Disclaimer: I didn't invent the Harry Potter universe, I just live in it's
fandom. So don't sue me. Please?
A/N: Last chapter! This really saddens me - I've been having a ton of fun writing this. I hope you enjoyed it so far, and happy reading the last chapter!
Warning: High fluff tolerance is not a suggestion for reading this story. It is a requirement. If you only enjoy angst, rape, and murder please turn away now. The author is not responsible for any side effects of excess happiness, giggling, or a random and uncontrollable "aww" being said by the reader. Be sure to keep your arms and legs inside your chair at all times. Thank you and please enjoy the following fic.
~~~~~
~ No One Wants To Be Alone At Christmastime
~ Chapter Ten
~ By Blackberry Ink
~~~~~
"What are you doing here?" Snape asked, eyes narrowed at her.
"Nothing," Lily said. "Not that it's any of your business."
"you were looking for your precious Potter, weren't you," Snape said. He made James' name sound like the highest insult.
"Oh, bugger off," Lily said. "I don't see what I ever did to bother you."
Snape's nostrils flared. "Why don't you just go back to the sodding ball and stop tainting the hallway with your dirty blood," he said, voice dripping with venom.
"Filthy Slytherin," Lily muttered, starting to brush past him. He wasn't worth her time.
He grabbed the sleeve of her robe and held her still, glaring at her. "Don't walk away from me."
She tried to move past him again but he held fast.
"You just told me to go and that's what I'm trying to do. Can't you just leave me alone?" she said, her voice thin. "Why do you want me to be here?"
"Want you to be here?" Snape looked incredulous. "I don't want you here."
"Then bloody leave me alone!" she exclaimed. Snape had never bothered her much in recent years, why start up again now? It had always been James and Sirius that were his main targets.
"I'm not letting you walk off until you apologize for speaking to me like that. No Gryff talks to a Slytherin like that and gets away with it." A piece of greasy black hair fell into his face and he pushed it away angrily.
Lily raised her eyebrows. "I think not. It wasn't as if you showed me any extra courtesy, either."
Snape sniffed. "And what extra courtesy should one show a Mudblood? You're only a small step above worthless Muggles - you don't even belong here."
Lily paled slightly at the term, but kept her composure. It wasn't as though she hadn't been called that before, and it wasn't as if a simple name should be any reason for her to lose her equanimity.
Someone else seemed to think different. Before Lily registered what was happening, a blur of a person had come over to where Lily and Snape were standing, grabbed Snape's robes and shoved him roughly up against the wall, holding on to his collar and lifting him up a few inches from the ground.
It was James.
Lily couldn't help but grin. James didn't notice it. His eyes were locked with Snape's, right hand pulled back, ready to punch him. Lily had to admire his strength. Able to hold up a seventeen-year-old with just his left arm and not look the slightest bit strained - Lily couldn't help but be impressed.
"Don't," James said, voice thin and angered. "Don't you ever call Lily that again."
Snape, for some reason, didn't look afraid of James. "And what will you do if I did call her that again?"
James looked so angry that Lily was sure she would have just crumpled at his feet if he looked that way at her.
"You can't protect your Mudblood forever, Potter. She hates you, remember?" Snape continued.
James pulled his arm back again, ready to punch Snape. Lily narrowed her eyes for a moment. Why didn't he just use his wand? Unless. . .
Snape smirked, then jerked his head towards James. Before she could react, Lily saw a red flash of light come across the hall from behind a statue.
"James, watch out!" Lily yelled.
But he turned too late. The red light hit him on the side of his head and he fell straight to the ground. Snape kicked James further away from him and smirked. Out from behind the statue came Avery, another Slytherin.
"Now," Snape said. "Where were we?"
Lily raised her eyebrows. She glanced at James, lying on the floor, then looked back to the two boys advancing on her.
"Right about here," Lily said, then whipped her wand out of her robes and pointed it in the direction of Avery. She quickly said, "expelliarmus" and caught Avery's wand in her left hand. She knocked him out using the same spell he'd used on James, then turned to Snape.
"Don't think you can do anything to me, Mudblood," he said, deliberately pulling his wand out of his robes.
Lily smirked. "Stupefy," she said. Snape glared for a fraction of a second, then fell to the ground.
