A/N: I think this will be my last chapter for at least two-three weeks. One of my friends and I challenged each other. She has to write two chapters of any story at all and I have to write the first chapter, character bios, and a plot for an original story of mine. The challenge ends December first, but after that I need to catch up on my other stories that I'm trying to write. I do love this story, but there have been a few problems that I can't ignore in my other stories.
So, yeah. Enjoy this. To thank everyone (everyone who reviewed! Hint hint!) For reviewing so much I'm going to make this chapter longer than usual...
Oh yeah, and I need to do this for one of my friends (::coughs::Nova::coughs::). I am completely addicted to a certain roleplaying site. Get your butt here now or you shall die!!!! Go to my bio to find out the addy!! Hurry up!!
–x–x–
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: LOVE AND HATE
James blanched. "How do you know my name?...and...why...why did you....?"
The man's shoulders drooped a bit. He was silent for a minute. Presently, he pulled his head up and muttered to James, "Get out of here soon. And...and tell Ha–your son–that my debt is paid."
"What debt?!" James said loudly.
The man hesitated. "...he saved my life--" He seemed to change his mind. The man shook his head and turned away, walking briskly down the corridor.
–x–x–
"Shut up!" Moony finally snapped at Snape. "Let her alone, what has she done to you?"
"Exist." Snape muttered, then felt horrible for saying it. He'd heard James saying something along the same lines about him. He wouldn't let up though, now that he'd started. "Why do you like her anyway, Lupin? She's pushy and rather ugly. And another thing--"
Moony growled carnally and smacked Snape on the back of the head. Snape, surprised, didn't hold his head up. He almost fell over.
"You..." Snape growled.
"Not fighting are we, little children?"
Moony almost screamed as a hand landed on his shoulder. Looking up, he realized that it was only Sirius.
"Padfoot..." Moony moaned, relieved.
Snape shrugged Sirius' hand off his own shoulder with a snarl and walked ahead.
"What's his problem?" Sirius said, scowling.
"You just arrived." Moony said, smirking. On his other side Wormtail scampered up, smiling brightly.
"Why so cheerful?" Moony asked curiously. In the corner of his eye Sirius' smile was looking rather fixed.
"Oh, nothing, just happy to see you...old friend."Wormtail said, then walked ahead, slightly behind Snape.
Moony watched Wormtail stepping on Snape's heels and laughing as he muttered, "So what happened?"
Sirius didn't answer immediately. Moony wondered if he'd even heard him. He was just thinking about asking again when beside him Sirius gave out a dry sob. Moony looked at him, suspicious and rather unnerved. Sirius' face was contorted into a fearful look. Moony had rarely seen him look like that. He wondered if he'd ever seen Sirius look like that. He looked on the verge of real tears.
"What's wrong?" Moony asked, fearing that someone had died. He and Sirius had slowed down considerably. They watched as Snape and Wormtail walked further away, Snape bellowing at the top of his voice and Wormtail giggling. Moony would have told them to shut up (only in more polite terms, but this was more important. It had to be.
Suddenly, Sirius stopped dead, still looking at Wormtail with that same mix of fear and sadness. He pulled Moony to a stop beside him and looked down at him, trying not to cry. He tried to speak twice before he could finally get his voice out in a half-whisper. It grated on Moony's nerves.
"He killed them, Moony."
Moony was confused. "What?" He asked, in a mutter.
"Wormtail killed them, Remus. He killed James. He's a Death Eater--" Sirius was almost hysterical as Moony came to the realization. He looked ahead at Wormtail. The two had only just noticed that they were gone. They were watching Moony and Sirius, finally silent.
Moony started walking again. "We're coming..." He said in a falsely cheerful voice. Wormtail shrugged and kept walking. Snape looked at him for a split-second longer before following. Behind Moony Sirius let out a muffled roar and slammed his fist into the wall. Moony turned grabbed at Sirius and pulled him along.
Sirius was crying. He whimpered as he touched his newly bruised and possibly broken knuckles. Moony spoke in quiet rasps, trying not to betray the all-too-true fact that he was also ready for a good long cry...or at least a chance to hex Wormtail into oblivion. "Come on," He was almost dragging Sirius. "Tell me what happened."
Sirius finished crying and wiped his eyes with his sleeve, clearly embarrassed. He shoved Moony's hand off of him as he began, "We got attacked...I told Wormtail to go ahead...." When he didn't continue Moony pinched his arm to get him out of his stupor. Sirius yelped. Wormtail and Snape looked back at them curiously, but both kept walking. Rubbing his arm, Sirius continued, "I finished with the Death Eaters...went ahead to go get Wormtail....I heard voices....thought it was Death Eaters....but...it wasn't....Wormtail–I mean, older Wormtail–he...he was telling himself everything.....
