Disclaimer: I own nothing.
In A Heartbeat
By LilyxJames4ever
Chapter 14 – A Cunning Plan and A Rescue Mission
"Oh Lily."
Lily now knows there is no more trying to deny it. She may have, if anything, a small crush on James – oh, whom is she kidding? She is falling head over heels for him and she does not like it one bit. I mean, Merlin! Where is this coming from? She has despised him for the past five and a half years so why not now?
Maybe because he's changed says the voice inside her head.
How can somebody change in your eye in a day? You can't go to sleep and wake up liking someone! Argues Lily to herself.
Apparently you can and you did replies the voice simply. Now your best friend is trying to talk to you, how about you listen?
You're not the boss of me! Wow, am I really fighting with myself?
Lily turns to see Alice looking at her with a concerned expression on her face.
"Are you okay, Lily?" she asks tentatively.
Lily sighs and ran her fingers through her messy hair.
"We had better get moving if we want to get to Herbology in time," is all she says.
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"The Potter brat must be disposed of soon," whispers Lord Voldemort. "And I know just who's going to help me."
"Snape! Bellatrix! Front and center!"
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James walks into his room after dinner that night. Lily has not spoken to him or Margaret since they announced their "relationship status" and ate quickly before running up to her room. He supposes she is pissed that she had not been told about the two of them "going out" but he is not sure and does not want to get his hopes up about the alternative. Not to have them crushed like they have been so many times before.
He walks over to his bed and sees a note on his pillow. It must be from a girl (at least he hopes so) because there are bright red hearts drawn all over it.
Dear James,
Tomorrow is our first Hogsmeade since getting back and I thought it would be nice to meet in the abandoned old warehouse. More people will see you walking down and think we're even more serious if we're meeting in secret. Meet me there at 12:00 PM sharp. I have to meet with the girls beforehand. Make sure no one follows you.
See you then,
Margaret
He looks at the note but specifically at the hearts. Besides the fact that they are not even truly together, the hearts disturb him. It does not seem like the Margaret he knows at all but he figures he need not dwell on it. She must have done it incase one of the others came in and read it before him. Privacy, after all, is not in the Marauders vocabulary with the exception of Remus.
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"You must not let the sunlight hit you," instructs Lord Voldemort. "Otherwise, your cover will be blown and believe me, you will pay."
"Yes, My Lord," whispers his two followers. They bow down to him on the cold, forest floor and kiss his feet. "As you wish."
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James and the other Marauders are now lounging in their dormitory, none really speaking to the other. James is laying on his bed fooling around with the Snitch he nicked last year. Sirius is on his bed changing the colour of Remus' curtains constantly, thus annoying Remus who is trying to finish his Potions homework and cannot concentrate with constantly changing neon curtains. And finally, Peter is sleeping on his bed, fully clothed and drooling. It is an average night in the dormitory and it is only when Remus breaks the silence that things change course.
"Would you stop?" he barks at Sirius, who just smirks and changes Remus' curtains to Pepto-Bismol. Remus glares at him and changes them back. He then successfully Disarms Sirius, who pouts.
"Aw Moony, you're no fun!"
"I'm trying to finish my homework. You know, that thing that you need to do in order to graduate?"
Sirius shrugs. "It always gets done." Remus snorts.
"Yeah, normally from copying off of mine." Before Sirius can retort he turns to James and asks tersely, "So, when'd you and Margaret start going out?"
James looks up in surprise and scrutinizes Remus. His face seems devoid of emotion but James can sense there is something going on. He detected a touch of bitterness in his tone.
"This afternoon," says James slowly. "Why?"
"Just don't hurt her, James," Remus says, jumping to the point of his asking. He has never been one for beating around the bush.
James raises an eyebrow. "And what makes you think that I would do that? I – care about her." It is not a total lie but he does not mean it in the way that he is hoping to get across.
Remus narrows his eyes. He can see through lies without trouble and it is clear as day to him that James is lying. To what extent, he is not sure.
"So it just happens to be a coincidence that you 'get over' Lily and then go off and date her best friend?" says Remus, his voice deadly silent. James hesitates and looks at Sirius, who has been watching the entire exchange in interest. When Sirius says nothing to support him, James has no choice but to respond.
"Yes." Remus gives him a look.
"You're playing with Lily again. James, you're a God awful liar."
Shit.
"Are you sure you're not just jealous that Margaret's no longer interested in you?" James says before he realizes what he is saying.
Double shit.
Sirius chokes on the glass of water he had been drinking and Remus' eyes widen considerably. He looks at James incredulously.
"Can you pretend like I didn't say that?" James pleads.
"Say what?" replies Sirius, and James grins at him. Remus, however, is not so easily swayed.
"She likes – liked me?" he murmurs, still in shock. James nods hesitantly. "Why?" James looks at Sirius again.
"I thought he was supposed to be the smart one."
"Says who? I'm pretty sure I'm the brightest one here."
"In what way?"
"When it comes to the ladies." James rolls his eyes. "Moony, if I wasn't straight I'd date you."
Remus raises his eyebrows and Sirius leaps off of his bed and onto Remus'. He begins cuddling next to him.
"Oh, my God, ME TOO!" he squeals, waking Peter up. "I mean, his hair is the perfect shade of blonde, and THOSE EYES! THEY'RE SO DREAMY! And he's totally fuckable –"
"SIRIUS!" Remus yells, and James roars with laughter.
"Pads, that was genius!" cries James, and Peter looks at all three of them disoriented.
"Was' going on?" he slurs. "All I heard is something about Moony being –"
"ENOUGH!" shouts Remus as James and Sirius high five. "Don't encourage him," he says grimly. "How do you even know she likes me?"
"Erm – well, it's pretty obvious from the way she wouldn't look at you when you two were dancing," says James, studying Remus. He says nothing. "And two, she mentioned it to me…before." He caught himself before he said recently. That was a close call.
Remus looks at him suspiciously.
"How exactly does something like that come up in conversation with someone you hardly know?" he asks warily.
"She wanted to know if you really liked Dorcas."
"Do you?" Sirius asks quickly.
"Of course," Remus says without missing a beat. James and Sirius give him a look. Peter has already fallen back to sleep.
"Seriously Moony," says Sirius, completely serious this time and not joking about his name. "Do you have legitimate feelings for her or are you going to back out again because you don't want to get too close?"
