Unofficial Portkey Archive

Chapter 19-Finally

I wake up in the morning
Put on my face
The one that's gonna get me
Through another day
Doesn't really matter
How I feel inside
This life is like a game sometimes

Cuz I've never felt like this before
I'm naked around you
Does it show?
You see right through me
And I can't hide
I'm naked around you
And it feels so right

"Parker, even though you're very wise and almost always right, I'm not too sure about this plan of yours," Sirius said in a wary voice as he sat outside the broom closet. Erin's pale blonde head snapped towards Sirius questionably.

"What do you mean?" she inquired. "My plans are always right."

"They've been in there for hours and nothing has happened. I don't hear anything," Sirius complained.

"He's right," Leah agreed. "Prefects are going to be coming out soon. People are going to wonder where Lily and James are. If this is getting us nowhere, we might as well just put them out of their misery."

Erin nodded, her celery green eyes staring sadly at the ground before she lifted herself up and pulled out her wand.

"I just thought this would be the only way to do something about this mess," Erin said thoughtfully. "They're both so stubborn and difficult. I thought this would be the perfect solution."

"Well, no one's perfect. I suppose you have to be wrong every once in awhile," Sirius figured. He undid the sticking charm reluctantly and waited as Leah opened the door.

"Mother of pearl!" Sirius screamed as he saw what was inside. He slammed the door shut quickly, his eyes wide and surprised. A huge grin broke out on his face before he erupted in a sing song voice. "Evans was snogging!"

Leah started giggling uncontrollably, literally collapsing onto the floor in a state of hysteria.

"I was right," Erin whispered to herself. "I was right again. I knew it."

She thrust her fist into the air victoriously.

The three of them made their way back to the Gryffindor Common Room, not talking once, but laughing in spite of what had happened. It was all too unbelievable.

They opened the door of the Common Room to see Remus playing chess against Vita with Ruby watching intently as the two attempted to teach her the game.

"Why don't you move that knight?" Ruby suggested to Vita.

Vita grinned, doing so and pronouncing, "Check."

"Whose side are you on, anyways?" Remus grumbled playfully.

Ruby turned her head as she heard the hysterical laughter coming from behind her. Her friends' faces were beat red, as well as Sirius'.

"What in the name of Merlin is so funny?" Vita demanded.

"Don't mind them," Remus whispered. "They're an odd bunch."

"Lily and James!" Leah said, putting her hands together. "James and Lily."

"Broom closet! Sticking charm! Laughed-fell over-giggled like a little girl," Sirius managed to say, clutching his side from the stitches that had formed near his abdomen.

"Lily hurt James so bad you hid him in a broom closet and laughed like a little girl?" Ruby asked, trying to put it all together.

"Snogging!" Erin screamed. "They were snogging."

The entire common room looked their way, gasping at the new news. Soon, everyone was laughing as hard as Sirius, Erin, and Leah were.

An hour after Sirius, Erin, and Leah had discovered them, Lily and James decided to take a breath. James' hair was even more rumpled than usual and his glasses were sitting crooked on his nose. Lily's lips were swollen and her cheeks were red. They left the closet smiling, holding hands and just looking up at one another affectionately from time to time.

It was all very beautiful. Only when they ran into Sirius and Leah did they realize that their feet had led them to the common room.

"Isn't this sweet?" Leah teased. "They're holding hands."

"So are you two," Lily pointed out, gesturing to Leah and Sirius' locked hands.

"Good point," Leah said. "But you didn't find us snogging. We're a bit more secretive. Don't like to make a huge spectacle about it."

"How was it, Prongs?" Sirius whispered to James. Leah smacked his arm, but laughed. "I knew that Parker was right. The two of you thought you'd never get out of that closet, so you started working on pro-creation. Was it your idea, Evans? Women are always going on about children and such."

Lily and James just smiled, not wanting to talk about it very much.

"Well, since the two of you aren't going to talk to us about snogging, we'll just have to do a little of our own to satisfy our thirst for kiss and tell stories," Leah said.

"We'll be back with our story in about forty-five minutes," Sirius informed them. "Do you think that'll be enough time?"

