AN: Hello again, this chapter is a lot longer than the previous one- but the first one was just a taster- so, please review if you read!

Chapter 2
Or
Of running, performing seals, and bestfriend squeals.

James did exactly what Lily had requested. He stayed by her side all day, he missed lunch and he missed dinner, he even missed out on the chance to prank the Slytherin's one last time. But it was worth it. Lily remained unconscious throughout the whole day because of several potions Madam Pomfrey had been pumping into her, and James enjoyed the peaceful moment; he didn't enjoy the fact Lily had been hurt, but he was enjoying the fact that Lily had actually asked him to stay and that they weren't at each other's throats. The peace was soon disrupted when Sirius came bounding into the hospital wing looking aggravated.

"Oi Prongs, what the hell do you think you're doing in here?!" James thought Sirius was actually joking, but the look on his face told James otherwise.

"Lily asked me to stay, Padfoot, so I'm staying." James replied obviously, trying to calm Sirius down by using a calm tone himself. It didn't work.

"I don't care- wait, Lily-Pad asked you to stay?" The shock was defined in Sirius voice, and his eyes widened even further- if that were even possible, considering his eyeballs were about to pop out of his sockets- when James nodded. "Okay, I get it, Lily-Pad has officially gone off her rocker, but Prongs we need you."

James frowned. "Why?" He asked, but he wished he hadn't Sirius' rage returned.

"Are you kidding me? It's full moon tonight! We have to help Remus before we get on the train tomorrow morning!" James' face fell. He'd forgotten all about Remus; his best mate.

"Aw, shit yeah! Damn it, I'm sorry, I'm coming!" James jumped up and ran as fast as his legs would carry him, but Sirius only groaned.

"Jeez, we're running, again!" With a quick sigh, he was sprinting after James to find Remus.

Lily woke later that evening, and sighed when she opened her eyes to find nobody sitting around her bed; okay, it wasn't as if she hated being alone, it was the fact she'd asked Potter to stay. And he didn't. Did he care about anybody but himself? She glanced to the clock on the wall in Madam Pomfrey's office and groaned as she'd missed dinner; it was her last dinner as a fifth year and she'd missed it. With another groan, Lily threw back the covers on her bed and slipped on her shoes and knowing that Madam Pomfrey wouldn't mind her leaving considering she had no remaining pain, she left the hospital wing and headed up to the Gryffindor Common room.

It took her longer than she expected, mainly because she wasn't paying any attention to where she was going. She had James Potter on her mind again. Lily wanted James to stay with her because she felt safe, and yeah that might have been a bit selfish of her, but why shouldn't she be selfish? She'd just been tortured by three Slytherin's and James was the one who saved her, so she wanted him with her; not all of time, just while she was in hospital. And what annoyed her the most; was that she'd actually expected him to stay.

"Lily!" Marlene, Alice, and Hestia all cried in unison at the sight of Lily entering the Gryffindor common room.

Lily smiled and sunk down into her favourite armchair by the fire. "I'm fine, before you all ask, and I'm sure you know what happened to me; Hogwarts runs on gossip."

"Yeah, we all know those twats from Slytherin tortured you, I mean that's sick, Lils. They're pathetic…" Marlene ranted away for about ten minutes about how vile, vindictive, and pathetic the Slytherin's were, and Lily, Alice and Hestia didn't pay any attention what so ever to her rant; having heard it a thousand times before. "…ugh, they make my blood boil!" With a sigh, Marlene had final finished her rant.

"You finished, Marls?" Hestia, another of Lily's best-friend, teased.

"Yeah, I think I can recite that rant perfectly the amount of times I've heard you spout it off." Alice, the quieter one in the girl group, chimed in.

"Oh Alice, don't, if I have to hear that again; I'll chuck myself off the Astronomy tower!" Lily joined in the teasing, with a short laugh at the look on Marlene's face.

"Okay, okay, I get it, I talk too much!" Marlene was pouting and rolling her eyes, and she hastily changed the subject. "It feels weird going into sixth year, we have N.E.W.T's to study for! I don't think I'm ready!" She exclaimed, slumping back into her chair to show how exasperated she was.

"Marls, you don't study anyway." Lily pointed out.

Marlene shrugged. "It's not the point!"

