A/N: Yes, if any of you have read Nicola and the Viscount by Meg Cabot, this whole "ear" thing is taken from there when Nicola falls from the roof into Nathaniel's arms.

Lily blinked. Where was she?

She saw an ear. An ear attatched to a head covered in untidy black hair. She opened her eyes all the way and the Hospital Wing came into view. She was laying in a white, clean, bed next another bed in which James was laying.

"James! James!"

James turned over, a book in his hands, "Lily! You're awake."

Lily smiled, "What happened? All I can remember is...is you fighting the Imperius curse. And then I went unconscious. Oh James! You were so wonderful."

James shook his head, "Lils...you know I would never hurt you."

She smiled wider, "I do now. James, you fought off Voldemort. You saved me."

James shrugged, his face blushing, looking abashed, "Yes, well..."

"No, seriously, James. What can I ever do to repay you?"

James looked at her, a calculating gleam in his gaze, "Well, Lily...can I tell you something?"

"You can tell me anything, James."

He closed his eyes, then opened them slowly, "Lily, I...I...there's a reason why I asked you to go on that walk with me, and it's the same reason why I could throw off the Imperius curse."

"What's that?"

"Lily...I love you. And I had hoped that maybe on that walk, maybe, you would...fall in love with me, too."

Lily's gaze was utterly shocked. She didn't say a word.

James bit his lip, "Come on, Lils! You can't honestly think that once we became friends my feelings would disappear. If anything, they hightened."

"You-you threw off the Imperius curse because you...you..."

"Love you, yeah." said James.

Lily took in a deep breath, "James...be serious."

"I've never been more serious in my life, Lils." His penetrating gaze caught her full on, and she couldn't look away from those mesmerizing hazel eyes so full of...of...of love.

"Oh, no, James. You..."

"Love you. More than I've ever loved anyone in my life."

Lily's hands started to shake, "James, I..."

Madam Pomfrey walked into the Hospital Wing at that moment, "How are my brave students? How you survived that I shall never know. Thank goodness Albus was there."

James and Lily nodded politely at her.

She smiled warmly, "You two have some visitors who are threatening to break down my door if I don't let them in. I daresay it would be wise to do so."

Lily chuckled weakly and James nodded, "Yeah, it would."

She threw open the doors and six ruffled people fell into the Wing, stumbling.

Dorcas and Emmeline rushed over to Lily's bed while the four marauders congregated together.

"Are you guys okay?" asked Dorcas breathlessly, "We heard...we heard..."

James raised his eyebrows, "What did you hear?"

Emmeline and Dorcas hoisted themselves onto Lily's bed while Remus answered, "We heard that you ran into Voldemort."

Dorcas and Peter winced while the rest stayed calm at the mention of his name.

Lily nodded, "It's true. He tried to get James to kill me, but he fought valiantly. Thankfully, Dumbledore saved us once we blacked out."

"Oh my god!" mouthed Emmeline, silent in awe and shock.

Sirius was pale and clammy, not his usual suave self, "Mate, Prongs...I was so worried..."

James grinned, "First of all, Sirius, you sound like a bloody girl," Sirius scowled while the rest laughed appreciatively, "And second, you know I'm invincible. Nothing can do away with James Potter."

"Except Lily Evans, maybe." whispered Peter to James, careful not to let the girls overhear, waggling his eyebrows.

Remus elbowed Peter, "Shut it, Wormtail."

Lily looked over at James, "Well, actually...encountering Voldemort isn't the only thing of importance that has happened recently."

James frowned. She couldn't be talking about what he had told her about him loving her, could she? That was private.

But the next words out of Lily's mouth shocked James just as much as it shocked the rest, "I love James."

Dorcas fell off the bed, dragging Emmeline down with her. Sirius knocked a chair over, Peter looked taken aback, and Remus shouted, "WHAT?!"

But James did not join in their obvious displays of amazement. He looked over at Lily. Her sparkling green eyes met his deep hazel and they shared a smile. A secret smile. A smile of love.

