Betrayed
IX
Summary: Deep scars, although able to be temporarily healed, can burn stronger than ever later.
Disclaimer: You are an utter fool if you don't know who owns Harry Potter. It's certainly not me.
They were all a bunch of morons. Complete, foolish idiots. None of them deserved to serve their lord: he was the only one cut out for the difficult –yet worthy- task. Yet when the Evil One fiercely scolded him today, he knew that his position was endangered; he had to prove himself to his master or face the severe consequences. And that was why he separated from the rest of his fellow Death Eaters to pursue Evans and that blasted Potter. They were all going in the wrong direction... couldn't they see that? Did they actually think that they could catch Potter and his girlfriend by simply running after them?
He knew –unlike the rest- that Potter wasn't an idiot. A lovesick fool, yes. But he still had enough brains to create enough charms and spells to confuse his master's low minions. And that was why he slinked away when they came across one of Potter's well-disguised shields. He couldn't just stay there with the rest to blindly play a losing cat-and-mouse game with two doomed Gryffindors. He was –and always had been- somebody to act for himself. He –Lucius Malfoy- would not just follow the crowd, knowing that he would face Voldemort's vengeful wrath eventually. He would kill Potter and Evans himself and prove to his master that he –and only he- was Voldemort's most loyal servant.
The needle-like leaves around him were almost unbearable; always pricking and irritating him. But it was all worth it because a few yards away, he could see Evans and Potter having their own little –and last- chitchat together. Because he had to keep a fair distance between them, he couldn't hear a word they were saying, but he still kept an eye on even the tiniest movements to pinpoint the second when they were the most vulnerable. Then he would attack... and they would die. No question about that.
It had taken a very, very long time for him to locate them. After all, his lord picked this forest for his hiding place for a reason: a mere traveler could easily get lost in the dangerous woods of Shadowmont Forest. Yet he never gave up; he crept slowly and steadily for what seemed like hours, making sure that all his movements were silent and that his presence was undetectable. He didn't yell or swear when the branches scratched him, or when he tripped over hidden roots. And now fate had decided to reward him: there they were, Dumbledore's fools. They had no idea he was there, and when they did, it would be too late. Voldemort would be very pleased with him.
----- ----- -----
He just stared at her. Stared and stared and practically gawked. Did he hear what he thought he heard...? She herself seemed almost dubious of her own words, but when she noticed that he was staring at her, she put on a brave face and opened her mouth.
"Will you...?" she inquired, her eyes set and serious.
He tried in vain to recompose himself, to act as if he wasn't astonished beyond words. Will I...? he asked himself, yet he knew in his heart exactly what he wanted. But before he could react, the voices were back:
She's just playing with you, taunting you with empty questions... they told him, cackling at his gullibility. She's just asking you to make herself feel better... she doesn't actually want this.
He bit his lip at this sudden –and unwanted- realization. Although he didn't want to believe it, it was all too possible. But if it was really true... his heart shattered at the mere thought. It would be too much. What would happen to him...?
"James...?" Lily came to his side and tentatively put her hand on his shoulder, her lovely eyes filled with worry and concern.
He truly wanted to believe that she was sincere... but where was the proof? The odds were against him, and he forced himself to calm down and keep his look steady and unfazed as he simply gazed back at her, his eyes questioning if this was a horrid joke. After all... who ever heard of the girl proposing to the guy?
"Seriously..." she quietly said after a long, uneasy minute of silence. "I love you, James... and I know that you love me, too. Wouldn't it be nice if we lived in a small, cozy cottage together?"
It would, he thought despite himself, even ignoring the savage mockeries of the voices for once.
"And it would just be the two of us," Lily continued, her voice soft and beginning to sound dreamy. "We would be surrounded by the calm woods –not at all like this horrible one. There would be no nosy neighbors, no worry about privacy... it would be perfect."
The enticing images were all too clear in his head, and his heart ached for them, even though he knew that the vision would never come true.
"And we'd have a baby... a boy maybe. With your messy jet-black hair and my 'huge alien-green eyes,'" she said, laughing a little, obviously remembering when he had called her beautiful emerald eyes alien-like.
"And... and his name would be Harry," she sighed happily, smiling in a way that melted his heart.
Her eyes were gazing at him with such warmth –such tenderness- that he couldn't help but believe everything she was saying. It would be wonderful living with in a small, cozy cottage with her... just like in the fairytales. And the threatening voices in his head now seemed distant, as if said from far away. She now held his hands in hers, asking one more time:
"Will you marry me?"
And without another doubt in his head, he opened his mouth to answer.
