I have another James/Lily fanfic to update so obviously I get distracted by new story ideas. I don't own anything. Happy reading and be sure to check out my other stories!
-ninjanervana
Why she thought it was a good idea to go wandering the school grounds at night, she would never understand. Lily was sure she was abusing her power as Head Girl; at the very least, she was breaking at least two or three rules. But she couldn't resist the urge to leave the castle. She couldn't explain it to herself, but she knew she had to go. Maybe it was the draw of the bright half moon or the stars that twinkled in the night sky. Maybe it was the weather, the first warmth of spring finally chipping away at the bitter cold of winter. Whatever it was, at two in the morning, Lily was slipping on her sneakers and pulling her cloak over her flannel pajamas before sneaking out of the Heads' dormitory.
A small smile crossed her lips as she passed the door to the Head Boy's room. Sneaking out in the middle of the night seemed more like something James Potter would do, not Lily Evans. For a wild moment, she thought about waking him, inviting him along for her spontaneous adventure. They had become friends, close friends over the past few months working together. Some days she was sure what she felt for James was more than friendship, but she wasn't sure she was ready to tell him yet. She brushed the idea of waking him away after a minute; waking the bloke at two in the morning, he'd definitely think she'd lost it. With a half regretful sigh, she silently snuck out of the dorm.
She was out of the castle faster than she thought possible, thanking her lucky stars she wasn't caught by Filch or Mrs. Norris. There was no way she'd be able to talk herself out of that situation. It was colder than she anticipated, the wind whipping her cloak around her legs as she stepped out of the castle. 'Should have worn a jumper,' she thought fleetingly as she walked around the castle slowly, tugging her cloak tight against her body.
The normally bright and vibrant grounds were severely darkened, a large cloud slowly passing over the half moon. The muted moonlight and scattered light of the stars was just enough for her to see a few feet in front of her, but not much further than that. The trees of the Forbidden Forest cast long shadows over the grounds, the bare branches reaching toward the dark sky. "Probably not my best idea," she murmured nervously as she paused, staring at the forest. She was always fascinated by the Forbidden Forest, despite the multiple warnings from the Headmaster and various professors. She had never ventured into it, but she always drawn to it. She took one step, then another toward the forest before shaking her head. Having an adventure was all fine and dandy, but going into the Forbidden Forest alone at night was madness. She could quite easily get lost in there all night.
'Get a hold of yourself, Evans,' she thought as she continued walking along the side of the castle. She had only made it a few steps when a bloodcurdling scream ripped through the night air, making Lily stumble in her steps. She whipped out her wand, uncaring about who may see the illuminated tip as she looked around. The scream chilled her blood; it was the scream of someone in agony, filled with pain and fear. Her wand shook in her hand as she spun around, trying to find the source of the scream. It seemed to be coming from the forest, but where in the forest?
She was on the verge of heading back to castle and alerting a professor -consequences be damned- when the scream filled air again, this time twice as terrifying as she recognized the scream. "James!" she shouted as she sprinted toward the forest, all sense of calm and caution forgotten as overwhelming fear took over. Her feet pounded into the ground as she sprinted across the lawn toward the forest, wishing not for the first time that you could apparate on the grounds of Hogwarts. She burst into the thick foliage of the trees, disregarding the whipping stems and leaves as she forced herself toward the sound of the screaming.
"James, I'm coming!" she shouted as the screams suddenly cut off. "James! James, where are you!" she called, her voice cracking from fear and panic.
James sat beside Lily's hospital bed, her right hand clasped in both of his, his eyes locked on her face. The rays of the setting sun shone through the tall windows, brightening the west side of the Hospital Wing. "Lily," he murmured, kissing her knuckles lightly. "Lily, wake up please." He had been sitting beside the bed since early afternoon, waiting for Lily to wake up or move or do anything to quell the raging panic in his chest. He could hardly believe it had been just that morning that Lily had been talking to him, laughing with the Marauders, answering every question correctly in class. With her so pale and still against the bed sheets, it felt like a lifetime ago.
