Disclaimer: The plot and Tia Vargas character and other made-up unknown characters belong to me. Everything else is J.K.'s.
Author's Note: I apologize for the dramatic entries instead of any romance. I did indicate that it was Drama/Romance in the genre section so it was your call to read it not mine. :P
Summary: Lily suffers at her old school so she decides to run away. She came to Hogwarts under an alias name hoping to make friends somewhere else. However, she was wrong. She met James and his gang and they decided to play pranks on her just for the fun of it. But will James' feelings change as well as Lily's?
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Chapter 15 - A Never Ending Game
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In Chapter 14
'Goodbye cruel world.' She thought wretchedly.
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"Why?" He demanded, a fierce cold look creased upon his face. His teeth gritted from the pain of the Death Eater's grip and he struggled beneath their clutches while looking hard at the once loyal Professor, in the eye.
The Professor yawned, obviously bored at the stalling but wishing to relish in the moment of victory decided to play along with the game and smiled.
"Isn't it obvious? You've known of our plans, your future with Miss Evans, and her strong impact upon our Lord. A negative impact of course but a strong one nevertheless. Regardless of how much you stall for time Mr. Potter, I'm terribly sorry to inform you that either way, you'll be dead," His teeth glinted from the moonlight as he smiled at the students.
Sirius Black, who had remained silent throughout the whole time, suddenly looked up and eyed the Professor.
"You think you'll be rewarded after we die? I think your "master" has other plans for you. Just like for every single loyal death eater. Believe me, I know after learning from my father. I just want you to know what's in store for you before you make dire mistake in killing us with that weapon."
Professor Snake listened deeply at Sirius' words but remained expressionless until his face transformed into anger and he pointed at Sirius.
"You. You were supposed to join the circle but you decided to become a pathetic Gryffindor, become friends with Potter and become "good." Is that how you really want to live you life? Just being "good"? Because when you join us Black, you become much more than that. You become noticed in the wizarding world and everyone will know your name."
"Bastard. Only because I will do horrible deeds," He spat back at Snake, eyes glinting madly. "I don't want to have a burden of knowing that I killed a muggle or a wizard. That's not how I want to live my life and that's not what I want people to know me from. I'd rather die and not be noticed than be famed for something as horrible as that." Snake shrugged his shoulders.
"Suit yourself. It's your decision, your life. Personally, I really don't care. Another less death eater, we can find another one somewhere else."
"How could you do this? How could you just go up to Dumbledore's face and pledge your loyalty but only to betray him in the end? How could stare straight at his eye and tell him you'll never join the dark side, and yet, you do just that? Just lying and cheating and killing innocent people? Do you have any remorse, sympathy, any feelings whatsoever?" Lily cried out.
"No," came the simple reply and that was the end of their conversation as Snake motioned with his hands to bring Sirius up front to the guillotine.
"STOP IT!" She screamed out. But her screams were useless as his head was brought from below the shar knife. "DON'T DO THIS! PLEASE!" She sobbed out, tears coursing down her flushed cheeks, her throat hoarse from all the crying. James' mouth was flying out curses, his tongue refusing to stop as he showered the air with his colourful words.
"YOU SODDING BASTARD! Bloody stop it! He's my bloody best friend!" He continued to hollar as the Death Eater became prepared to drop the knife...
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"Where the bloody hell are they?" Tia demanded as she paced the tower. Audrey rolled her eyes, resting her tired head on her knees. The moon was high up now, she noted, probably past 2 in the morning. Luckily, no professors had passed by to notice the two students out of bed. She eyed her nails, cocking her head to the side while inspecting their perfection before looking up at the worried girl.
"I'm sure they're fine," she replied coolly. Tia shot a look that even gave Audrey chills.
"I'm going out to find them. Accio cloak!" Her cloak appeared instantly and she hurried on downstairs. Audrey quickly followed, the anticipation of adventure exciting her to the bones.