----- ----- -----
Once she started, she couldn't stop. At first, innumerable doubts swirled in her mind, making her wonder if asking him such a sudden question was a wise decision at all. But then she started describing a scene to him; it was a fuzzy one at first, the first thing that popped in her head. But then, as she started telling about it more, she couldn't help long for them, and now she knew that she truly wanted to live with him... to be with him. She really did want a small, cozy cottage in the peaceful woods. And she did want a boy named Harry...
"Yes."
Lily snapped out of her fantasies so quickly that she was dazed and didn't know where she was at first. Then she saw James' calm expression and remembered what he just said. Then she gasped in surprise. He actually said yes! she thought, immensely surprised. He actually accepted... A voice in her head told her that it was probably all just a dream, that when she woke up, she would be in her small apartment with Amos. But deep down, she knew that this was all reality, and she couldn't help mentally jump with joy at his answer.
Speaking of Amos... she didn't feel a bit concerned about him now, although she knew that he would want a lot of explaining after her disappearance... and her recent engagement with James. It surprised her that she only felt slightly guilty... probably because James was first, she told herself. She then turned to him and asked:
"You're not kidding, are you?"
James cracked one of his famous mischievous grins and asked:
"What do you think?"
Lily, after everything she had gone through, wasn't prepared for the answer, and she was quite caught off-guard by his sudden grin that finally brought back part of the carefree seventh-year boy she had known and loved... and still loved. James unexpectedly burst out laughing, and she couldn't help joining in, glad that the old James was returning... slowly and gradually, probably... but still.
"Ouch!" she flinched suddenly, gripping her injured shoulder tightly as more blood abruptly started flowing from the wound.
"Lily..." James, the laughter gone from his voice, gently grasped her hand, his eyes anxious as he inspected the terrible gash... that he created.
Muttering a healing charm under his breath, he lightly tapped his wand on the most vulnerable spot, and Lily immediately felt better. The blood had completely stopped flowing from the wound... and was it her or did it seem as if the gash was also starting to close?
"I'm sorry for all this," James whispered regretfully, his eyes closed.
"It's all right," Lily told him, her hand resting on his shoulder reassuringly. "Remember, you can't change the past but you can change the present," she then quoted his meaninful words and smiled.
He also smiled before gently leaning towards her, his arms unexpectedly finding their way to her waist. His face coming close to hers, Lily just closed her eyes and prepared herself for the perfect kiss.
Unfortunately, the long-awaited moment was the cue for a certain unwanted somebody to make his move. All of a sudden, Lucius –not even bothering covering his head with his hood- jumped out of his hiding place and screeched:
"Avada Kedavra!"
Forgetting the kiss, James pushed Lily to the ground, and both narrowly missed the fatal curse. Lucius, seeing that his aim didn't meet the target, swore loudly. This, fortunately, gave enough time for James to recompose himself, take out his wand, and bellow:
"Petrificus Totalus!"
Lucius managed to dodge the spell, and smirking, he spat:
"Potter, you piece of filth! You can't even aim right, can you? Well... say good-bye to your girlfriend now, because this is your last moment!"
"We'll see about that," James replied coolly, his eyes cold and hostile once more.
Gritting his teeth in absolute anger, Lucius raised his wand and was about to recite the killing curse again; however, James beat him to it with another Unforgivable:
"Crucio!"
The Death Eater instantaneously dropped to the ground as he writhed in pain, screaming. Lily stood aside, shocked and sad over the fact that James could change from the laughing, loving person she knew to a merciless killer in a matter of seconds.
"LILY!" he yelled to her. "Run and hide!"
"James... no!" she cried back, horrified at the thought.
Before he could answer back, Lucius rose again, the Cruciatus curse finally worn off.
"You'll pay dearly for that, Potter!" he roared furiously.
He then quickly raised his wand to perform the killing curse again. Unfortunately, he didn't raise it quickly enough, because before any of the three knew it, the Dark Lord's servant howled in pain as something struck it.
"Wha...?" both Lily and James uttered those words before the thing, that was before hidden in the shadows, turned to an angle where they could see its face.
When they did, James' face paled and Lily gasped:
"A werewolf!"
The dreadful beast snarled ferociously, and its disgusting noises were soon accompanied by the furious, yet tired barking of a large black dog who soon appeared behind the werewolf, baring its teeth. The redhead girl stood, confused: she could see an appalled James mouth the word 'Sirius!'. The large, intimidating dog itself was covered in deep bruises and long scars, and it seemed as if it would collapse any second. Yet it still tried to battle the werewolf... as if protecting someone. All of a sudden, the smaller animal seemed to notice Lily, James, and Lucius, and it seriously looked as if it gasped in surprise. But... that's impossible! Lily pondered, staring at the dog in surprise.
