Let me express my deep humiliation for the error in the first chapter. I do know that Lily isn't a half-blood and can't believe I screwed that up. No excuse for it, really.
Otherwise thanks for reviews, they're much appreciated.
Gryffindor Tower
Before the portrait of the Fat Lady had even closed all the way, Lily's ears were assaulted with the sound of moaning.
"What is it now?" she asked impatiently as she crossed the room to the couch where a tousled haired James lay.
"Oh Evans," he said, raising his head and squinting at her. "I didn't hear you come in."
"So that moaning wasn't for my benefit?" she asked, hands on hips.
"Was I moaning?" he asked faintly. "I hadn't realized."
Lily shrugged.
"It must have been my imagination then." With this, she turned towards the stairs leading to the girls' dormitory.
"It's just-," James called out when he saw that he was losing her. She turned back around and he smiled.
"It's just that my throat is so very sore," he continued.
As if to demonstrate his point he let out a short, dry cough. The pain, though, was more than he had anticipated and he unintentionally winced. Lily struggled not to smirk.
"Would you like me to make you some tea, James?"
"Oh no," James swallowed thickly and his Adam's apple bobbed. "I couldn't ask you to do that." He sighed quietly and laid back against the sofa, letting a hand rise to stroke his throat while the other stroked morosely at the blanket draped over his legs.
Lily sighed.
"I'd be happy to do it," she said, with forced patience.
"Well… if you insist…" James smiled and turned back to the girl.
His gaze followed her as she summoned her kettle. With a quiet incantation and a graceful flick of her wand, steam began to billow out of its spout, and soon she was passing James a mug. To his surprise, she then poured a cup for herself and sank into an adjacent armchair.
"Was Christmas dinner nice?" James asked, taking a small sip.
Lily studied him a moment, wondering if the hint of longing in his eyes was genuine.
"It was very nice," she finally replied. And then, "I'm sorry you had to miss it."
The sadness in his eyes was quickly drawn away when James replied, "I'm sorry you had to miss the pleasure of my company."
She laughed at this and he grinned, pleased with the effect of his quip.
"Did you get anything good for Christmas?" James asked. He sat up and leaned forward, eager to keep the conversation alive.
Lily's mind went immediately to her beautiful, paper crane but she chose to keep her mouth shut on the subject. Sharing secrets with James Potter was a risky business.
"Some socks," she shrugged. "A new set of dress robes and some books I wanted. You?"
"My parents are getting me the new Nimbus when it comes out next month. They sent me a card and some chocolates this morning."
"Are they having a good time in Moscow?" As she spoke, Lily refilled James' teacup with surreptitious ease. He nodded his thanks.
"Surely no better a time then I'm having here," he answered with a pointed sniffle. The sadness in his eyes was back and Lily found herself perplexed by it.
"You could have gone with them," she pointed out.
James pursed his lips. "And travel through the Russian winter with a 39 degree fever? No thanks."
"Were you already sick when you decided to stay here?"
"It was only a matter of time," James said with a cough. "Sirius had it last week and I swear the git has no idea how to cover his mouth when he sneezes."
"I didn't even know he was ill," Lily mused.
"No kidding?" James exclaimed. "I thought everyone in Gryffindor Tower must have heard him whining. He's such a baby when he's sick, I swear he had me bringing him tea and fresh handkerchiefs every half hour. I hardly got a moment's rest."
"I can't imagine what that must be like," Lily said with a raised brow.
James grinned widely. "Come on, Evans, it hasn't been so bad, has it? Sirius isn't nearly as charming as I am."
His cocky smile was interrupted by a sudden, explosive sneeze. He grappled rapidly for his handkerchief and blew his nose noisily, emerging from its folds, red-faced and sheepish a moment later.
"Charming," Lily agreed. Still, her sympathy got the best of her and she rose to rest her hand on James' cheek.
"Lord, I feel awful," he said as he enjoyed the smoothness of her fingertips on his face.
"No fever," she told him. "But if you feel half as bad as you look, I imagine you really must be suffering."
"Gee, thanks." He laughed. "This must be what Snivellus feels like all the time."
Quickly Lily pulled her hand back and walked swiftly away from the sick boy. She clenched her fists as she stood directly before the fire.
"Don't be like that, Evans," Potter called out. "I'm sorry. I know he's a pet of yours."
"He's a friend of mine," she snapped. "A good friend."
