OOC:

Once again because of TonyAnnaAndre I am able to get this out faster.

Yay!

One question though...why is no one else reviewing?

TonyAnnaAndre, this one is dedicated to you since you were the only one to review Chapter 12 and 13.

Claire: Henry Lau is pure smex!!!!

Yes he is Claire but now is not the time to mention him.

Now onto the story.

Emily woke up to her classmates surrounding her. Bright light flashed into her eyes causing her to close them in response.

"Is she alright? She was out cold for awhile."

Her cousin's voice rang out, making her head ache. What exactly had happened to her while Mr. Malfoy had been talking to her?

Carefully she propped herself up on the bed and looked at the kids surrounding her. Dang! She didn't remember being this important.

"Um...hi?"

Emily whispered before her classmates came around to hug her. After five minutes of hugging, all of the students left except for Hermione, Ron, Harry and James who were the ones she really wanted to speak to especially after this whole fiasco. The trio approached the bed while James hung around in the background waiting for his turn.

"Hermione, what happened to me? Why am I in the hospital wing? What the bloody hell is happening?"

Emily asked her cousin before plopping back down onto the bed. Her body ached for more sleep but she didn't think that it would be best to do that before she got an explanation from Hermione.

"Well Em, you were found unconcious a couple feet away from the library where they found another victim of whatever is going around. What were you trying to do when you know that there is a dangerous creature loose among Hogwarts? Are you stupid or something? You could have died!"

The tone of voice was new for Hermione. It actually sounded like she was angry with her.

"Hermione, you know as well as I do that you want to know what is plaguing our school. I thought that since everyone else was out and about past hours snogging..."

Emily glared at Ron and Harry which seemed to assert her point.

"That I could get some sort of clue digging done. Forgive me for trying to figure things out Hermione. I just want to know what the hell is going on around here. You do too, but you haven't been looking up anything."

This seemed to strike a nerve.

"Is that what you think? You know as well as I do that I have been trying to figure out things too especially after you and James were attacked. Don't you go and place blame on me when it is you that was found unconscious near a dead body. You could have been that dead body, Emily. YOU COULD HAVE BEEN DEAD!"

Emily rolled her eyes and just shook her head. She was so tired of this arguing. Hell. Hermione always thought that it was her responsibility to take care of her, but she was older than her cousin. Why did she have to be so damn passionate?

"Hermione, stop acting like I am your bloody responsibility. I am older than you yet you still insist on treating me like a child."

"That's because you won't stop acting like one." Hermione stated.

"Hermione Granger, if you do not stop this crap I will just walk out of here and run off to Hogsmeade without your bloody opinion. I am tired of you, mum and da, your parents, and the teachers telling me how to run my bloody life when I have survived this far. So if you want to stop mothering me right now, I would love it oh so very much."

Obviously the arguing was getting on both Harry's and Ron's nerves cause they were very tense. Finally Harry spoke up.

"Will you two just shut up? Hermione, we know that you are worried about your cousin but she is right. You do baby her."

Then he turned to Emily.

"And Emily you are also at fault for going out when you knew something dangerous is out there. You could have gotten hurt and for that I would do the same thing Hermione is doing and give you a lecture too."

Now the room was filled with silence until Ron cleared his throat to speak.

"Hermione, even though I think we should still fill Emily in, I think we should let her rest..."

He nudged his head over to where James was leaning against the wall, patiently waiting to have his say with Emily.

"And hope that she heals quickly because Snape was positively steaming when he heard that there was another attack tonight. He will probably come to interrogate her later so we better give her some space."

Wide eyes met Ron's own pondering why in the bloody hell he was speaking so rationally. After a minute or so, Hermione turned back to Emily and sighed deeply.

"Ron's right. You need your rest, plus..."

She got down close to Emily's ear and began to whisper.

"James has been the most worried of us all. You owe him an explanation or something."

With that she stood up and dragged the two boys out of the hospital wing, leaving James and Emily alone...alone together.

