It was the night of graduation, for the NEWT taker. As was tradition after the NEWT exam, Hogwarts threw a graduation ceremony for the parting class, inviting family and the faculty to celebrate the 7 years of achievement. The ceremony was held at Hogwarts Hall in Hogmead, whose function was to host such ceremony, hold the Hogwarts governor meeting, hold the office of the members, and be a place that magical in Scotland could rent for parties. After the '78 class had received their diplomas, their class ring, and taken pictures with the faculty and their parents, guardians, and mentors, they were let loose at Hogmead, while the faculty left to go back to the school, and the non-resident guest left for their home. The students were let loose for a last shopping as students before going back to school and eat their last feast, before leaving for the party along with their 6th year of age future ex-classmate.
As it was tradition, the current leaving class had to try and one up the previous parting class. So, the current wizarding hit band was hired, the elves made every party snack food, and the students partied the night away like it was '78.
James and Lily danced the night away, only stopping to rest their feet and drink before starting again. It was during one such break that James stopped after their break instead of dragging her back to the dance floor. Instead, he goes on the stage with the band, gets on one knee, and loudly asks her to marry him. She was mortified, thinking him drunk and not meaning it.
-All right, class 1978, I just want a minute here, and we can all go back and dance the night away. Lily, my love, my life. You made me the happiest boy alive when you agreed to go out with me. Make me the happiest man, your wizard, by saying yes. Will you be my wife, my darling?
-James, get off the stage and let the band play so we can keep dancing.
-Not until you answer me.
-Are you serious? James, this is no joking matter.
-I am not joking. I have never been more serious than now in my life. Come on Lil, what do you say? Guys, he addressed the crowd, she seemed to need some encouragement. Say yes!
The others started slowly chanting yes, yes, yes! Even the band got into it by strumming their instruments to the beat.
As the beat got into its crescendo, it stopped with a screech when Lily, instead of answering, turned and left the room running. Startled, James got down and ran after her, to start tittering, and some outright laughs from some of the students. As he was opening the door and leaving, James could just hear the band's lead singer say over the roar in his ears:
-Alright now that the excitement is over, raise your wand for the next song.
-Lily, Lily, Lily, would you just bloody wait?
She stopped when he gripped her arm just shy of bruising her.
-What was that? He yells in her face.
-What was what? What was That? Where do you get off putting me on the spot like that? Is this one of your imbecilic pranks, so help James I swear…
-Prank, prank? I was trying to be romantic! Make a grand romantic gesture, and ask you to marry me, in the place that saw us at our best, on our last night here! Instead, you rejected me in front of everyone, embarrassing me, making me the biggest fool that ever walked in that hall.
-Romantic? Embarrassed? If there any of us that were embarrassed, it was me! How do you think it feels to have someone ask you in front of all these people?
-Proud! Flattered! Smug! Honored! Pick any one of these, all of those emotions I feel asking in front of our peers! Before you ran out without answering me, and I had to run after you and heard them laughing at me.
-But not all of us are damn peacocks who preen for attention and would do anything to get it. And what made you think this was a clever idea anyway? That I would want all the attention like this on me anyway today on all day?
-Why not today? You graduated Valedictorian, Head-Girl, with most likely recipient of a vowel NEWT? Why not today?
-Because of this! Exactly because of this! Did you look around at all during the ceremony? Half looked close to mutiny, while in the other half, a quarter were cheering because they didn't want people to see them not cheering and clapping. I just got tonight, after that, I'm out there at the mercy of anyone who did not like an uppity mudblood showing good upstanding pureblood up. Then you had to go and show me up one more time! Just if they had forgotten, the mudblood getting engaged to a pureblood of an upstanding family.
-Don't call yourself that! And this is one more good reason for me to ask. Then they would all know you are under my protection.
-This will not be like school, we can't put them in detention, and prank those who still do not back down till they give up.
-So, what, Lily, are you going to live under a rock from now on? Hiding till they forget about you like a cowardly Slytherin?
