I discovered I received only 4 reviews for last chapter when I have 25 people alerted to my story and 55 hits?

I think more reviews are in order.

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Chapter Fourteen, Interruption

Her second and third books were overwhelming successes. As soon as they hit the shelves, they were sold out. Second printings were beginning. Lily Warner did not know what to do with all of the money that was flying her way besides funnel it into charities, which is what she was constantly doing. As a result of these numerous and generous donations, she was asked to attend a gala held by all of the Ministers of Magic across the world. Only the most famous, most influential witches and wizards of the world were invited, and Lily was lucky enough to be one of them.

She had absolutely nothing to wear to an event of this magnitude, of course, and so she was out shopping for a lovely and extravagant gown. It was unfathomable to her that she, of all people, was considered to be worthy of attending this event.

Her husband Scott had been so good about this whole situation. Instead of getting intimidated or jealous of Lily's success, he had been entirely supportive of her. The only thing he had been slightly jealous of was not receiving an invitation to attend this gala with his wife. Lily could never have asked for a better husband. Scott was all of the things she needed. The happiness from her wedding day had not faded. The poem Scott recited during the exchange of their vows rang true.

It wasn't as difficult to live with someone as Lily expected it to be. The most trying ordeal was combining their financial accounts and insurance policies. They had quickly settled into a rhythm of cooking, cleaning, and laundry, which was made easier by their wands. Scott had found a job in his field of expertise and was doing very well. Lily was still writing, and she wanted to open a bookstore, but that was still in the idea stages. Their house was a moderate size, not something one would expect for such a rich couple. The two-story house had three bedrooms, a sitting room, living room, kitchenette, dining room, and two bathrooms. Lily had transformed one of the bedrooms into a work room, since they had no other need for it…for now. They had not really had the children conversation yet, except to decide that now was not the time for them. Scott and Lily were a newly married pair with lives entirely too busy to accommodate kids. Lily was fine with this decision. She wanted a few years with her new husband before they added members to their family.

This dress Lily currently had on her body might make Scott want to attempt to have children early, however, because it looked absolutely smashing on her in the dressing room mirror. The price tag read £500, but this was a situation that called for some splurging. She took the dress off, exited the dressing room, and checked out at the counter, excited with her purchase and with the impending promise of the evening. She was Apparating into London, so she did not have to waste the day driving. Then she was to spend the night at her parents' house, since it was close by. It would be the first night that Lily would not be sleeping in the same bed as Scott since their marriage. She assumed that she would be too tired and full of adrenaline tonight, and would not even notice.

The house was empty when she arrived. Scott was still at work and would be until after Lily left for the gala. Lily wasn't exactly fond of coming home to an empty house, but she did it often. She was holding a part-time job as a sales associate at a bookstore within walking distance from her home, and often came home hours before Scott, whose work hours were sporadic and unpredictable. Her agent wanted another book finished by the end of the year, so Lily was supposed to be writing when she came home. Normally, instead of doing this, she fixed dinner, cleaned, or read. Tonight, however, she had to get ready for the grand event she was to attend.

Personally, she was thinking about getting a pet. Garrett and Lucile had a pet in their lovely Grecian home. A cat named Louis, to be precise. Lucile called it their "preparation for a real baby"; though, now that she was two months pregnant, Louis would just be a cat. Lily had gotten the phone call nearly a month ago, after Lucile returned from the doctor. Lucile had actually told Lily before she told Garrett. They apparently were not planning on having children for another few years. Somehow, their plan was ruined. Thus, Lucile had been afraid of telling Garrett the news. Lily, after expressing her jubilation, had managed to bring Lucile's panic down to a dull roar. Garrett, of course, was even more ecstatic about the news than Lily. Now, they were looking for houses on the market in England, because that was where they wished to raise their child. Lily knew that they did not have the financial means to move across countries, and then support an infant (and a cat). Therefore, she was planning on buying them a house. She wanted to present this gift to them at Lucile's baby shower, which was taking place in two months. She had not informed Scott of this idea yet, but she was sure that he could be fine with it. Lily wanted her friends to be as well off as they possibly could.

