Be Here Now

Disclaimer: I only own Hilary.

A/N: Drawing ever closer to the end…

Laveycee: Pinch. ;) Well, she was just a replacement for one game. And thanks! (That was a response for both chapters)

twilightstargazer: Thank you!

MaNyMiNdGaMeS: I did read that whole review, but one question caught my attention. NO, I DO NOT LIKE TWILIGHT. Yeah, sorry about the capitalization and all, and thank you so much, that means a lot! Yes, only three chapters left, but I'm planning a sequel if you want it…

dracosnapeslytherin: Thanks!

QueenKittieKat: I'm planning a sequel if you want it…

x.o.x.o.x.

Lily is extremely frustrated. James was fifteen minutes late for their patrol. The night before had been a full moon, yes, but it was nearly twenty-four hours ago!

"Miss Evans?"

Lily whips around from studying the Head Common Room portrait to face Professor McGonagall. "Professor McGonagall! Good evening."

McGonagall smiles. "Good evening, Miss Evans. I see you have been waiting for Mr. Potter?"

"Yes, Professor."

"He is in the hospital wing, and therefore unable to patrol tonight. I must ask you to patrol alone."

Lily gapes. "James is in the hospital wing?"

McGonagall nods.

"What happened?" Lily demands.

"Well," McGonagall says, hesitating.

"Yes, I do know Remus' secret," Lily interrupts.

McGonagall nods briskly. "Thank you. Well, last night, Mr. Black apparently slipped Mr. Snape a note that told him to go to the Whomping Willow if he wished to find out a secret. Of course, Mr. Snape couldn't refuse that offer, and went. Mr. Potter stood between Mr. Snape and Mr. Lupin in werewolf form, basically saving Snape's life. Mr. Potter, however, was quite scratched up and is in the hospital wing for his injuries. The most severe injury is a badly broken ankle, which Madam Pomfrey fears is too severe to mend with a spell, so he will be on Muggle crutches for a few weeks. He should be off them by Graduation Day, though."

"Stupid noble git," mutters Lily.

McGonagall chuckles. "Noble he is, Miss Evans."

"May I go see him, Professor?"

"After you complete your patrols, yes. No doubt he, Mr. Black, and Mr. Pettigrew will want to retell the tale in rich detail. You may ask Miss Potter to join you for patrolling, as she needs to know. And, Miss Evans?"

Lily glances at her professor. "Yes, Professor?"

"Do you have any idea how Mr. Potter survived after going in front of his friend while a human?"

Apparently McGonagall had no clue about the boys' Animagus forms. "No, Professor. I can only say that it is a fortunate miracle."

McGonagall nods. "Good night, Miss Evans, and I shall inform the rest of the staff that you and Miss Potter will be in the corridors past curfew."

"Thank you, Professor."

x.o.x.o.x.

"So my brother risked his life for some slimy git's?" Hilary exclaims as she and Lily finish up their rounds.

Even after all the betrayal she suffered, some of that childhood friendship is still nestled in Lily. "Don't call him a slimy git, Hilary."

Hilary shrugs. "It's true. I mean, he probably has never washed his hair. He'd run screaming from a bottle of shampoo like it was Voldemort himself."

Lily wants to snort, but swallows it. "He was never pampered and admired as you and James were, Hilary."

Hilary laughs. "Pampered? Adored? Mum and Dad raised us like Spartan children!"

Rolling her eyes, Lily says, "No time for joking, Hils."

Sighing, Hilary nods. "Okay, sorry. But he's been at this five-star school for seven years, which is supplying him with soap and shampoo. Can't he make an effort?"

"Were we going to waste our breath on Snape, Hils, or shall we go see James and Sirius in the hospital wing?" Lily cuts in.

Shrugging, Hilary responds, "Let's go."

x.o.x.o.x.

"You crazy noble git!" Lily screams as she enters the hospital wing. "You just had to sacrifice your life for his, didn't you?"

James looks at her from under a bandage wrapped around his head. "Lily, you don't hate him. I couldn't just let someone you didn't want to die lie there and die," he croaks.

Lily grabs a jug of water, pours it into a goblet, and pushes it into her boyfriend's hand. "And you think I'd be happy if you died?"

James flinches. "That hits home."

Lily glances a few beds over, where Hilary is greeting Sirius and also scolding him, no doubt for the risk of both her twin and Snape's lives.

"So," she says, perching on the end of his bed, "what exactly happened?"

James shrugs. "Not much. Being the stupid b*****d he is, Sirius had to let slip a note to Snape. Being the slimy git he is" – Lily makes a sound of protest – "he had to rise to the bait. So I transformed" – his voice lowers at this – "and butted Moony off with my antlers. I got Snape out alive, but just about. Moony was just about to launch attack on him. I'll bet he's skulking in the Slytherin common room right now."

Lily's eyes travel over to the next bed, where Remus is sleeping peacefully. "And your injuries?"

