Lily shifted in her chair, if she strained her ears enough she could her what they were saying. She listened for a moment, and then leaned back in her chair it was no use. Lily rubbed her eyes, and looked at her watch, 3:30 am. Her finger traced the pattern on the deep blue chair outside Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore had told her to sit there as he had lead James, Sirius, and Severus into his office. I'm sure I could have gone in too, she thought wearily, I'm involved too. Lily closed her eyes remembering the events of that night...

It was a Saturday yesterday, and a Hogsmeade weekend. Gwen and her had slept in late that morning and found a note from Sirius and James, saying they had left early and would meet them at Three Broomsticks at three. "I don't know if I really want to go," Gwen had said snottily, "after all it was just a couple days ago he told me I was a stuck up rich girl." Sirius had said this only after Gwen had told him "it's too bad you're not richer". Sirius and Gwen went out off and on, more off than not though, they always seemed to be getting mad over little things. Gwen's mum came from a well-to-do family, but her dad was just your average Jack. Gwen put on airs sometimes, but Lily knew they didn't have as much money as Gwen and her mother made it out to believe. Lily herself was muggle born, and her family wasn't rich, but they were very well off. She had two older sisters, Petunia and Kiki, Kiki was twenty-four years old and a witch too, Petunia was nineteen and wasn't a witch. Petunia hated Lily; they had never been as close as Lily and Kiki who were best friends even though there was a large age distance. Petunia just seemed to be jealous of Lily, before she had envied her beauty now it was her position. Lily had tried writing letters to her, but Dad had said she had almost killed the owl by throwing large grapefruits at it. She wished sometimes that they were better sisters even if they couldn't be friends, but it takes two to tango, and Petunia wasn't willing.

Gwen and Lily had left Hogwarts at around eleven o'clock. As soon as they entered the little village Gwen had whisked her off to Madame Blush's Beauty Shop where Gwen had to buy some eye shadow. "I have to find a better color to go with my blonde hair; the last one just didn't work out," she had told Madame Blush. After they were done there they had gone to Honeyduke's. "Lily, dear, tell me where the fudge counter is so I can not look at it or I'll just have to buy some. You are so lucky you don't gain weight as fast as I do, honestly it seems like one candy bar and I weigh two more pounds..."
At a quarter to three they left Dorsett's (ze only shop for 'obes, which was run by a very nice French lady) and went to Three Broomstick's. "Oh, I would kill for a maupacino." Lily said as she was taking off her cloak. Lily loved the frothy wizard drink almost as much as butterbeer. "Oh, me too," Gwen replied. They searched the area and finally found James and Sirius sitting at a table in the back deep in conversation. Gwen and Lily walked to the table amid swarms of people. Three Broomsticks was always very crowded especially in winter. Lily sat down by James, and Gwen sat across from her by Sirius. "Hi! Are you Bill and Charlie our blind dates? I'm Bobo and this is Muffin." Lily had said in a perky voice. "Oh, sorry love, Sirius and I were just having a nice little talk weren't we Sirius?" James said as he kissed her on the cheek. "Oh, yes a nice little talk." Sirius replied darkly.
The afternoon had gone well enough, and they all returned to Hogwarts for a wonderful feast to welcome the new Herbology teacher, Professor Kettleburn, who didn't look a day over twenty-two, and stood up waved when Dumbledore announced him.
Lily was lying on her bed reading a magazine with Gwen when she realized she had lost her favorite ring. She had to go to the and see if it was there; it meant so much to her. Kiki had given it to her for her fourteenth birthday. "See I took it off yesterday to write an essay because it always hurts when I write," she had told Gwen.
Lily reached the Library fifteen minutes before it closed. She was under a table looking for it when she heard two people enter. "...Well if you really want to know I could tell you," that sounded like Sirius. She peered out from under the table and saw Sirius and Severus, their backs facing her. Lily ducked under just as Severus turned around and started to walk away. "I won't play games with you, Black." "I really don't want you to," Sirius said sarcastically. "Aha, there it is," Lily whispered as she saw a silvery glint under a chair.
"but if you want to do something fun tonight why don't you go to the Whomping Willow and push the wood knob on the tree, then you'll realize where Remus goes."
Oh my god, she thought, this can't be happening Sirius just told him. She heard both boys leave the room. I've got to stop him, he could die, but as Lily lifted her head to get out, in her rush her head hit the top of the table. The pain was almost sickening she crawled out from under the table, and she grabbed a chair for support as she dizzily saw the room swim in front of her. She saw Madame Bouvea come into the room, and then she fainted.


