You're Such A Baby!
Chapter 9: Passing the Bridge
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As Lily went into the main common room, ready for school, she thought everything would go back to normal. But she wasn't sure if she liked that.
She couldn't have been more wrong...
"Lily! Over here!" Lily turned to see Hallie standing with Sirius, Remus and Peter.
'Of course. They don't know yet.'
"Where did you leave James?" Remus asked.
"Right here." James said, coming out of the Head Boy and Girls common room.
"You're back?" Peter said.
"No, he's still a three-year-old, Wormtail, don't you see?" Sirius said sarcastically. "Of course he's back to normal! I do have to admit, Prongs, you're really cute as a midget!"
Sirius received a punch in the arm for that last comment. "Shut it Padfoot!"
"Shall we go downstairs then?" Hallie asked.
"Yeah, I'm starved!" Peter said.
"When aren't you?" Remus said.
They went downstairs and then to classes. The invisible force that was between Hallie and Lily, and the Marauders, seemed to have disappeared when James was turned into a toddler. The day went by and the six were actually enjoying eachothers company.
A week went by, and Lily found that the pranks the Marauders pulled were really quite funny. She almost couldn't believe she thought them annoying once. Sometimes, Lily thought the pranks were a little out of place, but she didn't have any trouble 'forgetting' about them. Even the way James and Sirius acted against Snape wasn't something she dispiced anymore. Not after the way 'Snivelus' acted towards toddler-James.
Lily spent more time with James then she ever thought she could handle. But with their new friendship and their Head Boy and Girl duties, they were often seen together.
It was Saturday already when they made another one of their patrols around the castle at about eleven o'clock, when James said:
"I've been wanting to ask you something for a while now."
"About what?"
"About when I was a toddler. I didn't want to ask Sirius, Remus or Peter. Since they just stopped joking about it. I was wondering why you were the one taking care of me?"
"Remus and Sirius offered it first, but you didn't seem to want to part with me."
"You told me that, yes, but wouldn't it be more logical for mum to watch over me?"
'Merlin! I forgot about that!' Lily thought. She stopped and leaned against the wall.
James eyed her surprised, wondering what was wrong.
"That was my first idea too. I even told that to Dumbledore, but..."
"But what? There isn't something wrong is there?" James asked, now sounding worried.
"When we were at Charms that Wednesday, Dumbledore recieved a letter - there had been another Death-Eater attack..."
A look of anguish settled in James' eyes. "Please tell me they're not..." He almost begged.
"I'm so sorry James..." Lily whispered as James sank down against the wall opposite of her.
Lily made a move to comfort James, but he stood abruptly. "We've got to patrol."
He started walking, fast.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Lily asked as she caught up to him.
"No."
The rest of their patrol, neither spoke.
Weeks went by, and James was very withdrawn. He practically didn't talk, his homework was done horrible and he didn't take part in one single prank.
Lily was really worried about her friend. Hell, even Sirius was worrying.
Hallowe'en arrived and there would be a Ball.
A Ravenclaw had asked Lily, and Lily had accepted it. She didn't particularly liked the guy, but she didn't want to go without a date.
She got out of her room, dressed in a black dress. It was simple, but classy. It was strapless and reached to the ground, a slit on the side revealing a good piece of leg as she walked.
As she got into the small common room, she saw James sitting on the couch, staring into the flames, wearing his school uniform still, save for his robes and tie.
"Aren't you going?" She asked.
"No. Don't want to. Ain't hungry either."
"Oh..." Lily didn't really know what to say anymore. "I'll see you tomorrow I guess?"
"Probably."
Lily then went in the main common room, walking to her friends.
Hallie was going with Sirius, Remus with a sixth year Gryffindor, and Peter didn't have a date.
Lily was supposed to meet her date in the Entrance Hall.
"You look great, Lily!" Remus commented.
"Thomas Blaze is one lucky bastard!" Sirius said, earning him a pinch from Hallie. "Of course I'm the luckyest." Sirius added.
Remus took a good laugh at this, Peter joining him. "Well, who would have thought! Padfoot being controlled by his date!"
Lily joined in the laughter as Sirius stuck out his tongue rather unrationally, but it didn't last long. Lily didn't know why, but she wasn't really in the mood to have fun.
As Remus' date arrived in the common room, they made their way downstairs.
