Author's note:
There will be something different in the chapters from here on.
Paragraphs in italic denote the subconscious thoughts of that person. It's the same concept as that used in Once and Again. I am a great fan of that show (I know… I am taking bits and pieces from my favourite shows), and after reading some of the fan fictions on the show (they are quite good…) I thought it would be interesting to incorporate them into my fics. If you guys find it annoying, I'll 'turn' them off in the next chapter.…=)
Also, now, Lily's premonitions will be bold AND italic like this one.
Disclaimer:
All recognizable characters, plotlines belong to JK Rowling. Drew, Myall, the Elia group, and the plotline belongs to me. Although, I have adapted many of the concepts from the WB show, Charmed, into this fanfic.
Summary:
Lily is no ordinary girl. Blessed with special and unique powers, she is left alone after her uncle, who has been teaching her at home, was killed by death eaters. Now exposed to normality and a target of the emerging powers of Voldermort, she seeks solace in Hogwarts where she learns that her greatest power is not her inheritance, but the love that she gains from those around her.
-------------------------------
IN LOVE AND WAR
James ran into the transfiguration classroom just as Professor McGonagall was explaining about animagus. She shot him a stern yet understanding look.
"Professor McGonagall…Sorry for being late…I was at the…"
"No need to explain, Potter," McGonagall said curtly, peering over her glasses. "Just take a seat. We are at page 12 of your textbook."
James swiftly took a seat next to Natalie, who was eyeing her boyfriend suspiciously. The lesson proceeded as normal, until the subject of the impending transfiguration report was brought up.
"I want to see a work in progress for all partners. This stage of the report will be taken into consideration when the final marks are determined."
James could hear Sirius groan. He smiled to himself. Then he caught sight of Drew making quick glances towards the door worriedly.
"What's wrong, Drew?" Remus asked her.
"Its Lily. She isn't here yet. She needs to show her part of the report too." Drew was starting to panic. James got off his seat and made his way to her.
"Drew, can I talk to you?"
Drew looked at James with a scared expression. The last time she saw him talk was at breakfast, and she didn't want to be at the receiving end of that sort of conversation. Even Remus was looking at him warily.
"Sure. Shoot." Drew replied. James looked around her. Sirius and Myall had uncharacteristically halted their bickering and was looking over their shoulder. Peter peered behind Remus with a look of fear, and even Natalie couldn't resist listening in.
"No. not here." James said, dragging Drew off her chair and towards the door, leaving many blank faces behind.
"What's wrong, James?" Drew asked, finally finding her voice.
"Lily isn't coming today." James said, lowering his voice.
"What?" Drew cried softly, "Why?" James could see that Drew was trying so very hard not to panic.
"She's at the hospital wing. Something…er…happened to her last night."
Drews expression changed to one of concern. "Hospital wing? How did she end up there?"
Then it grew suspicious. "What did you do to her?" Her eyes narrowing at the same time.
"I didn't do anything, Drew. Look, don't ask me how or why I know. But I do, ok?"
Drew studied James' expression. It seems so sincere and… un-James like.
"Is that…who you visited this morning? When Dumbledore came to your seat and told you that 'she' was awake?"
James nodded.
"So, what did happen to her?" Drew questioned him again.
"I…think I will let her tell you. That's all I can say."
"Potter! Cressidier! Kindly join us in class please instead of engaging in your private conversation." McGonagall said bluntly to them from the front.
"Yes, Professor." Drew said. Then she looked at James.
"Yeah…why did you pull me away to tell me that?"
"I…er…" James started, then caught sight of Natalie starring at him and Drew. "…don't know."
James:
Suddenly, I realised that she was there. My girl for three years. The girl that's been there for me all that time. For the past three years, I have seen nothing but her. Now, I feel like I am only noticing her for the first time. It's the same when you come home one day, and you find that your curtains have been changed. Its been there for so long, and suddenly when it is taken down and rolled up next to the new curtains that you notice it for the first time.
