Chapter 23

After promptly sinking back down to earth still surrounded in a tight embrace, the Gryffindor team was met with cheers, applause and laughter. Even the teachers lost all sense and were celebrating. McGonagall was dabbing her eyes and was practically howling as she grabbed hold of the Cup. Dumbledore also walked with a little bounce to his step and winked at the team.

James was filled with an indescribable feeling and he felt a burning sensation spread its way through his body. They'd won. The realization hit him hard in the stomach, and everything that had happened…the practice, the game, his injury seemed to have passed in a daze. He felt his own salty tears fall in a stream as the Gryffindors continued to grip each other and celebrate in victory.

James felt himself and the rest of the team members being hoisted onto the sea of people's, and he was bounced up and down a few times, laughter now breaking through his tears. His arm was still bleeding at an alarming rate, but nothing seemed to matter now. James stared up at the sky. Rays of golden sunlight broke out from the grey clouds, it was as if the sky was celebrating with them.

The sunlight brought warmth over them and life back into everybody. James suddenly felt quite lightheaded as he moved along with the sea of people. He thought he vaguely heard the team Keeper announce there was going to be a party running for three days and nights before he fainted, still clutching his arm.

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Lily, accompanied by Remus and Eva, had along with the rest of the Gryffindors, rushed madly down to the Field after James ended the game with that magnificent display of team spirit and passion. Lily had also felt tears stream out of her eyes, and her heart filled with emotions as she was pushed with the crowd towards the mass of Gryffindors. For some reason, all she could picture was James' look of determination as he grabbed the victory of the match. And she couldn't help smiling.

The Gryffindors had now cried enough tears to create a river, and everything was massive mess with arms and legs everywhere. As Lily tried to fight her way to personally congratulate James, she found that she had been waiting for the moment for a very long time. When she could be alone with him and tell him what a good job he did. In the back of her mind, she wondered when it had all changed. She didn't know…but she knew that their relationship had changed.

As Lily was squashed by flesh, and tears, she caught a glimpse of James being carried off further and further away from her. She flailed her arms, but it was useless. She received a painful thought that perhaps, no matter how much she tried or yelled, James Potter would always be drifting further away from her. It seemed that way now at least, to her, as his figure was finally lost above the sea of people.

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James awoke groggily to experience a sharp sting in his head, and his arm as heavy as a rock. He blinked his eyes several times to find a blurry image of the Hospital Wing and the white surface he was so used to seeing. The Hospital Wing really brought back memories of his…more devious days.

He brought his hand to his head and let out a grimace as he tried to get up but found he could not. Looking around, he found that the Wing was pretty much deserted, other than a motionless body under a clump of sheets two beds away from him. Madame Pomfrey and Dumbledore had probably stressed that he needed rest. He envisioned all the Gryffindors having a blast at the party in the Common Room, and he felt a pang of disappointment as not being there as well.

Unable to resist a smile as he remembered the victory he'd snatched for Gryffindor, all the events that had occurred before came rolling back in flashes to his brain. And then, not surprisingly, Lily Evans made her way into James' thoughts. It had been like this for six years. Ever since she'd stood up to him in his Second Year, her emerald eyes and flaming auburn hair had made a deep impression on him. Although he acted as if it was nothing, and continued to bicker with her, slowly but surely, he found himself falling deeply in love with her.

Consumed once again by these depressing thoughts and wishing the Marauders were by his side, James slowly and painfully made his way so that he was leant up against his pillows, just as Madame Pomfrey came bustling in, a frown present on her face. James contemplated faking sleep, but decided he couldn't as he was already sitting up. He couldn't count how many times he'd been found in this situation already.

"Mr. Potter!" She scolded in a very motherly manner. "You have been injured very severely. I would appreciate it if you didn't make my job more difficult and shuffle around and injure yourself more! Honestly, you have been in the Hospital Wing this year no less than twenty times!"

James grinned and felt a tearing pain pierce through his mind. "Oh, Poppy…come off it, you're making me embarrassed! Did you see Diggory's face when I caught the Snitch from under his very nose?" He chuckled hoarsely, and tried to ignore the dull pain now making its way from his head to the rest of his body.

"Indeed, I did. I must congratulate you Mr. Potter, but it was such a shame you had to injure yourself so badly." The nurse pointed to his arm, which was wrapped in so much white it was the size of a small watermelon. "Oh, you also might want to know that your many fans have come to visit you." Madame Pomfrey proceeded to dust around the already spotless ward, and clarifying no further.

James looked around the empty ward and looked at her enquiringly. She simply shook her head and clicked her tongue, but not without a smile present on her lips. "Oh, the whole place was full of shrieks and disturbance. Honesty, I thought they were practically trying to murder you! In the end, I had to put a locking charm on the door that 'Alohamora' can't penetrate. Well, enough talk, you need your rest. I expect you'll be out by this evening, where you are surely going to party your brains out and probably end up here again by next morning." Sighing with amusement, she proceeded to bustle out, and after throwing James one last look, disappeared.

