"Tsk, tsk," Madame Monte chided. Lily had successfully lead James to the
hospital wing and Madame Monte was looking over him. "How did this happen,
Lily?"
"We were in Divination and reading Tarot Cards. Professor Trelawney came over and told us what they meant and James went into a sort of . . . trance, I suppose," Lily explained.
"Oh, dear. He doesn't seem to be much better," she pronounced as she glanced over at James. He was sitting on one of the beds, white as a sheet and his teeth were chattering. Lily tenderly put a blanket around his shoulders.
"But he is. At least he shows some type of reaction now. Earlier he just sat there and did, well, nothing."
"What brought him out of this 'trance', dear?"
"Uh, well I," Lily began, her face turning a brilliant red, "I, um, kissed him."
"Well, dear, it seems to have worked. All I can do for him right now is to give him a sleeping draught and keep him warm. You have no use staying here any longer. You'll want to be getting to dinner right about now, sweetie. He'll be sleeping for quite awhile," Madame Monte said, dismissing Lily.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to stay, Madame Monte. I - I just would like to stay," Lily said awkwardly.
"Okay, dear, but he won't wake up for a bit. Are you sure you don't want to head on to dinner?"
"I'm sure."
"Okay. If he wakes up, come and see me right away. And just try to let him sleep, he needs it."
"Okay, Madame Monte," Lily said as she sat down in the chair next to James's bed. Madame Monte fed James the potion and carefully laid him back in the bed. As soon as she left, Lily grasped James hand. She saw James open his eyes and focus in on her.
"I love you, Lily," he feebly whispered.
"I know, James. I know," she whispered back. She saw him close his eyes and fall easily into sleep.
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
The first thing James noticed when he woke up was that people were whispering around him. The second thing he noticed was that someone was still holding his had. He opened his eyes and saw Sirius, Remus, Peter, Cassandra, Sol, and Lily around his bed. None of them noticed that he was awake yet.
"Hey, Lils, were you here all night? I didn't see you in the common room or at dinner," Cassandra said.
"Neither did I," Sol added.
"Well, I, um, I thought that, well -" Lily stuttered, trying to find some excuse.
"Will you leave her alone, guys?" James said in a sleep-roughened voice. Everybody jumped at the sound of his voice and looked at him immediately.
"Hey, Jamesie! Good morning! Finally, the dead have arisen," Sirius exclaimed happily.
"And he comes out of his mighty sleep," Peter said with a smile.
"Just in time, too. I'm leaving in a week. My mother is sick again, I'm afraid," Remus added.
"Then I'm glad I woke up when I did," James said. "So, Lily. Did you really sit up all night with me?"
"Uh, yes. I did," Lily said, her face turning slightly pink. James just squeezed her hand and smiled at her.
"Thanks, Lily," he said, and he really meant it. When she smiled back, James felt a pull at his heart. Have her feelings for me really changed?
"So, Jamesie," Sirius said, "what happened up there in Divination? I was reading those stupid cards, then all of a sudden you were being carted out of the room by Lily of the Valley over here."
"Yeah, James, what happened?" Remus inquired.
"Yeah, inform us lesser folks of your health and well-being," Cassandra added. When everybody just looked at her, she shrugged. "I thought I'd put my input in and be creative while I was at it."
"Ain't she sweet?" Sirius announced and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Anyway, what did happen?" Peter said, choosing to ignore Cassandra and Sirius.
"I'm not sure," James mumbled. "All I can remember is that I saw a lot of green light and I heard screaming."
"Do you mean were in a trance?" Sol asked incredulously.
"I don't know. I . . . guess I was. That's the only way to explain it."
"Jamesie, I think you're losing your mind, kiddo," Sirius announced.
"Okay, kids! You're time is up!" Madame Monte proclaimed as she came into the room. "James has to rest."
"But he just woke up!" Remus protested.
"Nevertheless, he must get his rest. Now, go to dinner, dears! You, too, Lily, sweetie. You must be starving," she said as the others left the room.
"Actually, Madame, I'm -"
"Now, dear, James needs his rest. You don't want to overexcite him, do you?"
"But, Madame Monte, I'm feeling fine," James announced as he sat up. "I don't feel faint or anything."
"Now, dear -"
"But I really do feel fine, Madame. And nothing you can do is going to make me stay here."
"James, dear -"
"Madame Monte, you know me. Do you seriously think you can keep me here?"
