Chapter 3
James Potter POV:
Today would be the day that one of James’ best friends would arrive back in England from his travels. James was beyond excited.
Peter had been James’ best friend since they were little kids, their mama’s were befriended well so that made things a lot easier.
James was in the carriage on the way to the harbour where he would see Peter arrive and could give him a warm welcome. He had missed him a lot. Peter had been away to Europe for 1 year, that felt like eternity to James.
He saw the ship Peter was on arrive in the harbour, he smiled widely at it. A little later Peter stepped off the ship and as soon as he saw James he came sprinting to him.
‘James! You are here!’ Peter said surprised, but happily.
‘Of course, you are one of my best mates!’ James said to him, ‘how were your travels? Or you can tell me about them when we are in the carriage.’
‘Yes, let us get in the carriage, I shall tell you all about Europe.’ Peter said.
James could not help but notice all the ladies staring longingly at Peter ever since he came off the ship, but it was known amongst all men, that Peter Pettigrew was a certified casanova amongst all ladies.
Before they stepped in the carriage, Peter did a little playful wave to all the girls that were staring at him and blew a kiss at them, with a subtle wink after it. Which made James laugh uncontrollably.
When in the carriage, Peter told James all about his travels, he also told him that that was not even half of what he had seen and done, he had kept a log book with him, James was allowed to read it one day.
They had laughed, talked, like it hadn't even been an hour that they had been apart.
Peter tended to look at James in a certain way, his eyes full of admiration, James did not know what it meant. Or maybe he did? But to make such an assumption was too big.
Peter had never had any interest in women, well, sometimes he did, he flirted with everyone and anybody he could, but he was a huge gentleman, but he never paid much attention to further romance in general, he would rather tell stories about something new he had learned or listen to James rant about his interests (which is 90% Lily Evans).
Marlene Mckinnon POV:
Marlene would often act like she had no troubles or secrets. She was a very outspoken girl, and would say anything that she wanted. There was one thing that only her best friends Mary and Lily knew of.
Dorcas. Dorcas Meadowes. Her maid.
Now you would say that having a maid isnt that weird, but Dorcas was more than a maid to Marlene.
They were more.
Marlene admired Dorcas in every way a woman can admire another woman, and she wasn't afraid to say that she was absolutely in love with her, she was afraid to say it though, that is why she only told Lily and Mary. They were okay with it, shocked obviously, but they didn't think it was wrong as most would think.
Dorcas and Marlene had something that, as far as Marlene knew of, no other 2 women had with each other. They were in love, they had a relationship. Obviously they could not be together out in the open, the consequences of that were high, they weren't willing to face those.
Every minute Marlene spent at her house, she would spend with Dorcas.
The beautiful thing was, nobody suspected a thing, not even her mother, who usually immediately sees if Marlene is holding something back from her.
Marlene and Dorcas would share mornings, middays, afternoons, evenings, nights, together, in Marlene’s bed. Yes, in the way you think. It was gorgeous to Marlene, she had not ever had the feeling about a man like she felt about Dorcas, and she didn't think making love or being in love was as good as with a man.
Because the things Dorcas could do, oh Marlene was so smitten with that girl.
Lily Evans POV:
Lily had known about Marlene’s relationship with Dorcas for about half a year now, she was obviously shocked at first, but she did not think it was wrong. If they loved each other, which Lily knew they definitely did, then there shouldn't be any wrong in that.
Love was complicated, and Lily was happy that Marlene was able to figure it out with Dorcas.
Lily found love complicated also, she knew she had high expectations of what kind of husband she would want later, every man knew that too, but there was of course one man that did not grasp that. James Potter.
He kept trying and trying, Lily loathed him.
Her parents were not exactly happy with the events of the night before, the way she had talked to Potter, seeing as he would be a perfect husband for her.
The Potter family were distant relatives of the queen's family, Minerva Mcgonagall, this made them extremely high in rank. Everyone of the ton knew that the queen and the Potters were related, that is why they were respected so.
Love, it was a mysterious thing. Lily found it odd that people figured it out so soon. She did not know what kind of person she would want to love, but she knew that when the time came that she would want to love somebody.
‘Lily, Mary is here.’ Alice told Lily.
Lily walked down the stairs and immediately saw the sad expression on Mary’s face.
‘Come Mary, we will sit in my bedroom.’ Lily said. She knew Mary did not like showing her real emotions, she only did so with Lily and Marlene. Where was Marlene?
‘Lily I cannot keep this from you any longer.’ Mary told her as soon as Lily had closed the doors of her bedroom.
‘What is it?’ Lily asked worried
‘Ever since Mar told us that she was in a relationship with Dorcas, I have been feeling like this. I mean, obviously I am really happy for them, but Mar never saw what I truly felt for her besides friendship.’ Mary said, then slowly looked up at Lily with eyes full of tears.
And then it hit Lily, Mary had had feelings for Marlene all this time, and she would never be able to show them.
‘Oh sweetheart, come here.’ Lily said as she pulled Mary in for an embrace and let her cry in her arms.
Lily now recalled all the moments Mary had looked at Marlene in such an admiring way, that was Mary’s look of love, love for Marlene, but that love was not was not shared between them.
