“Alright. Tonight, then –“ James’ fingers digging into her shoulders cut her off. Automatically, her own hands rose to cover his, to give him comfort. But his hold didn’t loosen.

“I go with her.” Moody’s eyes met his, over her head. She opened her mouth to refuse, but Moody spoke gruffly before she could.

“That may not be possible, Potter.”

“I’ll make it possible.”

Annoyed, she dropped her hands from his and stood. “I’d like a word with James.” Moody gestured his head to the door, and she and James silently went out.

“I’m going, Lily. That’s it.”

“Now isn’t the time to be an overprotective guy,” she started, steaming, but he cut her off.

“Too bad. Because that’s what you’ve got.” Irritated, she glared at him. He glared back. Her hands went to her hips, the sign that she wasn’t having any of this.

“Too bad. I may be able to get by whatever precautionary spells they’ve got, alone, but with you along I sure as hell stand less of a chance –“

“That’s bloody ridiculous. They’re death eaters, Lily. They’re not going to be stupid enough or lax enough with their security for one person to slip through.”

She recognized the truth in that, but was too irritated to acknowledge it.

“The fact is, you can’t be on every mission with me! Stop being an idiot! I’m every bit as capable as you, and –“ he cut her off with a hand covering her mouth, and she didn’t hesitate to sink her teeth into his skin.

“Shit.” Shaking the hand she had bitten and running the other through his hair, he sighed.

“It isn’t about your capability. If anyone could do this, it’s you. But I don’t want you to go alone. I just –“ he stopped, observing the teeth marks marring his skin. “It’ll make me feel better, if I went with you. Or, hell, anyone. It just doesn’t feel right. The mission. So, please?”

Though still angry, she said nothing for a moment. Then she sighed.

“Fine. We’ll talk to Moody. But I can’t always have someone go with me, James. And neither can you.”

That was the reality of war.

They had agreed after a particularly heated snogging session that Sirius had interrupted to wait until after graduation to have sex. Though they came close to breaking that agreement a couple of times, it became a sort of competition, to make it post-graduation.

And two things Lily and James had in common were their competitiveness and their stubbornness. So the first time they had sex was not, as many believed, in a stone castle, but instead in James bed, in his flat, with every way into the flat barred and express threats given to all of his friends. If he saw any of them before Lily left, he’d promised the inability to use a certain anatomy for a year…. Since that would certainly happen to him if Lily thought he hadn’t warned them all off.

Lily was, as would become the norm, the first to wake. She stretched and was immediately surprised by the arm thrown over her waist. Then, remembering, she rolled over so she could study the man that had pulled her to him. She’d never spent the night in the same bed with someone she had slept with, and she had the fleeting wonderment if they all looked so wonderfully disheveled and cute when they were sleeping.

Then James was pulling her closer to kiss her forehead.

“You look like a big red blob.” He mumbled it, then winced when she snickered.

“Sorry. Can’t see. Or think. Just woke up. Morning.” There was a pause, and then, “you’re a very pretty, very naked red blob.” He flashed her his cocky grin, and she was laughing when she pressed her lips to his.

No. No other person could wake up as disheveled and cute as James Potter.

It wasn’t their first date. It wasn’t the first time they’d spent time together, alone, or the first time they’d shared food together. It wasn’t the first time he’d claimed they were on a date. But it was the first time they had sat together at a table in Hogsmeade when both of them agreed it was a date, and that they were a couple.

They sat together opposite each other at a table in the back of the Three Broom Sticks. James had paid the younger students five galleons to give up their table, and though she disapproved of the bribe, the two who had excitedly taken it had been thrilled. So she had let it pass.

Butterbeer was foaming in the two mugs between them, and candy from one of the shops was scattered over the tabletop.

“I can’t pick at the candy if you have my hand.” It was stated with a grin, and James glanced down at their joined hands.

“You have another one.” Lily rolled her eyes.

“I’m entitled to two.” At her words, he simply chuckled.

“I’ll give it back. Later.” He squeezed her hand, and she popped a piece of fudge into her mouth with her free hand. Swallowing it, she studied him. 

