"A punctured lung, bruised spleen, and a whole lot of damage to her stomach," Lily could hear Pomfrey murmur to McGonagall.
It was the next morning. A dreamless drought and a well-placed pain killer spell knocked Lily out the night before, allowing Pomfrey the chance to get a good look at her without causing too much pain.
"The bone mending spell worked quite well. Mr. Lupin, I assume?"
"I'm sure," Mcgonagall said in a dry voice.
"That poor boy," Pomfrey sighed. "Having to learn those spells. I offer, but I think he just feels…"
"I understand, Poppy," McGonagall said in an empathetic tone. "This however…"
Lily shifted, peering over towards whether they were speaking just outside of the healer's office.
"Miss Evans!" Pomfrey called, seeing the movement. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," she admitted weakly, shifting up into a seated position. "Professor?"
"Not yet, dear," Pomfrey cut in, approaching with a goblet filled to the brim. She gave McGonagall a firm look, preventing her from stepping in. "Please drink this and I'll ask a few questions first."
Lily accepted the goblet without complaint, chugging it quickly in order to deal with the taste.
"How are you feeling? Can you tell me what's sore?"
The goblet was handed back to the healer as Lily re-evaluating her own body. Her cheek still felt tender when she smiled, her side was mildly throbbing, but overall, she was surprised at her lack of pain. She said so.
"Cast some spells overnight while you slept," Pomfrey revealed, raising her wand once more. "Let me just check your internal injuries once more before I let McGonagall have at you."
"Thanks," she said politely, letting the healer work the wand over her.
Pomfrey nodded once, satisfied, and turned to give McGonagall the okay.
The older woman approached, wordlessly conjuring a chair beside Lily's bedside table.
"Have you told Professor Dumbledore, Miss?" Lily interrupted before she could start.
McGonagall fixed a chasting stare. "Headmaster Dumbledore has been unexpectedly called away, Miss Evans."
"And you'll tell him when he returns," Lily murmured.
"And I will tell him when he returns," McGonagall agreed. "But can you please tell me what happened last night? What put you in this state?"
"I swear it wasn't any of the boys, not James or Remus. Or Sirius," she implored. "They were only helping me."
"I have high confidence that Mr. Potter, nor his friends, would cause you harm."
The tension in Lily's shoulders eased a bit, but she knew the conversation wasn't over. "I was out after hours, and I walked down towards the dungeons."
"The dungeons?" McGonagall prompted.
The lies came easily, Lily found. "I was just having a hard time sleeping, so I thought I'd work on my potions project – for my apprenticeship?"
The professor nodded her head in acknowledgement.
"And while I was heading back, I ran into –" she swallowed hard.
"Ran into?" McGonagall prompted.
Lily looked away from the older woman. "Mulciber and Avery."
She contemplated revealing Snape had been there as well – but the look on his face, the way he didn't hurt her… She didn't know what to think.
"They attacked you?" McGonagall clarified. "Unprovoked?"
Lily nodded haltingly. "They were walking in the corridor. They caught sight of me, said some things. I tried to move on, but they wouldn't… let me."
McGonagall nodded diplomatically. "And did they… do more than hurt you?"
She was able to catch onto the true question McGonagall was trying to ask. She shook her head vehemently. "No. No. They didn't touch me like that."
The woman looked relieved, nodding. "What happened after they attacked you?"
Lily had to think very carefully about this. James and Sirius had helped her; they had found her and prevented the two Slytherins from doing worse. But what would they tell McGonagall? Should she say she went to them for help in their dorm?
"James and Sirius found me," she admitted, not willing to stray too far from the truth. "James helped me back to the dormitory, where Remus and Peter were there. Remus helped perform some healing magic."
McGonagall nodded once more. "I'm truly sorry you had to go through that, Lily. I will be speaking to Slughorn immediately, pulling Misters Mulciber and Avery from their classes to speak with them directly."
"I'm sorry, Professor," Lily said in a quiet voice.
"Dear," McGonagall sighed, reaching forward to place a hand on her knee. "I'm glad you're alright and that Mr. Potter and Mr. Black found you before anything worse may have happened."
Lily nodded a bit jerkily, realizing that she, too, should be immensely grateful.
"You should have plenty of time to return to your dorm and get ready for the day," McGonagall continued. "You may choose not to attend your classes this morning, if you so wish."
"No, I'll go," she assured, already shifting in her bed.
"Miss Evans," McGonagall said patiently. "If you need time –"
"I don't," Lily assured. "I'll be okay. I just want… to go to class."
McGonagall looked like she wanted to argue, but let it lie. "I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will send for you when he returns."
She nodded.
"And I'll need to speak with Mr. Black and Mr. Potter."
She nodded again, a bit more guilty. "I'll let them know you're looking for them when I return to the common room."
"That is, if Madam Pomfrey allows you," McGonagall said in a wry voice. "Thank you for telling me what happened, Lily. I'll let Pomfrey know I'm done with you."
"Thank you, Professor."
Lily watched as the woman stood and left, returning to speak once more to the school's healer."
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-
"What in the bloody hell happened, Lily?" Marlene demanded as Lily crept into the girls' dormitory.
"Remus and Peter told us that you were the one to end the Game. And now you come in here looking like you've been bloody murdered!" Marlene exclaimed quietly. "Why did the game end? What happened?"
