Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

Chapter 3: True Love

Friday came, and so did many crazy pranks were the almost the whole Slytherin table was sent to Madam Pomfrey, which left the Marauders snickering so loud that Mrs. McGonagall was forced to give them a detention. Later on, James, not wanting to go to the Common Room...the haunting thoughts of what happened the week before still floating into his mind...went outside with the Invisibility cloak on. When he was within good distance of the castle, and on the bank of the Lake, he threw of the Cloak, and sat down on it. He put his hands behind his back, and stretched his legs out.
He stared up at the stars...wondering if the anything actually lasted...wondering whether or not...the souls of the ones gone lived upon the stars... He picked up a few pebbles and tossed them in the lake.

The ripples, caused by the pebbles, lasted momentarily...and James must've been staring hard at the lines spreading out slowly in the motionless Lake, because he never heard her come up behind him...the right...her....

"James." Lily's soft voice came from behind him.

"Lily!" James jumped; startled at the fact she appeared there again.

"Can I sit?" She asked, kneeling down.

"Sure." James said, scooting over on the Cloak, giving her room.

She sat down and pulled the sleeves of her red sweater down over her hands.

"It's chilly out tonight." She commented.

"Yeah." James agreed.

"Thank you, James" Lily whispered into the night.

"What for?" James asked puzzled, looking into her eyes for a split second...no evil...

"Saving me, last week." She replied looking up at the stars.

"Lily, it was nothing...I was glad to..." He replied.

Lily couldn't seem to reply to this, she just smiled, the pale moonlight washing over her face.

"What're you doing out here?" Lily questioned.

"Ummm, thinking." James replied, not wanting to tell her, he was scared of being in the same room as her.

"About what?" Lily persisted.

James laughed slightly. "Everything." He replied.

"It's a good place to think" Lily said.

"Yeah...peaceful." James murmured.

Lily resumed her position looking back up at the stars. James watched her intently. Her red hair flowing over her shoulders...her green eyes alight with the sky...looking so comfortable, and at peace...

"What James?" She asked, seeming to sense his gaze.

"You're beautiful, is all" He whispered softly.

Even though James couldn't tell, Lily blushed.

"Thank you...you're pretty handsome yourself..." She whispered back.

"Haha. I've heard that so much-" James began.

"Someone's conceited..." Lily teased.

"Lemme finish, Lemme finish" James laughed. "I've heard that a lot, but it's never actually meant something to me...like you saying it does..." He said sweetly.

Lily smiled, hiding beneath her hair.

"You're so...so...perfect...Lil..." James stammered.

"No one's perfect James..." Lily said.

"Well you sure come close..." James whispered, brushing her hair away from her face.

She smiled up at him...this would've been the perfect moment...if they had been...together...

"How come we can't have this, James?" Lily all of a sudden questioned, becoming serious.

"I don't know." James replied, not realizing what had happened.

"We can have it James...I don't hate you...we can have it...if you let me be wrong..." Lily whispered.

James' insides went cold; he could feel himself losing color.

"I don't want anything with you..." James replied, angry that this demon had returned.

"Why not, James?" Lily questioned, appearing angry herself.

James looked into her eyes; the evil was there full force...her eyes were growing redder by the minute... "Because...I won't let you be wrong" He replied dryly.

Lily stood up and let out a frustrated scream. "Damn you!! You can't do this!! I'll have you James...dead or alive!!" She bellowed at the top of her lungs.

"Stop it! You can't do this. Your not real...your not really here...GO AWAY" James yelled, about as loud as Lily.

"MAKE ME GO AWAY! I DON'T HATE YOU JAMES! BUT THAT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU..." Lily screamed.

"YOU MORE THEN HATE ME. YOU LOATH ME. YOU DESPISE ME!! I HATE YOU! I WANT The real Lily back...." James screeched, calming down slowly.

"She's gone James" Lily sneered.

"And never going to come back...and if I have it my way...NEITHER WILL YOU..." Lily screamed at him.

James was infested with rage. He was sick of this evil...of this madness.

