I swear I have an addiction writing James/Lily/Marauders one-shots. I don't own anything. Remember to check out the million and one other James/Lily stories I've written on my profile.

If there was anything Lily Evans hated, it was being sick. She hated it more than missing class or having her reading time interrupted or having the last piece of treacle tart eaten. It was awful enough being sick at home where she could count on her mother to look after her, bringing her soup and tea and extra pillows, but being sick at school was a million times worse. When she was sick, she was downright miserable.

Despite her friends and Madam Pomfrey's protests, Lily had dragged herself to class that day. She would have liked nothing more than to stay curled beneath her blankets on that cold November morning instead of facing the pile of schoolwork and Heads' work she knew she was faced with, but she was never one to shy away from a fight, or in her case, work. It was already Friday, no sense missing the last day of class for the week; she could rest over the weekend. She had to ignore everyone's worried looks and gentle prodding that she return back to bed and rest. Even Professor McGonagall−who hated when students missed her class−suggested she skip Transfiguration and go to the Hospital Wing. Yes, she was as pale as Nearly Headless Nick. Yes she was wearing two jumpers and still shivering like a leaf in the breeze. Yes, she could barely stomach anything besides toast and tea. Yes, James had to catch her when she almost stumbled head first down one of the moving staircases. But she couldn't miss class. She was Head Girl; she had to set a good example. Resting could wait until the end of the school day.

Of course the unfortunate consequence of her not resting all day was her feeling worse at the end of the day than she had that morning. She now sat in the Heads' common room alone, clad in thick wool socks, her favorite flannel pajama pants, and a jumper, and settled in the couch closest to the fire. Lily had made her excuses to everyone, claiming she need rest more than she needed dinner, which wasn't too far from the truth. The smell of lunch earlier had made her unbearably nauseous, a feeling she was eager to avoid at all costs. The last thing she needed was to puke in front of the Great Hall. She didn't think the constant clattering of cutlery or chattering of a filled hall would do her headache any favors either. It was bad enough that the Marauders had insisted on escorting her back to the Heads' dormitory as if she was incapable of doing it herself. Though she did appreciate James carrying her bag and wrapping his arm around her shoulders to support her. She also appreciated the warmth his body radiated, but she wouldn't tell him that detail.

Lily shifted again on the couch, pulling her hands into the sleeves of the jumper James had given her when he walked her to the dorms. James insisted it was the warmest sweater in all of Britain and guaranteed it would stop her shivering. She didn't have the heart to refuse him and was secretly pleased to be wearing his jumper, her thumb absentmindedly caressing the cuff where his name was stitched in gold thread. It was a lovely red sweater, the sleeves constantly sliding over her wrists and the hem coming down to the top of her thighs. While an oversized jumper usually felt slumpy to her, this sweater felt cozy and comfortable. Tucking her face against the collar of the jumper−it still smelled faintly of James, she refused to think about why his scent helped her relax−she closed her eyes and drifted into an uneasy doze.

She wasn't sure how long she had slept, but she was suddenly aware of the portrait hole opening, the cold air of the halls penetrating her cocoon of warmth, and several footsteps shuffling across the common room. 'Where is my wand?' she thought, slightly panicked as she struggled to open her tired eyes, her exhaustion weighing heavily upon her. Had she been less sick and more awake, she would have been able to remind herself that while there had been several attacks on muggle-borns at school, no one would be able to get into the Heads' dorms without the password. The only people who knew the password was herself and the Marauders and she knew the boys would never give anyone the password.

"What the bloody hell is she doing on the couch?" one of the voices−'James,' she thought with relief−whispered as the footsteps approached her couch. "She should be in bed."

Lily rolled onto her back, looking up at the Marauders as they surrounded her couch. "I can move the couch closer to the fireplace, but I can't move my bed," she rasped in reply as she rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"Any closer to the fireplace and you'll be sitting in it," Peter commented.

"How are you feeling, Lily?" Remus asked worriedly as she sat up. He lightly rested his palm against her forehead, frowning. "You've got a bit of a fever."

Lily groaned as her head throbbed from moving. "I feel like I've been trampled by a herd of hippogriffs," she admitted as she rubbed at her forehead.

"You look like it too," Sirius commented with a cheeky grin, ignoring the glare James shot him. "Never thought I'd see the day Lily Evans looked like death warmed over."

"I think there was a compliment mixed in with that insult," Lily yawned. Her muscles ached and she felt as if she would fall back asleep at any moment, but she was grateful for the boys' checking on her. "What are you lot doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be downstairs at dinner? I couldn't have slept that long."

Remus shook his head as he settled into the armchair across from her. "We're here to keep you company."

"After all, we can't leave our best girl sick and alone," James added with a grin, carefully setting a tray on her lap before sitting beside her on the couch.

"What's all this?" Lily asked in surprise as she looked down at the crowded tray. A steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup sat in the center of the tray, the scent making her stomach growl quietly. A teapot and empty teacup sat on one side of the tray, the other side filled with a plate of buttered toast and a glass of orange juice.

