A/N: Hello everyone! I'm so thankful for all of your reviews... let's keep them coming, and maybe, just maybe, get more people to review? (Please?) Anyways, this chapter was a bear to write, but since this is one of my last free days for weeks, I decided to try and get one last chapter out there for you guys. So...

Here is Chapter Eight of "And Then Came the Rain"!

Disclaimer: It's not mine. Too tired to write a creative disclaimer.

And Then Came the Rain

Chapter Eight

Encouragement, a Secret, and Comforting

James

The next weekend marked the start of the Quidditch season, with the first game, Hufflepuff versus Gryffindor. As my team changed into their robes in the locker room, I surveyed them nervously. Alice and Mary, the two girls, were changing with their backs to the rest of us guys. Frank was laughing at something Bryan McMahon had just said, and Jacob Thomas was sitting on a bench looking like he was going to be sick. Sirius was strapping on shin pads next to him, apparently trying to calm him down. I walked over.

"Hey, Jacob," I said, sitting next to him on his left. Sirius stood and nodded at me before sauntering over to where Mary and Alice had just finished changing, to flirt with Mary. She rolled her eyes and he laughed. I sighed and turned my attention to the boy next to me.

"Nervous?"

Jacob swallowed. "A- a bit."

I chuckled. "It's fine. I still get nervous every time I enter that pitch. You just have to overcome that nervousness, pretend like it's just you, your opponent, and the Quaffle... or Snitch, in your case."

"I can try," said Jacob, sounding dubious. I clapped him on the shoulder.

"You'll do great. You're the best Seeker this school has seen in years. You'll knock them off their brooms!" I promised, and I was relieved to see a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "That's the spirit." I turned and stuck my fingers in my mouth, giving a piercing whistle.

"Oi!" shouted Sirius, rubbing his ears. I grinned at him.

"All right, men and women. It's time. Let's show those Hufflepuffs what Gryffindors are made of!"

My team cheered and we shouldered out brooms, but before I could turn to leave I noticed Alice looking at me strangely. "Um, Alice? Can I help you?" I asked. She blinked and shook her head.

"Sorry, I was just thinking... never mind." She straightened her gloves and smiled at me. "Let's move, team!" she shouted, and I laughed.

"Hey, that's my line!"

We strode out onto the Quidditch pitch, me and Jacob in the front, followed by Mary and Sirius, and last came Bryan, Frank, and Alice. They fanned out behind me as I crossed to the center of the pitch, where Madame Hooch stood, waiting to release the balls.

I shook hands with the Hufflepuff Quidditch captain, Roger Flynn, and then drew back, mounting my broom. "I want a nice, clean game," called Madame Hooch. "Now... three, two, one..." And she released the Bludgers, throwing the Quaffle in the air.

I grabbed it and soared away as Sirius swung his bat, hard, colliding with a Bludger and sending it flying towards Flynn. I dodged a girl named Emma Sands, only to be slammed in the wrist by a Bludger sent by Hufflepuff Graham Anderson. I swore and dropped the Quaffle.

A boy a didn't know caught it and rocketed towards our goal posts, only to have his score blocked by Frank, who caught the ball and hurled it to me. I snatched it out of the air and zipped towards the other end of the pitch, passing the Quaffle to Bryan half way there. He scored and I cheered. 10-0, Gryffindor.

The game dragged on and on, a half hour, an hour, and hour and a half. I was getting tired, as was everyone else. We were tied, 90-90. As Frank blocked another shot and passed the ball to Alice, I sighed and glanced up at Jacob and the Hufflepuff Seeker, a girl named Anna Spencer, were circling.

Suddenly, Jacob swerved and shot downwards. Anna wheeled and rocketed after him. Everyone else stopped what they were doing, watching, eyes wide, as they sped downwards. If I squinted I could see the tiny golden sphere zipping just ahead of their reaching fingers.

And then Jacob was raising his hand triumphantly, laughing as the Snitch waved its wings tiredly at the crowd. I cheered and landed next to him, Sirius and I lifting his slight body on our shoulders. "Yes, Jacob!" I shouted. "Yes!"

