A/N: PLEASE DONT HATE ME FOR TAKING 8765 YEARS TO UPDATE. IM SO SORRY. FOR A WHILE I HAD WRITERS BLOCK AND THEN I JUST HAD SO MUCH GOING ON WITH SCHOOL I COULDNT BRING MYSELF TO FINISH THE CHAPTER. BUT I FINALLY DID. I KNOW IT'S BEEN FOREVER AND I'M REALLY SORRY. Also, I'm sorry that this chapter isn't massive or anything- it's the shortest Lily chapter. It's also her last chapter. Next is James- and the next chapter will be the last, so I hope you enjoy this one. Please review! Sorry for the wait! :)

(LILY'S P.O.V)

This is a war. Not just the actual war going on, but between James and I. See, James and I haven't really had time together in a long time because of exams and me studying all hours into the night, and he's been a very good boy, he has! He's studied as well, and he he's been patient. And all we've even done over the past month is a about two or three actual snogs here and there, none of them lasting for too long. And when I had promised James we would find time to, well, have some intimate time together after the Quidditch Cup (which we won), I ended up getting my period the day before, so needless to say, that didn't happen. James was not a very happy camper, and neither was I, but we would survive, yes. Then finally, yesterday was the last day of exams. James had set up this entire romantic day to spend with me after our last exam. I was excited obviously, but when I went to my room to change, I ended up passing out on my bed, dead asleep. And since the boys can't come up to the girls dormitory, there was no way James could come up there to see what was going on. In the mean time, Delia was with Remus, June was with some Ravenclaw kid, and apparently three hours later he found out from Wendy that I fell asleep. So when I woke up this morning and realized what happened, I felt like crap. I took a shower and went downstairs for breakfast, and there sat James with June and Sirius, looking aggravated.

I tapped him on the shoulder, "Hey," I tried in my most innocent of voices.

He turned around with a blank expression on his face. "Hi."

I squeezed in between him and Sirius. "James, I'm so, so, so, a million times so sorry for yesterday. I was just exhausted and I just fell asleep on my bed, I don't even know how it happened. I'm so sorry. Can I make it up to you?"

"It's a full moon tonight," he growled under his breath so June wouldn't hear.

"Shit," I said. "Well, we still have the whole day, don't we?"

"Just go back to sleep," he said bitterly, taking a spoonful of his cereal.

Oh, Merlin. I really upset him this time. "James, can we, er, talk in private please? We'll go to your room?"

"I want to eat, thanks," he said, not looking at me.

I sighed. He was so stubborn. "Fine, after breakfast?"

"I guess," he shrugged.

I looked over at Sirius, who gave me a sympathetic smile. "You dug your own grave this time, Lils."

I groaned, took a scone and ate as well, talking to June. I finished it quickly and once James finished eating, I grabbed him by the hand and we went up to his room. I closed the door and tried to start.

"James, I know-"

"No, you don't know," he interrupted rather loudly.

"Er…"

"Lily, goddamn it," he said angrily. "I can't deal with this bullshit right now, all right?"

"It's not-"

"You can't just expect you to say you're sorry and make everything better. It doesn't work that way, not always. I'm tired of being treated like I'm not worth your time."

"James, what the hell are you talking about?" I asked, taken aback.

He groaned. "What am I talking about? Hm, I don't know, Lil. Maybe it's the fact that you stood me up yesterday? Or maybe it's that I haven't had more than five minutes with you this past month? Everything else is more important! Did it ever occur to you that I have feelings too?"

"You...you don't have to…I didn't mean to-"

"You never mean to," he snapped. "Whenever I do something wrong, I'm the biggest sodding prat you've ever known, but you do something wrong and everything's fine, right? Merlin, Lily, I…I needed you these past few weeks, especially yesterday. And I know it's not your fault that you fell asleep but…Bloody hell, I'm allowed to be angry!"

"You…you're right. You should be angry. But please stop yelling, I'm sorry."

"Do I ever yell? Do I ever get cross? Do I ever get worked up? No! So just…just let me get it all out, all right?"