Remus is silent. To be honest, he has been thinking about breaking it off with Dorcas soon. They just do not have that much in common and he does not want her to get too used to the idea of them going out. The sooner he gets it over with the less pain she will be in. She does not deserve to be with someone like him and be subjected to pain and prejudice. She can do so much better.
"You're wrong," James says quietly as if he read Remus' mind. "I know what you're thinking Remus and you couldn't be more wrong. Dorcas would be lucky to have a bloke like you and –"
"We've been through this," Remus says irritated. "If I get too close it'll only hurt them more when I have to end it. No one deserves to live in constant fear that I'll hurt them."
"You've never hurt a flea, mate," counters Sirius.
"I don't think the scars on your arms have completely faded since our last escapade."
"We take those willingly. So will Dorcas if you give her the chance." Remus is silent. "However, I do think you should end things with her?"
"Why?" Remus asks in surprise. "I mean, I was going to but for the reason you just said I shouldn't. What other reason could there be?"
"Because you don't reciprocate the feelings she has for you."
"That's not –"
"That's absolutely true," says James. "I can see it in your eyes when you look at her, mate. You want to and you want to bad but it's not there. I've only seen a flicker of that look in your eyes once before and it was when you were –"
"Don't say it, Prongs," begs Remus.
" – Dancing with Margaret." Remus glares at him. "What's wrong with possibly liking – maybe loving – Margaret?"
"Nothing!" he yells, clutching his hair, looking slightly crazy. James and Sirius look at him worried. "That's the thing! I know I can easily fall in love with her and it scares the hell out of me! Not just because I could end up hurting her but because I've never loved someone in that way before. What if I mess it up? What if I do feel that way and she doesn't return the feelings?" He curses. "She wouldn't return them! She's dating you!"
This entire thing is turning into one big mess. James never meant for it to go this far. Him and Margaret should have never messed with Remus and Lily's heads. It is too late to go back now though.
"Moony, she doesn't like me," sighs James. "We only did it to get Lily to dump Marc and I got her in on it by saying it might get you interested in her."
Remus' facial expression turns from shock to fury.
"You EEJIT!" Remus yells. For the first time in his life, he loses his temper and lunges at James. James is quick though and pins him down. Remus struggles to get up but James is stronger.
"Why am I an eejit?" James asks calmly, and Remus' eyes flash.
"Open your eyes James and see what's right in front of you. Lily is falling for you hard and fast."
James' heart skips a beat but he shakes his head. No, he is not going to get his hopes up again. He has had them crushed one too many times.
"You're wrong."
"Did you not see the way she was when you and Margaret walked in during lunch?" seethes Remus. "Did you not see how puffy her eyes were when her and Alice arrived in Herbology? Are you that daft -?"
James gets up off of him and runs his hands through his hair. She likes him… He feels elated yet hates himself at the same time. Why can he not stop playing games with her? Would she have liked him if Margaret and him were not doing this farce? Probably, he did see that way she looked at him over Christmas…
"I'm a git."
"No arguing here." Remus gets up, having calmed down considerably, and sits back on his own bed.
"What do you think mate?" James asks, turning to Sirius. Sirius, who has been remarkably quiet throughout this, shrugs.
"I think you need to re-evaluate your feelings for Miss Lily," he states. "You keep telling us how much you love her – or you used to anyway – but you keep playing with her and making her feel like shit."
It is moments like these when James feels that he is talking to the real Sirius and not the jokester everyone perceives him to be. Sure, he likes his laughs but he does have a sensitive bone in his body.
"So Remus, do you like Margaret?" James asks, mostly so he does not have to think about how he screwed up.
Even though he knows the reason James asked him this was to divert the attention off of himself, Remus considers it for a moment.
"I think I do," he says quietly. "More and more each day."
James and Sirius beam at each other and Remus sighs. For some reason this is the hardest thing he has ever had to admit.
Probably because he knows this will be no passing crush.
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Lily is not looking forward to a Hogsmeade trip for the first time in her life. James and Margaret will be walking around, officially a couple, and whenever she thinks of it, it makes her heart temporarily stop beating. It is like someone punching her in the gut and leaving her on the ground in agony.
"Are you okay, Lily?" asks Marlene as the four walk to Hogsmeade. It was eleven thirty and Lily has not said anything since she woke up.
Lily shrugs.
"Are you still mad at me, Lily?" asks Margaret. She hates it that her best friend is angry with her.
"I'm not mad at you," Lily says shortly, but Margaret knows she is upset.
"Come on, let's go into the Three Broomsticks," suggests Alice. "I'm meeting Frank but I'm sure we can all sit together."
Lily knows she is only suggesting this to get her mind off of James and even though she knows it will not work Lily appreciates it nonetheless. She smiles at Alice as they walk into the crowded bar/restaurant. She remembers James coming in a few month's later than this time last year when her and Remus were sitting a few days after the "incident by the tree", as it has been dubbed.
-Flashback-
"Come on Evans. I know you secretly love being asked out by the handsomest guy around," a husky voice says from behind her. "Who else would bother to pay that much attention to you? And there's more to you than just that part?"
She whips around and looks up, glaring at a cocky James Potter.
"Sod off Potter," she growls. "As a matter of fact, yes, there is another side to me and you know as well as I do that the only reason no other guy will ask me out is because they are afraid of you."
"And rightfully so. If I can't have you, nobody can."
Lily's eyes flash dangerously and Remus gulps. The restaurant and bar gets suddenly silent, interested in watching the back-and-forth between Lily and James.
"Is that so?"
"Of course. Even if someone did want to go out with you though, they would have to realize that they won't be able to do anything with you seeing as you have a big metal pole there."
The whole bar oohs, particularly the men and their dates smack them. Lily narrows her eyes.
"Why don't you go bother somebody else Potter? Is it really that hard to see that not everyone melts at your feet?" Several people wolf-whistle and clap. "Come on Remus, let's go somewhere with that better view."
"Yeah, she's right Moony, you'd better leave now," retorts James. "Didn't you read the sign? No dogs allowed."
The whole place gasps as does Remus. James has crossed the line now. In fact, he might as well have dug his own hole and jumped into it.
In a flash, Lily is up and her wand is pointing threateningly at him, as is his at her.