He looked away momentarily to be interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Come in." Professor McGonagall announced.
The door creeped open, but James didn't see anyone. Then he glanced down and saw a house elf clutching a parchment.
"Clover!" James said loudly.
"Master James remembers Clover!" the house elf exclaimed. She hugged James eagerly. Drew smiled.
Then Clover remembered what she was there for.
"Miss drew, this is miss lily's part in the report miss drew was working with miss lily. Miss Lily ask that I come and give it to you. She finished it this morning."
Drew's face brightened. "Really! Excellent. Typical reliable Lily." Then Clover recommenced her affectionate embrace of James.
"Miss Lily told me what you did for her," Clover beamed. James looked at Drew with a worried expression. Drew reached out to grab Clover, but it was too late.
"Master James is the greatest. I am honoured that you are such a good friend to Miss Lily. Only my Master Barto is greater then yourself."
James cringed and stole a look at Natalie. She was still starring at them, but turned back to her parchment when she saw James looking at her.
Natalie:
For three years, I have seen him walk beside me. Now, for the first time, I feel he's walking away from me. I don't even know how to stop him. Actually…(pauses)…I don't think I really saw him leave. And that kills me right now.
"Farewell, master James." Clover squealed and bounced out of the room with happiness.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, in the hospital Wing, Lily was getting bored. She had just finished her part in the transfiguration report and sent for Clover, who was more than happy to deliver it to Drew. Now, Lily sat at her bed, looking out the window again, when her eyes caught sight of Bessie's book, which was left by the bedside table. She reached over for it and called for Bessie.
Her aunt floated out of the centrefold and perched herself on the table in front of Lily.
"Some premonition that was, huh?" Bessie said with an apprehensive expression. Lily smiled meekly.
"Sorry." She mumbled. Bessie shook her head.
"My dear Lilia, there is no need to be sorry. I said before, and I will say again, premonitions are not easy to master. It requires a strong sense of character. And a lot of courage. You are still recovering form your uncle's death. It will all fall into place soon. The fact that you reached to deeply to that premonition means that your mind and soul is slowly adopting to the presence of premonition in your platform of powers."
Lily was burning to ask Bessie since the first premonition, and now seems like the best time.
"Bessie. These premonitions, what is their purpose?" Lily asked, "Am I meant to stop them?"
Bessie smiled.
"My dear, let me ask you another question. Do you know who is in those premonitions?"
"Umm…not really." Lily replied, "But I feel close to them. To her."
"That's because your soul recognises one of its own, it feels its pain. Just like the dolphis feels your pain. It connects with your inner soul."
"My soul recognising its own? Does that mean…that…the woman in the premonitions is…me?"
"The mirror in your first premonition gives you a clue. It provides a reflection of the woman in the room. A reflection of yourself."
"You see," Bessie continued. "premonitions play a role that's close to your heart. The death of your uncle triggered that premonition last night. Death and loss. Premonitions are like movies to muggles. They are recordings that exist in your life, waiting to be played. You don't get to choose what you play. Your inner desires and feelings automatically selects the footage to play."
"So, since I was feeling so profoundly about uncle Barto's death, it played the movie of my own death?"
"Well, from what I learnt about your premonition from Albus, it plays footage of your future that you most fear. Not your death, but a replication of your movie now. The loss of a loved one and a consequent abandonment of another."
"So…am I meant to stop it?"
"Well, my dear, unless you are planning to get yourself pregnant in the near future and age another 10 years, I believe you have other things to worry about. Like getting better, and school. And reverting to your original question, sometimes premonitions aren't there to be prevented. They are merely catalysts for events that are meant to be."
Lily nodded solemnly.
"Now, my dear, get some sleep and rest."
"Alright." Lily said lazily as she clasped the book shut.
But she couldn't sleep. For almost an hour she tossed and turned on the bed. Finally giving up, she got off her bed and got dressed.
"Where do you think you are going?" a voice yelled from the book.
"Fulfilling my other priority other than rest. School."
