THE PLEDGE
Disclaimer: All the Harry Potter world belongs to JK Rowling and Warner Bros.
Summary: One-shot where Lily Evans is musing about the future and her fears on her last day in seventh year and realises just how much she loves James Potter.
Lily Evans sighed as she looked out onto the Great Lake. The wind caressed her cheeks and the sun had enveloped the Great Lake in a hazy glow. It was silent and not even the leaves on the trees fluttered. Lily pulled her robes tighter around her and gave a bitter sweet smile. It was her last day at Hogwarts—her final day. She would have to leave the safe confines of Hogwarts and venture into the unchartered and uncertain territory of adulthood.
Lily did not know what her future was going to be like, what with the Dark Lord Voldemort's reign of terror and the lists of casualties growing longer and longer each day…Lily shook her head, trying to shake herself out of her melancholic mood, as after all, it was her last day at Hogwarts. For Merlin's sakes, she should be back inside the war interior of Hogwarts castle. She should be laughing at the Marauders' last prank and joining in the rowdy celebrations in the Gryffindor Common Room. She should be embracing and crying with her girlfriends and reminiscing over past memories. She should be, most importantly, with her boyfriend James Potter…James.
At the thought of her boyfriend James, a warmth spread through her body as if she had drunk Madame Rosemerta's finest Butterbeer. In fact, James was better than Butterbeer…Lily could not stop the giddy smile that had overtaken her face. She could not believe how deeply entwined her life had become with his. If anyone had told her last year that she was completely smitten with James Potter, Qudditch prodigy, illegal Animagus, King Prankster, Head Boy, brightest student and unofficial leader of his little group of friends the Marauders that consisted of Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, Lily would have hexed them six ways to Sundays. But she was. She couldn't quantify how much she felt for him. He was incomparable. He was the only one who could match her in wit and intelligence. He made her feel beautiful, desired, as if she was the only one in the world who mattered to him.
It was somewhat ironic that she was standing by the Great Lake thinking about him, when in fact it was by this very Lake in fifth year that she had yelled at James and said that she would rather go out with a Giant Squid than with him. He had been so arrogant then, but he had grown up since the…of course he still played pranks but they were no longer malicious, he would still ruffle his hair when he was nervous and he could still be a prat but Lily found the habits she had previously been repulsed by, were in fact oddly endearing and she wouldn't have him change them for all the gold in Gringott's bank.
"Lily?" came a deep and familiar voice, "What are you doing out here all alone?"
Lily turned around to face James, who had concern etched all over his features. "Just reflecting on the past," Lily replied softly, "I'm going to miss it here."
James slid his arms around Lily's waist and she leaned back against him, still looking out onto the lake with a pensive face. Lily closed her eyes briefly at the kaleidoscope of emotions he made her feel…so safe…so loved…
James nuzzled her neck. "I hope you aren't thinking about dumping me for the Giant Squid." His tone was jocular but Lily could hear the undercurrent of seriousness in his voice.
Lily turned to face him, her hands tenderly cupping his face. "No, the Squid's many tentacles have put me off."
James grinned, his hazel eyes lightening. "I knew you couldn't resist my charm for long."
"Prat."
"But a loveable one."
"That is still to be decided," Lily replied dryly, brushing some hair off his face.
His gaze became more sober. "Seriously Lily, is everything alright?"
Lily dropped her gaze, suddenly unable to look into his eyes, knowing that he would be able to immediately read her thoughts. That was what was both infuriating and loveable about him.
"Lily, look at me," James repeated softly.
Lily looked up at him, swallowing the lump in her throat. She felt mortified that she was teary-eyed but simultaneously knew she would not like to be anywhere but here in front of him when she was on the verge of tears. "I…I don't know," Lily replied, "I am just so uncertain about the future…Voldemort…us…"
James' jaw tightened and he looked at her with such intensity that she could feel her heart ready to burst with emotion.
"Lils," he began hoarsely and holding her gaze unwaveringly, "You don't need to worry about us. I love you so much, you are my everything. I cannot comprehend or imagine a life apart from you. I swear to you Lily Evans that I will do everything within my power to make you happy, keep you secure. If it means giving my life to ensure yours, I will do it without a pause. Lils…you are so deeply ingrained into myself—you are what pumps through me, you are what gives my life meaning, you have made me a better man…without you I would still have been an arrogant toe-rag whose head was too big for his broomstick…if anything happened to you—" his voice broke off as if the thought was too painful to imagine and he averted her gaze, breathing heavily.
Lily looked at him awestruck. She knew he loved her of course, but this deep…her head was reeling. Tears pricked at her eyes as she looked at this man, this dear man…this man who was so passionate, so loyal and devoted to her that he would give his life—yes his life—for her. From anyone else, James' outburst would have sounded trite, but from James…her blood was singing and she felt as if James had somehow imparted all his strength and optimism onto her to ensure she could look forward to the future with determination. Suddenly Voldemort didn't seem so menacing. Suddenly the mounting deaths no longer distorted and dampened Lily's view of life. She knew that the future was going to be no idyllic sunlit day by the Lake, but she did not care. She had James beside her. With James beside her, she could face anything. She was overwhelmed by so much love that it was both pleasure and pain. James had echoed her sentiments exactly. James was her lifeblood and she would not hesitate to lie down her life for him.
James looked up at her uncertainly and was rewarded with a beautiful and glorious smile from Lily, whose brilliant green eyes glistened with tears but were filled with life and love. For him. The thought awed him. The thought that this fiercely independent and passionate woman could love him never ceased to amaze him.
"James," she said huskily, "I will bind myself to you. I will share whatever Fortune wants to throw at us. I do not want anything else but a life by your side. In Auror training, in the fight against Voldemort, in whatever comes, I will be there with you and will not abandon you, because…I love you."
James' eyes deepened into an infinite abyss that she could not discern and he stroked her face tenderly. "You can't get rid of me now, you realise that," he murmured hotly, so overwhelmed was he by the intensity of his feelings for her, and before Lily could reply, he covered her mouth with his own for a passionate kiss.
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