Title: Light

Author: Amelia Bedelia

Chapter Six: Misery

AUTHORS NOTE: Hey! I'm sorry it's been so long. I really do have an excuse – well, for the past two days I've been swamped with homework. Yes, so much that I couldn't get on the computer to even READ my e-mails! Then today when I had some free time to get on the computer, our internet was down for awhile. (Actually, while I'm writing this, my internet is still down, but once I post it, my internet will, obviously, NOT be down anymore! Ha! Go figure!) Well, I'm using my no-internet time to finish this story which I should have had done awhile ago! And, as you can see, it's finished! Chapter six!

Enjoy!

Chapter Six: Misery

Lily wiped off her face and cleaned the bathroom as quickly as she could. She didn't want Claudia thinking she was some sort-of bulimic girl.

Knock, knock.

Lily looked up from her spot on the floor. Too late, she thought worried.

Lily opened the door a crack and saw none other than James standing there.

"James, what are you doing? This is a girls' dormitory – in case you haven't noticed!"

"No, I noticed," James said, grinning.

"What do you want, James?" Lily asked, annoyed.

"I want you to tell me what you were going to tell me last night before Sirius rudely interrupted our conversation."

Lily groaned. "James, can't this wait until later? Why did you have this feeling to just come up now? Why couldn't you have waited until later?" Lily hissed, venomously.

James shrugged his shoulders. "No one else was awake. I was bored."

"Can't you entertain yourself for once?"

"Lily, Lily, Lily," James sighed. And then, after he couldn't come up with a smart response, he settled with, "No."

Lily slammed the door in his face and finished cleaning the bathroom as quickly as she could. She hopped in the shower and threw on some clothes after she hopped out.

"Lily," she could hear James calling from the other side of the door. "What's taking you so long?"

"James, what do you expect? I'm a girl."

"Oh yeah, right."

Lily rolled her eyes and dried out her hair with a handy drying spell. She opened the door and pulled James down to the common room.

"Lily, what's your rush?"

"I'm hungry. Where's everyone else? Shouldn't they be down here by now?" Lily asked.

James looked at his watch. "Lily, it's not even seven yet. Most people don't get to breakfast until about seven thirty. Why get up earlier than you have to? Speaking of which – why were you up so early?"

"Bad dream," Lily said hurriedly as she walked out of the common room with James by her side. "Long story," she muttered.

"Lily," James laughed. "In case you haven't noticed, we've got about half an hour. You can start talking."

Lily rolled her eyes. "I told Eleanor I would stop by this morning real quick. Are you going to come with?"

James shrugged his shoulders. "Sure, why not?"

They headed to the Infirmary. Lily pushed open the door and walked to her normal bed.

"Eleanor?" she called.

Scurrying out from behind a large shelf of Potions ingredients, Eleanor rushed to Lily's side. "I was wondering whether you would come back or not. Especially judging by the way you were running out of here yesterday," she muttered, eyeing James suspiciously.

"I said I would, didn't I?"

Eleanor sighed. "I suppose so. Now let me have a quick look at you. Tell me, how are you feeling?"

"Better now."

"How were you before now?"

"I, uh," Lily glanced at James before she realized that he wouldn't tell anyone of her illnesses. "I was sick this morning."

"You what - " James started, but was cut off by Eleanor.

"Was it vomiting again?"

"Yes."

"Dear me. Lily, could you please stay here for one more day? Just one - "

"No!" Lily shouted. "You said I could go yesterday. I'm not still sick, am I? It's not this little disease you were talking about, is it?"

"Child, I'm just worried that you're not fully recovered."

Lily stomped her foot. "I'm going to classes today, no matter what you say. But if I start feeling strange again, I'll come straight to you – deal?"

Eleanor realized that this was all she would get out of Lily for a compromise and sighed. "If you insist."

Lily smiled. "Thanks Eleanor. C'mon, James, let's go eat – I'm starved."

James gave Lily a small smile and watched as she sprinted out the door. "James?" Eleanor called.

He turned. "Yeah?"

