DISCLAIMER: I own nothing! NO money is being made. If HP was mine, I'd be writing the sixth book, not silly fanfics!
A/N: here you go. Hope this satisfies your apetites, since I'll be out of town all tomorrow. Read on, if you dare . . .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Those Wicked Eyes
Chapter ten~ Meeting with Malevolence
He sat atop the tower, looking out over the forest. The stars above him twinkled. They seemed to be mocking him.
What was happening to him lately? Why was he suddenly losing control of his body whenever Lily looked at him? He knew the answer, though he didn't want to admit it. He put his head in his hands. If he was absolutely honest with himself, the truth was, he wanted to kiss Lily. He wanted to take her in his arms and spend the rest of his life with her.
The very idea was crazy. "Lily?" he asked himself. "Anyone else, fine. But Lily? Until this year, I knew nothing about her except she was head of the class and amazingly annoying. But now?"
The truth was, Katie was right. Katie had been right all along, long before James had noticed anything. "I love her. It's that simple. I know Remus told me to love, but I have no right to put her or anyone else in that kind of danger." It felt as though his heart was being ripped in two, and he didn't know what to do about it.
He was so caught up in his musings that it never registered in his mind what he was seeing as he looked out across the grounds. Then he did a double-take. There was someone outside. The person had left the castle and was now walking towards the forest. Who was it? He peered into the darkness and gasped. Lily!
He jumped up and ran through the castle as quickly as he could. Leaving the Cloak in the Common Room, he ran out onto the grounds and transformed into a magnificent white stag. He galloped into the forest after her.
~~~
Lily sat staring into the flames, crying softly, thinking about James. She knew he had almost kissed her; had wanted to kiss her. Why, then, had he turned away? She knew now. After tonight she knew. She loved him, but it was obvious now that he didn't love her back. If he did, why had he turned away?
The flames seemed to hypnotize her, and she was suddenly filled with a desire to leave. She got up and walked into the deserted hallway. Through the passages, down the stairs, and out onto the grounds, not worrying if anyone saw her. Her feet seemed to have taken over, for she didn't stop even as they led her across the grounds and into the Forbidden Forest.
Though the ground was riddled with roots and leaves, she never stumbled. Finally, after walking several minutes' distance into the trees, she entered a clearing. Blinking, she looked around her. Where was she? She had been in front of the fire, and now she was here. What was going on?
"Ah, my dear. It is so good of you to join me," said a high, cruel voice from behind her. She whirled around to face a tall, dark man, his long white fingers twirled his wand absent-mindedly. She gasped.
"Voldemort."
"Ah, good. You know me, so we need not bother with introductions. My dear, I wish to make it clear that I have no intention to harm you. None at all."
"Why don't I believe you?"
"Because you have heard so many stories about you that have convinced you I am evil. Silly girl. There are no such things as good or evil. There is only power. And those strong enough to take it. I wish only to ask you a question, my dear child."
"What do you want?"
"Where is James Potter?"
"What do you want with him?"
"What makes you think I want anything with him?"
"Then why do you wish to know where he is if you want nothing?"
"Answer the question, my dear Miss Evans, and no one will be harmed," he said, a dangerous edge to his smooth voice.
"Except James, right?" she said daringly. His eyes narrowed menacingly.
"Don't pretend to analyze things you don't understand, you silly girl."
"I understand fine. You killed his family, now you want to kill him, too. And who's to say you won't kill me after?"
"I had highly hoped," he said coldly, "that I would not have to kill anyone here tonight."
"And I suppose you just wanted to ask James out to the Forbidden Forest for tea and crumpets?" He advanced on her, wand at the ready. She back into a tree as the wand tip came to her throat.
"You have quite a lip on you, girl. It's going to get you into trouble one day. Now, tell me. Where is Potter?"
Scared as she was of the wand pointed at her throat, she shook her head. "I won't tell you. Kill me if you like, because that's the only way you'll get him."
"So, the little Mudblood stands up for Potter in front of the Dark Lord. And what does she hope to accomplish with this brave act of hers? Whether you tell me or not, Potter will be just as dead. Why not save your own skin?"
"Because his life means more to me than my own. And if that means we both die, then so be it. That's better than me selling his life to you." He pushed her down onto the ground, and pointed his wand at her heart.
"This is your last chance, Mudblood. Where is he?" Voldemort screamed.
"Never!" Lily shouted, hitting his hand and sending his wand flying into the bushes behind him. He gave her a look of pure hatred before lifting her up by her collar and throwing her away from him as hard as he could. Her head hit the tree truck behind her with a sickening, audible crack. She slumped to the ground and knew no more.
