Heya... WOOT! 2008, baby! Hah. Yeah. Have a good one, everyone! Enjoy the story! (or don't enjoy it, you kinda have a choice whether to like it or not...)

Gives muffins to current reviewers On with the story!

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"James, you should go get some sleep."

Everything was dark. People were snoring a short distance away. I was warm... too warm. Heavy blankets covered me, keeping my body at an uncomfortable temperature.

"No." A stubborn voice said. It sounded near to my head. I felt hands caressing my face, tucking back stray hairs, stroking my cheek.

"James, honestly. It's past sunrise. You've been up all night! I promise to wake you if she regains consciousness." The voice of maternal authority came from the other side of me. It was a female voice, sounding like someone in their thirties or forties.

"No... I can't. I won't. What's happened to her?" Despair and agony ripped though his voice, pained.

"Only time will tell..."

"Hmghf... Still up, Prongs?" A sleepy voice said. "Better soon, be she'll."

"Shuddup and go back to sleep. You aren't making any sense." I heard a strained laugh.

Then, I remembered it. The dream. The curse. Everything. Grief washed through me, slowly seeping in, registering in my mind. Steady tears trickled down my face. I made no attempt to stop them. They seeped out the sides of my eyes, streaming down the side of my face. James must have been watching.

"Lily? Are you awake?" he said softly. He started wiping away my tears with his thumb.

I slowly nodded, keeping my eyes closed.

"You gave me a fright." he whispered. "You gave all of us a fright. We brought you to my place. My mother, Dorea, checked you over to make sure you were in a right state."

I managed a small smile. How kind of him, to accept me into his home, to give solace in my sudden time of need. "Thanks," I croaked, my throat dry.

"Lily..." he started.

I waited.

"Lily..." he tried again. "Oh, bugger. I'll just spit it out. All I wanted to say... I'm sorry."

I gradually opened my eyes. James wore a pained expression.

"I'm sorry for all of the cruel things I've done to you. I'm sorry for all of the pain I've caused you. For somehow annoying you for the past five years. And this year... by the lake... I'm so sorry."

I closed my eyes again. I couldn't listen to this. "Why the bloody hell are you apologizing to me? I mean, sure, you were an egotistical prat at some times. Sure, you pranked people, were mean to my friends, acted like some member of royalty, acted as if the Slytherins were pariahs and—"

I broke off, forgetting the purpose of my little speech. "Anyway, after all of these years, I've treated you like crap and you're here apologizing to me?"

He nodded serenely and looked down at the sheets, not saying anything.

Unable to stop myself, I lifted his chin and tenderly kissed him on the lips. I have no idea why I had done it, but once the deed was done, I had no regrets.

Out of all those romance novels I had read, none had completely conveyed the feeling that coursed through me then. I don't think that I can adequately illustrate it. We were in contact for less than three seconds, but millions of feelings were experienced in that miniscule instant. All too quickly, though, the emotions were lost, just a tingle on my lips.

I opened my eyes, watching him. He was glowing; his eyes twinkled, his faint smile widening. I grinned. "I'm sorry, too. For being an arse and for making you wait five years."

He softly kissed me again. "You're forgiven. Do you think we should wake everyone up so you can tell your story?"

I sighed. Misery hit me again, the previous high almost completely gone. Why me? I still didn't know the identity of the people who took me. At first, I had suspected Jeremy Brocklehurst. He had, after all, threatened me right before I was abducted. Looking toward James, I bowed my head in approval. The plush pillows dimpled as I leaned back, closing my eyes. Subtle whispering encircled me.

"I thought you said she was awake, James." Sirius said groggily.

"I am, you unobservant—" I was cut off by a suffocating hug.

"Lily... Oh, we were so worried about you! What happened?"

Silence shrouded the room. Anticipation hovered in the air, waiting for my answer.

I looked down, playing with the duvet in my hands. "Could you hand me that book? The one I dropped before..." Trailing off, I waited for Alice to get it. Practically running back, she shoved it in my arms.