Leah nodded, pulling him off in the other direction.

Lily and James just laughed. They headed into the common room where they were immediately confronted by nearly everyone in the Gryffindor Common Room. So much for keeping it a secret.

"Have I told you how much I loved you?" James asked Lily over breakfast as they were reading the prophet together and sipping at their orange juice.

"Not in the last five minutes," Lily said, kissing him on the cheek.

"This is sickening," Erin declared, watching the two of them from across the table. "Maybe our plan wasn't the best thought out one. Now we have to watch them practically act like an old married couple at the table."

"I think it's sweet," Ruby said quietly.

"It is," Erin assured her. "It's all sweet. I'm just bitter, is all. You don't see a match like that every day."

"No, you don't," Vita agreed. "You said it from the start though, Erin."

"I did, didn't I?" Erin said, smiling.

"Potter and Evans," Professor McGonagall said joyously at the staff table. "Never in a million years. It's beautiful to see what happens at this school."

"You said it from the start, didn't you, Albus?" Professor Sprout asked the headmaster.

Professor Dumbledore just smiled his all-knowing smile and continued eating his oatmeal.

"It's all so lovely," Professor McGonagall stated. "Potter's not even disruptive anymore. Evans keeps him in line! It's the most amazing cycle I've ever had the fortune of encountering."

"Love is a splendid thing," Dumbledore agreed. "How long have they been together now?"

"I'd say about three months," McGonagall figured. "At least that's what Graham and Parker told me. Those two! If I've ever had two more distracted people.."

"Distracted, but very loyal. I believe it was the two of them and Mr. Black that worked this magic," Dumbledore told her.

"That Sirius Black," McGonagall sighed. "What will I ever do with him?"

Dumbledore just chuckled. He was well aware of Sirius Black.

"This school is almost like a dream," he whispered. "Everyone has a part and it's played out. You almost always wonder when you're going to wake up and it will be over."

McGonagall looked over at her colleague surprised. You never knew when Dumbledore would say something very meaningful that would stick with you.

"Too good to be true, it is," McGonagall agreed.

"Congratulations! You've graduated," Professor Dumbledore said to the seventh years. Everyone looked around, smiling at one another. They had done it. They were free.

Lily turned to James and planted her lips on his, cherishing one of the best moments of her life.

Sirius and Leah had started as soon as Dumbledore had said the word 'Congratulations'. They were stopping only to inhale air, but were happy nonetheless. It was apparent that the two of them were extremely glad to have Hogwarts done and over with.

Remus had slowly hugged Ruby, placing a soft and delicate kiss on her mouth. She had never felt more special in her life. For once, she didn't feel any different than anyone else.

Peter looked around at everyone, seeing all the kissing and merriment. Erin Parker and Vita Robins were only inches away. If only he could…

"Sorry, Pete," Erin said as he tried to kiss her. She walked away, to talk to her friends.

"Don't even think about it," Vita told him. "You spilled ink on me in second year and never apologized. You missed your chance, buddy."

"Better luck next time, Wormtail," Sirius teased, messing up his friends' hair. "We're done! It's amazing!"

"It's almost sad," Ruby said in a sentimental tone.

She looked over to see Leah and Erin approaching the Potions teacher, reminiscing on the countless times they ruined her classroom and brought the woman to tears.

Sirius was inviting McGonagall to a graduation that he was 'supposedly' having in an underground wizarding nightclub. James chuckled at this, knowing the Transfiguration teacher would see through the lie.

"Why so sad, Wallace?" Remus asked, coming up behind her and kissing her neck.

"This might be the last time we're all together," Ruby said sadly.

"No," Remus assured her. "It won't be."

"Don't be sad," Leah said, coming over to her friend. "It's been a long year, but it's supposed to be the last one for a reason. It's our time to grow up."

"Wow," Erin said softly. "I'm supposed to be the wise one."

"Do you think we did a good job?" Sirius asked, coming up and looking over at two people.

Erin and Leah followed his gaze to see Lily and James, sitting beneath a willow tree in the distance.

As Lily kissed James, Erin nodded.

"Yes," she said. "We did."

A/N: Please review.