"What the hell...?" Lucius asked, gawking at the werewolf in morbid fascination.
But he never finished his sentence because the drooling creature abruptly lifted him up and effortlessly threw him, sending him flying miles away to the west.
"LILY!" James cried desperately, now begging Lily with pleading eyes. "Please... run and hide!"
"NO!" she answered ferociously. "I'll stay and help you fight!"
"You can't!"
"And why not!"
"Because I said so!"
"You –James Potter- are an egoistical prick and don't you think I'll just listen to you!"
Any further bickering was interrupted by a loud, authoritative bark of the large, black dog: it actually seemed to roll its eyes at them. Great, now I'm hallucinating, Lily pondered wryly. The werewolf abruptly lunged at them, but the dog intervened the possibly fatal attack by jumping on its back, biting it with all its energy. However, the werewolf –although stopped in its tracks- merely swiped the dog onto the ground with one powerful strike of its paw. The animal futilely tried to rise again before its legs gave away and it collapsed. Lily felt like crying, even though she knew that it was just a black dog. Yet it felt as if she lost a friend... it had tried to protect them.
Now with nobody to interfere, the werewolf advanced upon them again, grinning savagely. She then realized that she and James were yards apart... did he push her that off to the side? With his wand tightly gripped in his hand, James tried to stupefy the beast, but the spell merely bounced harmlessly off the werewolf.
"Lily! Stupefy it on the count of three!"
"Wha...!"
The girl was quite cut off-guard by the statement, and she quickly grasped her wand and recited the spell just in time. Sadly, even with the power of two spells, it was still not enough to stupefy the werewolf completely, although it did become dazed for a few moments. Snarling furiously, saliva drooling from its deformed mouth, it darted away from James' trivial attacks and centered its attention on Lily. Shocked and frightened beyond words, the girl merely stood there, gaping at the mutated beast as it pounced on her. Do something! her mind screamed, but her body did not obey. She faintly heard James' desperately crying her name; she faintly saw the sun finally rising and the moon gradually disappearing. And before she knew it...
James was on the ground in front of her, barely conscious as a horrid, revolting gash spilled blood all over his chest while the werewolf screamed an unbearable howl, twitching in pain on the ground.
"JAMES!" Lily screamed, her face ghost white as she gazed at the life liquid that was leaving James' body.
She immediately dropped to the ground to inspect his fatal wound.
"I'm sorry, Remus," she heard him murmur, yet she didn't know what he was talking about until she remembered something –but she couldn't think much about it now.
"James!" Lily cried, sobbing. "Hold on! Don't give up!"
She recited all the healing charms she knew, urgently trying to close the wound, heal his body... anything! However, nothing worked, and all Lily could do was watch James fight for air and endure the pain. In all her desperate attempt to heal James, she failed to realize that the werewolf was on its feet again, the Cruciatus curse evidently gone. Now it limped towards her, ready to finish her off once in for all. I deserve it anyway, Lily thought angrily, staying at her spot and simply watching the foul beast come up to her. I'm ready.
However, the werewolf suddenly screeched in absolute pain, abruptly turning around to face... the now arrived sun. Of course! the girl pondered. Now that the full moon is gone, it's going to change back... And sure enough, the werewolf gradually transformed back to a sandy-haired man wearing the same ragged clothes that the werewolf had worn. Falling to the ground, the stranger –no, Remus, Lily told herself- gasped for air before trying to slowly heave himself up again.
"Sirius!" he cried out in a scratchy voice, searching and finally finding the unconscious black dog.
He was about to run towards the injured animal when he saw Lily.
"Lily!" he gasped, rubbing his eyes before goggling at the almost impossible sight. "What...? How...? Are you all right?"
Lily just nodded dumbly before pointing at James, who was now lying in a pool of his own blood. Remus turned and let out an even bigger gasp.
"Oh God!" he stuttered. "Prongs... Prongs! What happened to you!"
"Hullo, Remus," James smiled bitterly before coughing out some blood.
"Remus!" Lily yelled to him. "You've got to help me!"
Immediately, Remus came and checked James' wound, only to come up with a sad conclusion.
"It's too deep of a wound for him to cope with for long," he told her, shaking his head sorrowfully. "No simple charm can even help him a bit, and even if we could get him to a hospital fast enough, I doubt that'll help at all."
"NO!" Lily cried, shaking her head angrily and unwilling to believe it. "He won't –he can't- die like this! I won't let him!"
Remus sighed warily, extremely tired because of his terrible transformation.
