James yawned and sat up in bed. Looking at the alarm clock by his bed, he groaned. It was only 6:00. His thoughts dampened as he thought back to what had happened last night after dinner.
Flashback
James walked into the library, and made his way to where Lily was sitting. His heart stopped as he saw who she was talking to. Snape.
The events of the morning running around in his mind, he panicked and jumped over to her. "Leave, Snape. You're not wanted here," he said, pulling out his wand.
"James-" Lily started.
"Let me handle this, Lily."
"But James-" Lily protested.
"Not now, Lily!" James said, not taking his eyes- or wand- off of Snape, who was glaring at him with a superior smirk. "Just get out of here now, Snivellus."
"James!" Lily stood up, eyes blazing. Using a barely controlled voice, she said, "Can I speak to you privately?"
"But Lily-" James proclaimed, still glaring at Snape.
"NOW!" James was strongly reminded of his mother when he accidentally set the library on fire. He nodded numbly, and followed her behind a bookshelf.
Lily turned on him, and hissed quietly, "What do you think you were DOING, James Harold Potter?"
James's eyes widened. "Er... saving you?"
"From what? The horrors of having someone ask me about homework?" Lily's eyes turned into angry green fire.
James felt his eyes go wide. "You mean... Snape was..."
"Asking me about Potions." Lily finished for him.
"That's IT?"
"YES! So I'd like to know why you almost attacked him." Lily crossed her arms across her chest.
"Because he's a Slytherin!" James said, as if this justified everything.
"So what?"
"Listen, Lily." James began seriously. "I don't want you talking to him any more, okay?"
"And why not?" Lily's eyes blazed with such intensity that James took a nervous step backwards.
"Because... because he's evil!" James said.
Lily's face contorted with anger. "I can't believe that you can be so discriminating! I thought you'd changed! I guess one summer's not enough to change a person."
"Lily-" James croaked out.
Lily paid him no heed. "As far as I'm concerned, Potter, we're back to the way it was last year."
She turned on her heel, and stormed back to her table.
End Flashback
He groaned as he recalled how foolish he'd acted last night. 'She'll probably never look at me again. She gave me a chance and I ruined it less than five days. Guess she's Evans again, and I'm Potter.'
Trying to put those depressing thoughts behind him, he got up and got dressed.
Leaving the common room, he decided to head for the library to get an early start on his Potions essay.
James stepped out of the Fat Lady's portrait, yawning after his troubled sleep last night. He soon found himself lost in his thoughts, planning complex Quidditch plays for the upcoming practice.
He was so involved with his thoughts, however, that he paid attention to little else until he tripped over something lying in the middle of the floor and fell flat on his face.
James picked himself up and muttered, "What the... Evans?" Lily was lying on the cold, hard floor with her face turned towards James, although her crimson locks obscured her delicate features. Her wand was laying a few feet away.
He chuckled to himself. "I new that girl was going to work herself too hard one day or another." He bent over at her side. "What are you doing just lying here? Are you- bloody Merlin!" He pushed back the fiery curls covering her face to reveal multitudes of cuts. She was unmoving, so cold... but she couldn't be...
James held her wrist and with great relief detected a faint pulse. Realizing why she was so stiff, and performed the counter curse for the Body Binds under his breath, still trying to comprehend what had happened, and who could have done this. He knew that Lily Evans was not clumsy enough to hurt herself that badly.
James gently rolled Lily onto her back, and drew in a collective breath. Her once immaculate robes were torn, and there were bruises running up and down her arms. Without a second thought, he grabbed her wand and scooped Lily up in his arms.
As he sped off towards the Hospital Wing, he couldn't help but notice how perfectly she fit in his arms, firmly nestled against his chest...
But he quickly shut those shuts out of his mind. 'This is Li- EVANS you're talking about. She hates you now, and with good reason, remember? Just forget about her.'