Disclaimer: not mine
A/N: Hopefully I'll be back to regular updates now as am now back, with internet access and everything! Of course if the dreaded writers block hits we might have a problem. Again a big thank you for all the reviews!!!
Summary: Lily and James are starting to mellow towards each other, do we think it's going to last? Not a chance *grin*
CHAPTER 10
Thirty-six hours later Lily woke up in the hospital wing, glancing around she saw James asleep in the bed next to hers and Bella and Fee, dead to the world in the chairs at the end of her bed. Trying to sit up, she moaned as her head pounded and her vision swam. At the sound of her pain James awoke.
"Lils?" he asked tentatively, unsure whether she was awake, or whether he was still dreaming.
"How did we get here?" Lily asked, confused. "What happened?" she continued as she reached up to touch her heavily bandaged head.
"Bella, Fee and Sirius used a spell to bring us back here, you've been unconscious since you landed on your dormitory floor," James explained, scrutinising her face for any sign that she wasn't all right.
"What day is it?" Lily asked, sounding worried.
"It's Monday evening," James replied. "Don't worry, you've only missed double potions," he added with a grin, ducking as one of Lily's pillows was projected towards his head.
~*~*~*~*~
The next morning, Bella and Fee woke up to find Lily sitting up in bed talking to Madam Pomfrey. "You're awake," they cried at the same time, smiling widely.
"Girls!" Madam Pomfrey reprimanded. "Lily needs her rest, I've only just managed to force Mr. Potter away from her side. You two can come back after class," at their protesting looks, she added "You have already missed one day of lessons, now James has left and he was actually ill." she finished, glaring at the two girls.
"We'll be back later," Bella grumbled, waving good bye to Lily; Fee and Bella left to go to breakfast.
~*~*~*~*~
"Hey," James said awkwardly. He wasn't sure whether Lily would want him as a visitor. "You look better," he added, motioning to Lily's bandage-less head.
"Thanks," Lily said smiling at him. "I can get out of here this evening, I spent all day persuading Madam Pomfrey that I was fine."
"I brought you the Herbology notes from today… Fee and Bella asked me to bring them when I said I was going to come and see you anyway. Prof. Roulash wanted to discuss how you ended up unconscious, plus I don't think it helped that she found Peter drugged in the library."
"Oh God!" Lily exclaimed. "I forgot about the sleeping potion I gave him, is he alright?" she asked nervously.
"He was pretty pleased about it actually," James said, making himself comfortable in the chair by Lily's bed. "Now he has a legitimate excuse for not handing in his Potions essay," James said smirking at her.
They talked for a quarter of an hour until James suddenly remembered: "Damn, I've got to go, I promised I'd help Remus catch up Friday's work… he… er… wasn't very well," James finished uneasily. Lily just nodded. "He sent you these," James continued, handing her a packet of chocolate frogs, "and all the Gryffindor sixth years signed this." He gave her a huge get well soon card, with a Gryffindor lion on the front. "Peter did the Lion, he's got a wizard painting set," James explained as the lion bared it's teeth. "And this is from me," James finished in a rush, handing Lily a badly wrapped package. "Sorry about the paper," he muttered, smiling apologetically.
Lily carefully unwrapped the package and gasped when it revealed, a tiny pink crystal. She looked questioningly up at James.
"It er… broke off my Dad's crystal, must have happened when we fell or something, I found it in my pocket," he said, shifting his feet nervously. "I'll get it put on a necklace next Hogsmeade trip but I didn't have time…" he trailed off, staring at the floor.
"It's beautiful," Lily whispered "You didn't have to."
"Think of it as trying to make up for six years of name calling and pranks," James tried to joke, "and for listening to me in the cave," he added quietly. "I've never told anyone about the crystal before."
Suddenly Bella and Fee burst through the hospital doors, "Lils, you're awake," Fee said grinning. "Hi James," she added.
"I'd better go help Remus with his transfiguration," James said, glancing once more at Lily before he left the hospital wing.
~*~*~*~*~
"Prof. Roulash wanted to know how you ended up passed out and soaking wet," Bella said, explaining their visit to the head of Gryffindor's office.
"We told her you and James fell into the prefects' bath while chasing each other after he tried to hex you," Fee said beaming.
"What?" Lily asked horrified. "Did she believe you?"
"Not really, but you two are always getting at each other, so it's kinda plausible." Bella said. "It was the best we could come up with at the time," she shrugged.
Lily placed her head in her hands in despair. "Just grrreat," she moaned.
"So what happened in the cave?" Fee inquired eagerly.
"You talked?" Bella said incredulously, as Lily shifted nervously on the bed.
"We thought you would have killed each other," Fee added.
"We didn't have our wands," Lily explained grinning.
"Like that's ever stopped you before," Bella deadpanned.
"What's that?" Fee asked, noticing the open parcel in Lily's lap.
Lily slammed her hand over the top of it. "Nothing," she said, trying to look innocent.
Fee and Bella exchanged a look but decided to let it go; they already had a good idea who it was from, especially since Lily was now blushing furiously.
~*~*~*~*~
Sirius and James were pacing their dormitory, James was alternating between biting his bottom lip and running a hand through his hair in frustration. After the third time of banging into each other, James and Sirius demanded "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"What's your problem?"
"Nothing," they replied at the same time.
"Alright," James said slowly. "On the count of three we tell each other,"
"One… two… three…"
"I think I like Lily"
"I kissed Fee," they said in a rush.
"WHAT!?" Peter and Remus yelled. Sirius and James whirled round, staring in shock at the two boys standing by the door.
