Chapter 8

Giving In To Him

The rest of the night I had been lying on my bed, staring at the white ceiling and thinking of how I was going to do this. It was morning now, so I dragged myself out of bed and to the bathroom. I quickly splashed my face with icy cold water, and got dressed.

A few minutes later I was sitting in the Common Room, waiting for the others to come down. Finally, Shae lead Bethany and Kristina down the stairs and I ran over to them.

"Listen, guys, I'm so sorry about last night. I was being too hard on you, when there was nothing to get mad about." I stared at their shocked faces for a moment; willing them to answer.

"Its okay, Lily. Wow, you've never apologized after only one night!" Shae laughed.

"Lily, sometimes you're so stubborn. I swear, if you ever have kids, they'll get your stubbornness; it never seems to diminish," Bethany said. She laughed a little, then pulled me into a hug. I laughed along with her, since she was completely true.

"Oh, I got all caught up with everything yesterday, so I forgot to tell you…" I paused for a moment, and watched their anticipation build up.

"What?!" Kristina asked, biting her lower lip and raising her eyebrows.

"I have to teach all the Charms classes for the next week!" I shrieked excitedly.

"Why?!" Bethany asked, jumping up and down with the rest of us.

"Well, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick have to do something for Professor Dumbledore, so she asked us to teach their classes!"

"Who's… 'us?'

"Oh, James is teaching Transfiguration." They all squealed as I laughed at their reaction.

"We get to have a Transfiguration class with one of the most gorgeous guys in school, then a Charms class with our best friend?!" Kristina bellowed. I laughed a little as she said, "This week is going to be heaven."

"You shouldn't be saying anything! You're dating Scott Hyden who isn't too bad himself," Shae began. We all looked at her like she was nuts.

"SHAE! You're dating Sirius!" Kristina exclaimed. We all laughed at her as we began to make our way to breakfast.

Luckily, I didn't have a first class, so I was obliged to sit through Transfiguration with James. I took a seat in the back row as he began the lesson.

"Okay, as you all know, I will be schooling you on Transfiguration this week, while Evans is taking the Charms classes," he said, his eyes reaching every persons' but my own, since he skipped over me coldly.

"Today, we will be switching the species of animals. Now, just flick your wand like this," he said, demonstrating carefully. "And the incantation is 'Spiamente.' Now, come to the front and quickly select your animal, so we may begin." He waved his hand at many large cages that stood at the front of the room, with various animals standing inside.

I quietly walked to the front of the room and selected a beautiful white cockatoo, since it was my favorite animal, right after stags. I then returned to my seat next to Shaylene and sat down.

After three tries, I successfully turned my cockatoo into a wonderful light brown stag. I beamed at my work, especially when I noticed I was the only one besides James who had done so. Seconds later, Sirius began to howl with laughter.

I glanced over at him and glared when I noticed he was staring in my direction. James was sitting right next to him, becoming bored while watching the rest of the class try to perform the spell.

"Pr… Prongs," Sirius managed to gasp in between laughter. "Evans… Evans has a thing for stags, did you notice?" He laughed loudly. I looked at him confusedly then at James. His smile grew larger and he chuckled a bit.

"Not all stags," I heard him mumble right before he called out to the class. "Okay, time's up. Nice trying, everyone. We'll do this again on Friday, hopefully at least one person will get it."

"Lily got it," Shae said aloud.

"Well, good for her," he replied coldly. I furrowed my eyebrows and walked over to him as the classroom emptied. Soon, only James, Sirius, and I were left.

"Um, Sirius… can I have a word with James?" I asked shyly.

"Sure," he replied and kept smiling at me.

"No, I mean can I speak to James alone?" I asked annoyed.

"Sure," he replied once again, without moving.

"No, Sirius. I mean, can I speak to James alone, now?"

"Listen, Lily, this isn't the best time, plus, you're going to be late for your next class." I sighed heavily and walked from the room.

The lessons passed by slowly and soon, I was sitting in the Common Room with a book in my lap, and my eyes slowly closing from drowsiness. I glanced up as I saw James walk in, followed by Sirius. They began to make their way up to their dorm, coming from Quidditch practice.

I jumped up from the couch, my tired eyes washed away, and raced over to him. I was about to dash up the stairs, when Sirius held me back.

"Lily, I don't think you should do that," he said, pulling me back to the Common Room.

"Sirius, I need to. I have to talk to him," I said desperately, trying to fight my way through his strong grip.

"Lily, he's still moping from what happened Sunday, so being his best friend, I don't want you to make it any worse." I stopped struggling and looked up at him.

