first year was spent in class learning protocol, auror history, and magical theory.
Lunch had not been the exception, as James had hoped, but rather the rule. Dinner was every bit just as disgusting as the previous meal.
"How can you eat this?" James whispered to Sirius. He had been looking around and wondering how his fellow students could be ingesting the gruel in front of them, only to find that his best mate had joined the "dark side." He also saw Alice at another table eating happily as she chatted to the few female students at the Academy.
"Gotta eat something," Sirius pointed out realistically. "It's not as bad as it looks."
James couldn't help but wonder where his boisterous best mate had gone. It was like someone had thrown a wet blanket on him the moment they had entered the iron gates of the Academy. Instead of making jokes or introducing himself to the other trainees, Sirius was quietly keeping to himself; keeping his gaze on the table in front of him as he calmly ate his meal.
"So how was your tour?" James asked Sirius, trying to get him out of his shell.
"Good," replied Sirius moderately. "The library seemed nice."
"The library seemed nice?" repeated James skeptically. "You stepped foot in the Hogwarts library seven times in as many years! You hate libraries!"
"Do not," muttered Sirius.
"What's gotten into you mate? You were fine this morning."
"And I'm fine now," protested Sirius, the slightest hint of anger sneaking into his response. "Just drop it."
"Fine," stated James stubbornly as he turned to his plate of glop and dug into it furiously.
Soon the students filed out and went to their dormitories. James sighed as he climbed up to his bed. The fellow who had the bunk beneath him seemed like a decent bloke, but James wasn't really up to socializing. He missed his king-sized bed and the person he liked to share it with. He also missed his friends, even Sirius who was just down the hall.
As James put his head on his pillow he realized that it didn't have a pillowcase on it. Grumbling to himself he climbed back down and began to rummage around in his trunk for a pillowcase. Finally he found one, and as he pulled it out of the trunk a note slipped out. He couldn't help but grin as he read it.
To my favorite auror trainee ever (don't tell Sirius- he thinks that he's my favorite!),
Right now I hope you're getting ready to go to bed and missing me; I'm certainly missing you! I wish I could be there with you; I bet there are twin beds and I can only imagine how close we would have to be to fit on one together. Since I can't really be there with you I packed one of my pillowcases. I've been sleeping on it for a few nights now, so I hope it smells like me! Love you!
Yours always,
Lily
As soon as he finished the short note he smelled the pillowcase; it did smell like Lily! Finally James's day seemed to be turning around. He climbed back into bed with much more enthusiasm and was able to peacefully drift off to sleep as the lights were extinguished a few minutes later.
Down the hall Sirius had no such luck. He also didn't have a pillowcase that smelled like his girlfriend to make him feel comfortable. Furthermore, he had that nagging feeling that he was being watched. He had felt it the first moment he had arrived. Mr. Potter had been right; he would be monitored more closely than any other trainee. He could only imagine how much James's dad had to plead on his behalf for him to have even made it this far.
He didn't blame the aurors; he wouldn't have let himself in if he had been in their shoes. For Merlin's sake, his cousin and her husband had aided in torturing a muggle-born only a few weeks ago, and he was fairly certain his family was involved in the attack on the Academy. For all he knew, they could have led the attack in retaliation for him trying to become an auror.
Sirius sighed and tried to get comfortable. After several minutes of struggle he ended up in the same position he started in, on his back staring at the bottom of the bed on top of his. He wished he had been lucky like James and had been given the top bunk; there were usually interesting cracks in ceilings to look at. Sirius had a feeling this was going to be a long night and an even longer term.
-----
Lily arrived in a large and open courtyard and looked around in pure delight. The area was filled with people milling about, looking around much like Lily. A wide grin spread across her face as Lily took in the marble palace behind her, the well manicured grounds that spilled out in front of her, just down the steps of the courtyard, the lake to her left, and another beautiful white building to her right. She also fell instantly in love with the town that she could just barely see between two of the mountains that formed part of the range that encircled the university.
"Lily Evans?!" gasped a familiar voice.
Lily didn't have time to match a name or face to the voice because she suddenly found herself in a tight hug.
"Vicky!" Lily shouted back as she identified the spunky girl in front of her. "I'm so sorry we lost touch!"
"Me too," she agreed. "But that's easy to do when you're not sharing life-threatening situations anymore."
"True," Lily laughed. "How have you been?"
"I've been great!" she gushed. "I had to sneak out of the house to make it here, and my parents are probably royally pissed at me for coming to Europe when they specifically told me I was never allowed out of the country again, but I'm thrilled to be here!"
"I like the hair," Lily commented as she took in the bleach blonde locks of her friend.
"I thought I'd tone it down a bit for my first day," Vicky said as she ran a hand through her short hair that was gelled to look like she had just rolled out of bed. "But I have some dye in my bag; I thought I'd throw some highlights in it tonight. That's why blonde hair is my favorite; highlights show up so well!"