The pages looked familiar as I flicked through them once again. I was moving in a methodical pace as I started my tale.

"I suppose I should start at the beginning. I was at the library."

Sirius snorted. "No surprise there..."

Glaring at him, I continued. "I was caught by Jeremy Brocklehurst. He threatened me because I wouldn't go to Hogsmeade with him." James smiled smugly. "And then... I was at the portrait of the Fat Lady and everything went black. That's all I remembered. I came here... but then last night.

"Last night I had a horrid dream. A dream so real, I'm sure it must have been the piece of memory that I had forgotten from that day. Men... with cloaks, hiding their faces. They talked about... me being some sort of job for them. One of them touched my face... my hair..." I instinctively touched my hair. James hissed in a breath. "Then, they cursed me. This curse, here." I had the book open now, and pointed to the curse.

James looked over it, reading aloud, horror growing with each passing word. "Caedes semestris—Of Latin origin, meaning recipient of the curse will be killed by bloodshed, six months after attack."

Everyone responded differently. Mary put her hand over her mouth in shock, tears forming in her eyes. Alice ran out of the room crying. Penny was holding a weeping Rebecca. Peter looked off somewhere in the distance, seeming uncomfortable. Sirius scanned the page over and over, as if it were impossible. And James. James held my hand, looking into my eyes. His round hazel orbs entranced me. They held nothing but love. Love and adoration. For me.

A movement in the background caught my eye. A tall man stood in the doorway. He had wild black hair, just like James. A crisp, black suit draped his willowy figure.

"Hello," his deep voice announced. "What are all of you doing in here? It's a lovely day, is it not?" He sounded cheerful, a strange contrast to the atmosphere that had settled in the dismal room. Finally, he seemed to realize the forlorn look on people's faces. "James... may I steal you a moment and talk in the hall?"

James nodded and kissed my hand, leaving through the door. I tried to listen in, but Sirius interrupted. "So... I guess you don't have to worry about them N.E.W.T.s, eh?" Only he could make a joke out of my impending demise. Peter was thoughtful enough to whack Sirius upside the head.

I had been in the bed all day. I thought it was a good time to leave. My muscles were aching, probably from the months of recuperation and then another fainting spell soon after. Swinging my legs off the side of the bed, I stumbled to the window. Green grass spanned out before my eyes. A small plot of flowers sat in the corner of the lawn, covered in flittering hummingbirds. The Potters were clearly wealthy—sculpted bushes were scattered about and a gazebo shaded small benches and a table.

"Lily..." I felt a hand on my shoulder. James stood there, his father several paces behind him. "I'd like you to meet my father."

"It's very nice to meet you, sir." I reached out, shaking his extended hand.

"You can call me Charlus." He smiled. His eyes held sympathy. I didn't like it. I don't want people to feel sorry for me, knowing my given position. "I believe that my wife would like to have a chat with you, regarding... what happened. She's in the sitting room."

His request wasn't demanding, just suggestive.

"I'll show you, Lils!" Sirius jumped up from his spot and rushed to my side. I cringed at the nickname. He waved and dragged me by the hand out of the room. Once outside of the others' hearing range, he slowed down. "So," he began slowly, "what exactly is going on between you and my best mate?"

"I don't know," I answered simply. It was the truth; I had absolutely no idea what would happen to us, we had no time to talk about it.

"Well... how do you feel about him?"

I looked at Sirius curiously. "Why do you ask?"

His hand grabbed my wrist, making me stop in my tracks. "Because. He's my best mate. He's been chasing you like a hound for years. You don't hear him rambling about how wonderful you are, how amazing you are. I want to know if you return those feelings. He bloody loves you, Lily. I don't want you to treat him like shite, like how you've treated him for the last five years."

My eyes trailed off into the empty corridor. "Honestly, Sirius?" I looked into his concerned eyes. "I don't know how I fell for him, but I fell fast and hard. Sirius... I think I love him. It worries me. I've never felt like this before. Sure, I've dated other guys, but they never make me feel the same as James does. He cares about me. So did the other guys, but... they made it seem like an obligation to care about me. He's kind and sweet. There don't seem to be enough words in the world to describe how absolutely marvelous he is.