Lily sighed heavily. "Where's Alice? Dor and Em?"
"Alice went to meet Frank for breakfast. Dorcas and Emmeline are up in their dorm still, I think. Now tell me."
"I ran into Mulciber and Avery. They walked past and saw me hiding…"
Marlene gasped, then growled. "I knew they'd do something evil, those fucking pricks. What did they do?"
"They just – hit me around. Said some nasty things."
"How did you manage to warn us?"
"Just got lucky. They weren't looking."
"How did you get away? We can't let them get away with this."
"We won't," Lily said firmly. "I've told McGonagall."
Marlene gasped again. "McGonagall?"
"She caught Sirius and –"
"She caught Sirius?"
"Mar," Lily complained. "It's a long story. Do you mind if I shower first? I'll tell you everything after."
"Lily," Marlene protested.
"Please?" she said. "Just let me get out of these clothes. I feel like shite."
"Fine," Marlene replied. "But hurry."
Per the request, Lily quickly washed, shampooing her hair twice to ensure all the tangles were gone. Hastily, she dried off with a towel and exited the bathroom, heading towards her trunk to pull out a clean uniform.
"Okay, tell me what happened," Marlene demanded once again, impatient.
Lily sighed, getting dressed quickly. "I was near the dungeons, killing time before I had to meet Sirius and Remus near the kitchens. I was hiding in one of the classroom doorways when I heard voices. Heard Avery and Mulciber and S–"
She faltered, glancing at herself in the mirror. A bruise spanned from the space of her cheek to her lip. It looked like she'd have a black eye.
"And saw them stop when they noticed me. They called me a mudblood, the whole blood purity spiel, and hit me. James and Sirius found me before they went too far."
"Oh, Merlin," Marlene breathed. "Agrippa's sake, Lily. Who knows what they could've done."
She didn't want to think about it. "James took me back to their dorm. Remus and Peter helped fix me up – but McGonagall must've found Sirius. She brought him to the dorm, saw me, and took me to the hospital wing."
"Merlin, you have bloody bad luck," Marlene laughed derisively.
"She came back this morning to check on me, told me Dumbledore would want to see me – about Mulciber and Avery."
"Good," Marlene said vehemently. "They need to be expelled. Put in Azkaban."
"Marlene," she said, trying to brush off the severity of it all. "It wasn't that bad."
"Look at you!" Marlene crowed. "They've beaten you – without cause, for no other reason than their fucking purist beliefs!"
Lily stopped, took a deep breath. "Okay, I know this is probably very unhealthy, but I really don't want to focus on it more than I have to. You know? I'm still… processing it all. Alright?"
"Lily," she said, pityingly. "Merlin, I just… can't even believe that this happened."
"Me neither," she replied, a bit numbly. "Can we just go down and have breakfast?"
Marlene looked like she did not want to go down to breakfast and that she'd rather discuss this further, but once more, Lily's expression left no room for contention.
"Fine, let's go. But if I see their faces…"
They left the dormitory, the other students they ran into none the wiser to what had occurred the night before.
When they exited the common room and made their way down the corridor, they were stopped.
"Hey!" Sirius called from behind them, as James, Peter, and Remus followed closely behind. The two girls waited for the three to catch up.
"How are you feeling?" James asked Lily.
"Madam Pomfrey always knows how to patch me up," Lily said reassuringly. "I'm nearly back to normal."
"Glad to hear," Sirius murmured, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Hate to have my favorite teammate down out of the game."
"Hey," Remus said dryly.
"We won last night, didn't we?" Lily guessed warily as the group made their way down the stairs.
"You bet we did!" He said with a smirk.
"Only because the game had to be suspended," Marlene defended, rolling her eyes as Sirius stuck his tongue out at her.
"Don't be a sore loser," he taunted.
"Piss off," Marlene retorted.
The group laughed involuntarily as the two continued to spit insults back and forth until they reached the Entrance Hall. Before the group headed into the Great Hall, Lily reached out to pull on Sirius and James's arm, stopping them from continuing on with the rest of them.
"What's wrong?" Sirius asked.
"McGonagall spoke to me this morning," she started, gesturing them away from the trickle of students flowing in and out of the Great Hall. "I told her you two – uh, found me last night. Helped me get back to the dorms. That's why you were out last night."
James and Sirius shared a look, silently communicating.
"Okay, that's not so bad," Sirius said. "I didn't say much when she found me in the Entrance Hall. She was too busy telling me off for being out after hours."
"She say anything else?" James asked.
Lily nodded a bit guiltily. "She'll want to speak to you both. I'll have to speak to Dumbledore when he returns."
James's brow raised in curiosity. "Return?"
"He'd be called away for some reason. McGonagall didn't say much. She was going to have Slughorn pull Avery and Mulciber, though…"
"Good," James said. "Those bloody bastards deserve something worse than detention."
"Well, I just also wanted to say – thank you," she murmured sincerely. "I'd rather not think about it, but if you two hadn't found me… Well, I'm glad you did."
The two boys shared similar looks of detestation, as if they had thought about what else could have happened.
"How did you find me?"
Sirius looked at James, they shared a small grin. "Luck, I guess."
James nodded in agreement. "When the warning spell went off, we both were around the area. Heard a commotion."
