A.N. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Same as usual...I only own their actions.

[ 20 Minutes Later ]: A stranger approaches the girl.

Stranger: Are you a friend of this boy?
Girl: Yes, why? What happened?
Stranger:A reckless drunk driver ran over him. He's in critical condition at the hospital.
[ 11:53 P.M ]: The doctor walked out of the emergency room and handed the girl a green tea and a letter.
Doctor:We found this in his pocket.

The girl reads the letter. It says: During these few weeks, I realized that you are a really cute girl and I'm really falling for you. Your cherished smile, everything. But before this game ends, I would really like it if you would be my girlfriend for the rest of my life. I love girl crumpled the paper and shouted: I don't want you to die! I love you too! Remember the night of the meteor, I mumbled something. I mumbled that I wish that we would be together forever and that we would never have to end this game. Please don't leave me! I love you! You can't do this to me

Then the clock striked 12. His heart stopped pumping. It was the 30th day.

Chapter 10: The Dance: Part 2

The song Lily had requested ended some time ago and other upbeat songs replaced it. Lily and Keith kept their slow dance rhythm, letting everyone move around them. The hall emptied gradually, but Lily and Keith didn't move. Soon enough, the hall was empty. Keith stopped moving.

"Lily?"

"…yeah?"

Keith sighed. "What's—"

"I guess this is good-night," Lily said before he could finish.

"I was gonna offer to go outside."

"Well…technically…"

"We can't be in here…but that doesn't mean we can't go out there," Keith suggested.

Lily let him lead her outside. As Keith has said, all the couples had migrated from inside to out. Many of the spots were full, but Keith found an empty spot towards the left all the way at the end of the walkway. The two sat down in silence.

"Look, Lily. This is going to be really hard for me to say, so I'm just gonna lay it out. I really like you."

"Keith…"

"No…let me finish. I don't even want to talk about what happened because that was necessary. I've missed talking to you and being in your company. I miss your simle, your laugh, everything. I feel so utterly incomplete without you. I don't know why I needed to hurt you to realize this, but I would do it a hundred times over if it meant that I got you in the end. I want you. I need you, all of you." Here, Keith took Lily's hands into his own. "Lily, I…I think I love you."

Lily looked away, she didn'6t know what to do, what to say. She started to shake her head.

"Why? Why are you doing this to me?"

"Lily…I…"

"Keith. I respect your courage, but I think…I think that I've moved on." She thought about the broken snow globe that lay empty, incomplete in the trash.

"Moved on? To who? Potter? He left you tonight. Do you know where he is, Lily?" Keith asked, his voice rising. Lily started to remove her hands, but he gripped harder.

"Keith, you're scaring me. Stop it."

"I've had to watch the two of you for the past two months. It's driving me insane! James Potter is not the guy for you; you're above that, Lily."

"Then you nothing about him, Keith."

"I need to talk a walk," Keith said. He threw Lily's hands away from him and stormed off. Lily didn't call him, because she was glad that he left. She took off her heels which were creating blisters on her feet. She rubbed them to sooth away the pain.

Lily looked out towards the Forbidden Forest and saw a staggering figure. James Potter clasped in the snow eight feet away from her.

"James?" Lily called. He didn't answer her. She slipped her shoes back on and ran out into the snow. She ignored the burning sensation her feet felt from the snow and knelt besides him.

"James…can you hear me? Answer me!" she cried. Lily pulled James closer to her. He was covered in blood. There were huge gashes on his chest and what looked like teeth marks on his face.

"Help! Someone help me!" Lily cried out as tears started rolling down her face.

"Lily? What's wrong?" Keith asked as he ran towards her. "Is that Potter?"

"Something attacked him," she said, not taking her eyes off of him.

"Sitting in the snow won't do anything," Keith grabbed James and hoisted him over his shoulder. Lily got up and quickly followed behind.

"Madame Pomfrey!" Keith called when the two entered the Hospital Wing.

"What could possible have gone wrong at this time of night?" she asked as she exited her sleeping chambers. She was still dressed.

Keith laid James on the closest bed to him.

"Merlin's beard! What happened to him?" Keith asked now that he had a better view.

