I OWN NOTHING!
This is just a little something I thought up at eight o'clock at night.
Enjoy!
James Sirius Potter enjoyed many things. He enjoyed Quidditch, girls, and spending time with friends. He enjoyed the feeling of being a hundred and fifty feet up in the air, the wind whipping through your hair. He enjoyed sitting on the bank of the Lake and snogging his girlfriend, Lauren. He enjoyed sneaking out with his best mate, Leo, and going to the kitchens for a midnight snack, or sneaking out to Hogsmeade to go the candy and Quidditch shops.
He also did not enjoy many things. He did not enjoy schoolwork, getting harped on by McGonagall, or having to put up with his little brother and sister. Schoolwork was just a distraction, in his mind. What was the point? He really didn't understand it. McGonagall was just… McGonagall. She didn't have to do anything, really. She just got on his nerves. And Lily and Albus were always right there when he didn't want them to be. Lily worst of all. She clung to him like a Sticking Charm.
"James, will you come with me to the Lake?"
"James, can I hang out with you today? My friends are all off doing something else."
"James, can you show me how to do this charm?"
"James, is there like some kind of special way to say this? I can't get it."
And now, she was asking him yet another question.
"James?" Lily asked timidly, walking up to him and lightly touching his shoulder. "Can you help me with my Potions essay?"
"No," James snapped, looking up from his own homework. "I've helped you enough. Go get Albus to help you. I'm not."
James ignored the tears in his sister's eyes and went back to his work.
"S-sorry," she whispered, turning away and walking back to her own table. She hurriedly put away her books, not even bother to ask Albus, who was sitting two tables away, and practically ran out of the library. Albus glared at James furiously, put away his books, and hurried after Lily.
"James," Lauren said gently. "You shouldn't be so mean to your sister."
James rolled his eyes, "It's not my fault she's so damn annoying."
"She just wanted help with her homework," Lauren said. "You could've at least tried."
"Look," James snapped. "Just because you and your sister don't have the best relationship doesn't mean that you can tell me how to handle mine."
Lauren glared at him furiously and stood, "What's happened to you, James Potter? Ever since you became Head Boy, you've been a right ass. Get yourself together, or stay away from me."
And she stormed away.
Albus found his sister on the Astronomy Tower. It was her favorite spot to sit and think. It was his too. Whenever they upset they would come up here and talk about it. Albus wasn't all that surprised to find his little sister in tears, but it still pained him, knowing that James hurt Lily this way.
She had her knees tucked to her chest and her face buried in her arms. Her body shook with silent sobs.
"Lily," he said quietly.
Lily looked up and furiously wiped away her tears. "Why does he do that?" she murmured, her voice hoarse and thick with tears. "I only wanted help with my Potions essay. I asked him because he's the best at Potions out of all three of us."
Albus sat beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. "Maybe he's just stressed," he suggested. "He's Head Boy and he's taking his NEWT's this year. He's got a lot of stuff on his shoulders too."
"I hate it," Lily said, leaning against her brother. "I hate that him being like that does this to me."
"Lily, you've looked up to James since you were born," Albus said. "He was your knight in shining armor ever since you were old enough to grab someone and never let go. And you were his baby sister. He loved you more than anything. He adored you. I don't know what's happened to him."
Lily sniffed.
"Lily? Albus?" said a quiet voice from the doorway.
Lauren stood there, shifting her feet uncomfortably.
"Hi, Lauren," Lily said quietly. "I thought you were with James?"
"I came to apologize for his behavior," Lauren said, stepping forward. "May I?"
"Of course," said Albus.
Lauren sat beside them and said, "I don't know what's gotten into him. He used to be this really sweet and caring guy, and now he's—forgive me, Lily—a real asshole. I told him that he shouldn't be mean to you, and he told me that I shouldn't tell him how to handle you. I think we're done."
Lily sat up, "Lauren…"
"No, no," Lauren said, waving a hand. "It's been coming since he became Head Boy."
"That's when he started changing," Albus said quietly, pulling Lily back to his side. "When he got the letter, he became arrogant and smug all the time. He kept himself locked up in his room, and whenever he came down, he had that stupid badge pinned to his chest and he would strut around as if he were some king."
"He was like Uncle Percy, in the stories Uncle George used to tell," Lily said.
Albus ruffled her hair and said, "C'mon, lion. Let's go finish our homework."
The next morning, Lily sat down beside her best friend Rose and Hugo (her Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione's kids) and Albus at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall.
"Hey, Lily!" Hugo greeted happily. Scooting over a bit to make room for her.