"Thank you," she repeated earnestly. They both smiled, brushed it off with similar shrugs.
"Alright, let's get some breakfast," James said, turning to go.
"Sirius?"
"Yes, Evs?"
"I wanted to know what you said to Sev – Snape last night. When James was helping me."
Sirius's expression shifted, only obscurely, before he shrugged a shoulder. "I told him he was a coward for letting those others hurt you. That he ought to have the same beating you had. Worse."
"Padfoot," James said disapprovingly.
Sirius rolled his eyes, unremorseful in his response. "What? He should. Listen, Lily. You should be far less concerned about Snivellus – sorry – Snape and more concerned about yourself."
Lily rolled her eyes. "I know."
"We've said it before. You've got to be careful. Slytherins can do much worse if they want to –"
"I know," she repeated in annoyance. "I know they can do worse, alright? I know that last night was bloody horrible and they could've done terrible things – beyond throwing some punches – I get that."
"Lily –"
"You all don't have to keep telling me things that I already know. Now can we just head to breakfast and not talk about it?"
The two boys looked chastised, a bit surprised by her response, but nodded silently, letting her lead the way into the Great Hall where Marlene, Remus, and Peter were seated.
A bit tense, the group began to serve themselves breakfast, quiet as they focused. Though Lily was not that hungry.
Her attention was pulled as the mail owls swooped in; dropping envelopes and newspapers onto the tables in front of the students. She watched absentmindedly as those around her tore open letters, pried open packages, and unrolled the latest Daily Prophet.
She only became conscious of the hushed silence when a girl further down the table let out a small cry.
"What's happened?" Peter asked frankly, looking up.
"Excuse me," Lily interrupted politely, gaining the attention of a 7th Year Ravenclaw from the table behind her. "Has something happened?"
"Yes," he answered grimly, his face pale. "Here, take a look," he handed her the paper, which she accepted quickly and read over the front page byline.
HALLOWEEN CANCELLED – ATTACK ON LONDON PUB – MULTIPLE CASUALTIES IN EXPLOSION
"Oh, God," she murmured, scanning over the rest of the article. "How…" she folded up the thick parchment and handed it back. "Thank you," she said quietly, feeling sick.
James leaned closer, as did the others. "What is it?"
"There was another attack on a pub," she murmured. "Right in the middle of London this time. Both wizard and muggle casualties again."
Marlene gasped, covering her mouth.
"One of the minister's personal Aurors was killed. There's speculation they were trying to cast the Imperius Curse on him, to get to the minister themselves."
"Merlin," Remus gasped. "And they blew up the pub because of him?"
Lily nodded. "He'd been with the minister for years; one of the other aurors that was there saw him fight against the curse."
"This happened yesterday?" Sirius asked after a moment. "On Halloween, of course."
"There's never been one in London before," James murmured, running a hand through his hair, staring out across the rest of the student body. "Explains why Dumbledore's been called away."
Sirius released a low whistle, his expression grim. Peter looked just as bothered, trying to hide his poorly masked terror.
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-
It wasn't until later that week that Lily began to feel suspicious of her friends. After Transfiguration lesson, McGonagall had pulled her after to advise that Avery and Mulciber were missing – having not been seen by any classmates since Sunday night.
Though she had no classes with them and hardly saw them besides meals, Lily felt immediate relief. McGonagall gave her a brief nod, understanding the relieved expression on her face.
While they were missing, they weren't at least on the school grounds, apparently.
"Really, Alice, I'm okay going alone. I just wanted to go to the library. Maybe stop by the courtyard to read a bit," she insisted, pulling on her school cloak over her uniform.
The weather had warmed somewhat – surprising for early November – and many students were taking advantage.
"I should go by the library myself," Alice insisted. "I completely forgot to return this book when I went with Frank earlier."
"I can take it for you, it's no problem."
Alice scoffed in an exasperated manner. "You know how the librarian is. She'll be miffed if it's not returned by the lendee."
Lily narrowed her eyes, having just returned a book for Dorcas the past week, no issues. "Which book?"
"Oh, well," Alice glanced about, grabbed the nearest book on her bed. "This one. I left it behind before."
"That's your potions book," Lily pointed out skeptically. "You aren't supposed to return it."
"Oh, return it? I meant, just study. Wanted to look into the next chapter."
"Alice," Lily sighed. "I'd really rather spend some time by myself, it's that alright."
The brunette looked uncomfortable. "I really should go to the –"
"Please? Besides, weren't you supposed to meet Hunter?"
Alice shifted between her feet. "Okay. Maybe I'll meet you out there later?"
Lily nodded vigorously. "Of course," she agreed, tucking her wand into the waistband of her skirt. She slid through the dormitory exit quickly, leaving Alice behind.
Though she appreciated her friend's concern, she was fine.
She continued down the stairs, navigating through the common room quickly to the entrance.
"Oh, Lily?" Peter blurted in surprise as she nearly ran into on the way out. His eyes darted around, searching. "What are you up to? Anyone joining you?"
"Just heading to the library," she replied pleasantly, holding the door open for him.
He hesitated, glancing around once more. "Oh, well, maybe I'll join you."
She chuckled. "It looks like you just came from there."
"I think I – I, yes, forgot one for History of Magic. I should really go back and grab it," he said, moving to step beside her.
