A/N: I've decided to post this chapter now because I got a sickening amount of reviews. What am I to do with you, my readers? What am I to do with this story? Seriously, the amount is sickening! C'mon guys! You used to review all the time when reading this, what makes you stop? Anyhow, enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the HP world. Sorry to disappoint you.

ENJOY!!

Falling into Grace

Chapter Five

Angels Bleed

James stared at Lily hard. Had she just said what he thought she said? She had made it rain? No one could control the weather, not unless they had extreme magical powers, and even then…. Lily might have been the smartest in the year, but she wasn't powerful enough make it rain.

And what else had she blubbered? He wanted to have a challenge so she gave it to him? Had she been reading his thoughts? She had been showing signs of what he had been thinking lately, but this? Honestly.

Lily was sobbing into her hands, her cries and moans sounding like burbled phrases. James didn't know what to do. Rarely had he seen Lily like this. And despite the fact that he had been a boyfriend to her for nearly three years, he didn't know how to handle her crying. Hell, he didn't know how to handle it when his mother cried. Normally he would have put an arm around her and pat her awkwardly, but as both his arms were broken, he tried shushing and consoling her softly.

"Shh, Lils. It's not your fault. You can't control the weather; no one can."

"But I did," she wailed, so loudly that the Ravenclaw in the next bed over stirred in her unconsciousness.

"No you didn't, honey; you only think you did and you feel guilty because I happened to be in the way."

"No," she said. "No, no, no. I did. I made the storm come and then I made Madam Hooch not cancel the game. James, you have to believe me. I don't know how I did it, but I did."

"Hey, look at me," he said. Lily looked up at him, her face pale, tears glistening on her cheeks, her eyes rimmed with red. She looked miserable, James thought. "Sweetheart, you're not responsible for this. No one is. It's all in your imagination. You haven't been sleeping well lately and you only believe all this because you're deliriously tired. No – don't protest," he said over her starting words. "You need to have a good sleep and you'll be a hundred percent better."

"Did I hear someone hasn't been sleeping well?" broke in the matron, Madam Pomfrey. She had come to check on James and overheard them talking.

"She's been having nightmares," James replied to the nurse. "Is it possible for you to give her something and she can sleep in here for the night?"

Madam Pomfrey looked at little skeptical, but saw how broken Lily looked and nodded her head.

"But I don't want the two of you to try anything fresh during the night, understand?" she said with her hands on her rotund hips. "Both of you need your sleep."

James decided against commenting on how both he and Lily were Head Boy and Girl and this was a hospital wing, not a trysting area. He wouldn't have been on Madam Pomfrey's good side if he back-talked to her anyway.

Madam Pomfrey led Lily to the bed on the other side of James, pulled back the curtain and let Lily change into a hospital gown to sleep in. James smiled as he watched Lily's shadow on the wall, pulling off her clothing. He felt kind of like a pervert, but it wasn't like he hadn't seen her take her clothes off before. Lily pulled back the curtain, making James start. He blushed and tried not to moan in pain. Lily gave him a knowing wink, figuring he was thinking about something naughty. She walked over to him and kissed him softly on his lips – that was about the only place on his face that wasn't covered in bandages.

"Goodnight," he said. She nodded in return. Madam Pomfrey came back with two draughts of Dreamless Sleep Potion, and the two drank and fell asleep instantly.

* * *

The next day, Sirius, Peter, and Remus came to visit James in the hospital wing. Lily was still sleeping soundly, even though it was half past noon. She had been sleeping for over eighteen hours. James had asked Madam Pomfrey if she had taken more sleeping potion and if it was safe for her to still be sleeping. Madam Pomfrey assured him that it was safe and that, no, she had not taken any more potions. She must have been really tired and exhausted.

"So, mate," Sirius said, "how are you feeling today?"

"Do you want me to lie or give you list?" James said. Sirius grinned.

"That's my boy," he said. But why, James didn't know. "Anyway, since you're going to be in here a while, I brought you a book."

"A book?" James asked, wondering.

"Oh, right," Remus said. "One from his cooking-slash-book club." He snickered.

"Hey, shut it, Moony. Just because I'm getting in touch with my feminine side doesn't mean that I've turned into anything else but as masculine as I really am. I figure that I can be more of a man if I know what my womanly side is like." James tried to keep himself from snickering too.

"What book is it?" he wanted to know.

"Uh, 'Remembering the Hard Times,'" he replied. "It's very good. It's got action and romance and magic and a killer shag scene. You'll like it."

