Seriously people... what's with the lack of reviews? Does this story just suck or something? I honestly want people's opinions! I don't want to continue a story if I feel it's pointless.

Though I must thank the people who did review. Much love to you all! -hugs-

Chapter 7

Over the next week, James was beginning to become more and more like Sirius. Closed. Easy to agitate. He even snapped a few times at Lily for no reason one night well they were doing homework.

This was one of those times.

Lily slammed her book forcefully closed, sending some of the spare parchment drifting across the table and onto the floor at James' side. He was looking at her in surprise as she stood, the book under her arm, a fierce look on her face as she looked down at him.

"I'm not going to sit here with you unless you calm down." Her voice was quiet, as there were a few younger students studying in the corner. The book slamming already had gotten their attention. She didn't need any yelling to add to their gossip.

His surprised look turned to anger in a minute, reminding her much of the times when they didn't get along. "I am calm."

"No you're not!"

One of the students in the corner turned to their friend and started to whisper.

She sighed and continued, her voice quiet. "Just... relax a little James. You've been tense all week."

"I wonder why." His voice was wry, reminding her forcibly of Sirius' brand of sarcasm.

"I don't need to take this." She turned away, and began towards her dormitory well James called after her.

"Fine! I don't think I need to take your know it all attitude right now anyway!"

Just as her foot landed on the first step, and she let out a snort of annoyance, she heard someone enter through the portrait hole, than Professor McGonagall's voice rang through the now quiet common room. Lily turned to regard her.

"Mr. Potter... The headmaster wishes to speak to you."

In James' anger, he must not have noticed the sad look on her face, or the quiet tone to her usually snappish voice. She felt a sudden dread as the portrait swung shut behind them and they disappeared from sight.

Before she realized what she was doing, she'd dropped her book on the stairwell and ran towards the boys dorms.

She must have startled Remus and Sirius terribly, because when the door slammed against the stone wall as she pushed it open, Remus jumped and Sirius dropped the glass he was holding. The glass shattered against the floor, and the water it contained began to soak into the throw rug. At least... she thought it was water.

"Bloody hell, Evans! What do you think you're-"

"McGonagall just took James with her to see Dumbledore." She cut him off, the tumbling out of her mouth. She felt frantic.

Sirius didn't seem to see any significance in this, but Remus suddenly looked a bit more paler than usual. He stood from where he'd been sitting on one of the beds and moved over towards her.

She didn't realise she'd been shaking until Remus lightly touched her shoulder. "What did she say?"

Lily shook her head, trying to collect her thoughts together. First the fight with the Slytherins... and the threats. The letter James sent home...

"Did James ever get a reply back from his parents?" She asked, placing a hand to her head. It was starting to pound right behind her right eye.

Sirius shook his head. "No." He looked uncertain now. Just as nervous and edgy as the other two. "He said that they must be on a mission for the ministry."

They all fell silent.

It was Remus to break the sudden tension in the room. "We'll... wait and see what happens." She watched as he fought to swallow a moment before turning away from her moving back to his bed. She'd come to realize later that this was the werewolves way of dealing with things he had no control over.

Sirius on the other hand...

"I'm going to look for him." He moved hastily towards the door, but Lily, not quite knowing she had moved herself, stepped in his way.

Remus had turned back around and was watching Sirius.

"He's with McGonagall. So unless you plan on stomping into her office or the headmasters..." She trailed off at the angry look on Sirius' face.

"That's exactly what I'm planning to do actually." He brushed past her as she searched for a way to stop him, biting her bottom lip in thought and anxiety.

Remus was faster at thinking under pressure.

"Impedimenta."

The tall boy froze with his hand on the doorknob as Remus slipped off from the bed and moved over to them both, sighing to show his regret for using the spell. "If your going to be difficult Padfoot, I can too." He stepped up beside Sirius and frowned up at him. Sirius had his eyes narrowed, but he seemed unable to speak. "We'll wait." His voice held such finality that Lily didn't even want to leave the room until James got back.

She took a seat on the end of James' bed, brushing aside a T-shirt of his as she did so, watching with worry as Remus unfroze Sirius. Instead of back lashing like she thought he would, he quietly moved over towards his own bed, falling into it before pulling the curtains closed.

Remus smiled apologetically towards Lily, though she saw it wasn't like his usual quiet smiles.

"Can I stay here and wait?"

He nodded and moved over towards his bed, sitting at the end like Lily was doing with his head almost between his knees.

She knew he was listening for the sound of James' footsteps on the dormitory stairs.

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Hours passed and still James didn't appear. This only increased everyone's grief. The longer it took, the more they began to believe that something bad actually did happen.

Remus had dosed off after a while of waiting, and was laying on top his comforter on his side, curled up slightly. She had no idea what Sirius was doing, as he hadn't spoken to them since Remus cursed him. He was still behind his bed curtains, but she had a feeling he was waiting up just like her. Peter had appeared a little while ago, but left immediately after seeing her sitting on the bed, stuttering a quick excuse that sounded like it had to do with studying.