Sirius laughed as he sat on the arm of Remus's chair, his eyes bright with amusement. "You must really be out of it if you hadn't noticed Prongs standing there with the tray," he teased. "You've really got to take better care of yourself, Evans."

"We thought you might be hungry," Peter explained as he sat on his own chair. "I charmed the tea and soup to stay warm for you."

James smiled gently, nudging her hand toward the spoon. "You didn't eat much at lunch; you've got to eat dinner, Lil," he murmured. "You must be starved."

Lily looked around at the four boys, her green eyes shining with gratitude as she took in their worried expressions. "Thank you," she said with a small smile before picking up her spoon.

Time slipped by easily as Lily ate her dinner, the previously silent common room filled with quiet laughter and games of Exploding Snap. At the boys' gentle insistence, she finished nearly all of her food, abandoning the last slice of toast and orange juice.

"That was fantastic," Lily sighed contentedly, relaxing into the couch. She hadn't realized how hungry she had been until she started eating; she never would have thought she could stomach so much food. "That's what I needed."

"Mum always says the best cure for a cold is tea and chicken soup," James replied, taking the nearly empty tray from her and resting it on the floor beside the couch. "You'll be better in no time once you get some sleep."

"Speaking of Mum," Sirius said loudly, a mischievous grin on his lips. "Isn't that the jumper Mum gave you last winter that Lily's wearing? The one you threatened to hex me over?"

Lily pulled at the sleeves of the sweater self-consciously, a light blush covering her cheeks as she glanced down at James's name stitched on the sleeve. She thought it was a nice jumper, but she didn't know it was special to James as well. Too special to give to a girl you're just friends with, even if you chased after her for most of your school career only to give up at the start of seventh year.

"It is," James answered easily, folding his arms beneath his head as he relaxed into the couch. "What of it?"

"Oh nothing, nothing," Sirius replied innocently. "I was just wondering why−"

"I was just wondering why you're such a prat," Remus interrupted, shoving Sirius off the arm of the chair.

Peter laughed, pushing the coffee table closer to Lily and James. "Want to play Exploding Snap, Lily?" he asked.

"Merlin, yes," she muttered, eager to divert the attention from herself and the very important jumper she wore.

"I'll play too," James commented, leaning forward. "I'm sure Padfoot and Moony will join us once Padfoot is done with his theatrics."

Lily laughed, stifling a yawn with the back of her hand. "I'll probably fall asleep before that. You know how dramatic Sirius gets."

"Don't stay up because of us," James said worriedly as she yawned again. "You can go to bed if you're tired; we'll go."

She shook her head, ignoring the brief dizziness it caused as she tied her hair into a sloppy ponytail. "No, no, I'm fine," She assured him. "It's barely ten. I'll just stay up a little longer."

"Don't get yourself more sick," Sirius warned as he plopped onto the floor beside the table. "Class isn't as much fun when you're not there constantly outsmarting the snakes. You can't end up in the Hospital Wing."

"Two compliments in one night?" Lily gasped dramatically. "I must look like I'm on my death bed. Come on, I'll play for a while and then go up to bed."

The five students clustered around the squat coffee table, their laughs and shouts of dismay ringing through the air as they played. After a few rounds of being soundly beaten by the lads- she really was too tired to play the game well- she leaned into her corner of the couch, opting to watch the boys instead of playing. She could feel her exhaustion tugging at her eyes, her vision blurring slightly.

"You should go up to bed, Lily," James said gently as he noticed her nodding off.

Lily shook her head, trying to fight back her weariness. "I want to stay with you. You and the boys," she slurred sleepily.

James smiled affectionately, reaching up to loose her hair from its ponytail. "Stretch out on the couch at least, love," he crooned, running his fingers through her hair. "You'll be more comfortable."

"Scooch over then," she replied, leaning into his touch momentarily as she closed her eyes. His fingers massaging her scalp was incredibly relaxing; she could feel herself nodding off under his touch. She grabbed a pillow as James moved to the other end of their couch, waiting until he was re-settled before placing the pillow on his lap and laying her head on it. A small smile crossed her lips as the boys went silent and James froze beneath her.

"Uh, Lily," James said nervously after a moment. "What are you-"

"Shh," Lily interrupted. "You told me to get comfortable and I am. You lot keep playing."

James chuckled lightly, his hand smoothing her hair back from her face. "Bossy," he teased before summoning her blanket to cover her. "Relax now; we're all here."

Oddly enough, she was relaxed around the four boys, four of the closest people in her life. At one time she couldn't imagine being friends with any of them, except Remus and maybe Peter. But now she trusted them with her secrets, her life, with everything that made her Lily. She couldn't imagine trusting anyone more than those four boys. "You'll all stay?" she asked, opening her eyes briefly.

"Sure why not," Sirius answered, his grey eyes gentle as he looked at her. "Always fun sleeping in the Heads' dorm."

"Go to sleep, Lily; we'll be here in the morning," Remus assured her.

"You heard the guys," James said gently, his fingers stroking Lily's vibrant red hair. "Rest now, love. Let us look out for you."

Lily barely managed to nod before succumbing to the sleep her body desperately needed, the sound of the boys quietly talking becoming the lullaby that led her to a restful sleep.

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