"I don't know. He collapsed in the snow. He didn't say anything to me." Tears still rolled down her face.

"He was alone?" Madame Pomfrey asked as she moved to her supply cabinet.

"Um…yes. He was alone."

Madame Pomfrey grabbed a bottle with no label and some cloth. She poured liquid on the cloth and then placed it on James' face.

"Have you seen…anything unusual tonight?"

"Madame Pomfrey, what do you think happened to him?" Lily asked.

She didn't answer at first. "Miss Evans, please go and get Professor Dumbledore."

"I'm not leaving him."

"Fox…don't make me ask again." Keith nodded and then left.

"Pull up a chair, Miss Evans." Madame Pomfrey cleaned James' wounds. Lily held his hand in her own while Madame Pomfrey worked. She cleaned the gashes on his chest and then healed them with her wand, but the wounds kept bleeding. She decided to cover them the muggle way; with gauze pads and medical tape.

"Why doesn't he stop bleeding? Can't you fix it?" Lily questioned.

"I'm trying my best."

"Well, it doesn't seem to be working!"

"Miss Evans," she warned with a raised voice.

"Is he suffering?" Lily asked quietly.

"Not while he's asleep."

Just then Keith entered with Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall.

"What happened?" McGonagall asked.

"I am wondering the same thing," Madame Pomfrey said.

"Miss Evans, Mr. Fox, could you leave the three of us for a little bit, please," Dumbledore asked.

"Come on, Lily," Keith said, beckoning her along.

"I'm not leaving him," she said sternly.

Dumbledore moved their huddle over some way, out of what he thought was listening distance.

"Do you think it was—" McGonagall questioned in a frightening voice.

Madame Pomfrey nodded her head. "I don't know how he got out, though."

"Poppy, how serious is this?" Dumbledore asked.

"The wound on his chest looks worse—"

"Wouldn't you rather sleep in your own bed?" Keith asked her. "I'll stay here with you."

"No, Keith. Go to bed."

"But—"

"Shut up!" she hissed.

Keith left Lily sitting on the chair. She didn't take her eyes off him thinking through the parts of the conversation she had just listened in on. Some time later she dozed off. She woke to the sound of hurried feet.

"What's going on here?" Madame Pomfrey cried.

Lily woke with a startle. She looked off towards the double doors and in limped Sirius with Remus. His arm was around Sirius' neck and he stumbled as he moved.

"Madame Pomfrey, how's it hangin'?" Sirius asked with a smile.

"Where have you been? With him?" she asked as she took Remus' legs into her arms. The two moved him into the bed next to James.

"Eh…more or less."

"Unbelievable. I told him…" Madame Pomfrey muttered as she moved to her medicine cabinet.

Lily stroked James' hand as she looked over at Remus.

"Did the same thing…" she didn't finish after Sirius nodded,.

"What…what hap—"

"Here, Black. Drink this." Madame Pomfrey handed him a clear vile. Sirius guzzled it in one go.

"What was that?" Lily asked.

"I don't ask, I just obey," Sirius said with a wink. He leaned back in the bed he was sitting on, and in mere minutes, he was asleep. The only sound filling the room was the steady sound of the three boys sleeping. Speaking of which, where was Peter? He would know what happened. Lily quickly got up, but then James thrashed around in his sleep. She immediately sat down. She would not leave James' side. Madame Pomfrey came over and started working on Sirius' wounds while a potion for Remus simmered.

Lily looked down on James while she smooth the hair on his head away from his eyes. She held onto his hand tightly. Everything was quiet and the sun was shinning down on James, illuminating him.

"You know, we've been through a lot these past couple of months. It's hard to believe that only two months ago I was…throwing away a rubber duck family," Lily said with a chuckle.

"You and Keith have…a rubber duckie family?" James asked with raised eyebrows.

"Yes! Can we please move on?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever," James said as he tossed the duck into the garbage can.

"Wait! Don't throw them out!" Lily cried.

"Why? You want to keep your sick, twisted duck family that you started with your ex-boyfriend? As your current boyfriend, I don't think I'm too fond of that."

"Alright, alright. Good-bye, Claire," Lily said sadly as she tossed a duck with a pink bow on its head, into the trash.

