Changing Feelings

Disclaimer: I wish I owned Harry Potter…. *a bunch of lawyers run up and snap open scary briefcases* Fine! I don't own Harry Potter! Kill joys.

Chapter 4

James opened his eyes and confusion flooded his mind as he took in his surroundings. This wasn't the apartment in Diagon Alley that he shared with his friends. Instead he was surrounded by white. He was in a hospital. He was certain of this because he had been in hospitals his entire life. When he had gone to Hogwarts it seemed like he got into a fight with a Slyhterin at least a couple times a week. When he started his career as an auror it had only gotten worse. As he studied the room around him he realized that he was in a room at . He was in a private room, he noted, which was strange. He didn't have much time to ponder the reasons before a nurse came in.

"Hey Linda." James said nodding at her.

The elderly woman just shook her head. "I can't believe you you're in here again." She said as she moved around him taking his temperature and checking his pulse. "So Linda, am I getting Dr. Striken again?" Whenever James came into the hospital with broken bones or spell damage he got a woman called Dr. Stricken. He had spent countless visits annoying her and seeing how far he could push her before she cracked.

"Nope." Linda said in reply. "You have Dr. Evans."

"What?"

"She's a young thing, just went into training a few years back. But she's smart. She finished top of her class." She opened the drapes and then walked around his bed, tucking in blankets and fluffing pillows. "I like her. She isn't snotty like the other young people around here. She treats me with respect. The only problem with her is her temper. Actually," she leaned closer, handing him a glass of water and lowered her voice to a whisper "I heard the reason she has such a bad temper is because throughout her years at school she was stalked by some creep." James coughed in surprise, spitting the water he had been sipping back into the cup and hurriedly changed the subject.

"Do you know why she's my doctor?" He asked casually trying not to look guilty. "She's never treated me before."

"I asked her that same question just this morning." She told him. He could tell by the smile on her face that she had already spread whatever Lily had told her, throughout the hospital staff. James had wondered more than once if it was pure gossip that kept this woman alive. "She thought it was the least she could do to give you your own room and check up on you herself. She told me that it was her fault that you got hurt." Linda gave a knowing smile. "Pretty thing like her, I don't blame you."

"I was dueling death-eaters and one of them sent a hex flying at us." He said simply.

"It looks like you got more than hexed." Linda said glancing at him from the other side of the room where she was pretending to clean, in case anyone walked in.

"What do you mean?" James asked confused.

"Some tests were taken on you yesterday when you were still out cold. They told us that you were hit with the cruciatus curse."

James grimaced as the memory came back to him. "Yeah you're right." He shook his head. "How long have I been out anyway?"

"You've been asleep for about ten hours I think." Linda told him counting the hours out on her fingers.

"What? Why was I out so long?" James asked startled.

Just then a cheery Lily walked into the room. "Well, you were hit with the cruciatus curse first which weakened you. When the next hex hit, it finished you off. Actually you should have been out for longer." She told him looking at the clipboard in her hands. "I wasn't expecting you to wake up til tomorrow."

"Yup." Linda replied before James could. "Our boy's a trouper."

She smiled. "Well that's good to hear. You'll be out of here in no time."

"I'm I no hurry. I was just catching up with Linda here. She takes such good care of me, I'm almost sad when I get to leave." James told her smiling towards the older witch he had become so fond of.

"It's always a pleasure James. I'll leave you two alone. I'm sure you have lots of questions to ask Doctor Evans." James almost laughed as she skirted around the edge of the room and, after giving an obvious wink, walked out leaving the two alone.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Lily dropped her smile and turned to look out the window. She was still as beautiful, James noted, and maybe even more so now if that was possible. A certain maturity had entered her features, and he knew this was no longer the girl he had fought with at school. The person in front of him was a woman. As soon as she let the smile slide off her face, she looked like she had seen much since she had left school, and none of it good.

"I just wanted to say thanks."

James was shocked. Lily had never thanked him for anything in his life. Well, that was unless he counted the time she was yelling at him in their 6th year and she had sarcastically said 'Yes thank you Potter. Thank you for making my life hell.' But somehow he didn't think that counted.

