A few hours later, Lily's alarm was going off, and she was reluctantly throwing the covers off of her. Her feet were freezing on the stone floor. After a quick shower, (so quick because the water was bitterly cold), she got dressed and left to meet Hagrid and Slughorn downstairs. She had completely forgotten Potter was asleep on her couch until she saw him there, one leg completely off the couch and still drooling on her cushion. She decided to leave him there for the time being. She'd deal with him when she returned.
Stuffing her potions notes and a corked sample into her bag, she left. Hagrid was already there waiting for her, but Slughorn hadn't shown yet, so she took the opportunity to warn Hagrid.
"Slughorn may be coming any minute, he will want Mercury's blood that we collected."
"I don't have it anymore..."
"Don't have what anymore, Hagrid?" Slughorn said as he approached.
"Mercury's blood. Gave it to Dumbledore..."
Slughorn looked defeated. Not the hang dog look, but someone who just lost by a single point, someone who had gotten so close and let had nothing to show for it. A sore loser, in other words.
"I know this might not be the best time to bring this up sir, but I have here the potion I was telling you about. I have all my notes and a sample of it... I didn't want to give it to you in class..."
"Have you tested it?"
"Twice. It worked like a charm." She said, then added, "I mean it worked perfectly." It had been a while since she had slipped up like that. In the muggle world it was alright to say things like that, but in this castle saying that a potion works like a charm would have many a witch and wizard scratching their heads, wondering if they need to use an incantation...
This seemed to distract Slughorn away from his bad mood momentarily and he took the offered items from her and inspected them interestedly. "My word Evans" He said as he skimmed the second page of notes. "You tested this yourself?"
"Of course. I would never let someone else try it if I hadn't taken it myself first to make sure it is safe. You see there I've written all the effects of it...
"Why do you have a question mark next to 'tingly toes'?"
"Because I'm not sure if that was the potion or simply me being cold..."
"Ah."
"Well, as you know I have a unicorn to feed so I will see you in class tomorrow, proffesor."
"Yes... yes..." He said vaguely still reading the notes as he was walking away.
"Sorry about that, Hagrid."
"Nothin to worry about. He's the Potion's Professor, right? That's what he's supposed to do..."
"I suppose so, but enough of that, how are you?" She asked as they crossed the lawn to his hut.
"Fine. Beau'iful mornin..."
"It is indeed. I was just wondering if you were alright. Is anything bothering you?"
"No no... just get nervous sometimes for you tha's all. Last night when you joined the order I was thinkin how dark things are. Can't bring meself to read the prophet anymore. Too many familiar names..."
"I know Hagrid."
"If anything happened to you, Lily I don't know what I'd do..." Lily was relieved, and yet slightly unnerved to see that Hagrid's face was set, and not scrunched up with the usual tears.
"Same here Hagrid. Let's not think about that until it comes, which it might not ever. But I promise I'm not going anywhere anytime soon."
The morning's feeding was more subdued than usual, and when Lily returned to her chambers she was pensive and quiet, once again having forgotten that her Professor was asleep on her couch.
She checked her watch. 30 minutes until they stopped serving breakfast. She whipped out her wand, trying to think of what mischief she should do. She didn't want anything too serious, nothing he could legitimately get angry for. She settled on turning his hair blue. Pink, she had thought would have been too much of a consternation to him, so she settled for blue with sparkles.
"Potter. Potter, wake up." She said shaking him. He didn't budge. She tried again with no success... She sighed, not actually wanting to go through with it, but not seeing anyway around it.
"Rictasempra!"
That woke him up. She only let him laugh for half a minute or so before she took it off, she didn't want him mad at her, not yet anyway... not for this.
"Damn it, Evans..."
"Sorry, you wouldn't wake up and breakfast will stop serving soon..."
"What time is it?" He said suppressing a yawn as he looked at his grandfather's watch. "Already?"
Lily was already at the portrait hole. "The coast is clear... I'll be along in a second."
"You aren't coming now?"
"Of course not, I couldn't stand the humiliation of being seen in public with you..."
"Fair enough. I'll see you in class. "
When James entered the great hall he felt rather strange, as if people were staring more than usual. When he sat down at the Head Table Professor Flitwick gave him a shaky "hello," but no one else seemed to say anything, just stare. Did he have something on his face?
"Always after attention. You haven't changed much since your school days, Potter." McGonagall said. "But why did you choose to change your hair blue?"
