Disclaimers: Language. Violence. Slight sexual references, but nothing too overt (sorry, I REALLY wanted to go there, just couldn't manage).
If you are new to this story, WELCOME and ignore the note below. Please enjoy!
AUTHOR NOTE: November 2022
Am I piece a complete crap? Yes. Has it really taken me over 10 YEARS TO FINISH THIS STORY? You bet your bottom-dollar it did! Have I redone this story a few times, edited it a bit more, and then come to you now, post a slightly modified version? YES. Is it in the full fort as I desire it? Maybe not. But it has the key events I wanted and so. There.
Slight Spoiler (?) If you had read up to the Dursley wedding (previously Chapter 14 - Now Chapter 22), most of the events that have taken place STILL HAPPENED SOME, I've just slightly edited the timeline of it to what I felt fit better. It may be easier to reread and start from the beginning...
NEVER GIVE UP. Thank you for your patience and those who stuck around. TRULY I've thought of you nearly every day - AND I hope you enjoy!
It was hot. Uncharacteristically hotter than any normal September night inside a stone castle had any right to be in the dead of night.
But then again, Lily didn't know much about castle architecture. It was probably meant to keep the heat inside; it wasn't like this particular castle was built in Italy or the south of Spain. They were located somewhere in the Scottish countryside for Merlin's sake, where the harsh winds weren't very favorable for its residents.
However the original builders actually intended the heating to be retained, Lily found herself resenting them regardless. Most of the glass windows didn't even open.
The collar of her shirt was already soaked in sweat, sticking uncomfortably to the skin of her collarbone. The back of her knees felt clammy and her feet inside of her shoes felt heavy with condensation. Pushing her discomfort aside, she crept forward as silently as she could, listening for any sounds out of the norm.
The corridor beyond was blessedly silent.
Realistically, she reasoned with herself, the castle's architects likely didn't plan for the castle's residents to be doing this. Most definitely not, she presumed. It was likely customary at the time that the ladies and lords of the castle were to be prim and proper. Mindful of etiquette. She'd read Hogwarts, A History. They had other ventures in mind.
They would certainly not approve of the way she tugged frantically the fabric of her collar away from the skin of her neck, the movement creating a blissful draft that cooled her chest. Nor the way she yanked and fluffed the bottom of her shirt away from her stomach, exposing the skin there to the air in a desperate attempt to stave off the heat.
Immodest, she mused, but a necessity.
Just as necessary as the reason why she was wearing a bloody, long sleeved black shirt in the first place.
Stealth.
Lily scoffed at her own smarminess.
One of the snoozing occupants of a nearby portrait startled at the noise, opening their eyes through drooping eyelids to glare before falling still once more, slouching back into a relaxed position.
A moment later, the sudden sound of footsteps echoed further down the corridor, startling Lily. She turned to stare down the unlit corridor, but the expanse beyond was too dark to see plainly.
Seizing in panic, she darted closer to the wall, sliding into a small alcove behind a tall knight of armor. As quickly and quietly as she could, she situated herself between the wall and the knight.
She waited.
And waited.
Silence.
It could have been her imagination, she reasoned. Maybe one of the corridor's portrait's occupants took a stroll within their own painting. Maybe the heat was starting to get to her nerves.
But no.
There.
The softest padding of a pair of soft-soled shoes. Sneakers. Definitely sneakers. Certainly not the hard wood of a professor's shoe. Certainly not the rubber soled boots of the miserable caretaker, Filch.
Her muscles relaxed the slightest, allowing her to shift closer to the wall and away from the rickety metal of the armor in front of her.
The footsteps were too far away to truly worry. The slow pattern led Lily to believe they had not heard her – nor had any suspicions of any other occupants in the corridor.
Until they slowed down to a casual stop.
Perhaps the person was scanning for movement or noise. It was still possible they would turn and leave, she considered, pushing the thought out into the universe, as if it could help. Whatever they had planned, she would not give them a reason to pursue the corridor further.
