The Flower's story chp33

"Love is the irresistible desire to be desired irresistibly."

-Ginzberg, Louis

Last time:

"You going to pay for that, mudbood" he raised his hand to strike her "And not just now, but for the rest of your life!"

~~~

Lily closed her eyes waiting for the blow. But it didn't come, all she heard was a large bang and a bunch of books falling off shelves. Her eyes fluttered open, and breathed relief at the scene before her. James had Malfoy pinned to the back wall. Malfoy's wand lay on the ground, and Sirius had his wand pointed at Malfoy's heart.

What James had seen made his heart almost rupture with anger. Malfoy was actually touching Lily, his hands were in the wrong places and one of them was raised to strike. No one was allowed to touch her like that, ever. He had made a promise to her that she would never get hurt, and now it was broken. But something sparked inside him that made his actions completely irrelevant. All he knew was that Malfoy was hurting the person he loved and needed the most, and he would pay for it.

He and Sirius ran towards Malfoy, but James got there first. He punched him in the nose, and with a loud crack Malfoy backed off of Lily, who was now cringing on the floor. Sirius gave him a good jab in the stomach, which sent him flying to the back wall. James wrapped his hands around Malfoys neck and squeezed with all the strength he had. Sirius kept Malfoy in his place by holding his shaking wand to his heart.

"You listen to me you lousy excuse for a human being. If you or any of your mates even so much as look at Lily, or any of my friends, I will tell everyone every little secret I know about your dark families, and who they've been associating with as of late. Also I will tear you limb from limb, and you will not leave the power of my wand and fists breathing. You understand?" Malfoy made a noise of compliance. James let go and shoved him away from that section of the library, throwing his bag and wand at him.

"Just wait, Potter. One day I'll have you begging on your knees for mercy." Malfoy spat at the ground where Lily was sitting, holding her now bruised face in her hands, from the first hit that malfoy had made. She looked up at him defiantly, never leaving his glare, showing him the marks he had left on her body, and with one swift movement she spit out all of his blood that had filtered into her mouth from biting him. Onto his shoes of course.

"You'll regret this mudblood, that was just a taste of what I'm going to do to you!" Malfoy fled the library before James or Sirius could go after them.

James was hyperventilating now, seething at the thought of Malfoy touching Lily. 'What had he meant taste of what I'm going to do to you. What head he already done to her?' But James' thoughts were wiped form his mind at the sound of a beaten girl, whisper his name.

"James…" Lily mumbled holding onto the bookshelves for support. She was shaking violently from the frightening encounter with Malfoy. James rushed over to her and hugged her with all his might, until she let a gasp of pain escape her. James let go, looking at her questioningly. She pushed her hair away from her face and revealed the bruise on her eye, this made James fume even more. Malfoy had hit her, he already left his mark. Looking into Lily's tear filled eyes, he saw he left more than a physical mark on Lily.

With adrenaline rushing through his veins he easily picked Lily up and carried her to the near-by-secluded table. She refused to look at him, refused to let him now what Malfoy had done to her, how he made her feel filthy and sinful. Which was quite strange, when thinking about what James and Lily had done the night before. But that was different, it was wanted, not some power struggle that men needed to show who's boss. It was love. James caught a glimpse of her kissed-bruised lips and his blood started boil over even more, he knew they were bruised from last night, but these marks were fresh. Malfoy had definitely not seen the last of James Potter.

Sirius rushed over, helping Lily sit down, and giving her a small hug of reassurance. But something caught his eye. Her bruised wrist had started to swell, but it wasn't just that, Lily's hands were emitting a soft green light.

"Lily…your hands are…glowing?" Sirius picked up her hands and examined them gently, trying not to touch the bruise.

"Oh it's nothing don't worry about it-" she stuttered through her tears that had swiftly start to flow down her cheeks. Lily wiped her ear and cheek, where Malfoy's tongue had previously made it's mark, and presence known. She was meat to him, that's all he saw her as. Once Voldemort had taken a bite, she was table scraps for him to play around with…so this was her fate? 'Pretty shity if ask me…' she thought bitterly brushing Sirius' question aside

"Don't tell me its nothing. You both have been hiding things from everyone these past few years, and I want to know what it is! And James don't tell me to back off, because this is serious. What would make Malfoy attack you like that Lily? Please tell me, I'm your best mate you two, and I just want to know what's wrong." Lily realized that her hands were healing from the use of her powers.

Lily and James glanced at each other, with a sigh and pulled Sirius towards the table, and sat him down. James explained everything to him, from the heritage, to the powers, all the way to this afternoon's event. Lily explained to James how Malfoy knew of her relation to Slytherin, she made sure to leave out Voldemort's intentions, and Malfoy's sickening movements. She wanted to tell him this in private, but she assured James that she didn't think he knew of James' powers in any way.

