Lily Chapter 39: The Watcher, a harry potter fanfic

Lily

Chapter 39

(ohh, we're edging 40…over the hill, u know)

A week had passed since the Sorting, and Amelia was getting increasingly nervous around Peter. She was always watching with caution when he was around Lily, and now Amelia was starting to ask other people if they got the same "weird vibe," as she called it.

"Sirius? I gotta ask you something."

"Can it wait? I'm busy." Sirius was, in fact, scribbling on that little piece of parchment again.

Amelia sighed. "I didn't want to have to do this!" She snatched the parchment right out from under his quill and held it just out of his reach.

"Hey! Give that back!" He got up and started towards her.

"Nuh-uh, not 'til you answer me!"

Sirius looked over his shoulder nervously and lowered his voice. "Okay, just please don't let James catch sight of that!"

"Don't worry...if you answer, I'll be lenient." She chuckled. "All right. You know Peter, right?"

"Know him? He's been tagging along with James and Remus and me since our first year!"

"In that time that you knew him, did you ever get a weird vibe off him?"

"Amelia, I have got to tell mom not to let you watch those Muggle courtroom shows anymore."

"Just answer the question, yes or no!"

"No. What about you?"

"Yes. Now, here's your parchment back...hehehehe, Sirius. What did he do, make you promise not to say anything about him and Lily anymore?"

"How do you do that?"

"I have my ways." She smiled, showing off her front teeth, and bounced away.

That night, Lily couldn't sleep. Although she was thrilled at the prospect of being tipped out of bed in the morning, she decided to sleep down in the common room. She came down the stairs and settled into a cushy armchair.

No sooner had she closed her eyes than someone seized her by the shoulders and ripped her out of the chair. "When will you learn?" Came a furious whisper. Lily knew all too well that it was Peter. "This time I'll find the dagger! And when I do...oh, I'll be sure it finds its way into your heart!" He whirled her around so that he had her from behind, and bent her head forcefully towards the fireplace. "If you don't tell me where it is, I'll char your hair from your head in the name of Voldemort!"

The burning heat from the flames made her wince in pain. "I have told you more times than I can count that I don't know where the dagger is!"

"It's the dagger of Slytherin! It belongs to the rightful Heir!" He pushed her head closer to the fire and hissed into her ear. "Stop lying. Where is it?"

"I don't know! It was in that hiding place on the wall!" From out of the corner of her eye, Lily thought that she saw a tiny flutter of movement, like someone who was observing and didn't want to be seen.

One of the sparks from the crackling log flew in an arc onto her hair, extinguishing itself after smoldering for a few seconds. "It's not anymore!" Peter shrieked. "You moved it, didn't you? Where is it? Tell me!" Then, as if he was remembering something, he took out his wand and held it at her throat. "Imperio! Tell me where the dagger is!"

She felt as though every burden in the world was suddenly lifted from her shoulders. The fire was replaced with a cooling breeze that caressed her face, soothing all dangers. From far away, she heard Peter's voice asking her a question. In a small murmur, she answered the truth: "I don't know."

He released her with disgust, and she was rudely torn from the blissful feeling. Her arms whirled in a windmill as she fought to regain balance. "I'll find it. I swear I'll find it. And it'll do the same to you as it did to Chantel!"

Again, Lily saw that flutter of movement, and she could have sworn that she also heard footsteps. Peter must have, as well, because he quickly put his wand away and scurried up the stairs to his dormitory.

Lily breathed deeply and shakily, steadying herself. It was a good think Peter hadn't asked her who DID know, because she had been in no position to resist answering. That new curse...what had he said? Imperio? It was as bad as the other one. Preferring the safety of the dormitory, she made her way back up the steps. As she opened the dormitory door, though, she distinctly heard another one close very softly.

The next morning, Amelia was waiting for Lily in the common room. The instant Lily arrived, Amelia got up and grabbed Lily's wrist with a puffy hand, pulling her to a less populated corner of the common room. "All right, Lily. For some reason, you didn't tell me anything about this, but I figured it out all on my own now."

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean! I'm smarter than I look, you know, and I saw what happened last night!"

Lily went pale. "Do you mean...by the fire...last night?"

"I know who killed Chantel now." Amelia's little face was unsmiling now, and Lily swallowed hard as Amelia kept talking. "It was Peter, wasn't it? The Dagger of Slytherin, right? And someone moved it from where he thought it was! Don't lie, I heard it, I saw it all last night! Lily, he wants to kill you!"

The only thing Lily could find to do was to nod her head. The curse couldn't deny this. It was sheer proof that Peter had killed Chantel, and Amelia knew that. "Do you know...do you know how long it's been that I've had to put up with this? Being the only one who knows anything about it?"

"No, Lil. I don't, but I do know this: Sirius was totally wrecked over it, and he didn't have a single person to blame. But now? I'm going to tell him. I'm gonna tell everyone I can, all the way up to Professor Dumbledore!"

"No!" Lily's tone was scared. "Whatever you do, don't let anyone else know that you know!"

"Why not?" She demanded furiously.

"You saw what happened last night. Is that enough for you?"

"All right, then. The first person I tell is going to be Dumbledore! He'll make sure Peter's expelled, and put in Azkaban forever!" There was a grave smile across her round features.

"Amelia, please don't. For your own safety, don't tell anyone! Don't let on that you know."

"I can't promise anything. I'll probably break it. But I'll tell you that I'll try not to, okay?"

"Okay. Be careful."