FINDING LOVE IN THE PAST
Chapter Thirteen

The spinning sensation came back to them as they left the Carpathia. Suddenly, they stopped spinning and fell to the floor.

Professor Dumbledore looked at them and said, "Miss Evans, Mr. Potter, I’m glad you’re back. You can stand up, you know."

Lily and James realized at the same time where they were. James helped Lily up and said, "We’re back! In our own time!"

Lily smiled. Dumbledore said, "Please, sit down. I believe you two had quite the adventure." When they sat down, he continued, "I’ll allow you to leave soon, but first I must tell you that finding you was not easy."

They sat down and Lily apologized. "We’re sorry, professor."

"That’s quite all right."

"We’re not in trouble, are we?"

"No. Unless you did something you shouldn’t have done." The headmaster sat down in his chair. "I will say, however, please do not do that again."

"We won’t."

James spoke up. "I have a question, professor."

"Go ahead."

"How did you find us?"

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "It wasn’t easy. At first I tracked down the time turner and once I realized you two weren’t aware of its location, I summoned it. Then I used a spell that would transfer a sort of recollection from the time turner into an image seen from a basin. I recognized the Titanic at once. Afterward, I asked the divination professor to find out if you two were in fact on the ship. She gave me the most peculiar response. She started to name movie titles both past and future, and something about a song. Well, to make a long story short, she didn’t help at all. Once I located you, I realized the ship would soon sink and in all the disarray and confusion I knew I had to wait to send the time turner to bring you back. The hardest part was to wait to make sure you would both survive and get on the rescue ship. Once you were on the Carpathia I bewitched the time turner into a port key as well as a time turner. When you both touched it, you ended up here. That’s basically it."

James and Lily had their eyes wide open in shock. Lily said, "I have one question, though."

"Yes?"

"Well, when James and I were on the Titanic, we met two passengers who we believed were…um…the past lives of two of our friends."

"Is your question about what happened to them after the Titanic?"

James said, "Well, one of them. The other didn’t survive."

"May I ask who they were?"

"Remus and Jacqueline. Their names were Max and Kathleen, though."

"Well," Dumbledore said, "we sometimes have memories from our past lives through dreams, muggles also, but not everyone. When we see things we might have seen in our past lives, we experience déjà vu."

Lily said, "But Max and Kathleen were married. Wouldn’t Remus and Jacqueline remember that?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Well, that would explain why they have been hanging out with each other so much."

Lily and James asked together, "What?"

"Well, see for yourselves. I suggest that you two go and find your friends." He added, "You might be surprised. Also, it’s a Hogsmead weekend, so most of the students are gone."

James and Lily shared a confused look. They stood up, and when they reached the door, Dumbledore stopped them.

"But please do not mention anything about their past lives. That knowledge might prevent any future relationship between them from happening."

They both nodded and left his office.

1913

It was almost a year since the sinking of the Titanic and Kathleen was sitting in her bedroom with her daughter sleeping in her arms. Kathleen was thinking of how much she missed Max. She stood up and slowly walked to the baby’s bedroom. She quietly put Maxine down in her crib. When Kathleen reached to turn out the lights, she thought that she could almost feel Max’s presence in the room. Before she shut the door, she knew that Max would always be with her and Maxine, and she would never leave him.

Hogwarts

They walked quickly to the common room. James asked, when they were almost there, "What does Dumbledore mean by they have been hanging out? What happened while we were gone?"

"I don’t know." They reached the portrait and said the password. As soon as they entered the almost empty common room, the first thing they saw was April and Sirius sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace. Lily was about to open her mouth to say something to April when James stopped her. They watched as Sirius pulled April close to him. And to Lily and James’ shock, April and Sirius started to kiss passionately. Lily grabbed James’ hand and walked silently out of the common room. When they reached the safety of the hallway, Lily said, "I’m so shocked."

James nodded in agreement and said, "I hope that’s all that’s changed around here. I don’t think I could handle another surprise like that."

"Let’s find Remus. He’ll explain what we missed." They heard voices when they started to walk down the corridor. Lily pushed James behind a statue.

"What was that?"

"Shush." Lily made a motion for James to keep quiet and said, "Let’s listen in." They both moved so they could see who was coming down the hallway without being seen.

"You’re leaving tomorrow, then?" Jacqueline’s distinct voice asked. "Tell your mum I hope she feels better."

"I will," Remus said. "That reminds me. Have fun with April and Sirius while I’m gone."

