"You see, she had absolutely nowhere else to go."

Jamie Jenkins was a tall, blonde, pretty blue eyed witch whose parents owned a horse-farm in Wales. She was one of five children and the only one with magic abilities.

Jamie was also pregnant. With a baby.

It had happened that summer with her long-time childhood friend who was moving away to Japan.

That was the short story.

The long story was that Jamie had always felt like an outsider in her big family of seven. She was right there stuck in the middle, with two older sisters and two younger brothers and at six-years old, she had already been single-outed as odd.

In the 60s, in the post-war era, new waves of Japanese immigration emerged. And the most beautiful and sweet boy joined Jamie's class around that time. She was immediately curious and excited to introduce herself - which she did as soon as Miss Pebbles asked if anyone would like to volunteer as his buddy for the day, and show him around.

Satoshi-San didn't speak any English and Jamie unfortunately, did not speak any Japanese either. He seemed very quiet either way but lucky enough, playing in recess with brunch swords was its own language. As time went by, Satoshi became the only one to which she shared some of her extraordinary abilities - he never called her odd, or weird, and kept showing her different comic books with characters with similar super powers. By age ten, they were inseparable best-friends.

But once Jamie turned eleven, her whole world switched upside down. She was no longer just the idea of a character in a book, but a real life witch. And the one thing she wanted to do, was the one thing she really couldn't, as it was clearly stated by the lady with the pointy hat in her family's leaving room - which was to run to town and tell Satoshi that immediate second. In fact, not only was she not to tell him the truth, she was meant to start telling a string of lies that would get more intricate and frustrating through the years: she was going to a private school in Scotland because she had an aunt who paid her studies there; only family members could send letters there and so she couldn't really give an address; no, he couldn't go as well, it was very exclusive and only invitees could join; yes, she was going to miss him too.

They kept diligent correspondence and would spend school holidays reconnecting. However, around their fourteenth birthday, the letters became more spaced, Jamie feeling an increasing gap with her friend by not sharing such a meaningful part of her life. When Christmas break came and she was driving home with her father, she saw him walking with his bicycle by hand, next to a pretty girl around their age. Jamie did not come out when he came asking for her later, and was the first Christmas holiday she ever remembered crying.

From that day on, they would be cordial with each other if they passed by one another, but were no longer each other's kindred spirits as they once were. Jamie convinced herself that's how it had to be and resigned herself to know of his life by what her mother told her by letter, every once in a while.

That was until Summer holidays of 1976. Jamie was grocery shopping with her mum at the local market and there he was, working as a cashier. It was like she had skipped the last stair's step. He had grown taller and she was no longer taller than him, he cut the hair from his eyes but the smile- the smile stayed exactly the same. He looked up, saw her and it was like that September day again, ten years prior.

They spent every waking hour of those sunny months either being together, or thinking of each other. When they first kissed, after turning her horse in for the day and having both together enjoyed the country side at its fullest as it is meant to, they could not think of a time where they weren't kissing. He told her how she had always been there, in the back of his mind and heart, whenever his friends had started noticing girls. She told him how she saw him walking with that girl almost 2 years prior and how it had been her first heartbreak, even if unreasonable. By August, those summer days turned into nights and whispered I love Yous.

When the days started becoming shorter, Jamie noticed how Satoshi was showing signs of restlessness. She thought it was because of her need to go back to school soon enough, far away from their little paradise but when she mentioned it to him, promising that this time it would be different, he finally confided in her that he too was moving away. He was going to Japan for his last years of high school, so to get accustomed before attending college there. He apologized deeply and she accused him of lying to her. He tried to reach her until the very last hour before leaving but she was too conflicted to face him. It was her second heartbreak.

When her period failed to come in September, she ignored it and focused on school and her friends. But by the time morning sickness kicked in early October, she started confronting the very real possibility of being pregnant. When Lily found her in the bathroom floor, her only thought was wishing and praying that everything would be OK with her baby.

Late that night, Lily was holding her hand as she laid in the nursery repeating the same wishes over and over again. When madame Pomfrey came and asked Lily to leave, Jamie protested and asked her to stay. She was almost 2 months pregnant and the baby was going to be OK. The girls cried together and Lily stood by her the entire night, not dropping her hand. She woke up once, hearing Jamie cry.