"You wouldn't dare," sneers Lily. "Plus, I'm doing you a favor by damaging you."
"Oh, yeah? How's that?" asked James.
"If you fall down and get hurt one day you can blame it on your inability to see past your nose."
He looks at her like she is crazy as she waves her wand and silently casts a curse on him. To everyone's horror, James' head begins swelling up to the size of a Muggle hot air balloon. Lily was right in that he will not be able to see the ground due to his now abnormally large nose.
"I've always said your head is full of hot air," says Lily laughing derisively. "And now it fits your ego too!"
-End Flashback-
Lily smiles at the memory. Now looking back on that day for the first time in a while, she realizes how ridiculous it really was. She completely overreacted, though James had acted like a pompous git in his own right.
"Hey guys," greets Frank. He is sitting with Remus, Dorcas, Sirius, and Peter. "What's up?"
Alice just shakes her head and sits down next to her boyfriend. Lily sighs and looks out the window. Something does not seem right though. There is James, walking down the street but then a pair are either going the same direction or following him. It is an odd pair too. The sunlight hits them and she sees the face of what looked like Andromeda Tonks and…Severus?
"That's weird," says Remus suddenly. "Margaret, aren't you supposed to be with Prongs right now?"
Margaret looks at him strangely. "Not that I'm aware of. I haven't seen him all day."
Fear is bubbling up inside of Lily. James is in trouble especially if Severus is following him. But Andromeda…
"Bellatrix!" she bursts out. Everyone looks around in shock then realizing the Witch was not there, turns back to glare at Lily.
"Don't do that, Lily!" cries Marlene. "I thought Bellatrix had actually managed to get in here!" Everyone nods looking at Lily like she is mental. She shakes her head.
"No. I saw James walking outside before –"
"Well that's not so strange, it is a day off where you can go wherever you want," says Dorcas. It is Remus' turn to shake his head.
"But James said that Margaret had left him a note saying to meet him at an abandoned warehouse at the end of the street," says Remus anxiously. "Damn it! Prongs is an idiot! The letter said to make sure no one follows!"
"And now I saw Severus and Bellatrix, who looks like Andromeda, walking down the street following him," whispers Lily.
Sirius growls and stands up along with the rest of them.
The nine run out of the bar/restaurant with their wands at the ready. They race down the street and stop at the corner. They see James' cloak disappear and watch as the two Death Eaters follow him. This does not look good.
They hurry after the three and reach the warehouse as the door slams shut and locks itself. There is a crash and a moan. Alice has to hold her hand over Lily's mouth from screaming and giving them away.
"I know it looks bad, honey, but wait a second," whispers Alice. "The last thing we need is to be discovered before –"
"Bombarda!" shouts Sirius.
" – We want to be," finishes Alice, glaring at Sirius. "I think a simple Alohamora would have done the trick." He shrugs as the door blasts open and they run in to see James laying against the wall. His arm is twisted in an awkward position. Both Lily and Margaret run over to him. Remus notices this and shifts uncomfortably. Maybe James is wrong. Maybe Margaret does…
"Alice and Frank, go and get Professor Dumbledore or any other teacher you can find quickly," orders Lily before he can finish his thought.
They nod and run out.
"Are you okay?" asks Lily. James looks up at her surprised and smiles weakly before wincing.
"I think my arm is broken," he murmurs, looking slightly dazed. Lily can feel his hot breath on her skin and almost melts right then and there. She cannot though. Not when there are still Death Eaters somewhere and they are all in danger.
"Where are they?" asks Margaret worriedly.
"How about you turn around you filthy Half-Blood," sneers a female voice. Lily and Margaret whip around and come face-to-face with Bellatrix Black. At first glance the room had appeared to be empty.
"And if it isn't the half-breed, the girlfriend, the mudblood, the other Blood-Traitor (Marlene), and my little cousin," she smirks.
Lily gasps and looks at Remus. His eyes have changed from their normal pale blue to a dark, murky one. He looks at Bellatrix with utter hatred.
Lily's eyes then flicker towards the corner where Severus is standing looking awkward. He seems to always be like that when she is there. Lily silently wonders what he is like when she is not there.
"Remus, you're a –" begins Dorcas.
"You," growls Sirius. "Haven't you caused enough harm already?"
Bellatrix smirks. "I act upon orders and my orders were to target one in particular who seems to be more difficult than the Dark Lord bargained for." She looks at Lily and James, smirking derisively. Lily feels like the world has stopped spinning. They are going after James now?
"That's why he's done all this? Voldemort –" she begins.
"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK THE DARK LORD'S NAME!" shrieks Bellatrix. "You filthy little mudblood!"
James growls though he is slowly losing consciousness.
"Don't. Call. Lily. That. Name," he snarls. She turns to look at him, fear etched on her face. She can hear the effort it takes for him to just say that. He must have been blown back on the ground and have hit his head on the wall.
"Shut your mouth," says Bellatrix coldly. "Stupefy!"
The power behind the spell is the equivalent of six stunning spells. James, having inched away from the wall, blasts back again and they all hear his head make a sickening thud on the wall. Lily shrieks as blood begins oozing out of his head and down his face.
"You vile –" she begins again.
"Flattery will get you no where," Bellatrix sneers. She raises her wand, pointing it at the ceiling and cries, "Expulso!"
Lily hears Marlene and Dorcas shriek, Margaret and Remus gasp, and Sirius growl as the ceiling collapses, trapping them all. She hears a loud crack and realizes Bellatrix must have Disapparated with Severus. She groans.
"Is everyone okay?" she asks. She hears various replies all stating that they are okay except for James. She assumes he must be knocked out still from the force of the spell.
They sit in silence for a few minutes before Sirius says, "So, any idea when Dumbledore will get here?"
Lily shrugs. "I'd like to think soon but you never know…traffic…"
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Alice and Frank run down the street and back up to the castle. They race up the stone steps and then the Marble steps and all the way to Professor Dumbledore's office.
"Any idea what the password is?" asks Frank panting.
Alice, panting also, hesitates before saying, "No clue."
"Well, Dumbledore certainly likes his sweets. We might as well just go guessing randomly and hope we get it right eventually." Alice shrugs.
"Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans…Lemon Drops (what? He told me he likes them)…Droobles Best Blowing Gum…Chocolate Frog…?"
