Hello everyone! This story is an Asylum!AU and is pretty angsty. Read the warnings carefully; even though most of them are just referred to, they are present, so if you don't read stories with them, don't read this. :)

Thank you to Elizabeth (MoonytheMarauder1) for betaing this!

Summary of this OS: James wonders about the red-haired woman who is brought in one day.

Rating of this OS: A strong T

Warning: Reference to an attempt at r**e and murder, torture, language

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, everything belongs to J.K. Rowling. I don't make any money out of this story.

.:.

Written for:

[HSWW] April Auction - (AU) Asylum!AU

Word count (without the A/N): 2,095 words

voices (it wasn't my fault): James Potter and Lily Evans

The first thing James sees of her is her mane of dark red hair. She's fighting against the men who are leading her down the hallway.

"Let me go, please, let me go," she cries. "I haven't done anything, it wasn't my fault!"

The men seem to be unaffected by her screams and her pleas and her cries, but he is not. He stands up and comes closer to the bars on his door, and he looks at her being dragged down the corridor.

When they shut the barred door of her cell, not so far from his, he can still hear her sobbing.

He is allowed to go to the cafeteria now, but he is accompanied by two guards. The blonde one who permanently threatens him with his taser is the one who bothers him most; the others aren't so terrible.

He sits down and smiles a little in the direction of the other black-haired boy (Sirius, he believes). They don't even have the right to be closer than that, let alone talk to each other. Residents of the asylum have committed suicide for less than that (it might have been the loneliness or the fear of what is waiting for them that drive them to such horrible extremes). But he seems kind, and that's enough for James to feel less alone.

It's the worst, really - the loneliness. And he doesn't want to even think about what their new companion must be going through. He feels pity for her, but he's intrigued most of all. He remembers what she has said, that it wasn't her. And he wonders what wasn't her fault. He will probably never have the answer, but…

There is movement at the other end of the hall. He looks up, as does everyone, and he stands mouth agape when he sees the red-haired woman, who goes and sits alone at a table. The guards by her side (in fact, every guard in the room) eye her warily, but she lowers her head and stays quiet and still.

She apparently feels his gaze on her though, because she looks up after a few minutes and looks right at him with her bright green eyes. She frowns and studies him, and he almost feels like a mouse she is going to dissect. And then her lips quirk upwards and he smiles back, just a little.

Until one of her guards steps towards her and threatens her with his taser, shouting at her, "Eat! That's why we brought you here. Don't make us regret it." James tenses and gets ready to intervene (to do what, that's a good question; he should keep himself in check, because if he stays calm, he'll soon be out of this damned place), but she obeys and lowers her head, slowly eating. Chewing, swallowing, and repeating. Again and again.

He observes her and when her plate is finally empty, one of her guards drags her to her feet and he can see she wants to protest and fight, but she doesn't. He wonders why though.

A few months after that episode, in the middle of the night, he has just fallen asleep when he hears a little knock on his barred door. He opens his eyes instantly and sits up, and he stares at her face through the bars.

A few seconds later, she disappears and he hears a click, and then his door opens and he is free. For the first time in a long time, he is free! But he has no time to laugh or smile, for she has already signaled him to follow her.

Her steps are light as a feather and she doesn't make a noise, and he follows her as quietly as he can.

They turn in deserted corridors and when, finally, they stop in front of a locked door, he wonders silently, And what now? And he watches her pick the lock and open the door, his mouth slightly agape.

They both enter the room and she closes the door behind them, locking them away from the world.

"I'm Lily. Lily Evans," she introduces herself as soon as the door is shut behind them.

"Why did you bring me here?" he asks, still dumbstruck at her surprising abilities.

"Because the voices aren't there when you're around," she answers matter-of-factly.

"The voices?" he repeats incredulously.

"Yes. The ones who tell me to hurt people. I don't obey to them, usually, but… as you can see, I'm here now. But it wasn't my fault. It was the voices."

He listens to her explanation and his eyebrows raise and raise as she talks. She was really crazy if she was there because of… voices, whatever they were. Unlike him. He has been locked here for two years now, and without any good reason. His mother had believed it was best for him; after his father's death, his health had come crumbling down.

"I'm… sorry you're hearing voices," he finally mutters.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm starting to get used to it anyway, so I don't hear them all the time. Not as much as before anyway."

He nods and finally introduces himself, "I'm James. James Potter."

"That's a pretty name," she smiles brightly, but her smile disappears when he asks her why she was sent here in the first place.

"It's the voices," she repeats and she shrugs. "They told me to hurt him."

"Him?"

"My brother-in-law. He was trying to…"

Her voice breaks and his brow furrows. He thinks he knows what she is going to say, and as she tries to find a better way to say it, he thinks about all the ways he can hurt that bastard.

"He was trying to force himself on me," she finally finishes weakly. "So I did what the voices told me to do. I took the iron and I burned him with it. More than once. He's hurt now, and he won't force himself on anyone else. Not me, not my sister, not anyone. But please don't run. It wasn't my fault. And there's no risk I'll hurt you; the voices aren't there when you're around. They're quiet now…"

Her voice fades and a melancholic smile appears on her lips (such beautiful, desirable lips, he thinks). Her eyes are lost and he touches her hand to bring her attention back to him.

