j ι l y

LILY

I can at least sort of walk now.

And I can move my arms again.

So, improvement!

I still lie in bed, only occasionally getting up to stretch or simply walk around the room.

Still lying in bed.

∆×∆×∆×∆

"Lily!" He exclaims walking into the door. I lie there, indifferent. James groans.

"Fine. If you won't walk there yourself, I'll make you."

He picks me up, slinging me over his shoulders.

"James!" I squeal. "Put me down!"

He doesn't.

Finally, Finally he puts me down. In a chair. Covering my eyes.

What? Why?

"Lily," Marlene's voice rings out. "Do you remember that day, in second year, when I came to your house?"

My eyes are still covered.

Marls continues. "We were playing, and on the table was..."

My eyes are uncovered.

"Your Grandmother's peach pie," James finishes for her.

I stare at the pie. It looks just like Grandma's.

"Impossible..." I whisper in disbelief.

"Eat it!" Sirius exclaims, childly. "Eat it!"

I take a bites worth of pie on my fork and put it in my mouth. And I chew. I'm eating? I'm eating.

It tastes just like hers. Like Grandma's.

Impossible.

It makes it feel like she is still here.

I break down, crying.

"It - it tastes like hers..." I say to myself through my tears

James and Marlene sit next me, and it feels comforting. My tears momentarily stop. I don't know why, but I pull James down to me and kiss him.

Not softly, not hesitantly. I kiss him like that first night. Like he did at the Halloween party. Like before, when I felt sure of us.

He tenses for a bit, then relaxes and kisses me back.

I can feel a smile under his lips.

When I pull away, a tear flows down my face, and I speak to the group, looking at my feet.

"I'm... I'm so sorry guys," I say. "I - I was being irrational and I was stupid and - " I shake my head. "I guess I was stressed. And I was," I say, but am interrupted.

"You were what?" Sirius asks.

"I - I," I stutter for a second, then I realize.

I wasn't mad. I was scared. Of one thing.

"I guess I was scared of losing James and Marlene," I conclude. "What's funny is I interpreted that fear as anger. And I'm only realizing it now."

"Anyway, I'm sorry, can you guys ever --"

"Already have." Scar finishes for me.

"It's my fault. I should never have been so irrational." I say.

"No, its my fault," Marlene contradicts. "I never should have gone through with that stupid dare."

My face goes blank.

"A dare?" I ask, finally.

They nod.

I burst into laughter. "Are you serious? This was all some stupid dare? Why didn't you tell me? I would've forgiven you a long time ago if you had told me this was all some stupid dare!"

James and Marlene look frustratedly angry. "Are you serious?"