It was no secret that Lily was the top of their Potions class. Slughorn constantly praised her potions: their potency, the speediness of her brewing, her clever shortcuts. Lily never let his praise go to her head, but James was always proud of her. She took a lot of crap for being a muggle-born, but no one with half a brain could say she lacked magical talent. She could cast circles around the purebloods in their class; she was top of nearly every class. Of course her skill caused a fair bit of jealousy among the purebloods, but James always considered that their problem, not hers. Until they made it hers and thereby made it his.
If he hadn't been watching Lily, he would have missed everything. Things happened so quickly; there was nothing James could do besides stare in horror and retaliate. Lily stood across from him, a little smile on her lips as she stirred her potion. Of course she'd be smiling; her potion was coming out perfectly, blue swirls rising from the cauldron. James's potion, on the other head, looked like toxic sludge someone dragged out of the Black Lake. Sirius glanced into his cauldron, barely stifling a snicker. His potion was by no means correct, but it looked a fair bit better than James's.
"Maybe you should ask Evans for some help, mate," Sirius chuckled in amusement. "Slughorn will fail you and make you re-do the potion."
James shot him a dirty look as he stirred his potion. "Well at least you'll be joining me to remake it," he retorted. He really didn't want to re-do the potion; he had enough work to do with Heads duties and Quidditch practice. Not to mention all of the schoolwork he had for his other classes. And if there was anyone who could save his mess, it would be Lily. Shaking his head, he looked up at Lily, a grin spreading across his face as he saw her watching him.
"What do you know, miracles do happen," Sirius muttered beside him.
James elbowed Sirius lightly, his eyes never leaving Lily as she began to blush and avert her eyes. "Hey Lil, do you think you can help me with my potion? I've mucked it up a bit."
Sirius laughed loudly, "That's an understatement."
"Padfoot, shut up," he hissed. "Or I'll shove you in my cauldron and we'll see what the potion does."
Lily laughed as she looked over at the pair, drawing James's attention again. "What's wrong with it?" she asked. "Maybe we can salvage it."
"I think I may have added too many pixie wings," James admitted sheepishly. "I was talking to Padfoot while I counted."
"You know you have to pay attention to those things," she chastised lightly. "But I think we can try to save it."
James was sure the next few seconds took a few years off his life. He saw one of the Slytherin boys -why the Snakes had to share the same Potions class with them, he never understood- toss something into Lily's cauldron, her head snapping toward him to tell him off, her wand drawn. As she scolded the Slytherin boy, Lily's potion began bubbling rapidly before exploding out of the cauldron. James's shield charm was a moment too late to fully protect Lily, keeping the potion from her face and torso but the liquid still coated her arms.
The dungeon was absolute chaos after that moment. Lily cried out in agony before dropping to the ground, her body limp as her bright green eyes rolled back in her head. Sirius had drawn his wand the moment James had, had watched the events with the same horrified expression James wore. He threw the Slytherin boy against the stonewall with a flick of his wand, ready to take on the other Slytherins who had drawn their wands. Remus, Peter, and several other Gryffindors moved forward to support Sirius as the Slytherins began to duel with them, hexes and jinxes flying across the classroom despite the repeated shouts of Professor Slughorn.
James would have loved to join the duels, to embrace the anger that boiled within his veins at the attack, but all he could focus on was Lily. Lily, laying limp against the floor. Lily, not moving as he shouted her name. Lily, not stirring despite the noise filling the dungeon. He crawled across the floor, dodging between cauldrons and flying curses. "Lily," he called as he reached her side, his voice tinged with panic. "Lily, open your eyes for me." He shook her shoulder gently, gaining no response from her. "Fuck, Lily, wake up!"
"Prongs!" Sirius called from beside him, fending off the hexes that were sent toward them. "Is she alright?"
James shook his head, carefully gathering Lily in his arms. He was shocked by the heat radiating off her body, nearly dropping her in his surprise. 'Merlin, Lily, what have they done to you?' he thought fearfully. "I've gotta get her to the hospital wing," he replied roughly.
Sirius nodded grimly, keeping his back to James to protect him. "Go, I've got your backs. Get her to Pomfrey," he said worriedly. "We'll handle it."
"Thanks, Padfoot," James replied, heading toward the dungeon doors.
