AUTHOR'S NOTE: Please forgive me for the delay, guys! I had a lot of tests this whole week, and had assignments that meant the grade. And I had problems of my own too, so it took some time.
So I had a tough time on continuing the story from where I left, so that adds to the time taken. Thank God it's out now! I'm half-way to the next chapter, so enjoy this one!
Thanks for all the reviews! They are great for my first time!

Warning: There are some swears in this chapter, so look out.

Disclaimer: The magical world of Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. I only own this plot.

Chapter 11:

Lily could not believe her eyes.
Severus.

He wasn't looking like her old friend; he was paler, thinner, and had the vilest look of revenge playing in his blank eyes. Lily had gone silent in shock, and seeing this as a sign, Severus let go of her mouth. Bite marks showed on his palm, but he didn't feel them. He didn't feel anything lately.

Taking in a deep breath, he began just as he planned, "I saw it all." He said it with disgust, as if it brought bile in his mouth.
Lily couldn't even believe what she was hearing.
"Saw what?" she croaked out, her throat gone soar from screaming. Her hands were trembling like leaves.
"Everything" he spat.

Realization dawned upon Lily, as she knew what exactly Severus meant; he was talking about James. The escorting, the dance, the leaning-in…

She couldn't come to saying anything at all. So Severus went on, "Oh, don't act as if it never happened. I've seen it all. Not only today, but ever since you stepped down the train for 7th Year, and hung out with that Potter."

She spoke, her voice tiny, "Sev-"
"Oh, don't go all 'Sev' on me!" He cut her off. "I'm not done yet. I saw every bloody thing; how he saved your puny life from Bellatrix, how you've spent all your time with that Potter, even that Hippogriff ride. And most of all, that precious dance, and what was to come afterwards." He leaned back, shook his head slightly, and said, "I never thought you would go out with that slimy git!"

Feeling defensive, she said, "He has changed! He isn't like that any - "
"Oh! Going defensive now are we?" He cut her off once more. "Of course, being the Mudblood you are, you'd betray
anyone you know to get what you want!"

Lily, couldn't resist any longer. She struck him hard across his left cheek. She felt hot tears spring into her eyes. "HOW DARE YOU!" she screamed. "How dare you call me the betrayer! I wasn't the one who abandoned their friends to go into the dark side! I'd never even think of killing people because of their—their fucking blood status!" She was rambling now. "After all those days of begging pathetically, I actually thought you changed. God forbid, I was about to forgive you! But now," she shook her head at him. "Now I know who's the real toe-rag here." She spat those last words.

Severus' face contorted with anger. He stepped forward, so that Lily's back was touching the wooden wall. He began with a rage, "Oh, now you're calling me the toe-rag?!" He let out a merciless laugh that rang shivers through her. "HA! You don't get to call me a bloody toe-rag, Mudblood! That asshole of yours, James, is the real toe-rag! He-"
This time Lily cut him off, by saying, "He hasn't done anything to you lately! HE BARELY COMES NEAR YOU!"
"Oh, so his earlier doings are long forgotten! Lily, he made my life fucking miserable! He and his bloody gang made my life a living hell! And only a low-life like yourself could go out with him!"

Tears were streaming down her face. "ATLEAST THEY'D NEVER CALL ME A FILTHY MUDBLOOD!" she screamed.

Severus' face was now inches close to hers. He said in a vile voice, "And they are wrong! You know why? Because you are a MUDBLOOD. Born one, and will die one." He gave the most evil of smirks.
This wasn't the Severus she knew. It was as if he was under the Imperius Curse. But his eyes were clear as day, so she thought otherwise.

He went on. "You think hanging out with lads who pity you is gonna make your life all rainbows and smiles? You think ignoring those calls about you will change any bloody thing? Newsflash, Lily: It won't change a goddamn thing. You hear me? You are a filthy Mudblood, and always were one. Those Marauders' are just gits who can't see the real light."
Lily was continuously shaking her head. She wasn't going to believe in it. She won't, she won't.