"Isn't this place gorgeous?" gushed Lily as she did another 360 degree turn. She just couldn't get over how immaculate everything was.
"I can't get over it!" concurred Vicky. "This is a million times nicer than the university my parents wanted me to go to."
Lily and Vicky's conversation was ended by the arrival of a middle-aged wizard. As he descended the steps of the palace his robes swirled about him constantly shifting their color as if they had a mind of their own. He had hair the color of wheat that was slicked back in a sophisticated style. His eyes were remarkable; even at a distance Lily and Vicky could see the deep brown of his eyes that made it seem as if he had no irises at all, just overwhelming pupils that a person could drown in. Lily noted that much like Dumbledore, this man had a commanding presence; everyone fell silent at his arrival without so much as a word.
"Hello my friends," said the man as he opened his arms wide in a welcoming gesture. "It is my great privilege to be the first to welcome you to this haven of discovery and curiosity. I do not speak to you from a dais or pulpit; I talk to you while among you to show a belief that forms a facet of the core of this institution: we are not all created equal, but we must treat each other with equal respect regardless of abilities or background. Although I am much older than any of you, and I am the Head of this institution instead of a student, I will treat each of you as I would treat myself.
"All of you present have been thoroughly researched, watched for years by our esteemed panel of admittance. You are here because we believe that you can handle what this university has to offer you. You are mentally, emotionally, physically, intellectually, and spiritually strong. Here you will discover your limits and annihilate them.
"You will not leave here the same person that you are today. This is a frightening concept. Many of you are probably happy with the person you currently are; having just escaped the turbulent whirlwind of young adolescence, you probably thought that you were done. You thought that the person you are today would be the person you would die as. When this institution is done with you, you won't even recognize yourselves.
"Here at the university we do not require that you do anything; every single aspect of our program is voluntary. However, we will not award you with a diploma you haven't earned. We suggest that you follow our program, but if you design one that suits you better, by all means follow it. I trust that each and every one of you will meet our standards and someday in the future walk away from here with not only a piece of very expensive parchment, but also enough experiences to allow you to find your niche in the world and pursue it with respect, passion, and knowledge.
"Respect, passion, and knowledge form the core of this institute. By the time you leave here you will be able to speak these words in at least three languages, discuss their meaning and relevance in the modern and historical worlds with any linguistic or history expert, and embody them in each act.
"Now that I have said my piece, I will entrust you to a person more practical than an philosophic fuddy-duddy like myself."
The man extended his arm and the crowd's gaze followed it to see a woman who looked older than the hills. Her face was a mess of wrinkles; it sagged in baggy layers. Her deep green eyes were barely visible behind her thick spectacles, and her lips were extremely thin.
"Can you say 'dinosaur'?" Vicky whispered to Lily.
Suddenly the woman was standing only a few centimeters from Vicky's face; no one had even seen her move.
"I would rather be a dinosaur than a foolish girl who has addled her brains by adding chemicals to her hair to hide her insecurities that stem from the fact that her mother is overly controlling, her father too strict, and her talent makes her stand out. So tell me," continued the woman in the same clipped tones as she turned to Lily. "Can you say dinosaur?"
"Yes," squeaked Lily, surprised at being addressed and not knowing the right answer.
"I'm waiting," snapped the woman.
Lily just looked confused. What was she waiting for?
"It's pronounced din-o-sore," said the woman painfully slowly. "I don't have high hopes for you child. We accept the one hundred most qualified witches and wizards in the world; someone has to be number 100 and I think I'm looking at her. Maybe if you're lucky some of the genius of the ninety-nine people ahead of you will rub off on you if you stand close enough.
"With that said," the old and cranky woman cast one last glare at Lily and Vicky and turned her back on them, leaving them to flounder in a pool of shame and misery. "I am the dean here at the institute. During the next two weeks I will acquaint you with life here. I will be your worst enemy and also your only source of support because you will not meet any of your professors until the rest of the students return after the break.
"During these two weeks it is my task, and from the look of the group gathered here it will be more difficult than past years, to get you mentally and physically prepared for your first term here. We will begin in just a few moments with a few 'ice-breakers,' or as I like to call them, 'freshmen-breakers.' During these two weeks we have established a spell that allows you all to understand each other's native languages, but after orientation is over you will have to overcome the language barrier in your own way.
"I feel like this is an appropriate moment to mention that we don't use the names that were given to us by our parents here. We name each other to reflect what need from that person. I will illustrate this using an example since some of you seem to be unable to master basic concepts. If I am looking for a mentor in a man, I will not call him Joe or Dan because these are informal names. Rather I would call him something that has a noble connotation, Richard or Thomas perhaps. If I were seeking a bedfellow, I might use a name such as Gregory," said the woman in what she thought was a sultry voice.
