A/N- hello everyone! Thanks for the reviews. Well, I've decided that before
I start this chapter, I'll warn you that this chapter is going to be a
pointless one. Though, I'm sure I'll have fun writing it. What I mean by
pointless is that this chapter takes place during the night before the
school finds out about Lily. Sorry if you were anxious to find out how the
school reacts. I just wanted to take a break from the sadness. After all,
both my stories are a little depressing at the moment. Well, anyway enjoy!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was around twelve o'clock midnight and Lily was tossing and turning fitfully in her bed. The hospital ones sure weren't very comfortable. Other than the fact that she was uncomfortable, she was confused and a thousand thoughts were buzzing around in her head. She felt alone and simply lost. She didn't know so much about herself.
From what the four boys, the old wise man, and the worrisome nurse had told her, her name was Lily Evans, she was fifteen years old, turning 16 on July 8th, was a talented witch, exceeding very well in...Charms? Whatever that was, and that she was in the hospital wing from a...Quidditch accident? What the heck was Quidditch? And that she had been unconscious for five months, succeeded in escaping death while she was unconscious about two times, and actually was rendered legally dead just recently for facts unknown. They also spoke of a man named...Vincent?.....Victor?.....Volde- Voldemort? Yes, Voldemort. But, she didn't know of her home life. Did she have any brothers or sisters? Were her parents here at this school? No, they probably weren't-or they would have already been in to see her. But, if they weren't here, were they at home, waiting for their little daughter to finally awaken? And her house. Where did she live? Did she have a pet?
After another five minutes of useless attempts to sleep, she decided to explore some of the school. 'After all, it can't be 'that' big. I'm sure I won't get lost', she thought to herself as she cautiously sat up and looked around the dark hospital room. Madame Pomfrey had gone off to bed an hour earlier right after she checked Lily one last time. No one else was in the room as far as Lily could see, so she slowly put her feet on the smooth cool ground and stood up wiggly. Her knees were still like jelly. 'Must be the sleeping for five months that did that to them' she thought wryly as she looked around for her white robe, squinting through the semi-darkness. The little window behind her bed allowed a small amount of moonlight from the half moon to shower her bed in the soft light. She pulled on her robe, and slipped her white slippers on.
As she silently walked towards the large doors leading to the rest of the school, the little windows allowed moonlight to fall open her occasionally and she was able to see her reflection in the mirror. What she saw look back at her was a slightly timid looking redhead. She admitted to herself her hair was a bold, obvious color that she liked somewhat, but it looked a little odd; it wasn't a normal hair color. Falling down to frame her face, a little ruffled looking from lying in the bed, it looked like fire around her head. And her eyes were very, VERY green. Surely they would have stood out in the midst of the rest of the students when she went to class or walked in halls. They held an empty, dull look that contrasted greatly with the color. Her freckles stood out against her pale skin and it made her look very young and naïve. And it wasn't as though they were all over her body; they pretty much just situated themselves among her cheeks, right below her eyes.
Honestly, she didn't understand why she would be so popular and liked by her fellow peers. Surely her different looks and timid nature would cause social disgrace among the rest of the school. But, proving her wrong, the fours boys that were in here earlier went on about how literally 'everyone' was worried and sad about her accident. Lily let go of those thoughts and walked out of the hospital wing, feeling exhilarated. Maybe she would remember something if she saw it.
Staring intently at her surrounding outside of the hospital wing, she smiled slightly. It really reminded her of an old castle or something like it. There were even torches propped on the walls to help guide her. She realized that if anyone saw her, she would look pretty silly walking around the school aimlessly in her night robe and slippers. Frankly, though, it didn't matter to her at the time. She couldn't sleep, maybe strolling around would help. So, walking slowly, occasionally leaning on the wall for support, she made her way little by little down the halls. It seemed like forever before she found a set of stairs.
Feeling exhausted, though knowing she wouldn't be able to fall asleep if she went back to the hospital wing, she just decided to sit on the steps for a few minutes to catch her breath. She was really having a good time. The school was beautiful so far. Mind you, she still hadn't seen anything that looked remotely familiar, but she was enjoying herself nonetheless. Suddenly, she felt a jerk. Looking wildly around, she saw no one but herself there. Then, a moment later, to her surprise, the staircase started to move.
She grasped the wooden railing from above her and pulled herself up. Clutching the rail as though it were her lifeline, she forced herself not to scream in terror. 'The staircase is moving! Oh my goodness! This-this isn't normal. Is it?...Well, maybe it is. After all, this is a school of witchcraft, I guess anything is possible.' She thought to herself as the staircase stopped moving. Taking her chances, she rushed up to the top of them and ran a few feet away from the stairs. She turned and looked back at them, walking backwards and her mouth hanging open in wonder. Then, she started to smile.
"That was..." she whispered breathlessly, "fun."
Then, she turned to leave the stairs and walked a few minutes. She looked around, seeing some suits of armor. And there was also a portrait up ahead; but aside from that, it looked as though this hallway was a dead end. Lily shrugged and started to walk the direction she came from. She didn't even walk a foot when she heard a gasp from behind.
"Good gracious!" the same person that gasped exclaimed. Lily was sure there was no one there in the hall but her.
She turned and immediately put a hand up to her mouth to stifle a scream. The portrait she saw before was moving and talking! The fat lady in the pink dress looked down at her, confused.
"Miss Evans?" she questioned disbelievingly. Lily stared right back at her, just as disbelievingly.
"Is it really you, Miss Evans?" the lady questioned again when Lily had yet to make a sound, or move for that matter.
Lily finally found her voice and asked incredulously, "How are you talking? Who are you?"
The fat lady furrowed her brows and asked, "Excuse me?"
