Disclaimer: I don't own anything. But all mistakes are mine.
Chapter 2: Visitors
James's eyes began to flutter and he groggily opened them, immediately flinching at the brightness of the room before he felt the pain in his torso and groaned.
"We won. Where's my broom? Where am I?" he muttered, not completely aware of what he was even saying.
A pleasant woman's voice, not far from him and quickly approaching answered, "You're in the Hospital Wing, your broom is with Sirius Black I believe… and yes, despite your numerous injures, you did win." She said the last part with a bit of distaste.
"With Sirius? What? How-. How did I even get here?" He made to straighten up, but Madam Pomfrey pushed upon his uninjured shoulder, keeping him firmly in bed.
"You fell, Mr. Potter."
As he further examined his present state, making sure everything was still in working order, he heard a door open and before he could look up a voice reached his ears, "James!"
He recognized the voice as his best friend, Sirius Black, and squinted at him as the handsome boy broke into a run and sprinted the last few yards to James's bed, skidding to a stop at the foot.
"Sirius?" James muttered, groping on the bedside table for his glasses. Madam Pomfrey pressed them into his reaching hand, while telling Sirius off for the grand entrance.
"Sorry, got excited for a moment," he said before skirting around her and clasping both hands on James's shoulders and giving him a little shake, "Prongs! Blimey, you're awake! How do you feel? You were brilliant in the match!"
Before James could respond as he lay a bit disorientated in the bed, Madam Pomfrey told Sirius off yet again for the rough housing. "He's still fragile! Now you behave, or I will ban you from this wing!" And she stalked off, leaving the boys alone.
Sirius settled on James's bed and grinned at him.
"Shouldn't you be in class?" James asked, glancing at the clock. It was three o'clock, and seeing as the quidditch match had an afternoon Sunday start, he must have been out cold for the night and following day.
"Oh, only History of Magic," Sirius said off-handedly, "Binns won't even notice I slipped out. All week I've been running up here to see if you're awake every chance I got, and Professor Binns presents a pretty good opportunity. I would alert Remus, Peter, Joey and the lot, but he might actually notice if half the class is missing."
James laughed, and flinched, as it caused a sharp pain to his abdomen. "I wouldn't count on Binns noticing if the castle came crumbling down around him…" He continued to smile. But when Sirius's words caught up to him it slid from his face, his expression changing to puzzlement and apprehension as he ask, "Wait a moment, all week?"
Sirius responded with a weak smile, "You've been out for almost five days, mate. If- If you didn't wake up soon I heard talk of you being transferred to St. Mungo's."
"St. Mungo's?" James asked, a bit shocked and confused.
"Prongs," Sirius winced, "how much do you remember?"
James shifted in bed as he racked his brain, and he felt something unpleasant and itchy rubbing against his chest. Pulling down the sheets, he saw his whole torso wrapped tightly in bandages.
"Madam Pomfrey said I fell…" He said unsurely, raising his eyes to meet his friend's.
"Well, yeah, you did fall." Sirius looked down uncomfortably, taking a deep breath before starting again, "After we won – you were brilliant by the way...Well, someone hit you with some kind of curse…Dumbledore he – he never saw it before." Sirius paused for a moment as if it pained him to go on, "Prongs you – you wouldn't stop bleeding. There was so much blood. And you hit the ground hard – almost everyone had their eyes on York after he caught the snitch, so no one could stop you in time. And well, Pomfrey was able to slow it – the bleeding – down considerably. Merlin, there was so much blood." He said the last statement in more of a whisper to himself before his voice became easily audible again, "And… we were just waiting for you to wake up…" He trailed off.
James looked down at his chest again, thinking hard. Someone hit him with a curse? Dumbledore had never seen it? Before he could further contemplate it Sirius spoke again,
"Your parents are staying in Hogsmeade. They've been up here a lot – we all have, every chance we got."
"Do they know who did it?" James asked.
"The teachers have no idea. But I wouldn't be surprised if it was Snape. Remember last year when he sent that curse at you down by the lake that cut your cheek! That didn't heal for weeks! He's into all that Dark stuff," he said the last remark with pure venom in his voice.
