A twenty year old Lily Evans looked up one last time into her fiancé's deep features before letting a small smile escape her lips.
"It's only a week Cody, and I'll ring you as soon as I get there," Lily reminded him, her emerald eyes dancing playfully. Cody always put her in a great mood, "but", she thought truthfully, "I really am looking forward to this little vacation just to be by myself for once and to wash away any nagging...memories before the wedding". Cody looked as if he was going to protest but decided against it as he pulled the women he loved into a long, sweet kiss.
"Now you promise that you will just relax out there hun? And please try not to think about anything bloody work related, alright?" Cody pushed.
"Mhmm", Lily answered quickly, the twinkle still evident in her eyes.
"Is that a promise flower?" Cody voiced, full of concern as he searched her face for a reaction.
"It's a guarantee", Lily said offhand, after a little bit of hesitation, adding in her head "flower? I've haven't been called that since Hogwarts…"
Lily was one of the top Aurors working for the Ministry of Magic in London, and as such was called upon quite regularly for missions. She found her job exhausting and very stressful, but the stress didn't even start to compare to the stress that she felt about this upcoming wedding.
Lily offered one last wave, and her killer smile that used to make the boys go weak in the knees before turning to board the full plane to Canada. She had grown up in Canada before that quite literal life changing moment when she had gotten her letter to Hogwarts, and by living there, her family owned a fairly large summer home on a lake in the mountains of British Columbia. It was easily the most relaxing place she could think of staying to collect herself, and rid her mind of any doubt.
"Why am I having second thoughts?" Lily kept repeating over and over in her mind, as she sat in a comfortable seat in the first class section of the plane. "I love Cody and he's so good to me. Everything will be turn out fine in the end." It was what she had been telling herself every time she doubted their relationship. And with that reassuring thought in mind, she dozed off into an uneasy sleep.
"Please buckle your seatbelts and prepare for landing"
Lily woke with a cold sweat to the crisp voice of the pilot. She had been reliving her final day at hogwarts (graduation), which was not more then three years ago when she woke abruptly. It was not a dream she liked to have as it always brought her down memory lane, except that the memories were not at all good ones. They only brought her surfaced anger back.
As the plane landed, Lily Evans collected herself, zipped her light pink sweater up while grabbing her purse from the overhead compartment and walked into a familiar airport. "Planes are really the only way to go," she chuckled to herself. She made her way to the nearest ladies restroom and checked her hair in the overly large mirrors. Her beautiful bouncy red curls were still in tact and complimented her creamy complexion quite nicely. She had always had the fortune of good looks, a fortune that her older muggle sister, Petunia Evans to this day hated her for. After coating her full lips with her favorite tube of maybelline lip-gloss, Lily headed into one of the select few blue stalls that were not out of order. Not bothering to lock the door, she waited until she was the only one left in the small bathroom then preceded to disapperate to her cabin.
Lily opened her eyes to the inviting sight that was her cabin. She had chosen to apparate inside the master bedroom on the main level where she planned many hours of sleeping in. "Wow," she mused, "this place has really changed". She hastily threw off her sweater and turned on the ceiling fan obviously forgetting how warm it could get in midsummer. As she pulled up the green blinds and opened a creaking sliding door, she lost her breath momentarily as she took in the sight around her. The aquamarine lake shimmered with the occasional inviting wave almost teasing her as she stood in the hot, dry sun.. The mountains located all around her were rich with green evergreens and she heard the happy proclaims of water-skiers zooming by her flower-covered dock. "Yes", She breathed in, "I'm home."
She magically unpacked her few packed belongings, and changed into a simple black and white bikini, one that complimented her curves perfectly, and wrapped a skirt overtop hugging her small waist. Lily smiled to herself then started for a quick tour of her house relinquishing in forgotten memories.
The bottom floor had a perfectly comfortable hot tub which lily could definitely see herself soaking in later that evening. She skimmed her toe in the hot water, checked the chlorine level then skipped back up to the second level and walked into the small blue and yellow kitchen. As she opened the fridge to check her dinner supplies, mentally kicking herself for not bringing any snack food with her, she noticed the flashing red light on her old but faithful answering machine. She mindlessly pressed the button, when a women's gentle, sweet, optimistic voice filled the lonely room.
Beep. " Lily dear! How are you? Oh I do hope your flight and so on were to your liking! I'm Mrs. P; I'm a friend of Dumbledor's. He recommended a place out here to my family, and to keep a long story short…I'm your new neighbor! Sorry we couldn't meet in person, but I got an urgent call from work and had to leave early this morning. Now I know you don't know me very well but I need to ask a very important favor of you. You see my son is supposed to be arriving today also with his friend, but I am unaware of at what time and knowing him, it could be very late. Here's the thing, I left my golden retriever in the kitchen thinking my son would look after him as soon as he arrived. Could you please just go inside through the side door and check on my little Rufus for me? Maybe give him a pet, or even let him outside, just until my son gets there. I would be very much appreciative and would never forget your generosity and kindness. Thanks again, and I look so forward to meeting you Lily!" Beep.
"Wow", Lily thought, "that was one long message, but she seems nice enough." Lily was an animal lover and the chance to go and be with a dog only made her mood even better then it had previously been. She tied her thick, flowing hair back, (not bothering to put a shirt overtop of her bikini top), and rushed down to the deck outside.
The latch on the fence that separated the two lots opened easily enough and Lily made her way up the perfectly spaced stone steps to the large, welcoming house, searching for the side door. As quickly as she had spotted it, she had opened it finding it unlocked and quietly stepped inside. Making her best guess as to where the kitchen could be, she passed many beautifully filled rooms and finally stepped through the swinging door into what could only be a wealthy family's kitchen to find a light on. Confused, she turned her head to see a boy and his friend about her own age walk through the other entrance of the kitchen opposite her.
The first boy who was taller, broader, and very handsome stopped dead in his tracks at he caught sight of the girl in front of him causing his friend to walk straight into his backside.
"What the…" the shorter, well-toned, but equally handsome fiend started, but lost his words as he too laid eyes on Lily.
The boy in front glanced back at his friend, took a small step forward never breaking his eye contact with Lily and said in a deep, mature voice full of registered shock, "Lily?"
Lily blinked her no longer sparkling eyes at the boy standing in front of her.
The boy she'd sworn out of her life forever at graduation.
The boy that made her extremely angry but also still gave her those annoying butterflies in the pit of her stomach.
The boy that had captivated her heart but then proceeded to break it.
His name was James Potter.
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