James stared after her, sinking slowly to the ground, a dazed expression on his face. "Lily…" he whispered to himself.
James exited his dormitory and walked down the stairs to the common room. It was deserted, he noted with relief. The last thing he wanted was to have to talk to someone. He paced back and forth restlessly, trying to sort out his thoughts. He'd tried to get to sleep, but after a long time of tossing and turning, he'd cursed and gotten up, throwing on some robes and coming down here.
After a few rounds around the common room, he stopped to stare into the fire… when a rustling behind him caused him to nearly jump out of his shoes. He spun around, and spotted Lily lying on the couch… and his heart did something resembling a summersault.
"Lily?" he asked tentatively, moving closer. "Lily?" He sank down beside her and put a hand on her shoulder. At that precise moment, the fire shifted, and the flickering light fell squarely across her face… revealing the tear stains on her cheeks.
James couldn't resist. Something just seemed to fall into place, and he leaned close and kissed her softly on the cheek. Warmth seemed to rush through him, and his heart throbbed painfully in his chest. He brushed her hair ever-so-gently out of her face, then conjured up a blanket to cover her, and a pillow, which he gently placed under her head. "I love you, Lily," he whispered, kissing her cheek again, before standing and walking back up the stairs to his common room. This time, when he sank into his bed, he fell quickly into a contented sleep, filled with dreams of red hair and green eyes.
Lily awoke in the early hours of the morning from the sound of a house elf cleaning the ashes in front of the fireplace. She sat up groggily and rubbed her eyes. The creature gave a terrified yelp and disappeared before she could say anything. Odd, she thought, but her reasoning wasn't exactly functional at 2:30 in the morning, so she didn't dwell on it. Instead, she stood up, noticing the blanket that covered her with curiosity. She certainly hadn't fallen asleep with it. The same went for the fluffy red pillow. Apparently, someone in the castle cared about her and wasn't furious at the moment. Her thoughts shifted to James… no, Potter… and what had happened earlier that day. "Because I care about you…."
She yawned and stood up, taking the blanket and pillow with her. As she walked toward the stairs to her dormitory, the house elf re-appeared. She stopped. "I'm not going to hurt you, you know," she said kindly. Silence. With a shrug, she continued up the stairs.
Moonlight eerily illuminated the dorm room as she entered. The slowly waning orb hung low in the sky in front to the large window, glinting off the lake and casting painted shadows in the grassy grounds far below. A smile flitted across her face. The moon would be full at Halloween….
Turning away from the window, her gaze fell on Chloe. Always a restless sleeper, the girl's blankets were strewn all over the bed. Chloe herself lay at a ridiculous angle, her feet hanging off one side of the bed, one arm hanging off the other. A pang shot though Lily as she noticed the fresh cuts that marred the pale skin. Oh Chloe, not this again! Guilt clenched her stomach in an iron fist. Silently, she set down the blanket and pillow and approached her friend, kneeling down and taking her wand out of her pocket. She bathed the skin in a lavender light, and the cuts vanished, leaving the arm unmarred. If only there was a spell to heal the soul….
As she changed into her nightclothes and climbed into bed, new tears prickled her eyes. My god, I wish you knew how much people care about you, Chloe. But as sleep stole over her again, a different face haunted her mind. One with ridiculously messy black hair and soft hazel eyes.
Author's Note: I wrote this as a threeshot, based on a bigger story some friends and I made up. I may continue it if there's any interest…. I'd appreciate it if you took the time to review… I love hearing feedback! Praise if it's worthy, criticism a must, and in the words of my friend Britt, "If you send me flames, I must thank you for heating my house."