‘I am truly so sorry Mary’, Lily told her, ‘and I am really glad that you told me this, so I can help you with this.’ She looked at Mary with a soft smile as she held her head cupped in her hands
‘Thank you Lily.’ Mary said with a soft smile as she embraced her again.
Later, Mary returned to her home and promised to visit the day after. Lily’s sister, Petunia, looked at the door and made a disgusting face as Mary left.
‘What?’ Lily snapped at Petunia
‘She is just different, I do not see why you are befriended with her.’ Petunia said
‘She is amazing and a great friend, in comparison to you, you widgeon!’ Lily shouted at her and returned to her room after.
Love, that was not exactly a thing they knew in the Evans household, at least not real love. Lily’s family was difficult, her relationship with her sister was the worst. Lily knew Petunia was jealous. Petunia had never once been asked by a man to dance or do anything in general.
Lily wanted a good relationship with her sister, she really did, she wanted to be able to go on walks with her, just to sit with her without arguing would be enough.
Petunia played the pianoforte, she was really good at it. Lily could not bring herself to sit in the same room as her to listen because she was afraid Petunia would stop playing, so she would sit in the hallway, next to the doorframe of the room where Petunia was playing. Lily loved listening to her play, it was beautiful, a different version of Petunia came out when she played.
Even though they had their differences, Lily still loved her sister the same, she was not sure if Petunia felt the same.
Lily has had occurrences in the past where she thought she had a good friend, she loved him, as a friend of course. They played together as kids. Lily still misses him, but he had become a person Lily did not recognise, he had called her all sorts of things she did not want to recall on this day.
Severus. He was one of Lily's best friends when they were younger. He and Potter always had conflicts. It became even worse when Remus, Lily’s other childhood best friend (who she would be seeing that evening in secret, a lady and someone in staff being seen together was not exactly good for one’s reputation), was appointed as James’ butler.
Severus, Remus, and Lily used to do everything together, they were best friends. But since Remus had become a staff in the Potters household, he started to hate him too. Lily never understood why, yes she did not like James either, but that was not a reason to shut out your best friend.
A year later, Severus and his family left to live in Scotland. Lily was devastated, but she had made some new friends too, she had Marlene and Mary now, and she still had Remus too.
Lily thought about Severus often, what kind of person he would be on this day. But she would never know.
Later that evening, Lily sneaked out of the garden door where Remus was waiting in the garden. She ran up to him and jumped in his arms, he really was her best friend.
‘I am so glad you are here!’ Lily said, still in Remus’ arms, smiling widely.
‘I am too, how have you been Lilypad?’ He asked
‘Good, I think.’ Lily told him
They walked to a wooden bench on the edge of a pond in the garden to sit there, it was their spot, it always had been.
‘You think?’ Remus asked her, Remus was a very understanding person, Lily knew she could tell him everything.
‘I thought about Sev again, it made me feel upset.’ She said
‘I think about him every day, and I miss him too, but he did what he did and we just have to live with that too.’ Remus said.
‘You are right’ Lily said as they sat down on the bench, ‘now, what have you got to tell me?’
‘Well, there is something I need to say to you’, Remus began, ‘there is a guy, and I think I am in love with him, I have been for a while, I am not sure.’
Lily had known for a while that Remus fancied guys, only guys? She was not sure, but it was okay. Because it was love, and that was up to the person themself to decide.
‘Ooh tell me more, who is it? If you want to tell me though.’ Lily told him
‘Sirius Black.’ Remus said
Lily gasped, ‘Sirius Black?!’ Lily said shocked, ‘but he is part of the most rich family in Britain!’
‘Yes, I am aware, but he is just so, I do not know how to describe it.’ Remus said, and Lily could see the admiration in Remus’ eyes when he already only thought about Sirius.
‘I have to admit, he is quite good looking if I may say so.’ Lily told him
‘He is! And not only that, he is so funny too and his entire personality is just amazing and every time I see him I feel like I will faint.’ Remus said, and Lily giggled, because that was the longest sentence Remus had ever said.
‘Is he not friends with Potter too?’ Lily asked
‘He is, that is how I know him.’ Remus said
‘Potter is a saucebox, I do not know how you put up with him.’ Lily said, Remus laughed
‘You do not even know how he really is, and he is really in love with you, you know.’ Remus told her
‘Yes I knew that already’, Lily said with a sigh,’he has been trying to court me since forever!’
‘I am aware, he thinks you are the one for him.’ Remus said
‘I loathe him and I do not want anything to do with him’, Lily said, ‘Let us talk about something else. What book are you reading at the moment? I am reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.’
‘I am reading Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. It is not normally the kind of book I would read, but I quite like it.’ Remus told her.
They kept chatting for a very long time, about everything they could, that was the nice part with the two of them, they were not ever afraid to tell one another things.
A little while later, Lily decided it was far too late and she would go to bed, she said good night to Remus and took her leave to her bedroom.
She lay in her bed wondering about love. So many occurrences that day had had to do with love and Lily knew how to love, but she also wanted love from somebody else, somebody that she loved too.