Just then the doors opened again, bringing a pair of voices with them.
"Remus, would you let me borrow your notes on Shapeshifters? I have to write a few more inches, and-"
"Peter, you're not serious?" Remus said exasperated. "How could you not have enough information after-"
He abruptly cut off their conversation as his eyes landed on James and Sirius. His face splitting into a huge grin.
"James! Welcome back, mate!" He then turned in faux anger to the healthier boy in the room, "Sirius, why didn't you tell us he was awake?! Wanted to keep Potter here all to yourself?"
Peter's elation seemed to cut off Sirius's defense as he scurried over to the occupied bed "James! Blimey! I knew you would wake up! I knew it!"
Before James could get a word out, the door creaked open again, this time admitting James's fellow Gryffindor chasers, Matt Hampton and Joey Maple, and behind them Joey's roommates and best friends, Taylor Polanin and Lily Evans.
James had just enough time to catch barley more than a glance of Lily and feel humiliated for lying wounded in a hospital bed when Matt and Joey hurried over to his side, smiles plastered on their faces.
"Potter! You're awake! Thank Merlin! I did not want to break the news to York that we would have to replace you as chaser." That was Joey, just about as passionate about quidditch as James was. Underneath that statement there was true caring there. "You were brilliant in the match, by the way! Another win in the books!"
"Glad you're awake, mate." Matt said, more quietly and with complete sincerity. He was James's fellow sixth year and fourth roommate. And though he wasn't a Marauder, as they had taken to calling themselves after McGonagall had yelled at them for "maraudering about," he was a good friend and an even better roommate. He was kind, and soft spoken, incredibly neat and clean, and got along well with the rest of the boys. The thing was, Matt had a twin brother in Hufflepuff and a childhood best friend in Ravenclaw, and even through the house divide, Matt's friend group didn't miss a beat.
Taylor too was grinning like an idiot, and James had the feeling people had thought he was on his death bed.
"How about a game of gobstones when you're up and about?" she said, walking over and giving him a one armed hug as best she could since he was still mostly horizontal. Though she would fiercely defend her best-friend-ship with Lily and Joey, Taylor spent more time in their dormitory than Matt, getting along well and easily with the four boys. Sirius had taken to calling her, "one of the guys." He had received a firm, but feminine, punch in the arm and a hard glare from the girl after that statement.
Lily too gave him a small smile, still standing slightly behind the rest of the lot, as if she thought she was intruding. It was no secret that the two didn't quite get on most of the time.
"How're you feeling?" She asked unsurely.
James's groggy head slowly took in what everyone had said, but before he could respond Madam Pomfrey had come bustling from her office.
"What's all this noise?! WHAT IN THE-?... Only three visitors at a time! Do you hear me, three! This boy needs rest. This boy still needs healing!"
"Healing?" James asked, attempting to straighten up, "It's been five days. Shouldn't I be healed?!"
"Now young man, healing isn't as easy as simply waving my wand about. What do you children think I do in this school?!" She turned to the large vigil that had formed around the only occupied bed, "Now everyone, OUT!"
"But Madam Pomfrey," Joey protested, "We just wanted to make sure he's feeling alright! We're his friends!"
"Yes, yes, just because Mr. Potter here is popular does not mean he gets to break the rules!"
James saw Lily's lips twitch into a smile at that, and knew she was holding back a snarky retort about his rule breaking.
"And if he does feel chipper now, that's soon to change. We have healing to do, now out! Out! And don't you send anyone else up here!"
The last group to arrive huffed in defeat and waved feeble goodbyes as the healer shepherded them out of the ward, leaving behind Sirius, Remus, and Peter.
"Well that was quite eventful." Sirius responded, looking after the group who got the door slammed in their faces. "I'm sorry you had to witness that in your fragile state."
James smiled and a chuckle escaped him. But before his good mood could spread much further, Madam Pomfrey retuned with two steaming goblets clutched in her hands.