The eagle leaps aside to admit them to the office. They look at each other then shrug, taking the steps two at a time. Once at the door they pause, unsure on whether to knock or to just go in. Deciding it would be rude to barge in on the Headmaster, Frank opts to knock.
"Come in," says a voice. Frank opens the door and him and Alice stride in purposefully.
"Ah, Miss Prewitt and Mr. Longbottom," greets Professor Dumbledore. "To what do I owe this pleasant visit? I must admit, I am a bit surprised you're not in Hogsmeade on such a nice –"
"Sir, I don't mean to be rude," interrupts Alice, "but several of our friends are in grave danger right now."
Professor Dumbledore turns to look at her, his eyes serious.
"Please explain."
"Well, you see…Lily saw James heading down the street today and then noticed what appeared to be Andromeda Tonks and Severus Snape following him –"
"Andromeda was in the presence of Mr. Snape?" says Professor Dumbledore surprised.
Frank shakes his head. "It turned out to be Bellatrix who looks extraordinarily like her sister." Dumbledore nods in understanding. "Well, we all knew something was up and followed them. We got to the old abandoned warehouse where James was headed and her and Snape had ambushed him."
"The important thing though is James is hurt and we need to get help there, Professor," says Alice hastily.
Professor Dumbledore, having absorbed all this information faster than average man, nods and says:
"Lead the way."
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"77 bottles of Firewhiskey on the wall, 77 bottles of Firewhiskey," sings Sirius dully. "Take one down, pass it around, 76 bottles of Firewhiskey on the wall."
Lily sighs. "Do I even want to know how you know that song?"
Sirius shakes his head. "Probably not."
"Good. We saved a lot of time and probably a million sexual innuendos," says Peter, trying to lighten the mood. Sirius snickers for a moment then falls silent once again.
"How's James doing?" asks Remus. Lily looks over at him and gasps.
"He's losing some blood but nothing too serious."
"Then why did you gasp?"
"Because he's as pale as a sheet."
"Oh, well as long as he's okay," says Sirius sarcastically.
"Now's not the time to be bickering!" exclaims Margaret. Everyone turns to try and look at her. "The last thing we need is to fight amongst ourselves. I'm sure Alice and Frank are coming with Dumbledore and will arrive at any moment."
I hope.
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"So, some predicament, huh?" Sirius murmurs to Marlene. He stretches out his legs as much as he can. She smirks, then bursts out laughing.
"What's so funny?"
"That was my…"
"Oh, Merlin," whispers Sirius, and Marlene falls into a fit of giggles.
"You're amazing, you know that?" she whispers so no one can hear. "You know how to make the best of any situation."
Sirius shrugs. "I could be a pessimist but I kind of figured now is not the time. Plus, I hear chicks dig a guy who's optimistic."
Marlene snorts. "Did you just say what I think you said?"
"I don't know, I say a lot of things."
Marlene rolls her eyes. "I thought I heard you say, 'chicks dig a guy who's optimistic.'"
Sirius cringes. "Do I always sound that shallow?"
"You're just noticing?"
He shrugs. "I figure my charm is enough to woo the ladies and they'll disregard that flaw."
"Not all 'ladies'," whispers Marlene, and Sirius' smile falters.
"It's worked so far, hasn't it?" Marlene hesitates and then smiles lopsidedly.
"That it has."
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"Where do you think Alice and Frank are?" asks Dorcas.
"I don't know," sighs Remus. "Maybe they had trouble getting into his office. Dumbledore always did have a sweet tooth though. Perhaps they finally guessed it after a while and now they're bringing him here."
Dorcas smiles. "Do you know what I love about you?"
"W-What?" asks Remus hesitant. He hears a sharp intake of breath behind him and realize it is Margaret. Why does she have to be right behind them? Dorcas notices this and continues on loudly as though she is not aware that she just said something very important.
"The fact that no matter how bad a situation is, you always manage to try and look on the bright side."
Remus forces a smile and sees out of his peripheral vision, Margaret staring intently at him. He tries to ignore her but it is proving to be difficult.
"Hey! I think I hear something!" cries Lily. Everyone turns to look at her sharply. "Yes, that's definitely someone scraping outside."
"We're in here!" they all scream.
"Is anyone near the door?" calls Professor Dumbledore.
"Yes, Sirius and Marlene!" calls back Lily.
"Try and get away from it!"
They shift their position over to where Lily and James are. Halfway there Marlene stumbles and lands on Sirius, who grins at her. She blushes and smacks him on upside the head.
"Okay, it's clear!" Lily calls.
There is a flash of turquoise light and the whole wall is completely demolished without a sound. The good news is that there is enough room to enable them to leave.
"Oh, thank Merlin!" murmurs Lily. "Can someone levitate these planks off my legs? I'm losing circulation and my wand is somewhere in the rubble."
Alice takes out her wand and murmurs Wingardium Leviosa, and throws the planks to an empty corner in the warehouse. She then summons Lily's wand and catches it.
"James is hurt," says Lily, getting up. "Bellatrix's stunning spell knocked him out." She walks over to him quickly and there is a crack and floor beneath her breaks.
"LILY!" everyone cries.
Lily shrieks as the floor beneath her breaks and she goes tumbling down. There is a splash and she lands in the water from the rain that had happened last night. It appears that it has begun raining during the time they were stuck in the abandoned warehouse and they just had not noticed it. The water is freezing cold and is steadily rising higher. Standing up, like she is, it is up to her knees.
"Lily!" calls Margaret. "Are you okay?"
"Y-Yes! It's freezing down here th-though and the w-water is r-r-rising!" cries Lily, shivering in fear.
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"LILY!" everyone cries.
"Lily!" calls Margaret, leaning slightly forward. "Are you okay?"
What Sirius hears next is frightening.
"Y-Yes! It's freezing down here th-though and the w-water is r-r-rising!" cries Lily.
Making a quick-second decision, Sirius knows what he has to do. James will never forgive himself if something happens to Lily and since he is unavailable at the moment, Sirius will have to step up for him. He slowly walks up to where Margaret is standing, takes a deep breath and –
"Sirius? What are you doing?" asks Marlene a second too late. He jumps in after Lily.
"SIRIUS!" they all cry again.
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"Sirius?" whispers Lily. He stands up, shivering slightly and grins at her. Her eyes widen.
