Author's Note: Okay! Two things! First off: I'm updating this chapter as well as the next one at the same time because they're both so short. Sorry about that! And sorry for the cliffy last chapter ;) I'm EVIL! Secondly, I just posted A NEW STORY! It's called For The First Time, and it's, of course, about Lily and James! It's a three-shot, and pretty dang short- I think like 3,000 words or something like that. I'll be posting the second chapter of that in a few minutes too! Well, that's all!
Happy Reading!

Chapter 39

Dead?

All Sam knew was that Lily had taken way too long to meet him. He was frantic with worry, wondering what could have happened to her. He was sure she wouldn't have just given up the hunt, but he had checked the girls' dormitory anyways. He had searched the Common Room, had scoured the Valentine's Dance for her, and had asked people all over if they had seen Lily Evans.

"Have you seen Lily?"

"What?"

"Lily! Lily Evans! My girlfriend! Have you seen her?"

"Lost your girl already, have you?"

That was a particularly painful exchange between him and a Fifth Year Ravenclaw boy.

"Have you seen Lily Evans?" he asked a Hufflepuff girl.

The girl smiled slyly and said, "Yeah, I saw her with Sirius Black about two hours ago by the picture of the Fat Lady. Got to wonder what they got up to together, don't you?" She winked.

"Thanks!" Sam was already a blur, racing up the stairs. He was sure Lily would never cheat on him, much less with Sirius Black, but he needed to see how far she had gotten, if she had made it to the Fourth Clue.

He emerged onto the floor where the Gryffindor Common Room was and saw that his letter to Lily was missing among the bed of rose petals. That meant she had made it this far. He raced down the stairs, heading to the place where he knew his clue would lead.

With his breath coming in short gasps, he stopped running and ducked his head down between his legs, sucking in much needed air. That was when he spotted the blood stains on the floor.

Now, Sam was running without abandon up the stairs, knocking down a couple of Sixth Years as he raced on up to the Hospital Wing. From the sound of the hexes being fired after him, they were Slytherin Sixth Years.

Stairs, open hallway, stairs, open hallway, stairs… James?

Sam skidded to a stop. James was sitting with his head in hands in front of the Hospital Wing doors. James looked as if he were crying.

In a flash, everything fell into place with a sickening lurch.

Blood on the floor… The Hospital Wing… James crying….

James loved Lily. Sam knew that, and while he didn't want to admit it, he knew it was true. He also knew the only reason James would be crying like this—aside from a Sytherin Quidditch slaughter perhaps—would be if Lily was in serious danger. And that would mean she would have to be in the Hospital Wing. And all that blood… if it was Lily's… she was in very serious danger. Close to… Maybe…

No, she couldn't be. She couldn't be….

Could she?