-No, but I can't afford to antagonize them, it's not just me that's at stake, and rubbing in their face how wrong they are about me and every muggleborn, is not the way to go when they refuse to see and hear.
But James was not listening.
-I thought you were a Gryffindor lioness, the school did also, cause the ring adorning your finger bears the crest of the lion but if you are afraid to live and carpe diem I guess you are not who I thought you were. Good thing you rejected my proposal huh?
-What does being a lioness afford me, huh James? Seven years, and what do we have to show for it? A war, that's what, that we are not even sure why we are fighting for.
-How about the right to live, to exist?
-We shouldn't have to fight for this, don't you see James, we have those rights already, no one can take them away from us.
-So, what are you going to do?
-I don't know, but I refuse to fight for rights already mine by the measure of existing. It's insulting, I would rather leave.
-No, you would rather run away like a snake, as I said I thought you a lioness. My lioness!
Lily watched him walk out, wondering when she lost the argument, she was so sure she was right in.
The argument left both raw, the marauders close in on James leaving Lily on the outside to face the school reaction alone. Fortunately, they were leaving in the morning, and her duty as Head girl gave her plenty of work to keep her busy so she didn't have time to think. Particularly as James, in a childish fit, dumps all the preparation on her by not showing up. Thus, she supervised the prefects, making sure the children didn't forget anything, got to the great hall for breakfast (she just made herself a sandwich to go so she could continue with her work) then got them to the carriage, before along with the others 7th embarking the boat to cross the black lake to Hogsmeade. Then she had to supervise the students embarking on the train before getting on herself. Patrol during the ride, till they finally arrived at London, help with the crossing to the muggle world.
Once done, she went with the rest of the 7th year at Fortescue to kill time before going to a wizarding club. Most of them didn't stay as long as two nights partying back-to-back even as teenagers take their toll. Lily made sure she stayed in a crow after James left early with his friends, prompting some to quip that he and Black must be sick as that was twice the notorious party animals left a party early voluntarily. To keep the tong raging at a minimum, although she knew it was a futile effort, she left with one of the last groups, she disappeared in the night the minute she was at the apparition point, quite rudely as that was not done.
The following day, an article appeared in the Prophet and the muggle journal in the area: The home of a newly graduated muggleborn exploded killing four people. As of now, no one knows if the muggleborn was amid the dead!
James was frantic when he saw it, despite all the guile his parents and friends used to keep it from him. He insisted his father find out if she was one of the dead. Unfortunately, the magical identification spell was inconclusive. All they could learn was that three women and a man were dead, and at least one of the dead was magical, as the remain of a wand was found. The wand could not be identified as the core was all but burned leaving enough to identify it as Unicorn hair, and the wood was gone. Which all but confirmed Lily was one of the dead as her wand was of Unicorn tail and with no other lead, she was declared legally dead. At the funeral, one of Lily's friends almost comes to blows with James and the marauder as he states loudly if he weren't for his grand gesture Lily would be alive today, forcing them to leave. Another who would ceremoniously throw out had he dared show his face was Severus Snape, Lily ex best friend. As everyone knows of their falling out, the reason for it, and the fact that he was all but a card-carrying member now, he would have been badly received. Fortunately, he had the forethought to arrive disillusioned and stay apart from the mourner, so he wasn't spotted. It was ironic James's sneaking in after being thrown out, used the same method and likely stood near to him. As there was no body to bury, a plaque was put in Hogmead cemetery, showing wizard arrogance, as only her name was put, and no mention was made of the family who had likely perished with her.
When everyone left, Snape approached his ex-potion master, and former Head of the House with a simple request:
- I want out!
-I can get you an apprenticeship in Brazil, but it won't start till Autumn, till then if you want him to accept you, you'll do well to bring him native ingredient that the forest is brimming with, and a gift for my trouble would not be remiss also, while you're making a kit for yourself. Leave on September 1, and take the scenic route by the European and African forest to diversify your kit. Arrive in Brazil no sooner than the 20th, your new master will be waiting for you then.
