Just like last chapter, now it's another family xD I'm loosely following the Greengrass family tree that anime-otaku20 posted on DeviantArt.

Enjoy this one! :D

Chapter 8 – Underneath the Willow Tree

The sound of birds chirping intermixed with the laughter and chatter of the guests as Lily and James stepped outside. It was honestly beautiful here. The willow tree she had seen from the path leading up to the manor was peeking around the right side of the building, moving softly in the mild breeze that helped reduce the merciless heat of the sun shining down on them. Bushes of various sizes and shapes were littered across the lawn stretching out in front of them. Flowerbeds surrounded little sitting spots consisting of iron benches – decorated with iron roses and leaves – and small iron tables. Skilfully placed stones filled the spaces in between flowers, and luscious, green grass covered the rest of the grounds of the Potter Estate. Trees offered much sought-after shade and almost every one housed a small group of chatting people in colourful robes, dresses, and shirts.

"It was really nice what you said to Sirius earlier," James quietly said into the silence as he led her over to the willow tree. There was a small pond next to it, with ducks lazily floating on its surface. "He really needed to hear that at that moment."

Lily stayed quiet for a few seconds as their feet carried them to the small spot underneath the willow. The grass was warm, yet the soil underneath it was cool to the touch as Lily slowly sat down.

"He's really struggling with it, isn't he?" She already knew the answer before looking at James. She'd come to get to know the boys during the last year, and one of the most striking features about Sirius, besides his general charming and cheeky behaviour, was his deep and utterly honest hatred of anything even remotely Dark.

James sighed through his nose, his head turned towards the ducks on the water. "Sirius… He's had a difficult childhood," he said hesitantly. "He's never enjoyed being at home. His parents are very… How should I say it? Demanding? Dominant? Cruel? Probably all of the above. I don't know everything that's been going on as it's difficult for him to talk about, but I know enough that it's pissing me off big time on his behalf."

Lily remained quiet as she listened to him.

He shook his head and grimaced. "You'll have to ask him for details as it's not my story to tell. I haven't had the displeasure of meeting Orion and Walburga Black yet, which, according to Dad, is a good thing." He scoffed. "Orion Black seems to be the epitome of an asshole if there's ever been one from what I've heard about the Wizengamot meetings. Not someone you'd want as your enemy, that's for sure."

The information between the lines as well as the serious expression on James' face and his tone of voice told Lily everything she had to know. The Heir to the House of Black, the only Gryffindor born to the House of Black, the only one who openly showed his disdain towards everything his family stood for…

"I'm guessing he's staying over for the summer, then?" She looked up from where she had ripped off blades of grass.

"He is, yes. He moved in, actually."

Lily nodded. Sirius was seventeen years old, of age in the Wizarding world and officially allowed to live on his own without supervision. He could probably rent a place in a Wizarding community somewhere in Britain and not be bothered by authorities, but she understood the wish to stay at home for a bit longer, to feel like a kid one last time. No matter whether it's the home one was born into or a chosen one.

A sigh pulled her out of her reveries, and she looked over to James. He was leaning on his hands, legs outstretched before him, and head tilted backwards. The soft breeze that made the grass and willow branches around them move ruffled James' dark hair. It didn't look as untidy as it usually did, probably because he had refrained from running his hands through it, but then again it was also possible that Tooky had an eye on the young Potter and made sure he looked as presentable as possible.

She hadn't noticed that she was staring at him before he turned his head towards her and smirked.

"Enjoying the view?"

A heat that had nothing to do with the sun shot up her neck and lit up her face like a beacon. "I—I haven't—" She clamped her mouth shut as James threw his head back, exposing his neck, and started laughing loudly. Lily gulped.

"I'm messing with you, Evans, relax."

Lily froze for a second or two before she took a deep breath and hit him in the arm.

"Ow, what was that for?" he whined loudly and reached up to rub his upper arm, pouting.

"For messing with me, Potter."

A grin crept back onto his face, and she couldn't help but smirk slightly. "That's only fair, I guess."

