Chapter 14: Down With the Sickness

I apologize gratidously for the lack of updating. Both Addie and I have had to move to new places so it's been difficult to update. I am working on the next chapter so hopefully it will be up much sooner than this one was. Please keep reading and reviewing.

The common room was quiet as the foursome was reunited after a long Christmas vacation. Harry and Ron had had spent the time at the Burrow and seemed chipper. Alyce and Lily however looked tired and worried. Christmas vacation had not been as kind to them.

Alyce had spent her time with Oliver Wood. They had hooked up a few times, but Alyce felt nothing between them. Usually she at least enjoyed the company of a man, but this time she had barely been able to fake it. She ended up leaving earlier than she expected causing her to spend more time alone in her empty apartment with Bug thinking about Draco. She was glad to be back at Hogwarts, but dreading seeing the face of the boy she spent her vacation missing.

Lily hadn't had an unusual visit home. Elaine had seemed in decent health, thought she had struggled to breathe a few times during one night. Lily had gotten to see her brother Sam, though the two barely spoke at this point. Sam didn't hold a grudge against her anymore, but the two had grown apart since Lily had started at Hogwarts. Lily listened to Sam's band play a little bit and saw his face light up when she took care of Elaine so he could go to his first gig with said band. They were good, she had filled in for vocals before when their vocalist had gotten ill, but that was more than a year ago. She tried not to think about Severus Snape, but anymore that was becoming difficult. After he had mistaken her for Rachel at the Christmas party she knew it was just a matter of time before he put two and two together. He would know her dirty little secret before she even had a chance to tell him herself. She was tempted once during vacation to send him an owl explaining it all, apologizing for it all, but she stopped herself. What good would that do? He would still be just as furious, and then the secret would be out and there would be no way to refute it. She just had to forget that night ever happened. She had to give up on Severus Snape and try to move on.

"Did you have a nice break?" Lily asked Alyce as she was unpacking her trunk.

"It was alright," Alyce lied pasting a smile across her face.

"Spend some time with Oliver?" Lily questioned putting her clothes away.

"Yeah," Alyce said also unpacking her own trunk.

A few more awkward moments of silence passed before Lily said, "That bad huh?"

"Awful," Alyce said solemnly.

Lily nodded sympathetically. "I'm sorry, if its any consolation mine wasn't much better."

"Oh, that's right you went back to see your grandmother, how is she doing?" Alyce asked.

"She has no idea who I am, thinks I'm married to my brother, and keeps scolding me on not being a better wife. Also she asked when I was due... Am I looking fatter to you?" Lily asked checking herself self-consciously in the mirror.

"You look fine!" Alyce almost shouted. She spent way too much time trying to get Lily to eat healthy to have it ruined by a senile woman. "You just look healthier, and she's senile, she thinks your married to your brother for fuck's sake."

"This is true," Lily said laughing slightly even though the situation was far from humorous. She was laughing at the pathetic nature of the situation.

"Anyway," Lily said getting off the subject of her grandmother's health, "You ready for classes to start back up?"

"Nope," Alyce said flopping on her bed.

"Me either," Lily said flopping on her own bed.

The month of January dragged on. Postings for apparition tests were on the bulletin board in the common room. Alyce and Lily joined Harry and Ron in the common room just as the commotion started.

"Hmm well I can apparate as soon as I pass the test," Alyce said smugly to Ron who was upset about having to wait until March to be able to apparate.

Ron stuck his tongue out at Alyce and Alyce turned to Lily, "You turn 17 the end of April?"

"The twenty-sixth," Lily said smiling. "And you are already seventeen, I remember celebrating your birthday in December, the third if I'm not mistaken."

Alyce nodded and they looked at the board once more before Harry announced that they were going to be late for Charms.

The rest of the day passed quickly and easily. Harry went to his usual meeting with Dumbledore. Alyce and Lily sat in the girl's dormitory gossiping with the other girl's about guys. Lavender was the most obnoxious, constantly talking about making out with Ron. Finally, after a half an hour of it Alyce snapped.