We paraded to the Gryffindor Common Room, where Sirius had already smuggled food and firewhiskey from the kitchens. I was congratulated again and again, but I finally got away, sinking down onto a couch. I drank from my bottle and studied Lily. She was talking seriously with Alice, who was gesturing wildly. Suddenly Lily turned to glance at me and I looked away, to find Jacob coming to sit next to me.

"What's up?" I asked. He smiled.

"I just wanted to thank you, Captain." I blinked. He blushed. "Well, for believing in me."

I laughed softly, trying not to show how happy (and awkward) his comment made me feel. I patted his shoulder. "It's okay, mate. You caught that Snitch by yourself. Today was all you."

Jacob grinned up at me and said, "All right, Captain. Whatever you say." He stood and waved, wandering over to a group of guys who patted him on the back. I stared after him. A moment later, I felt kind of shivery, and felt goose bumps racing down my arms. I blinked, and turned to face Lily.

I met her eyes. She had been staring at me! She quickly looked away and muttered something to Alice and Colleen, who were both sitting next to her. I shook my head and looked around for my friends.

As if they had read my mind, Sirius, Remus, and Peter walked over and threw themselves down next to me. "Nice job today, Padfoot," I smiled at Sirius.

"Thanks... Of course, all the credit goes to Moony for doing my homework so that I could do some extra practicing." Sirius turned to Remus, who smiled tiredly. I looked worriedly at him and, despite his feeble attempts to make me stop, ("You're acting like my mother, Prongs!") I felt his forehead. Slight fever.

"How many days left?" murmured Sirius, looking concerned.

Remus sighed. "Five... You're coming with me?"

I chuckled. "You ask every time, but the answer won't change. Yes, we're coming with you."

Remus laughed softly, and after a little while longer he went up to bed. Peter followed soon after, and at one or so, Sirius waved good night to me and slipped upstairs.

I reclined on a couch, dreading the dark walk through drafty corridors, alone in the Invisibility Cloak. I could, of course, sleep on the floor of my old dorm, but I didn't really want to go in and wake up Remus, Sirius, and Peter.

Suddenly, I heard someone murmur, "Oh crap... now I'm going to have to sneak back to the dorm." Lily.

I sat up. "Hey, Lily." She jumped and whirled around, pointing her wand at me, only to drop it when I put my hands up.

"My God, James, you scared the hell out of me," she gasped, tucking her wand in her pocket and grabbing her heart. I laughed and stood, shouldering my rucksack and tucking my wand in my pocket.

"James, is it?" I teased. "Maybe I should scare you more often." Lily glared at me, and then stared laughing. I laughed too, hiding my shock that she was laughing instead of hexing me.

"Okay, now how are we going to get from here to the dorm without Filch catching us?" she asked finally. I looked at her, and made my decision.

"Can you keep a secret?"

Lily

Potter regarded me with deadly serious eyes. "Can you keep a secret?" I hesitated for only a moment before nodding. He smiled and reached into his bag, pulling out something silvery. I gasped.

"No. Freaking. Way!" I gasped. "An Invisibility Cloak?" I reached out my hand to touch it, but pulled back at the last moment. Potter laughed and held it out.

"It's okay, you can touch it. But you can't tell anyone." I glanced up, and noticed he looked worried. "Only Sirius, Remus, and Peter know about this... it's how I get us out of the castle for full moons."

"Among other things," I smirked. Potter looked down guiltily and I laughed. "Don't worry. I won't tell."

He grinned. "Right. Now," and in a few moments we were covered.

I was pressed up against his muscular chest, which made my heart beat very fast, for some reason. I could hear him breathing and feel the warmth of his skin as we entered the corridor and headed towards our dorm.

I yawned as we trudged up a set of stairs. Potter grinned as I stumbled and he wrapped his arm securely around my waist. I glared blearily at him, but allowed him to support my weight.