Sirius ran his hands through his hair, taking all of this in. Looking at lily's anxious face a grim smile creeped to his features. It brought back memories of when James and Sirius had confronted Remus about his lyncanthropy. His face was as anxious as a child on Christmas morning, wondering whether or not he received presents instead of coal. And too afraid to find out.

At the moment Lily's eyes were closed, too afraid to look into Sirius' chocolatey orbs. The shame of being related to a person who discriminated against muggle-borns, and being one herself, coarsed through her heart and senses. Thoughts like 'Would he except me? Would he still be my friend? Would he tell anyone?' claimed Lily's thoughts. The horror of losing sirius as a friend would be very hard to bare, but in spite of herself, she found herself understanding his potential descision of desertion.

A long winded whistle broke the silence that hovered above the 3 teenagers. James and Lily looked over at Sirius, who at the moment had his hands behind his head, and the chair he sat in was strattled on it's hind legs. He was smirking.

"Well Lil, I'm afraid we're going to have to do something about this…" he let his chair back to the ground, and put his hands on the desk

"And what do you propose?" Lily asked cautiously, wincing in pain as she shifted her bruised shoulders under clothes.

"We're just going to have to find a way to use yours and Jamsie-boys powers. To get back at that greasy, prick bastard! I reckon we could pull loads of ruthless pranks with wandless magic. Why Lil, you could accidentally get caught by filch and-"

"OH NO!" Lily cried "No way am I helping in one of your hair-brained schemes to get Filch even more pissed off than he naturally is!" Lily stood up gingerly and walked to where her bag had been shoved to the ground. James moved to help her but she raised a hand and stopped him. "I'm fine…I'm just going to go the Head's room and see if I can cover up these bruises with some glamour charms."

"Bruises? As in plural? Lil, you said he only he hit you once!" James ran his fingers through Lily's hair, pushing it back to examine the black eye.

"He did more than hit me James…" Lily whispered so only he could hear

"WHAT? THAT NO GOOD GAWD DAMN-"

"SSHHH" Lily raised her finger to his mouth "Can we please talk about this later hmm?" Lily's eyes traced over to Sirius who was trying deperatley to mind his own business. After a few moments of a strained silence Tasha hopped over to them from behind a book case.

"There you blokes are! I've been looking everywhere for you. You'll never guess who I-" Tasha stopped as she started to sense the akwardness between the three friends, her eyes traced from Sirius twiddling his thumbs, to James trying to look Lily in the eye, and then finally to Lily's now shiner. Tasha gasped and ran over to her.

"Lily! Sweet Merlin what happened? James Potter if you so much as laid a hand on her!" Tasha went from sympathetic to psychotic.

"Tash! TASH!" Lily looked at Tash severley "It wasn't James, it was Malfoy all right? And don't make a big fuss over it please? I'm going to go rest now…James?"

Lily picked up her school things and held her hand out to James, hoping he'd take it. He took it gladly desperate to discover what else Malfoy was guilty of doing. Lily thanked Sirius for helping with her 'problem' and gave Tasha a wink, as she headed out of the library slowly with James. Being that she was still amazingly week, James held her arm and steadied her movements. As it usaully would've taken ten minutes to walk from the library to Gryffindor tower, they were still going a half hour later. James was fed up with the slow and agonizing pace they were moving at, so with one quick movement he had Lily securley in his arms and off the ground.

"James…" Lily whined "Please put me down I'm fine!"

"Sure, you tell me your fine when you stop making those little whimpers of pain. Here I'm gonna take you to the head's common room all right?" Lily raised her eyebrows at him

"I promise I'll try not to get frisky…" James grinned at the look she had been giving him. Rounding the corner he easily found the head's room. It opened up for him without having to say a word, it was odd. As if the door knew who they were.

Gently placing her down on the Head Boy's bed(not knowing if there were any wards on the head Girls' room to keep him out) he kissed her forehead and leaned over the bed holding her hand.

"Are you ok?" he asked tentatively

"As OK as I'll be for the moment…"

"Love, please, tell me what he did?" James moved to sit on the bed next to her.

"Why? So I can feel even more filthy and disgusted with myself, having to relive it? No, sorry I don't think so!" Lily snapped leaning back against the warm pillows and looking away. She was afraid of seeing the disgust that she felt radiating in James' eyes.

"Don't shut me out Lil. I need you, and I don't have doubts in presuming you need me too." James traced his thumb along the edge of the bruise. It was now raw, and lumpy, turning a slight pinkish-blueish color.

