Chapter 6:

Lily and Remus spent a long quite a while at breakfast, catching up with old teachers (now colleagues), and having several wildly entertaining conversation with Professor Dumbledore.
Lily looked at her watch and realized that they only had 15 minutes to change and get ready before their first meeting, so they excused themselves from the table and hurried out back into the main entrance hall.
As Lily and Remus flew down their hallway, Lily collided with something very large and very much alive. She soon found herself on the ground, the wind completely knocked from her lungs for a second before she felt the person she had run into being helped up by Remus.
Lily's head was spinning as she gulped air in, filling her lungs; her eyes were stinging, a single tear was running down her pale cheek.
"I am so sorry," she heard a familiar American accent say. Lily blinked several times and shook her head a little before her eyes began to focus again. As they did, she saw two figures emerge, hovering over her.
Remus leaned down and checked her forehead and her pupils and asked her if she was ok. Lily nodded with a little effort, and he helped her to sit up.
She looked up at the other man, who had a worried expression on his face.
He extended his hand to help her up. "Lily, oh, I'm so very sorry. I didn't even see you and Remus coming. Are you alright?" he asked, his hand still extended. Lily finally took it and felt his warm skin touch her cold, slightly clammy palm as he slowly and carefully got her standing. She held her head as the hall spun in front of her and then began to get her bearings again.
Finally, she turned to the man. "I-I'm fine, Professor Cam- I mean, Jason...yes, I'm fine now, just a bit of a shock...thank-you," Remus and Jason were carefully leading Lily down the hallway. Remus gave the password and they stopped outside her door.
"I think she needs to lie down...she can't sit through a meeting like this," Remus said, worry still surging through his eyes.
"You go, I'll stay here with her, make sure she gets some rest," Jason told him, opening lily's door and bringing her through, sitting her down on the bed.
"Are you sure, I can stay..."
"No, go...you're new and I've been to enough of these meetings in the last two years to get the gist, I'll take care of Miss Evans - Lily," he said catching himself.
Lily suddenly fell back onto the bed and closed her eyes.
"I'm fine..just resting," she said when she heard the two men rushing to her, her eyes still closed.
"Go, you're going to be late. I'll see Minerva later," Jason said.
"Ok. Lily, I'll be back as quick as I can and then I'll send James an owl," Remus said, kissing her on the forehead before telling her to feel better and hurrying from the room.
After a minute, Lily opened her eyes. Jason was sitting next to her on the bed, watching her.
"Thank you, Jason," she whispered.
"Call me Jay," he replied, and she smiled.

When Lily woke up, a stream of light from the setting sun was cutting a stripe across her face, making her wince as her eyelids fluttered open. She didn't move as soon as she woke up, taking a minute to remember where she was and what had happened. She could feel warmth all around her; someone must have tucked her in under her duvet cover. She smiled happily at the comfortable feeling of heat against her skin and closed her eyes again for a few seconds. When she opened them, Lily stared out of the window for a few minutes, drinking in the view of the setting sun out her window and glancing at the ceiling she saw the shadows it was beginning to play around the room. She sighed and licked her lips, realizing how thirsty she was for a drink. Then she felt movement behind her.

Turning over, Lily wasn't sure that her eyes were focusing right yet. She saw the outline of a man's body lying on the top of the covers next to her. His hair was stuck up against the pillow and he was sleeping, his mouth just slightly open as he snored lightly. Lily smiled as she immediately thought of James - or wait, was it Jason? Her forehead wrinkled as she wondered who this man lying next to her was, and why - if it was Jason and not James - she had smiled upon seeing him. Finally, she took in a deep breath and shook the man's shoulder lightly.
"James? Umm..Jason? Wake up..." she said, quietly and then louder when he did not wake. The mystery man opened his eyes and smiled as he sat up. Lily cursed herself inside as she realized that it was neither James nor Jason but-
"Remus, oh thank God," she said quietly, and he grinned at her.
She put a hand to her face as she felt her cheeks begin to go ablaze with crimson embarrassment.
"Morning, or well, evening, I guess," Remus said, looking out the window. He ran a hand down his face and rubbed his eyes. When he looked back up at Lily her whole face was flushed a deep red.
"Lils..you ok? You look flushed - you're not feeling sick, are you?" Remus sat up straighter and lifted a hand to her forehead.
"No, I'm- I'm fine...just a little, well, nevermind...How long did I sleep for?" she asked, suddenly changing the subject.
"Ohh, six, seven hours, I guess. You had a nice run," he laughed and she smiled, her hand still on her cheek.
"Are you sure you're ok?" he asked again; she nodded and smiled at him. "Well, do you want anything?
"Yeah, actually, can I just have a cup of water with some ice?" she replied.
"Coming right up, Madame!" Remus said, jumping off of the bed and bowing to her. Lily giggled as he walked from the room, still in the clothes he had been in that morning.
"Hey, Remus?" she called suddenly, stopping him before he shut the door. He poked his head back in.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"How did you end up…you know.." she pointed at the spot where he had been lying just seconds earlier. His indent in the comforter was still painfully clear.
"Oh," he said, chuckling a little. "Well, I came back as soon as the meeting ended and you were already out cold. I let Jason go back to his room and stayed with you, but you just kept sleeping and I guess I conked out too," he replied, shrugging his shoulders slightly.
Lily grinned. "Sorry," she said.
"No, I like a good nap as much as the next guy," Remus replied. "I'll go get that water for you." He nodded at her and pulled his head back and vanished behind the door.