"It sounds like the book Lily was reading on our holiday in America," James said. "Love scenes twisted and all."

"Yeah," Sirius said. "I never knew books could be so interesting."

"So is that why you joined? Because you get to read dirty books? Why don't you just subscribe to a pornographic magazine?" Remus asked.

"Because, reading these books are more educational. Besides. You wouldn't believe the witches that have joined. Since it's a Hogsmeade club, anyone can join and, let me tell you, there are so many hot women in that club."

"Are there any other guys in it?"

"Just one, but he swings the other way, if you know what I mean. He kind of creeps me out, though; always wanting to be my partner when baking something…."

James had to smile at the picture in his head. He couldn't imagine his best friend being anything but a ladies man. In the bed next to his, Lily stirred, but still did not wake.

"Is she okay?" Peter asked.

"She's fine, I'm sure," James replied. "She hasn't been at her peak lately, so I imagine her mind and body are trying to catch up on their rest."

They nodded and stared at her sleeping form for a few moments, watching her breathing. They had done this once before in their sixth year (save for James, who wasn't really there that time, but always watched her sleep anyway), watched her while she had her head resting on the pillow, her russet waves hallowed about her head, her chest rising and falling softly. They all loved her so very much, but James was the only one she loved back romantically.

The four young men looked back at each other awkwardly for a moment before Sirius broke the silence.

"Well, we're going to go see Icilyn off," he said. "Back to dreary England. Honestly, I don't know why everyone just doesn't live in Ireland."

"But you're partial because you live there," Peter said. "I happen to like Wales very much." Or at least he had, he thought, when his mum wasn't such a freak.

"And I like Scotland," Remus said. "Scotland's the best, that's why they chose to build Hogwarts here."

"No way," Sirius said getting up from his chair. "Ireland."

"Wales," Peter said, following suit.

"Scotland."

The three started walking towards the door, still arguing.

"England," James called after them. All three turned and looked at him like he was mad.

"Wrong!" the three said simultaneously, which hacked them off even more. They continued fighting as they walked down the hall, their voices echoing. James listened to them until he couldn't hear them anymore. He sighed and wished that he could roll over to be more comfortable. Well, at least he had something to do now since practically every bone in his body had been broken. He spoke the words he had heard Sirius say when reading the book. It made the book float a good reading distance from James's face and it turned the pages for him when it was commanded to.

But the most amazing thing wasn't that the book was magicked to be so helpful to a person, especially one in his condition; it was the fact that it was actually good. Though he would never admit it. He smiled inwardly and commanded the book to turn a page.

* * *

Lily continued to sleep until early the following Monday morning. She awoke and had a look around the room, trying to determine where she was. Then she remembered that she was in the hospital wing and had taken the Dreamless Sleep Potion. She had never felt so good, she reveled. She felt so refreshed and energized. This never happened after a normal night's sleep.

James was still lying in his bed next to hers and he was sleeping. He still had his glasses on and there was a hardbound book lying open on his chest. The smaller bones in his body, such as his ribs and his arms, had been healed and were now free of magical plaster casts. She thought it amazing that his bones had healed so quickly. It usually took three to five days to heal the small bones and up to ten to heal the larger ones, such as the femur.

James mumbled something in his sleep, then opened his eyes and glanced towards her.

"Ah, sleeping beauty finally awakens," he said, his voice slightly hoarse.

"Me? Sleeping beauty? You're the one who just woke up."

"But I'm not the one who has been out for nearly two days."

Lily sat up abruptly. "What? Two days?" James nodded.

"You took the draught of sleeping potion six o'clock Saturday evening and you haven't woken since." He looked at his watch. "It is now five o'clock Monday morning."

"Monday morning!" she cried. "Why didn't anyone wake me?"

"Why would we?"

"I've got homework and meetings and counseling sessions and – "

"Lily, relax. Everything's been taken care of. You've been officially excused from your homework by the Headmaster." He scowled. "I broke every bone in my body and he didn't even let me off that easy."

"I can't believe it," Lily said. "Two days nearly."

"Feels good, doesn't it?"

"Actually, I've never felt better in my life," Lily said, stretching her sleep-stiffened muscles.

"Dumbledore knew that you needed that sleep, so he excused you from you homework. But, he says he better not hear of you having anymore nightmares."

"Him and me both," Lily muttered. She looked lovingly at her boyfriend. "And how are you doing this morning. I see you've healed some of your bones. Still fast for two days."