James struggled not to smile as the redhead's temper flared.
"But you have to admit, a lot of your affection of him has to boil down to pity. You've always had a soft spot for mangy, sick things."
"Well aren't you lucky I have?" She yelled. "You're more pathetic now, than I've ever seen Severus.
James feigned shock. "Now that's just cruel, Evans."
"Well it was more than deserved- Ow!" She yelped and grasped at her arm as an ember flew from the fireplace and landed directly on her bare skin.
Instantly, James was on his feet and rushing to her side, letting the blanket fall to the ground in a heap behind him.
"Are you alright?" he asked anxiously.
"I'm fine," she growled, swiping at her arm. "I thought magical fires weren't supposed to spark."
"They don't, often," James answered. He pulled her arm forward and studied it as a burn the size of a Knut started to appear. "Does it hurt?"
"Not much," she lied.
"Still, you had better go to the Hospital Wing and get some ointment."
With his eyes fixed on the welt on her arm, Lily was able to briefly study James' face. It was unusual for her to see him without the cocky grin that came with the awareness of being observed. Now, though, his features were contorted with concern, and she couldn't help but notice the brilliance of his dark eyes. They were a very warm brown that, even wrought with concern and illness, sparkled with life.
"Are you ogling me, Evans?" He asked, without taking his eyes from her injury.
She scoffed. "You wish."
For once, Potter did not respond to the jeer. Instead he turned his face toward her with a slow and almost shy motion. His hair fell away from his eyes which were even warmer when they met hers directly.
"Thanks for looking after me, Lil," he said in a whisper. "I can't imagine it was the most fun you could have been having."
"Huge pain in the arse, actually," she said mildly and with a smile.
"Well, you handled it like a trooper. You'll make a great mum someday."
Lily barked out a laugh as she finally withdrew her arm from James' grasp.
"Me?" she exclaimed. "A mum? Could you imagine?"
Her laughter was cut short by the utterly serious expression on James' face.
"Absolutely," he said firmly.
She stared at him, incredulous. "I don't even know if I want kids," she protested.
Although his expression softened, James still refused to smile. "It doesn't matter what you want, Evans. You owe it to the world to fill it up with more little people like you."
Lily laughed nervously. She brought her hand again to the boy's forehead.
"Maybe you are feverish…" she muttered, her face lined with unease.
"Maybe I am," he shrugged. "Doesn't mean it isn't the truth."
"Well, er, thanks James. That's actually a really nice thing to say."
She watched as he shrugged again and then broke away, heading back for the couch and his mug of tea. Something about James in the absence of his friends was very perplexing to her. And that twisting feeling in her stomach… well it wasn't caused by too much Christmas candy.
The fireplace crackled and the heat cooked one side of her face while the other flushed all on its own. She cleared her throat.
"Did you really take care of Sirius when he was ill?" she asked. The idea of James as a caretaker was doing nothing to alleviate the wobbly feeling in her knees.
"'Course I did," he replied, almost indignant. "He's my best friend, isn't he?"
Something about the words struck Lily but before she could consider them, her attention was drawn to a jaw-cracking yawn.
"Sorry," James said, stifling the yawn into the back of his hand. "That's rude."
"Forgivable," Lily shrugged. "You are ill, after all. You should probably consider heading up to bed."
"At 8 o'clock," James said with scorn. "What would Sirius say?"
"I should hope he'd start with 'sorry for giving you this rotten cold,'" she teased. "Come on, then. I should think one more night of sleep and you'll be good as new."
"Now doesn't that sound like my mother?" James smiled and rose reluctantly. "But when you're right, you're right. Once I'm well again, I can properly focus on procrastinating on McGonagall's essay."
Lily chose not to respond, instead watching his slow retreat towards the boys' dormitories. At once he stopped at turned back to her.
"Aren't you coming to tuck me in?" he asked, slyly. He barely ducked in time to avoid the couch cushion flying at his head.
He laughed and disappeared through the doorway, calling over his shoulder. "Don't forget to get that burn looked at."
In the newly vacated Common Room, Lily wrapped her arms around her mid-section for a moment at the strange new feeling that wouldn't go away, even when Potter did. She re-played his words a few times and found herself smiling in the darkness. And then the prickle of concern when he had talked about Sirius.
'He's my best friend.' James had said. At once, Lily had shaken the stars from her head and turned with determination, to head back out through the portrait hole.
