A/N: Wow, school has been so busy I have had barely any time to write this… and yet I found some time! Yay!

Anyways, I just wanted to thank my incredible readers (over two thousand hits… you have no idea how that number excites me, despite its small stature) and my reviewers, who gave me the five reviews I asked for… let's do it again, all right?

Disclaimer: Exactly what it says. A disclaimer.

And Then Came the Rain

Chapter Eleven

A Prank, a Fight, and an Awakening

James

I sat in the Head Common Room two days after the announcement about Hogsmede, completely zoned out, only barely aware of Lily sitting across the room, playing Wizard's Chess with Alice, Frank, and Colleen. I was having an internal debate.

Was I, or was I not, going to ask Lily to go to Hogsmede with me?

Suddenly, the portrait hole slammed open. I leapt to my feet, wand at the ready, Lily doing the same thing, before we realized it was Sirius.

"BLOODY hell, Padfoot! Are you trying to give me a sodding heart attack?" I snapped, sinking onto the couch and grabbed my chest above my heart. Lily frowned at me.

"James, watch your language," she said, primly, before whirling on Sirius and hissing, "And if you EVER scare me like that again, I swear I'll make it so you'll wish you had never been born!"

Sirius whimpered and tried to hide behind Remus. Remus rolled his eyes and went over to sit next to Lily, who had gone back to her game (quite calmly for someone delivering such painful threats). Peter followed while I looked at Sirius.

"Well, I assume you had some reason to come in here, other than trying to scare me into my grave a few years early?" I asked, sighing. His face brightened and he sat next to me on the couch.

"Absolutely!" he said. "Listen, how many pranks have we pulled this year?"

I thought. "Um… the door to our compartment first day… the Transfiguration one… that was brilliant…" I stopped. "Oh, wow."

"Exactly," Sirius nodded. "Two pranks. That's it. We're at an all-time low. If we don't do something soon, we'll be an utter disgrace to this school-"

"-and to the Marauder name," sighed Remus. I glanced at him and he gave me a crooked grin. "He's been complaining about this for weeks now. I have his little spiel memorized."

I chuckled, before glancing at Lily to see what she thought of this little conversation. I met her eyes. She had been watching me… how odd. She quickly turned away, blushing, and back to the board game. I smirked before looking back at the Marauders.

"Well then, mates, what's the prank going to be?"

"It's got to be good," said Sirius. "This is the prank that will have to redeem us from our disgrace."

"Disgrace?" murmured Remus. "I don't think it's quite that dire…"

"No talking, just think," commanded Colleen. I blinked at her.

"Since when did you become a Marauder?" I asked. Colleen sighed.

"Do you want our help or not?"

"Fine, fine, just curious," I said. "What ideas do you have?"

Alice bit her lip. "Well, actually, I have no ideas."

Frank shrugged and Colleen twirled some hair around her finger. Peter, Sirius, Remus and I stared into space, each of us plotting something different until Lily snapped, "I can help, did anyone think to ask me?"

As one, everyone's heads snapped in her direction. I heard Sirius's neck crack and he rubbed it, wincing. Lily rolled her eyes as we, her audience, searched for something to say.

"Come again?" Remus finally asked.

"I said I could help," growled Lily, her cheeks flushing slightly.

I continued to gape at her, but Remus didn't look quite as surprised. He raised his eyebrows. "Got ideas, have you?"

Lily grinned. "Loads.

))((

The next morning, we walked into Charms. I sat next to Sirius, Remus and Lily ahead of us, Peter and Colleen behind, with Alice and Frank behind them. Sirius was going to be doing the prank, a combination of our efforts from the past night.

As Flitwick scrambled to the top of his stack of books, he commanded, "Everyone, textbooks out on your desks, but do not open them." There was a great rustling and banging as everyone pulled out their Charms textbooks. Once everyone's book was on their desks, I nudged Sirius with my elbow.

He grinned and waved his wand under his desk, muttering a spell under his breath. With a bang, every textbook in the classroom fell open.

And then they began to sing.

People shouted in surprise (some more colorfully than others) and Flitwick fell off his stack of books with a squeak as the books began a fifty-part harmony in several dozen languages, mostly Mermish, German, and a combination of noises that Remus had put together last night, labeling it as, "Gnomish."

As we all watched the ensuing chaos, I realized that I didn't know what the books were saying. "Moony, what're they singing?"

"James and Myrtle, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G…"

))((

"That was brilliant!" Alice enthused as we left the classroom.

"Definitely!" beamed Sirius. "The best part is poor Flitwick was so shocked that he totally forgot about giving us detention!"

I glared. "Whose brilliant idea was their song?"

Lily laughed. "I told you I had ideas!"

))((

The day dragged on. Finally, classes had ended, and I had come to a conclusion. I was going to ask Lily to go to Hogsmede with me.

I felt incredibly nervous at dinner. As the Marauders and I ate with Lily and her friends, I watched her, wondering what she would say. Lily got up to leave, and I stood a moment after, following her out of the room.

And yet, I couldn't go up to her. I couldn't ask her, even though I'd asked her so many times before. Lily's friendship was too precious to me. I didn't want to lose it.