At Stinchcombe the Potter ancestral home
-James your mother and I arranged for you to go to Uagadou School of Magic, to pursue your mastery in Transfiguration in an accelerated program to get your mind off what happens.
-No Dad I promise Dumbledore Ill to become a member of his Order.
-You are not fit for anyone the way you are. Go to Africa, get in the program, after if you want to come back and fight, we'll support you.
It was three months later, two weeks into the school year, two professors who had been deeply in mourning, received a package from an international post owl. It was well they were in their office then as them jumping up and down laughing crying and kissing a photo postcard would have people seriously thinking they need to be admitted into Saint-Mungo permanent ward. They immediately scribed a brief note and sent it to the sender with their personal owl, then they went back to work acting as they had been since the start of term. But if they were observed closely, one would have seen a gleam of happiness not seen in their eyes since the last day of term.
The next weekend, the two left separately to go to Hogsmeade, they went to the Three Broomsticks waved to Rosemerta and went up to one of her private rooms. There before they enter, they each charmed the outside of the room, idly noting the charms already there and just adding to it. Upon entering, they each engulfed the tall willowy woman inside in a big hug that lasted a long while. The men were crying, while pretending they were not, even the woman got emotional, with a wave of relief and happiness pouring from the hug. It was a while before they settled down, the woman played hostess pouring all of them a glass of Rosemerta Oakmead, while one of the men went to the window to add some charm. After they each took a sip, the three took to talking. Lily explained after arriving in the country and visiting her Gringotts banker, who uncharacteristically had her do an identity identification, then upon a positive result, urgently asked her if anyone had seen her face for a positive ID. Upon a puzzled negative, he relaxed slightly, it was then that he told her the news of her premature demise. She took the time to assure both Filius and Horace that she would not have faked her death without making sure she had given them a heads-up. She did body trap her house, but the more she hoped for when she did it was to warm the Death Eater and wannabe Death Eater to leave her alone. They assured her no harm was done now that they knew she was alive and well. She also told them the advice of her banker to leave the state of affairs as is. They both reiterated the advice, after all, unintentional or not her trap had killed four people, and while the general's populace might not know who died, the friend and family of her catchers would know and want their pound of flesh, not discounting the ministry who would not take a deem view of what she did. She reluctantly agrees and asks for news of her other classmates. She was given the who fled, who is fighting with either in the ministry or with Dumbledore. It was only toward the end that the two decided to tell her about who she wanted to know the most when she was fit to burst.
-Your partner in my class accepted an apprenticeship in Brazil, while young James Potter went to Africa for his, he even played Quidditch for their South African team. Minerva was bragging something fierce about that. Now though I heard he is planning to go to join his parents in Artificium the Principality they are related to in the Ionian Sea.
-I see! I'm happy he's pursuing his two passions, Quidditch and transfiguration.
-You should tell him you are alive my dear, he was inconsolable when he heard, and though we have not seen him since, we are sure he is still grieving. And as he is out of the country the risk to you if you tell him is negligent.
-He was tight with the Headmaster and was planning to join his order! That is one person who would not look kindly at what I did, regardless of if it was an unintended consequence or not.
-Not anymore. He blamed Albus for what happened to you, the whole Potter family does. Rumour has it, it was he who suggested to James it would be a most romantic gesture to ask you before leaving. I'm sure the manner was all young James, but he told him that couple often grew apart outside of this hall, that if he wanted a guarantee, he should procure it before leaving.
