Chapter Four
Disclaimer: No, I do not own the Harry Potter characters. I never have, never will. Argh….
Lily strained her ears in the darkness…listening. The air that filled her nostrils was stale, as if it hadn't been exposed to human breathing for decades. Trying in vain to regain her bearings, she ran her hands along the damp stone walls, afraid to wander off into obscurity. Somewhere inside her an alarm was going off, telling her this wasn't right. Her heart quickened. She could not panic. Moving forward blindly, she felt the first trickles of cold perspiration run down her temples.
"This weakness grows upon me. I am faint.." she murmured. Where did that come from? What lines from what verse were these? She shivered, trying to clear her mind, trying to find her way in the blackness.
"And much I fear me ill-it will not do. To die ere I have lived!…." Her head was spinning.. "Prince of Powers of Darkness and Tomb, Oh pity me! Do not let me perish now-"
She let out a cry of pain as her hand scraped across something sharp, drawing blood from her palm. Perhaps a jagged piece of rock, she thought, clutching her hand. Fear was seizing her now, making her numb. Resisting the urge to run, she clung to the wall. Her throat was beginning to burn from the foul air, and she wondered, if she managed to find her way out of this place, would she suffocate first?
"Stop being dense, Lily.." she muttered, but the sinking feeling of fear that was thriving inside her told her otherwise.
Lily tensed, once again straining to hear, sensing movement nearby. Her stomach gave a lurch when a hand clamped down on her shoulder, though all she could manage was a barley audible squeak. Her body felt like lead, and she realized that even if she managed to break away, there was no hope of making her way through the complete darkness around her.
"I am going to die here," she thought suddenly, though it had been the only clear thought she'd had since finding herself in this place…the only firm thought.
"Lily.."
She jumped slightly, jarred from the terror inside her mind. It was almost too much to stand, hearing another voice, and for a moment, Lily felt like screaming. The hand moved to touch her hair and she was hit by a wave of recognition so powerful drove away all existing thought.
Lily closed her eyes, her lips mouthing his name silently. She leaned into him, feeling his warm breath on her neck, dimly aware that he was turning her to face him.
"James…"she whispered, cut off when he drew her closer. Even in the blackness she could feel his gaze, and she reached out tentatively to touch his face, her fingertips brushing delicately over his skin. Her heart was pounding fiercely in her chest, no longer from fear. She raised her fingers to touch his ebony hair, entwining them in it, desperately trying to satisfy the overwhelming desire that was building inside her. Lily shivered as he caressed her cheekbone. He lowered his head, pausing only for a moment before touching his lips to hers gently. A soft murmur of consent escaped her lips, and he fought to hold back no more. She moved feverishly against him, wanting nothing more than to taste him, to feel his body against hers. His hands moved hungrily over her, his fingers leaving a trail of fire across her skin. Her mouth parted from his in a hushed moan, followed by a distant clap of noise that cut through the silence and woke her with a jolt.
She stared hard at her surroundings, disoriented. Laura walked by in front of her bed, returning from the bathroom, and gave her a little nod before crawling into her own four poster and pulling the blankets around her. Lily lay in her bed, her heart racing and covered in sweat. She pressed her lips together hesitantly, the image of James' kiss playing once again in her mind. She could feel his fingertips on her skin, remembering the sensation as he caressed her, the texture of his hair as she ran her hands through it. Struggling to regain some shred of her composure she scooted out of the bed, the cool air hitting her instantly and making her shiver. Her head was swarming with images from the dream. The darkness, her own fear, and then James. Lily let out a shaky breath., grabbing her robe from where it rested on top of her trunk. "James"…she glanced at Laura, who was fast asleep already. This was going to drive her mad.
"Having dreams about Potter," she muttered to herself, heading for the common room, "Lily, you have got to get a hold of yourself." She raised a finger to her lips, and becoming angry with herself, descended the flight of stairs, furiously trying to rid her thoughts of his kiss.
~~**~~
The flicker of light from the common room surprised her. Hadn't the fire long died out? Or, even if it hadn't, wouldn't the house elves had made sure it was? She peered into the dimly-lit room as she rounded the long staircase. James was staring blankly at the fire, his quill resting in hand. Lily was about to dart back up the stairs but he glanced up just in time to see her.
