FRIDAY

Dominique sat on the floor leaning against the couch while she read a book. Hugo and Louis were playing an incredibly competitive game of exploding snap and James kept tapping his foot impatiently.

Albus rolled his eyes. "James?" Albus asked.

"What?" James snapped.

"If I were to tell you something, which I'm not," he said quickly "it might have something to do with not worrying about Lily because it's only eleven o'clock. This is all theoretical of course."

Dominique smiled as she turned her page.

"Cuz," Victoire called out from the couch to James "Relax."

James ignored all of them. He knew one thing and that was that Lorcan had taken Lily out and they weren't back yet.

"She's almost eighteen you know," Scorpius said as he sat down at the table, joining Rose, Albus and James.

"And?" James questioned.

"You're poor children," Scorpius laughed "fathered by James Sirius the Strict." Albus laughed out loud at that.

"I think it's important that she has someone who loves her enough to make sure she's okay," Rose commented. "But you know that it's vital that she has her independence and space to grow, James."

"I know, I know," James groaned "but I don't want her to get hurt."

"Neither do I," Albus said, he was about to continue but James interrupted him.

"Well maybe you could be a little more protective of her," James told him.

"I don't need to be," Albus said honestly "if I was worried about her then of course but she doesn't need looking after. And she doesn't need you intimidating or threatening her boyfriends, she can do that perfectly on her own. I do make sure she's okay, by listening to her talk about what's going on with her and Lorcan. It really disappoints her when you're over protective of her because it makes her feel like you think that she's...well...easy. Which she's not."

James took this into account but he couldn't help himself, "What does she tell you? Since when? Are they...is she...well?"

"Don't tell him anything!" Louis and Hugo called from the lounge.

"What do they know?" James exclaimed "Why don't I know? What does she say to you?"

"Cuz," Victoire called out again "chill the fuck out."

Dominique scowled. "Would you please not swear so frequently and unnecessarily?"

"Yeah Vic," Louis teased "stop swearing so frequently and unnecessarily."

"Shut up idiot," Victoire said to Louis.

"Yeah idiot," Hugo grinned, playfully nudging Louis in the ribs.

"Shut up brainless," Louis teased back.

"Both of you shut the hell up," Victoire warned.

Albus shrugged, "If you want to know, ask her. You'd be surprised how much she'd tell you if you let her in."

There was a thud on the door.

"Was that a knock?" Scorpius frowned.

"Maybe," Albus said. James got up and quickly walked over to the door to open it. Lily hadn't intended for the door to open. If she had have knew that her brother was going to open it she wouldn't be doing what she was doing.

Before James opened the door Lily was leaning against it with Lorcan pressed tightly up against her. Lorcan was the placid one, the one that was very private and reserved. It was what Lily needed. Lily was fiery and bold and she needed someone like Lorcan to tame her fire. But not even Lorcan could disapprove of the way that they were kissing right now. He pushed up against her quite hard but Lily didn't mind, in fact she wouldn't have argued if he pressed even harder.

That was before it all went wrong.

James opened the door with one swift movement and Lily gasped from the sensation of the solid door leaving her with the weight of two full grown adults. Reflexively James stepped to the side with the lightening quick skills of the Seeker that he once was. Lily fell backwards onto the floor. She felt like it happened in slow motion with the air rushing past her unable to catch her. She landed on her back and Lorcan landed directly on top of her.

Lily screamed. Pain shot through her. She screamed again. Lily then realised that screaming made the pain worse and she was ended up gasping in shot, quick breaths. Lorcan immediately rolled off her but the damage was already done. Lily's hands flew up to her ribs and her fist balled up as she suppressed a scream. Rose rushed over.

"Dominique!" Rose shouted.

Dominique looked up and quickly walked over to Lily with a calm composure. She had been trained being told to always keep calm and not panic otherwise the prefrontal cortex of the brain would shut down therefore her ration thinking would not function properly and then she would be a help to know one.

Her hands felt Lily's ribs and Lily winced and bit down on her lip. She gave a strangled cry. Tears started streaming down her face.

"What's going on?" Teddy said appearing out of nowhere.

Dominique looked up. "She's broken some of her ribs," she explained, this brought fresh tears to Lily's eyes. Dominique turned her attention back to Lily, "There is nothing to worry about, you haven't punctured anything. You will be fine, we'll get you over to St. Mungo's safely. Alright?"

Lily nodded hurriedly. "I'm just going to get something for her pain and then I'll take her over to the hospital."

"Lily I'm so sorry," Lorcan said straight away "I – are – oh I'm so sorry." he looked close to tears. He knelt down beside her.

"It's fine," she said through gritted teeth.

"How bad is the pain?" Scorpius asked her seriously as he held a bottle in her hand. Lily took hold of Lorcan's hand and squeezed it.

From the lack of circulation in his left hand Lorcan answered, "Bad."

Scorpius nodded seriously. "Okay. Lily I want you to think of how Rose looks when she disapproves of something I do," he instructed her. Rose scowled. "Exactly like that," Scorpius approved "now imagine that look has a flavour. That's what this tastes like. But it'll stop the pain."

"Just give it to me," Lily panted. She took a sip and gagged making her cry out in pain. "What the fuck is this stuff?"

"It's strong that's what it is," Dominique told her. Hugo and Louis hovered by her worriedly.

Lily closed her eyes and swallowed the entire portion. She sighed in relief as the pain subsided. Hugo handed her a glass of water which she swallowed gratefully.

"Now remember," Dominique warned her "just because you can't feel anything doesn't mean that nothing is wrong. You need to lie on the floor and not move." She took out a small circular object which they all recognised immediately as a Portkey.

"I'm coming," Lorcan said instantly, not letting go of Lily's hand.

