Lily Evans opened the window of her second story bedroom, ignoring the bitter cold to get a breath of fresh air.
I need a holiday, she thought glumly. Oh, right, that’s what this is supposed to be.
She sighed and leaned out of the window, thrusting her face into the gently falling snow. Tiny particles of the fluttering snow got caught in her long burgundy trusses and landed in her eyelashes, but Lily didn’t care. She even smiled at the thought of how silly she must look.
She was 17 and in her final year at Hogwarts, though at the moment she was visiting her parents for holiday break. It was New Years, and everyone who was anyone was at a party, or watching the television waiting for that magical moment when the clock stuck twelve. That is what Lily’s parents, sister, and her sister’s fiancé Vernon were up to at the moment anyway. But Lily, a “no one, a freak” as she was constantly reminded by Petunia, was up in her room, trying to escape it all.
Lily’s family had moved here, a suburb of London, recently “ that summer in fact. Though her parents had told her that they needed a change in scenery, Lily knew that they were truly up to: they were trying to save their marriage by being someplace new. They didn’t hide the fact well. Though her parents tried to cover it up for their children’s sake, they both had fiery tempers, and her father had a tendency to drink, leading to drunken arguments, swearing, and objects being thrown.
It drove Lily crazy. It was what had driven her up here, tonight.
Petunia and her lump of a fiancé can pretend that my parent’s aren’t fighting, I for one am just going to stay out of the way.
Lily cast her eyes at the playground that lied behind her backyard: empty. Thus satisfied, she flicked out her wand and summoned her coverlet off her bed. Lily glanced once again at the deepening night as she wrapped the coverlet around herself for warmth. It was nearly midnight.
She shivered, this time not from the cold. She felt as though she was being watched. She glanced into the night, straining to make out the house 75 meters from hers, across the playground. No... no, though the house was lively with New Years merriment, the curtains of the window directly opposite hers remained drawn.
Lily sighed and sank onto the bench of the old piano that nobody had wanted, nobody except her that is. She attempted a song to cheer herself up, but it didn’t work. She flopped down on her bed instead, and with a flick of her wand, her record player started itself. Lily closed her eyes, letting the words wash over her.
So I look in your direction
but you pay me no attention do you
I know you don't listen to me
Cause you say you see straight through me don't you
But on and on, from the moment I wake
till the moment I sleep
I'll be there by your side
just you try and stop me
I'll be waiting in line
just to see if you care
Did you want me to change
Well I changed for good
And I want you to know
That you'll always get your way
I wanted to say
Don't you shiver
Shiver
Sing it loud and clear
I'll always be waiting for you...
Tears welled in Lily’s eyes for some unexplained reason. She wanted someone like that, someone to cherish her in love, in a way that, despite the fact that her parents loved her, Lily had never felt cherished. She wanted intimacy. Maybe it was all the fighting, she didn’t know.
She rolled over onto her side. Well, you’re forgetting one person Lily, someone who would balk at being forgotten, sang out her subconscious.
And who might that be? she answered back.
Potter.
You say it like it’s so simple. I know he’s obsessed over me for years “
Six and a half. That’s not exactly nothing.
I don’t know what I think about Potter. He’s gotten better, I
admit. He’s changed. He’s not as arrogant or bullying or “
He’s changed for you. Think of that song you love so much. That song is his essence.
I could never love Potter.
I think you like him.
That’s not possible. So he may be my friend, so what?
You’re forgetting that I’m your subconscious. I know things that you’re repressing...
Oh buggar off, thought Lily irritably, chastising herself for even having a conversation about this topic, even if only with herself. “I do not like Potter like that, end of discussion.”
The hooting of an owl interrupted her, and she glanced up to see one perched on her piano light. This owl was snowy white with the most piercing blue eyes. It tilted its head to one side as it hooted at her again, and patiently held out its leg for her to take the letter. Lily crossed her room and removed the owl its burden; instead of flying away it fluttered to the ground to take a sip from her cat Csilla’s water dish, as though waiting for a response. It seemed oblivious to Csilla’s eyes, which were following it around the room like mad.
Lily opened her letter, so see four short words written there.
I’ve been watching you.
She sighed. To some, these words might have been ominous, but to Lily they just... were. She recognized the handwriting, and smiled despite herself.
“James Potter,” she murmured, going over to her window once again. Reaching over, she grabbed her ominoculars off of her desk, then held them up to her face, looking once again at the house across the park. This time, the window was open.
James Potter was sitting casually on his window sill, one leg hanging outside the window. He too was looking through a pair of ominoculars, and he smiled and gave a little wave as she shook her head at him.
“James Potter,” she said a little louder, still to herself. It had taken him only 48 hours from the day her family had settled down for him to learn that she was living across the way from him, and only about five minutes after that for him to contact her. Though she hadn’t greeted him very warmly at the time (he still hadn’t deflated his head), he really didn’t irk her anymore. Lily believed that the Headship together had been the thing to really make them become friends and being them closer. But only friends.
Lily reached for a quill and scribbled on the note. I knew someone was, but I didn’t see anyone. How did you manage it?
She sent the owl off, which was returned with a reply quickly. They carried on in this manner for quite some time.