"Okay, dear. You can go," she said with a sigh. "Just be careful."
"I will. Shall we go now, Lily?" James asked as he turned towards her.
"Yes, let's," she replied with a giggle. Neither of them spoke until they reached the hallway. "James, what really happened in Divination?" Lily asked softly.
"I don't know Lily, I really don't know."
"You just looked so - so - lifeless. I didn't know what to do. I felt so powerless and - and - I don't know - just helpless. James, don't ever do that to me again. I don't know if I could handle it," she said in a whisper.
"Don't worry, Lily. I have a feeling as long as I keep away from Tarot Cards, I'll be fine. Lily," James said, turning serious as they reached the portal to the Gryffindor common room.
"Yes, James?"
"I was wondering if -"
"Yes . . ." Lily said as she moved closer.
"If you had come to a decision on that question I had asked you the other night."
"Yes, I did."
"And what did you decide," he asked nervously. For an answer Lily put her arms around his neck and lifted her lips to his for a soft kiss. "I'll take that for a yes," he said when he had his breath back. Kissing Lily always seemed to blow his mind away.
"Mhm. Yes," she whispered and buried her head in his shoulder. When she heard his contented sigh, Lily couldn't help but release a sigh of her own. "We'd better go in. The gang'll want to hear about how you got out."
"Yeah. Let's go," James replied and grabbed her hand. "Magna silva," he said to the portrait and it swung open, revealing the common room. A quick scan of the room showed that the rest of the Marauders, Sol, and Cassandra were sitting by the fire. "Hey, guys," he said as he walked over to them with Lily by his side.
"So, Jamesiepoo, you convinced the hospital Nazi to let you out?" Sirius said. "You still are the only one who can charm Madame Monte into letting somebody out."
"Yeah, what's your secret? She keeps me in there all week after . . . well, you know," Remus said.
"And every time I sneeze, I'm in there for a week," Peter added.
"A man's got to keep his secrets. Remus, when are you leaving to visit your mother?" James asked, trying to sound casual and took a seat on the couch. Lily sat down next to him and put her head on his shoulder when he put his arm around her. She felt so right snuggled in James's embrace in front of a fire.
"Christmas Eve," he said blandly.
"You won't be here for the holidays?" Sol asked sadly.
"I'm afraid not, honey."
"I'll miss you," she said a looked at him with loving eyes.
"Won't don't you sit with me, fair darling, since everyone else seems to be cozily paired up?" Sirius asked Cassandra. And before she could answer, he pulled her into his lap and banded his arms around her. Cassandra squirmed and tried to get off, but to no avail. Years of Quidditch had made Sirius strong and Cassandra wasn't as lucky.
"Let go of me, you stupid git!"
"Never, my love! I'll never let you go!"
"Sirius! Get off me!" she demanded.
"Come on, sweet, just admit it. You know you love me."
"No, I don't! Get off!"
Everyone watched the scene with amused eyes. "He really does like her, you know," James murmured into Lily's hair. Lily just raised her head and looked at him with a confused look on her face. "Why do you think he never goes out with a girl for more than a week? It's because he gets tired of them. Because they're not Cassandra. Because nobody he dates is like her."
Cassandra's protests were muffled, and Lily looked over to see them kissing. After a bit, Cassandra stopped trying to get off of Sirius's lap and just let the kiss play out. When they finally separated, the boys started whistling.
"Jackass," Cassandra said, but it didn't have any heat in it. She couldn't seem to be able to get her voice to work properly. "Now let me go."
"Nope."
"Fine," she sighed and put her head on Sirius's shoulder. Sirius looked surprised, but after a bit, loosened his grip slightly so that Cassandra would be more comfortable. When she didn't try to move, he laid his cheek on her head.
Peter looked around him and wondered what he had done that made him so . . . repellant. The three couples around him made him realize that despite his friendship with James, Sirius, and Remus, he really had nobody. That he was truly all alone and unhappy in a world of company and joy. And he quietly plotted how to ruin that small bubble of happiness that surrounded his friends while they sat content and oblivious by the fire.
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
HELLO!! This is me, Lorelei. This is the first time I've decided to put my thoughts (other than the actual story) into a writing. So, hello my faithful readers. Peter is going to have a larger role in the story from here on. I will also develop more on the Sirius/Cassandra relationship. It should prove interesting. READ AND REVIEW! Please. Pretty please, with sugar on top. I crave on the reviews. My eager ego loves them. Thank you!