While he was standing there, staring at the evil creature that had taken away a beautiful person, Lily attacked. She grabbed the back of James' shirt and pulled it, so it was choking him. She then kicked him hard in the shins, making his knees buckle slightly, and she threw him into the lake...with all the strength she could muster.... She stood there, breathing heavily, staring at James plunging into the icy depths.

She was pleased with her work. James was in shock over what had just happened. When he plunged into the lake, he never moved fast enough to avoid that rock....pity too....Lily gasped, and crumpled down onto the ground, as she noticed James hadn't gotten out of the water. How could she let evil do this? How could she have done this to him? All he did was help her. He wanted so much for her. And now she was afraid she had ruined it all... Lily tore into the lake where James' body was drifting, just under the surface.

Her pants and sweater started to slow her down as she treaded the water into the lake, but she didn't care; she had to save him. She took a full breath of air and swam under water to bring James back to her. She hoisted him above water, pulled him to shore, slowly, but surely... Lily was sobbing by the time she had unbuttoned James' shirt, to check his pulse, and perform CPR if necessary. Her chest was heaving with emotion; she had never been so scared in her whole entire life. She felt around for a pulse, and eventually found a slow one. It was beating forcefully, though. And, realizing he was alive, just knocked out, she began to give him deep breath, to restore his breathing. With every breath she gave, she seemed to be draining, but she didn't care...she had to save him. All of a sudden, when Lily was moving James' soaking wet hair out of his face, he spluttered and started breathing on his own, but still didn't open his eyes. Lily, collapsed again, on the dew stricken grass. Her chest heaving as she sobbed...looking at James. She pulled him into her arms, she rocked back and forth on her knees, rubbing his skin, thankful he was here.

"James...oh no...James...I can't believe it...I'm so sorry...oh my god...no, no, NO!" She moaned cradling him.

She got up enough strength to conjure a stretcher for James, and take him up to the castle.
Wheezing heavily, and her feet sliding on the wet grass, she reluctantly made it to the castle doors. She pulled them open; they felt a hundred times heavier, then she started climbing the Marble Staircase. The effort seemed to be unbearable for her, and she was afraid she'd have a nervous break down.

Do it for James. For his life. She told herself. When she had finally reached the top of the staircase, her legs feeling like lead, Dumbledore whisked around the corner. She groaned, and dropped to her knees right where she was. Dumbledore looked extremely startled, yet took immediate action. He didn't speak to Lily; he picked her up, and forced her to walk, as heavy as her legs felt, to the hospital wing, him now bringing James. She was panting, but glad when the warm hospital wing came into view. Her vision was blurred, and she collapsed onto a bed, before anyone could stop her.

"Miss Evans, I know the last thing you want to do is explain...but...It must be the first thing you do..." Dumbledore's voice came through the darkness a few minutes later.

Lily groaned and opened her eyes.

"How's James?" Lily asked first.

"He has a concussion his head must've hit something. His heart is also being temperamental...." Dumbledore replied softly.

"What do you mean...his heart...?" Lily asked for explanation.

"It's experienced something very dramatic...It's just...working slowly..." Dumbledore tried to explain.

"Oh..." Lily muttered.

"Now, I must ask, Miss Evans...." Dumbledore persisted her.

"Oh...well...James was..." Lily then went into full explanation of what happened from the moment she arrived outside, until the moment Dumbledore arrived in the Corridor.

"I see...Lily...you're dangerous..." Dumbledore said to her.

"I know!" Lily gasped, tears starting to come.

"Shhh. Most teachers would want you locked up...but I think...you'll be fine...if we can just find out...where the evil is coming from" Dumbledore stressed.

"The rose!" Lily squealed.

"Positive?" Dumbledore asked, peering over his half moon spectacles.

"Positive" Lily sobbed.

"Summon it" Dumbledore indicated.

Lily hadn't understood at first, but then she knew he meant to get the rose.

"Accio Rose" She muttered, concentrating hard on the fragile rose in the glass case...

A few minutes later, it came flying into her hands. She was repulsed by this, and handed it to Dumbledore. He took it out, and seemed to be trying to destroy it.

"Oh my..." Dumbledore muttered, looking shocked.

"What?!" Lily explained, her emotions getting the best of her.