"That's alright, Peter. If you tell me the name of it, I can grab it for you."
He shook his head. "I should really go get it myself, if you're going there."
"I was actually just hoping for a walk by myself," Lily explained patiently. "I don't mind grabbing it for you."
Peter fussed for a moment, juggling the books so he could get a better grip. "No, I insist – we – I mean, I can –"
"Please," she urged, giving him a reassuring look.
"I should really…"
"I'll see you later, Peter," she said before he could finish, sidestepping him and continuing on her way.
In the library, she was stopped briefly by one of the classmates from potions, who asked for help locating one of the books Slughorn had recommended for the next lesson. Having something easy to focus on, she agreed to help, heading off towards the section she knew the book would be located. In a fortunate finding, the book she had been looking for was only one aisle over.
Just as she found it, she smiled, pleased, and turned to leave before nearly running into Remus.
"Lily?" he noted with surprise. "What're you doing here?"
"Grabbing a book," she said wryly, holding it up as proof. "What one typically does in a library."
He chuckled reluctantly. "Yeah, I see that. I just – wondered if – anyone was with you?"
"Just me," she confirmed. "I should probably get going, actually."
"Where is everyone else?" he asked curiously, scanning the nearby vicinity surreptitiously.
Lily glanced around curiously herself. "James, Marlene, and Sirius are at Quidditch practice. Alice is up in the dorm – or meeting Frank, I assume. Dor and Em had a study group. Why, what's going on?"
Remus nodded distractedly. "Well, where are you going?"
"I was just going to head out to the courtyard for some reading."
"Do you need any help?"
She smiled derisively. "With reading?"
"No," he winced. "I mean, company. Would you like any company?"
"No, I'm good," she declined. "Thank you, though."
"Wait," he said as she moved to step around him. "I think I'll join you, if you don't mind."
"I'm sorry, Remus, I was just looking forward to some quiet time. I hope you aren't offended."
"I'd really like to join you, though," he said, unconvincingly. "For some, you know, quiet reading."
"Remus," Lily intoned. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," he insisted, sheepish. "I just thought you'd like some company."
"I appreciate the offer, Remus, but really, I'm okay," she insisted. "I've got to give this one to Gaines and checkout. Mind if we chat later?"
Remus faltered, unsure. "Oh, of course. I'll see you later."
As Lily turned her back to him, she caught sight of his crestfallen face, a bit shamefaced.
She put the curiosity of it behind her, finding Gaines quickly to drop off the book and meeting the librarian behind the desk to quickly sign out the book.
The cool air stung her cheeks as she pushed the doors to the outside open. She shivered, glad to have pulled on her cloak before leaving the dorm, but suspected she might cast a warming charm to prevent from being too cold. Or at least acknowledge she might not stay out for too long, enjoying the fresh air for as long as she could manage.
Unsurprisingly, the courtyard was filled with groups of students, crowded into each other. There was a somber tension once more, but the other students were seemingly making the most out of the nicer weather. A few fellow Gryffindors and Ravenclaws waved at her as she passed, Burke and Rochester among them.
She responded in kind, but looked past them to search for a secluded area. Unhappy with the lack of options, she walked further, beyond the courtyard, and followed the trail down towards the tree she and her friends often studied under.
Taking a moment to breathe in the air, Lily turned to stare out across the view the spot gave her. The calm water across the lake, the treetops across the Dark Forest. From here, she could even see the players within the Quidditch pitch, flying around the goal posts.
She exhaled slowly, taking a seat at the base of the tree and resting her back against the rough bark before propping the book open against her tilted knees, starting at chapter one.
This is what she wanted.
When the air had begun to become cooler, the sun dropping closer to the horizon in the west, she was just finishing a chapter when the sound of rushed footsteps made her look up.
Marlene, James, and Sirius were striding towards her, donned (still) in their exercise clothes and irritated expressions.
"What are you doing out here?" Marlene demanded once they'd reached her.
They were all breathily heavily, faces damp as if they'd come straight from practice rather than taking their time washing and cleaning up before leaving the pitch.
Before she had a chance to answer, James spoke. "We saw you out here from the Quidditch pitch," he said in a displeased tone. "Why are you out here alone?"
"What do you mean?" she asked, annoyed at his accusing tone. "I'm reading a book. By myself. Am I not allowed to?"
"You shouldn't be out here alone," Marlene pointed out in a tone that rubbed Lily wrong.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded. "It's not as if a book is going to hurt me."
"That's not the point," James said impatiently.
Lily's temper flared with their attitude and she raised to stand. "God, you and your points, Potter. Tell me. What's the point then?"
Marlene sighed heavily. "We don't want you to get hurt again. You shouldn't be alone –"
"So is that your plan then? Having me followed. Constant supervision – like a child – and that, what, that'll stop someone from attacking me? You? Someone else?"
"What else are we supposed to do?" James asked, just as heated. "Nothing?"
"Yes!" she exclaimed. "Nothing."
"Like hell," he retorted, incensed. His glasses slipped slightly and he fixed them in frustration. "Do you really expect us to sit back and let you – let others – get hurt when we can help?"