"Your right" she sniffed "I do need you. But this was too much. James…" Lily pushed herself up and moved so that she was directly in front of him.

"I've been wanting to tell you something. No needing to tell you something, so desperately that I can't hold it in any longer." Lily closing her eyes, took a deep breath and tried to muster up all the courage and conviction she had left in the weak body. "Tasha brought it to my attention this morning, and I haven't been able to keep this thought out of my mind. This, possibility that…well it's not a possibility anymore. It's definite. I know what I'm talking about and I know that-" she stopped and looked at his confused face "Do you know what made my feeling's definite?"

James shook his head, not knowing where this was leading to.

"Malfoy convinced me. He scared the doubts and uncertainties out of my mind, when he had me pinned to the floor. And when he was telling me what voldemort planned to do…"

James started to talk but Lily's fingers tracing over his lips silenced him, begged for him just to listen.

" Listen to me James!" she pleaded "he made me realize that with all the attacks going on, and voldemort seems to be particularly out for us. I don't want to wak up one morning just to see you not there. To discover that I'm never going to see you again, and that we've left eachother without exactly saying how I feel."

James was holding her trembling hands, listening with rapt attention. He felt his body cringe as a lone tear was seen streaming down her cheek.

"What I'm trying to say is-well, I- that is I-"

James took her face into his large hands, and closed the gap between them. Her lips were trembling from fear and emotion, although welcoming the tender feeling of the kiss. His warm touch was so different from Malfoy's cold, lusting feel. With this one kiss, James understood what Lily had been trying to say, for he felt the same way. Pulling apart gently, he looked into her eyes and whispered:

"I love you!"

Tears were now consistently pooring down Lily's face. Except with his three simple words, the sadness was transformed into happiness, and relief. All the hate and anxiety she had been holding inside melted into oblivion. All that was left was an overwhelming feeling of love.

"James! Oh I love you so much. Please don't ever go away. I need you I love you!" Lily stuttered

James took her into his arms and laid back slowly on the bed "I need you too, and I promise Lily, there won't be one day when you wake up, that you won't know where I am. I swear, nothing is going to come between the love I feel for you. Nothing."

And with that last declaration they both drifted into a dreamless sleep. For their love (being finally confessed) was protecting them.

~*~*~*~**~**~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~**~*~*~~***~*~*~*~

The weeks started to pick up, going at a faster rate than usual. Months had passed since that meaningful day. Easter flew past in a blur or studying, pranks, and Quiditch practises and Games. Dumbledore had approached Lily, James, and Remus about their decision to join the 'Order of the Pheonix' after school, they of course answered yes. Tasha, Sirius, Molly, Arthur, and Peter were also approached on the matter. They agreed with hopeful, yet heavy-hearts. Lily and James were also requested to organize a graduation ball, for the night of graduation. Of course it would be only for the seventh years and professors. They were given a set amount of funds and a list of what was required. Along with a long set of rules. They both made sure that it would be a night to remember.

It seemed that all the seventh just wanted to get their NEWTS over with, yet they didn't want the year to end. In each person's heart a battle was waging; once the year was over, they would finally be free of any adult constraints or rules or obligations. All that was out there was the free wind to pick them up and fly them to their dreams. Yet, once the year was over they had no protection. No one to shelter them, or guide them to a safe place. There routine return to hogwarts would be denied them, and the harsh reality of life would have to set in. this didn't go over well with the eight friends.

It was a week before the NEWTS were to take place, and everyone was a nervous wreck. But as usual no one was more-so than Lily. She had made a study schedule during Easter holiday's, and asked if anyone wanted one. They shook there heads and waved it off figuring they didn't need one or it was useless. But oh how the tables have turned.

"Lily, please I'm beggin you! Me! The Great All Mighty Sirius Black is actually begging. I'm down on my knees Lily, you have to help me with all this bloody studying." Sirius was literally on his knees in the courtyard, pleading with Lily to make him a study schedule. Also earning very amused on-lookers.

"Sirius shut your pie-hole and get up, you dolt. I asked you months ago if you wanted one, but NO. You didn't need one, you were above the study schedule. Now look at you, your truly pathetic do you know that?" Lily huffed gathering her books and heading tos eek refuge in the library.

"Hey Lil, wait!" Sirius ran after her "You are Head Girl it's your duty to help a student in need."

"And you are a seventh year student who is about to take the most important exam of his life. It was your duty to get it in you head that immense, and constant studying was to be expected." She kept walking at a swift pace not even glancing at him.

"Lilykins please! I'll do anything, ANYTHING LILY!" Sirius jumped in front of her keeping her form moving on, and forcing her to look him in the eye. Sirius could see the small scar that had formed on the side of her eye. Malfoy had certainly left his mark on Lily yet, his threats had so far been empty.