They sat in companionable silence for a few moments before Lily said, "I received my Hogwarts letter this morning," her heart beating faster than normal. Whether that was due to the fact that she was still trying to come to terms with being caught red-handed staring at James Potter or whether it was because of what she was about to say, she didn't know. And she didn't care, at least that was what she told herself.

"They were oddly late this year, weren't say?" James mused and Lily could see a slight blush colouring his cheeks. It only worsened the one she sported, though. "I honestly thought the one carrying mine and Sirius' got lost somewhere, maybe because of the extra wards Dad put up, but then again… It's a Hogwarts owl. They don't care about wards apart from Fidelius charms, maybe."

He shrugged and turned to face her, eyes shining brightly. "Anything out of the ordinary in the letter?"

Lily blinked. "Why are you asking that?"

"Oh, you know, mine was a bit weird."

"Weird?"

"Yeah. Sirius thinks Dumbledore finally lost it completely. And I can't say I disagree."

She slowly shook her head as she stared at James. He looked totally at peace and his posture was relaxed. "I don't get it."

"He made me Head Boy."

"He did what?!"

Lily gasped and felt her eyes widen. That couldn't be! Dumbledore would never award someone who frequently broke school rules and incited people to rule-breaking the highest possible position as a student! Of course, James had become more responsible during their sixth year. That taken together with him being the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, leading the team to win the cup for the first time in over forty years,... And she did notice him trying to keep Sirius and the too-out-there pranks in check… Okay, maybe he wasn't as bad as he used to be, and he was charming and convincing if he wanted to be, and people tended to look up to him…

She sighed deeply and squinted up at him. He was still watching her closely, looking slightly worried.

"Sorry," she eventually said, feeling ashamed of her indignant outburst. "I just wasn't expecting him to choose you for the Head Boy position."

"Neither was I, believe me." He scoffed but visibly relaxed under her gaze. "I thought it was a joke, at first. I even asked Mum whether it's possible that the owl had somehow… I don't know… taken the wrong letter or something, but it had my name on it and all. So, the only logical conclusion I then had was that Professor McGonagall had been banged on the head before she put all of the parchments into the envelope with my name on it. A clear case of a severe concussion that impacted the vision. But there are charms to prevent that, so that leaves Dumbledore having finally lost his marbles and becoming senile."

"I'm sure he had his reasons."

At that, James barked out a laugh and let himself fall onto his back, sprawling out in front of her. Lily swallowed past a lump in her throat. "I seriously doubt that," he said, still chuckling. "I've been up to no good for all of my time at Hogwarts. The only subject I'm really good at is Transfiguration and I doubt that's enough to become Head Boy. You need to be an overall very good student, both academically and socially, to become a Head student. And I'm neither. You, on the other hand…"

He paused for a moment, sat up slowly and leant forward, elbows resting on his knees. "Now, you on the other hand are the perfect candidate for the position of Head Girl, Miss Evans."

The all too familiar and seemingly constant – whenever she was around James – blush made itself known again as she hurriedly continued picking at the grass beneath her. Her hands needed to do something to distract her from the proud and gentle look in James' eyes.

"I also got a slightly weird letter," she said in a quiet voice and jumped as James yelled, "I knew it!"

The pure joy that practically flowed out of him had her bite her lip to keep herself from joining his laughter. It was really cute to see him be so happy for her, a reaction she would have – if not expected, then at least – hoped for from her family.

"I guess it'll be us Heading for the next year, then, won't it?" He grinned widely, eyes sparkling with joy and a not-so-small amount of mischief.

"I won't allow you to help your fellow Marauders to break even more rules, so don't even think about it!"

"I would never expect something like that from you, Evans."

"And I won't allow you to join their shenanigans either, so you can cover for them should Filch or someone else catch you in the middle of the night outside of Gryffindor tower, doing Merlin knows what!"

James gasped. "I'm wounded that you think that I'd join them in their rambunctious rule-breaking in the middle of the night." He covered his heart with his hand, doing his best to look hurt.

He only made her laugh.

"Oh, I know you so I know you will do everything in your power to join them in their rule-breaking."

"Okay, valid point. But I promise that I won't incite anyone to break rules or have fun."

Lily let out a shocked laugh that sounded more like a short and fast exhale than anything else. "So, having fun equals breaking rules, in your opinion?"

