James and Lily became even closer friends as the year progressed further. The entire school commented, quietly, how well the two of them worked together and how they supported and looked out for each other. James didn't ask Lily out at all, much to her chagrin. Halloween passed and the Quidditch season started up again. Lily went to every single match, whereas before she only went when dragged there, and for every single near miss that James encountered she flinched and prayed that he was okay. It was December when the inevitable happened…
The match was Gryffindor v. Slytherin and as always the match was dirty and no one was playing fair. Not even the Head Boy. The match was the last one before the holidays and therefore, the last one before the Christmas Ball. Most of the student population was staying behind for the holidays for the ball but also for the match being played out in front of them. The weather was, for once, perfect for Quidditch. It wasn't snowing and there was only a slight breeze in the air. Gryffindor was leading 150-60 and as time passed and the Snitch remained elusive some bloody tactics were brought to the forefront of the game.
High up in the sky, James, as Gryffindor captain, was keeping an eye on everyone plus the Quaffle. So far he'd racked up an impressive 85 points for this particular game. He watched as one of the Slytherin Beaters sent a Bludger flying towards Sirius, who was a Beater. James yelled out to Sirius, who only just managed to dodge the flying ball of metal before belting it towards the Slytherin Seeker. The move by the Slytherin Beater made no sense. Why go after a Beater? Sure they did damage but they weren't worth missing a shot at a Chaser or the Seeker. James couldn't understand what the Slytherins were up to but he figured that everything would be fine. Eventually.
James passed the Quaffle off to one of the other Chasers and glanced around to make sure the other players were doing okay. Sirius was keeping an eye on both Bludgers and all the Slytherin players. The Seeker was hovering high above everyone else. The Keeper was slightly relaxed at that moment but he was still keeping a very close eye on the Slytherin players. Apparently James wasn't the only one who had noticed something strange about the way the Slytherins were playing the game. Suddenly James heard Sirius yell out his name. James turned to his mate's voice and saw him signalling for him to drop. James didn't comprehend what was going on at first bit then he saw one of the Bludgers coming towards him. James forced his broom into a steep dive and only just managed to get away from the speeding bullet. James pulled out of the dive and headed back up. James sighed in relief and then… white lights blazed in his eyes… a searing pain soared through his head… red sticky stuff on his hands… wind… blue sky… green grass… black…
…
Lily sat in the stand next to Remus and watched James fly through the sky. Somehow the brutal sport was magical when James was playing. He moved with such grace and ease. The determination on his face was incredibly sexy. Lily shook her head. James is not sexy. The game had been going for so long and even Lily knew that the Slytherins weren't playing properly. There was just something strange about their tactics. Lily asked Remus what he thought.
"I'm not sure." Remus frowned, his eyes following the Slytherin captain. "Something's weird about their so-called tactics. They're sending the Bludgers at Sirius. Why would they try to take out a Beater over the Seeker or one of the Chasers? But I'm sure it's nothing, Lily."
"Even though they're playing dirty?"
"Lily, they're all playing dirty, not just the Slytherins. They'll be fine." Lily could see that Remus didn't actually believe what he was saying. Remus was wringing his hands and his eyes were darting all over the sky. Lily rolled her eyes at him and turned back to the match.
Lily grabbed onto Remus' arm as James dived to avoid the Bludger. Lily didn't release her grip on his arm until James had come out of the dive. Lily sighed and closed her eyes for a second. She opened her eyes just in time to see a Bludger smash into the side of James' head. As the Bludger hit James his head seemed to explode outwards. Blood and bits of bone flew out in all directions. Everyone in the stands stood as one as James swayed slightly on his broom. A second later the other Bludger slammed into the other side of James' head. The force of the impact pushed the two sides of James head together in the most grotesque way. James reached up to the side of his head and stared at the blood on his hand. James seemed confused by the blood and then he slipped off his broom and began to plummet towards the ground. Before anyone could react James hit the ground with a sickening thud.
