Red Angel
Author: J.E.A.R.K.Potter (Erin)
Rating: R
Thanks to my reviewers: Kalee (Yes I know, this story is AU), Desolation Lily (Thanks!), Miranda G. Potter (I've been having those feelings too but it helps me write this story), and Jackie (See the bottom note!)
Chapter Twelve: Speaking of gibberish and chess
As soon as James finished he looked at himself. He was a bloody mess, his shirt was soaked red, and his leg had many lines of blood slowly making its way to his feet. He stared at the knife. How could he have done this? The rush was dwindling away and all that was left was the roaring pain. Was be becoming as twisted as Tom himself?
Lily, Lily would certainly not like this. She always was mad at her uncle after he tortured James. Would she be mad at him too? James looked at the knife lying in his hand. Maybe the knife was magical and had entranced him? No that couldn't be right his mother would never let him have a knife like that. But maybe she didn't know about it, maybe Tom left it there. Or maybe he had done it because of the spell.
The knife looked no different other than the fact it had blood all over it. Deep down inside him he knew it was only him that made him do this. No magical knife, not Tom, just his own confused self. He threw the knife with all his strength.
He started to feel light headed. He had been standing around thinking and he had lost a bit of blood.
Then a voice came from below him. "James honey, are you all right?" It was his mother.
"I'm fine," he yelled back.
James opened his door checking that no one was there he ran to the bathroom. James didn't check that as he ran that he was dripping blood. Splatters of his blood landed everywhere and led anyone who wished to know where he was. James ran to the mirror he was more of a mess than how he saw himself in his bedroom. His hair was messier more than usual. His glasses had drops of blood on them. His face was pale and his eyes had no warmth.
James could not bear to look at himself any longer. He turned on the sink and washed his blood away. He would also have to change his clothes, as they were a deep red. It would be weird to have his blue shirt suddenly gain red streaks.
With his cuts cleaned he went to find new clothes and something to keep his mind away from what he had done. It was only when he was walking down the hall that he realized that there was blood drops on the floor. James could only hope that the house elves would come soon and that his parents wouldn't see it.
James hurriedly switched clothes and looked for something to do. He could play with his new chess pieces. Jacob had seen how much James liked muggle chess so he got James a wizarding set. He had two sacks full of pieces; one was his, the other he would give to Lily. She would love them as she loved all magical things.
James was getting the pieces out when his mother called him. "James could you come here?"
James ran down the stairs with the bags of pieces in hand. He nearly tripped on the landing where he had met the angel. He slid to a stop in the living room.
"James we are going to meet Tom's brother are you ready to go?" Jacob asked.
Meet Tom's family? Would they be like Tom or Lily? Would Lily be there? James nodded with all these thoughts floating around him.
"And James the rest of Tom's family isn't magical so no talking about magic except to Lily all right?" Harriet said.
James nodded once more. He and his parents went to their care. The Potters did not use it very often, as they did not have many muggle friends. Most of the rise to the Evanses' house James spent thinking. Most of the time he thought of one topic, Lily.
He thought about her laugh that echoed in his ears even now, her eyes that glittered like leaves with dew, his hair as fiery as her personality. James was not a poet though. Soon the car stopped at a white house.
There were two little girls playing outside. One had blond hair the other red. Lily was here! James almost tried to jump out of the car before he unbuckled his seatbelt. He opened his door and climbed out of the door.
James ran over to the red head and hugged her. She turned and yelled, "James!" They embraced as if the very world depended on it. They had not seen each other in two weeks. It wasn't a really long time but James and Lily had come to need each as much as air. They never tried to think about when they were apart. What would happen to them if they were separated?
They walked hand in hand to the front door. Lily screamed to her parents, "Mum, dad the Potters are here!"
"Thank you!" A voice cried from the house.
"Come on," Lily said while pulling James into her house.
"Come on I want to show you my room!" Lily said dragging James up the stairs.
She opened a door to a room painted pink. James was overwhelmed by the bright color. "What do you think?" Lily asked James hopefully.
"It is good other than the fact it is pink, that is a really girly color!" James exclaimed.
"Well that is good since I am a girl! Hissa naska ssslves," Lily replied in English and what was the second part? That language... he had been told that who ever spoke it was evil. It was parseltongue.
"What is 'Hissa naska ssslves'?" James asked if he was scared of her.
"It is just gibberish I thought it up," Lily said dismissing him.
"Lily that isn't gibberish it is parseltongue, snake language."
"Then how can I talk to you in it?" Lily said looking him over.
She opened his mouth looking for a forked tongue. Lily looked under his shirt for scales but she found something much worse, three red lines across his pale skin.
"What is that?" Lily asked running her finger across the top cut. James shivered it still stung.
"Umm... it is... it is... a cut," James whimpered.
"What cut you?" Lily said running her hand across all three lines.
"A knife," James cried out.
Lily looked at him with contempt, "a knife? Really then who cut you?"
"No one... I mean it is just a starch... umm... your uncle... my parents... me! All right it is me! I'm sorry!" James cried throwing his arms around her small body.
"Why did you do that?" Lily asked.
"I don't know something just came over me," James said.
"It is all right Jamie," Lily said hugging him.
James wanted to cry but he couldn't. Why couldn't he even tear up? Was it because of Tom and him saying not to cry?
Lily was scared, what was happening to her best friend? She had other friends at school but she was closest to James. She always missed him the most. She had to cheer him up she couldn't bear to see him even sniffle.
"Do you want to play something?" Lily said.
"Yeah... can we play chess?" James said looking at the ground.
"Yes we can," Lily said. Lily really wanted to cheer him up so why not play a game that he was sure to win.
"Do you want to play wizard's chess?" James said while bringing out the bags he brought with him.
"Sure."
Lily got out her board and James gave one off the sacks to Lily.
"These are the pieces, here is yours," James said.
She opened her bag to let some little pieces out. Lily picked them up and set them down on their spaces. Then one of the pieces talked to her.
"Hello miss are you our new commander?" one of the knights asked.
She picked it up looking for a voice box.
"Yes miss it is me that talked," the knight said.
Lily was too stunned to talk. "Did I forget to tell you they talk? Well they move themselves too," James said.
Lily and James played their first game with the pieces. All the pieces had their own personalities. Lily enjoyed talking to them more that playing the game. She how ever didn't like it when the knight that had first talked to her got smashed by James's queen.
Lily was thrilled that when James won all the broken pieces restored themselves. James's parents called for him. Lily kept her chess pieces that had helped her become better at the game and James took his.
James had not told Lily about the initials on his leg and how the mark was cut. His cuts were still fresh and still hurt but what hurt worse was the emotional pain.
A/N: I really don't like this chapter but read and review anyways. This chapter is dedicated to Jackie because I based some of the ways Lily and James acted from her, Miss Glass girl!
