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"How come she married him?" Harry asked miserably. "She hated him!"
"Nah, she didn't," said Sirius.
***
In the years to come after the first Dark War, there would be whispers—and some not-quite whispers from those who didn't mind being overheard—detailing the epic love story of James Potter and Lily Evans, a love story so great that it stopped the most evil wizard since Gellert Grindelwald. There would be stories of the perfect romance, of a boy who fell headfirst over a girl and the girl who fell in love with him. Who didn't love a good enemies to lovers romance and one with not so perfect timings? There would be rumors, of course. Rumors of a boy constantly pursing a girl who couldn't take no for an answer. All these stories lacked the friendship between the pair. The immense adoration and support these two warriors provided each other with long before their romantic relationship began.
(October 1975)
James shouldn't have been surprised by his best friend's actions. He knew Sirius's mood tended to be rather chaotic whenever his birthday neared. Last year, Sirius had gotten into a duel with half of the fourth-year Ravenclaws boys; James still didn't quite understand the cause of that particular duel, but he had been rather impressed by Sirius creative use of spells— Brett MacDougal sang like a literal canary for a week after the incident.
Even knowing Sirius' behavior during this time, James hadn't bothered to ask whether he was okay, whether it had anything to do with the new scars he seemed to always come back to Hogwarts with. He should have.
James couldn't comprehend how Sirius could just tell one of their arch-rivals the information he needed to confirm their best friend was a werewolf. How it could just slip out without another thought but, then again, James didn't have Sirius' impulsivity.
He was angry with Sirius, disappointed in him, but they were his brothers; he had to help regardless of his disappointment. The only thing he was certain of was that both Sirius and Remus were in pain and it was up to him (and possibly Peter) to fix things between the pair.
"I didn't mean to, Prongs," Sirius had said. "It just slipped out."
"Bloody hell, Sirius!" He remembered shouting after Sirius had nonchalantly delivered the news. "How could you do this to Remus?"
"Snivellus has been sticking his nose in our business. He won't stop until he finds what he's looking for; it's not like he'll actually do it." There had been a pause before Sirius's realization. "Shite."
"Shite," James ran faster than he had ever run, which, considering his Quidditch training, was quite an accomplishment.
While the events of that night were terrible, the next morning was worse.
"I'm a monster, James," Remus had uttered.
"You're not."
"I almost killed Snape." Remus' voice broke. "I almost killed you." Remus covered his face with his hands, unable to meet his eyes. Peter looked at James, lost and scared.
"Prongs…" Peter's voice was broken too, but James just shook his head, unsure of what to say. Instead, he watched Remus and ran a hand through his hair, frustrated but unwilling to leave.
This brought James to his current circumstance. Even days later, he wasn't quite sure what to do, so here he was at three in the morning sitting in front of the fireplace in the common room. And well, as what always happens when you're awake at this forsaken hour, he heard a creek.
"Potter?" He heard a voice say. He didn't have to turn around to know who it was.
"Hey, Evans." He couldn't help the slight smile that made its way onto his face at her presence and the way his hand went to his hair.
"What are you doing awake," she asked as she made her way down the girls staircase and took a place next to him on the sofa.
"The ghosts were keeping keeping me awake," he offered with a small smile. "I thought a bit of fresh air might help." They sat in silence for the mere second before his curiosity tempted him to ask: "What's keeping you out of bed?"
She seemed to hesitate for a moment, seeming to debate whether to trust him with the information. "My sister sent me a letter yesterday."
"That sounds nice."
"Well, it wasn't a very nice letter. " She continued, "She doesn't like that I'm witch."
"I'm sorry," he said, not sure of how else to respond.
She gave him a small smile, one that showed only a fraction of her pain. "Thank you." She didn't say anything for a moment before he could tell her curiosity was too much. "Are you and the other Gryffindor boys in a row?"
He examined her face for a moment, unsure of whether he could confide in her given her less than admirable friend. "Remus and Sirius are," he admitted. "Peter and I are, well, we're not really sure how to fix it." He paused for a moment, "Is it that obvious?"
"Well, you four have been rather quiet; it's hard not to notice." Her omniscient green eyes met his, "Why do you feel like you have to fix things?"
"They're my mates. I don't enjoy seeing them hurt and in a fight."
"Sometimes, the only thing you can do is wait for it to pass." She smiled, "That's what my mum says when Petunia and I argue."
"Does that help?"
"Well, yes. Although, we usually find something else to argue about that distracts us from the original row."
"So I just have to get them fighting about something else?" He snorted, "Brilliant."
They sat there silently for a while after, content with the silence before Lily got up, "Good night, Potter."