"Well, not necessarily, but sometimes it increases the fun." He had the decency of looking a bit ashamed, even underneath the clear cheekiness in his gaze. "But I'm sure reading is loads of fun as well."

Lily just narrowed her eyes and James laughed. "I'm joking! I'm joking, you know I'm joking."

"You've lucky you're cute because otherwi—" She froze, mouth hanging open, fingers ready to pull off another tuft of grass. Had she just—?

"What did you just—?"

"What? N—Nothing, nothing, I just—"

"Yes?"

Lily gulped.

James was pale and his eyes wide and hopeful as Lily struggled to find words, but before she had more time to fully drown in a panic attack, a familiar high-pitched laugh echoed over to them, causing James to groan and close his eyes.

"James! Lily! There you two are! I was wondering where you have been hiding!"

"Merlin's bloody underpants and all that's holy," James grit out, causing Lily to giggle as Sable Jitter came bustling over the grounds and towards their willow tree.

"What are you two doing here?" the old woman asked as she frowned down on them. The breeze played with the hem of her lilac robes.

"Hiding from you."

"What was that, dear boy?"

"Hiding," James said loudly and Lily bit down on her lip to keep a straight face. "From the sun. You know."

"Just cast a cooling charm and join us, James." Sable shook her head disapprovingly and frowned at them. "Honestly, sometimes you'd think you've been raised by Muggles with that lack of creativity."

James' gaze shot towards Lily, who was still trying not to grin, before he offered Sable his most innocent smile. "Why did I not think of that? That is genius, Aunt Sable. Thank you for telling me to cast a cooling charm so Lily and I could spend the entire day with you and my parents' guests."

The amount of sarcasm that was practically dripping from his words would have been enough to make everyone take a second look at the young Potter, but Sable just clapped her hands together excitedly.

"Just what I thought! Now come. Your father wants Lily to meet the Greengrasses. They have been asking about her."

"Dad asked us to— Never mind, then." Before he could even finish his question, Sable had turned around and started walking briskly back to the manor.

"Your dad wants me to meet the Greengrasses?" Lily asked flabbergasted and accepted James' hand to help her get up off the ground.

"I sincerely doubt that," he said as he led her away from their little hiding place underneath the willow tree and back towards the bustling party. "Sable has a tendency to warp what people say to what she wants them to say. It's very likely that Dad just mentioned that I picked you up earlier."

Lily raised her eyebrows at that. "That's not very nice."

"No, it isn't, but that's Sable to you. If she doesn't get her way, she'll do everything to make others think she did get it, and in the end, everyone is too confused to bother, so they just shrug it off."

"That kind of sounds like my sister, Petunia." James looked at her, a question in his eyes. Lily shrugged. "She doesn't do well with being told that she can't have or do something. Or has to do something. Generally, she doesn't like being told stuff." She sighed softly. "She's always been rather demanding and stubborn, but ever since I got my first Hogwarts letter, she's reached a new high, and somehow manages to outdo herself each summer. That's one of the reasons why I don't go home for Christmas anymore. I just don't have the energy to always fight with her."

James hummed thoughtfully. "Maybe she's more used to you being at Hogwarts now than at home, so she ends up not knowing what to do."

She nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm hoping that's the reason. Because anything else would be worse."

James reached for her hand and pulled her to a stop. "I don't know much about your relationship with her; come to think of it, I don't know much about having a sibling in the first place" – Lily snorted – "but I'm sure no matter what she says, there's a part of her that misses you."

"A very small part."

"I never said it's big. Probably well hidden, too."

At that, Lily started to laugh, and the nagging feeling that kept eating at her whenever she thought about Petunia's animosity towards her started to dwindle.

"Thank you," she said softly and squeezed his hand which she was still holding onto. It was warm and softer than she would have thought from the amount of Quidditch that he played.

And it fit perfectly into hers.

"Always."

His smile sent the butterflies in her stomach on a rampage, tilting her belly upside-down and making her slightly dizzy. The dimple of his left cheek was like a beacon that her eyes found without actively looking for it, and she felt as if she was trapped in his warm hazel eyes that looked right into hers.

