Chapter One: In the World Today

*“That’s it! I am so tired of it. Ara, it’s always the same. There’s never any change. There’s no fire anymore, no passion. Everything just seems so… gray. What am I going to do?”

“Lils. Slow down. I’m confused. Are we talking about you and James? Or you job?”

“Both!” The woman who had been so adamant about her failing and boring life sighed deeply and collapsed on the broken down couch beside her friend. Her long cherry-auburn hair spilled over her petite shoulders, and her dull emerald eyes seemed sunken and tired.

“Oh, I’m sorry about my outburst Ara. It’s just that, ever since James was promoted and had that one case with Mad Eye Moody… he’s been so sullen. I ask him all the time what he saw, what he did, what happened, and he never answers. He’ll kiss my cheek and tell me not to worry my pretty little head. But when it’s him, of course I’m going to worry!”

“Maybe he just needs time Lils. What about your job?”
“Oh goodness. Ara, it’s a mess!”

“Define mess.”

“It’s not so much the Muggle Department as it is the muggles themselves.” Lily sighed. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed, sob her eyes out, and into a dreamless sleep forever. She was so tired. Not really physically, but her soul felt decrepit and slow.

“What can muggles do Lils?”

“That’s just it. Ara, we’ve been living here in this wizarding city for how long? Four years. Four years Ara, and I miss muggles. I even miss my sister for crying out loud.” Ara shot up beside Lily.

“This is serious. Lily, you haven’t mentioned her for so long… and now you actually miss her?”

“Well, I suppose I’ll always love her.” Lily nodded sadly.

“She nearly ruined you Lily. I just don’t see how you can still have room in your heart to forgive her.”

“Like I said, she’s my sister. I love her.”

“Lils, that’s one of the things I love most about you: you love so fiercely and have such a large heart and are so forgiving.”

“That’s three things Ara.” Lily smiled sadly.

“Well, I’ve melded them into one.” The raven hair girl giggled. “Lily, can you honestly tell me you’d rather live with muggles than here, in a wizarding city with me?”

“That’s just my problem.” Lily moaned. “I’m torn. On one hand, I love being a witch and my best friends and fiancé are here. On the other hand, I miss just being a muggle. I miss those people and their simply way of life.”

“It doesn’t sound like it should be a contest Lily.”

“It doesn’t. But it is. My heart is still with the muggles Ara.”

“Well… what about James? Does he know?”

“No. I haven’t told him.”

“Lily! If you’re considering quitting and throwing away your lifestyle here, do you think you should just maybe inform your fiancé?”

“I know, I know! Believe me, I know!” Lily rubbed her temples. She could feel a migraine coming on. Ara noticed as well and dug into the bad that sat on the coffee table in front of them.

“Here Lils- a headache elixir. It should help.”

“Bless you Ara. Thank goodness you went into medicine.”

“Tell me about it.” They smiled and giggle slightly, then stopped.

“Seriously Lily. Why haven’t you told James?”

“I just couldn’t. He’s looked so tired lately. I keep asking him to take a break, a holiday, something. He’s working himself into an early grave, that’s how Remus put it. I just don’t have the heart to drop this on him too.”

“But didn’t you say James was your other problem?”

“Well, yes. As bad as I feel for him, I feel… I don’t know. Used almost. Don’t start on me Ara. I know James Potter, and I know he would never use me. But lately I get the feeling like I’m just another added burden to him. It’s really as if he’s so busy that I’m only another obligation he needs to fill. And then I feel guilty for making him even more tired!”

“You can’t blame anyone for that. And I agree, by the way. James really is working too hard. Even Si didn’t look happy last time James told him he was going in to work on the weekends.”

“What am I going to do?” Lily closed her eyes and wished all of her problems and worries away. She wished for life to be simple, the way it had been at Hogwarts. But times had changed, and nothing would ever be the same.

“Well Lily. My first advice is to tell James how you feel about him. Then, after you’ve cleared that misunderstanding up, tell him about missing the muggle world. He loves you, he’ll understand.”

“Maybe.”

“Definitely.”

“Well, he’s supposed to come here tonight for dinner, so I’ll hopefully get this off my chest tonight.”

“That’s fine. I’m heading out anyway. I have a date with that very cute new reporter over at the Daily Prophet.”

“Just be careful he doesn’t milk you for information about the safety procedures the hospital is setting up for in case of an attack by that wicked wizard.”

“I know. That’s probably the only reason he asked me out, but what the heck? I might as well have fun while I’m being used.” The two women laughed.

“I can’t believe you and Si broke up. I mean, I know it happened almost a full year ago, but you’re still so close to each other, and Si is hardly the same playboy he was when we first met him.”

“I know. It’s still rather hard for me to believe too. Si and I… we just didn’t feel romance anymore. It was getting to be too… brotherly/sisterly for us, so we decided to break it and make it the other way around. It’s better for the both of us, I think. Not that I don’t miss his kisses. God… he is still by far the best kisser I have ever met.”

“Well, I wouldn’t know about that, but I know what you mean about the no romance. I almost feel the same for James. At least, I think he’s forgotten the romance, and I miss the James that lived for it.”