"Brilliant! I'm coming too!" Tia doubtfully stared at the girl before looking away with no reply. "You've waited long enough," she retorted as she commanded for her own cloak. The two girls stole away into the night and quickly dashed into the Forbidden Forest.
"Great, now what?" Tia muttered darkly to herself. Audrey stared around before she muttered "Lumos." It was then she noticed a cloak lying on a tree branch.
"Vargas! Over here," Tia hurried over to the voice as she, too, muttered the light spell. Instantly, the forest was filled with light and realization dawned onto Tia.
"No. Not James too," she whispered as she stared at the stitching inside of the cloak. 'Trust James to write his name everywhere, even his bloody cloak,' Tia thought, amused though tears were spilling out. This is just unfair."
Audrey only looked around before she looked up at the moon. It was then she noticed a shadowy...whatever it was. She quickly tugged onto Tia's cloak.
"What?" Tia snapped, irritated. Audrey only rolled her eyes as she pointed to the dark shadow casting over the moon. "What-what is that?"
"That, my dear friend, is the end of hope."
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A scream emitted from the darkened shadows and that distracted Snake and his death eaters to look around, long enough for Sirius to move his head quickly before the knife dropped.
"Fool!" Snake barked at one of the death eaters. "Set it up again! I don't want to risk any chances!" He snarled as he looked around. The scream disturbed him. He was sure they were the only group in the Forbbiden Forest. Not even the great Albus Dumbledore would know they have disappeared. "I don't want to risk it." He repeated and told his minions to stay where they were as he was going to check out the area.
Lily let out a breath of relief after she realized she was holding it in. She looked over to James who was shaking as his face was drenched in paleness. She wished she could go over to comfort him but as they were still tightly locked with the death eaters, she had no choice but to look at him sympathetically.
"Sirius! Are you alright?" Lily yelled out before she cried out in pain from the tight grip on her hands.
"Don't you dare hurt her!" James shouted out but was hit across the head from his own capturer. 'Bloody bastard,' James thought, seething with anger and pain. The two cloaked figures laughed menacingly, amused by their prisoners' pain.
"It's not funny," Sirius growled out. Lily stared in surprise. She's never seen how angry Sirius could get and was a little frightened at what he could do. The pair draped in cloaks suddenly stopped their amused laughter and narrowed their eyes towards the angry boy who was being held by the other figure.
"What did you say?" One hissed.
"Avery, stop it." The other droned out. "He's not worth it."
"The bloody hell he's not!" The one who had spoken rolled his eyes. "No, Cissers. I'm not going to stand here and watch this boy continue to mock me." Cissers yawned.
"You and your temper Avery. Go ahead. Curse the boy." Lily's eyes widened more as she watched the arm of Avery go up with the wand being pointed to Sirius.
"Wait!" She blurted out. Avery and Cissers, along with the other masked figure stared at her with disgust and surprise.
"What mudblood?" Cissers asked with bitterness in his voice. Lily ignored the last comment and only peered at Avery.
"You can't do magic here, remember? Snake charmed it so no magic could be used, making it easy for us to be located!" She prayed to the Gods that they would agree. Fortunately for her, the Gods were on her side. Avery lowered his wand.
"The mudblood witch is right." Avery rolled his eyes. "No matter. We'll just wait for Snake and be done with it."
"Is this it to you? A GAME?" Lily screamed out. Before the trio could answer, Snake's voice barked out.
"AVERY! CISSERS! MCNAIR! Get over here, quick! Leave the prisoners tied up!" James, Sirius and Lily stared at each other in surprise as the group left them.
"What was that all about?" James wondered aloud. Lily shook her head as Sirius grunted with the ropes.
"It doesn't matter! It distracted them! Help me with the ropes!" In less than a minute, the Hogwarts students had their ropes untied and was dashing through the corridors of the castle, hoping that they wouldn't get caught and that they would find an exit.
As they went though a series of tunnels and other strange endless routes, they passed a window at which in one point Lily stopped and peered up at the sky in amazement.