“How much later?”

“Dunno. This is a new experience for me.”

“What? Holding my hand?” She said it teasingly, knowing it was a lie. Over the years, he’d grabbed her hands countless times, and over the past few months they’d been known to hold hands.

“No. Holding the hand of the girl who finally admits she’s my girlfriend.” She felt the flush come to her cheeks, and cursed the pale skin that came hand in hand with her red hair.

“Well. Shit.” He burst out laughing. She covered her blushing cheeks and amused grin with her free hand.

And that was the essence of Lily Evans’ first “official” date with James Potter.

She has the radio turned up, more for the noise than for the music. She doesn’t want to hear her thoughts, because she doesn’t want to face reality. This wasn’t supposed to happen, and she was so, so scared.

“Lily.” She whirls, brandishing the spoon she had been using to stir the pasta with as if it were a sword. His head is the only thing visible from the doorway.

“You aren’t supposed to be back until tonight.”

“I know, but — just don’t freak out, okay? I’m fine.”

“What? What’s happened? Is everyone okay? Are you —” He walks into the room now, and she gasps as she sees the blood and the torn clothes.

“Don’t freak out! It looks worse than it is, okay?”

“Why aren’t you St. Mungo’s? Why haven’t you been checked out? What happened? It was supposed to be simple —”

“Lily. Lily, the Prewett’s are dead. Most of the blood is there’s, not mine.”

She will grieve later, for the twins who had been so full of life and energy and brightness, because he’s said most, and he’s limping, and she has to deal with him first before she can deal with the loss. Because even through the grief is relief that it wasn’t him. “Let me see.”

“Lily, it’s fine, it’s nothing —” his breath comes out in a whoosh, as she prods her wand at his leg. At her stern look, he stops resisting. He’s just tired.

So she strips him down to his boxers and socks, cleaning him up and healing him. And when she’s finished, she looks up at him and she’s just so angry all of a sudden. “I hate this.”

“What?”

“We’re not going to win this bloody stupid war!” She stands up, and he just stares at her.

“Lily, we’re making a difference every day, and —”

“Don’t feed me the tired lines of the meetings, okay? I hear them every single time we have a meeting, but it’s not true! More of us are dying every day, and there are more and more attacks every single day. We can’t fight this. We shouldn’t even try.”

“You think we should just quit? Just let the murders go on without even trying to fight it? We’re making a difference, Lily, every single day! Every mission, every fight, every death, it means something. And I’m surprised at you, for giving up so easily.” And, unspoken, is disappointed.

“I can’t — James, this isn’t fair. We’re fighting a war that’s been brewing for decades, and we’re nineteen. Nineteen, James. This is so bloody stupid, and I just — I don’t want you to die. I don’t know how… It doesn’t matter, with anyone else. I can get past it. But, with you, I don’t…”

She stops, frustrated and angry and so very sad. “I’m pregnant.” There. She’s said it.

“I know it isn’t fair, but…” He stops, eyes widening. “What? What?” She turns away, saying nothing. “You can’t just — what? How did it happen? Well, I mean, I know how it happened, but —” He stops to take a deep breath. “How far along are you?”

“Two and a half months.”

“Six and a half months, then. Lily, this is…” She’s turned around, to stare at him with such sad and vulnerable eyes but he’s grinning, so incredibly happy. “Lily, this is amazing. And just, wow. Wow.”

“We’re in the middle of a war. A bloodbath, James, and we’re the ones getting our blood spilled.” Her hands have come up, to cover her stomach in a protective gesture.

“Nothing’s going to happen. Lily. Nothing’s going to happen.” He walks toward her, pulling her into his arms and they’re hugging each other tightly.

“You don’t know that, James. You don’t know.”

“I won’t let anything happen. Not to you, not to the baby. Nothing.” And she believes him. He will do anything to protect her and the baby.

And she will do anything to protect him and the baby. Even if what she has to do is a fight a losing war.

ageofmarauders-scrapbook:

Lily Evans after waking up with James Potter

Taken by James Potter

Circa 1976

(by Noukka Signe)

It’s sixth year and she’s just woken up, and she’s just a bit terrified.

