"Excuse me, dear? Do you want something from the cart?" A portly looking woman with brown hair and a beaming face had come into the last compartment, where Lily Evans, a Slytherin fifth year, was seated, nose buried in a tattered muggle book titled: The Lord Of The Rings, The Fellowship Of The Rings by JRR Tolkien.
Lily looked up, startled and blinked.
"Oh! Sorry; no, I'm alright."
"Okay. If you change your mind, dear, I'll be up the front."
"Thanks." Lily smiled at the lady.
Once the lady had left, Lily immediately buried her nose in the book again.
Lily had just lit the candles (it was getting dark) in the compartment, when three boys barged in and sat down on some of the chairs, one of them putting his feet onto Lily's book.
Lily was normally a quiet girl. There were something's that made her flare up though, like, insulting her parents or wrecking her books. This was one of those times.
"Do you mind?" Lily demanded.
The boys looked up startled.
"What?" the one with his feet on her book asked lazily.
James Potter. Lily realized.
"Your feet are on my book." Lily pointed to his feet.
"Oh." He said. He and the others (Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. I should have known. Lily thought, mentally slapping her head) exchanged grins. James rubbed the mud from his shoes on the book, laughed with the others and they went back to their talking.
"Potter. Stand up." Lily commanded.
James was amazed to find himself standing up, almost against his will. He looked down at her.
"What?" He asked, annoyed.
SMACK! Lily's hand connected with his face, hard.
"What was that for?" Sirius roared, leaping to his feet.
"You." Lily said, glaring at Sirius and pointing a finger at him. "Sit." She pointed to the chair he had just vacated.
Sirius found himself sitting down.
"Yeah! What was that for?!" James yelled, his hand pressed against his cheek, where a red handprint was quickly forming.
"That, was for ruining the last thing my parents ever gave me." Lily said quietly and coldly.
She picked up the remains of the book and her bag, grabbed her jacket and left, quiet tears streaming down her face.
Behind her the boys stared on in amazement.
Lily walked through the compartments, still crying quietly. In a compartment near the middle, a hand stopped her. Lily turned to see Severus Snape standing there, concern written in his face.
"What's wrong, Lils?" he asked.
Lily held up the book.
Severus' face tightened in anger.
"Who did that?"
"P-Potter and h-his fr-friends…" Lily whispered.
"Oh, Lil." Severus pulled her into a hug. Lily sobbed into his shoulder.
When she had calmed down enough, Severus laid her down gently on one of the seats in the compartment.
"Take care of her." He told the other Slytherin's in the compartment. They nodded grimly.
Severus strode out of the compartment and down to the last compartment. Barging in, he grabbed James' robes and slammed him up against one of the compartment's windows, holding him up half a foot in the air.
"You bastard! You f***ing bastard! I swear, do a thing to Lily and you will die! You—" Severus got that far before his rage overtook him and he punched James in the stomach before storming out, but not before sending a good blasting curse back at them, wrecking the compartment.
~**~**~**~**~**At the Feast**~**~**~**~**~
Dumbledore stood up, (the Sorting's just finished Gryffindor = four, Hufflepuff = five, Ravenclaw = five, Slytherin = six) and let off a bang from the tip of his wand to get everyone's attention.
"Now that I have everyone's attention, I would just like to say that there will be a Halloween Ball, a Masquerade, a Talent Quest and a Yule Ball this year. Also, I'd like to say: EAT!!!!!!!!!!!"
Food appeared and everyone dug in, talking about the things Dumbledore had told them about.
~**~**~**~**~**The Next Day – Potions**~**~**~**~**~
Lily ran into class, five minutes late, hair pulled back into a hasty ponytail, wisps flying free to frame her face in a carefree motion. A bruise was forming on the side of her face. Her bag had a big tear in it and her books, parchment, ink and quills were piled up in her arms.
"Sorry I'm late Professor. My bag tore…"
"Quite alright, Miss Evans." Professor Frendal said, beaming at one of her best students. "Come up here and I'll fix it for you."
Lily walked up to the front, dumping all her stuff, except for her bag, on the desk that she, Severus and Lucius Malfoy shared.
"Reparo." Professor Frendal said, pointing her wand at the torn bag. The bag flew together as if it had never parted.
Lily thanked the teacher and quickly sat down at her table.
"How did it break?" Severus whispered at her.
"Potter." Lily whispered back. She glanced at him and immediately wished she hadn't told him. His face had gone dark in anger.
"When?"
"He tripped me over. My bag smashed against a corner and my face against the floor. My bag tore and my face started to bruise." Lily found herself telling him everything.
"I see." He said coldly. "Well, maybe me'n the boys, Lucius too, will have a talk with Mr. Potter and his idiots."
"Severus, no. You don't need to talk to them."
"Lily, I do. I really need to talk to them."
~**~**~**~**~**Lunch**~**~**~**~**~
"Potter." A silky voice said. James looked up to see Severus Snape standing before him, hands on hips.
"Meet me in the Astronomy Tower, midnight. Bring friends. You'll need them."
~**~**~**~**~**Just Before Midnight, Slytherin Dungeons**~**~**~**~**~
Lily woke with a start. Voices were drifting up from the Common Room.
She climbed out of her bed and put on her dressing gown, a green and silver cloak with long droopy sleeves. She climbed down the stairs and into the Common Room to see Severus and Lucius quickly step out of the Common Room. She followed them into the Astronomy Tower, keeping to the shadows so they wouldn't see her.
"I'll kill him!" Severus was growling.
"I assume you're talking about me?" James Potter stepped out of the shadows, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew behind him.
"Of course, Potter." Lucius sneered.
James whipped out his wand, just as Severus did, and they started to circle.
"Wait!" Lily cried, leaping out of the shadows. The two boys ignored her. Lucius grabbed her arm, stopping her from reaching them. "Noooo!!" Lily shrieked tearfully.
She struggled against Lucius, surprising him with her strength. She managed to break free of his arms, and leapt at the boys, grabbing Severus by the arm to pull him away. Her leap went wide and somehow Severus' left arm ended up whacking Lily across the face. The was a sickening thud in the now silent tower as Lily fell back, her head slamming onto the flags.
"Lily!" Severus cried, all anger leaving him. He fell to his knees next to the collapsed girl and cradled her bleeding, unconscious head in his trembling hands. "Oh, Lily! Lils! Please be ok!" The fifteen year old pleaded with the girl who appeared lifeless.
"Quick! Get her to the Hospital Wing!" A voice shouted from far away. Severus lifted the half-starved girl in his arms and ran down the winding stairs to the Hospital Wing, leaving a trail of Lily's blood behind him.
Hope you like…
Too Far Lost
My favourite memories are of the past.