Enduring Darkness
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, or any of its characters…
A/N: This fic is AU… so don't come up to me and go 'oh that never happens' cause I know it doesn't. This is a fanfic, not a copy of the real thing. (Sorry if that sounded harsh and rude, I've just had some people email me it before so yeah.)
2nd A/N: If you didn't get what I was coming to, the line 'It reminded her of the recent past…' was leading up to flashbacks, telling you what happened, so here it is! Flashbacks are in italics. Tiny bit of fluff at the beginning, not too much though…
FOUR -×- Truth, and Deeper Secrets
=Flashback=
"Hey gorgeous," James smirked as he came from behind Lily and wrapped is arms around her slim waist. She giggled like a first year who had just had their first crush. She turned around and buried her face in his neck, taking in his hypnotising cologne.
"Hey. Where've you been all day?" she asked him.
"No-where important. Why? Missed me?" his smirk grew wider as she punched him playfully. "You wish." She joked.
"I do wish…" and before Lily could answer he'd leant down and…
=End Flashback=
"Lily? Are you okay?"
"Huh?" Lily snapped out of her daze. She was back in the hospital wing. Back to reality. Back to the horrid truth. "Um… yeah… I – um… I don't think I'm quite up for tutoring today… It's just that-"
"It's okay." Jason smiled. "I'll come back tomorrow, or when you're feeling better, okay?"
Lily nodded. Jason smiled again as he stood up and walked towards the door. "Don't let her get to you, okay?" He said, and walked out without waiting for an answer.
"Don't let her get to me? Easy for you to say…" she said to herself.
=Flashback=
"Look who it is… Lily! The worthless whore!" A voice mocked.
"Get out of my way, Jasmine." She replied, not letting the comment get to her.
"Ooh! Touchy! You shouldn't be so rude, now that you don't have James as your little… protector." Jasmine smirked. It was an evil smirk – one that Lily never wanted to see. Her eyes were so cold, so harsh that it scared Lily.
Lily trembled slightly, but stood firm. "What are you talking about?" she shot.
"Oh Lily, Lily, Lily… LILY!" she whispered menacingly, each 'Lily' louder than the one before it. She scooted to Lily's side and whispered into her ear words so quiet they were barely audible. "You'll find out soon."
Jasmine's smirk grew even wider as Lily gazed at her in suspicion. She became even more confused when Jasmine stepped aside, allowing Lily to pass.
=End Flashback=
Lily felt her eyes tearing up again. It wasn't long after that… not long after that…
=Flashback=
"Hey James." Lily sighed tiredly as she walked into the Gryffindor common room, glad to be out of the way of Jasmine. She slumped down next to James, who was sitting with his back to her on the couch. Even when she came in he didn't bother to acknowledge her. She frowned. "James? What's wrong?"
James turned and stared at her with piercing brown eyes that were blazing with anger. Lily slid back an inch, frightened. James stood up, towering over her at a height of 6'2. She was sitting down, so she was barely 4', even if she stood up, she'd only have been 5'8.
"We're through." He hissed. "And you should know why."
He began walking away.
"Wait!!!" Lily called. She was mystified. "What are you talking about?! Why?"
James laughed. It wasn't one of his laughs when he was kidding around. It was a cold laugh; a laugh that contained no feeling, no emotion, no love. He thrust her an envelope. It was the envelope he'd been clutching tightly in his fist. It was creased. Lily picked it up. She opened it and gasped. Her eyes grew wide.
=End Flashback=
Lily's eyes were tightly shut, trying to block out all these painful flashbacks, tears were, once again, streaming down her face.
=Flashback=
There was a letter, and three photos. They showed her with someone. They showed her pecking him on the cheek, hugging him, and walking down Hogsmede holding his hand, but the 'him' wasn't James.
"Still wondering, Evans?"
Lily was hurt. He'd never called her Evans before, well, apart from the first time they'd met. And yes, she was still wondering as her eyes wondered back to the photos. She didn't recognise the guy; in fact, she'd never seen him in her life. He had hair darker than midnight, eyes as cold as ice, and a face paler than you could ever imagine.
"I…" Lily started, but before she could pour out the fact that she didn't know who he was, didn't know how these pictures were taken, James had gone.
=End Flashback=
Lily still couldn't understand it. Who was that guy? She honestly had never seen him in her entire life. Why won't you believe me James? Every time I tried to explain, you'd blank me out.
=Flashback=
"James? James let me explain-" Lily cried desperately, following James out of the common room early in the morning. He ignored her, and continued power walking forwards, making it difficult for Lily to catch up with him. "James PLEASE!!! I swear, that NEVER happened!!! I don't even know who he is! James why won't you listen to me? Why won't you believe me?!"
"Sure Lily, you never knew him, you never met him. That's what they all say. The proof is right there! How can I still believe you?!" James replied coldly, never turning or stopping. "If it wasn't for Jasmine, I'd probably still be your little finger puppet. I must remember to thank her."
