Chapter 3: Down Time in the Dungeons

A few minutes later the two students cleaned up their station and placed the lid back on the cauldron. With their work finally finished until the next day they headed out of the room to bed, but before they departed Karkaroff thought of something fast.

"You know if you're too tired you could stay in the guest suite again," he suggested.

Lily shook her head, "Thanks Igor but I think I better head back to my House tonight. I don't want to be of any trouble."

"You vouldn't ve. No offense meant vut I've noticed during our session that you're looking quite- vhat's the vord?- rundown, and Gryffindor Tover is quite a distance, vhereas Slytherin Dungeon is just around the corner," he persisted.

"Well, I d-don't know," she said with a badly stifled yawn.

"And I know Severus vould ve happy to see you in the morning so you could join us for vreakfast," Karkaroff added quickly to sweeten the proverbial deal.

Lily gave it some thought and decided that maybe he was right. She was feeling rather tired, and at least this way she would be able to check on the potion before classes tomorrow.

"Besides if what Trixie said about Mary is true then do you really want to sleep in your dorm?" her secondary voice asked, but she shrugged it off.

Lily gave a sleepy smile, "Okay Igor, you win. I'll stay the night."

Smiling Karkaroff bowed his head and let Lily preceed him to the Slytherin entrance.

Before they parted ways Karkaroff took a book from the bedside table and handed it to Lily.

"I velieve this is yours," he said.

Lily looked at the book and saw that was the book Remus gave her for her birthday. She took it from him in tired relief.

"Thank you Igor," she replied. "I forgot I brought it down here."

He smiled, "I understand. Good night Lily."

"Good night," she smiled sleepily.

Afterwards they made their way to their rooms, Karkaroff in the Fifth Year Hall and Lily in the Girls' Guest Suite.

When she entered Lily locked the door, placed her book on the bench at the end of the bed, and made her way to the vanity dresser to look for some spare pajamas that were usually placed in there by the House Elves just for this kind of situation.

As she selected a two piece set, a short-sleeved top and capri-length pant decked emerald green with silver trim, Lily looked in the mirror and saw that Igor had a right to be concerned.

There were dark lines under her eyes and her face looked a little paler than usual. Her hair, somewhat frizzy from the potion fumes, was looking unhealthly limp.

"Wow!" she thought to herself. "Igor was right. I do look rundown. It must be from all that has happened today.

With that possibility in mind she removed her necklace and placed it on the bedside table. Then she got dressed and fingered the luxurious bed. It was a queen-sized four poster that sported silken silver drapes, and dressed in such rich green sheets that it gave the appearance of being covered in emeralds.

Lily smiled as she pulled down the covers and slipped in the bed, allowing the soft down of the mattress and sheet to conform to her body comfortably. Once she was settled the candles instantly extinguished themselves and the room was plunged into darkness.

Yet, despite the comfortable surroundings and her own weariness, Lily could not bring herself to actually sleep. She simply lay on her back and looked up at the dark canopy, just letting her mind wander back to what she had seen- and experienced- in the Mirror of Erised.

That little girl, Jasmine, had been so real. She was so beautiful with her deep red hair looking silky soft, her cheeks fresh and rosey, and her green eyes, Lily's eyes, beaming out at her containing so much love. Lily could still feel the soft warmth of her small face, how her little hand caressed hers in the same way, and how she smiled when Jasmine ran a delicate digit through her hair as it curled around her.

Then there was Severus. Severus, her husband, lifting Jasmine up in his arms and showing just as much affection as he showed Lily. In his eyes there lay no trace of misery and hurt that his father had shown him, only love and contentment. How he allowed his little girl to put his hand in hers and place it on top of Lily's abdomin. How he looked at her and smiled that sweet smile of his as she placed her own hand on top of his and their daughter's. How they all three felt as another life was growing inside of her.

Lily slid her hand down and placed it on her stomach at the memory.

It was so real. So beautiful that it made her tear up for a moment as she remembered the happiness that she felt. How happy Severus looked without his father in the way, without having anyone look down on him, with James Potter-

"Without James Potter getting in our way," she verbally finished with a snarl.

Her hands clasped themselves into fists as she remembered the dream from her time in Trelawney's room.

Yes, she was afraid at the start of all that she saw in the room, but once that fear subsided it was like her eyes were opened for the first time as Severus took her in his arms and placed a part of himself inside of her. How it felt to have his lips on her neck as he bestowed his gift of frightful, but beautiful, power into her veins.

Then came Potter and his high-and-mighty self-righteousness as shot a spell at her Severus, who was caught unawares, and wretched away from her. It felt like a part of her was taken away as well and it hurt her more than her being slammed back against that tree.

"Why does he have to keep popping up everywhere?!" she whisper-shouted. "Isn't it enough that he tries to come between Sev and myself in the physical world that he should try and do so again in my own fantasies?!"

Weariness gone she got up from the bed and started pacing, hoping this bit of activity would calm her down enough so she could rest.

But how could she rest knowing what she knew now?

How could she rest as she also remembered what he had done? Physically hurting her over a measly prank, getting angry with her refusal to go to the ball with him, trying to poison her into liking him, and, let us not forget, calling her a "snake-loving, crimson-haired whore" that pretty much ruined her night.

"Don't forget about MacDonald," her other voice said.

Lily sneered, "Oh yes. Can't forget about dear little Mary, now can I? Where was she in any of this?"

She stopped pacing and said in mock realization, "Oh that's right... Nowhere! She was nowhere to be found when Potter broke my wrist. She was nowhere when Potter got angry at my refusals. She was nowhere when he tried to bespell me. She was nowhere whenever I've been in trouble!"

Lily huffed and sat down on the bed, "Of all the times I've been there to save her sorry ass she's never been there for me. Always going on and on about how fantasic Potter is, and about how horrible Severus and the other Slytherins are. But when push comes to shove she's always in the background and watching me do the work."

After a while she calmed down and felt some relief at letting all of that tension out, but not enough that was satisfied with just ranting.

For the first time in her life Lily Evans wanted vengence, but how she was going to get it was the real question.

Deciding that lack of sleep was not going to gain her anything she laid back down into the covers and started to drift off to sleep.

As she was drifting off her necklace had shifted and another petal had turned black.

Now only eight remain...

A.N.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well as the previous ones.

As I've stated I will try and get as many written and downloaded as I can.

Thank you all for being so patient with this saga.

-FFB22