She can't.

Or she'd break.

"And honestly speaking," he said slyly. "I never really regretted calling you one either."

Lily couldn't take it anymore.

She smacked his chest hard, to push him aside, and ran for the door.

She had never run as fast as she did then. She burst into the huge crowd, still dancing away in the party. She pushed anyone who came in her way. If she stood for a second more, she'd fall– or faint. People were giving her curious glances—shouts, even—but she did not care. She wanted to leave this damned place.
Lily burst through the door, and stood in the middle of the empty hallway, the tears now falling freely down her cheeks on the smooth, polished floor. Her hair had long-gone fallen out of its bun, and fell down her back.
She didn't know what to do. She couldn't think properly. Her thoughts felt clouded just like her eyes clouded with tears. The things Severus said. They almost seemed true to her.

No, she can't believe in them.
But…

Did she accept the Marauders' company, only to escape the truth for a while? Did they only pity her, and not appreciate her for who she is? Would ignoring the shouts on her change anything? Everything came in her like a tidal wave, full of emotions; anger, grief, sadness…

Lily couldn't take these emotions anymore. She'd break down if she took them in again. She clutched her hair, thinking of what to do, where to go.
And then her mind clicked. She knew where she had to go.

To James.

In a split second, she started running towards the doors opening to the grounds. Her body ached, and she felt tired all over. But she wouldn't rest until she saw his face. He would make her feel better. He would curb her sadness away with lame jokes, Quidditch, his bloody smirk, anything. James was the one thing she had not lost faith in. Almost in her entire life, she had given up hope; first on her friends, then on her pride, and now on her own self. But not on James. He was always there, even when she rejected him. He was always there.

She finally reached the doors, and saw faraway, James. He looked up and smiled at her.

He began, "Those pesky kids kept on ruining the lights! Sorry to keep you waiti– oh, Lily, why are you– oomph!"

Without any warning, Lily ran to him at full speed and wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling his warmth radiating through him. Just as instantly, he wrapped his arms around her too. She was on her tiptoes, her head nestled in the crook of his neck where she sobbed uncontrollably.

James asked, "Lily, what happened?"
He took her tear-stained face in his warm hands, and tilted her face up, so that her green eyes were looking into his hazel ones.

"Lily, who did this to you?"

He asked this with the most hurt look on his face, as if he regrets not protecting her. It only made her cry more. She couldn't muster her voice, so she just whispered, "I'm just… afraid…"

He wiped her tears away with his thumb, his fingers in her red locks. There she realized she wasn't crying anymore. Everything was okay when she was around him.

Lily noticed something move behind him. She looked, and felt dread creep through her limbs. She shouted, "God, James! Look out!"

Three hooded men, with their faces covered in green masks advanced towards the pair, their wands at the ready. Before James could turn to lift his wand, he got shot with a loud Stupefy (!) square on the chest, knocking him out-cold.
As he fell down, Lily cried out for help, and pulled out her own wand for battle. But as she turned around, she saw a bright light, and a huge force pushing her down. The edge of her eye-sight started to blur. The world was spinning.

A hint of green and a sneer was all Lily last saw.

Lily's eyes fluttered open.

She looked around, but didn't see much. It was dark around the room. She tried to get up, but failed, for she felt rotten ropes sting at her arms. She struggled against them for a few helpless moments, but failed. They wouldn't budge. Panic rushed through her suddenly, and many thoughts tumbled in her mind.

What happened?
Who would do this?
How will I get out?

She was almost on the brink of losing it, when she heard a voice behind her, a groggy voice saying, "Uh… Lily…"

She knew immediately who that was, tied-up against her.
It was James.

"James", she whispered.

He was bound so that his back was against hers, but if she could turn her head to one side, she could see James' face from one side. But it was enough for her, to know that he was alive and breathing.

James reached out from behind, and Lily felt his hand clutch hers tightly. She clutched just as tightly.

