Fic: All Our Secrets - Day 15
Title: All Our Secrets
Author: xkeijukainenx
Recipient: All of you lovelies
Pairing: Lily/James, Remus/Sirius
Rating: PG-13, for boys who have finally got their act together.
Word Count: 2,939
Prompt: Day 15
Warnings: Beware total feel-good fluff. Slightly un-credible.
Summary: Finally, despite herself, Lily was ready to stop fighting.
Author's Notes: I envision this taking place literally the day after the previous installment. Maybe the elves really were putting something in the food. I also assume that no one else was insane enough to go outside in the northern Scottish air. Basically, this is probably totally unbelievable, but I enjoy the premise so... tough cookies.
Could be a standalone, but in line with the rest of my October tales.
[ 1] [ 2] [ 3] [ 4] [ 5] [ 6] [ 7] [ 8] [ 9] [ 10] [ 11] [ 12] [ 13] [ 14]
"It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life." The cold, crisp air was numbing Lily’s cheeks, but the rest of her was pleasantly warm in her favorite autumn jacket, woolen scarf and gloves. The sun was shining and she found she couldn’t resist the pull of the grounds; with her books in one hand and a blanket in the other, she made her way down to the copse of trees that stood within a short distance of the lake.
Settled against a tree with a few tactical warming spells on the ground, her blankets and her gloves - just because the sun was out didn’t mean it wasn’t freezing still, and what was the point of being a witch if you didn’t cheat a little with the great outdoors - Lily was perfectly content. She pulled out a textbook and began to read.
So absorbed in the perfect sun and the interesting book was she that she barely noticed when her blanket was invaded. It was only the rustling of a rucksack that made her look up - and even then, she couldn’t be bothered to scold.
“Potter, what are you doing here?” she asked, resignedly.
“Thought you might be cold,” James said, pushing his glasses up on his nose and looking sheepish. “Brought you some warm spiced pumpkin juice.”
“I do know how to work a warming charm, you know,” Lily said, but oddly, she couldn’t find it in herself to be angry. “How’d you know I was out here?”
James shrugged, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “Sixth sense, I guess. Here, d’you want some?” He unscrewed the flask and with a careless flick of his wand transfigured two rocks into mugs. Lily was secretly quite impressed, as she always was, and a tad jealous of James’ careless ability at Transfiguration.
“How do you do that,” Lily asked. “It would take me at least two tries to get that right.” She took a mug from James, who looked like he might faint at the prospect of a real conversation. Poor boy, she thought, he really was hopeless.
“It’s... well, you kind of just have to think of it already as what you want it to be, and then make it happen. That makes no sense.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Lily agreed, but she was still impressed. She hated to admit it, but James had more pure, artless talent in his pinkie finger than she could ever dream of having. She knew she was good - but there was something about the way that James got along with magic, could bend and control it, that she knew was not book-learnable. It was something to do with ancient families, and growing up in a place so steeped with magic.
The pumpkin juice was perfectly spiced, and warmed the parts of her that the warming charms couldn’t help. James settled in next to her and pulled his own book out of his bag. A frown creased Lily’s forehead, but she was too content to care too much about James’ intrusion.
Looking up from her book, Lily could see most of the grounds. The Giant Squid was happily blowing bubbles and pushing itself lazily across the lake, apparently unperturbed by the temperature. Across the edge of the lake, near the forest, Remus was walking with what looked like a bear, but seemed to actually be an enormous dog.
“Where’s the dog from,” Lily asked disinterestedly. James choked on his pumpkin juice, but then smiled at her in what he must have thought was an innocent way.
“He’s just a mutt that hangs around Hogsmeade sometimes. He’s always gotten along with Remus really well.”
Remus was throwing a stick and the bear-like dog chased them eagerly, his loud yaps of glee echoing across the grounds. Lily smiled, watching the dog barrel Remus over when he returned with the stick, licking him all over with a big pink tongue.
“He seems quite tame for a stray,” Lily commented airily.
“Well, if anyone could train him, it’d be Remus.” There was a twinkle in James’ eye that Lily didn’t quite understand. The dog had let up on the licking, now, but Remus had buried his hands in the thick hair and seemed to be hugging him about the neck.
