War and Peas-A Bonehead and a Carrot Head
AN: I'm sorry that I've been really bad at updating. I'll be even worse for the first six weeks of summer. I'm going to be living without internet- access for at least six weeks, so I won't be able to update. I probably won't even be able to write. . . I'm very sorry, but I'll try really hard to accomplish as much as I can. Reviews are really helping me get my arse moving, and I hope I'll get more. (I'm really sorry about that horrid things I'm using for titles!!!! Forgive, forgive!) Spirit, who ever said I was your friend? JUST JOKING, ASHTRAY!!!! I'll sacrifice Benjy or Benjy Jr. (Mr. Lynch's ex-cow)! Don't kill me! Hehehe. Oh yeah, one more thing. Someone asked something earlier, and I'd like to clarify. LILY idolized James, but James doesn't seem to remember her. Shame on him. . .
~~~~~
Harry woke up blearily from a really strange dream. He had dreamed that Oliver Wood was telling him of a new and improved practice plan that required non-stop Quidditch practice. Harry got up and stretched, hearing his bones cracking and thinking of how much he missed flying. With a huge sigh, he looked out the window and saw that the sun was just rising. Shaking Lily awake, he told her that he was going out briefly, but would return soon.
After she nodded off back into sleep, Harry grabbed his Firebolt and dashed off to the Quidditch pitch. He was startled to see someone's leg zooming around. When he realized who it was, he laughed. It must be his father with his invisibility cloak. Flying after the person, he slipped the ring of hair back onto his finger and pulled the invisibility cloak over James's leg.
Peeking under the cloak, he saw that his father was riding a miserably ancient broom. "This thing should be in a museum," James muttered, unaware that there was someone else muttering the same thing.
Harry heard his father's muttered statement and laughed, surprised. Flying around for another half an hour, Harry forgot where he was. Diving down, trying the Wronski Feint, he heard a smothered shriek. Crashing into an invisible cushion that knocked him off his broom, he looked up to see Lily standing there still in her green pajamas without her headscarf. She ran over to where Harry stood and quickly boxed his ears.
"What in the name of Albert Einstein was THAT?" she yelled, obviously frightened. "What the heck were you DOING?!"
Comforting his mother who was now sobbing uncontrollably into his robes, Harry looked to see what his father was thinking. He had taken off the invisibility cloak, aware that Lily was hysterical. Looking scared and worried that she had lost her mind, James approached silently, dropping the school broom he had "borrowed". As Harry awkwardly patted Lily's back, he saw James shock when he realized that Lily was leaning heavily on something, and that something was moving the hair away from her face. Harry couldn't even guess what it looked like to James.
As James stood there, watching silently, Lily regained her composure and again boxed Harry's ears before giving him a huge hug. As she started to lecture him again, Bella came rushing onto the pitch followed by Giggy, Frank, Remus, and Sirius. "What's going on? Lily are you okay?" Remus asked, the only one with any breath left.
"I'm fine, thank you," Lily said, wiping tears from her cheeks. "Sorry, it's nothing. I can't believe I lost it like that. Please forgive me for ruining your morning like this."
With a watery grin in Remus's direction, Lily hugged Bella and Giggy, comforting them as best she could. Bella and Giggy had awoken to her scream and had searched frantically for her. Remus had also heard her scream and had woken Frank and Sirius. Knowing that James's had gone flying on a school broom using his invisibility cloak, the boys had ran to the pitch where they had met the girls.
Interrupting their touching reunion, James remembered his vow from last night. Deciding now was a good opportunity to set his plan into motion, he whipped out his wand and shot an easy curse at Lily. Harry saw and quickly reacted by pushing Lily out of the way. James swore softly, horrified that he had accidentally cursed an innocent bystander. (Poor Giggy had skin that was a violently glowing purple.)
Getting up from the floor, Lily quickly reversed the curse and pointed her wand at James. James's hair suddenly turned into a green bush. As realization dawned in Sirius and Remus's eyes, Lily assumed that James had told them about "the nasty broom incident" and swore under HER breath. "It looks rather attractive, doesn't it?" she asked Giggy. "Much better than that messy black mop. Now people don't have to say his hair LOOKS like a bush, it IS one. You are such a stupid, boneheaded idiot!"
