A/N: I won't be turning out chapters as frequently, but school was cancelled even for us teachers (snow day) today, which gave me extra time.
Chapter Three:
Lily took a swig of the bottle and set it down. Upon sight of James, she turned away and stumbled out of the dorm. He started to go after her, but Lisa stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. She narrowed her eyes with a deep frown. He stepped back.
"Don't worry, James, she'll get over it." Sirius put his arm over James's shoulder, "It's a full moon tomorrow anyway, we have plans."
The air stung Lily's face as she stepped into the courtyard. She stumbled and fell, catching herself with her hands. As she stood up, dusting her robes, she heard laughing. When she glanced up, she saw Avery enter the courtyard. With a deep sigh, she started to walk to the opposite side of the courtyard and watched him from the corner of her eye. Two other boys in her year appeared behind him along with Severus. She glanced down at her feet while she walked, and her vision grew blurry. She nearly tripped over her feet but caught herself before she hit the ground.
"Look, guys. It's the ginger mudblood!" A sandy-haired boy shouted. The others laughed with him except Severus.
She continued walking, the nearby bench becoming two in her vision. Lily lost her footing and fell forward. Her head jarred as her chin slammed against the corner of the stone bench. There was a sharp, piercing pain that radiated up to her head. In the background, she heard the boys laugh. It was like an echo in her ears. She pushed herself away from the bench, but the courtyard seemed to slightly spin in her vision. Lily tried to get up to her feet, but dizziness overwhelmed her. She covered her ringing ears as a wave of nausea hit her. Her head pounded and she closed her eyes hoping to stop the overwhelming dizziness and double vision.
The group was at the front entrance from the courtyard, but Severus stopped. Avery gave him a side-eye, "What's wrong?"
"You all go ahead. I need to go back and get something."
Avery shrugged and the group went on inside without him. He walked over to Lily. Severus figured she didn't want to see him, but she looked like she was hurt.
"Lily?" A familiar voice pierced through her covered ears. She opened her eyes but couldn't move without much nausea. "Lily, are you okay?" Lily wasn't thrilled he was here. She tried to stand up again and managed to stumble to her feet.
Lily took a step forward and her vision grew dark before she collapsed.
Severus caught her before she hid the ground with a light gasp in surprise. "Lily? Lily?" He put his hand to her mouth and felt her breath with a sigh of relief. He gently shook her, "Lily? Wake up! Lily!" She lay limp in his arms. "Dammit!" Her chin was covered in blood and he could see a deep gash in the center. He looked around, but the group was gone and no one else was around them. He carefully lifted her. "You're heavier than you look," he whispered to himself. With a brisk pace, he hurried to the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey was fluffing a pillow when he burst in. She turned with a start.
"She hit her head." She and another nurse ran to him and took Lily from him. "She slipped outside, hit her head on a stone bench. Then passed out."
More nurses rushed in and got Lily on a bed. He just stood there for a moment as they hooked up an IV and used their wands over her. After a couple minutes, they spoke in hushed whispers. He heard the word concussion and realized he was just standing there like a useless lump.
"I don't know when she'll wake up, young lad," one nurse said.
Severus shrugged, "That's okay. I'll come back. I just saw her fall, wanted to get her help."
"Well, thanks. I'm sure she'll appreciate it."
Severus gave a little grin but knew she probably would not really appreciate it considering she was not speaking with him anymore "Well, um-I'll come back just to see how she's doing and all." He stepped back and slowly walked out of the infirmary.
Lily's eyes fluttered open, blurry. She made out a couple figures in front of her as her vision tried to focus.
"She's awake," a voice spoke. "Are you feeling okay?"
As her eyes focused on the room, she realized she was in the infirmary. "What-what happened?" The last thing she remembered was drinking in the common room with her friends.
"You don't remember?"
"I remember being in the dorms and then I left," she recalled angrily leaving the dorms now, "and-and I don't-I don't know after that." She tried to sit up, but her head still ached. "Ooh," she moaned as she laid back down.
"You fell and hurt your head."
She squinted as she rubbed her temple, "I did?"
"You passed out and your friend brought you here."
Lily shook her head, "I don't remember. Which friend?"
The nurse shrugged, "I don't know, some lad with black hair."
Lily put her fingers to her chin and it stung. She hissed and looked at her fingers, "Ah,"
"Don't touch your chin, should heal in a couple days. Gave you some potion for the pain, we stitched it up, can't tell, but it'll hurt if you touch it."
"What happened to it?"
"You fell and hit it. Cut it quite deeply I may say. The scar will probably stay. Caused your concussion."
Lily's eyes got wide, "I had a concussion?"
"Yes, but no damage. No bleeding in the brain. Just need to rest and you'll be okay. " She handed Lily a mug with a straw. "Take some sips. See if you keep it down."
"I don't feel that sick."
"You threw up a couple times while passed out from the concussion."
"I did?" She took a sip of the ginger ale.
"Just drink it slowly. I'll give you some saltines later."
"When can I leave?"
"Maybe later today, we will see."
As Lily took another sip, the door opened. She saw Niamh and Lisa enter.
"Oh my god, you're finally awake. We heard what happened. Are you okay?" Lisa asked almost in one breath as they rushed to her side.
"Yeah. I mean, my head still hurts a bit, but I feel okay."
"They said you fell and hit your head really hard. We were worried about you. You woke up, but they had a hard time keeping you awake."
"I don't remember much honestly. Everything is really fuzzy after I left the dorms. Was it you all who brought me here?"
Niamh and Lisa looked at each other and Lisa spoke, "No."
"The nurse said they had black hair. Was it Potter?"
Niamh shook her head, "Couldn't have been. I saw him go back to the boys dorm after you left."
"Excuse me, who did you say brought me here?" Lily asked.
"I don't remember his name, dear."
"What did they look like?"
She sighed, "Um, tall, black hair, probably about your alls ages."
"Was it Sirius?"
"No," Madam Pomfrey responded. "It was Severus Snape who brought you here."
Lily shook her head and blinked half choking on her sip of ginger ale, "Severus?"
"The Snape kid?" Lisa scrunched up her nose, "Really? Why? After last year, I'm surprised he bothered to do anything to help someone he considered dirty."
Lily said nothing, just blinked. The nurses took their equipment away soon after.
"Why?" she eventually blurted once the nurses left. "Why would he help me?"
"I don't know. I mean I don't think he hates you considering he kept trying to apologize to you." Niamh said.
"No, he doesn't hate me. I'm just-surprised, considering everything."
Lisa scoffed, "Well, he did his nice deed then. Still doesn't take anything he's done back."
Lily sighed.
"Lily, forget him. He can't take it back."
"No, but I still need to thank him."
"No, you don't. After what he said and what his friends do-"
"It's the right thing to do and you know it." Lily interjected.
"Lily's right, Lisa. She should thank him. Who knows what could have happened if he hadn't brought her here. She doesn't have to forget or even forgive him. But she still needs to thank him."
"I wouldn't. He made up for it by helping, the end. You don't need to be friends with him again."
"Who said we would be friends again? He's chosen his path. I've chosen mine. Doesn't mean I can't thank him for his help. I'm going to thank him once I leave the infirmary. I would be rude if I didn't. It's the least I can do." Lily glared at Lisa, daring her to challenge her again.
Lisa just sighed, "Fine, but I still think it's a bad idea."