Unknowingly, James soon fell asleep, and before he knew it, had left the Hospital Wing in the evening feeling quite refreshed. A large crowd of Gryffindors had gathered outside, all hooting and applauding as he came out. After scanning briefly across them, James was disappointed to discover that there was flaming red amongst them, meaning that Lily hadn't made an appearance.

Once again, he felt himself being hoisted upon their shoulders back to the Common Room. Sirius was leading the crowd and beaming quite contentedly. James, to his utmost surprise, saw that next to him was an equally jovial Brittany, whose shining blonde hair was bobbing behind her as she and Sirius walked side by side. He'd have to interrogate Sirius to spill how he'd managed to finally seduce her.

As the Gryffindor crowd made its way back to the Common Room with James still being bounced on their shoulders, they were all awaiting a sleepless night of partying. James especially was feeling particularly light-hearted not only because Gryffindor had been victorious, but because he had snatched the Golden Snitch right from Amos Diggory's grasp, and all because he had been too cowardly to face a Bludger.

As they entered the portrait of the Fat Lady, the Gryffindors were met with more cheers and grinning faces. James was dumped on the nearest sofa, his stomach hurting from all the laughter. As he faced his fellow Gryffindors and the wide grins they bore, he really thought that nothing could beat that moment of bliss.

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James had consumed glass after glass of Butterbeer that his friends had fed him, and was feeling quite queasy as he watched the game of Exploding Snap that Peter and Sirius were playing. As he dizzily scanned the room, with a leap of his heart, he noticed Lily, Eva and Brittany whispering softly in their usual three seats by the fire.

Although he really wanted to go over and have a witty conversation with Lily, he shamefully admitted that he was a little afraid. Since she hadn't come to congratulate him on their victory, he presumed he'd done something or other to piss her off. This seemed to be happening more and more often, and it seemed that their relationship was also growing further and further apart.

James also had another thought that was heavy in his mind. The Hogmeade weekend was approaching quicker than he would have liked. Dumbledore had hinted that only they, Sirius, Remus, Eva, Brittany, Lily and James knew about the Death Eaters attacking the village and there was no pressure. James knew that this was a serious matter and if not treated properly, could end up turning into the graves of all the students at Hogwarts.

With that thought in mind, and a vision of himself riding on a white horse and saving his Lily princess from the big, bad dark-hooded Death Eaters, James slowly drifted into dreamland, a wide beam stretched across his face.

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Feeling a dull ache in his head and abdomen, James woke groggily and was met with pitch black darkness. He tasted a scent of Butterbeer still lingering in his throat, and tried not to gag in disgust. As his eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, James realised he was on the couch of the Heads Common Room, and frankly, he had no idea how he got there.

As he tenderly got up, clutching his head in agony, he suppressed a howl of surprise when his feet was met with a strange softness that only meant one thing: he'd stepped on the flesh of another human. A yelp of pain and irritation confirmed that thought. What left him spellbound however, was when the person that had clearly unintentionally fallen asleep snuggled in a ball near the couch turned out to be Lily Evans.

Although her hair was messed up and frizzy and there were heavy bags under her emerald eyes that were now glaring at him in annoyance, James found her to be the most beautiful yet. He managed a weak smile, before spluttering something even he didn't understand. Lily's arms were crossed as she continued to glare at him, but the effect was broken as her features suddenly broke out into a wide grin, and she chuckled lightly.

James inwardly breathed a sigh of relief as at least she wasn't going to start a row with him. He ran a hand through his hair, before joining in her chuckling awkwardly. "W-well Potter…congratulations!"

Now James was thoroughly taken aback as that was certainly not the response he was expecting. "W-why thanks Lily Tiger…so, did you see me streak through the sky like a shooting star?" James made fervent hand gestures before beckoning for her to sit next to him which she obliged to. There was now a glint in her eye and she smirked at his egotistical boasts.

"Yeah, Potter…you were very good. I really hate to say this, but I can't believe Amos didn't even have the courage to face a Bludger! I really don't know what I saw in him…"

"I know how you feel, don't worry Evans, he was the rotten egg in the basket. Of course, there's always the good egg…" James grinned suggestively before sublimely pointing to himself. Lily smirked again, before finally settling down into a serious posture.

"But seriously…Dumbledore has made it clear he wants us to work together. Do you really think it's possible? Perhaps if we combined our skills and talent, we would really be able to win this little war."

"I'm sure of it, Pumpkin!" The two exchanged a brief smile, determination present in their souls and hearts. A rare proper conversation had been exchanged between them that hadn't erupted into tears or screams. All would be revealed at the trip…all would be revealed in due time.

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A/N: Aiyy! I'm so sorry for posting up this useless chapter that told nothing…I just seemed to type and type, and then it just came out! I thought it was best to squeeze the Hogsmeade trip into one chapter, and that will, I assure you all, be next chapter!

Thanx to all who reviewed! I know this chapter was quite pointless, but just bear with me!

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Purebliss90