"My... blue?" He asked, grabbing a spoon and staring at his warped reflection. Sure enough, his hair was blue...
"You didn't know?" She asked, incredulous.
"I didn't, but don't let anyone else know that or my reputation will be ruined. If anyone asks I did this myself."
"A prankster must have done it on your way to breakfast..."
"Or while I slept..." He muttered angrily.
"Nonsense, a student would never be able to get into your dormitory. That's why it's password protected..."
"Oh right, of course..." He said, silently cursing Lily Evans. "Well, I am going to go see if I can get rid of this. Good morning, Professor." He said grabbing a piece of toast and leaving again. He hoped he would find Lily on her way down, but he didn't, nor was she in her Head Dorm. So she was hiding... at least she knew what was good for her. He stopped into the boys' toilet on the second floor and studied his reflection in the mirror. Blue... well, at least it wasn't pink. She had at least chosen a shade better suited to his skin tone...
Heaving a sigh he took out his wand. Knowing Lily to be a charms whiz he didn't really have any hope of fixing it, but he at least had to try.
As he had suspected, it remained blue and sparkly no matter what he tried. Now that he knew he was stuck with it he decided that he didn't really mind anyway. It was the opposite of 'sour grapes'. If you were going to be stuck with something, might as well enjoy it. It was eye catching at least.
The girls in his 2 morning classes were a bit more giggly than usual, but other than that, it was perfectly fine... well.. it did get a bit old, having people keep asking him about it. He gave a different answer each time just to make things more amusing for himself.
He was disappointed when he didn't see Lily in the Great Hall for lunch though... He'd see her in class that afternoon no matter what, he could endure till then.
James groaned when he saw Slughorn enter the Great Hall. Somehow he knew that he would sit next to him.
"Afternoon m'boy!" He said as he sat down to James's right.
"Afternoon Professor Slughorn..." He said dispassionately.
"I say, your hair is..."
"Blue, yes, I know. And how are you this afternoon?" He asked, not really caring.
"Oh fine fine. I'm wide awake as a matter of fact! Just awarded Lily Evans 50 points for Gryffindor for inventing a new potion."
"Really? I just gave her 30 for inventing a new spell." He said, sounding completely uninterested in the conversation, but Slughorn didn't notice.
"Extraordinary witch."
"Yes, well it was nice to talking to you sir, I have to go."
He rose from the table and walked away, aware that that had been the least intersting conversation and the least courteous exit had ever made. Heads turned as he left the great hall, following the head of blue... This would be so much easier to deal with if he weren't so exhausted.
Lily wasn't in her room so he went back upstairs and locked himself in his office.
"Sirius..." He said to the mirror.
"Hey Prongs." He said, taking in the blue hair and not even commenting. See, this is why James loved Sirius.
"How are you?"
"No complaints. So tell me what happens next in the Lily and James drama..."
"I'm too tired to yell at you for that so I'm just going to say... what it is I wanted to say."
"And that would be?"
"That you don't actually have to use a memory to conjure a patronus. Lily didn't. She just used a happy thought."
"Did she now..." Sirius said, cocking a brow. "But of course, she didn't tell you what that happy thought was."
"I didn't ask."
"So you badgered her about things anyway, I take it?"
"No..." He lied.
Sirius made no comment. His silence was statement enough.
"Ok, yes," He finally admitted. "But it turned out well."
"I'm sure it did." He said skeptically.
"Why do you keep talking like you already know everything?" James asked, but Sirius blatently ignored him.
"So our Lily flower was upset that her happy thought wasn't a legitimate memory."
"Yes."
"And you left it at that? Didn't enquire into what that happy thought was?"
"Yes."
"And then you left her in peace and didn't continue to pester her about anything else?"
"Erm..."
"Just say no I can finish what I'm going to say."
"No." He said with a sigh.
"So you imposed on her to the point where she was driven to commit colourful revenge on your hair."
"That's the story..."
"Well, I hope you learned your lesson."
"I certainly... Wait, what lesson.?"
Sirius shook his head. "Prongs... Prongs... Prongs Prongs Prongs... Your lack of common sense is almost refreshing in that 'I feel like I can slap you and not feel guilty about it kind of way...'"
"What?"
"Nothing. I'm just going to laugh when you finally figure it out and come running to tell me like it's big news..."
"I'm not awake enough for this... When I figure what out? When what's big news, my lesson?"
"No, fool."
"Then what's the lesson?"