"Now, Mr. Potter, I owled your parents in the village. They should be up here shortly." She handed one goblet to James and the other to Sirius to hold. "Drink these up."
James cautiously looked down into his cup, a grimace on his face, while Sirius held the other an arm's length away.
"Quickly, boy!"
"What is it?" He asked, glancing up.
"This one," the healer said, indicating the goblet full of blue liquid in Sirius's hand, "is a potion that will restore your blood to normal volumes, if your body hasn't done the job yet. And that one," she pointed to the one in his hand, "is skele-gro."
"Skele-what?" James asked confused. Potions had never been one of his stronger subjects.
"Skele-gro! You shattered a few ribs after you fell off your broom. Even with my experience, they were unfixable. I had to get rid of them, and so you will now be growing them back. More painful, but much easier, and much less dangerous to your essential organs."
"Painful?" Remus asked, before James could.
"Oh, very. You're in for a rough night, Potter. Maybe you'll remember this next time you mount a broom. Now, drink up. Quickly!"
James grimaced into his cup one last time, before he downed the two potions in a few gulps. Wiping dribble from his chin, he cringed at the taste, handing the goblets back to Madam Pomfrey, who took them and said before departing in a kind voice, "Now, James I'm sure you want to get out of here and back to your friends and classes, but you need to heal. Take it easy tonight, and tomorrow after breakfast we'll change your bandages. That will tell me if you're ready to leave or not. But you do as I say! Trust me, this is not an injury you want to push."
James nodded humbly, and the healer walked back to her office.
The four boys chatted on, James being caught up on where they were in their classes, and also the castle gossip.
"You know, Evans seemed really worried the past few days you've been laid up." Sirius said with a grin.
"No she hasn't." Peter replied, a puzzled look on his face.
"Wormtail, shut up! He's trying to make him feel better," Remus replied, rolling his eyes. "But honestly, she does seem a bit down lately."
"Maybe she's guilty about the last time we spoke. She told me something like, Potter I hope that big head of yours will throw off your balance and you fall off your damn broom." James said, thoughtfully, thinking back to the moment he had bothered her while she was doing homework shortly before the match.
There was a beat of silence, and then Sirius burst into laughter.
"She said that?!" He continued to laugh as Remus and Peter too chuckled, "I love that girl," he finished with a sigh.
James gave them a pointed look.
"So what other body parts did I break?" He asked, changing the subject. His re-growing ribs had not yet started to hurt, but Madam Pomfrey had told him that, "The potion takes a while to find the right spot." He thought he could feel a slightly tickle in is chest, but he wasn't quite yet sure if that was just in his head.
The question quickly sobered up the group, something James had not meant to do. It seemed they had been seriously worried about his state.
"Well, um," Remus started, clearing his throat, "I believe Madam Pomfrey said it was your leg, your wrist, and your collar bone. Plus your head hit the ground. You fell pretty hard. Like Sirius told you, Dumbledore was barely quick enough to slow down your fall at all, no one really had their eyes on you… But, they mended up fairly easily. The concern was really that nasty cut you got from that jinx, and then your ribs – you know, puncturing like your lung or something"
A tense and awkward silence stretched on before Peter finally broke it, "But you're alright now! Look at you! Practically brand new."
James gave him a small smile at his attempt.
"Yeah," Sirius said with his ever present grin, "brand new. Evans might even fancy you, now that your head seems to have deflated a bit. Not even your thick skull could take that kind of hit without some damage."
"What's that about my son's head being deflated? I don't believe that one bit." Came a new, deeper voice near the door way.
James's head shot up at the familiar cadence, and he caught sight of his mother and father having just entered the hospital wing.
"James!" came the voice of Jane Potter. Quickly walking over to the bed, the boys scattered in her wake, "Thank goodness you're alright! What did I tell you about hanging on to that damn broom!" She scolded, worry and exhaustion evident in her tone.
James smiled up at his mother, truly happy to see her. "How's your stay in the village been, Mum?" he asked with his most winning smile.