Suddenly, just before we reached the Head Tower, someone called, "Lily?" I bit my lip and pulled from my ever-present rucksack the Cloak, slipping it on and standing to the side of the corridor. I didn't want to be caught lurking after her. Lily turned just as I disappeared to face Nathan McLaggen coming around the corner. I grimaced. He was an obnoxious Gryffindor, probably a nice guy at heart, but with a huge ego.

Kind of like you, hissed a voice in my head. I bit my lip again, this time drawing blood. Wincing, I turned my attention back to the pair.

"Hey, Nathan," Lily greeted him. "What's up?"

"Nothing." McLaggen seemed awkward. Lily watched him, until he finally said, "Will you go to Hogsmede with me?"

My mouth dropped. Stupid James. Stupid! You should have seen that coming!

Lily blinked. In my mind I begged her to say no.

"Sure, why not."

I fell backwards against the wall, biting my knuckle to keep from screaming. I didn't hear them agree on where to meet, I didn't see him give her a kiss on her cheek that she was quick to wipe off when he had again rounded the corner, nothing.

I sat in the hallway for a half-hour before finally standing, pulling off the Cloak, and stepping into the Head Common Room. Burying my head in m hands, I sank onto the sofa-

"James!"

I yelped, startled out of my depression, to see that I had been about to sit on Lily. My face flamed and I backed up quickly. "Sorry," I muttered. "I wasn't paying attention."

"I'll say," she smiled. Then her eyes found mine and her smile dropped. "James? What's wrong?"

I shook my head. I needed to go and let myself mourn for a while before I could face her again. With that, I slipped up the stairs and into my room, leaving Lily, confused, behind me.

Lily

Hogsmede weekend came slower than I would have liked. Every day was torture, with McLaggen glued to my side every moment and James hardly talking to me. I didn't know why, but I suspected it had something to do with McLaggen taking me to Hogsmede.

Although, it was true James hadn't asked me out for a while. He surely didn't have feelings for me anymore.

Finally, the anticipated (huh- more like dreaded) morning came. I got dressed and went down to the courtyard, soon met by McLaggen. He leaned in to kiss me and I sidestepped, unable to take it anymore.

Therefore, he looked slightly put out as we made our way into the village. Soon, his face became more irritated as Remus, Sirius, Peter, Frank, Alice, Colleen, and James joined us, Alice and Colleen pulling me into the midst of the Marauders so I wouldn't have to stand near McLaggen. I remembered our conversation when they had found out I was going to the village with him…

))Begin flashback((

"You're WHAT?" Alice whirled around from where she had been looking at herself in my mirror and gaped at me.

"Ew, Lily, he's so obnoxious, and he's certainly not smart or good-looking." Colleen winced.

I sighed. "No kidding. It's been one day, and if I have to tell him to get his hands off me one more time I swear he won't have them anymore."

Alice grinned, but her eyes were worried. "How's James taking it?"

"Why does it matter?" I demanded. "I'm going out with him, not James."

"That's exactly the point… and anyways, you like James. What are you doing with McLaggen?"

I shook my head, trying not to think of my thoughts after our fight with the Death Eaters... I am in love with James Potter. "Whatever, it's too late to back out of Hogsmede now. Just… stay close to me in the village, 'kay? And," I added as an afterthought, "bring the Marauders with you."

))End flashback((

Now we were in Hogsmede. I allowed my friends to pull me into Zonko's, Honeydukes, and a few other stores, despite McLaggen's increasingly furious and desperate attempts to get me to leave with him.

Eventually, we settled in the Three Broomsticks, each of us getting a butterbeer. Sighing in contentment, I realized that really, if McLaggen would just go away, this day would be perfect.

Suddenly, the door banged open, and the room fell instantly silent. My mouth dropped and fear flooded me like an icy river.

Death Eaters.

As if someone had thrown a switch, all hell broke loose. My friends and I ducked as our table was shattered by a spell. I swore and pulled out my wand, screaming, "Stupefy!" sending masked Death Eaters flying. I glanced around and saw Alice was bleeding. Colleen and Frank grabbed her and suddenly disappeared. I guessed that they had Apparated as close to Hogwarts as they could, no doubt to get Alice some help and to summon reinforcements.

At the moment, though, I couldn't dwell on that. I dodged an Unforgivable and delivered a Body Bind in return. Everywhere people were screaming. Some of the braver folks were dueling, but most were trying to escape the suddenly dark, crowded room.

It was insanity. I smelled blood, and burning, mixed with the scent of the drinks spilled everywhere. Tables, chairs, and shelves were destroyed as spells missed or people dodged.

The Marauders and I finally pushed ourselves back to back near the center of the room, delivering and blocking spells. I couldn't think, couldn't speak other than to shout curses and spells.

And then he was there. Lucius. I whimpered and then sent a Body Bind at him. He chuckled and side-stepped it, his polished boots treading on a motionless figure on the floor. I gagged but instantly had to duck as his Cruciatus shot towards me. I screamed a warning to Remus, behind me, and he moved, just in time. Next to him, James was frantically fighting Rodolphus Lestrange, trying to get to me.