"The lesson is that you should stop being such a prat all the time, but you can't help that and it's unimportant now anyway. The main thing is that I'm just going to laugh when you wake up and realise what you are doing."
"What am I doing?"
"You are talking to me on the mirror when you should be in class, for one thing..."
"Shit." James stuffed the mirror away and walked out of his office into the classroom where the entire class was waiting for him. He glanced at his watch. Only 5 minutes late. Good. Now what the fuck was he supposed to be teaching? Wait, what lesson was Sirius talking about? Why did it seem that everyone knew something he didn't?
After a disastrous lesson the 7th years trailed in, and all of them 15 minutes early. Save Lily, naturally.
"Professor?" Victoria White started, not taking her eyes off of him... or more accurately, his new colourful curls.
"Somehow my hair turned bright blue." He said conversationally.
"With sparkles..." Lily added helpfully. When had she arrived? She was smiling so genuinely at him that he forgot he was supposed to be mildly cross. Now that he saw her, the whole thing was nothing short of hilarious...
"With sparkles..." He acknowledged in mock gratefulness, then added pointedly. "But perhaps it's a bit too distracting for today's examination..." Lily was pleased that he didn't seem angry at all, in fact, he seemed to be enjoying himself.
He gave Lily so quick a wink that she barely saw it. What did that mean? What did he want her to do?
"Did you know I'm 1/16 metamorphmagus? Watch, I'll change my hair back without casting a single spell..." He screwed up his face in mock concentration. Lily laughed to herself but decided she would play along and humour him. Wandlessly and silently she removed the charm she had put on him that morning and the blue faded into the usual black.
The class oohed and ahed, and there was scattered applause. He gave the class a dazzling smile and bowed, loving the attention. Once everyone had calmed down a moment later he turned to the matter of the practical exam.
"The first exam will begin in 10 minutes. I will draw names at random to determine what order you will go in. Once you have done yours you are free to leave. You may now find a partner and do some last minute practice."
People grabbed each other and started practicing immediately. Lily could see the panic in some of their faces.
"So how do you think this will go?" Potter asked under his breath.
"They look slightly..."
"Ow! My eye!!!!!" A student shouted.
"Oh merlin, I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! Professor! Hospital wing!" His guilty partner shouted. Potter waved a hand as if shooing them away and they both left, one holding his face in his hands.
"Terrified." She finished. "So scared they would fake an eye injury to get out of doing it..."
"What?"
"He didn't really get hit in the eye... He just covered his eye and started shouting like he was in pain, and they both left..."
"Evans, why did you tell me that." He said with a groan.
"I didn't..." She said. "I'm going to the loo, I'll be back." She might as well be the authority figure this time, she knew how much he hated punishing.
She hurried out of the classroom, after the two boys. She spied them at the end of the hall and ran after them.
Knowing that if she said 'wait', they would only run away, she snuck up on them as she had been taught.
"Afternoon, boys." She said once she was right behind them. They both whipped around, startled.
"Shit..." One said.
"That's right. Look, I don't want to get you guys in trouble, I really don't. But I can't just let you skive off like this either. If you come back to class no one has to get detentions or lose points and no one has to know a thing."
"Except for the fact that I'm supposed to have an injured eye..."
"I'll just say I went after you to make sure you were alright and fixed it. The story will be that you hit him with a conjunctivitis curse and didn't know the counter curse... how's that?"
"Why are you doing this?"
"I told you... As Head Girl I can't let you get away with it but I don't want to see you get in trouble either. Fair?"
They stared and the ground and mumbled something that at least rhymed with fair, so Lily took that for an affirmative answer.
"And it won't be that bad. I promise. It goes in order of difficulty so you know kind of what to expect."
"It does?"
"Mmhmm. So let's go back. They are bound to start drawing names soon."
The three of them made their way back to the classroom, the boys in a slightly better mood. When they came back in Potter said in a booming voice, "How's the eye?"
"Evan's fixed it for me..."
"Oh, thank you Miss Evans. 10 points to Gryffindor. You still have about 3 minutes if you want to practice some more..." He said to the boys.
They nodded and retook their places in the classroom and began practicing in earnest this time.
"I can't believe you gave me points..." She said angrily, or at least she hoped she sounded angry. On the inside she was positively squirming with pleasure.
"I didn't, not really. I'm just giving back what I unjustly took from you Friday."
"Oh... So you still owe me for today." She said.
"If you hadn't said anything in the first place then I wouldn't have known..."
