Limerence | A James & Lily Story

Memories

    A month passes, and slowly the life seems to re-enter Lily. Sometimes her laughter seems forced, and her smile doesn't always reach her eyes, but she's trying. I think she lets herself forget on some days, her head will tilt back with laughter, and she'll swat Sirius on the shoulder; that's when I know she's going to be okay. Lily's strong like that.

    "Alright, class," Professor Tate says one day in class, clapping his hands together. "Who can tell me what legilimency and occlumency is?"

     "Miss Evans?" He questions, after Lily raises her hand.

     "Legilimency is the act of magically navigating through the many layers of a person's mind and correctly interpreting one's findings, and occlumency is the act of magically closing one's mind against legilimency," she answers.

     "Merlin, Evans," Sirius mutters, rolling his eyes. She ignores him, and in doing so, she misses the smirk that play on his lips. He lifts his grey eyes to look at me and mouths Lily's back. He's missed her just as much as I have. 

     "Very good, Miss Evans! Ten points to Gryffindor!" Professor Tate compliments. "Now, I believe you are old enough to understand what I am about to tell you. It is a known fact that you-know-who is a skilled ligilimen. As seventh years, just a few months from graduating, I think you should all be prepared for what he can do. You're all adults now. So, we are going to practice the incantation and throwing it off."

     Excitement trickles through my veins and a grin tugs on my lips. This is very advanced magic, and I've always wanted to try my hand at it. Remus grins too, and I know he is aching to perform this magic just as much as I am. I look to Lily as her eyes meet mine, and I nod at her, calling dibs as my partner. 

     "Now, I need you all focused today, so I will be picking the partners," Professor Tate announces. There's a collective groan throughout the classroom. Professor Tate flicks his wand and two lines of names appear on the board. James Potter lines up with Jenna Lauding. You have got to be kidding me.

     "Alright, I get the bookworm," I hear Sirius say, but my eyes remain glued to the board.

     "Prongs?" Remus prods, nudging my elbow. "Something wrong?"

     "I'm fucked," I groan. 

      "And how is that?"

      I turn to face Remus, arching an eyebrow. "Check my name."

      He turns to read the board, his lips moving silently as he reads down the list of our classmates, until he reaches my name. His eyes widen when he sees the name of my partner. 

      "Have fun with that," he remarks after a moment with a cheeky grin. 

      "I want you to take turns," continues Professor Tate. "I want the person practicing legilimency to say the words very clearly 'legilimens.' Now, the person practicing occlumency try and keep your mind blank of thought and emotion, alright? We will do this the rest of the class period. You may begin."

     I frantically look to Lily, just as she turns her head to meet my eyes. Help me, I mouth. Her green eyes haze over in confusion, and her eyebrows come together, causing a pucker to form. She glances to the board, before turning to look at me with wide eyes. She laughs a small laugh before shrugging her shoulders. Leave it to Lily to find humor in the situation.

     I turn stiffly to face Jenna, whom is smirking in triumph. She throws Lily a look of smugness, and I roll my eyes. 

    "Hello, James," she coos, a sparkle in her blue eyes. "Ready to do work, partner?"