Eclipsed

Hi Prongs, 

Congratulations on Head Boy! Can’t say I’m not surprised, but I know you’ll do an incredible job. 

To answer your question… I do know who the new Head Girl is. 

It’s Lily Evans! 

Good luck with that, mate. 

See you at King’s Cross! 

-

RJL 

James kept replaying that line in his head.

It’s Lily Evans! 

Remus had heard from Lily about her appointment as Head Girl, and ever since he’d caught word, James couldn’t stop thinking about her. Since their encounter during the end-of-year party, James and Lily had ended the year on good terms. However, this new role would add another layer of complexity to their friendship, something that he hadn't anticipated. While he’d managed to stave off his infatuation with her, first by being with Marlene, then by distracting himself with Quidditch, and then, somewhat-tragically, with his accident, James wasn’t sure that he’d be able to do it while being around her almost all the time. 

When Peter came over that afternoon once his internship had ended for the day, and the other two boys had filled him in, he had laughed for a solid three minutes before realizing it wasn’t a joke. 

“Blimey, Dumbledore’s really going senile, isn’t he?” 

“No kidding,” James answered darkly, “I don’t know the first thing about being a prefect. If Evans doesn't hate me anymore, this would be the perfect time for her to start that back up.” 

“In any case, it looks like you two will be spending quite a bit of time together next year." Sirius replied, sharing a mischievous glance with Peter. 

“Sirius is giving me an evil look,” Peter relayed to James, and the other boy rolled his eyes, though a smile tugged at his lips. 

"You dog,” he replied, flicking his middle finger in Sirius’ direction. “I was thinking, though... Maybe I should write to her. Ask if she'd be willing to meet up in Diagon Alley to talk about Head Boy and Girl stuff."

Sirius' voice turned sly. "Oh, 'Head Boy and Girl stuff,' huh? Sure, Prongs, whatever you say."

“Shut up, won’t you,” James replied, blushing, and Peter couldn’t help but chime in as well. In a burst of his old self coming through, James leaned out towards where he knew Sirius was sitting, and attempted to tackle him out of the chair. Soon enough, they were all wrestling on the ground, and all talk of Head Girl and Boy business had been temporarily forgotten. 

Despite his friends’ teasing, James did eventually write to Lily, and to his surprise, she promptly replied, accepting his invitation to meet up, and discuss their upcoming tenure as co-Heads.

 James sat on his bed, turning Lily's letter over in his hands. He’d read her response at least five times, stuck between a mix of excitement and anxiety over it. They’d agreed to meet up the following week, which gave James plenty of time to mentally prepare, but as the excitement of her agreement faded, a wave of nervousness washed over him. While he’d been to Diagon Alley before, he didn’t know it very well, not like his house or the village, which he’d been able to navigate semi-alone after weeks of practice. The thought of going alone to a crowded, unfamiliar place was somewhat terrifying. 

Although his first instinct was to ask Fleamont or Effie if they’d join him, he didn't want to ask his parents for help—after all, he was meeting up with a girl (not a date though, clearly), and it felt like something he should do on his own. But James knew he would just feel less anxious about it all if someone was with him.

Later that evening, he found Sirius lounging on the couch in the living room, flipping through a magazine.

"Sirius," James began, his voice hesitant.

Sirius looked up, raising an eyebrow. "What’s up, Prongs?"

James handed him the letter. "Lily agreed to meet up next Wednesday."

Sirius grinned. "That’s great! Why do you look like you’re about to shit yourself?"

James sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I’m nervous– about going to Diagon Alley by myself. I just haven’t been since, you know, this whole thing, and there’s a lot of people, and a lot of places that I just..."

Sirius’ expression softened with understanding. "You’ll be fine, Prongs. Don’t worry so much. Plus, you’ll be with Lily, won’t you."

“I…” James shook his head. "I need someone to go with me. I was hoping you'd maybe..."

Sirius' grin turned mischievous. "You want me to come along on your date? That'll be a bit awkward, don’t you think?"

