It was the beginning of April, Lily and James had been going out for nearly two months and there had been no rain for nearly a week. They were in the middle of a heat wave and there was no telling when it would end. But for now, all the students were enjoying this bit of sunshine. Even the fifth and seventh years were taking time off revising to enjoy the weather, or else bringing their notes outside to study.
There was one dark cloud on all this though. And that was Lily…and her illness. She seemed to be coping well on the surface but she often felt headaches and went to see Madame Pomfrey for some potion, however nothing made her feel better than the sight of James and being close to him. When she was with him she felt better almost immediately. His warm smile, his comforting hug. She didn't know what it was about him that made her feel so… safe.
The group consisting of James, Lily, Remus, Lisa, Sirius, Kiara and Peter were outside, during the late afternoon, revising for Defence against the Dark Arts enjoying the weather. Lily was lying down with her head on James' lap who was sitting against a tree, gently stroking her hair whilst questioning her about the subject, preparing her for the exam.
"What is the spell to stun someone?" James asked her whilst thinking this was a ridiculously easy question.
"Stupefy," she answered correctly.
"Correct. Now onto the next one. What is the best form of defence against a Boggart?" he awaited her answer patiently but was only met with silence. "Come on Lily, it's not that hard."
He then looked down to see Lily's closed eyes. He thought she looked so sweet and innocent lying there asleep with her head resting on his lap. But soon realised that she would kill him if he knew she had let him sleep whilst they were supposed to be studying.
"Lily, wake up," James said softly whilst gently shaking her shoulder. When he did this for a few seconds and she did not wake up he knew what must have happened. "Oh no," he exclaimed sadly before lifting her head off his lap bending down and picking her up like a baby in his arms.
The others all looked at him worriedly and in reply he just said, "I need to get her up to the hospital wing. You should come to."
They got up and followed James obediently to the hospital wing where Madame Pomfrey came out at once to look at Lily who James had laid down on a spare bed.
"I want everyone but Mr Potter out, he can tell you what I have said later but for now I think Lily should only have one visitor at a time," she told the others sternly.
They all looked at James who gave a small nod of his head before they headed to wait outside the hospital wing doors.
"So? What's the verdict?" James asked the nurse impatiently and worry imprinted all over his face.
The nurse look at Lily waved her wand in a complicated manoeuvre and she seemed to know something which brought an incredibly sad look onto her face.
"She is alright? Isn't she?" James asked desperately.
"I'm afraid James, that Lily is incredibly ill as you probably already know. At the moment I will do my best to give her the proper medication and care she needs. I have never seen a condition like this before but I will do my best. For the moment however it seems that Lily is in a coma."
James wore a look of terrified shock before stammering, "Is it permanent?"
"I doubt very much that it is, but there is always a small chance."
"Do you know how long she'll be out for?"
"It's difficult to say. Could be a day or two, could be months."
James sat down in a chair next to Lily's side and rubbed his face in his hands his heart now filled with worry.
"James. I'm sorry but I have to ask you to leave, and your friends will have to wait until tomorrow to see Lily," Madame Pomfrey said softly.
"Why can't I stay with her tonight?" James argued.
The nurse sighed deeply before answering. "I just think it's for the best if you tell your friends what's happening and then leave me free to look after her. After tonight you are free to visit her whenever as long as it doesn't interfere with your classes. Only you, mind you."
James nodded his head glumly and then left to tell the others what was happening. After he had told them everything he knew in the Gryffindor common room they all traipsed up to bed thoroughly depressed. But none more so than James.
The next morning James woke up early, glanced around the dormitory to see the other boys soundly asleep in their beds and got up and dressed quietly. He grabbed his invisibility cloak from inside his trunk and snuck out of the portrait hole wearing it in order to get to the hospital wing without being seen.
He got there alright and sat down on the chair beside Lily's bed which he had grown so used to this year. He gently took her hand in his and prayed that she would be alright. He prayed that nothing would happen to her and that they could spend the rest of their days together. And that's when it hit him. He smiled in spite of the situation and sat with the comfortable yet scary thought of his realisation.
He kissed Lily on the forehead then departed to the common room before anyone could see he was missing.