"Oh, no. You’re leaving me alone with them! That’s not fair. All they do is snog!" Jacqueline pushed Remus playfully. "I can’t believe you’re leaving me with them."

"What was that for?" Remus asked.

Lily and James couldn’t hear Jacqueline’s response. All they heard was her mumble something, but they saw Jacqueline trying to get away and Remus come from behind her and wrap his arms around her waist. Jacqueline started to giggle and said, "Let go. That tickles."

Remus laughed. "Not until you say you’re sorry."

"Never! I’ll never apologize."

Lily saw Remus lean in and whisper something in Jacqueline’s ear. When Jacqueline started to giggle again, James made a face. They both stood up, walked in front of the statue, and James coughed loudly.

Jacqueline and Remus jumped apart and started to blush slightly. Lily tried to keep a straight face. Jacqueline tried to speak before Lily could ask. "Lily! James! You’re back!"

Lily ran up to both of them and gave Remus a hug. "You’re here!"

Remus and Jacqueline were confused. "Of course I’m here, and I never left."

Lily hugged Jacqueline. "And you’re not upset or pre…"

James put his hand over Lily’s mouth before she could finish the sentence and said, "We’re confused about what happened while we were gone."

Jacqueline and Remus looked at each other and said, "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Lily said, "April and Sirius."

Jacqueline and Remus sighed with relief and said, "Oh."

Later That Night

Lily, James, Sirius, April, Jacqueline, and Remus were all sitting in the common room way past curfew, the fire blazing. James had just finished telling them what had happened on board the Titanic, leaving out Kathleen and Max. During the story, which Lily knew all too well, she had fallen asleep on James’ lap.

After hearing of James and Lily getting together, Jacqueline screamed out, "Pay up, Sirius! You owe me ten sickles!"

Lily woke with a start. When she opened her eyes, she saw April sitting on Sirius’ lap. "What the hell? How did this happen?" Lily looked up at James and asked, "Is this a dream?"

James looked at Sirius and said, "Yeah. How did you two get together?"

Sirius and April looked at each other and said, "Well, the night you two disappeared, April was sitting in the common room alone. And I just came into the room and sat down next to her, and one thing led to another, and the next thing we knew, we were snogging."

Jacqueline whispered to Lily, "Ever since then."

Lily repeated out loud, "Snogging ever since then?"

"Yeah. This is the longest time they’ve been next to each other without snogging."

April got offended. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. It’s just that all you did was snog the whole time Lily was gone."

Lily and James sighed. They had missed a lot while they were gone.

The Next Day

It was around noon, and April and Sirius were in the common room, sitting in front of the empty fireplace. "April," Sirius said.

"Yes?"

"Um…I’ve gone out with a lot of girls before, and the relationships never lasted more than a week."

April thought, He’s not going to break up with me, is he?

Sirius continued, "And I never felt this way about anyone else I’ve dated. I just want to say that I love you."

April was surprised--Sirius Black saying the word love? "I love you, too, Sirius." April kissed Sirius and both of them knew that this relationship would last much longer than a week.

*****

Jacqueline was walking with Remus to the door that would take them outside. They both stood at the base of the stairs and Jacqueline said, "Bye, Remus. See you soon."

"Bye."

Jacqueline watched as Remus walked to the carriage. He opened the door and then paused. He turned around and ran back to Jacqueline.

"What's wrong?" Jacqueline asked. "Did you forget something?"

Remus smiled and replied, "Yes, I did." Before Jacqueline could ask, he leaned in and kissed her. Jacqueline, surprised at first, kissed him back. When they broke apart, they said good-bye and Remus walked over to the carriage and got in. Jacqueline, who was still surprised, watched the carriage pull away from Hogwarts, and then she turned around and went back inside.

*****

"I think they have a chance," James whispered to Lily. They were outside on the Hogwarts grounds enjoying the first warm day in a long time. They had just watched Remus kissing Jacqueline before leaving.

"Yes. I think so, too. But I wish they knew about them being Max and Kathleen. I don’t understand how that would ruin anything."

"Well, look at it this way. What would you do if we were friends and April and Sirius told us that in a past life we were married?"

Lily thought for a moment and then answered truthfully, "I would avoid you. But do you think so?"

"Think what?"

"That we were together in a past life?"

James faced Lily and said, "It doesn’t matter. What matters is that we’re together now. And we’ll always be together. I’ll always love you."

Lily smiled and said, "And I’ll always love you." They sealed their promise to each other with a long, passionate kiss under the warm sky.

The End.

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