When we got to the top of the stairs, he scooped me up in his arms, still under the Cloak, and started to carry me. "James Potter!" I whisper-shouted. "Let go of me now!"

He chuckled softly. "Lily, don't play tough. You and I both know that if I put you down now, you'd stagger into a wall or something."

I sighed. "You're right, I guess." I gently rested my head against his shoulder, and dozed off.

James

"You're right, I guess," Lily sighed. She rested her head tentatively against my shoulder, and after a moment was asleep. Her head slipped into the space between my neck and my shoulder, and goose bumps raced across my skin.

A few minutes later, I whispered the password to the portrait and stepped into the Head Common Room. I gently carried Lily up the stairs and nudged open her door. I lay her on her bed and she stirred, sighing quietly. I smiled down at her where she lay, her hair fanned around her head, one arm curled under her head, the other draped across her waist. Her face was flushed slightly from the firewhiskey she'd consumed that night, and from the warmth of the room.

I eased her shoes off and then sat down at her desk chair for a moment, petting her cat, Andromeda. I just wanted to look at her, at her beauty, and her innocence, as she slept. So I did.

After a while, I got up and got ready to leave her room. Suddenly, Lily moaned, tossing violently. I froze, wondering whether I should go to her.

"No... Mom, don't go..." I made my decision and knelt beside her bed.

"Lily... Lily, wake up."

Lily shifted, tears running down her cheeks. She groaned softly. I bit my lip, and then gently shook her. "Lily, please wake up..."

She started, jumping, her eyes fling open. They glimmered in the light of the almost full moon. She focused on me, and then murmured, "James... what... oh... you carried me here?"

I nodded. "Yeah," I whispered. "Uh... it sounded like you were having a pretty awful dream. Are you okay?"

Lily sighed, and shook her head. "No. I'm not. I'm... confused? I guess that's it..."

"Anything I can help with?" I asked.

"No," she answered, smiling slightly. "Not now... can I go to sleep, please?"

I sighed and nodded, standing up. But before I turned to leave, I bent and gave her a tight hug. "Good-night, Lily."

As I left the room, I heard her murmur, "Good-night, James... and thanks."

Lily

The next morning, I woke up tangled in my sheets, still in my school clothes. The events of the night before came rushing back to me: Winning the Quidditch match, James carrying me upstairs, James comforting me when I had a nightmare...

"Wait... James?" I said out loud to myself. "Since when is he James?"

A sudden banging on the door made me nearly leap out of my skin. "Who is it?" I asked, getting out of bed.

"Colleen and Alice."

"Come in!"

Alice and Colleen opened my door, stopping short when they saw me. "Lily... what happened?" asked Alice.

As I changed into jeans and a tee shirt, since it was a Sunday, I told them of the night before. They stared at me, wide eyed.

Finally, Colleen said, "Well, Lily, that definitely proves it. You have a crush on James Potter."

I shook my head. "No, I don't. I don't even call him James anywhere except my head."

Alice sighed. "Lily, you're the kind of person who tries not to fall for something, but just succeeds in falling even harder. Face it. You like James Potter."

"I don't," I said firmly. "Okay? I don't hate him, but I don't like him either. He's not my crush."

Colleen and Alice groaned in unison. "Fine, Lily," said Alice. "What about what I said about him and Jacob Thomas?"

I shook my head. "I just... can't see him being so nice and saying something so kind."

"Lie!" cried Colleen. "What was last night? He was being totally nice last night to you!"

It was my turn to groan. "I know! I know. I guess... maybe... he has his moments." I turned away and walked to my mirror, brushing my hair out.

"Okay, Lily. We'll let the subject rest for today." Colleen came and stood behind me. "But you can't run away from your feelings forever, you know."

"Whatever," I huffed. "I'm not running from anything."

Right?

A/N: Well, there you go... sorry if there are any typos, I'm very tired right now. (sigh).

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(P.S. If you like Ron/Hermione, then check out my oneshot "Speak!")

))Riiko Shea((