Lily landed onto her family room
floor all to sure she hated floo powder. Her stomach churned, and she had to
swallow hard several times before she could stand. Alec helped her up, and they
went to the door of her father's office. Lily knocked.
"Enter." The voice was achingly
familiar. They went in, and Lily wished she had a camera to capture the look on
her father's face.
"Lily? Alec?" They nodded.
"Thank God. Benny has been begging
for you, and there was no way to explain to that hard head you couldn't come. I
missed you." Lily smiled. Then her smile faltered.
"Dad. Do you have any Tylenol?"
"No just aspirin in here why?"
"Darn, aspirin makes me hurl. Alec
can write you I'm headed for the bathroom." Alec took out his notebook, and
Lily raced off. She was digging through the medicine cabinet when Rose entered.
"Petunia?"
"WRONG!" Lily stood up slowly,
careful not to bounce as she swallowed the pill.
"Lily!" Rose jumped on her.
"Whoa, whoa, down girl, please, I'm
not feeling great."
"Oh. What's wrong?"
"Nothing, where's Benny?"
"In his room." Lily raced off. She
opened the door slowly, and saw the boy was sleeping. She ran over, and
smoothed his hair back. His forehead was on fire. She kissed him, and he opened
his eyes.
"Hey there!"
"Lily?" He asked. "Is that really
you?" She nodded and he smiled.
"Daddy told me you couldn't come. You
were at school."
"That's right." She kissed him again.
"So what's going on? Broken leg? Appendicitis?" He giggled.
"Nope, my head is hot and my throat
hurts." She sighed. This had probably started as a cold. Benny had little
immune resistance. She sat on the bed next to him.
"Well, we'll just have to fix that,
won't we?" He smiled sleepily. "Go to sleep kiddo." She hummed a lullaby her
mum had sung to her, and he drifted off. She was putting a cold compress on his
head, when her dad entered.
"Lily-Billy?"
"Yeah dad?"
"Don't overdo yourself this time huh?
The rest of us can help."
"I know, but he always gets so upset
when I leave."
"I know… Are you feeling okay?"
"I'll survive."
"That's not what I asked."
"I'm okay for now."
"Okay, but if you need a rest just
tell me."
"Okay Dad, I will." He started to
leave.
"Dad!"
"Yes?"
"Thanks for worrying about me. Oh
and, when did Benny last have a Tylenol?"
"He should be due for one. The Doc
says he had a bronchial infection. Should pass." She nodded. She spent the next
three days nursing Benny. One afternoon, she missed her Tylenol, and the pain
caught her. She collapsed.
She came to in her bed feeling better
than she had in days. She sat up, and saw her dad sitting next to her.
"Dad?"
"Lily, you're up!"
"How long was I out?"
"Six days."
"Benny, is he okay? I need to get
back to school! What hap…"
"Slow down. Benny is much better, and
I have notified your school."
"Good."
"Now, how are you feeling?"
"Fine."
"Really?"
"Really…"
"Really Really?"
"Really Really."
"Really Really Really?"
"Really Really Really."
"Good." She got up and changed after
her dad left. Then she went to Benny's room. He was sitting up, and when he
spotted her he shrieked.
"Lily! You are up!"
"Yes."
"You were sick!"
"Yup."
"You went to school!"
"Uh, no." She sat on the bed next to
him, and looked into his eyes.
"Are you messing with me? Are you
messing with me?" He shook his head and she started tickling him. He laughed
his head off. Alec had already gone back to Hogwarts, and she joined him two
days later.
It took her a week to labor through
her make up work, and even then her mid year transfig grade was failing. She
finally realized she needed help, so she mustered up her courage to ask.
"James?" She asked him in the common
room one night.
"What?"
"I was wondering if you… you…"
"I what?"
"You could help me with Transfig."
She blurted out.
"Well… alright."
"Thanks… Wednesday night?"
"Sure carrot, sure."
