Dream Chasing

Dream Chasing

Chapter 10. Love Me Tonight

"Why do they call you the 'Terrible Two'?"

The cheerful clatter of silverware on plates stopped as if a guillotine had fallen on the veranda where the Potter family were dining together.

"James." Lily Potter's reproachful voice broke the silence, and she frowned as her husband stuck his tongue at her, at the same time rolling his eyes and inclining his head to one side. Her eyes followed the direction he was leaning towards - and she lowered her head to hide her smile at the sight that greeted her: the interested looks on the faces of Harry and Hermione ... both of them looking as if eager to jump in and tell the tale of the Terrible Two.

She realized what James was getting at - and felt a tiny wave of envy washing over her.

Breakfast - or lunch, considering the hour -- had been a fun, interesting time, given the chatter, laughter and smiles as they told stories and exchanged reminiscences: she and James, Cindy and Carolyn.

And silence from Harry and Hermione.

Well, not silence, really ... Harry and Hermione had been part of the conversations that rolled around the table but it seemed that, most of the time, they were simply sitting there silently, watching the others as they laughed and talked ... but all the time, there was that sense that the two were talking, discussing something in a private language all their own.

It was a language of gestures and looks ... a mere touch of the hand or arm ... an upraised eyebrow or a meeting of the eyes.

She'd seen Hermione glancing around the table - and Harry would place some toast that he'd been buttering on her plate, to which she responded with a smile. A look of inquiry on Harry's face, and Hermione was pouring pumpkin juice into his glass - to which Harry replied with a smile and a quick puckering of his lips, and Hermione blushing in her turn.

It was ... unnerving, was the only word Lily could come up with as she reflected on the interaction of her son and Hermione. She snickered softly to herself at the thought, and felt a sigh pass her lips as she watched Harry and Hermione exchanging amused glances at a shared memory.

Why should she be surprised at her son and ... daughter-in-law? If Harry's first year at Hogwarts with Hermione was any indication - and the girls had told enough to make it clear that the two were near-legendary to those who knew them well - she shouldn't wonder that they had developed a language of their own.

There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them, she reflected.

The thing is, she thought to herself, it hadn't even ended there ...

She sighed to herself, a slight feeling of envy and understanding washing over her as she watched her son and Hermione glance at each other and share a smile, and turned back to her own husband as he badgered Cindy and Carolyn: "C'mon girls. Tell your Uncle James the story ..."

For a fleeting moment, she caught a somehow different smile on Carolyn's face and she wondered at it, remembering her and James' feeling that there was something familiar about the young witch - but dismissing the thought as she heard a snort of suppressed laughter from her son.

"I somehow find it hard to think of you as being 'Uncle James' to anyone, Dad," Harry said, a wide grin on his face.

"Quiet, son ... this is important." There was a strained tone in James' voice which Hermione and Lily picked up on - and the eyes of a mother and her daughter-in-law met, a sudden understanding passing between them at the oft-expressed clueless-ness of the men in their lives.

They had never been given a chance to be 'Uncle James' or 'Aunt Lily' to anyone. Harry was the first child born to the Marauders - not unless there was a litter of now-old dogs cantering around that Sirius knew nothing about - what happened soon after Harry's first birthday destroyed any chances for them to be such.

She watched Hermione give Harry's hand a slight squeeze, and saw a look of horror and comprehension pass through her son's face - and heard the apology in his voice as he whispered, "Dad ..."

James gave his son a small smile of understanding, but then turned back to the Terrible Two, who had been fidgeting in their seats, unaware of the interaction between their mentors and their elders. James gave them a wide, warm smile as he said, in a now-wheedling, little-boy's voice, "Please, girls?"

"It was in Transfiguration," Hermione spoke up and they all turned to her. "At least, that's what I was told ..."

"Actually, it was after Transfiguration, Miss Hermione," Cindy broke in, a wicked smile breaking out on her face - and the others suddenly realized that Ca's face had turned an interesting shade of red that easily rivaled Cindy on her best days.

