Chapter 4(Changes)- It Was Always You

Summary:
Lily finds herself restless with guilt as she wanders the corridors at night. She finds herself in the Hospital wing having her first real conversation with a boy she used to hate. Are the tides are changing? I think so! Read and review please:)

James had been rushed to the Hospital wing as soon as the students had arrived in Hogsmeade Station. Stares followed the stretcher carrying him threw the corridor of the train. Whispers started and rumors were flying by the time they had reached the Great Hall. As Lily sat down, she distinctly heard a Ravenclaw fifth year state, "It was Lily Evans! She finally got tired of him asking her out so she did him in!". This statement made Lily laugh a little to herself, but it also got her thinking. What if others thought she had hurt James? Perhaps a hex or two before, but Lily had never done James a serious amount of harm. Her mind continued to race with thoughts threw the Sorting. Suddenly, the noise level settled down. The headmaster had stood up and was ready to speak. Lily paid full attention to him as he addressed the students.

"Another year has begun, here at Hogwarts. For some it is your first and others it is your last. I wish that this be the best year for our seventh years, but I must voice my concern on a certain situation that is arising. Lord Voldemort is coming to full strength. He is looking for supporters to follow him and help him in is dark works. In these times, we must remember not who others wish us to be, but who we are ourselves and who we wish to be. It is not up to another person to decide on how you are to live your life. You alone make that choice. It is not important what colour outlines your robes or what name the Sorting hat shouted out when you were eleven. What matters is who you are deep down inside," Dumbledore looked around the Great Hall and his eyes lingered for a moment on a few students from the Slytherin table. He took a deep breath and then continued.

"If ever you feel the need to talk about some choices you have or are being asked to make, my door is always open and so our the doors of our Heads of Houses and the Head Boy and Girl. Help will always be here for those who need it, but it is up to you to come find it." Dumbledore's grim face changed into a happy one in an instant as he said, "Let the feast begin!" and golden plates filled rapidly before the students eyes.

Lily helped herself to a little bit of everything. She had missed Hogwarts food, along with many other parts of the castle. Soon she would be upstairs in her bed, dozing off into a peaceful sleep. I It's great to be back, I she thought as she watched Sirius attempt to balance a pitcher of gravy on his head. He was quickly stopped by professor McGonagall, but it was amusing all the same. Lily smiled to herself and starting talking with Shayla and Lindsay about the new term. They would be doing NEWTs this year, which apart from OWLs, were the most important wizarding examinations. Lily was still a little uneasy at the thought of these exams and decided to forget about them for a little while. She didn't want or need anymore stress than she already had.

Bodies started moving around her and she realized everyone was leaving. Lindsay and Remus took to the first years while Shay and Lily headed for the door. As Lily was about to go up the marble staircase, Dumbledorr called her back.

"Miss Evans," the old man called out wearily. "You're new dorm is ready for you, would you like me to escort you or do you think you can manage?"

"New dorm?" Lily questioned with raised eyebrows.

"The Heads dorm, Miss Evans," Dumbledore explained. "For you and Mr. Potter to share." There was a slight trace of amusement in his voice.

"Oh, I'm sure I can manage," said Lily. "Where is it, sir?" she added.

After getting the directions from the headmaster, Lily made her way to the portrait of Apolonia the Apple Eater and said the password.

"Zonkos," she whispered and the portrait creaked open revealing a whole in the wall. She climbed threw it and looked around.

The room was much like the Gryffindor common room except instead of red and gold, the room was a deep purple with a lot of silver lining. She saw the staircase and scurried up it to her new sleeping quarters. She saw a door that said "Lily Evans" on it and turned the handle. It was spectacular. The room was a mint green colour and had periwinkle blue accents. The bed had a silky duvet with goose-feathered pillows and in the corner there was cushioned black chair. Beside the chair were a few shelves of books and a couple of empty ones (Lily assumed they were for her to add on to). There was a desk of deep mahogany against the wall and a wardrobe of matching wood. There was a second door in the room and when Lily opened it she saw a beautiful bathroom made of black marble. Although the bath was not as big as the Prefect's, it was still a considerable size and there was also a shower in the corner. Lily was so content with her room that she just lay on her bed for quite some time, soaking in her new surroundings. After awhile though, Lily started to wonder what James' room would look like. Curiosity got the best of her and she left her room and went to the door that said "James Potter" on it. After a few tentative seconds, she creaked the door open.