~~~
James the stag galloped into the forest. With his heightened senses, he was able to track Lily with ease. Quite a ways into the forest, he began to hear raised voices. Quickly, he transformed back into his human form.
"Where is Potter?" a high voice yelled.
"Never!" Lily shouted. James turned a corner and came upon a clearing just in time to see Lord Voldemort hurl Lily into the trunk of a nearby tree. He ran forward to stand over her limp body, wand out, while Voldemort rummaged in the bushes, looking for his wand. He turned back, startled at first, but then he smiled.
"Ah, Potter. Just the man I wanted to see. I knew you'd follow your Mudblood friend, which is what made her a perfect hostage. And here you are. This worked out perfectly."
"That's what you think," James said coldly. Voldemort laughed cruelly.
"So brave. And what will it get you? Answer me that. Your family was brave, too, and it didn't help them."
"If I die, I die fighting, not lying down."
"You don't have to die at all. Join me, and you can live forever."
James gave a hollow laugh. "Join you? You, who killed the people I cared most about. You expect me to join you? You can rot in hell."
"Brave words. But they won't help you now. You refuse my offer, so you must die. I am sorry. I could have used someone like you in my ranks. But I should have known you would refuse. You're a Potter. Lowly, pathetic, Mudblood loving Potter."
"Don't you say that about Lily."
"How sweet. I tell you you're going to die, and you respond by sticking up for the pathetic Mudblood who died for you. How very sweet. Not to mention ironic. You would die to protect her and she's already dead." James' heart skipped a beat. It wasn't true. It couldn't be.
"If that is true," James said, suddenly inspired, "then you can't touch me." His eyes widened, then narrowed in fury.
"No! You will curse the day you and the filthy Mudblood dared to foil the plans of Lord Voldemort." With that, he stretched out his hand and James was thrown to the ground in a blast of blinding light. When he could see again, he crawled over to Lily's lifeless form on the ground. Cradling her head in his lap, he felt desperately under her chin for a pulse. When he pulled his hand away, he could see by the dim light of the moon, that it was sticky was blood.
"Please, Lily. Please. You can't be dead. You can't leave me! Please don't leave me," he whispered. But it was no use. He leaned up against the trunk of the tree, pulled his knees up to his chest and let out a ragged sob. She was gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ooo . . evil cliffie. I know. I'm just giving you something for your minds to stew over while I'm gone. I'll leave you now, to imagine Lily and James' horrific fate. Oh, I'm bad, I know. Sorry.
A/N: here you go. Hope this satisfies your apetites, since I'll be out of town all tomorrow. Read on, if you dare . . .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Those Wicked Eyes
Chapter ten~ Meeting with Malevolence
He sat atop the tower, looking out over the forest. The stars above him twinkled. They seemed to be mocking him.
What was happening to him lately? Why was he suddenly losing control of his body whenever Lily looked at him? He knew the answer, though he didn't want to admit it. He put his head in his hands. If he was absolutely honest with himself, the truth was, he wanted to kiss Lily. He wanted to take her in his arms and spend the rest of his life with her.
The very idea was crazy. "Lily?" he asked himself. "Anyone else, fine. But Lily? Until this year, I knew nothing about her except she was head of the class and amazingly annoying. But now?"
The truth was, Katie was right. Katie had been right all along, long before James had noticed anything. "I love her. It's that simple. I know Remus told me to love, but I have no right to put her or anyone else in that kind of danger." It felt as though his heart was being ripped in two, and he didn't know what to do about it.
He was so caught up in his musings that it never registered in his mind what he was seeing as he looked out across the grounds. Then he did a double-take. There was someone outside. The person had left the castle and was now walking towards the forest. Who was it? He peered into the darkness and gasped. Lily!
He jumped up and ran through the castle as quickly as he could. Leaving the Cloak in the Common Room, he ran out onto the grounds and transformed into a magnificent white stag. He galloped into the forest after her.
~~~
Lily sat staring into the flames, crying softly, thinking about James. She knew he had almost kissed her; had wanted to kiss her. Why, then, had he turned away? She knew now. After tonight she knew. She loved him, but it was obvious now that he didn't love her back. If he did, why had he turned away?
The flames seemed to hypnotize her, and she was suddenly filled with a desire to leave. She got up and walked into the deserted hallway. Through the passages, down the stairs, and out onto the grounds, not worrying if anyone saw her. Her feet seemed to have taken over, for she didn't stop even as they led her across the grounds and into the Forbidden Forest.
Though the ground was riddled with roots and leaves, she never stumbled. Finally, after walking several minutes' distance into the trees, she entered a clearing. Blinking, she looked around her. Where was she? She had been in front of the fire, and now she was here. What was going on?