The Entrance Hall was packed with students that were waiting to get into the Great Hall, but as soon as they entered, Lily heard the voice of her date.
"Lily!" The tall black-haired, brown eyed seventh-year aproached her.
"You look absolutely stunning!" He said as he reached her.
"Thanks, Thomas. You look real handsome too."
Then, the doors to the Great Hall opened. Lily took Thomas' offered hand and they entered the fabulously decorated Great Hall.
Lily and Thomas sat at a table together with Lily's friends and their dates.
Soon, they all had food on their plates and were talking cheerfully, while eating.
Lily occasionally said something, but her hart wasn't with it.
As dinner ended and the dancing started, Lily started questioning herself. Why did she feel so out of place? It wasn't the first Ball she had attended, and the previous ones were never this un-enjoyable.
Thomas wasn't a bad catch either, so what was wrong with her? He looked rather cute with his black hair and chocolate eyes. 'Though I prefer messy hair and hazel eyes... Wait a minute? Where did that come from?!"
"Lily? Are you listening to a thing I'm saying?" Lily was snapped out of her thoughts by Thomas, who she was currently dancing with.
"Sorry. I was just... thinking a bit."
A slow number started and Thomas held her closer as they danced on the slow music. But Lily felt a bit uncomfortable in Thomas' hands.
'What's wrong with me?' Lily though for the thousanth time that evening. 'What do you want, Lily Helen Evans?'
Lily was suddenly very aware of how close Thomas' face was with hers. He bent his head to hers, slowly inching closer as it hit her. Just as Thomas was about to kiss her, she averted her head. Thomas put a bit more space between them, and Lily looked up at him.
"I'm sorry, Thomas." Lily said. "I do like you, but not like that."
Thomas looked at the ground for a moment, then back at Lily. "I understand. Go to him."
"What?"
"Go to him. I have seen you looking at him. Go!"
Lily smiled, turned away from Thomas, turned back, gave him a quick peck on his cheek and then rushed out of the Great Hall, towards Gryffindor Tower.
She hurriedly gave the password to the Fat Lady, impatiently waiting for the painting to swing forward far enough, she then rushed across the common room, toppling a couple of chairs over and gave the next password to the torch and entered the little common room.
She noticed James was still on the couch, looking like he hadn't moved a muscle since the last time she saw him.
"James!"
"Lily? What are you doing here?"
"I couldn't stay at the Ball - James, you have to talk about it!" Lily said, sitting down next to him on the couch.
"I don't have to do anything."
"You can't keep it locked inside of you. The pain won't go away if you don't talk about it!"
James stood up from the couch and stared at a painting on the wall. "How would you know!"
"Because I lost my mother to cancer two years ago! I know how it feels!" Lily said, standing up too.
"At least you still have someone!" James said angry.
"Yeah, I've got a sister who thinks I'm a freak, and my dad's home to sleep and is at work else. But that's beside the point. You still have people, James! People who love you. Sirius, Remus... all of you friends!" Lily said, losing a bit of her calm demeanor.
James sat back down on the couch, looking lost. And Lily's hart nearly broke.
"Please tell me - talk to me - James." Lily pleaded.
James hugged his knees to his chest, something he always did when he wasn't confident and felt hurt or lost. He looked at his knees as a silent tear rolled down his cheek.
Lily then wrapped her arms around him, sitting down again and James burst. His tears rolled freely as he burried his hair in Lily's dark red hair.
"I miss them so much!" James whispered. "He took them all, Lily. First my grandparents, then my brother, my aunt, my uncle, my other grandparents, and now he took my last family too!"
"This are hard times for us all." Lily whispered. "But as long as he have our friends and have love in our life, he can't destroy us!"
James pulled back slightly and looked into Lily's emerald pools.
Lily gently cupped his cheek, stroking a few tears away.
"Why did you come?" James asked softly.
"I couldn't stay there. It wasn't right. Because I left my hart here, with you..."
Something then came back in James' eyes. Could it be hope?
James face inched closer, and then, their lips met. It was a gentle kiss, tender.
Then he pulled back again.
"James..." Lily said, barely audible. "I love you..."
James kissed her tenderly again. "I love you too."
The End
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The ending was perhaps a bit dull, but this is my first attempt to do this kind of thing, so bear with me please.
This was it, so please tell me what you thought. The sequel will be started tomorrow, and if not, probably in the weekend.