"I know…pretty pathetic, huh? But in my defense, it wasn't as bad as when you and Keith fought over me."

"Hey, baby," James said as he approached the two.

"James," Lily said, he left eyebrow raised. "What's up?"

"Oh, I just came to visit my girlfriend, ya know, see if she, my girlfriend, needed any help because, well…jeez…cuz I'm her boyfriend, I guess," James spat.

"Well, that's very nice of you, but you need to be talking like that, babe," Lily said, catching on to his game.

"Is there anything you need?" James asked, hoping his voice didn't sound too desperate.

"No, Potter. Why aren't you watching our potion?" Keith asked, glaring at James.

"Actually, could you go get these ingredients, please?" Lily asked him, handing James some parchment with several ingredients on it.

"No problem, Lily. That's what boyfriends do."

James strode off with a very smug grin on his face. He looked around in Slughorn's ingredient cabinet, but it was hard to locate certain items in the dark. He looked at the back wall, trying to decide if Lily wanted fresh frog legs or frozen ones when he was spun around and slammed against the wall.

"What the hell is your problem, Potter," Keith snapped.

"What is my problem? You're the one who's….who's all up on my girlfriend!" James cried, shoving Keith's hand away from him.

"She doesn't even fucking like you. She's dating you out of pity. You may say that you're "dating," but you act more like friends. Although, I don't even know what kind of friend she sees in you. As soon as your little…game…ends, she'll be back with me, no doubt. She still likes me, and you're just one of those guys who she'll never even glance at once she dumps you. You're a piece of trash, Potter, and it's time Lily threw you out." With his final statement, Keith grabbed the supplies James was holding, spun on his heel and left. "Clean up your mess, Potter," he said on his way out.

James grunted in his sleep. "No, you were just being the jealous boyfriend. It's okay though. I think it's cute." A single tear rolled down her cheek. "Of course, I didn't give you a very good reason to not be suspicious. Keith and I did have our moments together. I don't know how to explain it, though. It's like, when he's around me, he puts on this aura, this charm that is so hard to resist. He makes me want to do crazy things, think crazy thoughts, be a crazy woman! So, yes, James, I am admitting that to an extent, Keith Fox makes me weak in the knees. You were right, when we played hide and seek, Keith was with me."

"We did some pretty crazy stuff together," Keith said.

"Yeah, we did."

"I miss it. I miss doing this, just talking. I miss you," Keith said as he turned and looked Lily in the eye.

Lily returned his gaze She could see the lust forming in his eyes, and it scared her a bit, but she didn't move.

Keith looked from her eyes to her lips and then back to her eyes. He then leaned in slowly— and kissed her.

"Get away from me!" she cried.

"Lily, it was a mistake breaking up with you," Keith said, his breathing slightly hitched. "I want you to go out with me again. Dump Potter and go out with me again."

"Ew, Keith, no. You…you're something of the past. I…I like James right now, and that's who I want to be with. You've lost your chance and I've got to go," Lily said. She started to move away from him.

"It's not that James Potter isn't good enough for you, it's that you're too good for him," Keith called out.

"…or transfiguration class…"

Lily turned around in surprise when someone tapped her on the shoulder. It was Keith.

"If you flick your wrist fast, the spell should work," he suggested.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she snapped.

"You're trying to break this glass, right," he asked, ignoring her tone and pointing to the glass sitting in front of her.

"More or less."

"Your movement is too slow then. Like this," he said as he slashed his arm down and flicked his wrist. The glass cup broke neatly in half. Keith muttered a "repario" and the glass fixed itself.

"Thanks," she said dryly. Remus watched Keith carefully.

Keith cleared his throat. "Well, I hope I don't battle you I the finals," Keith commented.

"Why's that, Fox? 'Fraid you gonna loose to a girl?" James asked, joining in on the conversation.

"No. I would just feel obligated to letting you win," he answered, addressing Lily.

"Or whenever I was in the library.."

Keith laughe4d out loud while clasping Lily on the back with his much too large hand.

"I'm just messing with you, babe."

Lily's frown deepened with she heard the pet name he let slip.

"Where's Potter?" he asked, though it sounded as if he could care less.

"James is hanging with the guys tonight."

