Disclaimer: I don't own anything that belongs not to me. :)
She Will Be Loved
Chapter Twelve ll The Recovery: All Is Well
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"...and I'm really, really sorry," Lily finished with a great sigh. She looked pleadingly at her three friends.
She would absolutely die if they didn't forgive her.
Chelsea and Steph glanced at each other. A small smile was spreading across Leonie's lips.
"Merlin, Lily!" cried Steph, throwing herself onto the surprised redhead, "I thought my heart had stopped when Dumbledore said you had an encounter with-- with-- with You-Know-Who!"
"Scratch that," Chelsea said with a grin, leaning in to hug Lily when Steph released her, "I was bloody concerned when you and James didn't return after the third day."
Lily laughed in her relief.
Leonie grinned at her, "Hey, we're not about to desert you."
"Thanks, Lee." The two girls embraced.
Lily was sitting up on her white bed in the Hospital Wing. Apparently, she had been unconscious and hospitalized for a day.
"Great, who sent these?" she wanted to know, pointing at a box of Jelly Slugs.
"Remus," Steph replied. She turned her head to the bed near Lily and bit her lip. She lowered her voice, "How's James?"
Lily also bit her lip. She glanced at the lifeless boy.
"I don't know," she admitted, "He doesn't seem to be waking up... which is odd, because I already have, and I received more of a blow 'cause of the Imperius curse..."
At this, the girls shuddered.
"How was it, Lils?" whispered Chelsea.
"It... it was pretty scary. But I was kinda angry. I didn't feel too scared," Lily answered slowly, "He's just so... cruel." She sighed.
"Well, we're glad you're all right," Steph piped up, hugging her again, "I think we better leave, Madame Leyla is shooting us shoddy looks..."
They said goodbye to Lily and left.
The redhead laid back and felt content with life. She was safe at Hogwarts, and everything was fine with her friends.
She had woken up earlier to find Dumbledore sneaking into her Bertie Botts Beans box, sent from Peter. He then apologised (with Lily laughing and saying she wasn't quite fond of them herself so it was all right), and explained the situation to her.
While they were talking, something stirred in Lily's memory.
"Professor," she had said tentatively, "When James and I held hands, this huge light shone.... and I felt the Imperius curse being lifted. And then..." Lily quickly decided not to mention how she and James had exchanged 'I love you's, "...umm, they all left. The Deatheaters. And him. What happened?"
Dumbledore had simply chuckled and then gagged suddenly. Lily thought the poor man was having a heart attack, but soon found out he had just eaten a bogey-flavoured bean.
"Miss Evans," he had said once capable of speaking, "Did Voldemort not mention some sort of power that he wanted to obtain from you?"
"What, you mean that thing about a man loving me enough that I get a second chance at life?" Lily had asked bluntly.
"No, he was not after that this time."
"Then why'd he kill my mother?"
"Because," Dumbledore paused, "He was trying to get to you, but not because of that ancient protection. This time, it had to do with you... and Mr. Potter."
Lily had no idea what to say.
"Love," he finally said softly, "Your love for him, and his for you. That sort of thing overpowers almost anything. And that is what he wanted."
"But... how could you get something like that?" Lily had wanted to know.
"You can't," Dumbledore had answered simply, "In order to have that sort of power, you need to have the love. Love is the one thing he cannot understand, Miss Evans. But even then, he thought he could just steal the power without the love."
"But you can't," Lily had said softly.
"Exactly, Miss Evans. Which is why he failed."
Lily smiled gratefully at him, but there was one question screaming in her mind.
Does James really love me?
---
That evening, when Lily felt exceptionally lonely, she slowly got out of bed and walked to the window. She looked outside. It was dark. She could see the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
She shivered and pulled her robe around her more tightly.
Slowly, she walked back to her bed. On her way, she paused at James'.
His eyes were still tightly shut and his face had a sort of sunken look to it.
Why isn't he up yet? What if he's...?
"James," Lily murmured softly, reaching out and touching his face, "Please wake up... everyone misses you... including me."
---
"Miss Evans?"
Lily opened her eyes the next morning. A smiling Madame Leyla was looking down at her, carrying a tray.
"Good morning."
"Oh... morning," Lily half-mumbled, trying to make her voice clear. She smiled back at the elderly lady and asked quickly, "Is James--"
"No, dear," sighed Madame Leyla, "At least not yet. Don't worry yourself, dear. He'll come around when it's time. As for now, it's time to take your potion."
Lily was still weak from the Imperius curse, and she had to take a certain clear potion every morning. She thought she was getting better and was already becoming bored of the Hospital Wing.
She gulped it down and started on her breakfast which Madame Leyla had also brought to her.
She sighed and glanced at James, putting down her fork. She had no appetite.
