A/N: This is a pretty short chapter, but so many of you were frustrated with me for leaving you all on pins and needles that I decided to take pity on you. I felt inspired, so I wrote! Hope you all enjoy!

(James)
It's my fault.

That was the only thought that went through James' mind as he watched Madam Pomfrey work on the helpless redhead before him. He should have told her he wouldn't make it to the library. He could have sent a note. He could have told someone to let her know. But he hadn't.

She may not make it, and it's all my fault.

It was all he could do to keep from falling to pieces. But he couldn't do that. If she was strong enough to fight death, he would be strong enough to hold it together. For Lily.

After what seemed like—and may very well have been—hours, Madame Pomfrey turned away from Lily to face him.

"I've done everything I can do," she said.

James' throat felt like sandpaper as he asked, "Now what?"

"Now," she said sadly, "we wait, and pray that she'll wake up."

She turned to leave, but paused on the way out the door.

"You should leave and get some sleep, Mr. Potter."

"No. I'm not leaving her."

James was exhausted; that much could be seen with just a glance at his weary eyes. The glint of mischief that was always present was no longer there. Its space had been occupied by fear and sorrow. Yes, James was more tired than he could ever remember being, but he refused to leave Lily's side for even a second.

Madame Pomfrey seemed to understand this, as she gave a small nod and receded to her office.

"Lily," he whispered to her. "Lily, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

James did not know how long he sat there. Each second seemed like days, each hour like centuries. Perhaps he dozed off, perhaps he stayed awake the entire time. It was all a mere blur to him. His only thoughts were of the redheaded girl that lay next to him. He thought of her laugh and the way she could light up an entire room with just a smile. He thought of her temper, and how he always seemed to be caught right in the path of every outburst. He thought of the way she gripped her wand firmly enough to break it, as though she didn't plan on letting anyone outdo her. He thought of all these things, but most of all, he thought of the friendship that had formed between them over the last month. Lily had hated James since the first day she met him. And now that the animosity was no longer existent, she may not even make it through the night.

What if she didn't? What if Lily Evans was dead by tomorrow? If something happened to her, James didn't know how he would cope. The only thing he knew was that his feelings for this girl wouldn't just fade over time. For the last four months, he had somehow fostered the hope that he'd finally get over her. That he'd find someone else that didn't hate him. But James now knew there was no prospect of that ever happening. Once James Potter set his mind to something, there was no going back.

His surroundings were nothings but a haze for the entire night. He was vaguely aware of Madame Pomfrey escorting Remus into a bed near Lily the next morning. His thoughts then shifted to his friend's future. Surely Moony couldn't be blamed for this? No, Dumbledore wouldn't let that happen. Sirius, on the other hand...

Sirius. James felt a rush of fury surge inside of him at the thought of his best friend. Lily's life or death situation was just as much Sirius' fault as it was his. He had tried to scare Snape, not thinking of the consequences that would affect those around him. And now the girl that James had loved since he was eleven years old's life was in jeopardy.

James no longer had any sense of time. At some point that morning, Remus woke up with a groan. He sat up, peering around the room. When he caught sight of James sitting next to a bed, holding Lily's hand, the memories of last night came flooding back to him"Prongs?" he moaned. "Shit. Please tell me my memories are just really fucked up right now, and I was dreaming."

The agonized look that James gave him told him that wasn't the case.

"What happened?" Remus demanded. "How—"

"Moony," James pleaded. "Please, just...get some sleep."

Remus took the hint that James needed to be alone, and—thankfully—obliged. His silence did not last long, however. Just as he caught the faint sounds of Remus's sleeping breaths, the doors opened with a loud bang.

It was none other than Sirius Black.

The anger that was already dwelling in James's chest seemed to triple as he caught sight of his friend.

"Prongs," he gasped, rushing to where James sat. It was not until he came closer that he saw the fragile girl in the bed next to him.

Sirius's breath audibly caught in his throat as he took in what he was seeing. After few moments of tense silence, the boy erupted into violent sobs.