"Well, obviously. He never goes anywhere without his cronies. I meant, why isn't he with you?"

"Why does he have to be with me all the time?" Lily snapped.

"Well, a girl as pretty as you could get getting seduced by some other sleeze bag who wants a go at her," Keith said quietly while leaning towards her.

"Are you a sleeze bag trying to seduce me, Keith?" Lilly asked, equally as quiet, but not moving towards him.

"Nope." He moved a couple more inches forward.

"You're not trying to seduce me?"

"Yes."

"But you just said—"

"I'm not a sleeze bag trying to seduce you."

"Oh," Lily breathed.

"I know. I know that's not what you want to hear…and something I don't want to feel. But in my defense, for every weak-kneed moment that…that…that boy has put me through, I've had heart palpitations because of you, James Potter. I mean, even from the moment we officially met, you were there…protecting me…helping me."

"Look, this night has gone from bad to embarrassing to worse. Please leave me alone," she said sadly.

"Hey, that was my girlfriend…well ex-girlfriend too. You're not alone in this," he said.

Lily looked away. "I don't know what to do. I just want to forget."

"Yeah…I know what you mean."

"It feels like we're the only people left. Like, the only people left to find love in this school. Everyone has someone to hold on to…someone to love…and we have no one," Lily said.

"Yeah. Exactly what I was thinking. You know…I have a plan that might solve our problems though."

"Yeah? And what's that?" Lily asked, putting a hand on her waist.

"Why don't we hook up? You and I could date each other," James said.

"That's stupid. You just told me that we were using each other for rebound," Lily snapped.

"Yeah, I know what I said. But I was thinking…just for a little bit. We'll go out for…let's say a month? You know the Christmas dance they always have in December? That will be the last event we'll go to as a couple. We'll break up come the new year," James explained,

"I…that sounds stupid," Lily bluntly said. "But…it would be nice…and I wouldn't feel so alone," she mused.

"So…Lily Evans, will you be my girlfriend for the next two months?" James asked her, holding her hands in his own.

"And then the night after my mother died…"

"One thing we used to do when I was younger, was go ice skating. Those beautiful skates sat in her closet for who knows how long and for all I know she sold them and they belong to someone who doesn't even know the…the importance of those shoes." Lily started crying again. She let go of James' hand and put her face in her own.

"We'll find them, Lily. I'll find them for you, I promise," James said.

"Why was I so horrible to her? What…what was I thinking?" Lily asked.

"We say stupid things to our parents all the time. Just be happy about the good times you did have with your mom. I mean look at Sirius. He's never had a good relationship with his parents. His mother hates him and his father thinks that he's a disappointment. He was always being tortured by his cousins, but there was a time where he could at least have a conversation with his parents. Sirius rants about how much he hates hi parents and how he never did and never will love them, but I know that deep down inside he holds a place for them. He keeps the smallest, happiest memories with him in his heart. That's all you need to do. Don't think about the dumb things either of you did. Just keep the good ones with you."

"And then the funeral…"

Lily found James lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling. She slowly crept over and laid down next to him.

"Lily," he breathed.

"I heard that you missed me," she whispered with a smile.

"A lot," he answered while nuzzling his head into her shoulder. "How was it?" he asked, his voice muffled.

She was quiet for a minute before she answered. "Emotional." She ran her hands through his hair. "Everyone, from both sides of my family, was there. I think that's what made it so real for me. My mom's mom hates my father and that whole side, yet there she was, sitting boldly at the front without a single tear in sight. I knew that everyone would ask questions, that's why I didn't want you to go with."

" I could have handled it."

"I know. But I didn't want to deal with it. My mother's side is just so…nosey."

James let out a throaty laugh. "My whole family is like that."

Lily chuckled. "I could probably lay like this forever," she commented.

"I don't mind."

"I think my roommates might."

"So?"

"Don't want them to draw any conclusions."

"Eh…"

"James Potter."

"Just sayin'."

Lily laughed quietly as more tears fell. "And how you wanted to go to Hogsmeade with me last weekend…"

Lily descended the stairs with Karen and Ronnie behind her.

"Hey Lils! Ready to get going?" he asked her as she flew by.