"Okay," I said softly, not sure whether to take a step back or to go over to him and try to calm him down. I just stood in place.

He started pacing. "You could have told me you were tired and wanted to sleep instead of blowing me off."

"But I wanted to spend the day with you," I said gently. "I did. I just…I don't know I lied down on my bed for just a few moments to take a breather and I fell asleep. I'm sorry, I am. I…I know I haven't been fair to you lately."

"No, you haven't!" he shouted.

I took a breath. "Please, just…we have time now. Instead of fighting, can't we just spend it together peacefully?"

He looked at me with a pensive face, and then said, "I think I'm going to find Sirius." He then started heading towards the door.

I stopped him. "James, don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not being ridiculous!" he shouted. "Sirius has been there a hell a lot more than you have recently, so I guess I know who I can count on."

"James," I said, now getting upset. "If things have been going on, why haven't you just told me? You know I'd put down the books and listen to you in a heartbeat!"

"Because I didn't want to bother you! You were so bloody stressed out about all of this, it's not my job to put more of a load on you!"

"We're supposed to tell each other when we're angry or upset or something's bothering us," I told him. "That's the whole point! Not act like everything's okay and then explode."

"Oh, but it was perfectly fine when you hid the whole thing about your dad from me for months and expected me to be okay with you crying on my goddamn shoulder without me knowing how to fix it and making me feel completely useless!" he shot back.

Ouch. "That…that was different," I tried.

"No!" James shouted. "No, it really wasn't, Lily!"

"Just tell me, James, please," I said, trying to fight tears. I don't even know why I was getting so upset. I guess it was because he was making me feel like I'm never there for him. "James, I'm sorry. Please, just tell me now. I want to be there for you, always."

He sighed, running his hands through his hair. "Just…it doesn't matter."

"It does matter!" I shouted, letting a tear stream down my face.

He looked at me and I saw his expression change slightly. "Please don't cry," he said, still sounding angry but cooling down a bit.

"You make it seem like I don't care about you at all! And you know that's not true! I don't get why you didn't just say anything! If you're upset that is way more important than dumb exams, and you know that! God, James, I know we've barely had any time together at all lately, but we have now, and instead of being angry can't we just…just…"

I had to stop talking because I was getting too upset.

James was suddenly wrapping his arms around me tightly. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "We're both getting a little too worked up."

I buried my face into his chest, breathing heavily. "You're right," I said. "This is ridiculous."

He kissed my head. "I'm sorry, Lil," he said. "I shouldn't be cross with you. I was just being stupid. You're right, I should have said something."

"I should have realized."

"No, it's not your job to decode my emotions," he said. "That's what blokes are supposed to do with girls."

I laughed shortly, hugging him tighter. "You know I love you, don't you?"

He sighed. "Yeah…yeah, I know. I love you, too."

I let go of him and we sat down on his bed. "Okay," I breathed. "Tell me what's going on."

He took a deep breath and started talking. He told me that a few weeks ago he got a letter from one of his mum's coworkers in St. Mungo's telling him his parents caught some sort of disease and were both staying there for a while. His dad hadn't been taking it as well as his mum. Then the night before last, he got a message that his dad had a heart attack, and though he survived, he is now exceptionally weak, and it's uncertain how long he has left.

"Oh, James," I said, holding his hand. "You should have told me."

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"Don't be sorry," I said. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

He looked at me, offering a weak smile, and I could see his eyes becoming glossier behind his glasses. I pulled him in for a hug and we sat there for a long while, wrapped in each other's embrace. I don't know how long it was for, but eventually he let go of me and put his hands on my face, gazing into my eyes seriously. "I love you, Lily."

I smiled at him. "I love you too, James."

He pulled my face to his and started kissing me, and I kissed him back, and it was the first time we could kiss without having to rush or worry about time. I missed the taste of him, missed it so much, and my whole body ached, needing him more. We sat there on his bed just kissing passionately for ages, and eventually we lied down on the bed, and his hands started to wander me, and mine started to wander him, and things started to get a bit more heated. James started to nibble at my neck, and I couldn't help but let a moan escape.