Lily fell back down onto the mattress, her head cushioned by the pillow. She closed her eyes, but as soon as she did, she heard a tapping at the window.
Getting up, she let James's owl in and gave it a pat on the head before it flew back out into the night.
Lily unfolded the slightly crumpled parchment.

Dear Lily,

Just heard the news from Remus,
Leaving immediately...should be there by 6!

Love,
James xoxo

Lily glanced at the clock next to her bed.
"5.30...half an hour to sleep.." she mumbled, putting the letter down on her dresser and climbing back into bed.
"I love you, James," she whispered as her eyes closed, but somehow, she still saw Jason's face as she drifted back to sleep.

Lily was fast asleep again by the time Remus returned with her water. He smiled and placed the cup on her nightstand, pulled the covers up around Lily's chin and kissed her on the forehead. Then he sat down in the chair next to the bed and read a book as he waited for James to arrive.

"Lily..." James shook Lily's shoulders a little harder in an effort to get her awake. "Lilyyyy!" he tried again. Finally, she opened her eyes. She looked around for a moment, remembering where she was, and then James (and Remus at the end of the bed) came into focus and she grinned.
"Mhmmm, hi," she said, rubbing her eyes and sitting up slightly.
James smiled back. "Well good morning, sleepy-head," he said.
Lily looked out the window and saw that the sun was just beginning to set. "What time is it?" she asked.
"Just past 6...you've been out cold for like an hour," James replied.
Remus' voice drifted over to them. "Yeah, you totally sleep like a dead person, Lils..." he was smiling though, and looked glad to see she was awake and James was there.
James threw him a fake contemptuous glance. "Nah, she's my sleeping beauty," he said, turning back to Lily and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She beamed out at him; James leaned forward and they kissed. Lily felt like it'd been ages since they'd done this, even though it had hardly been 2 days since she arrived at Hogwarts.
They heard Remus making gagging noises from his chair and pulled apart.
"Oh, I'm sorry, was I disturbing you?" he asked, smiling evilly.
Lily and James looked back at each other and then they both yelled, " Get out Remus!"
"Ok, I get the hint," he replied, picking up his book and walking to the door. "If you guys don't want me here, I'll just go...all by myself...with no one to talk to…alone.." he gave them the puppy-dog eyes and James shook his head.
"Good-night, Remus."
Remus winked at James and waved to Lily. "Good-night, guys. Feel better, Lils," he added as he disappeared out into the common room.
"He's crazy," Lily said, falling back onto her pillow.

"That's quite a bruise you've got there, Lily," James remarked, putting his fingers to her temple.
"Really!" Lily squealed.
"Nah, it's not too bad...Remus did a good job with it. Should be better in no time."
"Good," Lily lay back down on the bed and closed her eyes.
"Lillly..." She could hear James whispering above her, but she remained where she was, eyes closed. "Lillllllllyyy.." he whispered again and she couldn't help but smile. Eyes still closed, Lily opened her mouth. "What James?" she asked.
"Lillly," he provoked and she cracked an eye open to see him staring down at her.
"Yes, James?"
"How are you feeling?" he asked, as innocently as possible.
"Fine," she replied, but smiling slightly as she felt his hand reach under the cover and send shivers up and down her spine.
"Fine enough to...?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"James, I'm always fine enough to..." she giggled.
"Good," he said, and then he leaned over and kissed her gently; Lily felt the side table for her wand and a second later, the lock clicked on the door.