Without breaking stride Lily snapped, "Ask those two."

James looked at Lily's roommates for answers.

"We're taking Lily for the day. Sorry. We have to go dress shopping for the dance. You should understand," Karen apathetically said.

"Wait…what? No, this is Lily's and my day! You can't have her!" James cried following the girls out of the Common Room.

"Sorry, Potter, but we're already late. Maybe catch you at dinner? See ya," Ronnie said as Lily and Karen walked around the corner.

Tears freely flowed down Lily's face. "You're amazing, James Potter. You make me feel so special. You make me feel loved." She looked out the window and saw two blue birds fly past the window. "You're also making me cry again, Potter." Lily sighed and looked down on James. "Please make it stop."

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James started thrashing around and moaning in his sleep. This time though, he sounded as if he was in pain.

"James?"

He was grunting and kicking. His face was contorted in a look of pain, and then he started panting.

"James! Wake up, please. James, everything's gonna be alright. Hold on. Madame Pomfrey!" Lily cried.

"I think it's just a…a side affect."

" A side affect? A side affect of what? What is it?"

"Hold on, Lily," Madame Pomfrey poured some clear liquid down his throat. Immediately all motion stopped. Then he started screaming.

"What's happened? James! JAMES!"

"Miss Evans, I need you to calm down."

"JAMES! LISTEN TO ME! WAKE UP! STOP!"

Just then Dumbledore came into the room. "Is he having a reaction?"

"What are you talking about? Why is this happened?" Lily was now standing over James, staring down at him. He moved as if his whole body was on fire.

"I'm not sure. Maybe he's purging. I've never seen this before."

"What's going on?" Lily went to grab his hand, but he slapped her across the face in the process. Lily staggered back and her lip started bleeding.

Dumbledore put his hands firmly on James' chest to hold him down.

"Why are you doing this? What's wrong?"

Madame Pomfrey poured some more clear liquid down James' throat. He started choking.

"You're suffocating him!"
"Miss Evans," this was the first time Dumbledore acknowledged her, "we need you to be patience with us."

"Not while I watch you kill him!"

"Get her out of here, Albus," Madame Pomfrey said as she worked at the night stand with more vials.

"Miss Evans…"

"I'm not leaving him!"

"Albus…"

"Miss Evans…"

"I'm not—" Lily was outside the Hospital Wing. She blinked because everything was out of focus.

"No…no! Let me in! Let me in!" Lily cried as she tugged on the door handle. "James!"

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"Well, isn't this a lovely place to take a nap?" Her eyes snapped open to see Sirius way too close to her face.

"How long have I been out here?" she asked.

"I don't really know. I've been asleep for ten hours."

"Ten hours? It must be nearly four then."

"Yeah, and Pomfrey wants me to stay until tomorrow, but I'm not nearly as bad as those two."

"So, she doesn't know that you're out here?"

"Nope," he grinned.

"Can we…take a walk?'

The two wandered around in silence. Lily broke that.

"What happened last night?"

"I…I don't know how much I can say; it's really not my place to tell."

"Well then, tell me your side."

"Again, it doesn't really work like that."

"Can you tell me anything?"

"Well, it started with me…and Remus and Pete, not wanting to go to the dance. It's not like we had dates or anything, like you and James." Lily blushed but nodded her head for him to continue.

"Anyway, so we decided to…explore…near…the Forbidden Forest. Some hoe we got farther in than expected and something attacked us. Immediately I lost Pete. Then that thing slashed me and Remus ran off. I headed back to the castle—"

"To find James," Lily finished.

"Exactly. The two of us went after Remus…but then James was injured, so he went back and I stayed to find Remus."

Lily let Sirius' words sink in. She knew that there were parts missing, parts that were vital to the entire story. But Lily didn't press because something was better than nothing.

The two made their way back to the infirmary where they met up with an unhappy Madame Pomfrey. She wanted Sirius back in bed, but he argued with her. He got off with drinking another vile. Dumbledore wanted Lily to return to class with the rest of the students the next day. She was very reluctant, but after the incident earlier that day, she didn't want to test him. It was a sleepless night for James and Lily, the only difference was that she was actually awake. Before class, Lily went to visit James. He and Remus were both asleep and so she went to class. Lily saw Sirius and Peter in Transfiguration; Peter seemed to have suffered nothing from the incident. Her original idea about Peter being help was out the window.