"Cindy!" Carolyn protested in a soft, almost whimpering, voice, her embarrassment at the incident all too obvious on her face. The little girl seemed to be shrinking in her chair as Cindy's voice brought her memories back to the drafty corridor outside the Transfiguration classroom as they were walking with their classmates after a particularly grueling lesson with the Deputy Headmistress ...

It was the last class for the day, and the only thing that the tired First Years could think of was dinner in the Great Hall, the walk to their dormitories ... and their warm beds.

It was all they could think about, it seemed - until a small, quiet voice spoke up: "I think Professor McGonagall's a virgin. You know, 'Never Been Kissed, Never Been Touched'?"

None of them had noticed the tall, greasy-haired figure in a billowing black robe, who was walking swiftly, and silently, behind them. As he passed the students, however, they heard him say, "That's what you think!"

The group had been so shocked that they froze in their places. Severus Snape, his robes still billowing about him as he passed, had also paused - and looking straight at the two young Gryffindors, gave them a wink before moving on.

The story had flown around the castle within minutes ... no one, not even the Slytherins, wanted to believe it. None had the courage to approach Professor Snape to ask if the story were true ... although the Weasley Twins had tried to gather enough money to bribe the Terrible Two (as they were now being called) to ask Professor McGonagall to settle the "issue" of her virginity ...

Carolyn's mind broke out of her reverie at a sudden bark of laughter - and blinked as she saw James Potter rolling on the floor looking for all the world like a dog on its back, hands and feet in the air as tears rolled down his eyes, gasping through his laughter, "Snape and McGonagall! That's precious ... that's truly brilliant!"

Carolyn was in shock as she heard a bang on the table - and saw Lily Potter with her head on the table as snorts and giggles kept escaping her mouth. She looked up in concern at Harry and Hermione, who were smiling in enjoyment at the laughter of their parents, and turned to the grinning Cindy with a shrug and a frown.

"You know, what really bothers me ..." The laughter and giggles suddenly stopped as the adults looked at her in anticipation while Harry, Hermione and Cindy held their breath in apprehension as she continued, "Is Professor Dumbledore a virgin, too?"

* * *

He blinked.

It was the only action that would have prevented a pigeon - or more likely, a seagull -- from landing on his shoulder, thinking that a statue had suddenly appeared on this picture-perfect beach.

For a long moment, he stood -- blue eyes behind their half-moon glasses taking in the surroundings, noting a bungalow a short distance away, a grove of palm trees nearby; ears taking in the profound silence of a beach where the only sound was the crashing of waves on the shore and the rustle of a soft wind among the leaves of the trees.

There was no look of surprise or apprehension on his face - he'd lived too long, seen and experienced too much, to be easily taken by surprise.

He took a deep breath, lungs filling with the salty tang of the air, and felt the burdens weighing his mind shifting -- not away from him, for his responsibilities and obligations could never be far from his mind -- but adjusting, adapting into something approximating a more comfortable weight around his shoulders.

And suddenly opened his eyes in real surprise, realizing that his robes were somehow ... different. Glancing down, he noted that there was nothing outwardly different in what he was wearing - the same pattern of stars and planets dancing around a background of deep blue - but the robes seemed ... lighter, of a thinner material than the heavy cloth he was accustomed to wearing.

A perfect robe for the summer, he realized, and shook his head, grateful that he wasn't standing here in beach trunks or some other such apparel. He didn't think that the inhabitants of this place - and he had a fairly good idea of who he'd find here! - would appreciate the idea of their aged Headmaster with his ancient knees prancing around the beach.

Although he could remember doing just that ... a long time ago, in a land far away ... and a moment he'd locked away in his memories.

The old man on the beach shook his head and smiled, realizing yet again that, no matter his years of learning and the accumulated wisdom of his friends and fellow teachers ... there was always something new to learn.

Or to discover.

Or perhaps, if one were to be precise ... to stumble upon.

It was just that ... he felt so tired.

No, not really.