Then James said, "I've missed this," and started to slip his fingers under my shirt, pulling on the hem. "I've missed you. All of you."

"Me too," I said, and then with my cooperation, he pulled my shirt off of my person, throwing it to the floor. And then he started to kiss my neck again, and then my arms, and my stomach, making my whole body tingle. I sat up a bit and said, "Now your turn," and I took his shirt off of him, smirking, and then kissed him again.

We took it all slow, taking our time; since it was the first time we've actually had time in ages. It was brilliant, really, really brilliant. When I made a suggestion of going that long without any physical activity again just so when we do it again it'll be that fantastic, I got a "hell fucking no" and then a pillow to my head. Even after we shagged, we seemed to not be able to stop snogging every few minutes, which was fine by me. We lied there in his bed, talking and snogging for what must have been an hour or two. It was really nice to finally have time together. James was able to get everything off his chest that's been on his mind, and so was I, and it was really great to have each other for that.

After one of our really long conversations about post-graduation and moving in together and all that, we took a break from talking and just snogged for a while, and we got so wrapped up in it that it seemed as if we were making our way to a start of Round 2, if you know what I mean. However, sadly, and rather inevitably, Sirius finally interrupted us.

"Not the time, mate," James said, and then brought his lips back to mine.

"James, Lily," he said. "It's, er, urgent."

James and I both pulled away. James sighed. "All right, but if it's-"

"-Something's happened," Sirius said. "It's serious. We need you. Right now." And the tone in his voice left no sign of any joking, and I knew he was telling the truth.

He quickly walked out and James and I both looked at each other nervously. We got up and got dressed as quickly as we could. James put on his glasses and walked over to me and said softly, "Just in case," and then kissed me hard for a few moments. When we parted, he took my hand and we walked out the door.

"What's going on?" James asked as we met Sirius and started descending the stairs.

"Delia. She…her and Remus got into a fight. Delia stormed off and Remus didn't go after her…for a while. Then he used the map to try to find her and found her dot in place in the dungeons with the whole lot of those Slytherin fuckers- Avery, Rosier, Mulciber, Snape…Pacing about…I don't know-"

"We have to get to her," I said. "Where are they? I swear to Merlin, I'll kill them all-"

"They're in the dungeons, I told you," Sirius repeated calmly. "Remus is having a bloody heart attack. Carter and Peter are calming him down. We have to go get her. Now."

"Have they gone and tried yet?" I asked, nervously. "I'm sure-"

"Remus can't, Lily," James said softly, squeezing my hand. "It's the full moon tonight. He's not in the right state…his temper could get out of control and he can do things he'll regret."

"Which they deserve," Sirius said.

"But we can't get him in trouble," James added.

"Right."

I tried to remember to breathe as Sirius led the way, holding the map. James kept whispering things to me. You know, "it'll be fine," "she's going to be okay," "don't worry, love." But how could I not worry? I'm a worrier. It's what I do.

And besides, James was rubbish at hiding the anger he had towards those arseholes. I could tell he couldn't wait to give them what they deserved.

So as we got closer, I said, "Look, both of you. I know you have a tremendous amount of anger and hatred towards these guys…so, just…just keep yourselves careful, please? Don't do anything too harsh that'll get yourselves killed."

James gave me a swift kiss on the lips. "We'll be careful."

Though I knew he was lying through his teeth.

It's safe to say, if he were not in the situation he was in at the present time, I would be the one to put him in it.

Seriously.

Maybe I would go so far as murdering the bloody prat.

"Stop looking like at him like that," I heard a voice say, making me take my eyes off James's face for a second. "It won't work." Sirius handed me a mug of coffee.

"Thanks," I barely got out, as Sirius took the seat opposite me.

"Lily," he said. But I didn't bother to answer. I returned my gaze to James after taking a sip of the coffee.

I heard Sirius sigh. "Maybe you should sleep."

I shook my head, taking another sip.