"But what if it isn't me that he loves? What if it's just the pursuit that he loves? I've been cruel to him. I know I have. And now, I just wish I could take it all back. All of these questions are rushing into my brain, Sirius. All of these questions are driving me to the point of insanity!"

Tears were swelling up in my eyes. I slumped down against a wall, head in hands. A light hand brushed my hair back away from my face. I raised my eyes to meet Sirius's, seeing him crouched in front of me. His misty grey eyes were joyful, ecstatic. A warm smile was plastered on his face.

"Lil, that's what I heard every day for the past five years. I heard how much he loved you, how much he doubted you would ever be compassionate to him, but he kept trying. He believed in love, which got him this far. He asked himself—and Remus, Peter, and I—those questions daily. We eventually had a script that we'd just recite. Then, he'd be ready for the next day to come. Lily, what I'm trying to say is that he loves you. He doesn't love the chase. I'd bet he loathes it!" He tipped up my chin with his index finger. "Cheer up, love. He loves you and it's not going to change."

My nose felt swollen as I sniffled and wiped away the tears. Once we were both standing, I threw my arms about Sirius. "Thank you," I whispered in his ear.

"Let's get you off to Dorea, then!" The dragging commenced, but this time a short distance. We were barely down the hall when he pushed me into an open doorway.

The sitting room was beautiful. A small coffee table was dressed with a lacy table-runner. Elegant armchairs were situated around it. A beautiful woman sat upon the sofa, curling her legs up beneath her. A hefty book lay on her lap, open halfway.

"Ah," a soft sigh left the woman's ruby lips, "thank you for showing her here, Sirius."

He seemed to understand that the next conversation was not meant for his ears. He pranced out of the room, kind of like a puppy.

I stood there awkwardly, looking down at my toes.

"Come, have a seat." Her kind voice made me look up. A long, frail hand gestured toward one of the brocade-covered armchairs. I meekly walked over towards the chair and sat down, back straight. "I'm not going to bite your head off, honey." She reassured me calmly. I tried to look more relaxed, but I suppose the strained look on my face told otherwise.

"You have a very lovely home, Mrs. Potter." I said conventionally.

"Thank you." She smiled, obviously sensing my discomfort. "Feel free to call me Dorea. Now, I just wanted to make sure you're okay. James brought you here last night and told me what had happened earlier... during the school year. He didn't know much, but I got the gist of it."

"Yes... I feel much better. And thank you for inviting me into your home so graciously. You didn't even know me, yet you gave me such hospitality."

"Oh, I think I may know more about you than you think." She smiled her brilliant grin. "James has liked you for quite a while now."

Oh, my God. He told his parents about me. I had done so many horrible things to him. Abashed, I hung my head. "Yes... I suppose he has."

"I heard your little speech in the hall. With Sirius."

I looked up, blushing.

"I hope I don't seem forward when I say I think you two are a great match." Her seraphic smile warming my body.

"Thank you. As you probably heard... I love your son."

"Oh, I could tell." She opened her mouth once again to say something, but was interrupted by James, bounding in.

"Hey, Mum, could you—Oh! Hullo Lily. Would you like to come to lunch? Sirius prepared something for everyone."

"Of course. I'll be down in a moment. You two go along now." Waving us away, she looked back down to her abandoned book.

Once outside of the room, James took hold of my hand. "Do you like her?"

I nodded, slightly smiling.

"I was talking to my father... about your situation. We're hoping to find a counter-curse for it as quickly as possible."

The relapse into the previous subject lowered my mood considerably. James saw my smile falter and pulled me into his chest. He kissed the top of my head, trailing down to my forehead. Then, he cupped his hands around my face and looked deep into my eyes.

"You're going to be fine. I promise."

I encircled my hands around his waist, tugging him closer. "I hope so James... I hope so."