Lily could not help but dancing madly around the house as she primped for the party. The excitement was uncontainable. Her new dress looked fantastic on her and she was having a particularly good hair day. Hair could be fixed with a few well-said spells, but it was nice to have the completely natural look. The clock on the bedroom wall informed her that she was behind schedule. She hurried to gather the rest of her things into her clutch bag and penned a quick note to her husband.

Scott—I'll miss you tonight. I hope you had a wonderful day. I'll call you when I get back to Mum and Dad's. Have a good night, darling. I love you. Then, she walked outside to Apparate to the Apparation point near the festivities.

Apparation had never been her favorite pastime. Still, it was a quick and easy way to get around. Once, she had been so frazzled that she had splinched herself and left one of her toes in London. That was a rather traumatic experience, and Lily had no intention of repeating the episode. Now, she made sure to concentrate completely on her destination.

A handful of people were gathered at the Apparation point, looking absolutely dashing in their fancy dress. Lily followed some of them around the street corner to the enormous venue where the gala was being held. Paparazzi of all kinds were lining the red carpet leading up to the door. Lily was suddenly nervous. She had forgotten that these people attending the dinner with her were important enough for the press to put them in tabloids and newspapers across the world. These people were international stars.

Her father had been to two of these events, when they first began, after the defeat of Voldemort. The purpose of gathering all Ministry officials from every country, as well as various diplomats, researchers, and journalists, was to devise a front to prevent the rise of another Dark Lord. Naturally, her father had attended the first two, because he defeated Voldemort and knew much about him and his past. That was twenty years ago. Now, since their program was fully in place, the gala had expanded and gained an extravagant reputation of being the best annual Wizarding event in the world.

The inside of the building was gorgeous. The ceiling was incalculably tall. Intricate chandeliers were dangling high above the heads of the many guests. Hundreds of important people were wandering through a maze of decorative tables. Lily couldn't help but gaze around the room, mouth agape. There were radio personnel, marine biologists, diplomats, botanists, Ministry officials, actors, photographers, researchers, spokespersons, novelists, charity founders…everyone that filled the covers of the magazines filled the hall. Lily could not believe it.

"Excuse me, are you Lily Potter?" a middle-aged man was approaching her. He was plump and smiling. His tuxedo fit snugly around him, and he had a red bowtie on.

"Lily Warner, actually," she corrected, returning his smile.

"Ah, yes, I heard about your wedding. Last year, was it? Oh, but where are my manners? Porgous Brockman," he introduced himself, extending a hand. "So glad to meet you. I've read all of your books, of course. Such a fan, such a fan." He shook her hand jovially.

"It's very nice to meet you," Lily said.

"I could never write, myself," he said. "No, no; I'm a researcher, myself. Test tubes and charts. I do admire you though, dear, telling the truth as you do. Fabulous, fabulous. I'd love to chat with you later, but right now I must go to the bar. Yes, yes, I need my martini. It was lovely to meet you."

With that, Porgous Brockman headed off to the bar, leaving Lily clutching her clutch. She was rather amused by her first encounter with the famous. She hoped that many more encounters would occur tonight. Just then, her clutch began to vibrate. Curious, she opened it and looked at her mobile. The phone did not recognize the number. Eyebrows knitted together, she answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Hello, Mrs. Lily Warner? This is St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. We have a Mr. Scott Warner here in our Dai Llewellyn Ward for serious bites."

Lily's heart stopped. "Is he all right?" she asked, panicking.

"The healers are caring for him, madam," the woman said. "You may receive more details when you arrive."

"T-thank you," Lily said unsteadily. Her hands were shaking. Her brain was in panic mode. After she hung up the phone, she rushed out of the building, back down the red carpet amidst the flashes of the cameras. Her gown was hindering her dash to the Apparation point, so she pulled it upward off of her shins and continued to run. When she got there, she had to stop and take deep breaths to concentrate on what she had to do. Scott was in St. Mungo's, but she had to Apparate. She closed her eyes and was sucked through a tight tube to an alley a few blocks from the hospital. She hurried to the deserted store window and walked through it. The woman at the reception desk told her that Scott was occupying the room right down the hall. Lily's heart was pounding so loudly that she was having trouble hearing anything else.

Scott was lying there, unconscious, a healer standing over him. Lily's breathing was heavy. Her husband's entire torso was wrapped in a bandage. The healer's wand was out, and he seemed to be performing some intricate spells over Scott's body.