"Always," he whispered softly, and his gaze jumped down towards her lips before blinking back up at her green eyes.

Lily gulped; her breathing was laboured and she couldn't help but suck her bottom lip between her teeth. She bit down hard, but the dizziness and light-headedness stayed.

A soft tug at her hand made her take a stumbling step forward and she had to reach up with her other hand to keep herself upright. Stunned, she looked down at her left hand, which now rested against James' rapidly moving chest.

"Sorry," she muttered before looking back up at him. He was so close.

"James! Honestly, how often do I have to come and get you?!"

James' lips pulled back into a snarl and Lily shook herself out of the trance at the sound of Sable's voice. "I can't believe that woman." He took a long and calming breath as Lily gently squeezed the hand she was still holding onto. The part of her that wasn't confused understood his frustration. All too well.

"We better follow her, then," she said quietly, a pang of disappointment settling in her stomach.

He gritted his teeth but nodded. "I guess so. Maybe that'll get her off our heels for the rest of the day…"

It didn't take long for them to reach the small group Sable was standing near, excitedly waving her arms through the air to get their attention. Next to her, Lily saw three people in a deep discussion who didn't seem to notice her – two men and one woman. One man was tall and thin, had dark grey but incredibly messy hair, and was sporting a pair of rectangular glasses perched on his long, straight nose. He was wearing black suit trousers, a white dress shirt with a black bow tie and a loose robe slung around his shoulders. Thanks to the combination of the glasses, the hair, and the half-Muggle, half-wizard outfit, Lily identified him as Mr Potter.

Across from him stood who Lily assumed to be the Greengrasses. Mr Greengrass was clad in a dark blue set of robes and shiny black leather shoes, his greying hair combed back neatly. His wife was wearing robes of a lighter shade of blue and had her hair pulled into a strict-looking bun at the base of her neck. All three participants of the conversation had serious expressions on their faces.

"I see where you're coming from, Fleamont, however, Orion Black is quite convincing as well. His view, which is shared by many of us, rather frankly puts the interests of Lord Voldemort before everyone else's, and I agree with this point of view. Increasing the funds for general education should be something less important than protecting the Wizarding community, surely you must agree with that."

Mr Potter looked hesitant, and he chose his next words wisely. "There are a few things that I do not agree with concerning your lord's agenda," he said slowly, clearly not having noticed their presence yet. "Protecting the Wizarding community is important, there is no doubt about that, however, it is the way that it should be addressed we need to overthink."

Mr Greengrass was just about to answer as Sable cleared her throat loudly.

Mr Potter blinked, visibly taken aback at being interrupted, and turned to face Sable. "Sable, what are you—", but Sable had already turned on her heel and marched off to Merlin knew where, leaving behind a very confused Mr Potter, a mildly irritated Mr and Mrs Greengrass, and a frustrated James. Lily looked from one person to the other, not knowing what to do.

"Sorry to interrupt you, Dad, but Sable said you wanted to talk to us," James said innocently, knowing very well that had not been the case and his aunt probably only needed an excuse to cause havoc.

Mr Potter blinked, light brown eyes wide. "Then she might be a Seer because I have never said anything like that in my life." As he turned to Lily, who was standing slightly behind James, his entire posture changed. "Oh, you must be Lily, then, am I right?" He offered his hand with a bright smile on his face. "It's nice to finally meet you."

"That's right, Sir. Thank you, the pleasure is mine. And thank you for inviting me to your party. It really is a lovely day for such an occasion."

"It really is, isn't it? May I introduce you to Damian and Melissa Greengrass?" He motioned to two older couples standing next to him, who looked anything but delighted. "Damian, Melissa, this is Lily Evans."

"Evans," Mrs Greengrass muttered softly to herself as a fleeting look of mild disgust washed over her face before she had the chance to mask it. "Miss Evans, it's a pleasure to meet you." She offered Lily her hand, but when Lily hesitantly took it, Mrs Greengrass almost instantly let go without really ever shaking it in the first place.

"What brings you here, Miss Evans?" Mr Greengrass asked, offering her his hand to shake after his wife shuffled back a foot or two. "Are you in any connection to the House of Potter?"