"How do you know my name? Y-you're a 'portrait' and you're 'talking'!" Lily went on, not hearing the fat lady's question.
"Are you alright, Miss Evans? I must admit, you've been unconscious for quite some time, but surely you haven't forgotten all this." The lady stated worriedly.
"W-what?" Lily asked breathlessly.
The fat lady smiled gently and started to explain to her about the moving portraits. "So, in order to get into our house common room, we need to have a password we give out to our portrait?"
"That's right, and then we open up and let you in." the fat lady finished with a satisfied smile. Then, she turned serious and said, "Excuse me for asking, dear, but, why don't you know this stuff? Have you lost your memory?"
Lily nodded, "Yeah. I guess so, at least. That is what that nurse and...erm, Dumbledore said. I guess I've been in a coma for the past five months."
The fat lady nodded and said, "Yes, you were. That is why I was so confused when I saw you walking down this hall." Lily smiled in understanding. No one but the nurse, the Marauders, and Dumbledore knew about Lily, so I guess she could only imagine how it must have felt when the fat lady saw her. Then, the fat lady changed the subject and said, "And, I am afraid I can't let you in; you don't know the password."
Lily quickly said, "Oh, yes, I know. Actually, that's not what I was doing. Madame Pomfrey doesn't even know I'm gone. I just couldn't sleep and decided to take a walk and explore the castle."
The fat lady nodded in understanding. Lily then said, "Well, I guess you're probably tired. I should go and let you rest."
"Thank you, my dear. It is wonderful to see you healthy again." Lily smiled at her and turned.
She walked a little ways and then turned back and said, "You know, I'm glad I ran into you. What is your name?"
"Mary, my dear, my name is Mary." The fat lady replied, looking very pleased that someone was kind enough to ask for her name.
"Well, Mary, I guess I will be seeing you later. And thank you again." Lily said with a big smile as she turned and left.
The portrait was left with her thoughts. 'At least her personality didn't change.'
~*~*~A little while before, in the Gryffindor common room*~*~*~
James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter, along with many other fifth and seventh years were still in the common room doing homework at around twelve thirty at night. The four marauders were bursting with happiness, though they didn't tell anyone else why they were so happy. They realized Lily would be confused and scared for a little while and telling everyone would just make it so she'd have hundreds of visitors everyday. They didn't want to put that kind of stress on her.
So, they were all there, in chairs or couches or even sitting on the floor, writing furiously on parchments, ink splattering everywhere. James, Sirius, were sitting on a couch near the fire, their feet propped up on the table in front of them, and Remus Peter were sitting on the ground facing that table, all finishing a potions essay. Or, at least trying to finish the essay. They couldn't concentrate. A major weight had been lifted off their shoulders and they were able to relax and not have to worry about Lily's health or wellbeing. This was a major mood change from dinner time, when they were all barely picking at their food, looking depressed.
Frank Longbottom, a sixth year Gryffindor, also noticed the four's odd behavior. He decided to ask them about it. So, he got up from his place near the portrait hole and stood in front of them. James and Sirius stopped their talking and writing and looked up at him. Remus and Peter stopped writing and turned around to look at him.
"Hey Frank. How's it going?" Sirius asked casually and politely. The marauders and he always got along pretty well. He would sometimes cover for them when they got in trouble so they respected him.
"Pretty well." He replied, still staring at them intently. "Are you four alright? I mean, tonight at dinner, you guys looked like Christmas had been cancelled and now, you look like Christmas is coming 50 times this 'year'."
The marauders all looked at each other, exchanging knowing grins. James shrugged to the others. Then he turned his attention back to Frank and he motioned for him to sit down on the couch. He sat beside James and looked at them, confused.
"Ok, so what's the big secret?" Frank asked.
James looked one last time at the other three then said to Frank, "Ok, you can't tell anyone, but...Lily's awake."
Frank's eyes widened in absolute astonishment. "Are you kidding?!" he practically yelled, causing many stares from the rest of the Gryffindors.
"Shhh!" Sirius snapped then said happily, "Nope, we're not joking. Actually, a lot has happened today."
"What?" Frank asked curiously.
"Well, today in potions, we were called out of class by Dumbledore." Peter started, tears welling up in his eyes when he thought about what happened.
"H-he told us Lily had died." Remus continued quietly.
"W-what? Lily...died? But you said she was awake?!" Frank said incredulously.
"She is, she is." James assured him. "Anyway, he told us that she had died, then we went to the hospital wing to say...goodbye. But, when we got there, Madame Pomfrey was rushing out of it, looking frazzled and anxious. She told us Lily had woken up. She came back from the dead." He whispered the last part incredulously.
"So, we went in and saw her. Then, Dumbledore came in with Madame Pomfrey and told us they were moving her to St. Mungos to treat her there. So, we each took our turns and said our goodbyes." Sirius went on.
"After James came out last, we went down to dinner; that was where everyone saw us looking, well...depressed." Remus continued. Frank nodded in understanding.
"Well, then, Dumbledore then found James in the hall while he was owling his parents to tell them about Lily. They went into the Great Hall and took us to the hospital wing for the third time that day. When we got there, all we saw was an empty bed." Peter told Frank.
"We thought Lily was gone, but then, there she was, walking out of the lavatory in a white cotton robe, smiling at us." Sirius said, smiling as he thought about that moment.
"That's great you guys." Frank said happily.
James sighed and said, "Well, not everything is great."
"What do you mean?" Frank asked, smile turning into a frown.
"She doesn't have any memory of us, or anything." Remus said quietly, eyes dropping to the table in front of him.
Frank's eyes widened again, "She has amnesia?"
