© Ariana Veelagrace and Clara Maplewood
Lily
Chapter 31
Lily shifted uncomfortably in her bed, too restless to sleep. Finally giving up,
she threw the blankets to one side and made her way to the common room.
She sprawled her body out on the empty couch, watching the flames dance and
crackle in the fireplace. Once the clock reached two o' clock, Lily had managed
to fall asleep. She was curled up,
hugging her knees to her chest and her red hair fanning around her face.
Clang!
Lily woke up with a start, sudden chills racing down her spine. An
uncomfortable sensation of unseen eyes pounded through her mind. It made her
hair stand on end and her ears perk up for any soft movements.
And then her eyes widened in fright, a faint cough echoed from the boy's
dormitories. Before she knew it, Lily's curiosity
took over, making her tip-toe quietly near the staircase.
Strong and rough hands fastened around her wrists, twirling her around so she
was looking right at him.
Peter's hands gripped her painfully.
"Where's the dagger?!?" He growled.
"I-don't know!" She tried to wriggle out of his grasp. It was no use
though, it only made his nails dig deeper into her skin.
"Don't lie, Lily! I know that you know! Now, tell me!!"
"Honest-I don't...know." She choked out.
The sides of his lips twitched and his muscles tensed. Before Lily could get a
sense of what was going on, she was thrown against the floor with such force
that nearly knocked all the air out of her lungs.
He advanced on her, a fist forming from his right hand. His hand contacted with
her stomach, leaving her gasping for air. Then he punched her under the chin,
making her neck give a sickening crack.
She whimpered and pleaded while tears coursed down her cheeks, silently praying
for someone to arrive and catch Peter in his awful act.
The last thing Lily saw before blacking out was Peter's wicked grin. The same
grin that had haunted her dreams countless time.
Lily felt the pall of unconsciousness being lifted from her mind. She rolled
her head to one side and groaned. The pain was so intense, so searing, that she
couldn't even see straight. Every bit of
her body ached with a terrible, mind-numbing fire. She wanted to just lay there
forever and forget it all, but her mind forced the details into sharp reality:
Peter had done this, and there was no way she could tell anyone else. A
familiar voice sounded from somewhere near her. "She's coming
around!"
She took a shaky breath and opened her eyes. Beside her knelt James, looking
down with true concern.
Lily soon found the strength to hoist herself into a
sitting position and cried out in pain. Her
bones creaked like nails on a chalkboard and hammers banged fiercely against
her skull. James placed his arms around
her, steadying her as she tried to find a position in which she didn't feel the
agony.
Just as suddenly as she collected her bearings, the liquid in her veins froze
and her heart skipped a few beats. Peter gazed over with sympathic
eyes. But Lily knew him all too well, for he was laughing cruelly inside.
James was eyeing her lip, swollen and bleeding slightly. He brushed his thumb
under her eyes, wiping the last of her remnant tears away.
"What happened?"
"I don't know."
"That's what you said when you got trapped under the ice. You must know
something that happened." Peter prompted.
"I already told you my answer: I don't know." New tears started to
sting at the corners of her eyes.
"We'll talk about it later." Knowing he wouldn't get any answer,
James dismissed it. He picked Lily up
and held her so closely that he could almost feel her lose consciousness once
again. He swayed on the spot for a second, but soon found his balance to walk.
He made his way to the Infirmary, cradling her in his arms.