Love Last Fall

part 2

Lily walked the halls of Hogwarts in a hurry, carrying piles of books in her steady arms. She fell asleep besides James that night, his arm on her waist as he lulled her to sleep. It was perfect until she woke up and glanced at the clock.

"I can't believe I slept in late. The exams are coming up for Merlins sake, I need to study!" Her last year at Hogwarts was slowly coming to an end.

She walked so fast that Remus could hardly keep up. No matter the circumstances of the previous night and the nights before of the terrorising nightmares, she still had the spark in her that yearned for knowledge and success. Despite the terrible deaths and news about dark forces rising to power she was still Lily no matter how scared. Right?

She was still Lily even with the pale skin and eye bags that never left her. And the constant expression of fear on her face that she carried with her wherever she went. She was still Lily.

He laughed at her dramatics and she smacked his shoulder with a hardback 'Hogwarts A History' volume.

"Someone's moody." She sent a playful glare his way.

"Stop laughing at my pain." She put her hand on her chest above her heart jokingly, a smile breaking through.

Their friendship was golden. Because Remus didn't exist without Lily and Lily didn't exist without Remus. If platonic soulmates existed, that is exactly what they were.

After many dashes and turns, they made their way into the library, catching sight of the sleep deprived students who by the looks of things stayed up there all night, scribbling away until their fingers went numb and ink splatters stained their robes.

They found a secluded space and sat down, beginning their study session. Ten minutes hadn't passed until three rowdy boys by the names of sirius, James and Peter swarmed into the library disturbing their silence.

"Moony, Lily, get out from your caves you big vampires." They all chorused, smirking.

Remus laughed and whispered in her ear, "They most definitely practiced that before coming here."

She turned away from Remus to face the table barely containing her smile.

"Mind I remind you, that your exams are also coming up. Have you forgotten?" She asked without looking up from her parchment as she wrote.

"Please mother Lily, let me steal Remus for a date. I promise we will not be out too late," He cried dramatically, doing ridiculous hand gestures as though he was in a play.

Sirius' spark never left him even in the dark times, that's what he liked to believe at least, all of them did. However everyone around him could see the hesitation and fear in his dark eyes throughout the mask that tried to desperately scream: "I'm still Sirius Black, don't you believe me?"

None of them wanted to admit it, but they hid under a pretense that the war had not changed them in the least. That they were all still the same as they were before.

All except for one.

Peter had accepted how things were long ago and was the first to join the ranks of darkness and that was precisely what lead to his greatest demise.

"Who said anything about a date?" Remus blushed, startled and surprised.

"You could mistake moony for a tomato at how red he is," They laughed, James ruffling Remus' hair. "Little ol' moony has a date. Or does he? Mother Lily, what's the verdict?" He looked into her eyes, eyebrows raising.

It was her turn to flush, everytime they made eye contact, a million sparks ignited inside her like on their very first date.

Maybe some of her emotions were fake or hidden, you name it, but her feelings for James were never not real for one second.

"Ok ok, You guys have fun."

Sirius cheered, dragging Remus from the chair and out through the door by the hand, nodding at Lily before turning away and with his arm around Remus' shoulder, making his way down the hall. Peter followed behind them.

James sat down beside her, picking up a random book from the closest shelf and beginning to read it.

The comforting ambience of quill scribbles and their gentle synced breaths in the quiet of the library was all that Lily could ask for in that moment. James always made everything so perfect, so right. Even when nothing was perfect in the least.

He didn't rush her whilst she got everything she needed to done, and when she finally placed the quill down and placed her eyes on him, he immediately had his full attention on her, placing the book down on the table.

"So," He began mischievously, "Now that you're finished I suppose you can follow me." He stood up, reaching out his hand for her to grab onto.

"Follow you where?" She smiled, standing up and turning to gather her things only her realise James already did that, her bag on his shoulder. She was too busy staring at him to notice anything at all.

"Around the globe and beyond!" She squealed as he picked her up in his arms and spun her around before running out of the library with her, laughing, giddy with happiness as the starstruck lovers they were.

He ran with her in his arms up to the lake placing her on the ground and grabbing her hand, leading her somewhere.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

A few moments later, a beautiful view of a rowboat on water came into sight. The water glistened in the sun almost as if it were whispering for them to get in.

She gasped looking at the beauty of the scene before her.

"James this is amazing!" She exclaimed, grabbing onto his arm and walking up to the boat.

"You deserve the most beautiful of things, my Lily flower." He kissed her hand, gaze lingering on every part of her, as if he couldn't get enough of being in her presence.

"What's the occasion?" She asked, spotting a wine bottle and rose petals scattered all over the boat, this made her blush.

"I just thought we needed a break from everything. You need this Lily and I'm not going to lie, so do I." He noticed her looking at the bottle and opened it, pouring her a glass.

She took a sip, smiling at how thoughtfull and utterly wonderful he was. Then a sharp knot twisted in her gut when she realised how unfair this was. People were dying and they were having a romantic little trip across the lake.

"I'm not sure if it's a good idea to be having a good time with you here when people are dying left and right," his face dropped as he heard this but he sipped the wine nonetheless. "However I'd not choose to be anywhere at this moment other than with you. Right here. Right now," She sighed laying down on his chest.

"We all deserve to be a little selfish at times Lily, don't you think?" He ruffled her hair and kissed her softly.

She returned the kiss however with more passion, roughness. It was her forte in making him swoon.

They kissed, drank wine and drowned in each others company until the moon was the only light that shone above the two lovers.