"Keep an eye out on her, alright? Make sure she doesn't hurt herself or anything. Just," Eleanor sighed. "Take care of her. She needs someone like you a lot right now."

James nodded and left the infirmary. "Lily!" he called. "Wait up!"

James jogged to where Lily was running in the hall. "Lily, why are you so energetic today? And what's this about a disease?"

Lily laughed. "It's not a disease, James. They always try to scare you! They said that my Great Aunt Karen would die a few years ago – she died last month!"

"Oh, Lily, I'm so sor - "

"Don't be," Lily muttered, still keeping her jogging pace the same while James began to lag behind her. "I didn't know her. I only met her once when I was twelve and that was for a few hours. I only got sent a note about it because I'm her only living relative on my mum's side left!"

"You are?" James asked, surprised. "Why are you telling me all of this now?"

Lily shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I'm just remembering all of this more."

Once they reached the Great Hall, it was only seven fifteen and no one had taken any seats yet. James was thankful that Lily was so hungry that she didn't even notice James having to breathe as deeply as she had to.

"So, James, why were you up so early?"

"I wasn't very tired." The real truth: he was thinking about a redhead all night long.

"So, Lily, what were you doing in the bathroom this morning besides getting ready for the day?

She slowed her eating. "James, you've been bugging me about it enough – so now that no one is here, I'll tell you."

James smiled at Lily. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, to start with, I've been having these horrible nightmares."

"Yes, continue."

"James, don't even start that today. I just hurled up last night's dinner and I'm not feeling that good about it."

"Ah, now that's a different story! I thought you just hurled up part of yesterday's dinner. Not the whole thing! Man that must have taken forever!"

Lily glared at James.

"Sorry," he muttered. "Ok, now, seriously. Tell me what happened. No more jokes."

Lily smiled, gratefully at James. "I've been having these nightmares with you, Remus, Peter and – Sirius." Lily cringed as she said the name, though, thankfully, James didn't notice. "And Dumbledore's there too. But that's only part of what's happening in the dream."

"Ok."

"Well, when the dream starts, I'm always in this dark cave. I can't see anything. Nothing. Then the floor starts to move and it pulls me towards this cliff. But once it gets there, it stops. And that's where I see you, and everyone else." Lily paused before she continued. "You're carrying a casket."

James dropped his fork on his plate with a loud clatter. He turned in his chair and looked at Lily, worried. "And who's in the casket?" he asked.

"Me."

"Oh, god, Lily. I'm so sorry you're having these dreams." James wrapped both of his arms around her and hugged her as tight as he could. He didn't let go. Nor did Lily want him to let go.

But it wasn't until Lily saw, over James' shoulder, Remus and Peter walk in. She knew, for sure, that Sirius would be following them.

"Uh, James? I need to go now. I have to, uh, check in with my teachers and find what I missed."

"But Lily, I brought your assignments to you yesterday."

"James, I need to go," she said, nervous, and left the Gryffindor table as soon as she could. "I'll talk to you later. Bye," she whispered out of the corner of her mouth as she saw Sirius come into view. Lily scampered out of the Great Hall as Sirius and the other boys sat down beside James.

"Hey, James? What were you doing up so early?" Peter asked innocently.

"Oh, I wasn't that tired." James didn't talk for the rest of breakfast. No one really noticed.

But Sirius did.

♣♥╫♥♣ Lily ♦♠╫♠♦

Lily ran out of the Great Hall and back up to her dormitory.

Once she entered the room, she slammed the door shut and began to breathe heavily against the door.

"Lily?"

Lily looked up to see who had said her name. Claudia was sitting on the other side of the room. "What are you doing back up here?"

"I, uh, forgot my books."

"Oh." Claudia went back to whatever she was doing. And Lily wanted to know.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm writing a letter to my mum. She hasn't been doing too well at home and everyone's worried about her. My three brothers that work at the Ministry of Magic, my two younger brothers, both in Ravenclaw, and my twin sisters that just graduated last year. And my dad, and my step-dad, and my step-mom, and my four step-brothers."

