Always and Forever

chapter 4

James' pov-
I watched as Lily left the hall, he red hair bouncing vibrantly around her shoulders. Her wand lay forgotten on the table. I picked it up and put it in my robes pocket, making a note to give her it later.

"Right guys, I'm off. You coming to check out the common room Pads?" He nodded and together we set off down towards the dungeons. I lit my wand up and lead the way to the portrait hole. Just as we almost reached it, I heard a blood-curdling scream. It sounded like a girl. I nodded at Sirius and we set off towards the noise. I could hear voices. One deep and the other one hushed. I looked over at Sirius, who was pointing to a broom cupboard questioningly. I nodded again and we both held our wands in duelling position. I turned the door handle slowly, feeling the brass beneath my fingers. It didn't budge.

"Alohomora" Sirius whispered. The door flung open and I glanced at the sight before me. Not fully taking it in. Snivellous was there, his hand on some girl in a manner that only someone extremely close to her should be doing. He looked up registering who stood before him, he stood up quickly before shooting a stunning spell at me. I blocked it effortlessly and left Sirius duelling with him. I looked down at the girl, she was laying in a pool of her blood. Six or seven deep gashes were cut all over her body. She was unconscious but her chest was rising softly. It took me a moment to register who it was. It couldn't be, could it? I had known she didn't have a wand but I thought she was back in the common room. I stared at her pain ridden face before I hooked my arm under her knees and thread the other under the shoulders. I picked her up bridal style and yelled at Sirius. He stunned Snape and levitated his body behind him.

"Is it...? It can't be. Lily?" He said looking from her to me for confirmation. She was limp in my arms and her breathing was gradually becoming less and less steady.

"We've got to take her to Poppy, she's lost too much blood" Sirius nodded before saying, "You do it, Ill take this slimeball to Dumbledore and then meet you there". I nodded and began to sprint away. Her head was lolling against my chest and her eyes were open but glazed over. I screamed for Madam Pomfrey as I laid her down gently in the nearest bed.

"What happened?" asked the matron, before taking one look at Lily, shaking her head and trying to tend to the gashes that were across her fragile body. Every time she managed to close one up, another one opened, leaking more and more blood. I clasped her hand gently, wishing I could be more helpful as she lay there barely holding on to her life.

I stared helplessly into her eyes, just as the doors were flung open. Dumbledore and Sirius entered, dragging a sneering Snape behind them.

"Poppy, it's no use. Healing her only makes her more hurt. The more you do it, the more she gets away." I stared at Dumbledore incredulously, how could he tell her not to help Lily?! "We need to get the cure out of this one" he jerked his head in the direction of Snape.

As he did so, another gash opened across Lilys thighs. Madam Pomfrey took one look and screamed "Get these students out of here. I need to strip her down, we're losing her." Before I knew what was happening, I was ushered out of the hospital wing and into the corridor. I broke down, sitting against the wall. I felt numb. I couldn't feel Sirius' arm around me. I didn't notice when Marlene, Alice and Mary arrived, clutching each other and sobbing into each other's shoulders.

She was pronounced dead at 21:13 September 1st 1977. Suddenly, my world fell apart.