Lily was getting tired to staring up at a canvas over top James' bed, but wasn't even considering returning to her own room. She knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything properly until James returned. Her homework wasn't important anymore. Her whole school life no longer seemed to matter. All that mattered was James' return, and hopefully they had misunderstood.

Nothing had happened to Mr. and Mrs. Potter.

It was just their imagination.

If Lily's parents were fine... why couldn't James' be? Trained Aurors. They had magic to defend themselves.

Surely...

But she knew instantly that wasn't the case when James returned at 12'o clock, long past all the other students had gone to bed. Lily felt that her and the Marauders were the only one left in the school now. All else seemed surreal. James face seemed surreal when he entered the common room.

Never had she seen his face so blank before.

Like she suspected, Sirius had been waiting up just like herself, so when she moved to get up from his bed the hangings around Sirius' bed were thrown open and Remus jerked awake.

James didn't seem to like so much attention on him at the moment however, as he avoiding their gazes and went straight for his trunk.

Remus ventured first, as no one else seemed able to, too thrown off by the look on James' now pale face.

"James what..." He stopped his question halfway through when he saw what James was doing.

Packing his trunk.

"What are you doing?" He got off his bed and padded towards his friend. Sirius and Lily didn't turn away from James.

"Packing."

His voice was so monotone. So dead that Lily felt tears come to her eyes and she blinked them back. She didn't need James to see her in such distress when he so obviously already was.

"For... for what?" Remus' voice had become quieter, and Lily wasn't sure if he was trying to be soothing, or was just afraid to ask the question.

James slammed the lid to his trunk down so forcefully that Lily jumped and Sirius moved from his bed towards his best mate who was currently glaring at the wall.

"James?" Sirius' voice was cautious in a way that Lily hadn't heard before, and she felt suddenly like she was intruding on something personal. A bonding between friends. A share of grief and sorrow that could not possibly include her. But when she began to edge towards the door Remus shot her a look that clearly told her to stay put.

"Why are you packing?" Remus ventured into unknown territory once again. After all, he was the one that always kept the boys in check. It was his duty as their friend. Remus, the level headed one... and if someone was hurting...

"Shut it, Remus! Get off my back!" He spun on the brunette, pinning him with a glare to top all others.

Remus seemed to be expecting an outburst like that, but at his calm reaction to James' words, James turned and kicked his trunk roughly in frustration, causing it to scratch across the stone floor and 'thunk' loudly into his bed frame causing the bed to rattle.

Sirius jumped in, and Lily knew right away he would be able to settle the black haired youth down. She'd seen Sirius do it before, and visa-versa for James. They kept each other in check when Remus wasn't able to.

But Lily was still frightened.

"Prongs! We can't help you if you don't tell us what's wrong!"

"Everything is!"

The room fell completely silent, and they could hear students in the rooms below and all around speaking, obviously awaken by James' yelling.

Didn't they know someone's world was ending? Couldn't they just... shut off for a moment?

Lily couldn't stop the flow of tears.

"And there's-" He cut himself off, his voice breaking as tears threatened to wash over himself. He swallowed and turned to look at his beaten trunk. He tried again. "There's nothing you can do to help."

Silence once more.

Remus took a seat at the end of his bed, dread washing over his face at the sight of his good friend breaking down before them. Sirius looked like he didn't know what to do.

...And Lily broke into sobs over in the corner, placing a trembling hand to her mouth as the full impact of everything caught up with her. She felt sick.

James...

At her sudden sob, James swung around, and... as if just noticing her there for the first time, his eyes took on a pained expression. The blank look disappeared. His anger melted away.

"Lily..." His voice was a trembling whisper and in a moment she found herself wrapped in his arms, her back against the wall. The cold stone seemed to be supporting them both as James buried his head into her neck. She could feel his hot tears now, mixing with her own, sliding down her neck, his breath rushing out in small gasps and sighs. His arms wound their way around her back, pinning her to him.

Sirius and Remus were silent, they now feeling the ones out of place in their world. A place no one could touch that was quickly crumbling.

"They're gone." His voice was a weak sob, but it filled the room. Every crack and crevasse. She could hear the other boys shifting at the words sunk in. She could feel the grief soak the room and effect them all. Drown them.

Sirius asked the question they were all wondering. That one word that would break James completely.

"How?"

James' grip on Lily tightened, his head going further into the comfort of her shoulder. His face pressed to her neck as he let his warmth comfort him. She brought a trembling hand to his shoulder, then brushed them through his mess of hair. He gasped at the touch and she felt the tears come afresh.

He didn't need to answer. They knew.

Somewhere between being silently watched over. Between the gentle strokes of fingers through his hair and words of comfort from his friends and love, James fell into a deep sleep that lasted way into the next day.

Nobody wanted to wake him. His sleep was too peaceful. He looked untouched laying there on his bed, his trunk half packed at his feet.

Nobody had the heart to wake him from his dreams, knowing he'd be living a nightmare when he finally awoke.