A/N: Wow, I haven't had a free minute in days. I've been so busy, but I didn't want you lovely readers to think I'd forgotten about you. So here is another chapter! Please, PLEASE, read and review!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

And Then Came the Rain

Chapter Nine

A Confession, a Fight, and a Long Night

Lily

The next night, James (Potter? James?) and I had patrols. So far, we had avoided talking about my nightmare, but knowing James and his natural curiosity, he would be dying to know what had happened.

I just wasn't sure if I was ready to tell him.

An hour into the patrol we had busted four couples from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, each snogging in respective broom closets, a Slytherin couple... eh hem... doing it in the Astronomy Tower, and three Gryffindors setting up trip wires in a corridor.

"I liked their style," James said, chuckling, as we sent them to bed, ten points docked. "They just shouldn't have got caught."

I smirked. "Well, you and your friends have an unfair advantage over the normal prankster."

James nodded sagely. "True, true."

I continued to stroll down the corridor, wrapping my robes tighter around myself in the chill of the stone hall. James stepped closer to me and draped a casual arm around my shoulder. I stiffened for a moment, but then relaxed - He was very warm.

As we walked through another corridor, I could tell he was about to ask. Oh brother. What was I going to say?

"Lily..." He sounded hesitant.

"What, James?" I answered, hoping my use of his first name would sidetrack him.

It did. "Whaa? James? Since when am I James?"

"Well... I don't know. Change is good, right?"

"Hell, yes! Especially that kind!" I glanced up at him and grinned. His eyes were shining slightly maniacally through his glasses, his smile fit to crack his face in half. It made me feel strange to see him so happy...

Suddenly his face became serious. "But stop trying to change the subject," he said, stopping and turning me to face him, putting both of his hands full on my shoulders. "What happened last night?"

I groaned, hanging my head. "James," I whispered softly, "do I have to say it?"

I felt his hands gently tighten and loosen on my shoulders a few times, and then he sighed and let go. "No," he sighed. "I guess not. I won't make you." As he turned away, I heard him murmur, "Just thought it might help."

I didn't move, battling with myself. How much was I willing to tell James? For that matter, what on earth had even happened in that dream? I was so confused...

Then I looked up. "James..."

"Yeah?" He turned, and my heart did something when I met his hazel eyes. I blinked as he waited expectantly.

"I... James... okay, there were a couple parts to this dream."

James's face twisted quickly before becoming a polite mask. He came and stood next to me. I took a deep breath.

"In the first part, I was with my mother... she's sick with cancer. It's a Muggle disease, and it's... killing her." James bit his lip and put a hand on my shoulder, gently rubbing it. I took another shaky breath and then continued.

"She was clearly dead, and in her coffin, like she was prepared for a wake or something... and then next to her was my dad, and he was in a coffin too, with a bandage around his head. And then, Sev was next to them, in a coffin, and Alice, and Frank, and Colleen, and... and you..."

I had sunk to the floor. My heart was pounding and tears were threatening to pour out. I could barely feel James's hands rubbing my back, consoling me. "And then," I choked, determined to finish the story, "my mother sat up, and she was shrunken and ill and had needles poking out of her, and she said, 'We don't want you, Lily. We died to get away from you. Leave us be.'"

James murmured, "Oh, Lily... oh, sweet, don't cry." He pulled me into his lap, and I cried into his robes, staining them with salt water.

After a few minutes I'd pulled myself together. I leaned my head back from his chest and looked up at his face. He glanced down and gave me a little smile.

"Better?" James asked.

"A little," I allowed, and his smile got a little bigger.

"Do you want to talk about it anymore?"

"... no."

"Okay." He gently pushed me to my feet and then stood up after me. "You go to bed, Lily. I'll finish the patrol."

I sighed. "If the teachers catch me going back to my room without you, they'll get me in trouble."

James thought for a moment, and then nodded. "Right. Can you keep another secret?"

"Sure."

He reached into the rucksack on his back that he never went anywhere without and pulled out a piece of parchment, handing it to me. I blinked at it.

"It's a big secret that you carry around blank sheets of parchment?"

