Okay, this was originally posted as Just A Dream, before I realised that
I'd forgotten to split it into chapters!
With any luck, it should all be here, so read and enjoy! And even if you don't enjoy, please, please, PLEASE review! Comments, sparks, flames, bonfires - I don't mind!
Guess what? Anything you recognise doesn't belong to me, it is the fabulous brainchild of J.K.Rowling. Man, is she good!
Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin . . .
*~*~*
A Beginning
The Great Hall rang with cheers as the Sorting Hat announced the houses of the new first-years. One by one, they sat at their respective tables, nodding and smiling at their new housemates. At the other end of the benches, by the great doors, the seventh-years were engaged in lively conversation about the subjects they would be taking for their N.E.W.Ts that year.
Lily Evans brushed a thick red curl from her shoulder, smiling at Katie's cry of mock horror at the thought of the subjects her friend was taking.
'You're taking Defence Against the Dark Arts and Charms?' Katie exclaimed. 'Lordy, Lil, when were you next planning on sleeping?'
Lily laughed, her green eyes flashing with amusement.
'You're a fine one to talk,' Maria countered. 'Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology?'
Katie gave her a sheepish grin, blowing her dark fringe out of her eyes.
'Yeah, well,' she conceded, joining in with the laughter.
The Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, was holding his hands up for silence, which he got, eventually. He smiled fondly at his assembled students.
'Now, I am fully aware that you will all sit up most of the night, making your new friends feel welcome. So I won't keep you. Welcome to Hogwarts, those who have never been, and welcome back, those who have. Housemasters, please.'
Four of the Professors stood up, and came around to the front of the dais; Professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor; Professor Flitwick, Head of Hufflepuff; Professor Kettleburn, Head of Ravenclaw; and Professor Darin, Head of Slytherin. They each held two of the coveted Head Boy/Girl badges. Katie nudged Lily, grinning.
'This year's Head Boy, and Girl, for Hufflepuff,' Professor Flitwick announced, 'are Joseph Patil, and Natasha Whitby.'
A raucous cheer went up from Hufflepuff's table as the newly promoted pair walked up to their Professor to collect their badges.
'For Slytherin,' Professor Darin was droning, 'Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Triant.'
Another cheer, and some good-natured booing from the other tables, though in Gryffindor's case they sat in stony silence. The animosity between the two Houses was legendary. Lily noticed Lucius exchanging a glare with Gryffindor's finest, four boys who were famed for pranking Slytherin. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were responsible for almost every unfortunate happening Slytherin experienced. She hid a smile, pointing the exchange out to Katie.
'Crikey, they look furious!' Katie whispered, barely keeping her laughter in check.
'For Ravenclaw,' Professor Kettleburn exclaimed, his face betraying his excitement, 'Kristopher Abbott and Elise Emmons!'
Those two fairly skipped up to the dais, to the amusement of their Professor, who pinned the badges on them with gusto. The room fell silent as McGonagall stepped forward, her eyes twinkling. Katie gripped Lily's hand under the table, gazing intently down the length of it to where the Professor stood.
'For Gryffindor,' she said softly, each word being sucked in by the expectant silence, 'James Potter and Lily Evans.'
The room exploded with noise, three tables giving the two an enormous cheer. Katie squealed with delight, wrapping her astonished friend in a huge hug, before giving her a push. The clapping became steady, rhythmic beats, as Lily joined James on the long walk to the dais. He smiled down at her, stepping aside for McGonagall to pin her badge on first. When they turned back to the hall, the spectacular applause renewed, this time for all eight of them.
James escorted Lily back to her seat, giving her a wink from one of his deep brown eyes, before returning to his friends, sat opposite. Katie was flirting with Sirius Black, who was already making plans for the first prank of the year. Peter was trying to get Frank Longbottom put his book away and enjoy the meal, while James and Remus locked in animated conversation. Maria drew Lily back into the group, pointing out the glares directed at them from the Slytherin table.
The girls exchanged glances, and gesturing for the boys to duck, whipped out their wands and levitated the entire seventh year Slytherin bench some ten feet in the air. Lucius Malfoy screamed like a girl, making the whole hall fall about laughing. When the Professors made it down the hall to the shrieking students, all wands had been whisked away, and Gryffindor were having real difficulties breathing through their laughter. Despite Lucius' insistence that it had been James and Sirius who had attacked, the lack of wands on them made it impossible to prove.
