Chapter 18: Attacks and Studying

Lily leaned heavily into James, sighing happily. It was near the end of the dance, and Lily was about ready to end it.

Lily announced to the thinning crowd that all students shall return to bed, and that she and James would be patrolling for stragglers.

James took her hand and they waited as the occupants of the hall filed out, in groups of two or three.

James gave Lily a tight hug, and he led her into a dark, shadowy corner of a second floor corridor after climbing the steps. A few steps, and Lily couldn't recognize the place in the dark. James kissed softly, and Lily kissed him back.

Lily realized she was breaking a billion rules, but who hasn't? James was still kissing her as she heard a noise coming from around a dark corner.

Lily pulled away from James and she turned the corner, peering into the darkness. She saw two figures struggling, and one person threw the other down, and said, "Bitch."

The tall figure strode away, and Lily rushed to the girl lying on the floor.

"Oh my god! Oh crap!" Lily said, as she heaved the girl into a sitting position up against the wall. It was Megan Torhy, a normal girl form Slytherin. The girl groaned, and she suddenly convulsed. Lily turned to James and said, "She's having a seizure! Get a teacher, anybody!" James turned and ran, after giving Lily a worried glance.

Lily had a shocking thought. What if the man came back? Lily pulled her loosening hair into a ponytail, and held the Megan's head steady as her body shook around, because any damage to the head wouldn't be good. Megan shook slightly less with each passing moment, and finally her body calmed and stopped twitching. Lily was seriously freaked out, and she lit her wand. Megan's eyes were open, and they were searching Lily's face with a fear that Lily had only seen in movies. James came rushing down the corridor, with Madame Pomfrey behind him.

"I got Madame Pomfrey!" James gasped, as he slowed down.

"Is she still having a seizure?" asked Madame Pomfrey.

"No- I don't know. She's conscious, at least." Megan groaned, and Madame Pomfrey magicked up a stretcher and lifted the girl into it. Madame Pomfrey turned to look at Lily and James.

"I advise you two to go to bed. Whoever did this may still be wandering around."

Lily's eyes widened, and James clutched her hand compulsively.

Lily and James walked back to their common room, holding their wands with one hand and holding hands with the other.

Lily and James stayed up the rest of the night talking, and Lily fell asleep in James's arms on the couch.

The school was shell shocked by the attack. A Voldemort attack in their school? Lily swears she will neuter the person who started that rumor. James was worried about catching the guy who did it, and he ran searches for three days of the castle, the grounds, everything. Of course, he could have looked on the Marauders Map but it had disappeared, apparently Peter had borrowed it and had not returned it. James was seriously regretting befriending the idiot, but Sirius liked to pick on him, so…

Normal life returned after over a month, and after threatening messages had turned up in many people's dorms, in the form of crimson ink on black paper nailed onto doors, beds, and trunks.

It was now into late February, and even with Spring Break approaching, and N.E.W.T.s still over 4 months away, people were grim and studious. Well, mostly the 5th and 7th years.

Sirius groaned several times as the laughs and shouts drifted in through a window.

"Why do we have to study?" he asked, whining.

"Because Lily said so." James and Remus said in unison.

"Why can't we go play?"

"Because Lily said so."

"I want to play!"

"Because Lily said so." Sirius laughed at James and Remus, as they looked up in confusion.

"Hi guys. I got my book bag and- Hey! Sirius, where are you going?" Lily said sharply, seeing Sirius trying to sneak out the 4th floor window.

"Ummm… to go study outside!"

"That's a great idea! Please, Lily?" James asked. Sirius muttered, "You would have sworn she had a whip…"

"Sure…" Lily said vaguely, as she was already immersed in one of her books. Remus also was reading an Advanced Charms book, and Sirius and James hurried out of the library to go throw half-melted snow at the younger students.

James stepped outside into the brisk air. It was such a relief after the musty, stifled air of the library. James scooped up some snow with his bare hands and sent down Sirius's shirt. Sirius retaliated by shoving James into a puddle. Soon, the whole yard was full of students shoving one another, and then it all stopped. A huge splash had sounded through the grounds, and the lake's serene, only-slightly-melted surface was rippling. James gasped, and ran toward the lake. A young second year girl was crying hysterically.