Her body remained still.
More sweat was collecting at her temples, clinging to strands of loose hair and causing them to stick to the skin there. She held in the urge to sigh.
After what felt like an eternity, the footsteps finally resumed – seemingly away from her hiding spot. Retreating the way they had come, she realized in relief.
With tense movements, Lily sank forward into a low crouch, mindful not to bump into the armor as she leaned around it, inching herself out from the alcove to peer into the corridor.
After an endless moment of allowing her eyes to become accustomed to the dark, she found no movement. She stared for so long she almost imagined the dark outline of a figure, standing at ease, but after another long moment, her eyes re-focused, the shadow giving way to the others.
Whoever it was no longer seemed to be in the corridor with her.
She shifted and froze, grimacing when her shoulder jostled the gauntlet of one of the knight's arms.
No sound. No footsteps. No shouts.
Mildly surprised, but immensely pleased, Lily began to further pull herself out from behind the knight, releasing a sigh of relief as her muscles began to relax.
Mistake. Colossal mistake.
"Cesso!"
The voice, sudden and shrill, startled Lily. The bright blue streak of the spell that momentarily blinded her as it exploded against the stone wall in front of her face.
She cried out, stumbling backwards into the knight, and then cried out once more when a metal piece of the shoulder fell and struck her on the cheek. It clattered to the ground, the loud sound hiding her groan of pain.
With panicked movements, she scrambled back into the small alcove, tucking herself protectively behind the wall while she blinked rapidly to clear her vision of tears.
"You can't hide forever! Why don't you come out and play, little witch?"
Lily winced, rubbing at her cheek to help ease the pain. No cut, but it would definitely bruise.
"I know you're there, poor wittle Evansie!"
Her teeth ground together as she tightened the grip on her wand, contemplating her next move.
Another "Cesso!" rang out once more, followed by the shower of blue sparks just above her head. The shock of it rocked her backwards onto her arse, just catching herself on her hands, the skin of them scraped against the rough stone floor, leaving raw skin.
"Did you know that the spell makes your hair shine the most gorgeous shade of magenta? We should really consider coloring it permanently."
Lily narrowed her eyes as her opponent's steps moved closer, almost tauntingly. Tap, tap, tap-tap, as if they were playing a leisurely game of hopscotch. She braced herself mentally, quickly working out any possible escape routes.
"I know how much you hate being called 'carrot top'."
But there weren't any. She was trapped.
"Firecracker."
The force of her own grip on her wand was near bruising and Lily made herself relax, breathing through the irritable panic that was beginning to sink into her chest.
"Raggedy Annie."
Get a hold of yourself. She had been in worse spots than this. Way worse. There was no way she'd go down without a fight. It wasn't in her to go down easy.
"Gingersnap."
A muscle in her jaw ticked as she resisted rolling her eyes. She knew this tactic. Annoy your opponent into action. Lower their defenses with petty insults. It was a weak move, she knew, but Merlin, it didn't help to lessen her growing annoyance.
"Gingey. Come on, Lily! Quit being a coward. You know the rules!"
She did. Which meant she was running out of time to take action. She huffed in annoyance, no longer worried about revealing her position.
"Fire crotch!"
"Merlin, Mckinnon!" she exclaimed with an involuntary laugh. "You'll wake the whole bloody castle!"
"Ginger Minger!"
"Cesso!" Lily cast, throwing herself out of her protective hiding place.
The spell did not hit her desired target, but still succeeded in distracting the other witch.
"Cesso!" she barked again, casting it just as quickly, but Marlene ducked in time, narrowly missing the spell.
Lily was still awarded the advantage though, taking off at a sprint back down the corridor, tossing a haphazard spell over her shoulder for good measure. Marlene gave a shout of surprise, which disappointedly meant her spell had once again missed the target.