"Listen, I'm trying to talk to James, and if you don't let me, I will hex you into next week. So, I suggest you get out of my way." He looked taken back for a moment, and loosened his grip on my arm, so I took the chance and pushed past him.

"Tarantallegra!" I screamed, as I pointed my wand at Sirius' legs. They immediately broke out into a tap dancing frenzy; I was well known for my long lasting tapping spells. I raced up the staircase to the seventh year dormitory and knocked.

"Come in," I heard James call from the other side. I opened the door and was glad to see that Peter and Remus were gone. James sighed as he saw me come in.

"Listen James, we should talk about what happened. I'm really sorry for not showing up last night. I really needed to sort some things out." James glanced up at me.

"Lily," he sighed. "All I wanted to say was that I'm not sorry for what happened after the Ball. I meant it, Lily. That one kiss was magical, well for me at least. I don't think I'll ever be able to see you the same way, or kiss any other girl. Lily, I know that we were meant for each other." I started to melt into his hazel eyes that I could tell were on the verge of tearing. I had never seen James cry, and I didn't want to now.

"James," I said, stepping forward closer to him, so we were only inches apart. "I felt it too. That's why I came to talk to you. I noticed that I had always felt something for you, and I always will." I pulled even closer and kissed him gently.

The door burst open, and I reluctantly pulled away from his silky lips, to turn and see who it was. Sirius was standing in the doorway, with Remus right behind him.

"Padfoot, get out," James said forcefully.

"She was about to kill you, and now you're telling me to leave?!" Sirius exclaimed, completely dumbfounded. "You should have seen the murderous look she gave me!"

I laughed a little. "Exactly, Sirius. I gave you the murderous look, since you wouldn't let me see James."

"Pad, Moony, just leave for a minute. We were in the middle of something," James said, smiling down at me. I felt my cheeks get hot, and I smiled weakly. Sirius gave us a quizzical look, then stepped back when Remus had shut the door.

"Now, where were we?" James asked playfully. His arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me closer. I slung my arms around the nape of his neck and kissed him softly. He kissed me back, and after what seemed like an eternity, yet was only seconds, we pulled away. "Lily, will you be my girlfriend?" he asked shyly.

My smile grew and I blushed once more. "Of course." I kissed his cheek and walked from the room, giving Sirius and Remus a small wave before exiting down the staircase to my own room.

The next morning I sat at breakfast with James on one side of me, and Shae on the other. A smile was delicately placed on my lips; the first in a long time. I rested my head on James' shoulder and sighed, ignoring the looks from the others until Sirius loudly cleared his throat.

"Um… you guys are…?" he half asked, still shoving food in his face.

"Yeah… Lily and I are finally a pair," James answered. I smiled wider at the sound of this, just as we were about to leave for class. Luckily, I had seventh years first and James had no class.

We stood together and James and I walked hand in hand to the Charms room. He kissed my forehead as he took a seat in the back row and I continued to the desk.

I dropped my bag onto the table, then turned to the class of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. "Okay, class," I beamed as they went silent. "Today, we'll be working on freezing charms. Pick an animate object and turn it to a block of ice, by saying, 'Frios.'" I demonstrated quickly then motioned for everyone to follow my example.

Everything was wonderful. I had taught Charms classes for a whole week, which I had been considering as a job, after I graduate, and I had the man of my dreams… literally. Everything was perfect for me. Well, that was until a Sunday night, two weeks later, and at the end of November.

It was already snowing outside, so the eight of us were sitting close to the fire. Bethany and Remus were quietly debating about some homework, while Sirius and Shae were having a competitive game of wizard's chess. Peter and Kristina were watching excitedly and I was sitting on James' lap; both watching the hysterical game. James' arms were wrapped tightly around my waist, so I could feel every breath he took.

I smiled down at Shae who was sitting on the floor with an evil grin on her face. She had never lost a game and I didn't expect that to end anytime soon. She was about to win the game, when I began to feel cold.

I wrapped James' arms tighter around me and leaved back into him for warmth. For some reason, I was freezing. Then, tiredness swept over me, even though I had been fine seconds before. I reluctantly shut my eye lids and appeared somewhere else.

I carefully walked down a black hallway towards a faint light at the end. I tip-toed down, realizing voices were near the light. I poked my head inside, to see a throne-like chair in front of a blazing fireplace.

I stepped around to the front of it, being as cautious as I possibly could. All that I saw in the chair was a hooded figure in pitch-black robes. I stared for a moment, then found myself glad it couldn't see me.