"Night, Evans." His eyes met hers one last time, "And thank you."
While his problems weren't solved, it felt nice to have her offer a solution, to hope that there would be an end to the situation despite there being nothing he could do to fix the mess Sirius had gotten himself into.
(October 1976)
Their fates always seem to be drawn to an October day, perhaps it just that "fate" or perhaps, as others would put it, it was simply a coincidence. But these two believed in fate and destiny and because of that fate would without a doubt screw them over—but more on that later.
October 1976 was a turning point between James Potter and Lily Evans and one that brought on a new friendship between the pair. So, much like our last scene, this too takes place in the Gryffindor Common Room. Although, this time it is Mr James Potter who stumbled upon Lily Evans at a forsaken hour of the night.
"Evans?" He questions as he made his way down the boys staircase. "What are you doing up?"
He felt dejavú as she said, "I got a letter from my sister yesterday." She sounded more melancholy than last time she had said it.
Having only just gotten to experience the friends side of Lily Evans, he didn't like seeing the usually cheerful and vibrant Gryffindor look so …. rejected.
"Want to take a quick adventure with me?" He asked from where he remained standing.
She analyzed his face momentarily, trying to catch any trick he may have been planning (he assumed). "Why not," she said before motioning for him to lead the way.
Given that he couldn't reveal all his secrets to her so early in their friendship, James knew they had to be cautious to avoid the wrath of Filch—though he was fairly certain that a speck of dust could unleash the wrath of that duffer.
He led them down multiple stairwells and hid them behind statues and paintings at the slightest creek.
"I didn't realize we had that many hiding spots around the castle," Lily whispered as they ducked behind another painting to avoid Peeves who was passing by.
"Well," James whispered. "I've done my research, Evans."
They waited another minute for the hallway to clear before James motioned for her to exit the painting.
"Here we are."
"Ah, yes, well, it is a very nice fruit bowl. Those grapes look quite well-painted and that apple…" she joked.
"You wound me, Evans," he said dramatically, clutching his heart. "It's the pear that you should really focus on. Quite lovely really, amazing wand strokes." He raised a finger as if to brush it but instead, to Lily's surprise, he tickled it.
"You're a bit bizarre, Potter." However, a doorknob appeared a second later. He turned the doorknob before turning toward Lily and adding, "You were saying?"
"A complete wackjob, albeit a wackjob whose occasionally right." She stepped through the painting and was awestruck by the unfamiliar, high-ceilinged room. There were five tables identical to the ones in the Great Hall, pots and pans surrounding what she assumed to be the counter-tops. At the far end of the room, across from where they now stood, was a fireplace. And, the most shocking of all, "Elves?"
"They're house-elves," James said as he made his way to the sit where Gryffindor would have been positioned. "They do all the cooking at Hogwarts. Some wizards also have them at home for tasks like cooking and cleaning. We have a few at home—Miki, Rae, and Lev."
"You have house-elves?" Lily questioned skeptically.
"A lot of pure-bloods do." He said as the house-elves surrounded them, hectically attempting to take their orders. "Oh, a sundae sounds great, Mitzi." He turned to her, "How about you?"
"Oh, I'll take one as well, I suppose."
James grinned at Mitzi, "Two sundaes, please."
"Yes, Mister," Mitzi replied before running off.
"They love helping," James uttered. "My Grandfather Henry tried releasing ours before and, well, they didn't take it well," James pulled at his hair. "They threw a fit until he stopped apparently."
She was about to make a comment when Mitzi interrupted them with their sundaes. "You're the best, Mitzi." ("Thank you, Mitzi," Lily said politely.)
Mitzi beamed at James in the way Lily had often see the younger Gryffindors boys do. "Anything for Mister Potter and friend." Mitzi scurried off, leaving them alone at the table.
"So….what'd your sister say that upset you?" James asked as he took a bite of his dessert.
Lily sighed. "She's getting married."
"Well, that's good, isn't it?" He looked puzzled in a way that Lily found almost comical, the kind of look that made one breathe easier.
"It would be, if her husband wasn't just as much of a stick in the mud as she tends to be nowadays. He believes that the rules are everything and anyone who isn't 'normal' should be sent to the nuthouse. And, of course, she's made me out to be some sort of delinquent who goes to a reform school."
"Sounds like a complete wanker."
"He is," she laughed momentarily before turning serious once more. "If she marries him, I think I'll lose her forever. I already feel like she hates me half the time, like she goes out of her way to surround herself with the opposite of wizardry—the most mundane—because of it."
"This won't be comforting but sometimes the friends you make will be more like siblings than those given to you."
"Do you have any siblings?" She questioned.