"Yes, but do you really want your students to get away with such cowardly behaviour?"
"No... Did you take points?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"I would have if they had refused to come back to class and take the exam... But they are here and they've learned their lesson so..."
"So there is no need for Gryffindor to loose any points over it, eh?" He said giving her a conspiratorial wink.
"That smacks of nepotism."
He shrugged apathetically. "I favour you all the time and you never preach about nepotism."
"Well... that's... because..." unable to give him the real reason, which she didn't the even herself rightly know, she explained lamely, "because it's not like you aren't taking away points from me when you should..."
"That's not true. I don't punish you all the time! How many students do you think could get away scotch free after turning their teacher's hair blue?"
"How many teachers do you know who can get away scotch free with sleeping in their students room."
"Touché... But I didn't take any points for Filch's file cabinets."
"Yes, but I'm doing that detention anyway by helping you with your class preparation..."
"I never made you go to detention for Friday's class..."
"I went but you never showed, so that's your fault. And besides, you said yourself you were wrong and were going to take it back anyway..."
"I never said that!"
"You did so. You told Hagrid that afternoon."
"He told you that?"
"Of course not. Hello? Doe? Forest? But she's so beau'iful, le's see if we can go say hello..." Then she switched her impersonations from Hagrid's voice to Potter's, "To a deer?" Then back to Hagrid, "Course! Maybe it will let yeh pet her." Back to Potter, "Why not. Much better out here trying to tame a doe than in the Great Hall.."
Potter looked scandalized. "10 points from Gryffindor!"
"For what... being an illegal animagus? Or for being in the dark forest?"
"For... for... eavesdropping!" He nearly shouted
"You are one to talk, Mr. King of the Pumpkin Patch!" Again, she had a point that he was forced to concede. Giving up on that strain of the argument he switched back to the other about being overly lenient with her.
"I don't punish you for skipping my class."
"Well... that's true I suppose. But..." She couldn't really think of a proper argument. It had been for a good cause certainly, but cutting class was cutting class.
"And in October, you turned in your essay a day late and I didn't take anything off for it."
"October?" She asked, genuinely confused. "That's too far back to be nepotism. Perhaps it was just oversight?" She said questioningly. Potter chuckled.
"No oversight Evans, you've always been my favourite," he said rumpling her hair. Lily felt her face flush with glee. "Mine, and every other Professor's too. Well, Flitwick's and Slughorn's certainly, McGonagall's too, but she'd never admit to it. But you are head girl, Gryffindor, and in the order, so pretty much goes without saying... And I would even bet a few galleons that Dumbledore has a soft spot for you too..."
"Could you try to get Binn's in on the fan club? I get absolutely no sympathy from him."
"I'll do my best. But for now, I have an exam to give. You are going last by the way."
"What? I thought it was the luck of the draw?"
"Your name isn't in there. So you are involuntarily going last. I can't have you go first and intimidate the other students now can I? Besides, we've got work to do after this anyway..." He raised his voice to a gentle bellow and continued "Alright, time's up! Everyone take your seats except for..." He reached into a box and pulled out a sliver of parchment, "Anne Wilkes!"
Everyone sat down at their desks and watched with nervous expecting eyes as Anne made her way to the front. It would be torture for some students, being put on the spot like that. She didn't watch Anne as she began her exam; she watched the rest of the class to see their reactions.
Because Anne didn't do too well or too poorly, the class didn't seem to become too intimidated or nervous. Next came Rupert and without thinking Lily started clapping.
"Let's go Roo!" She said encouragingly. The rest of the class joined in cheering him and he stepped up to the platform in the front of the class with a bit more confidence.
One by one the students went up to take their tests, but nobody really left afterwards. They stayed to watch and cheer on the next person. Some people didn't block every curse, but there were no serious injuries. Anytime someone let a curse get by their defences the class would start cheering encouragingly again. When the second to last person's name was called to stand up and defend himself, Alice looked over at her meaningfully. Lily didn't know what it was supposed to mean and she didn't ask. During the bout, however, Alice decided to explain herself and leaned over to her and whispered, "of course it would be you to go last..."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I mean you are the best in the class, it will be the grand finale!"
"There will be no grand finale..." Lily said chidingly while the class applauded as the Ravenclaw boy stepped off the platform after having passed his exam. To Lily's surprise, Potter put his wand to his throat and his voice suddenly grew so loud it was almost deafening.