Turning on her heel, she stalked back to her room. Bella and Giggy followed after her, staring with saucer-sized eyes. Remus simply laughed at James and Sirius's expressions and slapped Frank on the back. "You're pretty good at choosing female companions," he said cheerfully. "Good-looking, smart, and charming."
Frank couldn't say a word, and simply stared after Lily. Harry quickly picked up his Firebolt and checked to make sure no damage had been done. As James recovered, his temper rose. "Do you know how long it took for me to learn that curse?" he asked his comrades. "It took me two bloody YEARS, and she's a Muggle-born who just learned she has magical powers! How the heck did she do that (referring to Giggy)? And THIS (referring to his hair)?"
His friends all shrugged and Harry laughed again at James's frustration. Running, Harry caught up with Lily and they discussed shower arrangements for him as her friends followed at a distance. Unaware of the amazing feat she had just completed, Lily shoved Harry into the shower, told him to draw the curtains, put his clothes on a shelf when he threw them out, fixed them with a handy charm she had learned, and waited on the toilet seat for him to finish.
As soon as he finished, she threw the clothes to him and waited as he dressed. After Harry left the bathroom threw the closed door, Lily quickly stripped and showered. Stepping out, she realized it was time for breakfast, and for once, she was actually starving. Dragging Harry to the Great Hall, they shoveled food into their mouths. Last night, no one seemed to be shocked when food simply floated to a certain spot above the table and disappeared. Today, no one seemed to noticed and Harry ate his full.
~~~~~
Right after breakfast, the Gryffindor first years were told they had Charms. Lily brightened as she had a natural talent for them. Professor Flitwick took an immediate liking for her. Seeing how she was easily the best in the class, she gained many points in his class for Gryffindor. She spent the morning laughing at James, (his head was still topped with a healthy green bush), and could not perform some of the simplest Charms.
James got back at Lily in Transfiguration, though. She had somehow transfigured his hair into a bush, but she couldn't even get the basics of Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall nodded approvingly at James who was everyone's superior in this class. Smirking, having his usual hairstyle again thanks to the professor, he taunted Lily throughout the entire class. Lily got so upset she again turned James's hair into a bush, this time with berries growing. While she was applauded for her show of Transfiguration (the only one she had managed since earlier that morning) Professor McGonagall took points from Gryffindor for her lack of self-control. ("Who needs self-control?" Harry asked Lily.)
Before lunch, Lily and Harry were happy to hear that she would be having her first flying lesson. James again looked superior and smirked at the thought of having something else to hold over Lily's head. Sadly, like Harry's generation, the Gryffindors had flying with the Slytherins. Malfoy could be heard bragging from across the pitch as the first years waited for their first lesson.
Lily's first flying experience began the same way Harry's did. She was exhilarated when her broomstick obeyed her command and jumped into her hand. Few others were capable of doing this their first attempt. Harry and Lily exchanged glances when Madam Hooch corrected Malfoy's grip, and burst into laughter. Luckily, no one broke his or her wrist, and the lesson went according to plan.
Harry had brought his Firebolt along and took off with Lily. Lily was surprised to see him flying, seemingly on nothing. Harry teased Lily and flew just beyond her grasp. He was surprised to see that she was also a natural flyer, and he was laughing with her when she grabbed his cloaks and yanked him to a stop. Lily asked, "Do you have an invisible broom, or something? Is that what you were doing this morning?"
Harry nodded and grinned when Lily blushed. Punching Harry, she spun around and crashed into James. Knocked off her ancient broom, Lily fell from a very high altitude. Harry's reflexes were the quickest, and he had already dropped into a dive, before anyone had realized what had happened. James followed at his heels, loosing ground (or air) on his old broom. Catching up to her five minutes after Harry did, he stared in astonishment at the sight of an unconscious Lily Evans floating in midair.
Madam Hooch looked a tad bit pale as she ordered James to take Lily to the Hospital Wing. James himself wasn't too steady as he carried Lily, still unconscious and weighing too little for James's comfort. As he almost dropped her, opening a door, he was shocked out of his daze by a sudden tugging on Lily. He heard someone whisper, "Let her go. Don't worry, I can hold her."
Very upset by the little voice, he let Lily go. He followed Lily's floating body and felt slightly putout by the fact that someone else now held her. He felt useless and out of place, following Lily's body through the hallways to a Hospital Wing. He didn't even know where it was! Suddenly, Lily's light body was thrust into his arms, and he was shoved through an open door. "Go!" the voice said, a little louder and easier to discern.