"S-Sirius, are you m-mental?" she gasps. "Wh-Why did y-you come down h-h-ere?"
Sirius snorts. "Do you honestly think James would f-forgive me if I let the girl of his dreams drown alone? Nah, we're in this together now so I suggest we make some pleasant conversation."
Lily sighs, crossing her arms to keep warm, and stares at him with a look of trepidation.
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"Sir, you have to get them out!" exclaims Alice.
"I am fully aware of that, Miss Prewitt but my first concern is to get Mr. Potter up to the Hospital Wing."
"But what about Sirius and Lily?" cries Marlene. "They could die down there!"
"I don't think you're giving your friends enough credit, Miss McKinnon," says Professor Dumbledore quietly. "They are, after all, Gryffindors and I am sure will be able to hang in there for a little while."
"They're also human and can get hypothermia or worse," says Remus through clenched teeth. "Merlin knows how fast that water is rising down there. It could be up to their necks by now!"
Professor Dumbledore sighs again. "If we're going to save all three of your friends, I'm going to need each and every one of yours cooperation."
No one says anything to agree or disagree with him so he continues.
"Miss Prewitt and Mr. Longbottom, I am going to need you to alert Professor McGonagall about this seeing as you are all part of her responsibility since you are in her house."
Alice and Frank nod and runs off again.
Professor Dumbledore turns to look at Dorcas, Marlene, and Peter.
"I will need you, Miss McKinnon, to go and alert Madam Pomfrey that a student has been seriously injured. You two," he says, looking at Dorcas and Peter, "will need to assist me in bringing Mr. Potter up to the castle."
All three nod and Marlene begins running up to the castle as Professor Dumbledore conjures a stretcher for James.
"Now you two, Miss Smith and Mr. Lupin, will need to stay here and make sure Miss Evans and Mr. Black remain…average," instructs Professor Dumbledore. "If anything serious happens like one of them passing out, Mr. Lupin, I'm aware you are capable of sending Patronus messages?"
Remus nods and Margaret stares at him in shock. No one their age is able to successfully produce a Corporal Patronus. It is extraordinary magic.
"Send one to the school if something serious happens."
Without another word, he begins pushing the stretcher up to the school with his wand, Dorcas and Peter following in his wake. Dorcas looks over her shoulder, smiling at Remus and glaring at Margaret. Margaret raises an eyebrow and watches the three retreating figures.
Remus and Margaret look at each other and sit down.
"What was that about?" asks Remus curiously, and Margaret shrugs.
"I don't think your girlfriend likes me."
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The water is steadily rising from the storm drain and is now up to their waists.
"S-So, some predicament, huh?" laughs Sirius weakly. He is trying hard not to show his desperation in wanting them out of here. Lily can get seriously sick and James will never forgive himself for that.
Lily gives him a look. "F-Firstly, now is not the t-t-time to j-joke. Secondly, y-you didn't h-have to c-come down h-h-ere."
"I already t-told you why I did," argues Sirius.
"And I've t-told y-you a m-million and one t-t-times, I'm n-not James' g-girl!"
"Yet," mutters Sirius.
"E-Excuse me?"
"N-Nothing."
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"Why wouldn't Dorcas like you?" asks Remus confused. "You're so easy to get along with."
Margaret skillfully hides her blush.
"I think she was mad at me for dancing with you back at the ball," replies Margaret. She cannot keep the blush off her face this time.
Remus' heart rate speeds up and hope swells up inside of him. There is still a chance to fix things…
"Why? It's not like we were ever together," he says carefully. He stares at her intently and she returns his intense gaze, not faltering.
"But she – loves you," chokes out Margaret, and Remus' heart skips a beat, "and for some reason she feels threatened by me."
"But so do you." He states this, hoping to catch her off guard and that he does. She narrows her eyes defensively.
"You must think a lot of yourself if you think I love you."
"Who says I was referring to that?"
Margaret's mouth drops open and she looks at him in horror. She fell right into his cleverly set trap. How could she have been so stupid?
"Is that why you blushed when Sirius called us Mr. and Mrs. Lupin?"
"Maybe. You did too though did you not?"
Remus opens his mouth and then closes it.
"Sirius was just being an idiot," he says quietly.
"Oh." Margaret looks away trying desperately to keep her tears back.
"Margaret, look at me," says Remus hopelessly. He feels as though he is turning into James and Sirius now. He does not want to be that guy that constantly sends mixed signals (A/N: Too bad more guys can't be like Remus).
She determinedly looks at the ground.
"Please Margaret!" begs Remus. When she continues to ignore him he sighs and, with his thumb on the front of her chin and his pointer finger under her chin, lifts her chin up.
She has no choice but to look into his eyes now. She has always loved how his eyes are the perfect shade of pale blue. She has never really appreciated them though until now.
"I'm not judging you Margaret and I certainly do not want to send mixed signals anymore. I know that you and James are not really dating."
"How -?"
"He told me," he replies simply. "But that's not important. He – He let slip that you like me."
"I specifically asked him not to say anything! What was he thinking?" she cries suddenly.
"No, I'm glad he told me."
"Oh, really? Yes, so we can have a big talk about it. You lot seem to always do this so you can drag it out, no matter how awkward it may be but I just don't see the point –"
"Margaret, I'm glad he told me because I feel the same way."
Margaret's eyes widen in shock and they soften slightly, but not before she can put up her defenses again.
"Remus, you shouldn't say things you don't mean."
"It's the truth," sighs Remus. "Merlin knows that I have tried to deny it, tried to look the other way, not because of you but because of me. But for the past few days I haven't been able to go through a day without thinking of you. Your smile, your beautiful eyes…"
"How do I know you're not just saying this because you feel guilty or like you owe me?" she counters.
"Trust me, Margaret, I don't usually tell people how I feel about them unless I truly mean it. Especially if they are deep, growing feelings due to my…condition."
"You mean your lycanthropy." He nods.
"If you feel differently now because of knowing that, I completely –"
"Are you mental? Remus, I've liked you since the beginning of our third year. Something as minor as you being a werewolf once a month isn't going to stop me from caring about you."
"Minor?" he says incredulously. "If you consider being a beast minor, what do you consider major?"
"Having a sixth toe? I'm just kidding!" she cries, laughing. "Remus, I like you for you. The kind, sensitive, and loving guy that you are the other thirty days of the month. That's the person that I have – fallen for."