That morning at the breakfast table, James tried to butter his own toast but what Madame Pomfrey had told him the previous night had really shaken him up. More so than anyone else it seemed although everyone else wore the same dull vacant expression. However James was sure none of them felt like part of their soul had been removed and smashed to pieces like he did.
He could not butter the toast though because his hands were shaking so much. Lisa took pity on the worried man in front of her; she buttered the toast for him and then placed it back on the plate in front of him.
He glanced at it once before deciding he felt sick. He stood up, exclaimed he wasn't hungry and rushed out of the hall.
The others all just looked at each other before continuing with their own food. They knew there was nothing they could do for him except just be there when he needed it and leave him alone when he needed to be alone.
James had dashed in the hospital wing to see Lily between classes, during free periods and before dinner. Sometimes one or two of the others were also there. He was talking to her, filling her in on the day and telling her she had to wake up if for nothing else, for him.
That evening at dinner, James had eaten half of his dinner before a strange curiosity overtook him to see what was on the bottom of the plates. He lifted the plate above his head and looked at the crest on the bottom. His hands were still shaky though and he saw though the gap between his head and the plate, the rest of the group staring at him. This just reminded him of Lily and he started to tremble more until he dropped the plate making a loud crash on the floor as the plate broke causing the whole hall to silence.
James rubbed his eyes tiredly. His voice breaking he just said to the group, "What am I gonna do with out her? I can't do this. She has to wake up," and just before tears erupted from his eyes he ran out of the Great hall.
"Poor James," Lisa exclaimed.
"This is hard on all of us you know Lisa," Kiara argued.
"You can't pretend this is as hard on you as it is on James," Remus said calmly.
"Why not? I've been closer to her for far longer than James has, how do you know I'm not just as worried as he is?"
"You're not the one breaking plates and running out of the Great hall to see her are you?" he said defensively.
"How do you know that's where he's gone?" Kiara asked although she seemed slightly defeated now.
Remus just replied with a simple, "Please!"
"I don't want us to fall out over this. We all need to stick together and be strong for Lily and James' sake," the unlikely voice of Sirius spoke up.
Kiara and Remus backed down immediately.
The next two days continued just like this one, without the fighting between each other though which was a very good thing looking at all the stress everyone was now under.
James continued to see Lily every chance he got as did the others.
The hot weather was also still continuing but early on Sunday evening, when James entered the common room returning from another visit to see Lily the sky was darkening and it looked as though a storm was about to settle in.
Kiara and Lisa saw James enter and told him they were going to see Lily. He nodded his head gravely at them before walking over to Sirius and Remus who were sitting near the window.
Kiara and Lisa walked into the hospital wing to receive the shock of their lives. There was Lily sitting upright in bed, eating some food as though she hadn't eaten properly in days. Which in fact she hadn't.
Both girls rushed over to her and gave her massive hugs. "Oh my God Lily, we were so worried. When did you wake up? James didn't say."
"Easy, easy," Lily replied removing with difficulty the two new attachments to her body. "I woke up just now. James was sitting by my bed and he said something but I can't remember what. I opened my eyes but by the time I had the strength to sit up I just saw him going out of the door so I don't think he knows I'm awake. How long was I out for anyway?"
"Three days," Lisa sobbed. "Oh Lily we were so worried. Thank God! Thank God!"
Lily smiled, "I have some more good news, I'm allowed out of here tonight. Madame Pomfrey says that since I have had enough rest already she thinks I should go and see my friends and get back into things as soon as possible."
"That's great," Kiara said happily.
"James will be so pleased," Lisa chipped in. "You have no idea how worried he was about you Lily. He wouldn't eat, broke plates. The poor thing couldn't even butter his own toast. He's been falling to pieces with worry over you. Trying to see you every chance he got," she had slowed down with the last sentence at the look on Lily's face. It was so sad, she looked so upset.
Although Lisa didn't know what reaction to expect the one she got was the least expected. Lily burst into tears and through her sobs managed to choke out, "You know this illness is fatal if I can't find the cure. Imagine what James would be like if I died."
"Don't be stupid Lily. You're not going to die. We're going to beat this," Kiara told her with confidence.