"Ah, my dear. It is so good of you to join me," said a high, cruel voice from behind her. She whirled around to face a tall, dark man, his long white fingers twirled his wand absent-mindedly. She gasped.
"Voldemort."
"Ah, good. You know me, so we need not bother with introductions. My dear, I wish to make it clear that I have no intention to harm you. None at all."
"Why don't I believe you?"
"Because you have heard so many stories about you that have convinced you I am evil. Silly girl. There are no such things as good or evil. There is only power. And those strong enough to take it. I wish only to ask you a question, my dear child."
"What do you want?"
"Where is James Potter?"
"What do you want with him?"
"What makes you think I want anything with him?"
"Then why do you wish to know where he is if you want nothing?"
"Answer the question, my dear Miss Evans, and no one will be harmed," he said, a dangerous edge to his smooth voice.
"Except James, right?" she said daringly. His eyes narrowed menacingly.
"Don't pretend to analyze things you don't understand, you silly girl."
"I understand fine. You killed his family, now you want to kill him, too. And who's to say you won't kill me after?"
"I had highly hoped," he said coldly, "that I would not have to kill anyone here tonight."
"And I suppose you just wanted to ask James out to the Forbidden Forest for tea and crumpets?" He advanced on her, wand at the ready. She back into a tree as the wand tip came to her throat.
"You have quite a lip on you, girl. It's going to get you into trouble one day. Now, tell me. Where is Potter?"
Scared as she was of the wand pointed at her throat, she shook her head. "I won't tell you. Kill me if you like, because that's the only way you'll get him."
"So, the little Mudblood stands up for Potter in front of the Dark Lord. And what does she hope to accomplish with this brave act of hers? Whether you tell me or not, Potter will be just as dead. Why not save your own skin?"
"Because his life means more to me than my own. And if that means we both die, then so be it. That's better than me selling his life to you." He pushed her down onto the ground, and pointed his wand at her heart.
"This is your last chance, Mudblood. Where is he?" Voldemort screamed.
"Never!" Lily shouted, hitting his hand and sending his wand flying into the bushes behind him. He gave her a look of pure hatred before lifting her up by her collar and throwing her away from him as hard as he could. Her head hit the tree truck behind her with a sickening, audible crack. She slumped to the ground and knew no more.
~~~
James the stag galloped into the forest. With his heightened senses, he was able to track Lily with ease. Quite a ways into the forest, he began to hear raised voices. Quickly, he transformed back into his human form.
"Where is Potter?" a high voice yelled.
"Never!" Lily shouted. James turned a corner and came upon a clearing just in time to see Lord Voldemort hurl Lily into the trunk of a nearby tree. He ran forward to stand over her limp body, wand out, while Voldemort rummaged in the bushes, looking for his wand. He turned back, startled at first, but then he smiled.
"Ah, Potter. Just the man I wanted to see. I knew you'd follow your Mudblood friend, which is what made her a perfect hostage. And here you are. This worked out perfectly."
"That's what you think," James said coldly. Voldemort laughed cruelly.
"So brave. And what will it get you? Answer me that. Your family was brave, too, and it didn't help them."
"If I die, I die fighting, not lying down."
"You don't have to die at all. Join me, and you can live forever."
James gave a hollow laugh. "Join you? You, who killed the people I cared most about. You expect me to join you? You can rot in hell."
"Brave words. But they won't help you now. You refuse my offer, so you must die. I am sorry. I could have used someone like you in my ranks. But I should have known you would refuse. You're a Potter. Lowly, pathetic, Mudblood loving Potter."
"Don't you say that about Lily."
"How sweet. I tell you you're going to die, and you respond by sticking up for the pathetic Mudblood who died for you. How very sweet. Not to mention ironic. You would die to protect her and she's already dead." James' heart skipped a beat. It wasn't true. It couldn't be.
"If that is true," James said, suddenly inspired, "then you can't touch me." His eyes widened, then narrowed in fury.
"No! You will curse the day you and the filthy Mudblood dared to foil the plans of Lord Voldemort." With that, he stretched out his hand and James was thrown to the ground in a blast of blinding light. When he could see again, he crawled over to Lily's lifeless form on the ground. Cradling her head in his lap, he felt desperately under her chin for a pulse. When he pulled his hand away, he could see by the dim light of the moon, that it was sticky was blood.
"Please, Lily. Please. You can't be dead. You can't leave me! Please don't leave me," he whispered. But it was no use. He leaned up against the trunk of the tree, pulled his knees up to his chest and let out a ragged sob. She was gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ooo . . evil cliffie. I know. I'm just giving you something for your minds to stew over while I'm gone. I'll leave you now, to imagine Lily and James' horrific fate. Oh, I'm bad, I know. Sorry.