"Hey, Hugo," Lily greeted back, yawning slightly. "Hi, Rose, Albus."
"Lily," Rose greeted, smiling warmly at her cousin.
"Hiya, Lils," said Albus, grinning at her.
"Hey, Ashlyn," Lily said politely as the black-headed girl sat a few seats down from her. She was Lily's Uncle Percy and Aunt Penny's only daughter.
Said girl nodded at her politely and filled her cup with milk. Fred, Uncle George and Aunt Angelina's son, plopped down next to Lily, slinging an arm around her. "Hey, Lils!" he greeted cheerily. "How's my favorite cousin?"
Lily laughed and filled her cup with pumpkin juice. Abe wrinkled his nose in disgust, "How do you drink that?"
Lily grinned and shrugged, "It's good." She took a sip and frowned, "But today it tastes funny."
"It tastes funny everyday."
"No—taste it!"
"No," Albus held up his hands. "I am not drinking that."
Lily huffed and put her glass down. "The one thing you and dad don't have in common, and it's whether or not you like pumpkin juice."
Hugo looked at her curiously, "Uncle Harry likes pumpkin juice?"
Abe was the one that snorted this time, "Like it? More like loves it. Mum finally stopped buying it because he would drink five glasses a day."
Fred grinned, "I never knew that about Harry."
"Well as fun as this is," said Rose, grabbing her bag and standing. "I want to get to Potions early so I can talk to Professor Johnson about the essay I have to right."
"But Rosie!" Lily whined playfully. "Breakfast just started!"
Rose rolled her eyes, "I'm not hungry."
And she walked away.
Later that night, after curfew, when they were all in the Common Room, Lily started to get a headache. At first, she thought nothing of it, as she got headaches often. But when the dull throb started to feel like the pounding of drums, she started to notice. She lifted her hand to her forehead. She was warm.
"You alright, Lils?" asked Albus, looking up from his Transfiguration paper.
"Feel my head," Lily said.
Albus lifted the back of his hand to her forehead and frowned. "You're burning up," he said. "You should probably go to this hospital wing."
"It's after curfew," said Lily, messaging her temples to try and ease the ache. "I can't go alone. Will you come with me?"
"I'm not a Prefect, Lily," Abe reminded her. "I can't. Ask James."
Lily sighed and hesitantly walked over to her brother. "James? Can you take me to the hospital wing? My head hurts really badly."
James sighed exasperatedly and looked up at her, "You get headaches all the time, Lily."
"Yeah, but Albus said I'm burning up. And it hurts really bad," Lily said. "Please, Jamie."
"Don't call me that," James snapped and he turned back to his homework. "I've got homework, Lily."
Lily turned away.
"Come on, Lily," said Rose, who'd been listening to the whole conversation. "Since your brother won't take you and I'm a Prefect, I'll take you."
"Thanks, Rose," Lily said as they walked out the portrait door.
"Where are you two headed?" asked the Fat Lady suspiciously.
"Hospital Wing," replied Rose briskly.
They got closer to the Hospital Wing and the pain in Lily's head started to get worse. She rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes. "You alright?" Rose asked.
"Yeah," Lily nodded. "Let's just hurry up and get Madam Pomfrey. It hurts."
Rose nodded, took her arm, and guided her in the direction of the Hospital Wing. They got closer and closer and Lily started to feel dizzy. She leaned against the wall for support and closed her eyes again. "Lils?" Rose's voice sounded far away. "Lily, look at me!"
Lily shook her head, trying to get rid of the dizziness, but the action only made her dizzier.
"Can't…" she mumbled, "…dizzy…"
And she collapsed into an unconscious heap on the floor, not hearing Rose's panicked screech of "LILY!"
Rose burst into the Gryffindor Common room breathlessly. She looked around frantically, searching for James and Albus.
"James!" she gasped when she finally saw him. She rushed over, "You and Albus need to come with me to the Hospital Wing, now!"
James looked up curiously, "What is it?"
"Just get Albus!" she said. "I'll explain on the way there."
James nodded wordlessly and hurried off to get his brother. He came back three minutes later with his brother in tow. "What's up?" Albus asked. "Where's Lily?"
"Come with me," Rose turned and walked quickly out the portrait again, James and Albus hurrying along behind her. "It's Lily," she explained, still breathless, an underlying tone of panic in her voice. "We were on our way to the Hospital Wing because of her headache. She got dizzy and leaned against the wall. I told her look at me, but she said she couldn't because she was dizzy. And then she just, like, passed out. I managed to get her to the Hospital Wing and Madam Pomfrey called McGonagall. McGonagall told me to come get you two—James, wait up!"
