How it all Started (James x reader)

How it all Ended

"Padfoot, it's not even dangerous." He pulled back and glared at me.

I sighed, "But I will be careful nonetheless."

"Good. Now go be a little badass spy."

I smiled at him and turned to say goodbye to Peter and Remus. I then apparated to headquarters, where I found James talking to Professor McGonagall. When he saw me, he smiled and came over to see what I was doing. As he came closer, all I could think was how that smile was going to permanently stop my heart some day.

"Y/N/N, what are you here for?"

"Solo mission. I'm going to find some death eater and bring him back here. Probably for information, but I don't really know. My job is just to catch him."

James raised his eyebrows at me. "You're going to catch a death eater? By yourself?"

"What? Don't think I can do it?"

"No, I just mean... have you ever done something alone before?"

"Yeah. Nothing dangerous though. And this isn't dangerous. I'll be fine."

"Really?"

"Yes, Prongs, I can take care of myself."

"I know. Just be careful, okay?"

"You and Padfoot are way to overprotective."

"Y/N/N."

"Okay, yes. I will be careful. You already know that."

He smiled and wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug, which I gladly returned. Just then, Professor McGonagall reappeared to tell me that they were ready for me. I let go of James, said goodbye one last time, reminding him that I had left food in the freezer for him and the guys (god knows they couldn't cook to without lighting the oven on fire) and turned to meet with a few other Order members.

They told me that they had a lead on the death eaters location and that this should be a fairly easy task, as we had suspected beforehand. I was ready to go, so I took a step back and let the familiar feeling of apparition take over my body.

~James P.O.V.~

One hour. James got home. Two hours. They brought out the diner she had made for them. Four hours. The food was getting cold. Ten hours. They were getting worried. Twelve hours. They had fallen asleep in the living room, waiting for her to come home. One day. They went to the Order to find out what had happened. Nobody knew. Two days. Search parties were sent out. Four days. Nothing. Five days. Nothing. One week. She had been gone for a week. Disappeared without a trace. The Order had been searching for her for over six days and not a single clue as to where she might be had come up. They figured that somehow, word had gotten out about who they had been targeting and the innocent girl sent on this supposedly safe and easy mission, had been ambushed.

James was devastated. All the marauders were. None of them had entered her room since the day she left and the food she had made them had been thrown out since they had been waiting for her to get home to eat it. The appartment was a mess, as nobody had the energy or motivation to do anything about it. After two weeks, they had given up hope. McGonagall came to see them and gave them the news that looking for her would no longer be a primary objective as there was too much else going on. The boys just stared at her as she talked. They could all see that she was against this as well. She wanted Y/N to be found almost as much as they did. She had been a brilliant student after all.

One month later, a funeral is to be held. The marauders sat down in the middle of the living room that was still a mess and tried to plan it. It took hours. They had to stop every once in awhile because none of them could take it. None of them wanted to have a funeral, they didn't want to accept the most likely fate of their best friend. After they had to stop for the millionth time, James stood up, saying that they could finish in the morning as none of them were in the proper state to be doing this. There were murmurs of agreement and the other boys stood up, following James to the hallway and then into their own rooms. But James didn't go to his room. Once his friends had their doors closed, he walked slowly to the one that hadn't been opened in a month. He knew they couldn't keep avoiding the facts and eventually they would have to go through her stuff. He walked in and saw it exactly how she must have left it. Random items all over the dresser, a stack of books next to the bed and clothes tossed on top of the laundry basket. Slowly, he made his way through the room, catching a glimpse of his bloodshot eyes in the mirror.

He sat on the bed and looked at each book on the nightstand. He reached out and opened the wooden drawer to find photos of their days back at Hogwarts. He began to sift through them, tears welling up at each memory. Then he touched something that wasn't a photograph. It was paper. He pushed the moving pictures to the back of the drawer to reveal a pile of letters. All addressed to him.