A glance towards James told Lily all she needed to know. The badly masked look of fury on his face did take away the edge, however.

"She does, in fact," Mr Potter spoke up, a dangerous glint in his eyes, as he turned his gaze back to the Greengrasses. "She was personally invited by the Heir to the House of Potter, so she is the guest of honour, if you want to put it that way."

Even without having spoken a lot to James' father, Lily knew instinctively that the way he chose to word that declaration was laced with multiple warnings: This is my house, I am the host, I am the Head of a powerful Family, you just insulted my son's friend, and I will be delighted to kick you out if you keep going.

"If that is the case," Mr Greengrass said with a pointed look towards his wife, "we certainly hope you are enjoying the festivities today."

"I am, thank you." Lily decided to play along, if not for Mr Potter's sake, then for the sake of all of the other Muggle-borns who would cower in fear. Maybe rightfully so, she didn't know yet, but she'd never been anything if not stubborn. "I have already had the pleasure of meeting a lot of people and am looking forward to talking to more guests."

"Naturally." Mrs Greengrass offered her a smile that looked rather painful.

"We don't want to keep you, then," Mr Greengrass declared as he raised his hands in a gesture that looked oddly as if he was praying. "Fleamont, it was… informative to talk to you, as always. I will see you at the next Wizengamot meeting, and please keep in mind what we talked about. At least think about it. There are valid points in that argumentation, points even you must see." And with that, he nodded to Mr Potter, then James, and then offered Lily a tight smile before walking briskly away, leaving his wife to do the same.

"Merlin's beard, I really don't like those people." Mr Potter's relieved exclamation caused Lily to snort.

"What did he mean by 'valid points in that argumentation,' Dad?" James asked cautiously as soon as his father had turned towards them. "What have you been talking about?"

"Not now, James." He shook his head, gently placed one hand on his son's shoulder, and squeezed it. "All in due time. What I really want to know is why Sable, of all people, dragged you into this disaster of a confrontation."

A smirk that Lily knew all too well pulled at the older man's lips. He looked so much like his son at that moment that Lily had to blink.

"Your diversion with Zanby only worked for a moment, I fear." James snorted as the same smirk appeared on his face. "I don't think she likes tea all that much."

"I should have known." Mr Potter groaned loudly and threw his head back, a gesture that made him look very young. "I've known that woman for longer than I care to admit! I should know by now that she's more of a whisky person." He shook his head, looking amused, yet disappointed in himself.

"She found us after we fled."

"Of course, she did. She has that talent for finding those who don't want anything to do with her. I don't have to remind you about that one time I took your mother out for a stroll through the park, do I?" Mr Potter chuckled and turned to Lily, his sparkling eyes shining with amusement. "It was our first real date, back in the day, and Euphemia must have told her sister because Sable turned up out of nowhere, demanding to accompany us to the local Muggle café, where we spent the rest of the afternoon listening to her go on and on about I-forgot-what. To be honest, I never really listened in the first place, but that's Sable through and through."

He grinned. "She doesn't know when to stop."

Lily snickered. "She's a nice woman, though."

"Oh, that she is! She has a very pure soul with the right intentions and a heart of gold, but that doesn't mean she shouldn't ignore both from time to time."

That made Lily laugh and James chuckle beside her.

"Well, I'm going to follow my own advice and leave you two alone. James, have you shown Lily around yet? Or has Sable taken up most of your time this afternoon? I wouldn't be surprised. Make the best of the time and space you have, son, and go somewhere where Sable won't find you that easily." He winked at Lily, ruffled James' hair, and swiftly walked over to a smaller group of women, who greeted him excitedly.

Lily turned to James, a soft – and she wouldn't admit it out loud but slightly flirtatious – smile on her lips. A hint of a blush crept up James' neck and Lily had to bite her bottom lip to keep herself from laughing.

He cleared his throat and his right hand jumped straight up to his hair, running through it nervously. "Sh—Shall we go, then?"

I would've loved to be at that party, not gonna lie! And Sable... shakes head

I hope you liked it! Leave a comment while you're at it :D

Until next time - see ya :)