Listening to the worried, male voice that sounded hauntingly familiar, James entered the Hospital Wing and put Lily down on a bed. Madam Pomfrey rushed to the bed, and stared at Lily's starved body. Shooing James out of the room, Madam Pomfrey set to work. Unsurprisingly, Harry remained in the room just long enough to see Madam Pomfrey treat his mother to a nasty potion that immediately restored color to her cheeks. As soon as he saw that this younger Madam Pomfrey was just as great a nurse as she would be in 20 years, he stepped out to see how his father was faring.
Thinking back to the past half hour, Harry realized that he had communicated to his father!
Taking off the ring of red hair, Harry stepped through the door, crashing into something. The something fell on top of him, knocking the breath out of him and sending his head through the door. (Guess who?) Surprised, James looked down to see what had sent him reeling to the floor. He jumped up when he saw a body with its head through a door. When Harry got back onto his feet, James stared at what looked to be his twin. . .
"Who-What. . . ?" James, for once in his life, was speechless.
Unsure of what to do, Harry looked around. "I'm talking to you," James assured him, still quaking in his boots (Hah. He's not wearing boots)
"I'm Harry Potter," Harry answered. "I'm related to you, but you won't know how for a while, and I can't explain. . . "
"Great. . . " James muttered. "First I have to be scared half to death by Evans dropping out of the sky like a fly, then I have to be scared the rest of the way by some phantom telling me what to do and carrying Evans and everything. Then you pop out of no where and scare me to who knows where. . . "
There was another of those awkward silences that we all experience too often. It was shattered by Harry and James's laughter. Feeling more comfortable after the ice had been broken, they started to pace worriedly in the hall, waiting for Lily. Harry started berating James after a long five-minute's worth of pacing.
"Did you know she has leukemia?" Harry asked. Not waiting for an answer, he continued. "Did you know she has a weak heart? Her Muggle doctors were killing her, poisoning her with toxins, trying to cure her. And you know what? Her parents let her choose, and she CHOSE to go through with it. Knowing that she would probably never survive, she chose to be their guinea pig. Then you have to dash her hopes and make her cry herself senseless over your broom! YOUR BROOM! You arrogant, selfish-"
Before Harry could finish killing James, Madam Pomfrey opened the door and peeped through. "Come in. She's saying, 'Get Potter. Both of them.'"
Obviously unsure of her patient's state of mind, Madam Pomfrey retreated with a smile from Lily. Harry pumped her with questions and she laughed, weakly, at him. James hung back, unsure of his place. With a comforting pat for Harry, Lily asked him to come closer.
"I hope you don't think I'm crazy," Lily started. "You saw me this morning, right? Screaming and crying? I'm sorry, but I really can't explain. And was it you that saved me out there? Probably wasn't. . . "
"Oh," James said, snapping out of a trance. "You're talking about Harry? We met."
Looking surprised, Lily glanced at Harry for his nod. "Oh. . . "
Smiling, Harry kissed her on the forehead. "Don't look so lost, Lily. Males aren't all THAT clueless."
With a snort, Lily dismissed this stupid statement. "You guys, and I mean GUYS, are all fools! I still love you, though."
With this obvious display of affection, James felt really out of place. Laughing again, Lily and Harry realized that they were not alone. "He's the brother I never had. Isn't he great?"
With an affectionate punch, Lily grinned at Harry and then at James. James was hit with a load of bricks. He looked more closely at Harry and Lily. He knew there had been something strange about Harry. James and Harry could have been identical; if you didn't think of their ages and ignored their eyes they WERE identical. "You-" he stammered. "You two. . . What's with the eyes?"
Pinned with identical green eyes, James could easily be forgiven for his lack of wit. Those green eyes were spectacular, he realized. How could they have the exact same eyes? And how could he look exactly like Harry? And where had he seen those eyes before? Seeing his bewildered face, Lily interrupted James's thoughts. "Yeah. Weird isn't it? He looks just like you."
"Not only that," James said. "Look at his EYES!"
"Hey!" Harry said, indignantly. "I'm HERE, you know. Stop talking about me as if I were off on Mars."
"Sorry. . . " they both muttered, amused.
Lily looked up at Harry, though. "You know, Harry," she said. "Your eyes DO kind of look familiar. . . "
"THEY'RE IDENTICAL TO YOUR BLOODY EYES!!!" James shouted, frustrated. "Blind bats!"