They all four nodded. "Yep." Sirius said simply. Then, happier, he said, "But that doesn't matter. She'll get her memory back. Right now, we're just happy she's awake. After five 'long' months, she finally awake and we can re-teach her how to wreck havoc on Hogwarts again."
"Looks like the Marauders are all back together again." Frank said dryly, though thrilled that they were all back together. Maybe Lily being awake would help loosen the tension with everyone.
Just at that moment, everyone in the common room heard two muffled voices through the portrait hole. One was the fat lady's voice, but the weird part was she didn't sound at all crabby about being woken up at this hour. Quite the opposite. She sounded happy. After a few minutes of the fat lady and the mystery person talking, it abruptly stopped. Many people shrugged and went back to work when they realized no one was going to enter.
"Wonder who that was." Frank mumbled.
The marauders just shrugged and they all got back to their potions essay.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Lily spent the next half hour walking aimlessly around the castle in awe. Currently, she was standing in front of four rather large hour glasses. Above each one, there was a word. Above the hour glass with the most in it, was the word Gryffindor. The one next to it with very few beads in it read Hufflepuff. The one next to it with just a little more than Hufflepuff read Ravenclaw. The last one there, with just a little less than Gryffindor's, was labeled Slytherian. Lily stared at it for a few more moments in wonder before she turned and walked a little more down the hall. She noticed on her right, a portrait of a unicorn was galloping in a meadow. On her left, a portrait of fruits in a bowl hung. Lily kept walking without a second glance at it.
At least, she would have. Not after she took more than a few steps, she heard a noise like a door opening. Turning towards her left where she heard the sound come from, she found herself face to face with the fruit portrait. She jumped back in surprise when the portrait opened and a whole bunch of little things she didn't recognize came out meekly. They had large, tennis ball-like eyes and pointy ears. Some were poorly dressed and some had funny bright sweaters and hats on.
Lily gasped in surprise and that caused all of them to jump in surprise as well.
"Us is sorry Miss Lily Evans. Us did not know you is being here. Us is just starting to go around the castle and tidy up." One of them said timidly and apologetically.
"Uh, th-that's alright. I...I was just startled, that's all." Lily said breathlessly, coming to her senses. Then, she looked quite embarrassed and asked, "Erm, if you don't mind me asking, what you are?"
They all simply tilted their heads in the same direction. "Us is confused, Lily Evans. What is you meaning?" one of them asked.
"Er...w-what are you? D-did I know you all from before?" she asked.
"Us is house-elves Lily Evans. Does Lily Evans not remember who we is?" the first one asked, sounding a little sad.
"I-I'm sorry, but I don't." she quickly went on to explain after she saw the crushed looks on their faces, "You see, I kind of lost my memory. I don't remember much of anything right now."
"Us is sorry Lily Evans." said the one that spoke second. "I is Jeepers." He told her.
"I is Tinny. Would Miss like something to eat?" one of them asked.
"Oh, is this the kitchens?" she asked, intrigued. They all nodded. "Well, I am pretty hungry; I haven't eaten anything since I've been awake. I've just been so overwhelmed." She noticed most of the house-elves looked pretty overwhelmed as well. She didn't know that most weren't use to being spoken to like an equal just as she was doing. Tinny and Jeepers noticed Lily's confused stare when she realized most looked absolutely afraid of her.
"They is not use to being treated like an equal, Miss Lily Evans." Jeepers told her. Lily nodded as Jeepers and Tinny both led her into the kitchens as the others rushed off to start their cleaning for the night.
When Lily saw the kitchens, she gazed around in awe. It was so big! There were even more little tiny house-elves in their, some doing dishes, some preparing what looked to be breakfast, and some even sleeping near the fire. Lily felt a little sorry for the creatures, but those thoughts were pushed out of her mind when Tinny asked her a question.
"What would Lily Evans like to eat?"
"Mmmm, I don't know." She stated thoughtfully, "Could you maybe just surprise me?" she asked politely. Tinny and Jeepers nodded enthusiastically and rushed off. Several minutes later, they came back with armfuls of food and sweets. Lily eyes widened and she started to grin widely.
~*~*~*~*~
"Thank you so much, Tinny and Jeepers. I'll be sure to come back and visit soon." Lily called out as she walked out of the fruit portrait. She sighed happily, feeling stuffed and still exhilarated. She wanted to know what else this school held in it. She started to walk around again, taking in every suit of armor, every portrait (some even waved at her).
Walking a long hall, Lily felt the air change around her. Behind her suddenly felt a little cooler. That was when she heard another noise from behind.
"(Gasp) Lily Evans? Bless my soul, is that you?"
She turned around, and let out another gasp of fright. That was the forth time that night she did that. And one thing was crazier, yet cooler than the next. Standing before her was a real ghost! This place was absolutely amazing. Slightly shaking, she said, "Yes, that's me."
The ghost smiled widely and said, "Miss Evans, it is bloody good to see you."
Lily smiled while she bit her lip. "Thank you. Not to sound rude, but who are...I mean...were you?" Seeing the ghost's confused look, she simply explained, "Amnesia."
The ghost nodded his head in understanding, still smiling widely, "Ah, I understand. Well, my dead, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington at your service. Nearly Headless Nick as a nickname to most, but I prefer Nick."
"Well, Nick it is then." Lily said politely, smiling widely.
Nick smiled and said, "Ah, Miss Evans it is good to see you up and about. Many of us have been worried about you."
Lily continued to smile and then said, "Why thank you. I'm fine, I just wish I could remember any of this." she added sheepishly. "I just wish my memory wasn't gone."
"Oh, no, Lily. Your memory isn't gone, it's simply misplaced. And just like a lost object, it will turn up in time." Nick said encouragingly.