“Mornin’, Evans.” There’s that wicked grin on his face and all of a sudden her head is pounding and she finds herself lacking the memories of how exactly she came to be sprawled out on the floor of the boy’s dormitory, in only a tee shirt and shorts, when she had definitely been wearing different clothes to bed.

And then it starts to come back and she blushes, and he laughs.

“There it is.”

“What?” She growls, and he snickers.

“Remembrance. MacDonald left a bit ago. I seem to recall Sirius carrying her. But I waited for you.” Though he doesn’t say it unkindly, it certainly isn’t kind, and she can hear the laughter in his tone.

For some reason she doubts it’s kind laughter.

She covers her eyes with a hand, and he’s laughing again. “Don’t think that’s going to block out the shame, Evans.”

“Would you just bloody fucking shut up, Potter?” Instead of being insulted, he’s laughing wildly and she’s blushing harder and damn it, she was never playing truth or dare again.

“Meadowes was in a bit ago, explained your little game.” She’s unaware that he’s pulled out a camera and has taken a picture, and would be unaware of it for a week and a half, until he would take it upon himself to show it to her.

The shouting match was one of the worst.

“Why are you still talking?”

“To torture you. Didn’t know you could be so wild.”

“Christ, it’s not like I was streaking.”

“Close enough. Never seen you in less clothes, y’know.”

“I had a shirt on!”

“Pants?”

“… sort of.”

“Precisely.” He’s snickering as he leans closer, and she’s aware of what he’s trying to do. Her hand smacks him in the face, covering his mouth and nose and part of his left eye, giving a sense of comedy to the situation at hand… and she grins, at the face she’s currently squishing, and gives him an extra push.

“If you ever mention this, I’ll kill you.”

“I’d worry about Sirius.”

“… Shit.”

ageofmarauders-scrapbook:

Sirius Black, Lily Evans & James Potter || Circa 1978

They’re walking on the road, away from her parent’s house and toward a place where they could safely Apparate from. Lily’s leading them on, basically urging them on to see how far they’d be willing to walk.

So far she estimates in about a mile, and Sirius is starting to crack.

“C’mon, Evans, this is a bit ridiculous. We’re in the middle of nowhere.”

She laughs, linking her arms through both of theirs. “Nah, just a bit further. Is the mighty Black feeling winded?”

He’s sneering at her, pulling his arm out from between hers, and cuffs James on the ear. “Mate, this is your fault. She’s your insanity.” Now he’s laughing, barely glancing at Sirius as they continue on walking.

“You didn’t have to visit her parents with us, Pads.”

“‘Course he did, James. Who else was he going to mooch off of?” Lily adds, smiling.

“He’s a dog through and through.”

Sirius is scowling now, demanding in a loud voice that they turn around and walk back. He’d have her dad drive them to where they had to go in that car thing he’d seen, because it had to be better than walking all this distance, but Lily is laughing and shaking her head.

“C’mon, Evans, it’s not that far back —”

“Merlin, Sirius, it’s not that much longer this way either —”

“I don’t want to walk further. This is stupid.”

“You’re stupid.”

“Still in first grade, mate?”

And the teasing has turned into a game of tug-of-war, with her being the rope, the two boys pulling on her to get her to choose where to go. Breathless with laughter, it takes her a minute and a lot of pain before she can get out, “we can Apparate from here.”

Sirius immediately stops, turning to her with a glower.

“What?” She’s laughing and can’t seem to stop, and suddenly James is laughing too as Lily rubs her sore arms.

“I need new friends.” Sirius says it loudly, and James snorts. “Go mooch of Remus and Peter.”

“I will. I’ll just leave you two alone. You both need better senses of humor.”

They’re both laughing as Sirius disappears, and James wraps his arm around her waist.

“How long d’you think it’ll be before they’re all at the house, asking to be fed?”

”’Sirius ate all of our food.’” Lily mimicked, and it was amidst more laughter that they too Apparated. It was always good when they could take time out to forget that they were at war.