Disclaimer: I am not JKR (go figure) this stuff does not belong to me (go figure some more) don't sue me, you won't get much! (there's another go figure in that also)
Chapter Six
Three days before Christmas, Lily sat playing wizard chess in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room with Remus. James, Sirius and Ana were arguing about the national quidditch team's chances of making the World Cup this year. Snow was flying furiously outside of Hogwarts, and Lily was beginning to get cabin fever. *I need to get away from these guys. I haven't had a moment's peace for months now. Sure, sneaking off with James isn't that bad, but I really need to get some space!* So, Lily began to form a plan in her head. "Checkmate, Remus. I'm going to the library for a while. I'll be back later."
"Wait, Lils!" said James. "I'll come with you! I need to find a book for my DADA essay."
Lily sighed. Well, he was nothing except predictable. "Alright then, anybody else?"
Sirius and piped up. "I will!" and with that, they all set off for the library.
* * * * * * * * * * *
They had just gotten to the library, and set up their books. Lily was searching through her bags. "I've forgotten my Charms essay. I'll be right back." Lily jumped up and sprinted out of the library before the boys could react.
"Do you think one of us should go after her?" James asked.
"What kind of trouble could she get into?" said Sirius. "The common room's only a little ways away. What do you think about giving Snape a little holiday cheer?" Sirius went on about something to do with dungbombs and the Slytherin bathrooms, while James's eyes strayed repeatedly towards the door.
* * * * * * * * * * *
*Free! Free at last!* thought Lily. *Where should I go?* Lily decided to take as much advantage of her newfound freedom. She took out her wand, (dropping a hanky embroidered with lilies on the ground) deciding on impulse where to go, tapped the one-eyed crone's statue, and said "Dissendium!" and disappeared down the passageway towards Hogsmeade.
Once in Hogsmeade, she headed towards the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer to contemplate what she would do for a while. *I think I'll go and buy something from the Quidditch shop for James for Christmas. I haven't really found him that special kind of gift for him yet.* She sat down at a table after getting a butterbeer from Madam Rosmerta, and watched the strange customers at the bar. The door opened, and Professors McGonagall, and Flitwick entered through the door. Lily's eyes widened. *Damn, I can't let them see me here. Figures, I sneak away from Hogwarts dozens of times with James and Si and never get caught, the first time I do it on my own, and I get busted. Well, I'm going to have to figure a way out of this.* She sat in a corner, unnoticed for a while, and then it came to her. "Relashio!" Professor Flitwick's glass cracked right down the middle, and spilled its contents all over their table. In the confusion that followed, she drew her cloak up, over her head, and crept out the door.
The streets of Hogsmeade were covered in snow, and more had begun to fall from the sky. *It's so pretty here. It looks like the front of a Christmas card!* she sighed. *I guess that I kind of wish James was here to see this with me. I shouldn't have ditched him today… Wait a minute, yes I should have. I haven't been on my own since, well, since Christina's "accident." I deserve some space.* With that angry thought in her head, she walked towards the quidditch shop, and all thoughts of Hogsmeade's holiday beauty were wiped from her head.
Lily had purchased a lovely set of stray twig clippers with James's name on it, and a few other items for him when she had finally left the shop. "Gosh, it's getting dark now, I had better go back to the school before anyone starts to worry," she said to no one in particular. "I've been gone for longer than I intended!"
A particularly cold voice sounded from behind her, "Oh, I wouldn't worry about getting back to school now, Miss Evans. They won't be seeing you there again."
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Hey, Si?" James asked. "How long has Lils been gone?" He couldn't remember how long they had been discussing a prank on the Slytherins.
"It's been a while now. We've progressed from dungbombs in the bathroom to Filibuster's Fireworks in their broom closet." Sirius said thoughtfully. "You don't think something has happened to her, do you?"
"Probably not." James thought for a moment. "She probably just got caught up talking with Ana, and forgot that we were down here. All the same, I'd rather go and check on her."