When James heard of Lily passing out, he forgot of all his previous frustrations with his sister and had broken out at a sprint.
He made it to the Hospital Wing in less than four minutes and had burst through the doors. Lily lay on one of the beds, her eyes closed. She was pale as a ghost. McGonagall stood by her bedside, looking grim.
"What happened?" James asked, kneeling beside Lily.
"We don't know, yet," said McGonagall. "Madam Pomfrey is about to run some tests."
Albus and rose came in the room. Abe paled at the sight of his sister. "What happened?" Albus asked. "She said she only had a headache!"
"As I was telling your brother," the Headmistress said, not even bothering to hide the worry in her voice, "we don't know yet. It's not often that a student drops like that from just a headache." She turned to Rose, "Rose, would you go to my office and floo Harry and Ginny? They need to know. The password's Quidditch."
Rose nodded and ran out of the Hospital Wing.
James kissed Lily's forehead, wincing when he felt how hot she was and stood, walking to Albus and placing a hand on his shoulder. Albus sank down into the chair beside her bed with a sigh. McGonagall game them a small, sympathetic smile.
"Uncle Harry! Aunt Ginny!" Rose called into the fire.
"Just a minute!" she faintly heard Harry call.
A minute later, Harry Potter came striding into the room. "Hey, Rose," he greeted.
"Uncle Harry," she said breathlessly. "You and Aunt Ginny need to come to Hogwarts."
"What's wrong?" Ginny asked, coming from the kitchen and wiping her hands on a towel.
"Lily's in the Hospital Wing," she said noticing how both Harry and Ginny froze. "We don't know exactly what's happened. She said she had a headache and just… passed out. Professor McGonagall wants you both to come here."
Harry nodded and said shakily, "We'll be there in a moment."
Rose nodded and pulled her head out of the fir. A moment later, Harry and Ginny came out of the fire.
"Come on," Rose said, leading them out the door and to the Hospital Wing.
Harry was the first one through the Hospital Wing doors. "Ah, Lils," he sighed, kneeling beside his daughter and putting his hand on her forehead.
"Hey, dad, mum," James said quietly. Albus sat in the chair beside Lily's bed with his head in hands. James stood behind him with a hand on his shoulder.
Ginny, who'd been standing in the doorway with Rose, staring at Lily, stepped forward and hugged each of her son's briefly. She then sat at the very edge of Lily's bed and ran her fingers through her daughter's red hair.
"Ah, Harry, Ginny," said McGonagall, walking back into the room.
"Professor," Harry said, standing. "Do we know what's happened, yet?"
McGonagall shook her head, "When we couldn't wake her, Pomfrey took some blood and is running some tests. She should be finished and have an answer any minute."
Ginny put her hand on Lily's forehead. "She's burning up, Harry," she said with a shaking voice.
Harry walked over to her and pulled her in to a hug. "It's alright, Ginny," he murmured in her ear.
Madam Pomfrey stepped out of her office, looking grim and oddly teary-eyed.
"Madam Pomfrey!" James said.
Albus looked up. Harry looped an arm around his wife's waist and said, "What's wrong with her, Poppy?"
Madam Pomfrey hesitated for a second, took a deep breath and said, "Poison. She's been poisoned."
"It's my fault, dad," James whispered ten minutes later. Madam Pomfrey had informed them that the poison was deadly and that there was no known cure. She had said that she didn't know if this was done accidentally or if someone had intentionally harmed Lily. They had spent those ten minutes letting the information sink in. Ginny was now sobbing into Harry's shoulder and Harry looked close to tears himself. Albus had collapsed against James with his head burrowed into his shoulder. McGonagall had excused herself, saying that she was going to inform their cousins and floo their relatives.
James felt his brother stiffen.
Harry looked up sharply, "What?"
"She… she came to me and said that she had a headache and asked if I would take her to the Hospital Wing," James said, casting his eyes to the floor and tightening his arms around his brother. "I told her that she got headaches all the time and that I had homework to do. I should've gone with her…"
Harry sighed and detached himself from Ginny. He pulled James from Albus, allowing Ginny to wrap her arms around her youngest son. Harry pulled James into a hug and murmured, "You couldn't have prevented it, James. You heard Madam Pomfrey."
James nodded and rested his head against his father's shoulder.
You were being so mean to her, said a sly voice in his head. The last thing she'll ever remember of you is how you hated her.
James shut his eyes tightly, but the tears still leaked from them. He felt his dad tighten his arm around him.