-James took that to mean that he should ask you in the most pompous way he could imagine, and the result was that whole spectacle. First Flame (Fleamont) took him to task loudly, after he took his wife and son to the ITA (International Travel Agency) while staying to care of things here, and started to prep for their move, two days later Mia (Euphemia) started sending him mean pranked letters, that the ward was not detecting, It was clear where the young Potter got his pranking genes. She kept at it till they left two weeks later. Six weeks later both Albus and Minerva went to the ceremony induction to the newest transfiguration member through the guild. Albus thought it was long enough for tempers to have cooled and tried to recruit young Potter again. He was soundly rebuffed, while the young master loudly told all who wished to hear he held him as responsible as those who cast the spell. And he was a fool to have followed him till now. He came back with his tail between his legs. What is worse in losing James he lost the rest of the Marauders who would follow that young man everywhere.
How can I meet him? If, as with everyone he thinks I'm dead, I can hardly appear to him and say hey? Not to mention the way we left things the last time we spoke, after the joy of me not dying, he would scarcely receive me with warmth.
That is for you to figure out, but the Principality will be hosting a Samhain celebration, if you don't figure out anything between then, you can always ambush him then!
She did not get the chance to. She even went as far as stalking his matches, like a damn quidditch groupie, but there was no chance of getting him alone, his security was too tight. On one hand, she approved the measure to keep him safe, on the other with so secure a team, there was no way she could get close enough to get him to meet him somewhere private.
Horace joking suggestion It was then!
She put on a glittering red dress with a cape of the same colour that covered her from head to toe, but more importantly, obscured her face. She finished the look with a red mask that was more for decoration than to hide her face. No, what would do that was the obscuration charm she put on both the mask and cape, to conceal her identity till she was ready to reveal it.
She got in the large bonfire party. Taking a deep breath, the wood-scented pumpkin, apple, and berries, she went in search of her elusive ex-boyfriend.
With everyone with a mask like hers, or with facial self-transfiguration, identifying him by visual would be next to impossible, so she decided to cheat a bit by getting him to come to her. The how, was self-explanatory. In the six years they have been housemates, James never let the marauder prank her, he did it himself. Add to it a year sharing a common room as head, and 7th month as boyfriend/girlfriend, with the last of those three months being sexually intimate, they had plenty of time to become quite familiar with the other magic.
One of the customs in those parties is to let your magic lose to attract a sexual partner. If you are searching for one specific partner, not an all-you-can-eat buffet, your magic will emit a keep-away vibe to any you did not find attractive. If someone discarded the vibe and approach anyway, well with your magic already activated, it will do short work on the foolish idiot.
As it has not been that long (only 4 months) James believed his girlfriend had died, she did not expect him to be broadcasting as she was. Not if he feels for her half that she feels for him, if she was wrong, well better she finds out now before she made a fool of herself.
He found her an hour into the party. Taking her completely by surprise as unlike her he was not broadcasting. He drags her away to a secluded area, and the minute he is sure they will be unbothered, he releases her. She hurried in to talk before he could.
-I did not go out to fake my death. I would never hurt you like that, no matter if we're fighting or not. I didn't know the house would be attacked. I just booby-trapped it as it was going to stay empty for an indeterminate time and when I came back, we were going to sell it. I left that same night right after the party. My parents are retired and on infinite vacation, with no set time to come back, and my sister had not been living with us for years, I knew when I came back, I would be renting a flat, not staying in that too big place. So, I set a trap to detract would be vandalizer, or squatters, and left it.
-So how did the house explode?
-I don't know. When I got back and they told me I had been declared dead by the explosion, I didn't go back. First, nothing was lost as I put everything that was not pinned down and necessary to keep the house standing in storage that Easter. Second, someone must know or suspect I didn't die, four people went to pay me a visit, four are dead, and someone must realize, that apart from me four other magical are missing. I realize in those uncertain times, disappearance is the norm instead of the exception now. Maybe they didn't know what they were planning, and the four were the only ones who knew they were visiting me that night. I don't know, but it would be stupid to take that for granted. But I figure dead men tell no tale, so it's better for me to keep being dead. As for the explosion, the only thing I can think of was the ward based on intent. If a muggle passes through it, an alarm-like sound would start big enough to get neighbors to investigate. A magical, depending on his intent the alarm would either start, then a series of small annoyances will start happening getting progressively more irritating and dangerous as you get further in and don't leave. The decorations would start warning you away also by voice, if the intent is to harm, it will go straight hurt if not. I think it's this feature that caused the explosion. Obviously, I didn't set it out to do that, for me to know what went wrong, I would have to examine the matrix of the ward to see what happened. I went to see Filius and Horace, who told me how I could reach you. I tried before today, but you were always surrounded, As I only owe an explanation to you, not your crony, and I still want to keep pretending to be dead, this time voluntarily, I had to apply stealth to catch you.