"What can I say, I'm a fast recovery kind of guy." He grinned. "I'm just a little sore, is all. Madam Pomfrey says that the leg bones aren't going to heal as fast, though. I just need to have lots of rest and lots of nutritious foods. Sirius has been sneaking me some chocolate cakes he's baked, though."

"Why can't Madam Pomfrey heal your legs any faster?" Lily asked. "I thought she could mend bones within seconds."

"A single bone she can," James said. "But this many bones – twenty-one, I'd like to add – would be too traumatizing for the nervous system and all that to heal at once. It's a nasty thing to heal one bone and she didn't want me healing twenty-one bones in twenty-one seconds."

"I see," Lily replied. But really, she didn't. She thought that having all those bones heal in a matter of seconds would be less traumatizing than making them heal more slowly. She trusted the matron anyway.

"Well, seeing as it's five o'clock," she said, "and I'm feeling better than I have in years, I think I'm going to shower and go to classes today. You'll make it without my company, won't you? You have for two days anyway. I'll come back with some dinner for you." James nodded.

Lily got up from the bed and changed back into her clothes that were sitting on the night table, figuring that someone brought her a fresh pair to change into when she awoke. She kissed James lightly on the lips and he was finally able to wrap his arms around her, only wincing slightly. Then she exited the room and walked purposefully to Gryffindor tower.

"Password," the Fat Lady inquired.

"Slytherin sucks," Lily said. It had been James's turn to make up the password, much to Lily's dismay. She had never let him choose the password because of this reason, but she had felt bad for being such a wench to him the previous weeks, so she let him choose.

The Fat Lady swung open and Lily stepped through, entering the dark common room. She walked up the steps, past the girls' dorms, and into her own room. It was nice to be back within her own confines where her energy resided. She took a long hot shower and then went down to the Great Hall for breakfast where she found Sirius, Remus, and Peter eating ravenously. It had been a while since she had seen them eat that way, as they used to. It was comforting seeing things back to normal. Except for James being in the hospital wing, that is, she reminded herself.

"Hey guys," she said, sitting down next to Sirius. He kissed her cheek affectionately.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"Loads, thanks." He poured her some orange juice and informed her of all the nothings she had missed while she was sleeping.

"There's a Hogsmeade trip weekend after next," Remus said excitedly. "Last day for Christmas shopping."

"That'll be lovely," she said. "I've already got James a killer present, though."

"You have?" Peter asked. "What?"

"I'm not telling because you'll tell him and the surprise will be ruined. It was a little something I picked up in America, I'll tell you that much."

Classes started and Lily continued to feel wonderful. At dinnertime she went up to the hospital wing to eat with James, who told her about his day with painful rehabilitation of his ankles, which were healed only to a hairline fracture and would be better in a few hours.

"You are glowing," James said. "Look at you. You're even more gorgeous than I remembered."

"Oh stop," she said, blushing. "I just have a lot of energy that I don't know what to do with at the moment."

"Too bad my legs are still broken," James said slyly. Lily shook her head. "So, when I get out of my restraints, what are we going to do?"

"Well, I imagine that Christmas holiday will be about when you are able to fully function again; but there is a Hogsmeade weekend."

"I know, I heard Madam Pomfrey complaining about it this morning. I'm excited anyway."

"Yes, then we leave for the holiday. I'm excited to see your mum again. She's always a dear to me."

"And you to her, more than you know. She can't wait 'til the day we've tied the knot and started having kids. Mums are like that, though, aren't they?" Lily nodded. "I guess mine a little more so because I'm the only child."

The two chatted and Lily helped James with the homework that he had missed that day. Sirius and Peter greeted the two around nine o'clock. It was the first night of the full moon, and Remus was already at the Shrieking Shack, already transformed and waiting impatiently for them.

"We just wanted to say hello and let you know that we'll miss you while you're in here."

"Keep your voice down," James whispered, glancing over at Ravenclaw Lulu Morris, who was still occupying the bed next to James's. Her head injury was mild and she had a slight concussion, so Madam Pomfrey made her stay in the hospital wing for a few extra days.

"Sorry mate," Sirius said, not whispering still. "We'll just be going now. Lils, you better get back to Gryffindor tower. You may be Head Girl, but there's some major watch going on in the castle tonight. Which reminds me, Dumbledore wants to see you. about this whole extra-protection thing."