Lily's jaw dropped as she tried to count the number of people in her immediate family on her fingers. "That's – that's – thirteen people in your family!"

Claudia gave a small chuckle. "Fourteen. And my step-mom's expecting triplets in January."

"My, God. I only have a sister."

"Well, you're lucky."

"No I'm not."

Claudia gave a loud, fake laugh. "And why not? I bet you have the ideal family. Mum, Dad, sister, and a pet. I have to deal with over fourteen people a day."

Lily just gave her a sympathetic smile. "Well, my dad was murdered before I knew the meaning of 'gone' and my mum died last year from depression. My sister hasn't talked to me since the last death. Oh yeah, and I don't have a pet."

It was now Claudia's turn to drop her jaw. "I'm so sorry, Lily! I didn't know!"

"No one knows. Just James. I just had to show you how much better your family was than mine." They gave each other weak smiles, and then Lily burst out laughing.

"Do you find it funny that we've never talked to each other before, and here we are comparing families?" Both girls began laughing, but it didn't last too long.

"Er, should I let you get on with your letter?"

"Well…" Claudia looked at the clock sitting on the side table. "Shit! We're going to be late!"

Lily looked at the clock and saw they only had five minutes to get to their first class, History of Magic.

They grabbed their bags and ran out of the Gryffindor Tower.

Lily ran and ran, both of them checking the clocks as they passed them.

Turning the corner, both girls ran into the classroom. Professor Binns wasn't there yet. The two thankful girls looked for spots to sit.

"Claudia! Claud, come here!" Annabelle called from the other side of the room. Annabelle was the other girl that Lily shared a dorm with. To Lily, Annabelle was one of the most stuck up people she had ever seen in her life – well, besides Petunia.

"Coming," Claudia mumbled, heading towards the open seat next to Annabelle.

"What were you doing, hanging out with losers like her?" Lily heard Annabelle ask. "Please tell me that you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, Claud."

Claudia looked up and met with Lily's eyes. Lily waited for her response.

She didn't respond; at least not in time fort Lily to overhear. Behind her, Lily heard James saying her name. "Lily!" he called, "Come sit over here."

Lily spun on her heels. Remus and Peter sat together at a desk while Sirius was sitting at the next desk over. James had saved Lily a spot.

"Thanks, James," she muttered, hoping Sirius wouldn't hurt her for sitting next to James. The conversation, if you could call it that, was still ringing in her head from the night before. She could feel Sirius' eyes on her back. She didn't know how, she just did. It was one of those "feelings" you grow up with.

ϐ○•○ϐJamesϐ○•○ϐ

Lily stood and ran out of the doors. James could see his friends walking in the large doors. They sat down next to James and began eating with him.

"Hey, James? What were you doing up so early?" Peter asked.

"Oh, I wasn't that tired." James didn't talk for the rest of breakfast.

It wasn't until about ten minutes later that James spoke up. "I'm gonna go to class now, ok? See ya."

Sirius watched James leave. He was almost sure that James would've asked if they were going to go with him.

James slid into a seat in the History of Magic classroom. He didn't have to wait too long for others to show up. Soon, the rest of the Marauders were trudging into the classroom.

Remus and Peter sat down at a desk next to James' and Sirius sat next to James.

"Why'd you leave so quickly, James?"

"Er, Sirius," James hesitated. "That spot's not really, uh, saved for you. I was saving it for Lily."

Sirius looked at James, unbelievingly. "Ok." He stood and moved into the next desk over, not speaking for the rest of the class.

Lily and Claudia suddenly came running into the classroom. Professor Binns wasn't there yet. The two thankful girls looked for spots to sit.

"Claudia! Claud, come here!" Annabelle called from the other side of the room.

"Coming," Claudia mumbled, heading towards the open seat next to Annabelle.

Lily seemed to be waiting for something.

Maybe she was looking for a seat. "Lily!" he called, "Come sit over here."

Lily placed her books on the floor and sat next to James, nervous.

"Thanks, James," she mumbled. Why's Lily so tense? I'll ask her later.