"Come to argue further, Evans?" He was slouched in a chair near the fire, parchment spread out before him. He hadn't touched it.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but no. I just needed someplace quiet to think." She studied his features in the warm light, her eyes settling a little longer on his mouth. She looked away quickly, afraid of what his comment might be.
"I couldn't sleep," he told her, "figured I'd attempt that essay," at this he gestured to his unused parchment.
"I can see you've accomplished a great deal," she said, raising her eyebrows. A sudden image of her running her fingers through his dark hair flashed in her head. "Not now...I don't need this now!" she thought.
"My mind keeps wandering," he sighed, offering her a weary smile.
"That, I can relate to," she said quietly.
James looked genuinely surprised, "No hostility. You're scaring me, Lily."
She couldn't help but smile, "I'm tired. Arguing with you takes too much out of me." Going against every instinct, she crossed the room and sat down across from him on the couch. He watched as she curled up on her side and rested her head against the pillow. "What are you staring at?"
"You," he smiled, "I don't think I've ever spent more than five minutes alone with you without a fight."
"I don't think it's been five minutes yet," Lily said, closing her eyes. The fire was making her sleepy, or maybe, she thought, maybe it has to do with something else.
"Guess we'll see then." James let his quill fall to the floor, giving up on his homework. "Why are you up, Lily?"
Lily…she remembered the sound of his voice, whispering her name in the dark. "I told you," she said, "I needed to think."
"Stubborn and evasive," he mused, "Oh well. I won't press the issue."
"Good," she murmured, drifting near the border of sleep.
"Good night, Evans," he said softly.
~~**~~
Lily opened her eyes to find sunlight streaming onto her face, and sat up quickly, forgetting where she was for the second time in one day. She'd come down here…and James was down here as well….though she didn't remember when she fell asleep. She glanced down to find that he'd covered her with a blanket and she shook her head.
"Nice, Potter. Very courteous of you."
The clock read 6:49. It was still reasonably early. She scrambled to her feet and climbed the stairs as quickly as she could, opening the dorm door as quietly as possible. Laura was already up and digging through her trunk in a frenzy.
"I can't find my blasted tie," she mumbled irritably, and Lily spotted it from beneath the shadows of her bed.
"Under your bed."
Laura ducked her head under the bed and resurfaced clutching the tie. "Erm, thanks."
"Yeah," Lily yawned, falling onto her bed.
"Where were you?" Laura glanced up from fixing her tie and at Lily.
"Common room. I must have fallen asleep down there."
"What were you doing there? Sleepwalking?" Laura seemed to have totally forgotten the argument yesterday. That, or she didn't feel like discussing it. One thing had to be said for her, she got over fights faster than anyone Lily knew.
"I couldn't sleep," Lily muttered, not sure if it was a lie or not.
"Well, you'd better hurry. I want to get down to the library for a few minutes before breakfast and I'm gonna need your help."
"What? Why? The library? This early?"
"I'm helping Remus with some research he's doing," she said importantly, though Lily could see that she was very visibly blushing.
"Oh well ,ok. And you need me to be there because?"
Laura blushed an even deeper red. "Because I haven't the slightest clue what I'm doing. Please, Lily?"
Lily sat up on her bed, looking at her friend, and sighed, "Ok, alright. Give me fifteen minutes."
"Fifteen? Ten."
"Thirteen."
"Eleven, now go, before you waste the remainder of your eleven minutes."
Lily shot her a look as she got to her feet and headed for the shower.
~~**~~
A/N: (Ahem) *stands in front of podium, fearing the sudden impact of tomatoes from the crowd* Well, that's chapter four. Lily and James are starting to warm up a bit, don't you think? I'm glad. She's been pretty mean over the span of time. The verses that keep popping into her head during her dream are taken from Edgar Allen Poe's, "Scene's from Politan" (an unpublished drama). Oh, and I should say this to all of you readers. *gets out large umbrella to defend herself incase of vegetable throwing* Yes, I do realize Lily's parents are Muggles. We all know this. I know it, you know it, my neighbor Betty and her Dalmatian dog know it. However, this is MY story, so if I feel the need to bend some of the …um…rules a bit, I apologize in advance and beg you to not get overly angry. If you are really that upset with anything that I do, then just stop reading. I hope you don't f course. I would like it if you continued the wonderful support you have shown me up to this point. But if not, then I bid you good day. Anyway, tell me what you think of this chapter!!!!!!!! Reviews are good, people! Thanks a bunch!