"Erm, I think it is, but I'll let you have this one." Lily glanced around the common room and noticed how unusually quiet it was; normally, on the last night of term, the marauders would be pulling some sort of prank or having a mini party. "Hey, have you guys seen James?" Lily asked her friends, curiously.

"You mean, James Potter?" Marlene replied, cocking her head to the side in confusion. Hestia on the other hand was widening her eyes at the fact Lily was on a first name basis with James.

"Yes, I mean him." Lily rolled her eyes.

"Wait, what? James Potter?" Marlene was putting all the emphasis on 'James' because it was so rare that Lily used his proper name, unless she was ranting and it accidentally slipped out.

"Yes, Marlene, I'm talking about James Potter! I…" She hesitated and bit her lip, wondering whether she should tell her friends about asking him to stay with her; she could easily skim over the part about her being disappointed.

"Yes?" Marlene persisted; she was the one who very rarely let things go. Unless, of course, her friends were feeling too uncomfortable and Lily was nowhere near that boundary.

"Well, you all know how James kinda saved me from those Slytherin's?" All three girls nodded. "When he took me up to the hospital, I asked him to stay with me and when I woke up he wasn't there." Lily shrugged as if it was no big deal, but it was. She thought he'd stay, she wanted him to stay. She wanted to wake up and find him still be there, sitting by her bed for her and because she'd asked him too.

"And he didn't stay?" Alice asked; she was the only one who didn't find Lily asking James to stay suspicious. It was obvious to Alice that Lily felt safe, and so would she if the positions were reversed.

Lily shook her head. "Nope, he didn't. I thought he would, y'know, considering I'd asked him but I'm not all together shocked that he didn't. We don't exactly see eye-to-eye."

"Yeah, you got that right Lils." Hestia gave her friend a pointed look. "You're always telling him you'd love to hex him into oblivion…"

"And how much you'd loved to ruin his pretty face…" Marlene added.

"And how much you'd love to stop his swagger by breaking his legs…" Hestia said, with an amused look on her face.

"And how much you'd just love to push him off the tallest tower, really…" Marlene finished, who with a look at Hestia, burst into laughter at how much hate was built between the pair.

"Okay, I get it; we're not the best of friends…" Lily stopped when Hestia started laughing, and Alice was smirking. "Okay! We're not even friends, but I just thought…" Lily stopped herself again. What did she think? That after five years of tormenting each other at every chance, James would actually stay at her bed side? That he'd suddenly forget those five years of hexing each other in the corridors, the several pitchers of pumpkin juice spilt 'accidentally' over their robes and those numerous amounts of times they'd insult each other? Oh, Good Godric, Lily, you're an idiot. "Heck, I don't even know what I was thinking. I'm going to blame me slipping into an unconscious state for this, it's a reasonable excuse, and hey! He might not even remember me asking!" Lily finished her speech, to which all of her friends nodded in agreement, and Lily was secretly praying that James hadn't acknowledged that fact Lily had asking him to stay. Well, it was obvious he hadn't, otherwise he would have stayed.

It was about four in the morning and James, Sirius, Remus and Peter were dragging themselves into the Gryffindor common room.

"Are you alright, Moony?" Sirius asked, while he climbed into bed still fully dressed.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Padfoot, just a bit tired." Remus yawned and, after changing into a pair of old pyjama bottoms and a loose t-shirt, he climbed into bed also. Peter was already asleep on top of the bed sheets, occasionally emitting load snores.

"I guess Wormy is tired too…" Sirius threw a pillow over at the lump in the corner of the room, and Peter immediately stopped snoring.

"Say, Prongs, you're awfully quiet tonight." Remus pointed out, frowning as James silently stripped down and climbed beneath his quidditch themed bed sheets.

"I just…I don't know. It's about Evans." James replied, shrugging.

"Expand?" Remus' frown intensified, as he sat up to look directly over at James' bed.

"Evans asked me to stay with her in the hospital wing today, after she was hurt." James replied dryly, feeling really guilty that he'd left her- without even telling her he couldn't stay.

"Lily asked you to stay with her?" Remus' frown was replaced with shock and his mouth hung open.

"Shut your mouth, Moony, you're catching flies." James smirked and sat up also to face his friend.

Remus snapped his mouth shut, but only for a moment as he wanted to speak again. "We are talking about Lily Evans, here?" He asked, shock still framing his face.