She grinned a little, looking at the two Slytherins on the ground. She'd wanted to knock some of those blighters out for quite a long time. Then she remembered that James was lying against the wall, apparently still very unconscious. She went swiftly over to him.
"James?" she whispered, bringing her face close to his. "Can you hear me?"
No answer, so she brought her wand out in front of her. "Ennervate," she said.
James blinked several times, then widened his eyes at her. "Watch out!" he exclaimed. "Snape and some other guy. . .they're behind you. They're-"
"Knocked out," Lily finished, grinning. "They stunned you, I thought it only fair to return the favor."
James grinned back and leaned his head down. "Ouch," he said when it hit the floor. Lily shifted over and brought his head to rest in her lap.
"James, what were you thinking?" she asked. "Going at Snape with no wand - only an idiot would do that. You know Slytherins fight dirty."
James shrugged. "He called you a. . .you know. Couldn't let him get away with that."
Lily shook her head. "Prat. It doesn't matter if people call me that. It's just a name. I know I'm as much a witch as any other girl here."
He smiled sheepishly at her. "I guess you're right. I should have known you didn't need to be protected, anyway."
Lily ran her fingers through his hair and found it surprisingly soft. "Right. I'm not a damsel in distress."
"Damn straight," James said, closing his eyes.
Lily prodded them back open. "No," she said, shaking her head. "Stay awake."
James groaned. "Why?" he whinged.
"Because even if I woke you from the spell, you still were knocked to the ground and kicked across the room and if you've got a concussion sleep is the last thing I want you to be doing," Lily said.
He smiled lazily. "Concerned about me, are you? I didn't know you cared."
Lily rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm concerned about you. I'd be concerned about anyone who was just knocked out."
James raised his eyebrows. "Whatever you say, Lils. I know you're denying your undying love for me and someday you'll find it inside yourself to admit it."
Lily shook her head but smiled, because it was true - at in its essentials.
"Do you think you can walk to the hospital wing?" she asked.
"Will you be helping me?"
"Yes, of course," Lily said.
"Then I think I can make it," he said. He held out a hand to her. "Help me up?"
She took it and helped him get into a standing position. He looked fine on his feet, but Lily decided that he'd need to put his arm around her, just in case he got unstable, and James agreed because he didn't want to fall and give Lily even more trouble. It was a slow process, but eventually the pair of them managed to get across the school to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey quickly took over Lily's position next to James and helped him over to a bed.
"What happened to him?" she asked, muttering a spell over a cut he'd received on his leg. It closed up without a scar or trace of blood immediately.
"Snape," she said. "And Avery - both Slytherins - attacked him. He had no wand and wasn't ready at all. It was completely uncalled for."
Madam Pomfrey looked skeptic, but nodded. She was never one to question. Upon Lily saying that he had been knocked out, she checked his head with a few more spells, muttered some more to cure him of possible concussion, and stood back from him.
"I really need to keep you overnight," she said to James. "I can't be sure that you're perfectly alright until morning."
James spluttered. "But tomorrow's Christmas," he said. "You can't keep me here!"
Lily nodded. "Can't he come back to the tower for Christmas? I'm sure he's fine."
"You may be sure, but I'm not. And my opinion is the one that matters. He stays the night. I'll send him back first thing in the morning."
"This is my last Christmas at Hogwarts," James said. "You don't want to be a part in ruining it for me, do you?"
Madam Pomfrey looked slightly affronted at this. "It won't ruin your Christmas, Mr. Potter. You'll have the entire day to do whatever you please with your friends."
"You've got to let him come to the tower," Lily said. She thought. "How about this: you let him come to the tower tonight and tomorrow morning he comes down here for a quick checkup. That will work, won't it?"
"But he needs to have a calm sleeping environment!" she insisted.
"Oh, come on," James said. "In the spirit of Christmas, Madam Pomfrey. Let me go to the tower."
She put her hands on her hips. "You promise you'll come here as soon as you get a chance?"
He nodded earnestly. "Of course I will."
She turned to Lily. "You make sure he does. I won't have him going the whole day without my approval that he's okay, even if it is Christmas."
"Of course I will," Lily said.
"Fine, then," Madam Pomfrey said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Potter. Happy Christmas, both of you."
Lily and James grinned, then walked out of the hospital wing as quickly as they could.
"Feeling better?" Lily asked as they walked.
"Much," he said. "Not quite as lightheaded as before."
"Good," she said.