"And last, but certainly not least... the Lovely... Lily... Evans!" He said theatrically. Lily heard Rupert start chanting "Lily! Lily! Lily!" before the rest of the class started joining in. Even the "eye" boys she had wrangled earlier to come back to class were shouting her name.
Lily stood up and walked to the front of the class to whistles and cat calls. She smiled embarrassedly. Ok so perhaps this was supposed to be a grand finale...
"No funny stuff Evans, remember, I am attacking you." He said. The class laughed.
"Silently, and in no order." She whispered.
"Why make it harder on yourself?"
"They want a show, let's give them a show."
"A proper duel, then?" He said, grinning wickedly.
"You're on."
"I know non certified spells too Evans, remember that... This time I won't hold back."
"Good."
"Evans has mortally insulted me, so I have challenged her to a duel, which she accepted." He said loudly for everyone to hear.
The class burst out into applause again.
"Now, of course, duelling isn't exactly allowed so let's keep this between 7th year DADA, alright? My honour is at stake after all!"
"So we walk, turn, bow and draw?" Came Lily's voice.
"That's how it goes... The first one to get hit loses?"
"I'd say the first one to quit loses. Like a real duel."
"Very well then. Back to back." He said. Lily stood behind him, backs toward each other. Then they began walking as he counted, 1,2,3...
After 10 paces they turned, and Potter gave a sweeping gentleman's bow. "Miss Evans..."
"Professor Potter." She said doing an equally silly lady's curtsey. There was a moment of intense stillness and silence throughout the room in which no one seemed to be breathing. Lily had completely forgotten that everyone else was even there, she had become completely focused.
"Begin!" He shouted, and everything started happening. She knew by the feel that he was getting all the initial curses out of the way, the ones for the exam. She blocked them easily and deftly as she fired ones back.
They quickly fell into the rhythm of attack, defend, attack, defend... the curses getting harder and harder, more and more dangerous. All of them higher than even the highest on the exam.
She got in a good blow to his stomach, he doubled over in pain, but that didn't stop him from shooting of something in retaliation.
It was a clever curse, she hadn't been afraid of it because she knew what it was, so her natural defensive shield didn't seem to kick it. It slithered around through her defence and slapped her across the face. It stung and she felt something trickle down her cheek as the class gasped. She wasn't paying attention to them though, she was fighting back. She didn't mind it getting violent. She wanted it that way. Death Eaters wouldn't bother giving her the hiccoughs or use the bat bogey hex...
She tried petrificus totalus, but he blocked that easily and sent a curse she didn't recognise zinging towards her. That one triggered her shield which seemed to explode, sending Potter flying onto his back and his desk skidding into the wall, the papers on top of it flying everywhere. Some of the students shrieked in surprise but neither Lily nor James took notice of them. In a moment he was back on his feet and they fell into the rhythm again of attacking and defending.
On a strange sudden impulse, she pointed her wand and shouted "Expeliarmus" while at the same time in her mind she was thinking and casting the spell for Rictasempra. She hoped that by her saying a spell aloud, he would think that that was the spell she was doing and therefore do the wrong spell to counter the one she actually sent.
It worked. He fell to the ground sputtering with laughter.
"Give up?" She asked.
"Never!" He managed through spats of laughter.
"Fine, I guess we will just have to wait for Remus to get here." She said inspecting her fingernails.
"Fine. I give up! Stop it, Evans! I can't breathe!"
She released him from the curse and he stood up panting. Lily turned to the class to make a bow when she felt a SNAP on her derriere. She let out a loud yip of pain and she shot up straight, glaring at the offending party.
"Bad form Potter!" She said, rubbing her...erm... wounded area.
He shrugged, innocently saying, "What did I do?"
"You know bloody wel..." But she stopped herself short as she saw her classmate's expressions.
They didn't say anything. They were still watching everything she and Potter did with bated breath.
"So... I passed, right?" She asked. Potter drew his brows together in a look of deep consideration.
"What do you think, class, should I pass Evans?" He shouted to the room.
This seemed to wake them up out of their astonished muteness. A cacophony of cheering, whistling, clapping, hooting, hollering, and the banging of fists on the desk filled the classroom. Potter raised his hands to quiet them and they settled down.
"Well Evans the jury has decided that even though it was clearly a draw, and that only because I let you tie with me, that I will give you a... P."
"BOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Came the unanimous reply of the class.
"Ok fine! Alright! An O... and 20 points to Gryffindor."