He swallowed "That's ok. It's my job to fight the death-eaters."

"Still thank you. You didn't have to take that hex for me." They fell back into awkward silence as neither one knew quite what to say, but then Lily's face changed as she seemed to remember something. "There was another reason I ca-"

Just then Sirius came barging into the room. Two security guards were trying to drag him back, but he ended up dragging them into the room with him. "James are you ok? What happened? Why were you out so long? Are you sick?" Sirius asked very fast and in all one breath. He ran over to the bed and started shaking James whose glasses almost fell off his face. "I would have been here sooner but I fell asleep in the waiting room. Linda just told me you had woken up."

"So you guys are still friends? I should have known." Lily shook her head and laughed and Sirius' childlike antics. "I apologize for all your trouble." She said turning to the security guards. "It's alright though. The patient is up, and is well enough for visitors."

The security guards nodded and left the room shooting nasty looks over their shoulders at Sirius who took no notice.

Lily's words seemed to alert Sirius to the fact that there was another person in the room with them. "Oh my gosh Lily is that you?" He ran over to Lily and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Uh Sirius, I think you're crushing her." James told him with a laugh.

Sirius looked down at Lily who had a look of shock on her face. It was obvious she didn't get many patients who had no sense of personal boundaries. James had gotten used to Sirius over the years and tended to forget that his antics weren't really normal.

"Oopps sorry." Sirius apologized, looking rather sheepish for a moment. But in a few seconds he recovered. "Well it's not my fault. I haven't seen you since school! Why haven't you been visiting me?"

Lily straightened her clothing "I've been a little busy. I practically live here."

"Well you know what? I'm taking us out to lunch. My treat." Sirius said happily.

"I'm sorry to pop your bubble, but James is not in any condition to leave today. I mean, he just regained consciousness." Lily exclaimed looking down at the clipboard again, eyeing it critically.

Sirius' face fell. "But- but-but" he put on the puppy dog face he had perfected throughout his life.

"No. He can't even walk right now."

"You're no fun." Sirius told her pouting.

"And you're irresponsible so we're even."

James watched the two argue over him with a bemused look on his face, as the two people in front of him agued over what he was well enough for.

"Well at least let me sneak him in some food. You can't expect him to eat the crap here. I still have my doubts whether or not it's actually edible. I can grab some food and we can have a little lunch in here."

Lily seemed to think about it for a moment. And James jumped at the opportunity. "I'm not going to eat the hospital food. You can't watch me all day. Sirius will eventually sneak something in."

Lily finally nodded her consent. "Fine, but it will just be you two. I can't eat right now, I'm working."

"Oh come on Lils! You can just tell them you're supervising a patient."

Lily didn't look persuaded.

"Oh come on. For once forget about the rules and have some fun." Sirius pleaded.

"Fine." Lily caved.

Sirius whooped.

"On one condition."

"What?"

"We have to get the kind of food I want."

"And what kind would that be?" James asked curiously from his bed.

"McDonalds." Lily told them her face breaking into a grin.

"What's Mc-Don-els?" Sirius asked confused.

"It's a muggle fast food restaurant." She told them.

"You mean its run by muggles? That's gonna be an nightmare." Sirius whined.

"Trust me it's going to be worth it. I haven't had it in so long, I've been dying to go."

"Fine." Sirius conceded.

"Let me just grab my coat and we can go." Lily told them walking out of the room Sirius moving to follow her.

"Hey." James called Sirius back. "Keep an eye on her. There was something going on last night. I think the death-eaters might be after her." He told Sirius seriously thinking back to the night before.

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked confused.

"I don't know. There was something up, like they were sent there to capture her. You guys should be fine since you're just going into the muggle world, but still. Keep an eye out." James said looking worried.

Sirius nodded. "Don't worry I will." He glanced out the door. "I'm worried about this Mc-donels thing though. Have you ever heard of it?"

"Nope. Good luck mate." James told him grinning. He settled down into the bed. He had no idea what this Mcdonalds was, but he had a feeling he was going to hear all about it from Sirius when he got back.