"This...This rose..." Dumbledore said indicating to it. "It's un-destroyable...as hard to believe it is..." He continued.

"N-no...it's just a rose!! It's just a rose!" Lily sobbed.

"Shh. I'll get Professors McGonagall and Flitwick to...to try and hex it...to destroy. You go climb in bed. Poppy wants you both to stay here..." Dumbledore spoke softly, not looking up from the rose the whole time.

Lily nodded her head, and climbed into the warm bed. It was a quarter past nine, on a Friday night. The others wouldn't be worried; they'd think they finally had gotten together. Lily felt drained, like the evil had left...but had it?? Madame Pompfrey came in and felt Lily's forehead.

"Well, try to get a good sleep" She whispered, before leaving and locking the door.

Lily turned over to face James' bed, he seemed to be stirring. Lily uttered a dry sob; she wasn't ready to face him. He'd probably hate her for nearly killing him.

"When you do it, you do it good" James muttered, seeing Lily was awake, and rubbing his head slightly.

"I'm so sorry. I can't believe...the evil...I'm so sorry...I won't blame you, if you hate me." Lily whispered.

"I could never hate you, Lily..." James whispered.

"Now you're lying" Lily replied smiling in an amused sort of way.

"Why am I lying?" James asked, appearing frustrated.

"We hated each other for six years, James..." Lily reminded.

"Oh yeah, but I mean I could never hate you now. Duh." James said.

"Duh." Lily replied in his goofy tone.

Lily got out of the warmth of her bed, and went and sat on the corner of James' bed.

"Dumbledore couldn't destroy the rose." She whispered.

"No..." James groaned.

"I know." Lily agreed.

"Give me the damn thing." James commanded.

"Can't, Dumbledore took it." Lily replied miserably.

"I'm so sorry." Lily repeated, after James went quiet.

"I hate Lily." James growled.

"Thanks." Lily said sarcastically.

"Not you. Evil Lily, she's so scary!! And then she like pushes me into the lake...man...mood swings or what..." James told her.

Lily laughed.

"I'm tired; I'll probably drift off soon." James whispered.

"Its okay." Lily replied, running her fingers through his hair.

"Lil..." James began.

"Shhh. Go to sleep..." Lily whispered.

James smiled at her, his eyes heavy.

"You're perfect..." He muttered before falling asleep.

"No you are." Lily whispered to the sleeping figure.

She stopped running her fingers through his hair, and took his hand in hers. She wanted to cry, to spill everything out, but she didn't she was strong. She held his hand, and when he woke up in the night, because of pain, she soothed him...it felt so right...but was it so wrong? Thanks to the evilness in Lily?

These thoughts soon left Lily's mind, she slept where she was, still holding his hand; she was never going to let go.

"Morning sleepy head." James muttered as Lily woke up.

"Morning." Lily said, stretching her stiffness away, caused by the way she slept.

"Sleep well?" James asked. "I was with you, so of course" Lily replied, taking herself by surprise.

"Oh, why thank you sugar." James said.

Lily smiled. What just happened here?

"I'm such a wimp." James murmured feeling the lump on his head.

"Yes, yes you are. Can't even stand up to a woman." Lily teased.

"Haha. You don't know how scary you get...man...beautiful...but scary..." James replied.

"You know I'm just teasing? We're just friends. I don't love you" Lily said, becoming serious.

"I'm just playing, too" James nodded.

"Okay." Lily said, letting go of his hand.

"Okay." James said.

"Ah shit." Sirius' voice came from the doorway.

Lily and James looked towards the doorway, Sirius was caught.

"Good morning." Lily said uncertainly.

"Madame Pompfrey must've heard me..." Sirius whispered trying to go either way.

Lily looked into the hall, to see Melodie, Cheyalla, and Remus waiting.

"You clumsy git." Remus said, pushing Sirius the rest of the way through the door, and then pushing it open for the rest of them.

"You pushed my man into the lake!" Remus exclaimed, coming into the room, and hugging Lily.

"I know." Lily replied, squeezing Remus, then the rest of them.

"You're smooth, James." Remus replied giving him a pat on the back.

"Ah shut up." James replied.

"So! You let her get you again." Sirius said, sitting down.