The room was just as astonishing as Lily's had been. The walls were royal blue and had golden snitches painted along the top edges. The walls also had posters of Quiddicth players that Lily didn't recognize. Lily couldn't help but laugh a little at the snitches because deep down, it really amused her how obsessed James was with Quidditch. Lily looked around the room and saw that James and her had the same furniture; only James' was in different places. He also didn't have a chair but a love seat of emerald green material. Lily crept in to the bathroom and saw that the floor was black tile and the counters were a handsome blue marble. The taps were gold and so shiny that Lily could see herself in them. Lily looked at herself in the mirror and felt sickened. She was snooping around a boy's room that was currently in the hospital wing. She left the room rather quickly and prepared to start her patrol.

The corridors were completely deserted. Lily had been walking around for fifteen minutes and had yet to even pass a ghost. Lily had never been out past curfew and was jumpy at the smallest sounds. A few times she thought she heard echoing footsteps but when she paused to listen there was no sound to be heard. As Lily continued her patrol she saw a faint light coming from the hospital wing. Lily crept up to the door and peaked her head inside where she saw Madame Pomfrey fussing over James.

"You're always here! Honestly, Mr. Potter, I don't understand why you don't just sleep here every night!" the stern nurse yelled impatiently as she searched her cupboards for a potion.

"You can't tell me you don't enjoy my company, Poppy" James said flashing his infamous grin. The patron looked as though she was hard fought not to smile back.

"I have to go fetch a potion, Potter," she told him. "Do not move until I get back!"

Madame Pomfrey left the room and headed down the corridor so quickly that she didn't even notice Lily. Lily stepped in the room and cleared her throat to make her presence known.

"Hello, Evans," said James cheerfully. "What brings you here at this time of night? Not that I'm complaining mind you."

"I just came to see how you were doing," Lily replied. Truthfully, Lily had no clue why she was here. She wasn't even friends with James. She hated James. Yet here she was, standing in front of him asking how he was.

"I am doing simply marvelous!" he chimed. He cracked a smile and Lily practically hit the floor her knees were so weak.

"Okay," Lily said slowly. "Well, now that I've seen you're okay, I'll just leave you alone." Lily turned towards the door but James stopped her.

"No, Lily," James called. "Stay and tell me what's really on your mind."

He had used her first name again and that made Lily stop. She hesitated and then made her way back over to James' bed. She sat down on the end of it and let out a big sigh.

"I just feel bad," Lily confessed. "I'm the reason you're hurt. I always interfere! I should have just let you deal with him on your own but I felt I had to step in. It's lucky you're not dead!" Lily buried her face in her hands. James on the other hand smiled and let out a snort of laughter. Lily looked up in shock at his light heartedness of her comment.

"Okay, first of all, stop being so over dramatic; I'm fine. Snape barely hurt me. I am far from death," James told her. "Sirius has sent me here for worse injuries before." Lily laughed at this and showed her brilliant smile.

"But I still interfered," said Lily.

"To be quite honest, I'm glad you did," James told her.

"Why on earth would you be glad about I this /I ?" Lily waved her hands at James bandaged body.

"Well you see, if you hadn't interfered I would not be in this Hospital wing and I would have been denied this pleasure of having a full conversation with you." James explained.

"Oh, James don't be like that," said Lily. "We could have had many conversations if you hadn't always acted so above everyone."

"Ouch! That's not very nice," said James, pretending to be hurt. "Really, is that the way to treat someone who is on their deathbed?"

The two of them burst out in laughter but it ended as quickly as it began. There was an awkward silence and then Lily stood up abruptly and turned to leave.

"I hope you feel better, James" she told him.

"James?" he questioned. "What happened to Potter?"

"It's rude to call someone by their last name all the time," Lily explained. "We'll be working together now so we should call each other by our first names."

"Alright then, I Lily /I ," said James. "Will you come see me tomorrow?"

"No," Lily told him. James' face fell and she continued. "I'm sure you'll be in class tomorrow. The nurse can't keep you away from Sirius for too long."

They both smiled at each other and Lily left the room. It had been one of the only real conversations they had had during their whole time at Hogwarts. Lily was still smiling as she made her way back to her new room. James also fell asleep with a grin on his face.