Lily woke up to see the Madame Goroe standing above. She looked around and saw she was in the hospital wing. "Oh, good you're awake here take this," and Madame Goroe, before she had a chance to say anything, shove a spoonful of some liquid in her mouth. "No, I'm fine, I must go, I have to," and Lily attempted to get out of bed, but Madame Goroe held her back. "You must stay right where you are-"
"You don't understand-look it's your sister!"
As Madame Goroe looked back Lily ran out of the wing. I have to find James; yes James will know what to do, she thought, where would he be? She had to stop for breath before she attempted the steps that lead to the Gryffindor common room. She gripped the railing feeling nauseous.
"Lily? Good God! What's wrong?" She turned to see James running down the stairs to her. He reached her and she collapsed into his arms. "James, you have to- Sirius told-"
"I know, I just found out Sirius told, it will be fine, but-"
"There you are I have been looking all over for you, let me take her," They looked up to see the nurse marching towards them. James carefully handed Lily over the nurse and said "Will she be okay?"
"Yes, she just needs-"
"Lily, it's fine, okay? I'll come see you, but I have to go now." He kissed her on the forehead, and dashed away. "James" she had said faintly.


Lily now rubbed her head on the spot where she had hit it. Never a dull day at Hogwarts, she thought wearily.

Madame Goroe had lead her back to the Hospital Wing and made her lay down on a bed and take some medicine. "I'll let you go in a half an hour
but not a moment sooner. Go straight to your dormitory and to bed. You need rest more than anything." Lily lay there thinking. Where did James go? She lay thinking like this for five minutes then it dawned on her. He was going to rescue Severus. Oh god, he'll kill himself, even in his Animagus form he could be hurt. She sat up on the bed to see Madame Goroe reading Witch Weekly. "Er…Madame, I'm feeling much better. I think I'll back now." Madame Goroe looked at her watch and grumbled, "All right, but come back if you feel sick." She walked slowly out of the wing, and as soon as Madame Goroe was out of sight she took of running…to the nearest outside entrance. She came round a corner and saw a secret side exit she knew from James. She looked around then dashed to the door but found it stuck, "Oh, come on, not tonight." She patted herself for her wand and found it missing, she must have left it in the Hospital. She looked to her right for anything that could help her and she saw Filch just come out of a room and start scraping something off the walls. "Oh, god, he's going to turn around any minute and see me." She pulled again and the door opened, but the gusty wind blew inside and the door slammed open. Filch turned around and Lily dashed outside hearing shouts. She turned left and ran along side the castle, and saw it…the Whomping Willow, twisting and turning its branches furiously in the wind. She looked around, a safe distance from the Willow and wondered if they could have come back out already, or if James was in there being attacked by a werewolf. She swallowed, no, she couldn't think this way, James is fine, James is fine, she kept repeating to herself. Five minutes past… she had to do something, she looked around nervously as she did something poked her inside of her robe, her wand. It was in the new pocket of her robe. She swallowed then stepped toward the Willow. I need a stick to open the entrance, she thought. She ran over to one of the other trees in the area and looked for a stick, but as she was doing this she heard something behind her. She turned around to see James coming out of the Willow dragging Severus. "James!" She ran toward him, and he opened his arms smiling painfully for her, but he froze and she turned around to see Dumbledore coming towards them. From behind her James hugged her and whispered "I love you."

The rest is history, as they say. Dumbledore took us all back to the castle where we picked up Sirius on the way, and here I am. Lily heard the door creak open, and James came out. She rose out of her chair, and into James' arms, where she knew she would always feel safe…

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns the whole idea of L/J and everybody, but Gwen is mine.

Please review, and I thank all of you who do. I hope this is as good as my other ones. I was in a rush when wrote it because I'm going on vacation, and I want to get this posted.