"We were in Divination and reading Tarot Cards. Professor Trelawney came over and told us what they meant and James went into a sort of . . . trance, I suppose," Lily explained.
"Oh, dear. He doesn't seem to be much better," she pronounced as she glanced over at James. He was sitting on one of the beds, white as a sheet and his teeth were chattering. Lily tenderly put a blanket around his shoulders.
"But he is. At least he shows some type of reaction now. Earlier he just sat there and did, well, nothing."
"What brought him out of this 'trance', dear?"
"Uh, well I," Lily began, her face turning a brilliant red, "I, um, kissed him."
"Well, dear, it seems to have worked. All I can do for him right now is to give him a sleeping draught and keep him warm. You have no use staying here any longer. You'll want to be getting to dinner right about now, sweetie. He'll be sleeping for quite awhile," Madame Monte said, dismissing Lily.
"If you don't mind, I'd like to stay, Madame Monte. I - I just would like to stay," Lily said awkwardly.
"Okay, dear, but he won't wake up for a bit. Are you sure you don't want to head on to dinner?"
"I'm sure."
"Okay. If he wakes up, come and see me right away. And just try to let him sleep, he needs it."
"Okay, Madame Monte," Lily said as she sat down in the chair next to James's bed. Madame Monte fed James the potion and carefully laid him back in the bed. As soon as she left, Lily grasped James hand. She saw James open his eyes and focus in on her.
"I love you, Lily," he feebly whispered.
"I know, James. I know," she whispered back. She saw him close his eyes and fall easily into sleep.
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
The first thing James noticed when he woke up was that people were whispering around him. The second thing he noticed was that someone was still holding his had. He opened his eyes and saw Sirius, Remus, Peter, Cassandra, Sol, and Lily around his bed. None of them noticed that he was awake yet.
"Hey, Lils, were you here all night? I didn't see you in the common room or at dinner," Cassandra said.
"Neither did I," Sol added.
"Well, I, um, I thought that, well -" Lily stuttered, trying to find some excuse.
"Will you leave her alone, guys?" James said in a sleep-roughened voice. Everybody jumped at the sound of his voice and looked at him immediately.
"Hey, Jamesie! Good morning! Finally, the dead have arisen," Sirius exclaimed happily.
"And he comes out of his mighty sleep," Peter said with a smile.
"Just in time, too. I'm leaving in a week. My mother is sick again, I'm afraid," Remus added.
"Then I'm glad I woke up when I did," James said. "So, Lily. Did you really sit up all night with me?"
"Uh, yes. I did," Lily said, her face turning slightly pink. James just squeezed her hand and smiled at her.
"Thanks, Lily," he said, and he really meant it. When she smiled back, James felt a pull at his heart. Have her feelings for me really changed?
"So, Jamesie," Sirius said, "what happened up there in Divination? I was reading those stupid cards, then all of a sudden you were being carted out of the room by Lily of the Valley over here."
"Yeah, James, what happened?" Remus inquired.
"Yeah, inform us lesser folks of your health and well-being," Cassandra added. When everybody just looked at her, she shrugged. "I thought I'd put my input in and be creative while I was at it."
"Ain't she sweet?" Sirius announced and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Anyway, what did happen?" Peter said, choosing to ignore Cassandra and Sirius.
"I'm not sure," James mumbled. "All I can remember is that I saw a lot of green light and I heard screaming."
"Do you mean were in a trance?" Sol asked incredulously.
"I don't know. I . . . guess I was. That's the only way to explain it."
"Jamesie, I think you're losing your mind, kiddo," Sirius announced.
"Okay, kids! You're time is up!" Madame Monte proclaimed as she came into the room. "James has to rest."
"But he just woke up!" Remus protested.
"Nevertheless, he must get his rest. Now, go to dinner, dears! You, too, Lily, sweetie. You must be starving," she said as the others left the room.
"Actually, Madame, I'm -"
"Now, dear, James needs his rest. You don't want to overexcite him, do you?"
"But, Madame Monte, I'm feeling fine," James announced as he sat up. "I don't feel faint or anything."
"Now, dear -"
"But I really do feel fine, Madame. And nothing you can do is going to make me stay here."
"James, dear -"
"Madame Monte, you know me. Do you seriously think you can keep me here?"
"Okay, dear. You can go," she said with a sigh. "Just be careful."