The figure slowly raised its head and all I could see in the darkness of his outline, were two dark green eyes. I gasped and fell back when he began to speak in an eerie voice.

"I finally have it," he spoke, his voice like venom to me. He stood up and I could see his snake-like body walk towards the fireplace. "Lord Voldemort is about to be at rise, but I first must kill off his Mudblood girlfriend."

His eye color then changed to a blood red and he let out an evil cackle. I shrieked and fell to the floor in the pain it brought to my heart.

My eyes flickered open as I stared into the bright light; that was a dramatic change from what I was previously experiencing. My whole body was covered in a glossy sweat and my heart was pounding fast. It was just a dream.

I looked around at my surroundings to find it all white. I sat up in the bed, and remembered I had been in the Common Room at night, when I fell asleep. It was a Sunday night… today, I was supposed to have class!

As I started to get out of bed, a hand pushed me back down. The nurse, Madame Knapp was standing over me, smiling.

"At last, child! You're awake!" she said joyously. I furrowed my brow in confusion.

"Why wouldn't I be? It is morning. I don't know why I'm here, but I do know that I have to get to class," I said, my temper rising because I had no intentions, what so ever, of being late.

"Oh, no you don't. You've been in here for three days. You're not going to class until I permit it. Now, drink up," Madame Knapp replied, shoving about twenty different potions at me. I was here for how long?! I missed three days of class. Smashing. Wait… how'd I get here?

"Um, Madame? How and why am I here?" I asked politely, and slowly sipping the nasty potions one by one.

"Oh, that lovely Potter boy brought you here. You were as cold as ice; trembling and screaming in your sleep." I gave her a shocked look. "Listen, dear, I don't know the whole story, but classes end in minutes, so he will be up here soon, just like everyday you've been in here."

I smiled warmly to myself and sat up taller. I pulled the blankets up higher and waited impatiently for his arrival.

After what seemed like hours, the doors flew open violently and James came dashing in. He smiled brightly as I sat up even higher. He pulled me into a firm hug, and I felt his heart rapidly beating, just as fast as my own.

"Lils, are you okay? You had me worried sick!" he said, holding my hand in his and gently rubbing his thumbs in circled on my knuckles.

"I'm feeling much better," I said, just taking in the warmth of his eyes. "James, what happened to me?"

"Well…" he trailed off, trying to remember. "We were watching Sirius and Shae's game, and I felt you go cold. I put my hand to your cheek, and could feel you trembling. You barely had a heartbeat and you started to scream, all while you were asleep, I guess. I brought you here right away and you've been here ever since."

"Oh," I said quietly, trying to comprehend. "Do you know why?"

"No, but Dumbledore thinks he knows, even though he won't tell anyone. He just wanted to see you once you were awake."

"Okay, I have a faint idea, but I'd like to confirm it with him before I really have to think about it." He gave me a loving smile and hugged me tight.

Professor Dumbledore came in right then and I reluctantly let go of James. He stood from my side and left, as the Headmaster made his way over.

"Miss Evans, I suspect you know what all this is," he said softly as he stood beside my bed. I nodded. "Well, then you know that you're having premonitions."

"Yes, but the only thing that I don't understand is if they all true? I mean, surely they can't be…"

The Headmaster held his hand up, to silence me. "I'm positive, Miss Evans, they are. Premonitions let you see things that are happening in the present, or the future. You have been given a special gift, Miss Evans."

He walked out to leave me clueless. Pfft, a gift. More like torture.

I quickly changed out of my hospital gown and ran out of the Hospital Wind and towards the Gryffindor Common Room.

Over the next few days, most people kept their distance from me, including James. It turned out that Sirius had told the entire school what happened to me. Great friend he is.

I entered the Great Hall on the Saturday after my newly found 'gift.' It was a Hogsmeade day, luckily, so I could get away from all the people suffocating me. James hadn't bothered to ask me, and I had barely said two words from him since I got back from the Hospital Wing.

I silently sat by Shae, who was animatedly whispering to Sirius across from her. I caught a few words like, "Lily," and "Three Broomsticks," and "Squeeze it out of her." I sighed, dully announcing my presence.

Their whispering ceased, but I already knew they were talking about me. So was everyone else in this bloody school.

"Hi guys," I said while moodily poking some eggs. "I don't think I'm going to Hogsmeade today. I just want some time alone in the Common Room."

Shae glanced wearily at Sirius, then turned back to me. "Lily, it'll do you good to get out of the castle." I sighed heavily.

"I really don't want to."

"Lily, we're not taking 'no' for an answer," Sirius cut in. "I'll carry you there if I have to." I rolled my eyes, realizing he probably would.