“I thought...” She paused, mid sentence, taking another sip of the delicious pumpkin juice. There was just something about this day that had lulled and placated her into a strange sense of calm clarity. Sighing, Lily turned to James, who was watching Remus and the enormous dog still with a grin on his face.
“James, I’ve not been entirely honest with you.”
James’ head whipped round as if on an elastic string. His eyes were wide, a deer in the headlights.
“You called me James,” he said, stupidly. Lily rolled her eyes and carried on.
“I know about Remus.”
The change that came over James was instantaneous. If he had hackles, they would have risen; his whole body tensed.
“What... what about Remus?” he said, cautiously, trying to keep his face neutral. Lily plowed on, though, determined to finished what she’d started.
“I know about... his... Merlin, don’t make me say it.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” James said sternly, and he suddenly started packing away his things.
“No, James, wait,” Lily said, surprising herself as her hand flew out to rest on his; James froze, his book halfway stuffed in his bag. “It’s okay. I know about Remus’ ... furry little problem,” she whispered. Again, James tried to protest ignorance, but Lily held up a hand. “Look, before you try and come up with excuses, I don’t care. Obviously, Remus is the farthest thing from a monster anyone could ever be. And... and I just wanted to say... you... the four of you are... really amazing to him. It’s always impressed me, that you stayed his friends.”
There was a fire in James’ eyes that Lily had never seen there before, not even when Sniv- Snape was purposely trying to wind him up.
“What else were we going to do,” he hissed, and the anger in his voice shocked her. Never, in all the years of her turning him down, hexing him, embarrassing him in front of the school and his friends, had Lily ever seen James truly angry. “What did you expect us to do, hate him because of something so completely beyond his control? Shun him because every month he endures more pain than any of us can even imagine? Punish him for tearing himself to pieces because he couldn’t bear the thought of hurting another person? I knew you didn’t like me, Evans, but I never thought you had such a low opinion of me.”
The way he spat her name hurt, made her wince, and Lily could hardly bring herself to look him in the eyes; she was so shocked by his reaction she could hardly speak.“No... James... That’s not what I...”
James shoved his book all the way into his bag and pushed the flask in as well. When he looked up at her again, his anger was gone but it had been replaced by something akin to sadness, which Lily thought was even worse.
“Why do you hate me, Lily?”
“No... what... James. I don’t hate you,” she gasped, hastily, but then wondered why she was so upset that he thought she did.
“Then why won’t you... Why do you act like it?”
“I... I didn’t realize I did,” she said, honestly - and it was true. Everything she did in relation to James Potter was a reflex, a habit; she cast her mind back over the past few years and bit her lip, realizing now, for the first time, what he was talking about, and trying to remember why she had disliked him in the first place.
“Look, Ev - Lily. Lily, look.” James put his bag down on the blanket next to him and looked at her intensely; Lily would never tell anyone but she felt she couldn’t breathe when he looked at her like that. “All I’m asking for is a fair chance. One date. Not even that - just one conversation where we actually talk. I really like you, you know -” Lily’s cheeks flushed, and she had to look away from James’ piercing blue eyes. “I really like you, and I think we’d work well together. Can’t you give me one chance? Just one?”
Lily looked out across the lake again and saw, not the big black dog she was looking for, but Remus and Sirius sitting alone talking quietly on the grass near the shore. She watched as Sirius leaned his head on Remus’ shoulder and something about the picture set her skin itching.
She could remember the first time she saw James Potter clearer than day. He and Sirius had been hexing each other from opposite ends of the Hogwarts Express, and she remembered hating them because they knew how to hex and she couldn’t. Looking back on the past five years of her life, Lily realized her whole Hogwarts experience revolved around James. Avoiding James, hexing James, yelling at James; being jealous of James, being impressed by James, laughing at James’ jokes when he couldn’t see.
“Fuck,” she whispered to herself, before turning to face James’ hopeful eyes. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this... but... okay?”
She had been expecting fireworks, dancing, shouting, a band of leprechauns announcing it to the whole school - but instead, all that happened was that James sat down, a small smile on his face, that eventually spread wider and wider until he was beaming - like a complete prat, she told herself, but she found herself smiling too, despite herself.
“On one condition,” she continued, mischievously.
“Anything,” James said, earnestly.
“You tell me the truth about that dog.”
