Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. OK?
A/N: Hi, J, to see your story go to the edit story part and click 'Preview! Your story should come up.
I know that the past couple of chapters have been kind of depressing, but they will pick up soon, don't worry. If you are in the mood to giggle, please check out my new one-shot The Plan, in which Sirius inducts James into the Tomato Lookalike Club, and joins the Norwegian School for Pirates. Or at least, tries to.

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I think I've given up.
When the Head Healer comes back on Wednesday, I just sit there. Stand up when he tells me to stand up. Sit down when he tells me to sit down. Let him 'ooh' and 'aah' as he gets all excited because he's never seen anything like this before. James had come in ten minutes earlier, white-faced but determined, settled without speaking and sat there with a frustrated look on his face throughout the entire examination.

So, as James so politely put it, "I don't care if the curse is interesting, or if you haven't seen it before, just get rid of it. As soon as humanely possible." Neither of us are in the best of moods by the time he leaves, still none the wiser as to what or why.

I clear my throat to try and clear the awkward silence.
"How are you?"
"I'm fine. Have you taken your medication?"
"Yes."

We sit there in more pain-staking silence.
Madam Pomfrey comes over and explains to James all of the things that he already knows.
We sit for a bit longer.
I look at James' hand, about an inch away from mine, and wish that I could just reach over and take it.
I even act it out in my head.
I still don't do it.
James clears his throat.
I start coughing, and it's painfully loud in the quiet room.
Madam Pomfrey comes over to check that everything's alright.
James starts tapping his fingers on the desk.
I bite my lip.
A third-year comes in with chronic hiccups.
James stifles a laugh at the look on the boy's face.
I fight the urge to smile as James tries not to laugh.
James laughs.

I start crying silently, tears seeping down my face, and James looks stricken.
"Lily..."
Reaching out, he takes my hand, wrapping his big hands around my small ones, and I shuffle around in bed until I'm leaning against his shoulder.
After that, it's like the argument never happened in the first place.

James is helping me with Cross-Species Transfiguration Charms, laughing, as they're supposed to come up in our NEWTs, when Professor Dumbledore glides into the Hospital Wing, followed closely by Professor McGonagall. James straightens up immediately, the smile wiped off his face, and I can tell that his meeting with Professor McGonagall didn't go too well.
"Professor Dumbledore," Madam Pomfrey nods in his general direction, then goes back to tending the sick fourth-year in the corner.
"Poppy," Dumbledore incline his head to her, and then sweeps over to stand beside my bed.

James squeezes my hand, and then releases it, sitting down at the chair next to my bed.
"Miss Evans," His blue eyes are twinkling, and he has a gentle smile on his face. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine Professor. Just, you know, cursed."
James shoots me a warning look, but the Headmaster chuckles.
"Yes, I can see that. Luckily, Mr Audrey from St Mungo's has assured me that you are 'stable'."
"That makes me sound like a table."
I'm surprised by what I'm saying, but I'm angry.
I'm angry that my parents are dead, and I'm angry that I'm stuck in a hospital bed.
I'm sick of being obedient.

"Indeed it does. Trust me, Miss Evans, a table should be honoured to be described in the same way as you. Now, I would like to move onto the more pressing matters at hand. I was distressed to hear of your parents' passing, and I am greatly sorry for your loss. However, the matter has come to the house."
I never even stopped to think about it.
"Doesn't Petunia want it?"
I manage to choke out, and James looks at Professor Dumbledore like he'd like to practise the Cross-Changing Transfiguration Charm on him.
"Unfortunately your sister has moved in with, as I understand, her fiancé, a man named Vernon Dursley. She has also expressed her wishes for you to give each other some 'space', I believe she said."

I'm clutching James' hand so hard that I'm pretty sure he's lost the feeling in it.
"Do I have to decide now?"
"The house will placed on the market in five days. It will take three days to clear it, if you decide to sell it, and it will take minimum two days for the paperwork to the Muggle agency, whether you decide to sell or keep the house. I have, unfortunately, very little understanding of these matters, but Minerva has informed me that the mortgage has been paid off, so you do not need to worry about paying out any money for the house. Your belongings have been packed up, just in case, and your sister has packed up the belongings found in the attic. Your sister, being the oldest, assures me that she will sort out all of the paperwork, but the house is ultimately yours. What is your decision?"
"You want me to decide? Just like that? This is a big decision!"
"You have until six this evening. I'm sorry Miss Evans, but we are pushed for time."

With that, he and McGonagall exit the Hospital Wing.
James looks disgusted, and angry.
"How dare they?"
"It's a house! It's not like it's a book, or a packet of crisps! It's a house, James! A house! What am I going to do?"
"Well, do you want the house?"
"I don't know...I mean, it will be hard to get rid of it, seeing it's where I've lived for my whole life, and I have so many memories there..."
"So keep it!"
"But...it's just...they died there."

James falls silent.
It's the first time I've mentioned my parents since the day it happened, and he's evidently shocked.
I can still feel it, like a weight on my chest, and it hurts.

"I don't know what to do James."
He's quiet, and I know that he doesn't know what to do either.

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Ciao,
She-who-loves-fanfiction xx