Lily nodded. "Well, I suppose I'll go then. Can I ask you gentlemen to escort me to the Headmaster's office?"

"Certainly," Peter said.

"It's on our way anyway," Sirius said.

Lily kissed James goodbye and left with Sirius and Peter. They walked down the stairs and through the many corridors until Lily finally stopped at the gargoyle that was in front of the entrance to the Headmaster's office.

"I'm fine now, guys. Thank you," she said.

"Damn, I thought I was going to finally hear what this password was. Nothing like Slytherin sucks or Gryffindor rules or –"

"I assure you it's nothing of the sort, Mr. Black." The three jumped and turned to see Professor Dumbledore standing behind them, his eyes twinkling. "But I do have to inquire you and Mr. Pettigrew as to why you are out in the corridors at this time of night."

"We were escorting Lily to your office, Professor," Sirius said. After all, it was the truth. Just not the whole truth. "I gave her your message and told her about the increased security, she thought that she'd be safer if we went with her."

The old wizard nodded. "Smart decision. Well, I assure you that your friend is in good care now, so you must go back to your dormitory – and nowhere else." The three could have sworn that his eyes flickered briefly to the window where the pale white moon was shining in through.

Sirius and Peter turned and trudged down the hall. Dumbledore muttered the password and ushered Lily through the open wall and up the moving staircase and into the office. He showed her to a seat and waved his wand to produce two cups of rosemary tea.

"How is James doing?" Dumbledore asked softly before sipping his tea.

"Much better," Lily replied. "Only a few more bones need to be healed completely and then he can return to his normal life."

"Wonderful to hear," the Headmaster replied.

"Professor, what is this I hear about heightened security in the castle?" Dumbledore looked evenly at Lily over his half-moon spectacles.

"There have been some unidentified attacks on the Ministry," he said. "If it's Voldemort that's doing the attacking, we can't be too careful."

"I understand," Lily replied. She glanced around the room, looking at all the previous Headmasters and Headmistresses, snoozing in their frames. She looked at Fawkes, the phoenix that belonged to the Headmaster, and the scarlet bird winked at her. She winked back. She looked back at the old wizard. "Is that all, sir?"

"It is if you haven't anything else to add."

Lily thought about what this was supposed to mean. Could he possibly know that she wasn't feeling right lately and he was sitting here, subtly asking her to tell him about it? What could she say? I've been having nightmares lately and feeling like I've been sleepwalking. That would go over well with him, it would. Though the last time she was having nightmares was before she was kidnapped in fifth year. But these weren't pictures of people dying, well, other than herself, anyway.

So, she kept her mouth shut and shook her head.

"Very well," Dumbledore said, looking slightly disappointed. Did he know? she wondered. No, maybe he was just lonely for company.

"Thank you for the tea, sir," Lily said, standing up. "I shall be getting back up to my rooms." Dumbledore simply nodded. She exited the office and walked swiftly back to Gryffindor tower, looking at the moon each time she passed a window and silently praying that Sirius and Remus and Peter were all right.

* * *

Two weeks later, the five were on the Hogwarts Express, speeding towards London where Mr. and Mrs. Potter would be picking them up and taking them to their large home. They played Exploding Snap for a few hours before the witch with the trolley full of sweets came to them. James treated them all to whatever their little hearts desired, and, with Sirius's stomach, that was a few items from every category.

"Mum won't be too happy," James said, patting his full stomach. "I suppose she's having the house-elves prepare a huge meal for us even thought it's not Christmas yet."

"There's always room for your house-elves' cooking, I can assure you of that," Remus said. "As long as it doesn't consist of anything chocolate, otherwise I think I'd be ill."

"There will be chocolate, I'm sure," James said. Remus looked pale at the thought. "But don't worry mate, no one will be offended if you don't eat it."

"I can never have enough chocolate," Peter said.

"I hear you," Lily replied. James threw a left over chocolate frog at her and she caught it then dropped it to the ground immediately as if she was going to be sick. "Never mind," she muttered.

"We're going to play Quidditch and walk through the grounds and wreak havoc and mayhem with the house-elves and the ghouls."

"We tried that two summers ago," Remus said. "It didn't work." James shrugged.

"It's always fun to try."

A couple hours later, the five were standing in the snow on Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. It was dark out now and only a sliver of the waning moon could be seen through the clouds.

"My mum and dad should be here," James said. He tried not to panic. They never forgot to pick him up. They were always there an hour before he got off the train, just in case. "Maybe they had some other things they had to do first. Let's just wait."

