Disclaimers in Chapter 1.
A/n: Thanks for all the reviews!!
~*~
"What happened?" Harry asked impatiently. They had stopped again.
"Well, when your father dropped your mother from the air, she hit her head. It caused a concussion. She was unconscious...."
"Did it, hurt her like, mentally,"
"Goodness no!" Lupin said with a smile. "She woke up a few days later...she was fine, Harry. But your father felt extremely guilty. The days before she woke up, we didn't know if she was dead or not. She had started breathing again, but she wouldn't wake up. James stayed by her side all night, and all the breaks we had between classes."
~*~
"Oh, Lily, I'm so sorry. I didn't...I didn't know. I'm so sorry," James watched Lily's still face as he held her hand.
"Everyone really misses you. There are zillions of chocolate frogs everywhere. There were more, but, Sirius ate some. Sirius misses you too. And Remus. And Peter. And all your friends. The whole school," James told her. Her hand felt warm. She was alive.
"Lily...you may want to know why I, I seem so immature to you. Well, I'm not. At least, in my own opinion I'm not. It's just, I want to impress you. And I thought I have...but, obviously, I haven't." James told her, closing his eyes.
He felt so stupid; he was talking to someone who wasn't listening.
Lily's eyes fluttered as her eyes stung with pain. The room was bright, the sun flowing in from the large windows. Her hand felt warm, her body cold. Someone was mumbling something...
"You know, I've loved you just about forever. Ever since you were sorted, I remember telling Sirius, 'That's the girl I'm going to marry'. It wasn't love at first sight...but merely a coincidence. I know you hate me though." James said sadly recollecting his thoughts. He'd never admitted his feelings so openly before. It felt good, to confess to someone.
"James?" Lily asked blinking. She had finally recognized the voice.
"Lily...are you all right? Are you in pain?" James asked standing up from his chair.
How much had she heard? James wondered.
"I'm fine. My eyes hurt though...can you close the windows?" Lily requested.
"Yea, sure. Of course..." James said running to the windows and closing the heavy drapes.
"Thank you," Lily said weakly. She leaned back comfortably in her bed.
"So, uhh...when did you, wake up?" James asked uneasily.
"Just a second ago," Lily lied. Lily peered into Jame's hazel eyes. "What happened? How long have I been in here?"
"You've been in here for 3 days now," James said avoiding the first question. But something told him that Lily already knew what had happened.
"Oh. Do you have my homework?" Lily asked him smiling.
Why is she being so nice? I nearly got her killed, and she's treating me...well, she's not yelling at me.
"Yea, sure. I have it," James said, reaching down under the bed and pulling out a packet of parchment.
"Thanks," Lily said, taking the stack.
James watched her read the assignments silently for a minute before asking, "Why aren't you mad at me?"
"Should I be mad at you?" Lily asked.
"Of course you should! I caused the accident! I dropped you! You should be angry! You should be yelling at me!" James shouted.
"Well, I'm not, am I?" Lily asked calmly.
"Exactly! Why aren't you?" James asked.
"Because I'm sick of the fighting, James." Lily said, her green eyes meeting his. "We're supposed to work together, to make this year great."
"But..." James stuttered off. He didn't want to fight anymore either...so why was he pushing it?
"You act like you want us to fight, or something," It was more a question than comment.
"I don't...it's just. I guess, I'm surprised," James admitted. Then he smiled. "Thanks"
"For what?" Lily asked confused. James stood up.
"For giving me the chance." James said, before kissing her forehead and exiting the hospital wing.
~*~
Lupin and Harry stopped for a third time, making very little progress on their walk.
"Your father told us all about it later on. I think, even though he denies it, that that scene in the hospital wing, was the real moment he fell in love with your mother."
"When did he say he did?" Harry asked.
"He said that he fell in love with her earlier on...in their 6th year." Lupin shrugged.
"What about my mum?" Harry asked.
"Your mother and I were never very close at Hogwarts. We were friends, but then again, she had many friends. It wasn't until later, after she and your father were married, that we truly became good friends."
"So you don't know?" Harry asked in a curious voice.
"Well, I would imagine it would be in the 7th year. It was near Christmas time, not very long after her accident. Your aunt was getting married..."