"Jas-" Lily stopped dead in her tracks as she watched James' retreating back leave her. Possibly forever…
=End Flashback=
She was shaking with fury. Some proof! Everyone now thinks she's a godforsaken slut. They think she cheated on James. That was unforgivable in many students eyes, especially if you were in the 'James Potter Fanclub', but as soon as most pupils hated you, the rest would follow.
Lily was snapped out of her thoughts and frustrations by a knock at the door. As it opened slowly, a figure she knew oh too well stepped in.
"Bella? Why are you here? How did you persuade Madam Misha to let you?" Lily couldn't help but look at Arabella Figg with respect. Anyone that could get past Madam Misha was worthy of a trophy.
"She's not here… I don't know where she is. That's why I could sneak in…" came the reply as Bella moved towards Lily's bedside and sat down.
"Oh." Was all Lily could say. They sat there in awkward silence for about two minutes. Then Lily spoke up. "Hey… um… thanks for saving my life."
"No problem. You didn't deserve that much pain." Bella grinned. Lily smiled. She was happy. Very, very happy, until Bella asked her…
"But I don't understand why you had to work for him…" Bella's grin faded into a look of disgust, making Lily confused. "Who?"
"You know who. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
Lily's eyes grew wide. "What?! Bella, WHAT are you talking about??!!" she almost yelled, but quietened as Bella mouthed the word 'Misha'. "Bella, I have no idea what on earth you're talking about."
"Look Lily, you don't have to lie, Jasmine told us about it-"
"Jasmine? Jasmine? You're willing to believe a Slytherin over me?! And who's 'us'?" Lily questioned. If Jasmine even told people that I was working for him then God knows what else she's been telling everyone!
"She's only told the Marauders, Melissa and I. For some reason she doesn't think it's appropriate to tell the rest of the school just in case it gets to the teachers. She's sworn us to secrecy…"
"Bella! Don't you see? She's afraid it'll get to the teachers 'cause it's not true! You can't believe her you mustn't!" Lily pleaded.
"Lily, don't you think we've figured that out?" Bella began to giggle. Suddenly it dawned on Lily that she'd just asked her that to wind her up, but she had no doubt that Jasmine had actually told her friends those things. "Look, Lils, we realised yesterday when we found out that the photos were fake." Lily gasped with shock, hope, and joy. "Turns out that she'd got someone, we don't know who, but she got them to magically forge fake ones, but there was one important flaw: the photos had a date to them. The date was the day she got them to make it: 10th October."
Lily was confused. The date sounded so familiar. Then… "Our anniversary! James and I spent the whole day together on that day!"
"Exactly. I remember you guys stayed up till midnight on the 9th, then stayed awake till midnight again on the tenth, then you came into our dorm looking absolutely knackered and slept straight away." Bella laughed, reflecting back. Lily laughed with her. She felt overcome with glee that it truth was uncovered. "The Marauders are currently working on telling the rest of the school this. Now they all hate Jasmine."
Lily laughed again. Jasmine got what she deserved, and Lily can now go back to being 'Lily'. She felt so relieved. She thought she couldn't be happier, but Bella's next question begged to differ.
"So… friends?" Bella asked, extending a hand forward. Lily took it. She treasured the moment. Things could finally go back to normal, or so she thought…
-×-
Meanwhile, in Dumbledore's office, five hooded figures stood in front of the Headmaster. One of them spoke up. It was a woman's voice.
"He's coming back. He wants her. He wants her powers, her strength. If he doesn't get them, then he'd rather have her dead. He's already used that Jasmine girl to frame her, she was beaten half to death the other day. Who knows what he'll do next!"
"I can be there to protect her, but she's not in the mood to welcome any new people into her life." Another said. It was a young voice – in his teen's maybe.
"I know very well what he wants. We must keep a close eye on her, make sure she doesn't get hurt again, as for welcoming new people, I'm sure she'll be very up for that, now that not many hate her, and if I'm not wrong, one of her friends should be in the hospital wing telling her this, so make the best of it." Dumbledore replied, the last part of his speech directed at the lad who'd just spoken…
-×-
A/N: Wow! Longest chapter currently!!! Hope you liked it! Lily is no longer hated (did I rush that?) and the Marauders will probably visit her in the next chapter (uh-oh) but the plot thickens…
OH WOW!!! SO MANY REVIEWS!!! I honestly didn't expect this many reviews so fast!!! In fact, I didn't even expect this many reviews!!! When I'd got my five reviews I hadn't even started writing!!! Thank you SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much!!! It really encourages me to write more! (Hence the reason I've written so much!)
I'm hoping to get eight reviews next (means getting me up to twenty-two), 'cause I'll be busy with exams, but if I don't get that many it doesn't matter, I'll just post up when I have time. Thanks again! Oh, and please inform me of mistakes I've made.
-3 Always,
-Cryst
AKA LivingDreams