He said, "Lily… Don't- don't you worry. We'll be alright. I'm right here…" His voice slightly trembled as he spoke, and betrayed genuine fear, but she felt her panic slightly subside.

It was no doubt that James was positively afraid. Afraid of what would happen next. Just moments before he and Lily were about to kiss, but now? What happened? Surely, James felt it was the works of the Slytherins, but he was afraid of what they would do to Lily. He only wanted her safe, but here she was, tied-up against him. What more could he do, than comfort her?

He felt extremely useless at this point, and he didn't know what to do.

Just as they sat in silence, listening to each other's breathing, they saw a door open from the corner. As the same three hooded men – this time without the masks - came and flicked all the torches on with their wands. The beams of light stung Lily's eyes.
James was giving them a glare; he did not want these people to know that they scared him, a little.

The hooded man standing in the center held his hood, and carefully pulled it back.
He revealed his face for the first time.
Lucius.

Slowly, the others revealed themselves; Avery, Bellatrix, and Severus.

Lily heard James growl deep in his throat.

"Well, isn't this a lovely surprise?" Lucius drawled.

"Just a few minutes ago, I believe I saw you two enjoying the night, dancing, having a chat… Well, this is a lovely turn of events, isn't it?" he chuckled.

James opened his mouth to speak, but then Lucius lifted his wand at him, and said, "Oh, but James, you wouldn't want to interrupt me just yet." They way he said it sent shivers down Lily's spine.
He carried on, "So, as I was saying, since you two would never leave each others' sights all this time, I felt that I had to do something about it. I wanted to make a deal with you both, and how could I do it in public, when you two would just never leave each other?" He shrugged his shoulders so innocently, that it made Lily gag.

"So, then I of course had to plan something. And luckily, it wasn't hard at all. All I had to do was agitate Lily – with what issues and drama she has with Sev- and that simultaneously led James to lose his temper, didn't it?" He gave a questioning glance to James, who returned it with a glare.
He ignored it, and said, "And so, now here I have you both."

Before he could go on, Lily interjected, "Why are we here?" She said it with enough force to lessen the quiver of fear in her voice.
Lucius bent down, and leveled his face with Lily's. She felt James stiffen behind her. Lucius held out his finger, and traced the side of her face. She froze all over, afraid something would happen if she moved.

He spoke, "Oh, Lily… There isn't much use of you now. You are only our… let just say… part of our experiment." He smirked cruelly at her. She felt the life go right out of her. What did he mean?
He went on, "See, we don't have any real use of filthy Mudbloods like you. All they have ever done is ruining the Wizarding Race."

She shut her eyes. Lily saw that coming. Who would ever support the 'Mudbloods'?

"You better pipe that gutter of yours for sure, or I fucking swear I'll kick your - "James did not have time to finish his rant, since Avery stepped up and swung a hard face right into his jaw. He grunted with the impact, and turned his head. He was quivering with fury, and his breaths came out in low puffs.

Lucius got up, and stepped towards James. He towered over him, like a haunting shadow over his life, but Lily knew better. James would never cower back. Not without a fight. And just as she suspected, she turned and saw James looking up to him without any trace of fear.

Before Lucius could begin, James began in an airy tone, "Let me guess; you are desperate for more people in your little Death-Eater tea party, so you can start your little 'world-domination' plans, right? Or am I missing the douche himself?" Just as he finished his line, Lucius punched him hard across his jaw once more. The impact shook him, and he spat blood near Lucius' shoes when he recovered. He chuckled bitterly, and said, "Cute. Talk about anger-management."
He would never lose that tone of arrogance in his personality, Lily realized. But she saw that it was working, since Lucius was beside himself with anger.

But Lucius recovered quickly. He ran a hand through his blonde hair, and said in his snake-like voice, "Oh, you'll see the real-deal soon enough." Without another word, he left the room, his black cloak fluttering behind him. Soon the others followed, leaving Lily and James alone in the cellar.

