A/N: Happy New Year everybody! I hope you have a fantastic new year full of awesome. Anyway, I do not own the Harry Potter World. All credit goes to the fabulous J K Rowling. I make no profit from this story, no copyright infringement intended, etc.

In answer to your question, Guest, the Marriage Law will take place SOON. Please read this chapter and you'll understand what I mean. It's radical.

There will be some Jily action in this chapter. Skip if you want, it's not graphic, if that's what you're worried about though. I'll put a warning up when it approaches.

Please review if you have a couple of seconds to spare.

Enjoy!

JAMES' P.O.V

DIAGON ALLEY

The port key takes us to the Leaky Cauldron. We walk through the near-empty bar. This war makes people afraid to go out but for the most part, the Wizarding World is ready to attack. They're getting restless. I can't blame them; I'm getting impatient as well. Damn Dumbledore saying we need to go back to school.

"What are you thinking?" I ask her. Lily has that I'm-thinking-about-something-serious-but-I'll-hex-you-if-you-try-and-get-it-out-of-me look.

"Nothing," she says.

"Hmm," I narrow my eyes at her. I can always tell when she's lying.

We get to the brick wall and I tap on the bricks with my wand. Then, we're in Diagon Alley. I reach for her hand, she looks surprised but the minute my skin touches hers' I feel sparks flying up my arm. Merlin, I missed her so much.

"What were you doing with the Order?" she asks. I frown at the memory.

"Not a lot. Dumbledore had us go through some stuff. You know, casualty statistics, defence ideas for protecting the Ministry, rallying up supporters. Luckily some of the giants are on our side. Unfortunately, we simply won't have much of a Wizarding population after this war is over. The statistics prove that if we carry on fighting at this rate – which we have to otherwise we'll be overwhelmed with Death Eaters- then by the end of the war, we'll have lost up to 90% of our population."

"That's terrible! How do you know when the war's going to end?"

"We don't, but Dumbledore estimates about 1980 something."

"Jesus Christ," she murmurs.

"I know."

"What are we going to do? If we're all going to die out… this is awful!"

"Ah. That's where there's been some… dispute. There's a lot of ethics and legal precautions being taken to make sure the Ministry makes the right decision. They're all turning to Dumbledore, obviously but the Minister was pretty clear about what he wants. Dumbledore wouldn't tell us what exactly they're planning but he doesn't like it."

"What do you think they're planning?"

"I don't know. Something radical, probably." (I told you so)

Lily looks away. I can see something in her eyes, something that wasn't there before. It's like she's aged inside, suddenly become so much wiser. She doesn't look older. No, she still looks as young and beautiful as I remember. Even more beautiful, if that's possible. But there's something else, not just the wisdom but something darker. Pain, perhaps? What happened to her after the funeral?

"James?" he voice brings me back to Earth.

"Yes?"

"You're staring at me."

"Yeah," I say stupidly.

"Why are you staring at me?"

"Because you're beautiful." (I'm sorry, I couldn't resist!)

She blushes and I love her all over again. Then Lily stops and stares at a shop window. I peer over to where she's looking. It's not a shop window after all, it's a local café. Lily and I both stare at the couple sitting in the corner. Narcissa Black and Snivellus Snot. Lily doesn't seem able to look away. Eventually, I have to get her arm and drag her from the window.

"Get off me," she says. Her harsh tone takes me by surprise, she hasn't talked to me like that in ages. I release her arm.

She walks away from me, very quickly. I practically have to run after her. She stops outside a deserted shop and sits on a crooked bench. I sit next to her. She promptly bursts into tears. I put my arm around her and she turns into me, crying into my shoulder. I don't understand. Why is she crying?

"I-I'm so s-sorry James," she weeps into my shirt.

"What for?"

"Crying," she says, "I promised myself I wouldn't."

"How can you promise not to cry?"

"No," she says, "I promised myself I wouldn't waste any more time on caring about ignorant pricks."

"I'm lost. What do you mean?"

"Do you remember when I was in the Hospital Wing and I was bleeding uncontrollably?"

"Yes," how could I forget? That was one of the most petrifying moments of my life.

"Yeah well, for weeks before that and that particular night, the Slytherin Blood Racists whom I call ignorant pricks, were torturing me. Using the Cruciatus Curse and some of Severus' own spells."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to. I thought you'd do something irrational and I don't like talking about it," I channel all my willpower into staying calm, "and then after the funeral… I just wasn't handling it at all well. My parents' death, my sister pushing me away, then there was this Vereor –"

"A what?"

"A Vereor, it inhabits the brain of someone who is in a state of emotional despair. Anyway, so this Vereor brought all my nightmares to life and then you were gone –" her voice cracks, "you were gone and I felt like I had to face everything on my own. I'd scream and scream for you but you never came. I did have your parents to look after me and I'm grateful for that. It's just not the same. Honestly, I felt like I was at the end."

I hold her tight. "I had no idea."

"No, I don't suppose you did," she says quietly, "why did you leave?"

"I had no choice, Dumbledore –"

"There's always a choice."

"Not always."

"Yes, there is."

"What, like letting those Slytherins hurt you day after day?"

"That's different."

"Is it?"

"Yes! It's not a matter of letting, it's a matter of defence and precaution. What else could I do?"

"Oh, I don't know. Tell me?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Because I could have helped you! I thought you trusted me."

"I do trust you. It's just, I knew you'd over react."

"OVER REACT? What's the right way to react to the news that the love of your life was being tortured?"

"I don't know. Besides, if you're so passionate about us then why did you leave me when I needed you most?"

