Chapter 10
Christmas came and went. For the first time ever, Lily bought James a present (a small scoop of Every Flavor Beans). James gave Lily her customary red lollipop that made the scent of roses come out of her ears. Lily knew it was just an excuse to get close to her and smell her, because that was what boys did. It was also the first time she didn't mind too much.
The winds of change blew through the hallowed halls of Hogwarts. A phenomenal dragon pox epidemic was occurring too close to home. Students from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor checked in daily at the hospital wing for remediation. Three unused rooms were magically annexed to the infirmary for space.
Dragon pox left scale-like marks on arms and faces and had symptoms not unlike the flu. A victim would require four days of rest for the cure to take place.
*
Sirius and Lily sat in their Transfiguration classroom. Three regularly occupied seats were empty.
"Professor, would you mind giving us a report on the dragon pox issue?" Lily asked.
"I assure you, everything is under control," said McGonnagal evenly. "The Ministry has sent a few trainee Healers and mediwizards to help Madam Pomfrey."
"The Ministry's involved?" asked a surprised Sirius.
"An outbreak of this caliber must be dealt with professionally," said McGonnagal. "Nothing against Nurse Pomfrey, of course, but even the best can use help on occasion. She's got quite a handful to deal with. Thirty students inflicted."
"Is there anything we can do, professor?" asked Lily. "Anything at all?"
"Your offers are kind, Miss Evans, but all we ask you to do is your schoolwork at this point. Madam Pomfrey has also asked me to tell you not to bring tokens of well-wishing to her patients. This disease seems to be highly contagious and it would not do for you to catch it. If you want, you may send flowers and the like to me and I will give them to Nurse Pomfrey. Are there any other questions?"
No one raised their hand.
*
"Have you fixed your problem?" James asked that night in the common room. He and Lily both sat by the fire on the freezing winter day.
"What do you mean?" replied Lily.
"You know, the one that you needed Snape's books for," said James. Lily wrapped her woolly sheepskin blanket around her tighter.
"Not quite. It's going to need some planning."
"Want help?"
"No," she said quickly. James bit his lip and a dark look came over his eyes. Lily stared into the fire. It burned her eyes and face but it was better than looking at his face.
"Why do you always do that?" he asked in a tired voice.
"Do what?"
"Push me away. Like I'm a plague worse than the dragon pox. All I want is to help you, but you always throw it back in my face."
"If I wanted help, I'd ask Alice. You're not the one I'd want anything from."
"And why do you say things like that?"
"Because it's you. Because you're a jerk," said she, and when she started, she couldn't stop. "You go around, cursing little boys because you can. You're so carried away with your own power; it's going to kill you. I'm serious, James Potter. Someday they're going to want revenge."
"I don't so much anymore," he muttered and he looked away.
"You still curse Severus," she bit back at him.
"He deserves it."
"I asked you this a year ago. What's he ever done to you?"
"And I meant what I said. He exists. Can't you see what he's going to become? He's evil and twisted. I saw those books he has. They're covered in blood, and most of them are Dark Arts books. Do you want a little bugger like that around?"
"It's not for you to decide who becomes what, Potter." It was now that Lily was supposed to get up and drag her blanket up the steps to her dormitory and sit there and be bitter but satisfied for getting the last word. But the fire was too warm and she was so comfortable sitting beside him.
Long minutes of silence sat between them like a third wheel. Each was waiting for the other to become fed up and walk away. But neither moved.
"I'm cold," said James. Lily bit her tongue extended the blanket to him. It was too small to keep them both warm while they were sitting three feet apart. James scooted right next to her and wrapped the woolly blanket around both of them.
"You're right, you know," he said quietly. "I'm just another idiot."
"No," she whispered to him. "You still have time. You still have choices to make. Big ones that will come along and change you for better or worse."
They were touching along their sides. Lily's hair had fallen on his shoulder. Her heart was pounding so hard she was afraid James could hear it. The snow was falling softly outside. The only noise was the fire crackling melodically in front of them.
He kissed her, and she didn't - couldn't - pull away.