"E-excuse me," Lily gasped, hoping for breath. The healer finished his spell and turned around.

"Hello there," said the healer. "You must be Mrs. Warner. I am Healer Stein."

"How is he?" Lily asked.

"He was bitten by an Erkling on the job. He isn't in any pain right now. I've done all I can for him for now. We will have to wait until tomorrow to see what to do next."

"Will he be okay?"

"He's lost a lot of blood, Mrs. Warner. I'm sorry, but it is too early to tell whether he will make it."

Lily's knees gave way and she slumped onto the floor. A million thoughts were zinging through her head; the prominent one was that Scott could die. Scott could die. Her husband could die. The love of her life.

The healer came over and helped her stand. "Why don't you go and sit in the waiting room. The colleague of Mr. Warner's who brought him in is waiting there as well." Healer Stein led Lily to the waiting room, where Lily spotted Mason, Scott's co-worker. He came over to her and took her from the Healer.

"Oh, Mason!" Lily exclaimed, flinging her arms around him. Her knees were still weak, so she leaned on Mason for full support. Then the tears began to fall. Suddenly, she was shaking with sobs. Mason led her to one of the uncomfortable chairs, stumbling over her beautiful gown on the way. "He could die!"

"Shh," Mason said, holding her tightly against him and rubbing her back. "He's not going to die, Lily. He loves you too much to do that. We just need to be strong for him."

Lily continued to cry into his button-down, soaking the shoulder through. "I can't live without him, Mason, I can't!" she cried.

"You won't have to, Lily. You won't have to."

Lily couldn't help thinking about their first date, back in fifth year. He had been so sweet to her then. They had coffee on that first date, even though Lily did not care for the beverage. For years afterward, he thought she loved it, because of that date. She always drank it when he offered, as well, since it reminded her of that day. Finally, after graduation, she told him that she wasn't partial to the drink. He had just laughed about it. He had appreciated her reason for drinking it whenever he offered it, as she knew he would. Scott understood all of her quirks. He loved her. And now he could possibly die.

The healer finally came to tell her that she could go and see her husband. She sent Mason home and went to sit by her lover's side. He was still unconscious. Distress was etched upon his face in his potion-induced sleep. The helplessness and vulnerability was obvious as he lay in the hospital bed. The arms that always held Lily so tightly and lovingly lay useless at his sides. Machines next to him monitored his vital signs. His heartbeat appeared to be steady enough, but that was the only machine Lily knew how to read. The sight brought still more tears to her eyes. She reached over and grasped Scott's unresponsive hand.

"You can't leave me, Scott, do you hear me?" she whispered to him in a wobbly voice. "You'll get through this, I know you will. I love you too much. We only got married last year, remember? We've got to have a family. I've got to tell you about this crazy guy I met tonight." She sniffled. "And you have to see me in this dress. I know you'll like it. We've still got lives to live, darling." She stood, leaned over him, and kissed his forehead. "I love you."

She sat by his side for uncountable minutes, staring at him anxiously. Suddenly, the whirring heart-rate machine began to buzz. Lily's panic mode kicked back in. She knew that meant that something was bad. "Excuse me!" she cried. "Someone!" She rushed out of the hospital room and into the hall. Three healers were rushing down the hallway towards her, pushing her aside into the corridor.

One of them began to yell orders at the other two. Lily hung back in the room, but they closed the door on her. The panic increased and her breath left her. Hyperventilation began, and the tears came with it. Something bad had just happened, and she had no idea what was going on. Lily fell into a chair and shoved her head between her knees, trying to steady her breathing. The huge skirt of her dress was hindering her breathing even further. She tried to tell herself that he was not going to die, but the fear was to overwhelming for her to convince herself of this. All of a sudden, she felt a hand upon her back, and then an arm around her. She did not bother to look up.

"What's happened?" asked a panicky voice. That was when Lily looked up and saw her mother and father, as well as Scott's parents. Mason was the one who had his arm around her.

Scott's mother appeared to be extremely panicky, wondering why the door of her son's hospital room was closed. "I don't know what happened," Lily gasped. "Buzzing…and…" No other words came through her heavy breathing. She leaned into Mason's chest for the second time that night.

