A.N.- hey everyone, I'm so sorry it took so long to update. I'll try to speed it up, but I'm back to school tomorrow, and with all of my homework it's difficult. I'll try though. Feed me the reviews, I'll give you the story. Anyways, I have some people to thank on this chapter.
Sauron the Dark- thank you for reviewing. I read your concerns, and don't worry, I thought of them too, before I wrote it, and was honestly hoping someone would catch that and ask me about it so I could tease them. (He he he!) But your question will be answered… in the last chapter. And Lily will be talking in her sleep, in the next chapter though, and Marie's going to hear her. (Read at the end for a little clip from the next chapter.) Thank you for reviewing and looking forward to my updating, hopefully you'll this chapter!
Fire Queen-thanks for reviewing for both chapters, I like to know people look forward to the next update! Hopefully I can change that 6 into an 8 by the end of the story, I'll try!
Please Update- that is your new name, for you don't like fanfic authors that rarely update. I completely have to agree with you, some stories are so good but are never even finished, the author has to keep writing constantly to keep the story read and alive. Thanks for reviewing; hopefully this one will meet your standards!
hermy- thanks for the rating and reviewing, I know it's somewhat rushed, but it's a project I can only do in my spare time, when I'm not writing my other story. (I'm trying to become a real published author, but it requires a lot more work than I'd originally anticipated.) Hopefully I can keep you rating!
Katie- thanks for the review, and I hope this story's funny, it's more comedy than romance! Hopefully I can raise that 9 to a 10 by the end of the story!
Ren- my first reviewer of the next chapter, thank you! (between you and me, I'd probably write even if it wasn't for the reviews, so don't worry!) Anyways, thank you, you really boosted my confidence. You seemed to read my mind, I was really afraid that the story was going a little corny! Thank you!
Please read the author's note at the end for a sample of the next chapter!
-padfoot_puppyeyes
I know, as Head Girl, I should be following the rules, after all, I'm an example to the younger students, and I'm sure many of them would have found it odd, seeing the example of the school walking on the edges of the Forbidden Forest to meet the other "example" of the school, (James,) in the early hours of the morning. But I had begun to fear sleep, because almost every time I did, I had nightmare of Potter and myself. Somewhere, I had begun to notice that I rather enjoyed these dreams. They weren't really, in my mind, nightmares any longer. Until I reminded myself that he was Potter, and felt a deep disgust for even wanting to fall asleep and into that again. So here I was meeting Potter in the middle of the night by the most dangerous place on Hogwarts grounds.
After about a half hour of waiting there, near Hagrid's cabin, there were whispering but angry voices, apparently in a disagreement about something or another. Knowing that this had to be James, (at which point I wondered silently to myself when had I begun to consider him James? we never used first names!) I debated on listening. I distinctly heard the words "Promised," "secret" and, most frightening, "monster," which sounded as though it were Black. Thinking that they were planning some horrid prank, I hid in the shadows, eavesdropping.
"I'm not telling her our secret, I'm only telling her what I read. It's her problem as much it was mine, and she's probably as tired as I was. She doesn't' need to know about moony, and I'll join the three of you in Hogsmade in a few hours. Can't you control him for a-"
Sirius interrupted James "Why'd you wait for a full moon? Can't you put it off another night?" He asked. James, when he answered, sounded exasperated, and I could assume that he had been asked this very same question by his friend since this idea had come up. Wondering if this was something serious, something I shouldn't be listening to, I almost went to greet James when I heard Black mutter. "Where'd Moony go?"
"Oh, Lily…" James gave a start when he saw me, then looked at Sirius, as if to say, `do you mind?' taking the hint Black shook his head in defeat, told James that they'd talk about this later, and walked at his ease into the forest, as if he did this every day. (Which he might, you never know with Black.)
"You said something last night, about the hearing problems. They're gone now, but…the dreams aren't." Even though I knew he could relate to the dreams, having similar dreams, from what I'd heard them talking about before.
But potter seemed to be elated after hearing me say that, as he began walking along the very outskirts of them forest. I hesitated, not very comfortable with the Forbidden Forest, until I heard James call, "you coming aren't you Evans?" In a smart voice, as if gloating, and I immediately fell for it and followed.