"We were so worried!" Melodie said sitting down next to Lily.

"Yes! We were!!" Cheyalla exclaimed, sitting down too.

"I'm sorry guys! Evil Lily paid another visit..." Lily told them.

They both hugged her.

"So who told you?" James asked.

"Dumbledore." They chorused.

"Go figure." James said.

They discussed reasons why the rose may not be able to be destroyed, all morning, until Madame Pompfrey came in, and kicked them all out, including Lily. She just told her to take it easy, but James had to stay in for the rest of the afternoon.

"See ya." James said cheerfully as everyone left.

Dumbledore came to see Lily and the others about the rose that afternoon. He had the rose.

"Professor..." Lily began, worried when she saw it...still perfect.

"Lily, m'dear...we can't destroy this. Nothing works. It appears...according to Professor Flitwick...that only...your true love can destroy the rose...it's tricky that way..." Dumbledore stuttered.

Lily was angry. "Ugh!!" She let out a frustrated cry.

"I'll keep it in my office..." Dumbledore started.

"No, James wanted to see it." Lily exclaimed.

"Very well. Return it to me when he is done..." Dumbledore said, leaving.

Melodie was in awe over the beauty of the rose, but Lily kept reminding her that it was evil. That afternoon, at about 3:30pm, James returned...

"Why the hell is that back here?!" He exclaimed first thing.

His head was fine, even the bump was gone...Madame Pompfrey was good.

"They can't destroy it!!" Lily wept.

"Shit." James muttered. He picked the rose up, turned it around and around in his hands...then he squeezed the stem in his fist, he was apparently frustrated...

"James!" Lily gasped.

"What?" James snapped.

"The stem...you..." Lily stuttered.

James looked down at his hands...the stem had crumbled, he then squeezed the perfect petals of the rose...they too, crumbled into dust.

"James." Lily said weakly.

"I did it!! Why? How?!" James exclaimed.

Everyone besides James, knew why he did it...but didn't understand..
"D-Dumbledore said...that only...Lily's true love could destroy it..." Melodie stuttered.

Everyone else was speechless. James' mouth dropped open.

"You're joking." He whispered.

Lily shook her head, she was in tears, and she ran off to the girl's dorm.

"You're...Lily's....." Remus began.

"Oh my gosh! Lily when you've been saying....'James I don't love you'...you really have been lying to yourself!! He's your true love!!" Melodie exclaimed.

"Why are you upset?" Cheyalla questioned, calmly.

"Because...I...I can't love him...I almost killed him..." Lily sobbed.

"But the evil is gone...James..." Melodie started.

"Destroyed it..." Cheyalla finished.

"I know" Lily continued to sob.

The girls sat there comforting her, while James sat dumbfounded, in the Common Room.

"She's hot" Sirius finalized.

"Uh huh" Remus agreed.

"But...I don't think she loves me..." James said shaking his head and standing up.

"Where're you going?" They asked.

"Bed." James replied climbing the stairs.

Remus and Sirius looked undisturbed by this, and unlike the girls, let him be.

"Shhh." Melodie and Cheyalla said soothingly.

"Do you guys love Remus and Sirius?" Lily questioned, calming down some.

"Where'd that come from?" Cheyalla asked.

"Just answer it" Lily snapped.

"I think I love Remus..." Melodie whispered, blushing.

"I don't love, Sirius. He just asked me to be his girlfriend today...I don't love him...not yet..." Cheyalla responded.

"He asked you?!" Lily and Melodie screamed in usion.

"Yeah" Cheyalla nodded.

"Oh my god! Go for it!" Melodie said.

"Hehe. Remus didn't even have to ask...your tongue did all the talking" Lily teased Melodie.

The girls talked about...everything...within the few hours, and by the time they began repeating themselves, it was supper. The girls went down, but Lily insisted she was too tired to eat, incidentally...so did James.

"Okay, see ya. We'll sneak down to the kitchens if ya get hungry." Remus said, shutting the door.

James laid on his back, feeling somehow glad, that he had destroyed the rose, because he finally proved that Lily loved him. He thought about everything, and then he decided what he had to do.

