Chapter 4
At the current moment James thinks he hates Lily when really he has no idea how he feels.
Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter.
Sunlight streamed through the windows in the hospital wing and shone on the pale eyelids of the one and only Lily Evans. They flickered open and revealed her bright green eyes, but there was something different. Deeply imbedded in the green were flecks of silver.
-Lily's P.O.V.-
My stomach grumbled a wakeup call as I sat up and looked around the room. I was at Hogwarts, in the hospital wing to be specific. How in all hells did I get here? Something terrible must have happened. I cringed and looked down. What had I done? I took a deep breath in and mustered my strength. I needed to know what was going on.
I swung my legs around the side of the bed and stood fluidly. This surprised me; I had always been the person that everybody laughed at because I was always falling and hurting myself. Testing gravity my friends called it. A quick personal assessment showed that nothing was wrong, but I did feel funny. It wasn't a bad feeling, just different. It was kind of a tingly feeling from my toes all the way to the top of my head. As if I was more sensitive to the magical currents around me. At least that was what it felt like. As if I could almost see the streams of energy that filtered through the walls around me.
I shook my head as I grabbed my white scoop neck sweater from the side table beside the bed and pulled it on before reaching for my jeans. Thoughts like that were going to get me in trouble, even in a school full of witches and wizards.
Something sparkled and I stopped moving instantly feeling like something was about to change. A twinkle out of the corner of my eye caught my attention and I turned my head to the side. There was a necklace floating on what looked like a cushion of magic, sparks of light and energy. Reaching my hand out until it was just underneath the edge of the cushion, I trembled. As soon as my hand was still, the necklace fell, the chain sliding gently off the cushion into my waiting palm. The metal was cool against my skin, as I bought it closer to my face for a better look.
It had a simple silver chain, but it was the dangling ornament that caught my eye. There was a silver dew drop that was separated into four stories. The top left was a sapphire, the bottom left was an emerald, the bottom right was an amethyst and the top right was a ruby.
The necklace looked to be very valuable, but since I had received a gift from the school before, I clasped it around my neck and sighed when a feeling of rightness washed over me. It was as if the necklace was where it belonged. I touched its icy coolness before tucking it under my shirt and pulling on my jeans.
Another glance around proved that my robes was nowhere to be found, so I left the hospital wing in search of food to appease my complaining stomach.
James P.O.V
Sirius, Remus, Peter, Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore and I were eating breakfast in the great hall when the door opened and a redhead stuck her head inside.
Dumbledore rose and gestured her forward, "I'm glad to see you're feeling better Ms. Evans."
Lily nodded and raised her eyes to look at the rest of us. Her reactions wrote themselves on her face and I watched as she looked at everyone. To professor McGonagall's inquisitive face she smiled wryly and shrugged before moving on to Sirius. She giggled at something he was doing, but I didn't look at him to see what it was. When her eyes met mine I saw something in them that I had never seen before beneath the obvious dislike.
-Lily's P.O.V.-
'Why that pompous jerk! He's here to ruin the rest of my summer vacation too. Why do I have to see him?' I had to force my mouth in a frown and moved on. When I saw Peter my expression shifted into one of distrust. I didn't know why it did that, but there was just something about him. Just being around him gave me chills.
The doors behind me slammed open and I heard Madame Pomfrey screaming, "She's gone Albus! I left her for a moment and she disappe…" I turned around meekly and met her eyes.
I heard a chuckle from behind me and spun around ready to give the person dumb enough to mock me a verbal lashing, but when I saw laughter in Dumbledore's eyes the words froze in my throat.
"Miss Evans, did you perhaps forget to tell Madame Pomfrey that you were awake and going to eat?"
"I…ummmm…yeah. I forgot to tell you. Sorry," I turned back to Madame Pomfrey. She nodded curtly before speaking again.
"I know that you feel up to walking again, but there are still tests that I need to do to make sure that you are back to full health." At her words I shook my head and took a step back, hitting the table in the process. A hand covered my own and I glanced down at Remus. He gave me a sympathetic look and I remembered how once a month he was in the hospital wing. He knew how I felt. Like a cornered animal about to be put in a cage
"Poppy, I don't believe that is necessary. As we can see, Miss Evans is well again." Dumbledore spoke and Madame Pomfrey huffed before stalking out of the room.
The headmaster stood and said, "I'm going to my office, and if you would join me soon Miss Evans. I have something you should know."
I swallowed audibly and righted myself to follow him.
Once I was in his office Dumbledore gazed at me from over his half moon spectacles.
"Would you like a lemon drop?" He asked holding out a bowl with the candy out to me. I declined politely and he placed it down before looking at me again.
"I will get to the point. What do you know of elementals?"
My eyes widened, "I know that they are creatures that can control all four of the elements, and like the other species of elementals, they were all wizards and witches. I also know that they haven't been seen or heard from in over a thousand years. The theory is they've gone into hiding, but many people think that they became extinct. Hunted for their abilities."
"I should have known you would know more than most about a creature that we don't actually study in school. That's good, now, if I'm not mistaken, you've been given a necklace or pendant by the school recently?"
I nodded and pulled the necklace out from under my shirt. He glanced at it and nodded. My hand paused as I placed it back under the fabric and I said, "Well two pieces of jewellery actually. I got this one earlier today, but I got another on my first day here." At my words his eyes widened and his gaze flipped back to my face.
"Two? May I see the other one?"
I held out my wrist and he took one glance at my simple silver chain and muttered, "this is one thing I never thought I would see."
"But sir, why would Hogwarts give me gifts? Especially gifts that feel as if they once belonged to me, even though I know for sure that I've never seen them before I received them." My mind was whirling.
"I'll answer that in a minute. Do you know what each stone on your necklace means?"
"No, but I can feel the power radiating off of them." Dumbledore was staring at me and I was getting nervous. "What do they mean professor?"
"The four stones are a ruby, an emerald, an amethyst and a sapphire. These four stones represent each of the four elements; the ruby represents fire, earth is symbolized by the emerald, the amethyst is air and the sapphire is water. The shape of the necklace is important also. The symbol of the mermaids is a silver dew drop."
"But why would Hogwarts give me a necklace that was the symbol, the very essence of the elemental mermaids? They went into hiding over a thousand years ago." A thought was thrust into my head as I remembered a passage from a book that I had read about legendary magical creatures. It had described the transition period of the elementals. It fit my last two weeks to a tee. I gasped, "you aren't saying…"
"Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying. Hogwarts has felt or seen the power inside of you and has gifted you with heirlooms that are rightfully yours by birth and blood. You are an elemental mermaid, and a very strong one if Hogwarts is any judge." His eyes were serious and the twinkle was gone.
I did the only thing that I could think of, I fled.
There's Chapter 4! Yay!
Thank you to all who reviewed. I really appreciate it and because I love you all so much I'll give you a hint to the next chapter.
In the next chapter Lily has a heart to heart with James. Remus knows something is off with Lily and she learns more about herself.
I know it's not much, but there's a hint to the next chapter.
Review and talk to me!
Amber Eagle