She could not dwell on it for long; her legs were working the hardest they had in months and the muscles were already beginning to protest against the extra exertion. Lily clumsily turned a corner, clipping an elbow hard against the stone corner and wincing, knowing that would also bruise.
It was all part of the Game, though. The rush. The panic. The pure adrenaline that helped spur you on further even if you felt like collapsing.
And the occasional body damage.
It also periodically led to one of the things Lily loathed the most in the world, of which there were truly only a few things that were on this list.
Wet socks. Pumpkin flavored pastries. Fighting with her sister.
Losing.
Marlene's echoing laugh trailed behind her like a bad dream – but Lily did her best to ignore it.
If there was one thing she needed to work on for the Game, it was shutting off her emotions that were quick to rise. And her aim. And stamina.
The latter two were more easily manageable, after a few weeks back in action.
The path ahead was running out of places to escape, though. The corridors and floors of the castle were now nearly second hand to her, having stalked the halls more frequently than any good Prefect should.
Knowing the way around Hogwarts only did so much good. Her options were limited.
The corridor ahead would split into a perpendicular hallway – one way that would lead the way back towards the moving staircase that would take her back to the Entrance hall – her main goal. The other way led to a dead end; an empty span of wall filled with portraits of past residences of the nearby (much smaller) castles.
The junction was ten, maybe twelve paces in front of her. She could make it.
"Cesso!" Marlene's voice rang out, much closer than expected.
Lily did her best to hold in her sound of panic, ducking down instinctively to avoid the oncoming spell at her back, but she lost her footing, propelled forward by her force of motion.
It was a messy, painful maneuver, but she managed to tuck into a roll, just barely avoiding slamming her face into the floor. With a triumphant whoop, she righted herself awkwardly, shoulder slamming into the corridor wall. "Ha!" She crowed delightedly, before casting, "Cesso!"
Simultaneously, Marlene cast the spell in return, forcing Lily to push herself away from the wall to avoid the blue sparks.
"Cesso!" Marlene attempted again, driving Lily back in order to evade the streak of magic.
She sent three charms in quick succession, but again failed.
"Got to do better than that, Gingie! Cesso!"
With no choice, Lily was forced to take off once more – down the corridor that she knew led to nowhere.
Her swerve around the corner was less than elegant, but still gave her the advantage in distance as she spun around in order to watch, walking backwards as quickly as she could without tripping herself. Her wand was trained at the height she knew Marlene would be at, hopefully too busy gloating to smartly check around for Lily first.
The sudden surge of anxiety nearly overtook her emotions and Lily struggled to keep her breath even.
"I'm coming for you!" Marlene's voice crooned.
Lily shifted closer to the wall, accidentally knocking into a loose portrait and disturbing its occupants.
"Oi, lass," the older wizard complained. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"
"Sh!" she hissed, not even chancing to return the wizard's glare.
"Rude," he groused, rearranging himself into a more comfortable position. "Don't teach you manners much these days, do they?"
"Please," she whispered, "I'm very sorry, but I need to concentrate!"
"Sad excuse for an apology if I'd ever heard one."
"Sir!" Her nerves were shot.
Marlene's voice called just beyond the corner and Lily felt another wave of anxiety crash over her. She could not let Marlene catch her.
Not in this game – certainly not in the first one of the year. Her pride would never let her live it down; it was something that just could not happen.
Her eyes darted around desperately, but all she found were the portraits, their sleeping occupants, and a lone window that barely filtered in any light. Too small to even climb through (not that that was an option, being five bloody floors above the ground).
Right? Right.
And then.
And then.
As if Godric Gryffindor himself was looking down upon her and chose to bestow a gift, one of the larger portraits to her right moved.
Well, it actually swung open with enough momentum that it collided into the wall behind it, the wooden frame cracking against the stone incredibly loud. Lily had thought for a moment it had been blown off by a spell. But alas.
An escape.
Lily caught sight of Marlene's blonde hair turning the corner. "Cesso!" the other girl cast shrilly, catching sight of her.
