The stuff you recognize, yeah, it's not mine.
Chapter 4 The Morning After

James walked slowly down the hallway under the invisibility cloak. Sirius had talked him into snitching food from the kitchens but of course was too lazy to come himself.

As he came down the final stretch of the hall, James heard a girl crying in an empty classroom. He looked towards the portrait that led to the kitchen, then at the classroom where the sobbing was intensifying.

Food.........crying girl.....food....crying girl? He stomped his foot, he had such a weakness for weeping females!

Entering the room slowly, James almost didn't see the small girl curled against the wall. He recognized that red hair!

"Lily! What happened?!?" He cried, swooping over her, cradling her in his arms. "Are you okay?"

Lily felt someone lift her body. She was completely outside of herself and without even looking at the face, she clung to the persons clothes.

"Lily, tell me what happened." James repeated as her fingers dug into his chest.

She let out a wavering breath, and then sobbed out, "He raped me. He raped me; please don't let him come near me." A fresh wave of tears washed over her face.

James's eyes searched Lily's face. "Who did this to you? Who raped you? Please tell me or I can't help you."

Lily blinked and shook her head, as if confused. Then, without warning, she looked straight into his eyes, whispering "Peter."
Hiding the cloak in a dark corner of the deserted room, James hurried Lily to Professor Dumbledore's office. He whispered the password to the gargoyle and was about to knock on the door when Lily grabbed his wrist, her eyes wide.

"No! He...He...will make my life hell if you tell. I don't want any trouble." Lily's voice trembled after so much crying.

"What....? No, we have to tell someone. I won't let him hurt you, neither will Professor Dumbledore. Lily, please, come one."

Reluctantly, she let go of his arm and he knocked loudly.

Within a few minutes the door opened, revealing Professor Dumbledore in pajamas and a night cap. "Ah! Mr. Potter! Ms. Evans! To what do I owe this honor?" He smiled at them, and then, seeing Lily's tear stained face, his smile dimmed. "Ms. Evans, whatever is wrong?"

"Uh, Professor? Can Lily and I come into your office?" James interrupted.

"Of course! I am so sorry!" Dumbledore ushered them into his office. "Now, will you two, please, explain yourselves."

James looked at Lily who seemed enchanted almost with a knot in the wood of Professor Dumbledore's desk.

"Um.....Lily was...Lily was....she was raped. By Peter Pettigrew." James stammered, fully aware of Dumbledore's look of growing alarm.

Looking at Lily, Dumbledore narrowed his eyes. "Are you....are you quite sure it was him?" He asked it as if was impossible.

Lily looked up sharply. "Am I quite sure it was him?" She asked with flame creeping into her eyes and ice dripping from her words. "Of course I am sure, damn it! How could I have missed it? He was fucking raping me!" Lily's temper finally snapped.

Dumbledore sat back in his seat, surveying her attitude. James just stared at Lily with awe and horror.

"Oh my God! I can't believe I just said that! Professor, I am so sorry." Her eyes were opened as wide as they could get, as well as covering her mouth with her hand.

Dumbledore patted her arm. "Its okay, Lily! I understand. You have had a considerable amount of stress tonight. I will send you to the infirmary, where you can be checked out. You may go back to the Gryffindor tower now, Mr. Potter. Thank you very much for your help."

James walked back to the empty class room where the invisibility cloak was stuffed. He couldn't really believe that Peter would do anything like this. Peter was just the small stuttering boy that couldn't keep up with him and Sirius.

And Lily. Lily had seemed so scared. For all these years, James had completely ignored her, but it seemed that now, more than ever, she would need him as a friend. He supposed that he would have to make more of an effort.
"James! Buddy! What took you so long? I hope you got a lot of food!" Sirius yelled as James entered the dormitory. "Uh, you may not have noticed, but I think you left all the food in the kitchen, pal." He said, noticing no chow in his friends' arms.

James shook his head. "No, no, man. Something happened. I was on my way to the kitchens when I heard someone crying. It was...." He looked around and noticed that Peter was also in the room. "It was Marissa, that Hufflepuff girl. She and her friend had a fight, so she needed some support." He quickly lied.

"Ah, man! You and crying females." Sirius laughed.

"Yeah. Me and crying females." Ran through James's head.
The next morning, Lily woke up, yawned, stretched and was about to jump out of the bed when she looked around and noticed she wasn't in her own dormitory.

"Oh! Ms. Evans! You're awake!" Chirped Madam Glencoe, the plump, cheery school nurse. "How are you feeling this morning, dear?"

Lily checked herself. "A little sore, actually."

"Ah, well you've had a terrible ordeal. Well, you slept through your first and second classes and....."

"I missed my classes?!?" Lily exclaimed, "Why didn't you wake me?"

"My dear, don't you worry, you've been excused from everything. Besides, that darling Mr. Potter brought all the notes for you. Oh, and Professor Dumbledore thought you might like to know that he is talking to Mr. Pettigrew right now and that he will be expelled." Rushed Madam Glencoe in one breath. "Now. You will sit here and eat breakfast before you go to class."

Madam Glencoe placed a small serving platter on Lily's lap before walking away.

Lily thought about the news she had just heard. Expelled? Peter would know she went to the teachers. He would torture her to no end and turn her life upside down. Then she remembered James's promise. "....I won't let him hurt you. Neither will Professor Dumbledore..." and felt instantly safe.
In time for her fourth class, Lily was dressed and ready to face school. But as she walked down the hall, eyes averted from her and whispering followed.

*"I know, I know they've been talking about me. I can hear them whisper, and it makes me think there must be something wrong with me."*

When she reached her class, Lily plopped into the seat beside Alisa. "So, I suppose that everyone has heard?" She asked.

Alisa gave her a sad smile before nodding. "Well, they expelled Peter, so it got around fast." Then her face got more serious. "Have you heard Lily? Have you heard what Peter told people?" Alisa's voice became almost pleading. Lily shook her head. "He told them you asked for it. I didn't believe it, but some people might think...."

Lily's eyes flooded with tears but she blinked them back. This was just the beginning of his promise, she knew that.

So, my friends, how was that? I hope you all liked it.

Also, the quote up there is from Matchbox Twenty's "Unwell".

THANK YOU to the people you have reviewed so far, it is really encouraging.
Doodles.