James had thought he'd seen every emotion possible from his friend. He had seen him angry enough to kill. He had seen him so happy, he was practically leaping for joy. But never, in the six years that they had been friends, had he seen Sirius Black cry. The fury that James felt toward him quickly drained away as he saw the pain so clearly etched on his face.

"James," he gasped through his tears, "James, I'm so sorry. I never meant for her to get hurt, I swear. I never meant for anyone to get hurt. I just wanted to see the look on Snape's face. I'm so sorry. Can you ever find it in you to forgive me?"

James sighed.

"Sometimes brothers do some pretty fucked up shit," he said. "But that doesn't mean they aren't your brother anymore. You're a lot of things, Sirius. You're an arse, a git, and an arrogant little prick. But you're not a murderer."

Some of the anguish faded from Sirius's face.

"Go with Moony," James instructed him. "He needs you.

"He'll be fine for a few minutes," Sirius said. "Go get something to eat. I'll stay with her."

"No. I'm not leaving her," he said for what felt like the dozenth time that day.

"Prongs, you've been here all night. You can't—"

"What if she wakes up for two minutes and I'm not here?" James snapped.

Sirius frowned. He knew how much James was hurting by seeing Lily like this. But he also knew that it wasn't his place to tear him away from her.

Sirius left to be with Remus, leaving James to his thoughts once again. His hand had not parted from Lily's since they had first arrived in the hospital wing the previous night. It was as though her frail grip had become a lifeline that was tethering him to reality. Like if he let go, she'd be gone from the world forever. He gave her fingers a slight squeeze and held them tightly.

"Lily," he whispered. "I know you're still there. You're still listening. I can feel it. But you have to wake up, okay? You have to. All of the stubbornness you've given me in the last six years, and you're going to just give up? That's not the Evans I know. The one I've always seen would sit up right now and yell at me for calling her a pushover. You're strong, Lily. You can make it through this, I know it. But you have to fight, okay? You have to wake up."

(Lily)

It was warm where she was. It seemed vaguely familiar. Lily realized she was sitting on the dock of the pond she used to visit when she was a little girl. When she wanted to get away from her sister, she'd run down to the dock and sit with her feet in the water, just like this.

She didn't want to leave this place. It was beautiful. Nothing hurt here. She could smell a sweet smell in the air...the kind of smell the sky gives off right before it storms. For now, it was still bright and summery. She leaned her face towards the sun, letting its rays warm her face.

She thought about how nice it would be to get close to the sun. What an idea? To reach for the sun. It felt as though it should be unachievable, but something about this place made everything seem possible. She suddenly felt as though she was floating, moving towards the heat of the sun, a fluttering feeling sweeping over her stomach. She was almost there...she could almost touch it...

Lily.

She heard the voice echo through her surroundings. Her feet were suddenly back in the water, as though they had never left. Frustration surged through her. She tried to reach again, but was stopped by the voice again.

I know you're still there. You're still listening. I can feel it.

The voice was familiar to her. Though she couldn't place it, she knew it meant something to her.

You're strong, Lily. You can make it through this, I know it.

Lily suddenly felt a very strong desire to be with the owner of the voice. But how could she get there?

But you have to fight, okay?

And fight Lily did. She did not now why she felt such an overwhelming need to be with the voice. She only knew that she had to get back. No matter what.

You have to wake up.

She did not know what possessed her to do such a thing, but Lily turned away from the pond, the warmth, and the sun, and she ran. She didn't know where she was going, she only knew that she had to get back. She had to see him.

Suddenly, Lily was on her back, something soft brushing against her back and supporting her head. Everything was dark, and a dull ache throbbed through her left leg. Her mouth was dry and tasted like metal. The light nearly blinded her as her eyes fluttered open.

As she adjusted to the light around her, she took in her surroundings. She was in the hospital wing. She felt something touching her right hand. She turned to see what it was, and was met by a mess of black hair and two very weary hazel eyes. His arm rested in a sling, and his other grasped hers firmly. A look of relief swept over his face as he met her gaze.

"James?"

A/N: So like I said, pretty short chapter, but I am EXTREMELY happy with the way it turned out. This may be my favorite so far, and I hope you all liked it as much as I did! Happy holidays! Please review!