Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to DanceDiva. Thank you for being such an amazing reviewer. You make me want to write better and more often. Thank you. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Also, I realized that this chapter is really short. But the next one will make up for it.

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Chapter Four: Empty Footsteps

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Depth of friendship does not depend on length of acquaintance.

Rabindranath Tagore

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I woke to find the boys right were I had left them. Except, instead of joking about Quidditch and the female population of Hogwarts, they were completely unconscious. Sirius had a bit of drool escaping his mouth and James was curled into what appeared to be an extremely uncomfortable position at the bottom of the bed. His knees were pressed against his chest and his head was leaning against the metal railing of the bed. I winced, he was going to hate me in the morning.

I glanced at the clock. Four thirty a.m. Almost a full night's sleep. I thought about waking the boys, but decided against it. Sleep was hard to come by and they needed their rest. I took a sip of water from my nightstand and settled back into bed.

The hospital was quiet. Quieter than I'd ever heard it. The only noise that reached my ears was the slow breathing of the two boys in my bed and the steady whirl of something just outside my room. I listened closely to the noise, but couldn't place it. It was unfamiliar, but comforting and I closed my eyes.

I felt the familiar calm of a dream begin to overtake me when I heard it.

The sound of a footstep down the hall. My eyes flashed open. My heart started pounding against my chest.

I told myself that it was just a nurse. Just a Mediwitch. But it didn't matter, didn't help. My body refused to pay attention to my brain. My heart was pounding out a harsh rhythm trying to break free. I strained my ears to hear above the steady whirling outside and the soft breath of Sirius and James.

For what felt like hours, I listened for another footstep and heard nothing. My heart slowly stopped racing. The muscles in my back began to relax. The breath I'd been holding escaped. And I closed my eyes.

Then I heard it again. The empty sound of a foot hitting marble. A hollow sound, one that sent a chill racing down my spine.

I shot up, sitting straight. My back as rigid as the headboard behind me. I cocked my head to the side, listening. My mind raced. I repeated to myself that it was nothing. It was just a hospital worker. I was being irrational. But my body wouldn't listen. My fist was clenched around my wand, held firmly by my side. The footsteps were steady now. Coming towards my room.

My door was closed. Who ever it was would have to open the door to come in. That was a comforting thought. Or they could just blow it off its hinges. Not so comforting. I held my breath, listening. Click. Click. Click. Nearer and nearer.

My hand was shaking from grasping the wand so tightly.

Images of the Hall flashed through my mind as the footsteps came closer. The feeling of long bony fingers wrapped tightly against my throat. The feeling of gasping for air as the world dimmed around me. The way my skin crawled as he drew his hand slowly down my side, his eyes smirking, leering.

And I remembered that they had escaped. All of them. The Ministry had no idea who they were. No idea where they were. Death Eaters could work at the hospital. They could go to Hogwarts. The man with the cool blue eyes and the long fingers could be slowly walking down the hall, looking for room 318.

My body began to shake. With anger or fear, I don't know. The footsteps were just a few doors away now. He was coming closer.

I tried to think of a plan. What I would do if the door opened. If I saw the smooth white of a mask or the clear depths of those blue eyes. But my mind wouldn't focus. I couldn't think of a plan. Couldn't rein my mind in from the panic. All I could do was grasp my wand and listen to the sound of the footsteps as they neared my door.

And there they were. The noise clearer than ever, just outside my door. He paused and I raised my wand. Preparing for a fight. I didn't wake the boys. I don't know why. Nothing I was doing was rational. I was working off of pure fear. Instinct and Adrenalin.

I held my breath. My mind silent for the first time since I heard the click of a shoe against marble. And I waited.

I waited for a noise. For a single sound. For a clue to who was outside my door.

There was no noise. No sound. No clue. The silence seemed to stretch on into an abyss.

There was nothing but me and that man outside that thin piece of wood. The only thing that separated me from whatever stood outside my door was an inch of oak. An inch.

The man stood outside. Silent. Waiting. I could do nothing but listen for the slightest noise and watch for the door handle to move. To twitch.

The constant whirl and the slow breath of Sirius were deafening. I didn't move. I didn't breath. I could do nothing but sit and wait for a noise. Wait for a sign.

And then I heard it. A footstep. My body jerked at the noise. A footstep walking away. The click, click, click growing fainter as the person walked slowly down the hall. Away from my room. Away from me.

I had overreacted. More than that, I'd come close to having a panic attack. Or hexing a perfect stranger.

I placed my wand onto the table, my hand still shaking. But now it was from anger. Anger at myself. I slowly lowered my head into my hands and ran my fingers through my hair.

I gave a harsh sigh and felt tears prickling at the back of my eyes. My body was shaking and I was furious at myself. For being so terrified at nothing.

It was probably a healer checking my chart. Or another patient who couldn't sleep and who had gone for a walk and needed a break outside my door.

My back was tight with anxiety and my breathing was raged. I collapsed into the bed and shoved my face into the pillow and screamed. The muffled sound did nothing to release the tension flowing through my stiff body.

James opened his eyes at the end of the bed. His wild hair stuck up in every direction and he couldn't quite keep his eyes open. "You okay, Lils?" His voice was filled with concern, "Cause I can get up if you need me to."

"No," I said, faking a smile. He looked so cute and tired at the edge of the bed, I couldn't bring myself to disturb him. "I'm fine. Go back to sleep."

"Okay," and his eyes were closed before his head hit the bed.

But I wasn't fine. Far from it. And I knew it would be a long time until I was anywhere near fine again. I was scared. About the future. About the past.

I was not fine. The sound of footsteps sent me into a panic. The white ceiling conjured up images of Death Eaters. Looking at my own eyes in the mirror reminded me of the Killing Curse. I was not fine. No where near it.

James jerked up in bed again. His hair wild and his shirt rumpled. "Are you sure you're okay? Because it's okay if your not." His eyes were barely open, but I knew he was awake. I knew he was completely sincere.

The concern in his half open eyes slowed my still racing heartbeat and relaxed the tight muscles in my back.

I smiled a ghost of a smile at him. I didn't want to lie to James. To his honest eyes. So all I said was, "Thanks You." I settled back into the bed and closed my eyes. And I felt the weight at the end of the bed shift and I knew he had returned to his uncomfortable position.

I might not be fine. In fact, I might be broken. But at least I had two boys who would be there no matter what. It was a new feeling. To know that I had people who would do anything for me. Who were watching out for me.

I had spent less that a day with Sirius and James. Less than a day. And most of that time had been spent asleep or unconscious. And yet I already felt closer to them than anyone in the entire world.

I had never had someone I could count on completely. It was a strange, unfamiliar feeling. I liked it.

"Night Lils," James mumbled through his pillow. It was the last thing I heard as I drifted slowly to sleep. The worries of moments ago had disappeared. They had been consumed by the feeling of absolute trust I felt for the two boys sleeping next to me.

TBC.

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Author's Note: Once again I realized it is really short. The next chapter will be long enough to make up for it. I promise. I hope you liked this chapter. I don't know if I'm happy with it or not. Please review and tell me what you think.