"I didn't have a choice! For Merlin's sake. I wouldn't actively leave you, Lily. I left the minute I could."

"You didn't contact me at all. Not a single owl, not a single message."

"Dumbledore forbade any communication in case it got intercepted by Death Eaters."

"You didn't tell me you were going."

"I didn't know, Lily."

She exhales, realising she has nothing else to be angry about. Well, to be reasonably angry about.

"What about you and Snivellus. You seemed pretty upset about him and Narcissa being together," I try to disguise my own jealousy at the fact that she still cares for Snivellus.

"I'm not jealous, if that's what you mean. It just reminded me of that night."

"So you don't fancy Snivellus?" I ask, relieved.

"No! I never did."

"But he fancies you."

"You know what's funny? Severus and I had this exact conversation but about you back when we were still friends. I said I didn't fancy you then and I don't fancy you now."

"Really?" my heart stops beating.

"No, I love you James Potter," oh thank Merlin, I thought she was going to say she hated me again.

"And Snivellus?"

"Snivellus who?"

She leans in and we kiss, for quite a long time. Just her being there makes me slightly giddy and now after I've waited days to see her… there isn't a way to describe this level of happiness. It's ineffable.

LILY'S P.O.V

I'm still furious with James for leaving but it's impossible to stay angry at him. I can't help but kiss him back. I love him so much there's not enough room for anything else. I break away before we get too far.

"Not here," I breathe against him.

"When we get home," he promises. We get home. I like that we share a home.

"Do you want to go to Flourish and Blotts first?"

"Yeah sure."

LILY'S P.O.V

THE POTTER MANSION

(WARNING: JILY ACTION COMMENCING. NOT GRAPHIC. DOESN'T GO 'ALL THE WAY'.)

The minute we step into my bedroom, James kisses me really hard on the lips. It's a full on kiss –like a snog, I guess- but it feels so much more intimate than a casual snog. My shirt comes off and this time I don't care that he can see my scars. His shirt comes off too. I feel myself redden as he stares. Why does he still make me nervous and excited all at once?

"I didn't know they were this bad," he mumbles, still staring at the scars.

"Is that a problem?" I find myself frustrated.

"Of course not, you're still beautiful," he kisses my neck; right above the scar I received in Second Year from Rodolphus Lestrange. I shudder but it's not from the cold.

Our bodies press together again and my arms go around his back, my hands roaming around his skin. His hands reciprocate and I push into him so we're closer. His kisses trail down my neck and onto my collarbone. I kiss him all over his chest. He moans a little. I don't know how, but his trousers somehow managed to come off. His hands move to undo my own jeans. I let him, even encouraging him.

Now I'm only dressed in bra and pants, he only has pants on. Good Lord, he's gorgeous. James pushes me against the wall and my legs come up to wrap around his waist. I feel an aching need between my legs. His hands run up and down my legs, sending shudders and bolts of electricity through my body.

I bite back a moan, it seems embarrassing to make noises like that but I can't help it. He puts his right hand between me and the wall and undoes my bra. My bra falls to the floor and he doesn't attempt to disguise staring at my chest. His hands move over them and I gasp. Then there's a knock on the door. I almost growl, almost.

(JILY ACTION OVER)

James groans and puts me down, I instantly miss his touch. "Who is it?"

"PADFOOT! Your mother says you need to get right down here and help her de-gnome the garden or else," Sirius yells.

"Or else what?"

"I don't know, Prongs but I for one don't wanna find out."

James sighs. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. We can continue this later."

"Whoa, Prongs. Is Evans in there with you?"

"None of your business!" I shout at the door.

Sirius laughs before going back down the stairs saying something about miracles. I kiss James once more on the lips before going into my bathroom. I really need a shower. I need to sort out my 'problem', I suppose you would call it. I strip down so that I'm naked. I then look into the mirror, trying to see what other people see when the look at my body. Imaging how James sees me sends quivers of excitement and anticipation through me.

JAMES' P.O.V

I'm going to bloody kill Padfoot. I trudge down the stairs. Padfoot spots me from the bottom of the stairs.

"All right, Prongs?"

"I was until you interrupted," I scowl at him.

"I didn't know you and Evans were getting down and dirty!"

"We weren't getting 'down and dirty'. That's something only you and Lightwood do."

"Actually," Marlene comes out of the kitchen, "it's McKinnon now."

"What? Are you married?" I ask her.

"Of course not! It's just all the Pureblood Racists and Death Eaters are calling my family Blood Traitors targeting us. So we've put our identity under the Fidelius Charm. So we're now the McKinnon family."

"Can you even use the Fidelius Charm to protect your identity?"

"Apparently so. Don't ask me how though."

"Who's secret keeper?"

"'can't tell you that," Marlene says winking.

Lily comes down the stairs, wearing a fresh white blouse and blue trousers. She's redone her hair. She's so stunning it's actually painful to look at her without kissing her.

"You look happy," Marlene says, her eyebrows raised at Lily.

"I am," she looks in my direction and smiles before walking off with Marlene.

"What did you do to her Prongs? If you didn't shag –"

"You're disgusting Padfoot."

"Don't I know it. Where's Moony?"

"Still in Diagon Alley I think."

"He did mention something about the moon and the war and something about werewolves. I don't know. I don't listen to half of what he says."

"Very helpful, Padfoot," I say sarcastically, "and Wormtail?"

"Probably running back and forth between people because there are too many conversations for his brain cells to process."

I laugh at that one. Unfortunately, I didn't see Wormtail lurking behind the stairs, listening to every word.

A/N: I know you've heard a lot from me today (sorry), but one last note. Next chapter is Seventh Year, I promise. So stick with me!