❝𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘴...❞
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Lily Evans was the first ever witch not to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in attempt t...
This chapter is dedicated to DaMarauders because I genuinely thought I'd already dedicated a chapter to her?! Anyway, thank you for all the kind support! Love you! ♥️♥️
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(5th April 1978)
Sunlight spilled though the windows and into the room of requirement in rays, projecting a radiant sort of glow across the room in beguiling stripes. When James woke up, he saw these sun rays and nearly felt welcomed by their cheerfulness.
Next to him lay Aliona, still sleeping soundly and facing away from him. She was positioned on her stomach, with her deep red hair splayed across her back. James allowed himself to admire how rather pretty she appeared in the light of the morning after. The skin of her bare back was soft and porcelain, a stark comparison to the red hair that lay in gentle waves around her, like a swirled wine glass. Vintage, red.
She had no freckles, unlike Lily, and it was easy to be grateful for this difference, as it was remarkably easy to begin drawing comparisons once again, and that was not something he wished to do.
Aliona Connolly was his friend, and they would share this secret when she woke. But for now, James sat and stared at the sunlight, catching the gleans of her hair, and warming the skin of her back.
He wasn't sure how long it took Aliona to stir, but it was still early. Her eyes flickered open gently, like butterflies fluttering their wings, and when she looked at him it was through heavily lidded eyelashes.
"Hey," she whispered, her voice thick with sleep.
"Hey," James replied in a tone with a similar mugginess to it, smiling down at her. She beamed back.
They stared at each other for a long moment before Aliona sat up, not overly bothered about covering herself, but then why should it matter? She pulled herself up and hugged James tightly. He shifted her closer and allowed himself to smell the strawberries in her hair one more time before he began to pull away. From there Aliona kissed him gently on the lips once, twice and then pulled back.
"Between us?"
"Between us."
She left soon after, taking their secret with her and leaving James in a room full of sunbeams smiling on him. He only wished this sense of optimism would last after he stepped out the room of requirement, though he highly doubted it.
Being here with Aliona felt like the eye of the storm, somewhere untouchable. But somewhere deep down James knew it wouldn't last. He would have to leave eventually, and face what he found on the outside.
♣ ♣ ♣
(5th April 1978 continued)
The feeling of serenity that had cloaked the room of requirement did not take long to wear off and instead it left a sinking feeling of regret. It had helped at the time, but now all the feelings they had pushed aside came flooding back tenfold. It was a phenomenon James should have anticipated, but somehow, even hours later, he couldn't quite seem to understand pain of it all.
