The marauders were down in the great hall enjoying the full breakfast laid out for them on their first day back. James looked to his right, expecting to see lily sitting in her usual spot a few seats down, but she wasn't there. He craned his neck to make sure he wasn't just missing her, but then again with her head of bright red hair it was a little difficult to miss her. Marlene and alice were sitting with an extra space on the bench between them where lily should have been. He stood up and walked the few paces over to them.

"Hey, alice, do you know where lily is?"

"Well hello to you too, potter." marlene said stuffing a forkful of breakfast into her mouth

"Well, hello, marlene. Have you seen lily?"

"Nope." is the word he thought he heard between the food in her mouth

"Alice?" he turned towards her

"No, me neither." she shook her head

"Well, thanks, i suppose." he offered a smile and went back to his seat.

"Searching for your long lost love?" sirius asked as he sat back down to his breakfast

"Something like that."

"No idea where she is?"

"None."

"That's unusual for her." peter commented "isn't it?" he seemed suddenly unsure

"Yes, pete. It is." sirius said clapping a hand on his shoulder.

James chuckled and began piling more food on his plate. As nice as it was to have breakfast ready made he kind of missed his house elves.

…[...[]...]...

The day progressed and in all the classes james and lily were supposed to have together she was nowhere to be seen. He was starting to grow worried and asked a couple more people if they'd seen her and only one person had all day and they said they'd only seen her in the hall early this morning. Normally there would be no cause for worry but with the growing war and hatred about muggleborns growing with it he was afraid she'd been hurt. He could barely keep his mind on his first day of lessons. He had no idea as to where she could be until a hufflepuff named Freemond Hapley came up to him at lunch.

"Hello, james." he greeted him and pushed his sliding spectacles up his nose a bit.

"Hey, freemond. What's up?" james and freemond knew each other but they never really talked much.

"I just heard you asking about lily earlier."

"Yeah, do you know where she is?"

"Um, well, i heard from penelope griffith that she's in the hospital wing."

"The hospital wing? Why? Do you know what happened? Is she okay?" james tried to make himself slow down but the truth was he could barely stay seated.

"I don't know i just heard there was something about her and bellatrix in the hall this morning. I think penelope said she saw charles helping her to madam pomfrey."

"Charles? From ravenclaw?" that little dickhead looked at lily in a way that made james extremely uncomfortable and, to be honest, a little bit angry. He had had his eye on lily for quite a while and had asked her out a few times last year despite the fact that he knew james and lily were together. James despised the little shit.

"That's the one." freemond nodded

"Oh my god." james muttered mussing his hair out of habit. He stood up and walked out of the dining hall without a second thought.

he strode down the near empty halls and across the castle into the hospital wing. He spotted lily immediately. Partially because of the red hair and partially because she was the only person there.

She sat up when she saw him then immediately winced and grabbed her side

"Hey, evans." he offered a smile and sat in the seat next to her bed

"Hey, potter." she greeted back and james's heart gave a little bit when he saw how much pain she was in.

"What happened to you?" he reached forward and gently took her hand

"Bellatrix happened." james tensed but he tried not to show it. Even so, he couldn't stop himself from muttering some… things about her under his breath.

"Hey," lily squeezed his hand and smiled sweetly "bellatrix is a huge bitch and i hate her." james laughed at the turn that sentence took.

"What did she do to you?" he asked softly brushing a finger along the bandage that ran all around her torso

"Just broke a rib. Or two. Or… all of them."

"Bellatrix lestrange broke all your ribs?"

"It seems that way." she nodded

"I'd be angry but that's kind of impressive."