James rolled his eyes. "It’s not a date, Sirius. We’re just meeting to talk about Head Boy and Girl stuff."

Sirius raised an eyebrow in mock skepticism. "Sure, just Head Boy and Girl stuff. I don’t want to be a third wheel, James. Ask Mum to drop you off."

"I'm not a child; I'm not having my mummy drop me off Pads..." James gave him a pleading look. "Please, Sirius. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important."

Sirius hesitated, his playful demeanor fading. He knew how much this meant to James. After a moment, he sighed. "Alright, fine. But I’m coming as Padfoot."

James' face lit up with relief and gratitude. "Thank you, Sirius. I really appreciate it."

"Yeah, yeah," Sirius said with a smirk. "Just don’t expect me to play fetch anytime soon."

The days leading up to the meeting passed in a blur of anticipation and nervousness. James tried to focus on his routine, running with Sirius in the mornings and studying in the afternoons. By the time Wednesday finally arrived, James was ready to get it over with, if only to quell the anxiety brewing around the event. He dressed carefully, his hands trembling slightly as he adjusted his clothes. His dark glasses sat heavily on his nose, and he debated heavily whether or not to bring his cane, eventually deciding against it since Sirius would be there with him, as Padfoot of course. 

As James came down the stairs, Sirius called out to him from the doorway. 

"Ready?" he asked. 

"Ready," James replied, taking a deep breath. “Just... feeling a bit nervous."

Sirius put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You'll be alright, Prongs, don’t sweat it.” 

James forced a smile, giving himself a ‘fake it till ya make it” peptalk, and with that, they stepped out into the bright daylight. The sound of birds, the distant hum of traffic, the feel of the sun on his face— it all felt a little overwhelming, but with Sirius by his side, he felt more at ease.

The journey to Diagon Alley was uneventful, though James’ nerves were on edge. The bustling crowd parted for him, and whispered comments followed him like a shadow. He could feel the stares, the curiosity mixed with pity, and he hated it.

Sirius, in Padfoot form, stayed close, a silent guardian and guide as they made their way through the cobblestone streets. James was grateful for his presence, especially as being so self-conscious made him feel equally clumsy.

As they approached the meeting spot, James’ heart pounded. He could sort of make out Lily’s shock of red hair ahead, waiting near the entrance to the café they’d agreed to meet at. Padfoot nudged his leg, and James was reminded to take a deep breath, and put a smile on his face.

“James," she called, her voice warm and welcoming. "Hello! And who’s this?” 

"Hi, Lily," James said, hoping his voice sounded more confident than he felt. “This is… Snuffles.” 

Padfoot snorted. 

Lily reached down to pet Padfoot, her fingers running through his fur. " I didn't know you had a dog, James."

James stifled a laugh. "He’s a recent addition- my parents recently adopted him.” 

Padfoot barked, and Lily patted him on the head happily. “He’s quite a handful, as you can tell.”

“Nonsense,” Lily replied earnestly. “He seems lovely.” 

They headed inside, and James settled into his chair, Padfoot laying on the ground next to him taking a nap. James did his best to focus on Lily, who was smiling warmly across the table.

"Thanks for meeting me, Lily," James began, trying to keep his voice steady despite the nerves fluttering in his chest.

"No worries, James," Lily replied. "I'm glad you reached out. It’s good to see you."

The waiter arrived, and they ordered a couple of sandwiches and tea. As they waited for their food, James shifted a bit uncomfortably, fingers drumming on the table. Lily seemed to pick up on his anxiety.

"So, what’s all this about, then?" she asked, leaning forward a bit.

James took a deep breath. "Well, it’s just... I’ve never been a prefect, let alone Head Boy. I wanted to make sure I know everything I need to about the role, so I can actually help and not be completely useless."

Lily grinned. "That’s fair enough, James. It’s good to know you won’t just be secretly plotting your pranks to fall between rounds."

He laughed, giving her a shrug. "I wouldn’t count it out, Evans… It honestly sounds a lot like being Quidditch Captain. I had to know all the positions and how they worked together to properly lead the team. I feel like this is sort of the same thing."

