Ch. 10
Late Night Tryst
After some persuasion, Madame Pomfrey agreed to let Lily return to her dormitory for the night. Though, she insisted that Lily go straight to bed and check back with her in morning.
Lily arrived at the astronomy tower, puffing from the climb. James had yet to arrive, so sat down on one of the desks facing the grounds. She looked into the night sky. Gloomy clouds hung in the sky making it impossible to see more than a handful of stars. She supposed that was why the night classes had been cancelled.
Suddenly arms enveloped around her. Her first instinct was to scream in panic, but the arms retracted almost immediately. She spun around to find herself gazing into two familiar crystal blue eyes. Her pulse lessened considerably.
James seemed to sense her fright and looked at her carefully, trying to read her face.
She got up suddenly feigning an interest in the new telescope.
"Have you checked out the new telescope yet? It is soo much bigger than the old one. I hear it has twice the magnification too. Rumor is you can actually SEE star dust with it. (see AN). Isn't that awesome?" Lily said all of this very quickly, barely pausing for breaths.
"Yeah it's great." James said with little or no enthusiasm.
There was an awkward pause.
"Sorry I startled you."
"When," She asked, feigning confusion.
"When I came in," he said watching her face carefully.
"Oh. No big deal," She said casually. Though her eyes said differently.
"Wanna sit outside to talk?"
"Yeah, that'd be nice."
They walked outside and sat down in a wicker sofa chair that was surprisingly comfortable. Lily sat primly, careful not to jostle her now aching ribs. He sat next to her, waiting for her to start.
She sat quietly, debating furiously with herself. Part of her wanted to cry into his robes and tell him exactly what had happened, but the other part disagreed fervently. After all, it wouldn't be fair to dump all of her problems on James and, well, James was a guy. What if he thought less of her because of what had happened? What if he told someone?
She shook herself mentally. Deep down, she knew James would never do any of those things, but still what to tell him? She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn't even noticed a furry creature slinking towards them.
The kneazle purred and rubbed against her leg.
"Hey Grim. How are you baby," she said, trying not to coo. After all, kneazles are very bright creatures and can be easily insulted. Cooing could easily get you a swipe with one of those claws.
James looked over at the cat-like creature with a slight smile. Grimalkin caught sight of him and jumped into his lap, purring contentedly.
If there was any doubt left in Lily's mind, this certainly cleared it. If Grimalkin could trust James so fully, then that was that. She had to trust him too.
"Where should I start," She asked timidly.
"Wherever you want," He said flashing her a reassuring smile.
"First off, promise me you won't tell anyone. Not even Sirius."
"Of course, Lil. If that is what you want."
"Good."
"Well I guess I should start with my magic. What I am."
James looked at her utterly confused.
"What you are. Well you're a witch Lily. I mean what else could you be."
"No James. I'm not. There's no easy way to say this, but I'm an enchantress."
James frowned slightly, "That's not funny Lily. You know as well as I do that they died out centuries ago!"
"That's what I thought too, but we were wrong. It's true! Here, I'll prove it to you."
Lily lifted her arms and whispered a spell. Suddenly the couch they were sitting on began to levitate. She brought down her arms slowly.
James stared at her in utter shock. Sure, some wizards could perform a few wandless spells, but nothing like that. She had levitated two people and a couch and she was only a fifth year!
"Lily, how much do you actually know about enchantresses?" He asked, with an odd expression on his face.
"Err, not very much I guess."
"Oh ok." He said simply.
"Why," She asked suspiciously.
"Don't worry about it."
She shot him another suspicious look.
He sighed deeply, "We'll talk about it later. Now on with the story."
"Well, I was heading down to the library to figure out what was wrong with my magic, when the staircase I was on began to change. I ended up in some hall I had never seen before. I was looking for another set of stairs when I heard a scream. Being the idiot I am, I ran to see if I could help."
James interrupted again. "That doesn't make you an idiot Lily. That makes you brave."
She shook her head. "There was a girl in there James. She w-was being slammed against the wall by her throat by a…a death eater." Her voice shook on the word death eater. He put his arm around her slowly, so as not to startle her like before.