"But, sweetie, you need …"
"to get out of here, Bessie. So I will. Now be quiet. Please." Silence echoed the room, and Lily grinned.
Lily:
(rolls her eyes). So overprotective. Like a mother to her own child. Not that I am complaining (smiles sneakily).
She picked up the book and tucked it under her robes as she made her way out the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Did you see how long she cross examined our parchment?"
"I know, kept muttering that it was two inches too short. Like it really matters"
"Of course it does."
"How, smarty pants?"
"Sirius, shut up!"
"Moony, since when did you become Drew's protector?"
"Sirius?"
"Yes honey?"
"Shut up!"
Transfiguration had just finished, and the Marauders, Drew and Myall were making their way to their History of Magic class room. Natalie had previously detoured towards the greenhouses for Herbology. It was when Sirius realised that the bantering was missing a prominent member that he turned and looked at James.
Sirius:
James and I have been friends since we first joined Little Quidditch on Saturday afternoons 15 years ago. I remember the coach thought we were natural blood brothers because after the first game, we had managed to confuse the crap out of the other team by swapping positions halfway through the game. We just clicked so well.
But honestly, the emotional shit. I have no clue. Usually pranking or good old jokes and laughter solves it. But now…(grimaces)…now that we are older, I feel like I'm running out of ideas in the most important thing that involves my life: my best friend.
"Prongs, what's up?" Sirius said, elbowing James animatedly as he stepped back. James had taken to walking behind the entourage by himself, keeping his head down as if he was attending a funeral procession.
"Nothing, Padfoot." Still, James retained that sombre mood.
"James Potter! You have tell me, or someone for the matter. You cant prance at the back by your bloody self. You have never done that. James potter leads the pack, he doesn't tail behind. Check out this scenario, its Peter that's heading this group at the moment, and you are lagging behind. Is that bizarre or what?"
"Stranger things have happened."
"Like what?"
James didn't answer.
"Also," Sirius added, "I should tell you, Natalie is really upset about your behaviour. And I mean really upset. If you owe anyone, and really you owe all of us, but if you owe anyone an explanation for your strange behaviour, she deserves it."
"But, I cant explain!" James said irately
"What do you mean you can't explain?"
"I just…" he stopped when he spotted a familiar red head turning the corner.
"Lily!" Drew exclaimed and ran to her, hugging her with an intensity that was scarily similar to that of Clover.
"D…dr…drew…" Lily stammered, trying to catch her breath. "I cant breath."
Drew loosened her embrace.
"Sorry," Drew whispered. "How are you feeling? I heard you had a…uh…accident last night."
Lily shot a glance at James, who nodded assuringly.
"I'm fine now, Drew."
"What happened to you?" Drew asked with concern.
"I fell down. The stairs. James saw me when he…went back to get the book that he left in…"
"The library." James added, "I had just remembered."
"What book?" Remus quizzed.
"My…" James faltered, "… my diary."
Sirius burst out laughing followed by the others.
"James Potter keeps a diary? That will fetch a high price. Personal memoirs of James Potter. All those girls at Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff will die for a glimpse of that."
"Well…i…er…do. I didn't want to say anything because…I know you will all laugh at me."
"My friend," Remus said, in between grasping his sides from chuckling too much. "Why would we laugh at you?"
"Yeah…funny, Remus, very funny!" James said crossly, but smiled when he saw Lily looking apologetically at him.
"That's twice you have save me, Potter" Lily whispered as she walked next to him. "Thanks. And to think I didn't really like you when I first met you."
"Obviously your sense of judgement was appalling." James said, grinning again.
"Excuse me!" Lily said in mock anger. "You were the one that kept asking me stupid questions."
"Questions that remain unanswered." James muttered quietly. Then he caught sight of Lily's furious look and quickly said:
"Well…questions you can answer anytime." Lily's expression softened and she smiled. Then she said something that surprised herself.
"I will answer them someday. You deserve so much."