"He said that he joined You-Know-Who....he handed over James and Lily to You-Know-Who....but.....but...." Sirius looked confused. "But he was telling himself not to do it. He...he said that it...it wasn't....it wasn't...worth it...."
Sirius looked at Moony, who was thinking furiously.
"Everyone else knew."
"What?"
"Everyone else knows, Padfoot! Harry, me, Ron, Hermione–they all know! They didn't tell us!"
Sirius was furious. "Why didn't they tell us?"
Moony had to think about that. After a few moments, he said slowly, "Maybe....maybe they didn't want to change things...maybe this is the way that it's meant to be....maybe nothing should be changed. Also," And Moony thought he might be going too far to say this, "maybe they didn't want this to happen."
"What to happen?" Sirius asked, quieter.
"They must've known that we would react this way....didn't want to...to hurt us..."
Sirius didn't understand. "But we can stop it ever happening!" He said happily, "We can tell...." None of them were going to remember this. Sirius' face fell again, "We can tell everyone something that they're never going to remember..."
Moony nodded sadly. "I don't fully understand. But I know there must be a good reason behind everything."
"So what do we do?"
Moony sighed. "Nothing." He watched Wormtail's bouncing step. "Nothing." How horrible it felt to be so powerless.
They were silent as they came to a door ahead. Snape didn't even hesitate before going through the door.
They were outside on the large patio-balcony type thing. Looking around, they saw that there was only one Death Eater on a faraway tower. Besides that, the place was completely empty.
Above them, where they couldn't see, however, were multiple half-built levels. The main part of the fortress. There were windows. There were hundreds of Death Eaters inside. If they were seen...
"What do we do?" Snape asked quietly. They all looked at Moony. His thoughts were still on Wormtail's treachery.
"I don't care." He said brokenly.
Snape made up their minds. He went out to the open area. To the middle of it. Anyone would be able to see him. He looked up.
"No one's there..." Snape said uncertainly.
They had all been holding their breaths unconsciously and let it out as one.
Wormtail skittered out and took a deep breath. The night was cool, but not too bad. Stars filled the sky.
Moony followed Sirius out, still thinking, and felt the moonlight wash over him.
Moonlight.
Moonlight.
Moon.
He looked up, terror-stricken. His limbs began to shake.
Full Moon.
–x–x–
Stupid woman... Severus thought as he stumbled into Albus Dumbledore's office. The candles were still lit, the fire was still crackling, and Dumbledore was still up. Dressed in a nightshirt, the man sat behind his desk, stroking his phoenix's silky feathers. He looked up when Snape appeared there, coughing and patting his robes free of soot. Doesn't he ever sleep...? Snape thought, moments before he swept forward and began his story.
He'd told Tonks the situation. She hadn't understood. She was duller than the students in his potions classes. Severus had had to explain everything four times before she jumped up and exclaimed that the Order must be informed immediately. How intuitive we are... Snape thought acidly.
Tonks had sent Severus here to tell Dumbledore while she went off to call for help.
Duller than Snape's love for teaching.
So here Severus was, sooty and exhausted. And there Dumbledore was, calmly petting his dumb bird. Severus bit back a rude remark as he spoke. "The band of merry men have been caught."
Dumbledore didn't look surprised at all. "Oh?" He said. He seemed to be thinking. He wouldn't meet Severus' eyes.
"They were caught before Potter could make the portal. They're in the Dark Fortress now. I told them to stay in my chamber..."
"Do you think they obeyed?" Dumbledore asked.
"I hope they obeyed." He didn't reveal that he found it very doubtful that they would have.
"We need to go get them now." Dumbledore said simply. Severus didn't betray his thoughts on the dullness of everyone.
"There's another thing." Severus said quietly. Dumbledore looked at him with fake curiosity. "I've been found out....officially."
It was plain that Dumbledore had finally come across something that he hadn't previously known.
–x–x–
(A/N: Romance!! Ugh!!!!)
Ron and Hermione could hear the barks, growls, whimpers, and so on of Professor Lupin. Hermione almost cried.
He was an animal. They could almost hear it every time he bit himself–having no one else to bite. Ron was shaking.
"I feel so sorry for him." Hermione moaned.
The two had been sitting on different sides of the cell, but at the sound of their teacher's yelps the two had merged into the middle of the room, clutching onto each other.
"He goes through this every month." Hermione said, cringing further into Ron's arms.
"I know," He said simply, for lack of anything else to say. It seemed the only thing acceptable.
But something else was on Ron's mind. He was tired of keeping it to himself. If they died, he at least wanted Hermione to know...
