Let Your Heart Hold Fast - A Jily Fanfic

Chapter 2

***so i've finally updated! Chapter 2 is finally here. I hope you all enjoy, thanks for reading :) ***

I walk along the train, checking who is occupying every carriage that I walk by in hopes to see Evans. So far, I have no luck in finding here so I just keep walking. I know it seems kind of weird that I’m doing this, it makes me look like I’m a totally smitten teenage boy who is obsessed with that girl who’s never going to feel the same way. My friends all make fun of me because I am totally infatuated with this girl who I have no chance with when apparently, I can have any girl I want because I’m James Potter, Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team and an all-round heart throb. They think it’s all a crush but the truth is, and it took me a long time to figure this out but, I’m in love with Lily Evans. She is the only girl I’ve ever wanted and I just want her to be mine.

God I sound like such a girl but it’s the truth.

I’m interrupted from my thoughts when I hear yelling coming from the end of the train. I run towards the source of the noise to finally find Lily Evans accompanied by my not-so-favourite person, Severus Snape or as we Marauders like to call him, Snivellous.

“So is this about Potter then” I hear his cold voice. “Has he finally corrupted you? Him and those ‘marauders’, have they brought you into their stupid little pranks now?”

“Gosh Sev, why must everything come back to Potter? What’s he got to do with any of this? It’s about you, you and this bunch of cronies you hang out who are so infatuated with dark arts. And so what with the marauders, yes they’re immature with their pranks but they don’t go around using dark magic and calling people ‘mudbloods’.” Snape looks taken aback by her use of the word.

“Do you not remember what they did to me, Lily?” he asks.

“Yes of course I do, but do you remember what you did to me. Do you remember what you called me?” she argues, her voice breaking a little. “They might have bullied you but you, you did something far worse”

“I said I was sorry”

“Well sorry isn’t enough. We can never get back from that because now, I know what you think of me. I used to think you accepted me for who I am but I know that I’m just another ‘filthy mudblood’ to you.”

By this point, everyone is poking their heads out of compartment doors trying to see what’s causing all this commotion.

“Lily, that’s not how I think of you. It was a mistake”

“Sev that’s enough, I’m tired of your apologies and your excuses. Don’t pretend you didn’t mean what you said because you did.” Although I’m far away, I can still see a tear running down her cheek.

“But-“

“No seriously, I’ve had enough. Why don’t you just go with your foul little ‘friends’ or whatever you call them and leave me alone. I don’t think they’d like to see you interacting with a mudblood” she spat.

At last, it was silent.

She kept on a strong exterior but I could tell she was falling apart inside. The two stared at each other for a few moments before she finally made her way down the hall, brushing against me as she walked past.

Finally he begins to walk off and I hear him mutter something under his breath, “stupid mudblood”. I block his way, “sorry, what did you just say? Couldn’t quite hear you”. He tries to move around me but luckily I have sharp reflexes. “None of your business” he says. “I believe you just called her a filthy name which funnily enough, you just tried to apologise for calling her that exact name not too long ago”.

He retorts, “Whatever, I bet your glad anyway, Potter. Without me in the way, I bet you think you actually have a chance with her now.”

I scoff, ‘please, it’s not like you were any competition”

I see a flash of hurt run through his face and I see him reaching for his pocket. Before he even has the chance, I already have my wand in hand, pointing right at his face. “I wouldn’t try that if I was you, we both know who would win”

After a moment or two, he releases the grip of his wand that is still in his pocket. “Aww is poor little Snivelly scared?” I ask, tauntingly. He fails to meet my eye, “you’re not even worth it anyway” I say, putting my own wand back in my pocket. I walk a little closer to him and in a register that only he will be able to hear, I warn him, “stay away from her or so help me god, I will make your life hell”. I move away from him, “Mark my words Snape. Leave Evans alone.”

With that, I head off the other way, leaving a horrified looking Snape behind me.

Five minutes later, I find myself on the other end of the train trying to clear my brain.  Instead, I find Lily in a compartment alone, crying. I hesitate to go in there, after all, I’m probably the last person she wants to comfort her. She turns her head up to see me standing outside the door, I guess I have no choice. I walk in and sit beside her, “I’m not in the mood, Potter”, she sniffles and wrinkles her nose which is kind of cute.

No James! You’re supposed to be comforting her.

I put my arm around her and she doesn’t protest, she just buries her head into my chest, weeping. “I never apologised.” I say, breaking the silence.  She looks up at me with a confused expression on her face, “For what?” “I never apologised for that day. I was being an idiot, as usual. I was the one who pushed him to call you … you know.” I say quietly.

“You don’t have to apologise, it wasn’t your fault. Besides, it was going to happen sooner or later”

“Still, it wasn’t just that day. I was a jerk to him for years, I just hexed him because I felt like it or because I was jealous of him and-“, I’m interrupted by her soft voice, “You were jealous of Severus?”

“Well…yeah, kind of. I mean, he always got to be close with you and I didn’t, because well you hate me. Which I’m totally okay with that because I know how that’s always going to be.” I’ve been rambling for ages and I realise that I actually need to get to the point.

“Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that I mostly apologise for being a jerk to you and pestering you with my hopeless attempts to ask you out” I finally finish and she just sits there in silence.

Eventually a small smile appears on her face, “Potter, you should never apologise for being yourself. Who is James Potter without his constant annoying date invitations anyway?” I smile back at her and we are both silent again. “I don’t hate you, by the way” she says quietly. We talk a little longer and she seems a lot better now, “Thank you James, I feel a lot better now”, her eyes open wide as she just realised what she said. I get a strange feeling in my stomach and I can’t help but smile. “You just called me James” I taunt. She shakes her head, “no I didn’t, you must be hearing things”, she argues. “Yes you did!” I replied. “No I didn’t” she states.

This goes on for a few minutes and eventually she admits defeat, “fine I called you James.” I smile at my small triumph and she lets out a small giggle. “Well it looks like I’ve done my job to cheer you up. I should probably go now and get back to the boys. I can’t leave them alone for a second, they probably don’t know what to do without me” She rolls her eyes and I stand up. “See you around Evans. Try not to miss me while I’m gone” I make my way to the door. “Oh I’ll try” she says sarcastically.

“Oh don’t be so sad Evans, You won’t be missing me much as we’re sharing the head students’ tower this year. You’ll be seeing a lot of me, maybe too much” I say with a wink. “I just hope you can resist me”

“Please, Potter. Don’t flatter yourself” she scoffs. “I’ve been resisting you for 6 years, I’m sure I can survive another”

“Stop flirting with me, Evans” I send another wink her way before I leave.

James. Lily Evans just called me James. Not Potter. Not another insulting name. She called me James, my real name. 

It's such a small thing yet it makes me so happy. This is going to keep a smile on my face for the rest of the day.