The redhead burst into motion without a second thought, hurdling herself forward through the opening that was now revealed.
And straight into a wall.
No, Lily realized with horror. A body. Alive.
"Oi!"
Male, she acknowledged idly.
The figure she had run into stumbled back only a few steps, grasping at her upper arms out of reflex as she pressed against him worryingly close.
The room they were in was dark, the light from the corridor too low to truly illuminate the surroundings or herself. Regardless, her heart stuttered in panic as she was too frozen to speak.
He was tall – and that was definitely muscle under the palms of her hands.
"What the fu–"
"Cesso!" rang out once from the corridor beyond.
Sparks rained down from above as the spell exploded against the low ceiling, blinding her. Sounds of others' surprise resonated in the room. It spurred Lily into action as she grabbed onto the cloak of the boy in front of her and dragged him down into a kneeled position.
"Cesso!" Marlene cast again and the room exploded into sound.
"Bloody hell! We're under attack!"
"Shut the door. Shut the goddamn door!"
Lily scrambled to follow the demand of the figure who'd caught her, having shoved him away to scramble on hands and knees towards the open portrait. She used what little she had of her nails to scrape against the back of the portrait's frame to pull it shut. It slammed against the frame, another loud 'crack' echoing through the air.
The room fell deafeningly silent.
It was another male voice that spoke into the inky-blackness. "What the bloody fuck was that? Everyone alright? Prongs?"
"Fine," answered the one closest to her, sounding winded. "Moony, Wormtail? You okay?"
Lily winced, realizing she may have shoved him a bit too hard. The somewhat functioning portion of her brain focused on the names. They weren't proper names of any students she knew, but they still sounded painfully familiar.
"I'm alright," one of them responded, also a bit out of breath. "Wormtail?" There was noise, as if he were shuffling around on hands and knees. "He's not waking up. Wormtail?"
Lily gasped sharply as a hand reached out and locked onto her wrist that was holding her wand. Merlin, could the boy see in the dark?
"Were you being attacked? Who were you running from?" he asked hurriedly.
"Let go," she hissed, clawing at his grip. "Let me go!"
"Guys," berated the one who had checked on their fallen comrade. "Ennerverate. He's not moving!"
There was more shuffling to her left and Lily jerked in shock as another hand grabbed her shoulder, the movement clumsy in the dark.
"Tell us what the bloody hell is happening!" he demanded, adjusting his grip, fingers near bruising around the skin of her arm.
She wrenched herself forward to break free of his grasp and succeeded, but the other boy's hand was still tight around her wrist. "Bugger off!" she snarled, panicking as she realized her current circumstances put her in a dangerous position. "He'll be fine. He is fine!"
"Was this your spell?" one asked.
"Lum–" the other started.
"Don't!" Lily cried out, terrified to reveal her identity. "I swear! He's fine! He'll wake up any moment, just wait a minute –"
The fourth figure on the floor groaned. Loudly.
"What happened?" their fallen comrade asked, sounding in pain and disoriented. He must've tumbled backwards, hard. "Serious –"
"Wormtail!" snapped the boy who had grabbed her by the shoulder, but he didn't move towards his friend, staying at her side. "You alright?"
Moony, more sympathetic, spoke, but his tone was sour. "You were hit by a spell – we aren't sure which one."
They were all distracted by the sudden sound of heavy scratching, someone trying to claw at the doorway's portrait.
Marlene.
Lily gasped, panic renewed at the horrific realization. Dread washed over her, chilling her insides.
She has gotten them caught. It was over. It was all over.
"Hey!" the boy closest to her warned sharply – Prongs – and shook her by the arm. He must've felt her arm muscles contract as she tightened the grip on her wand. His fingers dug more intensely around her wrist. "Don't even think about getting away."
There was the sudden and distinct press of a wand against her collarbone.