-Now that you caught me, what do you intend to do with me?
-I want to ask you something. And I will completely understand if you say no, or if you need to think about it. Today is the anniversary of my saying yes to you, and you promptly organized a picnic for two so I would have no chance of backing out. Knowing how the sunshine is brighter when you're with me, the breezes are warmer, and the flowers bloom, knowing I made you happy. Will you bring me sunshine, keep me warm, and let me smell the flowers by marrying me?
-Merlin you always had to outperform me! I can see compared to yours why mine was a complete disaster.
-Well?
-Well? Yes, you had me at I would never hurt you like that!
-You're so easy! By the way, THAT'S how you propose!
-I see that now! Where's my ring? I'm not some cheap wizard you know. He is trusting his hand at her imperiously while smirking.
-You're such a needing toerag. Who said I had a ring? Even as she was protesting, she took a ring in her pocket. The ring was silver and gold, Celtic infinity knot, with ruby and emerald in the space. Inside were their initials with the year. She was about to put in his finger when he stopped her.
-Wait, let's do this properly let me get yours. He summoned the ring where he had stashed in and took it out. Stop again and take a dagger out from somewhere.
-What are you going to do with that?
-You made me wait 7 years to get a date, 4 months for a proposal, I don't want to know how long you'll make me wait till I can call you wife. Let's do the bonding now, the ceremony in front of our family can wait.
She was going in to make a quip about how he had no patience when something in his eyes stopped her. It was all there to see, the fear that she would say no, that this was a dream he would wake up from, and she'd be gone. So, she swallowed the word, instead took the dagger, and made a cut in her left palm. She gives him the dagger and watches him do the same. Then they clap their hands and let their magic heal the cut while saying: I give my all to your keeping while taking your all into my keeping. On my magic, I swear as long as there is magic left on earth. A bright white light bursts from their hands and engulfs them almost blindly. As it fades James bends down to kiss her, using their other hands to put their rings on the correct finger.
After they put the rings into each other's fingers, they simultaneously started taking each other's clothes, without ever stopping their kiss. They threw their cloaks away on the ground while James kept pushing her to the hedge. She went willingly till the branch scratched her back. -Ow James the edge.
-Sorry, habit. He took his wand, and with a non-verbal spell made the edge smooth and soft to her back. Better?
-Much, you were always handy for a quick hay.
-Is that all I was good for? My comfort spells.
-Do you want to talk or continue? James shut up and resumed kissing her. He took her upper lip, and suckled it, before doing the same for her lower lip. When she parted her lips, he slid his tongue inside her to tangle hers in a duel. Then her tongue takes the upper hand and takes him for a tango. The back and forth continued until they had to stop for lack of oxygen. James immediately latches on her neck, sucking the skin leaving a bright hickey on her porcelain skin. She tilts her neck giving him access to mark her, while he attacks one of her erogenous zones.
She herself was not idle, after she opened his shirt, she caressed his torso, rediscovering by touch all the dip and plane she had so missed. It was a work of art, and if she was not mistaken it has become more so. She twirls her hand in the valley between his pecs where he had a tach of hair, she follows the happy trail his hair formed. He was not hairy, he had just enough to be manly, and she loved it, had fallen in love with his chest since his first match in their 3rd year where after playing the Slytherin he took off his sweatshirt in the common room following a celebration dance the team was doing, as this was their first win against the mighty Slytherin team and coincidentally James first game with the team. She would not admit it for years, but she would wait with bated breath for the dance after each match. But while she could only look (covertly) then she could look and touch now, and with the vow she just uttered it was all hers.