As they made their way up to the dormitories, a commotion drew Lily's attention to the landing between the Slytherin and Gryffindor dorms. She looked around, and, unable to see James anywhere near, strode over. When she got there, Lucius, and his sidekick Crabbe, were pestering a Gryffindor first year. The little boy was almost in tears - Bill Weasley, Lily realised, the first of many by all accounts.
'Stop it, Malfoy,' she said, drawing the boy to her side. Lucius sneered at her.
'And why should I do that, mudblood?'
There was a gasp from the students around them, even the Slytherin group. Lily's knuckles whitened.
'Because it's bullying, that's why,' she told him in a calm voice. 'I won't let a Gryffindor fall victim to you.'
There was a pause.
'Just how long do you think you can stand up to me, mudblood? You'll never be as strong as a Malfoy.'
Lily raised an eyebrow sardonically.
'Do go on.'
Lucius did, in an annoyingly superior tone of voice.
'When you leave the confines of Hogwarts, you will come to realise that there is only one type of true wizard - a pure-blood, like me,' he told her, not seeming to notice the growing crowd around them. 'You may be pretty, and have some little knowledge of the Arts, but you will never deserve the title of witch, mudblood.'
Someone muttered behind them,
'Little knowledge? She's top of the class in everything!'
A snigger ran around the audience. Lucius' face darkened.
'Most mudbloods are hopelessly inept. Can I help it if she's an evolutionary throwback?'
'Didn't your mother teach you any manners?' a cold voice said from behind Lily.
She turned and saw James Potter, flanked by Sirius and Remus, standing close behind her. His blue eyes were almost black with anger, his pale face framed with unruly dark hair. Lucius looked uncertain, suddenly outnumbered two to one.
'Come now, Potter,' he said jovially, 'it was just a bit of fun.'
'Fun is something people laugh at, Malfoy, like what the girls did to you this evening,' James told him, advancing on the now cowering Lucius. 'Insults generally don't come under that category.'
Lily put out a hand to stop him, as he raised his wand, fully intending to hex his enemy. James looked down at the hand on his sleeve, lifting his eyes to hers. Nodding, he put the wand away, tucking it back inside his robes. Lucius relaxed, and decided it was safe to taunt his rival.
'Scared, Potter? Doesn't your girlfr -'
James' fist hit him squarely on the nose, making him stumble back, spluttering. Even his own housemates refused to defend him, his previous words about 'mudbloods' having soured even their dispositions towards him. The Gryffindors turned away, heading up the staircase to their common room. James spoke the password (gum-balls) and the Fat Lady stepped aside to allow them in.
As Dumbledore had predicted, most of them stayed up well into the night, catching up with each other on the summer's happenings. No one was surprised to see four black-cloaked figures hurry out at around midnight, or mentioned it when they returned, stifling sniggers. A few minutes later, a shout was heard from the Slytherin wing, sending the common room into fits of laughter. McGonagall popped in an hour later and saw them off to bed, winking at the sniggering boys as she did so.
*
Lily's first class of the year was Defence Against the Dark Arts. She slipped in and took a seat near the back, hoping that someone she knew had taken this subject, too. Her prayers were answered in the form of James, Sirius and Frank, who joined her workbench with relieved grins. Then she saw, with a groan, that Lucius Malfoy, sporting a very stylish white bandage over his nose, and Crabbe were sat on the bench in front, along with Severus Snape, and Aline Roan, one of the girls from Ravenclaw. They were the entirety of the class, the other students having taken somewhat safer options.
Professor Seare leant on the front desk, and surveyed them with cold distaste. Her grey eyes swept over each of them as she took in just who had decided to specialise in her subject.
'The first thing I must do,' she said, abruptly, 'is make sure you can handle yourselves in a wizard's duel. Follow me.'
She strode out, leaving them to follow behind, bewildered. They passed out into the inner courtyard, where the diminutive professor halted, and glared at them.
'You must pair up,' she announced. 'Crabbe with Black -'
The two boys groaned and glared at each other from a safe distance. Professor Seare smiled grimly.
'Longbottom, Roan,' was the next pairing. Aline smiled shyly at Frank, who almost dropped his wand in relief.
'Evans, Snape.'