James looked at her in astonishment.
James:
Two months ago, I thought she was hiding something. Now that I think back to it, I was right. She WAS hiding something: herself.
James hadn't expected her to admit that there was something weird going on before, but now that she did, he found that he didn't harbour the same inquisitiveness that he did before.
"So, I take it you are feeling much better now?"
"Yeah," Lily replied, rubbing her sore head. "Still a bit light-headed, but better."
Sirius turned around and noticed the sudden change of behaviour that his friend was going through.
Sirius:
Crisis over…(smiles happily)… my little Jamie is back.
"So James," Sirius continued. "Peter wants us to go with him to see his mother next week. Says he needs to get some stuff from Hogsmede for her and its too heavy for him to carry by himself. You on for it?"
"Sure." James agreed, though not really paying attention to what Sirius had said. "Just remind me when its time."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next week came along faster than many of them expected. James and Natalie came first in the transfiguration report, followed very closely second by Lily and Drew.
"1 mark, they beat us by one mark!" Drew whined, while Lily just grinned.
They were having lunch in the Great Hall on the Friday afternoon, right after a transfiguration class.
"Honestly, Drew. Don't know why you are complaining. At least you didn't get marks deducted because there were doodles on EVERY PARCHMENT!" Myall said, addressing the last bitting remark at Sirius.
"Hey, I was bored. Sue me."
"Oh no…I wont sue you. I just will never work with you again."
"Really, honey, that's kinda harsh. And besides, you know you want to."
James turned to Natalie.
"We came first." James whispered into her ear with a grin plastered on his face. But Natalie shrugged him away and tossed her hair.
"Why? You not happy with that?" James said, in a slightly offended tone.
"Its alright." Natalie mumbled.
Natalie:
I feel…I feel as though he has cheated on me, yet I know that he hasn't. he just doesn't act guilty, just sad. I feel like I just cant connect with him anymore.
"But I worked for it, nat. if you think I didn't do my part, I'm…"
"You did, so don't worry." Natalie snapped dismissively.
Remus, noticing hostility developing between James and Natalie, decided to break the ice:
"You know what our next task is…"
"uhhh…" moaned Myall, "I am not touching that damn Divination report. I have foreseen that its going to be a complete waste of time."
"No." Remus said impatiently. "I was talking about that mini essay we have to do to get into the Christmas Ball."
"Moony," Sirius said exasperatedly. "Don't you think we have enough to worry about than to worry about some dumb essay to get into a ball?"
"Well, I guess you have to find a date first huh?" James teasingly added.
"I have a date…what are you talking about?"
"If you think its me," Myall retorted, "Then you are wrong."
"What do you mean honey?" Sirius said with a puppy face.
"You have to ask first."
"But I don't have to ask. You are my girlfriend. I shouldn't have to ask. Its expected."
"Sirius Black! I am a woman of my own. I can go with whoever I want. I am not obligated to go with you." Myall said defiantly.
Myall:
There is this saying. There is a child in all of us. With Sirius, the child is him. He expects things to be what he sees them as. He doesn't understand that sometimes…sometimes that is not always the case.
I feel like he's a full time babysitting job, and my reward is that someday…someday he will be a man and I will be blessed with such a person in my life. But now…I am still taking care of a bawling kid….and it drives me insane sometimes.
"Well, I shouldn't have…"
"If you don't ask me soon, then I will accept someone else's offer." Myall said.
"Well, that settles it." Sirius said in a confident and pompous voice. "No one in their right mind will ask my girlfriend to the Christmas Ball."
"Then maybe I will." And with that, Myall got up, straightened her skirt and stalked off, leaving Sirius glaring at the back of her neck.
Sirius:
(Leaning back against the chair)…she wouldn't, she just wouldn't. (Shaking his head in disbelief)
"So, Lily," Drew said, nudging her neighbour. "Who are you going with to the ball?"
Lily stopped drinking her milk and looked down. Then she looked up and noticed James starring at her, as he too, was waiting for her answer.
