This chapter took me FOREVER!

Chapter 30: Epidemic

Under the invisibility cloak James snook up to the hospital wing. Lily was in a bed toward the back. She was the only person there except a small Ravenclaw who had also caught a cold. Lily was awake reading a book by wand light. James took off the cloak so he wouldn't startle her.

Lily heard his footsteps and looked up.

"James?"

"Shh." he warned going over to her. He sat down on the edge of her bed.

"What are you doing here? It's late." Lily whispered.

"I came to say goodnight." James explained.

"You came all the way here, just to say goodnight?" Lily asked. She was touched.

"Yeah."

"But what if you get caught?"

"I won't. So what are you reading?" James asked. She took the book showing him the cover. In elegant curly script it said howl.

"Howl?" James asked.

"Yeah. It's kinda stupid. A widowed witch wrote it. She lives in Ackelbrooke or something like that with her twelve cats and thirty seven year old son."

"And what's the book about?" Lily shrugged.

"A muggle that falls in love with a vampire-werewolf-wizard guy. I think she's supposed to teach him to live and be happy while he teachers her about our world. Completely romanticized, because of the statue of secrecy he'd have to marry her before he could tell her about us. Or she'd have to swear never to tell anyone. By the end he'll probably kill her or they'll live happily ever after. By the way it's written so far they'll end up happily ever after." Lily explained.

"How far are you?"

"I'm about a hundred pages into it. Ivy gave it to me right after dinner."

"And you're already a hundred pages into a book you don't like. Impressive Evans." Lily smiled at him.

"Well there's not much else to do."

"You sound better." James told her.

"I'm feeling a better too."

"Are you tired?"

"No. I've been sleeping all day. My bodies done with sleep. It wants to move." Lily said.

"Then let's go for a walk."

"But I've been sneezing like crazy. We'd be more likely to get caught." Lily argued. Although the idea of getting out of that bed was pretty pleasant.

"So? I have the map and if someone comes I'll just cast silencio on you."

"Thanks." She teased.

"Did you want to go or not?" he asked. Lily threw the covers off her.

"Let's go." She said standing up. They left the hospital wing in silence, under the invisibility cloak.

"This is great." Lily told James once in the Grand Staircase.

"Why?"

"Because Madam Pomfrey wouldn't even let me out of bed. I like walking around. Doing stuff." Lily explained. They continued to talk about nothing in particular for a long time, before it was decided that Lily should get back to the wing and James should get back to his dorm.

By the next morning James also had the cold. He was just quicker to realize it, or accept it.

"Good morning Prongs." Sirius said loosely tying his tie.

"Morning." James replied.

"Uh-oh. Did you catch it?"

"How did you guess?" James asked sarcastically.

"You know I forgot how cranky you get when your sick."

"Sirius, come here a sec." James said. Sirius looked at him wearily. "It's important." He just looked at him. Then cautiously moved toward James' bed.

"What?" He demanded.

"I think...I have to," and then James sneezed all over Sirius' face. He jumped back swearing loudly.

"What did you do that for?" Sirius demanded. James laughed causing him to cough.

"You were being a prat." James explained.

"So you sneeze on me?!" He yelled.

"What are you two doing?" Remus asked entering the room to grab his bag.

"Nothing." James said. "I'm going to go to the hospital wing."

"Yeah. You go." Sirius said pulling on his school robe.

"See yah around James." Remus said. By the time James got to the Hospital Wing Lily had already been released.

As the day progressed Sirius found himself succumbing to the illness. First a few sneezes, then coughing and lethargy. By the next morning he had a full fledged cold while Lily and James were healthy.

"Morning Padfoot." James said at breakfast. It was the weekend and he had planned practice that afternoon.

"I hate you." Sirius informed him.

"Why does he hate you?" Lily asked. She'd been sitting next to James, but talking to Ivy.

"I dunno." Sirius sat down across from James. He hit his head on the table.

"You got me sick." Sirius groaned. Remus laughed while Peter looked confused. He'd been asleep during the fiasco.

"Well I got James sick, so you should really hate me." Lily said.

"No. I hate James." Sirius said stubbornly. He sneezed into the scrambled eggs cursing.

"Damn it Prongs. You don't have to share everything with me." Sirius growled wiping his nose. James just laughed turning to Lily.

"What are you doing this afternoon?"

"I was thinking about spending it with a certain someone." Lily replied.

"Yeah?"

"If he's not too busy?"

