I'm in hospital wing, and have been for 2 weeks now, but I still don't know what's actually wrong with me. It's been such a bore since Peter left - he was good company. I wish I could get back to classes. It's so silent, except of course for the occasional snoring coming from a bed in the corner of the room. I think I hear someone coming.
Martin comes in with a bunch of flowers and a box of chocolates. He smiles warmly at me.
"Didn't wag to see me did you?" I ask.
"Nup, I have all the time in the world now," Martin replies.
I glance hesitantly at the flowers. "Um, Martin, I'm allergic to-"
"I know, that's why I put an anti-hayfever charm on them," Martin says.
"Aw, thanks, that's really sweet," I say.
"As sweet as Honeyduke's chocolate?" Martin unwraps a huge bar of my favourite fudge-cream'n'nut chocolate.
I try to prop myself on my elbows to eat, but none of my muscles seem to be working. Martin pulls me into a sitting position and places a pillow behind me, before feeding a square of chocolate into my mouth. I chew slowly, and suddenly a thought comes to me.
"Martin?"
"Yes?"
"Why am I in hospital wing? What's wrong with me?" I ask.
"Maybe you should ask the nurse…"
"She won't tell me."
"I… I don't think I should be the one to tell you," Martin says carefully.
"Please…" I plead. I look up at him with watering green eyes.
"Oh, alright," Martin gives in, "You, well, it's kind of like catching a flu, you know how muggles do that?"
I nod.
"Yeah, well, no one knows how a wizard or witch catches it. It just happens one day. There was an epidemic hundreds of years ago. The ministry thought they'd wiped it out. Basically this virus thing makes your dreams consume you. Your waking hours decrease, and your dreams take over you. Eventually you don't wake at all," Martin squeezes my hand as tears prick in his eyes. I'm still in shock. What he's said hasn't sunk in yet.
"Lily, I don't want you to disappear," Martin's voice cracks.
"Is… is it curable?" I manage to ask.
"I don't know, your chances are fifty-fifty. They think they might be able to cure you, but they're not sure."
"They? They only person who's been treating me is the nurse."
"Specialists. They put a monitoring chip in you when you came in."
"Oh," I'm struck by the thought that someone's been monitoring me without me even knowing.
"They're like analysing your dreams and stuff."
"What?!" I can't believe it!
"Yeah, freaky," Martin says, not understanding my concern.
We sit in silence for a while, chewing on chocolate. Martin sits beside me with his arm around my shoulders, playing with my hair. I lean into him, wishing he could just make everything better. Suddenly the person in the corner of the room starts snoring. We burst into laughter.
"How long are you going to stay?" I ask.
"As long as it takes to count your freckles," Martin says.
"How many are you up to now?"
"Twenty-seven, twenty-eight," Martin kisses me twice on my cheek, "Twenty-nine…" He leans forward and kisses me on my mouth. I catch his blue eyes for a second, and then allow him to envelop me in his kiss. He slides his hand round my waist and pulls me into a more comfortable position in his lap, rather than having to stretch around from next to him.
Tears roll down his face as he leaves my lips for a second to whisper, "Lily, I don't want to lose you…"
"I won't leave," I murmur, wiping the tears from his face.
Martin pulls away from me and brushes my hair from my face.
"God Lily, you're so damn beautiful," his eyes sweep across my face. Then he seems to come to his senses and pauses, "Sorry, I, um, if that was too fast…"
I close my eyes. "But don't stop."
Martin wraps me in his kiss again. Damn good kisser I might add. I allow myself to be lost in time and space. Everything about him is now perfect – his hair, his brilliant smile, his strong arms, his amazing blue eyes. (AN: Alison, I know wat ur thinking, so stop thinking it!)
The sound of and opening door brings me to my sense. I open my eyes for a second and see James framed in the doorway.
~*~*~*~*~*
"James, hey!"
I turn around to see Courtney.
"What?" I say.
"Look, I'm really sorry about the way I acted after the quidditch game. I know it was really important to you," Courtney says as I stare at her overdone eyeliner in shock. She must be very desperate.
"It's fine. Is that it?" I turn to leave.
"James."
"What now?"
"I just… it's over, isn't it? It's Lily, isn't it?"
"Yes, well spotted," I say sardonically. (AN: I dedicate this line to Mel, if u read this at some stage)
Courtney breaks down in tears right in front of me. People walking by stare at us strangely. I pull Courtney into a room.
"Get a grip. Your life isn't over," I say sternly, shaking her.
Courtney wails even louder, shaking her head and allowing eyeliner to run freely from her face. This is stupid. I'm stuck in a room with a banshee.
"I have to go, bye," I say.
"Where are you going?" Courtney asks.
"Even though it's none of your business, I'm going to the hospital wing," I say, leaving the room. A few metres from the room and I start to feel guilty. In the space of two minutes I have managed to make a girl cry her eyes out because of me. Well, it's really not my fault, I tell myself, it's Lily I want, not Courtney, so really I'm being fair.
I make my way to the hospital wing. I practically have the whole conversation written in my head by the time I arrive. I take a deep breath and push open the door to meet Lily smothered in Martin. Shit.
~*~*~*~*~*
AN: hey, sorry this is short. I don't have time to answer to all my reviewers, but thank you and keep reading! Review opinion time. And the hundred-dollar question is: what should james do?? Go back to Courtney maybe, get rid of martin, or climb into a hole and die of depression.
Ps – tori, I will dedicate a line to you in the next chapter. I promise! JJJ