"James Potter!" Madam Pomfrey burst in. "Do NOT upset my patient!"
"I'm sorry," James said, going all innocent looking. "I'll be good. . . "
With a sigh and another glare, Madam Pomfrey left the room again. Harry and Lily were laughing themselves silly. Clutching their stomachs, they ignored James's ferocious glare and continued rolling around, Lily on the bed, Harry on the floor. James looked around the room for ammunition and his eyes brightened when he saw what lay on the table. Walking quickly, he grabbed it and shoved it into the mouths of the two insane humans.
"Mmm. . . " Lily said. "Dank 'ou."
Harry was too busy chewing through his chunk of chocolate to respond. "Pig," James glared.
Harry responded to this by whipping out his wand and sending an enormous chunk of chocolate into James's mouth. He choked (Yay!) but not to death (Boo!) and hurled something at Harry. Laughing, Harry watched as it went through him, because he wasn't touching Lily or the hair ring. Madam Pomfrey came popping out of her office with a gleeful expression.
"Hah!" she exclaimed. "I found this! This should counter that monstrous chemo and those other stupid poisons. It will also help you re- grow your hair."
Shakily, Lily reached out for the little flask of green liquid and consumed it. There was a popping noise, and there was a young girl sitting on the bed. "What?" James and Harry asked, surprised.
"That's what she looked like before she was poisoned," Madam Pomfrey explained. "Poor girl. . . "
Lily was suddenly growing in spurts and throwing up. When she reached her normal appearance in a couple of nerve-racking moments, there were a few differences. She had healthier skin, her eyes had an extra sparkle, her hair was waist-length, and she had gained at least ten pounds. Handing her a mirror, Madam Pomfrey stepped back and beamed.
James, Harry, Madam Pomfrey, and Lily herself were stunned. She put down the mirror, smiled, and jumped into Madam Pomfrey's arms. "Thank you," she whispered. "Not just for giving me hair, but for giving me this vitality again. I haven't had it since. . . before I was five. Thank you. . . "
Wiping tears from her eyes, Madam Pomfrey was deeply touched. With a teary smile, she gently tugged Lily's long, thick, wavy hair. "I didn't do anything," she said. "This is just what would have occurred naturally without all that junk the Muggles were giving you, sweet. You still need to put on another 10 pounds." Leaving, Madam Pomfrey shoved a large box of chocolate to James and gave him a meaningful glance towards Lily.
At a loss of words for the second time in his life, James looked at Harry. Harry was equally lost and was looking in James's direction for guidance. They both slowly turned their gazes towards Lily. She was sitting on the bed, smiling dreamily and fingering her hair. Bouncing up, she wiped the happy tears from her cheeks, forgetting her eyes. Hugging Harry and then James, she joyfully bounced out of the room, leaving James and Harry looking as forlorn as sheep without a shepherd.
~~~~~
Harry and James spent the rest of the day deep in thought. They had missed Double Potions with the Slytherins with Lily in the Hospital Wing, but they didn't notice. Walking like zombies, they entered the Great Hall after a bouncing Lily. Dinner had already begun, but as soon as Lily entered, silence fell on the Great Hall.
As James walked in, noise suddenly burst from four out of the five tables in the Hall. Everyone but the Slytherins had started cheering loudly for Lily and her reappearance. James and Lily sat next to each other, at the only seats at the table. Harry tried to take the seat next to Lily, but was rudely shoved to the floor when James found him in his lap. Laughing, Lily turned to talk to Giggy, Bella, and Frank. James helped Harry up, and then Harry decided to sit through Giggy.
Harry and James both started to eat at the same time. Both of them gagged at the same time. Both of them choked at the same time. Both of them turned around to look at each other at the same time. Both of them spit out the peas they had been trying to eat at the same time. Both of them ran from the table at the same time for the same reason. Both of them ran laughing to James's room. Both of them put locking spells on the door, (Harry's were better, he's older). Both of them screamed when a pea- drenched Lily Evans walked into the room and turned their hair into bushes at the same time. All three of them laughed at the same time.
AN: How do you like that? If you liked what I write when I'm delirious, yay! Please review!!! It only takes a few minutes! Please?! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. I wasn't even going to try writing, but I couldn't disappoint you peeps. Thanks for the great reviews and the encouragement!
