Thank you for the reviews.

I loved that last chapter, it is one of my favorites.

I don't think I have much ese so here we go.

Chapter 31

Waking up

Lily POV

She tried to open her eyes but they were so heavy, they felt as if they were being weighed down. She was insanely comfortable and warn, very, very warm. Cuddling into her pillow, it moved, that made her eyes pop open. She leaned back and looked up, seeing James still asleep, but stirring slightly with her movements. She lay back down going over the haze that was last night. She had been upset, she was irrationally scared. It was like all of the fear she should have felt while in the dark forest had settled on her in that instant, all of the panic and she couldn't restrain it. He consoled her. She vaguely remembered him whispering to her while she was falling asleep, but she couldn't remember what they had been talking about.

She turned her head up to look at him. He was so cute when he slept, well maybe cute wasn't the right word, she thought as a heat started building low in her belly. His face was smooth, a small smile playing on his lips. He looked young when he was asleep, really young. She realized that after everything that had happened last year they had never slept together overnight, this was the first time she had woken up in his arms. She liked it, more than she probably should.

"Hey pretty girl? You look deep in thought for so early in the morning."

Her eyes darted upwards and she flushed. She pulled back and sat up, he let his arm fall away from her shoulders but only let it fall so it was resting around her back.

"What time is it?" he asked

"I don't know, it isn't very bright out, it can't be very late." She muttered looking out the huge window.

She watched him fumble one handed on his side table and come back with his onyx watch.

"Hmmm, it's 7, you are up earlier than expected, with it being Wednesday we both have free periods until 10:00 I thought we would be sleeping later than this." He muttered scooting back down into his pillows and rolling to face her, throwing his free arm over her lap so that his wrists were resting on each other.

"I'm sorry for hijacking you bed." She said with a smile.

"No apologies necessary. I slept great with you in here. You are welcome in my bed anytime." He said, his face faltering when he realized how that sounded. "I didn't mean it that way." He muttered as she giggled.

"Thank you Potter, that is very sweet."

He gave her a rotten grin at the sound of his surname on his lips. It was funny how something that used to be a putdown, not caring enough to use his name, was now a way to be silly, something sweet that they only did with each other.

"Are you alright with all of this, really?" he asked intently.

"I think so. I was overwhelmed last night, and completely sleep deprived, and every time I closed my eyes I saw him as the wolf and I could see snuffles…Sirius…jumping at him and then I can still hear the sound of your bone snapping under his jaws. That's a lot to take in. And I was so cold, I don't know if I will ever be properly warm again."

"Yeah, it can be overwhelming, the first time. Well the first time that we saw him after, in third year, we waited outside of the tunnel all night. The house used to be warded so he couldn't escape. So we waited until dawn and snuck through, we found him laying in his own blood, torn to pieces, he could barely breathe and we all knew, we had to help him, somehow, someway."

She could see the sadness for his friend all over his face, she lay back down onto his chest and cuddled in closely but kept quiet, willing him to continue.

"It was Sirius actually that came up with the idea of an animagus. McGonagall she transformed in class, remember. Third year was when we covered animagi and the registry and the theory behind it? Well we all thought that was a cool bit of magic but it just slipped to the side in light of our friend's problem, then in Defense, he taught about werewolves within a week, Rem was freaking out but the professor he said, they are only a danger to humans. And in Sirius' head it clicked, all at once, you could see it on his face, he got this look and just stood up and left in the middle of the defense lecture. He got detention for three days for it." James said with a grin.

"I remember that, I remember him standing up and walking out on Professor Humperspool, I will never forget his face, I have never seen a teacher look confuse, angry, and bewildered all at the same time.

"Yup, that was it. Well I am sure Pete told you the rest but we just knew we had to do it. We couldn't stand by helpless when we could be there for him. What kind of friend would let their best mate suffer alone? We couldn't do it, well Siri and I couldn't, Pete didn't like seeing it but he was rather nervous about the transformations."

"You are very selfless." She said softly closing her eyes against his skin, he smelled so good.

"No, I just care about him, I don't like people I care about to hurt, I can't handle it, it makes me feel worthless."

"But you don't care if you hurt?"

"This doesn't hurt me at all." He shrugged.

"James, you just had a broken ankle, every month this year you have had some random injury, although this month and September were by far the worst I will give you that."

"It's a small price to pay to help someone that you care about, or that I love as you would say."

She grinned at his reference.

"We're ok, right?" he said quietly.

"I hope so, I am laying in bed beside you so if we aren't we have a really effed up relationship." She replied.