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"S-So, d-did you and J-James automatically b-become friends after S-Severus and I l-left that c-compartment in our f-first year?" asks Lily, trying to make conversation. The water is steadily rising and she has been shivering more violently. When will the rain let up?
Sirius looks sheepish. "Y-Yeah, pretty m-much. That k-kind of s-sealed the d-deal."
Lily chuckles weakly. "Of c-course."
Sirius is alarmed about how weak her chuckle sounds.
"D-During worse c-case scenario," he begins, "w-would you b-be able to tread w-water if you h-had to?"
Lily winces and shakes her head. "I t-think I l-landed the wrong way and t-twisted my ankle."
Sirius curses and nods grimly.
"D-Do you think y-you would have been f-friends with P-Prongs and I if w-we hadn't h-harassed S-Sniv – Snape?"
Lily thinks for a moment and then shakes her head. She turns red as she does this.
"M-My mum always told m-me to n-never b-be friends with or…d-date a boy who g-got in time out. Of course, th-that was when she th-thought I was a M-Muggle but I c-classified detention as th-the equivalent." (A/N: Don't laugh at this. My mom told me the same thing). Sirius let out a bark of laughter.
"Y-Yeah, our record was impeccable w-when it c-came to g-getting the m-most," he laughs. "St-Still is, for that matter."
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"I like you, Remus. I – l-like you a lot," continues Margaret, staring into Remus' eyes. He returns her gaze, his eyes soft. "But you're with Dorcas and I – I understand if you prefer her –"
Remus shakes his head as if to clear it.
"Just because I'm dating Dorcas doesn't mean I can't like you, Margaret," Remus whispers.
Margaret opens her mouth to argue but Remus takes advantage of the opportunity and leans in to kiss her.
CLICK!
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"C-Can I ask you a question?" asks Sirius, trying to ignore the fact that the water is now up to his chest. Where the hell is Dumbledore?
"S-Sure, anyth-thing," gasps Lily. Her ankle is really starting to throb and the water had been up to her neck, since she is so much shorter than Sirius so he had lifted her on his shoulders. She is very light so even though he is strong it does not make a difference.
"D-Do you l-like James?"
Lily bites her lip. She can lie but she hates lying no matter the circumstances. The other option is telling him the truth but that can have detrimental results in the long run. Sirius, after all, is James' best mate and cannot keep a secret to save his life. Plus, he will definitely go and tell James that he has finally won.
She fiddles with her necklace given to her by James. The letters seem to be faded but becoming clearer. That blasted riddle…
"Y-You still with us L-Lily-bean?" stammers Sirius.
"Y-Yes. About your question…wh-why do you w-want to know?" Sirius looks up at her incredulously.
"Okay I have t-two responses to th-that question off of mine," he says slowly. "One, what kind of q-question is that? Secondly, y-you're evading."
Lily was chewing on her lip so hard that it began bleeding. She inwardly cursed at her dumb habit and sighed.
"I'm not at liberty to say anything without my attorney," she jokes. Maybe she can steer this conversation completely in the other direction?
Sirius looks up again baffled. He should really pay better attention in Muggle Studies.
"This isn't some bloody Muggle soap opera, Lily-bean," he says seriously.
"Well as long as we're on the topic of Muggle soap operas, I really like General Hospital –" begins Lily, attempting to stir the conversation away from deep waters. How ironic yet a fruitless attempt (A/N: Funny, that wasn't even intended to be ironic…).
"S-Seriously Lily-bean, just answer the d-damn f-fricken q-question!" Sirius half-shouts.
Lily sighs. Sirius and her are friends right? Friends can trust each other no matter what, right?
"If I give you my answer, w-will you p-promise not t-t-t-to t-tell?" asks Lily nervously.
Sirius nods slowly so she does not fall off, his excitement steadily mounting.
Lily sighs again. "I – I l-like J-J-James." The stuttering this time has nothing to do with the freezing water.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Everything about this screams disaster in Margaret's head. Her and Remus are kissing…Remus has a girlfriend…Remus likes her…their friends are in danger…anyone can see them…
She pulls back automatically, surprising Remus.
"We can't do this!" cries Margaret shocked.
Remus shakes his head. "I know. I don't know what came over me."
"I like you Remus, but I'm sorry, I'm not going to be the one you cheat on your girlfriend with."
"I know," agrees Remus. He feels incredibly guilty now. He is not the kind of person to cheat on someone. That is occasionally James' and mainly Sirius' place. He does not mean that to be mean, just truthful, which he is not being with Dorcas now. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be sorry," says Margaret. "It's not like I didn't like it but we can't make it a habit."
"Agreed."
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Sirius would have jumped for joy except for the fear that Lily will fall off of him. He cannot wait until he can tell James – but wait, he cannot tell James because Lily would kill him.
"It's about t-time!" is all he said. He cannot see but Lily rolls her eyes.
"Sh-Shut up," mutters Lily. "Y-You have t-t-t-to swear th-that you won't t-t-tell J-James."
"I w-won't t-tell him," agrees Sirius.
Thank Merlin.
"Because you will."
WHAT? NO WAY IN HELL!
"Y-You h-have g-got t-to b-b-be off you're r-r-r-rocker!" exclaims Lily. Cold water is not the only reason chills are overcoming her.
"Wh-Why not tell him? You've g-got nothing t-to l-lose!"
"Yes I do!"
"L-Like what?"
"My s-self respect, m-my dignity," she lists off. Then adds, "M-My lunch."
Sirius snorts but it comes out as more of a cough. He begins coughing horribly, a cough that sounds like he is on the verge of getting pneumonia. Lily gasps.
"Oh, S-Sirius! Y-You're going to g-get sick and it's a-all my f-fault!" wails Lily.
Sirius shrugs. "I actually blame the eejit that built this place but it d-doesn't matter. L-Like I s-said, James w-would h-have never f-forgiven me or himself if I l-left you d-down h-h-here alone."
Lily smiles. "M-Maybe it's a s-sign. A sign th-that w-we actually do h-h-have more in c-common than m-m-meets the eye."
Sirius looks up at her.
"Like wh-what?"
"I don't know. You d-dislike your f-family –"
"Loathe."