Lily said graciously, "Thank you, Nick."
"Certainly. But, may I ask why you are out here at this hour of the night." Nick said curiously.
"Oh, I just couldn't sleep, so I decided to take a walk and explore the school." Lily explained.
"But, surely you will get lost." Nick stated skeptically.
"Oh, of course. But, you see, I'm a lost object. And like an object that is lost, I will turn up in time." Lily smiled smugly as Nick just laughed.
"Very clever, Lily. You may have misplaced your memory, but you haven't misplaced your wittiness or personality.
Well, I guess I should let you get back to your exploration. Goodnight, Lily." Nick said.
"Oh, Nick, could you please direct me to the lavatory?" Lily asked quickly before Nock disappeared.
"Of course, my dear." And he went on explained the way to the closest bathroom.
When he finished, Lily smiled and said, "Thank you. I guess I'll be seeing you. And it was wonderful to meet you, Nick."
Nick smiled as she walked away. "Cheerful girl..." he murmured.
Lily walked the way Nick told her to. She didn't realize he directed her into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. As she reached it, she pulled open the door and walked in. Immediately, she heard a soft, sorrowful voice call out, "Who's there?"
"Er, it's Lily. Lily Evans." Lily stated nervously. Suddenly, another ghost popped out. This one was a girl that looked to be about Lily's age. She wore glasses and a solemn expression upon her face.
"Come to make fun of me, did you?" Myrtle demanded.
Lily widened her eyes at the accusation and said, "Of course not! Why would I do something like that?"
"Oh sure, everyone makes fun of poor Moaning Myrtle just because she's different. Toss books at my head, talk about me behind my back because I CAN'T FEEL ANYTHING!!!" she shrilled the last part, causing Lily to wince and scoot closer to the door. "Make fun of my glasses, don't invite me to any parties!" That was it. 'Forget the bathroom! I'm getting out of here!' she thought wildly to herself. Lily bolted out the door, not wanting to cause anymore trouble.
After a while, her heart started to beat at a normal rate again. She walked through another large hall and saw two large doors. Curiously, she opened the doors and walked in. It was a gigantic room, complete with four long tables going vertically and one large table going horizontally in front of those. She looked around; it was wonderful. Lily looked up and was amazed by the scene she saw. It was like there was no roof in the hall. The beautiful night's sky loomed over her. Suddenly, Lily had an incredible urge to see it from a plainer view. So, she decided to take a stroll outside.
That was easier said then done. She looked around, opening doors and checking, for a full 45 minutes before she came across a pair of doors that led to the outside. Walking, enthusiastically out, she looked up again and saw the same beautiful night's sky she seen earlier in the Great Hall.
She walked a little ways away from the school. That was when she saw a large, shinning lake ahead of her. She walked over to it and sat down, staring at her reflection. She grabbed a twig off the ground and swooshed it back and forth through the cool water. Then, Lily took off her slippers and dunked her feet into the tempting, soothing liquid. She leaned back and took a deep breath, enjoying the relaxing feeling she got at being out here at this late hour.
She was out there for at least an hour, staring and memorizing every detail. The moonlight. The moon. Ripples in the water. She noticed a little hut by the lake and saw a shadow move from within it. Shrugging it off, she went back to her relaxing. Suddenly, she finally felt tired. Sighing and picking up her slippers, she started to walk back to the school.
Lily got a full view of it, and it took her by great surprise. 'This isn't a school...it's a castle!' she thought to herself, a smile coming on her lips. 'So that's why the inside looked like a castle. It's because it 'is' a castle.' She skipped the rest of the way to the castle.
Once inside, she realized that she was a little more than lost. And she was becoming very drowsy. She should have just went back to the hospital wing back when Nick was with her so she could have asked for directions there instead of to the crazy ghost's bathroom.
Ten minutes later, Lily was becoming a little worried. Every hall looked the same as the previous! Then, just like the first time she spoke to everyone that night, she heard a voice behind her, though this one sounded cold and mean instead of happy.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here? A student out of bed. Tut tut."
Lily's eyes widened in fear and she determinedly turned around. Before her, was a scraggly man that looked to be in his 30s. Long, stringy hair fell limply passed his shoulder. He was holding a lantern in his hand and Lily noticed a cat purring at the bottom of his feet. She gulped when she saw his stern gaze on her. She was so in trouble. Sneaking out of the Infirmary? What was she 'thinking'?!
Suddenly, to the surprise of the pale-faced Lily, his face drained of color as well. His eyes widened in apparent shock. He back up, pointing a shaky finger at her, "Evans!" he shouted with great surprise.
Lily was breathing heavily, her mouth opened in fright. The firelight made her face glow. She looked at him questioningly and frightened. Her fears seemed to be uncalled for because at that moment, his eyes closed and he collapsed right on the spot. Lily stared at him in shock like he was doing only seconds earlier to her. She was still breathing heavily, like she just finished a ten mile race.
She then heard the sounds of a few more sets of footsteps coming from down the hall. She stayed still, not even blinking. She was going to be in so much trouble. It was probably Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey, coming to see what all the commotion was about. Then, she'd be suspended for sneaking out after hours, with no memory of anything, no less!
To her confusion, though, she heard, not a man's, nor an English woman's voice behind her, but a woman with a Scottish accent.
Back still turned to her, the woman asked incredulously, "What on earth happened here?!"
Lily closed her eyes tightly and turned around. Slowly she opened them and found herself in front of a stern looking woman with her hair tied in a tight bun. Tiny glasses were perched upon her nose. She also saw a short, tiny creature, which looked like an elf of some kind. The little creature squeaked and the woman didn't look stern at the moment she realized who she was talking to.