"You can't go around protecting all of the muggle-borns, James. That's – insane. We can't create an army within Hogwarts – just to protect people like me –"
"Who says we can't, Lily?" Sirius interjected. "Why can't we defend the weak, protect the vulnerable, like that blood oath you threw in Donahue's face? We should be able to fight for what we believe is right."
"That's not what I'm saying," she snapped. "We can fight for what we believe in – but the vulnerable is more than just me –"
"We can't just sit around and wait for Avery and Mulciber to attack you again," Marlene argued. "You can't expect us to just –"
"Well it's a good thing they're missing, isn't it? Haven't been seen since that night," Lily retorted. "McGonagall told me earlier. So your 'valiant efforts' are all for naught. I was already a target before – I'm a Gryffindor Prefect that's a mudblood –" James and Marlene winced "– and that's not going to change. It's my fault that I've made myself a target. I get it. You're concerned about me, but I can take care of myself."
"I think the other night proves that untrue," James refuted, unwilling to back down. "To deny that is naive."
"Naive?" Lily snarled in disbelief. "Are we having the same damned argument? Listen, Potter, I didn't ask you –"
"No, you didn't," he snapped back. "But we were the ones to stop those bloody bastards from doing Merlin knows what –"
"They didn't –"
"And I was the one to bring you back to the tower, bloody and bruised –"
"I could have healed myself –"
"And now you stand here, as if it never fucking happened. So yeah, I'd call that pretty fucking naive. Wouldn't you, Padfoot?"
"Oh, fuck you, Potter –" she snapped, launching herself at him in anger.
"Lily," Marlene cut in, shocked, catching the redhead midair.
James remained unfazed, looking unimpressed at her attack. He stood just out of her grasp as Marlene attempted to haul her back a few steps.
"How dare you, Potter!" she growled. "As if you're the one to go around every day, dealing with 'mudblood' or 'unclean trash' spat at you, at your back –"
"You're not listening to any of us!" James shouted. "This isn't about someone calling you names. These are people who attacked you. You can't 'take care of yourself' when it's two against one."
She struggled to find her wand in her waistband, itching to hex him. "What is your problem? You, what, force your guilt–ridden niceties on me and –"
Sirius caught sight of the movement, pulled at James's arm. "Come on, Prongs. Let's go," he murmured, a bit stunned by the spectacle.
James shrugged him off, continuing. "You're being bloody stubborn and too much of a coward to ask for help – and isn't that what you've preached all these years? To younger students? To everyone? Ask for help."
"James," Sirius stressed. "Quit putting your fucking foot in your mouth." He wrapped his hand around James's upper arm, yanking at him.
"Screw you, Potter," Lily spat at him, overwhelmed with blind anger. "Screw you!"
He scoffed, knocked Sirius's hand off and turned away, raising his hands in surrender as he walked away. Sirius followed after him, bewildered.
"He didn't mean it," Marlene murmured once she'd let go of Lily (after making sure she wasn't going to chase after him). "He didn't mean that you couldn't take care of yourself," she amended.
Lily did not respond, reaching down to retrieve her book from the ground and dust it off. She huffed, turning it over in her hands to check for damage.
"Did you want to stay and read?" Marlene asked tentatively.
"No," Lily replied bitterly. As if she could focus. "I'm going back to the dorms," she sniped. "If you planned on following me."
"Lily," Marlene protested weakly.
"Sorry," she replied, repentant at her own sharp tone. "Actually. Can I meet you back up in the dorm? I just… need to walk."
"Are you sure?" Marlene looked dubious.
"I'd like to be alone."
Marlene nodded weakly, watching the redhead walk off in the opposite direction. With a heavy heart, the blonde made the trek back to the tower by herself. When she entered the common room, she found Remus and Peter sitting in the chairs beneath the stairs.
"What's happened?" Remus asked in concern when she'd collapsed into an open seat.
"We are so screwed," Marlene whined, rubbing at her eyes tiredly.
Remus looked at her with little pity, setting aside the book he'd been reading. "We knew she'd be furious if she found out we were following her."
Marlene sent him a hard glare, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well, what did she expect us to do? Just sit back and do nothing?"
"Yes," Remus replied, as if the answer were obvious. "I had the same conversation with James when you two plotted this whole thing. You've known Lily for six years, about. Do you think she'd ever be okay with being 'babysat'?"
"No," Marlene admitted unhappily.
"I'm sure she probably appreciated the gesture," Peter supplied, trying to comfort the glowering girl.
"I don't think she did, Pettigrew," she replied dryly, turning her glare onto him.
He looked away defensively, if not a little nervous.
James and Sirius entered through the portrait entrance, both looking worse for wear. Peter waved them over and the two boys greeted them, wearing similar grimacing smiles.
"She out for a walk?" Sirius asked.
Marlene nodded in confirmation.
He let out a low whistle and collapsed beside her, jostling the stack of books near Peter.
James pulled an empty chair from a nearby table and dragged it closer to the group. "Sodding hell," he snapped, rubbing at his jawline tiredly as he collapsed into the seat. "That's not what I wanted to happen at all."
"If you hadn't insulted her," Marlene commented bitterly.
"I didn't insult her," he argued. "I was just trying –"
"'I was just trying'," Marlene mimicked. "Merlin, can you sound more like a prick?"
"Oi," James replied with a sharp tone. "Don't take your piss-poor playing at practice out on me."