AN: I'm sorry that I've been really bad at updating. I'll be even worse for the first six weeks of summer. I'm going to be living without internet- access for at least six weeks, so I won't be able to update. I probably won't even be able to write. . . I'm very sorry, but I'll try really hard to accomplish as much as I can. Reviews are really helping me get my arse moving, and I hope I'll get more. (I'm really sorry about that horrid things I'm using for titles!!!! Forgive, forgive!) Spirit, who ever said I was your friend? JUST JOKING, ASHTRAY!!!! I'll sacrifice Benjy or Benjy Jr. (Mr. Lynch's ex-cow)! Don't kill me! Hehehe. Oh yeah, one more thing. Someone asked something earlier, and I'd like to clarify. LILY idolized James, but James doesn't seem to remember her. Shame on him. . .
~~~~~
Harry woke up blearily from a really strange dream. He had dreamed that Oliver Wood was telling him of a new and improved practice plan that required non-stop Quidditch practice. Harry got up and stretched, hearing his bones cracking and thinking of how much he missed flying. With a huge sigh, he looked out the window and saw that the sun was just rising. Shaking Lily awake, he told her that he was going out briefly, but would return soon.
After she nodded off back into sleep, Harry grabbed his Firebolt and dashed off to the Quidditch pitch. He was startled to see someone's leg zooming around. When he realized who it was, he laughed. It must be his father with his invisibility cloak. Flying after the person, he slipped the ring of hair back onto his finger and pulled the invisibility cloak over James's leg.
Peeking under the cloak, he saw that his father was riding a miserably ancient broom. "This thing should be in a museum," James muttered, unaware that there was someone else muttering the same thing.
Harry heard his father's muttered statement and laughed, surprised. Flying around for another half an hour, Harry forgot where he was. Diving down, trying the Wronski Feint, he heard a smothered shriek. Crashing into an invisible cushion that knocked him off his broom, he looked up to see Lily standing there still in her green pajamas without her headscarf. She ran over to where Harry stood and quickly boxed his ears.
"What in the name of Albert Einstein was THAT?" she yelled, obviously frightened. "What the heck were you DOING?!"
Comforting his mother who was now sobbing uncontrollably into his robes, Harry looked to see what his father was thinking. He had taken off the invisibility cloak, aware that Lily was hysterical. Looking scared and worried that she had lost her mind, James approached silently, dropping the school broom he had "borrowed". As Harry awkwardly patted Lily's back, he saw James shock when he realized that Lily was leaning heavily on something, and that something was moving the hair away from her face. Harry couldn't even guess what it looked like to James.
As James stood there, watching silently, Lily regained her composure and again boxed Harry's ears before giving him a huge hug. As she started to lecture him again, Bella came rushing onto the pitch followed by Giggy, Frank, Remus, and Sirius. "What's going on? Lily are you okay?" Remus asked, the only one with any breath left.
"I'm fine, thank you," Lily said, wiping tears from her cheeks. "Sorry, it's nothing. I can't believe I lost it like that. Please forgive me for ruining your morning like this."
With a watery grin in Remus's direction, Lily hugged Bella and Giggy, comforting them as best she could. Bella and Giggy had awoken to her scream and had searched frantically for her. Remus had also heard her scream and had woken Frank and Sirius. Knowing that James's had gone flying on a school broom using his invisibility cloak, the boys had ran to the pitch where they had met the girls.
Interrupting their touching reunion, James remembered his vow from last night. Deciding now was a good opportunity to set his plan into motion, he whipped out his wand and shot an easy curse at Lily. Harry saw and quickly reacted by pushing Lily out of the way. James swore softly, horrified that he had accidentally cursed an innocent bystander. (Poor Giggy had skin that was a violently glowing purple.)
Getting up from the floor, Lily quickly reversed the curse and pointed her wand at James. James's hair suddenly turned into a green bush. As realization dawned in Sirius and Remus's eyes, Lily assumed that James had told them about "the nasty broom incident" and swore under HER breath. "It looks rather attractive, doesn't it?" she asked Giggy. "Much better than that messy black mop. Now people don't have to say his hair LOOKS like a bush, it IS one. You are such a stupid, boneheaded idiot!"