"Anything?" Lily asked suspiciously

"Anything you want, I'll do it. Just help me…"

"Swear on your honour as a marauder, that if I help you study this whole week you will do what I ask you!" Lily was grinning inside

"I swear on the honor of Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs that I shall do the Lady Lily's bidding. If she shall guide me through this final-"

Lily put her hand over his mouth, rolling her eyes at his antics "OK I get it. Now when I mean study, I don't just mean reading a couple of passages from a book and then chucking it to the side. No! I mean really study. Do you understand?"

Sirius nodded vigorously, relieved he had finally cracked her shell.

"Good. Now hand over the key that James gave you to his house and we have a deal." Lily grinned at his astonished face.

"WHAT? But why? Your house is my refuge from the scum family I have."

"SIRIUS! That's horrible to talk of family that way." Lily was quite surprised by this new information on his family. She had only been in the black house once, but only for a few moments.

"Not my family, they deserve it! Ask James. Anyway Lil, they're not my family. You're my family. James, Remus, and Peter are my brothers. You and Molly are my sisters, and Tasha…well…I dunno what Tasha is, but she's my family also. But not related in any way because that would be disgusting, thinking about everything I've done with her. I remember that one time-"

"Sirius please! I don't need to hear it and I don't want to hear it." Sirius grinned "Tasha tells me everything anyway…Fifi!" It was now Lily's turn to grin at Sirius' astonished face. She moved passed him and changed her coarse, heading the Head's Common room.

Sirius ran after her "She didn't!"

"Oh she did…Shnookums"

"Oh now that's just cruel. Plain, hateful, and cruel. That girl is going to pay…bigtime."

"What are you gong to do? Sniff her butt?" Lily snorted turning into the head's room, not taking into consideration that Sirius was behind her.

"I-hey where are we?" sirius had never seen this room before. He noticed that someone had definitely been getting good use out of it, for there were books and piles of parchment strewn about the place.

Lily gasped realizing where she had took him. She hadn't wanted anyone to find this place. She wanted it to be just for herself and James. A place for quiet, a place just for themselves, a place where no interruptions were possible…

"it's nowhere I think we should go. What if it's one of the proffessors living quarters left unlocked. If they come back we could get caught and expelled. We must leave we-"

"No! It's not the teachers rooms. This is the head's common room isn't it? I vaguely remember James telling me of you two having a choice whether to stay here or in the regular dorms. How did you two find it?" He sat down on one of the poofs and made himself comfortable, much to Lily's dismay.

"We sort of just stumbled upon it…" Lily sat down across from him

"When?" Sirius was looking around amazingly

"A while ago." Lily stood up not wanting him to see the blush creeping into her cheeks.

Sirius noticed Lily's sudden aversion of eye contact. A thought popped onto Sirius' mind, and wanting get a rise out of Lily he pressed the question a little further.

"How long ago Lily?" Sirius stood up following her slowly into the Head Girl's quarters. "It wouldn't have been a few months ago, would it have been? Oh, let's say around right after Christmas?"

Lily spun around and shot him a glare.

"Maybe, I don't remember."

"And did you actually stumble upon it? Like did you just open the closest thing to a doorknob so you and James could prove to each other-"

"Sirius…don't irk my girlfriend please!" Lily and Sirius turned around to face James, who at the moment was standing in the doorway, arms crossed, and a very smug grin was on his face.

"Trust me, I add no irksome thought to her fiery brain. The irk was there from birth."

"No, the irk was there since the moment you idiots stumbled into my compartment on the train." Lily shot walking over to James to give him a kiss on the cheek. He thankes her my kissing her neck softly and letting her lean on his shoulder.

"Idiots? So this is your opinoun of me?" Sirius asked in a mock offended voice

"Pretty much." Lily closed her eyes putting her arms around James' muscular body.

"Hey! No lovey sogging at this moment please. You have a fellow student to help study."

Lily groaned in resignation beckoning him to the common room. "Grab the books you need help on and then we'll get started with a schedule."

"OOOHHH thank you Lilykins" Sirius gave her a bear hug in gratitude

"You owe be big time!"

"Yes I do!"

A/N: I lied I'm sorry. The next chapter will probably be the end. But I'm not sure…it might take two more chapters knowing me…ugh…it's a disease I'm sorry. Also I apologize for this being so short. I promise the next chapter shall be extra long!

Thanks for all the reviews everyone and I'll try to successfully write and upload the next chapter as soon as possible.

Disclaimer: Nope…don't own em…want to…but don't…Dang it!