Ugh I just needed time to think to myself. I needed to find a way to tell James. I really cared for him, so he should be the first to know. I needed to talk to him about it, and make him listen.

Soon enough I went out into the Entrance Hall and climbed into a crowded carriage, complete with all four Marauders and my three best friends.

I quietly stared out the window, and could feel eyes on my back. I quickly turned to see warm hazel eyes looking at me with loneliness. I smiled weakly then returned to watching the blurry figures roll by.

"Lileeeee," Shae whined. I rolled my eyes. She was such a good whiner.

"What?" I carelessly asked. She and Sirius had a plan going. I wasn't stupid, and it wasn't that hard to see. I might as well go along with it.

"Can we go to Honeydukes, then the Quidditch surplus store, then the Three Broomsticks?" she asked, giving me her puppy dog eyes with her lower lip sticking out and quivering. Ugh Bethany always did that, too. It was like a plan to slowly kill me and make me cave into their every whim.

"Fine," I sighed. It always got me, no matter what.

The horseless carriage soon rolled to a stop and I climbed out. I stepped onto the cobblestone road and smiled. Hogsmeade was the best.

Before I knew it, it was two in the afternoon and I was sitting alone with Shaylene and Sirius at the Three Broomsticks. They had planned it out perfectly, which was rare for them. Remus and Bethany probably helped them.

Kristina had to spend extra time in the Quidditch store, picking out a new broom, and James was helping her. Remus and Bethany went off to the bookstore while Peter waddled after them.

I took a silent slurp of my butterbeer and looked up at them. I saw them both staring at me intently. "What?!" I snapped, obviously annoyed.

"Well, Lily…" Shae began, while searching for the correct words.

"Lily, you've been really secluded after what happened last week. We want to know what happened." I so knew this was coming.

"I really don't want to talk about it right now."

Sirius rolled his eyes at me, then smirked. "Lily, we do not care if you want to talk about it or not. You're going to tell someone today."

"Lily, James is worried sick about you right now. He at least has the right to know," Shae said while taking another sip.

"If he's so worried, then why doesn't he talk to me?" I asked quietly.

"He thinks it had something to do with him. He was right there with you when you began to scream like a murderer was after you. He doesn't want you to be hurt again so he's staying away. It's complete ignorance."

"Lily," Sirius cut in again. "Everyday he tells me how much he loves you and how it's killing him to be apart. Lily, he's going to explode soon if you don't tell him."

"You don't have to tell us what happened. Just tell him," Shae said seriously. I've never seen them be so serious for so long. It was probably killing them inside.

"Fine," I gave up, throwing up my hands in defeat. "I'll talk to him."

"Well, go then!" Shae laughed. I knew she couldn't hold it. "That's what we've been saying for the past half hour!"

"Now?" I asked nervously. My stomach jumped.

"Yes, now! Go!"

I hastily stood and walked from the restaurant. As I threw open the doors, I ran right into James. Yes! I didn't have to search for him.

"Sorry, Lils," he said gently, then helped me off the road. I melted into his hazel eyes, just like I had for the past year. I needed him and I couldn't hold it off any longer.

"James, we need to talk," I breathed, while grabbing his arm and pulling him all the way back to the castle. We walked to the Common Room in silence and luckily it was completely empty.

"Lily," he panted slightly. "What-do-we-need-to-talk-about?"

"What happened last week." I led him to a scarlet sofa, and plopped onto a cushion. I quickly launched into everything that Dumbledore had told me and my suspicions.

"Wow, Lil. I really didn't expect that. So… what would you call it?"

"It's a type of a Seer," I answered, barely audible. "Do you hate me for not telling you?" I looked down at my hands, completely ashamed.

"I could never hate you. Never." He pulled me into a huge hug and I could feel how sincere he was being. All his warmth flooded to my body. "Lily, I love you so much, and you can always talk to me about anything."

He held me at arms length, his eyes pouring into mine. I had hid from those eyes for a whole week, and I had no idea how I maintained that. "I love you too, James."

He pulled me into another hug. I loved him so much. James kissed me passionately, more full of love than he ever had before.

AN: Hey everyone! So sorry for taking so long but I was hospitalized in November / December for 3 weeks and have been recovering since. I just got back to school at the beginning of February and I've had a bunch of work and mid terms to make up, not to mention college applications and scholarship apps. Life has been really hectic and my family life isn't doing to well. So thanks everyone who reviewed for the last chapter and hopefully you're still reading this because I really do appreciate you all and your reviews just make my days that much better! Please, please, please keep reading and reviewing!