Disclaimer: I just type this out of habit now. If I was JK Rowling, you might have figured it out.

Note: The basic situation and words of the last couple paragraphs was not from my brain, but in fact from the Snape/Hermione fanfiction called "Requiem for a Dream" by Lizard23. I greatly recommend reading it. :D

Chapter 14

When James had escaped the determined clutches of his fanclub in the Gryffindor Common Room, he entered the Marauder's dormitory to witness a strange scene. Sirius was holding an open Marauder's Map above the frustrated heads of Moony and Wormtail. The latter two were nearly as determined as James' fanclub and Sirius was using his height advantage to its full extent. Remus could nearly reach the Map, but Peter's attempts were useless as his fingertips barely reached Padfoot's raised elbow. Despite Sirius' advantage, the two were slowly backing him onto a bed where he would doubtlessly be forced to surrender or make a daring escape.

"Prongs! They are using unnecessary force to claim the Noble Map!" Sirius said in desperation, backing up closer to the bed as Remus made a particularly high jump.

"He—is—taking advantage! Of—height!" panted Remus in between leaps.

"I know I may be alone in the thought that this is not normal, but is there a reason you three are fighting for possession of the Map?"

At his comment, they all paused and turned to look at him, except for Peter who was still making fruitless attempts at reaching Sirius' raised wrist.

James used this momentary lapse in idiocy to grab said Map and flung himself on his four-poster with three angered Marauders in tow.

"Now," James said, holding the Map out of reach of any still-determined resistors, "What is so suddenly important that you must all view this Map?"

Sirius spoke first. "I was using it to track the migrations of a group of sixth year Ravenclaw girls for my own benefit, and I noticed you and Evans entering the castle and McGonagall finding you and then the both of you heading to Dumbledore's office and by then, these two—" He gestured to Remus and Peter, "—had noticed my unusual interest in the Map and demanded to see it."

Remus scowled. Peter was still panting from so much exercise.

Sirius continued. "Now that you are here to explain your actions, I demand to know what is going on and why Evans went to Dumbledore's office. I've ruled out Head Boy and Head Girl duties, because then it would've been the both of you. Now cough it up."

James raised an eyebrow at the seemingly insane group of seventeen-year-olds. "So you were all three putting up a fight of this caliber simply to watch where Lily and I were going?"

They all nodded vigorously.

"Fine. If you must know, Ol' McG stopped us on the way to the Common Room and said Lily was needed in the Headmaster's office, so I accompanied the Fair Maiden on her journey and then returned here."

They all blinked at him. Then Sirius spoke up. "So then why is Evans out by the lake?"

"What?" James held the Map up to his face and searched for the Lake. When he spotted it, the dot labeled Lily Evans was close to the shore, not moving. "What the hell is she doing out there this late?"

"That's what we were going to ask you!" said Remus, rolling his eyes.

Before they could get an answer out of him, or he an answer out of them, James ran out of the dormitory so quickly that by the time the door slammed shut, their hair was still being lifted by the current of air. Moony quickly tackled Padfoot.

James was running so fast that even his fanclub of squealing third year girls (and a couple boys) couldn't stop him on his way out of the Common Room. He scrambled out of the Portrait Hole and down the flights of steps. He passed a conveniently-located group of Slytherins in the Entrance Hall and a first year on the edges of the group was knocked sideways by his sudden appearance, then disappearance out the Doors. He descended the front steps and tore his way towards the Lake through the freezing wind and snowfall.

Lily was numb. She couldn't feel her shaking limbs and didn't care that a majority of her was either blue or raw from the ice. Tear tracks stood frozen on her unfeeling cheeks and she was chilled to the bone with cold. She was huddled in a pathetic heap in the darkness at the edge of the Lake, and she didn't care what happened to her. Let me freeze, she thought, just let me freeze . . .

And then she was lifted up in warm, strong, and gentle arms, and she no longer wanted to waste away. The arms cradled her and tucked her close in to an equally warm body that made her forget her worries, and she leaned in to the touch. Here in the comfort of another, she didn't know and didn't care who it was, and the tears and sobs came forth and racked her body with grief. Lily didn't know how long she stayed like this, but by the time her body was too exhausted to sob anymore, she looked up into the face of her comforter and was not surprised to see the worried features of James Potter. She knew she ought to explain herself, but words wouldn't come.

"Let's get you inside."

His voice was sincere, and gentle as the rest of him. She nodded and he picked her up from the ground in his wonderful arms and carried her back up to the Castle. She buried her face in his warm scarf and robes and placed a shaking hand on his chest. She didn't know how or why he knew where she had been, but it was worth it to be here being taken care of by him.

Lily heard people whispering in the Entrance Hall as they whipped by, but she was too half-grief-stricken, half-content to care. He ascended the steps and made the long journey up to the Marauder's dormitory in Gryffindor Tower and deposited her on his bed. He hastily removed her shoes, socks, and outer robes, then cast a warming spell and tucked soft sheets up to her chin. She could feel a heavy, warm blanket being lain on top of the sheets and hear James shooing the other three Marauders out of the room. She silently thanked the heavens that he had saved her.

He came back to her side and brushed her hair from her face. Lily whispered, "Thank you."

James look confused and his hazel eyes met her green ones.

"You came for me," she said, then sleep's calling became too much to resist and her eyes fluttered closed. Lily's consciousness faded away with a smile on her face.

James watched as Lily's breathing became heavy and even, and her features were even more beautiful in the tranquility of sleep. He was still moving her hair back with his fingers as he whispered, "I will always come for you."

A/N: I had my last exam today for the semester, so I have a vast expanse of free time with which to waste away in front of a keyboard. Expect a new chapter soon!