Disclaimer- I wish desperately for it to be true… but sadly it is not I who owns the wonderful masterpiece that is the Harry Potter Books. (How's my Austen-speak?)

Chapter 4- Someone to Share the Pain

P.O.V. – No one

It was dark when James woke up that morning. Or night, he wasn't sure. He checked the muggle alarm clock on his beside table. 4:36. He sighed. The last few nights had been the same. Go to bed, suffer through the nightmares, and wake up, surrounded by darkness. He sighed and flopped onto his four-poster, and punched his pillow, to make it more comfortable. For what seemed like an eternity he lie there and listened to his doormats sleep.

Sirius- snoring elegantly, if that was even possible. That was just like Padfoot, to make something undignified and turn it around.

Remus- quietly sleeping, not making a noise.

James sighed once more, wishing he could be like his friends, blissfully sleeping, dreaming of only good things. But that wasn't James' destiny, apparently. (Curse you Wizard God) He had woken from a fitful sleep, full of nightmares and empty hospital beds…and those three words, "I'm so sorry…"

He hadn't gotten any more owls about his father since the one that had put him off from classes for a week. He dreaded when the second and last letter would come…bringing what he knew was coming. James tried to rid his head of these thoughts, but they held on firmly, refusing to slip into the depths of his unconscious. If there was no point in trying to sleep, he might as well do something productive.

James had been studying to the point of it being unhealthy lately. Everyone guessed it was to take his mind off all that was going on, and that was true. James' only way of relaxing used to be pranking other students. But he had decided to quit that. Evan's reaction to his pranks wasn't exactly helping their relationship. This is why James turned to his only other sanctuary. School. Non-stop studying. If people (With incredulous looks on their faces) asked what he was doing, he would answer,

"Well the O. are coming up, and I have to prepare." But no one believed him. James Potter, prepare? For an exam five months away? No, Evans would do that. In fact she would probably prepare seven months in advance. But not James Potter. Unless someone switched him and Evan's twin overnight. Then possibly. But not if this was the genuine James Potter. But it was. Which is why this occurrence shocked people so much.

James crept down the stairs, to the common room. To his surprise he found another figure in there as well, flipping anxiously through papers and huge stacks of books. Once James got closer, he recognized the figure to be none other then Lily Evans. She looked behind her in surprise. James expected her face to become contorted with annoyance, but was startled to see not annoyance, but a soft look on her face, something like understanding…even empathy. Wait. Lily Evans feeling empathy for James Potter? Someone mark the date and time. But it was true. At that moment, Lily was startled with herself as well.

"Whoa…are you alright, Lily? That is James Potter y'know!" An angry voice shouted in her head. But a softer, calmer force in her head drowned it out. This force kept replaying James' look when he got that horrible letter…

"James, what are you doing down her at this time?" She asked. Both of them where surprised at her tone.

"Couldn't sleep…" James mumbled, curling up into an armchair. She nodded.

"Same here." She turned back to her papers, and continued rummaging through them. James looked on curiously.

"What are you doing?" He asked. He waited for her to blow up and start saying how it was no of his business and he should go and leave forever… and…never want to see you…

"Looking up something for the Potions project. What are you going to do?"

Caught by surprise, James couldn't answer. He just shrugged after awhile.

"Oh. Hope your nightmares stop after awhile, James." She told him. Wait? How did she know he was having nightmares?

"How did you know?" He asked softly. She smiled sadly.

"My mum died of cancer when I was seven," Lily replied, just as softly. "I figured that you were going through the same cycle." She looked him in the eye, the hurriedly returned to her notes. A hush descended on the room.

"I'm so sorry, Lily." James said, breaking the silence.

He stood up from the armchair and walked to the table. Lily looked up in surprise as her sat down next to her, and started to sort through her notes.

"What are you looking for?" he asked, looking into her emerald eyes.

"Elemental poisons," She whispered to him, meeting his hazel eyes.

They broke the eye contact embarrassedly, and both shuffled through more notes. They went on like this for a while, each wondering what caused this miraculous phenomenon. Finally Lily broke the silence, which shattered immediately.

"Here!" She pointed to a batch of notes James had just handed her.

"Elemental Poisons: Elemental Poisons are poisons that are nothing but themselves, and can't be broken down. Elemental Poisons are often extremely difficult to cure, because they require an Elemental Cure (pg. 76, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi) to alleviate them. There are only a few known Elemental Poisons. (Find a list on pg. 89, One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi) The most deadly is the venom found in Basilisk Fangs. Basilisk Venom is a pale green, gaseous liquid. (Looks similar to essence of dragonroot) The only known cure of this poison is phoenix tears, which is equally rare as it's opposite, basilisk venom."

"My poison is basilisk venom!" Lily gasped. "Why would Slughorn even have basilisk venom? I hope he does know that it's illegal. " She asked. James smiled. Same old Lily.

"I dunno." He replied. She sighed.

"Well, at least I know what my poison is now." She told him. He nodded. She noticed how broken his eyes looked. The she did something very unexpected. She threw her arms around him.

"Thank you so much, James. For helping me. And I just want to tell you that I am sorry for how mean I've been. You know, your pranks are actually quite funny." She told him into his sweater. Then she unwrapped her arms from around him and told him, " James Potter, I would like to ask you to be my friend." She looked up at him. James was wearing a very shocked expression.

Then finally, "Lily, I would very much like to be your friend." The he gave her a smile. One of his first real James smiles in two weeks.

Lily leaned over to him, though. She still saw how the sadness was engulfing him, and it reminded her of when her mother died. Then Lily Evans decided that she was going to help him through this. She remembered how she felt, with no one to pour it out to after the shock. Not her Dad, who was almost dead with grief. Not her sister, who somehow blamed her for the tragedy. She wouldn't let that happen to someone else. So she took a huge leap into a territory she never thought she would push her small toe in, much less bound into. James Potter's emotions.

"I know that I'm probably the last person you want to talk to about your father, but I want you to know that I am here, ok? If you need someone to talk to you can come to me." She told him. She waited anxiously for his response, hoping he wouldn't tell her to leave him alone. After a bit he looked up from his gaze at the fire blazing in the grate, and met her green eyes.

"Thank you, Lily." He said in a soft voice. "I will."

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