"Not by blood, my parents had a hard time conceiving, so I was their miracle baby—mum's words. But the chaps are more my brothers than anyone could ever be, so I'm very lucky in the brother department—even if Sirius can be quite the prat sometimes and Peter snores terribly and not to mentioned Remus' cranky demeanor in the morning, but I wouldn't trade them for the world." James smiled most brightly whenever he was speaking of them Lily noticed, as if they gave him light. "Sirius has a brother though—the only one of us lads who does." He paused for a moment, "They don't really get along anymore but that's not really for me to talk about. Based on what Sirius mentions though, it's either they change or you do but you shouldn't change just so they'll accept who you are. You're an amazing witch Lily, an amazing friend, and probably an amazing sister, if your sister can't see that, well, it's her loss and our gain."
"I miss her though, or who she was, who we were."
"That makes sense," he nodded sympathetically. "And, hell, it's okay to miss her—she'll always be your sister no matter what."
"Thanks, James," she said genuinely. Lily didn't think she'd ever stop trying with Petunia but, for the moment, she needed this—this moment of mourning her.
"Anytime, Evans."
(September 1977)
"I can't go in there, Lil," James uttered, gesturing toward the empty classroom where they were schedule for their first meeting ten minutes from now.
"You're Head Boy," Lily replied kindly. "Of course, you can."
"Dumbledore had a bit too much firewhisky when he picked me as Head Boy."
Lily grabbed his hand, leading him inside the classroom, "The prefects will be here any minute now—you'll do fine, James."
"Or maybe he lost a bet with Slughorn," James continued frantically. "I wasn't even a Prefect; I am far from qualified."
Lily smiled at him tenderly, "Well, you have Remus and me to help you with that."
James leant against the desk. "Everyone will be waiting for me to mess up."
"You will," she said discerningly. James' face fell, a dash of hurt crossing his face. "But," she came closer to him, "I have full faith that you'll fix whatever mess you manage to get yourself into."
"Thanks, Lil. You're—"He stopped whatever he was about to say as the first of the prefects made their way inside. Some prefects scoffed as they passed the pair and others stopped to give James and Lily a pleasant greeting and ask how their summers had been.
"Hullo, Prongs," Remus greeted with a knowing smiled shared with Lily. "I see you managed to drag him inside after all," he said to the latter.
Lily gave Remus what James would describe as the most lovely laughter of all time (platonically, of course) before Remus was shoved to the side by a glaring Severus Snape.
"I'll go take a seat," Remus said. "Good luck, you two."
"Thanks," James mumbled.
"You'll do fine," Lily reassured him while looking around the room. "Everyone seems to be here. Shall we start?"
James nodded, standing up straighter.
"Welcome back, everyone," Lily said before going in depth on what they could expect this term. "James?"
That was his cue. "Right, so Lily and I thought it'd be best to have everyone patrol with those from your same house and year, for the most part."
"Like we do every year," A sixth-year Slytherin girl James didn't know the name of said.
"Well that's kind of the point," he shrugged. "Anyway," he gave the girl an annoyed look, "To cover more ground, we'll need four people patrolling per hour—so fill out the availability parchment before you leave the meeting today. Patrolling shifts begin at nine o'clock until a professor comes to relieve you at eleven. Lily and I will get back to you on your shifts tomorrow morning and will be covering shifts tonight." He grinned at his partner, "Back to you, Lil."
"Thank you, James." She squeezed his hand briefly, out of recent habit he thought. His eyes met Snape's for a moment, a look of hatred on the other boy's. James quickly turned back to Lily. "So Filch has asked us to add a few more items on the list of banned items…."
Ten minutes later, James motioned for the Slytherins—who had taken to talking rather loudly among themselves— to quiet down. "Show some respect for the lovely Head Girl, please." His voice made it clear that the "please" was no request. James noted a slight blush coat Regulus Black's cheek. The other Slytherins glared at him but, reluctantly, shut it.
Thank you, Lily mouthed, squeezing his hand once more. He felt another glare but willed himself to ignore it.
They stayed back after dismissing the prefects with plans to fix the schedules before heading down to the Great Hall for dinner.
"Well, that could have gone better," James said sheepishly.
"You did great," she said as she looked over the availability sheet. A small tsk, leaving her mouth at the task ahead of them.
"I know," James replied with a mock cocky grin.
Lily laughed, "Incorrigible."
***
Their last September at Hogwarts felt like a test in many ways, a test of "will they, won't they", of every right moment that went inevitably wrong. For a while, it felt as if the universe was conspiring against them, but the one thing they could count on was the other's support when the other felt as if they could only do wrong.