"Don't get so offended," she snapped. "And quit taking your unreciprocated –"
"HEY," Sirius snapped. "Will you two quit bickering? It's giving me a bloody headache."
"Please," Remus added, rubbing at his own temples tenderly. "Now let's figure out, how do we fix this?"
"We have to give her space," said Marlene glumly. "She probably won't want to talk to us for a bit."
"That means you especially, Prongs," Sirius added dryly. "Won't be easy."
"Shut it," James grumbled.
"Good luck to us all," Remus spoke to the group, pulling a different book into his lap.
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-
Just as the group had expected, Lily had given the others wide-berth, often maintaining her own company to keep.
The following day, Dumbledore must've finally returned to the castle, for she was called to his office during her History of Magic lesson. When the 3rd Year who had been sent stuttered her name, all students of the classroom looked over curiously.
Binns paused briefly, giving her the nod to leave, and she quickly collected her things, avoiding eye contact with the boys as she stood. She could feel James's eyes burning into her back as she left.
"Dragonfruit Pastry," she intoned towards the large stone eagle, catching the steps up. A bit nervous, she hesitated at the door before knocking, waiting for the affirmation to come in.
"Miss Evans," Dumbledore greeted warmly. "Please, have a seat."
"Thank you, sir," she said, coming forward towards the offered seat. "How are you?"
"Quite well, Lily. It's kind of you to ask. Cinnamon drop?" he offered.
She shook her head. "No thank you. Cinnamon's not my favorite."
He smiled, amused, but nodded understandingly.
"Now, we shall dive into the reason why I have brought you here today."
Lily swallowed hard, inclining her head.
"Professor McGonagall had shared what you told her about Sunday night. About Mr. Mulciber and Mr. Avery's attack."
She nodded again.
"Please, Lily. I'm here to listen. I can only apologize – and admit my own faults, my own hopes that what's been happening outside of these walls has yet to permeate and poison the beliefs of the students here at Hogwarts."
She glanced away from the earnest expression Dumbledore wore. He looked plainly guilty, heavy with remorse.
"It's fine," she said in a quiet voice. "Sir."
"Lily," he retorted, a combination of stern empathy. "I cannot possibly begin to interpret what your own emotions are. Where your mind is."
She let out a watery laugh. "You and I both, sir."
He smiled, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly, before becoming solemn. "It's not your fault."
The words had been said so genuinely, but they prompted an overwhelming response within her. Tears suddenly overflowed onto her cheeks. Because it was her fault a bit, wasn't it? She was born a witch in a family full of muggles. She continued to press against those with the purist ideology. Just as she had yelled at her friends, she made herself a target.
As if he read her thoughts, he shook his head slowly. "The courage and bravery you show in the face of uncertainty is most admirable, Lily. I only wish sometimes I had the ability to speak up, more often than I should, that is."
She smiled weakly. "Professor… If Mulciber and Avery come back… show up. Are they allowed back into Hogwarts?"
He pursed his lips, shook his head. "Their actions were inexcusable. Had they not left, they would have most certainly been expelled, Lily."
She nodded, slowly, his words only providing little consolation.
"Before we go, I'd like to give you the formal apprenticeship letter from the Ministry. They've set up time to meet –"
"Am I not in trouble?" Lily cut in, surprised.
"For?" His eyes twinkled behind his glasses.
"For… being out after hours."
"Ah, yes… I believe Professor McGonagall has passed down judgement accordingly. Detentions for you, Mr. Potter, and Mr. Black."
"That's it?" she asked, a bit stunned. "I thought…"
"Lily, Professor McGonagall and I have agreed that what you've gone through is plenty of punishment. We're incredibly lucky that Mr. Potter and Mr. Black were the ones to find you before Mr. Avery and Mr. Mulciber were able to do worse, as I understand."
Lily nodded vehemently.
"And so, with their bravery, we too, have been lax in punishment. Unless you feel –"
"No, no," she rushed to say. "Detention is good. Is fine."
He smiled wryly, picking up the letter to hand it over to her. "The potioneers from the ministry would like to meet with you and Mr. Snape later next week."
Having gone through a whirlwind of emotions, Lily accepted the envelope a bit numbly. "Thank you, sir," she said, sensing the dismissal in his voice. She stood to leave, grabbing her bag from the floor.
"As this will be a formal meeting, they do prefer the students to be in proper uniform," he advised as she hooked her bag over her shoulder. "Pressed tie, robe, and pressed hat."
"Of course, sir," she said – then paused.
"You got your hood?" Mulciber asked.
"Yeah, here."
"For fuck's sake, that's your bloody school hat, you fucking tosser," Mulciber snapped. "Fucking – give it here."
"Miss Evans?" Dumbledore prompted.
"I…" she frowned, just now processing the conversation she had heard before Mulciber and Avery – and Snape had found her. Snape. "I heard…"
Dumbledore's brow furrowed, but he was patient. "You may share anything you wish to, Lily."
"They'll fucking leave us behind if we aren't there in time."
They had left Halloween night. The night of the London Attack. And Snape had been with them. But he was still at school, was he not? She saw him at breakfast just that morning…
"I heard… just before Mulciber and Avery attacked me, they were talking about needing to meet somewhere. Meet somewhere or they'd be left behind. With a hood."
