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Happily Ever After Just Took Time by KcluvsMl
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Happily Ever After Just Took Time

KcluvsMl

A/N: In this chapter, you will se how much 16-year-old James cares about Lily. And how much 19-year-old does too. It's so sweet, I think I got a cavity writing it. Too bad Lily does not see it.

And there are voices

That want to be heard

So much to mention, but you can't find the words,

The scent of magic, the beauty that's been

When love was wilder than the wind

Listen to your heart

When he's calling for you

I don't know where you're going,

And I don't know why,

But listen to your heart

Before

You tell him goodbye

-DHT, Listen to Your Heart

Chapter 4: So Much to Mention

Lily woke up when Molly came back. It was exactly five o'clock.

"Lily!" James called. "Molly's here."

"And I brought food!" Molly said.

Groaning, Lily rolled out of the huge bed. She walked to the kitchen, which she found because of the loud sounds of pots and pans. Molly was fixing what looked like pasta.

Lily loved pasta, and she wondered how Molly knew. Molly and her older self must have been friends or something. She hadn't even told Remus that her favorite food was pasta. James was sitting on one of the counters while Molly was by the stove.

"Did you have a good rest?" James asked. He was eating a piece of bread, which Molly snatched away.

"No eating until the whole dinner is ready," Molly snapped. "Hello, Lily. The pasta will be ready in a few minutes, so why don't you go sit down?"

Lily nodded and sat down on the counter.

"I meant in the dining room, honey."

"I-I don't know where that is," Lily admitted quietly.

"I'll take her," James said before Molly could say anything. Molly frowned and nodded.

"Why do we know Molly Prewett?" Lily asked as soon as they were out of earshot.

"She's a friend. I'll explain later. Listen, whatever you do, don't admit anything like that in front of anyone," James suggested as he led her to the large dining room. "They'll think you belong in the long-term psycho ward at St. Mungo's."

"Sorry, but what's St. Mungo's?" Lily smiled meekly.

"Oh, I keep forgetting you don't know these things!" James muttered. "In seventh year, your parents were attacked by Deatheaters and were sent to St. Mungo's. It's a hospital in London for wizards and witches who are sick by magical means. Don't worry, they lived," he added when Lily's eyes teared up.

"Where are they?" she asked, her voice choking.

"They are in a little cottage just outside London. Your evil sister lives near there, in Surrey."

"With that ass, Vernon?" Lily glared.

James was shocked. Never before had he heard his wife curse.

"Ye-Yes," he stammered.

"Sorry about that," Lily said, blushing. "It's just...he turned her against me. When she told him about my...gift, he slapped her and told her..." Lily broke off, crying. James hugged her.

"Lils, calm down. I know what happened. You told me before we got married. It's okay. We're far away from them. It's okay."

Lily looked up. Her face was centimeters from his. "I...I think I..."

She fainted.

---

When James finally found Madame Pomfrey, it was almost time for dinner. She had been on the third floor, tending to a hexed student, who did not want to move. The pinchers on his hands were enough to listen.

Anyway, James called out to her as soon as she walked in the room.

"How is Miss Evans?" she asked. She got out her wand and walked over to her bed.

"Well, by the looks of it, I would say she is fine. In a coma, but fine." Madame Pomfrey smiled.

"WHAT?" James exclaimed. "In a coma?"

"Not a persistent coma, of course. We know that." Madame Pomfrey waved her wand over Lily. A reddish fog came out of it.

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?" James almost shouted.

"Well, yes. She'll wake up soon." The reddish fog vanished as Madame Pomfrey waved her wand again. A green light came out of it this time. "And by the looks of it, you need some sleep. If you don't go to your dormitory, I will force-feed you soon sleeping potion."

"Will you come get me if anything happens?" James asked. He didn't move.

"Mr. Potter," she warned.

"I'm not leaving if you don't promise," he stated.

Madame Pomfrey started walking towards the cart of potions.

"Fine! Can I stay in here, though?"

"As long as you sle-" She was cut off. Lily had coughed.

"Lily!" James said, grabbing her hand.

Her eyes opened and she saw him. Then they closed. And she was gone again.

---

"Molly!" James called. "Molly! Hurry!"

"What's wrong?" Molly walked into the dining room, pasta in her hands. She dropped it when she saw the limp form in James's arms.

"Oh my god! Let's get her to the bedroom!"

Carrying Lily to the bedroom, Molly yelled at James.

"What did you do?" she shouted.

"I didn't do anything! She just keeled over!" James said.

When they got to the bedroom, Molly left to get her husband. James stayed behind to watch if anything happened. It all seemed familiar. Holding her hand, James talked to her.

"Lily? Listen, I know what's happening. If you come back, I'll explain everything. I miss you." He paused and ran his hand through his messy black hair. "About now, you're probably back in the past. I remember...you coughed, opened your eyes, and then nothing. I'm so confused right now. `Please wake up'..."