"My sister- she's only a first year, she tripped and fell in!" James stripped off his robe and shoes, and he dove in. A quick Bubble Head charm and a warming spell made the cold not so severe. James couldn't say the same for the fast-disappearing first year.

James had barely snatched her sleeve when a dark shape flashed by. James did NOT want to stick around and find out what it was, and he dragged the girl up to the surface of the lake. James pulled her to the shore, where McGonagall was waiting. She levitated the girl up, and as James climbed out the lake, she handed him a heavy cloak and the instructions to get to Madame Pomfrey.

Lily was reading (what else?) when a huge splash drew her attention. She caught a flash of motion, before she witnessed James diving into the lake. Lily half shrieked, half gasped. She jumped up, grabbed Remus's arm, and they were outside just as James was climbing out of the lake with a young girl levitating by his side, as McGonagall stood nearby.

Lily ran to James as he was accepting a cloak from McGonagall. "Oh my god!" Lily cried out.

She gave James a sturdy hug, and couldn't care in the least he was getting her soaking wet. Lily escorted James to the Hospital Wing, and used her knowledge of hypothermia to administer spells, hot chocolate, and give him a bed, all with shouted bursts of instructions from Madame Pomfrey from across the room, where she was helping the little girl who had fallen in.

All the while, Lily was talking to James about how brave he was, and that he had saved the girl's life, and so on.

James got out of the hospital wing the next day, much to the protest of Madame Pomfrey, who had wanted him to stay for at least another day.

"Geez. You'd think the lady would get tired of seeing me in there." James muttered as he played a quick game of wizard's chess with Sirius after lunch. It was actually a weekend, so James hadn't missed any classes, much to his disappointment (and Lily's happiness).

James was even more of a celebrity now, if it was possible. Lily found it all very suffocating. James preferred to take Lily's point of view, instead of Sirius's, which was, "DUDE! Do you know how many girls would tattoo your names on themselves right now?" Very scary…

A very prominent death also affected the wizarding community the next day. A Hufflepuff's family had all been killed, and all because they wouldn't switch to Voldemort's side. James's family had been on the 'death' list for years, but for how long could his family survive?

Spring break passed quickly, and painfully, too. James's parents thought him to be safer at Hogwarts then at home, though he had begged to come home. Lily was on a study rampage, and he needed an escape.

"Lily."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Sirius can go outside! Why can't I?"

"No."

"PLLLEEEASSSE!"

"No."

"You're mean."

"No."

"No what?"

"No."

"May I stay in and study?"

"No- hey wait!" but by the time Lily realized it, James was running for his life outside the library to the grounds.

Lily grumbled but turned back to her book. Shouts and laughter from the grounds drifted in, and Lily tried to focus on the book in front of her.

"Most herbs in Northern Lakes are…" Lily stopped, staring out the window by her table. James was wrestling with Sirius, and Remus was laughing, on the ground under the tree.

Lily slammed her book shut, and picked up her stuff. Grabbing everything, she set off to the grounds.

"When in Rome!" she muttered as she ran to her friends out on the lawn.

Many people were happy and loose after vacation, but that did not include the 5th and 7th years. Scarily enough, the 5th and 7th years were pulling all nighters in the library and digging through notes from first year.

Even James and Sirius were freaking out and studying. You knew people were stressed when even the Marauders were studying. Lily was actually slightly less stressed, which was surprised. She was more smug than freaked out, and she hovered over her friends, saying, "I told you so… You should have started studying way before…"

James got so tired of studying, he did anything and everything to study without actually opening a book.

One particularly amusing game was were Sirius would do something infuriating, and Lily would hold him down until he could answer ten questions without mistake. It was rough on Sirius, who would have to run for his life after James was let go.

N.E.W.T.'s were creeping up, and they were all so stressed, it was a wonder they could even concentrate enough to study.

Sorry for the long wait, guys! OMG, I am the luckiest girl ever! Lol I got a boyfriend, so like I THINK I'm the happiest person on Earth. Lol

No review answers this time, my friends. I'm sorry, but I'm seriously stressed because I have WAY too much homework, plus chores, and I'M SORRY!

I'll try to update soon….

OH MY GOD! Only two or three more chapters and this is all over! That's so SAD!

But I'll have a fresh story coming out hopefully… lol check in soon (maybe) for more updates!