Chapter 2

"Oh my God, what happened?" asked James in a frenzy as Lily tried to make her way towards him.

"I… I was… just… James." Then Lily fainted

James had just caught. He lifted her limp and weighted form and took her to the Hosptial Wing. He didn't leave her and Madam Pomfrey didn't tell him to. The hours passed slowly in such a stillness that drove James mad.

He didn't know what happened. He wished with all his might that it was him in that bed, not Lily. Nothing changed in her condition, except that she would shift slightly in her bed and wince in pain. She was strong, James knew, and she would make it through.

James sat there, looking over her delicate frame, so battered and frail looking. Lily's emerald green sweatshirt, that would have matched her eyes, had they been open, complimented her beautiful red hair and ivory white skin, a was torn, wet, and muddy. Her blue jeans, that were always in such pristine condition, had a rip on one knee and were also splattered with mud and water. Lily's hands had scrapes and earlier had dried blood under her nails. James had long since cleaned that off. It killed him that he couldn't do anything else.

James had stayed up all night sitting next to her. Dawn came and went and at around 8 am., and he slipped into a light doze.

James was jolted out of his sleep. He looked over at Lily. He reached for her hand, and she stirred. His heart skipped a beat, and Lily's eyes fluttered open.

James could scarcely breathe. He could see something in her eyes. For a brief moment, there was fear. Not like her 'Oh no, we have a test tomorrow' this ran much deeper than that. As quickly as it had come, the panic was gone. She knew where she was now.

"Lily?" James asked.

She looked over at him and smiled weakly.

"Hey, how're you feeling?" he questioned sweetly.

Lily took a deep breathe and said through tears and a shaky voice,

"Never better."

"You lie." James said and smiled.

"Yea." she said back through new tears, the same voice, and an innocent half-smile.

James still had her hand and he was now brushing her hair away from her face with his hand. He was careful to avoid bruises.

He took a breath and asked,

"Lily?"

"Hmm."

"What happened? You don't have to…I mean I was just so worried and more so not knowing…I…" was all he was able to force out quickly.

Lily interrupted him politely with,

"James, I'll try."

Through Lily's tears and more trembling and troubled breathing (due to a slightly cracked rib) she began to tell James what happened.

She wasn't ready to tell him and he knew that. But he also knew that if she didn't say anything now, she never would, so he didn't stop her, only when she needed it.

"After…after our fight…I…I went to take a walk…by…by the lake…just to…to think things out…and I'm so sorry James."

"I'm sorry too Lily it was all my fault." James said.

"It was cloudy… and windy. I love the wind. And after I… I was there a while… James he was watching me…he must've been. I was there no…no less than 20 minutes…then…then I heard talking…it sounded far away. I…I didn't know who it was…had…had I known, I would have left but, I didn't. They were looking for me."

Her tears were coming more steadily now; her sobs more deep. James sat up with her and held her for a moment. When she was ready she started up again.

"The thunder had…had started…and then he…he was there and he was mad. He had a fury like I…I've never seen before. I'm so stupid! How could I just… just not know?"

"No, sweetheart, you are not stupid. You couldn't have known." James told her sympathetically. He still had no idea what she was talking about, but he continued to listen.

"I…," Lily began again, "had met up with him earlier that day, and he asked me to be his girlfriend,"

James was in a stupor at her last words, but who was she talking about? Lily was able to talk more fluently now.

"but I said 'no'. He was furious at me. At first he tried to convince me to leave you, after my no. He was telling me all kinds of lies about you and just really horrible things. He threatened me…and you. He said he would get back at me, over the littlest of things, James. I tried to walk away but he grabbed my wrist, I turned and…and it was just a reflex…and I… I slapped him. Then I ran. I didn't know what else to do." Her tears were streaming down her face once more. James felt guilty in a way, he just didn't know why. Then things began to fall into place for him. He now had an idea on what Lily meant.

"Lily?" James started to ask, "Did 'he' do this to you?"

Lily shivered a little and her eyes watered as she looked James in the eyes, a sight that made him hurt as well, and she nodded. Now James wasn't sure what pain was worse, his for Lily's, or the realization that he hadn't been there to protect her.

"Oh my God! This is all my fault!"

"No, it's…"

"I should have never let you leave."

"No, really…its not…"

"I should've never started an argument!"

"James," finally Lily had caught his attention. "If you keep going like that you'll go back to the day you were born! Listen, it's not your fault. I should have taken…taken his threat more seriously."

"No, it's not your fault either.! It's 'his' fault. Lily who was it?"

Obviously Lily had no intention of saying who it was but, it feel out of her mouth so quickly that she couldn't stop it.

"Thomas."