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Chapter 7- The Inquisition

The treatment hadn't been extremely difficult, it was almost like taking a shot, only the after effects were worse. On Sunday Lily had been nauseous and more tired than she had been while studying for O.W.L.s in her fifth year. She sent her owl, Darcy, to Professor Dumbledore to see if she could get a train back to Hogsmeade, since she wasn't up to using the fireplace to travel this time. He wrote back saying there was a 5 o'clock train back. Lily packed her things and her parents drove her to King's Cross. Petunia had opted to go to her boyfriend's house for dinner, but Lily didn't feel too bad about this, someone had to find happiness somewhere.

"Are you sure you feel up to going back?" Josh asked his daughter, seeing that she looked rather pale and ill.

"Yes, we have big tests at the end of the month, and I can't miss much," Lily answered.

"Just promise you'll take time off of classes if you need to," Violet looked at Lily with a I'm-your-mother-and-I-know-best look as she said this.

"I promise," Lily said, then gave them each a hug and entered platform 9 3/4. Lily slept the entire journey back.

Lily didn't arrive at Hogsmeade until nearly 11 at night. She grabbed the suitcase she had brought and got into the carriage waiting for her. She would have usually gone to see Samantha and the other Marauders right after getting back, but Lily figured that this late at night Samantha was probably reading and the boys were undoubtedly out of bed playing a prank on someone. Lily also realized it was past curfew, and although she would probably have been excused, she didn't want to bother with the hassle. Instead Lily made her way to her room.

When Lily entered the miniature common area, however, she found there was only one of her theories that was correct. Sitting on the floor in some kind of pow-wow was Remus, Sirius, James, and Samantha. "What are you doing here?" she asked the room.

"We were talking," Samantha said, she had a look of concern written all over her face.

"About what," Lily asked casually while opening her dorm room and putting her suitcase down.

"You," James stated directly.

"When did I become the topic of conversation?"

"Lily, we're all worried about you," Remus said. "You won't tell us where you've been, you're always in the library, and even when you're around us you aren't completely here. We can tell."

"I'm fine," Lily was starting to get upset. She already didn't feel well, and she comes back to find that they've all been talking about her behind her back. "Why are you all here anyways? It's past curfew."

"This is more important than curfew, Evans," Sirius said with a bitterness in his voice. He didn't like not being told things, and he didn't like it coming from someone he considered a friend.

"Look, there's nothing you guys can do so just go back to your dorms," Lily was attempting to stay calm.

"We won't go until you tell us what the bloody hell is going on!" Sirius wasn't attempting to hold anything back.

Lily was loosing it, "Go back to your dormitories now, or else I will be forced to give you all detentions!"

"Look Lily, we just wanted to know-" Samantha was able to get out.

"I mean it Sam!" Lily shouted before she went into her room, slamming the door behind her. She heard the commons door open and started unpacking when she heard it close again. As she was at her trunk putting away some clothes James knocked at the door. "What?" she said rather moodily.

"What's going on Lily? That was really harsh."

"I've told you there's nothing you can do, just trust me on it," Lily picked up a book, needing something to distract her from the boy standing in her doorway.

"Pick up a book, Lily. Go ahead shut the rest of the world out, forget about us, but we aren't going to forget about you. You can't keep us out of your life, Lily."

"What do you care? Don't you have some prank to go pull on someone? Someone to go torture?" Lily knew she wasn't acting kindly, but she couldn't seem to keep these things from coming out. She just wanted this day to end, she just wanted him to go back to his room.

"Lily, I've stopped that."

"What about with Severus? What about the slime you threw on him just last week?"

"Snape is different," James tried to justify.

"Severus is just like the rest of them," Lily said. At least now the attention was off of her.

"Fine, think what you'd like, but we haven't forgotten about you, Lily. We will keep trying to find out, and we won't stop asking until we know." James left Lily alone, then. Now she wasn't sure that this is entirely what she wanted.

The next day was just as difficult for Lily as the day before. She woke up and made it to the prefect's bathroom just in time to throw up. Lily was thankful no one else was there at the moment. When she had finished emptying her stomach, Lily went to the mirror. She was looking a bit healthier, but as she ran her fingers through her hair, a half a handful of hair fell out. It didn't look any different to anyone else, but Lily realized this was the tip of the iceberg.