"Lily! Lily, run!" James shouted, his voice cracking from pain.
A high-pitched laugh filled the air as James screamed in agony, raising the hairs on her arms. "Run, Lily Evans, run," the woman's voice taunted. "Run if you can and leave Potter here with us! We'll take good care of him, mudblood."
"You leave him alone!" Lily shouted angrily into the darkness, trying to pinpoint where the voices came from. The woman's laughter echoed among the trees as she spun around, her wand held high as she tried to control her growing panic. She needed to keep a level head if she was going to find James and get them out of this mess.
"I can help you find him," the woman's voice cackled before James's screams began again. "I wonder how long he can last under the Cruciatus before he loses his mind. Or dies."
Lily ran in the direction of the screams, her heart pounding in her chest as if it would escape her. Her desperation to reach him doubled at the thought of him under the Cruciatus curse, writhing in pain. Sweat clung to the back of her neck as she ran, her muscles burning with exertion. She burst into a small clearing lit by floating orbs of light, panting hard as she tried to catch her breath. Her eyes scanned the area, barely taking note of the three masked figures as her eyes landed on James.
"James," Lily gasped, her hands shaking. James laid face down in the dirt, his hands bound tightly behind him. He wore the same jumper and jeans she had seen him in earlier that day, but the clothes was noticeably torn and dirty. His face was bruised, his left eye swollen and black, drops of blood running down the side of his face from a gash on his temple. Even though several yards separated them, she could hear his ragged breathing, the way he struggled to draw air into his lungs. He needed help desperately.
"Lily," James rasped, raising his head to look at her. One lens of his glasses was cracked, the other lens missing. She could clearly read the fear and pain in his eyes, but also his fierce protectiveness. "Lily, run! Get out of here!"
She shook her head, her hair spilling free from her cloak. "I'm not leaving without you," she answered, her voice shaking.
The masked woman laughed, pressing her boot into James's back, making him groan. "How sweet, the mudblood come to save the blood traitor," she sneered.
"Stupefy!" Lily shouted, her wand pointed at the woman. Her eyes widened in horror as the spell rebounded off an invisible barrier, shattering a tree as it struck. 'Oh Merlin, no,' she thought desperately. 'No, no, no!'
"Stupid little mudblood," the woman cackled triumphantly as she twirled her wand between her fingers. "Did you think we'd let you get close enough to touch us? We only want you to be close enough to watch the blood traitor suffer. Then we'll take care of you."
"Let him go right now!" Lily yelled, her mind spinning as she tried to formulate a plan. She had never come up against such a strong, sustained shield charm; how in Merlin's name was she supposed to get past it.
"Let him go right now," the woman mocked, pressing her foot more harshly into James's back. She tapped the tip of her wand against her lips before turning it toward James. "You can have him when I'm through with him. CRUCIO!"
James was on the verge of sleep, Lily's hand still held gently in his, when he heard the first sound Lily had made since Potions. Had he not been so focused on Lily all afternoon, he may have missed the faint whimper that passed her lips. The Hospital Wing was dark, the only light in the room coming from the candles lit along the wall. "Lily," he called gently, brushing the back of his hand against her too warm cheeks. Her body still radiated heat from her fever, her skin worryingly warm. Madam Pomfrey had given her a potion to treat the burns, but said the fever would have to break on its own. "Lily?"
Another whimper left Lily's lips as her expression changed from the relaxed expression of a dreamless sleep to one of distress. Her hands clenched weakly by her sides, squeezing James's hand lightly, as she shifted on the bed.
"Shh, it's alright, Lily," he crooned as he brushed the hair from her face, trying to soothe her. "I'm here; you're alright now, love." James continued talking and stroking her hair gently, becoming worried as her expression grew more distressed. Part of him wanted to go get Madam Pomfrey, but he didn't want to leave Lily alone in her state.
"James," she whimpered as he prepared to stand up, tears slowly running down her cheeks. She shifted restlessly against the sheets, her grip on his hand tightening. "James."
He brushed away her tears gently, frowning. He was somewhat pleased that she was dreaming of him, but clearly it wasn't a pleasant dream. "I'm here, Lily. I'm here; I won't leave," he murmured, kissing her knuckles lightly. "Don't be scared, Lily. Don't cry."