Lily wandered over to Severus, as he tried to hide his relief. If he'd been paired with James, there wouldn't have been enough of him left to fill in a jam jar. They hated one another, and Severus wasn't stupid enough to think he could stand up to James Potter. Lily still didn't know what had happened to turn the dislike into full-blown hatred. Lucius and James glared at one another from either side of the courtyard, before coming together, and giving Seare simultaneously insincere smiles.
'Now,' Seare was saying, glancing over the pairs, and hoping she hadn't put them too badly wrong, 'practice, with your partner, the techniques you must use when dueling with a mage of your own level. Then you will demonstrate.'
They sauntered off a little way to make room for each other. Lily smiled gently at Severus, who looked bored. He lifted his wand, and took aim. Lily raised her own wand, ignoring the sounds around them, and said quietly,
'Expelliarmus!'
Severus' wand flew out of his hand. He gaped at her, shock written on his features. Lily allowed herself a moment of pride, before Seare ran past them, towards James and Lucius. The two boys were rolling around on the cobbles, their wands forgotten as they tried to pummel each other's heads into the ground. Seare lifted her own wand, and pointed it at the struggling pair.
'Wingardium leviosar!' she declared, and they rose gently into the air. The professor glared at them.
'Fifty points from both Gryffindor and Slytherin! That was disgraceful!'
She looked around at the other students.
'Snape, go with Malfoy, Potter with Evans,' she decided, lowering them to the ground. Lucius gave the tiny professor a cold glance, before stepping away to join his new partner. James, however, retrieved his wand and made his way over to the fuming woman, Lily close behind.
'I am very sorry, Professor,' he said, his face properly contrite. 'Malfoy and I don't really get along. It should not have happened, and I apologise.'
Seare's frown slowly evaporated, and she smiled at him.
'Get on with you, or I'll take more points for cheek, Master Potter!'
Grinning, he turned back to Lily, who looked bewildered.
'What the -'
'I was her star pupil last year,' James explained, picking at the end of his wand. 'I've got her twisted round my little finger.'
Lily had to laugh, his expression was so mischievous.
He motioned her back, raising his wand in warning. They struck simultaneously, throwing charms and hexes at each other like nobody's business. They didn't notice the work around them stop, or the faces looking out of every window, until James was thrown off balance by a Shield Charm that Lily reversed and sent at him. The applause made them both look up. Seare motioned them to continue, her face rapt at their ability in this field. Shrugging, James struck again, a flash of white light that had Lily leaping sideways to avoid it. She sent a streak of blue light that narrowly missed his head as he jumped away. They continued like this for several minutes.
Then James cast the Hurling Hex on his opponent, sending Lily crashing into the cloister wall. Her wand fell from her hand and he called it to him, overcome with guilt as she slid to the ground in a crumpled heap. As everyone watched, Lily struggled to her feet, and bowed shakily to him, the sign that she had surrendered. There was a brief cheer, and then they heard the professors calling classes back to order.
Seare was glowing with pride. She spent the rest of the two hours going over each attack and counter the two had performed, relishing the time spent on the final blow. James spent the lesson watching Lily worriedly. She didn't seem quite awake, and hadn't stood up again during the professor's speech. He was so concerned, in fact, that he failed to notice Severus Snape's angry glares directed at him, or the equally worried glances he was sending to Lily. At the end of the class, Seare set them a ridiculously long homework, and pottered off, leaving her students to go their separate ways.
Aline held Lily up as the two girls made their way to the Great Hall, where lunch was being served. She gazed into Lily's green unfocused eyes.
'I really think you should go to the Hospital Wing,' she said, shifting Lily's arm on her shoulders. 'The new nurse isn't that bad.'
'Hmm?'
Lily really wasn't with it. James and Sirius came up behind them, just in front of Severus, who took one look at Lily and stormed off in a temper, muttering angrily. James looked mortified at what he'd done to her.
'Lily, I am so sorry,' he started, stopping when she fixed a dreamy smile on him. 'Lily? Are you alright?'
Sirius relieved Aline of her burden, as she joined her friends. Lily noticed this.
'Let go of me!' she protested, struggling out of his grasp. 'I'm fine. See?'
She spun to face James, who was hovering over her. But the world didn't stop spinning. Suddenly feeling very ill, Lily stumbled forward and collapsed into James' arms. The boys looked at one another, and set off for the Hospital Wing.