On top of this, Lily fell asleep in class for the first time ever. Luckily it was in Professor Binn's class, so she didn't get in trouble, but she felt ashamed of herself for doing it, none the less. Lily went back to her room during lunch, feeling more tired than hungry.

By the time the day was over, Lily wondered how many times she would have to take this. Lily sat on the couch in the Head boy/girl common area. How many days would this last? How many months would she have to do the treatment? Would it get worse each time? After thinking on this for a while, Lily became angry with herself. Here her mother was at home, probably in more agony than Lily right now everyday for the last month and a half, and there was nothing to be done for Violet, yet she didn't complain. She never said a word about how much pain she was in.

This started getting to Lily and soon enough she was sobbing uncontrollably. Lily was crying so hard that she didn't even notice James come in. He saw Lily curled up, tears rolling down her cheeks and he felt sorrier for her than he had the night before. James put down his book bag and sat on the opposite end of the couch. He gently put his hand on top of hers. "Lily?" he said carefully.

Lily stayed where she was. He already saw her crying, there was no point in hiding it now, in fact, it only made her cry harder. "Lily it's alright," James didn't know what it was, but he had to try something.

"I'm losing my mum," Lily said quietly through the sobs.

"What?" James moved slightly closer to Lily.

"She's sick," Lily said, the crying had subsided for the moment.

"How? Can't she just take something?"

"It's not like that, James, she has cancer."

"What's wrong with a Cancer? They aren't any worse than a Gemini, or a Leo-"

"No, not a Cancer, James, she has a muggle disease, it's called cancer," Lily explained to him what that was.

"There isn't anything they can do?"

"Not for her," Lily said, she had gone from sobbing uncontrollably to melancholic silence.

"What about Mungo's, maybe they know something," James suggested.

"Mum's a muggle, she wouldn't be able to go there, even if they could do something," Lily told him.

"So this is what's been bothering you?" James asked gaining a sort of understanding to why Lily wouldn't want to talk about it.

"Partly," Lily decided that if she was going to tell him, she might as well know the rest of it.

"What else?" James figured she might say something, but mental told himself if she didn't want to talk about it she didn't have to.

"I have it too," Lily said fixating her eyes on her own feet.

"What?" This wasn't what James was expecting. "What?" he repeated.

"They think the chemo might work, but they won't know until the first rounds are over.

"Chemo?" Lily explained the medical procedure to James, and he felt better about the situation, but not by much.

"I think I'm going to take a nap before dinner," Lily said after a few minutes of silence from James, who was in shock from it all.

I'll never ask to know again, he thought. "Do you want the others to know? You know now that the prat does?" James tried loosening the mood.

"I suppose I should tell them," Lily sighed.

"I can, if you want," James offered.

"Yeah, that might be easier," Lily said as she got up to go into her room. "And James?"

James stopped as he was exiting. "Yes?"

"You aren't that big of a prat," Lily said with a smile. James smiled back and they went through the separate doors they were standing at.

A/N: So they finally know... Hope you like this one, I know there isn't much plot, but it'll come up. I looked up some of the things on chemo, but not a whole lot, so don't take anything in here too literally when it comes to that, of course, that's why it's called fiction.

Thank you to:

Hearts: We'll see about the sequel thing. Try considering 'Back to Life' a sort of sequel, and I'll brainstorm for the Ginny/Harry thing.

animalluver75: Thanks, I'll try (only one day... is that soon enough?)

JamieBell: Yeah, a bit like Harry. Good girl for waiting! Hope you like this one. Violet's awsome!

hinna1: Yeah, I've tried to keep away from the usual, and I'm glad it's succeeding

Leoking: Thank you! I know there are a few mistakes in there, but I try to keep it minimal, and I never make anyone wait! I could do that not posting again until I get 10 more reviews but I always thought that was kind of juvenille, so I write when I'm so inspired.

And everyone else who has reviewed!: Elspeth Renee, AAandACforever, Katkit, dains-numberone-fan, and everyone else! Sorry if I missed you on this. If you have any questions or other comments feel free to e-mail me. Happy Reading!