He put an arm around her shoulder. "I might still be a little unsteady, though. Might need some balance. Just in case."
She raised her eyebrows. "You're hopeless, James Potter."
He grinned. "I wouldn't say hopeless. I've got some promise, I like to think. After all, my arm's around you and I'm still alive."
She shook her head at him as they continued to walk. They arrived at Gryffindor Tower in a few minutes. James said the password and held the portrait open for her to pass through. The common room was empty. James looked at his watch.
"It's an hour past midnight," he said.
"I'm surprised there's no one down here," she responded.
He shrugged. "Probably all asleep. Christmas morning comes sooner when you sleep."
"True," Lily said. "We should probably go up to bed."
"Yeah." He turned to face her. "Listen, Lils, I had a great time tonight."
She smiled. "I did too."
He opened his mouth to say something else, then closed it. He took another few steps so that he was at the foot of the stairs.
"'Night," he said.
"'Night," Lily whispered.
She looked at him for a moment, then decided to do what she'd been looking for him to do in the first place. She took several steps to close the space between them and-
"Lils, what are you-"
She reached out and pulled gently on his tie, bringing his face so close to hers that their noses were touching. She looked up and locked eyes with him. Then she reached slightly up and brushed her lips against his.
He closed his eyes for a moment then drew back slightly.
"I just was wondering," he said. "If I told you how beautiful you looked at the ball."
Lily leaned her forehead against his. "Is that all you wanted to say?"
He shrugged. "I was just trying to back conversation."
"Well, you have the worst timing in the world," she said.
"Sorry," he murmured.
"Are you done?" she asked.
He nodded. "I think I'm going to snog you now, you mind?"
"Mind?" Lily asked. "What do you think I was trying to do?"
"Well, I don't know," he said. "How should I know what goes on in the minds of women?"
She rolled her eyes. "You have a terrible for making things very unromantic, you know that?"
"I'll have to make it up to you," he whispered.
Then he caught her lips with his and put his arms around her waist. She sighed against his mouth and slid her arms up from his chest to rest around his neck. She could feel him smile against her and she opened his mouth to allow him entrance. She moved her hands to his hair and felt his hands running up and down her back, making her almost shiver.
Then, all too soon, James had drawn back and let his hands fall from around her.
"We should go to sleep," he whispered. "It's late."
"It's also Christmas," she said. "Which means that we can stay up as late as we want."
He grinned. "Never thought I'd see the day when Lily Evans would be upset that I suggest us going our separate ways."
"Well, get used to it," she said. "I'm starting to think that maybe you're not so bad after all."
He closed the distance he'd created between them and put his arms around her waist again.
"Really?" he asked, placing a kiss on her jaw.
"Really," she agreed, tilting her head back as he placed even more kisses down her jaw, moving closer to her lips.
"Well it's about time," he said. "I was starting to think that my near-abject worship for you was going nowhere."
She smiled and kissed him. "I guess you have an effect on me, after all." She kissed him again then drew back for a moment.
"But don't you dare say 'I told you so'," she said. "Or I'll hex you into the next decade."
"Wouldn't dream of it," he said, kissing her again.
Lily smiled. She could definitely get used to this.
~ FIN
~~~~~
A/N: And that's the end. I had a ton of fun writing this and I don't think I've thanked you wonderful reviewers enough for keeping me motivated. I sorry I don't have the time to thank you all individually but don't think it's because I appreciate you any less! You guys mean a lot to me and it's because of you that writing fanfiction is fun. So here's to my wonderful reviewers! *awards everyone many cookies*
I've also been asked to write a sequel to this after its finished. As fun as that might be, I'm definitely not going to write a sequel to this story. No ifs, ands, or buts. But, because this was so much fun to write, there's a very good chance of another fluffy L/J fic to be written by me. It probably won't be written in the near future, because I've already got another fic planned plus slow work on the sequel. But look out for more of my writing.
I'm sorry if any of you asked to be e-mailed for new chapters - I barely have time to write and going through and looking for everyone who wants to be e-mailed takes too much time. If you want to know when more of my writing is posted then get a username and put me on your author alert list - it's easier for everyone and a name at ff.net is definitely worth it.
Before I forget - thanks to The Fallen Child for going through some of the chapters and being all supportive and giddy whenever I post. You rock, and everyone should go check out her stuff.