Lily could feel her hand starting to sweat, and she was eternally thankful that James was wearing gloves. She stared down at her hand. She couldn't see it. James's was larger and his covered up hers. Though he wore gloves, and she couldn't feel his hand, she loved the warmth, the closeness of it. Such a simple thing. Holding hands. Yes, she sounded like a twelve year old with her first boyfriend, but it was things like this that made Lily love having James as a boyfriend, love having him as a friend, and love him, period. Holding hands, small pecks on the cheek between classes, an arm around her shoulders when they sat in the grass. Bliss. Pure bliss. Never before had she had this feeling. This feeling of unadulterated, pure, love.

James walked randomly through Hogsmeade, clutching Lily's hand. He looked down an smiled at her. She smiled back. It was weird. She felt so shy...but...it was just, James.

Sirius suddenly ran out of the owl post shop clutching a letter looking extremely harried. He skidded to a stop in front of James and Lily.

James frowned at him, "What's eating you, Padfoot?"

"I just...my uncle...he sent..." he stopped to catch his breath, "My uncle Alphard!"

Lily cocked her head bemusedly, "Sirius, why would someone in your family be writing to you? I thought they disowned you."

He shook his head, "No idea. Never liked Alphard. But...Prongs, guess what?!"

"What?"

He grinned widely, "He died!"

Lily stared at him, "Happy occasion?"

He waved his hand at her impatiently, "No, no, no. He died and left all his money to me!"

"What?!" cried James and Lily in unison.

He smiled at their expressions, "Yeah. I know. Unbelievable. But it's true. I swear."

James looked at him disbelievingly, "Sirius, mate, this is incredible."

"I know!" cried Sirius, "You know what this means?"

"What?"

He smirked, "Smart, aren't you Prongsie?"

James rolled his eyes, and Lily spoke up, "Go on, Sirius."

He sighed, "I can finally get my own place and get out of your hair."

James's eyes widened, "Padfoot, you don't have to-"

Sirius grinned wider, "It's okay, Prongs. You don't have to pretend. I know you want me gone."

And with that Sirius ran off to catch up with Peter and Remus in Zonko's.

James stared after him.

Lily squeezed his hand to remind him that she was still there, "Hey, Jamie. It's okay."

James twitched oddly, "What? There's nothing wrong."

"James," said Lily understandingly, "I know you don't want him to go. He's like your brother."

He shrugged, "I don't have any problem with it. In fact, I want him to go. I'll have my room to myself finally."

Lily stared into his guarded hazel eyes, "James, like Sirius said, you don't have to pretend with me. I know it's hard."

James sat down on a bench, pulling Lily down with him, then discreetly wiping his eyes, "I know it's stupid. I couldn't have thought that Sirius would want to stay with us forever."

Lily nodded understandingly.

James ruffled his hair in worry, "I was an idiot to think that he would stay. It's just...I'm going to miss him is all. He's my best mate, you know?"

"I know."

He turned to stare at her, "You get me."

She chuckled, "Whatever do you mean?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. Just...you get what I'm thinking, and what I'm feeling...you know. You get me like no one else does."

She smiled lovingly, "James, the only reason I get you is because you get me."

He smiled at her, "We get each other."

Peter sat down at the common room table. The room was deserted. He stared at the headline of The Daily Prophet. It read: Voldemort's supporters subject to torture by Barty Crouch.

He nodded. He agreed with Barty Crouch and his philosophies. These people were evil. Why not punish them? Why not fight fire with fire? They certainly deserved it, they way they were tearing families apart. Peter's own father had been killed by Mulciber and Avery. Two of You-know-who's death eaters who had been scarcely a year old than Peter. They had just graduated, and already they had joined forces with He-who-must-not-be-named. Evil. That was all they were, and they deserved to be treated with evil right back. Peter wanted these people punished for their crimes and for the injustice. He would stop at nothing to see to it that you-know-who and all of his death eaters got what they deserved.