"Go check on Padfoot, Moony," the other marauder finally spoke up.
"But-... but-..." Remus was about to come up with a perfect explanation on why he should stay with James instead of checking on Sirius when he was met by a meaningful stare to match his own.
"All right," he sighed almost reluctantly before running to the large dog.
"James... James..." Lily gasped once Remus was out of hearing range, her tears now flowing freely and staining James' face. "You can't leave now. You can't... we had so much... you can't..."
She sobbed even harder, frantically trying to stop the blood from flowing away from James' body, but to no avail: instead, her hands become completely crimson red, soaked completely from the blood. He can't leave now, she thought, although the truth was now clear. He just forgave me... we were planning for the future... he finally came back... it seemed like such a happy ending... it just can't end this way! Thinking of his empty eyes and his coldness towards her just hours before brought a fresh wave of tears as she tightly hugged and clinged onto the only person she would love this special way.
"Lils..." James whispered, his hazel eyes gazing steadily at her emerald ones.
"What is it, my love?" she asked softly.
He smiled wryly before murmuring sadly:
"I'm sorry, Lils. I promised you on that day... but I may not love you... forever."
And with that, he closed his eyes.
A/N: Gah... so many imperfections... yet so many explanations to be said! Okay... (takes deep breath)... let me start first of all with the ending. Yes, I know, it was short and very predictable, although what would've been probably even more predictable is Lily sacrificing herself instead of James. However, I just want to torture Lily because... I'm evil. But trust me, you guys: this is not the ending. There is going to be a major twist in the next chapter, and to those who love angst and have this mean desire to see Lily and James suffer... well, you guys will be satisfied... or maybe not. And I really hope that the ending isn't that insufficient and predictable. After all, I didn't plan for this story to be this long in the first place, and I still like the ending.
Second of all... yes, I know... way. Too. Much. Fluff. ... I know I could've continued making James cold and mean even after he decided to join Dumbledore's side just to add more angst, but think about it: James and Lily were finally starting to hope for a better future when... BAM! Their dream gets shattered, leaving both of them more crestfallen than ever. Angsty, huh? (readers shake their heads and mutter about the author's absolute worst ability to make decent plots) It's especially bad for Lily, who is just starting to cling on the resurfacing light until all of a sudden, James is about to disappear just because of her. Lots of angst for Lily in next chapter.
And I'm terribly sorry if some of you think that I went to the climax too soon... Like I said before, this fanfic was planned to be short (it was originally supposed to be four chapters long... not nine!). I'm thinking maybe one day –when I have lots of time and if you guys really think that the ending is not enough- I'll replace the last chapters and make a longer and more unexpected one... maybe.
I had twenty-eight reviews since last Friday: I feel so special! Thanks for those who gave me great advice and criticism! And I now have ultimately reached 100 reviews (sobs)... I'm so happy... Anyway, the best reviewer of the (last) chapter is...
I will not bow to you, Urei-Sama!
You think you're so great and all that and... and... Okay, I'll stop ranting about your bad traits (too many) and start talking about your good ones (too few)... You know I'm joking . Thanks for the great compliments and the accurate advice: I'll focus on everything you told me in my next story . And you better get hit my inspiration soon... your DNAngel fanfic is too good to go to waste!
I would obviously also like to thank: Living In A Nightmare, kluvhp, HP-RFG-HG-DM (thanks for reviewing all my chapters and sorry if this chapter had an overdose of fluff), Jennifer, AngieQ4936 (a different opinon view... I like that; as you have also seen in this chapter, James does start to feel more than a little guilty...), crazyginnygirl, Butterflybaby, Charmed-103, x bluebelle x (feeling absolutely sarcastic on that day, didn't you?), Cherry Chalk, Chavela-Chica, James's girl (the third movie was absolutely awesome –although they should've mentioned the marauders more- and thanks for the award bows), crazy4padfoot, PatchLover08, Cecile Li (just because a chapter's fluffy, it does not mean it's horrible... also, you'll get your mutat- I mean purtyful Chihiro plushie), Amandinka, Lorelei6 (thanks for the long reviews! And one of your guesses –as you can now see- was so close to what actually happened in this chapter... was it that predictable?), werepire, Nature Goddess09 (you can't believe that, can you? Now... go and read the rest of my chapters... GO, GO, GO!).
I hope you all liked this chapter, because you have to admit that although it did end things a little too rapidly, it still had lots of action... right? Comments, criticism, advice (no flames please)...? Review please. The next chapter will be the final stage, and don't just think that you know what will happen despite the hints mentioned in this chapter... read on or be forever clueless. Arigatou.