Marauder’s secret. I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you. Anyways, back to the reason of why I was writing.
And what was that?
To cheer you up. What’s the matter? I saw you attempt a pass at the piano, and that’s one thing you generally do when you’re upset.
You’re lucky that I’m used to how you know everything about me, because most people would say you’re a stalker and order a restraining order against you. But I’m fine, so it doesn’t make any difference.
What’s a restraining order, and no, you’re not fine. Don’t lie to me Lily.
Forget the restraining order because it’s not important, yes, I am fine, and wow, you called me Lily.
That is your name.
Guess I’m forced to call you James then.
What’s wrong with James?
Nothing...
Anyway, meet me outside.
No.
Please?
It’s cold out there.
You didn’t seem to mind when you were sticking your head out the window. I’ll just keep sending Rouge back until I get a response.
By this point, James’ owl seemed thoroughly disgruntled. Lily smiled. “Rouge is it? You don’t seem like a rouge to me,” she patted the owl on her head as she contemplated an answer. Finally, she sent off a reply (‘Alright, if only for my sanity’) and traipsed down stairs.
She quietly crossed the kitchen and exited out the back door, recklessly climbed the fence (something she was quite fond of doing for some weird reason) leapt off of it, and landed in a pouf a soft snow. She ambled through the park, turning up the color of her jacket as she did so.
The place was quite deserted. No children were clambering through the jungle gym set, nor twirling on the low metal merri-go-round, and she was quite surprised when the swings looked as though they hadn’t been touched either. Apparently the cold had driven most sane people indoors. Yet here I am. Lily chose a spot on the driest swing, and patiently waited there, humming that song to herself as she started propelling herself, back and forth...
“You’re quite beautiful, you know that?” asked a deep voice to her left. She hopped off her swing, turned in the air, and landed facing him.
James was leaning confidently on the support pole to the swing set, his arms crossed and his face merry. “And you are apparently quite the gymnast.”
Lily blushed at his compliments, especially the first one, and was thankful that if he noticed it, she could claim it was just the cold, reddening her cheeks. She went and sat down on the edge of the merri-go-round, ignoring the cold steel. She laid back, her legs dangling off the edge, and stared up at the stars, letting the snow cover her. She didn’t respond to him.
He joined her, lying opposite her so that their heads were next to each other. “So, what was wrong?”
Lily sighed. “Just my parents again.”
“Still fighting?” he asked, tossing her a concerned look.
She signed and turned her head to face him, her emerald eyes locking with his hazel ones. “No, they’re pretending to get along. That’s what I hate, the pretending. Why can’t they just get it over with? The divorce I mean. Then maybe we could all be happy.”
He shrugged. “Maybe they know deep in their hearts that they don’t want a divorce.”
“They sure don’t act like it.”
James found nothing to say to that, and they laid there in present silence until she broke the silence.
“Why do people change, James?” she asked, sitting up and folding her arms around her knees.
James considered, buying time by standing up and idly pushing around the ride. “To become better. Well, that’s how it is most of the time."
Lily nodded, thinking about how this words applied to him, about how he had changed. For her.
“Thank you James,” she said, smiling as she felt butterflies in her stomach from all the twirling.
James sprinted, and hopped on the ride, his body pressing into hers. Lily felt butterflies again, and this time she didn’t think it was from the ride only. He smiled at her, eyes twinkling.
“No problem,” he responded.
“You don’t even know what I’m thanking you for!”
“I think I do.”
The ride slowed to a stop and they sat there, laughing, in the closest proximity to each other they had even been, and Lily strangely didn’t mind. She heard cheers from across their neighborhood, and illegal fireworks sprang up.
“Happy New Year, Lily,” said James staring into her eyes. She felt the butterflies again, stronger.
“You too James,” she said. Suddenly, fire sprang up before their feet, which turned into glorious catherine wheels, dragons, and stars. Lily screamed in surprise, covering her ears, while James laughed.
“No heat, wet start,” he said between gulps of laughter.
“Oh you!” she said, wrestling him to the ground. Needless to
say, he dind’t put up much of a fight.
“Woa, Lily, let’s keep things slow, shall we?” she said jokingly as she laid half on top of him, holding him to the ground.
She didn’t know how it happened. His eyes changed, suddenly, became softer. He stopped struggling and pulled her closer to him, to which she didn’t object. She could feel his heart betting through his thin sweater as he wrapped him arms around her. He smelled of soap and aftershave, a delightful combination, but most of all she felt safe.
“Happy New Year,” he whispered again, and he gently lowered her face to his. She could feel his warm breath against her cheek and for some reason, she needed him. And then he kissed her; right there in the middle of the park, in the wet snow, with the snow twirling around them and fireworks cracking over them, something almost out of the movies. The kiss was slow and tender, and she found herself becoming lost in it, not caring what she was getting herself into. She slid her hands under James' head and stroked his hair, and didn't pull away, even from the cold, as one of his hands slid under her shirt to rest on the small of her back. And the little voice in the back of her head sniggered.
Finally!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hope you like! I'll turn this into a full fledged fic once I finish my other one if you like it enough!