Turning on her heel, she stalked back to her room. Bella and Giggy followed after her, staring with saucer-sized eyes. Remus simply laughed at James and Sirius's expressions and slapped Frank on the back. "You're pretty good at choosing female companions," he said cheerfully. "Good-looking, smart, and charming."
Frank couldn't say a word, and simply stared after Lily. Harry quickly picked up his Firebolt and checked to make sure no damage had been done. As James recovered, his temper rose. "Do you know how long it took for me to learn that curse?" he asked his comrades. "It took me two bloody YEARS, and she's a Muggle-born who just learned she has magical powers! How the heck did she do that (referring to Giggy)? And THIS (referring to his hair)?"
His friends all shrugged and Harry laughed again at James's frustration. Running, Harry caught up with Lily and they discussed shower arrangements for him as her friends followed at a distance. Unaware of the amazing feat she had just completed, Lily shoved Harry into the shower, told him to draw the curtains, put his clothes on a shelf when he threw them out, fixed them with a handy charm she had learned, and waited on the toilet seat for him to finish.
As soon as he finished, she threw the clothes to him and waited as he dressed. After Harry left the bathroom threw the closed door, Lily quickly stripped and showered. Stepping out, she realized it was time for breakfast, and for once, she was actually starving. Dragging Harry to the Great Hall, they shoveled food into their mouths. Last night, no one seemed to be shocked when food simply floated to a certain spot above the table and disappeared. Today, no one seemed to noticed and Harry ate his full.
~~~~~
Right after breakfast, the Gryffindor first years were told they had Charms. Lily brightened as she had a natural talent for them. Professor Flitwick took an immediate liking for her. Seeing how she was easily the best in the class, she gained many points in his class for Gryffindor. She spent the morning laughing at James, (his head was still topped with a healthy green bush), and could not perform some of the simplest Charms.
James got back at Lily in Transfiguration, though. She had somehow transfigured his hair into a bush, but she couldn't even get the basics of Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall nodded approvingly at James who was everyone's superior in this class. Smirking, having his usual hairstyle again thanks to the professor, he taunted Lily throughout the entire class. Lily got so upset she again turned James's hair into a bush, this time with berries growing. While she was applauded for her show of Transfiguration (the only one she had managed since earlier that morning) Professor McGonagall took points from Gryffindor for her lack of self-control. ("Who needs self-control?" Harry asked Lily.)
Before lunch, Lily and Harry were happy to hear that she would be having her first flying lesson. James again looked superior and smirked at the thought of having something else to hold over Lily's head. Sadly, like Harry's generation, the Gryffindors had flying with the Slytherins. Malfoy could be heard bragging from across the pitch as the first years waited for their first lesson.
Lily's first flying experience began the same way Harry's did. She was exhilarated when her broomstick obeyed her command and jumped into her hand. Few others were capable of doing this their first attempt. Harry and Lily exchanged glances when Madam Hooch corrected Malfoy's grip, and burst into laughter. Luckily, no one broke his or her wrist, and the lesson went according to plan.
Harry had brought his Firebolt along and took off with Lily. Lily was surprised to see him flying, seemingly on nothing. Harry teased Lily and flew just beyond her grasp. He was surprised to see that she was also a natural flyer, and he was laughing with her when she grabbed his cloaks and yanked him to a stop. Lily asked, "Do you have an invisible broom, or something? Is that what you were doing this morning?"
Harry nodded and grinned when Lily blushed. Punching Harry, she spun around and crashed into James. Knocked off her ancient broom, Lily fell from a very high altitude. Harry's reflexes were the quickest, and he had already dropped into a dive, before anyone had realized what had happened. James followed at his heels, loosing ground (or air) on his old broom. Catching up to her five minutes after Harry did, he stared in astonishment at the sight of an unconscious Lily Evans floating in midair.
Madam Hooch looked a tad bit pale as she ordered James to take Lily to the Hospital Wing. James himself wasn't too steady as he carried Lily, still unconscious and weighing too little for James's comfort. As he almost dropped her, opening a door, he was shocked out of his daze by a sudden tugging on Lily. He heard someone whisper, "Let her go. Don't worry, I can hold her."
Very upset by the little voice, he let Lily go. He followed Lily's floating body and felt slightly putout by the fact that someone else now held her. He felt useless and out of place, following Lily's body through the hallways to a Hospital Wing. He didn't even know where it was! Suddenly, Lily's light body was thrust into his arms, and he was shoved through an open door. "Go!" the voice said, a little louder and easier to discern.