“No idea what you’re talking about. Dog? You must be seeing things. What dog?”
“The one that was playing with Remus earlier. The one that has hair remarkably like Sirius’.”
She laughed at James’ gaping look of horror and shock.
“I’ll not tell anyone, don’t worry.”
“Is there anything you don’t know, Lily Evans?” James demanded, incredulously; but he was grinning despite himself.
“Not much,” she said, smiling at him. “Though... I don’t know what you are.”
“What do you mean, what I am?” James was wary again; in answer to which Lily rolled her eyes.
“Don’t be a prat, James. You and Sirius never do anything apart; if he’s an illegal animagus ... then you are too.”
James coughed, biting his lip as if debating something in his head; Lily watched him interestedly, wondering to herself when annoying James Potter had become so handsome despite himself.
“Want to see,” he asked finally, quietly, interrupting her reverie. She nodded eagerly. “Alright. Hold on, I just have to make sure no one can see.”
He sprang up from the blanket and, grabbing the broom Lily hadn’t noticed he’d brought, flew off towards Hagrid’s hut.
Lily turned her head again, watching the leaves of the trees behind Sirius and Remus blowing in the light autumnal breeze. She recast her warming spells, oddly excited. She wasn’t entirely sure when she’d realized what James and Sirius had been up to, sneaking around in the library and poring over enormous transfiguration tomes. Maybe it was around the same time she realized what Remus’ monthly disappearances really meant. One thing was for sure - she hadn’t realized they’d been successful until she’d seen Remus’ enormous dog and James’ knowing look earlier that afternoon. She knew James and Sirius were good - she just hadn’t expected anything like this.
As she turned to look back up at the castle, her breath caught in her chest. Standing next to her tree, staring quite intently at her, was a magnificent stag.
“James?” she whispered; the stag dipped his antlers. She stood abruptly and approached the stag slowly, putting a hand up to touch his soft, golden coat.
“Impressive, isn’t he?” Startled, Lily spun around to find Remus smiling at her quietly. The enormous dog was back, and Remus held a thin black leather leash casually in his hand.
“I guess you know, then,” Remus continued quietly, bending down to unhook the leash from the dog’s - Sirius’ - collar. The dog bounded over to the stag - James, she reminded herself, that magnificent creature was James - and barreled into his flank.
“I won’t tell,” Lily said earnestly.
“I know,” he said, nodding. “I told James you’d probably figured it out anyways.”
“Oh.”
“They did this for me, you know.” Remus’ voice was still quiet, watching the dog and the stag play-fight happily. Lily felt strangely out of herself, as if this was a scene in a muggle cinema and she wasn’t actually there. “It’s dangerous, becoming animagi, if you don’t have people who know what they’re doing to help. But Sirius... Sirius said that someone had to figure it out alone, so why couldn’t they? And so they did.” His eyes were fond and soft, so rare for Remus, who - Lily realized - spent most of his life fending people off. And then, suddenly, the final penny dropped.
“You love him,” Lily gasped, and she had to sit down suddenly. Remus just smiled a little at her and joined her on the blanket.
“Now you know all our secrets,” he said. “James is a good man, Lily, and he would do anything for you.”
“I know,” she whispered, her eyes prickling with tears that she refused to acknowledge. Suddenly, a big black furry head found its way onto her lap and she blinked at it in surprise.
“Say hello to Padfoot,” Remus grinned. “He looks terrifying but he’s actually a great big pushover, and he’ll do anything if you skritch his ears.”
Padfoot growled at Remus but nuzzled further into Lily’s lap. She laughed and skritched his ears obligingly.
“And James is Prongs.”
Lily nodded, smiling and Padfoot got up and lumbered over to Remus, curling up happily next to him. Remus’ hand went to rub his belly almost instantaneously.
“I don’t need to tell you that if you ever tell anyone about this, any of this, the repercussions will be hideous, do I,” Remus asked lightly, not even looking at Lily but smiling at Padfoot instead.
“No one would believe me even if I did,” Lily said, earnestly, watching the stag - James, that was really James trot back towards Hagrid’s cabin.
