A visit to Hogwarts
By Ola
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Chapter 10: Awakenings
Lily opened her eyes onto a white ceiling. She didn't remember anything. She was lying on a soft bed with white blankets. The walls were white as well, and as she turned her head left, she saw a row of empty beds. But it was the silence and the sterility of the air that told her that she was in Hogwarts' Hospital Wing. Something bad must have happened if they don't let visitors in. She thought flatly, without emotions. She was beyond emotions. She didn't want to remember why she was here, because she somehow knew that it was bad. She stared at the ceiling some more, then turned her head to her right, and painful memories flooded her mind like a raging river. James was lying in the bed to her right, covered by a white blanket right up to his chin. He seemed to be only sleeping, but Lily knew over wise. She had seen him sleeping more than once, while sneaking downstairs, and he had always been sprawled on his bed, rumpled blankets lying halfway on the floor. She squeezed her eyes shut, and prayed that this wasn't true, but the afterimage of James burned into her closed eyelids. She couldn't forget that he had risked his life to save hers. Oh James, she sobbed. Why did you have to do that? I will never forgive myself if you don't wake up. No! You have to be all right! Stumbling, she got out of her bed to kneel next to his, staring through blurry eyes at his emotionless face. And it gave her the creeps. She had never seen him like this. James, the happy-go-lucky, always smiled; that mischievous grin of his was a trademark. Even when he slept, his mouth quirked up. Now, he looked…dead. No! He isn't! "James! James! Wake up!" said Lily, her voice breaking, and lightly shaking his shoulders. But he didn't respond. Lily put her head on his covered chest and heard a faint and slow heartbeat. She began humming a song, tears silently falling from her sad green eyes. She knew this song because James had taught it to her, a long time ago, but she remembered it as if it was yesterday. It was a song of sadness and melancholy, but it gradually changed into hope and salvation. Sunshine after the rain,
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Silence. No. Far away, as if separated from him by miles of distance, he could hear a voice, softly murmuring something. But it was so very faint that he could not make it out.
Darkness. That was complete. But was it the darkness of a moonless night, or the darkness of dreams and nightmares; of unconsciousness. He didn't know, and he didn't want to find out, yet. Oh, but he was so very tired…and numb. He couldn't feel his body, except for knowing that it was still whole. Then once again, he sank into the deep and dreamless sleep of the sick.
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When he woke again, the murmur was gone, but so was the darkness. In its place was the yellowish grayness of closed eyelids. But did James want to find out what was behind this barrier of safety, of unknown? He could now feel his toes, curled under a warm blanket. Where was he? Not in that snowy plain anymore. Snow. Yes, he remembered the snow. He remembered what he had done, and his heart tightened, hoping that Lily was all right. He had been semi conscious for a time after the spell, his mind slowly wandering away as the cold had settled in his body, and he knew that Lily had figured out what he had done. She had then started to shout at him, cursing him for leaving her alone. He smiled. It was just the type of thing that she would do. But then, as the cold took hold of his mind, he sank into a sort of trance, and he couldn't make out reality from his dreams. He recalled Lily crying and saying "I love you James," but he was sure that that was part of his dreams. But he could always think as if she had really said that. Life would be kinder that way.
As his stomach growled softly, his thoughts shifted that way too. But if he was hungry, then why did his stomach feel so heavy? His hunger as much as his curiosity led him to open his eyes…and to shut them back very quickly. The room was spinning crazily, making him dizzy. He groaned, and slowly opened his eyes again. The room, in Hogwarts hospital wing he noticed, finally stopped its wild revolutions after what seemed a very long time. And for now, all thoughts of food were gone, but the curiosity wasn't, so James looked down on his stomach…and stared, his heart skipping beats, and his throat closed tight. Oh no! Not again! He moaned softly with grief, looking with pained eyes at the bloodless face of the girl hugging him in her arms. Her firey hair was spread on the white blanket like blood, which accentuated the paleness of her cheeks. His eyes drifted lower, and as he saw her chest rise slowly and rhythmically with each breath, he smiled. She was safe. She was okay. He wanted to shout his joy, but didn't want to wake Lily. Too late. She opened her big green eyes, full of grief, sadness, and surprise, and just looked at him, a smile slowly spreading on her face. And with that, the whole room seemed to glow.
"Lily," James whispered, "I did not risk my life to save you from that snowstorm to have you dying from pneumonia," he mock admonished her, as she shivered, her bare feet numb from the cold floor they had been lying on. He managed to make some room on the narrow hospital bed, and Lily lay down on the blanket, next to him, holding him tightly, and not intending to let go. Then, with tears of joy at finally being safe, and together, rolling down their cheeks, they fell asleep in each other's arms.
From the doorway, professor Dumbledore retreated silently into the darkness of the hallway, a fatherly smile on his kind face.
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A/N: this is short, sorry, but it is a good part to end at for now. No don't worry, this is not the ending of the story yet, but as I will be going away, I do not know when the next part will be put up, so I thought that better a short one than none. J Enjoy, and please review.
~Ola~