As we walked, each of us fighting back many yawns, James explained. "I think I've been pretty nice this year, haven't I? To most people at least. And even more people seem to like me than last year. But you, Evans, you truly hate me. All year you've been blaming me for things I've had nothing to do with. You-"
"Get on with it, Potter." I as ready to slap him, and only because I knew it was true, and I'd been on enough guilt trips over him this year without his help. He just smiled as though my frustration was amusing. This helped me get past the guilt, and must have helped Potter to continue his explanation.
"You feel guilty, Evans? I did, after we hung your underwear in the Great Hall." I felt my face go bright red and the memory.
Thankful for the cover of the dark, I asked. "Can I get that in writing?" to which he only smiled and said.
"Anyways, that's when the dreams began." I noted that he too thought of them more as dreams than nightmares, and, despite myself, felt my spirits lift slightly. Potter continued. " They kept going, too, for weeks, and I actually started to…."Potter blushed. He actually blushed, but continued all the same. "I guess I started to enjoy them a little, but that's not the point. Anyways, remember at the end of the year when I apologized?" I nodded. "The guilt and hate and all of that went away."
"So all I have t d is apologize?" I asked, amazed. James blushed, and I knew the answer wouldn't be good.
"If you want the dreams to stop." he replied, but then trailed off. He signaled for silence, and when I went quiet, a look of panic crossed his face.
"Moony…?" He whimpered. I'd never seen Potter scared before, and it was starting to scare me. "Moony?" I heard a rustling in the trees of the Forbidden forest. James looked at me, stricken, and muttered "don't tell." What I saw next scared me even more. Soon, a shining white stag was prancing around me nervously. Amazed, and forgetting my moment of panic, I reached out to pet its glossy white fur.
A searing pain spread across my back as sharp claws tackled me to the ground. I saw the narrowed pupils, much more like a cat's than any wolfs, and the glowing yellow eyes. Then everything went black…
"How do you think he'll take the news? We didn't want this to happen during the war, what if something happens to one of us?" I asked Marie, she just gave me a comforting smile, put a gentle hand n my shoulder, and said,
"I'm sure he'll take the news fine. Relax, Lil's. You and Potter-"
"James." I corrected automatically, as though I myself hadn't called him by his surname only a year and a half ago. But now that we were married, and his surname was mine, I felt an insane need to correct my friend each time she called him potter. She never objected, only rolled her eyes, and this time was no different.
"Fine, James, and you will make wonderful parents." She said consolingly.
"Talking about me?" James asked, giving me, his wife a light kiss, and going through the post our old barn owl had just brought in. after giving Marie an un-sure look, and seeing h encouraging smile, I said,
"James, honey, um… I went to the doctor today, a muggle one." James rolled his eyes but nodded. The thing was, I'd been raised a muggle, and magical medicine scared me. "Well, he figured out really quickly why I'm throwing up every morning."
"And?" James asked, holding me by the shoulders. Afraid, I looked into his eyes and said, hesitantly,
"He'll be born next July." First, James looked confused. Then, after he had a moment to let it sink in, his expression was one of pure shock. Noticing his panic, I started to elaborate. "I mean, maybe the war will be over by then, and look at the bright side, Dumbledore might give us less dangerous assignments, and-" I never really finished my comfort speech, because James kissed me in the middle of it. His smile was the widest I'd ever seen, his hazel eyes bright. As I took the moment to admire him, Sirius Black came bounding in the room, yelling, "Excellent, I'll be a godfather!"
A.N.- It took a while for everything to some into focus. And when it did, I didn't like what I saw. For starters, Marie was watching me with a strange expression on her face, and I could tell we were in the hospital wing. Then there was Potter, sleeping in the chair next to me, which jogged my memory, and not in a good way.
"Potter, you're in for it!"
-I know, that was a little sad, but I don't want to give too much away, and it's already ten. I have school tomorrow, and my mom's hounding me to get to bed, so I've got to go! Oh, and I need 7 reviews before I can update, that should give me enough time to write the story!