It wasn't until Tuesday at dinner that Remus appeared. Lily was aimlessly picking at her food when she saw Remus out of her peripheral.

"Remus! How are you?" she asked as she hugged him.

"Same as always. I would ask you the same, but I already know."

Lily nodded her head.

"I'm sure you want to talk, but I need to eat first. Just let me grab something."

"Of course."

Remus grabbed more than a couple pieces of bread and then they left. Lily followed his lead. She really just wanted to shake the answer out of him, but she contained herself because she had that much more respect for him. He lead her up several flights of stairs, eating his bread, not saying a word to anyone. They turned down a hallway that was unfamiliar to her. Short flights of stairs were present and they followed those up as well. At the very top of these stairs Remus stopped and sat down.

Lily frowned, but followed suit. Remus picked at more of his bread. It wasn't until he was completely done with that piece that he finally spoke.

"When I was very young…something…tragic…happened to me. It's followed me ever since that point. I didn't think I would be able to live a normal life. When I got my acceptance letter, Dumbledore told me he would make this possible. That was excellent, except for that fact that I still had my issue, which I was sure would prevent me from having any friends as well. I tried to keep to myself, but you know how persistent Sirius and James are. I did a pretty good job at keeping my secret…just that. However, by our third year, they wanted answers that wasn't, "My mother is sick." I brought them to this exact spot…and told them that I was a werewolf.

Lily just stared at him. She had made speculations in the past, but that had just seemed so far fetched. Hearing it from the source is a different story.

"They didn't care. They didn't care about my condition. They researched it, learned about what really happened every full moon. Learned that I left the day before the full moon, returned the day after and spent the rest of the second day catching up on sleep." Remus tore off some more bread and slowly chewed it in his mouth. "Then they learned that werewolf's can operate better, have better control if there were…other animals present."

"Remus…you didn't…"

"Of course I didn't. But they did anyway. And by our 5th year, they would travel the grounds, visit Hogsmeade, venture through the Forbidden Forest."

"Remus! That's so dangerous and illegal!"

"I know. But…but I felt better after they would visit. Most of what we would do is still a blur, but I remember some things, and as a whole transformations aren't as painful."

"What happened the night of the dance."

Remus ate some more bread. He took a long time to chew, and an even longer time to answer.

"Sirius and Pete came out, like usual. We transformed together. Sirius wanted to go out to the Forbidden Forest. I…my state…I was okay with that. We didn't get very far in, when something attacked us. Immediately my inner wolf reacted. Peter ran off and Sirius was scratched. I chased after the animal. Twenty minutes later James appeared, and the three of us were fighting the beast. That's when it bit him. I heard James yelp and I…I jumped him. I don't know, something overcame me and I bit his face. The other beast pounced him and it wasn't until his torso was scratched that I decided to act. I rammed into the beast and James sprinted away. The beast ran off as well and Sirius and I went back to the Whomping Willow."

Remus licked his lips while Lily's eyes welled up. "Lily…I am so sorry. I wish…"

"It's not your fault," she whispered. "You know, it's like, at my mother's funeral I didn't cry. I felt as if I had to be strong for everyone there; my father, my sister, even my mother. It was…so easy to do that. But this," tears started to fall down her face. "I…I can't do this. I can't be strong for James. The one person who I need isn't here. I don't know what to do Remus. I don't—" the tears freely flowed down her face. Remus pulled her into him and they wept together.

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James was blinded by a bright, white light. In the distance he saw a petite figure.

"James?" it whispered.

"Lily?"

"Yes, it's me, James. How are you?"

"I can't…I can't see. The light—"

"Can you hear me?"

"Yeah, but I can't see."

"Just listen to my voice, James."
"I can't see you. Just…tell me where you are."

"Open your eyes then."

"The light…it's so bright…"

"Trust me, James. Just open your eyes. I'm right here."

"I'm…I'm afraid."

"Don't be."

James forced his eyes open and was greeted with the weeping, yet smiling face of Lily Evans.

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