Disclaimer: Still don't own Harry Potter… but if I did, nobody would've died… except Voldy. Buh bye snakehead:)

A/N: 58 reviews! Oh my God, I love you all! Thanks everyone for reviewing!

Meaning of the Lilyflower

Chapter 10: Abduction

"You know exactly why you're here."

"That doesn't give me, or any of you, a reason to be here."

Mulciber tightened the ropes that bound Alice's arms behind the chair with a flick of his wand. Him, Avery, and Snape had captured her straight from the hallway and held her hostage. The dark dungeon classroom was stingy, smelly, and eerie. She knew what information they wanted from her. But no matter how many times she spoke it, those Death Eaters thought it to be wrong.

"There's tons of reason to be here. His orders," snarled Avery, pacing around her chair. Snape hesitantly stood by the door, his hooked nose casting more shadows over his grimace than usual.

"Or what? Your lives are on the line? Because, personally, I wouldn't mind seeing your eyes lifeless," Alice considered. She wasn't afraid of these dopes; it was the one that was tracking her that scared her…

Mulciber pointed his wand at her throat. "One more sarcastic, witty comment, girl, and you're done for!"

"Not now!" Snape hissed, gripping the doorknob with white knuckles. "Not until we get orders! Don't harm her!"

"You won't need to worry about that," Alice breezily said, figuratively waving off any idea of hurt. "Lily and Frank will notice I'm gone and come looking for me. And you'll all get sacked and expelled." Alice saw Snape's face turn paler in the dim light at the mention of her redheaded friend.

Avery guffawed, holding his stomach. "Who needs Hogwarts when you have the power of the Dark Lord?" he wheezed in a raspy voice. Mulciber whacked him on the side, which left Avery to rub his tummy tenderly. Alice had never seen two bigger wimps.

"Can you just let me go?" The sleek black ropes were cutting at Alice's wrists and ankles. She could feel blood start to trickle down her skin, staining it deep red.

"No. Greyback wanted you here. You have a secret we must eliminate. So we must erase your memory."

"But Fenrir wants to give the okay first to see the blank stare in your eyes. He'll be sending the okay as soon as he gets the first owl that Regulus sent," Mulciber cackled.

"But I promise I wouldn't tell anyone. I promised that when I witnessed it over the summer," Alice whined. Her life was flashing before her eyes. Would she remember Lily? Frank? Hogwarts? The Marauders? Her parents? All of this could be lost for a scene she shouldn't have witnessed.

She hoped someone was coming soon.

"What?!" Lily shrieked, causing James to jump at the high pitch.

"Alice… she's been kidnapped, I saw it with my own two eyes," Peter continued, tears streaking down his dirty cheeks.

"Then why didn't you do anything to stop it with your own two hands?!"

"Lily, Lily, calm down. Let's not play the blame game," James said calmly, putting his hands on her shoulders to steady her. She abruptly shook him off, sending an evil glare contrary to the one moment before.

"Go away, James, I don't need your help," Lily concluded, running off towards the castle.

James's long strides easily overtook Lily's frantic tiny ones. "We're in this together. We'll get Sirius – "

"I already did, and he's getting Frank and Aloe," Peter squeaked, huffing along behind them.

"See? We'll get Alice back," James eased as they tugged the heavy oak door leading into the castle. "Peter, do you know which classroom it is?"

"The spare potions one that nobody uses."

"Okay, see, we've got a head start! C'mon, Lily, she'll be okay."

Lily exhaled heavily, sending most of her worries out with it. "Yeah, yeah, we'll be okay. Alice will be too."

Silence ensued that trio as they briskly walked and turned through each dimly lit corridor. Cold drafts wafted up to the first floor… cold as ice… cold as shivers… cold as death…

Lily gulped, trying not to think the worse as she spotted Sirius, Frank, and Aloe at the end of the dungeon corridor. "Frank! Aloe!" Lily screeched, running to Frank and pulling him into a hug.

