World of Lies

Chapter 3:

James had followed Lily out of the common room. He cursed under his breath for forgetting his invisibility cloak, but at least he had his wand. He followed her until she reached the large stone gargoyles. James knew where she was headed; the number of times he had been sent to the headmasters office...

Lily whispered a password. The gargoyles jumped aside and a spiral staircase moved upward. James waited for the gargoyles to close, and sat down to wait.

While he waited, he contemplated more about life after school. Of course I'll have Lily, and she's going to age well. She'll be 50 years old and still look 20. A smile passed over his face and he went into a mild day-dream.

Lily was humming as she cleaned the kitchen. She was well into her 40s by now, but age had done her well, and she had a few worry wrinkles, but, well, that was hardly out of place with three kids.

Speaking of kids, the three of them wandered into the kitchen. "Pie smells wonderful, Mom. I just got my O.W.L.s. I passed them all!"

"Oh, Harry, that's simply wonderful!" replied Lily. (James had picked out the name Harry earlier that afternoon. He thought it made perfect sense - Harry James Potter) "Is your father home yet?"

As the words left her lips, the kids heard a knocking on the door and ran to get it. They threw it open and an older (but still good-looking) guy came in. The man smiled and looked to his kids. "Hello, Harry, James, Lily. How was your day?"

Lily, the mother, walked in and smiled. "Go on, show him Harry."

"It's my O.W.L.s, Dad. Look!"

"Wow, Harry, this is amazing!" He looked over at Lily and smiled. "We have such brilliant children, Lil."

"Yes, we do, James."

"Well, this calls for a celebration! I hear you've made friends with the Weasleys, and god knows I'd like to see them again. Invite them over! And whom ever else! Sirius and Remus and even Peter if you want! We'll have a party tonight! My Harry Potter here is a genius!" He beamed at Lily and wrapped his arms around her waist. "And it's all because of you, my love." Their lips brushed up against one another in a soft embrace...

How long James was out for, he didn't know, but he suddenly realized Severus was standing in front of him. "Well hello, Snape." Think of Lily, think of Lily..."Er, lovely weather we're having, huh?"

Severus, who had been reaching inside his robes for his wand, stopped in mid motion. "It's been pouring down rain for three days straight now. What are you playing at, Potter?"

"Nothing. Snape, I think we should--" But he was cut off by a small explosion upstairs.

Lily and Dumbledore came running out of the office, and Lily saw the two boys. "That wasn't you, was it, Potter?"

"No, it wasn't, Evans." God, why was she so accusing all the time?

"Hm." She eyed the two. Finally she shook her head. "I'll go see about the explosion."

"Yeah, I'll come, too."

"Just as long as your damn big head can fit through the doorway, Jam--Potter."

James smiled as he hurried to catch up to her. Her saying James meant a lot; it was near a friendship. A friendship that could carry on past Hogwarts. A friendship turned relationship...

They had reached the common room. Sirius and Remus were looking around.

"James," Sirius called. He saw Lily and grinned.

Lily looked at James, but James shook his head at Sirius. Remus looked at Sirius, and the two of them turned away, smirking.

Lily rounded on James. "Why were you near the statues, Potter?"

If James was trying to look innocent, he fail miserably at it. "Ah -- well -- Evans -- I -- er --?"

"He was trying to hex me again, but he was alone this time. I would have gotten him if it wasn't for you, mud blood!"

The group whipped around to see Severus Snape coming down the corridor. Lily eyed Severus. "Were you going after him?"

"No," Snape said defensively.

Lily turned on James. James stammered. "Lily, I can explain--"

"DON'T call me Lily, Potter. That's it, I'm tired of hiding my true feelings! I'm going to show everyone exactly what I feel inside!" And she did.

She walked right up to Severus Snape and planted a big kiss on his lips.

Chapter 4:

For a moment, nobody moved. There was a complete and total silence surrounding the group. Sirius and Remus stood in disbelief. Lily still stood close to Severus and grinned and blushed; perfect girly behavior she learned from Avril. As for James --

"Lily! How -- why -- Lily he called you --"

"Do not call me Lily, Potter. Address me as Evans, please." She turned back to Severus. "You, however, can call me whatever you like." She broke into a beautiful smile.

Severus didn't know what to say. He had never been kissed before, but he knew that what he had just gotten was extraordinary. He had dreamed of kissing Lily Evans, but to have it a reality--

"Fine, I'll call you Lily. You may call me Severus."

Lily smiled. "Well, thanks, Severus."

Severus worked up all the courage he could muster and said, all in one breath, "Would you like to come to Hogsmede with me?"

Lily laughed. "Sure, I'd love to!" She flashed him a brilliant smile, batting her eye lashes to show off. "Well, busy day tomorrow. I'm off to bed." She turned to leave, but faced James. "I will tell Professor Dumbledore if you ever hex any student again."

"Traitor," James said, and stormed off. Severus smile and walked away, feeling very happy, and even skipped up a couple of stairs. All that was left in the hallway were Lily, Sirius, and Remus.

Suddenly, the Fat Lady Portrait opened and Avril same out. She looked a bit disordered, but when she saw everyone, she smiled. "Beautiful night, isn't it?" She picked up a spent mini-bomb and walked off humming with a little bounce in her step. The three looked at her for a moment.

"Well, if you two don't mind, I need my rest," Lily said, leaving back through the Fat Lady Portrait.

"Well, wha'd you make of all that?" Remus asked.

"James is gonna be pissed for a while," Sirius said.

Remus chuckled softly. At Sirius' inquisitive look, he said, "They fight like an old married couple."

Sirius broke into a smile. "I think he will want to be alone tonight."

"Yeah, I think so too, Siri," Remus replied, smiling as well.

"Care to accompany me to the Shrieking Shack?"

"Sure, lead the way." The two slipped away quietly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

James went to his room with the four beds and body smacked into his. Without bothering to get undressed, he fell asleep. If he had listened, he would have heard quiet. You don't hear quiet when Peter Pettigrew is sleeping.

Peter thought someone had come in, but he couldn't have moved if he wanted to. Was it a dream, or had he really been visited by an angel? The angel had looked like Avril, but she said things Avril would never have said to Peter. Things no girl would have ever said to Peter. Because to talk to a person you would have to notice them, and nobody noticed Peter.

But the angel had.

The angel had noticed Peter, had told Peter all those things that had made him feel all funny inside. What they had done... Peter still couldn't help but doubt that it had actually happened.

He couldn't believe it, but it had. And suddenly the world did not revolve around Remus Lupin or Sirius Black or even his idol James Potter. The world, for a moment, had revolved around Peter.

That was the beginning of the end.