Lily felt the cool, sharp breeze whip around her face. The night air felt so good as she looked down at the world below, the Hogwarts grounds that appeared to be no more than a tiny model. She flew higher and higher into the stars, not a care or a worry in her mind.
It didn’t occur to Lily to see just what it was that she was flying on, so she was slightly surprised to look down and see that she was gripping the handle of a broom. To her even greater surprise, she looked ahead of her and saw that it was none other than James Potter piloting this broom. She was glad. She always felt safe with him, and no matter how much she tried to deny it, she was so happy just to be near him.
She moved closer to him. “Where are we going?” she asked curiously.
“Well, we were going to go to Hogsmeade,” he called back to her, fighting the sound of the wind whirling past their faces. “But now… I have to go.”
Lily paused and formed a puzzled expression. “Go? Why?”
James’s face was stoic. “Good-bye,” he replied monotonously, and just like that, he let go of the broom and fell.
Lily watched in horror as James plummeted lifelessly down, deeper and deeper, into the dark of the night.
“No!” she screamed, panicking. She wanted to do something, anything, to help him, but what could she do? All she could do was watch as he disappeared in the blackness below. She was left alone, crying, and feeling helpless and scared. If only she had tried to grab him, tried to save him, they would still be flying together happily through the stars. Now he was gone, and it was all her fault…
Then suddenly, Lily was distracted by a chirping sound. Was there a bird nearby? How could there be? There was a chirping in her ear, and somehow she felt the warmth of the sun on her face. Then she opened her eyes.
She was in an armchair in the hospital wing. The sun was shining through an open window, straight onto the bed below it. Inside the bed was James Potter, grinning at her.
She screamed, for real this time, jumping out of her seat.
He laughed. “I was wondering when you were going to wake up. And be quiet, you’re going to startle Madame Pomfrey.”
Lily’s heart was beating fast and she was clutching her forehead in disbelief. “But… you’re awake!!”
James laughed once more. “I’ve been for a while, Evans, you slept through the big fuss.”
“Madame Pomfrey knows? She’s checked you, you’re okay? You’re…”
“I’m still a little sore, for obvious reasons. That last curse… that was a pretty big one. But Madame Pomfrey says I should be back in fighting shape in about a week.” He smiled at her obvious concern. “You can sit down now, you know.”
But Lily didn’t sit. For the past 24 hours, she and James had been in the hospital wing. Their episode with Bellatrix had left them both with serious injuries; however, James’s had been significantly worse than hers.
Lily remembered vaguely Professor McGonagall discovering she and James, moments after he had been hit with the mortifying curse, the one that was intended for her. Lily had lost a lot of blood from the deep gash in her arm, and only remembered grabbing James’s lifeless hand as he was lifted by Professor McGonagall, trying to stay on her feet. When she had woken up that afternoon in the hospital wing, James’s had not yet woken up, and Professor Dumbledore was sitting beside her. Despite her desperate pleas for information, she was told to rest.
“But, Professor, please…” she had said.
Dumbledore had only smiled. “When Mr. Potter wakes up, I will let you both know everything that you need to.”
Lily’s lip trembled. “But, Sir… what if… what is he never does?”
“Knowing Mr. Potter, he won’t be asleep for long. Not when you’re around, Miss Evans. Get your rest, now, and we’ll talk later.”
So Lily had no choice but to try to sleep, and it hadn’t been easy. She could hardly be as confident as Dumbledore. For hours, but what seemed like days to Lily, she laid awake. She thought of how James had risked his own life for hers; something that seemed almost implausible, but had done it. That curse, whatever dark magic was contained in it, was intended for her. And if something went wrong- well, it was all her fault. She had countless dreams, like the one she had just had, of James disappearing from her life forever. The thought had haunted her for those few hours that her world was spinning, the thought that James may have never known that she actually- finally- did feel for him the way that he had shown he did for her. That was the worst part about the uncertainty of knowing that he may or may not have woken up. But now he was there, completely awake, and smiling at her.
Without saying anything, Lily flung herself into James’s arms, attacking him with a giant embrace.
“Whoa, Lily!” he exclaimed, his voice a bit higher than usual and his body tensing up. “Remember, I’m not completely healed yet!”
Lily shut her eyes and held on for dear life. She rested her chin on his shoulder and felt his body relax.
“I was afraid you were never going to wake up,” she whispered, almost to herself.
“I thought you didn’t care,” he replied. “Remember- you’re not my girlfriend,” he quoted he his voice more sad than bitter.
She pulled away to see his face. There seemed to be tears in her eyes as she took a deep breath. “Well, I guess that just goes to show that even Head Girls must sometimes eat their words.”
And she kissed him. Suddenly, that feeling that Lily had had that night when she was wearing James’s cloak returned to her again, and it felt so good. The warmth of his embrace, the heavenly scent… it was so familiar and perfect, that Lily never wanted to let go.
All Right, Evans? by anglophile
Chapter Notes: So... I guess this is it- for now(If you're confused read my bio). Hope you enjoy this chapter, it's been a long time coming!! Hope to see you soon!