"What? No hug for your favorite pal?" Sirius joked, but his face remained serious.

"C'mon, we've got a mission," claimed James, tearing Frank and Lily apart from their embrace. "Sirius and I will be in the head. I think it's very unwise for Lily and Aloe and Wormtail – "

"I want to fight," Lily concluded, not knowing where the courage spiking her voice came from as Aloe nodded in agreement. But nothing else mattered now. Lily felt if Alice was no longer safe, she wasn't safe. Alice needed saving, and Lily wanted to do it. She wanted to fight her own battles.

"Okay. That's settled," Sirius said defiantly. "Let's head in. I don't even care who's in the way, just blast that damn door apart!"

Frank had stayed deadly silent the whole time, face as white as a ghost. Fear appeared to have stricken him. But finally, determination filled his voice as he answered, "Well, you all heard Sirius. Let's go."

Frank stepped up to the bolted door where Alice was said to be held and screamed, "Reducto!"

The splinters of the door split and spewed across the doorway. Among all the rubble crouched Snape, bleeding and bruised from head to toe. Mulciber and Avery stood on either side of Alice, who was constrained feebly to a wooden chair in a cobweb corner. Her face was filled with hope at the sight of Frank, Lily, James, Sirius, and Aloe… but where was Peter?

James immediately whipped out his wand and hexed Mulciber from Alice's left while Sirius tackled Avery on the right. Frank and Aloe immediately helped them. A curse hit Avery square in the stomach, sending him into a drawer full of vials. Glass and fluids spewed out all over the floor. Mulciber was easily brought to the ground thanks to the combination of spells James and Frank sent towards him.

But Lily didn't move.

"Lily! C'mon, get Alice or attack Snape!" Aloe hissed into Lily's ear when passing by.

But Lily was frozen solid. She was intensely glaring at Snape in the pile of rubble on the stony floor. His face was almost frightened with knowing he messed up. Knowing there was no going back now. Knowing he was defeated overall even when he won for one side.

"You… you… my old best friend… you hurt Alice… you hurt her." Lily's usually sparkling eyes filled with tears, staring down with hate at a swollen Snape.

"Lily… I tried to – "

"Don't talk to me, Severus. I can't believe I ever trusted you. Ever."

"Lily, this is not the time. Go get Alice and flee." Snape tried to whisper his warning to her, but she was way past listening.

"Help over here, will ya?" Aloe screeched over the chant of curses and spells. Leaving no choice, Lily broke the fierce eye contact with her ex-friend and rushed over to release Alice.

Alice felt the bonds on her arms let up. "Ah, thanks, girl. Missed you."

"Alice, how can you be so calm? We're in the middle of a battle here. And it seems you have something to tell us," Lily breathed urgently, freeing Alice's feet from the waxy black cords.

Alice jumped up, stretching her limbs as a jet-red curse whizzed past her. "Now, we've got to get everyone and beat it!"

Lily blinked, challenging Alice at the moment. "Why?"

Alice widened her brown eyes and stared incredulously. "Because I'm – we're – in danger! Let's move!"

"Not until you tell me why. That secret."

Alice glanced down, ashamed. "I promise to explain later. But can we get the hell out of here before someone's head is blown off?"

Lily sighed and gazed around. They were in a corner. James and Sirius were attacking Mulciber and Avery while Frank and Aloe bound Snape to the floor. Broken jars and flasks lay in shards with splinters in the crevasses of stone. Desks and chairs were toppled, lying on their sides.

"Relax, James, Sirius, Frank, Aloe! I'm okay, just tie them up and let's leave," Alice called, cautiously stepping over the rubble to the nonexistent door.

And Lily half-wished the angry Professor Slughorn standing in the rocky frame was nonexistent too.

"Explanation?" Professor Slughorn stood over the six of them in his eerie office. Random body parts floated in vile lime green liquid on numerous shelves and drawers. It was enough to make anyone run out, ready to never eat again or puke.