"Loathe is a str-strong w-word. Anyway, I don't exactly get on with my s-sister and I g-guess in b-both of our c-cases the f-feeling is m-mutual."
Sirius nods. "I've already t-t-t-told you about why I…d-dislike m-my f-family. H-How about you t-tell me why y-you and y-your sister d-dislike each other. She seems to really –"
"Hate me?" sighs Lily.
"I didn't –"
"It's fine Sirius. I know you saw the way she acted at the wedding." Lily sighs and runs her hand through her hair. "It's a l-long story."
"Tr-Trust me, if you're up to it, we've g-got plenty of t-time."
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Marlene is in shock: shock even though Madam Pomfrey has given her a Potion for it. She knows Sirius is brave but she cannot believe he would be so suicidal and jump into freezing cold water so easily. He could have died! Of course, she is worried about Lily too. In fact, she is glad someone is there to keep an eye on her since she may have broken her ankle. She is almost jealous of Lily and the fact that she gets one-on-one time with – wait a second!
No, this cannot be happening. She is falling for the all-time player Sirius Black. She always promised herself that she would never fall for someone like that but falling she is, and fast. It is times like these that Marlene thinks reality is a bitch.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Dorcas is not pleased, not pleased at all. She does not like the idea of Remus and Margaret waiting alone there. She honestly trusts Remus; it is just Margaret whom she does not trust. That tramp has already danced with Remus during the ball and it is so obvious that she likes him. The only person who does not know this is Remus. She just hopes the feelings will never reciprocate. She will not allow it, no matter what she has to do to accomplish her goal. No, Margaret will never get a chance with Remus if she has anything to do with it.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Alice is terrified. Professor McGonagall has insisted that Frank and her are to go back to their common room and they had no choice but to listen. They are now sitting by the fire, him tracing his thumb in circles on the top of her hand. They do not say much because they are lost in their own thoughts but just the fact that she knows she is not alone is enough to satisfy her. She is certain Lily would have broken her leg and does not know how long it will take before Dumbledore will go and get them or how. She knows she would have been alerted if they had come back and James has been curtained up in the Hospital Wing, not allowed to have any visitors while Madam Pomfrey worked. Alice thinks this was dumb, seeing as it is not as if James would even know they are there seeing as he is asleep. Even if they talk to him it would be like talking to a brick wall. Madam Pomfrey did not appreciate Alice's opinion on this, however, and shooed them out without any hesitation.
Alice sighs. Why does everything seem to happen to her friends, yet never her?
"Are you okay, Alice?" whispers Frank. She starts, having momentarily forgotten he is there next to her. She shakes her head.
"Why is it always somebody else? One of my friends?" asks Alice in a strained voice. "Why is it never me? Why can't it be me for once?"
Frank shakes his head. "It's not your fault so don't go saying that. I know it's horrible what happened and this will sound selfish but I could never bare to go on if something happened to you. If you go down I'm going down with you."
Alice shakes her head. "I would never leave you. It would be impossible for me to move on. I care about you too much."
"I care about you too," Frank whispers in her ear. "That's why we've got to sit tight until we hear more."
Alice nods, grateful that the rest of the school is still in Hogsmeade. It is going to be a long night.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"Wh-Where the h-hell is everyone?" yells Sirius angrily. The water is now up to his neck and he has to lift his head up so he can breathe. "MOONY!"
"Yeah?" calls back Remus. His voice sounds muffled and constricted but Sirius pays it no heed. He has other things to worry about.
"Wh-Where the h-hell is everyone?" Sirius reiterates.
"I don't know! I'll send a Patronus to – no, wait! Dumbledore's here!"
"Thank Merlin," breathes Sirius. "Lily-bean? Are you okay?"
No response. She has not said anything for the past few minutes.
"M-Moony! I think Lily-bean passed out!" yells Sirius.
"Don't worry, Mr. Black, we're going to get you out now," says Dumbledore. He speaks calmly and quietly but Sirius is still able to hear him all the way at the bottom.
Out of thin air, a rope materializes, long enough for Sirius to climb but there is no way he can bring Lily up on his shoulders. She will fall off especially considering the fact that she cannot hold onto him, leaving her as dead weight.
As if he read his mind, Sirius watches open-mouthed as Dumbledore climbs down the latter with the agility of a much younger man.
"After you, Mr. Black," he says cordially, helping take Lily off of his shoulders. Relief soars through his muscles as he climbs up the latter.
"Sirius! Thank god you're all right!" cries Margaret, hugging him. Sirius winks at Remus who just smiles slightly and looks the other way. Peculiar…
A second later comes a floating Lily.
Dumbledore must have levitated her up muses Sirius. Why didn't I think of that?
Well he is older and wiser says the voice in the back of his head.
Oh, shut up.
"Is she going to be okay?" asks Remus concerned. He looks at Margaret whom has fear etched on her face. He puts his arms comfortingly around her shoulder to Sirius' surprise.
Professor Dumbledore nods. "I'm going to take her up to the castle and I suggest that you three come with me. Perhaps Madam Pomfrey will allow us to also visit Mr. Potter."
They all nod and head up to the castle, eager to tell everyone that Lily and Sirius are okay.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
"Poppy, we have two more patients for you," says Professor Dumbledore quietly. They all walk into the Hospital Wing, aside from Lily who is on a stretcher. Madam Pomfrey gasps.
"She's blue!" she exclaims but in hushed tones. "And what is wrong with Mr. Black?"
"I fear from the cold water he has been exhibited to, he may have pneumonia." As if on cue, Sirius sneezes and begins hacking. Madam Pomfrey nods solemnly.
"Yes, I'll prepare for him a Pepper-Up Potion and he'll be better in a jiffy. In the mean time, I'll tend to Ms. Evans seeing as it appears she has a broken ankle and her temperature needs to reach its normal level again."
Everyone nods and Margaret helps Madam Pomfrey change Lily into a clean, dry set of clothing and then places her into bed.
"I suggest you all get some rest," says Madam Pomfrey. "You should go up to your dormitories –"
"I'm going to get Alice and Marlene," says Margaret stubbornly. "We're not leaving Lily's side."
"Same goes for Peter and myself, we want to be by Sirius, James, and Lily," says an adamant Remus.
Madam Pomfrey sighs. "Do as you wish, you'll be the tired one's in the morning. Just please, do not wake up my patients."
