"..."- Talking

::...::- Parseltongue

Chapter 6: Part 1- The book

"Hey Myrtle, what happened?"

Lily stood in the flooded bathroom, standing outside Myrtle's usual cubicle. "Who's there? Come to throw more books at me, have you?!"

"It's me, Lily."

There was a wail and Myrtle flew out of the cubicle, phasing through the Gryffindor. "Oh!"

"What? What's wrong? What books?"

"I was minding my own business, sitting in the U-bend and thinking about death when someone drops a book on me!!"

"Who threw it at you?"

"I don't know... It's over there, it got washed out."

Lily looked over to see a small, thin, black book. She picked it up and was about to open it when Nick came flying in, telling her that Filch was on his way.

Lily groaned as she walked into the Great Hall. The place was pink, covered with several thousand hearts. She walked over to the Slytherin table, plopped down beside Pansy. She moved the plate in front of her and dropped her head on the table, drawing stares from everyone around her.

"You okay?"

She sat up and began spreading jam on a piece of toast. "No. Woke up at 5 a.m. all week for Quidditch practice."

"Lily, shouldn't you sit with the Gryffindorks?"

"I'm not a Gryffindork, I'm the Gryffindor renegade." She shot back. "And who decided to ruin the Great Hall?"

"That would be Lockhart, and you're still sore about what happened during the Christmas holidays with Granger and Weasley."

"I don't want to talk about it."

Lily fell back onto Draco's bed. Draco and Blaise stared at her. She sat up staring back. "What?"

"Were you insane? Dragging us into the Forbidden Forest?! Following spiders and nearly getting eaten! And we're back to where we started, with no idea who the Heir of Slytherin is!!"

"We know the monster's a basilisk, and we know that it's not us or Hagrid."

"An that's all!!"

"Blaise, please, it's one week before the next Quidditch match and I just want to sleep. Here if that's okay.

"Fine..."

Lily's voice stopped Blaise from leaving. "C-could you stay?"

"What do you mean?"

Lily blushed, feeling embarrassed. "Could you stay here, and sleep in...the same bed?"

"WHAT?!"

Draco sighed, knowing what Lily really meant. "Blaise, Lily's been having bad dreams. She just doesn't want to be alone."

"Oh..."

She couldn't move and she could barely breathe. She thought she heard someone coming up the stairs. She was shaking now, fear settling in. Hands grabbed her and forced something in her mouth. She closed her eyes as pain filled her, praying that it would stop...

Lily bolted upright. She glanced at Draco and Blaise, one sprawled by her side and the other sprawled below. Both were lying on top of the sheets, fully dressed and still sleeping. She sighed as she stared down at her hands. She'd been having odd dreams lately, but she could never see anything. She could only ever felt her movements, sounds and feelings through the darkness. During the summer she would wake up screaming. No one ever heard since there had been silencing charms cast over her bedroom years ago. She felt something slitter up her arm and glanced to see Shadow.

::Did you not sssleep well again, my lady?::

::No, I didn't...::

::Iss it that dream again?::

::Yes.:: Shadow wound his way up her arm and around her neck. ::I wake up scared and screaming, Shadow. I want to know why.::

::Perhaps you should tell someone.::

::No, I don't want anyone to worry about me. I guess I just have to hope that they'll stop soon. Goodnight Shadow.::

::Goodnight my lady. Sleep well in Morpheus's arms...::

Part 2- Kidnapping

"Lily!"

Lily turned and smiled. "Hi Draco, Blaise."

"Are you feeling any better?"

The three walked into the near empty Great Hall for lunch. "Fine... Blaise, Draco, I'll see you after lunch."

The boys watched as Lily raced over to the Gryffindor table, where Hermoine, Lavender and Pavarti sat. Hermoine looked up, startled, when Lily dropped beside her.

"I should—"

"Moine, Lav, Pavarti. I have something I want all of you to hear." Lily swallowed but continued on. "I'mreallysorryI'vebeenholdingagrudgeagainstyouguys. Canwebefriendsagain?"

Hermoine, Lavender and Pavarti blinked. "What?"

"Could you say that slower?"

"I'm really sorry I've been holding a grudge against you guys. Can we be friends again?"

"Lily, what's going through that head of yours?!!"

Lily looked down. "I'll go if you want. It's—"

"We were never not friends." Hermoine smiled. "Besides, I'm the one who should be apologizing."

Ron joined Blaise and Draco, who were still standing by the door. The three put aside their rivalry as they stared at the four girls, who were in the middle of hugging after Hermoine yelled.

"I don't get it."

"That makes two of us."

"Three."

"Whatever."

"Oh Draco!!"

Lily ran into Draco, burying her head into his chest. Pansy, Blaise and Millicent stared. "Lily, what's wrong?"

"Hermoine's been petrified, they've taken Hagrid to..." She hiccoughed. "...To Azkaban!! And someone's torn apart my room and stolen Tom's diary!!!"

"Lily..."

"Why do bad things always seem to happen...?"

As the days went by, Lily seemed to waste away. She detached herself from everyone, spending her time locked in her room or in the library and wasn't seen at meals. Draco, Blaise and the other Slytherins worried about her but didn't really have a chance to tell her.

Draco and Blaise had reached the library doors to talk to Lily when she burst out. "Blaise. Draco. I know where it is. It's in Myrtle's bathroom. It was so obvious!!"

"Lily—"

"I'm going to tell McGonagall."

Lily ran down the halls towards the staff room when she saw Ginny. She slowed down when she noticed that Ginny stood where Mrs Norris was attacked.

"Ginny? Ginny, what are you doing?"

The girl turned to Lily and the other girl saw the message written in red paint on the wall. "You..."

"It's me Ginny. It's Lily. Ginny, what's going on?" Ginny turned away, adding more to the message before facing Lily, wand out. Lily didn't have a chance to pull out her own wand, before falling to her knees and into darkness.

"All students are to return to their house dormitories at once. All teachers return to the staff room. Immediately please."

Draco and Blaise were passing the staff room when they heard the announcement. They glanced at each other. "Should we...?"

Blaise smirked. "Most definitely."

The two boys walked into the staff room, hiding in a wardrobe full of cloaks. They watched as the teachers filed in. McGonagall swept in a few minutes later, looking very serious.

"It has happened. Two students have been taken by the monster, right into the Chamber itself."

Snape gripped the back of the chair so hard Blaise thought it would break. "How can you be sure?"

"The Heir of Slytherin left another message, right underneath the first one. 'Their skeletons will lie in the Chamber forever'!"

"Who are they? Which students?"

"Ginny Weasley and... Lilith Black."

Next!