First Promise

"Hey, Potter?"

James had just stepped out of the restaurant. He heard two voices. A man stepped out from the dark and muttered something.

"You Death Eater! You hateful man!" Someone screamed at James and cursed.

Lily saw him. James had his wand but didn't use it. A spell hit his arm, the skin split and blood poured out of him. James held his bleeding arm and groaned. People started to gather and the man disappeared.

"You are hurt, sir!" A man at the lobby said.

"Yeah…." James came inside his hotel. "I'll be okay."

"I'll send some first-aid for you." He said.

"Oh….okay." James nodded.

James had been in his room for a few minutes when someone knocked. He thought it was the first aid kit or whatever the man at the lobby had said. These muggles had all kinds of funny things.

"Come in!" He said.

Lily Evans came inside his room. She had followed him.

"Just leave it at the table!" He shouted, rummaging for t-shirt through his suitcase.

"It's me."

He heard that voice, like he had heard it a million times before.

"Lily." He turned around.

"Yeah…"

"What are you doing here?"

"I saw you at the restaurant." She said.

"I know. I saw you too." He said, "That's why I left."

"You left because of me?"

"Yeah…." He hadn't meant to say that.

"Someone attacked you." She said, "Outside."

"I was there." He smiled.

"I wanted to ask you." She started.

The first-aid came.

"Thank you." Lily took it, "I'll take care of it."

"I don't need that." James told her.

"I know." She said, "I can heal the cut for you."

He nodded, he took off his t-shirt. She tapped her wand twice at his cut and whispered something. The cut healed up instantly.

"Thank you, Evans." He smiled briefly.

"You are not….." Her eyes fell on his arm. His clear arm with no mark or tattoo or anything. Just a scratch. "You are not….It isn't."

He smiled at her confusion. She was so convinced that he had gone over to the dark side. She stared at his arm.

"You are..." She couldn't get the words out.

He put his clean shirt on and opened the hotel minibar and took out a scotch and poured it in two glasses. He handed it to Lily who was still confused.

"I can't believe it." She said,

"What?" He asked.

"You are not a Death Eater!" She exploded.

"Yeah." He sat down on his bed, shrugging nonchalantly. "I know I am not."

"Why does….Why did….why would she?" He said. "Why would Caroline say you are?"

"Can I trust you, Lily?" He asked. "Can I trust you to keep a secret?"

"Of course,"

He eyed her carefully. He could trust her….

"I am not the Death Eater. It's Caroline who is one." He said, "That's why I broke up with her."

"What?' Lily's mouth dropped. "So, why didn't you ever say anything?"

"I think she wanted to protect herself." He said, "And, I was the only target she could have. So, she pinned it on me."

"And, the werewolf thing?" She asked, "In the paper this morning?"

"Oh that. I have a clause in my contract that I don't play on full moons." James shook his head, "It was so Caroline and Remus could watch the games."

"Caroline is the werewolf?" She spluttered, spilling her drink.

"Yes,"

"Then, why don't you say anything? Why haven't you ever said anything?" She demanded, "At the school? To the press? You just take on the hate? For months?"

"I am joining the order tomorrow." He told her, "It'll give me an advantage that they think I am one of them or a werewolf."

He shrugged.

"So, it doesn't bother you?" She asked. "That everyone hates you?"

"As long as my friends don't." He said, "And, my family doesn't think that. Who cares what other people think?!"

"You got hurt though." She pointed out.

"Yeah." He said. "I did."

Lily looked at James Potter in a new light.

"You are amazing, James." She said.

"You are not so bad yourself." He smiled.

"Really?" She raised her eyebrows. "After how I treated you last year?"

"Do you remember what I said to you before I left school after taking my OWLS?" He asked. "Three years ago?"

"Yeah….I think." She said. "I think you said I will wait for you."

"No." He shook his head, "I said, I love you, I will always love you. I will always wait for you."

"But, you didn't." She laughed.

"I am now." He said, smiling.

They talked all night.

"Oh my god, it's morning!" She exclaimed.

"It is." He wasn't surprised.

"It's been one interesting evening, James." She said, "But, I think I should go now."

She stood up and walked towards the door.

"Hey, Lils." He said, when she was near the door.

She turned around.

"Yeah?"

"Go out with me?" He asked for the millionth time knowing that her answer would be different this time. "A date….one date?"

"Write to me to set a date." She smiled. "I am going back home in a couple of days."

"I sure will." He smiled back.

She walked out the door. A huge load of her mind and heart. She never wholeheartedly believed that James could be evil. She was now happy.