ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰᴏᴜʀᴛʜ ᴡᴀʟʟ | ᴍᴀʀᴀᴜᴅᴇʀꜱ ᴇʀᴀ

xxiv. adventure begins

"Mate, mate." Sirius tapped James as lightly as he could to wake him up. His voice was low like a whisper. His hair hung on his sides trying to wake up James laying on the Gryffindor Common Room's couch. But he has to be careful not to wake up Lily who was deep asleep in his friend's arms.

"Prongs!" he hissed but James just whined and hugged his girlfriend tighter.

At that point, Sirius' patience was thinning as a broom's strand. He pressed his lips together to contain himself. He wouldn't like Lily knowing their plans. So, he must internalize the urge to scream at the top of his lungs and destroy James' eardrums.

"Wake up, James! We have to go! Sun'll come up anytime soon and if you won't move we'll leave you."

James finally let go of Lily and opened his eyes. Though it stung, he tried adjusting. Still dizzy from sleeping, he sat up.

He kept rubbing his eyes and taking glimpses of the whole room by blinking more than he should. But in no time, he was able to open his eyes and scan the room.

There was no one in the room but he, Sirius, and Lily on the couch. He didn't even realise they fell asleep there. All he could remember was Lily's lips on him and her warm skin when they cuddled up on the couch.

"Where's Moony and Wormtail?" he asked.

"They ran errands. Moony's taking an enchanted tent. And the rat's getting us breakfast from the kitchen."

"What time is it?"

"Four in the morning."

"Callie?"

"Haven't seen her since last night." Sirius took his coat and put it on. "We should go, Prongs. Moony, Pete, and Reg'll meet us in the shack."

James looked back at his girlfriend. "Give me a minute."

He ran up to their room and took a parchment and a quill. In that, he wrote everything he wanted to tell her, in case he never made it back.

"To my beautiful flower,

I love you, Lily. With all my heart. With everything I have. I want you to know that. I know you do but I don't want you to ever think it'll fade. I love you, always and forever, my Lily flower.

I will be gone for days, maybe even weeks. Maybe months. But I don't want you to worry. I will keep safe as long as I could. I'm with Sirius, Remus, and Peter. I'm with my trusted friends so there's nothing to worry about if you haven't heard from me for days.

But there's one thing I'll ask you. Just one. Don't tell anyone about this letter. It's safer for you, for them, and for us.

I'm doing this for us, alright? For you, for Harry, for our family. I hope you understand that.

And even if I'm gone, know that I'll never be truly gone. Because I'm with you, always and forever.

I love you, my Lily flower

James"

He ran down the stairs with his jacket and carefully hid the paper in between Lily's hand and elbow. He stared at the right side of her eyes, brushing her red hair. And finally, he planted a deep, long kiss on her temple, hoping and praying that won't be the last.