~ Call My Name, I'll Be There ~
~ Calime ~
Disclaimer: The characters are all J.K.Rowling's. I'm just playing around a little :)
Author's Note: Uhm, this is my first venture into the world of Harry Potter fanfiction. Be nice, be kind. It is unbetaed, so read at your own risk, I guess. Constructive criticism is welcomed, flames are not - they won't be read, so don't waste your own time. Feel free to review, or e-mail me your comments. Dedicated to Zoe… just because. :)
"Lily, you've gotta help me!"
Sixth Year Prefect, Lily Evans, couldn't help but smile as her irrepressible friend James came bounding up to her, disturbing the peace and sanctity of the Library with one of his heartfelt pleas. Even without looking around she could sense the disapproving glares from Seventh Years, all clustered in small groups about the room, cramming for their NEWTs.
"Why're you smiling?" James demanded, looking hurt. "I'll have you know this is serious."
"Just thinking how typically you this is," Lily informed him with a cool grin, placing the book on Charms she had been reading down on the sturdy table, still open at the correct page. "All right then, Potter, spill it, what did you do now?"
"It wasn't just me…" James began, putting on an innocent expression normally reserved sorely for Professor McGonagall.
"Oh boy, this is bad," Lily said upon seeing his face. "Okay, get it over and done with, what did you do, Potter?"
"Well…" James squirmed uncomfortably. Finally noticing the strange looks being sent his way, he pulled up a chair from an empty table. "We just played a little prank on Snape. Nothing serious, I swear! Just one for one of our normal kicks… but Lils, you should have seen the guy! I think this was one too many -- he flipped out. He's on the warpath, and his energies are being directed at me!"
Lily's brow furrowed. "Doesn't he normally go after Sirius?"
"Sirius is lying low," James explained. "And since he can't find Sirius, he wants the next best thing in the chain-of-revenge. And that would be yours truly." He sighed audibly.
"So… why don't you just go hide with Sirius?" Lily suggested, chewing the end of her quill thoughtfully.
"He's lying low," James grumbled. "Very low. I can't find him anywhere, lucky git."
Lily looked at him suddenly as a thought hit her. "James, you dope, why don't you just go to the Gryffindor common room?"
"Oh believe me, Lily, that's not safe. This is Snape we're talking about here. You remember Snape, right? Uncanny knack with various potions, and an even uncannier knack of sticking his unusually large nose where it doesn't belong. He's most likely more than capable of sticking it into our common room."
"Are you sure? Because I remember that time we got locked out at two am, and you and Sirius tried to break it open…"
"How could I forget? I'm still sporting the bruises…"
Lily giggled, then paused. "But… James? Sirius was the one trying to ram the door down."
"Yes, but I was the one that was on the receiving end of Filch's broom when he arrived," James said grimly.
Lily giggled. "Ah, yes. It's all coming back to me now…"
James glared at her, but with a sparkle in his eye. "So then," he asked her. "Oh wise one, where should I hide?"
Lily thought for a moment, smiling at the comment. "Uhm… how about the attic?"
"Yech," James shuddered. "Too many spiders."
"The dungeons?"
"Too many Slytherins.
Lily smiled. "So pick the lesser of the two evils."
"The attic wins, hands down," James said, his expression deadpan. "Come on, Lily, think seriously! I need help here!" He leant forwards, allowing her to see his pleading, chocolate-brown eyes.
"Oh no, not the puppy dog eyes…" Lily growled, averting her gaze, but he continued, his dark eyes looking hurt, from what she could see of them beneath his mop of dark hair, which just added to the charm. James was a good actor - when he wanted to look innocent and adorable, he could. "Argh! Stop it! All right… erm… how about in the Charms Classroom?"
"Too likely," James said, after a moment's thought.
"Trelawney's classroom?" Lily suggested, with an evil glint in her eyes.
"Give me Snape any day," James muttered.
"Forbidden Forest?"
"Now you're thinking!" James grinned. "Perfect… It won't even cross Snape's mind! Thanks, Lils!" He leant over and impulsively kissed Lily on the cheek, before disappearing through the doors on the far side of the library.
Lily let a small smile grace her lips, gently raising her fingertips to brush the spot he had kissed. "Welcome," she muttered softly, before diverting her attention back to her Charms homework.
* * *
Lily sat bolt upright in her bed. Outstretching her wand-hand, she scrabbled around on her cluttered bedside cabinet urgently for it, ignoring the sounds as various objects fell over, knocked in the frantic search, while using the other hand to hold the duvet protectively to her shaking body. Once she had the wand, she whispered a quiet "Lumos" and retreated under the cover with the beam of light, calmer now she could see again.
A reoccurring nightmare never failed to wake her, and never failed to scare her. Once again, the memory was fading, and the dream never seemed so terrifying afterwards as while it was happening. It always seemed so real… The blinding green light, her baby's wailing screams… the overwhelming urge to protect her child…
Lily shook her head under the covers. "Lily Evans, you're nuts," she whispered quietly to herself, feeling far more confident now her wand was out, and she could see through the darkness. It was only a nightmare. That's all… Pull yourself together!
