Lily awoke before James did. She eased herself out of bed and out of James firm grasp. He stirred slightly but than went back to being still.
Lily looked at him as he slept peacefully. His hair a mess and his body relaxed. He was a total angel in her mind; innocent, yet he really wasn’t.
She put on some fresh robes and headed out to the gardens. The Potter’s had a majestic garden. James’ mum kept them alive all winter by magic. Lily walked through the gardens touching roses, morning glories, tulips, daffodils, lilies, magnolias, wildflowers, rhododendrons, and marigolds. She came to the middle of the garden, which had a huge fall. It went into the ground and the rocks piled high, with water tumbling down it.
Lily sat on the bench and looked at the flowers coming from the water. She breathed in the early morning air and looked at the sun slowly rising over the horizon.
The memory of the following night came swiftly into her mind. She liked having James sleep with her, his tight arms around her, keeping her safe.
She liked being the one he cared about. The one that he would protect always and forever…
“Lily? Are you out here this early in the morning?” James asked looking down at her. He had fresh clean robes on with black slacks and a white shirt on.
She nodded. “Yes. I needed some air.”
He smiled down at her. “Are you ok?”
She frowned slightly. “In time.”
He sat down next to her and put his arm around her. Instinctively, Lily leaned in and rested her head on his firm chest. She closed her eyes and breathed in his sweet scent.
“In time…” James repeated to Lily.
He stroked her hair and she relaxed in his protection once again.
“James?”
“Hmm?”
“What’s going to happen now?”
“What do you mean?”
“James, I have no one, no one except my sister. And highly doubt that she will allow me in. My bloody sister is such a dolt.”
James laughed softly. Lily loved the sound of his soft laugh, and she smiled at it.
She continued. “I have no one, James. No one.”
“That’s not true. You have me, and my mum and dad, too. We all care for you, especially me.”
“Yes.”
“You know I would never leave you.”
“I know.”
“I wouldn’t desert you because you have no family.”
“Uh huh.”
“I wouldn’t. And over my dead body, would I leave you to your sister.”
Lily laughed. It was James turn to smile now at her soft laugh.
“Yes. I would pick the streets rather than live with her and that cow she calls a husband.”
“More like a whale.”
Lily laughed. “A whale that lives in Wales, coincidence?”
“I thought they lived in Surrey?”
“They do…I was just joking. But they were staying in a hotel until their house was ready.”
James hugged her closer and Lily felt the rise and fall of his stomach. She felt him take a deep breath.
Without warning a tear fell down her face. James looked down at her as she suppressed sobs. A tear rolled swiftly and sadly down her cheek. He took his hand and wiped the tear, with his forefinger, off her cheek.
Lily felt the slow motion of his hand, as he gently grazed her skin. A tingle went through her body. It went through her spine and into every lymph of her body.
“Thanks,” she whispered softly.
“You don’t have to be scared to cry in front of me.”
With that Lily rolled into James’ robes and sobbed. Every sob racked her body. It bit her every nerve as tear by tear rolled down her cheek. The tears were salty. And each one reminded her of her mum and dad’s death. Death was as bitter as salt. More bitter than salt. The bitterness couldn’t be removed, as death cannot be removed. She felt each sobbing rack and it made her cry harder, knowing her mother wouldn’t be there to hold her, to soothe her, to tell her everything was and would be fine. No. Her parents were dead, and every tear she shed could not bring them back. They couldn’t.
She heard James say soothing words to her. In a circular motion, he rubbed her back, trying to make her stop. It killed him to see her like this, her body trembling and rocking hard as she cried. It killed him inside, to see her so hurt. And yet, not even he could take it away. The hurt that lay in her heart was becoming rind every day. Her heart was black with sadness.
James held back his own tears of despair for Lily. Here she was, only seventeen years old, and she has lost everyone. Everyone that had been in her life that she had counted on and loved by.
Her body continued to rack with each sob. And James just did the only thing he could think of, he rubbed her back and smoothed her hair, and said condoling words.
Lily cried for about two hours before her tears started to subside and her sobs became quiet. She slowly turned her head and looked into the fountain.
“I’m so sorry.”
“Never be sorry for being sad.”
“This isn’t fair of me to bestow this upon you.”
“Hey, we are in this together.”
“How?”
“By love.”
Lily understood. Yet, she didn’t want to believe.
She pulled herself together.
“You are all wet.”
“Once again, love.”
She took out her wand and did a fast drying spell.
She leaned into his chest again and they just watched nature. They heard the crunching of leaves and they turned to see a dog come on the pathway towards them. James smiled.
“Hello - Paddie.”
“He yours?” Lily asked.
James smiled mischievously. “He’s a friend.”
Lily smiled and the dog came over to her. The dog was large with shaggy black fur. The dog’s tongue hung from the side of its mouth and Lily laughed.
“Cute.”
After fifteen minutes Lily began to rub his stomach and James howled with laughter.
“James Potter, I don’t see what’s so funny about petting a dog.”
James held his side. “Hold on. Ok, Paddie, you have had your laugh.”
Lily looked at James ands than down at the dog. The dog glowed white for a minute before Sirius Black transformed into himself.
Lily screamed. “Oh my Merlin! You are an Animagus! James Potter, that was not funny!”
Sirius laughed whole-heartily. “I didn’t do it, Sirius did it himself!”
Lily looked at Sirius who gave Lily a puppy-eyed look. “Sirius! Don’t look at me with-with-with those eyes.”
“I’m sorry. I thought it would just cheer you up.”
“Well…it worked.”
“Sirius, you dolt, you should have told me before you did that to Lily.”
Sirius laughed. “Want to rub my tummy again, Lily?”
Lily slapped him playfully on his head. “No!”
They all laughed and Lily looked up at the sky.
“You ok, Lily?” this question came from Sirius, and not James.
Sirius had on a serious look. She smiled at his sincerity. “Yes, thank you for asking.”
Sirius hugged her good-naturedly. She returned the unfeigned hug.
“Can we go to Diagon Ally?” Lily asked.
Sirius and James nodded simultaneously. “Sure.”
James looked into Lily’s eyes and kissed her…kissed her like he had never before. Love, sadness, sorry, and…passion.
Author’s Note ~ So, how did you guys like this? Sorry about the delay for the other chapter! It kept on getting deleted because of the glitch in the server. So hopefully this will work!
Thanks for all the reads and all the wonderful reviews!
Sorry about the sadness of this chapter. But not all memories are happy.
I have been trying to make the last chapter, before the actual last chapter “ longer. I just hope it’s not TOO long…maybe I should stop. It’s already over 2500 words and over 10 pages long. So, I hope it’s not to long.