"Cut my head on a rock" – Lily gasps – "but it wasn't too bad, I didn't suffer a concussion. Broke my ankle dragging Snape away from the Shrieking Shack. Broke it pretty badly, too. That's it, except for a few minor scratches that happen every month."

Lily lays a hand on his bandaged forehead. "James?"

James meets her burning emerald stare with his own smoldering hazel one. "Yes, Lily?"

"After Snape cursed you, why did you save his life?"

James pauses, contemplating his answer. "Well… it's Voldemort's job to stand there and watch people die a slow, painful death, or even kill them himself. But that's not my job. I can't stand there and watch someone dying. I can't watch someone dying because I failed to save him or her. Even if he is an evil slimy git, I couldn't leave him there to die. That's for the Dark side to do. That's exactly what we're fighting for."

Lily cracks a smile. "Very poetic, Jamie."

Hilary skips over and lightly pushes Lily aside. "Go greet Sirius. He wants to see you."

Lily nods, but she can't help noticing James's eyes darkening at the mention of his best friend.

x.o.x.o.x.

Lily and Hilary stay in the hospital wing with the Marauders for a few hours, until McGonagall arrives.

"Boys, I need to talk to you."

Every Marauder drags themselves off the pillows, and Lily and Hilary sit up straighter in their chairs.

"Well, not all of you. Just Mr. Black. Mr. Black, what you did was not excusable. Had Mr. Potter not intervened, Mr. Snape could have died," McGonagall begins sternly. "And here at Hogwarts, we do not take one student threatening another student's life very lightly. I have spoken to Professor Dumbledore about your punishment, and we have come to a decision. You will be banned from the Gryffindor Quidditch team or any Quidditch team that you will want to join after school."

Sirius gasps. "Professor!"

McGonagall shakes her head. "It is a proper consequence, Mr. Black. You threatened a fellow student's life, Slytherin or not. You will also be serving detention every other day for the rest of this term except for the week of graduation. No points will be taken from Gryffindor, as these two punishments no doubt make up for that."

Sirius is still outraged. "How will I make my living, then?"

"You are a capable if not foolish young man, Mr. Black. As your teacher, I have no concerns about your future. And Mr. Potter."

James looks at her.

"For your outstanding courage and proper Gryffindor behavior, Gryffindor will be awarded two hundred points. To not only save your nemesis's life but to defy your best friend's plans took a great deal of bravery and courage. Good for you. Now, I must be going. Good night to you all, and to you boys, you are released as of now."

McGonagall sweeps from the wing and Sirius jumps out of bed, racing over to thump James on the back. "Two hundred points! Good for you, Prongsie!"

James looks at him with a pair of thin lips rivaling McGonagall's. "Don't call me Prongsie, Sirius. And I am not very happy with you at the moment, if you hadn't noticed."

Beside Lily, Hilary flinches. Her twin brother not reacting well to her boyfriend would not be good.

Sirius looks stricken, but gathers up his pride and marches over to Remus. "Hey Moony, good for you! You're back on your feet."

Remus glares at him, completely out of character. "I'm not at all happy with you right now, either, Sirius." He shoulders past Sirius and slouches out of the room, followed by Peter, who shakes off Sirius without a word.

Looking discouraged, Sirius stalks out of the room, heading for the dorm in which he would be sharing with two very bitter people.

Catching his sister's tortured look, James comes over and places a consoling arm around her. "Don't worry, Hilary. Black may not be my best friend right now, but I won't mess in your love life. I trust your judgment. Come on, Lil."

Lily shakes her head. "You go first, James. I'll just talk to Hilary."

James nods and slouches out of the room.

x.o.x.o.x.

In the empty Head Common Room, Lily takes a seat opposite Hilary, who had been silent the whole walk.

"Hilary, you can talk to me."

Hilary sighs. "It's just so hard seeing my twin brother, my flesh and blood, being so bitter to my boyfriend, who I love."

Lily is about to respond when the last phrase grates on her ears and makes her stop. "Love?"

Smiling dryly, Hilary answers, "You know, the feeling you felt for your parents, for your sister, for your cousins, for your aunts, for your uncles, for… James."

"I know what love is, Hilary. But are you sure?"

"Are you sure you love James?" returns Hilary.

"Well, how do you feel around Sirius?"

Hilary's eyes catch a dreamy look. "Like I wouldn't want to be any other place. Like I would never want to separate from him. Like my heart will explode from love. Like I would jump in front of that fateful jet of green light to save him from that fate."

"I don't doubt it anymore. You love him," Lily states.

"And that just makes it all the harder," mutters Hilary.

"I get where you're coming from. Just be careful with love, Hilary, because it could backfire like no other," Lily warns.

She didn't know just how right she was.

x.o.x.o.x.

A/N: !READ! Thirty-three chapters down, two to go! I do have a sequel planned, so starting NOW, PLEASE REVIEW AND TELL ME ABOUT THE SEQUEL; WHETHER YOU WANT IT OR NOT. Until the next chapter…

~TrueLoveIs4ever