“Alright then. Come on, Pads. Let’s leave them to it.” Padfoot whined, but Remus leant over to whisper something in his ear - and he was up in a split second, yipping and tugging at the hem of Remus’ robes. “Give him an honest chance, Lily, because - and I say this as a friend - I think the two of you would really be perfect for each other.”
Padfoot licked a stripe up Lily’s cheek before bounding off in the direction, tugging at his lead and pulling Remus laughing along with him.
“Ugh, here.” James leant his broom against the tree behind her and knelt down, offering her his handkerchief. “He really is disgusting. Who knew that someone as well bred as Sirius Black would be such a slobbery mess.”
Lily laughed and accepted the handkerchief, wiping her cheek thoroughly. When she looked back up at James, he was studying her with the strangest look in his eyes.
“James?”
“You’re amazing, did you know that?” Lily blushed as red as the trees around her. “None of that even phased you. Most people would be freaking out.”
“Well, I had figured most of it out already. Except about Remus and Sirius and how they’re... you know... Now that was a surprise.”
James laughed a loud bark of a laugh; one of his hands cupped Lily’s cheek briefly before brushing a strand of hair out of her face, and she felt like she was on fire.
“I’m going to kiss you now,” James said, with a quiet intensity that sent a thrill all the way down Lily’s spine.
“Fair warning,” she replied; the words came out not as words but as an embarrassing mix between a gasp and a squeak. But then James’ hands were in her hair, smoothing it down reverently, and he was kneeling down beside her, and Lily found, as James’ eyes fixed on hers, that despite herself she was finally, finally ready to stop fighting.
Remus turned before going through the doors to the castle and tugged on Sirius’ cloak. “Look, look,” he said, pointing over at the tree.
“Well fuck me sideways into Sunday,” Sirius said, incredulously. “Is that... is that actually happening?”
“I ... I think it actually is.”
“Merlin’s beard. Are pigs flying yet?”
They stood and watched fondly, bursting with second hand happiness, as James and Lily kissed, timid and shy, for the first time.
Sirius turned then, beaming at Remus. “Say, do you reckon the house elves are putting something in the food?” He pressed a quick, happy kiss to Remus’ cheek, and the two of them walked back inside together, leaving Lily and James to bask in the autumnal sunset and their newfound friendship.
Author: xkeijukainenx
Recipient: All of you lovelies
Pairing: Lily/James, Remus/Sirius
Rating: PG-13, for boys who have finally got their act together.
Word Count: 2,939
Prompt: Day 15
Warnings: Beware total feel-good fluff. Slightly un-credible.
Summary: Finally, despite herself, Lily was ready to stop fighting.
Author's Notes: I envision this taking place literally the day after the previous installment. Maybe the elves really were putting something in the food. I also assume that no one else was insane enough to go outside in the northern Scottish air. Basically, this is probably totally unbelievable, but I enjoy the premise so... tough cookies.
Could be a standalone, but in line with the rest of my October tales.
[ 1] [ 2] [ 3] [ 4] [ 5] [ 6] [ 7] [ 8] [ 9] [ 10] [ 11] [ 12] [ 13] [ 14]
"It was one of those perfect English autumnal days which occur more frequently in memory than in life." The cold, crisp air was numbing Lily’s cheeks, but the rest of her was pleasantly warm in her favorite autumn jacket, woolen scarf and gloves. The sun was shining and she found she couldn’t resist the pull of the grounds; with her books in one hand and a blanket in the other, she made her way down to the copse of trees that stood within a short distance of the lake.
Settled against a tree with a few tactical warming spells on the ground, her blankets and her gloves - just because the sun was out didn’t mean it wasn’t freezing still, and what was the point of being a witch if you didn’t cheat a little with the great outdoors - Lily was perfectly content. She pulled out a textbook and began to read.
So absorbed in the perfect sun and the interesting book was she that she barely noticed when her blanket was invaded. It was only the rustling of a rucksack that made her look up - and even then, she couldn’t be bothered to scold.
“Potter, what are you doing here?” she asked, resignedly.
“Thought you might be cold,” James said, pushing his glasses up on his nose and looking sheepish. “Brought you some warm spiced pumpkin juice.”
“I do know how to work a warming charm, you know,” Lily said, but oddly, she couldn’t find it in herself to be angry. “How’d you know I was out here?”