"Alright, I'm right behind you," Sirius laughed. "Oh what we men do for love!" James and Sirius got up from the table, grabbed their schoolbooks, and Lily's, and left the library. In the Gryffindor common room, they found Ana, having a heated discussion with Remus and Peter about the proper way to do a summoning charm.
"No, Peter, like this. Acc-I-o! With an accent over the I. It will work out much better for you." Ana smirked. *Peter is so horrible at magic. He may as well as been a squib!*
"I think I have it now, accio!" Peter cried. Still, the book stayed on the table. "Dammit!"
"You're doing it wrong, Peter," Remus said. "I don't know why you're listening to her, I'm the one who taught her how to do it in the first place!" Ana stuck her tongue out at Remus. She knew he didn't mean it unkindly.
"Hey, guys, what's up?" Sirius said. "Trying to teach an old rat new tricks?" He laughed at his own joke.
"You guys haven't seen Lily, have you?" asked James. He was beginning to worry. He was sure that she would be here with their friends.
"No," replied Ana. "We thought that she was with you guys. Didn't you all leave together?"
"We went to the library, but she had left her Charms essay here and headed back for it." Now James was really beginning to worry.
"She never came back here, Jay," said Remus. "I haven't left the common room since you guys went to the library."
James and Sirius gave each other worried looks. Seeing their faces, Ana said, "What's going on guys?" Sirius quickly told them about how Dumbledore had told them to look after Lily.
"… and now, she's missing. I'm sure it's nothing," assumed Sirius. "But we had better try and find out where she is. We'll split up into groups, and meet back here in twenty minutes."
"Right. Remus and I will take the kitchens," said Peter.
"Ana, you should check the girl's dormitory, just in case she got in without Remus seeing her. Then maybe the girl's bathrooms. Si and I will check the hallways." James and the rest of the group split up and began to search their designated areas.
A/N Ding ding ding ding ding! Do I hear a plot? I hope so. Thank you thank you thank you to all who reviewed! It means so very very much to me!
Chapter Six
Three days before Christmas, Lily sat playing wizard chess in front of the fire in the Gryffindor common room with Remus. James, Sirius and Ana were arguing about the national quidditch team's chances of making the World Cup this year. Snow was flying furiously outside of Hogwarts, and Lily was beginning to get cabin fever. *I need to get away from these guys. I haven't had a moment's peace for months now. Sure, sneaking off with James isn't that bad, but I really need to get some space!* So, Lily began to form a plan in her head. "Checkmate, Remus. I'm going to the library for a while. I'll be back later."
"Wait, Lils!" said James. "I'll come with you! I need to find a book for my DADA essay."
Lily sighed. Well, he was nothing except predictable. "Alright then, anybody else?"
Sirius and piped up. "I will!" and with that, they all set off for the library.
* * * * * * * * * * *
They had just gotten to the library, and set up their books. Lily was searching through her bags. "I've forgotten my Charms essay. I'll be right back." Lily jumped up and sprinted out of the library before the boys could react.
"Do you think one of us should go after her?" James asked.
"What kind of trouble could she get into?" said Sirius. "The common room's only a little ways away. What do you think about giving Snape a little holiday cheer?" Sirius went on about something to do with dungbombs and the Slytherin bathrooms, while James's eyes strayed repeatedly towards the door.
* * * * * * * * * * *
*Free! Free at last!* thought Lily. *Where should I go?* Lily decided to take as much advantage of her newfound freedom. She took out her wand, (dropping a hanky embroidered with lilies on the ground) deciding on impulse where to go, tapped the one-eyed crone's statue, and said "Dissendium!" and disappeared down the passageway towards Hogsmeade.