"Eventually all of your classmates will subconsciously agree on your name. This name is a reflection of how people view you; it means something, unlike the name that your parents gave to you after only knowing you for a moment or two. Those names were name of potential, reflections of the dreams your parents had for you. Now you will see if you lived up to these wishes, or utterly failed to achieve anything of the sort."
After a dramatic pause during which she scrutinized any student that happened to be in her range of vision, the dean continued. "Now scatter and let people introduce you to yourself."
Lily and Vicky smiled at each other and then went off in different directions.
Lily was looking around for someone who wasn't talking to anyone else when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She quickly spun around and came face to face with a young man half a head taller than her. He had blonde hair cut just a smidge longer than a crew cut and the most intense blue eyes Lily had ever seen. He also had a very cocky grin.
"Hello," he said, his voice a deep rumble that just oozed with self-confidence and ego. "You are one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen; I believe Aphrodite would therefore be appropriate."
Lily grinned. "You are quite the charmer Theodore-who-likes-to-be-called-Teddy-by-his-girlfriends-who-are-just-girls-that-happen-to-be-friends-because-they-already-have-a-boyfriend-back-home. Where are you from Teddy?" she stressed the last word.
"Sweden," he answered shortly. "This boyfriend of yours, is he the jealous type?"
"Extremely. He is also the strong and angry type," she said warningly.
"So what would happen if I kissed you and he were here?" asked the very brave Teddy.
Lily's eyes flashed dangerously. "He would most likely strangle you, that is if there was anything left of you once I was through with you…"
Lily's threat was cut off when Teddy made good on his promise and kissed Lily. Lily didn't waste a second before she reacted; Teddy was magically lifted up and thrown across the courtyard, sliding to a fast halt at the feet of the dean.
"I suggest that in the future you use your tongue for talking and not kissing," said the dean curtly before she walked away.
"Ugh," shuddered Lily as she wiped her mouth off and spit on the ground.
"Boys are so dumb," quipped a small girl to Lily's left. Small was no exaggeration; the girl didn't even reach Lily's shoulders! She had very delicate Asian features and silky black hair that fell just past her shoulders.
"You seem like a Li-Mei; obviously you are not Chinese, but I feel like you are a 'pretty rose' nonetheless. You are certainly a pretty girl, but like any rose, you have some thorns. Your dismissal of that boy-"
"Teddy," interjected Lily with a grin; she was sure that such an egotistic guy would want a much more masculine name and the more she could spread 'Teddy' the happier she would become.
"Teddy, was very impressive. I like your style."
"Well, Anna, I also like your style. You are bold and honest; I think this may be the start of a great friendship."
Lily and Anna parted and continued to make new acquaintances. Lily found that there were more guys like Teddy in the group, but she didn't hold it against them because she realized that they were nervous and just trying to be the big man on campus. Also, there were quite a few Anna and Vicky's in the crowd, so Lily felt like the girls could certainly cut the egotistical guys down to size.
Each time she received a new name Lily giggled a little on the inside. She wondered what name her friends in England would have given her. She felt as though James would refuse to call her anything but Lily, Sirius would make up something ridiculous, Remus would pick something intuitive, and Peter would probably use something corny like 'Rose' or 'Daisy.' Marlene would pick something totally random and out there, like Georgette; Alice would pick something sensible like Jill or Laura. She couldn't wait to write to her friends to tell them about her first day!
However Lily would have to be careful about what she wrote. From the sound of his letters Sirius was downright miserable. Of course his words were positive; he had nothing but good things to say about his instructors, the facilities, the food… Lily knew better. Lily read between the lines and saw the misery of their author.
James wasn't much happier. However, he was much less subtle about it. No matter how many times Lily tried to gently hint that his letters were probably being scanned he wouldn't stop complaining about the terrible slop they called food, the boring classes, and the lack of Lily.
Lily missed James too, but she realized that in the excitement of her first few hours at the institute, the pangs of their separation dulled substantially, not that she would tell him that. But without constant reminders of him everywhere, she found that she could almost forget about him… not quite, but almost.
A/N. So before I get to the questions I would just like to thank all of my reviewers. The past couple of chapters have gotten some less than stellar reviews. While I absolutely appreciate the reviews that sing my praises, I am also thankful for those that provide constructive criticism. I realized that in my haste to get to the next part in a timely manner I have been neglecting description and depth. That is how this chapter went from 12 Microsoft word pages to 23. It is the longest chapter I have written for this story. So there's your reward for reviewing!
Now the questions:
Fluffy enough for you? Favorite moment of fluff?
How did you like James's response at the beginning of the chapter?
Favorite innuendo?
How do you feel about the first days of Lily, James, and Sirius?
What do you think of Sirius's behavior both at the Quidditch Pitch and at the Academy?
Did you like Lily's note to James?
Does anyone remember Vicky? What do you think of her return?
P.S. If anyone actually listened to Come Back to Me please let me know! I'm very curious to see what you think of my musical accompaniments.