"No." James took a step back.

Had he left Sirius in place of Peter or stayed himself….both of them would have died before revealing their secrets. But, Peter was not like them, he was weak.

"No….." James took another step back.

The darkness, the black hoods, the middle of the night……the shrieking somewhere. It all started to come back to him. His parents shouts. Charlotte's screams echoing in his mind.

"Scared, Potter?" Snape sneered.

James was distracted.

"Stupefy." Snape shouted and James's wand fell from his hands and landed on the other side of the room.

Sirius raised his wand, more careful.

"Hearing your little sister?" He said.

The words brought James back to the world. He didn't have a wand but he slammed his fist into Snape's face and a few teeth came out. Snape spat and shouted,

"Sectumsempra!" He shouted.

James was blasted a few feet away, his body split into a thousand cuts and blood poured out of his body.

"Stupefy!" Sirius shouted. "Perf……Totalas.

Snape fell on the floor, frozen. Sirius swooped up the wands and motioned Peter to come along. But, Peter refused to come along. Sirius had no time to think about him. He came near James and apparted away. Leaving Peter behind, who didn't go because Snape told him he would kill him. And, after what happened, he believed it.

Sirius Black came back to Hogwarts, holding James in his arms, he had no idea how he was holding him. He had no idea how James brought Remus up this pathway year fifteen days, year after year. Remus had already been admitted, now the next bed was occupied by his best friend, James.

Madam Pomfrey shrieked at the sight of James. Sirius had lost his sister the day Charlotte died. He was not ready to lose James too. James was the only family he had left. If he died………Sirius never imagined a life without his brother because he couldn't live without him. But, he was scared. He was scared because he knew James couldn't imagine a life without Charlotte but was living on without her all the same. James wrote to Charlotte every week.

He was scared of losing any more family. He started praying for his friend. That was all he could do.

It was three days and they had no news of James. Remus had been released from the hospital wing but Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let anyone but Dumbledore or McGonagall see him. Peter had returned from the Shrieking Shack, shaken up. But, Snape was nowhere to be seen.

The whole school was in an uneasy position. Sirius hadn't left the doors of Wing for all the days James had been there. No matter how much anyone begged, he didn't move.

Lily couldn't help notice all the little kids that came to ask about James and how soon would be okay. She could help notice many teachers, particularly McGonagall being extremely upset about James's injury. Like most students, she didn't know who or how James was brought to this state.

One the sixth day when Dumbledore called Lily Evans to the Wing and allowed her to see him (Sirius fell asleep on the floor of the hallway). She was horrified to see James Potter lying on the bed unconscious, very near to death.

"Tell….tell her, I promise, I didn't want to yell at her." He mumbled in his unconsciousness. "Lily….I never wanted to hurt you. It was…hers."

"He's been saying that for three days." Madam Pomfrey said. "I don't know what he means though."

Lily could understand some of it.

"Listen to him, Ms. Evans." Madam Pomfrey said, "He is asking for you."

"I don't think….." She blushed.

"He is refusing to wake up." Madam Pomfrey said, "He needs closure."

"And….." She waited.

"And, I think it would be you." Dumbledore said.

Walking away. And, so did Madam Pomfrey. Lily sat down on the bed next to him,

"Hey, James." She said, "I am here. It's Lily. And, I am sorry about the teddy bear. I swear I didn't know how it ripped. And……"

She didn't know what she was talking about.

"I am sorry that I said that I hated you." She told him, "I don't hate you. I don't think I can ever hate you, James. I think……I think….I think I love you, James." She squeezed his hand softly. "Just come back. Come back to us. Come back to me, James."

"Please, don't leave me, Charlotte." He mumbled. "No! Not her! Not Charlotte!"

He started screaming in his sleep. Lily let go of his hand, Madam Pomfrey had said he was listening to everything around but not responding. And, if he was listening to every thing she said ... .Why was he talking about another girl? Was she not as important in his life as she thought herself to be? Even Dumbledore thought she was the most important thing in his life. She ran out of the Wing and avoided everyone around her.

She sat in her room, brooding over what had happened. She couldn't understand why it hurt him so much. So, what….James was calling out the name of another girl. So, what if he didn't love her anymore? Maybe, he never did. Only the thought of it brought tears to her eyes. But, the truth remained. Love was no longer James Potter's primary concern, hence Lily was no longer his first choice. It was revenge that stayed on his mind, night and day, day and night. She had to admit, he was not as shallow as she made him out to be. Even Dumbledore couldn't understand the complexities of his mind. He had thought that if Lily talked to him he would wake up. But, he didn't. James Potter didn't wake up for seventeen days and eighteen nights and only Remus Lupin knew why he had woken up. Only hours before his miraculous recovery, Moony had placed Florence on James's bed.