Thanks to anyone I forgot to mention. You people are all the best. :)
A/N: Last chapter! This really saddens me - I've been having a ton of fun writing this. I hope you enjoyed it so far, and happy reading the last chapter!
Warning: High fluff tolerance is not a suggestion for reading this story. It is a requirement. If you only enjoy angst, rape, and murder please turn away now. The author is not responsible for any side effects of excess happiness, giggling, or a random and uncontrollable "aww" being said by the reader. Be sure to keep your arms and legs inside your chair at all times. Thank you and please enjoy the following fic.
~~~~~
~ No One Wants To Be Alone At Christmastime
~ Chapter Ten
~ By Blackberry Ink
~~~~~
"What are you doing here?" Snape asked, eyes narrowed at her.
"Nothing," Lily said. "Not that it's any of your business."
"you were looking for your precious Potter, weren't you," Snape said. He made James' name sound like the highest insult.
"Oh, bugger off," Lily said. "I don't see what I ever did to bother you."
Snape's nostrils flared. "Why don't you just go back to the sodding ball and stop tainting the hallway with your dirty blood," he said, voice dripping with venom.
"Filthy Slytherin," Lily muttered, starting to brush past him. He wasn't worth her time.
He grabbed the sleeve of her robe and held her still, glaring at her. "Don't walk away from me."
She tried to move past him again but he held fast.
"You just told me to go and that's what I'm trying to do. Can't you just leave me alone?" she said, her voice thin. "Why do you want me to be here?"
"Want you to be here?" Snape looked incredulous. "I don't want you here."
"Then bloody leave me alone!" she exclaimed. Snape had never bothered her much in recent years, why start up again now? It had always been James and Sirius that were his main targets.
"I'm not letting you walk off until you apologize for speaking to me like that. No Gryff talks to a Slytherin like that and gets away with it." A piece of greasy black hair fell into his face and he pushed it away angrily.
Lily raised her eyebrows. "I think not. It wasn't as if you showed me any extra courtesy, either."
Snape sniffed. "And what extra courtesy should one show a Mudblood? You're only a small step above worthless Muggles - you don't even belong here."
Lily paled slightly at the term, but kept her composure. It wasn't as though she hadn't been called that before, and it wasn't as if a simple name should be any reason for her to lose her equanimity.
Someone else seemed to think different. Before Lily registered what was happening, a blur of a person had come over to where Lily and Snape were standing, grabbed Snape's robes and shoved him roughly up against the wall, holding on to his collar and lifting him up a few inches from the ground.
It was James.
Lily couldn't help but grin. James didn't notice it. His eyes were locked with Snape's, right hand pulled back, ready to punch him. Lily had to admire his strength. Able to hold up a seventeen-year-old with just his left arm and not look the slightest bit strained - Lily couldn't help but be impressed.
"Don't," James said, voice thin and angered. "Don't you ever call Lily that again."
Snape, for some reason, didn't look afraid of James. "And what will you do if I did call her that again?"
James looked so angry that Lily was sure she would have just crumpled at his feet if he looked that way at her.
"You can't protect your Mudblood forever, Potter. She hates you, remember?" Snape continued.
James pulled his arm back again, ready to punch Snape. Lily narrowed her eyes for a moment. Why didn't he just use his wand? Unless. . .
Snape smirked, then jerked his head towards James. Before she could react, Lily saw a red flash of light come across the hall from behind a statue.
"James, watch out!" Lily yelled.
But he turned too late. The red light hit him on the side of his head and he fell straight to the ground. Snape kicked James further away from him and smirked. Out from behind the statue came Avery, another Slytherin.
"Now," Snape said. "Where were we?"
Lily raised her eyebrows. She glanced at James, lying on the floor, then looked back to the two boys advancing on her.
"Right about here," Lily said, then whipped her wand out of her robes and pointed it in the direction of Avery. She quickly said, "expelliarmus" and caught Avery's wand in her left hand. She knocked him out using the same spell he'd used on James, then turned to Snape.
"Don't think you can do anything to me, Mudblood," he said, deliberately pulling his wand out of his robes.
Lily smirked. "Stupefy," she said. Snape glared for a fraction of a second, then fell to the ground.
She grinned a little, looking at the two Slytherins on the ground. She'd wanted to knock some of those blighters out for quite a long time. Then she remembered that James was lying against the wall, apparently still very unconscious. She went swiftly over to him.