"Look! Look at the moon! Is...is that an eclipse?" James and Sirius turned around and looked up as well. Their eyes, however, told a different story. Not of wonder, but of horror.
"No..." They both whispered. Lily inclined her head and gave a puzzling brow.
"Then..." she couldn't finish her sentence as both Gryffindor boys grabbed her by the arms, yelling out,
"No time!"
They finally managed to find a doorway that lead them outside of the Forbidden Forest. Lily finally jerked her arms away from the boys.
"Tell me!" She demanded. "Tell me why there is a bloody shadow covering the moon!"
"Look Lily. You wouldn't understand!" Lily arched a brow and gave them a threatening look.
"Try me," she challenged them. James sighed while Sirius rolled his eyes. Great minds think alike no?
"Ok, but away from the castle in case the oh-so-hospitable Death Eaters come back." Sirius replied sarcastically. They rushed through branches, Lily managing a few cuts and bruises along the way and when they decided that they were a safe good distance away, they managed to talk once more.
"The shadow you saw, was not a shadow but shadows. There are many. They are like the wind, they disappear. 'Darkness of the night' they are called though an actual name has not been known. They come at very rare moments. This is one of them. They are probably the reason why Snake and the other Death Eaters rushed off at the last moment." Lily crossed her arms.
"Yeah, but that doesn't explain what's so dangerous about them." Sirius gave her a serious look which frightened her but she continued to listen.
"That's just it. Danger doesn't just cut it for "them." They're like Dementors, only worse. Creatures of the night, they suck your soul, just like that." He snapped his fingers to emphasize the point. "Not only your soul, but your complete human being. It's like being dead, just standing there and you can't do anything about it. The worst thing about it is that you're alert but you're in a nightmare. You're in pain...forever. Not even an Avada Kedavra curse can free you from the pain. You live it, until you die of old age. No muggle weapons or magical weapons can save you." Lily stared in shock. She never knew how...horrible such a creature could be. James looked up at the red-head.
"The more humans they suck out, the more there are born, created. We are the shadows, the creatures of the dead. We're the beginning, they are the end." Lily shuddered.
"No one can stop them?" She whispered. The boys shook their heads.
"There was nothing we, as in wizards and witches of all time,could do. Every time someone came up close, they would just disappear inside of you and poof, you're dead and alive all at the same time. It happens in an instant. Before you could even blink. Snake and his minons probably thought that the shadows could kill us. Maybe they're right. We'd better get back to Hogwarts." For once, Lily couldn't agree more with Sirius. With worried eyes, she held onto both hands of the boys and gave a small smile.
"We're in this together?"
"Definitely," was the reply and they sprinted towards the direction of the castle.
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"You bloody got us lost!" Audrey shouted out in frustration. Tia only rolled her eyes and used her wand as the compass. A trick she learned back in third year.
"We're going too far east."
"How do you even know where we're even going?"
"Because I-" A scream was emitted from Tia's lips as she fell into a pit hole. Audrey couldn't help and had to stifle her laughter. Tia only glared up. Luckily, the hole wasn't that deep but it was deep enough that Tia wasn't able to easily reach up to Audrey.
"Help me!"
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Tia was quickly floated up. However, that was not the problem.
"Hello? A little help here?"
"I forgot the counterspell for this!" Tia rolled her eyes.
"Wingardium Demitto! That's the spell! Hurry! I hear someone coming!" Audrey quickly did so and they hurried along and hid in some darkened trees as they saw mysterious figures hurry along, whispers emitted from their lips. Tia shivered as her breath flickered around her mouth.
"Cold," she mouthed to Audrey who understood her. Once the figures disappeared once more, Audrey and Tia tentatively stood out from their hidden spot and looked around.
"Now what?" Audrey asked. Tia 'hmm'ed a while until she heard twigs snapping and the sound of footsteps running. 'Could it be them?' She thought hopefully. She breathed out a sigh of relief when she heard Lily's voice. What stroke of luck she had tonight she thanked to the heavens up above as she quickly grabbed Audrey's hand, despite her protests and quickly dashed towards the faint voices.