Dumbledore didn't seem too surprised by this. "As this dark wizard – Lord Voldemort – continues to grow and steal away the minds of those perceptible, I fear we may continue to lose more and more students, whether it's to his power, or out of fear."
It was scary to think about, that this wizard had the power to compel students to leave Hogwarts. To hurt others. This scared her worse.
"It wasn't just… Mulicber and Avery there," she said weakly. "Severus was with them, as well. He… didn't hurt me. But he… didn't stop them."
The information didn't seem to surprise Dumbledore, but she saw the corner of his lip lower, as is disappointed by this detail. "Thank you for telling me, Lily. I will… speak to Mr. Snape directly. As far as I'm aware, he did not leave the castle grounds on Halloween evening, but…"
Lily nodded in a jerky manner, slightly sick.
"Will it get easier, Professor? Will we be able to stop him? This Voldemort?"
"I am afraid not, Lily," he said honestly, in the kindest way. "I suspect things will get much, much worse before we can begin to see the light once more."
She crossed her arms, shivered. "I suppose you'll say we need to rely on each other. Ask each other for help."
He gave her a somewhat chastising look. "Of course I'll always say that, Lily. We are only as strong as those we surround ourselves by."
Lily thought of Snape. Of her friends. The marauders.
"And if you're too prideful to allow them to help?"
His grin turned to understanding. "Then one hopes these friends are particularly strong-willed."
She chuckled unwillingly. "I guess one might."
"I suppose I have kept you from class long enough, Miss Evans," he surmised, shoulders heavy. "Please come to me whenever you need. I am here for those who ask for help."
The words stung in a different way. "Of course, sir. Thank you."
-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-
Over the next fortnight, while Lily didn't intentionally mean to be cold towards her friends, it was hard to be anything other than aloof. Between their previous fight, her worry over Snape's supposed involvement with these Death Eaters, and the impending apprentice meeting, her anxiety was at an all time high.
Her poor mood seemed to affect all the others. Marlene was in foul temper (though that may have been due to a T on her own Transfiguration essay), Dorcas and Emmeline were stressed by the upcoming practice N.E.W.T.S., and the Marauders seemed tense and uneasy.
Alice seemed to be the only one (mostly) unaffected, but Lily could not blame her ("Frank just told me he loves me, Lily! He loves me," Alice gushed. In this, Lily could easily find the joy in her heart to share in her friend's excitement).
On the second Thursday morning of November – the day of her meeting with the ministry – Lily felt sick to her stomach. She checked her uniform in the mirror, smoothing down the skirt under her school robe. She frowned, twisting her wet braid over her shoulder.
"Would you like help with that?"
Lily turned at the tentative question, finding Marlene standing at her own bed, dressed for the day in her own, untucked, casual version of the uniform.
Her heart ached as she stared at her friend's despondent expression. She turned back towards the mirror, reluctantly unhappy with the way her braided hair looked until the school hat.
"Okay," she agreed softly.
Marlene's expression was hopeful in the reflection. "Yeah?"
Lily nodded, pulling her hat off and pulling the tie from her hair. "I'd really appreciate it," she admitted.
Marlene scoffed in a teasing manner, coming closer and gesturing for her to sit on the bed. "We both know you're not the greatest at hair."
"No," she murmured with a small grin. "Nor asking for help, apparently."
Marlene squeezed her shoulder, before pulling her hair all back and pulling out her wand. In only what felt like a few short moments, Lily felt her hair dried, styled over her shoulders.
"There," Marlene said, pleased. "Soft waves. They'll look great under your hat. Take a look."
She was right. When Lily pulled the pointed hat over her head, her hair (which had grown quite a few inches in the last few months) fell over her shoulders in shiny, loose curls. "Wow, Marlene, this looks amazing."
The brunette shrugged a shoulder in a nonchalant manner. "I know."
Lily snorted.
"Are you nervous?" Marlene asked, heading back towards her bed. "For your meeting?"
"I may retch," she admitted, readjusting her skirt once more. "Do I look alright?"
Marlene scoffed again. "Do you look alright? You might as well sign up to be the poster witch for the ministry's potions club."
Lily guffawed. "It's not a potion's club, first. It's the Department of Experimental Concoctions and Potions. Second, get off it."
"What? I'm serious. Slughorn would have multiple prints hanging up. I'm sure some of the younger students wouldn't mind having one in their own dorms."
"Marlene," she chided with a reluctant laugh.
"Let's go before you muss up your hair. We don't want to ruin the effect. Perky, Promising Potioneer."
Lily swatted at her as she grabbed her bag on the way out of the room "Shove it."
"You could make a pretty knut," Marlene said seriously. "Help pay your way into the Auror Academy."
"Don't make me hex you," she warned, unable to hide her grin.
When they'd both made it to the bottom of the stairs into the common room, they paused, looked at each other.
"Thank you," she said sincerely.
"You're welcome," Marlene responded, just as earnest.
And just like that, Lily's spirits were lifted. The meeting with the Ministry officials didn't seem so daunting. When the two girls arrived at the Great Hall for breakfast, the rest of the Marauders looked up in surprise.
"Hello," Lily greeted calmly, sliding into the only open seat, besides James.
"Morning," he replied, shock barely concealed as he watched her intently. "How are you?"
"Good," she responded, pouring herself a goblet of juice.