Once again everyone started cheering again.
"Now pack up and get out of here. If you haven't already turned in your essays, do so now. Put them there on the desk Evans has kindly relocated there."
Lily went back to her desk to collect her essay as the other students left and the few students who hadn't already turned in their esssays stood in line to place them on the desk and leave.
"Lily you are so lucky. I would have died if he had said something like that to me." Alice said.
"Said what?" She asked. It could have been any number of things, and Lily wasn't sure what exactly she had heard, or overheard as the case may be.
"The lovely Lily Evans..." She sighed.
"Only because I was the last one to go, he would have been the same if your name was drawn last."
"But of course it was you who went last. Some people have all the luck. Like lucky Lily Evans..."
Lucky? People thought of her has lucky Her parents were murdered and death eaters have gone after her twice... She was lucky to be alive, sure, but apart from that Lily thought her luck was pretty abysmal. But that's what people saw her as, the lovely Lily Evans, or the Lucky Lily Evans... no one seemed to see the lost or lonely Lily Evans...
"And who else in the class would have been able to win a duel against the Professor? He is so incredible and so funny." She gushed
"Right..." She said delicately feeling her cheek. Her hand came away smeared with blood.
"Oh you're bleeding by the way."
"I noticed. I have a few more hidden injuries too... I'll fix them in a bit. I'll catch you up later." She said wiping her hand on her robes. Poor elves, blood was terribly difficult to wash out. But perhaps the house elves had a special magic to remove blood stains... she would have to find out.
She was the last in line to hand in her essay, then she had to go back to her desk. Rupert was waiting for her.
"You go on, I have to clean up my wounds and this mess, plus I need to ask him some questions about a few of the spells he used, especially this one. I want to know how he managed to sneak that through..."
"What?"
"Technical theory stuff..."
"Sounds boring..."
"Did it look boring?"
"Hell no."
"Well without technical defensive theory there's not much you can do but point your wand and shout and your opponent and hope you win. Duelling is so much more than that... so I hope you did your best on that essay. I think that was the best thing I did to prepare..."
"The essay?"
"Definitely. Duelling is all about the mental and emotional tactical wheel..."
"If you say so. I'm not going to argue because you obviously know what you're doing. See you at dinner?"
"Perhaps..."
"Or do you have a date with Michaels..."
"I don't know. I'll see you later." He left and she returned to the front of the room and began picking up papers from off the floor. She used her hands, not bothering to do it the magical way. Potter was leaning against the desk, unbuttoning his shirt. He had already taken off his cloak. No doubt to inspect the damage she had done to his middle section with that bowling ball hex. She had created it herself, and simply called it the bowling ball hex because it was what she imagined it was what it would feel like to have a bowling ball crash forcibly into your midsection. She had only ever tried it on herself, and only the one time. She had actually cracked a rib. This was the second time she had ever used it, and she only did because she couldn't think of anything else at the time.
She went over to him to inspect his injuries.
"Does it hurt to breathe?" She asked. He took a deep breath.
"A bit."
"Where?"
"On... my insides." He said unsurely. It was difficult to describe the pain, but he didn't have to because Lily knew. It was like the diaphragm had been squashed into your stomach and lungs... so that breathing didn't exactly hurt it just felt... uncomfortably compressed.
She put her hands gently on his front, fingers testing gingerly, feeling for any cracks or breaks in the ribs.
"Any sharps pains here? Or here?" She asked as her delicate fingers explored his chest.
"No..."
"Ok, I think you just have a few bruised ribs. I can fix those in a second." She said, and followed the action to the word.
"And how are you? Did I get you with anything?"
"Well, apart from this?" She said pointing to her cheek. He took her chin in his hand to keep her head still while he fixed it. "I hope there won't be a scar..."
"Doubt it."
"And what was that you used that burned so much?" She asked, taking off her cloak and blouse as well. She was wearing her favourite green cotton tank top underneath. She held out her bicep to him. A large red burn glowed there, stinging still.
He pointed his wand at it and muttered something that seemed to cool it instantly. She committed the spell to memory in case she needed it in the future. She had two more, one on her thigh and another, on her derriere. She would fix those herself later.
"How did you reverse the blue hair? I tried everything..."
"Did you try saying please?" She said simply. James looked incredulous.
"Are you taking a piss?"
"No."
"You mean all I had to do was say please?"
"That is the magic word, isn't it?"