Disclaimer: No, I do not own the Harry Potter characters. I never have, never will. Argh….
Lily strained her ears in the darkness…listening. The air that filled her nostrils was stale, as if it hadn't been exposed to human breathing for decades. Trying in vain to regain her bearings, she ran her hands along the damp stone walls, afraid to wander off into obscurity. Somewhere inside her an alarm was going off, telling her this wasn't right. Her heart quickened. She could not panic. Moving forward blindly, she felt the first trickles of cold perspiration run down her temples.
"This weakness grows upon me. I am faint.." she murmured. Where did that come from? What lines from what verse were these? She shivered, trying to clear her mind, trying to find her way in the blackness.
"And much I fear me ill-it will not do. To die ere I have lived!…." Her head was spinning.. "Prince of Powers of Darkness and Tomb, Oh pity me! Do not let me perish now-"
She let out a cry of pain as her hand scraped across something sharp, drawing blood from her palm. Perhaps a jagged piece of rock, she thought, clutching her hand. Fear was seizing her now, making her numb. Resisting the urge to run, she clung to the wall. Her throat was beginning to burn from the foul air, and she wondered, if she managed to find her way out of this place, would she suffocate first?
"Stop being dense, Lily.." she muttered, but the sinking feeling of fear that was thriving inside her told her otherwise.
Lily tensed, once again straining to hear, sensing movement nearby. Her stomach gave a lurch when a hand clamped down on her shoulder, though all she could manage was a barley audible squeak. Her body felt like lead, and she realized that even if she managed to break away, there was no hope of making her way through the complete darkness around her.
"I am going to die here," she thought suddenly, though it had been the only clear thought she'd had since finding herself in this place…the only firm thought.
"Lily.."
She jumped slightly, jarred from the terror inside her mind. It was almost too much to stand, hearing another voice, and for a moment, Lily felt like screaming. The hand moved to touch her hair and she was hit by a wave of recognition so powerful drove away all existing thought.
Lily closed her eyes, her lips mouthing his name silently. She leaned into him, feeling his warm breath on her neck, dimly aware that he was turning her to face him.
"James…"she whispered, cut off when he drew her closer. Even in the blackness she could feel his gaze, and she reached out tentatively to touch his face, her fingertips brushing delicately over his skin. Her heart was pounding fiercely in her chest, no longer from fear. She raised her fingers to touch his ebony hair, entwining them in it, desperately trying to satisfy the overwhelming desire that was building inside her. Lily shivered as he caressed her cheekbone. He lowered his head, pausing only for a moment before touching his lips to hers gently. A soft murmur of consent escaped her lips, and he fought to hold back no more. She moved feverishly against him, wanting nothing more than to taste him, to feel his body against hers. His hands moved hungrily over her, his fingers leaving a trail of fire across her skin. Her mouth parted from his in a hushed moan, followed by a distant clap of noise that cut through the silence and woke her with a jolt.
She stared hard at her surroundings, disoriented. Laura walked by in front of her bed, returning from the bathroom, and gave her a little nod before crawling into her own four poster and pulling the blankets around her. Lily lay in her bed, her heart racing and covered in sweat. She pressed her lips together hesitantly, the image of James' kiss playing once again in her mind. She could feel his fingertips on her skin, remembering the sensation as he caressed her, the texture of his hair as she ran her hands through it. Struggling to regain some shred of her composure she scooted out of the bed, the cool air hitting her instantly and making her shiver. Her head was swarming with images from the dream. The darkness, her own fear, and then James. Lily let out a shaky breath., grabbing her robe from where it rested on top of her trunk. "James"…she glanced at Laura, who was fast asleep already. This was going to drive her mad.
"Having dreams about Potter," she muttered to herself, heading for the common room, "Lily, you have got to get a hold of yourself." She raised a finger to her lips, and becoming angry with herself, descended the flight of stairs, furiously trying to rid her thoughts of his kiss.
~~**~~
The flicker of light from the common room surprised her. Hadn't the fire long died out? Or, even if it hadn't, wouldn't the house elves had made sure it was? She peered into the dimly-lit room as she rounded the long staircase. James was staring blankly at the fire, his quill resting in hand. Lily was about to dart back up the stairs but he glanced up just in time to see her.