It's your fault, the voice whispered in his ear. It's your fault.
The entire Weasley and Potter family sat huddled around the bed of their youngest family member. Teddy sat with James and Albus on the bed beside Lily's, an arm around each of their shoulders. Harry and Ginny sat with Ron and Hermione on the other bed. Ron had an arm around Harry's shoulders and Hermione had an arm around Ginny's. Both Ginny and Harry's eyes were red—the others didn't look too far from crying.
Lily lay on the bed, still motionless and ashen. According to Madam Pomfrey, her heartbeat was slowing by the hour. If she didn't wake up soon, Madam Pomfrey said that she wouldn't have long.
"I-I'm going for a walk," James murmured, standing. There was a small murmur of acknowledgement from the group.
He passed McGonagall on the way out, faintly hearing her say, "Harry, Ginny, may I speak to you in my office?" and practically sprinted down the hall, out the doors, and to the Lake.
There, he plopped down on the bank, pulled his knees to his chest, and let the tears fall. He'd been strong. For his mother and brother and father. He'd been strong for everyone, even Lily. But he couldn't be strong anymore. It was his fault…
"James?" a soft voice asked from beside him.
He jerked his head toward the voice and saw Lauren staring there, worry evident in her eyes. "Lauren…" he murmured, furiously wiping away his tears. "I… I'm sorry… I was a jerk…"
Lauren stared at him sadly, and then sat down beside him, pulling him into her arms. It was then, that James finally broke down. He sagged into her arms, letting the grief and the worry and the pain wash over him in waves. His body shook with his violent sobs as he let down his mental barrier. He felt Lauren rubbing his back and murmuring in his ear over and over again, "It's okay. I forgive you."
When he finally calmed down after what seemed like hours, he just lay in her arms motionlessly. She ran her fingers through his hair and kept a firm hold on his waist. "I got your forgiveness," he whispered. "But will I ever get Lily's? Will she ever wake up to give it to me?"
Lauren tightened her hold on his waist and whispered in his ear, "She's going to be fine, Jamie. I'm sure of it."
James flinched. Lily had called him Jamie that night… when she had asked him to take her to the Hospital Wing… She had called him that and he had snapped at her—he had told her not to call him that. He had seen the tears in her eyes. He had seen the tears in her eyes when he snapped at her when she asked him to help her with her Potions essay and he had done nothing. He had let her hurt…
"It'll be alright, James," Lauren whispered again. "It'll be alright…"
"You mean to tell me," Harry said dangerously, "that someone poisoned my daughter. Intentionally tried to kill her?"
Only Ginny's hand on his kept him from raging through Hogwarts to find whoever did this. When he found out who did it…
"I'm sorry, Harry," McGonagall said softly. "Albus said that Lily had said that her pumpkin juice tasted odd yesterday morning. There was some still left in the goblet she had used and we tested it. The poison was inside the pumpkin juice."
"Who did it?" Harry said through gritted teeth.
"We don't know," McGonagall said, her eyes flashing. "We can't go around interrogating everyone in the school—"
"I WANT TO KNOW WHO POISONED MY DAUGHTER!" Harry roared, surging to his feet. "I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE TO USE A TRUTH SERUM ON EVERY SINGLE STUDENT!"
"Harry!" Ginny cried, jumping to her feet and wrapping her arms around her. "Please—"
"P-Professor McGonagall?" came a timid voice from the doorway.
A tiny, third year Slytherin boy stood there, wringing his hands. He had a guilty look on his face.
"What is it, Timothy?" McGonagall said sharply as Ginny guided Harry back into his seat.
"I-I've got something to tell you," he said.
"What is it?" the Headmistress said through gritted teeth.
"I-I know who poisoned P-Lily," he stuttered.
McGonagall straightened and said stiffly, "Come in."
The boy stepped in and looked hesitantly at Lily's parents. Ginny gave him an encouraging smile but Harry only glared furiously out the window.
"Who was it, Timothy?" McGonagall said, much more gently than before.
"Me…" the boy whispered.
Harry's head snapped to him and he glared at him with wide eyes. Ginny kept her arms tight around her husband to keep him from lunging at the poor boy.
"Why would you do that?" said Professor McGonagall.
"It was supposed to be a prank," the boy cast his gaze to the floor. "It was only supposed to turn her hair green, but I must've added the wrong ingredients or something. I put it in her Pumpkin juice yesterday morning… I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't know that it was poison."
McGonagall sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose, "It's alright, Timothy."
"Yes," Ginny agreed, giving Harry and gentle squeeze. "You didn't know. It's alright. We understand."