"Stop. You need some rest."

"So do you," I replied simply, looking back at him. "We've both been here all night. And I can make decisions for myself, thanks. I'm staying until I decide I'm okay with leaving."

Sirius scoffed. "You're barmy."

"I know."

"He didn't mean for this to happen."

"I don't care."

"He…" Sirius took a breath. "James always tries to do more than what should be done. You know? He was doing what he thought was right."

"Almost got him killed."

"He didn't almost get killed! He's going to be fine!"

I didn't have it in me to yell, but I raised my voice from the whisper I'd been speaking it. "This time," I said. "But what about all the next times, where he's just trying to do what's right and doesn't get lucky? And being bloody unconscious isn't really lucky either, if you ask me."

I looked back at James, lying there in the Hospital Wing bed, his face slightly tilted towards where I was sitting, almost all the color drained from it. Wake up, I wanted to scream. Wake up wake up wake up.

"It was Avery," said Sirius after a few moments. "After you woke up Delia and left…He provoked James, yelling things about not being able to wait to kill…well…you. 'Can't wait til I get a chance to rip the life from that worthless mudblood you-' And I didn't hear the rest, 'cause James started hexing. Rosier got him when he wasn't looking- strong spell, gave him and Avery enough time to get out of there alive before I killed them both myself. Don't blame him. He…he had to. Or at least he think he did."

"No, he did not," was all I could say, because I was crying again, but I didn't want Sirius to notice, so I just kept gazing at James's face, hoping my mental "WAKE UP" chants would somehow make him open his eyes.

Sirius got up and walked and sat down in the chair right beside me. He touched my shoulder. "Lily…just…just don't be angry with him."

"I can be upset-"

"You can be upset!" Sirius reassured me. "Of course you can. But don't be cross with him. He doesn't need to wake up from a sodding knock out and find out you're cross with him when he was just trying to do what-"

"-He thought was right, I know," I said, wiping a tear before facing Sirius. "But…All right, all right. I…I won't be cross with him. I'm not. But…"

Sirius rubbed my arm, which just made me want to cry more. "He's going to be okay. I swear it. He did something stupid. He'll know for next time not to keep going once it's over. We got Delia, that's what's important, and she's okay. She's probably pissed at Remus but, you know…that's not really our problem…"

"I just don't understand," I said, scratching my head. "What were they even doing anyway? Delia said they were just making some kind of potion, and when she heard them say something about poison that's when they found her and-"

"Knocked her out," Sirius finished.

"Yeah," I whispered.

"She's okay though," Sirius reassured me. "We all are. We got Delia and we put those bloody pricks in their place. Nice hexing, by the way. I think we did a pretty good job, don't you?"

I nodded shortly, but it still felt to me like we lost.

Sirius knew that I felt that way, so of course he goes and says, "Nothing a good shag once he wakes up won't fix, eh?"

"If I had the energy," I murmured. "I would be hitting you right now. But nothing is working properly. My mind, my heart, none of my body parts, really. And I think when James wakes up he'll feel similarly. So I don't think shagging is really an option as of right now. I would say thanks for the advice, but I didn't ask for it, and you would have said that sometime regardless anyway."

Sirius chuckled lightly, leaning back in his chair, sipping his own coffee. "You know how much he loves you, right?"

"I-"

"Wait," Sirius said. "Just…Honestly. I've had to deal with this bloke for seven years going on and on about you. Even before you decided you'd give him a shot. Imagine how much I've had to hear the git go on and on about you for the past eight months. So if anyone knows how he feels about you, it's me, Evans. And I know he's a downright git and does things he shouldn't, like last night. But… don't ever let him go, all right? That would kill him more than any encounter with a Death Eater."

Tears were slipping down my cheeks. "I'm not," I said sternly through my lost voice. "Never."

Sirius grinned at me shortly, wiped away a tear for me, and then we sat in silence for the next forty minutes and drank our coffee. Sirius then read The Prophet to himself. Suddenly, I heard something.

I looked at James, who was groaning quietly.