"LILY! LILY!" She couldn't care less who else was out in the forest and ignored the swatting of the slaps from her partner-in-crime.
Lily jerked her head towards the sound of the voice and smiled widely when she saw Tia dashing towards her with Audrey in tow. Sifling a laugh, she gave Tia a big hug as well as Audrey, her cheeks flushed and eyes shining.
"Oh, I'm so glad to see you guys!" She breathed out. "Come on, we have to get out of here!" She said grimly towards the pair and they all agreed and resumed to running towards the castle once more. Thankfully, they reached there in time.
"Dumbledore!" Sirius gasped out. "We have to see him!" Lily and the group nodded as they walked slowly towards the gargoyle statue.
"Darn, I forgot the password."
"For once Lily? I'm surprised. As Head Girl, I thought you would remember these kind of things during these kinds of situations." Tia exclaimed. "Try to the remember the password!"
"I believe it's Sugar Twizzlers, though I believe there is no such candy. Ah well, worth an experiment I suppose. Now, how may help such a rowdy group of seventh years at half past four in the morning?" The group turned as they saw Dumbledore's twinkling china-blue eyes behind his half-moon spectacles walking as slowly as the teenaged group had done, with hands behind his back and smiling his half-smile.
"Sir..."
"Professor Snake..."
"Death Eaters!"
"Guillotine!"
"Capturing...Prisoners!"
"Shadows! The moon!..."
Voices erupted once more and Dumbledore calmly placed a hand up and gestured it towards the gargoyle who had sprung to life, revealing a staircase.
"In my office, shall we?" He asked merrily and pushed the group gently towards the staircase. Once entering the office, Dumbledore sat down on his easy chair with hands in front, fingers touching and leaned forwards.
"Miss Evans? Would you care to elaborate on Professor Snake?" Lily's cheeks flushed but she continued.
"Professor Snake is a traitor! He's with the Death Eaters and You-Know-Who and was prepared to kill James, Sirius and myself." Giving out a deep breath, she told herself mentally to calm herself down. The spacious room was quiet once more besides the occasional sounds coming from Fawkes, the beloved pheonix. Anxious to hear what Dumbledore had to say, Lily resumed to her usual nervous habit which was twisting her robes in a squeezing manner.
"Professor Snake...I was not surprised. Merely suspicious and curious at what this man was capable of doing. I believe he's still in the Forbidden Forest?" All five heads nodded at once. Dumbledore nodded with an "ah" as a reply.
"Well, now from your stories that you've given me earlier, I believe the "damned creatures" as I personally would like to call them," his eyes twinkled in amusement, "I think it's safe to say that you should all head off to bed. This excitement for the night has cost a great deal of energy and took a toll on you children."
"But sir! What about Professor Snake? The situation?"
"The staff and myself, will clearly look into that matter. But not now. Right now, we rely on the charms and safety of Hogwarts from the shadowy figures and now is the not the time to venture in the Forbidden Forest to lookfor Professor Snake. As I sorrowfully might admit, perhaps it would not be us wizards and witches that would catch the trecherous traitor, but the creatures themselves. Now, bed please." His hand and arm pointed towards the door. "Good night to you all."
"Good night," the students mumbled back and in a single file line, trudged back to their own dormitories, Audrey to her Slytherin dungeons.
"What might Professor Dumbledore do?" Asked Lily once they were all safely tucked in the common room of the Gryffindor house. In front of them was the blazing fire that warmed Lily up quickly.
"I don't know but I hope that bastard Snake deserves whatever it is that will be thrown at him. I hope the creatures get to him first," Sirius replied bitterly. James remained quiet and only peered at the fire. Finally, his voice, barely a whisper, emitted something that hinted a tone of anger and bitterness.
"Sirius, you don't know the half of what Snake will get if I get through with him." Lily could only stare in surprise.