In truth ... he blinked away a sudden tear that formed in his eye -- a grain of sand had, without a doubt, been blow into his eye. There was no reason to question the fact that it was the errant grain of windblown sand -- this was a beach, after all! -- which was causing tears to form in his eyes. This had nothing to do with the fact that he'd been standing over Harry and Hermione's hospital bed, watching them sleeping peacefully together: Harry's arm around Hermione, Hermione's fingers entwined in Harry's ... Cindy and Carolyn asleep in their comfortable armchair beside the sleeping teens.

All four of them with beatific smiles on their faces.

He couldn't turn away from the sight ... couldn't make himself turn away and start the walk back to his circular room with its collection of musical instruments and the portraits of Headmasters past, most ostensibly asleep or snoring peacefully away, but all of whom were always more than willing to listen to him, should he ever feel the need to talk to any of them ....

And, tucked away in a corner of his cluttered desk where only he could see it was the one picture that he would have given a lot to hear talking to him but ... alas!, it was a Muggle photograph and, while it had captured the very essence of the person photographed, it remained cold and lifeless - a picture in dark sepias and light browns, kept that way by preserving spells, but inanimate and inarticulate nevertheless.

He shook himself from the morbid thoughts suddenly assailing him and took a step towards the bungalow on the beach.

And froze, feeling a presence beside him, standing quietly as she had done on that quiet beach in a land far away, in a time long buried in his memories. He knew who it would be ... there was no need to turn and look to see once again the dark, shoulder-length hair, those finely shaped eyebrows and delicate lashes covering almond-shaped eyes behind her glasses, that gently-turned up nose and the soft, generous lips ..

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes ... it couldn't be, he thought.

It shouldn't be: no one knew about this, no one knew about her ... no one living except for himself, and one other person, would know or have the memories of those days which he'd buried for so long, those memories that he'd so deeply overlaid with the terrible memories of battles won and people lost ... all done in an effort to justify and rationalize the moment when he made a decision that he would forever regret ...

He felt warm arms wrapping around him in a tight hug, felt her glasses pressing on his chest a split second before he could feel the wetness from her tears soaking his robe, felt his fingers running through her soft hair - noting, in the same instant, that the black mass that he'd so loved was past her shoulder now ...

And realized with a sudden lancing of pain that this was not the person he thought it was, but someone related to that memory ... someone he had come to know and love as he had the original ...

He leaned his head forward until his lips were touching the soft crown of her hair, knew he'd dropped his hands so that he, too, was embracing her in a way he had thought he'd forgotten, heard himself whisper hoarsely into her hair ...

"Hello, Sarah."

* * *

The silence stretched into an uncomfortable length, and Carolyn refused to look up from her plate, hot tears forming in her eyes as she realized that her big mouth had finally gotten her in trouble with people she respected, and desperately tried to think of a way to take back her words.

She felt a warm arm around her shoulder and she looked up into green eyes that held a look of warmth, concern and amusement, and heard her squeaky voice whimper, "Aunt Lily ..."

"Hush, child," Lily Potter said, a warm smile on her face. "I guess it still remains one of the greatest mysteries at Hogwarts ... besides, I can see that Cindy has been a bad influence on you."

"Me?" the surprised Cindy responded. "Why me?"

"Well, someone has to be the bad influence around here," Lily replied in a disingenuous tone of voice. She laughed at the outraged look of indignation on the other girl's face and said, "Oh, come on! Can't you take a joke?"

A smile broke out on Cindy's face and she found herself laughing as her best friend stuck out her tongue at her. "Oh, all right! I guess people often make that mistake ... just because Ca looks so sweet and gentle, they never will accept the fact that she's even worse than me!"

"Speak for yourself, Cindy," Hermione butted in with a smile. "I'll wager everything in Harry's vault that you caused quite a lot of Professor McGonagall's white hair all by yourself."

"Not as much as what Ca caused to Professor Dumbledore!" The reminder of Carolyn's innocent question caused laughter to well up once again in the room, as the elder and younger Potters' minds focused once again on their respected Headmaster ... until Lily said, through her snorts of laughter, "Enough! What would Albus do to us if he suddenly pops up ..."

"Probably turn us all into rats for our trouble!" The statement was met with a suddenly dread and dead silence, and James said a quiet curse under his breath for opening his big mouth at bringing the specter of a traitorous friend and former Marauder into the room.