"Shh…Lily. Shh…"

Lily felt lightheaded. "Oh, darling," her mother sighed, bending down to be at her daughter's eye level. Scott's father was holding his wife tightly. Somewhere in the mix, Lily's father replaced Mason. Lily's dizziness made her lose track of the time. The scenario of her life without Scott would not leave her head. She could not live without him. She absolutely could not. It was not an option.

Hysteria had now taken over all logic and she wrenched herself from her father's grasp and flung herself at the door of the room where her husband was lying, possibly dying. She cried against the door. Someone removed her from it, holding her to them while all rational thoughts vanished from her head. She needed to see Scott: that was the bottom line. This door was preventing her from doing that. Therefore, the door needed to be removed from the situation.

She tore herself from the grasp of whoever was holding her back and turned the door handle. Surprisingly, it relented and she pushed the door away. The healers looked at her in surprise. Healer Stein quickly ushered her back out the door again, leading her over to a chair as she fought against him.

"Mrs. Warner, your husband will be all right," he said loudly.

She stopped fighting.

"He has lost a lot of blood, but we have managed to stabilize him."

Lily was much too fatigued to feel the elation now filling her body, replacing the gradually diminishing terror. Her body could not handle this barrage of varying emotions.

Lily's mother had been in St. Mungo's with a virus, once. It was not life-threatening, thank Merlin, but Lily had still been scared out of her wits. She had only been nine years old, then, and therefore was not allowed to sit by her mother's bed after nine o' clock. She had to wait in the waiting room all night for two nights in a row with James, after both of them refused to go home. Her father sat by her mother's bedside for fifty-eight straight hours while James and Lily played Exploding Snap and made get well cards for their mother. At first, Lily had trouble standing the smell of the hospital, but after being saturated in it for hours, she grew used to it. Her father always emerged from the room looking haggard, with bags under his eyes and a frown on his face.

Her mother had been perfectly fine after three days, but it was still too scary for Lily's taste. For a week afterward, she waited on her mother hand-and-foot, making sure she did not exert herself and bring the illness back.

The next thing she knew, her eyelids were fluttering open to reveal an off-white ceiling. A nice, soft bed was under her. It felt like her bed. Turning her head, Lily saw the sleeping form of her husband. He looked a little pale, but he was intact. The important thing was that he was alive. Lily propped herself up on her elbow and stared down at Scott, smiling. She did not know what day it was, or how long it had been since Scott was in the hospital. None of that mattered now. She reached over and pushed his hair out of his face before lying back down and cuddling up to him.

"I love you, darling," she murmured.

To her surprise, Scott's deep voice said, "I love you too," and he wrapped an arm around her body.

She smiled and snuggled closer to him. "I never, ever want you to scare me like that again, Mister Warner," she said seriously.

"I'm sorry, Lily. I promise to never get bitten by a man-eating beast again."

His comment was flippant, but Lily's eyes were welling up with tears at that pesky thought that she could have lost him in that hospital room. She breathed in sharply.

"Don't cry, love," he said soothingly, kissing her hair.

"Now, listen," Lily said, determined to fight the tears off, "I've decided that we need to take some preventative measures to keep this from happening again. First of all, you're going to quit your job. You obviously need a more docile occupation. I'm thinking that you would be good in the ice cream business. You could just stand behind a counter and sell ice cream and cones all day. There's no danger involved there. Ice cream can't hurt you, yogurt poses no threat. You're mostly dealing with children, and the worst they'll do is stick their tongues out. No one wants to rob an ice cream shop because a cone costs, what, £2? So—"

"Lil—"

"No, listen to me," Lily insisted. "We can move, if you want. We'll go somewhere where there are no large beasts…maybe an island where no one else is. That way there is no possible chance of injury. We'll pass our days on the beach."

"But what if I swim out too far and drown?" Scott wondered, a note of sarcasm in his voice.

"Scott, you need to take me seriously here," Lily said. "Do you not understand that I can't live without you?" The tears began to fall against her will.

Scott squeezed her more tightly to his body.

"Doesn't that hurt?" Lily sniffled, referring to the giant bite in her husband's side.

"Yes, but you're more important than pain. I'm sorry you had to miss your grand ball, Lil. I know how much you were looking forward to it, and I ruined everything for you."

"Darling, you're so much more important than any stupid old Ministry gala."

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