"My goodness!" the old woman whispered
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N- hello everyone. I'm sorry if this chapter seems a little boring. I just didn't feel like writing too much drama at the moment. In any case, boring or not, I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for reviewing!
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It was around twelve o'clock midnight and Lily was tossing and turning fitfully in her bed. The hospital ones sure weren't very comfortable. Other than the fact that she was uncomfortable, she was confused and a thousand thoughts were buzzing around in her head. She felt alone and simply lost. She didn't know so much about herself.
From what the four boys, the old wise man, and the worrisome nurse had told her, her name was Lily Evans, she was fifteen years old, turning 16 on July 8th, was a talented witch, exceeding very well in...Charms? Whatever that was, and that she was in the hospital wing from a...Quidditch accident? What the heck was Quidditch? And that she had been unconscious for five months, succeeded in escaping death while she was unconscious about two times, and actually was rendered legally dead just recently for facts unknown. They also spoke of a man named...Vincent?.....Victor?.....Volde- Voldemort? Yes, Voldemort. But, she didn't know of her home life. Did she have any brothers or sisters? Were her parents here at this school? No, they probably weren't-or they would have already been in to see her. But, if they weren't here, were they at home, waiting for their little daughter to finally awaken? And her house. Where did she live? Did she have a pet?
After another five minutes of useless attempts to sleep, she decided to explore some of the school. 'After all, it can't be 'that' big. I'm sure I won't get lost', she thought to herself as she cautiously sat up and looked around the dark hospital room. Madame Pomfrey had gone off to bed an hour earlier right after she checked Lily one last time. No one else was in the room as far as Lily could see, so she slowly put her feet on the smooth cool ground and stood up wiggly. Her knees were still like jelly. 'Must be the sleeping for five months that did that to them' she thought wryly as she looked around for her white robe, squinting through the semi-darkness. The little window behind her bed allowed a small amount of moonlight from the half moon to shower her bed in the soft light. She pulled on her robe, and slipped her white slippers on.
As she silently walked towards the large doors leading to the rest of the school, the little windows allowed moonlight to fall open her occasionally and she was able to see her reflection in the mirror. What she saw look back at her was a slightly timid looking redhead. She admitted to herself her hair was a bold, obvious color that she liked somewhat, but it looked a little odd; it wasn't a normal hair color. Falling down to frame her face, a little ruffled looking from lying in the bed, it looked like fire around her head. And her eyes were very, VERY green. Surely they would have stood out in the midst of the rest of the students when she went to class or walked in halls. They held an empty, dull look that contrasted greatly with the color. Her freckles stood out against her pale skin and it made her look very young and naïve. And it wasn't as though they were all over her body; they pretty much just situated themselves among her cheeks, right below her eyes.
Honestly, she didn't understand why she would be so popular and liked by her fellow peers. Surely her different looks and timid nature would cause social disgrace among the rest of the school. But, proving her wrong, the fours boys that were in here earlier went on about how literally 'everyone' was worried and sad about her accident. Lily let go of those thoughts and walked out of the hospital wing, feeling exhilarated. Maybe she would remember something if she saw it.
Staring intently at her surrounding outside of the hospital wing, she smiled slightly. It really reminded her of an old castle or something like it. There were even torches propped on the walls to help guide her. She realized that if anyone saw her, she would look pretty silly walking around the school aimlessly in her night robe and slippers. Frankly, though, it didn't matter to her at the time. She couldn't sleep, maybe strolling around would help. So, walking slowly, occasionally leaning on the wall for support, she made her way little by little down the halls. It seemed like forever before she found a set of stairs.
Feeling exhausted, though knowing she wouldn't be able to fall asleep if she went back to the hospital wing, she just decided to sit on the steps for a few minutes to catch her breath. She was really having a good time. The school was beautiful so far. Mind you, she still hadn't seen anything that looked remotely familiar, but she was enjoying herself nonetheless. Suddenly, she felt a jerk. Looking wildly around, she saw no one but herself there. Then, a moment later, to her surprise, the staircase started to move.
She grasped the wooden railing from above her and pulled herself up. Clutching the rail as though it were her lifeline, she forced herself not to scream in terror. 'The staircase is moving! Oh my goodness! This-this isn't normal. Is it?...Well, maybe it is. After all, this is a school of witchcraft, I guess anything is possible.' She thought to herself as the staircase stopped moving. Taking her chances, she rushed up to the top of them and ran a few feet away from the stairs. She turned and looked back at them, walking backwards and her mouth hanging open in wonder. Then, she started to smile.
"That was..." she whispered breathlessly, "fun."
Then, she turned to leave the stairs and walked a few minutes. She looked around, seeing some suits of armor. And there was also a portrait up ahead; but aside from that, it looked as though this hallway was a dead end. Lily shrugged and started to walk the direction she came from. She didn't even walk a foot when she heard a gasp from behind.
"Good gracious!" the same person that gasped exclaimed. Lily was sure there was no one there in the hall but her.
She turned and immediately put a hand up to her mouth to stifle a scream. The portrait she saw before was moving and talking! The fat lady in the pink dress looked down at her, confused.
"Miss Evans?" she questioned disbelievingly. Lily stared right back at her, just as disbelievingly.
"Is it really you, Miss Evans?" the lady questioned again when Lily had yet to make a sound, or move for that matter.
Lily finally found her voice and asked incredulously, "How are you talking? Who are you?"
The fat lady furrowed her brows and asked, "Excuse me?"
"How do you know my name? Y-you're a 'portrait' and you're 'talking'!" Lily went on, not hearing the fat lady's question.
"Are you alright, Miss Evans? I must admit, you've been unconscious for quite some time, but surely you haven't forgotten all this." The lady stated worriedly.