When are you gonna wake up, Potter?
After breakfast, Lily drew up a chair and sat beside James' bed, hoping for him to open his eyes and smile that cocky smile and greet in his sinister way, "Mornin', Evans."
Merlin, she missed him.
"HI LILY!" someone screamed.
She jumped a mile.
"Merlin, Sirius, you scared the Hippogriffs outta me!" she gasped, one hand over her heart.
Sirius laughed as he walked over with Remus and Peter, "So how're you doing?"
"I'm fine, but..." Lily bit her lip as she looked down at James.
"Ah, yes, Prongs," Sirius shook his head, "It's sad about him, isn't it?"
"Yeah..."
"Well," Sirius continued brightly, "The girls sent you their greetings, but they can't visit because Chel got in trouble for writing something on the library desks, and Leonie and Steph are filling in for you and James for the prefect meeting thing."
"Oh, that's nice of them," Lily said, blinking.
"Yes. So, you and James are couple?"
Lily immediately looked up, "What?"
Did Dumbledore tell them???
Remus nudged him, "Padfoot, that was uncalled for. The most they'd be is friends, right? I mean, if they still were enemies, they wouldn't be..."
"Alive?" suggested Peter.
"Err, not quite the word I was looking for, but close enough."
Sirius frowned at Lily, "I seriously thought you two had couple potential."
Lily's heart was pounding as she responded coolly, "I suppose you thought wrong then."
"WAIT A MINUTE!" Sirius suddenly yelled.
"Mr. Black, please refrain yourself," Madame Leyla called annoyingly. She had just slopped water all over herself.
"Sorry," Sirius whispered. Then he turned to Lily accusingly, "If you aren't crushing on that boy there--" he pointed at James, "--then why are you sitting there, staring at him?"
"I..." Lily had no idea what to say.
"Wow, fair point, Padfoot," Remus said in awe.
Sirius looked smug.
"You don't like him, do you, Lily?" Remus asked, his eyes widening.
"I..." again, her mind was blank.
THINK, BRAIN, THINK!
"I think she does," Peter said bluntly.
"No I don't," she said at once, her cheeks reddening. Ah, life is going to the dogs. Oh well, they were going to figure out sooner or later. It's not like it'll be one big secret. After all that 'love' thing. LOVE? Love... empowering... whoa.
I think I'm insane.
"AHA!" shrieked Sirius yet again.
"Mr. Black, I am sorry, but you need to GET OUT THIS INSTANT!"
"I'm sorry! Okay, you like Prongsy, that's so cutesy! Bye bye-sy!" Sirius was dragged off by a very huffy Madame Leyla.
"Err, we better go with him, just to make sure he doesn't... paint the walls with peanut butter," Remus muttered to Lily. He smiled at her, "You and James, hey? And I thought Sirius was insane... c'mon, Wormtail."
"See ya," Peter said to Lily.
"Bye."
They had only been gone for a couple of minutes when James' eyes slowly fluttered open.
Lily immediately got to her feet and scrambled back, "No way!" she gasped.
"Hi, Lily," he said, his eyes widening. He slowly sat up and looked around, "Where am I?"
"You're alive!" she exclaimed softly.
"Yup... disappointed?" he asked with a grin.
"Good Merlin," Lily stared at him for a moment before throwing herself on him, "I thought you were--"
"Dead?" James suggested, surprised but immensely pleased at her hug.
"No," Lily said, releasing him, "Uhh... I don't know, actually."
He chuckled.
"So... how long have I been asleep?"
"Over a day."
"Wow."
"You okay?"
"Yeah."
"No permanent injuries?"
"No."
"No forever scars as a consequence of such a traumatic experience?"
"No."
"Resorting to one-word answers?"
"Yeah."
They looked at each other and laughed.
Suddenly, there was silence as they looked at one another in the eyes. James slowly leant in.
"I meant what I said, you know," he whispered. He was dangerously close to her. Lily felt like squirming. She knew what he was talking about.
"Yeah, well, so did I," she whispered back, her emerald eyes wide and alert.
James leant in closer and their lips brushed to what had to be the lightest kiss ever. Suddenly, she pulled back, blushing terribly. It was all too awkward for her, knowing all this love stuff that had defeated Voldemort when she and James had never even dated or kissed.
"I--uh--need to-- wash my face," she blubbered, turning around and running away.
James was momentarily stunned.
Then he grinned and relaxed in his bed.
All was well.
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A/N: I'm bored. :) PLEASE REVIEW AND THANKS FOR REVIEWING! I'm not hungry, but it's dinner, so... R--E--V--I--E--W! AND RON/HERMIONE FOREVER! OKAY, THAT WAS RANDOM! --MSQ.