~*~
Lily sat on the sofa in the common room as the tears fell from her face. She didn't expect Petunia to name her as her maid of honor, but she had at least expected to be invited to the wedding. Everyone had headed up to bed, but Lily decided to stay a bit longer, since tomorrow was the first day of Christmas break. The common room door opened and Lily thrust her face and tears into the couch.
"Lily? Is that you?" James asked, scunching his eyes to get a closer look. James and Lily had put their differences aside the past couple weeks to fulfill their duties as Head Boy and Head Girl. Although James felt his feelings for Lily growing deeper and deeper, he stayed quiet. Her eyes darted to James, and he recognized the bright green eyes at once. She had been crying; he'd known because she had puffy red marks around the eyes.
James took a seat next to Lily and Lily moved her head so she could look at him.
"What happened?" James asked simply. Lily shook her head.
"I'm fine, if that's what your asking." Lily shrugged.
"You don't want to talk about it huh?" James asked, and Lily shook her head.
James nodded silently but stayed where he was. Lily turned her head and watched the first engulfed in the fireplace. When she finally noticed that James hadn't budged, she turned to face him again.
"Aren't you heading up to bed?" Lily asked, though secretly she wished for some company.
"I'll stay here. With you. If that's all right?" James asked, catching the alarmed look on Lily's face.
"Oh, it's fine." Lily assured him. Lily turned her head again to watch the fire.
James wasn't sure what to do. He wanted to comfort her, make the pain go away. But he didn't want to make his move too soon; he didn't want to make it seem that he was taking advantage of her. So, gently, he took her hand.
Lily was concentrating so hard on the flames when she felt a warm hand take hers.
"You're so cold," James said softly.
"I was...outside before," Lily said. Lily kept her hand in his.
James and Lily stayed there on the couch, their bodies relatively close, their hands entwined. They enjoyed the silence with the exception of the fire, when Lily spoke up.
"My sister is getting married. I wasn't invited," she said simply.
"How do you know? Maybe the invitation got lost," James suggested.
"I know, because my parents told me. My mother and father really wanted me there, but, Petunia...she hates magic. Her new husband probably hates it more than she does," Lily rolled her eyes.
James watched Lily intently. He was so close now, he could see the one wrinkle on her flushed skin.
"Do you regret it?" James interrupted her. Lily looked at James quizically.
"Do you ever regret, being a witch?" James corrected himself. "Choosing the magic world, instead of the world your family lives in?"
Lily looked straight ahead. The thought flashed through James's mind that she had regretted it. "No," came Lily's voice.
"No, magic is...my life. I was meant to be a witch. Even though it separates me from my family, I have no regrets," Lily said firmly.
"That's good..." James murmured.
"Are you doing anything for Christmas?" Lily asked, abruptly changing the subject.
"Oh, probably. I mean...no. Just going home to see the folks. Nothing really important. What about you?"
"I was planning on going back to see my parents too. Except, the wedding is on the day before Christmas Eve. I don't feel, right, going...without being invited,"
"Lily, it's your home too. You have a right to be there...maybe not at the wedding, but in your house," James told her.
"I know. I just, I don't have the courage, I guess," Lily said, wanting him to look somewhere else. Not at her.
"You don't have the courage? How many times have you fought with me? And challenged me? You were brave enough to challenge me, right? And for heaven's sake, Lily, you're in Gryffindor!"
"I know, I know. But, I just don't want to disappoint Petunia on her big day,"
"Then don't go to the wedding. But stop by your parent's house. I'll go with you," James offered. Lily looked at him to see if he was kidding, but his face was completely serious and sincere.
"Will you really?" Lily asked him. James nodded his head.
It wasn't until now that Lily realized how much James had appreciated her. Loving her was one thing, but appreciation was another. He had been trying to get her since the 5th year, and now, in their 7th, his proposal has finally sounded sincere. Most of all, Lily felt that she couldn't refuse. She had barely known him, yet, throughout their years together, all their experiences, she felt like she'd known him her entire life.
"Ok, then. Umm...I'm not packed yet." Lily told him as she stood up.
"Oh, neither am I. I should probably send an owl to my parents telling them I won't be home this Christmas," James said standing up too.
"Ok," Lily said as she released his hand and headed for the girl's dormitory stairs. James watched her and followed. Lily stopped.
"Thank you, James," she said, looking him directly in the eye, as she headed up the stairs.
~*~
A/N: Should I keep going? Your reviews will determine the answer!!
