The Marauders: Year Six #Wattys2017

So Nice to See You Again

So Nice To See You Again Potter

Lily's hand was damp with sweat. James held onto it as she led him down the stairs to the dimly lit docks. At the bottom, she turned to walk backwards, holding both his hands in both of hers, she stared up at him. "James. So... so we've known each other a long time."

"We have," he agreed.

"Six years."

James nodded. "Nearly seven," he supplied.

"Right."

"Careful, love," he added. She'd been about to trip on the edge of the dock and he held her hand tighter to keep her from falling over. James's fingers wrapped around hers. "Don't fall."

She felt a thrill go up her arms when his fingers knotted through hers. They fit perfectly. Her heart was pounding quite hard. "Thanks."

"Yeah." He nodded.

"James, I've been a troll to you," she said point blank.

"A troll? Nah." He paused. "Well. Maybe a little."

"Especially this year. In September. You were so kind to me about Jasper, and you took care of me... that couldn't have been easy for you... Especially when you... when you said you liked me, and I... didn't answer you."

James stared at her.

"Or when I told you we could only snog as friends and that you couldn't tell anybody about it, when I made you be my... what was the phrase you used? My dirty little secret?"

"Are we just listing like the things that hurt most in my life then?" he asked with a soft of breathy chuckle.

Lily shook her head, "James, I want you to understand why I did that stuff to you."

"Because you hate me."

Lily stared at him, her eyes wide. She swallowed, then, without answering that, she said, "When I turned eleven and I got my Hogwarts letter, it came from a Ministry Official who worked in the Muggle Liaison office... He came to tell my parents about magic, and about Hogwarts, and to gently break the news to them that I was a witch. I already knew, Severus Snape had spotted the signs years before in the park, when I jumped from a swing and didn't hurt myself, and we'd talked about Hogwarts before, so for me it wasn't new news, but for my parents it was. And for me it was confirmation of the things Sev had said..." she paused.

"My dad started that program," James offered. "It's one of the many things he's done."

"That's great," she said, "Your dad is an amazing man."

"He is," James agreed.

Lily cleared her throat. "James, I gained a whole world that day. I gained all of the magical community, the entire wizarding world. But I lost my sister."

"Sounds like a fair trade," James said with a smirk.

Lily shook her head, "James, Petunia's horrid. I know she is. She's always been. But she's my sister and we were... best friends. We told each other everything. We were... close. When she would fall down and skin her knee, I would cry because I could feel it. I could. Sort of how Gideon and Fabian Prewett can. We weren't perfect, but we were friends. And I thought that we'd always be close. But then magic came and while it was a blessing... it was also a curse... because I lost the best friend I had in the world."

James stared at her, the smirk falling from his face as she spoke and he said, "I'm sorry," in a low voice when she reached the end.

"It's my fault for being a witch," she said.