"We get it Lavender, but seriously, he's our best friend and its fucking weird to think about how it would be to snog him so please spare us the details."

Lavender glared at Alyce and the room got quiet. Lavender retorted with, "Well not all of us want to think about you screwing every damn guy in this place so why don't you just shut your damn mouth all together."

There was an audible gasp from Lily who was sitting beside Alyce. She knew there was no way she was going to be able to hold Alyce back from wailing on Lavender. She quietly said no, but Alyce flew up from Lily's bed where she had been sitting and grabbed Lavender by the hair.

"Get off of me you crazy whore," Lavender shouted.

"Oh shit, she's really done it now," Lily thought knowing she would have to intervene soon.

"Oh no she didn't," Ginny said watching Alyce punch Lavender in the face hard.

There was a gasp as Lavender's nose started to bleed. Lavender rushed down to the common room and Lily just looked at Alyce in shock. "I can't believe that just happened," she said breaking the silence.

Alyce couldn't help but laugh. She was bent over convulsing in laughter. Lily started to snicker as well and Ginny joined in. Soon many of the girls in the dormitory were laughing as well if they were not friend's of Lavender's. Those who were friends of Lavender's rushed down to the common room to make sure her nose wasn't broken. Soon many of the other girl's cleared out leaving just Ginny, Alyce, and Lily.

"So now that we've gotten rid of some pests let's return to the topic at hand?" Alyce said smirking as she sat down next to Lily once again.

"Professors," Ginny said.

"Oh that's right, unfortunately we don't have too many sexy one's left. I know there are many a things I would have like to have done to Lockhart despite that fact that he was a tool."

"Mmmm I second that motion," Ginny said giggling.

Both girls looked over at Lily who shook her head. "I never saw the charm really."

"Yeah you never had a thing for gorgeous blonde's," Alyce laughed. "You would be the weird person who would find Professor Snape attractive.

Lily's stomach feel to her knees. She laughed along with the girls who both shook their heads and she thought, "Out of all the Professor's to joke about."

"No one would find that attractive," Ginny said. "Running your hands through his hair would be like sticking your hands a vat of grease."

Alyce continued to laugh. The conversation quickly switched off that topic, but the churning in Lily's stomach did not cease. "I feel like I'm going to be sick," she said getting up from the bed and running to the bathroom. She barely made it to the toilet before she barfed.

Alyce walked in after her. "I didn't realize the idea of being with Snape repulsed you so much, though who could blame you," Alyce said standing outside of the bathroom stall as Lily continued to throw up.

"I feel awful," Lily said. "I think I must have gotten that bug that's been going around."

"Well don't give it to me!" Alyce said standing back from the stall.

"No worries, just give it some time to run through I should be fine a couple days." Lily said.

Lily and Alyce walked into the common room and were confronted by Ron.

"Did you punch my girlfriend in the nose Alyce?" Ron demanded his face now as red as his hair.

"Sure did," Alyce said smirking.

"Why the hell would you do something like that, I thought we were friends?" Ron said.

"Yeah well your bitchy little girlfriend needs to stop calling you friend's whores and maybe she wouldn't get punched in the face." Alyce said to Ron who was only getting angrier by the second.

Ron stood there flabbergasted. There was a silent tension until Harry walked into the room after his meeting with Dumbledore.

"I have a lot to tell you, so whatever you were arguing about will have to wait," Harry said.

The three listened intently as Harry told them in private about what he had learned from Dumbledore.

"He was a kid...," Ron said flabbergasted. "Just like us..."Ron said.

"Very astute Ron," Alyce said sarcastically.

Ron's ears got red and he glared at Alyce about to give her an earful when Lily finally spoke. "He wasn't like us, he didn't have any friends, he was a lonely child."

"What, like that gives him excuse to kill everyone who gets in his way?" Harry shot at Lily.