"Yes, Lily Evans, you know? That amazing girl with fiery red hair that glistens in the light, her emerald green eyes that-"

"Shine so much, and draw me in so much, you'd think I was addicted…" Sirius interrupted James' monologue.

Remus decided to join in. "And don't forget her lips, soft looking and so succulent. Full, rich and tender just begging for my touch!"

"Good Godric, and the way her cheeks heat up whenever she screams my name!" Sirius called out.

"She's so perfect." Sighed James, shooting a very irritated look in both Sirius' and Remus' direction.

"Yes, yes, we get it. But back to the point, Lily Evans, actually asked you to stay with her in the hospital?" Remus was now frowning again.

"Yeah, Remus, she did. She was starting to pass out-"James started to recall the story but Sirius interrupted.

"Ah, that explains it."

James chucked a pillow at Sirius head. "Okay, okay! I'm going to sleep if I'm being attacked." And with a murmured 'Good night', Sirius was flat out and snoring.

"Like I was saying, she was passing out because of the pain and she asked me to stay. She told me to stay with her." James told a curious Remus who nodded.

"Wow. Now, are you sure we're talking about Lily Evans?" He dared to ask again. And when the only reply he got was a pillow to the head, he took that as his cue to go to bed, leaving James lying thinking about everything.

He felt so guilty. He really wanted to stay by her side and wait for her to wake up, but he couldn't. Even though he had a reasonable excuse- one which he couldn't actually explain to Lily- he still felt guilty and upset. Although, he was wondering why she'd asked him to stay in the first place? Sirius had said that maybe it was because she was passing out, and she didn't know what she was saying, and the more James thought about it, the more that reason seemed truer. He never got on with Evans, never. They were always screaming insults at each other, or throwing objects- usually juice- in each other's faces. So why the sudden change of heart, why did she want him with her? James didn't understand, but by the time he'd decided to go to sleep, he'd concluded all these questions. Lily Evans didn't really like him; she was confused and upset and probably had no clue what she was saying.

Lily woke early the next morning, even after spending most of the night chatting with Marlene about all the attractive boys in the school- Marlene's choice of topic, not Lily's. Lily was always the first one up in her dorm, Alice normally was second and Marlene as Hestia normally just got up in time for class, but today she was exceptionally early- it was only seven o clock. As the bathroom was free and wouldn't be needed for around another hour, Lily decided to take a bath, as she rarely got the chance when she woke around half seven because of her other dorm mates.

After having a bath, Lily spent a while pondering over what she would wear for the journey home- it was always too hot. After she'd decided on a simple white dress, she headed down for breakfast, letting her mind wander. She was completely lost in her own world; she bumped into someone while approaching the great hall. She glanced up to see the person she'd just walked into and found Josh Richards, a fellow fifth year who was in Ravenclaw, staring down at her.

"Oh! Hey, Josh. Sorry." She cringed. Josh was attractive, very attractive.

"It's okay." He grinned down at her. "You're early at breakfast."

"So are you…" She laughed. "None of my friends are up, and I didn't want to miss breakfast like I missed lunch and dinner yesterday." She explained.

"Oh, yeah, right. How are you? I heard about the attack, they'd been doing the same to me before hand." Josh, like Lily, was a muggleborn.

"I'm fine, thanks, and really? Oh, I hope you're okay!" Lily looked up at Josh concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just wanting to go on holiday now." Josh leaned casually against the wall outside the great hall, still smiling down at Lily.

"Same." She smiled back and then mentally scolded herself for ending the conversation with 'same', he was sure to walk away now. Surprisingly, he didn't.

"So, erm, would you like to meet up with me during the break? I know we both live near each other." He was chewing his lip nervously.

"Like a date?" Lily found herself blurting out.

"Yeah, well only if you want to, I mean we could still meet up even if you didn't want it to be a date…I'd still like to be friends." Josh was the one cringing now, for sounding like such a prat.

Lily found herself grinning. "No, Josh, a date is fine with me."

"Great! Well, I'll write to you, yeah? So we can organise a date and stuff."

"Of course, but is it okay if we arrange it later in the break? I'm on holiday for the first two weeks." Lily was praying that it was okay, Josh was cute and he'd just asked her on a date. She was ecstatic

"Of course it is, Lily." Josh grinned too, and they walked into the great hall for breakfast chatting about where they both were going on holiday, and the places they'd both like to go on their date. Lily sat at the Ravenclaw table, picking at a muffin while she continued to chat with Josh, and then she noticed her friends entering. She sighed, not wanting to go over, but she knew she had to.