Professor Binns didn't show up for a while longer. The Gryffindors talked for what seemed ten or fifteen more minutes. Binns still didn't show up – until…

"Good afternoon, class," he said in his dull, monotone voice. "Open your books to - "

"Professor!" Peter shrieked. "What – how – are you ok?"

"Excuse me?" he asked, confused.

Lily looked up and found what Peter was gaping about. Binns didn't look like his usual self. He wasn't even standing. There, in the middle of the classroom, Professor Binns, their History of Magic teacher, was floating in ghost form. "Professor," Lily piped up," where were you? Why are you late?"

"Forgive me," he said, "I accidentally fell asleep after I woke up this morning. Now, let's begin class."

The students didn't pay attention the whole lesson – not that they ever did. It was just that this time, there was a different reason why. Through the entire lesson, each person had tried to ask Professor Binns questions, finding out if he knew he was dead.

It seemed he didn't.

After class, everyone left as soon as they could. It was bad enough having to have History of Magic class, but in the morning? That was just inexcusable.

When Sirius saw Lily and James stand up to leave, he took aim with his wand at Lily's book bag.

"Dilorico," he muttered and he heard the sweet sound of accomplishment. Lily's bag ripped open and all of her school supplies came tumbling out.

"Oh, shoot," he heard her mutter.

"Here, Lily, let me help you." James crawled down onto his hands and knees in the ink and began to help pick up the books on the ground. "Here," James said, handing her the Potions book. "Not too much ink on it – but it's nothing a spell can't fix!"

"Thank you, James, but really, you don't have to help me. I insist."

"No, Lily, it's no problem. I don't mind. Honest." James looked up at Lily from the floor and grinned.

Lily began to blush and smile back, shyly.

Disgruntled, Sirius picked up his bag and hurry to his next class. Obviously his plan this time didn't work. He'd have to talk to her some other time…

In the meantime, James was still picking up Lily's books.

"And here's your – ow! Shit…" James jerked up his hand as if he had just set it down on a hot burner.

"What happened – oh no… James, are you ok?"

Several small shards of glass were sticking out of James' hand. Blood was already beginning to mix with the ink already covering his hand so that it turned a deep scarlet red.

"I think I'll live." James stood up and held his hand palm up to analyze the damage in the light. Feeling that it was her fault, Lily took hold of James' hand and began picking out the glass, piece by piece.

"James, are you sure you'll be ok? This looks pretty serious."

James couldn't talk what with trying to keep himself from blushing and keeping the pain in his hand blocked out. But, finally, after the last piece was out, James breathed out a sigh of relief and glanced around the classroom.

"Lily, there's no one here…"

Lily finished repairing her bag and looked up to see an empty classroom and deserted hallways. "Hello?" she called.

Even Professor Binns had left. Lily and James looked at each other, embarrassed. "Well, uh, thanks for the help with my books."

"Yeah, no problem. Thanks with my hand, but, you know, I might need Eleanor to check it over real quick. Do you, uh, want to come with? It won't take too long." But in the back of James' mind, he prayed that it would take all day and Lily wouldn't leave.

"Sure!" Lily said, jumping at the chance to join James. Holding out his uninjured arm, Lily grabbed it and they went walking off down the hall towards Eleanor's office.

Lily and James entered the office, chatting about James' upcoming Quidditch match against Hufflepuff.

"They're all full of - "

"Lily!" Eleanor called from the other room. "What's wrong, headache, have you thrown up? What are your symptoms?"

"I'm fine!" Lily exclaimed, pushing Eleanor away from her. "James is the one who needs the medical attention."

"Oh. Well, c'mon, boy, what happened – ouch." Eleanor's eyes had wandered to James' hand. "That had to hurt."

James just gave her a smirk smile. "Yeah, it did hurt. I was helping Lily pick up her dropped books - "

"And my ink fell out too - "

"And it broke - "

"But he accidentally put his hand in it," Lily finished. "I took out most of the glass so I don't think there's very much left. Could you just bandage that up real quick, Eleanor?"

"Sure thing, child," she muttered, sweeping off to her cabinets, just like before, to grab her wand.