Jane gave a frustrated noise, before quickly reaching down, kissing him on the forehead, and wrapping James in a hug. One that had a secure, loving, motherly feeling to it – one that James hadn't leaned into in a long time.
Once they broke apart, Mark Potter too leaned down and gave his son a quick hug.
"Other than worrying about you, it's been great," he stated as they broke apart. "I forgot how fun Zonko's shop is! And the things they think of these days!"
"I told you!" James exclaimed. From old stories and what he had observed at home his entire life, James knew he shared the same love for mischief as his father.
"No!" Jane said firmly, "Do not even think about it. I do not want to see one Zonko product in my home!"
Mark waved her off, taking a seat on the bed, "So, we heard you won! That you scored, what was it, nine goals?"
"Mark, he fell off his broom!" Jane was exasperated at the actions of her two boys.
"Well, honestly I don't remember too much." James said, bringing a hand up to his sore head and rubbing it.
"Yeah, nine goals. He was brilliant," came Sirius's voice from the corner.
At that, Mark and Jane regarded him and the two other boys still in the room.
"Sirius!" Jane said, marching forward and taking the young man into her arms as if he was her own, "I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there."
"Well, it was a bit of a family thing." He said, a little embarrassed.
"You are family, Sirius," she said firmly, breaking the hug, but holding him at arm's length and studying him. "Honestly I should just adopt you already. You're exactly like James, but you don't play such a dangerous sport. Maybe we could do a swap!"
Sirius smiled.
"I agree with my wife," Mark too approached Sirius and shook his hand, "when's the quickest time we could disown James?"
"Oi!" James exclaimed, "I'm lying sick in bed here!"
Mark ignored him, "And Remus and Peter too. So great to see you! We could adopt them too, eh Jane? I always wanted three sons."
After a short time, Remus and Peter departed to work on some homework before Pomfrey kicked them out, Remus promising to bring up James's books if he wasn't released from the hospital wing tomorrow. The Potter family, plus Sirius, talked on for a while, Jane sitting beside James and smoothing back his hair.
"Why haven't you been using the Sleek Easy I've been sending you, James? Your grandfather invented that for this stubborn Potter hair." James batted her hand away, but leaned back into the touch when his mom resumed her combing, because honestly the motion felt good upon his head.
A few times they were interrupted by a knock on the door and James caught a glimpse of Joey and Taylor, and later his entire quidditch team, trying to convince Madam Pomfrey to let them in.
By eight o'clock, the two older Potters got up to leave, and James was just beginning to feel the start of his ribs painfully re-growing.
"James, we're heading back home tomorrow. We've been away from work for too long. Now, my stay in the village has been enjoyable, but I do not want to find myself here for any reason such as this again." Mark said firmly, as he stood up.
James nodded, wondering why he was getting lectured like someone jinxing him and causing him to tumble off his broom was his fault.
"We're happy you're okay." Janes said, leaning down and giving him one last kiss on the forehead. "Now you behave – both of you!" she added, turning to Sirius.
"You better be getting to bed, before Madam Pomfrey gets into a rage. You need rest. You too, Sirius."
Sirius nodded, standing up to depart with the Potters.
"I love you, James." Jane said patting his shoulder and stepping away from the bed.
"Make sure to write." Mark added, hugging his son.
"I will. Bye Mum, Dad. Love you."
Sirius waved as he departed with them, "See you in the morning, Prongs."
James watched the door snap shut behind them, and though he was sad to watch them go, he huffed with relief, pushing himself further back into his pillow. His ribs were really starting to twinge and it had been hard work trying to hide the grimace from his face the past hour.
He fell into an uneasy sleep, tossing and turning as the pain in his torso built. Sharp stabbing pain, like the growing pains he had in his knees when he was thirteen, but amplified by about a thousand. A little after midnight he woke with a start, and wrapped his arms around his abdomen.
"Bloody hell," he muttered through clenched teeth, his eyes squeezed shut. Madam Pomfrey had not been joking. This was a horribly rough night.
As the wave of pain passed into a manageable level, James rolled over and opened his eyes again, only to give a yelp of surprise. Lily Evans was standing beside his bed staring down at him, a look he could not recognize on her face.