"I wasn't," she lied through clenched teeth. "I'd appreciate if you wouldn't –"
He interrupted her with a scoff. "You and one of your mates just attacked one of ours. Why wouldn't we do the same?"
"Prongs," Moony admonished. The sound of a pained groan echoed in the small room. "Help me with p- Wormtail."
Prongs didn't immediately leave her side, but she felt the fabric of his cloak brush past her a moment later, indicating his retreat towards his comrades.
They must've crowded close together then, whispering to each other rapidly. Lily gave into the urge to roll her eyes, knowing they couldn't see.
"… not a prefect or…"
"Could be a Slytherin…"
"… it's a girl…"
She jumped as the skin of her forearm flared with heat, prompting another streak of alarm to cut through her stomach.
Doing her best not to draw attention to herself, she turned her back towards them slowly, risky as it may have been to do so. She pulled the sleeve of her shirt up to reveal the familiar scrawl written in a low, warm light. It took a few painful moments for her eyes to adjust.
They widened in disbelief once she could clearly read the words fully.
Fourth?! She was in fourth place?
She skimmed through the rest of the numbers incredulously as her heart rate spiked again.
She had been at least in second place when she had last checked. How could she have dropped three places?
"What the hell is that?" Padfoot, the prat, barked. "What've you got there?"
Lily tore the sleeve down hastily, hiding the spell from view before whirling to face the boy's disembodied voice. If she squinted hard enough, she could make out the shape of him – tall – taller than her at least.
"Nothing," she snapped defensively.
"Show us!" he ordered, stepping closer.
"We won't hurt you," Prongs said placatingly, his voice coming nearer as he spoke. "Unless you give us a reason to."
She laughed derisively as his wand returned to its place at her collarbone, aim unerringly accurate.
"What game are you even playing at, attacking random students?" he continued.
Lily flinched when Padfoot's painful grip found her shoulder a second time. He shook her roughly in a threatening manner, knocking her closer to the other boy. Prong's wand jabbed into her throat and she gasped in pain.
She shoved the both of them away, coughing violently. "Get off! Or I'll –"
"What, attack us? Already done that, sweetheart," Padfoot snapped and she could make out the shape of him coming closer.
To hell with this, she thought, decision made.
With a quick prayer to whoever might've been listening, she feinted to the right, knocking into the unprepared Prongs and shoving him again. He was damn near pure muscle, but she succeeded. He stumbled a few feet and fell – she heard his grunt of surprise and a solid thud.
With him out of the path, Lily surged forward to thrust the portrait open, stumbling through the doorway to escape.
Marlene let out an ugly squawk of shock, having dodged the portrait just barely.
"What?" Marlene cried, but Lily grabbed onto her arm tightly and pulled her along, not sparing a glance behind her as she shot a harmless spray of sparks towards the portrait in hopes to disarm and distract.
She tossed a locking charm as well, in the hopes that it would somehow stick to the frame.
"Run!" she ordered and was relieved when Marlene did, in fact, begin to run.
"Oi!" echoed behind them soon after, the door bursting open, but the two girls did not slow, escaping back down the corridor they had come.
They turned another corner and passed the hallway to the hospital wing, the unused choir room, and the prefects' loo before Marlene began to falter.
"Wait, wait, wait," she wheezed, rubbing at her side. She reached out and grabbed Lily's arm to halt her movement. "I've got a stitch, wait."
"Aren't you the Quidditch player here?" Lily gasped, fighting to catch her own breath. She intertwined her fingers and brought them behind her head to help expand her lungs. "I thought you were always in shape."
"I play Quidditch, I'm not a jock," Marlene guffawed, straightening as the stitch in her side receded. "I did fuckall all holiday; lazed about as much as I could."
"Sounds grand," she replied with a laugh, dropping her arms and twisting to look back down the corridor they had come. "Do you think…"
"I'm sure we're fine now," Marlene replied with bravado, turning to stare down the same path.
