Hey dudes! What's up?! I don't have much to say… so yeah. Enjoy the chapter! R&R!

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Chapter 33

A Very Close Call

Their muffled footsteps were the only sound. Lily didn't feel like there was anything to be said. Everything around them looked exactly the same, except for the slowly diminishing light from the hall that they were gradually moving away from.

The shadows on the walls bobbed mockingly with the wand light, up and down. "Go faster…" they seemed to tease. But what's the point, really? Lily thought back at them. We're no closer to the crystal than when we started.

But something inside Lily told her that that assumption was very wrong indeed. Was in only her imagination, or was the corridor getting hotter? Up ahead, James pushed his glasses up the arch of his nose, and rolled his sleeves up. So she wasn't imagining it.

"Remus, it's getting warmer again." Lily whispered. But why she was whispering, she couldn't really say.

"I noticed." He said slowly. Remus reached out for her hand, and gave it a supporting squeeze. "We'll be fine." He assured her.

"I know." She answered. But it was his hand in hers that gave her a boost of courage. Remus said things would be fine, and so they would be. Remus was never wrong. So why was there that feeling of doubt smothering her stomach like a pillow?

"Here's a fork in the passage." James informed their group. "Right or left?"

"Go right." Peter said automatically. But Lily pushed forward.

"We can't just pick one." She said convincingly. "That won't get us anywhere. We should think it through."

"I agree with Lily." James said, his eyes sparkling with appreciation.

Lily approached the wall, and touched it, as though it held the answer. Immediately, her fingers were coated in gray dust. James moved toward the wall, and brushed away a layer of the filth to reveal a rough, rocky surface.

"How do we tell which way to go?" She asked him softly, hoping that Peter wouldn't overhear. But he was too busy sulking behind Remus to take any notice.

"I'm not sure exactly." James said, looking her right in the eye. But somehow, his gaze felt different tonight. Lily gulped, and looked away.

"Wait… Lily--your hair…" Remus said suddenly.

"What? What about my hair?" Said Lily nervously, as she reached up instinctively to flatten it.

"No, not that--it's moving." He said, taking a step closer. Lily exchanged a worried glance with James.

"The heat must be getting to you, pal." James said. "Lily's hair isn't--"

"Yes it is, James. Look--" Remus said. Lily looked at the two of them, very confused.

"Hey--you're right!" James said in epiphany.

"What? You two have gone mad!" Lily exclaimed.

"You don't understand, Lily." Remus said. "Your hair is being blown to the left. And can't you feel a bit of a breeze here? That means there's a draft coming from this chamber on the right… the way out?" He explained. Lily smiled in comprehension.

"Well? What are we waiting for then?" She exclaimed, grabbing James by the elbow and dragging him forward.

"Hold on, now!" James said, stopping her. "How do we know that the way out is the way to the next chamber?"

Peter mumbled something quietly from the corner.

"What's that, Pete?" James asked.

"I said we could split up." He said more clearly. "Two and two; me and James, Remus and Lily. Meet back here in a half hour."

Lily exchanged a pleading glance with Remus. Splitting up could prove to be dangerous, and it was a chance that Lily was not willing to take. James must have noticed the look on her face, for he said, "I don't know if that's such a good idea, Pete."

"Why? What's wrong with it?" He scoffed. He cast an unsympathetic glance Lily's way. "Oh. I see. You're girlfriend doesn't like it, does she?"

"She's not my girlfriend." James said softly. Lily noticed through the wand-light that his face was flushed, but whether it was excitement, embarrassment, or just the heat, she couldn't be sure.

But Lily spoke up. "But I don't think it's a good idea. What if something were to happen? How would the other group know?"

"That's true." Said Remus. "But we could cover more ground if we did go separate ways." He looked tentatively from Lily to James and bit his lip to hold back a small smile. "Come on, Peter. Let's go this way." Remus chuckled, motioning him to follow him down the left corridor.

Lily watched their light gently fade down the passage. She took a deep breath and looked at James. The shadows of his wand fell across his face, and made him look more serious—determined and maybe even handsome. But she quickly pushed that thought aside; how could she even consider things like that when their lives could be at stake?

James cleared his throat, and jerked her out of her thoughts. Wordlessly, he started down the passage on the right. He took long, fast strides and Lily had to jog to catch up to him.

"What do you think is down here?" She asked earnestly.

"Hopefully the crystal so we can get the heck out of here." James shrugged.

Lily was slightly shocked. "But you have to admit it's exciting." She replied, trying to sound brave. "More fun than last year, at least."

James looked at her and started to laugh. "Right. Much more fun."

"You're laughing at me!" She exclaimed, but she found herself smiling, too.

"You're just funny." James said. "I mean, two minutes ago, you were scared out of your mind and considering going back, and now you want to stay down here."

Lily considered. "I don't know. Maybe it's just my way of whistling in the dark, you know? Convince myself I'm brave, then hopefully I will be." Why was she telling him this?

"Yeah, I get it." James nodded. "Nice scenery, don't you think?" He chuckled sarcastically, for the drab and grimy walls had not changed since the floating doorway.

They walked in silence for a moment, and Lily drifted into her thoughts. Surprisingly, she found that she wasn't thinking at all about what might lay ahead in this passage, but instead the person walking right next to her. Their arms were almost touching as they walked side by side. Was she imagining it, or was he glancing her way?

It was James who broke the silence. "Hm. Dead end." He said. So he hadn't been watching her. But it did feel slightly cooler down this passage.

"I guess that we were supposed to head left." Lily shrugged. She turned and took a step back towards the way they came, but James caught her arm.

"Lily, I--" But he didn't finish. But Lily made the mistake of looking into his captivating, deep blue eyes. She willed her eyes to look away, but she felt paralyzed standing this close to him. His hand still gently held her arm, while his other moved hesitantly to her waist. She found herself praying he would hold her-- kiss her-- anything.

Just when they both started to move uncertainly closer, there was a desperate yell from back down the corridor. At first they both froze, as though they really didn't want to leave the moment. But James stepped back, and motioned her to follow the call.

"JAMES! LILY! ANYONE!" It was Belle screaming out their names. Lily quickened her pace to a run, and James hurried after her. It didn't take long for them to reach the fork, and when Lily got there Belle was looking frantic.

"Oh-- Lily!" She gasped. "We heard voices, Lily! They're coming!"

"What's going on?" Remus puffed, appearing on the left corridor. "Where's Sirius?"

"That's what I'm trying to tell you!" Belle shouted, looking quickly over her shoulder, as though she heard something. "He boosted me up here to warn you, but he couldn't get up without help. We have to hurry and help him!" But they were off dashing down the corridor before she had even finished. As they ran, a light layer of dust flew up off the floor, and delicately fell on their robes. They reached the open door, and quickly looked down.

"Help!" Sirius called. His face was pale and sweat droplets were dotting his forehead. James flung himself onto his stomach, and held his hands out to his friend.

"Grab hold!" He called. "Quick, Si!"

Sirius jumped, and caught James's hands. James slowly started to slide, and Lily rapidly grabbed his feet. Remus didn't hesitate to help. Without Peter's help, they all tried to pull James back into the corridor, as he held fast to Sirius. When Sirius's head was in view, Remus offered him his hand, and he grabbed it. James's face, too, was speckled with a cold sweat as he and Remus pulled their comrade into the hall.

And, just as the door on the opposite side of the hall was flung open, Belle pulled theirs closed shut.

"Come on, guys." James said urgently, as he tried to brush the dust off his front. He led the way down the corridor, and along the left hand passage.