Her body felt as though it were on fire. Her broken bones made every inhalation excruciatingly painful, and her muscles burned as if someone had stretched her over miles and miles. Nausea consumed her body, and her head felt as if it were being drilled into her pillow. The only relief she had was the contrast of the cool, crisp sheets that she lay between. The light battered against her eyes, battling to forcibly gain entrance, but her lids were too heavy and swollen to allow it.

"Constant vigilance," she groaned. Her hand instinctively went to her throat, but she did not feel what she was searching for. It was not until that moment that she became aware of the presence of others in the room with her.

"James. James!" a female voice said urgently.

"Whasat, Lily?" a sleepy male voice answered.

"She's awake!" Lily said. There was the distinct sound of someone bolting upright in their chair. She felt eyes gazing upon her intently. She then experienced a cool, gentle hand lying across her burning cheek. She let out a whimper in pain.

"Hey, there," Lily's soothing voice coaxed. "Could you open your eyes for me?"

"Light," her dry throat murmured.

"James, pull the sash," Lily ordered.

Relief draped itself over her exhausted body and pounding nerves as the curtains were pulled together. She was then able to carefully ease her eyelids open halfway. She let out a weak sigh and feebly turned her head to look at her comforter. Lily had beautiful auburn curls, which were pulled back over her shoulder, and sparkling green eyes the color of emeralds. A handsome, messy-haired boy lurked behind her, as if afraid of disturbing her in her delicate state.

"It's good to see you awake," said Lily kindly, now fussing with a pitcher of water and a glass. Gently she supported her head and helped her gulp down a few pitiful sips.

"How long have I been asleep?" she asked weakly.

"About a day and a half," said Lily, plumping the invalid's pillow and replacing it under her brown, thick curls.

"What happened to me?" she asked, closing her stinging eyes.

"We wanted to ask you that, actually," Lily replied. Had her eyes been open, she would have seen the expression of distress and dismay that was beginning to creep over Lily's face.

"The nurse will want to know your name," Lily said in a lighter tone.

"Will you tell it to me so that I can tell her?"

She rubbed her temples.

"Umm…" Lily glanced sidewise at James, and it did nothing for her own worries to see that he was concerned as well.

"Hmm…" she tried again. She lay in silence for a few moments before making a rather bald-faced and out of the blue statement.

"I'm a witch."

Lily nodded.

"Yes, we know. We found your wand among your things."

Her eyes peeled back again. They surveyed the room before finding the object of their search- a pile of clothing on the table at the foot of her bed. A set of vibrant, violet robes were neatly folded, with a pair of lilac slippers next to them. She noticed with a weakening of her stomach that they were covered in blood. Her blood. Lily saw this and hastily explained,

"We wanted to wait for you to wake up before we actually cleaned them. We didn't want to because we felt it was wrong to make any sort of alteration without your consent."

She made a weak attempt at a laugh.

"I think I would have been alright if you had wanted to go ahead and remove my blood off my clothing." Lily looked uncomfortable, and just cleared her throat.

A wand was laid carefully over her robes, as well as a strange-looking device that was an hourglass on a chain. Upon her further examination, she saw that it was scorched.

"What's that necklace sort of thing? The burned one?" she asked, feebly lifting her hand to point to it.

"We don't know. Even Professor Dumbledore couldn't figure it out," James supplied, speaking to her directly for the first time.

"Oh," she replied softly.

"Who is Professor Dumbledore?"

"He's the headmaster. You're at Hogwarts right now. Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Oh." Her eyelids were beginning to flutter again. She looked in Lily's direction, and for the first time was able to openly view her troubled expression. She appeared to be having some sort of internal struggle, because she was pacing, and muttering; trying to reason things out with herself. Finally, she stopped, and placed her hand over hers.

"Excuse my bluntness, but do you remember anything? I mean, before your, er, accident."

She sat up a little more in the bed, but her strength was so small, she collapsed again.

"Yes," she said slowly, considering.

Lily let out a long sigh of relief.

"What do you remember?"

"Well, I- I remember spells. Lots of spells. And potions. Potions especially," she answered. She seemed to be picking over her entire, exhausted brain to think of anything else that she remembered. Lily's darkened expression returned.

"Is that all?" she inquired tentatively.

She nodded.

"Do you remember your parents?"

A small shake of the head was the reply she got.

"Do you remember your friends? Your teachers?"

Another no.

"Do you remember anyone? Do you remember anything else? Maybe, a holiday you went on, or- or, maybe a Quidditch match?" Lily asked desperately.

She shook her head again. Tears leaked down her cheeks. She was too tired to cry; yet the situation overwhelmed her. As fear, desperation, worry and despair crept over her spirit, sleep overcame her body. Her eyes flickered, and shut. Her breathing slowed and steadied; peace relaxed her face. Lily herself began to cry just at the sight of it. She cast a sorrowful look at this poor, poor, girl and took James's hand. She burrowed her face into his chest and he pulled her into his embrace. Stroking her hair and kissing her brow, he murmured comfortingly,

"Everything will turn out all right, Lils. For now, let's let her sleep. Right now it's the only thing that can ease her pain."