“Don’t worry Lils. He’ll remember tonight. Well, I’m going to get ready.” And Ara stood, leaving Lily to sit and ponder what she would make for her fiancé for dinner. His favorite maybe? Chicken, potatoes, salad, and pumpkin juice? It sounded rather bland to her, but if it was his favorite…

>>>)(<<<

“Potter, finish with those papers yet? The Ministry needs copies of them.”

“Finished. Have them.” James threw the packet of papers onto his desk and as soon as the secretary walked out his office door, he lay his head down upon the desk. He was so tired of this. Every time they made an arrest, they spent four times the amount of time it took them to catch the criminal on the paperwork it took to send them behind bars in Azkaban, where they belonged.

“You know Prongs, you should take a break.” James’s head shot up- he hadn’t even heard Sirius enter his office.

“Padfoot, I’m beat. But if I took a vacation, imagine how much you’d actually have to do.”

“True.” Sirius nodded his head emphatically. “But,” he paused, “it’d be better than you working yourself into an early grave James.”

“You’ve been talking to Remus too much, that’s all.” James growled. “I’m fine. In fact, I’m going to live till the ripe old age of sixty.”

“Haven’t convinced Remus or me of that, and I’m sure Lily’s not too sure about it either.”

“Lily?” Sirius grinned when his friend perked up at the mention of his fiancé.

“She’s probably worried sick about you. You go into work early in the mornings, you stay late, cancel dates, work weekends, and bring home what paper work you don’t finish so you can do it in your off time.”

“You make it sound like I’m leaving her in the middle of the night for some other woman.”

“A woman named work.” Sirius snorted.

“Well, it’s not like I live with Lily, so I can’t be leaving her in the middle of the night. I’m not you you know.”

“I do know it. Thank God.” James smiled at his friend tiredly.

“Did we get the Traubs?”

“Caught them red-handed. They’re going to see none other than the Minister of Magic himself tomorrow.”

“Good. Crouch’ll get have them taken care of.”

“I’m not sure. Bart Crouch may be a good Minister, but…”

“You don’t like the fact that we can now kill Death Eaters on site? Don’t you think they deserve it James?”

“I think they deserve a trial and Azkaban.”

“What if it was your life or theirs?”

“Come on Padfoot. You know I’d choose my own. But I can’t help feeling guilty for all of those who are never found guilty, they’re killed on site regardless.”

“I think you’re too nice James. You’ve been living with me how long? Since your parents were killed by Voldemort, and still you want his followers to get a fair trial. You certainly have a strong sense of justice, but if I were you, I’d be hell bent on revenge for my parents.” James frowned. Sirius had brought up a touchy subject.

James could almost see his parents right now- his mother with her long black robes and pearl necklace, raven hair curled to perfection and a wide grin on her soft face; and his father, with his stern but caring blue eyes looking down at his from under his own neatly combed black locks. Both of them had made such a stunning pair: the Potters, one of the most well-known and well-liked wizarding families in the whole of England. And now, both of them rested side by side in a small cemetery, with only a tombstone to mark their deeds and memories that had been left behind. It still made his blood boil to know that the man who had killed them in such ruthlessness still ran free out there in the world.

But James knew that his anger would not bring his parents back, nor would it help him in life. He needed to grieve and then deal with the murderer so that no one else would suffer the same fate as his parents had. And the only way to prove to everyone how evil Voldemort truly was was to bring him and his cronies in to a fair trial, one on one with the Minister himself, and let everyone see how horrible he was. That was what drove him, what kept him going those early mornings, late nights, and weekends that he worked. That was what gave him his passion and drive, and that was what gave him is compassion.

“Sirius, Voldemort will be held accountable. I don’t need to rush into anything hasty unless it’s my life at stake, end of discussion.”

“I know James. Hey, know something?”

“Hay is for horses Padfoot. And I thought you were more of the doggy type.” James smiled, and Sirius chuckled sarcastically.

“You’re funny when you’re tired. About as funny as a stick.”

“What were you going to tell me?” James avoided the argument he knew would ensue if he kept it up.

“Well, you told me Lily was making you dinner tonight.”

“She is.”

“At… seven, right?”

“Seven o’clock sharp. I promised I would be there, on time, dressed nicely, and without a handful of paperwork to look through. She has me and only me, James Potter tonight.” James raised his head high as he spoke, proudly flaunting himself to the roof. Then he heard Sirius snicker. “What?”

“Well, have you finished that other stack of papers on the O’Mally case?”

“No… Si, what are you getting at?”

“Only the fact that right now it is exactly eight thirty and you have yet to change into ‘nice’ robes, and you’ve not finished your work, so you’ll have to take it with you to read over tonight.” When he finished, Sirius let out a low whistle. “That is one flower I would not want to see right about now… her face is probably as red as her hair.”

“Oh no! Lily! The dinner!” James jumped up, worry etched across his finely chiseled features. “I have to get going- I’m an hour late!”

“Hour and a half my boy! I won’t wait up for you!” Sirius just laughed harder as James frantically grabbed his papers and wand and apparated away before his eyes. “Oh yes, I would definitely not like to see Lily’s face right about now!” *

~~~Hey everyone! Well, this is the first official chapter of the sequel! As you can see, I think I’m going to focus more on their troublesome relationship at the moment, but it should be good enough. I hope! Please Review! Much love, Vixen~~~