Disclaimer: To the demise of myself and advantage of Ms. Rowling, Harry Potter (and all characters not as important) do not belong to me.
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*Flashback*
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It was the end of the first year at Hogwarts. Lily stood smiling and laughing with her newfound friends on platform 9 3/4, happy to be going home, but saddened at the thought of losing all those she had become close with for a whole summer. One by one, she bid them goodbye, as their parents came and picked them up. First one hour went by, then two, until it was just her left standing on the platform. Worry and dread filled her stomach. Why hadn't her parents come to pick her up yet?
She lugged her trunks out onto the street, and signaled for a taxi. It was a particularly windy day for June, and her hair flew about her face as she climbed into the cab. "Number Four, Privet Drive, if you please." She stared out the window at the English countryside as they drove, watching the dead leaves and trash twirl in a whirlwind. Her thoughts spun just as fast in her head. Had they forgotten her? Or did something happen?
As they pulled up onto Privet drive, Lily's worst fears were realized. "No," she breathed "NOOOO!" The driver looked at her strangely. "What's the matter, honey? Bring ya to the wrong place?" For unseen to his Muggle eyes, the Dark Mark hung above Number Four, Privet Drive. Lily leapt from the cab, tears streaming from her eyes. "HEY! Ya gonna pay?"
But the driver went unheeded, as Lily flew up the path and flung open the door. She stopped, surprised at what she saw. It looked the same. Everything was pristine and perfect, nothing touched at all. It was just as she remembered it, before she went to Hogwarts. If the Dark Mark hung above her house, shouldn't it look as if a scuffle had taken place?
A sob resounded from the corner. Lily spun, and saw Petunia, knees pulled up to her chest, face buried in her arms, and a mutilated telephone in her hand. "Petunia?"
"Get away from me!" she sobbed.
Lily was taken aback. Petunia and her had never had a warm relationship, but never had she displayed the kind of hatred that was coloring her voice now.
"You freak! This is your entire fault! This would have never happened if it weren't for you! Witch! You're all the same...all...all..."
"Where are they?" demanded Lily, her voice tense.
Slowly, Petunia pointed to the ceiling. Lily turned and ran, feet echoing in the deathly silence of the stairwell. She looked at the upstairs hallway. Nothing. She ran, throwing open doors as she went. Nothing, nothing, nothing. She came to her parents' bedroom, and tried the door. It was locked. "Alohamora," she murmured. It opened this time⦠but she wished it hadn't. Her father lay crumpled on the floor, and her mother was standing, wrists binded, with a wand to her throat. Lord Voldemort's wand. She looked upon the deathly pale face, the red slitted eyes, and the bony fingers; he was more horrible than even the newspapers described. He looked like a monster, and she couldn't imagine him ever once being human. She would have screamed, but she would not allow herself to show weakness in front of him. "Lily, my dear," it hissed, reminding her greatly of a snake "I have been waiting for you."
"W-waiting...for me?"
"Yes. I have heard of your beauty, and they have not lied. For beautiful you are. At first I was going to kill your family and forcibly take you, but I believe a willing servant is better than one who plots to slit your throat as soon as you turn your back, yes? So, I have a deal to make with you. Join me, my precious, and your beloved parents live. However, any wrong move and I will . And as long as you remain my willing servant, I will spare your family." He chuckled, a high, evil warble that made her shiver. "If I should come back, make sure your sister doesn't try to call for help again, or believe me, she will end up with more than a mutilated telephone."
"And what if I refuse?"
"Ahh. And if you refuse, I will kill your parents, right now, and take you forcibly. Either way, you are mine."
Lily looked at her mother. She was pale, and her face was stained with tears. She looked nothing like the woman she had known, always warm and smiling. Her Mother's eyes begged her /don't do it, Lily/.
Then her eyes wandered to her father. The same man who had always been strong, who had carried her on his shoulders, looked almost dead laying there on the floor.
She choked down a sob. Her parents had sacrificed so much for her. Her family had never been rich, and they had struggled to come up with the money to send
her to Hogwarts. Once, she had confronted them about this, yet they just smiled at her and said "Money is not important. *You* are. We're so proud of you honey, and we want you to succeed."