The two girls waited a beat longer, as if expecting someone to jump out and shout 'Ha!'. No one did.
"Right."
"Right. Totally safe."
Lily smoothed the wild hair back from her face, using a moment to take stock of their surroundings. She nodded reassuringly to herself. "Since the coast is clear…" she raised her wand towards the blonde. "Cesso."
In such close range, her spell struck true, landing dead center on Marlene's chest. The girl froze, suspended in the same position as when Lily cast the spell. "Sorry," she winced, sounding only a little genuine. "That'll be tender in the morning!"
She turned on her heel and bolted, looping back to check the hospital wing's corridor for any signs of opponents. None.
Mindful of the stray boys they had run into, Lily chose the roundabout path towards the staircases – usually a waste of time, but a safe move in the current predicament.
As she bounded down the corridor, she rolled up her sleeve, smiling in satisfaction as her attack awarded her just enough points to be put into third place.
Now all that had to be done was to make it to 'base' before the clock hit zero.
The Entrance Hall. The Entrance Hall. The Entrance Hall.
Her mind repeated the words as a mantra as she pushed herself harder, doing her best to ignore the burning in her lungs. An elated giggle escaped as she made it to the homestretch, arriving at last, at the staircase that would lead her to the Great Hall.
Her progress forward halted when she caught sight of someone appearing across the landing – and for a brief moment, Lily thought of the four wizards she'd run into earlier.
"Cesso!" Alice cast expertly, without wavering.
Lily was sure the gasp that came out of her would have woken the whole school, but was more concerned as she dropped to her knees – hard – in order to avoid being struck by the spell. She was already lifting her wand in retaliation. "Cesso!" she shouted, pleased when her spell caught Alice in the shoulder.
The other girl froze and a triumphant Lily took off down the stairs without a glance back. It was possible tagging Alice had bumped up her points… but it'd be worthless if she got disqualified.
As she continued her way down the stairs, skipping over the occasional step, Lily began to grin.
This was the feeling she loved. The high. The rush of giving chase – being chased.
It was one of the reasons why she (with the help of her fellow Housemates) came up with this game.
Honestly, what kid wouldn't want to play a game of tag in an enormous castle filled with countless hiding spots and passageways? It was a damn near wish come true (including the actual magic part, of course).
When Lily rounded the last staircase, she was filled with immense glee at the sight of the empty Entrance Hall as it came into view. She'd not only be the first, but well within the time limit.
"Oi!"
Lily seized in terror, heel slipping from the step she had just taken – and felt her world give way as she lost balance and fell.
It was painful. Maybe even more painful when her appendix had burst during summer holidays after her third year. Maybe less painful when she jumped from the banister last year and broke her arm (she did her best from then on to avoid that particularly risky move).
This was at least a top five contender.
She tumbled down the rest of the staircase, rolling side over side and managing to slam her elbows on nearly every other stone step on her descent.
And while it was over in a matter of seconds, it took her ages to orient herself, eyes rolling back in their sockets as she moaned in pain. She felt sure her lip had been split and her ankle sprained.
"Well, that was a show."
Lily groaned, pushing herself into a seated position. "Hopefully a good one," she managed to quip, rubbing at her aching elbow with one hand and using the other to rub at her sore ribs.
Emmeline laughed, bending a knee to hold her hand out to Lily. "I thought so," she said, hauling Lily up to her feet.
"I'd give it a six out of ten," Dorcas mused. Lily turned to catch sight of her blonde haired friend sitting against the doors of the Great Hall. "I'm pretty sure we've seen better, but it's always enjoyable watching you go arse-over-tit."
"Thanks," she said dryly, smiling her thanks to Emmeline once she was standing stable. "At least no broken bones this time." She hissed, testing her weight on her ankle. "Just sprained, I think."
"You might want to get that checked out this time, at least," said Emmeline sympathetically. "Remember when you waited a week before seeing Pomfrey?"