"Anyways I tried to stun him, but nothing happened. My wand wasn't working or something. He dropped the girl to the ground, and she just lay there! Oh James, I thought she was dead! I thought I was too late," She exclaimed, tears running down her cheeks.
He started to comfort her, but she plunged on. She found it was almost a relief to tell someone. The words poured from her mouth.
"He advanced on me. Then before I knew it, he had me trapped in a corner and..." She stopped in mid sentence.
James looked at her expectantly.
"H-he tried to rape me," she finally burst out. With this statement, out came the emotions she had been holding back since her parents had died. She began to sob into James's chest.
"It'll be okay," he whispered soothingly, even though internally he was in shock. Her parents had died, she had discovered she was an enchantress, she'd seen a girl almost killed, and she was almost raped, all in less than a month. He ran his fingers through her auburn locks, trying to calm her.
When the tears subsided, he tilted her head up so that she was looking him straight in the eye.
"It wasn't your fault Lily. None of it was. Tell me you believe me."
She diverted her eyes from his gaze.
He sighed deeply.
She lay her head on his shoulder and gazed into the vast night sky. Through the clouds came a shooting star. She closed her eyes, wishing with all her might. Wishing that none of it had happened…
James couldn't help but to think how beautiful she looked in the moonlight and how lucky he was to have her as a friend. When he was honest with himself, he knew that he felt more than friendship for her, but after this ordeal he hardly wanted to pressure her into a relationship.
"James," She said, calling him back from his thoughts.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"No thanks for telling me. I'm just sorry I made you relive it all."
"Don't be. I'm glad I have someone I can trust."
AN: Sorry it took so long for me to get this chapter out. I know it took forever. Thank you to all the kind people who reviewed the last chapter!
*Stardust is something that can be seen in the sky, only with a special telescope for witches and wizards. Centaurs are the only ones who can see it with the naked eye. It is used in divination and the reading of fates. If read properly, it tells of the past, present, and future. Few witches and wizards are able to decipher the star dust even when they can view it. It is an art that can not be taught; it is a gift.
Please review!!! Please, oh please!
Late Night Tryst
After some persuasion, Madame Pomfrey agreed to let Lily return to her dormitory for the night. Though, she insisted that Lily go straight to bed and check back with her in morning.
Lily arrived at the astronomy tower, puffing from the climb. James had yet to arrive, so sat down on one of the desks facing the grounds. She looked into the night sky. Gloomy clouds hung in the sky making it impossible to see more than a handful of stars. She supposed that was why the night classes had been cancelled.
Suddenly arms enveloped around her. Her first instinct was to scream in panic, but the arms retracted almost immediately. She spun around to find herself gazing into two familiar crystal blue eyes. Her pulse lessened considerably.
James seemed to sense her fright and looked at her carefully, trying to read her face.
She got up suddenly feigning an interest in the new telescope.
"Have you checked out the new telescope yet? It is soo much bigger than the old one. I hear it has twice the magnification too. Rumor is you can actually SEE star dust with it. (see AN). Isn't that awesome?" Lily said all of this very quickly, barely pausing for breaths.
"Yeah it's great." James said with little or no enthusiasm.
There was an awkward pause.
"Sorry I startled you."
"When," She asked, feigning confusion.
"When I came in," he said watching her face carefully.
"Oh. No big deal," She said casually. Though her eyes said differently.
"Wanna sit outside to talk?"
"Yeah, that'd be nice."
They walked outside and sat down in a wicker sofa chair that was surprisingly comfortable. Lily sat primly, careful not to jostle her now aching ribs. He sat next to her, waiting for her to start.
She sat quietly, debating furiously with herself. Part of her wanted to cry into his robes and tell him exactly what had happened, but the other part disagreed fervently. After all, it wouldn't be fair to dump all of her problems on James and, well, James was a guy. What if he thought less of her because of what had happened? What if he told someone?
She shook herself mentally. Deep down, she knew James would never do any of those things, but still what to tell him? She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn't even noticed a furry creature slinking towards them.
The kneazle purred and rubbed against her leg.