The five dragged their trunks in the soft snow towards a large plastic structure and sat down inside of it. There was a warming charm on the place so people who were waiting wouldn't freeze in the winter. James kept glancing at his watch and looking around almost frantically.

"They should be here," he said again. "It's been about a half an hour, they should be here by now."

"Maybe you were mistaken and we're supposed to Floo ourselves home," Sirius said. "Don't panic, James, they would never forget about you."

Not right, not right, not right, James's brain screamed.

"Well," he said, his voice straining a touch. "I suppose we Floo ourselves home then."

They walked to the Flooing station and Sirius purchased a small pouch of Floo Powder, as James was distracted enough to about step into the fire and burn himself. Remus went first, and called the destination of the shed on the edge of the grounds that could be safely gotten into via Floo, as the house wasn't connected on the Floo Network. Then Sirius went, followed by Peter.

"Uh, James," Lily said nervously. "Can I go first since this will be only the second time I've traveled over the Floo Network."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, go ahead, I'll be after you shortly." Lily stepped in and called the destination. James glanced around briefly, searching for the familiar faces of his parents. He didn't see them, so he stepped into the fire and called out his destination.

"The lights are on," Sirius said as soon as James stepped dizzily out of the firebox. He was looking out the shed window and across the dirt patch that used to be a field full of daisies and sunflowers and several other kinds of flowers. James looked out the window too. There were lights on in several of the windows, and he imagined it was to light the rooms that they five of them would be staying in.

"Let's go," he said. "There's an underground passage from here to the middle of the tropical gardens. It will be warm in there with all the spells, so it'll be an easy walk."

"Our trunks," Lily began.

"Levitate them. We're all seventeen, the Ministry won't be looking too hard, especially on our property – they don't usually get out here much."

Once the trunks were all levitated, James led them through the underground passage. Lily noticed that there were several doors along the hallway leading to places she could only imagine, considering how grand this estate was.

Sure enough, twenty minutes later, James led them through a doorway on the right and they ended up in the tropical gardens Lily had heard so much about but had never seen. It was rather warm in there, despite the fact that there were clouds hanging over all the palm trees.

After a few more minutes of walking on the soggy earth, they ended up back in the cold of a plain, crisp snow-covered front yard and they trudged up to the front door. James pulled open the front door and everyone else followed in, Sirius shutting the door behind them. It was unnaturally quiet in the mansion, James noticed as he and his friends started pulling off their cloaks and scarves. He couldn't get over the fact that there was something wrong, very wrong. Geness Potter never forgot to pick up her son from school and the house was too quiet for there to have been any miscommunications.

"Mum!" James called. "We're here!" he shrugged, trying to keep his composure. Not right, not right, not right, his brain screamed at him again. "Maybe they're upstairs or they could be downstairs with the house-elves getting dinner things in order. I'll check there."

"Peter and I will go upstairs," Remus said. He turned from the entrance hall and walked into the hallway that led to the sitting room where the stairway to the tops floors was located. James, Lily, and Sirius walked forward into the hall that led to the dining room.

"Well, they were expecting us," James said. The dinnerware was already on the table and the candles had been burning for quite some time. "They couldn't have gone too far."

James walked down the five steps from the dining room disappeared into the kitchen that was put in for when his mum decided to cook, which was hardly ever. There was a loud thud and a strangled cry. Lily and Sirius tore through the dining room and jumped down the stairs into the kitchen with a sort of splash! Lily looked at James, then around the room and instantly wished she hadn't. She couldn't cry out – her throat was too tight. All she could do was turn abruptly and fall into Sirius's arms.

Even with her eyes squeezed shut tightly and her face pressed so hard against Sirius's chest, she couldn't get the horrid picture out of her head.

Sirius held to Lily with a grip like death.

James was curled on his hands and knees, sobbing, his tears falling into the large puddle of red.

* * *

A/N: It's sick, guys. Real sick. Yes, I'm still stuck on the number of reviews I've gotten. I used to get at least fifteen per chapter, and chapter four…*shakes head* What is up? So, if you want me to continue, let me know you're reading this! Otherwise, I'll stop writing. I'm beginning to believe that this story has no purpose any longer.

Don't get me wrong, I am very thankful for the reviews that I got. And I love you all dearly, I promise!! I'm glad to those who gave me complements and constructive criticism, as I always am!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go be balled up on the couch, waiting for the jury to disclose the verdict on this story.

Ta.

Lavender