"W-what?" Lily asked breathlessly.
The fat lady smiled gently and started to explain to her about the moving portraits. "So, in order to get into our house common room, we need to have a password we give out to our portrait?"
"That's right, and then we open up and let you in." the fat lady finished with a satisfied smile. Then, she turned serious and said, "Excuse me for asking, dear, but, why don't you know this stuff? Have you lost your memory?"
Lily nodded, "Yeah. I guess so, at least. That is what that nurse and...erm, Dumbledore said. I guess I've been in a coma for the past five months."
The fat lady nodded and said, "Yes, you were. That is why I was so confused when I saw you walking down this hall." Lily smiled in understanding. No one but the nurse, the Marauders, and Dumbledore knew about Lily, so I guess she could only imagine how it must have felt when the fat lady saw her. Then, the fat lady changed the subject and said, "And, I am afraid I can't let you in; you don't know the password."
Lily quickly said, "Oh, yes, I know. Actually, that's not what I was doing. Madame Pomfrey doesn't even know I'm gone. I just couldn't sleep and decided to take a walk and explore the castle."
The fat lady nodded in understanding. Lily then said, "Well, I guess you're probably tired. I should go and let you rest."
"Thank you, my dear. It is wonderful to see you healthy again." Lily smiled at her and turned.
She walked a little ways and then turned back and said, "You know, I'm glad I ran into you. What is your name?"
"Mary, my dear, my name is Mary." The fat lady replied, looking very pleased that someone was kind enough to ask for her name.
"Well, Mary, I guess I will be seeing you later. And thank you again." Lily said with a big smile as she turned and left.
The portrait was left with her thoughts. 'At least her personality didn't change.'
~*~*~A little while before, in the Gryffindor common room*~*~*~
James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter, along with many other fifth and seventh years were still in the common room doing homework at around twelve thirty at night. The four marauders were bursting with happiness, though they didn't tell anyone else why they were so happy. They realized Lily would be confused and scared for a little while and telling everyone would just make it so she'd have hundreds of visitors everyday. They didn't want to put that kind of stress on her.
So, they were all there, in chairs or couches or even sitting on the floor, writing furiously on parchments, ink splattering everywhere. James, Sirius, were sitting on a couch near the fire, their feet propped up on the table in front of them, and Remus Peter were sitting on the ground facing that table, all finishing a potions essay. Or, at least trying to finish the essay. They couldn't concentrate. A major weight had been lifted off their shoulders and they were able to relax and not have to worry about Lily's health or wellbeing. This was a major mood change from dinner time, when they were all barely picking at their food, looking depressed.
Frank Longbottom, a sixth year Gryffindor, also noticed the four's odd behavior. He decided to ask them about it. So, he got up from his place near the portrait hole and stood in front of them. James and Sirius stopped their talking and writing and looked up at him. Remus and Peter stopped writing and turned around to look at him.
"Hey Frank. How's it going?" Sirius asked casually and politely. The marauders and he always got along pretty well. He would sometimes cover for them when they got in trouble so they respected him.
"Pretty well." He replied, still staring at them intently. "Are you four alright? I mean, tonight at dinner, you guys looked like Christmas had been cancelled and now, you look like Christmas is coming 50 times this 'year'."
The marauders all looked at each other, exchanging knowing grins. James shrugged to the others. Then he turned his attention back to Frank and he motioned for him to sit down on the couch. He sat beside James and looked at them, confused.
"Ok, so what's the big secret?" Frank asked.
James looked one last time at the other three then said to Frank, "Ok, you can't tell anyone, but...Lily's awake."
Frank's eyes widened in absolute astonishment. "Are you kidding?!" he practically yelled, causing many stares from the rest of the Gryffindors.
"Shhh!" Sirius snapped then said happily, "Nope, we're not joking. Actually, a lot has happened today."
"What?" Frank asked curiously.
"Well, today in potions, we were called out of class by Dumbledore." Peter started, tears welling up in his eyes when he thought about what happened.
"H-he told us Lily had died." Remus continued quietly.
"W-what? Lily...died? But you said she was awake?!" Frank said incredulously.
"She is, she is." James assured him. "Anyway, he told us that she had died, then we went to the hospital wing to say...goodbye. But, when we got there, Madame Pomfrey was rushing out of it, looking frazzled and anxious. She told us Lily had woken up. She came back from the dead." He whispered the last part incredulously.
"So, we went in and saw her. Then, Dumbledore came in with Madame Pomfrey and told us they were moving her to St. Mungos to treat her there. So, we each took our turns and said our goodbyes." Sirius went on.
"After James came out last, we went down to dinner; that was where everyone saw us looking, well...depressed." Remus continued. Frank nodded in understanding.
"Well, then, Dumbledore then found James in the hall while he was owling his parents to tell them about Lily. They went into the Great Hall and took us to the hospital wing for the third time that day. When we got there, all we saw was an empty bed." Peter told Frank.
"We thought Lily was gone, but then, there she was, walking out of the lavatory in a white cotton robe, smiling at us." Sirius said, smiling as he thought about that moment.
"That's great you guys." Frank said happily.
James sighed and said, "Well, not everything is great."
"What do you mean?" Frank asked, smile turning into a frown.
"She doesn't have any memory of us, or anything." Remus said quietly, eyes dropping to the table in front of him.
Frank's eyes widened again, "She has amnesia?"
They all four nodded. "Yep." Sirius said simply. Then, happier, he said, "But that doesn't matter. She'll get her memory back. Right now, we're just happy she's awake. After five 'long' months, she finally awake and we can re-teach her how to wreck havoc on Hogwarts again."