"Haha, very funny Lily." James rolled his eyes and reached over with his wand, tapping the parchment and murmuring something that sounded suspiciously like, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

Suddenly, ink began leeching onto the page. It formed into a detailed map of Hogwarts, showing illustrated details of hidden corridors, regular corridors, and all the rooms.

I also realized tiny, labeled dots, crowded into the rooms labeled "Dormitories". Each one had a name, written in what I recognized as Remus's neat script. I gasped and quickly scanned the map my nose close to the parchment, before spying us.

Lily Evans said my mark. James Potter said his. I looked at them for a long moment, and then looked at him. Could Colleen and Alice be right? Was I really falling for him?

"What do you think?" James asked, startling me from my reverie.

I grinned. "Incredible. Absolutely amazing... how long did it take you four to do this?"

"Well, it was mostly Remus, but I helped a lot, and so did Sirius. Peter mostly brought us food." James's smile was infectious. "And it took us about four months, working on it once or twice a week."

I nodded and smiled up at him. "Thanks. This is going to be really helpful-"

Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind him. I glanced up and heard a voice hiss, "This is a test for James Christopher Potter."

I frowned. We had had several more attacks in the past couple days, but nothing like this. The attacks were for everyone, not one person singled out. I looked at James. He grinned.

"It's fine; they just don't want me to have the unfair advantage of having you with me."

I bit my lip, not entirely reassured. "Okay, if that's what you think..."

"It is," he assured me. "You go on back. I'll meet you there... I am Head boy, after all. I have a reputation to protect."

I nodded and moved quickly down the corridor, turning the corner and breaking into a quick jog, trying to dislodge the feeling of worry in my gut. And suddenly, I had the perfect idea of how to test and see if this was a normal attack.

I quickly fumbled for the map where I had stuck it in the pocket of my robes. If it was an attack, the mannequins wouldn't show up on the map. If it was something else...

I lit my wand and bent down. There I was, not moving. Quickly I traced my route back to the empty hall we had been standing in...

And almost threw up.

Because James wasn't alone in that corridor.

I took off, running as fast as I could. All I could think of were the dots in the corridor that said Lucius Malfoy... Fenrir Greyback... Rodolphus Lestrange...

I skidded to a halt, and heard James call, "Ready!" How long since I had left? I glanced at my watch and blinked. 90 seconds.

And then I realized that James had just said that he was ready to fight a pack of Death Eaters. And they were most certainly real. I sank to the floor, my knees shaking. What was I going to do?

Then a harsh voice reached my ear, shouting, "Avada kadavra!" and James shouted, "Holy- Protego!"

I made my decision. I leapt up and raced into the hallway, wand ready, screaming, "Stupefy!" A cruel looking man, unmasked, flew backwards, hitting the wall at the end of the corridor with a yell.

James glanced over his shoulder at me, eyes wide. "Lily? What are you-"

"Focus, James!" I screamed. "These aren't an attack, they're real Death Eaters!" I dodged a Cruciatus Curse and shouted, "Reducto!"

James stepped up and started fighting as well, a sixteen year old witch and a sixteen year old wizard fighting three much older, more experienced wizards.

And then suddenly, Fenrir was running towards James, his wand outstretched, and I knew that James wouldn't be able to fend the curse off. I launched myself in front of him as Fenrir shouted, "Crucio!"

It was agony. I felt like fire was ripping through my veins, making everything hard to see. There was an awful, screeching keen in the background... a moment later, I realized it was me. I fell to the stone floor, writhing, only slightly aware of James shouting, "I surrender! I give in! Just let her go, please!"

Suddenly the pain was gone. I lay, panting, on the stone floor, James stroking my sweaty hair from my face, murmuring, "It's okay, Lily, it'll all be okay."

Just then, Fenrir grabbed him, pulling him to his feet, yanking his wand from his hand and throwing it to the ground. Apparently, they believed I was in too much pain to move much, and at I moment, I agreed with them.

Fenrir held James tightly, leveling his wand at his head. A Death Eater stepped from the shadows, and removed his mask. His hair was blonde, so light it was almost white, and hung slightly past his shoulder. He held a staff, and kept his wand in a sheath at his belt. While these combined on anyone else would look ridiculous, on this man, it was terrifying.