"Don't remind me!" Alice called from above them, skipping down the steps. "That purple-green color made me gag every time I saw it. And I had to take over your Prefect duties while Pomfrey figured out the right potion to help it. I wasn't even selected as a Prefect!"
"It wasn't that bad." Lily argued. "It was one patrol – and I covered for you when I caught you out late with Frank last year."
Alice gave her a look. "I caught those two Ravenclaws – remember, Greengrass? Patel? – in such a compromising position that it took weeks to recover!"
Lily laughed. "They fled the Great Hall anytime they saw you the rest of the year. I don't think the rest of the kids in their class forgave them for losing so many points."
"I still think I was more traumatized. He had his – and she was all contorted –" Alice shuddered as the memory played across her features.
Dorcas snorted from her position on the floor. "Alice, ever think you just have a sensitive disposition? Haven't you and Frank – you know –"
Even in the low light of the Entrance Hall, they could see Alice's cheeks reddened considerably. "Not that it's any of your business, but we decided to wait."
"Oh, wait, eh?"
"Okay, okay," Lily cut in, giving Alice an out. "Your decisions are yours and we respect them." She shifted carefully to her other foot, turning to glance back up the stairs. "Anyone see Mckinnon?"
Emmeline shrugged in response, while the other two girls gestured similarly, just as the spell branded on their arms heated pleasantly, signaling the end of the Game.
"Disqualified!" Dorcas exclaimed in delight, jumping up to join the other girls in the middle of the room.
"Sh," Emmeline quickly chastised. "There still might be Prefects out."
"Nah," said Dorcas, nodding to herself assuringly. "They head in thirty to midnight still. Right?"
"Right," Lily and Alice agreed together, but only Lily knew that it wasn't Prefects they needed to be worried about that night. She glanced back up the stairs nervously.
"She probably went to the 7th floor again; does she not realize we know she camps out there?"
Emmeline sank into a cross legged position on the floor and the rest followed suit. "She usually makes it back in time. I'm sure she thought she could catch a few of us before time was up."
Lily sincerely hoped that was the case, but still had a sinking feeling in her stomach… If Marlene had double-backed around and gotten caught by the four boys they'd stumbled into – and if the others found out Lily hadn't used the warning system… "Guys, we should probably –"
"I'm here! I'm here!" Marlene called out frantactically, revealing herself at the landing at the top of the staircase, taking the steps two at a time.
Overwhelming relief flooded Lily.
Of the two best friends, Marlene was certainly the more athletic (despite not being a "jock"). It showed as she danced down the steps with dexterity Lily wished she herself possessed.
The blonde rushed towards them and collapsed beside Lily, huffing loudly in order to catch her breath. "Please tell me Lily's shoddy spellwork was off and I still have time!"
Lily's admiration was short-lived. "Shoddy spellwork, my arse!"
"We all know you were taking your sweet time moseying about, Mckinnon," Emmeline teased, "just as you like to do every game."
"Come on. I can't be disqualified in the first Game of the year!"
"Those are the rules," Dorcas crooned, pushing her lower lip out in an overly exaggerated way. "The ones you helped make. Want to cry about it?"
Marlene's eyes narrowed quickly as she held up a fist, displaying a rude gesture. "I'll show you some crying."
"Alright, let's settle down!" Emmeline cut in, as Lily watched on in silent amusement.
Ever since the two blondes had met, they had always bickered like sisters; sometimes almost too much. "Shall we check the final scores?"
The four other girls nodded solemnly as they looked towards Lily. She waved her wand.
On the stone floor before them, a chart materialized in golden scrawling writing, listing each of the girls' names and scores:
A. Prewitt– 41
D. Meadowes– 38
L. Evans– 30
M. Mckinnon– 25
E. Vance – 13
"Yes!" Alice crowed in victory. "I won!"
From beside her, Dorcas shook her head in disbelief as she crossed her arms. "Three points." She scoffed, reaching over to lightly punch Alice in her shoulder. "You bloody cheater."
