I'm really, really sorry. That's all I have to say. Don't kill me! (Please?) It's been over a month! AAAAAHH and I've been on winter break! I have no excuse. I might as well throw myself in the stocks so you all can get revenge on me with rotten fruit. So so so sorry but here's another chapter for all who are still following!

Okay! Moving on . . . (Hope you enjoy!)

Chapter Ten:

Lily inched open the door and peered cautiously inside. The desks were strewn half-hazardly around the room and shredded parchment was everywhere. "Milly? Who's room is this?"

"I-I thought," Milly choked on the words as she stared around in horror, "I thought this was Defense Against the Dark Arts . . . ." She trailed off as her gaze landed on a splash of red. Within moments her face had turned bright green and she ran back outside.

"Milly?" Lily shouted in alarm, moving to go after her friend but something kept her standing there. The classroom held a sense of familiarity, almost as if she'd known the professor who'd been in there.

Biting her lip, she steeled herself to look closer. It had been a struggle, but that was obvious. What wasn't obvious was why. Hogwarts was a peaceful place – the last conflict had been the Battle of Hogwarts and that was twenty one years ago. All Lily knew about it was that her father had fought and won it. It didn't seem real to her – it just wasn't. But standing here in the middle of a torn up classroom made it feel like it was happening again or had just happened.

A bump echoed through the room and Lily jumped. Terror coursed through her as she imagined the horrors of the person who could possibly do this. She backed up until she was pressed up against the window and hidden from the staircase at the forefront of the room, all the while withdrawing her wand and murmuring comforting words to herself.

A man came down the stairs, a man in a mask as terrifying to the first year as death itself. He held a dark wand at the ready and said imperiously, "Who's there? Show yourself! No one hides from me!" And he began to sniff.

Lily shuddered at the sound and pressed herself further into the corner desperately wishing she had more magic at her disposal.

Just as the terrible scent of the man became practically unbearable, Lily heard the last thing she wanted to hear in the world.

"Lily! Come out of there! We should go tell someone! Maybe Professor McGonagall or Longbottom. Lily!" Milly shouted before entering the room. "Who're you?"

There was a sickening laugh and the man growled out, "Greyback, at your service. Or perhaps you're at my service."

Lily shuddered, still hidden in the recess of the window frame. The name rang a bell. Closing her eyes, she tried to concentrate but the sound of claws scraping the ground broke the little image she'd had of where she knew this man from.

Milly's terrified blue eyes darted to Lily and then back to Greyback and she uttered a small shriek, backing up slowly as if trying not to disturb a resting bear.

And then Greyback became visible.

He was horrible, more beast than man with dried blood and clumps of body hair which gave him an ungroomed look not to mention animalistic. His eyes were bloodshot and a sickly yellow. Lily could even smell him now and now she knew why the room had felt so wrong. It had had that faint smell – the smell of death.

A small squeak emerged from Lily and Greyback's eyes turned to her, his gaze hungry. Lily tried to squeeze herself farther into the corner as if that would help her disappear but it was no use. The wolf-like man advanced on her, a smile playing about his face showing teeth that were more like fangs. But at least he had deserted Milly.

Lily shot her newfound friend a look that clearly said 'get away!' but the girl shook her head, her mouth set in a determined line. Lily nearly stomped her foot in exasperation but instead faced Greyback, trying to keep his attention from Milly.

"Such red hair and brown eyes," Greyback said, almost drooling, "I've seen those features before – on a terrified girl. Only that was so long ago and your face, so familiar. Just like the one in the forest all that time ago –" He dropped off as if startled by his findings. A frustrated look passed over his face and he pounced on Lily, holding her still, "What is your name, girl?"

Lily gulped and gave him a steely, determined look but said nothing.

Greyback shook her by her shoulders, "Your name! TELL ME YOUR NAME!"

"I'll tell you her name!" The quavering voice of Milly broke the creatures screams.

The world halted abruptly as Greyback stopped shaking Lily, set her down, and stalked over to Milly. Lily shook her head to clear it before shouting at her friend, "Milly! Why –"

"Why?" The girl looked at her in confusion, "Why not?"

Greyback smiled and grasped Melinda by the arm, "Tell me her name and I will actually let you go – not a gift awarded to many."

"You have to let her go too."

Greyback gave her a searching look, "I don't believe you're in the position to be laying down terms. Now TELL ME HER NAME!"

Milly gulped and looked over to Lily who had collapsed and fallen to the hard ground. Lily raised her chocolate brown eyes and nodded slightly, there was no way out of this mess.

"Her name," Tears began to slide down the girls cheeks, "is Lily –"

"Lily who?"

"Potter," The word shot from Melinda's mouth, "Lily Potter."

Greyback dropped Milly's arm and the girl backed away slowly before running to the door. Before she ran out she glanced at Lily and an understanding passed between them – Milly would bring help, all Lily had to do was hold on until help arrived.

"Not so fast, girl!"

Milly hadn't quite made it to the hallway and, with horror dawning on her face, she turned around.

"You will not, under any circumstances, speak of this." Greyback growled out, "Or I shall come, at the full moon, and you will feel what it is like to be a werewolf and it will not be a happy existence for you under my care."

Milly jumped and cast Lily one final look before running as fast as she could from the room.

"Lily Potter." Greyback muttered, "Of all the people to stumble across me it had to be Lily Potter."

Lily pushed herself of the ground and leaned on the window frame, wiping the blood from a scraped elbow. She surveyed the room for possible escape routes but found none. Greyback was between her and the door and the windows were welded shut. She supposed she could make a run for the teachers office – there might be some floo powder and a fireplace. Yes, that was her best bet.

Greyback was still muttering to himself when she ran. A shout of surprised echoed around the destroyed room and the sound of claws hitting stone made Lily repress a scream. She darted up the stairs and raced into the room. Lily spun and slammed the door, throwing the bolt only a second later. There was a thud and then laughter. But the laughter came from both the other side of the door and inside the office, where Lily was.

Lily spun around and stared right into the eyes of a man with the crazed eyes of someone who has been in Azkaban.

Sorry that was a bit short but Lily's in for a really long conversation and a lot of surprises and I would have been writing forever to get it all in. And then it would be terrible because I'm not such a great concentrator.

For those who wonder about my other two stories, I am considering putting them on hiatus because this is my favorite and I don't see the point in forcing myself to add to them (as it will only be poorly written).

I'll try to update soon (possibly even today) since now I know where I'm going with this.

Happy belated holidays and a happy New Year!

Oh, and a HUGE thanks to MissMraz who reviewed not once but FOUR WHOLE TIMES! I was in shock. So thank you very much (Virtual reward of your choice)

Guess what? I figured out how to enable anonymous reviews so now anyone can press the review button! Please will you? I'd be ever so grateful!