Easing herself out of bed, Lily got up, deciding warm milk would be a good idea. She knew from experience that the only way to get back to sleep after the nightmare was a tall glass of warm milk. Careful to keep the beam of light directed away from her roommates who still lay asleep, Lily left the room, entering the corridor.
The corridor leading down to the Gryffindor Common Room was flooded with flickering candlelight from each flaming torch that hung in brackets, lining the walls - enchanted by Dumbledore, of course, so as not to set fire to anything or anyone.
As Lily reached the bottom of the steps, sudden warmth rushed over her, and she remembered the central heading charm that had been cast over the Gryffindor Common Room. She proceeded into the Common Room, surprised to discover that a fire was blazing in the hearth, bathing the room in firelight.
And someone with awfully familiar, messy hair was sitting in front of the fire, staring into the flames.
"James?" She called softly, not wanting to startle him as her voice echoed throughout the common room.
He turned abruptly around, and she was surprised to see his eyes red, and tears trickling down his face. All thoughts of warm milk forgotten, Lily rushed over to him immediately, sitting beside him on the comfortable beige couch in front of the warm fire
"What is it?" She asked gently. "Do you need to go to Madam Pomfrey?" James shook his head.
"No," he managed in reply, croaking slightly.
"Want me to get Sirius and Remus?" James shook his head again, not trusting his voice to speak.
Understanding, Lily pulled him into a hug, comfortingly pulling him to her, and gently rubbing his back. "It's okay, you don't have to tell me," she said softly, as he began to sob openly onto her shoulder. "Shhh…"
As time passed, the tears became fewer, as though he had no strength left to cry. Lily held him tightly as he shuddered against her, the sobs subsiding.
"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked finally as he pulled away slightly, not wanting to pry. Her green eyes were comforting, and she made James feel as though he could confide in her.
"My parents…" James bit his lip. "My parents are dead." Another tear rolled down his cheek. "Vol… Voldemort." He passed her the early edition of the Daily Prophet, with the dramatic black headline 'Voldemort Strikes At The Heart Of The Wizarding World,' and an image of a battered house, with a skull of green twinkling stars above it.
Lily dropped it in her lap, in shock, completely unprepared for the picture. I've been there. I met his parents. I slept in that house… and now they're gone. It's almost gone… Oh god.
"James… I'm so sorry…" Lily's own green eyes were filling with tears, and she flung her arms impulsively around his chest, not knowing what to say as her own tears fell. Unsurprisingly, she felt dampness on her own shoulder as he returned the hug gently.
She could only begin to imagine the sorrow he was going through. Had it been her parents, innocently slaughtered… she didn't even want to think about it…
* * *
They stayed that way in each other's arms for a good half-hour. Lily's intuition told her that James needed to be held, understandably. She didn't even want to imagine what kind of state she'd be in, had she just received the news James had.
After about thirty minutes, James pulled away slightly, his red-rimmed brown eyes still teary. "We should probably go back to bed," he told her softly. "People will probably start getting up… asking questions… and I want to tell Sirius and Remus myself."
Lily nodded. "Okay," she said gently, giving him one final hug. Then, with sudden inspiration, she took the necklace from around her neck, and gave it to James. He held it in the palm of the hand, allowing the pendant to dangle, not entirely sure what to do.
"Just hold it there," Lily instructed. Calmly, she outstretched her wand, and muttered something under her breath that James couldn't quite catch. White sparks from her wand shot out of the tip, and circled around the pendant, sparkling, before flowing into it.
"What did you-"
Lily cut him off. "Alerting charm," she said, with a slight smile. "If you need to talk, just say my name directly to the pendant after tapping it with your wand, and I'll come and find you."
James smiled at her. "Thanks," he said genuinely.
"No problem." Lily hugged him one last time. "See you in a few hours at breakfast, I guess." She got up from the couch, and walked towards the door. "Night," she called back to him.
"Night… Sleep well," he added, as an afterthought, at the redheaded figure retreating out of the door. He smiled at her figure, before he was abruptly dragged back to the present, by the Daily Prophet headline.
James sighed. His parents… how could they be gone? He remembered Christmas - them all staying at Potter Manor. His parents had adored Lily, and his father had made a few teasing comments about her becoming his future daughter-in-law. James remembered arguing jokingly and furiously with his father, without his heart being in it…
They had been so healthy… How could they be there one moment and gone the next? It was inconceivable… just to be dead, just like that.
And it wasn't fair.
Wiping away a tear from his cheek, James shifted his weight, and stood up. He gazed at the pendant in his hand for a moment, then smiled softly. Lily Evans was certainly one special girl…
Clutching the pendant tightly in his fist, James returned to his dormitory, and got back into his bed, listening to the rhythmic snoring of Remus, the slight mumbles from Sirius, and the silence from Peter.
Eventually he fell into a fitful sleep, dreaming of home, blinding green light, screaming…
And a pair of green eyes belonging to the one that saved him from it all.