Lily sat up with a gasp suddenly, startling James so much he almost fell off his chair. "James? James?" she choked out, her tears coming faster as her fever-bright eyes landed on him. Her hands trembled as she raised them hesitantly to him.
"It's me; I'm here," James assured her, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. "It's alright now; I'm here." He pressed her hands against his cheeks, kissing the inside of her wrists lightly.
The moment James pressed Lily's hands against his face, Lily burst into tears, relief and terror washing through her. She leaned against his body, her face pressed into his chest as her sobs shook her tired frame. She could still hear his pain-filled screams echoing through her head, still feel the solidness of the barrier as she pounded her fists against it, screaming for him. To see him whole in front of her, no sign of the harm that was done to him, it overwhelmed her already strained body.
James was shocked by Lily's sudden tears, wasting no time in gathering her onto his lap, his arms wrapped tight around her. "It's alright, it's alright now," he crooned, rocking her gently as he smoothed her hair. "Everything's okay now. You're alright and I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."
"I-I thought you were going t-to die," she choked out between her sobs, her words half muffled against his chest. Her hands fisted the front of his school shirt as her tears soaked the material.
"Die?" he said in confusion. "I'm fine; it's you I've been worried about all day. Why would I die?"
"I s-saw you," Lily cried, her voice cracking as the images of her nightmare flashed through her mind. "They were t-torturing you with the Cru-Cruciatus curse and you were screaming and in p-pain. I couldn't, I c-couldn't get to you."
A chill went down James's spine at the mention of the Cruciatus curse. They had studied the Unforgivable curses in Defense against the Dark Arts and knew exactly why they were unforgivable. To see the curse used on someone, even if it was only in a dream, seemed terrifying. "I'm alright," he assured her, brushing his lips against her forehead. "It was just a nightmare; the fever is causing it. It's not real."
It took Lily quite some time to calm down, struggling to focus on James rocking her and the quiet assurances he whispered to her. By the time her tears finally ceased, the front of his shirt was soaked and she was positive her makeup was ruined. She leaned into his body tiredly, her eyes closing as she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Better?" James murmured, gently running one hand through Lily's red hair, while the other remained wrapped around her waist.
Lily nodded, closing her eyes as she pressed her face against his neck. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you," she answered tiredly, a soft sigh leaving her lips.
James's eyes widened in surprise, his hand pausing its movement momentarily. He knew how he felt toward Lily; hell, the whole bloody school knew how he felt toward Lily. Even if he stopped asking her out, he still fancied the hell out of her. But what she felt toward him, well that was his life's biggest mystery. Sure, they were mates, but that didn't seem like a comment mates would make. "I'm sure you'd be alright," he answered quietly, his palm resting lightly against her forehead. Warm, but definitely not as hot as she had been earlier.
"No, no, I wouldn't be," Lily replied, raising her head to look up at him. "James, if something happened to you, I'd never be okay again. I need you to know that, alright?"
He nodded in agreement, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I know now," James murmured.
"I should have told you sooner," Lily said, her eyelids drooping with exhaustion. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. Better late than never," he assured her as he shifted her in his arms. He carefully laid her back on the bed, brushing the hair from her eyes before covering her with the blanket. "Go back to sleep, love; you've got to sleep off the fever."
Lily tugged at his hand gently as she struggled to stay awake. "Lay with me?" she requested quietly. "You'll keep the nightmares away."
James looked down at her, his heart pounding in his chest at her words. "You sure?" he questioned. When she nodded, he sat on the edge of her bed, removing his shoes and tie before sliding beneath the blankets beside her. He was surprised when she shifted closer to him, her head resting on his shoulder and her hand resting lightly on his chest. He kissed the top of her head as he removed his glasses, setting them on the bedside table. "Go to sleep, love; I'm here now," he crooned.
Her eyes closed slowly as she relaxed into his warm body, her breathing starting to deepen. "I need you, James," she mumbled sleepily. "I need you to know that."
"I do know," he whispered as she fell asleep. "I need you too, Lily."
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