"Hermione," He muttered. He tried to make his voice clearer, but it wouldn't work. His throat wasn't working properly.
"What?" She muttered into his chest. He felt her shaking and he pulled her closer. Lupin gave a rather loud yelp.
He didn't know if he should say it. He glanced at his pocket, where the ring was always nestling, waiting to be given away.
"I love you." Ron sighed, hugging her as if he would never let go.
–x–x–
She was finally moving. James had dragged Lily into one dark corridor, into a secluded corner where he hoped they wouldn't be seen. He didn't want to be around when Voldemort woke up.
He didn't know how long he sat there. Lily didn't wake up for a long time.
When she did move, it was only to shift. James came closer, watching. He touched her shoulder once, then cursed at himself as she moaned in pain. He'd touched near enough to her wound to hurt her.
Lily moaned louder. She squirmed underneath him, making James realize how close he was. He felt his cheeks go red, even when no one was there to see it. He backed away and sat, watching as her eyes finally fluttered open.
James wished he could kiss her.
Panic entered her eyes for a moment. But no danger came about.
He'd thought that she would stand up the moment she saw him over her. But she didn't. She stayed perfectly still, watching his face.
James' arms were on either side of Lily. Their faces were inches apart.
James' voice came out husky. He didn't notice. "I want to kiss you."
Lily said nothing. Her lips parted slightly.
James leaned down
and heard footsteps coming near. He groaned audibly. Lily made a funny noise and sat up in a flash. She bumped her head on his as she did so.
"Ouch!" James exclaimed, rubbing his forehead. Lily was rubbing hers too as she stood up, pulling out her wand.
James wasn't watching. He cursed himself over and over in his head. Why had he hesitated? Why? Why? Why??
"Oh." Lily sighed. James was happy to note that she didn't sound very happy. "It's you, Harry."
James looked up at Harry, who was raising an eyebrow at him. "What are you two doing?"
James laughed nervously. He stood up. Sure, it must not be too great to catch your parents going at it, but nevertheless he'd have loved to be in Harry's position. But had they really done anything? The more James thought about it, the more he realized that Lily would probably pass this off as a moment of insanity. He felt miserable.
James noticed that he was still laughing, almost hysterically, and both Lily and Harry were looking at him strangely. He immediately shut his mouth.
Remember, Jamesie, play it cool.
He rumpled his hair and pulled his shoulders up.
"Any luck with Hermione and Ron?" He asked.
Now it was Harry's turn to be embarrassed. He coughed slightly and said shortly, "No." I couldn't get the lock to the cell undone."
James smirked, "Tut, tut. Sixteen and we don't even know--"
"I tried it," Harry interrupted, clearly annoyed "Didn't work. I need help."
James smiled and draped an arm around Harry's shoulder. "Well, we'll help you out. What are parents for?"
Harry smiled slightly, warmly, and said, "I'm so glad I have such loving parents to save me."
James no longer felt uncomfortable around Harry. He was about to say something smart, but remembered something else, "Oh, by the way, some Death Eater saved us from You-Know-Who, and he told me to tell you that his debt is repaid."
Harry stiffened. James faltered, thinking he'd said something wrong.
"When?" Lily asked behind them
"You'd fainted by then--"
"What did he look like?" Harry asked.
James shook his head as they walked, Lily following curiously, "Never saw his face. Kinda weird, he was. He knew my name and everything–and I asked him what he was talking about when he told me to tell you. All he said was that you saved his life. Seemed a bit like he was stating the obvious if you ask me..."
–x–x–
A/N: There we go. Hope you all got some good reading out of that. Seems more like a filler-chappie though. Anyway, everyone who reads this ought to review. There are a billion people with me on their favorites list. I know I'm being greedy, but come on! ::sniffs::
–x–x–
REVIEW RESPONSES
supernova8610-I need to thank you for reviewing like, all of my stories. I noticed the other day that you review a whole lot and I wanted to thank you for that. So...uhm...thank you?
CrazyMissSarah21-Ahhh! Ok, now I feel kinda dumb. Okay. What relationships do I support? Let's see. Harry/Luna is one that I really like. I didn't much like her until the very end of the book. Harry/Ginny sounds okay. Ron/Hermione (duh I support that, as you can see from this chapter) is the best...Harry/Hermione, Neville/Ginny, and Neville/Hermione are okay, but I still don't like them. And if anyone likes Ron/Luna or Neville/Luna I think they've ultimately gone insane. Do I blab too much?
actionmaster- No way! It was Peter!
apotterlover- Yep, it was Peter.
Ness Lupin- There's some more Moony for you . More to come! Lol