Disclaimer: It's not mine. As I have admitted many, many times.
A/N: Thank you so much for all of your support, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Hello to all my new readers! How are you? I do love cliffhangers!
Awesomeness620: I have so many tests at the moment too! My brain hurts! About your prediction, you may be right, you may be wrong. Lily is being threatened by someone, and it may or may not be the Death Eaters. As for your recommendation, I sat and read To Be A Slytherin for about three hours, and I love it! Have you read the Life and Times by Jewels5? It is amazing. Thank you!
Royaltynilahh: I do tend to leave cliffhangers. Anyone who reads me a lot will know that!
Slimegamz37: Thank you? I hope you enjoy this one too!
Choc0 Chipz: I'd save some of those OMGs, there are going to be some pretty big twists up ahead! :)
Guests: Thank you for taking the time to review!
Enjoy! xx
I'm not ready for the next note, tucked inside my bag.
THIS ISN'T A JOKE. THIS IS A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE. AND I'VE GOT KILLER CLAWS.
I shove it back in my bag and sit down next to Sirius, who nudges my arm in greeting and smiles. I force a weak smile in return and stare down at my empty plate.
Merlin.
There's a piece of parchment peeking at me from under it, its corner just visible.
I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM, WE ALL SCREAM BECAUSE YOU'RE DYING.
I shudder, and Sirius touches me on the arm, concerned, as Alice watches me with anxious eyes.
"What's wrong Lilybug?"
I hand all three of them to him, and then wince as my hand brushes against another note, folded up in my pocket. I scan it and hand too him too.
MUDBLOOD, MUBLOOD, BURNING BRIGHT,
BECAUSE SHE'S ON FIRE.
He crumples them in his fist almost absent-mindedly.
"Do you know who…?"
"No, they were all just in my stuff," I wave my arms around helplessly. "That one was on my back, Alice took it off. I felt them stick it on."
I shudder again.
"Have you told James?" His face is dark and stormy. Angry.
"No."
"But you're going to tell him, aren't you?"
Sirius' grey eyes, swirling with concern, bore into me like drills.
"Well I wasn't going to-"
"If you don't, I will." He says grimly, and Alice nods in agreement. "This is serious, Lily."
It's a mark of the severity of the situation that he doesn't even comment on the pun.
"Sirius-"
James comes walking in with Peter, laughing and Sirius holds up the parchment.
"Are you going to tell him or am I?"
"Fine. Do I have to tell him now?"
"Yes, or you won't, you'll just keep putting it off."
Frowning at him, I stand up as James reaches the table.
"Merlin, I'm starving. Hi love." He kisses me on the cheek and goes to sit down.
"Hey James. Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Sure. Outside?"
"That'd be great, yeah."
We leave the Hall, and he leans against the wall casually.
"What's up?"
"I got these this morning. All in my stuff."
My boyfriend reads through them, then looks up, eyes flashing. "Who…?"
"I don't know."
I'm shaken, he can see, and he pulls me into a one-armed hug, rubbing my shoulder.
"It's just a…a prank, right?"
"I don't think so, Lils."
We break apart, and yet another piece of parchment falls lazily to the floor between us, decorated with more menacing words. James snatches it up before I can even react, and then passes it to me, looking disgusted.
DON'T WORRY POTTER. SHE'LL BE OUT OF YOUR WAY SOON ENOUGH.
I flip it over, and the ink is fresh, smudging and staining my fingers as I brush against it.
IT'S A SHAME, REALLY. SHE'S PRETTY.
My stomach turns over, and I grab at James' sleeve, hating myself for showing that I'm scared, skin crawling. James takes it off me, and pulls my hair out of its braid and runs his long fingers through it soothingly.
"Nothing's going to happen to you Lily. Okay?"
I nod, but I'm can't stop myself from shaking.
I'm biting my nails as Remus and I sit in the library that night. He's scribbling away at his Transfiguration essay, but I'm staring blankly at the empty roll in front of me on the table like it's going to write itself. Everytime I close my eyes, the notes flash up in front of them, even though they're buried at the bottom of James' trunk, underneath broken quills and empty inkwells, far away from me.
I shudder.
"And the wand movement…the wand movement is important because…Lily? Do you know why the wand movement is important in Cross-Species Changing Spells?"
"Umm…it's something to do with the complexity of the species' cellular make-up, I think." I say shakily, and Remus nods.
"Yeah, it's something like that. Thanks."
I go to speak again, to say something, anything, but I close my mouth and wrap my arms around myself, taking a deep breath and trying to remember what I was going to write about for my Potions essay, then pick up my quill and slowly write a title.
Potion Recognition Spells and their wand movements:
Potion Recognition Spells are commonly used in extreme situations, usually when a witch or wizard has been poisoned by a wrongly-brewed potion. In this case, the Healers at the scene would try to identify the potion that was being made, and from there could do their best to work out what mistakes were made to put the witch or wizard in the position that meant that help had to be called. This process has saved lives.
Only…three feet to go.
Yay.
"I'm tired," I stand up. "I think I'm going to go to bed, okay Remus?"
"Okay. Do you want me to walk you back to the Head dorms?"
I hesitate and shake my head.
"Thanks, but I'll be fine. See you tomorrow." I squeeze his hand, roll up my essay and sling my bag over my shoulder, nodding at Madam Pince as I leave.
I get halfway down the corridor, and the bell chimes five minutes to curfew, the sound echoing in the silent, empty corridor. Mentally shaking myself, I start to walk and then smile in relief as James comes around the corner.
"Ready for rounds?"
"Yeah, just let me drop my bag off."
He takes my bag off me and shoulders it, but doesn't notice the piece of parchment that flutters out of it to lay, face up, on the stone floor.
FIVE.
FIVE.
Oh yes, I'm going to be all dramatic.
She-who-loves-fanfiction xx