Golden sunshine streams in through the curtains, suffusing the room with honeyed light, and…
James' chest burns as coughs rack his body, shattering the fragile silence. He's hot, so hot, it feels like an inferno is pressing against his skin.
The door to his bedroom opens and Lily shuffles in, carrying two mugs. James glimpses steam rising from the mugs in near-invisible spirals, and smiles wearily. She hands him the pink-patterned mug (he'd claimed that as his when they'd bought the colorful set), her expression gentle, and goes to the other side of the bed, carefully sliding onto the sheets so as to not jostle the mugs.
James sips from the mug. The warm tea soothes his raw throat. He glances at Lily, who isn't drinking, but watching him with the same expression as before.
"Thank you," he murmurs, taking another sip. "What would I do without you?"
A smile visibly tugs at the corner of her lips. "I don't know," she says, "but I reckon the world would be up in flames, because you and Sirius would be running around unchecked. The rest of us wouldn't stand a chance."
He swallows. "What about Remus?"
"He's just as bad as the pair of you." Lily snorts. "Especially since he started going out with Sirius. Sirius has been corrupting him."
"That's where you're wrong, Evans," James says. "See, Remus has always been just as cunning as the rest of us —" Lily lets out a laugh " — but he's more subtle about it. You remember the shampoo bottle that followed Sni — Snape around for a day, ordering him to shower? Yeah, that was his handiwork, but we took the fall."
Lily raises an eyebrow. "Wow. That was his? That prank was so juvenile, it seemed to reek of you and Sirius."
"Juvenile to you," he says, pointing at her. "But brilliant to us. It was complicated magic, and only Moony had the ability to pull it off."
"Impressive." Now she's smiling. "Okay, fine, maybe he wouldn't be the best chaperone. Which leaves just me. Bugger."
"But you're —"
"I know, I'm not innocent either," Lily says. "But at least I can reign myself in. Oh, and —" she pauses, smirking, " — it's not Evans anymore."
James shrugs, hiding his giddy smile behind his mug. "Instinct," he whispers, just before another coughing fit makes him nearly drop his tea.
"Rest, James," Lily murmurs when his coughs subside at last, lacing her fingers through his. She has that gentle expression on her face again.
James doesn't answer, settling back into his pillows with his chest burning again. He hates being sick…
...but he doesn't mind the company that much.
447 words
Race to the Top - Checkpoint 1 - James Potter I
Sammich Time - Bacon - (word) fragile
Celebrating Women - 10. Princess Sofia (Sofia the First): (dialogue) "What would I do without you?"
Potions Making - Ashwinder Egg - (word) Chance