"Potter, shush!" She hissed, looking toward Madam Pomfrey's quarters.
"Evans?" He whispered, rather shocked, propping himself further up on his pillows and reaching toward the bedside table for his glasses.
Once the spectacles were firmly settled in front of his eyes, he looked up again. Yep, it was defiantly Lily Evans, with her piercing green almond shaped eyes and startling red hair.
"Am I dreaming?" He wondered aloud.
Lily scoffed, settling on the edge of a chair beside his bed.
"You're not dreaming, Potter."
"Then I must surely be dead. As Lily Evans assured me many times, only in my dreams would she be visiting me in the middle of the night. And if it's not a dream, this must be heaven."
And though it was a perfect setup for her to remind him he would more than likely be going somewhere south of heaven, Lily just gave a weak smile and looked James in the eyes, "Could we not joke about you being dead."
James always imagined he would be excited if this event ever occurred in his life – Lily Evans seeking him out at midnight – but he was just utterly confused.
"Lily, what are you doing here?" He asked, studying her closely.
Lily quickly broke eye contact and instead considered the floor beneath her shoes, "I'm on Prefect duty with Remus tonight. We were passing by. He's keeping an eye out for me."
That did not answer the question he had asked.
"But what are you doing here?"
James continued to study her, trying to decode the look on her face. The downcast eyes, the weak smiles, the fact that she was even sitting there...
Suddenly he let out a small chuckle, to which Lily looked up, slightly annoyed.
"I don't believe this. The great, perfect, morally righteous Lily Evans is feeling guilty."
Lily's annoyed look softened quickly and she smiled at him weakly, "Yeah. I do."
James was startled to hear her admit it straight out, and quickly tried to brush the subject away, "Evans, you don't – "
"James, I'm sorry I said I hoped you would fall off your broom. It was a stupid thing to say. A horrible thing to say, and – "
"Evans, it's okay. I forgive you. I know you didn't mean it." James hesitated a beat, "You didn't mean it, right?"
He didn't take his eyes off Lily, happy to see his statement coax a real smile out of her.
"Well, at the time…I may have." She replied in the banter James had heard her use so often with her friends.
James grinned back, which quickly turned into a grimace as a sharp pain shot through him.
Lily sobered up quickly, "Are you alright? Should I get Madam Pomfrey?"
James waved her away, trying to compose himself. When the pain became bearable again he weakly smiled at her and said, "Just re-growing sixteen years' worth of my rib cage in one night, I'm fine. But I did just fall off my broom, you know. Tends to severely injure a person."
Lily recognized the dig at her and did not miss a beat, "Strange, here I thought your over-large ego would have cushioned your fall."
James gave her a real smile then, "You would think…"
Lily smiled back.
Then she quickly stood and straightened her skirt as if she was uncomfortable with the moment they had just shared, glancing at Madam Pomfrey's office she said, "Well I better get back, Remus is waiting and I'm pushing my luck here."
James nodded, "Wouldn't want the squeaky clean Lily Evans to get a gold star taken from above her name, now would we?"
"I earned those gold stars, and I would like to keep them. I'm looking to earn myself an ice cream." She started to walk back towards the door, "But seriously Potter, I'm glad you're okay… And don't fall off your broom again."
"Why? Scared I might damage my pretty face?"
"More like, I would rather like Gryffindor to take home the Cup this year. The parties are marvelous." And with one last smile, she pushed open the heavy oak doors and disappeared.
James smiled after her.
Well, that was different. Sure, they had poked fun at each other, but this time it was all in good humor. There was no venom in Lily Evans's voice. Lily was actually worried about him, worried. So worried she had sought him out in the middle of the night. They had talked for a full ten minutes without an explosion happening. In James's book, that was a start.
Author's note: A little more character heavy. And yes, I know this doesn't match with Pottermore's versions of the Potter family, but I wrote this before Pottermore and so I just added in the Sleek Easy because I thought it was perfect that a Potter invented it! Review please.