"No one." She replied.
"Of course you will," Remus said, leaning over and putting his arm around Drew. "You'll find someone. You still have about a month."
"I think I'll go alone. Its my first ball," Lily said. "kind of want to admire it without feeling the pressure of being with a date."
"Fair enough." Drew said approvingly. "Although I wouldn't expect to spend the entire night alone. Boys will be all out to ask you to dance with them. You will see." Drew smiled.
"James, you are going with Natalie."
"Yup, asked her already," James said with a smile and putting his arm around Natalie.
"So, that leaves Peter, who is characteristically not here, again." James said a dissatisfied tone. He was about to say something about it, when he was interrupted up a loud bang on the table from Sirius, who had gone noticeably quiet during that conversation and was constantly looking behind him.
He sat up in a fit of anger.
"ALRIGHT ALREADY!" he bellowed, scaring the first years who were sitting close to him. "Myall, will you go to the Christmas ball with me!"
Myall appeared over Sirius. "Are you asking, or demanding?" she said, cowering over him. Sirius shrunk back.
"I'm asking." He replied in a trembling yet serious voice. "Will you do me the honour of going to the ball with me?"
James, Remus, Drew, Peter, Lily and Natalie were trying hard to contain their laughter.
"Sure, if you insist." Myall said, with a big grin on her face before being engulfed by a big bulk of a man known as Sirius Black.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"This is so fun. Just like the old days." Sirius commented as they sneaked across the grounds under James' invisibility cloak.
"So Peter, the trip to and fro should take about 6 hours?" Remus whispered.
"Something like that," Peter said from next to James. James noticed that his friend was shaking.
"Why are you shaking, Pete? Are you scared?" he asked in a concerned voice.
"No…just worried that we …will get caught." Peter replied in a meek voice.
"Really, we have snuck into Hogsmede before. No problems there."
"I agree with Sirius." Remus added, "Don't worry, Peter. As long as we stick together, it'll be fine."
"Yeah," James said, patting Peter on the shoulder. "if Remus gives the ok, then its definitely safe."
Suddenly, Remus stopped, derailing his friend as a consequence. "I hear something." Remus said.
"What can you hear?" Sirius said, directing his ear towards the forest. "I cant hear anything!"
"I have better hearing," Remus said, dismissing Sirius in a worried tone. "Someone is coming…a lot of someones."
"Look…" Peter stammered, pointing at the forest.
About a dozan cloaked figures appeared with wands in hand. Before James, Sirius or Remus could take out their wands, they heard the dreaded word: Crucio.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So when will the boys be back again?" Drew asked Myall.
"I said so before, Drew, I don't know." Myall repleid irritatedly.
They were in the girls dorm, playing exploding snap. Lily was rubbing her hands from the burn that she had received from the game before. She was about to place her card down when her head started to throb.
"Someone is coming…a lot of someones."
"Look…" Peter stammered, pointing at the forest.
About a dozen cloaked figures appeared with wands in hand. Before James, Sirius or Remus could take out their wands, they heard the dreaded word: Crucio.
Sirius, Remus, James and Peter were tied to a tree each. Their eyes were puffed out, and sweat was perspiring from their body. They were subjected to a second round of the Cruciatus curse after they were tied to the tree. Before them, cloaked figures paced around, pointing at them, and laughing at them.
"Lily…its your turn…are you ok?" it was Drew, shaking Lily repeatedly. "You are sweating."
"I'm fine." Lily said, shaking and trembling at the same time. Then she got up in a flash.
"I have to go…now."
"Where are you going?" Myall cried, as she Lily picked up Bessie's book. But Lily didn't answer her and ran out of the room.
"I wonder what's wrong with her?" Myall said, perplexed. "Looks like she's seen a ghost."
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Ok…I know…it's a cliffhanger! But I cant help it!…=)
I am too tired to write(and think of) the fight scene tonight. I will post it up soon…I promise…sooner than normal.
Catch you guys soon.