"Looks like the Marauders are all back together again." Frank said dryly, though thrilled that they were all back together. Maybe Lily being awake would help loosen the tension with everyone.
Just at that moment, everyone in the common room heard two muffled voices through the portrait hole. One was the fat lady's voice, but the weird part was she didn't sound at all crabby about being woken up at this hour. Quite the opposite. She sounded happy. After a few minutes of the fat lady and the mystery person talking, it abruptly stopped. Many people shrugged and went back to work when they realized no one was going to enter.
"Wonder who that was." Frank mumbled.
The marauders just shrugged and they all got back to their potions essay.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Lily spent the next half hour walking aimlessly around the castle in awe. Currently, she was standing in front of four rather large hour glasses. Above each one, there was a word. Above the hour glass with the most in it, was the word Gryffindor. The one next to it with very few beads in it read Hufflepuff. The one next to it with just a little more than Hufflepuff read Ravenclaw. The last one there, with just a little less than Gryffindor's, was labeled Slytherian. Lily stared at it for a few more moments in wonder before she turned and walked a little more down the hall. She noticed on her right, a portrait of a unicorn was galloping in a meadow. On her left, a portrait of fruits in a bowl hung. Lily kept walking without a second glance at it.
At least, she would have. Not after she took more than a few steps, she heard a noise like a door opening. Turning towards her left where she heard the sound come from, she found herself face to face with the fruit portrait. She jumped back in surprise when the portrait opened and a whole bunch of little things she didn't recognize came out meekly. They had large, tennis ball-like eyes and pointy ears. Some were poorly dressed and some had funny bright sweaters and hats on.
Lily gasped in surprise and that caused all of them to jump in surprise as well.
"Us is sorry Miss Lily Evans. Us did not know you is being here. Us is just starting to go around the castle and tidy up." One of them said timidly and apologetically.
"Uh, th-that's alright. I...I was just startled, that's all." Lily said breathlessly, coming to her senses. Then, she looked quite embarrassed and asked, "Erm, if you don't mind me asking, what you are?"
They all simply tilted their heads in the same direction. "Us is confused, Lily Evans. What is you meaning?" one of them asked.
"Er...w-what are you? D-did I know you all from before?" she asked.
"Us is house-elves Lily Evans. Does Lily Evans not remember who we is?" the first one asked, sounding a little sad.
"I-I'm sorry, but I don't." she quickly went on to explain after she saw the crushed looks on their faces, "You see, I kind of lost my memory. I don't remember much of anything right now."
"Us is sorry Lily Evans." said the one that spoke second. "I is Jeepers." He told her.
"I is Tinny. Would Miss like something to eat?" one of them asked.
"Oh, is this the kitchens?" she asked, intrigued. They all nodded. "Well, I am pretty hungry; I haven't eaten anything since I've been awake. I've just been so overwhelmed." She noticed most of the house-elves looked pretty overwhelmed as well. She didn't know that most weren't use to being spoken to like an equal just as she was doing. Tinny and Jeepers noticed Lily's confused stare when she realized most looked absolutely afraid of her.
"They is not use to being treated like an equal, Miss Lily Evans." Jeepers told her. Lily nodded as Jeepers and Tinny both led her into the kitchens as the others rushed off to start their cleaning for the night.
When Lily saw the kitchens, she gazed around in awe. It was so big! There were even more little tiny house-elves in their, some doing dishes, some preparing what looked to be breakfast, and some even sleeping near the fire. Lily felt a little sorry for the creatures, but those thoughts were pushed out of her mind when Tinny asked her a question.
"What would Lily Evans like to eat?"
"Mmmm, I don't know." She stated thoughtfully, "Could you maybe just surprise me?" she asked politely. Tinny and Jeepers nodded enthusiastically and rushed off. Several minutes later, they came back with armfuls of food and sweets. Lily eyes widened and she started to grin widely.
~*~*~*~*~
"Thank you so much, Tinny and Jeepers. I'll be sure to come back and visit soon." Lily called out as she walked out of the fruit portrait. She sighed happily, feeling stuffed and still exhilarated. She wanted to know what else this school held in it. She started to walk around again, taking in every suit of armor, every portrait (some even waved at her).
Walking a long hall, Lily felt the air change around her. Behind her suddenly felt a little cooler. That was when she heard another noise from behind.
"(Gasp) Lily Evans? Bless my soul, is that you?"
She turned around, and let out another gasp of fright. That was the forth time that night she did that. And one thing was crazier, yet cooler than the next. Standing before her was a real ghost! This place was absolutely amazing. Slightly shaking, she said, "Yes, that's me."
The ghost smiled widely and said, "Miss Evans, it is bloody good to see you."
Lily smiled while she bit her lip. "Thank you. Not to sound rude, but who are...I mean...were you?" Seeing the ghost's confused look, she simply explained, "Amnesia."
The ghost nodded his head in understanding, still smiling widely, "Ah, I understand. Well, my dead, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy Porpington at your service. Nearly Headless Nick as a nickname to most, but I prefer Nick."
"Well, Nick it is then." Lily said politely, smiling widely.
Nick smiled and said, "Ah, Miss Evans it is good to see you up and about. Many of us have been worried about you."
Lily continued to smile and then said, "Why thank you. I'm fine, I just wish I could remember any of this." she added sheepishly. "I just wish my memory wasn't gone."
"Oh, no, Lily. Your memory isn't gone, it's simply misplaced. And just like a lost object, it will turn up in time." Nick said encouragingly.
Lily said graciously, "Thank you, Nick."
"Certainly. But, may I ask why you are out here at this hour of the night." Nick said curiously.
"Oh, I just couldn't sleep, so I decided to take a walk and explore the school." Lily explained.