"I know, that you know, there's nothing. I get that, I don't expect there to be anything, I just, I do care Lily, I can't stop that, I need you to believe that." He said into her hair.

She nodded her head.

"I do, I do believe that. I was overly harsh with you that day." She barely got out.

"No, you weren't, I was unreasonable and ridiculous. I asked you to tell me how you felt and you did. I can't be mad about that. I decided, sometime at the beginning of this year, that no matter what, no matter how many boyfriends you have come and go, first and foremost we will be friends, I don't want to give you up entirely. I am sorry for trying to force you into a relationship. I am over all of that, I promise, I will always care about you, always, I promise I will not leave you." He said.

She couldn't speak for fear of him hearing her tears in her voice. She had forced him to get over her, and he had. And now she was going to have to live with it. She would live with it forever, she refused to hurt him again. She laid there silent against his chest while he played with a strand of her hair.

oOoOoOoOo

James POV

"Oi, are you two skeeving off classes today too?" he heard Sirius shout, and suddenly the blankets were ripped off of them.

James opened his eyes at the sudden change in temperature. Seeing Sirius' mouth dropped open in a perfect O he looked down to find Lily wrapped completely around him in her little shirt and very tiny panties, it didn't help that James was only in boxers. He looked up and scowled at Sirius as Lily practically wiggled underneath him for warmth in her sleep. Sirius grinned broadly and threw the blanket back over Lily.

"Sorry" he mouthed.

James pursed his lips.

"What time is it?" James whispered.

"You have class in 15 minutes." Sirius hissed.

James nodded his head and slithered until he was out of bed, he pushed pillows beside of Lily while she slept and tucked the overly fluffy comforter tightly around her. Holding his finger up to his lips he grabbed uniform pieces out of his chest and went into the office in his boxers with Sirius following.

"So, anything happen that I need to know about?" he said with a wicked grin on his face.

"No, nothing you need to know, infact nothing happened, she just slept with me, she was having a rough time, to say the very least." James replied trying to pull on his pants quickly."What are you doing here?"

"Well, you weren't up and on the pitch to run, and you weren't at breakfast, Alice, Marleen, Hestia, nor Morgan have seen Lily at all today and it is well after 9:00. I assumed you were still asleep or talking to her about everything, but I knew she would freak out if she missed another day's worth of classes. Are you not going to wake her up?"

James shook his head, causing issues as he was trying to tie his tie and walk out of the door.

"Nope, we, as in you and I, are going to take notes for her. I will tell the professor's that she is sick. The only class we don't have together is arithmancy and I can get Rem to tell the professor in that class." He said as the took off at a run for charms.

oOoOoOoOoO

BOLD-Sirius

Italic- Remus

BOLD UL- James

UL-Peter

How anyone survived History of Magic James had no idea, obviously not everyone did as their professor was dead he mused. He was really really trying to take notes for Lily when his wrist burned. He looked down and noticed that he was resting his hand on the enchanted parchment. Pulling it out he read Remus' writing.

Is she alright? Really, be honest.

James looked at him and rolled his eyes in exasperation.

She seems to be. She was freaked out last night but not by the fact that you are a werewolf, but by seeing everything first hand. I am pretty sure had she just been told and not seen it she wouldn't have batted an eyelash about it. I actually think she may have already known somehow.

How would she have known unless you told her?

At this James scowled.

Down puppy! You know he wouldn't have done that be real. Lily isn't exactly dense you know, I am sure she figured it out just like we did, you two have been doing rounds together for 3 years I bet it was easy to figure out.

Right, you are right, sorry Prongs.

I did not tell her anything.

I know I said sorry, I just, it is hard to let someone else in you know.

James said nothing, only looked off up to Binns. He heard Sirius sigh beside him.

What did she say to you last night, and exactly how did you end up half starkers together in your bed all night?

WHAT

WHAT

YUP

Thanks that is just what I wanted shared with everyone. She was cold still, she said she couldn't get warm.

And sleeping in her britches is a way to do that?

Stuff it you prat. I told her I was in my room if she needed me, it was really late and she was sitting downstairs staring at the same page for hours, I was in my room laying in bed when she opened the door. You know I sleep in boxers, I wasn't expecting her to walk in. And when she did, she was crying and I did the only thing I could, I made her sit down and I held her.

She walked into your room in her underpants?

No, she came in wearing her jeans and that little tight shirt she was wearing earlier, remember? And we talked for a long time about animagi and the fact that Sirius is a prat who destroyed her confidence in him.