Lily just shook her head and replied, "No Kiara. We don't know that for certain. I can't put James through that kind of pain. I just can't! It wouldn't be fair!"
Lisa and Kiara both looked worriedly at Lily before Kiara asked, "What are you saying Lily?"
"I have to break it off. I have to distance myself from him. I'll do it as soon as I get out of here," Lily said sadly.
"Lily, are you sure this is the only way? We'll support you in your decision whatever it is but… he'll be heartbroken," Lisa said disbelievingly.
"It's far less than the pain he'd feel if I died," Lily told them as Madame Pomfrey came round to see her with a potion in her hand.
"You can go now dear. Just take a drop of this every night before you go to bed and a drop every morning when you wake up," she explained.
As Madame Pomfrey watched the three friends leave from the room Professor Dumbledore appeared beside her, also watching Lily's departing form. Without looking away she said, "Albus, do you know the cure?"
"I do Poppy," he replied sombrely.
"Then why can't you just tell her?" she said her voice rising slightly now.
"Because Poppy, she has to find it on her own, otherwise it will not work. She was getting so close but I fear she may be about to go in the wrong direction."
"You know what she has, don't you Professor?"
"Yes, it's a very rare…well I don't think I can really call it a disease but the people who have it, have it for a reason. I fear Lily's reason will help save us all," Dumbledore answered sadly.
"How do you know?"
"There are dark times ahead of us and though I have no fact or proof of anything yet, I sense that Lily plays a key role in something important."
"This storm is huge, we haven't had one like this in years," Sirius acknowledged back in the common room talking to the other marauders.
"I know what you mean. I remember I used to be terrified of storms when I was younger but I think that's partly due to my uncle telling ghost stories whenever they happened," Remus joined in reminiscently.
James was sitting on the windowsill staring at the darkened sky and pouring rain before Remus brought him out of his daydream, "She'll be alright Prongs. She'll wake up."
"Yeah, I know," James nodded his head trying to reassure himself more than anyone else. He swung his legs off the windowsill so he was just slightly perched on it.
"You really like her, don't you?"
"I do," he replied before looking up to receive the happiest shock of his life. There was Lily walking through the portrait hole with Lisa and Kiara. He ran over to her and nearly knocked her off her feet, he bombarded her so hard with his hug.
Lily looked a little uncomfortable with James holding her and she hated to admit it to herself, especially with what she was about to do looming over her, but she did feel so much better with his arms wrapped tightly around her.
"You don't know how glad I am Lily, I've been so…" but Lily cut him off before he could say another word.
"James, we have to talk." Lisa and Kiara smiled sympathetically at her before walking away to Remus and Sirius.
"Sure, what's the matter?" James asked her, totally oblivious as to what would happen next. She led him by the hand to a quiet corner of the common room so no one could hear them.
She looked up into his gorgeous eyes which were wearing an amazing look of happiness, obviously for her return. She needed to know if this was the right thing to do though so she pulled him down so his lips met hers and they held a breathtaking kiss. When she pulled away she looked into his eyes again. That had made her decision final. The passion of their relationship was so true. But looking into his eyes, she knew she was about to cry, she needed to do it now otherwise she never would. She swallowed, looked down at her feet and then said what took all her courage to say, "James, I think we should break up."
She looked up to see the evident shock upon James' face. Lily could tell she hadn't been convincing enough. She had to try harder.
"Look, I'm sorry but it's just not working for me anymore," she continued, her voice breaking. Hot tears were welling up behind her eyes. She blinked them back still staring into James' disbelieving face. She tried to speak again but found it hard to pass any words through the lump that had formed in her throat.
"No, no Lily. No!" James responded shaking his head disbelievingly at her. All the stress he had been feeling and his feelings for Lily were mixing inside him and he could not stop the tears from coming over. He didn't care what people would think of him, he didn't care how many people were watching the scene now. His world seemed to have fallen apart with just those six words, "I think we should break up." Why? Why did she want to break up?
"Why?" he just about managed to croak.
Lily found herself incapable of speech with James looking down at her. She turned away; she did not want James to see the floods of tears spilling down her cheeks. She kept telling herself over and over again it was for his own good.
