Disclaimer: The characters you can recognize are JK Rowling's and the characters you can't recognize are mine. There. A short and sweet disclaimer.

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"How's James?" Those were the words most commonly uttered to Naomi, Remus, Sirius and Peter by concerned fellow Gryffindors in the common room that afternoon.

Truthfully, Naomi was getting very sick of having to answer "Madam Pomfrey says he'll be alright in a few days' time" every time the question was raised by some worried Gryffindor.

"Is Lily still in the Hospital Wing?" Remus asked Naomi as he bent over an essay about the uprising of Elfric the Eager that he was completing.

Naomi could have kissed him for asking her a question other than "How's James?", but she thankfully restrained herself and answered instead, "Probably. She sped there immediately after breakfast and hasn't been seen anywhere else since, so she's most likely still there."

"By the way, what has come over our Lilikins of late? Is she possessed or somethi-" Sirius was cut short by a murderous glare that Naomi threw at him.

"Don't I have a right to be curious?" Sirius asked Naomi innocently.

"No. And please put a sock in it, Padfoot. I'm trying to remember what heroic feat Elfric the Eager performed in 1862." Remus told Sirius curtly.

"Why does everyone tell me to shut up? Nom, you wouldn't tell me to hush up, right?" Sirius turned to Naomi, pretending to be hurt.

"I'm telling you to right now, Sirius." Naomi laughed and stood up.

"Where are you off to?" Remus looked up from his essay inquisitively.

"The Hospital Wing." Naomi stated as she pushed open the portrait hole and climbed out.

Behind her, a few Gryffindors who had just come down from their dormitories bombarded Remus, Sirius and Peter with the all-too familiar question of "How's James?".

* * *

Lily looked down at the piece of parchment clutched in her hands and frowned.

For the life of her, she couldn't seem to remember what Elfric the Eager had accomplished in 1862.

She put her quill and parchment down on a nearby bedside table with a sigh and looked up at the unconscious figure of James Potter.

Her expression softened considerably.

Lily had realized over the course of the recent events that she didn't dislike James Potter anymore. She wasn't very sure what her feelings towards James were yet, but she knew enough to know that she no longer disliked him. No, there was now a new feeling replacing her older feelings of him- one of a certain sort of tenderness. Lily couldn't really understand it, but it was there nonetheless.

"Lils?" Naomi pushed open the door of the Hospital Wing and surveyed the room before her. Her glance finally settled on Lily.

"Aha! I just knew you would be here!" Naomi bounded up to her friend, who smiled at her.

"Are you here to check on James?" Lily asked questioningly.

"Nope. I'm here to check on you. What have you been doing to occupy your time, Lils?" Naomi's face suddenly screwed up in disgust as she discovered Lily's essay on Elfric the Eager resting on the bedside table, alongside her quill. "Lils, how boring can you get? It's Sunday and the essay's only due on Thursday! Luckily for you, you have a great friend like me, who has brought you something more interesting to do!"

Lily watched Naomi with interest as she dug out a folded piece of paper from her pocket.

"Ta-dah! Your crossword puzzle!" Naomi announced proudly, unfolding the sheet of paper and brandishing it at Lily.

"Fine. Let's have a go at it." Lily couldn't help but laugh at her friend's enthusiasm.

"Excuse me, ladies, but I would like to perform a check-up on Mr. Potter." Madam Pomfrey swept into the room and shooed Lily and Naomi outside for the time being.

Lily and Naomi soon found themselves leaning on the wall outside the Hospital Wing, crossword puzzle still in hand.

"Well, I suppose now's as perfect a time as any to start on the next clue." Naomi grinned. "A feeling of comfort when something frightening or worrying has ended. Six letters."

"Hmm… This one has me stumped…" Lily tried to think of an emotion that fitted the description Naomi had just given her, but could think of none.

"Ms. Evans, Mr. Potter has come to. He requests to see you." Madam Pomfrey startled both Lily and Naomi by suddenly flinging the Hospital Wing door wide open.

Tears of relief sprang to Lily's eyes.

"He's come to? Really?" She asked, still a little doubtful as to whether this was all some cruel joke concocted by her friends.

"I assure you it's so, Ms. Evans. Now, if you don't want to see Mr. Potter, he'll need his rest." Was Madam Pomfrey's curt reply.

"Nonono… I'll see him right away! Err… you don't mind, do you, Nom?" Lily asked Naomi uncertainly.

"Of course not! Go ahead, Lils. Oh, and by the way, I've figured out the word." Naomi replied cheerily.

Lily, who had been stepping into the Hospital Wing, stopped in mid-step when she heard this and turned around with the curiosity to kill a cat.

"What?"

"Relief." Naomi smiled amiably at Lily.

Relief. For this relief, much thanks; 'tis bitter cold.

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Another chapter up and about! Let's celebrate! * Author flings party streamers in the air * But… the bad news: I've already exceeded my deadline of 1st January for the completion of the story! Oh dear. I hope all of you out there don't mind too much. I'll try really hard to upload the next chapter by Friday. However, I can't promise anything because school has started once again and I'll probably be up to my neck with homework and stuff. By the way, the next chapter is the last chapter. That is, not counting the epilogue. Thought you all might be a little interested to know how near to the completion of the story you are currently.

Once again, review please. :D