James shrugged, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “Sixth sense, I guess. Here, d’you want some?” He unscrewed the flask and with a careless flick of his wand transfigured two rocks into mugs. Lily was secretly quite impressed, as she always was, and a tad jealous of James’ careless ability at Transfiguration.
“How do you do that,” Lily asked. “It would take me at least two tries to get that right.” She took a mug from James, who looked like he might faint at the prospect of a real conversation. Poor boy, she thought, he really was hopeless.
“It’s... well, you kind of just have to think of it already as what you want it to be, and then make it happen. That makes no sense.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Lily agreed, but she was still impressed. She hated to admit it, but James had more pure, artless talent in his pinkie finger than she could ever dream of having. She knew she was good - but there was something about the way that James got along with magic, could bend and control it, that she knew was not book-learnable. It was something to do with ancient families, and growing up in a place so steeped with magic.
The pumpkin juice was perfectly spiced, and warmed the parts of her that the warming charms couldn’t help. James settled in next to her and pulled his own book out of his bag. A frown creased Lily’s forehead, but she was too content to care too much about James’ intrusion.
Looking up from her book, Lily could see most of the grounds. The Giant Squid was happily blowing bubbles and pushing itself lazily across the lake, apparently unperturbed by the temperature. Across the edge of the lake, near the forest, Remus was walking with what looked like a bear, but seemed to actually be an enormous dog.
“Where’s the dog from,” Lily asked disinterestedly. James choked on his pumpkin juice, but then smiled at her in what he must have thought was an innocent way.
“He’s just a mutt that hangs around Hogsmeade sometimes. He’s always gotten along with Remus really well.”
Remus was throwing a stick and the bear-like dog chased them eagerly, his loud yaps of glee echoing across the grounds. Lily smiled, watching the dog barrel Remus over when he returned with the stick, licking him all over with a big pink tongue.
“He seems quite tame for a stray,” Lily commented airily.
“Well, if anyone could train him, it’d be Remus.” There was a twinkle in James’ eye that Lily didn’t quite understand. The dog had let up on the licking, now, but Remus had buried his hands in the thick hair and seemed to be hugging him about the neck.
“I thought...” She paused, mid sentence, taking another sip of the delicious pumpkin juice. There was just something about this day that had lulled and placated her into a strange sense of calm clarity. Sighing, Lily turned to James, who was watching Remus and the enormous dog still with a grin on his face.
“James, I’ve not been entirely honest with you.”
James’ head whipped round as if on an elastic string. His eyes were wide, a deer in the headlights.
“You called me James,” he said, stupidly. Lily rolled her eyes and carried on.
“I know about Remus.”
The change that came over James was instantaneous. If he had hackles, they would have risen; his whole body tensed.
“What... what about Remus?” he said, cautiously, trying to keep his face neutral. Lily plowed on, though, determined to finished what she’d started.
“I know about... his... Merlin, don’t make me say it.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” James said sternly, and he suddenly started packing away his things.
“No, James, wait,” Lily said, surprising herself as her hand flew out to rest on his; James froze, his book halfway stuffed in his bag. “It’s okay. I know about Remus’ ... furry little problem,” she whispered. Again, James tried to protest ignorance, but Lily held up a hand. “Look, before you try and come up with excuses, I don’t care. Obviously, Remus is the farthest thing from a monster anyone could ever be. And... and I just wanted to say... you... the four of you are... really amazing to him. It’s always impressed me, that you stayed his friends.”
There was a fire in James’ eyes that Lily had never seen there before, not even when Sniv- Snape was purposely trying to wind him up.
“What else were we going to do,” he hissed, and the anger in his voice shocked her. Never, in all the years of her turning him down, hexing him, embarrassing him in front of the school and his friends, had Lily ever seen James truly angry. “What did you expect us to do, hate him because of something so completely beyond his control? Shun him because every month he endures more pain than any of us can even imagine? Punish him for tearing himself to pieces because he couldn’t bear the thought of hurting another person? I knew you didn’t like me, Evans, but I never thought you had such a low opinion of me.”
The way he spat her name hurt, made her wince, and Lily could hardly bring herself to look him in the eyes; she was so shocked by his reaction she could hardly speak.“No... James... That’s not what I...”
James shoved his book all the way into his bag and pushed the flask in as well. When he looked up at her again, his anger was gone but it had been replaced by something akin to sadness, which Lily thought was even worse.
