Courage is not the Absence of Fear

Ch.5: A Medley

Lily carefully zipped up the elegant green dress. It was a simple but well cut; clinging to her waist, slipping off her hips and cascading to her knees. She fingered the material, smiling appreciatively as it caught the light. Lily didn't know what it was but it shimmered like satin and it was as soft as velvet. It felt so light and yet it fell neatly to her knees in graceful folds.

There was a strange sensation in her stomach. Nervousness, yes, but no fear: Excitement. She thought about the past five weeks. They were the happiest she could remember in her time at Hogwarts.

James stared at her, with his mouth hanging comically open. Lily could understand that one would be shocked if the girl who had repeatedly rejected for the past three years suddenly asked you out, but he had been simply staring at her for the past ten minutes. She laughed nervously and prodded him in the knee.

'Say something,' she said.

'What did you just say?'

'Say some-'

'Before that!'

'Oh,' she laughed, staring out across the lake; her hair hid her face.

'Are you asking me...for a date? Like a...a boyfriend-girlfriend date?'

'Well, it's for my sister's wedding. I have to bring a guest.' His face fell like a ton of bricks, 'but, after that, yeah.'

'Huh?' This was the stupidest conversation she had ever had with James Potter, which was quite amazing if you had heard some of the things he's said in the past.

'I, Lily Evans, will go out with you, James Potter.'

A week later, as they rose from the Gryffindor table, James caught her from behind whispering in her ear, 'Have fun in Herbology.' Marlene stared with a bemused expression at the two of them.

'I keep forgetting that he's allowed to do that now. I keep expecting you to hex him, Lily,' she said, a tinge of regret evident in her tone.

'Trust me; you are a surprised as I am.'

'Can we have little party for Moony on Friday night?' The Marauders had her surrounded in the library.

'Why?' she asked suspiciously, readily preparing reasons as to why they shouldn't.

'It's Moony's birthday!' Sirius said, in a tone that cleared asked her to defy him.

'Well, that's very nice but-'

'Please Lily, I promise, we'll keep it tame,' James supplied, playing gently with her hair, giving her a little smile.

'Fine,' she sighed, as Remus and Peter high fived, 'but only if it starts after the first curfew is over. I don't want the eleven to fourteen year olds tied up in your antics.'

'We are invincible,' Sirius hooted, smugly, 'Lily's on the Marauder's side now.'

James and Lily were the last people in the common room after Remus' birthday party. To his credit, James had stopped Sirius getting drunk and had stopped two third years sneaking down after curfew to join in.

'Pumpkin pasty?' James offered. Lily took it thoughtfully.

'How did you manage to get all this food from the kitchens without being seen?' She looked up to find his eyes twinkling.

'Do you promise not to freak out?' Oh no! She thought.

'Is it legal?' He ignored her, bolting up to his dormitory. He came back holding...something.

'What is it?' she asked curiously feeling the strange, silvery material, 'an invisibility cloak?!'

'Family heirloom,' he said proudly, throwing it around her.

Lily sat alone in the common room, one Saturday afternoon, waiting for James to return from Quiditch practice. The portrait swung up and James strode in and flung himself into the seat next to her.

'Hey, just finished the patrol rota. We aren't on till Thursday,' she said, eliciting no response from him except for a slight nod of his head. 'What's wrong?'

'I just ran into Snape and Mulciber tormenting a little second-year muggleborn. I docked fifteen points from Slytherin, but God! What is wrong with those bastards? The child was nearly in tears when I found them.' Lily rubbed his arm, gently. She was so sick of Snape. How could he think that she wouldn't hear about the thing he did? How dare he face her and ask for her forgiveness?

They patrolled, hand in hand, in a comfortable silence. As James and Lily turned onto the fourth floor corridor, as sound from a nearby classroom caught their attention. James pressed a finger to his lips, pulling his invisibility cloak over the two of them.

A voice Lily instantly recognised as Snape's whispered, 'Avery, you git, we are lucky Potter only docked points.'

'So, the mudblood deserved it...disgusting thing. Do you know what it said to me?'

'Leave it!' ordered Snape, 'You don't want Potter on your back.'

'Oh' scoffed Avery, 'Just because you're afraid of Potter.' There was loud bang and a yelp of pain. James ducked out of the invisibility cloak and burst into the room, followed by Lily. Avery lay against the back wall with blood dribbling down his chin while Snape faced him; wand raised.

'Well, isn't this a cosy little gathering, Snivellius?' he asked casually but his eyes were dark with anger; his jaw was rigid. Snape looked past him, at Lily with wide eyes. 'You are right, you're lucky I only docked points last time. Get out, both of you. We'll speak to Slughorn tomorrow.'

'Lily,' Snape whispered hoarsely. Lily determinedly avoided his eyes, anger sickeningly bubbling in her stomach.

'Fifteen points from Slytherin!' Avery pulled Snape out, casting both of them dark glares.

Lily stood still, chest heaving with laboured breaths. That was her friend...her best friend who she had spent infinite days with. The betrayal still stung two years later. She felt James moved towards her.

'Are you alright?' he murmured enveloping her in his arms. She nodded mutely against his shoulder.

'I just can't believe I was friends with him.'

'You didn't know...you didn't know.' He leant down; lips brushing over hers gently. No, she thought sadly, she hadn't known her best friend at all.

'Humph,' she sulked throwing herself into the chair next to James in the 'Three Broomsticks', where he sat with the Marauders, ''Gladrags' are being such a pain. All I asked them was 'Do you make muggle suits?' You should have heard them, James.' She blew her fringe out of her face, 'Muggle Suits! Why! Why would you need Muggle suits?' she mimicked, sipping James' butterbeer.

'My girlfriend is so pretty when she's angry,' he laughed, proudly to Sirius. Lily rolled her eyes and swatted him on his arm.

'James, it's been a month. You can call me Lily now. Everybody knows I'm your girlfriend!'

'Oh, I'm telling everybody,' he laughed. 'Excuse good sir,' he called the man sitting on the next table, 'Did you know that this young lady is my girlfriend?' Lily blushed, burying her face on James' shoulder.

'Congratulation m'boy,' the wizard said well naturedly, 'She's a pretty lass.'

A week later, is where we found Lily, gazing into the mirror, in her beautiful green dress. Marlene curled the final strand of her hair and rested her chin of Lily's shoulder.

'You look so beautiful.'

'Thank you,' smiled Lily, turning to hug her friend, 'and thank you for curling my hair! I love it.' She tugged a strand of the normally poker straight auburn hair and laughed.

'Well, better hurry up Lily, you'll be late.' She descended the stairs animatedly, to find James leaning by the fire, looking so dashing in a neat black suit. Well, looks like Gladrags did alright afterall...

Hehe the working title of this chapter was 'A month of Fluff'...because it was just a random little chapter of cutesy..ish moments of JPLE. Did you like it? I'm not very good at writing up fluff so I'm sorry but I quite like this chapter.

To Lexie-H, Hi! Thank you for all the advice! In the future, I will use italics when we go into flashbacks, it's just that most of this chapter was a flashback so I didnt want to put italics in!

n Hi Clarence! Hope you likey!

Again please read and review!!