"Lucius Malfoy," spat James.

"Little James Potter," smiled Lucius. "I think you know why we're here."

"Yes." James glared. "You're here to kill me, to get back at my father for busting yours as a supporter of Voldemort."

Lucius stiffened. "You speak his name so... loosely, James. Perhaps it would be wiser to show a bit of respect."

"I don't think so."

Lucius tutted. "Such a pity. Well, that doesn't matter. Rodolphus?"

Out of the darkness, the man I had stunned stepped, rubbing the back of his neck. I glared at him from where I lay on the floor, feeling anger heat me, until Lucius spoke.

"Kill the little girl. It will do me good watch James's face as she dies."

I felt like ice had poured into my veins, even as James shouted, "What? No! You can't kill her!"

"I can, and I will, after which, you will die as well."

Rodolphus grinned. "Revenge, girly," he growled, his voice nearly as rough as Fenrir's. He drew his wand and pointed it at me. "Av-"

I reached out and grabbed James's wand with one hand, taking my own with the other. I pointed both arms at Rodolphus and screamed, "Stupefy!"

Rodolphus went flying backwards again, and a moment later, I heard a crack and another yell of pain. Good.

I leapt to my feet and whirled on Lucius, shouting, "Reducto!" Lucius hissed and ducked, before whirling in a circle a moment later, calling, "Rodolphus! To me, quickly- NO! Dumbledore!"

I stood still for a moment, trying to keep from throwing up after the pain of the curse and standing so quickly, totally forgetting Fenrir behind me as I peered around for Dumbledore.

"Lily! No!"

I whirled around and screamed as Fenrir shot a bright red flash at me, followed rapidly by green. At least Jams will live, I thought, noticing, as Fenrir growled in triumph, several teachers approaching.

And then James had leapt in front of me, and both of us were screaming, and I felt him hugging me, and the pain made everything go black, as an old man's voice shouted, "Finite Incantatum!"

A moment later, my eyes fluttered open. I was in a white room, on a bed. I could hear whispered voices above the pounding of my heart. I felt sore all over.

Suddenly, all of the events of what seemed like minutes before came rushing back, and I gasped. Red light... green light.

"James!" I screamed. Or rather, whispered through my sore throat. I tried to sit and fell back, gasping in pain.

A moment later, Madame Pomfrey bustled over. "Ah, Lily, you're awake."

"How long have I been out?" I rasped, as she poured something foul-smelling into a glass.

"Three hours, give or take," she answered, handing me the glass. I winced and chugged it down, gasping in pain before sighing in relief as the roaring pain dulled to a slight sting.

Suddenly I remembered the green light. "James!" I gasped again. "There was a Killing Curse, and he jumped in front of me..." The image from my nightmare, James, cold and pale, leapt into my mind, and I bit my lip.

"He's fine, dear." Madame Pomfrey patted my hand. "He's right there."

I looked to my right and there, on the next bed, was James, pale, but definitely breathing, his eyes fluttering beneath his lids. "From what we could tell," Madame Pomfrey continued, "your attacker shot a Cruciatus and a Killing Curse, but you two dodged the Killing Curse and only got hit by the Cruciatus."

"We were so, so lucky," I whispered. "And how did they get out of the castle?"

"I don't know," answered Madame Pomfrey, looking troubled. "The Headmaster and a few of the head teachers are trying to figure that out now."

I nodded and looked back at James. He groaned softly. I looked up at Madame Pomfrey. "Has he woken up at all?"

Madame Pomfrey shook her head. "No... he's called for you in his sleep, though."

I nodded again and sank back against my pillows as Madame Pomfrey bustled off to deal with a second year that was covered in green corrosive slime from a badly fought duel.

A minute later James murmured, "Lily... no, don't hurt her. Hurt me. Please, leave her alone..."

I bit my lip, trying not to cry, knowing I was tearing up anyways. I slowly slipped out of my cot and walked the three steps across to his, sitting next to him. Slowly, I reached out and stroked his forehead. "James," I whispered. "James, it's okay. Wake up."