He threw the Invisibility Cloak over himself, and walked down the stairs, heading to the Girls Dorm. He was going to write a note to Lily, to explain everything he was thinking, and feeling, he wore the Invisibility Cloak incase anyone was in the Common Room, or the dorm, and would see him. He quickly pulled open the dorm door, and headed in. He gasped silently, when he saw Lily sitting on her bed, flipping through a book. She had seen the door shut.

"Who's there?" She demanded, not moving.

"Me." James whispered.

"Oh...James I-.." began Lily, but she stopped, as he took the cloak off himself. She then realized how incredibly handsome he was. And...for some reason or another, she seemed to be seeing him in a whole new light.

"So...You're my true love" Lily asked, as James sat down on Melodies bed.

"Oh yeah" James replied, seeming proud of himself.

"Come sit here" James said, patting a spot next to him.

Lily obeyed, she didn't mind. She sat down. He was lying down. He looked into her eyes.

"There's some things we need to discuss" James told her.

"I know." Lily whispered.

"I don't want you to love me, just because I destroyed the rose. If you do love me, I want it to be, because you do love me..." James said.

"Okay." Lily said smiling.

"Our friends are together. I don't want us to get together...just because they're together, and think we should..." James said,

"Okay." Lily said smiling, her face full of mischief. Then James kissed Lily slightly.

"What was that?!" Lily repeated.

"Um...a kiss..." James said, unsure of what she meant.

"Well, it wasn't very good, was it?" Lily taunted.

"What?" James asked.

"I thought you of all people would know how to kiss someone...'specially someone you think you love.' My, my, we'll just have to see-" Lily rambled, but was cut off when James got the point.

He clasped his mouth over hers, and indulged her in a passionate kiss. He pushed her hair away from her face, with both his hands, not pulling away from the kiss. Lily found herself being pulled down onto the bed by James, now that they were both lying down, side by side, they pulled away.

"That's more like it." Lily said quietly, smiling.

"Better believe it." James said, breathing heavily.

"James they're going to be coming back from supper, we should go to the Common Room." Lily suggested.

James' answer was no, or so she suspected. He kissed her slowly, making her want more of him, but not giving into her attempts. James pulled away for a split second, only long enough to pull himself on top of her. James thought she'd object, but she seemed ready. He didn't rush the kiss; he still, slowly kissed her lips.

"James..." Lily questioned, as he pulled away, and began to unbutton the blouse she had on, but she soon found her mouth was back on his. He unbuttoned it, bottom up, but stopped halfway to see the expression on Lily's face, she was smiling warmly.

"And you think your doing..." Lily teased.

James smiled naughtily, kissing her navel, and then looking to see her reaction, as he moved up her stomach. She stopped him when he was about to unbutton the next one.

"Why not you..." She whispered, tugging at his shirt. James looked very surprised at her behavior, but he gave in. He tugged his T-Shirt off over his head, and threw it onto the floor. Underneath his shirt, Lily was pleased to see a very much built body. His stomach was muscular, and firm, his chest was masculine.

"You certainly take care of yourself..." Lily whispered rubbing her hand down his chest.

"Uh huh..." James murmured planting a kiss on her neck.

Lily patiently waited for him to kiss her again on the mouth, she didn't technically want to go all the way, even if she was 17, she just told this guy she might have loved him...and she think James sensed she didn't want to go...all the way. Lily kissed James on the corner of the mouth, as he re-buttoned her shirt.

"James..." She whispered.

"You don't want to go all the way and...for once...neither do I..." James whispered kissing her again.

Lily smiled. "James not wanting to go all the way...hmm...something wrong?" She asked.

"No. I just love you too much, to ruin it by...going...all the way..." He said kissing her neck.

"Thank you, James. I...I do love you..." Lily whispered.

"Oh god...last thing I needed to see.." Said a voice from the door. Lily gasped, seeing Melodie and Cheyalla standing there.

"On my freaking bed, too!" Melodie exclaimed, seeming repulsed.

"Haha. James I told you, they'd be coming back!" Lily shouted fixing her hair, and straightening her blouse.
James however, didn't seem bothered.

"Nice abs." Melodie said, stepping in the room, as James picked up his shirt.