A/n: Thanks for all the reviews!!
~*~
"What happened?" Harry asked impatiently. They had stopped again.
"Well, when your father dropped your mother from the air, she hit her head. It caused a concussion. She was unconscious...."
"Did it, hurt her like, mentally,"
"Goodness no!" Lupin said with a smile. "She woke up a few days later...she was fine, Harry. But your father felt extremely guilty. The days before she woke up, we didn't know if she was dead or not. She had started breathing again, but she wouldn't wake up. James stayed by her side all night, and all the breaks we had between classes."
~*~
"Oh, Lily, I'm so sorry. I didn't...I didn't know. I'm so sorry," James watched Lily's still face as he held her hand.
"Everyone really misses you. There are zillions of chocolate frogs everywhere. There were more, but, Sirius ate some. Sirius misses you too. And Remus. And Peter. And all your friends. The whole school," James told her. Her hand felt warm. She was alive.
"Lily...you may want to know why I, I seem so immature to you. Well, I'm not. At least, in my own opinion I'm not. It's just, I want to impress you. And I thought I have...but, obviously, I haven't." James told her, closing his eyes.
He felt so stupid; he was talking to someone who wasn't listening.
Lily's eyes fluttered as her eyes stung with pain. The room was bright, the sun flowing in from the large windows. Her hand felt warm, her body cold. Someone was mumbling something...
"You know, I've loved you just about forever. Ever since you were sorted, I remember telling Sirius, 'That's the girl I'm going to marry'. It wasn't love at first sight...but merely a coincidence. I know you hate me though." James said sadly recollecting his thoughts. He'd never admitted his feelings so openly before. It felt good, to confess to someone.
"James?" Lily asked blinking. She had finally recognized the voice.
"Lily...are you all right? Are you in pain?" James asked standing up from his chair.
How much had she heard? James wondered.
"I'm fine. My eyes hurt though...can you close the windows?" Lily requested.
"Yea, sure. Of course..." James said running to the windows and closing the heavy drapes.
"Thank you," Lily said weakly. She leaned back comfortably in her bed.
"So, uhh...when did you, wake up?" James asked uneasily.
"Just a second ago," Lily lied. Lily peered into Jame's hazel eyes. "What happened? How long have I been in here?"
"You've been in here for 3 days now," James said avoiding the first question. But something told him that Lily already knew what had happened.
"Oh. Do you have my homework?" Lily asked him smiling.
Why is she being so nice? I nearly got her killed, and she's treating me...well, she's not yelling at me.
"Yea, sure. I have it," James said, reaching down under the bed and pulling out a packet of parchment.
"Thanks," Lily said, taking the stack.
James watched her read the assignments silently for a minute before asking, "Why aren't you mad at me?"
"Should I be mad at you?" Lily asked.
"Of course you should! I caused the accident! I dropped you! You should be angry! You should be yelling at me!" James shouted.
"Well, I'm not, am I?" Lily asked calmly.
"Exactly! Why aren't you?" James asked.
"Because I'm sick of the fighting, James." Lily said, her green eyes meeting his. "We're supposed to work together, to make this year great."
"But..." James stuttered off. He didn't want to fight anymore either...so why was he pushing it?
"You act like you want us to fight, or something," It was more a question than comment.
"I don't...it's just. I guess, I'm surprised," James admitted. Then he smiled. "Thanks"
"For what?" Lily asked confused. James stood up.
"For giving me the chance." James said, before kissing her forehead and exiting the hospital wing.
~*~
Lupin and Harry stopped for a third time, making very little progress on their walk.
"Your father told us all about it later on. I think, even though he denies it, that that scene in the hospital wing, was the real moment he fell in love with your mother."
"When did he say he did?" Harry asked.
"He said that he fell in love with her earlier on...in their 6th year." Lupin shrugged.
"What about my mum?" Harry asked.
"Your mother and I were never very close at Hogwarts. We were friends, but then again, she had many friends. It wasn't until later, after she and your father were married, that we truly became good friends."
"So you don't know?" Harry asked in a curious voice.
"Well, I would imagine it would be in the 7th year. It was near Christmas time, not very long after her accident. Your aunt was getting married..."