Her neck was sore from sitting by her friend's bed table, with a bit of drool on her face.

"Hey," her low voice very soft.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry" Jamie cleaned out her tears.

"Shh, it's OK, it's OK"

Jamie covered her mouth and cried some more.

"Oh Lily, what am I going to do?"

Lily breathed in and didn't want to pretend to know. So instead,

"Well, first you're going to scoot over 'cause my neck is killing me" which earned her a teary chuckle and Lily laid next to her in the single bed, putting her arm over the other. "Then- you're going to cry as long as you need to, and know that you won't be alone - I'll be right here."

And so she did.

Lily had been studying all she could around the international statute of secrecy but so far, it had not been easy. It seemed like it was particularly done in a way to complicate and discourage any ideas of working its ways around it. If Lily remembered correctly professor McGonagall was a half-blood herself so maybe if she asked, reasoning that as a muggle-born herself she had a natural curiosity, perhaps she'd-

"Oi Evans? Evans. I'm sorry, am I interrupting your daydreaming with my attempts to save your education?"

Lily blinked. "What?"

James was sitting on the floor next to her in a crowded Gryffindor common room, still with his hair wet from Quidditch practice, and with his transfiguration book opened on his lap.

"What's wrong with you today?", James searched her face. "Everything alright?"

"Yes, yes I'm sorry" she dismissed. "What were you saying?"

He wasn't convinced.

"You can tell me. I know everything about everything, I'll have the solution for your problem."

She rolled her eyes. "Thank you but no thank you."

"Ah yes… I forgot I'm only here for the comedic relief" he played but she felt like she might have hurt him, again.

"It's not that, Potter" she spoke lower and therefore, closer. "It's just - it's not my story to tell, that's all."

He looked at her and noticed how she had a particular darker freckle in her right cheek that could be considered a beauty mark. He cleared his throat and pushed his glasses up. "I wonder if we'll ever find ourselves in a first-name basis"

She grimaced. "Can you imagine ever calling me Lily?"

He could. Very much so.

"Nah, too pretty of a name for your lemur face."

She laughed and he found he had never needed encouragement to be funny until recently.

"I'll make sure to let my mum know - the first part at least"

"It was your mum's choice?"

"Yap," she reclined to the sofa on their backs "my sister and mine's. She's a painter you see- well not really really but for all that counts yes, she is. She paints flowers and nature and landscapes, but mostly flowers. That's how my father won her over, by pretending to know anything about botanic when in fact, he had studied an entire encyclopedia for the whole night before asking her out."

She smiled wide while telling him this and he wished she'd tell him every story she'd ever lived. However,

"Sorry, just a second. What's that for?" James asked Sirius and Peter who were passing by with what seemed like paint cans.

"Wormtail and I are going to spray Hufflepuff's brooms in red and gold. For team's morale."

"But- our first game is with Ravenclaw."

"I know, everyone will be bloody confused. When the world zigs, we're gonna zag." Sirius said proudly looking at Peter who smiled in agreement.

James sighed. "Alright, be careful."

"Always am."

"Wha- Remus!" Lily shouted for support.

"Busy!" (playing chess with Dorcas)

Lily gave up looking at James.

"What?"

"You know, you should really apologize to Pete about the little prank you pulled the other day."

James grimaced. "What prank?"

"You made him fall over at the Great Hall."

James was confused before he remembered "Oh!, that prank on Wormtail yes - the prank that was definitely focused on him. Yes, I'm following"

Lily looked at him suspicious "Yes, that prank. I think you really hurt him."

"Wormatil? Nah, he's in on the joke."

"Yeah, he said as much."

"There you go."

"I would still apologize though."

"Of course you would."

"And I think you should too."

"Of course you do."

"Well if it's all that clear to you, why won't you?"

"Who said I won't?"

"Will you?"

"Eh, not sure"

"Why not?"

"It's Thursday?

"So?"

"Well that was ages ago"

"It was two days ago!"

"Exactly."

"You should apologize today then, before more time passes."

"I never make plans that far ahead."

Lily was going to say something but had to change direction "Did- did you just quote Casablanca to me?"

"Who?"

She squinted her eyes at him with a smirk. "This is not being a particular productive study session. Or anything else for the matter."

"No, this is good. I need to study you before knowing what works best for you" James laid back as she had before.