"Well I have practice this afternoon, but I was thinking about canceling it since my beater got sick."

"Lily!" Jamie shouted. Lily turned to her. "Did you hear a thing I just said?"

"No. Sorry." Lily said.

"What has gotten into you?" Jamie asked.

"Didn't you hear?" Sirius began, "They're in love."

"Love?" Jamie scoffed. "You can't be serious."

"Oh they are." Sirius said sneezing and swearing again.

"Well that's great." Ivy smiled.

"Bloody brilliant." Sirius grumbled.

"And he says I'm the cranky one." James mumbled.

"You shut up!" Sirius warned pointing a finger at James. "I'll get for this."

"Do you really want to start that again?"

"It's on." Sirius coughed.

"Why don't you go to the hospital wing?" Mary suggested.

"Because," he lowered his voice, "Pomfrey hates me."

"Please. She doesn't hate you." Ivy said.

"No. She does. Last time I went up there she kicked me out." Sirius said.

"You were carrying a box of stink bombs." Remus reminded him. Sirius just stammered for a moment.

"Well, whatever. I'm not going up there."

"Which will just be magnificent for the rest of us." Remus said.

"Could I talk to you for a moment Remus?" Ivy asked.

"Um, sure." he agreed. Everyone watched as they left the great hall together. They didn't get to discussing the matter, because the mail came. Lily got an owl, her weekly letter from her mother and another owl carrying the daily prophet. James got three owls.

"Whose all writing to you?" Lily asked him.

"Lets see," he took the letters from each owl reading them as he went. "Victoria,"

"My grandma?"

"Yep. And my Mum. And this kid I met at the Quidditch World cup game a few years ago."

"Like a pen pal?" Lily asked.

"Um, sure." James agreed reading the letter from his pen pal.

"Mary, come here." Sirius said standing up.

"Now?" James asked him.

"Yeah." Sirius said. Once they were gone Lily turned to James.

"Is he doing what I think he is?" Lily asked. James just nodded.

"He's breaking up with her isn't he?" Jamie asked.

"Yep." James said scanning over the parchment.

"Sirius is an idiot." Jamie decided.

"Yep." James repeated. Lily wasn't sure if they realized that they were actually having a conversation. Although it ended there. But still, they had been talking to each other civilly. Jamie scooped up some of the food that had been on her plate.

"We should go up to the common room." Lily suggested.

"Why?" James asked.

"Not you." she said, "Sorry, but I think you'd be safer far away. Just have your Quidditch Practice and I'll meet you later."

"But,"

"James really. Mary's going to pissed off without Marauders present."

"But I could help."

"That's sweet, but it's not a good idea. Just have fun at practice."

"But," James began again as Lily stood.

"Tonight, head duties." Lily reminded him.

"Okay, but,"
"Bye," With that James grabbed her arm pulling her toward him.

"Good Bye." He said. Lily smiled giving him the kiss he wanted.

"Will I see you before head duties?"

"Probably not." She answered.

"Then, one more for luck." James insisted. Lily shook her head, but allowed him to kiss her again.

"One more for our health?"

"James." Lily frowned.

"Alright. Good bye." James let go of her.

"Bye James. Bye Peter." Lily said before walking off with Jamie.

"So who said it first?" Jamie asked once they were out of the great hall.

"Said what?" Lily asked.

"I love you."

"Oh. Um, me."

"You?" Jamie asked. Lily nodded. "When?"

"The day we got back together."

"You mean the day you caught the cold?"

"Yeah."

"Don't you find it ironic that he broke it off and then you had to mend the relationship?"

"He didn't break anything off. I just over reacted and we fought. We weren't actually broken up."

"Yeah. Okay. Then what about the fact that you hated him. For six years you hated him. And now you're saying, 'I love you' and spending all your time with him."

"I'm not spending all my time with him. And it's really not all that ironic." Lily said.

"I don't know. I just feel like you've changed since you've been dating him."

"I'm sorry. But how have I changed?"

"I can't explain it exactly."

"But you must have some idea."

"I don't know Lily. You've just changed." Jamie said stopping. "I have to go to the library."

"What about Mary? She's going to be upset."

"She'll live. It's just a marauder."

"Jamie." But she just turned the other way. Perhaps she was sick of her friends getting hurt by the group. Or she was just sick of the group.

So tell me what you think. I really hated this chapter. It might just be because I'm getting closer to their death or that it took me so long that I don't like it...anyway. REVIEW & Check out my POLL...um...please. =D