"James?" she whispered, bringing her face close to his. "Can you hear me?"
No answer, so she brought her wand out in front of her. "Ennervate," she said.
James blinked several times, then widened his eyes at her. "Watch out!" he exclaimed. "Snape and some other guy. . .they're behind you. They're-"
"Knocked out," Lily finished, grinning. "They stunned you, I thought it only fair to return the favor."
James grinned back and leaned his head down. "Ouch," he said when it hit the floor. Lily shifted over and brought his head to rest in her lap.
"James, what were you thinking?" she asked. "Going at Snape with no wand - only an idiot would do that. You know Slytherins fight dirty."
James shrugged. "He called you a. . .you know. Couldn't let him get away with that."
Lily shook her head. "Prat. It doesn't matter if people call me that. It's just a name. I know I'm as much a witch as any other girl here."
He smiled sheepishly at her. "I guess you're right. I should have known you didn't need to be protected, anyway."
Lily ran her fingers through his hair and found it surprisingly soft. "Right. I'm not a damsel in distress."
"Damn straight," James said, closing his eyes.
Lily prodded them back open. "No," she said, shaking her head. "Stay awake."
James groaned. "Why?" he whinged.
"Because even if I woke you from the spell, you still were knocked to the ground and kicked across the room and if you've got a concussion sleep is the last thing I want you to be doing," Lily said.
He smiled lazily. "Concerned about me, are you? I didn't know you cared."
Lily rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm concerned about you. I'd be concerned about anyone who was just knocked out."
James raised his eyebrows. "Whatever you say, Lils. I know you're denying your undying love for me and someday you'll find it inside yourself to admit it."
Lily shook her head but smiled, because it was true - at in its essentials.
"Do you think you can walk to the hospital wing?" she asked.
"Will you be helping me?"
"Yes, of course," Lily said.
"Then I think I can make it," he said. He held out a hand to her. "Help me up?"
She took it and helped him get into a standing position. He looked fine on his feet, but Lily decided that he'd need to put his arm around her, just in case he got unstable, and James agreed because he didn't want to fall and give Lily even more trouble. It was a slow process, but eventually the pair of them managed to get across the school to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey quickly took over Lily's position next to James and helped him over to a bed.
"What happened to him?" she asked, muttering a spell over a cut he'd received on his leg. It closed up without a scar or trace of blood immediately.
"Snape," she said. "And Avery - both Slytherins - attacked him. He had no wand and wasn't ready at all. It was completely uncalled for."
Madam Pomfrey looked skeptic, but nodded. She was never one to question. Upon Lily saying that he had been knocked out, she checked his head with a few more spells, muttered some more to cure him of possible concussion, and stood back from him.
"I really need to keep you overnight," she said to James. "I can't be sure that you're perfectly alright until morning."
James spluttered. "But tomorrow's Christmas," he said. "You can't keep me here!"
Lily nodded. "Can't he come back to the tower for Christmas? I'm sure he's fine."
"You may be sure, but I'm not. And my opinion is the one that matters. He stays the night. I'll send him back first thing in the morning."
"This is my last Christmas at Hogwarts," James said. "You don't want to be a part in ruining it for me, do you?"
Madam Pomfrey looked slightly affronted at this. "It won't ruin your Christmas, Mr. Potter. You'll have the entire day to do whatever you please with your friends."
"You've got to let him come to the tower," Lily said. She thought. "How about this: you let him come to the tower tonight and tomorrow morning he comes down here for a quick checkup. That will work, won't it?"
"But he needs to have a calm sleeping environment!" she insisted.
"Oh, come on," James said. "In the spirit of Christmas, Madam Pomfrey. Let me go to the tower."
She put her hands on her hips. "You promise you'll come here as soon as you get a chance?"
He nodded earnestly. "Of course I will."
She turned to Lily. "You make sure he does. I won't have him going the whole day without my approval that he's okay, even if it is Christmas."
"Of course I will," Lily said.
"Fine, then," Madam Pomfrey said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Potter. Happy Christmas, both of you."
Lily and James grinned, then walked out of the hospital wing as quickly as they could.
"Feeling better?" Lily asked as they walked.
"Much," he said. "Not quite as lightheaded as before."
"Good," she said.
He put an arm around her shoulder. "I might still be a little unsteady, though. Might need some balance. Just in case."