"Wouldn't dream of it," mutters Remus. He runs off to find Peter as Margaret does to find Alice and Marlene.
Sirius stands awkwardly in the middle of the room then decides to see Lily first.
"You were great, Lily-bean," he whispers. "You never gave up and y-you never lost faith. You're in good hands now so just hang in there and get better." He lays down on a bed, waiting for the Potion that Madam Pomfrey is bustling around making.
What a day trip.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
The portrait hole opens and Margaret comes running in. Sitting next to the fire is now Marlene, Frank, and Alice.
"Guys, come on! Lily and Sirius are okay and they're in the –" she begins.
Before she can finish, however, Marlene races past her and down the corridor. Margaret watches her retreating figure in confusion.
"What's up with her?" wonders Margaret aloud. Frank shrugs and helps Alice up.
"I guess she's been more nervous then she's been letting on," he says simply. "Come on, we'd better get to them before Madam Pomfrey kicks us out."
Margaret shakes her head. "I told her we wouldn't be leaving any of their sides through the night. She gave in."
"Good," says Alice cheerfully. "Let's go!"
The three walk into the Hospital Wing to see Marlene sitting by Lily's bed. Her eyes are red but little did they know the real reason they are and that she has not been sitting next to Lily the whole time.
-Beforehand-
Marlene races down the corridor. She cannot wait to get to the Hospital Wing to see if Lily and Sirius are okay. She has already seen James so when she runs into the infirmary she passes his bed without a second thought. She hesitates before passing Lily's and goes right up to Sirius' bed.
"Can I come in?" she says from behind the closed curtains.
"Sure," replies Sirius cheerfully. When she pushes back the curtains it is like he has been expecting her.
"So, what really did happen when you jumped down to join…Lily," says Marlene carefully. The last way she wants to come across is jealous. She does not need to inflate Sirius' ego anymore than it already is.
Sirius shrugs. "I just jumped in and we mainly talked. I guess it helped get her mind off the fact that literally in a few minutes we'd be drowning. Erm – we talked about our family and…I think that's about it."
"Oh," says Marlene simply, standing awkwardly in the doorway. "Why did you jump in there anyway?"
Sirius looks at her strangely. "Are you suggesting I should have let my friend and your friend drown? Because if I hadn't put her on my shoulders she would have. She couldn't even tread water due to her broken ankle."
"I'm just wondering."
Sirius sighs. "I don't let my friends deal with trouble alone. That includes drowning too, you know."
She gives him a look and traces her shoe on the tile floor.
"So that means you'd do the same for me?" she blurts out. She did not mean to ask it but it just came out before she could stop it.
Sirius is taken aback so she hastily adds, "I'm just wondering."
He hesitates then nods. "Yeah, I guess so."
"You guess so? So you might not have jumped down there if it was me and let me drown?"
"I didn't say those words."
"They were implied."
"By who? You?" he sneers. "Look. I don't know what I would have done seeing as it wasn't you who stepped on the weak floor board."
"It could have happened."
"But it didn't."
"So you are saying you wouldn't do anything if it was me. Great. Looks like I'd better be watching my step from now on."
Sirius throws up his hands in frustration.
"There's no pleasing you, is there?" he cries incredulously. "You've always got to have whatever you want and imagine up ridiculous scenarios that aren't going to happen!"
"It could happen!" exclaims Marlene.
"But it didn't and it – hang on a second." His eyes sparkle with a look of mischief that Marlene does not like. Her belief that she will not like it is confirmed with his next words. "You like me." He does not ask it as a question but a says it as a statement.
Marlene flushes scarlet. "That's ridiculous! Why would I like a man-whore like you?"
Sirius' expression changes from amused to angry.
"Well good because I don't like clingy bitches either," he retorts.
Marlene knows she had it coming to her when she called him a man-whore but his words still sting her. Holding back her tears, she attempts in giving him a contemptuous glare and strides off to visit Lily's bed. Then, and only then, does she let the tears fall.
At least people will not know the real reason she is crying.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Sirius is an eejit and he knows it. He knows he should not have said that to Marlene but she got him so angry. He used to not know why she irritates him so much but things are becoming a little clearer for him. Each day it is becoming more obvious that she has feelings for him.
Now he just has to get his own feelings straight…
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
-Meanwhile-
"Are you okay, Marlene?" whispers Alice. Her and Margaret walk over to where she is sitting as Frank goes to visit James and then Sirius.
"What happened?" asks Margaret concerned.
Marlene cannot tell them what had really happened. That will lead to uncomfortable questions and she will not go there. She has made a promise to herself and Sirius…Hell, there is no her and Sirius. He has just proven that by calling her a clingy bitch for Merlin's sake! She just shakes her head.
"I just can't believe that this all happened!" moans Marlene. She can be a fair liar when her life "depends" on it. "It's always Lily! Why can't it be one of us for once?"
"I know what you mean," nods Alice sadly. "Between her parents, Snape, James, and now –"
"Wait, what about James?" asks Margaret sharply. Lily has never mentioned anything about James before. Marlene sits up a little straighter too.
"Sh-She didn't tell you guys?" falters Alice. "Oh boy."
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Lily's mind is blissfully blank. Madam Pomfrey has given her a Dreamless Sleep Potion to keep her mind at ease. It must be wearing off though because Lily can hear voices. She becomes aware then that she is not in her dormitory but in a room all white. The bright white stings her eyes and they begin to water as she tries to open them. She must be in the Hospital Wing.
"What happened?" she murmurs. She briefly sees several figures jump and rush over to her side.
"Lily," whispers Margaret. "You're awake! Thank Merlin, you sure are a deep sleeper!"
"Madam Pomfrey probably gave me a Potion," shrugs Lily. "Anyway, where's Sirius? James? Everyone?"
Margaret grins. "Oh yes, we've heard about you and James."
"What are you talking about? There is no 'me and James'!"
"Alice told us you like –"
"Hush! He could wake up at any second! He could be awake now!"
"I'm afraid not," says Madam Pomfrey solemnly.
"What do you mean?" asks Marlene.
Madam Pomfrey sighs. "I don't anticipate Mr. Potter waking up for several more days. As of now, he is in a fairly deep but bound to be brief, coma."
After hearing those words, Lily promptly faints, entering the world of darkness once more.
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A/N: Please review!