"Hey Grim. How are you baby," she said, trying not to coo. After all, kneazles are very bright creatures and can be easily insulted. Cooing could easily get you a swipe with one of those claws.
James looked over at the cat-like creature with a slight smile. Grimalkin caught sight of him and jumped into his lap, purring contentedly.
If there was any doubt left in Lily's mind, this certainly cleared it. If Grimalkin could trust James so fully, then that was that. She had to trust him too.
"Where should I start," She asked timidly.
"Wherever you want," He said flashing her a reassuring smile.
"First off, promise me you won't tell anyone. Not even Sirius."
"Of course, Lil. If that is what you want."
"Good."
"Well I guess I should start with my magic. What I am."
James looked at her utterly confused.
"What you are. Well you're a witch Lily. I mean what else could you be."
"No James. I'm not. There's no easy way to say this, but I'm an enchantress."
James frowned slightly, "That's not funny Lily. You know as well as I do that they died out centuries ago!"
"That's what I thought too, but we were wrong. It's true! Here, I'll prove it to you."
Lily lifted her arms and whispered a spell. Suddenly the couch they were sitting on began to levitate. She brought down her arms slowly.
James stared at her in utter shock. Sure, some wizards could perform a few wandless spells, but nothing like that. She had levitated two people and a couch and she was only a fifth year!
"Lily, how much do you actually know about enchantresses?" He asked, with an odd expression on his face.
"Err, not very much I guess."
"Oh ok." He said simply.
"Why," She asked suspiciously.
"Don't worry about it."
She shot him another suspicious look.
He sighed deeply, "We'll talk about it later. Now on with the story."
"Well, I was heading down to the library to figure out what was wrong with my magic, when the staircase I was on began to change. I ended up in some hall I had never seen before. I was looking for another set of stairs when I heard a scream. Being the idiot I am, I ran to see if I could help."
James interrupted again. "That doesn't make you an idiot Lily. That makes you brave."
She shook her head. "There was a girl in there James. She w-was being slammed against the wall by her throat by a…a death eater." Her voice shook on the word death eater. He put his arm around her slowly, so as not to startle her like before.
"Anyways I tried to stun him, but nothing happened. My wand wasn't working or something. He dropped the girl to the ground, and she just lay there! Oh James, I thought she was dead! I thought I was too late," She exclaimed, tears running down her cheeks.
He started to comfort her, but she plunged on. She found it was almost a relief to tell someone. The words poured from her mouth.
"He advanced on me. Then before I knew it, he had me trapped in a corner and..." She stopped in mid sentence.
James looked at her expectantly.
"H-he tried to rape me," she finally burst out. With this statement, out came the emotions she had been holding back since her parents had died. She began to sob into James's chest.
"It'll be okay," he whispered soothingly, even though internally he was in shock. Her parents had died, she had discovered she was an enchantress, she'd seen a girl almost killed, and she was almost raped, all in less than a month. He ran his fingers through her auburn locks, trying to calm her.
When the tears subsided, he tilted her head up so that she was looking him straight in the eye.
"It wasn't your fault Lily. None of it was. Tell me you believe me."
She diverted her eyes from his gaze.
He sighed deeply.
She lay her head on his shoulder and gazed into the vast night sky. Through the clouds came a shooting star. She closed her eyes, wishing with all her might. Wishing that none of it had happened…
James couldn't help but to think how beautiful she looked in the moonlight and how lucky he was to have her as a friend. When he was honest with himself, he knew that he felt more than friendship for her, but after this ordeal he hardly wanted to pressure her into a relationship.
"James," She said, calling him back from his thoughts.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"No thanks for telling me. I'm just sorry I made you relive it all."
"Don't be. I'm glad I have someone I can trust."
AN: Sorry it took so long for me to get this chapter out. I know it took forever. Thank you to all the kind people who reviewed the last chapter!
*Stardust is something that can be seen in the sky, only with a special telescope for witches and wizards. Centaurs are the only ones who can see it with the naked eye. It is used in divination and the reading of fates. If read properly, it tells of the past, present, and future. Few witches and wizards are able to decipher the star dust even when they can view it. It is an art that can not be taught; it is a gift.
Please review!!! Please, oh please!