With any luck, it should all be here, so read and enjoy! And even if you don't enjoy, please, please, PLEASE review! Comments, sparks, flames, bonfires - I don't mind!
Guess what? Anything you recognise doesn't belong to me, it is the fabulous brainchild of J.K.Rowling. Man, is she good!
Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin . . .
*~*~*
A Beginning
The Great Hall rang with cheers as the Sorting Hat announced the houses of the new first-years. One by one, they sat at their respective tables, nodding and smiling at their new housemates. At the other end of the benches, by the great doors, the seventh-years were engaged in lively conversation about the subjects they would be taking for their N.E.W.Ts that year.
Lily Evans brushed a thick red curl from her shoulder, smiling at Katie's cry of mock horror at the thought of the subjects her friend was taking.
'You're taking Defence Against the Dark Arts and Charms?' Katie exclaimed. 'Lordy, Lil, when were you next planning on sleeping?'
Lily laughed, her green eyes flashing with amusement.
'You're a fine one to talk,' Maria countered. 'Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology?'
Katie gave her a sheepish grin, blowing her dark fringe out of her eyes.
'Yeah, well,' she conceded, joining in with the laughter.
The Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, was holding his hands up for silence, which he got, eventually. He smiled fondly at his assembled students.
'Now, I am fully aware that you will all sit up most of the night, making your new friends feel welcome. So I won't keep you. Welcome to Hogwarts, those who have never been, and welcome back, those who have. Housemasters, please.'
Four of the Professors stood up, and came around to the front of the dais; Professor McGonagall, Head of Gryffindor; Professor Flitwick, Head of Hufflepuff; Professor Kettleburn, Head of Ravenclaw; and Professor Darin, Head of Slytherin. They each held two of the coveted Head Boy/Girl badges. Katie nudged Lily, grinning.
'This year's Head Boy, and Girl, for Hufflepuff,' Professor Flitwick announced, 'are Joseph Patil, and Natasha Whitby.'
A raucous cheer went up from Hufflepuff's table as the newly promoted pair walked up to their Professor to collect their badges.
'For Slytherin,' Professor Darin was droning, 'Lucius Malfoy and Narcissa Triant.'
Another cheer, and some good-natured booing from the other tables, though in Gryffindor's case they sat in stony silence. The animosity between the two Houses was legendary. Lily noticed Lucius exchanging a glare with Gryffindor's finest, four boys who were famed for pranking Slytherin. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew were responsible for almost every unfortunate happening Slytherin experienced. She hid a smile, pointing the exchange out to Katie.
'Crikey, they look furious!' Katie whispered, barely keeping her laughter in check.
'For Ravenclaw,' Professor Kettleburn exclaimed, his face betraying his excitement, 'Kristopher Abbott and Elise Emmons!'
Those two fairly skipped up to the dais, to the amusement of their Professor, who pinned the badges on them with gusto. The room fell silent as McGonagall stepped forward, her eyes twinkling. Katie gripped Lily's hand under the table, gazing intently down the length of it to where the Professor stood.
'For Gryffindor,' she said softly, each word being sucked in by the expectant silence, 'James Potter and Lily Evans.'
The room exploded with noise, three tables giving the two an enormous cheer. Katie squealed with delight, wrapping her astonished friend in a huge hug, before giving her a push. The clapping became steady, rhythmic beats, as Lily joined James on the long walk to the dais. He smiled down at her, stepping aside for McGonagall to pin her badge on first. When they turned back to the hall, the spectacular applause renewed, this time for all eight of them.
James escorted Lily back to her seat, giving her a wink from one of his deep brown eyes, before returning to his friends, sat opposite. Katie was flirting with Sirius Black, who was already making plans for the first prank of the year. Peter was trying to get Frank Longbottom put his book away and enjoy the meal, while James and Remus locked in animated conversation. Maria drew Lily back into the group, pointing out the glares directed at them from the Slytherin table.
The girls exchanged glances, and gesturing for the boys to duck, whipped out their wands and levitated the entire seventh year Slytherin bench some ten feet in the air. Lucius Malfoy screamed like a girl, making the whole hall fall about laughing. When the Professors made it down the hall to the shrieking students, all wands had been whisked away, and Gryffindor were having real difficulties breathing through their laughter. Despite Lucius' insistence that it had been James and Sirius who had attacked, the lack of wands on them made it impossible to prove.
