The chalk was solid and cool within my grasp, its jagged edges smoothed out from frequent usage. My hand fit perfectly beneath hers, so small compared to her grown up one. I leaned into her arms, my head pillowed by her breasts. She smelled of chamomile and jasmine, with an underlying scent of pine. The scent was so familiar and comforting. It was the scent of my mother, a smell I had been accustomed to since birth.
She smiled down at me, her bright green eyes lighting up her flushed face in happiness she only showed around me. This made me feel like I really was the special treasure she always claimed me to be. She bent her head over mine, brushing her lips tenderly across my own, reassuring me of her affection. I could taste the remnants of lipstick she accidentally smudged on me in the act. It always reminded me of what soap may taste like-soap and paint. She threw her head back and laughed as my face scrunched in dislike of the bitter flavor.
As she wiped the lipstick off of my mouth with her sleeve, she reminded me of the project at hand. She guided my hand to the wooden floor, enforcing a pressure which allowed the chalk to draw a bright pink line. The scraping sounds rang within my ears, the vibrations of chalk contacting with the hard floor sending tingles through my arm. The dust tickled my nose, getting caught in the back of my throat as I breathed in.
My face contorted into a pout as my mother told me to focus. It was time to close the circle. Never lifting the chalk from the ground, she removed her hand from my own, instructing me on what to do. With furrowed brows I carefully scratched out the rest of the pentagram, smiling with pride as I finished and inspected my handiwork. I silently gloated as I listened to her praises, my heart filling with a surge of warmth.
Suddenly the door crashed open, the air thickening with a rush of anger, and I knew without looking up that my stepfather stood in the doorway. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to block out what was to come. But no matter how hard I tried, I was unsuccessful. The yelling began; mostly it was from him. My mother weakly protested, hardly able to get any words in. She desperately tried to block me with her arms, a pathetic effort. He slapped her, hard, and yanked me ungracefully from the protective circle of her arms. I was screaming now, shrieking at the top of my lungs like a child gone daft. My fingers scratched at his arms, his flesh catching beneath my nails, leaving red welts and scrapes where they trailed. A gasp tore from his throat before he threw me into the nearest corner, making his way towards my mother. My head hit the wall, a gash already welling with blood over my left eye.
My heart began to race as I watched helplessly while my mother took a beating that would make a grown man cry uncle. The whole time my ears rang with the profanities my stepfather screamed as he put all of his rage into marking my mum. I caught familiar terms such as "witch" and "devil's woman". Those were terms he always used around her.
Colorful spots wriggled in front of my eyes as my conscious began to slip from me, my mothers screams still echoing in my head as I allowed darkness to consume me.
My eyes snapped open, and relief flooded through me as the familiar and safe settings of my dormitory came into view. I quickly sat up, my heart ready to leap forth from my bosom. I could feel the cooling tears against my flushed cheeks, and my hand quickly swiped at them, as though I might erase the past as well as my tears.
His taunts still echoed in my head, the resounding shrill of my mother's screams haunting me even awake. I had not thought of those days in quite some time; not since I had come to Hogwarts. Perhaps it was the recent letter I had received from my grandmother that stirred old memories. Who knows? Honestly, I'm not sure if I really want to know.
My palms were sweating excessively, and could not seem to stop shaking. There was no possible way I would ever get back to sleep tonight. Rising to my feet, I grabbed my cloak from the hook on the wall and boldly strolled through the door and down the stairs.
My footsteps were silent and quick, as though the soles of my feet did not even touch the floor. I had a good idea of where I might go at this time of night, whether I was allowed out there or not. I was Head Girl, who was going to report me?
My bare feet managed to carry me across the grounds without protest, much to my avail. The dew embraced grass held a coolness to it that spoke of night, even in the September heat.
The munin began to whisper across my flesh the closer I moved to the Forbidden Forest. They called to me, invisible hands outstretched to caress my bared legs. A shudder ran up my spine and I inhaled sharply. It was not the munin that were bothering me, it was in fact the presence of another being, one much stronger, much more frightening.
I paused for a moment, resting my palm against the bark of an older tree. I looked as though I might be catching my breath, but in fact I was doing an old trick that Sempai had taught me that involved sending your energy outwards throughout the plants, using them as your eyes. It was way cool and pretty useful in hide and seek.
I closed my eyes, blocking out the sounds of night, blocking out everything except the sounds of my own breathing. I could feel my own pulse, throbbing with life against my neck. Then suddenly the sweet beat of another filled the back of my throat. Someone was very close.
I turned with fluent speed, blue-white energy crackling from the tips of my fingertips threateningly as I stared at my capture. I have never been very fond of Sirius Black, and as he stood before me now, a smirk visible beneath the dip of his cloak, I disliked him even more.
" Easy there, Evans. It's good to know that I am not the only cautious one out tonight." Hs smile faltered for a moment, the weight of truth turning it down.
" Why are you here?" My voice did not sound quite natural to my ears, and I tried to relax, realizing that the energy still crackled at my fingertips.
" Why? I felt the call of course. It's almost impossible to resist don't you think?"
I thought about his words, realizing they rang true. It had not been my nightmares that urged me into the forest, but a slight force of wills that left me staggering half dressed into the night. Sempai had called into the night, and we responded. Whoever was included within the we was unknown to me.
Black offered me his right arm, and I warily stepped closer.
" Come now, Lily. I promise not to bite."
He threw back his head, allowing a bark of laughter to roll off his tongue. His free hand patted my own as I finally linked my arm through his, hoping that I wasn't getting myself into anything too awful.
" Come now, darling. Let's go see what other surprises await us tonight."
I wasn't sure how happy I felt about these new surprises, and yet I followed his lead down the familiar worn away path to the cottage I have come to know so well. Perhaps the night may not turn out so terrible.