Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. All characters belong to a woman with a great imagination and determination, capable of creating this world that is the center of so many stories.

Sins of Angels: Thanks to all reviewers! You rock! Okay, I admit I may have been getting a little cliff-hanger-happy lately, and I'm sorry. On the plus side, I do update quicker than most, which I guess is good…right? Well, anyway, I won't keep you from discovering what happens after that little battle in the last chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 35 – The Killing Curse

James opened his eyes slowly. For the past two days he'd done everything slowly. It was rather annoying.

He sat up, careful not to do it too quickly. Last time he tried that one rib that hadn't fully mended itself punctured his lung.

That was no picnic. He sighed, but not a satisfyingly as he wanted. Having your spine and ribs shattered took a lot of getting used to.

Then again, he'd be all done in a day or two.

His eyes rested on the pretty red head in the bed opposite of him. Her blank, unblinking eyes were staring out the window. She had gone under again.

Painfully, he looked to the bed next to him. Sirius was sleeping, without snoring for once, his arm carefully wrapped up.

Seems like Remus had stepped out, because Mrs. Lupin was there, holding her husband's hand. She smiled at James, who nodded back to her. Seeming satisfied, he carefully began to lower himself on his bed again.

Lily shot up, blinked, and looked out the window. Her red hair was messed up on her left, and she pointed to the falling snow. James stopped.

"What happened to the sun?" she said shakily, staring at the snow in disgust. James stopped smiling. Any day now, the Healers had said. Everything will just hit her again. Just give it time.

"It's hidden," James said quietly, which was as loud as he could at the moment.

She frowned. James resisted the urge to smile at her. Last time he did that, she had yelled at him questions repeatedly. He didn't want an argument this early.

"What'd they go and hide it for?" she scolded the clouds. "Bloody bastards!" she exclaimed and went back down in her bed, staring out the window. James resumed his slow descent. "This white stuff it very weird indeed. Is this what people call snow?"

"Yes, dear," Mrs. Lupin answered, looking at Lily kindly.

"Bloody waste of damn good rain if you ask me. We don't need any more ice, thank you!"

James smiled slightly, making sure she can't see him. The sole good thing about all of this was that Lily had become rather more…outspoken. As a result, increasingly amusing. Sirius usually laughed at her to no end until she rounded on him, at which point he went to sleep hurriedly.

"Look how it just takes its time floating down. Hmp! The nerve!"

James smiled again, making sure she couldn't see him. Soon they'd all be out of here, and Lily would be back to her old self.

Possibly. What had the Healer said now?

"Oh, yes, Mr. Potter, in all probability, she should be fine in a day or two. Er, that is, we think. Don't look at me like that, young man! We've never had this happen. It's a blessing she didn't have the proper power to kill anyone, she would have died. Now you listen, she might be a bit odd for a while. Her head was jumbled up and all, but it'll reset with time. Not every day you get to laugh at death, eh?"

James just stared. As far as he remembered as he lay after Greyback shattered his spine, his breaths slowing, laughing was the last thing on his mind.

She'll be fine in time, he said. Well, the only thing left to do is trust him and try not to aggravate her too much.

The second day after they had been brought in, the nurse helped him up as she fluffed his pillows. Looking at Lily, sleeping peacefully, brought a shy smile to his lips.

She had been prepared to kill, all because Greyback was hitting him, James. She had risked everything and used a curse so horrible it was outlawed, all because she feared for him!

It did, briefly, occur to him at, at the same time, Sirius and herself were in danger as well. He pushed that thought aside, savoring the first one.

She loved him. There was no doubt about it.

And he loved her. There wasn't even the smallest hint of doubt there.

She looked out the window again, a faraway look on her face. Soon she stopped blinking, but started to twitch slightly. Mrs. Lupin went out of the room and a Healer came back in, taking her hand and checking her pulse on it. He ran his wand over her again, nodded, and smiled at James.

"Mr. Potter, all evidence suggests that Miss Evans will be having her last spell right now. It's extremely probable that she will wake up her old self, and might have forgotten what has happened. I must insist that you break it to her gently, out of fear from setting her into another shock. You will do that, won't you?"

James sat up as quickly as he could, and nodded. As he watched, Lily stopped her mild twitching. Her eyes suddenly closed tight, and she began to mutter under her breath furiously. The Healer beamed.

"Ah, dreams! Won't be long now."

James nodded slightly and smiled. She was coming back to him.

The smiled vanished on the Healer's face as he realized Lily wasn't stopping her muttering. Instead, it was getting louder. She began to thrash around in her bed. He ran out for help as she began to scream. James looked on, his eyes wide, pleading, holding on to the little hope he had left by less than a thread.

"James!" she screamed, her hand hitting her bedside table and knocking off the vase of flowers. It shattered, spraying water everywhere. "James! Get back, you idiot!" she yelled again, as the Healers rushed in and came around her bed. They carefully restrained her wrists and ankles to the bed as she tried to flail around. "He's a monster!" she yelled, her voice braking. "Look what…look what he did to Sirius!" she said again, this time softer and sobbing. Tears ran down her cheeks as she stopped struggling. Suddenly she shot up, her eyes open wide, looked at the bed with James and gasped.

"You've died!" she said, pointing at him as the Healers released her and ran their wands over her again, frowning. "I died, and you must have died too! Oh, James, I tried! I tried to get him! To make him stop hitting you, I tried, James! I tried as hard as I could…I tried the killing curse, James. I did that curse. I panicked. And now you're dead too!"

She sprang up and before anyone could stop her, she threw her arms around James, and forced him back on his bed. James winced as his back hit the sheets, but didn't feel anything break. Carefully he embraced her, digging his face in her hair as he held her for the first time in almost a week.

"I didn't want you to die, James. I didn't want you to die at all! You…he should have died. It was meant for him. It was meant for him to take…not deflect…" she sobbed into his pillow, holding on to him.

"Lily," James said quietly, smiling. "You're awfully solid for a ghost…I think we're alive."

Lily pushed herself up from the bed and looked around at the astounded Healers, who still hadn't moved, Mr. Lupin and his wife, smiling, and a confused and newly awake Sirius. She then looked down at James and grinned.

"Alive?" she said quietly. James smiled and nodded.

She fell on him, only this time she met his lips with hers, forcing him into a deep kiss. He felt fireworks in his head explode as he felt her against him, knowing it wasn't a dream, it was real.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. How true that is…