James Did It! (A HP Fanfic)

Chapter 25

In St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, James Potter lay. He didn't know what time it was or where he was, he just knew that it hurt. Everything hurt. Breathing hurt, the air from the fan blowing on him hurt, the beeping of whatever was beeping hurt, the ticking of the clock hurt, even the sheets that were over him seemed to be weighing him down like cement.

Everything hurt.

He had regained conciousness a few hours before, but couldn't muster up the energy to lift his eyelids or utter a word. It felt like he hadn't talked in ages, or drank anything either.

The last thing James remembered was falling over that rock, and cutting himself.

That bloody rock. What had happened? He couldn't remember a thing.

James began to get peckish, and his throat was already like a desert, but he couldn't move. It was like his bones were super-glued into place. Jesus, why did everything have to be so difficult?!

That's when he managed to get out a small groan in frustration.

"James?" That was his father's voice. Good, Dad's here too, he thought sarcastically. "Are you awake?" Jeeze, he sounds horrible.

Harry (O) placed a hand on James's shoulder, who felt a stabbing pain and burst out, "Ow!"

"I'm sorry," Harry (O) quickly said, taking his hand away. "What do you feel? Are you alright? God damn it, James, you had me scared to death!"

"Sorry," James meant to mutter, but it came out as a tiny whisper. He couldn't raise his voice higher than that. He felt like he might cry.

"It's alright." Harry's (O) voice instantly softened.

"Dad, I - I didn't mean to - to get hurt, I - I just -" Tears were rising in his eyes when Harry (O) cut across him.

"Hey, hey, hey, James, stop," he said, silencing James. "Really, I don't blame you. You're ambunitious, that's all, just like I was. Your mother's not mad either."

Mum? Not mad? Wow, that's a first. "Where is Mum?"

"Visiting with Lily right now. They'll only let in one person at a time... She's... really bad off, James... They're not sure if she'll..."

He didn't need to finish for James to get the picture. Lily might die...

No.

"Dad, no!" James started to cry. "No, no, no! She can't... no."

"James, calm down, you can't do this, you need to calm down," Harry (O) said quickly, as James had started to hypervinalete.

"Lily can't die!" James cried, his eyes flying open. His throat was on fire because of his raised voice and it sounded quite hoarse.

"Please stop, James, if you don't calm down they'll kick me out," Harry (O) said, giving a weak grin but that faded away quickly. James looked at him and noticed tear tracks down his cheeks.

"I want to see her," James decided. "I want to see her now."

"You can't walk, and even if you could they wouldn't let you. They're only letting your mother and I in."

James suddenly remembered his brother. "Where's Al?"

"He's alright," Harry (O) said. "Just staying over at Hermione and Ron's."

"Why?"

"I've... well, I've been sleeping here."

"You're insane, you know that?" James asked, his voice cracking.

"I wanted to see you wake up," Harry (O) said in his defense. "And with Lily, I couldn't just leave... I'd feel responsible if something... happened... while I was away."

"But it wouldn't be your fault," James pointed out, his voice going back to the whisper. "I... I shouldn't have gone into your study. I should've listened to Teddy and not touched the hourglass."

"I shouldn't have had that bloody thing there in the first place."

"No, it was work. I don't have an excuse - I just shouldn't have done it."

"It's not your fault."

"If it's not mine, it's not yours either. Voldemort is the one who went and decided to kidnap her and Tonks. His fault."

"I... I guess so."

"James!"

James's mum suddenly was hugging him, and he was wincing and cried out, and she let him go, gasping.

"Oh Merlin, I'm sorry!" she cried. "I was so worried -"

"Mum, I'm fine," James said wearily.

"No, you're not. Honestly James, I'm married to your father, I know how you work."

Jesus, if that doesn't sound wrong then I'm a Flobberworm.

"What happened to my leg?" James asked, eyeing his right leg, which was in a cast, elevated onto a pillow. He couldn't even feel it.

"All those rocks in the cave - poison," said Harry (O) slowly. "They found traces of it in your leg."

"Am I in St. Mungo's?"

They both nodded. James sighed - he hated hospitals. He had been in the Hospital Wing for a week once because of breaking his jaw in Quidditch - stupid Bludger - and he hated every second of it.

"Don't worry honey, you'll be able to walk on crutches soon," Ginny (O) assured him. "A week or two."

"A week?!" His jaw dropped to the floor.

"Did I stutter? Yes, a week."

"But - but - Hogwarts!"

"We've sorted that out with Professer McGonagall already," said Harry (O). "She'll stick you back into your classes as soon as you're well again - Al's going back tomorrow with Rose, Domi, Scorpius, Fred, Hugo, and everyone else but Roxanne since she finished."

"I'll miss Hugo's sorting," James said blankly. He had wanted to watch his cousin and his sister get sorted together.

Ginny (O) looked thoughtful. "I'm sorry."

"No - it's fine, I swear." Sure. "Er - what about Remus, and Sirius - Tonks? What about all of them?"

"Voldemort got away," Harry (O) said regrettibly. "They want to help, but I'm not sure if they should. Being in a totally different time can't be to good for you, can it?"

"I think you should let them," said James. "And besides, Teddy should get to know his mum and dad. And Sirius is a pretty interesting bloke, I like him. Just like how you told me - but better."

Harry (O) couldn't hide his smile that time. "I missed him, I want to get to know him more as well. And Remus, Tonks... What do you think, Ginny?"

"Fine by me," said Ginny (O), smiling a bit. "But if you try once to get our little selves hooked up with each other, I'll seriously kill you."

"Why? You're going to get hooked up anyway."

"You need to let those things happen on their own," Harry (O) said.

"Do you want us to get Al to come and see you?" Ginny (O) suddenly asked.

James nodded.

Lily cannot die.

Urgh, everything hurt...