Once in Hogsmeade, she headed towards the Three Broomsticks for a butterbeer to contemplate what she would do for a while. *I think I'll go and buy something from the Quidditch shop for James for Christmas. I haven't really found him that special kind of gift for him yet.* She sat down at a table after getting a butterbeer from Madam Rosmerta, and watched the strange customers at the bar. The door opened, and Professors McGonagall, and Flitwick entered through the door. Lily's eyes widened. *Damn, I can't let them see me here. Figures, I sneak away from Hogwarts dozens of times with James and Si and never get caught, the first time I do it on my own, and I get busted. Well, I'm going to have to figure a way out of this.* She sat in a corner, unnoticed for a while, and then it came to her. "Relashio!" Professor Flitwick's glass cracked right down the middle, and spilled its contents all over their table. In the confusion that followed, she drew her cloak up, over her head, and crept out the door.
The streets of Hogsmeade were covered in snow, and more had begun to fall from the sky. *It's so pretty here. It looks like the front of a Christmas card!* she sighed. *I guess that I kind of wish James was here to see this with me. I shouldn't have ditched him today… Wait a minute, yes I should have. I haven't been on my own since, well, since Christina's "accident." I deserve some space.* With that angry thought in her head, she walked towards the quidditch shop, and all thoughts of Hogsmeade's holiday beauty were wiped from her head.
Lily had purchased a lovely set of stray twig clippers with James's name on it, and a few other items for him when she had finally left the shop. "Gosh, it's getting dark now, I had better go back to the school before anyone starts to worry," she said to no one in particular. "I've been gone for longer than I intended!"
A particularly cold voice sounded from behind her, "Oh, I wouldn't worry about getting back to school now, Miss Evans. They won't be seeing you there again."
* * * * * * * * * * *
"Hey, Si?" James asked. "How long has Lils been gone?" He couldn't remember how long they had been discussing a prank on the Slytherins.
"It's been a while now. We've progressed from dungbombs in the bathroom to Filibuster's Fireworks in their broom closet." Sirius said thoughtfully. "You don't think something has happened to her, do you?"
"Probably not." James thought for a moment. "She probably just got caught up talking with Ana, and forgot that we were down here. All the same, I'd rather go and check on her."
"Alright, I'm right behind you," Sirius laughed. "Oh what we men do for love!" James and Sirius got up from the table, grabbed their schoolbooks, and Lily's, and left the library. In the Gryffindor common room, they found Ana, having a heated discussion with Remus and Peter about the proper way to do a summoning charm.
"No, Peter, like this. Acc-I-o! With an accent over the I. It will work out much better for you." Ana smirked. *Peter is so horrible at magic. He may as well as been a squib!*
"I think I have it now, accio!" Peter cried. Still, the book stayed on the table. "Dammit!"
"You're doing it wrong, Peter," Remus said. "I don't know why you're listening to her, I'm the one who taught her how to do it in the first place!" Ana stuck her tongue out at Remus. She knew he didn't mean it unkindly.
"Hey, guys, what's up?" Sirius said. "Trying to teach an old rat new tricks?" He laughed at his own joke.
"You guys haven't seen Lily, have you?" asked James. He was beginning to worry. He was sure that she would be here with their friends.
"No," replied Ana. "We thought that she was with you guys. Didn't you all leave together?"
"We went to the library, but she had left her Charms essay here and headed back for it." Now James was really beginning to worry.
"She never came back here, Jay," said Remus. "I haven't left the common room since you guys went to the library."
James and Sirius gave each other worried looks. Seeing their faces, Ana said, "What's going on guys?" Sirius quickly told them about how Dumbledore had told them to look after Lily.
"… and now, she's missing. I'm sure it's nothing," assumed Sirius. "But we had better try and find out where she is. We'll split up into groups, and meet back here in twenty minutes."
"Right. Remus and I will take the kitchens," said Peter.
"Ana, you should check the girl's dormitory, just in case she got in without Remus seeing her. Then maybe the girl's bathrooms. Si and I will check the hallways." James and the rest of the group split up and began to search their designated areas.
A/N Ding ding ding ding ding! Do I hear a plot? I hope so. Thank you thank you thank you to all who reviewed! It means so very very much to me!