a/n: chapter seventeen part ii in chapter twenty-six form for Super Cara and sinclair12.

twenty-six - agitated

Remus paces up and down the length of the kitchen, murmuring to himself as Peter sits at the table, drumming his feet on the floor. James attempts to expend some of his restless energy by putting the kettle on the Muggle way, but after dropping the thing in the sink when he attempts to fill it with water gives up and throws himself down in the seat next to Peter.

Anxiously and to no-one in particular: "Where the - they were supposed to be back by now. Where are they? I'm going -"

"Prongs," Remus says pointedly. "You heard what Moody said. 'No-one's to leave.'"

James pushes his chair back with a loud scrape and kicks a cupboard. "I don't care, Moony! I do not care. My girlfriend and my best friend were supposed to be back by now and they aren't and I -"

"James Potter, I swear to Merlin, get your ugly -"

James' eyes light up and he grabs his mirror from his jeans. "Padfoot! You two were supposed to be back hours ago." He tries to bite back his temper. "Where the hell are you?"

"Still at Crawford's Cross," Sirius explains, and Remus places a hand on James' shoulder with a warning look. He shoves him away. "Listen, Prongs, it's Lily -"

Without so much as a glance toward the two boys, James spins and Apparates back to the battle site, leaving the lingering trace of Peter's agitated outburst of Prongs in the tense atmosphere of the kitchen.

When he arrives it's vaguely misty and he stumbles around for a bit, wishing he'd thought to bring a jacket. He pulls out his wand, just in case, and calls out.

"Here, Prongs," comes the faint reply. James decides the voice has come somewhere from his left and runs over, finding an unconscious Lily limp in Sirius' protective grasp.

"Holy - what happened?" He's at her side instantly, transferring her weight to his arms, stroking back the hair off her forehead, leaning down and listening and feeling for the sound and warmth of her shallow breaths.

"Cruciatus, I think. And some others, I'm not sure. I reckon her ankle's snapped and - well, look." He peels back the jacket. "Her arm. It's bleeding badly, Prongs. She needs a Healer."

James' face is pale and stricken. "Can she move?"

"Doubt it. We could Side-Along her."

He bites his lip. "What if she Splinches?"

Sirius' face is set. "She won't. We have to do something."

James nods and stands. "St Mungo's?"

The other hums in agreement and between the two of them they support her until she's upright. He wraps a protective arm around her and Sirius places a hand on her back and hoping to hell that their plan goes off without a hitch they spin, escaping from the battle site.

They're directed to the fourth floor and she's peeled away from the boys to lie on a bed. The Mediwizard in charge of the Dark Spell Damage ward gives him a grim look and turns away, muttering incantations over Lily's body. James can't fight the rising panic thundering through his veins and tells Sirius he's going up to the next floor for a drink, coming back a moment later.

"I can't leave her," is all he says. Sirius clasps a hand on his shoulder and tells him he'll let the other's know she's safe. James nods and sits next to Lily, waiting for the Mediwizard to finish, and holds her hand, pressing kisses to her brow.

When Lily comes around she can feels the press of a body on her stomach, another hand in hers. She squeezes their fingers and shuffles back in the bed, surprised at the lack of resistance her body offers. She wiggles her toes and finds no pain in her ankle, and the gash on her arm is now a faint pink line. Lily closes her eyes, relieved, and tries to speak.

"Excuse - excuse me -" Her throat is dry and she coughs. A trainee Healer rushes over with a goblet of water. "Thank you," Lily says, after taking a long drink.

The Healer gives her a look, as if she recognises the redhead, but Lily's turned away, fingertips gently prising the boy's head up from her chest.

"James," she whispers. When he's unresponsive she tries again. "James, move. I can't breathe."

He jerks his head up and blinks a few times, taking in the sight of Lily, safe and sound.

"Thank Merlin."