Sirius gestured over her. "Why are you in full uniform? Did I miss some sort of formal notice?"
"As if you'd actually wear proper uniform if there were," Remus said dryly. "It's for that apprenticeship, right?"
"It is," she confirmed. "Dumbledore mentioned I should be dressed when the officials from the Ministry arrive. I've got time to eat but they're down in the extra potions classroom. I don't have time to chat, really."
"How many are supposed to be there?" Peter asked curiously.
"Just three of them," Lily answered, grabbing a piece of toast. "But Slughorn will be there and – Snape."
"Poor luck," Sirius commented with a tone of disgust. "Let's hope he doesn't ruin the whole thing for you."
She took a sip of juice. "I planned on ignoring his presence, so I suspect things will go grand."
James's elbow gently knocked into hers, prompting her to – unwillingly – meet his gaze. "You'll be brilliant. If you've got Sluggy on your side, he's probably already gotten their buyin."
She could see the apology in his demeanor, his regret for their fight.
"Thanks," she murmured, still a bit stung as she recalled his words. Obviously he was too prideful, too stubborn, to apologize outright for his words.
"Does that mean you get to miss Defense?" Marlene asked wryly.
"Oh, damn," Lily grinned. "I guess it does."
"We'll be sure to tell Donahue you missed him."
"You do that. Tell me how he reacts."
She finished her toast quickly, dusting off her hands. "I'll see you lot later."
They wished her luck once more and she waved her thanks, rushing to the dungeons with growing nerves. When she'd arrived at the room they told her to meet at, it was empty – save for one lone soul in the corner of the unused classroom.
"Snape," she said coolly, shutting the door behind her.
Their potions had been moved to a table at the front of the empty room. She was glad to see her binder of notes was sitting beside her cauldron.
"Lily," Snape rasped, stepping out of the shadows.
She nearly flinched when she turned to look at him. While he was wearing the proper uniform, it was badly cared for, wrinkled. His hair greasy (more so than normal) and there were dark circles under his eyes.
She looked away, catching sight of his pained expression.
"I'm glad you're… okay," he said quietly.
She scoffed, squeezing her eyes tight. "Can we not do this right now?"
"I would have stopped them, if they had tried to –"
"Would you have, Severus?" she spun back towards him to demand. "You stood there. While they beat me. They could've ra–"
"I wouldn't have let them," he retorted vehemently. "I would have kill –"
"Killed them like I'm sure they helped to kill those muggles and wizards in London? Worse, probably killed them on their own?"
His eyes widened. "How –"
"I heard them talking," she said. "That night, before they attacked me."
He snapped his jaw shut. "Dumbledore – you were the one to –"
They were interrupted by the door opening, and in walked Slughorn, followed by three wizards dressed in official Ministry robes.
"My lead students!" Slughorn crowed, sweeping his arm out in a wide gesture. "Please, please," he waved them on. "Meet Mr. Gagwilde, Mr. Elterton, and of course, my former student, who would no doubt have been lost without me, Mr. Wimble."
He wiggled his elbow to press against the ribs of what appeared to be the youngest member from the ministry. Wimble chuckled lightly, stepping forward to be the first to offer his hand to Lily and Snape.
"Pleased to meet you," he said kindly, his hand firm. "We're very excited to learn more about you and about the projects you've put together for us."
"It's wonderful to meet you," Lily replied, shaking each of their hands in return. Snape did the same, though less enthusiastically.
"Tell us a bit more about yourself – and what brought about the potions you've chosen to work on."
The next half hour passed quickly, Lily finding herself much more comfortable than she thought she'd been in this position. The answers to their questions came easily, and she made sure to make mental notes as they provided suggestions.
When it was Snape's turn to share, it felt incredibly awkward to sit back and watch his stiff answers. Though they may have been unimpressed by his social manners (or lack thereof), he made up for in his notes regarding his own potion. They had little feedback for him, save a minor suggestion he looked less than willing to accept.
"This has been more than enlightening, Horace," Gagwilde mused. "Your collection of students seems more and more impressive each time we're introduced."
"I'll try to not take that as an insult, Mathias," Wimble chastised. "But I can't quite disagree. Miss Evans, Mr. Snape, we're excited to welcome you aboard. We'll work with both Horace and Albus to find time to have you visit us at the ministry to explore. Did you have any questions for us in the meantime?"
Lily smiled. "Not at this time, no."
Snape shook his head once.
"Well then," Slughorn said, pleased. "How about I accompany you gentleman back to my office for a further chat. Miss Evans, Mr. Snape, please clean up and return to your next class when you can."
"Thank you, Professor," she said as they left.
"Lily," Snape started as soon as the door snapped shut.
"No," she said quickly, already raising her wand to pack up her cauldron. She'd need to return it to the smaller potions mixing room.
"Listen to me," Snape shouted.
She whirled in surprise, catching sight of his reddened face.
"You've no idea what –"
"I don't want to have any idea of what's going on with you – or them," she snapped back.
"And you go off, telling Dumbledore," he continued angrily, ripping his hat off. "Do you have any idea what that could mean for me?"
"I feel as though I shouldn't care," Lily retorted coldly, though she felt the opposite. "When you left me when I needed you."
"I – didn't –" he struggled.
"Goodbye, Snape," she said, slamming the door behind her.