"I thought you knew me well enough already" she challenged.

"I do. I know about your chickeny legs, your hopes and dreams and how you particularly don't like your ears which I must admit I don't understand as they are some of my favourite" Lily opened her mouth to interrupt but he continued. "Your studying methods or lack thereof however, were never the most interesting part about you."

For some reason, this moved Lily. She always thought most people saw her mostly as a brainy know-it-all. She guessed that was why it moved her - because they most probably did. She looked at her hands, shying away at the redness it arose in her face.

"Alright then."

James was surprised. "Really?"

"Yes. Go on then, what do you need to know to diagnose me?"

Was this a green card to ask whatever he would like to Lily Evans?

"Who was your first kiss?" he blurted quickly.

She rolled her eyes and smashed a couch pillow into his face.

He adjusted his glasses. "Alright, worth the try. Hum… alright how about this one, you study a lot" she nodded with a little smile. "Why?"

Lily breathed in deeply, bringing her knees up to grab them. "Wow, that's a tricky one hum… well, I guess I've always liked books, that's a given." He agreed patronizingly. She seemed to conclude something when she pressed her lips. "And well, I think it has to do with my dad too."

She looked at him on her right. "D-did you know he's sick?"

James clenched his jaw. He had heard about it but never for certain. "Vaguely"

She nodded. "Cancer. It's a… a cell malady where they multiply at a rapid pace creating this mass- it's bad basically. He was diagnosed about five years ago and well, it was around the time I found out I was a witch. So suddenly, it was like this whole world of magical possibilities opened up - a world where maybe, a cure- a better cure for my dad existed."

James was drinking in her words, knowing there was nothing he was even supposed to say.

"If finding out the most extraordinary thing about yourself is not motivation enough to devour every piece information… well, a young girl's wish of saving her dad will do the trick" she breathed in. "Fortunately however, he wasn't dependant on that because as it turns out, there aren't that many studies between muggle and wizard health. By the time I realized it I already was immersed in the world of academia and my dad had entered remission." She smiled but a pained smile.

"That was until earlier this year. The cancer it- it came back and it was everywhere" she whispered and started struggling to speak normally.

She shook her head, closing her eyes. "It's not- he's not going to-"

James bit his lip. "Can I…?"

Lily looked and realized he was asking if he could put his hand on her arm. She chuckled at the innocence and nodded.

"Thank you. Last time you almost ripped my arm so always better to confirm."

She smiled but more tears fell down. They stayed this way for a few seconds before she cleaned her face.

"Ugh, I'm sorry, so annoying. My eyes get red so quickly."

"I'd get more worried about all the snot" he pulled a handkerchief.

She snorted and took it "All the snot, hum?"

"Yeah all of it" he was smiling at her.

After she calmed herself, he finally shared.

"I wish I could change it for you. Wish I could trade a bunch of death eaters for your dad."

She smiled. "Thank you. That's actually quite horrific but-" they laughed. "Thank you anyway."

"Keep the handkerchief by the way."

She laughed again. "I imagined as much. James Potter, carrier of handkerchiefs and sayer of almost sweet things. Is it possible you're really growing?"

James raised his chin, highlighted by the fireplace light coming in. "And see here, I think I'm growing a beard."

"Oh yeah… I thought that was dirt from practice" she joked.

They continued like that for awhile longer, not having noticed that the room had slowly started to quiet down. They agreed to continue with the actual studies another day and both their hearts were a bit lighter at the time they got to bed that night.

"Merlin, my back." James complained raising from breakfast the next morning. "Personal growth is so painful."

"Oh that's what you were doing last night when you came back to bed at ungodly hours?" Sirius pestered him, knowing Lily was right there.

"Yes. Apparently Evans is a bit slower than I expected. Talking of — Evans, walk you to Charms?

"I can walk myself, Potter."

"Brilliant, then you can walk me too."

Sirius crossed his arms and he stayed behind watching them go.

"What do you think of those two?" Sirius signalled them to Dorcas who was getting up of the Great Hall bench.

"What do you mean Black, there's nothing to think. Lily hates him."

Sirius lip curled as he noticed that Evans still rolled her eyes as much as ever except now, even if only briefly, it seemed like a shy smile was always on the verge of emerging.

"Nah, she doesn't" he said.