"Come to argue further, Evans?" He was slouched in a chair near the fire, parchment spread out before him. He hadn't touched it.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but no. I just needed someplace quiet to think." She studied his features in the warm light, her eyes settling a little longer on his mouth. She looked away quickly, afraid of what his comment might be.
"I couldn't sleep," he told her, "figured I'd attempt that essay," at this he gestured to his unused parchment.
"I can see you've accomplished a great deal," she said, raising her eyebrows. A sudden image of her running her fingers through his dark hair flashed in her head. "Not now...I don't need this now!" she thought.
"My mind keeps wandering," he sighed, offering her a weary smile.
"That, I can relate to," she said quietly.
James looked genuinely surprised, "No hostility. You're scaring me, Lily."
She couldn't help but smile, "I'm tired. Arguing with you takes too much out of me." Going against every instinct, she crossed the room and sat down across from him on the couch. He watched as she curled up on her side and rested her head against the pillow. "What are you staring at?"
"You," he smiled, "I don't think I've ever spent more than five minutes alone with you without a fight."
"I don't think it's been five minutes yet," Lily said, closing her eyes. The fire was making her sleepy, or maybe, she thought, maybe it has to do with something else.
"Guess we'll see then." James let his quill fall to the floor, giving up on his homework. "Why are you up, Lily?"
Lily…she remembered the sound of his voice, whispering her name in the dark. "I told you," she said, "I needed to think."
"Stubborn and evasive," he mused, "Oh well. I won't press the issue."
"Good," she murmured, drifting near the border of sleep.
"Good night, Evans," he said softly.
~~**~~
Lily opened her eyes to find sunlight streaming onto her face, and sat up quickly, forgetting where she was for the second time in one day. She'd come down here…and James was down here as well….though she didn't remember when she fell asleep. She glanced down to find that he'd covered her with a blanket and she shook her head.
"Nice, Potter. Very courteous of you."
The clock read 6:49. It was still reasonably early. She scrambled to her feet and climbed the stairs as quickly as she could, opening the dorm door as quietly as possible. Laura was already up and digging through her trunk in a frenzy.
"I can't find my blasted tie," she mumbled irritably, and Lily spotted it from beneath the shadows of her bed.
"Under your bed."
Laura ducked her head under the bed and resurfaced clutching the tie. "Erm, thanks."
"Yeah," Lily yawned, falling onto her bed.
"Where were you?" Laura glanced up from fixing her tie and at Lily.
"Common room. I must have fallen asleep down there."
"What were you doing there? Sleepwalking?" Laura seemed to have totally forgotten the argument yesterday. That, or she didn't feel like discussing it. One thing had to be said for her, she got over fights faster than anyone Lily knew.
"I couldn't sleep," Lily muttered, not sure if it was a lie or not.
"Well, you'd better hurry. I want to get down to the library for a few minutes before breakfast and I'm gonna need your help."
"What? Why? The library? This early?"
"I'm helping Remus with some research he's doing," she said importantly, though Lily could see that she was very visibly blushing.
"Oh well ,ok. And you need me to be there because?"
Laura blushed an even deeper red. "Because I haven't the slightest clue what I'm doing. Please, Lily?"
Lily sat up on her bed, looking at her friend, and sighed, "Ok, alright. Give me fifteen minutes."
"Fifteen? Ten."
"Thirteen."
"Eleven, now go, before you waste the remainder of your eleven minutes."
Lily shot her a look as she got to her feet and headed for the shower.
~~**~~
A/N: (Ahem) *stands in front of podium, fearing the sudden impact of tomatoes from the crowd* Well, that's chapter four. Lily and James are starting to warm up a bit, don't you think? I'm glad. She's been pretty mean over the span of time. The verses that keep popping into her head during her dream are taken from Edgar Allen Poe's, "Scene's from Politan" (an unpublished drama). Oh, and I should say this to all of you readers. *gets out large umbrella to defend herself incase of vegetable throwing* Yes, I do realize Lily's parents are Muggles. We all know this. I know it, you know it, my neighbor Betty and her Dalmatian dog know it. However, this is MY story, so if I feel the need to bend some of the …um…rules a bit, I apologize in advance and beg you to not get overly angry. If you are really that upset with anything that I do, then just stop reading. I hope you don't f course. I would like it if you continued the wonderful support you have shown me up to this point. But if not, then I bid you good day. Anyway, tell me what you think of this chapter!!!!!!!! Reviews are good, people! Thanks a bunch!