Cindy stared at the people around her in puzzlement - and her eyes met the infinitely sad eyes of a somber Carolyn who mouthed, "Later" to her inquiring look.

* * *

"Grandmother's gone on," Sarah said, softly as she stared at the blue waters in front of her. She turned away as she felt the shoulders of the old man beside her slump in dejection. "I know you would have wanted to have her here with you ..."

"But she would much rather stay away."

Sarah Chon leaned her head on his arm as she whispered, "She always said that there were some things best left to memory. That some things are best left as they were - pristine, clear ... sweet. To keep bringing back those memories, she said, would only hurt both of you more each time you parted ... because ..."

"We could not help being the people we are - or were," Dumbledore whispered. "We would still have gone our separate ways ... simply because I could never turn my back on what I am, or had become."

He closed his eyes tight as he continued in a pained voice, "As she would."

There was nothing to say. The old man and the young woman stood quietly together, arms around each other as their memories went back to an extraordinary woman they had both known so briefly, and whom neither would easily forget.

After a few moments, Dumbledore felt Sarah's soft lips on his cheek and he shook his head - and smiled as he heard her say, "So, now that we're here ... can you tell me precisely what we are doing here?"

"I don't know, Sarah." He turned to face her surprised look and smiled. "All that I know is that I tripped in the Hospital Wing while watching over some students ... and here I am."

He reached out with a gentle finger to smoothen out her frown and continued, "And that is the truth, my dear. It wasn't like what happened six years ago when I asked you to join me for a picnic ..."

"Uh-huh," Sarah replied, glancing around her. "This isn't a park in Merrie Olde England, for one thing ..."

"And it isn't Harry's birthday today ..."

Sarah glanced at him, face suddenly aglow with laughter and happy memories - "How is Harry? And that girl ... Hermione? Did they ever meet up again? Was Harry able to get away ..."

Before Dumbledore could respond to her rapid questions, they nearly jumped at the opening fanfare of a song that sounded familiar - Sarah's memories suddenly locking on something she'd found so wonderful and intriguing six years in her past, Dumbledore's mind going back even further to another forgotten memory - and he wondered.

"Is that ...?" He shook his head and saw Sarah's gleeful face as the lyrics of the song suddenly boomed out from the bungalow on the beach, and he was nodding before he realized that the memory she had was quite different from what he was thinking ... Sarah would be remembering a nine year old boy dancing and aping away in front of a laughing nine-year old girl with bushy brown hair, while he ...

He felt Sarah tugging on his arm and he looked down at her smiling face as she said, "Let's go see the children, Albus..."

He gave her a suddenly puzzled - and very much pained - smile. Unwittingly, she had voiced out the singular regret of his life - the time he'd spent with Sarah's grandmother was, to him, the only vision of paradise that he would ever need in the long days and even lonelier nights that followed her departure ...

She gave him a wistful smile of understanding.

"They're all your children, Albus," she said softly, gesturing towards the bungalow where the music still sang out - and for a brief moment, he wondered if it was Sarah or her grandmother who was standing beside him. "Even the ones who lost their way ... or walked the paths that you never would. You feel all their pain ... and you understand all their actions."

"And all the mistakes I made."

She nodded, sadly. "But your mistakes are never because of selfishness. If there is any mistake you ever made, it has always been because you have loved too deeply ... letting your heart rule over logic."

He turned away, mumbling to himself, "And that is where I have failed."

"Love never fails, Grandfather."

* * *

"How did you and Aunt Lily become a couple?"

Harry Potter blinked at the question and felt a grin breaking out on his face at the question asked by an earnest Cindy - the grin broadening into an ear-splitting smile as he heard a titter from his mother ... and watched the sudden blush and look of dismay on his irrepressible father's face.

He felt a warm hand squeezing his own, and he turned to smile at Hermione - his look expressing his gratitude to the younger Gryffindor's question which had immediately lightened the somber mood on the veranda ... and he blinked again at the frown that he saw on her face. Following her eyes, he felt his mouth hanging open as he saw a wide, wide smile on Carolyn's face ... as if the young girl was laughing at a memory of something that only she was privy to.