“Why do you hate me, Lily?”
“No... what... James. I don’t hate you,” she gasped, hastily, but then wondered why she was so upset that he thought she did.
“Then why won’t you... Why do you act like it?”
“I... I didn’t realize I did,” she said, honestly - and it was true. Everything she did in relation to James Potter was a reflex, a habit; she cast her mind back over the past few years and bit her lip, realizing now, for the first time, what he was talking about, and trying to remember why she had disliked him in the first place.
“Look, Ev - Lily. Lily, look.” James put his bag down on the blanket next to him and looked at her intensely; Lily would never tell anyone but she felt she couldn’t breathe when he looked at her like that. “All I’m asking for is a fair chance. One date. Not even that - just one conversation where we actually talk. I really like you, you know -” Lily’s cheeks flushed, and she had to look away from James’ piercing blue eyes. “I really like you, and I think we’d work well together. Can’t you give me one chance? Just one?”
Lily looked out across the lake again and saw, not the big black dog she was looking for, but Remus and Sirius sitting alone talking quietly on the grass near the shore. She watched as Sirius leaned his head on Remus’ shoulder and something about the picture set her skin itching.
She could remember the first time she saw James Potter clearer than day. He and Sirius had been hexing each other from opposite ends of the Hogwarts Express, and she remembered hating them because they knew how to hex and she couldn’t. Looking back on the past five years of her life, Lily realized her whole Hogwarts experience revolved around James. Avoiding James, hexing James, yelling at James; being jealous of James, being impressed by James, laughing at James’ jokes when he couldn’t see.
“Fuck,” she whispered to herself, before turning to face James’ hopeful eyes. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this... but... okay?”
She had been expecting fireworks, dancing, shouting, a band of leprechauns announcing it to the whole school - but instead, all that happened was that James sat down, a small smile on his face, that eventually spread wider and wider until he was beaming - like a complete prat, she told herself, but she found herself smiling too, despite herself.
“On one condition,” she continued, mischievously.
“Anything,” James said, earnestly.
“You tell me the truth about that dog.”
“No idea what you’re talking about. Dog? You must be seeing things. What dog?”
“The one that was playing with Remus earlier. The one that has hair remarkably like Sirius’.”
She laughed at James’ gaping look of horror and shock.
“I’ll not tell anyone, don’t worry.”
“Is there anything you don’t know, Lily Evans?” James demanded, incredulously; but he was grinning despite himself.
“Not much,” she said, smiling at him. “Though... I don’t know what you are.”
“What do you mean, what I am?” James was wary again; in answer to which Lily rolled her eyes.
“Don’t be a prat, James. You and Sirius never do anything apart; if he’s an illegal animagus ... then you are too.”
James coughed, biting his lip as if debating something in his head; Lily watched him interestedly, wondering to herself when annoying James Potter had become so handsome despite himself.
“Want to see,” he asked finally, quietly, interrupting her reverie. She nodded eagerly. “Alright. Hold on, I just have to make sure no one can see.”
He sprang up from the blanket and, grabbing the broom Lily hadn’t noticed he’d brought, flew off towards Hagrid’s hut.
Lily turned her head again, watching the leaves of the trees behind Sirius and Remus blowing in the light autumnal breeze. She recast her warming spells, oddly excited. She wasn’t entirely sure when she’d realized what James and Sirius had been up to, sneaking around in the library and poring over enormous transfiguration tomes. Maybe it was around the same time she realized what Remus’ monthly disappearances really meant. One thing was for sure - she hadn’t realized they’d been successful until she’d seen Remus’ enormous dog and James’ knowing look earlier that afternoon. She knew James and Sirius were good - she just hadn’t expected anything like this.
As she turned to look back up at the castle, her breath caught in her chest. Standing next to her tree, staring quite intently at her, was a magnificent stag.
“James?” she whispered; the stag dipped his antlers. She stood abruptly and approached the stag slowly, putting a hand up to touch his soft, golden coat.
“Impressive, isn’t he?” Startled, Lily spun around to find Remus smiling at her quietly. The enormous dog was back, and Remus held a thin black leather leash casually in his hand.