"But, surely you will get lost." Nick stated skeptically.
"Oh, of course. But, you see, I'm a lost object. And like an object that is lost, I will turn up in time." Lily smiled smugly as Nick just laughed.
"Very clever, Lily. You may have misplaced your memory, but you haven't misplaced your wittiness or personality.
Well, I guess I should let you get back to your exploration. Goodnight, Lily." Nick said.
"Oh, Nick, could you please direct me to the lavatory?" Lily asked quickly before Nock disappeared.
"Of course, my dear." And he went on explained the way to the closest bathroom.
When he finished, Lily smiled and said, "Thank you. I guess I'll be seeing you. And it was wonderful to meet you, Nick."
Nick smiled as she walked away. "Cheerful girl..." he murmured.
Lily walked the way Nick told her to. She didn't realize he directed her into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. As she reached it, she pulled open the door and walked in. Immediately, she heard a soft, sorrowful voice call out, "Who's there?"
"Er, it's Lily. Lily Evans." Lily stated nervously. Suddenly, another ghost popped out. This one was a girl that looked to be about Lily's age. She wore glasses and a solemn expression upon her face.
"Come to make fun of me, did you?" Myrtle demanded.
Lily widened her eyes at the accusation and said, "Of course not! Why would I do something like that?"
"Oh sure, everyone makes fun of poor Moaning Myrtle just because she's different. Toss books at my head, talk about me behind my back because I CAN'T FEEL ANYTHING!!!" she shrilled the last part, causing Lily to wince and scoot closer to the door. "Make fun of my glasses, don't invite me to any parties!" That was it. 'Forget the bathroom! I'm getting out of here!' she thought wildly to herself. Lily bolted out the door, not wanting to cause anymore trouble.
After a while, her heart started to beat at a normal rate again. She walked through another large hall and saw two large doors. Curiously, she opened the doors and walked in. It was a gigantic room, complete with four long tables going vertically and one large table going horizontally in front of those. She looked around; it was wonderful. Lily looked up and was amazed by the scene she saw. It was like there was no roof in the hall. The beautiful night's sky loomed over her. Suddenly, Lily had an incredible urge to see it from a plainer view. So, she decided to take a stroll outside.
That was easier said then done. She looked around, opening doors and checking, for a full 45 minutes before she came across a pair of doors that led to the outside. Walking, enthusiastically out, she looked up again and saw the same beautiful night's sky she seen earlier in the Great Hall.
She walked a little ways away from the school. That was when she saw a large, shinning lake ahead of her. She walked over to it and sat down, staring at her reflection. She grabbed a twig off the ground and swooshed it back and forth through the cool water. Then, Lily took off her slippers and dunked her feet into the tempting, soothing liquid. She leaned back and took a deep breath, enjoying the relaxing feeling she got at being out here at this late hour.
She was out there for at least an hour, staring and memorizing every detail. The moonlight. The moon. Ripples in the water. She noticed a little hut by the lake and saw a shadow move from within it. Shrugging it off, she went back to her relaxing. Suddenly, she finally felt tired. Sighing and picking up her slippers, she started to walk back to the school.
Lily got a full view of it, and it took her by great surprise. 'This isn't a school...it's a castle!' she thought to herself, a smile coming on her lips. 'So that's why the inside looked like a castle. It's because it 'is' a castle.' She skipped the rest of the way to the castle.
Once inside, she realized that she was a little more than lost. And she was becoming very drowsy. She should have just went back to the hospital wing back when Nick was with her so she could have asked for directions there instead of to the crazy ghost's bathroom.
Ten minutes later, Lily was becoming a little worried. Every hall looked the same as the previous! Then, just like the first time she spoke to everyone that night, she heard a voice behind her, though this one sounded cold and mean instead of happy.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here? A student out of bed. Tut tut."
Lily's eyes widened in fear and she determinedly turned around. Before her, was a scraggly man that looked to be in his 30s. Long, stringy hair fell limply passed his shoulder. He was holding a lantern in his hand and Lily noticed a cat purring at the bottom of his feet. She gulped when she saw his stern gaze on her. She was so in trouble. Sneaking out of the Infirmary? What was she 'thinking'?!
Suddenly, to the surprise of the pale-faced Lily, his face drained of color as well. His eyes widened in apparent shock. He back up, pointing a shaky finger at her, "Evans!" he shouted with great surprise.
Lily was breathing heavily, her mouth opened in fright. The firelight made her face glow. She looked at him questioningly and frightened. Her fears seemed to be uncalled for because at that moment, his eyes closed and he collapsed right on the spot. Lily stared at him in shock like he was doing only seconds earlier to her. She was still breathing heavily, like she just finished a ten mile race.
She then heard the sounds of a few more sets of footsteps coming from down the hall. She stayed still, not even blinking. She was going to be in so much trouble. It was probably Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey, coming to see what all the commotion was about. Then, she'd be suspended for sneaking out after hours, with no memory of anything, no less!
To her confusion, though, she heard, not a man's, nor an English woman's voice behind her, but a woman with a Scottish accent.
Back still turned to her, the woman asked incredulously, "What on earth happened here?!"
Lily closed her eyes tightly and turned around. Slowly she opened them and found herself in front of a stern looking woman with her hair tied in a tight bun. Tiny glasses were perched upon her nose. She also saw a short, tiny creature, which looked like an elf of some kind. The little creature squeaked and the woman didn't look stern at the moment she realized who she was talking to.
"My goodness!" the old woman whispered
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N- hello everyone. I'm sorry if this chapter seems a little boring. I just didn't feel like writing too much drama at the moment. In any case, boring or not, I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for reviewing!