"Look at me Lily," James said trying to get some sign of why she was doing this to him.
She couldn't face him. She did the only thing she felt she could do at that moment. She ran. She ran out the portrait hole. She ran down the corridors. She ran as far and fast as she could, ignoring the shouts of "Lily!" from James as she left.
She heard someone else's running footsteps behind her as she ran through the corridors and she knew they belonged to James. She kept running. Heading for outside where the rain was still pouring, where the lightning lit up the sky and the thunder seemed to represent the sky's anger. She didn't care about all this though; surely James wouldn't follow her out into it.
She reached the entrance doors, opened them and kept running. In seconds she was completely drenched, her hair wringing wet, her clothes soaked and the salty tears she had been tasting on her lips from the common room mixing with the rain.
It was very muddy outside and more than once she nearly slipped over. She thought James would have stopped following her by now but she could still hear the squelch of his shoes hitting the mud. And then, they stopped. She was still running but now she had slowed down slightly. She wondered why he had stopped following her, until her question was answered. She was still running as she heard James call, "Lily, you can't just dump me and not give me a reason. You can't expect me to be okay with this. You can't runaway now. I've never felt this way about anyone before. Please Lily! You have to let us be…us."
Lily winced thinking of what leaving James was doing to the both of them. Maybe there was a way. With each sentence he had spoken she had slowed down slightly. She was nearly at a stand still when James shouted one final thing, "I LOVE YOU!"
She stopped, completely still and turned around. James took this as permission to approach and he headed towards her. She looked him over and saw that he was wet from head to toe and shivering from the cold. His always messy, never lying flat hair, that she had grown to love, was blowing in the wind.
"What did you say?" she asked him slowly, squinting because of the rain.
"I love you Lily," he repeated slowly. He too took in her soggy appearance but thought she looked more radiant than ever.
She approached him cautiously, not yet sure that what he was saying was the truth. But as she saw his sincere face she knew it must be. Her own face lit up into a smile as she said, "I love you too James."
He ran his fingers down the soft skin on the side of her face gently and then pushed back the wet hair which had fallen into her eyes behind her ear. Still touching the side of her face, he soothingly wiped away the tears that had been streaming down her face with his thumb.
He then cupped his hand around her chin and pushed it up slightly so her almond shaped eyes gazed into his hazel ones. They were silent for a moment, just gazing into each other's eyes. Then Lily remembered what James had said to wake her up. He had told her he loved her then too. She wondered briefly why this would awaken her from the coma but decided not to worry about it for now so she contented herself with saying, "I love you," again to James.
James leaned down gently into Lily and placed the softest kiss Lily had ever known upon her lips. He then wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. She welcomed the embrace and they both held tight to each other, now instinctively keeping each other warm. James kissed Lily again, this time more passionately and since no one was around to see, the kiss went deeper and deeper until the couple felt there was no further they could go on. The passion and love was absolute, they could not be more into each other. They forgot all about the rain and were absorbed in themselves trying to get to the impossible depths of their relationship.
But, when the rain stopped, almost as suddenly as it had started, they broke apart as did the dark clouds above them leaving them to sit with the view of a pink tinged sky and orange sunset that was the most beautiful thing either had ever seen. They sat with James arm wrapped around Lily and watched the sun set, every so often gazing into each others eyes lovingly.
When the sun had set, the sky was dark and all that were visible were the stars, they walked side by side back into the castle, James' arm still draped over Lily's shoulder.
A/N I really like this chapter. Another sweet one I think. I hope you liked it too. Were getting close to the end of the story now. I'm not sure if there'll be one or two more chapters. I expect a lot of you have figured out what the cure is but loose ends shall be tied in the next chapters.
I'd really like it if you could answer basic question in your review, you don't have to if you don't want to though. Don't feel obligated lol.
I know I ask this one a lot but, Was it sweet?
Did you like the way they declared their love for each other? (I want your exact thoughts on this one, not just yes or no lol)
Have you liked how all their significant points of their relationship in this story have been magnified and… (I can't believe I'm gonna say this again.)…sweet?
One final one…Did you find the physical side of their relationship passionate?
I appreciate all your reviews, they really make my day! Thanks to all of you!