As they made their way up to the dormitories, a commotion drew Lily's attention to the landing between the Slytherin and Gryffindor dorms. She looked around, and, unable to see James anywhere near, strode over. When she got there, Lucius, and his sidekick Crabbe, were pestering a Gryffindor first year. The little boy was almost in tears - Bill Weasley, Lily realised, the first of many by all accounts.
'Stop it, Malfoy,' she said, drawing the boy to her side. Lucius sneered at her.
'And why should I do that, mudblood?'
There was a gasp from the students around them, even the Slytherin group. Lily's knuckles whitened.
'Because it's bullying, that's why,' she told him in a calm voice. 'I won't let a Gryffindor fall victim to you.'
There was a pause.
'Just how long do you think you can stand up to me, mudblood? You'll never be as strong as a Malfoy.'
Lily raised an eyebrow sardonically.
'Do go on.'
Lucius did, in an annoyingly superior tone of voice.
'When you leave the confines of Hogwarts, you will come to realise that there is only one type of true wizard - a pure-blood, like me,' he told her, not seeming to notice the growing crowd around them. 'You may be pretty, and have some little knowledge of the Arts, but you will never deserve the title of witch, mudblood.'
Someone muttered behind them,
'Little knowledge? She's top of the class in everything!'
A snigger ran around the audience. Lucius' face darkened.
'Most mudbloods are hopelessly inept. Can I help it if she's an evolutionary throwback?'
'Didn't your mother teach you any manners?' a cold voice said from behind Lily.
She turned and saw James Potter, flanked by Sirius and Remus, standing close behind her. His blue eyes were almost black with anger, his pale face framed with unruly dark hair. Lucius looked uncertain, suddenly outnumbered two to one.
'Come now, Potter,' he said jovially, 'it was just a bit of fun.'
'Fun is something people laugh at, Malfoy, like what the girls did to you this evening,' James told him, advancing on the now cowering Lucius. 'Insults generally don't come under that category.'
Lily put out a hand to stop him, as he raised his wand, fully intending to hex his enemy. James looked down at the hand on his sleeve, lifting his eyes to hers. Nodding, he put the wand away, tucking it back inside his robes. Lucius relaxed, and decided it was safe to taunt his rival.
'Scared, Potter? Doesn't your girlfr -'
James' fist hit him squarely on the nose, making him stumble back, spluttering. Even his own housemates refused to defend him, his previous words about 'mudbloods' having soured even their dispositions towards him. The Gryffindors turned away, heading up the staircase to their common room. James spoke the password (gum-balls) and the Fat Lady stepped aside to allow them in.
As Dumbledore had predicted, most of them stayed up well into the night, catching up with each other on the summer's happenings. No one was surprised to see four black-cloaked figures hurry out at around midnight, or mentioned it when they returned, stifling sniggers. A few minutes later, a shout was heard from the Slytherin wing, sending the common room into fits of laughter. McGonagall popped in an hour later and saw them off to bed, winking at the sniggering boys as she did so.
*
Lily's first class of the year was Defence Against the Dark Arts. She slipped in and took a seat near the back, hoping that someone she knew had taken this subject, too. Her prayers were answered in the form of James, Sirius and Frank, who joined her workbench with relieved grins. Then she saw, with a groan, that Lucius Malfoy, sporting a very stylish white bandage over his nose, and Crabbe were sat on the bench in front, along with Severus Snape, and Aline Roan, one of the girls from Ravenclaw. They were the entirety of the class, the other students having taken somewhat safer options.
Professor Seare leant on the front desk, and surveyed them with cold distaste. Her grey eyes swept over each of them as she took in just who had decided to specialise in her subject.
'The first thing I must do,' she said, abruptly, 'is make sure you can handle yourselves in a wizard's duel. Follow me.'
She strode out, leaving them to follow behind, bewildered. They passed out into the inner courtyard, where the diminutive professor halted, and glared at them.
'You must pair up,' she announced. 'Crabbe with Black -'
The two boys groaned and glared at each other from a safe distance. Professor Seare smiled grimly.
'Longbottom, Roan,' was the next pairing. Aline smiled shyly at Frank, who almost dropped his wand in relief.
'Evans, Snape.'
