Author's Notes:

Hi All.

I know, winces its been almost a month since I updated my other stories; and here I am posting another new story!

But seriously, this story just came to me, and it was my duty as a creative individual to ink (or in this case type) and distribute for the enjoyment of all impish grin

So am I forgiven??

I apologise, sincerely, and I promise to post the next chapter for my other stories within the next week … if I get ten reviews from this one-shot :oP

Bwoahahhaahaha!

Read on…. And please review!...

Cool hands touching her skin, feeling her hot, feverish forehead. Sure hands grabbing her shoulders, she could feel herself being gently shaken.

"Lily, Lily, are you ok?"

she could barely make out the words, they were as if coming from a distance. She could recognize the voice as someone that she knew, but she didn't know how well. The hands were now pulling her up from her awkward position, splayed out on the Gryffindor Common Room floor, and she couldn't now remember how she had gotten there.

Flashes of… something. It was at the bare edge, the precipice of her mind which right now felt alien and unreal. The Lily deep inside was smart enough to realize that she was in shock from something, but to communicate this to her currently numb self seemed impossible.

She was walking, slowly, being guided. She felt herself turning, the back of her knees coming into contact with something soft and she felt the same sort-of-familiar pressure being exerted on her slender shoulders and then she was sitting. As if naturally, her body started rocking back and forth, slowly, soothingly.

Her wide, emerald-green eyes were staring out at seemingly nothing. Her face was not its usual creamy paleness, but a face completely void of color, truculent and sickly looking. Her small, slender frame was shaking, and her vibrant red curls, tumbled around her head and down her shoulders, lent her the appearance of a small child. A small, lost child in desperate need of some comfort.

Someone was coming closer again… and a different hand alighted on her shoulder. She didn't know this touch. Emerald orbs flashed as her head started shaking from side to side, and her rocking motions increased. She started humming to herself and locked her arms around herself, somewhere lost in her own private world.

Suddenly the unknown presence was gone but the light was still blocked out by a taller, silent shape who took one moment to assess the situation before barking (in a surprisingly out of breath voice, almost like he had just been running very hard) a few words out. Almost immediately three other shapes flitted into action, separating the crowd and moving them back, even themselves.

Lily was aware, in the alive and awake part deep inside, that the very first person who had touched her was still hovering nervously close by, and the first tall shape was now slowly and quietly lowering himself onto his haunches in front of her, almost as if afraid she would be frightened off.

Potter. She knew him, he was someone who irritated her, but she still knew him, and in the frightened uncertainty that surrounded her with darkness he was the small flicker of light. He was saying something, but she couldn't make out what. Her frightened eyes were flitting around the room, alighting anywhere for no more than two seconds before moving on. Her rocking had slowed a little, but she was still humming.

Suddenly a loud crack of laughter sounded to the one side, and Lily felt her body jerk and heard an odd whimper before realizing it came out of her mouth. With a muffled oath, the boy named Potter reached down and gently – ever so very gently – lifted her up into his arms.

At first, her body stiffened, and her breathing hitched and started coming very fast, in, out, in, out… her saner part, locked somewhere away, knew she was going to have a panic attack. She felt trapped. Her eyes frantically shot around, anywhere but at the person trying not to drop her as she fought like a wildcat, with her wild breathing scaring everyone.

"Lily"

the word was said softly, gently, but it calmed her immediately. Her eyes flitted once more, like a moth flitting round a light, and locked onto his with an echo several people later swore they felt. Her twisting, frightened body stilled in his arms, and her breathing slowed to an uneven hitch.

Keeping eye contact with Lily Evans, and feeling as if his heart was about to break, James Potter slowly made his way across the common room and up to the dorm room. The room was completely silent, and without looking back to check he somehow knew that Remus and Sirius and Peter were both clearing the way ahead and making sure the inquisitive and self-righteous students wouldn't make any loud noises to shock Lily again.

He sighed, barely perceptibly, and tightened his grip on her slightly, now going carefully up the stairs, the Gryffindor Common Room watching in silence as the most sought-after boy in the school carried the broken girl up the stairs as if she was fragile and made of crystal.

So… what are the feelings on my story?? Worth waiting another week for an update?? Hopefully so…

Now tell me what you think … cookies for anyone who reviews!! :o)

TSB