Hola! I tried to make this one long, because I dunno if I'll be able to get one up over April vaca, because I might be in Las Vegass (woopie. never been there before. thrills galore!) And yes, this chappie has a song in it by Evanescence. Note: this chapter is dedicated to Emmy Vance because I was mean to her in study. (sorrysorrysorry!)
After that, the months passed quickly. Remus, Sirius, and James invited Lily out on one of their moonlit escapades, and taught her everything they knew about being an animagus. Soon she was out in the forest every chance she got, living life as she never had before. She realized that even when she wasn't a fox, her senses were sharpened, so that she could smell what the house elves were making for dinner. Once Malfoy tried to prank the Marauders in return for their stunt with the robes and flags, and Lily was able to warn them ahead of tile when her eyes caught a flash of green in the corridor ahead of them. Soon it was time for Christmas break, and the five of them were saying goodbye. The ride back to London on the Express was, for the most part, uneventful. Lily was quiet and moody, and none but James knew why. She stared out the window, ignoring the sound of exploding snap echoing around the compartment behind her, and silently dreaded her return. What would her father say? Or, more importantly, do? Both Rhia and James had offered to let her stay at their houses, but Lily had decided that she couldn't avoid it forever, and it was better just to get it over with. As they neared London, however, she was beginning to regret her choice. At King's Cross, Lily hugged Rhia tightly and promised to write, then hugged Sirius and Remus. When she came to James, she looked at him, uncertain as to how to act. They hadn't talked about that night in the forest yet, though neither of them had forgotten. Lily hesitantly leaned forward, and he brought his mouth down to meet hers. The sound of clapping and whoops broke their kiss. Rhia, Sirius, and Remus were standing there, applauding loudly. Lily and James blushed. "Finally!" Rhia yelled over the noise of the 4:46 coming in parallel to them. James rolled his eyes and turned to look at Lily again. She grinned at him, and he hugged her tightly. "Are you sure you don't want to come back with me?" He whispered in her ear. Lily took a shaky breath. "Yeah." Pulling out her floo powder from her robes, she walked over to the stationmaster's office. "I can do this," she said softly to herself. Stepping into the fireplace, she cried "153 Terrace Circle," and disappeared in a flare of green flame.
Lily stumbled out of the small fireplace in the living room. She took a look at the space around her, taking in the faded olive green couch and the worn carpet. She checked her watch; it was five o'clock. Her father would be home in two hours, if he didn't stop at a bar on the way back. She dumped her trunk in her undersized room, which was just as she had left it four months ago. Lily took a deep breath and flipped her hair back into the bun she hadn't worn since September. She unpacked her clothing and opened the dresser draw, to reveal her old apron. She sighed as she tied it on. It felt like a suffocating blanket, crushing all the light and hope from her life. Lily walked slowly out to the kitchen, located the duster, and began to do her chores. The house was dustier than ever, because her father evidently hadn't done any housekeeping while she was gone. She coughed as she went over the mantelpiece, and wished more then ever that she was back at Hogwarts, studying for potions. Then she shook herself. She hadn't been back for an hour and already she was complaining. That was no good. This vacation wasn't going to be fun, certainly, but she didn't need to torture herself this early on. The hours went by slowly as she vacuumed, washed and dried dishes, and made the beds. As she was scrubbing the counters in the kitchen, Lily heard the front door slam, and looked up quickly as her father entered the room.
He stopped dead when he saw her, and she realized with a feeling of cold dread that she had been wrong. No matter how much she tried to lessen his anger, it wouldn't make a difference. He started toward her, breathing heavily. "You bitch! Leaving in the middle of your chores, not even asking me for permission-" her father continued along this line until he had her cornered near the icebox. Then he took a swing at her, which she ducked neatly. This was followed by a swift punch to the stomach, which she couldn't avoid. There was a sickening crunch as at least two of her ribs broke. Lily doubled over, gasping in pain as black spots began to invade her vision. She was barely conscious of the rain of blows pummeling away at her body as she slipped into unconsciousness.