"What do you want?" I hissed, stepped forward to engage the blond man. His grin was feral as he and I circled each other.

"I want firstly for you to die, and secondly, I want glory for the purebloods and for the Dark Lord," he answered, his face twisting unpleasantly as I avoided another of his curses.

"Step aside, Lucius, others. I wish to enter."

Even in the semi-darkness of the room, I saw Lucius's face pale. He whispered, "As you wish, my Lord," and dropped his wand. My eyes widened, and thinking only of revenge I stepped up to him, hissing, "Crucio."

However, I didn't have time to watch Lucius writhe in the grips of my curse, because suddenly, I felt my hands being yanked together and pulled upward, suspending me a few feet above the floor. My wand clattered to the ground as I heard swearing and Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter joined me. All of us turned to face the door, rotating ever so slightly with the air currents in the room.

My eyes widened as the scarred wooden door was pushed open, and inside walked a figure with white skin, snakelike slits for nostrils, and red eyes, burning with hatred. His long, white fingers didn't grip his wand as much as finger it, as a flute player might hold their instrument before playing it.

Voldemort.

He cast a disinterested glance at Lucius who lay, panting, on the floor, the curse finally having worn off. "Stand, Lucius," hissed the Dark Lord. Lucius weakly complied, staggering to his feet. Rodolphus strode to his side to help him.

Now, Voldemort was regarding us with ill-disguised contempt and malice. "How touching," he hissed, his voice harsh. "Five friends remain to fight. So… valiant." His voice was mocking. I glowered at him, anger forcing aside fear.

"You, young Black, and you, Potter, are purebloods. Even the werewolf and the little boy are worth offering a place in my army. But," and here he turned his horrid eyes on me, "you must die. Your talent is good, but you are not worth the effort to make worthy of my forces. Lucius," he turned, "you may now kill the girl."

"NO!" shouted James. "NO!" He writhed in his invisible bonds, swearing and struggling. I felt myself being lowered to the ground, and then I was being grabbed by Lucius, who drew back his hand, and punched me.

I fell to the ground without a sound, my eyes rolling back in my head as I tried to keep from blacking out. "Revenge," growled Lucius, and then he was lifting his wand, and-

"STOP!"

Dumbledore, McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout, Slughorn were running in the door… their spells were flying, Voldemort was shouting and then gone, and Rodolphus, Lucius, and the remaining Death Eaters were sending out last-ditch attempts at spells, and then…

"Is she all right?"

"Mhph… what?" I opened my eyes to find myself in the Hospital Wing. Again. I groaned. Madame Pomfrey hurried over with Alice, who had a bandaged arm, Colleen, Frank, and the Marauders. Each one hugged me as Madame Pomfrey explained that my jaw had been broken and she had repaired it. I sighed and thanked her, and then froze. James wasn't with his friends, standing by my bedside.

"Madame Pomfrey, where's James?"

"He's… not doing so well. He was hit by a very strong… something… just before the teachers sent the Death Eaters away. We don't know what spell it was, unfortunately."

I sat up and then stood, despite Madame Pomfrey's protests. My friends were silent. I staggered to the other occupied bed in the room. The sheets were bloody from numerous wounds he had sustained, and his breathing, I could see, was shallow.

My eyes found his face. His hazel eyes were hidden from me by bruised lids.

James. James. James…

I heard a soft wailing noise, and realized that it was me.

))((

I found out that the three Marauders had been taking turns sitting by James's bedside, and I said I would do the same thing. Each of us sat in two-class increments during the day and four hour increments after classes. Whenever his parents could, they visited and sat watch over him, too.

But it was clear that Madame Pomfrey, the teachers, and the rest of the school was beginning to lose hope that James would ever recover. I watched him, breathing with him, and nearly suffocated. How were such tiny breaths sufficient to keep him alive?

))((

I promised myself that if he woke up, I would tell him I loved him.

I swore that I'd do anything he liked if I could hear him laugh again.

I vowed that I would be his eternally if I could see his eyes again.

There was no need to think of what I would do if he died.

It was obvious to me now (too late) that I had no life without James.

I would, without a doubt, stay by his side in death, too.

))((

Two weeks later, it happened.

I was sitting in the third hour of my watch, at around midnight. Despite my best intentions, I had dozed off, until I heard something moving. My eyes flew open and were met by eyes I thought I might never see again.

"James?"

"… Hey, Lily."

I began to cry as I leaned down and hugged him, never happier then I was at that moment, all of the fright, pain, worry, and sorrow that had plagued me flying away as he weakly embraced me back. Everything would be all right…

Until I heard a voice inside my head that sounded strangely like Remus; my guilty, honest, annoying conscience.

Remember your promises, it said.

Oh, those.

A/N: There you go! Rather intense, hm? This chapter sort of took on a life of its own… it totally deviated from where I wanted to go with it, but I think it came out all right anyways.

Please review!

))Riiko Shea((

P.S. I hope I got all the facts and grammer right in this... if not, I apologize.