Christmas came and went. For the first time ever, Lily bought James a present (a small scoop of Every Flavor Beans). James gave Lily her customary red lollipop that made the scent of roses come out of her ears. Lily knew it was just an excuse to get close to her and smell her, because that was what boys did. It was also the first time she didn't mind too much.
The winds of change blew through the hallowed halls of Hogwarts. A phenomenal dragon pox epidemic was occurring too close to home. Students from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor checked in daily at the hospital wing for remediation. Three unused rooms were magically annexed to the infirmary for space.
Dragon pox left scale-like marks on arms and faces and had symptoms not unlike the flu. A victim would require four days of rest for the cure to take place.
*
Sirius and Lily sat in their Transfiguration classroom. Three regularly occupied seats were empty.
"Professor, would you mind giving us a report on the dragon pox issue?" Lily asked.
"I assure you, everything is under control," said McGonnagal evenly. "The Ministry has sent a few trainee Healers and mediwizards to help Madam Pomfrey."
"The Ministry's involved?" asked a surprised Sirius.
"An outbreak of this caliber must be dealt with professionally," said McGonnagal. "Nothing against Nurse Pomfrey, of course, but even the best can use help on occasion. She's got quite a handful to deal with. Thirty students inflicted."
"Is there anything we can do, professor?" asked Lily. "Anything at all?"
"Your offers are kind, Miss Evans, but all we ask you to do is your schoolwork at this point. Madam Pomfrey has also asked me to tell you not to bring tokens of well-wishing to her patients. This disease seems to be highly contagious and it would not do for you to catch it. If you want, you may send flowers and the like to me and I will give them to Nurse Pomfrey. Are there any other questions?"
No one raised their hand.
*
"Have you fixed your problem?" James asked that night in the common room. He and Lily both sat by the fire on the freezing winter day.
"What do you mean?" replied Lily.
"You know, the one that you needed Snape's books for," said James. Lily wrapped her woolly sheepskin blanket around her tighter.
"Not quite. It's going to need some planning."
"Want help?"
"No," she said quickly. James bit his lip and a dark look came over his eyes. Lily stared into the fire. It burned her eyes and face but it was better than looking at his face.
"Why do you always do that?" he asked in a tired voice.
"Do what?"
"Push me away. Like I'm a plague worse than the dragon pox. All I want is to help you, but you always throw it back in my face."
"If I wanted help, I'd ask Alice. You're not the one I'd want anything from."
"And why do you say things like that?"
"Because it's you. Because you're a jerk," said she, and when she started, she couldn't stop. "You go around, cursing little boys because you can. You're so carried away with your own power; it's going to kill you. I'm serious, James Potter. Someday they're going to want revenge."
"I don't so much anymore," he muttered and he looked away.
"You still curse Severus," she bit back at him.
"He deserves it."
"I asked you this a year ago. What's he ever done to you?"
"And I meant what I said. He exists. Can't you see what he's going to become? He's evil and twisted. I saw those books he has. They're covered in blood, and most of them are Dark Arts books. Do you want a little bugger like that around?"
"It's not for you to decide who becomes what, Potter." It was now that Lily was supposed to get up and drag her blanket up the steps to her dormitory and sit there and be bitter but satisfied for getting the last word. But the fire was too warm and she was so comfortable sitting beside him.
Long minutes of silence sat between them like a third wheel. Each was waiting for the other to become fed up and walk away. But neither moved.
"I'm cold," said James. Lily bit her tongue extended the blanket to him. It was too small to keep them both warm while they were sitting three feet apart. James scooted right next to her and wrapped the woolly blanket around both of them.
"You're right, you know," he said quietly. "I'm just another idiot."
"No," she whispered to him. "You still have time. You still have choices to make. Big ones that will come along and change you for better or worse."
They were touching along their sides. Lily's hair had fallen on his shoulder. Her heart was pounding so hard she was afraid James could hear it. The snow was falling softly outside. The only noise was the fire crackling melodically in front of them.
He kissed her, and she didn't - couldn't - pull away.