"Thanks." James replied, grinning and throwing his shirt on.

Cheyalla seemed to be in awe.

"You're lucky to see that..." Cheyalla indicated to James.

"Lemme tell you, Sirius got some too..." Lily teased straightening the sheets on Melodies bed.

"You've seen?!" Cheyalla declared.

"By accident" Melodie shrugged.

"JUST his shirt off" Lily reassured.

"Oh you'll see soon enough." Melodie said.

"Fast paced, those guys are" Lily said.

"Oh well" Cheyalla said, grinning.

"Naughty!" Melodie declared.

"So! You and James together?!" Cheyalla exclaimed.

"I guess!" Lily squealed excitedly.

"Hehe." Melodie taunted.

Cheyalla all of a sudden looked worried.

"You didn't go all the way, did you?" She asked timidly.

"No!! No. I think we would've...but James said he loved me too much to ruin it, by...going all the way." Lily said importantly.

"Awwww." Melodie and Cheyalla chorused.

"Can't believe you and Lily..." Remus said, shocked.

"We didn't do anything!" James shouted for the tenth time.

"No of course not..." Sirius muttered.

"Okay, we DID something, but we didn't go all the way..." James replied, trying to fix his tasseled hair.

"Man, you guys are thick." James replied, smelling his shirt, which smelled like strawberries, which made him think of Lily...he smiled a this.

Lily, Melodie, and Cheyalla walked down the stairs at that moment.

James ran over to Lily like a lost dog.

"I missed you" He said.

"You idiot." She said as he put his hands on her sides, and rubbed them up and down. She walked over to the couch, James holding to her all along.

"You guys repulse me." Remus said pulling Melodie onto his lap.

"Why do you always insist on doing that?" Melodie said as she stood up.

"Ummm, you like it?" Remus answered questioningly.

"Maybe I don't..." Melodie said storming off.

"Well that went good" Remus said, standing up and taking off after her.

"What's up?" He questioned as he burst into the Girls Dorm.

"I don't know. Things just aren't right" Melodie said quietly.

"I know...it's the seventh year thing, isn't it? I'm scared, too. But I'm still going to love you. Because I'm going to marry you." Remus muttered and going to sit next to her.

"Are you now?" Melodie whispered, smiling.

"Yes." Remus answered. He then went serious.

"I love you." He said.

"What? Really?" Melodie sputtered.

"Of course, really." Remus muttered, as she stood up and went over to her wardrobe mirror.

"Are you sure you're ready to say that?" She whispered, brushing her hair.

"Yes..." Remus whispered, rubbing his hands down her body. She spun around to face him, and pushed him back slightly, but kissed him all the same.

"Remus..." Melodie said as he pushed her gently onto the bed.

"Melodie..." He whispered.

He kissed her neck, and before Melodie knew what he was doing, her sweater had come off. She had a thin T-Shirt on underneath it.

"Remus!" She squealed as his hand worked its way up her shirt.

"Your hands are cold..." She whispered as he kissed her stomach.

"Sorry" He said bringing them out of her shirt, and kissing her more.

"Okay, you proved your point...I love you too." She whispered, as he put a triumphant face on, and started to tug his sweater off.

"Just hold me" Melodie said.

"Sure thing" Remus whispered, tugging her into his arms, and laying still.

"They've been up there awhile." Cheyalla said uncertainly, looking towards the stairs.

Sirius then shut her up by planting a kiss on her.

"Okay, I'll stop worrying." She giggled as he kissed her neck.

"Puppy love." Lily laughed.

"What about it?" James asked kissing her.

"Nothing." Lily whispered, her eyes growing heavy. The warmth of James' body always did that to her. He hugged her as they sat staring at nothing. James all of a sudden let go of Lily, and was pulling Sirius from Cheyalla, he had begun to loosen the long tie up sweater she had on.

"Mess off, man" Sirius said struggling.

"Haha. Too bad, I have work to do anyways." Cheyalla said jumping out of the way and pulling her Divination charts out.

"I'm going to kill you, James. Not now, not tomorrow, but I'm going to." Sirius growled jokingly.

"Haha!" Lily laughed seeing fright come over James' face.

"Wimp!" She teased.