The entire incident had happened in less than ten seconds. There was absolute silence as Madam Pomfrey ran out onto the pitch and fell to her knees besides the fallen star. Sirius landed ten metres away from the prone body of his best mate and ran over. Everyone watched as Sirius stopped short when he got a closer look at James and fell to his knees. Remus raced onto the pitch and joined Sirius. Lily stood stock still in the stands and then, throwing everything to the wind, she ran down the stairs, leapt over the fence, and joined the two boys. Lily sucked in a breath before looking at James.
His eyes were closed. His robes splattered with blood. His glasses were missing. His chest wasn't rising or falling. His head was a mess of blood and lord knew what else. There were two gaping holes on either side of his head, exactly where his temples used to be. There was no way that James Potter could still be alive. Everyone could see that.
Oh my God. How could this happen? Please, please don't let him be dead. Please let him live. I need him to… I need him. Please let him come back. Please let him come back to me. I need him. I… I… I love him. I love James David Potter.
Lily broke down.
…
Sirius, Remus, Peter and Lily variously sat and stood around outside the doors to the Hospital Wing waiting for news. Madam Pomfrey hadn't allowed them in for obvious reasons. James had been ferried up to the Hospital Wing by Professor Dumbledore while Professor McGonagall had made all the students return to the dormitories. No one was allowed to be anywhere near the Hospital Wing except for the four of them. That had happened almost four hours ago. Mr and Mrs Potter had arrived about an hour after it had happened. The two of them had smiled briefly at them and they hadn't come out of the Wing once. Neither had Professor Dumbledore. Lily was sitting on the floor, eyes closed, head back, hoping and praying. Sirius was sitting on the floor across from her. He was holding his head in his hands and whispering. Peter was standing, leaning against the wall. His eyes were open but they were un-focused. Remus was pacing back and forth along the hallway. Every so often he would swear under his breath and run a hand through his hair.
Lily straightened up slightly when Professor McGonagall came around the corner bearing food and drinks for the four of them. She handed the trays over to Remus and Peter and left without another word. It didn't escape any of their notice that seemed as though their strong Head of House had been crying. Lily watched the three boys eat the food but didn't have any herself. Once she got sick of watching them eat she closed her eyes again and leant her head back. Lily couldn't believe what was happening. Just as she admits her feelings for James, albeit to herself, he goes and gets himself so badly injured that everyone believes he's going to die. The unfairness of it all hit Lily like a ton of bricks, forcing her eyes open again. She caught the boys looking at her before they quickly looked away again. Lily ignored them and closed her eyes once more. This time, though, she fell asleep.
…
"I just don't know." Madam Pomfrey muttered.
Pomfrey, Dumbledore and Mr and Mrs Potter were staring down at James' prone body. Madam Pomfrey had managed to fix James' external injuries but she couldn't be sure about the possible injuries to James' brain. As far as she was concerned there was every chance that James would be better off dead. If there was brain damage, it would be irreparable. James Potter would be no more. He would be an empty shell and there was no way of knowing in advance. Dumbledore sighed and frowned at the frame of the Head Boy. He couldn't work it out either. Mr and Mrs Potter were no better. Mrs Potter was clinging onto her husband's arm, drawing strength from his immoveable frame. Mr Potter seemed calm on the outside but inside was a different story. A storm was raging inside David Potter's mind and the only way to calm it was for his son to wake up and be exactly the same as he had always been.
"David, Melissa, I am sorry about this. I can promise you that I will get to the bottom of this." James' parents nodded. "Madam Pomfrey, I believe that there are four very anxious students outside. May they come in yet?"
"I suppose. If, of course, David and Melissa don't mind."
"Of course not. We should go home and get some sleep anyway. Thank you for everything you've done, Pomona. Albus, please let us know if anything changes." Dumbledore smiled and nodded. James' parents left, without telling the four students anything.
"Pomona, will he be okay?"
"I don't know. Albus, I have never seen this kind of injury before. I have fixed everything on the outside but inside? That's a different story all together. I've done what I can. Now, well now, it's up to him."
"Very well. I'll bring them in."