"I swear on Merlin's grave, Evans. You are the most..." But just exactly 'the most' what he didn't know. "You know what it doesn't matter. Come on, put your shirt back on we've got work to do."
He summoned two cage/tanks from his office. He held one and he gave the other to Lily.
"What are we getting?"
"Grindylows..."
"You mean... from the lake?"
"Well I certainly don't mean to go fishing for them in the toilets... You have a bathing suit?"
"I... uh..."
"It's a yes or no question, there is minimal thinking involved."
"Yes."
"Good, you'll need it."
They stopped by her room so she could change into her bathing suit. She hadn't warn it since 5th year and she wasn't sure it would even fit anymore, but she slid into it anyway, the material stretching more tightly than she would liked, but it was the best she had. She took the opportunity to use the cooling spells on her other two burns. They were still red, but at least the pain was gone. Pulling on skirt, jumper and robes over her she rejoined Potter in the common room and they went out to the grounds. It was a frigid day, no one was outside. A perfect day for a swim in icy water, Lily thought.
"Well, you are the expert here, what do we do?"
"Well, I would recommend the bubblehead charm to breath underwater, and to keep warm I would use the thermilacorpus charm. As for catching grindylows, well, you'd know as well as I do."
"Right then. Well... cheers!" He said stripping down to his boxers and putting the thermilacorpus charm as quickly as possible. Lily followed suit, relieved when she felt the warmth of the charm take effect. Unlike some less complicated and easier charms, thermilicorpus really did maintain your body temperature, instead of making you simply feel warmer than you actually are. Those other kinds of spells could kill a witch or wizard if they weren't careful. Ignoring the warning signs of frostbite etc, and dying of the cold without even feeling it.
After bubbling their heads they dove in, wands out and lit for light. She indicated for Potter to follow her to a section of the lake that was more likely to have Grindylows. Lower they went, to the bottom of the lake, disturbing the water plants to provoke one into coming out.
Lily was successful in the first few minutes. She prodded it out of the seaweed, and had it captured in its tank within a minute. She handed the cage to Potter, pointing it upward, and taking his empty one from him. He went to put it up above on the bank while she got the next one. Using the same method, she shot hot water into a mess of water weeds, drawing out another grindylow. With just as much ease as she had the first time she snatched it up in the cage and set it upwards to float along to the top ahead of her. She had been about to follow it when something caught her eye, hidden in the water plants. It was a necklace... a beautiful necklace. It wasn't any merpeople creation, but the finest craftsmanship of humans or perhaps it was even goblin made. What a waste to have thrown such a lovely piece of jewellery in a lake!
She reached for it, picking away the plants that seemed to want to keep it from her, but at last she pulled it free, wrapping the chain between her fingers.
The next thing she felt was pain. Excruciating pain, as if her heart and lungs were trying to turn themselves inside out inside her chest. She couldn't see. She couldn't breathe. She rejected the pain with her entire being. Rejecting everything. Go away! Go away!
Her bubble head charm and warmth vanished as they were unintentionally bidden and water rushed into her already screaming lungs. Lily knew if she passed out now she would die, but she didn't care. She just wanted it to end, and with that she fell into the darkness.
James had found the cage floating upward, but he didn't see Lily. Letting the cage float its way to the surface he went lower to look for her. Again, that ripping panic clutched at his heart, stopping it from beating. Her bubble was gone, and she was floating just above the bottom of the lake, eyes closed, unmoving. His body started acting before his brain did, he was dragging her up and out of the lake before his mind had even caught up with the situation. He didn't have time to ponder what happened, he just had to get her breathing again. No way was she dead. She couldn't be dead. She couldn't die. Not this time either. It couldn't be his fault again... not again.
He pounded on her chest and pinched her nose, breathing into her mouth to fill her lungs. He did it again, and again.
"No, no, no..."
He wouldn't give up. She could still come back... keep pounding, keep breathing...
She was still in pain, the air that was being forced into her lungs only seemed to choke her more. As she gained awareness of her surroundings the pain increased as well. She was no longer underwater, and Potter was breathing into her mouth. No, stop, you are making it worse! Her mind screamed, but her body knew she needed the oxygen, and her lungs couldn't work on their own.
The necklace chain was still wound through her fingers. Go away! Get it away! She started flailing, having spasms and twitching, trying to get the cursed thing off, but she didn't have enough control over her own body to do it.
Help! Somebody, anybody! Help!