"What's his name?" he asks. "What's the name of the bastard who sent you here?"

She's surprised by his language and she frowns. "Why do you want to know?" she asks.

"So I can hurt him when I'm out of here!" he exclaims, forcing himself to keep his voice down.

"He's in a hospital," she tries to reason him. "You won't be able to hurt him anyway."

"I can try," he retorts and defies her.

She returns his gaze and seems to think about it, and then she whispers the name, "His name's Vernon. Vernon Dursley."

"I'll keep that in mind." He smiles coldly, and he's aware that any other girl would fly away from him now. Any other girl, but not her.

"Lily?" he asks, and she focuses on him again. "Why don't you try to escape? If you can pick locks as well as you can… it could be possible, right?"

"Maybe I deserve to be here," she whispers. "My sister hates me, and the voices… I can't endanger anyone here."

"Then bring me with you," he whispers back and takes her hand, and she doesn't pull away. "You said the voices aren't there when I'm a-"

He's interrupted by someone pounding violently on the door.

"Evans, Potter!" someone screams, and he recognizes the drawling, cold voice of the Malfoy guard. "Get out now!"

He looks at her and she nods, once. They both stand up and she opens the door. There is no fear in her eyes, but then she falls, a moan escaping her lips. He can see the taser pushed against the bare skin of her arm, and he kneels down next to her, a comforting hand on her shoulder as she cries, holding her arm close to her.

"Get up, Potter," the guard seethes and threatens him with his taser.

James gently tugs Lily to her feet, and she fights visibly to hold back her tears.

"You two, Master Riddle wants to see you," he indicates, and points his taser to the corridor on their left.

He looks at the red-haired woman he still holds close, and smiles tightly at her. He knows this won't end good for any of them, but at least, he's glad he has finally got to solve the mystery of her and her presence here.

Master Riddle is a surprisingly young looking man. He has never seen him; he's always delegated someone else to follow his case. That's why he's so astonished at the idea of finally facing him, with someone as new here as Lily.

"Lily Evans and James Potter," he says, and his voice is so cold. "I have heard a lot about you, and your… escapade tonight."

He can tell Lily is shuffling her feet at the noise.

"Poor little Lily Evans," he continues, his eyes focused on her like those of a snake ready to devour his prey.

Lily shifts even more at his side, and he believes only he can hear her when she whispers, "It's me."

"I know why you're here," Riddle continues and a cold smile etches itself on his thin lips. "You are a danger to everyone, and you have actually dared to bring James Potter along your fantasies. I expected better of you, really."

He nods, and suddenly Lily is on the floor, trying to squirm away from the taser. When Malfoy finally stops following her and teasing her with his weapon, she curls into a ball and weeps in pain.

He wants to kneel down next to her again, but Riddle's gaze is on him and it's like he's paralyzed. He cannot move - he cannot help her…

"You want to help your friend here?" the Master asks, and he nods briefly (even though she's not even really his friend; there's just something about her that makes him want to be by her side.)

"Come forward then," he invites him and gestures coolly with his hand to the seat in front of his desk.

As James steps forward, he almost expects to be tased in the back.

"You'll accept without a hesitation to stay here as long as I want you to," Riddle finally says. "As long as I need you here, you'll stay. And you'll have to endure her every punishment. As a counterpart, you'll have the right to eat with her and talk to her, with twice as many guards around you, of course."

He doesn't hesitate. He can take it, he's sure of it. Better than her anyway. He nods, and Riddle continues, "I want to prove to people I actually have enough power to heal those illnesses. And you'll help me."

"I'll help you," he agrees.

The last thing he remembers is being hit in the face, and falling on the ground.

He wakes up in the Hospital Wing of the asylum. He can barely open one eye, and when he turns his head to look around him, everything goes blurry. He can see, however, Lily lying on a bed next to his, handcuffed, and the guards guarding the entrance of the room.

He scowls and sits up, to discover he hasn't been tied to his bed. So he stands up unsteadily and comes closer to her, sitting down loudly on the chair next to her.

Her eyelids flutter and she opens her eyes, just as if she has felt him come near her.

"Lily," he says gently.

She smiles tiredly at him, and answers, "James. It hurts…"

"I know. But it won't anymore."

"What do you mean?" she asks, frowning, and she apparently regrets it because she lets out a gasp of pain two seconds after that.

"I've made a deal with Master Riddle. You won't be punished anymore, because -"

"Because you will," she concludes eerily. "You didn't have to do that, you know. At least, the voices are gone when I'm asleep."

He stays silent. She looks so pitiful, and he wants to promise her that everything will be alright, so he does.

"Everything will be alright, Lily," he whispers, low enough so that only she can hear. "You won't be hurt anymore, and I'll help you. I promise."

And this promise, he can keep.

I hope you liked this one! :)