His thoughts were interrupted as his mother's musical laughter broke over them - and he gaped at seeing, for the first time, his uncontainable father doing the famous imitation of the beached salmon: mouth opening and closing as he gasped for breath, his face alternating between flushing and blushing, his hands turning white as he gripped spoon and fork so tightly that it seemed they would bend in his fingers ...

"Go on, James - tell the story," Lily's smirking voice came. "To tell you girls - and Harry - the truth ... I didn't think he'd have the stones to do what he did."

"Lily!"

Lily Evans Potter's teeth sparkled as she stuck out her tongue at her husband, and Harry forced down his own laughter at seeing James Potter totally speechless for the first time on this eventful day.

"Why? How did it happen, mum?" Hermione suddenly felt herself blushing at the way she had addressed Lily - but smiled as the older woman gave her a smile of acceptance and squeezed her hand ... and she lowered her eyes when Lily mouthed a silent "Thank you" to her.

"Uncle James?" Cindy's wheedling, little-girl voice broke into the room - but James remained silent as he covered his face with his hands, unwilling to look anyone in the face.

"Mum?"

"It was just before Valentine's in our sixth year, Harry," Lily Potter began, her smile growing to epic proportions. "You dad had been pestering me for years for a date ... but I always refused. I did not want to have anything to do with the self-centered, arrogant, bigheaded git that was your father then ..."

"Do you have to remind me of that, Lily?" James Potter said in a mournful voice, behind the hands that were still covering his face. Lily smiled fondly at him for a moment, before turning back to the three children who were hanging on to her every word (none of the others noting the sly smile on Carolyn's face), before continuing.

"By then the whole school knew what was happening ... there was even a betting pool then on whether James and I would be going on a date that Valentine's Day... everyone was in on it: the Gryffindors, the 'Puffs and Ravenclaws ..."

"Even Snape was in on the pool ... that git would have been set for life if he'd won it." James Potter said, finally dropping his hands from his face, smiling for the first time since this particular topic started. "I later learned that even Albus and Minerva had placed their bets on Lily going out with me ..."

"They did?" Lily's look of surprise was precious. "I didn't know that!"

"Filius told me about it," James said. "He won quite a bit out of them ..."

"But how did it happen, mum?" Harry smiled at Hermione's use of the word and lifted her hand to his lips, and was rewarded with a smile from her, and turned back to his mother's story.

"I learned about the betting from young Erin - you remember her, don't you, James?"

"Erin Lupin - Remus's younger sister," James explained. He didn't see Carolyn's eyes widen at the mention of the name as he continued, "she was a second-year Ravenclaw at the time, but she was close to your mum for some reason I could never understand."

"Oh hush, you," Lily said. "She was no different than Cindy or Carolyn then, and she was closer to Bill Weasley anyway, but she told me about the bet and I told her ..."

"That you would consider going out with me only if I did a Tom Jones in front of the Great Hall during dinner," James continued, and Lily's laugh pealed out in the room - quickly followed by the laughter of Harry, Hermione and Carolyn - but just as quickly overridden by Cindy's confused voice: "Who?"

"He was a famous Muggle singer, Cindy," Lily explained, and she turned in surprise to Harry who told her, "Still is, mum. Aunt Petunia's a charter member of the Little Whinging chapter of the Tom Jones Fan's Club."

"She is?" James Potter's asked in surprise. Before he could say anything, however, Hermione butted in: "So what happened, mum? Did Dad ..." she suddenly stopped, suddenly blushing self-consciously at the unaccustomed word that had sprung unthinkingly to her lips.

Before the suddenly awkward moment could be resolved, however, they were startled as music boomed out from within the house - and a chorus started singing the opening bars of a song - and James Potter nearly fell off his chair as Carolyn ran out to the veranda and thrust a wireless microphone into his hands ...

* * *

The sounds of clattering silverware and noisy dinner conversation fell eerily silent as hundreds of eyes warily watched Sirius and Remus (followed by Peter) carry a largish box to the space in front of the teacher's table and quietly placed it on a small table that Sirius had Summoned.