Potter was still there, breathing for her. Wrenching unwanted oxygen through twisted bronchial tubes.
She felt it slip off one finger... then another. Yes, almost... get off, get off! The less of her the necklace seemed to touch, the more control she seemed to regain over her body.
She coughed water out of her lungs, and vomited it out of her stomach, nearly choking on it anew.
She inhaled deeply, real air. It felt good and yet scratched all the way in at the same time, unwilling. She screamed in furious pain and flung the necklace as far from her as possible. She felt the release of the curse and she collapsed onto the ground, taking deep, steady, almost pain free breaths.
"YES! Good girl. Oh thank Merlin."
"Damn... necklace." Lily said, shivering terribly in his embrace. "Don't... touch... cursed."
He would worry about what she meant later, right now he needed to get her somewhere warm. Scooping her up in his arms he ran to Hagrid's.
"Hagrid! Hagrid!!!!!" James shouted as he kicked the door repeatedly as hard has he could.
"Wha the..."
"Help!" He cried desperately. Hagrid took one glance and plucked the unconscious Lily right out of James's arms and placed her in his bed. He wrapped her up tightly in several giant sized blankets.
"Potter..." Hagrid began, James was terrified by the deadly calm in Hagrid's voice. The deadly, being the frightening part... "What 'ave yeh done?"
"I... I don't know."
"What 'appened!" He roared.
"I don't know! She said something about a cursed necklace."
"A what?"
"She had one in her hand, when she finally stopped having spasms she chucked it, saying it was cursed. Then she passed out."
"I'm gettin Professor Dumbledore. You. Stay here."
"Of course." And like that Hagrid was out the door, moving much swifter than James had ever thought possible.
Warm, Lily thought when she woke up. How pleasantly warm. She recognised the place as Hagrid's, and the lanky hair bundle beside her as Mercury's head. She began petting him, automatically. Petting Mercury calmed her, relaxed her, steadied her heart. In fact, she was absolutely certain that there was nothing else in the entire world she would rather be doing. Sitting cosily wrapped up in Hagrid's cabin, safe and warm, petting Mercury.
"Why isn't she speaking?"
"She's just encountered a terribly power cursed dark object, she is in shock."
She didn't know if she would call it shock, just far too... somethinged to speak. She didn't care what they said, whoever they were, she didn't want to answer questions... she just wanted to take it easy in the soft covers and think of nothing. She was in a happy place now. A lovely place. She was almost floating above them.
"Can she hear us? Surely she needs to go to the hospital wing, no, to St. Mungos!"
"Lily..." Someone sobbed... Hagrid. It must be Hagrid. Hagrid liked to sob. Yes, she could see him, she realised. Her eyes were open and she was looking at him.
She wanted to say she was perfectly fine and would be content to stay here, but she couldn't seem to muster up the energy. Why were they freaking out about this? Couldn't they see that Mercury wasn't worried?
"Yes, she should be moved immediately."
"No!" She said. She didn't want to move... she wanted to stay here.
"Lily!" Hagrid cried happily.
"Hagrid..." She said dreamily.
"Miss Evans, we are going to take you to the Hospital Wing."
"No." She said again. Who was this woman and why was she ruining Lily's happiness? "Hagrid?"
"I'm ere, Lily." She smiled. Yes, this was good. She needed a bottle to feed Mercury. Someone should hand her the bottle...
"Hungry..." She said.
"If you come with me to the Hospital Wing we can get some food for you."
"Not me! Him..." She said, putting her head on the unicorn's. Hagrid gave her the bottle. "Thank you Hagrid."
"Miss Evans, please..."
"Who are you!" Lily asked. This woman was irritating her. She didn't belong in Hagrid's cabin. Mercury needed to eat.
"Oh no... she hasn't... lost her wits has she?" Someone asked. Who was that? Did they belong here?
"With dark objects like that it is certainly a possibility. I will study this necklace to see." The man who was speaking was old. His voice sounded old. She realised she had eyes to see with again and looked for an old man. He was standing by her bed, looking at her.
"What are you doing here?" She asked him. Why were so many people intruding? Surely they didn't belong here. They should go away. "This is Hagrid's house. Go away. You too." She said pointing to the woman.
"Albus... she can't stay here..."
Why were people taking Mercury away from her! They were pulling her out of her warm bed! They were taking her away!
"Hagrid! They are taking me! Stop them Hagrid! Don't let them take me! Hargid!" She cried.
Hagrid cried too...