Limerence | A James & Lily Story

Surprise

     They stop in front of a familiar wall on the seventh floor. "The room of requirement?" I question looking to Remus with eyebrows raised.

    "Just you wait," he answers with a sly grin.

    I watch Sirius warily as he paces in front of the wall with a look of deep concentration upon his face. After a moment, an iron black door etches itself into the stone walls, looking like ink seeping across a blank piece of parchment. It solidifies, and Sirius is the first to walk in, throwing a grin over his shoulder. 

    I enter last, and my jaw drops. I stare at the room transformed into something I have never witnessed before. I wasn't even aware that it could turn into this. 

    "Holy shite," I breathe, my voice never reaching above a whisper.

     Sirius turns to me, grey eyes shining in awe. "Have you ever seen anything like it?"

     I can't even form words as I stare at the vast room before me. The floor beyond me is freshly mown grass, trimmed neatly against the ground. Above me is a blue sky and a number of white wisps, as if the room has formed an atmosphere of it's own. There are three large hoops on either ends of the room. It's a quidditch pitch.

    "How? Who?" I demand, a grin splitting my face as I overcome my awe.

    "Well," Remus says clapping his hands, much like a professor preparing for his lecture. "We all wanted to get a gift together because you're bloody difficult to buy for, Mate. You always say you don't need anything. So, it was kind of a split gift."

     "I'm not following," I admit shaking my head. 

     Sirius pulls something from the the edge of the room that is cast in darkness. He grins as he pulls it from behind his back. It's a Nimbus 1500; the newest model.

    "Voldemort's nipple!" I shout, practically ripping the racing broom from Sirius' grasp. "How the-? When the-?"

     "Deep breaths, Prongs," Peter smirks, patting my back.

     I stare at the broom in my hands, holding my breath as if it will disappear at any moment. "I don't know if I can," I squeak.

    Remus laughs. "Obviously, Pete and I contributed to the broom, but of course, it was mainly Pads. However, Wormtail discovered the room could transform into a fucking quidditch pitch in the middle of the school. And I put a few charms on the broom...it's virtually indestructible."

    I stare at my three best friends speechless. "I don't know if I can accept this," I whisper.

    "If you don't take that goddamn broom," Sirius proclaims, jabbing a finger at me. "I will take it and shove it up your a-"

     "Sirius," Remus cuts off with a tired sigh.

     "We're wasting time, let's play!" Peter cuts off, grabbing a broom of his own and taking off a little wobbly.

     I notice for the first time the other sets of brooms and a trunk filled with quidditch equipment. "We're not going back to class today, are we?" I grin.

     Sirius gives me a disgusted look. "Absolutely not."

      And we don't; We spend hours in the room of requirement, soaring through the false atmosphere and making trick shots. We jump from broom to broom, and I allow them all a turn on my broom. 

     We arrive back at the common room well into the evening. Lily is laid across the couch, her feet in Marlene's lap. Her red hair is splayed over the arm of the couch as she cranes her neck back with a book close to her face; Marlene is writing furiously on a piece of parchment.

     I put my face in front of Lily's book. "Whatcha reading?"

     Her eyes grow wide for just a moment before they narrow into slits. "That's a good way to get hit, Potter."

     "You would never hi-" Before I've completed my sentence, she has rammed her book into the back of my head. 

      I sigh, hiding an amused laugh. "I should have seen that coming." 

     She smiles before pressing her lips to mine. "How has your birthday treated you, thus far?"

     "Awesome," I answer with a grin.

     She sits up, smiling at me; she opens her mouth as if she is going to say something, but she frowns instead as she looks at Marlene, still scribbling away. I join her on the couch, moving her to my lap, as the others occupy the arm chairs by the fire. 

     I push her hair from her face. "What's wrong?"

     She ignores me and continues to stare at Marlene. "Marls, you've been writing for a solid two hours, and that doesn't look like an essay."

     "I'm writing to my relatives," she answers quickly without taking her eyes from the parchment. "Mainly, my parents and two older brothers."

     "What about?" Remus questions, face screwed up in worry.

     She takes a deep breath. "Voldemort is hunting down aurors and pure-bloods, recruiting some more, yeah? Well, my brothers and parents are both. He'll be after them soon, and they don't have the safety of Hogwarts like us. I just want to make sure they're safe."

     Everyone stays silent as they look at the floor or the walls or anywhere that isn't Marlene. It's getting to be a normal thing- happy, youthful moments becoming drowned in sorrow and war. It puts a twist in my gut.

     "And," Marlene continues. "I'll be doing the same to you lot in a few months. Don't think I won't check up on you weekly, if not more. None of us are dying on my watch."

    I grin, pressing my lips to Lily's hair. "Good god, woman!" Sirius exclaims dramatically. "Let me have my piece."

    "Never," she grins, pointing her ink dipped quill at him. His annoyed facade cracks as a smile lights up his features. 

     I tighten my arms around Lily and silently agree with Marlene. I'll check up on all five of these people daily if I have to too make sure they're safe; I can't- and don't want to- imagine a world without any of them.

A/N*

See, I told y'all I'd get at least one more by Sunday! I promise to update soon. To be honest, I had a bit of writer's block with this one, but I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Only about six left! AHHH

Anyways, as always, y'all are the bomb! Stick with me and keep reading and commenting! I always love reading the comments. 

Love you guys! I'll update soon!