The Long-Awaited (well, not really) Chapter 28, coincidentally called, the, uh, Long-Awaited Chapter 28.

            When Lily awoke the next morning, James was already seated in a corner of the room, looking at her intently.  She sat up abruptly, “HOW long have you been here?!” Lily Evans despised having people watch her sleep.  “Oh, awhile,” James said with a sly grin. “Did you know your nose whistles when you sleep?”

Lily sighed, then said sarcastically, “Oh, ha-HA.”  She threw a pillow at his head, and hit him, dead-on. “How many more days of vacation do we have left?” she asked, getting slowly out of bed to comb out the many tangles in her usually perfect auburn hair.

“About two or three…um…two,” James decided, finally turning around to look at a calendar.

“Oh, okay.  I should probably pack my stuff tomorrow, and then we can head back to Hogwarts!”

“Oh, that’s disturbing. You WANT to go back to SCHOOL?!”

“Well, somewhat.  I want to catch up with my homework, but I really do want to see Siri and Remmy…and of course, my girls again.  I’m curious to see how our new lovebirds are getting on, and where exactly Remmy and Avia are in their little…relationship.”

“I’m kinda curious about that too,” James said with a smile, watching Lily comb out her long locks. “What do you want to do today?”

“First?”

“Sure.”

“Eat.”

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

Later, in the kitchens of the house-elves…

“How’s your breakfast?” a chipper little male elf asked Lily, looking hopefully up to her.

“Oh, it’s fantastic!” she said through her bites.  She was having her favorite, stuffed omelet, and James was having waffles. Lily soon finished her fantastic breakfast, and James offered her his arm.

“Would you like to go for a walk?” he asked.

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

The couple walked around the grounds, each of them thinking of two very different things. Lily’s mind was running through the premonition, and James was thinking about how beautiful Lily looked when she was thinking.  “What are you thinking?” James asked with the traditional goofy grin, startling Lily out of her thoughts.  He could tell something wasn’t right with her, but decided to hide behind the cute-boyfriend routine.

“W-what?”

“What are you thinking, honey?”

“J-just thinking about how fun it would be to make you guess what I’m thinking.”

“Okay…you’re thinking about…pink bunnies!”

“Damn, you got me,” Lily said, pretending to be shot.

James laughed, and then his eyes turned serious. “But really, what’s bothering you, Princess? I can tell there’s been something wrong lately. You’ve been worrying me.”

Lily chuckled, “Worrying you? There’s nothing wrong. Nothing at all. D-don’t know what you could have been thinking about!”

He recoiled from her a bit, and said, “Don’t lie, Lily. I can see it in your eyes.  There’s something you’re not telling me.  You’ve always told me to trust, and to be honest.  Well, HERE I am, being as honest as I possibly bloody can! Please tell me!”

Lily looked down, and felt like she might cry.  Damn inopportune crying, she thought to herself.  She had to tell him about the premonition…after all, it was his fate too. But would he really want to know? She decided to test him first.  She sucked up her tears, and asked, “James…if you could find out what would happen to you in the future, would you?”

There was a rather uncomfortable silence as James thought it over.

“Y-yes…I mean…no. I don’t know. What does this have to do with anything?”

“Everything…and I’m afraid I can’t honestly tell you what’s bothering me until you know your answer wholeheartedly. Let’s go back up to the house, James, it’s freezing out here.”

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

The remaining two days in Potter Manor were quite cold, in the weather and in James’ sudden new attitude to Lily.  Everyone noticed this change in his attitude, even the house-elves.  There was no more bounce to his step, there was no more grin to his face, and there didn’t see to be a single glint in those chocolate eyes.  Lily was depressed that he had become distant from her, but what can you expect? She had not told him the truth, after all. He deserved to feel hurt, it was really his right.  Lily would just have to accept that her boyfriend didn’t want to talk to her. I hope this doesn’t last long…he’s the only friend I have here, and at Hogwarts, my best guy friend by far. I miss him. What’s going to happen on the train ride tomorrow? He’ll probably sit in the same compartment, to make me feel at ease, but he can’t avoid me like he does in this humongous, drafty house.  He’ll probably be forced to talk to me…and what will I say? I don’t want to get him angry again. Ever.

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

“C’mon everyone, on the train!” a nosy Ravenclaw sixth-year prefect yelled, ushering everyone onto the scarlet steam engine.

“Where do you want to sit?” Lily asked James with a sweet voice. All she got in reply was a shrug, and a grunt.  “Oh, first compartment then. Great,” she said.

Lily picked a compartment, and James filed in with her.  He placed both of trunks on the rack, but then sat on the bench opposite hers.

“How’re you doing?” asked Lily with concern.

James shrugged again, and looked out the window.

“You can’t avoid me forever.”

James continued looking out the window.

“I’m your GIRLFRIEND, James!”

James continued looking out the window.

Lily was getting hysterical. She had not expected him to be this aloof. It was one damn thing that she didn’t tell him, and now he wouldn’t speak to her at ALL.

Lily was getting pretty angry, and said with an almost silent, and deadly tone, “James, I swear to God, if you do not turn and look at me right now, we are through.”

James turned towards her, and Lily broke into a smile, but then he started shouting.

“Lily! Why can’t you just tell me the truth? I thought we were supposed to know everything about one another! What happened to that?”

“I-I’m sorry, James,” she said with a meek voice. “I….don’t know what to say. I want to tell you, but I don’t want to unless you really do want to know.”

James looked at her intently. “But I do.”

“Fine. You know that I’m a Seer, right?”

With this, James gave a hasty nod.

“Well, I’ve been having a premonition in my dreams ever since we started dating. It involves you and me being married…and protecting our child.” Lily was blushing to the roots of her flaming hair when she talked about marriage and children.

James just nodded. “Well, what’s wrong with being married and having a kid?”

“N-nothing. Until…well…Voldemort comes.”

“He comes in every dream?”

“Yes.”

“Does he,” James choked, “k-kill us?”

Lily felt her heart sink as she delivered this. One word, Lily, she told herself, just tell him the word, and he’ll be happy with you again…Lily finally managed to choke out a barely audible “yes”, and James’ eyes opened wide.

“Why didn’t you tell me before, Princess?” he asked, crossing the compartment to sit next to her and comfort her.  Lily was now crying rather hysterically, and it was more than James could bear.

“B-because I d-didn’t w-want to w-worry y-you!!!” she choked out, all between sobs.  She was getting James’ shirt all wet, but he didn’t care. All that mattered was comforting Lily right now, and letting her just get everything associated with this dream out of her system.

“Does he kill our child?” James asked quietly.

“I don’t really know, but I’d certainly assume so. My dream always stops before he turns to the boy. I always die protecting my baby.”

“It’s a boy! Yay!”

“Thanks for lightening the mood, James,” Lily laughed.

“What did we name him?”

“Harry. I assume that was your idea,” she said with a giggle.

“Well, of course, my father’s middle name is Harold. Strong name if you ask me.”

“Poor boy will probably inherit his father’s hair… and bad sense of humor!” Lily laughed, while rolling out of James’ grasp.

“Hey! You’ll pay for that!! Get over here!!” James chased Lil around the little compartment, and caught her eventually.  Then the tickling war started.  That lasted quite awhile, but Lily was the self-proclaimed winner within a half-hour. James let her win, mainly just to get her thoughts of the dream.  Before either of the couple was ready, the scarlet steam engine slowed to a stop, and the same annoying Ravenclaw prefect that ushered them on the train was yelling at them to get off.

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

 

Okay! I know. It was short too! But we’re back at Hogwarts (FINALLY!!! I’m glad to be back too!)