The weeks continued like this. Her father locked the refrigerator, and only gave her food if he remembered, which wasn't often. And when he did, it was only a piece of celery or a potato chip. Lily could have picked the lock easily, but her father would have noticed for sure. He didn't seem to be drinking as much, but that was bad news. It didn't stay his hand at all; if anything it made his aim more precise. By the end of two weeks, Lily had no strength left. Her eyes were a dull green, and they were devoid of any life. She had been washing the dishes after her father's dinner, and everything went a blinding white in her vision for a moment. It left her dizzy, and she lost her footing momentarily. The plate crashed to the ground, shattering into a million pieces. Lily saw everything in slow motion, through glazed eyes. Her father advanced slowly, piggish eyes glinting dangerously. He reared back his fat hand, smacking her across the face. Her hand, in turn, flew up to the side of her face as she fell backwards, hitting her head against the sharp edge of the counter. She curled up on the floor loosely, only partly aware that she should protect her vital organs. Her father took off his belt, cursing her as he did. He brought it up over his head, and brought it down with a savage motion. Lily cried out as the leather sliced into her skin. This continued for over ten minutes, during which Lily discovered that the pain was worse when she shut her eyes. They connected with the wall of her room, which was visible through the open door. On the wall, there was a small, moving photo; it had been taken about a month ago, outside in the grounds of Hogwarts. The lake glistened silvery-blue, and a warm sun shone down on the five friends. Rhia and Sirius were bickering, and Remus was alternating between trying to pacify them and working on his History of Magic Essay. James was giving Lily a piggyback, and staggering around. Lily clung on tightly and tried not to lose her grip on his hair and neck. They were both laughing hysterically. Sirius pushed Rhia into the lake, and she scrambled out, sopping wet, and chased him around the photo. That was what Lily concentrated on then, as her father beat her nearly senseless. She was almost praying to go unconscious; at least then she wouldn't feel the endless pain.
In my field of paper flowers
And candy clouds of lullaby
I lie inside myself for hours
And watch my purple sky fly over me…
Suddenly, just as she was tensing up for the next blow, there was a small pop. The blow never came. She cautiously looked up, and saw James' enraged face glaring at something near her. Then he looked up, and saw her. "Oh my god, Lily, what has he been doing to you?" he said. Lily tried to get up, but gasped in pain, and slid down the wall again. James bent down, pocketed something on the floor, and slid his arms around her, lifting her up. He carried her to the fireplace and, ducking his head, he stepped inside, still carrying her. They were gone in a burst of emerald fire.
James sat by the bed and watched Lily's face, so peaceful in sleep. She had fallen asleep in the fireplace, and now, nearly seven hours later, she still slept. He watched the covers rise and fall with her light breaths, and wished more then ever that he had insisted that she spend the holidays with him or Rhia. Her face was unhealthily pale, and dark bruises covered it. She was thinner than ever, and her arms and legs were discoloured, too. Her hair, which had always been a vibrant red, was now a dull, brownish colour, and was dusty because of the housework she had been doing almost nonstop. And when James had gently rolled her over, he had been shocked at the sight that greeted him; her back was worse than ever. Many of the old scars had spilt open again, and there were numerous new cuts that had been bleeding heavily. He had, of course, immediately called in his mother, who was a healer. She raised her eyebrows in surprise, but then without asking questions, strode across the room and began to tend to Lily. When your son was friends with Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, you got used to unusual things. But as she worked and discovered more and more marks on the girl's body, she began to be curious, and angry. Who would do something like this to a young girl? She had to take a break to stop her hands from shaking in fury. The child had six broken ribs, a broken arm, three broken fingers, and severe lacerations on her back, not to mention the bruises. Normally Mrs. Potter would have had to shoo James out of the room, but this time he just sat there, staring at his hands. It worried her. Finally she sat back, and turned to James. "Who is she?"
"I failed her. It's my fault. I should have made her come here for the holidays. It's all my fault." James responded in a dull, toneless voice. His mother sighed. She knew her son well enough to know that it would be no use talking to him until his private pity party was done. "I'll just send Kelsey up with some food then," she said brightly, before leaving the room.
"I don't deserve it," James muttered to himself, banging his head slowly on the bed stand.
"James?" a soft voice asked.
"Lily! You're awake! Thank god," James exclaimed, seeing Lily sitting up in bed. Just then a small girl with straight black hair entered the room quietly. "Um…James? Mum told me to give this to you…" she said uncertainly.
"Thanks, Kels. That's my little sister Kelsey," he added for Lily's benefit. "She's nine, and the smartest kid in her grade!" Kelsey blushed. Lily smiled, seeing how much James loved his little sister.
"Who're you?" the little girl asked Lily shyly.
"I'm Lily."
"Hi, Lily!"
"Hello, Kelsey!" Kelsey giggled, and Lily laughed too.
"Kels, honey, come on down!" James' mother called.
"Be right there!" Kelsey yelled back deafeningly, prompting Lily to wince and cover her ears. James just grinned.
"You get used to it," he said
"What?" Lily deadpanned back, before laughing. She swung her legs around so she was sitting on the bed, and slowly got up. Surprisingly, she could walk fine. Lily grinned. "My mum," James explained. After she had walked around the room a few times, he asked, "D'you want a tour?"