"Arthur is here," Molly said. She was standing in the doorway, Arthur behind her. He walked over to Lily and picked her up.

"We need to take her to Albus," he stated. Then he apparated.

James rubbed his eyes and followed him.

---

"Lily! Lily, wake up," James cried. "Please wake up!"

"Mr. Potter, calm down!" Madame Pomfrey exclaimed. "I have that potion right here."

He put his head down, defeated. "This is so hard," he told her. "Why am I feeling this way?"

"I don't know," she lied. "Now leave. You need rest. Go to your own bed, too. And get something to eat."

He sighed and got up. He walked halfway to the door when he turned around and said, "You'll come get me if something happens, right?"

"Out!"

He ran out he was so scared of her.

---

"I believe that right now she is torn between here and the past right now," Albus Dumbledore explained as he and James waited outside the hospital room in St. Mungo's. They were on the floor for Curse Ailments. James doubted the Healers would know what was wrong. And if they did, they had better not discuss it in front of the Weasley's, Longbottoms, and the other members of the Order of the Phoenix.

"Mr. Potter?" a Healer asked as she came out of the room. "My name is Gina McCauley." She held out her hand. James looked at it.

Healer McCauley took away her hand, smiling.

"What's the matter with my wife?" James asked, annoyed.

"Well," she looked at the group behind James. "Can we talk somewhere private?"

"Sure."

Once out of earshot, Healer McCauley said, "She was cursed with the Time Will Catch Up curse in sixth year at Hogwarts, right?"

"Right."

"Well, right now, she is torn between then and now. So far, all we can tell is that it will take a few weeks to get her back normal. When she realizes that this is her future, she will wake up. I'm sure you already know that," she added as James nodded. He was getting annoyed. He knew all this.

"Yes, yes, I know. Now can you tell me when she will wake up here?" he asked.

"Well, here, she will wake up in a day or two. You can take her home as soon as my mentor, Healer Thomason gets her release form ready."

"Okay," James said, walking back towards Dumbledore.

"How is she?" he asked.

"You were right," James replied.

"How are you, then?" The professor and headmaster's eyes twinkled.

"I have no clue. Why did that woman have to do this to us?" he exclaimed, grabbing his hair like he was going to pull it out.

"She saw herself doing it, so she did. Ms. Trelawney is a very gifted Seer, though sometimes...well, excited to do her work."

"You call ruining people's lives work?" James said. He sat down on a bench outside Lily's room.

"Actually, this is what got Lily to give you a chance."

James looked at Albus, confusion clear in his hazel eyes.

"What?"

"I shan't say anything," stated the old man as he stood up to leave, "if you don't figure it out for yourself."

He disapparated.

James sighed and walked to the little window on the door. He saw Lily on a medium-sized hospital bed. Another Healer was running their wand over her body. A tear ran down James's cheek.

---

No one came to wake James up. He awoke around dinner time the next day. Angry that Madame Pomfrey never came and got him, he almost ran to the hospital wing. But Severus Snape was in his way before he even got half-way there.

"What are you doing?" James asked. Snape covered his left forearm with his robe. He winced in pain as his robe touched it.

"Go away, Potter."

"What's that on your arm?" James asked, trying to distract him. He had left his wand in the hospital wing.

Severus turned away. "I said go away."

"I can be here if I want," said James.

"Then go to the hospital wing where your Mudblood is."

James's hand formed a fist at his side.

"I said don't call her that!"

Severus whipped around. His right hand was still covering his left forearm. "I can call her anything I want," he said.

"Fine!" James shouted.

Severus walked away.

James made a very rude hand gesture at his back before heading back towards the hospital wing.

Madame Pomfrey was doing her daily tests on Lily's form. Nothing had happened, so James sat by the bed. Someone had left a book on Charms, so he read that until dinner.

---

They took Lily home an hour after James talked to Healer McCauley. James wondered why it took an hour to fill out a release form, but he didn't say anything.

"Floo us if you need anything," Molly said when they had successfully brought Lily home.

"I will," assured James

Arthur slapped James lightly on the back and smiled. "Don't do anything exerting." He winked.

James smiled meekly. "I won't."

They left. Now it was just the two of them.

---

Madame Pomfrey made James go back to his own bed at nine that night, but he didn't argue with her. He was beginning to give up. But the next day was Tuesday, and he had already skipped yesterday's classes. None of the professors gave James detention as he walked solemnly back to his dorm.

A/N: It may be a little short, but I wanted to update again.

Explanation of Molly being friends with Lily and James: I think this would be a funnier and better story if James and Lily had made friends in the Order. Of course, younger Lily doesn't know about that yet... But that is how I wrote it.

Next chapter: You'll meet the older Sirius, though he acts like a five-year0old most of the time. James will explain some of the future to Lily, and you will see that Peter is never there.


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