Albus Dumbledore placed a restraining hand on the Deputy Headmistress, stopping her from interrupting the pair in front of them. With a wave of his wand and a quiet incantation, Sirius Black made over half the candles in the Hall darken, keeping a few dozen lit candles floating over his head, casting a spotlight-like halo around him.

With a murmured Sonorus, Sirius's voice boomed out over the Great Hall: "Ladies and Gentlemen ... tonight's the night! As many of you know, Miss Lily Evans has said that she will, uh ... consider going out a date with my esteemed friend and dorm-mate, James Potter, Esquire, if he will do a Tom Jones in front of the Great Hall ...

"Lily?" Lily Evans glared at the smirking Sirius as he continued, "before we continue with the night's entertainment, I wanna ask you: will you go on a date with James if he does what you ask?"

Cheers and catcalls suddenly rang all over the Hall as people shouted encouragement or derision at the announcement ... only to shut up at a shouted "Silence!" from Sirius Black. In the sudden quiet that followed, Sirius continued, "Well, Lily? What's your answer?"

Lily Evans' eyes narrowed at the challenge in Black's tone - with a seemingly grim smile, she said, "All right ... if he's got the balls to do what I asked, I guess I can find the stomach to go on a date with him!"

"That's all we wanted to hear," Sirius Black said, satisfaction evident in his voice. "Remus?"

At that, Remus Lupin touched his wand to the box they'd placed on the table. The sides of the cardboard box fell open to reveal a portable record player with speakers, and a scratchy sound filled the room before the music started and the chorus (composed of Sirius, Remus and Peter Pettigrew) opened up ... as the room suddenly blinked into momentary darkness.

And then several dozen candles blinked into light, shining down like a spotlight on James Potter who was wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt with buttons opened to his waist, the shirt tucked into a tight-fitting pair of white pants which flared out to a full 14 inches before spilling over his white platform shoes, the candlelight bouncing off what seemed to be a million glittering jewels sewn into his costume, his unruly hair fighting a courageous battle to return to its normal state against slicked-back hair which had been liberally doused with Sleakeazy's ...

Lily couldn't help herself and a bellow of laughter escaped from her - only to be stopped as James found his place in the song and began, with the Marauders behind him doing the backup:

I know that it's late and I really must leave you alone

But you're good to hold and I feel such a long way from home

Yes, I know that our love is still new

But I promise it's gonna be true

Please let me stay don't you send me away oh no no

As James went into the song's refrain, he started bumping and grinding to the swelling cheers and laughter of the Great Hall - and Lily's stupefied expression.

Ah tell me baby that you need me

Say you'll never leave me,

Love me tonight

Hold me now my heart is aching

And until the dawn is breaking

Love me tonight

Something is burning inside

Something that can't be denied

I can't let you out of my sight, darling

Love me tonight

The Great Hall resounded with laughter, applause and cheers - even the Slytherins were on their feet and cheering -- as the Marauders broke into the backup: Sirius, Remus and Peter swaying with the beat as they sang: "Let me love you baby, let me love you baby, let me love you tonight ..."

James continued with the song as he approached Lily, dancing and grinding all the while, as the Marauders continued with the background singing:

I've waited so long for the girl of my dreams to appear

And now I can't hardly believe that you really are here

James dropped to his knees in front of Lily, arms held out wide:

Here in my arms you belong

How can this feeling be wrong

Darling be kind for

I'm out of my mind over you

He suddenly stood up and jumped on the table in front of Lily, and their eyes locked as he continued singing in front of her ...

Ah tell me baby that you need me

Say you'll never leave me,

Oh love me tonight

Baby now the pain is stronger

I can't wait a moment longer,

Love me tonight

James dropped to his knees in front of Lily as his voice went into a passionate plea for the girl who'd haunted his dreams for years ... his body arching backward as he sent his entreaty seemingly to the room at large, but in reality, to the only person there who truly mattered:

Something is burning inside

Something that can't be denied

I can't let you out of my sight darling

Love me tonight

Let me love you baby

Let me love you baby

Let me love you tonight

Love me tonight

As the final, drawn out note resounded, James Potter dropped his make-shift mike and stared into Lily Evans' teary eyes ... and whispered in a totally drained voice, "Will you let me, Lily? Will you let me love you ..."