Alice was unfazed by the girl's jab, grinning happily. "Three points, fair and square."
Marlene was giving Lily a woeful glare.
"You know you can't start the game and wait on the 7th floor, hoping to tag one of us," said Lily with little sympathy.
Marlene spluttered. "I was not! I was only checking the floor – it's against the rules to camp. I know that!"
"You'll have to try a new strategy this year," Dorcas teased.
"Exactly," Emmeline cut in smoothly. "The goal is to win the game."
"Vance, you tagged three times. I don't think there's much room for you to talk."
"I was nervous! It's not only the first Game of the year, but we haven't even started classes yet. We just got back!"
"I can't believe we're already back," Lily murmured. "Is it really 6th Year?"
"For you guys," Dorcas said. "I can't believe this is really Em and mine's last year."
Marlene slung an arm over the older girl's shoulder. "We'll just have to find a way to sneak you onto the grounds, right?" She ruffled Dorcas' hair. "I'm sure Dumbledore would be happy to hand over the gate keys, no problem."
"Very happy," said Lily with a laugh. "Or I'll just have to become Head Girl next year to get the keys myself. Or I'll just nick 'em."
The others laughed as Marlene slung her other arm over Lily's shoulder, pulling her in close. "Why do you sound so sure?"
"It's the Game," she replied, as if it were obvious. "'The show must go on' and all that. How are we supposed to play without Dorcas and Emmeline?"
Dorcas laughed. "I'm sure you'll find a way."
"Okay, we should get going before a professor comes by and it gets too late," Alice said, moving to stand and dust off her pants. She reached over and helped Dorcas stand, while Emmeline and Marlene took one of Lily's arms respectively and hauled her up.
"Oh, that smarts," she grimaced, placing a light pressure on her ankle. "I really don't want to go to the hospital wing in the morning. McGonagall's supposed to pass out the class schedules."
"I'll go with you," Marlene assured, allowing Lily to wrap her arm over her shoulder for guidance. "Alice will grab our schedules if we're late, right? McGonagall will trust her."
"Sure," Alice teased. "I'll let her know you're late for breakfast because you broke your ankle after falling down the stairs during a clandestine meeting among her house's students."
"It's not broken," Lily denied, hobbling alongside Marlene. "Just sprained."
"Fingers crossed," Marlene teased. "We know how much of a glutton you are for pain. A true sadist."
"Whoa, big word there," Dorcas said derisively, already a few steps ahead of them. "Been studying to impress the professors this year?"
Emmeline snorted, skipping after her. "There's no oral vocabulary exam for the N.E.W.T.S."
"Thank God for that," said Lily. "I think the word you're trying for is 'masochist', Mckinnon. Says the girl who willingly puts herself on a broomstick meters above the ground and whacks a leather ball around for fun." She grunted gracelessly as Marlene purposely hauled her up a few steps. "Oi, easy!"
"It's called sports. It's supposed to have some danger to it. Just like the Game."
"Yeah, well, don't come whinging to me when another bludger hits you in your kidney."
"But who will nurse me back to health?"
"One of your groupies, I'm sure," she teased, wincing as they ascended the stairs. "They'd love to get their hands on you."
"They wish," Marlene said wryly. She huffed a laugh, adjusting her grip on Lily as they walked. She dropped her voice to a lower volume. "We might be in luck if that's who we ran into tonight."
"Yeah? A little barter for secrecy?"
Marlene laughed. "There are many modes of currency."
Lily snorted at the witch's sly tone, nearly stumbling and taking down the other girl with her. The two girls cackled, both a bit high from the adrenaline of the night.
"Sh, you twats!" Dorcas hissed from above. "It'd be bloody inconvenient to go the whole night without being caught, just to have you two idiots ruin it!"
Lily and Marlene met eyes before succumbing to another round of laughter.
"Right," Lily said, catching her breath. "Wouldn't want that."