Lily wandered over to Severus, as he tried to hide his relief. If he'd been paired with James, there wouldn't have been enough of him left to fill in a jam jar. They hated one another, and Severus wasn't stupid enough to think he could stand up to James Potter. Lily still didn't know what had happened to turn the dislike into full-blown hatred. Lucius and James glared at one another from either side of the courtyard, before coming together, and giving Seare simultaneously insincere smiles.
'Now,' Seare was saying, glancing over the pairs, and hoping she hadn't put them too badly wrong, 'practice, with your partner, the techniques you must use when dueling with a mage of your own level. Then you will demonstrate.'
They sauntered off a little way to make room for each other. Lily smiled gently at Severus, who looked bored. He lifted his wand, and took aim. Lily raised her own wand, ignoring the sounds around them, and said quietly,
'Expelliarmus!'
Severus' wand flew out of his hand. He gaped at her, shock written on his features. Lily allowed herself a moment of pride, before Seare ran past them, towards James and Lucius. The two boys were rolling around on the cobbles, their wands forgotten as they tried to pummel each other's heads into the ground. Seare lifted her own wand, and pointed it at the struggling pair.
'Wingardium leviosar!' she declared, and they rose gently into the air. The professor glared at them.
'Fifty points from both Gryffindor and Slytherin! That was disgraceful!'
She looked around at the other students.
'Snape, go with Malfoy, Potter with Evans,' she decided, lowering them to the ground. Lucius gave the tiny professor a cold glance, before stepping away to join his new partner. James, however, retrieved his wand and made his way over to the fuming woman, Lily close behind.
'I am very sorry, Professor,' he said, his face properly contrite. 'Malfoy and I don't really get along. It should not have happened, and I apologise.'
Seare's frown slowly evaporated, and she smiled at him.
'Get on with you, or I'll take more points for cheek, Master Potter!'
Grinning, he turned back to Lily, who looked bewildered.
'What the -'
'I was her star pupil last year,' James explained, picking at the end of his wand. 'I've got her twisted round my little finger.'
Lily had to laugh, his expression was so mischievous.
He motioned her back, raising his wand in warning. They struck simultaneously, throwing charms and hexes at each other like nobody's business. They didn't notice the work around them stop, or the faces looking out of every window, until James was thrown off balance by a Shield Charm that Lily reversed and sent at him. The applause made them both look up. Seare motioned them to continue, her face rapt at their ability in this field. Shrugging, James struck again, a flash of white light that had Lily leaping sideways to avoid it. She sent a streak of blue light that narrowly missed his head as he jumped away. They continued like this for several minutes.
Then James cast the Hurling Hex on his opponent, sending Lily crashing into the cloister wall. Her wand fell from her hand and he called it to him, overcome with guilt as she slid to the ground in a crumpled heap. As everyone watched, Lily struggled to her feet, and bowed shakily to him, the sign that she had surrendered. There was a brief cheer, and then they heard the professors calling classes back to order.
Seare was glowing with pride. She spent the rest of the two hours going over each attack and counter the two had performed, relishing the time spent on the final blow. James spent the lesson watching Lily worriedly. She didn't seem quite awake, and hadn't stood up again during the professor's speech. He was so concerned, in fact, that he failed to notice Severus Snape's angry glares directed at him, or the equally worried glances he was sending to Lily. At the end of the class, Seare set them a ridiculously long homework, and pottered off, leaving her students to go their separate ways.
Aline held Lily up as the two girls made their way to the Great Hall, where lunch was being served. She gazed into Lily's green unfocused eyes.
'I really think you should go to the Hospital Wing,' she said, shifting Lily's arm on her shoulders. 'The new nurse isn't that bad.'
'Hmm?'
Lily really wasn't with it. James and Sirius came up behind them, just in front of Severus, who took one look at Lily and stormed off in a temper, muttering angrily. James looked mortified at what he'd done to her.
'Lily, I am so sorry,' he started, stopping when she fixed a dreamy smile on him. 'Lily? Are you alright?'
Sirius relieved Aline of her burden, as she joined her friends. Lily noticed this.
'Let go of me!' she protested, struggling out of his grasp. 'I'm fine. See?'
She spun to face James, who was hovering over her. But the world didn't stop spinning. Suddenly feeling very ill, Lily stumbled forward and collapsed into James' arms. The boys looked at one another, and set off for the Hospital Wing.