As they left, James swore loudly. This was not what he had planned. He had planned an unforgettable evening with Lily. He promised an evening full of fun and bliss.
Well, isn't this unforgettable, he miserably added to himself.

His jaw hurt terribly, and he kept on spitting blood. It wasn't stopping. He wiped his mouth against his left shoulder, and felt some of the blood smear across his chin. As he lifted his head, he heard Lily ask, "James, are you okay?" He felt her hand crawl towards his. It was all the encouraging he needed.

"It's just a scratch, Lily." He said, trying to lighten her mood.

He heard her laugh, and in a second it turned into a sob. Oh, to hell with lightning the mood, Prongs, he thought. They needed to escape. Fast.

"Lily, Lily, shh, don't cry, we'll-we'll get out from here. We'll think of a way."

James tried to calm her down. But she just shook her head, held his hand in a tight clutch, and whispered, "I'm sorry, James."
He held her hand just as tight, making circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. He couldn't administer what she said. Why was she sorry? She didn't plan this. What did she do that made her feel sorry for this?

"Lily, why are you sorry? Lily, it's not your fault. It's- its mine." he admitted.
She turned her head to the side so that their cheeks were touching now. Her cheeks were wet from the trails of the tears that flowed.
"W-what?" she mumbled.

James said, "We- we wouldn't be here if I hadn't left. I could have bloody well sent Sirius or Remus to take care of the mess that happened, but no. I have to screw everything up all the fucking time." He finished the rant loudly than intended.

Lily was shaking her head, "No, James. Don't say that. Please-"

James cut her off quietly, "But Lily, it's true. All I have ever done is fucking everything up. At Hogwarts, I was such a prick. Teasing and cursing people. It's all I ever did. Especially how horribly I treated you, when you never even did anything wrong." His head lolled down, in defeat. That was the cold-hard truth. He had to face it sooner or later, and he picked sooner. And it was all true; if he would have been in his brains before, then he might have had great relations with Lily, or even more.

But he screwed everything up, like he always does.

Lily rested her head against his right shoulder. He was so overwhelmed by the situation now – them both tied up, him just having a beating, and what would happen next in the experiment, Lily feeling sorry for who-knows-what, and now this – that he could do nothing but close his eyes and cry or just imagine it was just a dream.

He closed his eyes, and remembered his father saying, before he died, when he was off for his last mission, and James persuaded them not to go, for it was dangerous.

His father said, "James, I will not give up now, and neither should you. If you ever feel like this, remember what we are fighting for; love. Love for our family, love for our friends"and with the smirk just like his son's"and love for that special one."

He opened his eyes, and he was sitting in the same cellar. He did not feel beat-up, or useless, or helpless anymore. He felt a purpose surge through his veins like fire. He knew what he was fighting for. He knew. And James knew that he can't do much now, since he was restrained literally. But the little things can create differences.

Lily's sobs had died out. Her breathing was even against his shoulder. He sat up, perched his already-broken glasses up the bridge of his nose with his shoulder, and started humming a tune to Lily.
She lifted her head, and asked, "I've heard that somewhere…"

He said, "It's the song we danced to, in the Ball." Then James continued humming.

Lily sighed and rested her head on his shoulder again, but this time he felt her smile into his shirt. So he continued humming.

James hummed for hours- or a few minutes, he wasn't sure – until his voice went sore. Sometimes Lily would pitch in, and sometimes they both would pitch in. Softly, they hummed as time passed by.
Well, little things do create differences, James thought.

After what felt like a lifetime, the cellar door opened again, this time more abruptly. Lucius, Bellatrix, and Severus stepped into the dark, dank cellar, with looks of malice etched on their faces. All were wearing menacing smirks on their faces – Bellatrix showed her blackened teeth - except Severus, who was in a much more somber mood.

They all held their wands at the ready. Their eyes were gleaming with malicious intent.

A look like that could only mean something bad, James admitted.

Lucius finally spoke up, "Now, let's start with the 'real-deal' I promised you two." It accompanied with Bellatrix's cackle.