Author's Note: I had no computer for months. Now I have one. Hiatus over. I've broken myself in with this little drabble.

Lily Evans Breaks Her Leg

Inspired by real life events, and by my friend Rachel

"Evans!" James Potter cried, charging into the hospital wing with all the resolute determination of a stampeding wildebeest, and the hair of a Roman god. "I came as soon as I heard!"

Lily Evans looked up from where she sat, perched sedately on the edge of one of the beds. Remus Lupin followed Potter into the room looking sheepish. She blinked at them.

"Um," she said.

"How are you? How did it happen?" said Potter, hurrying to her side. He dropped to his knees and examined her leg closely. "Are you in pain?"

"No," she said bluntly, looking at him as if he were mad. He met her eyes and his gaze was full of admiration.

"You don't have to be brave," he cooed, taking her hand in his and patting it gently while Remus averted his eyes and choked back a laugh. "We're all here for you. You can even cry if you want to."

"You idiot." Lily pulled her hand from his grip. "I'm not in pain because Pomfrey's already fixed it. She fixed it as soon as I got here. She's in her office filling out a report now."

"Oh," said Potter, and looked disappointed. "I was really looking forward to being chivalrous."

"What?"

"Well, it's a Gryffindor trait, you know," Potter explained. "As you know, I have on many occasion displayed my nerve and daring."

"Have you?"

"I thought I might round out the trio with some chivalry. You know how it is," he said.

"I really don't," she said, and suppressed a wild urge to laugh. James Potter often reacted to situations such as this by acting like a nincompoop in order to lighten the mood. She looked at Remus to steady herself. "Thanks for the help earlier."

"That was quite a tumble you took," said Remus, smiling kindly at her. He had been the one to witness her fall down the third floor stairs, and had kindly escorted her to the hospital wing. "James was pretty upset when I told him."

So why did you tell him, Lily wanted to ask, but she knew the answer. Remus told James about her broken leg for his own amusement, knowing that James would jump at the opportunity to get dramatic about it.

"I was devastated when I heard, Evans," said Potter, adopting such a forced expression of sincerity that it must have been causing him physical pain. "I got down on the floor of the Great Hall – on my knees – and I wept. Bitterly," he added, as an extra bonus.

"I'd believe you if you weren't smiling," she replied archly.

"You weren't weeping on the floor of the Great Hall," put in Remus. "You were looking for a Sickle that had rolled under the table."

There was a moment of silence while Potter stared at Remus.

"You can leave now," he said.

Remus left the room laughing. Lily and James looked at each other.

"Don't really know what to do now," said Potter, shrugging. He stood up. "My earlier plan was dashed. I feel a bit silly, really."

Lily tried to think of a clever response. "What?"

"My plan to cheer you up by being ridiculous, while at the same time charming you in a way that you can't quite understand."

"Uh-huh."

"That plan, in truth, is part of my ultimate master plan to convince you of my innate goodness so that you'll like me, which is actually quite selfish, come to think of it, so maybe I don't have any innate goodness after all."

"That's a lot of introspection for fifteen seconds," Lily pointed out. "You might want to slow down."

"That'd probably be best, Evans," James agreed, and sat down in a chair across from her bed. "I really was worried, you know."

"I know," she said, feeling the need to throw him a bone, because the wind had gone out of his sails a bit, and she really did like James Potter, all things considered. "And for the record, I'm already convinced of your innate goodness, you don't have to try so hard."

He looked confused. "Are you?"

"Yes."

"For how long have you been convinced?"

"I dunno." Lily shrugged. "Ages?"

"Why wasn't I informed?"

"Well, to be honest, I thought the fact that we were friends might have given it away."

"Oh," said Potter, cocking his head to the side and staring into space in a way that Lily only assumed he believed was dashing. "That would be the logical thing to assume."

"Also the fact that you're taking me on a date on Saturday."

"Yeah."

"And all of the kissing we did last night."

James grinned at her, and she smiled back.

"Remus doesn't know yet," he said gleefully. "None of them do. I'm planning a big reveal after the date goes brilliantly and we officially become a couple."

"What makes you so sure that the date's going to go brilliantly?"

"I come from a long line of Seers."

"That's a lie."

"I knew you were going to say that," James replied smoothly, and pointed at his own temple. "I see all, I know all."

"You're ridiculous."

"Yes," he agreed. "I am. And it's cheered you up. I'd say that plan's gone without a hitch."

"I must admit, I do find it charming in a way that I can't quite understand," she replied, pretending to be contemplative.

"That is the very hallmark of Potter charm, you know," he replied, with a cheeky wink.

"What happened to wondering if you were innately good and being broody?"

"Eh, that's old news," said Potter with a wave of his hand. "What we need to focus on now is your recovery. I hereby pledge to devote myself to your comfort!"

Lily laughed, for lack of a better response.

"I will not leave your bedside for one instant," he declared, his eyes filled with purpose. He belonged on the stage, Lily thought. "Except for when I have classes and meals and need to sleep, or need to go to the toilet, or if I have Quidditch or get bored. But aside from that! Until you are fully recovered, nothing on earth can make me leave this-"

"You can go now," said Madame Pomfrey, emerging from her office.