Then she looked at Voldemort again. If she gave herself up, she would have to spend the rest of her days as a servant, a slave, to him. But it also meant that her parents could live on, happy and free. And she wanted that for them. She loved them dearly, and she knew it would break her if anything should happen to them. They had given up so much for her happiness⦠now she would sacrifice herself for theirs.
"I agree, Lord Voldemort."
"I knew you could be reasonable."
A silent tear slipped down her mother's face.
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*End Flashback*
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Lily pulled up the sleeve of her robe, and began weeping again. The skull throbbed upon the flesh of her arm, so black it was absent of light at all. Stupid Snape. Now she'll have to tell him. He'll ask, and she'll have to tell James, that she was a death eater. Her anguished sob echoed off the bathroom walls. And he'd hate her. And what little happiness she had left would be taken from her. She thought she could repent for her decision, by helping others; by helping Hagrid learn magic, but now she knew it didn't work that way. She was, and always will be, an evil, spiteful thing, and she should stick to her own kind.
She liked to believe that she was better than the rest of them, better than Snape or Malfoy (A/N:LUCIUS Malfoy), because she did not join of her own free will, she did not join to gain power. She was blackmailed. But she knew James would not understand. He was always a righteous man, and it was why she loved him. Even if he rejected her, she would continue loving him. But for now, for now she would hide it from him. She would hide it from him forever, if she could. He did not have to know. She would protect herself, and him, and their love, by keeping her secret. And she would date Snape to keep his.
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Sirius walked along side of Remus and James, looking forward to lunch. Professor McGonagall always managed to make him hungry, among other things. "I wonder what we're having today?"
"For lunch?" asked James "I don't know, but I hope it's good. That last class always makes me hungry."
Sirius grinned. He and James had always thought along the same wavelengths. Now, though, he noticed that his friend looked slightly more worried than he usually did. "Hey, don't worry about Lily. I'm sure she's fine."
"I don't know. What Snape said really upset her, though I haven't a clue why. And what if she agrees to go out with him?"
"She won't. I wouldn't, not with an ugly prat like him. Even if I did like you," he finished, grinning.
"But if she doesn't," said Remus, breaking for the first time into the conversation, "Snape will tell Dumbledore. About us. We could get into a lot of trouble." Remus, Sirius noticed, looked worried too, but for different reasons. /He even looks good when he's worried/. Sirius sighed. He needed to stop thinking stuff such as that. He had a *girlfriend* after all. And he knew Remus wasn't like that. But whenever he was around Remus, he couldn't help noticing him. It just kinda happened.
"You could," hissed Snape, breaking into Sirius' thoughts, "so you better hope she makes the right choice, Lupin."
"Shut it, Snake," hissed Sirius, "just because you know doesn't mean we have to put up with you." God, how he hated him.
"Guys!" cried Lily's voice behind them, "wait up!"
All four of them stopped and turned around.
"I've made my decision," she said, drawing herself up, her eyes flashing dangerously. "I'm going to date Snape."
"WHAT!?" cried Sirius.
"Lily..." pleaded James.
"No arguments. It's for the good of everyone," she said.
Snape was grinning. "I knew you were sensible. Shall I escort you to lunch my dear?" He offered her his arm, and she took it gracefully, turning back to give them one last look of warning: /don't do anything/.
Sirius stood gaping. What just happened here? Snape *won*. Since when did *he* ever win? It just wasn't the way things worked. /Well, I can fix that/. If Snape was so interested in what they did, maybe he'd just help him along a little bit. A wicked grin crossed Sirius' face. Maybe he would. This was going to be good.
"Well, gentlemen, shall we go to lunch?" he asked, in a decidedly better mood now that he knew Snape in fact hadn't won.
Remus and James looked at him like he was nuts. "What prompted that change of mood?" asked James.
"Oh, you'll see. You'll see."
A/N: Yay! I finally finished! I had a major case of writer's block right in the middle there. I know it's kinda short, but I thought it was a good place to leave off. I'll post again as soon as I can! Luvya!