She raised her eyebrows. "You're hopeless, James Potter."
He grinned. "I wouldn't say hopeless. I've got some promise, I like to think. After all, my arm's around you and I'm still alive."
She shook her head at him as they continued to walk. They arrived at Gryffindor Tower in a few minutes. James said the password and held the portrait open for her to pass through. The common room was empty. James looked at his watch.
"It's an hour past midnight," he said.
"I'm surprised there's no one down here," she responded.
He shrugged. "Probably all asleep. Christmas morning comes sooner when you sleep."
"True," Lily said. "We should probably go up to bed."
"Yeah." He turned to face her. "Listen, Lils, I had a great time tonight."
She smiled. "I did too."
He opened his mouth to say something else, then closed it. He took another few steps so that he was at the foot of the stairs.
"'Night," he said.
"'Night," Lily whispered.
She looked at him for a moment, then decided to do what she'd been looking for him to do in the first place. She took several steps to close the space between them and-
"Lils, what are you-"
She reached out and pulled gently on his tie, bringing his face so close to hers that their noses were touching. She looked up and locked eyes with him. Then she reached slightly up and brushed her lips against his.
He closed his eyes for a moment then drew back slightly.
"I just was wondering," he said. "If I told you how beautiful you looked at the ball."
Lily leaned her forehead against his. "Is that all you wanted to say?"
He shrugged. "I was just trying to back conversation."
"Well, you have the worst timing in the world," she said.
"Sorry," he murmured.
"Are you done?" she asked.
He nodded. "I think I'm going to snog you now, you mind?"
"Mind?" Lily asked. "What do you think I was trying to do?"
"Well, I don't know," he said. "How should I know what goes on in the minds of women?"
She rolled her eyes. "You have a terrible for making things very unromantic, you know that?"
"I'll have to make it up to you," he whispered.
Then he caught her lips with his and put his arms around her waist. She sighed against his mouth and slid her arms up from his chest to rest around his neck. She could feel him smile against her and she opened his mouth to allow him entrance. She moved her hands to his hair and felt his hands running up and down her back, making her almost shiver.
Then, all too soon, James had drawn back and let his hands fall from around her.
"We should go to sleep," he whispered. "It's late."
"It's also Christmas," she said. "Which means that we can stay up as late as we want."
He grinned. "Never thought I'd see the day when Lily Evans would be upset that I suggest us going our separate ways."
"Well, get used to it," she said. "I'm starting to think that maybe you're not so bad after all."
He closed the distance he'd created between them and put his arms around her waist again.
"Really?" he asked, placing a kiss on her jaw.
"Really," she agreed, tilting her head back as he placed even more kisses down her jaw, moving closer to her lips.
"Well it's about time," he said. "I was starting to think that my near-abject worship for you was going nowhere."
She smiled and kissed him. "I guess you have an effect on me, after all." She kissed him again then drew back for a moment.
"But don't you dare say 'I told you so'," she said. "Or I'll hex you into the next decade."
"Wouldn't dream of it," he said, kissing her again.
Lily smiled. She could definitely get used to this.
~ FIN
~~~~~
A/N: And that's the end. I had a ton of fun writing this and I don't think I've thanked you wonderful reviewers enough for keeping me motivated. I sorry I don't have the time to thank you all individually but don't think it's because I appreciate you any less! You guys mean a lot to me and it's because of you that writing fanfiction is fun. So here's to my wonderful reviewers! *awards everyone many cookies*
I've also been asked to write a sequel to this after its finished. As fun as that might be, I'm definitely not going to write a sequel to this story. No ifs, ands, or buts. But, because this was so much fun to write, there's a very good chance of another fluffy L/J fic to be written by me. It probably won't be written in the near future, because I've already got another fic planned plus slow work on the sequel. But look out for more of my writing.
I'm sorry if any of you asked to be e-mailed for new chapters - I barely have time to write and going through and looking for everyone who wants to be e-mailed takes too much time. If you want to know when more of my writing is posted then get a username and put me on your author alert list - it's easier for everyone and a name at ff.net is definitely worth it.
Before I forget - thanks to The Fallen Child for going through some of the chapters and being all supportive and giddy whenever I post. You rock, and everyone should go check out her stuff.
Thanks to anyone I forgot to mention. You people are all the best. :)