…
Apparently James would be able to hear them talking. Lily very much doubted it. The four of them were sitting around James bed looking down at him. Madam Pomfrey had given in and was allowing them to stay through the night. On the condition that if James were to wake they were to get her immediately. From the way she had said it, Lily assumed that the nurse didn't expect to woken. And it was clear to them that she didn't expect James to come back properly. Chances were, she said, that he would have some kind of brain damage. Chances were, she said, he wouldn't be the same James David Potter they knew and loved. He would be changed, different. Lily wasn't going to allow that to happen. James would come back and he would be as good as new.
At some stage Lily fell asleep. She dreamed that she joined James wherever he was. They were floating amongst the clouds, high up above the ground. When they looked down they could Hogwarts and the grounds and the Quidditch pitch. They were care free. Nothing to worry about, no reason to feel fear or lose. A beautiful place where there was no pain, no hurt, no worry, no lose. A place where they were free as birds, as light as clouds, as care free as a new born child. They were together and nothing else mattered.
Lily woke from her incredible dream with a start. She'd slipped down the chair in her sleep. The Hospital Wing was dark and Lily could tell that was probably about three o'clock in the morning. The boys were all sleeping in the chairs. James was unmoved. Lily sighed and pushed her hair back of her face. Lily burst into silent tears as soon as she looked at the man loved properly. Lily put her head down on James bed and sobbed. Lily didn't even bother trying to brush the tears away. There was no point. More tears would come, simple as that.
After what seemed an eternity, Lily's eyes dried out and she sucked in several deep breaths to steady herself. Lily looked at James face and took hold of his hand.
"Madam Pomfrey says that you can hear me. She said that if we talked to you it might make you want to come back to us. So, here goes. I'm scared. I don't want you to die and I sure as hell don't want you to have brain damage. I want you to come back exactly as you were. I want to see your smile again. I want to see your beautiful eyes and I want you to see me. I want to hear you ask me out again. I've actually missed that. But that could be because I want the chance to say 'yes'. So, please, come back. If not for me, then come back for Sirius and Remus and Peter and your parents. Come back for everyone that cares about you. Please, come back exactly how you were before those Bludgers hit you. I don't want to lose you, James." Fresh tears over came Lily. She put her head back down on the edge of the bed. Great sobs shook her entire body. She couldn't breathe but she didn't care. All she wanted was for James to come back. She needed him to come back.
…
I'm scared…
James could hear. He could someone talking to him. But who? He couldn't pick the voice. It was a girl. She sounded sad but he didn't know why. Then it hit him. Lily. Beautiful Lily was talking to him. Confessing to him.
I want to hear you ask me out again…
It couldn't be Lily. She didn't want that. Or maybe she did. It was her. It had to be.
I don't want to lose you, James…
He liked how his name sounded when she said it. It sounded good. What was that noise? Crying, someone was crying. Lily. She was crying for him. He felt a slight pressure on the bed next to his arm. Her head was there. James slowly forced his eyes to open. Lily was hunched over next to him. Sobs shook her small frame and she couldn't breathe properly. James concentrated very hard and managed to move his hand. It was only a slight movement but it took all his effort. Lily didn't notice. James closed his eyes and breather in. he concentrated even hard and lifted his hand. He placed it gently on Lily's exposed arm. Lily bolted up and stared at him with a tear stained face.
"James?" James swallowed and smiled at her. "Oh my god, James!"
"Shh," James whispered. Lily fell silent and stared at him, waiting for him to speak. It took an incredible amount of effort but he managed. "Lily… I could hear… you… talking to me. I heard… everything." At this Lily bit her lip and blushed. James smiled again. "I'm… fine. I'm all here. If you think… that a Bludger… can kill… me… you're… wrong. Takes more… than that… to kill… a… Potter. You… aren't going… to lose me. I'm not… going… anywhere. I'm glad… you think… that I have… beautiful eyes. So do you. I have to… ask you… something. Lily… do you… want to… go to… the… Christmas Ball with… me?"
Lily answered without hesitation. "Yes, I would love to." Lily smiled and kissed James cheek lightly. When she straightened up, she smiled again.
"Madam Pomfrey!"