A promise

James potter awoke from yet another nightmare. This time Lily had been lying in a huge white room. Half her face had been mauled off by some creature and her breath had been leaving her. "It's only a dream James" He told himself firmly but a feeling of doubt consumed him and he couldn't stop himself from checking her. "This isn't creepy lots of boyfriends do this right?" James asked himself, but the problem was Lily and James weren't going out. As he and Lily were head students together they shared a common room away from the other students. He caught sight of himself in the mirror, he looked terrible, his face was pale and he looked as if he would throw up at any moment. James sighed and continued into her room.

He moved over to her bed and looked through the curtains. She lay there as perfect as ever with her beautiful red hair falling across her body. James let a tear escape his eyes. "I won't let anything happen to you Lily" James whispered "I will protect you Lily, I promise." Before James could stop himself he had broken down into sobs. Lily stirred and James tried to quiet himself but Lily was already awake. James was terrified, terrified that Lily would face the same fate his parents or her parents had. What if that did happen? James knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself if anything happened to her.

Lily sat upright in her bed and James' knew that he must have looked like a complete mess. His eyes were probably puffy and he could feel that tears were streaming hi face "James?" Lily whispered. Lily pulled his hand to make him sit down on the bed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and James' felt his body relax at her touch. James put his head on her shoulder and his arms around her waist. In any other situation James would have loved the position they were in. They stayed like that for some time; Lily didn't want to ask why he was crying because she knew he would tell her when he was ready. Lily pulled away from him and looked into his eyes, "Okay, okay I'll tell you" James sighed. James didn't answer straight away, he felt slightly ashamed, Lily always said she didn't need help to do anything and 'protecting' was very much the same thing "I - I had a nightmare" he whispered "of you, you were lying down in a room and it looked like half your face had been mauled of by a creature. Your life was leaving and there was nothing I could do but sit and watch. I've had these dreams ever since…" but James trailed off cursing himself for bringing up the holidays. Lily had looked at him in the eyes whilst he had been explaining his nightmare, but now she looked down at her hand. James knew Lily was thinking about the past holidays and how Lily and Petunia had been out. Once the arrived home Lily had said that she had seen the dark mark above her house. She knew then and there what had happened. It had taken a few months for Lily to come to terms with what had happened and Lily had told James that it had been him that had kept her living instead of giving up. Lily turned her face up to look at James "Why did you keep going after me, even when I rejected you? What makes me different from any of the other girls at this school? All of the other girls in school fall at your feet? Am I just a challenge? Would I just be a prize to you?" She asked her voice barely audible "A prize? You think that I think you're a prize. Lily Evans you really think that all you are to me is a prize, a prize, never. You made me become a better person. You made me mature. I would do anything for you Lily. You're my light, you're the only one who can make me smile when it seems that the world is all darkness. I know this sounds corny but you whenever you smile its lights up my world" James paused "Lily I - I love you. We've become really close during this year and I know you said that we should 'just be friends' but I could never just be friends with you because I'd always want mo..." "Stop" Lily cut in.

James was taken back, he hadn't meant to say he loved her, it had just come. Lily looked into James' eyes again "You don't need to say anymore because James... I love you too"

Her face inched forward and before James knew it he was kissing Lily Evans. It was a quick kiss but the kiss was filled with promise.

They laid down together on Lily's bed, her head lying across James' bare chest. "It was always you James; you're the only one that can make me smile when I'm sad. The only one to give me butterflies in my stomach. I've known for a while now it just took some time to figure out. I love you James and I don't ever want to leave you" "I love you Lily, and no matter what I will always be right next to you, I promise." James and Lily fell asleep in one another's arms and this was first of many times that they would do this.

A.N – This is my first story, I'll be writing another story in the same style as this but It will be longer and be set just after graduation. Please review it would mean so much to me.