Lily turned to James. "How's your hand feeling?"

James cringed as Lily touched it. "Not much better."

"Sorry," Lily muttered. "Here, sit down on the bed."

James climbed onto the bed and Lily sat down next to him. She continued to try and pick up his injured hand and try to dab off the blood and ink with the corner of her robe, but James just scrunched up his face in pain so Lily stopped.

Eleanor came walking back. She used a spell to wipe the blood and grime off of James' hand.

"Now, James, you can either have me say a spell to just get rid of these cuts, however you would be left with some bruises and a little pain, or you can wear muggle band-aids, which, I may add, are rather tacky, if I do say so myself."

James gave a small smile. "I guess I'll take the first. I wouldn't want to look tacky, now, do I?"

Lily gave James a small push. "Honestly! Boys are more worried about their appearance than girls!"

"Lily!" James said, shocked. He began to massage his arm where Lily had hit him. "That – OW!"

Apparently, Eleanor had thought it best not to warn James when the spell was coming.

"What on earth did you just do to my hand?" James asked, looking at his blue and purple hand. Sure, the cuts were gone, but the pain was still there, only a little worse.

"Don't worry, dear," Eleanor said. "It'll wear off sometime tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

"James," Lily reasoned. "Why don't you just stay here for awhile? I still have Potions I need to get to. There's a good forty-five minutes left. I've been gone for awhile and I need to get caught back up. I'll come meet you back here afterwards and I'll bring lunch, deal?"

James just groaned and tried to cross his arms. This was unsuccessful, though, because he began to yell out in pain once the bruised hand touched his other arm.

"James, I'll see you later. See ya, Eleanor."

"Wait, Lily, I've got a quick question: you haven't felt sick at all today? Are you sure?"

Lily rolled her eyes and left the room, calling out a quick, "I'm fine!"

She ran to her Potions lesson, worried about what the teacher might say if they caught her.

The teacher, however, was absorbed in checking homework.

Quietly, Lily walked into the Potions room, looking for a place to sit.

"Lily!" came a booming voice behind her.

Lily spun, like she had to James in the earlier class, to see who had called her name; although it wasn't James this time.

It was Sirius.

He grinned at her. "Come work on this potion with me. I need your help."

Lily gave him a weak smile back and sat as far on the edge of the seat as she could; as far away from Sirius as she could.

"So, Lily, how the hell are ya?"

In a soft voice, Lily stuttered, "I'm, uh, fine. What potion are we working on?"

Sirius shrugged. "So, where's James."

"He got hurt by accident. Just got some glass stuck in his hand. I just took him to Eleanor – he'll be fine, he's just bruised up a little." Lily said, hurried. She didn't want Sirius to take it the wrong way.

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say. But I don't believe you."

"Sirius, I swear that I'm not hurting James at all. I'm really just his friend. I'm not trying to take him away from you or anything. He's still the same old James he used to be."

"No, he's not," Sirius hissed, three inches from Lily's face, looking her dead in the eyes. "If he were the same old James, he would've gotten rid of you over a year ago. You're just an old piece of scum that James mistook as a fluffy little cat that can do tricks. You're doing something to him – I know you are. And I'm warning you once more. If I catch you and James even looking at each other again, you're gonna regret even coming out of the Hospital Wing yesterday."

Without blinking, Sirius went back to his potion. "Pass the fish tails."

Lily was shaking in her chair. Her brain wasn't responding to any messages being sent. It seemed dead at the moment.

"Snap out of it - "

"Ok, class, it looks like you're all on the right track with your potions today. You may leave early."

Lily grabbed her bag and ran straight up to her dormitory, without stopping by the Hospital Wing like she'd promised.

This, however, was the least of her worries.

And they weren't about to get much better.

AUTHORS NOTE: Thanks for all of the reviews, everyone!

I need to announce one thing. I will not need a specific number of reviews in order for me to post another chapter of this story. That, however, DOES NOT mean that I don't want reviews! They are more than welcome – I guarantee you that!

REVIEW SECTION:

Thanks once again, everyone!

Yours truly,

Amelia Bedelia