“I guess you know, then,” Remus continued quietly, bending down to unhook the leash from the dog’s - Sirius’ - collar. The dog bounded over to the stag - James, she reminded herself, that magnificent creature was James - and barreled into his flank.
“I won’t tell,” Lily said earnestly.
“I know,” he said, nodding. “I told James you’d probably figured it out anyways.”
“Oh.”
“They did this for me, you know.” Remus’ voice was still quiet, watching the dog and the stag play-fight happily. Lily felt strangely out of herself, as if this was a scene in a muggle cinema and she wasn’t actually there. “It’s dangerous, becoming animagi, if you don’t have people who know what they’re doing to help. But Sirius... Sirius said that someone had to figure it out alone, so why couldn’t they? And so they did.” His eyes were fond and soft, so rare for Remus, who - Lily realized - spent most of his life fending people off. And then, suddenly, the final penny dropped.
“You love him,” Lily gasped, and she had to sit down suddenly. Remus just smiled a little at her and joined her on the blanket.
“Now you know all our secrets,” he said. “James is a good man, Lily, and he would do anything for you.”
“I know,” she whispered, her eyes prickling with tears that she refused to acknowledge. Suddenly, a big black furry head found its way onto her lap and she blinked at it in surprise.
“Say hello to Padfoot,” Remus grinned. “He looks terrifying but he’s actually a great big pushover, and he’ll do anything if you skritch his ears.”
Padfoot growled at Remus but nuzzled further into Lily’s lap. She laughed and skritched his ears obligingly.
“And James is Prongs.”
Lily nodded, smiling and Padfoot got up and lumbered over to Remus, curling up happily next to him. Remus’ hand went to rub his belly almost instantaneously.
“I don’t need to tell you that if you ever tell anyone about this, any of this, the repercussions will be hideous, do I,” Remus asked lightly, not even looking at Lily but smiling at Padfoot instead.
“No one would believe me even if I did,” Lily said, earnestly, watching the stag - James, that was really James trot back towards Hagrid’s cabin.
“Alright then. Come on, Pads. Let’s leave them to it.” Padfoot whined, but Remus leant over to whisper something in his ear - and he was up in a split second, yipping and tugging at the hem of Remus’ robes. “Give him an honest chance, Lily, because - and I say this as a friend - I think the two of you would really be perfect for each other.”
Padfoot licked a stripe up Lily’s cheek before bounding off in the direction, tugging at his lead and pulling Remus laughing along with him.
“Ugh, here.” James leant his broom against the tree behind her and knelt down, offering her his handkerchief. “He really is disgusting. Who knew that someone as well bred as Sirius Black would be such a slobbery mess.”
Lily laughed and accepted the handkerchief, wiping her cheek thoroughly. When she looked back up at James, he was studying her with the strangest look in his eyes.
“James?”
“You’re amazing, did you know that?” Lily blushed as red as the trees around her. “None of that even phased you. Most people would be freaking out.”
“Well, I had figured most of it out already. Except about Remus and Sirius and how they’re... you know... Now that was a surprise.”
James laughed a loud bark of a laugh; one of his hands cupped Lily’s cheek briefly before brushing a strand of hair out of her face, and she felt like she was on fire.
“I’m going to kiss you now,” James said, with a quiet intensity that sent a thrill all the way down Lily’s spine.
“Fair warning,” she replied; the words came out not as words but as an embarrassing mix between a gasp and a squeak. But then James’ hands were in her hair, smoothing it down reverently, and he was kneeling down beside her, and Lily found, as James’ eyes fixed on hers, that despite herself she was finally, finally ready to stop fighting.
Remus turned before going through the doors to the castle and tugged on Sirius’ cloak. “Look, look,” he said, pointing over at the tree.
“Well fuck me sideways into Sunday,” Sirius said, incredulously. “Is that... is that actually happening?”
“I ... I think it actually is.”
“Merlin’s beard. Are pigs flying yet?”
They stood and watched fondly, bursting with second hand happiness, as James and Lily kissed, timid and shy, for the first time.
Sirius turned then, beaming at Remus. “Say, do you reckon the house elves are putting something in the food?” He pressed a quick, happy kiss to Remus’ cheek, and the two of them walked back inside together, leaving Lily and James to bask in the autumnal sunset and their newfound friendship.