Their food arrived, and before they started eating, James pulled out his quick quotes quill and a roll of parchment. Lily seemed surprised, but pleased, to see his intentions for the lunch had been sincere. 

"Lily, before we start, I need to ask you something."

Lily raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What’s up, James?"

He took a deep breath. "Look, if you’d rather not work with me because of... everything that happened between us in the past, and because I’ll need some help with things, I understand. I can talk to McGonagall and resign as Head Boy. I don't want to make things difficult for you."

Lily stared at him for a moment, then burst out laughing. "James, are you serious? Resign? Because of that? You're being absolutely daft."

James blinked, a bit taken aback by her reaction. "I just don’t want to make more work for you."

Lily shook her head, a smile still playing on her lips. "James, you’re being ridiculous. Do you honestly think you’d be any worse blind than you were before? If anything, you’ve shown more strength and determination these past few months than ever before. And besides, I know you. You’re still the same stubborn, determined, annoyingly confident James Potter. Vision or no vision."

James felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Thanks, Lily. That means a lot."

"Seriously, James," she said, her tone softening. "We’re a team. We’re supposed to support each other. So, no more talk about resigning, alright?"

He nodded, a small smile forming on his lips. "Alright. Thanks."

"Now, let’s eat. I’m starving," Lily said, taking a huge bite of her sandwich, she swallowed, then wiped her hands on the napkin as she spoke. 

“So, what do you want to know?" 

"Everything, really," James said, playing with a chip. "I don’t want to fuck it up. What are the main responsibilities? What do I need to be aware of in terms of duties and expectations? What do prefects even do!"

Lily nodded, launching into a thorough explanation of the role. James listened intently, the quill capturing every detail, his follow up questions thoughtful and productive. As the conversation continued, James felt a sense of reassurance growing, especially since Lily was thorough and patient, answering all his questions and providing valuable insights. She not only laid it out straight, but added her own anecdotes from prefect experiences and those of other people. 

As they finished their sandwiches and tea, James felt much more confident about his new role. Lily was a natural leader, and her confidence was infectious. The quill had captured pages of notes, which he knew would be studying intently as he prepared for the upcoming school year. Padfoot lay contentedly at their feet, occasionally nuzzling Lily's hand for more attention.

"Thanks for all the info, Lily," James said, packing away his notes. "I feel like I’ve got a much better handle on things now."

Lily smiled. "Happy to help, James. You’re going to be brilliant, I’m sure of it."

James hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "There's actually one more thing I wanted to talk about."

Lily looked at him curiously. "Go on, then."

"Well, it’s about what I’ll need... y'know, just like if we’re working together, some things you should know."

"Of course, James. Let's hear the list." Lily’s voice was bright and earnest.

James took a deep breath. "Alright, so like, in the head’s office, trying not to leave things in the middle of the floor, and keeping things in consistent places so I can find them easily. Also, maybe we each have our own lamp? Just because I don’t know how bright you’ll need it to be to work, and the brightness really hurts my eyes.”  

Lily nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense. Anything else?"

“I could probably use some help with some of the visual stuff. If there’s something written in a chart or something you want to project, it’d be great if you could describe it to me.” 

Lily grinned. "Got it. We’ll make sure everything’s sorted.” 

As they stood up to leave, James felt a lot lighter than he had in weeks. With Lily’s support and understanding, he thought he could handle being Head Boy, whatever that meant. After they stepped out of the café, Lily turned to James with a smile. "So, we’ll get everything set up before term starts. No worries."

James nodded, feeling more at ease. "Thanks, Evans. Means a lot."

"Anytime, Potter," she replied with a teasing glint in her eye. "And you better not let this go to your head, alright? We’re still going to work you hard."

James laughed. "Wouldn’t have it any other way.” They settled on an awkward hug and Lily set off, leaving James and Padfoot to head home. There were only a few weeks left of holiday, and James and Sirius were determined to make the most of it.