Listening to the worried, male voice that sounded hauntingly familiar, James entered the Hospital Wing and put Lily down on a bed. Madam Pomfrey rushed to the bed, and stared at Lily's starved body. Shooing James out of the room, Madam Pomfrey set to work. Unsurprisingly, Harry remained in the room just long enough to see Madam Pomfrey treat his mother to a nasty potion that immediately restored color to her cheeks. As soon as he saw that this younger Madam Pomfrey was just as great a nurse as she would be in 20 years, he stepped out to see how his father was faring.
Thinking back to the past half hour, Harry realized that he had communicated to his father!
Taking off the ring of red hair, Harry stepped through the door, crashing into something. The something fell on top of him, knocking the breath out of him and sending his head through the door. (Guess who?) Surprised, James looked down to see what had sent him reeling to the floor. He jumped up when he saw a body with its head through a door. When Harry got back onto his feet, James stared at what looked to be his twin. . .
"Who-What. . . ?" James, for once in his life, was speechless.
Unsure of what to do, Harry looked around. "I'm talking to you," James assured him, still quaking in his boots (Hah. He's not wearing boots)
"I'm Harry Potter," Harry answered. "I'm related to you, but you won't know how for a while, and I can't explain. . . "
"Great. . . " James muttered. "First I have to be scared half to death by Evans dropping out of the sky like a fly, then I have to be scared the rest of the way by some phantom telling me what to do and carrying Evans and everything. Then you pop out of no where and scare me to who knows where. . . "
There was another of those awkward silences that we all experience too often. It was shattered by Harry and James's laughter. Feeling more comfortable after the ice had been broken, they started to pace worriedly in the hall, waiting for Lily. Harry started berating James after a long five-minute's worth of pacing.
"Did you know she has leukemia?" Harry asked. Not waiting for an answer, he continued. "Did you know she has a weak heart? Her Muggle doctors were killing her, poisoning her with toxins, trying to cure her. And you know what? Her parents let her choose, and she CHOSE to go through with it. Knowing that she would probably never survive, she chose to be their guinea pig. Then you have to dash her hopes and make her cry herself senseless over your broom! YOUR BROOM! You arrogant, selfish-"
Before Harry could finish killing James, Madam Pomfrey opened the door and peeped through. "Come in. She's saying, 'Get Potter. Both of them.'"
Obviously unsure of her patient's state of mind, Madam Pomfrey retreated with a smile from Lily. Harry pumped her with questions and she laughed, weakly, at him. James hung back, unsure of his place. With a comforting pat for Harry, Lily asked him to come closer.
"I hope you don't think I'm crazy," Lily started. "You saw me this morning, right? Screaming and crying? I'm sorry, but I really can't explain. And was it you that saved me out there? Probably wasn't. . . "
"Oh," James said, snapping out of a trance. "You're talking about Harry? We met."
Looking surprised, Lily glanced at Harry for his nod. "Oh. . . "
Smiling, Harry kissed her on the forehead. "Don't look so lost, Lily. Males aren't all THAT clueless."
With a snort, Lily dismissed this stupid statement. "You guys, and I mean GUYS, are all fools! I still love you, though."
With this obvious display of affection, James felt really out of place. Laughing again, Lily and Harry realized that they were not alone. "He's the brother I never had. Isn't he great?"
With an affectionate punch, Lily grinned at Harry and then at James. James was hit with a load of bricks. He looked more closely at Harry and Lily. He knew there had been something strange about Harry. James and Harry could have been identical; if you didn't think of their ages and ignored their eyes they WERE identical. "You-" he stammered. "You two. . . What's with the eyes?"
Pinned with identical green eyes, James could easily be forgiven for his lack of wit. Those green eyes were spectacular, he realized. How could they have the exact same eyes? And how could he look exactly like Harry? And where had he seen those eyes before? Seeing his bewildered face, Lily interrupted James's thoughts. "Yeah. Weird isn't it? He looks just like you."
"Not only that," James said. "Look at his EYES!"
"Hey!" Harry said, indignantly. "I'm HERE, you know. Stop talking about me as if I were off on Mars."
"Sorry. . . " they both muttered, amused.
Lily looked up at Harry, though. "You know, Harry," she said. "Your eyes DO kind of look familiar. . . "
"THEY'RE IDENTICAL TO YOUR BLOODY EYES!!!" James shouted, frustrated. "Blind bats!"