James was brave and decided to speak first. "Well, I – "

" – Would absolutely love to tell you the rest right now, but – "

"Quiet, Mr. Black," Slughorn snapped. Sirius slumped down in his seat, defeated.

"I was walking down this hall here when Mulciber, Avery, and Snape kidnapped me," Alice said.

"And we rushed to help Alice. Please let us off the hook, Professor, we were just trying to help a friend," Lily pleaded. The kidnappers were unconscious in the room of ruins.

"I suppose I can let you off with a major house point deduction…" Slughorn concluded, stroking his walrus moustache. "Fifty points off per person."

The group gasped. Frank looked like he could collapse from the news at this point. "We don't even have three hundred points yet, Professor!" Aloe cried.

Slughorn huffed, "Well then, just deal with it. You're in the negatives. Now I'm out to dinner before someone takes the biggest corn beef hash."

"I'm waiting."

Alice, Lily, James, Sirius, Aloe, Frank, and Remus sat in their own scarlet chairs by the fire in the Gryffindor common room. Remus had been filled in on what had happened prior. Ever since he had found out, though, he appeared to be in deep thought. He had not uttered a word since asking questions during James's explanation. It's just the sickness, Lily thought.

"Um, yeah, Lily, I could get in serious trouble if I tell you."

"I don't care. Tell me so we can help."

All six pairs of ears leaned closer in around the fire. Shadows flickered on Alice's face as dark as that secret she kept to herself. She seemed to be weighing the chances of telling the group. And whether or not she could trust the Marauders with this heavy burden

"Okay, I'll tell you. None of this is to be repeated outside this room. Do you hear me?"

"Yes," everyone answered simultaneously, anticipating the news.

"Well. Here I go.

"It just started this summer. I was in Hogsmeade with my parents… you know them. They aren't very protective of me. Anyway, I ventured off to that rocky cave behind the Hog's Head – you know that place. I was creeping around and it was definitely dark out. I peered around one of the caves and… and…

"I witnessed someone being bitten by a werewolf."

Everyone gasped, but had their own reaction. James's and Sirius's faces were placid, but Remus's switched to intensely attentive. Aloe covered her hands with her mouth, and Frank looked on the verge of tears. And Lily? She wished she hadn't of asked.

But it made total sense. Why Alice was jittery during the werewolf discussion, why she read the newspaper thoroughly everyday, why Mulciber and Avery had tried and failure to capture her before. All the pieces came together, and Lily cursed herself for not realizing this before.

"And then?" she whispered.

"Well, it wasn't just any werewolf. It was Fenrir Greyback. And he knew I saw him."

James interrupted with, "That makes sense. Fenrir is trying to get you through the Death Eaters in Hogwarts."

"Exactly," Alice continued. "It must have been someone important being bitten, though. Or else he wouldn't bother trying to erase my memory or make me forget what I saw. I pleaded I wouldn't tell that day, but he didn't listen, and I managed to stun him and run for my life. I thought this would just blow over, but obviously it hasn't. Greyback wants me gone, and there's nothing I can do."

"There probably is," Remus muttered, still lost in his complex thoughts. "We just need a plan."

"Like a game plan for football?" Aloe questioned. Having been muggleborn, she used a term nobody but Lily understood.

"Sure," Sirius said, puzzled. "A game plan. You mean like when James and I go on our hexing rounds?"

"Nobody was supposed to mention those plans, Padfoot!" snarled James.

"Okay, guys, stop!" Lily shouted, ceasing the argument immediately. "Just stop. We need to think of a way to protect Alice."

"Hmm, okay," Sirius agreed, resting his legs up on the glass table. "But I ain't being no babysitter."

A/N: Well, that was a humorous way to end the chapter. I worked incredibly hard to get this up now. How James takes over Head Boy will be revealed in next chapter for sure.

Read and review please!