"I will. Shall we go now, Lily?" James asked as he turned towards her.
"Yes, let's," she replied with a giggle. Neither of them spoke until they reached the hallway. "James, what really happened in Divination?" Lily asked softly.
"I don't know Lily, I really don't know."
"You just looked so - so - lifeless. I didn't know what to do. I felt so powerless and - and - I don't know - just helpless. James, don't ever do that to me again. I don't know if I could handle it," she said in a whisper.
"Don't worry, Lily. I have a feeling as long as I keep away from Tarot Cards, I'll be fine. Lily," James said, turning serious as they reached the portal to the Gryffindor common room.
"Yes, James?"
"I was wondering if -"
"Yes . . ." Lily said as she moved closer.
"If you had come to a decision on that question I had asked you the other night."
"Yes, I did."
"And what did you decide," he asked nervously. For an answer Lily put her arms around his neck and lifted her lips to his for a soft kiss. "I'll take that for a yes," he said when he had his breath back. Kissing Lily always seemed to blow his mind away.
"Mhm. Yes," she whispered and buried her head in his shoulder. When she heard his contented sigh, Lily couldn't help but release a sigh of her own. "We'd better go in. The gang'll want to hear about how you got out."
"Yeah. Let's go," James replied and grabbed her hand. "Magna silva," he said to the portrait and it swung open, revealing the common room. A quick scan of the room showed that the rest of the Marauders, Sol, and Cassandra were sitting by the fire. "Hey, guys," he said as he walked over to them with Lily by his side.
"So, Jamesiepoo, you convinced the hospital Nazi to let you out?" Sirius said. "You still are the only one who can charm Madame Monte into letting somebody out."
"Yeah, what's your secret? She keeps me in there all week after . . . well, you know," Remus said.
"And every time I sneeze, I'm in there for a week," Peter added.
"A man's got to keep his secrets. Remus, when are you leaving to visit your mother?" James asked, trying to sound casual and took a seat on the couch. Lily sat down next to him and put her head on his shoulder when he put his arm around her. She felt so right snuggled in James's embrace in front of a fire.
"Christmas Eve," he said blandly.
"You won't be here for the holidays?" Sol asked sadly.
"I'm afraid not, honey."
"I'll miss you," she said a looked at him with loving eyes.
"Won't don't you sit with me, fair darling, since everyone else seems to be cozily paired up?" Sirius asked Cassandra. And before she could answer, he pulled her into his lap and banded his arms around her. Cassandra squirmed and tried to get off, but to no avail. Years of Quidditch had made Sirius strong and Cassandra wasn't as lucky.
"Let go of me, you stupid git!"
"Never, my love! I'll never let you go!"
"Sirius! Get off me!" she demanded.
"Come on, sweet, just admit it. You know you love me."
"No, I don't! Get off!"
Everyone watched the scene with amused eyes. "He really does like her, you know," James murmured into Lily's hair. Lily just raised her head and looked at him with a confused look on her face. "Why do you think he never goes out with a girl for more than a week? It's because he gets tired of them. Because they're not Cassandra. Because nobody he dates is like her."
Cassandra's protests were muffled, and Lily looked over to see them kissing. After a bit, Cassandra stopped trying to get off of Sirius's lap and just let the kiss play out. When they finally separated, the boys started whistling.
"Jackass," Cassandra said, but it didn't have any heat in it. She couldn't seem to be able to get her voice to work properly. "Now let me go."
"Nope."
"Fine," she sighed and put her head on Sirius's shoulder. Sirius looked surprised, but after a bit, loosened his grip slightly so that Cassandra would be more comfortable. When she didn't try to move, he laid his cheek on her head.
Peter looked around him and wondered what he had done that made him so . . . repellant. The three couples around him made him realize that despite his friendship with James, Sirius, and Remus, he really had nobody. That he was truly all alone and unhappy in a world of company and joy. And he quietly plotted how to ruin that small bubble of happiness that surrounded his friends while they sat content and oblivious by the fire.
*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*~~~*
HELLO!! This is me, Lorelei. This is the first time I've decided to put my thoughts (other than the actual story) into a writing. So, hello my faithful readers. Peter is going to have a larger role in the story from here on. I will also develop more on the Sirius/Cassandra relationship. It should prove interesting. READ AND REVIEW! Please. Pretty please, with sugar on top. I crave on the reviews. My eager ego loves them. Thank you!