~*~
Lily sat on the sofa in the common room as the tears fell from her face. She didn't expect Petunia to name her as her maid of honor, but she had at least expected to be invited to the wedding. Everyone had headed up to bed, but Lily decided to stay a bit longer, since tomorrow was the first day of Christmas break. The common room door opened and Lily thrust her face and tears into the couch.
"Lily? Is that you?" James asked, scunching his eyes to get a closer look. James and Lily had put their differences aside the past couple weeks to fulfill their duties as Head Boy and Head Girl. Although James felt his feelings for Lily growing deeper and deeper, he stayed quiet. Her eyes darted to James, and he recognized the bright green eyes at once. She had been crying; he'd known because she had puffy red marks around the eyes.
James took a seat next to Lily and Lily moved her head so she could look at him.
"What happened?" James asked simply. Lily shook her head.
"I'm fine, if that's what your asking." Lily shrugged.
"You don't want to talk about it huh?" James asked, and Lily shook her head.
James nodded silently but stayed where he was. Lily turned her head and watched the first engulfed in the fireplace. When she finally noticed that James hadn't budged, she turned to face him again.
"Aren't you heading up to bed?" Lily asked, though secretly she wished for some company.
"I'll stay here. With you. If that's all right?" James asked, catching the alarmed look on Lily's face.
"Oh, it's fine." Lily assured him. Lily turned her head again to watch the fire.
James wasn't sure what to do. He wanted to comfort her, make the pain go away. But he didn't want to make his move too soon; he didn't want to make it seem that he was taking advantage of her. So, gently, he took her hand.
Lily was concentrating so hard on the flames when she felt a warm hand take hers.
"You're so cold," James said softly.
"I was...outside before," Lily said. Lily kept her hand in his.
James and Lily stayed there on the couch, their bodies relatively close, their hands entwined. They enjoyed the silence with the exception of the fire, when Lily spoke up.
"My sister is getting married. I wasn't invited," she said simply.
"How do you know? Maybe the invitation got lost," James suggested.
"I know, because my parents told me. My mother and father really wanted me there, but, Petunia...she hates magic. Her new husband probably hates it more than she does," Lily rolled her eyes.
James watched Lily intently. He was so close now, he could see the one wrinkle on her flushed skin.
"Do you regret it?" James interrupted her. Lily looked at James quizically.
"Do you ever regret, being a witch?" James corrected himself. "Choosing the magic world, instead of the world your family lives in?"
Lily looked straight ahead. The thought flashed through James's mind that she had regretted it. "No," came Lily's voice.
"No, magic is...my life. I was meant to be a witch. Even though it separates me from my family, I have no regrets," Lily said firmly.
"That's good..." James murmured.
"Are you doing anything for Christmas?" Lily asked, abruptly changing the subject.
"Oh, probably. I mean...no. Just going home to see the folks. Nothing really important. What about you?"
"I was planning on going back to see my parents too. Except, the wedding is on the day before Christmas Eve. I don't feel, right, going...without being invited,"
"Lily, it's your home too. You have a right to be there...maybe not at the wedding, but in your house," James told her.
"I know. I just, I don't have the courage, I guess," Lily said, wanting him to look somewhere else. Not at her.
"You don't have the courage? How many times have you fought with me? And challenged me? You were brave enough to challenge me, right? And for heaven's sake, Lily, you're in Gryffindor!"
"I know, I know. But, I just don't want to disappoint Petunia on her big day,"
"Then don't go to the wedding. But stop by your parent's house. I'll go with you," James offered. Lily looked at him to see if he was kidding, but his face was completely serious and sincere.
"Will you really?" Lily asked him. James nodded his head.
It wasn't until now that Lily realized how much James had appreciated her. Loving her was one thing, but appreciation was another. He had been trying to get her since the 5th year, and now, in their 7th, his proposal has finally sounded sincere. Most of all, Lily felt that she couldn't refuse. She had barely known him, yet, throughout their years together, all their experiences, she felt like she'd known him her entire life.
"Ok, then. Umm...I'm not packed yet." Lily told him as she stood up.
"Oh, neither am I. I should probably send an owl to my parents telling them I won't be home this Christmas," James said standing up too.
"Ok," Lily said as she released his hand and headed for the girl's dormitory stairs. James watched her and followed. Lily stopped.
"Thank you, James," she said, looking him directly in the eye, as she headed up the stairs.
~*~
A/N: Should I keep going? Your reviews will determine the answer!!