WHAT! That is not what happened, I never meant for her to find out!

Settle down, she didn't say that, she wasn't even really freaked out by it, she just is afraid you told people what she talked about. I may have forgotten to tell her that you can't understand human speech when you change. She kept thinking about you attacking Moony, and I have to be honest here, that was terrifying for me to see, I can't imagine what Lily thought. I am sure it was scary for her to see a random Stag dive at a werewolf ten feet in front of her, but Sirius, you are Snuffles, you were the one that very literally saved her life. She adores Snuffles she was petrified of you dying. And be real all of us know that werewolves are scary, especially the first time you see them.

You are sure she is alright?

So you never got around to how she ended up half naked in your room.

Merlin you three are ridiculous, she was exhausted and was already in my bed so she pulled off her jeans so she could be comfortable enough to seep. She was freezing, like I almost pulled away from her she was that cold.

James Potter almost pulled away from Lily Evans?

She had to be made of ice….

It felt like it, she stayed against me all night and never felt much warmer.

So how did it feel holding the girl of your dreams all night?

He has snogged her you git, I doubt it was a bigger deal than that. Shit he has shagged her.

Thanks for that, again, you are such a great friend to bring all of this out in the open. And I don't think I want to talk about it. It was just a one time thing, we aren't together, at all, I told her it was fine, that we were just friends and I wouldn't make it weird. I am not trying to date her or anything.

You told her what!

Really James, are you stupid?

Are you thick, what the fuck is the matter with you?

Hey! I don't want that road again. I can't do that. I can't lose her again, I just can't so drop it.

The parchment remained blank after that as James went back to attempting class notes and the other three stared at him in shock.

oOoOoOoOoO

That day dragged by, with no sign of Lily at all, he had assumed she would wake up at some point and show up to a class but she had not. He was in for a 40 minute break in between Runes and Transfiguration so he went to check on her.

She wasn't in the office, nor in her room, he decided to check his just in case. She was there, still curled into the same place he had left her. He sat behind her on the bed an put his arm over her waist, leaning forward to quietly wake her up, the last thing he wanted to do was scare her. But when his lips brushed the side of her face the heat radiating off of her was incredible. He leaned back and placed a hand on her forehead. She was burning up, it was like someone had put a warming spell on her.

Looking at her he could see that something was wrong, her lips were really pale and her eyes were red around them, even in sleep, her face was white as a ghost except for the fevered red patches on her cheeks.

"Lily, Lily wake up love." He said softly running his hands through her hair.

Her eyes fluttered open slightly and she looked at him.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Cold, so cold." She muttered.

"I know, you have a fever. I think your foray out into the frozen grounds has caught up with you."

Her eyes rolled a bit and refocused.

"Are you dizzy?"

She nodded her head. He traced the side of her face with his fingers. She sighed and closed her eyes, leaning her face into his hand.

"I am going to let McGonagall know you are sick and then bring you food, will it be alright if I have Sirius or Remus come sit with you?"

She mumbled incoherently, he took that as a yes and pulled the parchment out of his bag.

I need one of you, now, Lily is sick, really bad sick.

Two seconds

On my way

I am in muggle studies

Not five minutes later Sirius and Remus were down in the office as James came out of his room.

"What's up?" Sirius asked.

"She is sick, really sick, she is burning up, and barely talking, I don't think she has moved since I left this morning."

"Will she be alright if I go in there?" Remus asked nervously.

"She isn't the one being weird about this Moony, you are, just go tell me what to do." James snapped.

Remus nodded and started up the stairs followed closely by James and Sirius.

When they got into the room Sirius practically jumped onto the bed and scurried up beside of her.

"Hey Lily bear, wake up." He said, James and Remus rolled their eyes at the ridiculous nickname he had given her a few weeks back.

She opened her eyes a bit and smiled.

"Snuffles." She muttered and reached her hand up to pat his head.

Sirius grinned happily.

"That's me, you are burning up Lil'bit. Remmy is going to look you over alright?"

"James?" she asked before breaking into a cough.

He walked around Remus and sat on her other side.

"Hey pretty girl. I am here, what do you need?"

"You." She mumbled and laid her head on his leg.

James looked up at Sirius with a pained expression, while Sirius had a smirk that said plainly, yeah you are so done with her.

"Remus is going to look at you so I know what to tell McGonagall."

She nodded her head slightly and promptly got sick all over James' lap and Remus' shoes. Sirius who had been behind her was holding her up one hand gripping her shoulder the other wrapped around her waist. When she finished she looked up at James and started crying.