The silence was deafening as they looked at each other, not knowing what to say to each other. Emily figured that he might be just as mad as her cousin had been because of her idiocy but she hoped that he wasn't too mad at her. She had only been trying to figure things out.

"So I guess you are mad too? I could understand why though. Guess this is what I get for being too curious in life."

Emily asked as she propped herself back up into a sitting position on the bed. Her eyes warily travelled up to his and was surprised when she saw him walk over to her side and sit down in the chair next to her bed.

Slowly his hand reached out to grab her own. His hand wrapped around hers and seemed to give him some sort of strange comfort.

"I am mad, but I am more mad at myself Emily. Why didn't you ask me to come with you for at least some sort of protection? I am just as curious as you are but I would kill myself to see you get murdered for your strange curiosity."

This made her eyes widen greatly, somehow bringing back the headache that she had woken up with.

"Why do you care so much, James?"

"Because I..."

She waited with great curiosity. It was something that was truly bothering her.

"Because I...I love you, Emily. It maybe strange coming from me especially since I am only a month or two older than you but I really do love you."

"Even after the whole Hogsmeade disaster?"

He looked at her earnestly.

"Yes."

"Even after getting attacked?"

"Yes."

His honesty shocked her. Tears started brimming at her eyes before she began to give into her happiness.

"Why do you love me? Don't you understand that I am a magnet for danger?"

He brought her face up with his hand before bringing his face closer to hers.

"Yes I do understand that. I love you because you are so geniune, so smart, so beautiful. I really love you."

With that he brought his lips down to hers, closer so that he could feel her with him. He needed to know that she was alive and this kiss was helping to prove that she was still breathing. When he pulled away, he chuckled to see the dazed expression on her face.

"I think I should leave you alone. You need your rest."

Still quite flustered, Emily nodded her head rapidly before she hurriedly burrowed underneath the blankets.

"Oh Emily? I wanted to ask you something."

This piqued her curiosity again.

"Do you want to go to the Samhain ball that is happening the day after tomorrow with me?"

With this she came back up again into a sitting position and stared him in the eyes.

"I'm sorry, James. I am not going to the ball with a date. I've been asked but I am not emotionally ready to go on a date with anyone. Sorry."

A sad smile appeared on his face.

"It's okay. I understand. Sleep well, Emily."

With that he turned to leave only to be stopped by Emily.

"James, before you go I need you to take this. I think it might keep you safe from whatever is out there."

Her hand stretched out with a necklace causing his gaze to fall upon it.

"What is it?"

She stretched out her hand and placed the necklace within his own hand.

"It's a necklace blessed by a priest from my hometown. If you open it up, there is a tiny mirror in there that will hopefully keep whatever is out there away from you."

This surprised him. Did that mean she knew what was out there?

"Thanks Emily. I will keep it on my person at all times. Now I really have to let you rest."

Quickly he left the room only to be stopped by his temporary Divination teacher, Lucius Malfoy.

"What were you doing in there, boy?"

Fear rolled through James, but he hoped it wouldn't show.

"I was visiting, Emily. I wasn't the only one, sir, so you shouldn't worry about anything."

Suddenly he found himself pressed up against the wall, hanging only because Lucius' hand kept him there. James tried his hardest to breathe, trying not to suffocate from this cold man's actions.

"You listen to me boy and listen well. That girl is mine and if I so much as see any of your body parts touching her again, I will rip you to shreds myself. Do you understand?"

A smirk crossed Lucius' features when the boy nodded his head. He let the boy drop before he turned to walk away.

"Remember that boy or your death will come swifter than you think."

OOC:

Sorry for the delay but I have been battling a bad cold that has totally screwed up my sleeping schedule.

One more week until school starts again so I better pump these babies out faster than what I have been doing.

Okay so guys...I know ya'll are tired of me asking this of you but please PLEASE REVIEW!!!

It doesn't take much.

Once again I would love to thank TonyAnnaAndre for reviewing everytime a new chapter comes out.

It warms my heart.

So please review and then I can mention ya'll who did in the next chapter.

Savvy?

Claire: LAU RULES!!!!!

Claire, go away and yes he does rule.