Note: And this time it's an actual chapter! As the plot thickens, we all await to see what will happen.

Chapter 13

Marlene returned within minutes, the Veela books in hand. They were distributed among those in the vicinity, all of them doubling up with a partner. This may or may not hinder the searching progress as one might read slower than another, but all of them were too eager to find answers to care. They searched quietly for a few minutes before Remus let out a shout of excitement from where he and Peter had been studying the text in front of them. Peter was pointing to a passage just under the chapter heading as they all crowded around. Remus proceeded to read the text for all of them to hear:

"On the event of your untimely death, there is one cure. If the one you have chosen to be your destined mate accepts you within twenty-four hours of death you will come back to life in an unstable state. Your mate must then entreat you to their true confession of love within another day. If they are unable to produce any shred of evidence their love is true you will once again enter the world of death. Good luck to you and hopefully your future mate." Remus stared at the book. "It ends! Just like that?"

"It doesn't even tell you how to show your mate you're really in love!" Sirius snapped throwing the book on Remus' lap shut.

"I guess that's part of it though isn't it," Marlene stated, revealing a theory.

"Part of what?" Peter asked for the group, none of them sure what Marlene could mean.

"How are you supposed to show you're really in love with them if you're given a set of detailed instructions. It's not really love if you're told what to do,"

"And whom to love?" James raised his eyebrow skeptically.

"Oh you heard Dumbledore, besides. We all knew she was going to go out with you eventually, well, us girls did." Alice defended.

"Still a bit of rotten luck Lily got dealt, isn't it?" Peter looked back at her near death form, she was much paler than a human should be.

"Well what're you going to do?" Remus prompted James.

"I dunno, do you lot have any idea?"

"You heard the text, you can't be given a set of instructions or it's not true love. Sorry mate, but you have to do this one on your own."

"Would flowers be too cheesy?"

"Don't give her lilies, she hates it." Alice suggested. James thought for a moment before standing and producing silver fabric from inside his robes.

"Come on boys, we have a shopping trip to attend." James swung the cloak around all four of them, vanishing everything but their feet. Marlee giggled at the sight and the boys were forced to disillusion themselves as well to keep from being noticed.

They arrived safely in Hogsmeade where three teenage boys were entertaining themselves by watching the fourth boy run around from shop to shop attempting to find everything he constituted as a gift of true love. They ended in a jewelry shop where James used the last of his spending money to purchase an ornate necklace with onyx and emeralds; he even ordered a ring with white diamonds around a gold band with a ruby in the middle. The ring box went in his pocket and stayed there while everything else was put into a bag with trailing ribbons.

They returned to the castle with only one bag and Sirius carrying a box of butterbeer. In the Hospital Wing Marlene and Alice were sitting with Lily talking quietly. Madam Pomfrey was helping student with a fever who kept looking over at Lily suspiciously. When they reached the bed a green curtain was placed around them once again because of Poppy's annoyance with the boy.

"What did you get?" Alice asked taking a butterbeer from Sirius' crate. The man in question glared at her, so she childishly stuck her tongue out.

"No flowers, decided against them." James replied sitting on the edge of Lily's bed and taking her hand in his. The others politely stepped out of the area so James could have a private moment with Lily. Her hand twitched a bit in his and he lowered his face so he could brush the soft skin with his lips in a loving gesture. "I bought you a few things I thought you might like. There's a new book, some potion ingredients, and I even bought you a necklace."

James reached into the bag and pulled out the necklace box, opening it and removing the elegant piece of jewelry. Gently unclasping it he raised her head and attached it back together. He admired how it looked on her and how much better it would look if her eyes were open and she were fully alive. Sighing James stood and leaned down over her.

"Lily, I love you and I was an idiot. I'm sorry I put you in this mess, it wasn't what I meant to do. I tried my hardest to find a way I could show you I love you but none of it has seemed to work. I don't know what else to do; I really don't want to lose you but it seems as though I have no choice. I love you so much Lily I don't know how to put it into words or gifts, or anything like that. I'm sorry it had to end this way." James whispered in her ear; ever so gently pressed his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. It was reminiscent of their first kiss, but in a much more tragic way.

Note: Yep, that's how that works. Next chapter may or may not be the end, I have yet to decide. Depends on what I write and where it takes me. :) Please leave me a review! ~May