Lily threw her hands up defensively. "I'm... just saying you know... anyway did you learn anything more other than that Tom Riddle was a very disturbing child who obviously asks questions he shouldn't?"

"Yes, it was... bizzare. Dumbledore gave me the task of trying to get the truth out of Slughorn," Harry said flustered.

"That shouldnt' be terrible, I mean you are his favorite," Ron said.

Lily and Alyce both nodded, but looked a bit less convinced than Ron. "It was a bit of a... personal memory, he wouldn't even share it with Dumbledore. You can ask, but you might have to find a way to get closer to him or gain his confidence in some way before he'll give you the full unedited version," Lily said.

"Nothing to do but ask then," Harry said sighing. Ron patted him on the shoulder and he cringed thinking of how he would have to approach Slughorn the next day.

Harry tried unsucessfully to get the memory from Slughorn for several days, reporting to Ron, Alyce, and Lily every time he had a failure.

"He's avoiding me now, it would normally be a great thing, but when I actually need something from the bloke he just disappears out of sight like a coward," Harry said frustrated.

"He's done something he's ashamed of," Alyce said. "Also, of course he's a coward, you told us you found him disguised as a lumpy old armchair when Dumbledore took you to find him."

"True," Harry said sighing.

Apparation tests started in February. Sixth years anxiously lined up to begin testing. Ron and Lavender came down together and Lily, Alyce, and Harry came down a small group to wait to hear instructions. Harry marched over to see what Malfoy was arguing with Crabbe and Goyle about. Lily cringed and looked at Alyce's face which was pale as she tried to keep a collective uncaring expression on her face.

The many attempts at apparation were sad to say the least. All four left the Great Hall not feeling that they had accomplished much at all.

Valentines day had come and gone and Lily and Alyce had spent it alone.

"I"m worried about you," Alyce said consulting Lily who was lying in bed after her studies looking paler than usual.

"I just don't feel right at all," Lily said. "I feel sick all the time."

"You should really go and see Madam Pomphrey," Alyce said. "You need to get this taken care of."

"I will go and see her if it doesn't clear up in a few days," Lily replied.

"You need to go and see her now," Alyce said attempting to drag her out of bed. "This has been going on for a month and you are started to look really drained."

Alyce and Lily walked down to see Madam Pomphrey in the hospital wing. Upon seeing Lily Madam Pomphrey said, "What's wrong?"

"I haven't been feeling my best. I have been throwing up for almost a month now."

Madam Pomphrey scratched her chin and asked, "What set it off?"

"I don't know, it just came on suddenly one day and its been pretty intense ever since," Lily said.

"Hmm," Madam Pomphrey said. "Have you had any other symptoms?"

"Unrelenting heartburn," Lily said. "Umm... I've been a bit constipated..." Lily said blushing.

"Have you had any added stress in your life?" Madam Pomphrey asked.

"Well, yes, with all the tests and family problems I have been feeling a lot of stress," Lily said.

"Try to relax and not worry so much, I'll give a potion to help you relax, I've seen this in students before around this time of year," Madam Pomphrey said smiling.

As Lily and Alyce were walking back from the hospital wing Lily punched Alyce in the arm lightly.

"See, I told you it was nothing to worry about, just stress," Lily said. "She just looked at me like I was stupid for coming in and that I obviously have no emotional hold on myself."

"Well with everything that's been going on with being worried about Voldemort, trying to keep up in classes, and your family it's a wonder this hasn't happened sooner."

"Well, thanks for your concern, but I think I'll be ok without this potion. I just need to take some time, maybe meditate and relax," Lily said as they entered the girl's dormitory. Lily set the potion inside of her trunk to be kept away.

"Whatever you say Lily," Alyce said shrugging. "If things don't start getting better, you better believe I will force that potion down your throat if I have to."

"And you said I was motherly," Lily said laughing feeling a bit better after lying back down in bed.