Not content to just explore with her hands, and viscerally needing to claim him as he did her, she started kissing his neck and torso to his nipples which always made him crazy. James let her take the lead, with one hand in her hair, massaging her head, and gripping her hair when she got to his nipples and started suckling and biting. He starts making those embarrassing noises she loves so much: panting, whining, swearing, and laughing all at once. She got to his waistline when he stopped her.
-Wait, it's been a long time for me. I don't think I could last if you do that.
-It has been just as long for me, and I need you. Besides, with the magic in the air, I'm sure it would help with your recovery. Plus being that kind of party I am sure there must be stashes of rejuvenating potions all over the place.
-You're right I'm not thinking, straight, am I?
-I'm glad you're not. It shows me you want this just as much as me.
After saying that she keeps going to her intended destination. She unfastened his pants and his member spang free of his confine like a resort hitting her in the face. She laughs and kisses the head hello like a lost friend that hasn't seen each other in a while.
-Wait, lie down for me.
He guides her down after performing the spell on the ground to keep her comfortable. But just as she was lying down, he flipped her till he was the one on the ground and she was lying on him. They laugh sensually at the move, kissing each other and sharing the laughter. She scouts down to resume what she was doing before he interrupts her again, this time by turning her upside down. She got what he wanted to do, and with a smile, she accommodates him bringing her vagina to his face, while she continues to reacquaint herself with his magnificent penis. They started to eat each other out in tandem. She first kisses the spongy head hello, before gently sucking it. Then she planted kisses all along the long pole, she wanted so badly to take his teste in her mouth and give it attention, but the angle was all wrong. So instead, she reverses the trip back to the head by licking along his shaft, now that she had worshipped his magnificent appendage, she really went to town sucking it. She swallowed his rod, going as far as she was able before her gag reaction hit, back again to the tip to do it again. While she was doing this, he was not idle. He like her started by saying hello to her dewy flower by kissing her all along the lips. Then he took each lip and suck it, then he kisses her clit hello and suck it. Then he used broad stroke with his tongue, to lap and suckle all her juicy nectar. Once done, he flattens his tongue and plunges it inside going to the source of all her juicy juice. It was then he did the thing that since the first had tied her to him, his tongue lengthened and engorged so it filled her hole and got him to it all the right place. Then with the tip of his tongue, he found and started worrying her g-spot. She lost as always then and ejaculated on his face. When this happens, she clams on his rod, sucking strongly, and James already close, joins her climaxing also. After they both drank as much of the other's essence as they were able, to soothe and reassure and because they were addicted to each other's essence, they rearranged themselves so they could kiss, caress, and cuddle each other. James conjured a blanket to drape on them while they lay there on the grass. Soon their passion was reignited, and their kisses and caresses were no longer to relearn each other and reassure themselves they were back together, but to incite and ignite the inferno that always simmered anytime the two were in the presence of one another. James let his hand trail her body till he got to her sex. After playing with her lips, he dips first one, two then three fingers inside her. Soon he was fingering her while suckling her breast like he was starving and hadn't eaten in a while, while she pants and whined and scratched his back with her nails. He again with his fingers and started pressing on her g-spot, she was biting him also by this point, while still scratching him. Her back bowed with the intensity of her orgasm. He didn't waste any time entering her in one smooth stroke as she was still climaxing. Not giving her the chance to come down he instantly starts thrusting, going on his knee, and holding her by the waist he pounds in her, hitting her cervix. Accompanying her noise his noise with the sound of flesh made an unmistakable symphony for anyone who happens to hear. Soon they both climaxed again, the third time for Lily, second for James. Without getting out of her, he lay down, with her on top, took the blanket to put on them, and they were soon out like a light.