"I'll see you on the train, yeah? My friends kinda want me to sit with them." Lily told Josh, who raised his eyebrows at the figure that was Marlene who was waving and crying 'Lily!' from the Gryffindor table.

"Kinda is an understatement." He teased, giving her a quick hug before Lily walked giddily over to her houses table.

"Okay, okay, spill. What were you doing at the Ravenclaw table with Joshua Richards?!" Marlene exclaimed, buttering some toast.

"He asked me to sit with him." Lily smirked, enjoying teasing her friends.

"I would never have guessed." Marlene drawled sarcastically.

"Okay, fine. I bumped into him while coming down from the tower…" Marlene gasped looking like Lily had committed a crime for walking into someone that attractive. "And we chatted for a bit about the attack, on both of us…" This earned another gasp from Marlene and two other gasps which came from Hestia and Alice. "And then he asked me if I wanted to meet with him over the summer!" Lily cried, a grin sneaking on her face.

"Like a date?" Hestia questioned and Lily nodded. All three girls grinned and squealed, while Marlene was clapping her hands excitedly. The marauders chose this moment to interrupt.

"Marlene, why are you impersonating a performing seal?" Remus inquired. Marlene looked to Lily and smirked.

"Lily's got a date!" Marlene squealed, and Remus smiled while James and Sirius both choked on toast.

"Marlene!" Lily shouted over the top of James and Sirius' coughing fits.

"What?" Marlene replied, feigning innocence. "It's true!" Lily only groaned, returning to eating her muffin.

"Who's the mystery man, Lily-pad?" Sirius asked, turning to face Lily completely. Lily didn't even get a chance to speak, because Marlene had already starting chatting to the very intrigued group of marauders.

"Josh Richards, y'know, the really cute Ravenclaw?" Marlene pointed across to the Ravenclaw table, and Lily groaned again.

"Marlene, it's rude to point!" She cried, burying her face in her arms on the table due to embarrassment.

"Oh, shush Lils, I'm just telling them about your date!" Marlene went on and on about Lily's date, Sirius sat and teased during the whole half an hour left of breakfast, but what surprised Lily the most was the fact that James remained silent.

Professor McGonagall stood up from her seat at breakfast and called for the hall to be silent.

"Minnie, I'll miss you over the summer!" Sirius cried out from beside Lily, causing the whole entire hall to erupt with the laughter, even Professor Dumbledore was chuckling.

"I'll most definitely not miss you, Mr Black." Professor McGonagall glared at Sirius and started her end of term speech, once everybody had stopped laughing, of course.

Lily, Marlene, Alice and Hestia found themselves sharing the largest compartment on the train with the marauders. Lily had completely forgotten about James and the whole hospital situation because she was busy chatting with Marlene about her date with Josh. Funnily enough, she wasn't even nervous for it. She was still shocked over the fact he'd asked her, and that was causing her brain to do that overthinking thing.

James was completely over the hospital incident since Lily got a date with Josh, he thought that if Lily had forgotten it, that he could. Okay, so he was still upset that he couldn't stay, because he liked Lily; a lot. Although, he expected that Lily wouldn't mention it, maybe because she didn't actually recall asking James to stay, or maybe- and this was a very big maybe- she was upset too. When Marlene had declared Lily was going on a date with Josh Richards, James' stomach twisted. He knew that Lily was bound to find guys crushing on her, and sometimes even asking her out on dates, but these were mainly the man-whore jerks, like Sirius only Sirius was more man-whore than jerk. What was annoying him the most was the fact that he couldn't find a reason why Josh wouldn't be good for Lily. Josh was overall a really nice guy, everybody fawned over him, and he was really clever. He had loads of things going for him, and James knew Lily would really like him eventually, he knew that Lily could fall for Josh and it hurt. James wished that it was him Lily was going out with in the break, but he also knew that it would never happen. They hated each other, so James didn't plan any prank that would mean Josh wouldn't want to date Lily, although he was tempted, very tempted; he'd done it plenty of times before, so what was one more going to do?

AN: Just me again, I'd like to emphasise that reviews would make me happy. :-)