The Close
With the plan explained to Sirius and Remus, who had incidentally nothing to do with the plan but had been sitting there, Lily headed to bed. She wasn't sure her master plan was going to work, but she had to try something… anything… anything at this point was better than what was currently going on. She had, as planned, left her door cracked open and was planning to listen out for James.
He had yet to return, but she knew he would. In the weeks since his return, he had been keeping odd hours but he always returned. She thought that sleep would be long in coming from her nerves, but she fell right to sleep. Tonight, it would be her and not Sirius who would go and comfort him in his hour of need.
She heard him come in and she rolled over to look at her alarm clock. It was four in the morning. Sighing, she climbed out of bed. She headed to her bedroom door and walked across the common room, not bothering with her robe or slippers.
Lily turned and looked at the portrait hole, silently casting a spell against it and locking it beyond anyone entering. She entered James' room without knocking. She could see him in his bed, the faint light from the half moon pouring in through his window. She headed to the bed and her hand gripped the covers of the blanket.
"Lily, what are you doing?" James asked sleepily as Lily pulled the covers back enough to climb into his bed.
"Shut up, James, and let me be," Lily said as she climbed in next to him. She pulled the covers up to her chin and snuggled closer to James.
"But, you are in my bed," James sighed. Lily slipped into his arms and threw one of her arms across his broad chest, the warmth of his skin radiating against her arm.
"And now, I am in your arms, James," Lily whispered. "Just shut up and relax, ok? Nothing bad is going to happen."
"You can't promise that," James said mournfully. His voice was thick and Lily rested her head on his shoulder, her hand going to his cheek.
"No, I can't," Lily said softly as she pressed a kiss to his skin. "But I can promise that I still love you."
"Oh," James said with a shaky breath. Lily could feel the tears that slipped down his cheeks. His breath trembled at intake. Lily didn't try to wipe his tears away; instead she allowed his tears to slip over her hand.
"James," Lily whispered quietly into his ear.
"I am alone," James wept, shaking.
"You will never be alone, James," Lily said quietly as she caressed his cheek. "You have Sirius, who loves you more than his own life, and Remus who is hell bent on keeping you on the right track. You have Peter, who, well, I don't know what about Peter, he's a little weird. But, James, you have me."
"We broke up, remember?" James said as he turned his face away from her, ashamed of his tears. She turned it back to face her.
"I remember, I remember you broke up with me, but that doesn't change the facts, James. I love you. Always have, well… since I figured out that I loved you," Lily said as she allowed a slight smile to escape her. "You breaking up with me didn't stop me from loving you."
"You and Striker…" James reminded her.
"We broke up the day you came back," Lily said. James smiled a little.
"You broke up with him for me?" James asked. Lily laughed and pushed his shoulder.
"You are so full of yourself, James," Lily said quietly. "I broke up with him for me. I didn't even know you were awake, much less back when I broke up with him."
"Can I pretend it was all for me?" James teased lightly as Lily wiped away the last of his tears.
"It is good to have you teasing me again, James," Lily said smiling.
"I still don't want to talk about my parents," James said darkly. Lily nodded.
"It took me a while to be able to talk about my parents without it feeling like it was happening all over again," Lily said softly as she traced his mouth with her finger. "When you are ready, you know you can always turn to me or the others. We will always be here for you."
"You know, I don't think I can ever go back to being the same old fun-loving James Potter that you fell in love with last summer," James said quietly as he absentmindedly fiddled with the buttons on Lily's pajama top. Lily pushed his fingers away from the buttons and placed his hand just slightly under the shirt hem.
"No one who really cares for you expects that you will," Lily said as James flexed his fingers against the taut skin of her side. She breathed in sharply and grinned at the sensation. "You can be a newer fun-loving James Potter, and I love you. Whether you love fun or not, though mope-y James makes it a little hard for me to get into any kind of good mood."
"I will remember that," James said as Lily hands headed south along his abdomen. He tensed slight at her touch and she grinned at him in a rather Marauder-like devilish sort of way.
"You would be good to," Lily said as James' hand encircled her wrist of her curious and roaming hand. She grinned at him seductively.
"I have an idea of what is going to happen, but there is a demand that I must make of you before anything can continue," James said quite seriously as he held her wrist.
"Anything," Lily said as she looked into his perfect hazel colored eyes.
"You and me, forever," James said. "No one else. Ever."
"It is all I could ever hope for, James," Lily said. James smiled at her, one of those warm you from the inside smiles.
"I love you, Lily," James said.
"I love you, too, James," Lily said with a smirk as she pulled her hand free and pulled the covers up over their heads. Though not perfect, James and Lily knew that they were meant to be. Whatever the future held for them, they knew they could face anything so long as they were together.
***
A/N: So, my friends, I hope that you enjoyed this little fiction. There is nothing more thrilling than getting your reviews, let me tell you, and though this is complete (having finished this Nov 15, 2007 @ 10:49 PM EST) without the ability to read such reviews in real time, I have to say I really enjoy writing for you. Be on the look out for my next fiction, and check the profile page (if applicable) for new stories and some rather EXCITING NEWS in the coming weeks. Shhh… I can't tell you here. That would be tacky… lol… I love each and every one of you for reviewing, and I look forward to seeing you all in the not too distant future. Hugs and Cookies to you all!
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