The Marauders: Year Seven Part One

The Tides Are Brutal

Lily ran into the midst of the scene. "Everyone relax!" she yelled, "Bloody hell, Vernon, put down the tea tray! And Tuney - you've broken mummy's teacups!"

James said, "I'll fix'em if she'll just stop throwing them!"

"YOU DID THIS ON PURPOSE," Petunia shrieked, pointing at Lily.

Lily rolled her eyes, "I didn't know he was coming yet, alright?"

"How did he get in?" Vernon demanded, "Climb down the chimney, did you?" He glared at James, looking quite confused, but making amends with the idea of James's sudden appearance by floo as best as his feeble muggle mind could do.

Lily shook her head, "Come on James." She grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the scene, annoyed, "Go on with your bleedin' tea party," she snapped at Petunia.

The moment James was moved from the mantel, Vernon walked over and peeked up the chimney, as though to inspect how he'd come out the hearth.

Lily dragged James up the stairs to her bedroom - something that James barely had time to be nervous about before it had happened - and she slammed the door shut. "GODS SHE IS SO ANNOYING," Lily cried out, letting out a little hoot of frustration. She stamped her foot, staring at the door, and did a very rude gesture she had most definitely learned from the likes of Sirius Black.

James stood where she'd let him go, in the center of the room, standing out about as much as he possibly could. He looked around at the shelves and knick-knacks she had upon them, the Gryffindor banner over her bed, which was unmade, the books in stacks so numerous they couldn't be contained by shelves. A cauldron sat a top her trunk, against which leaned her broomstick, and the window was opened, the curtains fluttering slightly. And there, sticking out even more than James did, was the box on the desk.

James looked back around at Lily.

"SHE THINKS SHE'S THE ONLY PERSON IN THE WORLD," Lily was fuming, "SPOILED LITTLE ROTTER! And that WALRUS she sees -- I don't know WHAT she sees in that man!"

James raised an eyebrow, smirking.

Lily turned about and her eyes fell on him, and it was as though she'd just spotted him for the first time. "Oh." She flushed hot pink and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry."

"No, do go on," James replied, "I'm just thinking of summoning some popcorn to go along with the entertainment."

"Oh stop."

"What? You're bloody adorable when you're mad."

Lily turned even redder. "HUSH!"

James snickered.

"Besides, you've broken the Statute of Secrecy," Lily pointed out, "You ought to be a bit more concerned."

James said, "Shall I go modify his memory, then?"

"Unless you can explain why you were climbing down the chimney."

"Tell him I'm a chimney sweep," James eyes flickered with humor.

"It isn't funny."

"It is a little funny."

"Okay a little."

James was positively grinning at her. 

"You're early," she said, because the grin was unnerving her. "You weren't supposed to be here for a couple more days. You're supposed to be in Costa Rica."

James shrugged, "Turns out I can swim faster than I thought I could."

Lily stared at him. "You didn't."

"The tides are a bit brutal - especially in the middle bits but --"

"James Potter!" Lily looked at him with disbelief, "You didn't."

"Nearly got eaten by a whale yesterday morning..."

"Shut it."

James mimed giant whale jaws with his arms, taking a great chomp of the air. "But I managed to escape."

Lily was staring at him.

James laughed, "Sirius and I flew the motorbike. I've just flooed in from Ned Veigler's."

Suddenly she launched herself forward, wrapping her arms about his torso, pegging down his arms and everything in her embrace, burying her face in his shoulder. "Gods I'm so glad you're here," she gasped, and squeezed him tight, "I didn't want to tell you to come sooner, but I was going mad and I'm so glad you came anyway." She could feel the emotion building up in her, the threat of tears in her eyes and everything.

James blinked in surprise at this. He could have told her what happened, about running away and everything, but he decided to go with her assumption instead. "Yeah. I could tell you were upset," he answered, and he struggled to bring his hands up to pet her back as best he could with his arms pinned down.

Lily breathed deep the smell of that old jumper and she closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of him in her arms for a moment before letting him go and taking a step back to look up at him. "It means everything to me that you've come."

James felt his throat tighten, and he nodded, "Yeah... yeah, any time Evans." There was a pause, then he said, "Oh. I got you these." He looked down and opened his bag, drawing out the tray of maple sweets, the stuffed deer, and the little box he'd gotten at the country store in Alabama. He held them out to her in a great cluster in his palms.

Lily flushed, "For me?"

"Yeah," James said. "Surprise." 

Lily took them and hugged the deer instantly to her chest. "I love him. He's so soft."

James was grinning even harder than before.

She turned the sweets over, "These look delicious," she said.

James nodded, then said sheepishly, "There's - er - one missing. Sirius stole it. Sorry."

Lily laughed, "I'll have a talk with him."

James watched eagerly as she opened the little box, and withdrew the necklace, the locket's purple gem catching the sunlight coming in from the window with a glimmer. He watched her face, his eyes wide with anxious excitement. "If you don't like it --" he started as she looked at it with a dropped jaw.

"No! No it's beautiful," she said hurriedly, "No, I love it!" She quickly put down the sweets and the little deer and swept her hair to one side. "Help with the clasp?" She asked. James stepped up and helped hook it so that it hung on her neck, and she reached up, touching it gently with her finger tips, and turned to face him, her eyes wide. "Thank you," she said. He nodded.

They stood there awkwardly for a moment, neither quite knowing what to say next.

Finally, James cleared his throat, and he looked about at the desk, "So... so that's it, huh?"

"Yeah," Lily led the way over and they both stood beside the desk staring down at the little green and silver box. "It was whispering and hissing just before you came. It's stopped now."

James reached out to pick up the box, holding it in his hand, feeling the weight of it. It wasn't too heavy - most of the weight of it came from the box itself, he reckoned. Whatever was inside was light. He turned it over a couple times in his palm, looking at the markings on it - though there weren't many - and the latch on the front. He looked at Lily. "Well," he said, "Let's find out what's in it, shall we?"