The Mudblood
Authors Note- HAVE FAITH IN ME!!!
Chapter Eight
The castle always left Lily waking as thought she had been sleeping on a block of ice. But, as her morning nose twitch brought her out of a deep slumber, she felt warm and somewhat revived. The smell of freshly backed bread allowed her to remember exactly where she was, and the situation she was currently in.
She shifted her bottom to ease her waking muscles, but then heard a deep groan, and felt the vibration. It defiantly was not from herself. Immediately, she rushed into a sitting position, glaring back at where she was recently laying.
On James.
He was leaning against the sofa, the one where she recalled falling asleep. As he was more asleep than awake, Lily then realized that she had spent the night…sleeping on James Potter.
His dark eyes slowly opened, seeing the horrified expression that hers had to offer in return. " You" he cleared his throat, " you had a nightmare, it was really…bad. I was just trying to calm you down. That's all. I didn't mean anything by it".
The corners of her mouth tweaked, " thanks".
James leaned forward, groaning in a stretch, " we better get going". He stood, stepping over two sleeping bodies to get across the room. He never again mentioned the night before.
Cynthia had offered numerous times for the two to eat before leaving. They settled the dilemma on bringing a basket of muffins along with them.
One thing Lily did not consider the day before, how were the two going to get to her Muggle home? Certainly they couldn't fly there, that wouldn't work. Turns out one of their classmates, Arthur Weasley, was going to bring his car over for them to borrow. Enchanted as it was, it would pass for normal when leaving the Wizarding world. Her stomach began to twist and wrench when it came time to leave. She began to wonder whether or not she'd ever see her home ever again.
" Now if you ever need anything, dear, I've got friends who are Muggles, and I can be over there myself in a heartbeat" Cynthia had suck kind words for a girl he hardly knew and had only met less than a day earlier.
" Thank you for allowing me to stay here" she choked out. Strangers weren't her best category.
On her second attempt to get out the door was terminated when Sirius grasped her face in his hands, making sure their eyes were only on each other. " I wouldn't trust you with anyone else. You're in good hands, you have nothing to worry about".
James pulled her free, " what are you bloody doing? Trying to brainwash the girl?".
Remus smirked, " besides, he's full of it anyways".
Being the gentleman he was, James packed all of Lily's belongings into the backseat of the car, then opening the passenger door to her. She watched the cottage through the side mirror until it was completely out of sight, and they were alone on the country road. Neither of them said a word for nearly twenty minutes.
" Don't be scared". He must have sensed it. Her silence, the shaking from only two feet away.
Lily squeezed her hands tightly together, " I know I shouldn't be, but I can't help it".
Using one hand on the steering wheel, he placed the other over her clasped hands. She closed her eyes, accepting his attempted comfort. It was when he removed his hand, and she felt the car slowing down, that she finally opened again.
On the road ahead of them, there seemed to be a line up of cars, but they weren't close enough to the city or it to be a traffic jam. James rolled down his window, leaning a fair ways out to see what the trouble was. When sitting down again, she heard him curse under his breath.
" We're not that close to the Muggle world, but they seem to be stopping cars…checking for Muggles".
Her throat was swelling up, she could feel it tightening more and more. She began sweating, her joints fidgeting. He immediately saw this.
" It's okay, they're not going to see you".
" They can find out who I am in seconds".
She could have sworn she saw him smirk, " not if they don't see you".
While all the cars were stalled, James leaned over into the backseat of the car, rummaging through whatever laid back there. He returned holding a silk cape in his lap. That again.
" Get in the back, put this over you, and bury yourself under some of the luggage, they'll never know".
She was too afraid to argue, not like she could have a better idea in mind. Making sure there were no cars behind them, she sat atop of the front seat, and tossed herself into the back. James listened as she scrambled herself about, situating into the perfect position.
" Okay, I'm ready" she quietly said.
The wait seemed longer than it actually was, especially for Lily. Though she knew they were not yet near the checkpoint, she remained completely still, paranoid that someone would see her, despite how hidden she was. When hearing James once again roll down her window, she ceased to breathe and closed her eyes.
A man with a stern tone began asking him questions.
" State your name please".
" James Potter, I'm a student at Hogwarts".
" Hogwarts aye, what you doing out in this part of the county while you're still in school?".
" Just going for a quick drive around London. It's for a paper, my Muggle studies class". He was smooth, calm. They'd never suspect him, he wasn't giving off any hints. He wasn't even in the Muggle studies class.
" Waste of time, you're not going to learn anything in that class. Alright, move along, move along".
The car regained its motion, picking up speed as it went along. " Stay there for a bit longer, just until we're further away".
But Lily had managed to spook herself enough to remain exactly where she was for the remainder of the trip, hardly saying a word for the next seven hours. He had gotten her some refreshments when stopping along the road, but she still would not budge. Not wanting to make things worse, and somewhat understanding how frightened she must have been, James left her alone.
When arriving to her small London suburb, Lily did emerge from under the cloak, her eyes adjusting to the dark atmosphere. She directed James on which streets to turn down, before finally pointing out which house was hers.
Upon turning into her driveway, he noticed that there were no other cars. " Do your parents park in the garage?".
Lily shook her head, " no, they sometimes visit my grandmum on the weekends, they'll be gone for the next day or so".
She led him into her sinister and what seemed like unfamiliar house as he helped her remove all her belongings from the car to the upstairs bedroom, the one connected to her sister Petunia's room by a small loo they both shared.
" It's an awful long drive back" she said when all had been placed in order, " why don't you stay here the night? You can sleep in my sisters room, she'd never know. I don't want you driving alone at this time a night".
" Well I was practically alone on the drive here".
She blushed, " I'm sorry".
" Don't be, not your fault" he could tell by the way that she was avoiding eye contact for that moment that she did not want to be alone that night. Even though she was safe now in her own home, it was all still uneasy. " Sure, I'll stay".
His theory had been right.