I pulled my chair right beside him and grabbed his hand. I felt his hand slowly curl around mine. He opened his eyes slowly, and looked at me. "Li…Lily?…I-"

"Sh," I said, rubbing his hand. "It's me."

"Hey, mate," said Sirius, standing up. "I'll get Pomfrey. She just went to grab some breakfast."

Sirius walked away, leaving me alone with James.

And though I promised Sirius I wouldn't be cross with James, doesn't mean I wasn't feeling that way. But I tried best to hide it.

"You're…you're okay," said James hoarsely, searching my face.

"I'm fine," I told him.

"I'm…I'm so sorry, Lily. I shouldn't…I… I don't-"

"It's okay," I said reluctantly. I rubbed his hand. "You're okay. We're all fine. Don't talk. Just rest. Madame Pomfrey will be here in a minute."

He nodded, closing his eyes for a few moments and squeezing my hand gently. He reopened them and suddenly looked worried. "What about Delia? Is she-"

"She's safe. She's sleeping in our room. She's not feeling too well but she'll be fine."

He nodded again. "Good."

We sat in silence for a few more moments as I continued to hold his hand. He was looking at me strangely, so I looked away.

"Lily-" he started, but Sirius and Pomfrey arrived at that moment. I let go of his hand and got up.

"Ms. Evans," Pomfrey said as she strolled over to James and felt his head. "I think you should go now. He is awake and in my care, no need to worry. All right?"

"She's right, Lily," said Sirius. "I'll-"

"You too, Black," said Pomfrey. "You need some rest. I don't need the both of you coming back here sick because you haven't gotten any sleep."

"When will James be, er, released?" I asked Pomfrey.

"Within the hour," she replied. "Don't worry, dear. He'll be fine. Go get some rest."

I nodded reluctantly at Pomfrey, looked at James, whispered, "See you," waved to Sirius, and then walked out without looking back.

I got to the common room and there was Remus, looking worse than I've ever seen him, probably a combination from the morning after the full moon and being worried over his friends. "Lily," he said, walking over to me. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," I told him.

"James? Sirius? Peter was with me last night so-"

"Sirius is fine. James is in the Hospital Wing, but he should be fine as well. He just woke up if you want to go there."

He nodded. "And… Delia?"

"She's okay, too, Remus," I said. "We got her into bed last night and she was just tired. She's probably still asleep-"

Right as I said it, Delia and June came down the stairs together. We both turned our attention to them.

"Delia," Remus whispered, running towards her, embracing her. Delia looked tired as ever, but she smiled against his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his neck.

June walked over to me. "How's James?"

"Awake," I responded. "I, er, think I'm going to take a nap."

"You all right?" she asked.

"Sure," I said. "I'll see you later."

I went upstairs, changed into one of James's old shirts he gave me, plopped into bed and cried myself to sleep.

I woke up around five hours later, light headed and dazed. No one was in the room but me. I was about to get out when I noticed a bunch of pieces of parchment and a rose on my bed. I read them.

I'm sorry. Please come downstairs when you're ready. -James

I don't know if you're asleep or just ignoring me, so if you are awake at least just write something nasty back about what an idiot I am- and you don't even have to include the "but I love you anyway" part. –J

I'm assuming you're asleep. Sirius just told me that you stayed up all night by my bedside. I don't deserve you. –J

Come find me when you wake up. I love you.

The last one was attached to the rose. I sighed heavily and put the notes in a drawer in my nightstand and left the rose on top. I kept James's shirt on and put on some shorts and went downstairs to the Common Room.

Delia and Remus were lying on the couch together while June and Sirius played a game of gobstones on the floor near the fire while Peter watched intently.

"Hey, sleepy girl," said June as I approached them. "Get any rest?"

I nodded slowly. "A bit."

"A bit? You've been out cold for five hours," Delia said.

I shrugged. "Don't really feel refreshed or anything though." I turned to Sirius. "Did you get any sleep?"

"Just woke up from a power nap about an hour ago," he answered. "Sh, I have to concentrate on kicking Carter's arse."

