Inspirational Music: Bowling for Soup-Almost (I love that song!)

Chapter Dedication: Calvin, because you're my favorite manager!

After Christmas, Lily herself had found very few things that made her cheerful in the slightest. Sure, the past month or so had been entertaining enough on their own. Sirius getting nearly completely drunk off of firewhiskey on New Years was rather amusing, and Remus and Sirius taking down the tree had led to several laughs, but nothing seemed to make her truly happy anymore. Harry had adjusted too quickly for Lily's liking to the lack of James. While she couldn't blame him, for he was young and didn't understand death yet, it still hurt to see him getting along so well with James' best friends as if he had 'exchanged' his father for the two of them.

Since Christmas, many changes had been made for them all, however. Not only had the mistletoes (of which no one had gotten caught under, thankfully) and bells been put away, but the mood around the house had gotten much darker. While Sirius and Remus came over just as frequently, Remus staying almost every night except for those in which he had to leave during the change for reassurance and Sirius each weekend and visiting throughout the days to help Lily take care of Harry and the house, things couldn't have been worse for her.

She enjoyed their company dearly, and she knew that they cared for Harry and her more than anyone else could during a crisis, but she couldn't help but wonder if it was truly what they wanted. After all, not many men at their age wanted to spend all their time with their deceased best friend's wife and child while she was still in her mourning 'phase'. They should be out there on their own, trying to find their own family. In her heart, however, she knew they wouldn't. And even if it was what they wanted, they would never admit to it.

Sighing softly, she shook her head as the shrieking Sneakoscope inside Harry's room went off once more. It had been doing it for several days, and usually it was when Sirius was trying to creep up on Remus and jump onto his shoulders or shove him down the stairs. Groaning, she shook her head before looking forlornly at a box that had been peaking out of the corner of the bed. She had in the middle of her spring-cleaning, and she was afraid that her house needed it terribly.

Reaching out and bringing the box to her where she sat on the floor, she felt herself pause as the memory of the shoebox came back to her. There were several hearts around it, and she could clearly remember the night James had pasted them on with a smile upon his face.

Slowly removing the lid, she felt her eyes glisten over with tears. It had been the first note he had passed to her, way back in first year. His writing had been even more scribble than in his later years, her name on the top with a heart next to it.

"Lily,

I think your hair is realy pritty. And I'm sorry for putting the flober werm in your punkin juce. Sirius sed it would be funny.

James

P.S. Your eyes are prity, too!"

As the tears slowly slid down her eyes, she quickly wiped them away as the door opened. Shoving the letter with the big scrawls of terribly misspelled words, she looked towards Sirius and Remus as they entered, Harry this time in Sirius' arms.

"Lily, how is the cleaning doi—are you alright?" she heard Remus ask, and she managed to nod without allowing a sob to escape.

"I'm fine, really. I was just thinking."

When she noted that they weren't convinced, she shook her head before pulling the box into their view, and both of them looked at it in amazement. "Is that what I think it is?" Sirius' jaw dropped perhaps to the first floor.

Remus rolled his eyes, sticking his tongue out at his friend. "No, it is not those little pictures you made for James through Hogwarts and made him tack on his bed."

"Hey, I tell you those are going to be worth something some day!" he shot back in response before setting Harry down onto the floor and he sat on the other side of the box. As Harry scurried into his mother's arms, Sirius peeked into the box, fully amazed. "He had always kept your notes inside his drawer. Even those where you rejected him up to seventh year. He was in love with you from the moment he saw you."

Tears pricked Lily's eyes once more, and she wiped them away with one of her extremely pale hands. They still hadn't found a way to change the effects Voldemort's curse had had on her skin. Tracing a finger along the edge of the box, she had to suck in her breath before she broke down in front of the rest of them.

"I kept all of his, as well. Even when I hated him back in first year," she whispered and choked a little. "I spent most of my life hating him…a waste of my time with him."

"Don't even think about that, Lily," Remus chided her softly, kneeling in front of her. "James was a prat back then…we all know it. But the love you two shared while you were together is more than Sirius or I could have had with any woman were we to be married now. You two had an eternal love. And I'm still looking, and I may never find the right man. But you found the right man in James. Your love is eternal, even with him gone."

Sirius blinked before shaking his head, eyes on Remus. "And you're not Minister of Magic because…"

Shooting Sirius a look, Remus sighed before standing up, watching as Lily cried softly, Harry, looking up at her face curiously. "Sirius, why don't you go get her some tea while I get Harry ready for bed?" he suggested, giving his friend a hopeful look.

Nodding, not up for a protest, Sirius stood up before helping Lily up as she set her son down on the floor. "Okay," she whispered, looking wistfully at the notes before following the black-haired man downstairs and into the kitchen as Remus sighed, looking around the room. It looked just as it had before the attack…everything had been repaired perfectly.

'Only no James,' he couldn't help but think to himself, sighing. He missed his friend more than anyone could imagine. He knew the other two took it hardest, but James had been the kindest one to him throughout his years at Hogwarts. And he missed him terribly.

He was brought out of his thoughts, however, as he heard one small word come from Harry.

"Prongs."

Turning around in curiosity, Remus felt himself freeze as he saw Harry poking at one of James and Lily's wedding pictures before realizing that Lily must have dropped her wand. Hurrying forward, he took a hold of the wand before anything bad could happen. "Harry, you can't do that," he scolded softly, raising an eyebrow as Harry looked up at him and giggled.

Pocketing the wand, Remus laughed before putting the toddler in his arms and carrying him out of the room to place him in his bed. "Now be a good boy for your mother. She's having a rough night."

But the moment he set down Harry, the young boy began to cry. Frowning, he jumped as he heard a scream come from downstairs and Sirius shouting.

"Stay here, Harry, be a good boy," he stated although he couldn't get why the boy was in such a large amount of tears.

As he stepped down the stairs, he went into a run the moment he saw Lily writhing on the floor and Sirius at her side with wide eyes. "Remus, get over here!"

"What happened?" Remus demanded, now on his knees as well, looking over her in a panic.

"I don't know! She just started screaming and she fell!" Sirius said in a hurried voice as Lily suddenly lay still, unmoving. "What's going on? Remus, what's happening?"

"She's gone into a coma," Remus whispered softly, panic rushing through him. "Are you sure nothing happened?"

"No, we were just about to sit down. And why is Harry crying?" Sirius questioned in a loud, frustrated voice. Everything was happening way too fast.

"I don't know, just stop it. We have to stay here by Lily, though. We can't let a chance of anything worse happen to her," came Remus' response.

As the two of them tried to figure out what to do with their friend, neither of them noticed the figure that had risen behind them, looking around before stepping up to them in deep strides. Yet the voice, so familiar and one that had haunted several of their dreams, echoed into their ears. Never in their life had they feared it so much, and the demand left them in awe.

"Step aside."

A/N: Just for an opinion, who here thinks Sirius and Remus should find love? I will decide on my own but it's nice to have opinions...