James remained in the hospital wing and although Madam Pomfrey said he would be okay, for a whole week, Lily didn't know how she managed to cope. Because she was Head Girl and couldn't afford to fall behind on her classes, she carried on patrolling at night and focussing on her grades staying up. In her free time she would sit at James's bedside and talk to him about what was going on in the school. Avery, Mulciber and Snape had been given nightly detentions for their plot for the rest of the school year but that still didn't make Lily feel any better.

She didn't want to ask her boyfriend if he had heard her confess her love for him. If he admitted that he hadn't she'd feel crushed, so she was avoiding the question completely. But James had begun to notice that something was wrong with her because whenever he asked her what happened before he blacked out completely, she kept changing the subject.

It was half way during a Transfiguration lesson when the door to the classroom opened. Everyone turned to see James entering the classroom and taking his usual empty space next to Sirius. Lily caught his eye and gave him a brief smile before returning back to her essay. The whole classroom remained silent and James scribbled on a piece of parchment and when McGonagall's back was turned, he threw it onto Lily's desk.

Lily looked around to catch James's eye and gave him a disapproving look before unravelling the note to see what her boyfriend had wrote to her.

Wait for me outside class, there's something we need to talk about.

She dipped her quill into her ink pot to scribble her reply.

I'm not skipping class.

She threw the balled up parchment back onto James's desk and returned her attention to her nearly finished essay. James felt disappointed by her reply but was determined not to give up. Writing back to her reply, he chucked the parchment on the desk once more.

Lily please, it's important.

James grinned when Lily once more turned to meet his gaze and give him a nod before turning back to her essay. He opened his book and started to write the essay which he knew McGonagall would make his homework assignment. He had managed to get a quarter of the essay written when the bell for the next lesson rang. The class packed away their belongings and made their way for the door, with Lily waiting outside for James. Lily eyed her boyfriend as he wrapped an arm around her and they began to walk.

"We can talk to each other honestly can't we?" James asked quietly.

Lily nodded in reply.

"So will you tell me why you avoid answering the question of what happened before I blacked out?"

Lily stopped and her eyes began to well up in tears, making it clear to James that something had happened to cause Lily upset.

"What happened?"

"Nothing bad happened, but I feel so guilty." she answered.

"About what?" James questioned.

"It's my fault they attacked you." Lily sighed.

James frowned, not understanding how Avery and Snape attacking him had anything to do with Lily.

"What do you mean?"

Lily didn't look him in the eye and hesistated for a few moments before confessing.

"Snape confronted me about our relationship and said he wouldn't let me fall for you." she began.

James nodded his understanding but didn't say anything to interrupt her.

"And I told him that he couldn't and even if he could he was too late."

James's eyes widened in surprise as Lily headed towards their Charms class, he ran to catch up with her; having learned anything about his girlfriend was that she was rather speedy.

"Lily, is that true?"

She turned around, a tear falling down her cheek.

"It's my fault because if I hadn't said that then you wouldn't have been attacked." Lily cried.

James gently grasped her face in his hands and forced her to meet his gaze.

"I love you." James whispered.

Lily burst into tears as James held her to his chest and smoothed her hair, wanting to stop her tears. But Lily wasn't crying because she was upset, she was crying because she knew that James felt the same way as her. She looked up at him through red and puffy eyes and gave him a smile.

"I love you." Lily whispered.

"We belong together Lily."

She smiled, "You've known all along?" she teased.

"No but my feelings for you have grown stronger over the years. Seeing your patronus and mine stand together made me see that as long as I have you by my side, everything will be alright."

Lily continued to smile at her boyfriend as she kissed him as passionately as she could, knowing that James was right in saying that they belonged together.

A/N: Finishing this story off soon, I'm thinking maybe five more chapters which will include an epilogue? Please review and check out my new James and Lily story: Torn Between Two.