"In your dreams, Black," June retorted.

"A lot more than that happens in my dreams with you," Sirius said, winking.

June rolled her eyes. "Just make a move already!"

"Pretty sure I just did, love."

"I meant in the game, you prat!"

"Oi, do I really have to sit through this?" Peter chimed in.

I chuckled lightly. "Anyone know where James is?"

"In our room," Remus answered.

I saluted him. "Thanks captain. See you guys later."

I went up the boys' staircase and knocked on James's door. "Come in," I heard him answer lowly.

I opened the door and closed it behind me. James was lying on his bed without a shirt, redoing one of his bandages on his arm. I walked slowly towards him and saw all his cuts and bruises. He looked up from his arm after he finished and saw me. "Lily," he said softly.

And as bad as I wanted to scream at him and hit him and tell him what an idiot he was, all I could do was lie down on his bed, cuddle up right next to him, put my head in the crook of his neck and let myself cry (yes, again).

James kissed my head, understanding that I didn't really want to talk, and wrapped his uninjured arm around me, putting his hand in my hair and running his fingers through it.

I fell asleep to his "It's okay, I'm all right" whispers for a little and woke up still in James's arm. He was rubbing my back and looking at me softly. I fluttered my eyes open and asked "How long was I asleep for? Here, I mean."

"About an hour or so," he answered.

"Sorry," I said meekly.

He half smiled. "S'All right. Glad you got some rest."

I didn't respond but just laid my head back against James. I felt him breathing heavily and his heart pounding fast against his chest.

I felt him sigh. "I'm sorry."

I didn't respond again.

"I'm a git, I know. I am. I'm a prat, git, tosser, prick, pansy, arsehole, toerag… every name in the book- I'm it. I just…They- they provoked me. They were saying things about you to get me cross. And I know that doesn't justify me going out of line and getting myself hurt, but I can't stand to listen to them talk about you like that."

"I know," I whispered.

"Pomfrey said my arm should be better by next week, and everything else is okay. Head, heart….all bodily functions in check. I'm all right, I promise."

I didn't respond.

After a few moments, James said, "But you're not."

"No," I said softly. "I'm not."

"I'm so, so sorry, Lil."

"I know you are," I said, sitting up now, trying to keep myself composed. "And…I'm not cross or anything. But… but imagine if it were me, James. Do you have any idea what it's been like for me all night? Sitting there waiting for you to wake up? It was killing me..."

A tear slipped down my cheek. James sat up and wiped it off. "Lily-"

"I…I can't do that again, James. I can't sit by your bedside praying that you're alive every time someone calls me a mudblood or something. I don't care what they say! I care about you being safe and… and… and you promised me you wouldn't leave me and when you go and d-do things like that how am I supposed to…"

I stopped talking to let out a sob and wipe my eyes.

"This is a war, James. It's not some game, it's not about pride or house competition… This is real now. And I can't lose you."

He cupped my face and stared right into my eyes, and his eyes were filled with tears too, and then he said, "You won't," and then he kissed me, and I let him. He pulled back for just a moment and said, "I swear it. Okay?"

I nodded, and then he leaned in and kissed me again, with the kind of passion to make my heart burst. I kissed him back, pouring out all my emotions, tears still slipping down my cheeks. James must have felt them because he pulled away for a moment to wipe my face, and then he leaned in again, and I opened my mouth and let his tongue meet mine, and I put my hands around his neck and let myself melt into him.

After a little while, we pulled away to breathe and James kissed my cheeks and my neck, and then my lips one more time sweetly. He moved some hair out of my face and gave me a crooked smile. "If only you knew how much I loved you," he whispered.

I sighed, and I kissed him one more time before I wrapped my arms around his torso and we lied back down on the bed. We had an unspoken moment, where I put my head against his chest, and he wrapped his good arm around me tightly, and we both breathed together, and everything was okay just for a little.

And as long as he was here beside me, it would always be okay.

A/N: Well, there you go. Only one more chapter and then the story is over. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Reviews would be awesome.