He started and his eyes flew open. He blinked up at me and opened his mouth. "Li-" He grimaced.

I grinned slightly and gave him the glass that Madame Pomfrey had previously placed on his bedside table.

James drank it and winced again, before sighing in relief. "Lily?"

I smiled. "Yeah."

"I thought... that..." James reached out a single shaking hand and gently touched my cheek.

I blinked, and felt a tear roll down my cheek onto his fingers. "James-"

"I'm sorry to disturb you two, but myself and the teachers would like some answers."

I whirled around, James's hand falling from my face to my lap. Professor Dumbledore was standing there, looking worriedly at us. I nodded.

"Of course, Professor. What do you need us to do?"

"I want an account of the events of this past night, please," Dumbledore asked, looking concerned as he sat down on my bed across from us. I helped James sit up (but didn't remove his hand from my lap where he had laced it with my own... humoring him).

We told him what had happened, and Dumbledore merely nodded a few times. After James and I had fallen silent, each of us reliving the horror of the Cruciatus Curse, Dumbledore said, "And I expect that now, you would like an answer."

"Yes," I answered.

"Very well." Dumbledore leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees and making a steeple with his fingers. "I can only guess, but my guess is this. The Malfoys and Lestranges have friends at this school and are therefore able to find out what is going on when. Minerva had, in fact, her office broken into in the past week. Nothing was stolen, but it is clear that an informer was examining the schedule of attacks."

"So there was an attack tonight?" James asked.

"Yes. That, I believe, is how the Death Eaters got into the school tonight. When we cast the spell to animate the mannequins and send them to you, wherever you may be, the Death Eaters tapped into the spell and were sent to where you were instead. When I ended the spell, I also sent them back to wherever they had come from, probably Malfoy Manor."

"But how? I mean, that's totally unconventional magic! I've never read anything like that. How did they do it?" I demanded, exasperated by all of the questions and the lack of answers.

"That, we don't know," answered Dumbledore, his face grave. "However, I shall be tripling the protections of this school before the attacks begin again."

"Good idea," muttered James, and I squeezed his hand.

Dumbledore stood. "You two had best get some rest. It is barely midnight, and you have had a long night."

"Good-night, Professor," we said in unison.

After he left and Madame Pomfrey went into her office, I looked at James, who was gazing at our intertwined hands. He held them up.

"Does this end after tonight? This... closeness?"

I bit my lip. "In all probability," I admitted. "But... I do want to be your friend, James."

He smiled. "I know. Doesn't everyone?"

I gently hit his head and then sighed, releasing his hand and looking over at my unwelcoming bed. I didn't usually mind sleeping alone, but in the dark of this never-ending night, when dreams of dead friends, shouting Death Eaters, and intense pain awaited my closed eyes, I did not long for solitude.

James seemed to read my mind. "You can stay here, if you want," he murmured. "I promise to behave."

I laughed softly. "Okay, I guess." Despite my head screaming at me to not give him the wrong impression and to get the heck out of his bed, I slipped under the covers. His body remained a centimeter away from mine with no contact whatsoever, but I had to concentrate on breathing normally. Why? I didn't... couldn't... like James, could I?

No. I couldn't. I didn't.

"Lily?"

"Yeah?"

"Can you tell me something?"

"Maybe."

James chuckled softly. "Why did you come back?"

"I had a bad feeling when they separated us, and I saw you in the Marauder's Map with the three of them." I stiffened, thinking of the three cruel faces of the Death Eaters.

"Right, but... why did you come back and fight? And... take an Unforgivable for me?"

I blinked. Why had I done that, anyways? "Because that's what friends do?"

James chuckled again, and then yawned. "Whatever, I'm tired. Good-night, Lily."

A moment later, his breathing was deep and even. I murmured, "Good-night, James," and lay there with my confused thoughts, falling into a sleep filled with flashing red and green lights after a few minutes.

A/N: This wasn't my favorite chapter... it was really hard to write, for some reason. Anyways, please review... it really does make my day. Even if you don't feel like it, or you don't think it matters to me, it does! So click that little button!