"So are we!" Louis and Hugo said together.

"I'm going," James told her.

"If James is going I'm going," Albus agreed.

"I'm not going to stay here if she's in the hospital," Rose said "I'm coming."

"I need to be there as well," Teddy told Dominique.

"I'm coming," Victoire called out as she ran to go and find a pair of shoes to put on.

"Well I'm not staying here by myself," Scorpius argued.

Dominique sighed, "Teddy, James, Albus and Lorcan came come with Lily and I. No one else needs to be there."

"Fine," Louis grumbled.

"Rose and I will stay here as well," Scorpius said. Rose gave him a look. "What? If I'm staying and Albus is going then you're definitely staying."

"Let's go," Lorcan insisted as he looked down at Lily. As they all touched the Portkey Victoire touched Teddy's arm at the last second.

"Vic!" Teddy exclaimed.

"What?" she said "They make good coffee here!"

They took Lily in and she was given some foul tasting potion to take. "And how did this incident occur?" asked the Healer. Everyone looked around at each other not knowing how to answer. The Healer sighed and shook his head as he left scribbling down some notes on his files.

"Lily I'm sorry," James said to his sister.

Lily shook her head, "You didn't know. Don't worry about it, honestly. It's more our fault than anything." Lorcan blushed a bit.

"I can't believe I broke your ribs," Lorcan sighed.

"You'll just have to make it up to me I suppose," Lily smiled.

"I'm going to go and get a hot chocolate," Victoire said quickly "anyone want one?"

"Yes please," Albus, Lorcan, James and Lily all said.

"None for you rib girl," Victoire said, Lily pouted.

"I'll come with you," Teddy said hastily.

Taking the hint Albus said, "Scorpius asked me to pick something up for him at reception."

"I'll show you where you need to go," Dominique told Albus.

"I'll go and sign the paperwork," Lorcan kissed Lily on the forehead and left with the rest.

Lily and James were left alone in the room. After a long silence James asked, "Are you going to tell mum?"

"Wasn't planning on it. You?"

"Nope."

"Good," Lily sighed happily.

"So..." James looked down at his fingers and then back up at his sister "how was your night?"

Lily laughed and then winced. "It was great actually. Good food. Could have ended better."

James smiled. "How would you have wanted it to end?"

"With flying unicorns," Lily rolled her eyes but smirked nonetheless. James laughed. "So what did you want to talk about?"

James gaped at her. "What makes you think I wanted to talk about something?"

"James," Lily said with a knowing smile "you just asked me how my night was. What did you want to talk about?"

James huffed. He hadn't meant to be so rigid and obvious. "I was talking to Albus earlier," he began.

"And?" she prodded.

"He said that...you two talk a lot."

"We do," Lily nodded "well we always have. I talk to him about some things and Rose about others. Sometimes I talk to Louis and Hugo and about other things I talk to Lorcan. I talk to mum a lot too but not really dad. I think I've talked to Vic a few times. Not really Dom. Teddy? sometimes."

James swallowed and fidgeted with the bed sheets. Finally he asked, "Am I a bad brother because I don't talk to you like Al does?"

"Of course not," Lily told him with wide, surprised eyes "I do things with you that I don't do with him, that doesn't make him a bad brother. The things we talk about...over the years...it's just different, that's all it is James." she hesitated, "Did you...want to talk?"

James gave a slow shrug indicating his uncertainty. "What do you and Al talk about?" he thought that that was a good place to start.

"Oh um..." this again took Lily by surprise "mum and dad...us all living together...work...Lorcan and I, how are relationship is going...Rose and Scorpius and when the hell those two are going to get their act together...you..."

"Me?" James asked feeling both surprised and self-conscious.

Lily gave a soft laugh, "Yes you."

"What about me?" he asked.

Lily shrugged. "Just general stuff really," she said airily.

"General stuff like what?" James persisted.

"Like how you're going at work, whether you're going out with someone...things like that."

"I'm not going out with anyone," he assured her.

"Do you like someone?" she asked.

"No," he lied.

She grinned, "Liar."

"Am not," he said. When Lily said, 'Are too,' James huffed and then challenged, "Well if you don't believe me then who do I like then?"

Lily stopped and looked at him, her face becoming expressionless as she searched her brother's own face. She changed the subject.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Lily asked again. James hesitated and Lily sighed, "Just spit it out James."

"You and Lorcan," he told her honestly. "Before you say anything I want to say something first. I'm sorry that I've been really horrible brother. But...I know that you can look after yourself and I'm going to be here if you need me."

"Thank you," she smiled gratefully.

"And if you need me to hex anyone," he added.

"James," she moaned.

"Which you can do perfectly fine yourself," he included. He really wanted to ask her but he didn't know how. Lily seemed to read his mind and she sighed. "No James, we haven't had sex."

"I didn't say anything!" he exclaimed.

"You didn't need to!" she grinned. James rolled his eyes. "All we do is–"

"Woah!" James called out "I don't want to know!"

Lily let out a defeated sound. "You spend the whole week wanting to know everything and then I tell you and you don't want to know, you're impossible! How can you still ask me whether you want to have conversations with me like Albus." she shook her head in exasperation.

James' eyes widened. "You talk to Albus about that?"

"Well yeah," Lily said as if she were stating the obvious. "I'm a female; I do have questions about males you know. Did you need an example?"

"I'm good," James said quickly, horrified.

After a while of sitting there feeling her bones heal Lily asked, "James?"

"Yeah?"

"I wanted to ask you a question?"

"Ask."

"Are–"

"Finished the paperwork," Lorcan said as he walked into the room "how are you? Still sore?"

Victoire and Teddy picked up the hot chocolates. "Okay," Teddy said.

"Okay what?" Victoire frowned.

"Okay...I'll do it."