"James ..."

* * *

"Awwww!" James Potter blinked and stared around him, his befuddled mind grasping the fact that he was on his knees on top of the table, staring into the green eyes of his wife as tears stained her cheeks, his son and Hermione watching him with mouths agape - and the Terrible Two to one side doing fan-girl imitations, theatrically swooning as they squealed in delight.

"Lily?"

She smiled at him through her tears, and she reached out to hug him ... a hug he returned with considerable enthusiasm, as she whispered, "Oh, honey ..."

"Awwww!" The elder Potters broke their clinch to smile at the theatrically swooning Carolyn and Cindy, and turned to the murmured "Dad ..." from Harry, who was standing there with his arms around a teary-eyed Hermione.

"That ... was simply ...beautiful," Cindy said, quietly, as she wiped at her teary eyes. "So how did your date go?"

"It didn't."

* * *

James Potter stared, mesmerized, into Lily Evans' green eyes. He'd done it, he thought, he'd actually done it! All the hard work and preparation - including finding photos of Tom Jones that he could model his costume on - all the favors he'd pulled in ... the threats he'd made to his best friends if they didn't back him up in this ... the sheer humiliation he'd endured to do this in front of the entire school ...

And now for his reward.

"Lily? Will you go with me to Hogsmeade on Valentine's Day?"

"James," Lily started - and he took a deep breath, prepared to scream out his jubilation to the world and the still-silent Great Hall. "That was lovely ... but ..."

His triumphant look suddenly turned to one of abject fear as he heard her whispering - no, no, no!, his mind raged ...

"But what, Lily? Isn't it enough that I made myself look like an even bigger prat than what you've always said? Isn't it enough that I humiliated myself in front of the whole school for you?" He wasn't aware that his consternation was reaching epic proportions - and the whole school was hearing him and Lily ...

"James ..." Lily's gentle voice broke through his befuddled brain, "that was a lovely song you did and, yes, it is a song by Tom Jones but ... but ..."

"But what?"

"You look like Elvis Presley."

The shocked silence that met this statement was broken as titters rang out from different parts of the Great Hall ... the Muggle-borns among the wizards finally realizing what had happened, and laughter started breaking out as the explanation went like wildfire from wizard to witch to ghost and back to wizard ...

A great roar like a wounded lion's suddenly erupted from the throat of James Potter as he screamed, "Remus! I'll get you for thisssss!"

* * *

James Potter rubbed his hands over his flushed face as the remembered ignominy of that day washed over him - and sighed as he heard the laughter of his extended family. He peeked through his fingers to see Harry rolling on the floor, consumed by laughter .... Hermione sitting beside him, trying to hold her stomach as her tinkling laughs bubbled out ... Cindy and Carolyn hugging each other as the tears coursed down their cheeks ...

He felt warm arms around him and looked into the sparkling eyes of his wife, and he smiled as she gave him a soft kiss on the cheek, whispering, "I love you James Potter."

"I love you Lily Evans," he replied as he gave her hand a squeeze. With a physical effort, he shook off his feeling of melancholy and glared at their extended family, who had finally settled down from their laughter - although occasional giggles still broke out from them. "Oh, shut it, Harry! Let's see if you've got the stones to do that in front of a live audience!"

"He already did, James," a voice said from the entrance to the veranda and six heads swiveled to the sound of that familiar voice.

"Professor Dumbledore!" squeaked the youngest Gryffindors, as "Albus!" came from the elder Potters ... none of the four noticing that Harry and Hermione were silent as they stared at the young woman beside their Headmaster, who was looking back at them apprehensively.

Dumbledore walked onto the veranda carefully, saying, "James, Lily ... Harry, Hermione ... Cindy, Carolyn ... I'd like you to meet my granddaughter -"

"Sarah?" A warm smile broke out on her face and she nodded - and felt herself pushed backward as two fifteen year-olds suddenly leaped on her and hugged her tightly ... as Albus Dumbledore smiled.