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Tweak says, "SPLADAOW!"

James "Prongs" Potter (_cervus_) wrote in expresslogs,
@ 2012-02-16 23:29:00

Entry tags:

lily evans, {james potter

Who: James Potter, Lily Evans.
When: Friday 16th, late evening.
Where: Starting in sleeping car 14 and moving up the train.
What: A confused (and festive) new arrival, and a rather sad story.
Rating: Medium. Some language.

Okay.

Okay. Right then.

James managed to move from the spot he'd frozen into. After all, it was a bit of a shock. He'd been in the kitchen, running Harry's dummy under the sink after the baby had managed to chuck it under the sofa, and had turned back to go back into the living room and... now he was on a train. A train that looked worryingly like it was parked at a stop beside a city. It wasn't quite what he'd expected, even after having a madman as his best mate and Death Eaters chasing his family. You did not expect to turn around and be on a train.

James slid his hand to the back pocket of his jeans, carefully, cautiously, as if any moment someone might come bursting through that door. His wand was still there, which was a vague hint maybe this wasn't some kind of plot to drag him away from his family but maybe just... Godric knew. Something else. After all, Death Eaters would have taken his wand, wouldn't they? They couldn't be that stupid. They'd have never made it through childhood otherwise - probably have drowned in a toilet or something.

Ignoring the babbling on his own inner thoughts, James drew his wand, holding it tightly before him as he took a breath and headed out into the corridor. He needed to find Lily. They'd been in the house together. If they - whoever they were - had got him... James refused to let himself finish that thought, swallowing it down along with the wave of panic that kept threatening to sweep up over his head and drown him. Instead he forced himself to start moving down the corridor, looking for a way out, one ear listening out for anything that might be approaching.

Merlin, James thought again. He was on a train... And he was pretty sure he still wearing those damn comedy antlers.

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emerald_eyes
2012-02-20 12:32 am UTC (link)

The difference was, of course, that Sirius would have died before giving them up. No matter what they'd done to him. But Lily knew James had to know that as well as she did -- better than she did, really. They'd been friends first, and far longer. "I know," she said softly.

She rested her hands on his shoulders, rubbing them lightly when he knelt in front of her. "We will," she agreed. "Though I think if you're going to have a tattoo, perhaps somewhere a little less obvious would be the better way to go." She did manage to stir up a little smile for him as she lifted one hand, her fingertips caressing lightly over his hair before she made another attempt to smooth it down.

Exhaling softly, she tried to think of something cheerful to tell him, but she wasn't sure there was anything precisely cheerful. They'd stopped, and that was something. They could get off the train and stretch their legs and all of that.

"You'll have to go meet him," she decided. That was pleasant -- the fact that their son was here. "He'll be thrilled. And Sirius as well. Harry's mates that came along with him." She hesitated, but it was bound to come up at some point. "Severus is here, as well. He's ... a bit older than us though." Which was mostly irrelevant, but she honestly wanted to skate right past the topic of Severus Snape just now.

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_cervus_
2012-02-20 01:15 am UTC (link)

"I'll get it on my arse," James replied carelessly, his own smile growing in response to the small one Lily offered him. He was glad she was here. Even with the news she was sharing, he imagined it'd be even harder without her. James let her have another attempt at taming his mad excuse for hair while he once again tried to get his head around the whole 'Peter' thing. And the 'dying' thing. And the 'Sirius' and the 'Harry' thing.

He pulled himself back to the present when she spoke again. Harry wouldn't know him. That thought stuck in his throat painfully as he thought of the little boy he'd left behind less than an hour before. And he really needed to talk to Sirius. Then Snape's name came up and James couldn't hide the unpleasant grimace that suddenly twisted his features. That Death Eater piece of... They'd let bloody anyone on this train, then? That was good to know.

"Improved with age, has he?" he muttered.

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emerald_eyes
2012-02-20 01:27 am UTC (link)

"Lovely. That's the first place I'll check when we get home then," she replied with a lightness she didn't entirely feel. Still, it was something worth looking into ... maybe if they did do something like that, they'd be able to keep the ink on their skin when they were returned home. If they returned home.

For a moment, Lily was silent, gazing down at the bed covers. She didn't know how to explain it, least of all to James. She also didn't know how long she'd be able to keep what she knew from him. She'd always been painfully transparent and she really wasn't a good liar. At all. "It's complicated," she finally said.

She both did and didn't want to get into it. Some of it would have to come out eventually, but she could let it be someone else's story to tell. Parts of it, at any rate. Right now though, she wanted to talk about something else. Anything else.

Lifting her eyes, she gazed into his before she cupped his cheek gently. She ran her thumb lightly along his lower lip. "So, would you like a tour of the train? It's ... fairly empty now. Most everyone's off enjoying the stop."

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_cervus_
2012-02-20 01:45 am UTC (link)

What wasn't she saying? Lily wasn't much of a liar - you could read her like a book half the time. It was one of the things James liked about her. But there was definitely something there that his wife (Was he still allowed to call her that?) was avoiding saying, and although James considered trying to get it out of her, he didn't know how much more he could bear to hear in one more sitting.

Her hand was warm against his cheek, her thumb dragging gently across his lip. James kept his hazel eyes locked with hers for a moment before he nodded slightly. After all, if he was going to be stuck here he supposed he might as well know his way around. And a part of him hoped they'd run into Harry or Sirius, although it sounded like they were both likely to be off... somewhere.

"Okay," he agreed. "In a moment." Then he leaned forward and pressed his lips softly against hers.

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emerald_eyes
2012-02-20 01:58 am UTC (link)

Lily reasoned James knew something was up, and she was glad he didn't push the issue. She would have shared if she'd been pressed to, though right now she'd had more than her fill of complications and tragic stories of a future they hadn't yet lived.

She did laughed softly as he leaned in, though the noise was abbreviated as she returned his kiss tenderly. She rested her hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly as she eased a little closer to him.

"We'll have to go explore the city as well," she encouraged. She wasn't sure what everyone else's plans were, but she reasoned she had a better chance of keeping James away from Severus if they spent more time off the train than on it. He'd have to meet Jaime, of course, but ... later, after she'd had a chance to talk to her. While she doubted very much Jaime was going to spill secrets, she'd rather it be clear. "And I can tell you about the almost three months that I've been stuck here, and all the wild and crazy adventures we've had."

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