"James Potter!" Madam Pomfrey burst in. "Do NOT upset my patient!"
"I'm sorry," James said, going all innocent looking. "I'll be good. . . "
With a sigh and another glare, Madam Pomfrey left the room again. Harry and Lily were laughing themselves silly. Clutching their stomachs, they ignored James's ferocious glare and continued rolling around, Lily on the bed, Harry on the floor. James looked around the room for ammunition and his eyes brightened when he saw what lay on the table. Walking quickly, he grabbed it and shoved it into the mouths of the two insane humans.
"Mmm. . . " Lily said. "Dank 'ou."
Harry was too busy chewing through his chunk of chocolate to respond. "Pig," James glared.
Harry responded to this by whipping out his wand and sending an enormous chunk of chocolate into James's mouth. He choked (Yay!) but not to death (Boo!) and hurled something at Harry. Laughing, Harry watched as it went through him, because he wasn't touching Lily or the hair ring. Madam Pomfrey came popping out of her office with a gleeful expression.
"Hah!" she exclaimed. "I found this! This should counter that monstrous chemo and those other stupid poisons. It will also help you re- grow your hair."
Shakily, Lily reached out for the little flask of green liquid and consumed it. There was a popping noise, and there was a young girl sitting on the bed. "What?" James and Harry asked, surprised.
"That's what she looked like before she was poisoned," Madam Pomfrey explained. "Poor girl. . . "
Lily was suddenly growing in spurts and throwing up. When she reached her normal appearance in a couple of nerve-racking moments, there were a few differences. She had healthier skin, her eyes had an extra sparkle, her hair was waist-length, and she had gained at least ten pounds. Handing her a mirror, Madam Pomfrey stepped back and beamed.
James, Harry, Madam Pomfrey, and Lily herself were stunned. She put down the mirror, smiled, and jumped into Madam Pomfrey's arms. "Thank you," she whispered. "Not just for giving me hair, but for giving me this vitality again. I haven't had it since. . . before I was five. Thank you. . . "
Wiping tears from her eyes, Madam Pomfrey was deeply touched. With a teary smile, she gently tugged Lily's long, thick, wavy hair. "I didn't do anything," she said. "This is just what would have occurred naturally without all that junk the Muggles were giving you, sweet. You still need to put on another 10 pounds." Leaving, Madam Pomfrey shoved a large box of chocolate to James and gave him a meaningful glance towards Lily.
At a loss of words for the second time in his life, James looked at Harry. Harry was equally lost and was looking in James's direction for guidance. They both slowly turned their gazes towards Lily. She was sitting on the bed, smiling dreamily and fingering her hair. Bouncing up, she wiped the happy tears from her cheeks, forgetting her eyes. Hugging Harry and then James, she joyfully bounced out of the room, leaving James and Harry looking as forlorn as sheep without a shepherd.
~~~~~
Harry and James spent the rest of the day deep in thought. They had missed Double Potions with the Slytherins with Lily in the Hospital Wing, but they didn't notice. Walking like zombies, they entered the Great Hall after a bouncing Lily. Dinner had already begun, but as soon as Lily entered, silence fell on the Great Hall.
As James walked in, noise suddenly burst from four out of the five tables in the Hall. Everyone but the Slytherins had started cheering loudly for Lily and her reappearance. James and Lily sat next to each other, at the only seats at the table. Harry tried to take the seat next to Lily, but was rudely shoved to the floor when James found him in his lap. Laughing, Lily turned to talk to Giggy, Bella, and Frank. James helped Harry up, and then Harry decided to sit through Giggy.
Harry and James both started to eat at the same time. Both of them gagged at the same time. Both of them choked at the same time. Both of them turned around to look at each other at the same time. Both of them spit out the peas they had been trying to eat at the same time. Both of them ran from the table at the same time for the same reason. Both of them ran laughing to James's room. Both of them put locking spells on the door, (Harry's were better, he's older). Both of them screamed when a pea- drenched Lily Evans walked into the room and turned their hair into bushes at the same time. All three of them laughed at the same time.
AN: How do you like that? If you liked what I write when I'm delirious, yay! Please review!!! It only takes a few minutes! Please?! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. I wasn't even going to try writing, but I couldn't disappoint you peeps. Thanks for the great reviews and the encouragement!
