This story is dedicated to: Cam, Ella, Lys, Ellen and Nura

14

Claire slowly opened her eyes and groaned, her back and head filled with a dull ache. She felt a soft mattress around her, and her surrounding were familiar, but her mind was feeling too fuzzy to remember why.

'Where am I?' she asked, pulling herself up. Alice came into view, staring at something. At Claire's question, she turned and smiled.

'You're in the dorm, how are you feeling?'

'Sore,' she paused and tried to recollect her thoughts, but the fuzzy feeling hadn't quite lifted. 'What happened?'

'You didn't think before you acted, and consequently did something quite stupid,' said Alice. Claire looked at her in confusion, so she continued. 'You attacked a Marauder in the presence of another. What's worse, you attacked him while his back is turned.'

This was another unwritten law of the school. The last person who had tried this, a 7th year Slytherin who had graduated last year, had sent a potentially lethal severing curse at Remus while he was walking away after given him a detention. He gave Remus a scar, Sirius had given him 3 weeks in the hospital wing, the first of which he was unconscious. Claire winced, she had gotten off lightly.

'Peter asked me to give you a message,' said Alice, turning back to what she was staring at before, a picture of all four Marauders Nura kept on her wall, and falling silent. Claire nudged her, bringing her back to reality, and Alice repeated Peter's message. Claire was surprised at the obvious threat, but pushed it out of her mind.

'Where is Lily?' she asked, falling back onto her bed.

'Nura took her for a walk to calm her down and find out what happened. Knowing Nura, it will probably work.' Claire nodded. Nura had the uncanny ability to know what her friends were feeling or thinking.

'I'm starving,' she muttered, sighing and heaving herself out of the bed. 'Come on, we're going to the kitchens.'

When they got back to the room, Lily was asleep in her old bed, and Nura was sitting on hers, her eyes closed and breathing deeply. When she felt the bed move under the weight of her two friends, she opened her eyes and half smiled.

'Hey,' she whispered.

'Hey,' replied Alice. 'Did she tell you what happened?' Nura was silent for a moment, before answering.

'She's convinced herself that James pretended to change so she would say yes to him, that it was all a trick.'

'Do we know that it wasn't?' asked Claire sceptically.

Nura scowled at her and snapped, 'He didn't pretend that his sister was murdered!' Claire winced.

'You're right, sorry.'

'No, it's okay,' Nura sighed, falling back onto her pillow, the day's events having tired her out. 'I've known James since he was four, and I know this isn't a trick. What happened this summer changed him, drastically. He was forced to grow up.

'No, Lily is afraid of how quickly her feeling's for him have changed, she doesn't want to fall in love with some whom she hated just a month ago.'

'So, we just have to tell her that,' said Alice. They all turned to look at their sleeping friend. 'The hard part will be convincing her it's true.'

The next morning, Nura walked down to the Great Hall earlier than usual, finding it mostly empty. To her surprise, she found three of the Marauders sitting in silence, worried expressions on their face. Nura took a seat next to Remus, facing Sirius and Peter.

'Where is James?' she asked, picking up a piece of toast and buttering it.

'Flying,' muttered Sirius, looking up at the enchanted ceiling. It was grey, signalling the approach of a fall storm.

'What did he tell you?' There was no answer for a moment, before Remus answered.

'Nothing, just went to bed. Peter had to tell us what happened.' Nura looked at Peter curiously, and he recounted what James had told him about the date. Nura nodded.

'Yeah, that's what I gathered.' They continued to eat their breakfast in silence, before Lily, Claire and Alice entered the hall. They took seats around Nura, and began eating breakfast. The atmosphere was particularly awkward, almost hostile. Remus sat stiffly in his seat, answering in short words, Peter pretended Claire wasn't there, and Sirius sent a glare at Lily, at one time snarling when she asked how he was. Nura sighed, and put her head in her hands. This is going to be difficult for a time.

She was right. That day, with the exception of classes, James walked out of any room that Lily walked into, much to her relief. She couldn't face him. He also began Quidditch practice that night, and kept the team out for four hours, only stopping when April Roahds, a beater, pointed out that they were flying in a storm. He dismissed the team, and walked with Nura to the Head's common room.

Lily was reading on the couch when James walked into the room, dripping wet, and straight to his room. Nura walked in after him and fell onto the couch beside Lily, peeling of her chaser's gloved and closing her eyes in relief.

'Tough practice?' asked Lily. Nura just grunted. 'I'll take that as a yes.'

'He didn't even realise that it was raining. We only stopped when April shouted that Alice had nearly been struck by lightning.'

'I'm not surprised with that thick head of his,' Lily muttered. Nura opened her eyes and glanced at her.

'Lily...'

'What? He deserves it after what he did!' she snapped. Nura sat up, annoyance flashing across her face.

'I didn't do anything, so don't get sharp with me. And James is my friend, you know how I feel about you talking about him like that around me.' Lily's shoulders slumped.

'I know, and I'm sorry. I just want to know why he would do something like that Nura! I really did like him.'

'I know,' Nura whispered to herself.

A/N: Sorry it took so long, but here you go. Enjoy. Please review.

I have lost a fan fiction I really, really, really liked and really, really, really want to read it again, but I can't remember its name or much about it, but this is what I can remember:

1. It's and Lily/James fic (obviously)

2. One of Lily's best friends is one of the top students. She's an empath (of sorts)ies to limit the people she gets close to, and has an arranged marriage. She's very quiet, and is good at not being noticed, so much that no one sees her but Lily, her friends, her fiancé, and James, who sees her in yr 7. She's not on the Marauder's Map. She helps James earn Lily's friendship, then love.

3. One of Lily's other friends is odd. Like, really quite odd, I remember her turning her eyes or hair silver. Sirius falls in love with her, and her with him, but it's a bit rocky. I think her name starts with 'J'.

If anyone knows of this story (sorry its a bit vague), or can help me, please, I would really appreciate it.

Thankyou,

Josh