in which james scares the shite out of lily
While in school, Lily had been a prefect and then Head Girl. Â She had taken as many OWL and NEWT level classes as was possible to account for any possible career choices, since she couldnât settle on just one. Â She had spent countless nights sitting up at a table in the Common Room, more than once falling asleep on her work and waking only when one of her roommates crept down the stairs to wake her for breakfast. Â None of this, though, ever sent her to bed with the kind of exhaustion her days did now. Â When she set foot in her flat these days, it was all she could do to keep from collapsing into the cushy armchair near the fireplace and staying there until morning. Â
It had been like this ever since she joined the Order. Â Her days hadnât been easy before, what with the sneers and whispers that followed her through the Ministry, but ever since sheâd put her lot in with the Order of the Phoenix, she couldnât shake the idea that someone was always watching her. Â She moved through her day with the hairs on the back of her neck on end and a constant feeling that something would go wrong. Â She had never been more grateful to be a witch, to have apparition as a transportation option. The idea of walking home alone some nights was enough to make her sick to her stomach. Â
She apparated to the official spot, just a block away from her flat, and took the rest of her walk with deliberate speed. Â The prickly feeling on the back of her neck wore on her nerves and she chastised herself for being so skittish about absolutely nothing. Â She skipped quickly up the stairs to the small flat she rented above a sweet shop and let herself in. Â The process, one that should have taken a quick tick, took her a solid minute as she fumbled with her keys. Sheâd put a few extra locks on the door, just as a precaution, in addition to the protection spells sheâd placed over the flat as a whole. Â Muggle raised witch, one precaution or the other didnât do the trick and only when she employed both did she feel safe. Â
âYou know, those locks wonât do much to keep a dark wizard out. Â What kind of witch are you?â
Lilyâs heart leaped into her throat and she literally jumped several inches in the air. Â It was only because the voice was so irritatingly familiar that the hex on her lips didnât leave the tip of her wand, though sheâd raised it into position. Â
âGreat bloody hell!â Â Her breath came in ragged gasps, her body fighting to regain equilibrium after her fright. Â A hand fluttered to her chest, as if itâs weight there would slow the galloping of her heart. Â She almost regretted not throwing the hex anyway, despite the fact that the intruder slouched with annoying nonchalance at her kitchen table was technically considered a friend. Â
âJames Potter what in the name of Merlinâs saggy tits are you doing here?â she snapped, turning on the lights and stalking into the kitchen with a glare that could peel the paint off the walls. Â "I ought to hex you from here to next Tuesday for scaring me like that. Â How did you even get in here?â Â
"You asked me to help you set these wards, remember?â he said with a roll of his eyes that caused her to grind her teeth. Â
âWith the assumption that youâd have the decency to bloody well knock before making yourself at home.â Â Her temper rose as she resolutely refused to look at him, instead taking a glass from one of the cabinets and pouring herself a glass of water. Â
âI did knock. Â No one answered.â Â He said it as if letting himself in were the most logical solution and her grip on the glass in her hand tightened. Â She didnât dignify his reasoning with a response and instead of taking the hint, he took it as an invitation to carry on. Â "I just wanted to make sure you knew about the Order meeting tomorrow.â Â
She raised an incredulous eyebrow, finally turning to face him and leaning back against the counter top. Â "You couldnât send note by owl? Â Or Floo? Â Or, I donât know, wait outside instead of scaring me more than half to death?â Â Anyone else would have missed the extremely brief flash of guilt that crossed his features before it was replaced with his normal smirk. Â Lily wasnât anyone else, though, and as he stood, she finally began to relax. Â
âIâm sorry, Evans. Â I didnât mean to give you such a scare. Â I just thought it would be a good surprise.â
It was her turn to roll her eyes, her nerves finally under control. Â "And see, thatâs why you werenât a Ravenclaw.â Â Â
in which lily owls sirius when she is desperate
The cobblestones were moving. Â She knew it was impossible that the cobblestones were moving but they were. Â She was in a muggle village, there was no way a witch or wizard would be making the cobblestones move and yet, as she stood upon them, they shifted her off balance. Â No one could tell her that the cobblestones werenât moving. Â
Hands gripped her shoulders, hands she hadnât seen coming. Â Not that that was surprising. Â Her gaze was riveted to the amazing moving cobblestones and she hadnât seen the familiar wizard approaching, having received an unexpected owl from one Lily Evans asking him to meet her near her home and to please not tell James. Â The sudden movement startled her and her head snapped up to see the face attached to the hands. Â âSirius!â An impossibly wide smile crossed her lips as she recognized him.
"Evans,â he said after a pause, an amused smirk on his lips and one eyebrow raised questioningly at the thoroughly intoxicated redhead standing in front of him. âEverything alright?â
âEverything is brilliant,â she assured, not swaying a bit as the pavement beneath her feet suffered another moment of instability, thanks to his hands. âJust came from dinner with my sister. Well, with my parents and my sister. My sister didnât actually want me there at all but Mum invited me. Sheâs engaged you know.â As she began to ramble, alcohol fueling her speech until it sped up at least twice her normal speed, she pulled herself from his hold and made her way to the low wall lining the small road they stood on.
âMy sister I mean. Not my mum. Because that would be ridiculous.â She giggled absently at the idea before continuing. âShe announced it tonight. She brought him over to meet mum and dad. Heâs a great huge thing, all pink and blonde he looks like a pig. A pig in a suit!â A laugh interrupted her speech and she found herself leaning against the wall, grateful for itâs stability.
âWe toasted the couple and we toasted marriage and love and then I just kept toasting. Do you know, I never really liked champagne but itâs really growing on me.â Hand gliding over the rough stones of the wall, Lily began to meander along itâs length. Â She didnât look back to see if Sirius was following, sure that he would and not particularly worried if he didnât. âBut the night, it was just dead boring. All talk of work and cars and wedding plans and my sister looking at me out of the side of her eyes like she was waiting for me to sprout a tail and fly away cackling, scaring her precious Vernon off into the night.â Disdain laced her last few sentences.
âSo I thought, since I was feeling too brilliant to end the night, that I needed to see someone who knew how to have fun and who knows how to have fun better than you?â She spun to point at him as she said the word you and tripped over her own feet, stumbling until he steadied her. âYou really must get this floor fixed, itâs a hazard,â she said through laughs she barely tried to control anymore. âIt really was a waste of a good night,â she went on. âWasted with my sister. You know, i actually thought she wanted me there tonight. Thatâs what my mum told me. But when I got there her eyes got all wide and she went paler than normal which is impressive since she might as well have skin the same color as snow and I knew mum had made it up.â It was harder for her now to keep her words light and filled with laughter. They became drawn and tired and then she was quiet. She pulled away from the hands that had steadied her, wandering again but this time without the manic energy.
âShe looks at me like Iâm some kind of freak. Like any minute Iâm going to do something terrifying and embarrassing. My own sister. Can you imagine?â And she remembered, he could. It came back to her then, why sheâd owled Sirius instead of Marlene or Remus. This companion. Because no one understood like Sirius what it meant to have your family turn their back on you. She turned to him again, this time slow enough not to lose her balance, and he could see the tears that had formed in her eyes.
âWhat am I supposed to do?" Â