The boy smiled at her gratefully.
"You may go, Timothy," said Professor McGonagall. "You will not be punished."
Timothy smiled in obvious relief and practically sprinted out of the room.
Everything was quiet in Professor McGonagall's office for a long moment.
"Phoenix tears," Harry said suddenly. "We could try Phoenix tears. They heal anything."
"Harry, you heard Madam Pomfrey," Ginny said gently. "This poison isn't curable."
"It's worth a try, isn't it?" Harry turned to her. "I can't lose my daughter, Ginny."
Ginny nodded and ran her fingers through his hair, "Let's try it."
When they got back into the Hospital Wing, James was back and sitting with Teddy and Albus again. "We're going to try Phoenix tears," Harry announced as they came in.
Everyone looked up. Those who didn't know about Phoenix tears looked at then confusion.
"Healing powers," Ginny explained helpfully.
Harry took out a small vile of a pearly white liquid and sat down beside Lily on the bed. He opened her mouth, uncorked the vile, and gently poured the contents into her mouth. He massaged her throat until she swallowed.
They waited anxiously for over fifteen minutes with no reaction. Finally, Harry slumped, putting his head in hands. Ginny took his hand and said thickly, "I-I think it would be best if we all went home for the night."
They all nodded and slowly, everyone trickled out of the room.
Everyone except one.
James made his way over to Lily's bedside and kneeled down beside her. He ran his fingers through her hair and then leaned in close, whispering, "Lils, you've got to wake up. Everyone here is going crazy with you like this. Mum and dad won't make it if you don't. I won't make it if you don't."
He paused and then rested his forehead against the bed. He gripped her hand with his tightly and let the few tears that he had left leak out of his eyelids.
And then it happened
Gently, very gently, almost unnoticeably, Lily's hand squeezed his. James' head shot up and he stared at his sister. "Lily?" he whispered, leaning his face closer. "C'mon, Lils, you can do it. Wake up."
He could see her eyelids fluttering, but they refused to open. He saw her frown slightly, as if concentrating solely on opening her eyes.
"That's it, Lily-flower," he murmured encouragingly. "Open your eyes for me. Open your eyes."
"You… you haven't called me Lily-flower in forever," she whispered hoarsely. And finally, finally, her eyes fluttered open and her bright green orbs looked over at him. "You should call me that more often."
James laughed through his tears and surged forward, pulling his little sister into a bone crushing hug. "You're right," he said, shutting his eyes tight. He cupped the back of Lily's head and held it firmly against his chest, relishing in the fact that she was awake—she was alive—and she was wrapping her arms around him. "I should. I should."
"Jamie?" she said, feeling the sobs that shook his chest. "What's wrong?"
"I was just so worried," he whispered. "You were so sick and they didn't think that you'd… and I was so mean to you before… and I was just so afraid that you'd never forgive me—"
"Is that what you're worried about?" Lily looked up at him, her eyes wide.
James nodded, "I… I didn't realize just how mean I was being to you and how much it was hurting you until after… after… And I didn't take you to the Hospital Wing…"
Lily sat up as best she could and wrapped her arms around her brother's neck, hugging him tight. "I forgive you, Jamie," she whispered. "I forgive you."
James laughed, really laughed. He had never heard anything so wonderful in his life. His little sister was awake—alive—and she had forgiven him…
"James," Ron walked back into the Hospital Wing. "You need to come—"
He stopped short when he saw the bright green eyes looking at him. "Lily?" he gasped. "Lily!"
He sprinted back outside the Hospital Wing and they could hear him shouting, "Harry, Ginny, she's awake! Lily's awake!"
Less than a minute later, they heard the pounding of feet. Harry, Ginny, Albus, and everybody came bursting back into the room. "Lily!" gasped Ginny, surging forward and pulling her daughter from James' arms and into hers. "Oh, Lily!"
Everyone else crowded around them, pressing in, each eager to hug the youngest member of their family. James eased himself out of the crowd and stood off the side, grinning at his sister.
Teddy made his way out of the fray and walked over to James, wrapping an arm around him. "I guess everything turn out okay, huh?" he said, a grin on his face. "And all because of Phoenix tears."
"Yeah," James agreed. He thought of how Lauren had forgiven him, how his sister had forgiven him when he didn't deserve to be forgiven and couldn't keep the ecstatic grin off his face. "It did. All because of Phoenix tears."
Finally! It's done! I have been working on this for two weeks!
I hope you all enjoyed!
Review!
-the Girl with the Large Gasses